Chapter 34: Uncle Zeng Yi

Ranran would not dare to mention that she had guessed Su Yishui's relationship dilemma with his former master, Elder Mu. Going to a restaurant, of course meant two people having a private conversation by themselves.

She couldn't expose him, to save her Shifu's dignity, so she could only force a dry smile.

Su Yishui ate gracefully but quickly, finishing a bowl of rice in a few bites. After putting down his chopsticks, he said, "The matters here are settled. We will pack up this afternoon and prepare to leave."

Everyone smiled upon hearing this; they had long wanted to leave this horrible place!

If another demon were to appear, they wouldn't be able to handle it with their current abilities.

However, they had gained something from this trip. When they were stuck in the underground passage at the Military Platform, their flesh was frozen from being attached to the Soul Hosting Stone for so long. However, during their recovery, they discovered that their spiritual power had become more refined.

Even chubby Qiu Xier could now jump lightly and get onto the carriage.

They only knew they were following their Shifu to find the demon responsible for Yue-e's demonization, and they weren't quite sure what was inside that big stone underground, but they vaguely guessed it was related to their improved foundations.

However, their Shifu said that everything bestowed by evil beings must be returned. These days, not only were they forbidden from using spiritual power, but they also had to calm their minds, dispel those spiritual energy, and write the Calming Heart Mantra fifty times a day.

According to their master, that thing is extremely malevolent. If one's will was not firm enough, they could easily be tempted and fall into demonic cultivation. So, writing the Calming Heart Mantra for a month would help them keep their minds under control.

frustrating!

So, he couldn't help but jab his little junior sister with his words, to relieve his frustration.

Ranran ignored Second senior brother's sarcastic remarks. As Shifu said, he led them to the door, but cultivation was up to the individual. If second senior brother wanted to slack off, he would always find a way.

As the younger disciple, she could only urge him on. Shifu from Western Mountain had always let his disciples manage themselves after teaching them skills.

However, Ranran herself had finished her assignments flawlessly. Qiu Xier now looks to Ranran for everything; seeing her meticulousness, she also finished her tasks diligently.

As for Senior Brother Gao Cang, he always took Shifu's words as law and so he too wrote his assignments meticulously.

Bai Baishan, being set apart by their behavior, thus reluctantly completed a few more pages.

However, this journey wasn't all gloom. They had thought it would be a leisure trip, but it nearly cost them their lives. When they arrived at Cha Ming Mountain and experienced the prosperity of Jiangnan, they truly relaxed and enjoyed studying and playing.

Although the winter in Jiangnan was cold, it was much better than the desolation and chill of the northwest. Ranran finally could take off her thick cotton clothes and wear light dresses.

She had grown a lot taller in the past year, but she was still slender, so she couldn't buy clothes that was too loose. Those that fit her waist were often too short. So, when buying dresses, she often had to extend the hemline to reach her shoes.

When she saw Ranran in a floral dress paired with a white undershirt, Xier clapped and said she looked good, but she also commented that Ranran's choice of colors was too plain, not bright enough.

Ranran is now somewhat influenced by Shifu, feeling that the brightly colored clothes she used to wear were indeed a bit hard on the eyes. Wearing these softer colors made her feel much calmer as well.

However, Qiu Xier didn't agree. In her opinion, young girls should wear bright vibrant colors, otherwise they will be letting down their youth!

Because it was Shifu's money, she chose a bright lotus root color for her long skirt, which looked like a full blooming bellflower from afar.

While the two girls were chattering and choosing clothes, Senior Brother went to the shoemaker to add leather soles to his cloth shoes, making them more durable and easier to walk in.

As for Second senior brother, who originally followed them to pick clothes but found it boring, he decided to take a walk outside. However, as soon as he stepped out, he felt drops of water on his face, even seeping into his eyes…

He looked up in bemusement at the eaves, where the water seemed to be dripping from. Then he hurried into a nearby bookstore to buy books.

After Ranran and third senior sister finished buying clothes, they went to look for second senior brother. When they turned the corner, they saw second senior brother carrying a bamboo book frame, smiling and nodding at a nearby alley.

Because of the angle, Ranran couldn't see into the alley and didn't know who second senior brother was talking to.

So, Ranran walked straight over, and just as he turned around, they almost bumped into each other.

"Younger junior sister, why are you so clumsy? Rushing over like this, what if you bump into someone!" Bai Baishan came to his senses and immediately patted his chest.

Ranran looked past him, and behind him was a dead end, no one in sight…

Unable to figure out what happened, Ranran asked, "Second senior brother, who were you talking to just now?"

Bai Baishan impatiently said, "Just someone asking for directions, they were right…"

As he turned to point, he realized there was no one behind him and was left stunned.

Just then, Qiu Xier ran over shouting, "Come on, there's a monkey show over there. Senior Brother saved us a bench, so we can sit and watch!"

So, the two of them hurried over. Young people always love to have fun, and in that empty alley, water droplets seemed to continue dripping…

After watching the monkey show, they reunited with Second Uncle Master and went up to Cha Ming Mountain. Shifu had gone up the mountain ahead of them, to visit an old friend.

Originally, they thought Shifu would just take them to soak in some spring in the wild mountains. But they never could have guessed, that Cha Ming Mountain had a beautifully built tea house and hot spring pools.

Perhaps seeing their struggles and hardships at Wangxiang Pass, Shifu was so considerate to bring them to this villa where only wealthy people could enjoy tea and hot springs.

The owner of the hot spring pool on the mountain was over forty, of medium build. According to Second Uncle Master, he was also once a disciple of Mu Qingge.

This owner's surname was Zeng, full name Zeng Yi. After Mu Qingge's soul scattered, the righteous sects disbanded the disciples of Lingxi Palace, and he was driven away from Xishan and ended up here, managing the hot spring pools.

When Ranran saw this scholarly middle-aged man, she could still vaguely see the charisma of a once-handsome youth between his wrinkled brows.

When this Uncle Zeng saw Su Yishui, he didn't treat him coldly like Qin Xuanjiu, but warmly welcomed him. Instead of arranging them in guest rooms, he had them stay in what seemed to be his own backyard.

When he saw the two female disciples Xue Ranran and Qiu Xier, Zeng Yi looked back and forth at the two girls, then settled his gaze on Su Yishui, as if asking something.

Su Yishui didn't answer but made an excuse to dismiss the three younger ones after they greeted this Uncle Zeng, leaving only Ranran. Then he said to her, "This is your Fourteenth Uncle Master. You should thank him because the stick you use was made by him."

Zeng Yi stared at Ranran, silent for a long while. It wasn't until Ranran obediently held up a tea cup to serve him that he seemed to snap out of it, quickly took the cup, and somewhat excitedly said, "You… don't be so polite. What do you like to eat? I'll have the kitchen make it for you right away!"

Ranran felt that this Fourteenth Uncle Master was indeed a kindly elder, but she didn't want to be presumptuous and casually order food, so she just smiled shyly.

But when she looked up again, she saw tears welling up in the eyes of this scholarly uncle. He quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve, forcing back his emotions, "The wind is a bit strong today, making my eyes water… You sit down quickly, I'll bring some fruits for you to eat."

Ranran looked out at the warm and sunny weather outside the window and didn't know when the wind started blowing in the hall, causing Fourteenth Uncle Master's eyes to water.

However, when he lifted his hand to wipe his tears, Ranran was shocked again. Because from his oversized sleeves, only his palm was visible, and not a single finger!

After Uncle Master left, Ranran served tea to her Shifu in the hall.

While boiling water and warming cups, she curiously asked, "Shifu, what's the story with Uncle Master Zeng's hand?"

Su Yishui glanced at her and slowly recounted the story of Uncle Master Zeng.

It was said that Uncle Master Zeng was once a master craftsman of weapons. The weapons he made were very highly sought after. However, because his father offended the powerful, bringing calamity to the family, they sent him to XiShan for refuge.

At that time, Mu Qingge thought the fair and refined Zeng Yi was an interesting and talented person, so she generously took him in, even providing him with ancient weapon-making texts to study.

Although Zeng Yi didn't practice foundational cultivation or fast, the weapons he made were extraordinary. But later, after the death of Mu Qingge, he was captured by some influential villains who forced him to make weapons.

But he refused to do so, even when they threatened him with death. They ended up cutting off his fingers one by one. Fortunately, Su Yishui arrived in time and saved him.

*Only guilty of being talented, losing his fingers made him unable to make weapons anymore, but also stopped the rest of the world from being interested in his skills. He was able to maintain a peaceful life by managing the hot spring pools here.

*匹夫无罪怀璧其罪 比喻有才能,有理想而受害

Someone who suffered because they are talented or has ideals

Ranran felt deeply grieved and whispered, "So the spring-loaded mechanism stick was made by Master Uncle Zeng before he was harmed? Such skillful craftsmanship, but now he can't make anything anymore, isn't that a pity?"

Upon hearing Ranran's whisper, Su Yishui chuckled lightly and said, "Take a look at the inscription on the stick."

Ranran looked down and saw that there were two "Ran" characters in the shape of flowers on the inscription!

If it was a finished product from Master Uncle's earlier days, how would he have known that the person using this stick in the future would be named Ranran?

Soon Ranran had her answer. When she accompanied Shifu to the backyard house to find Master Uncle, she happened to see him making something in a workshop.

However, he wasn't using his hands but had removed his shoes and socks, placed his legs on the table, and deftly assembled various polished components with his ten slender toes…

The workshop was also filled with exquisite clocks, cosmetic cases, and similar items, all of which were presumably made by Master Uncle.

When Zeng Yi saw Ranran and Su Yishui, he quickly put down his work, put on his shoes, and stood up to greet them.

Seeing Ran Ran curiously examining a cosmetic case, he smiled and used his fingerless palm to open it. Surprisingly, a pleasant melody of strings and bamboo came from inside, and lifelike little jade figurines holding earrings and rings stood up and walked out of the box one by one, as if dancing gracefully to the music.

"This is my new creation. If you like it, you can have it to play with." He pushed the cosmetic case towards Ranran.

Although Ranran was unable to recognize its worth, she guessed that such exquisite work must be very valuable. How could she accept it? She quickly waved her hand and declined.

But Su Yishui mildly said, "Your Uncle Master is offering it sincerely. Don't refuse, accept it."

With Shifu's words, Ranran accepted it. She curiously opened and closed the lid repeatedly, her big eyes sparkling as she pondered the mechanisms inside the box.

Su Yishui then talked about their adventures at Wangxiang Pass and also thanked him again on behalf of his disciple for the excellent weapon he had provided.

Zeng Yi asked seriously, "Is it handy? When I corresponded with Yishui before, I roughly asked for your height, and I made that stick according to the height measurement in the letter. But now that I see you, it seems you've grown a lot taller. It seems I need to make some adjustments to the stick so that it fits your hand better."

Ranran had entered XiShan for nearly a year now and had indeed grown taller. She thought about how her stick was specially made by Fourteenth Uncle Master for her, and she couldn't help feeling touched.

He had created so many exquisite things using his feet instead of hands, which made her admire him even more.

Genius, even in adversity, can still change the world. Of course, it requires rock-solid determination to achieve that.

However, with so many senior brothers and sisters, why was she the only one who received Uncle Master's love and received such a sophisticated weapon?

When Ranran brought it up, Master Uncle Zeng was momentarily dumbfounded. He then said, "I made something for everyone, but I haven't had the chance to pass them to your Shifu yet…"

Ranran felt relieved after hearing this and nodded. However, as if remembering something, she earnestly said to Fourteenth Uncle Master, "Please rest assured, Uncle. I will never tell anyone where this stick came from. But Uncle, you shouldn't make these anymore in the future. In my opinion, making cosmetic cases and clocks is already good enough."

After all, Uncle had lost all ten fingers. If it was known that he regained his divine skills and attracted the covetousness of unscrupulous people again, wouldn't it lead to a repeat of nightmares?

Upon hearing Ranran's words which are mature beyond her years, Zeng Yi sat up straight and respectfully said, "Over the years, I have not made any more weapons… I just can't stay idle, so I make some small items to pass the time. But *you're right, I will learn to be more discreet in the future and not show off…"

*您 is a formal polite way to say 'you' but reserved for elder, seniors

Ranran noticed that Uncle Master was using a formal tone and sat up straight as well, saying, "Uncle Master, are you angry? Are you mocking your disciple niece for being too talkative and ignorant?"

Zeng Yi looked melancholy, but after a discreet glance from Su Yishui, he forced a smile and said, "You're right. I just thought of how Master scolded me several times before for being too arrogant and not knowing how to show restraint. She often said that if she were still around, she would naturally protect us disciples, but if she wasn't, we would all be vulnerable. Unfortunately, I was young and arrogant at that time, and I didn't listen to her. I was only focused on creating more impressive divine weapons to dazzle the world. I didn't expect that in the end, her words would all come true. I have learned my lesson, but I never expected the price to be so high… She must be… extremely disappointed in me!"

This was the second disciple of Mu Qingge that Ranran had met, besides Shifu.

People often said Mu Qingge was greedy and lecherous, superficial and likes to judge people by appearance. But Ranran felt that Mu Qingge's disciples were all excellent people.

Based on what Uncle Master Zeng said, Mu Qingge would educate her disciples with such seriousness and care, indicating that although she didn't manage to train any outstanding immortals, at least her disciples were kind-hearted and straightforward enough to be considered gentlemen.

Qin Xuanjiu could abandon his prospects and stayed in the extreme cold of the northwest for twenty years just because of his Master's instructions. Zeng Yi would rather lose all ten fingers than help tyrants cause suffering to the innocent.

As for Shifu Su Yishui, his character is even more impeccable. He had been practicing medicine on Western Mountain for several years, although his medical fees were expensive, and he was a bit lazy, only treating a few patients each year. But his reputation for saving lives and benefiting the world was absolutely authentic!

In this way, although Mu Qingge had a bad reputation and ended her life somewhat ingloriously, with such disciples who lived uprightly, they were much better than those seemingly noble but actually corrupt orthodox sects.

Thinking of this, she comforted, "If Master Mu knew about your situation, she would definitely be proud of you!"

Upon hearing this from Ranran, Uncle Master Zeng put away his sadness and exclaimed with joy, "Really?"

Ranran nodded vigorously, finally coaxing Uncle Master Zeng to smile through his tears.

However, when night fell and she soaked in the hot spring pool with Qiu Xier, she saw the new weapon Qiu Xier had obtained—a common ring knife. Although the handle had exquisite patterns and the blade was delicate, it was nowhere near as stunning and extraordinary as Ranran's mechanism staff.

Uncle Master Zeng probably made cosmetic cases often, understanding women's preferences very well. Just the two exquisite magnolia bell ornaments hanging on the knife handle made third senior sister very satisfied. She leaned against the pool edge soaking in the hot spring while playing with the knife, commenting that the color and pattern of the handle matched dresses very nicely…

As for the eldest senior brother and the second senior brother, they received double swords and a longsword. Apart from the exquisite craftsmanship of the handles, there was nothing particularly remarkable about them.

It seemed that Uncle Master had run out of inspiration and did not put much effort into making things for the other three disciples.

However, the other three disciples didn't know about Uncle Master's past, let alone that Ranran's weapon was also a gift from Uncle Master Zeng, so after thanking Uncle Master Zeng for his generous gifts, everyone was quite harmonious.

Ranran felt that Uncle Master Zeng showed great respect for Mu Qingge. But he didn't treat Su Yishui with the same coldness as Elder Jiu or Qin Xuanjiu, which was very puzzling.

However, it was normal for relationships among disciples to be varied, some good and some not so good. Perhaps Uncle Master Zeng had a good relationship with Shifu in the past, which led to such a long-lasting friendship.

But recently, Ranran hadn't been getting along well with the second senior brother. He seemed burdened with something heavy and often disappeared during this time of healing in the hot spring pool.

When he returned, he would be humming a tune and appear quite pleased with himself.

Since this place was near a bustling town, Ranran secretly speculated with Qiu Xier that the second senior brother must have gone down the mountain alone to have fun.

They didn't know what fun things he was doing that made him go down the mountain so often without telling them.

Ranran nodded indignantly. Shifu always let his disciples roam freely and didn't pay much attention to their studies. Since coming here, he often stayed with Uncle Master Zeng in the backyard workshop for a long time without appearing, so he was even more lax in managing the disciples.

And the two Uncle Masters were also out on missions. The second senior brother now seemed like an unleashed dog, always running outside.

After breakfast that day, Bai Baishan used stomach pain as an excuse and left the three disciples who were meditating and cultivating Qi, returning alone to rest.

Once he left, Qiu Xier quickly got up and said to Ranran and Gao cang, "Let's secretly follow the second senior brother and see if he's gone down the mountain to have fun."

Gao Cang straightforwardly said, "Isn't this improper? What if Shifu comes to check our progress?"