Chapter 10: The Frustrated Golden Crocodile

Qingluan glanced at the drowsy Tianyao and couldn't help but shake his head slightly, though he made no effort to wake her.

After all, strategic thinking wasn't something one could master through rote memorization—it required talent. Without the talent, no matter how much one was taught, it would be useless.

"Jin'e, Jin'e… It's not that I don't want to teach her. It's just that your granddaughter Tianyao really doesn't have the aptitude for this."

As he silently sighed to himself, Qingluan shifted his gaze toward Ye Xi.

Seeing how focused Ye Xi was—listening intently, occasionally pausing to think—Qingluan nodded in quiet satisfaction.

He wasn't sure how much she was actually understanding, but at least her attitude was far superior to Tianyao's half-asleep state.

As time passed, Qingluan finally stood up and walked over to Tianyao. He tapped her lightly on the head.

"That's all for this morning's lesson. You can both go get some rest and prepare for the afternoon's combat training."

With that, he walked out of the room.

Upon hearing the words combat training, Tianyao's eyes immediately lit up with excitement.

Qingluan shook his head again at the sight of her enthusiasm.

"Ye Xi, Tianyao," he said as he paused at the door, "you must remember this:

"A person with talent but no strategy or sense of the bigger picture is not truly threatening.

"A person with only strategy and vision but no cultivation talent is also not truly threatening.

"But someone who possesses talent, understands strategy, and sees the larger picture—that is someone truly terrifying."

With those final words, Qingluan left the room and headed for his quarters.

Ye Xi stood in thoughtful silence, while Tianyao looked completely lost.

Stretching her back, Ye Xi stood up and looked over at Tianyao. "Sister Tianyao, I'll head back to rest now."

Tianyao nodded slightly. "Second Miss, I'm going to find my grandfather."

The two left the room together but quickly parted ways, heading in opposite directions.

At the residence of the Second Worshipper, Jin'e.

Jin'e was seated in the main hall, deep in thought.

"I'm back, Grandpa," Tianyao called as she entered, walking straight up to him.

"You're back," Jin'e replied kindly. "So, how was your lesson with Qingluan? Did you learn anything?"

Hearing the question, Tianyao blinked and fell into brief thought before responding, "I think I learned quite a bit."

"Third Worshipper's lessons were really deep… like they had some kind of magic."

"And I finished reading the whole book."

She sat down beside Jin'e, her expression unusually serious.

Qingluan's lecture had gone entirely over her head, hence it felt "profound."

As for the "magic"—that was just the way it made her want to fall asleep.

And reading the whole book? She had skimmed the entire table of contents.

"Oh? Tianyao, are you sure you found Qingluan's lesson profound and actually finished the whole book?"

Jin'e looked at her skeptically.

Knowing Tianyao as well as he did, he knew she'd be thrilled with combat training or a fight. But reading an entire book? That was nearly impossible.

So naturally, he deeply doubted her claim.

"I'm sure," Tianyao said seriously. "Grandpa, I really did read the whole book."

"What did Qingluan talk about this morning?" Jin'e asked.

"I don't know," she answered flatly.

"What was in the book you read?"

"I didn't remember any of it."

Her answers were as straightforward as they were hopeless.

Jin'e stared at her silently, his face gradually darkening.

"You just said Qingluan's teaching was profound and that you read the entire book," he reminded her.

"Yes," Tianyao nodded. "What he said was really deep, I didn't understand a word of it, so I don't know what it was about."

"And I did read the whole book—I just didn't remember anything."

Her clear eyes blinked innocently, as if she had done nothing wrong.

The spacious room fell into silence.

Grandfather and granddaughter stared at each other for a long while, neither speaking.

Eventually, Jin'e sighed deeply in resignation.

"Tianyao, it's alright if you can't grasp this stuff."

"Just focus on cultivating well. In the future, whoever Grandpa tells you to listen to—you just listen."

He gently patted her head, though his expression was full of helplessness.

"Okay, Grandpa. I understand," Tianyao nodded solemnly, looking very serious.

"Go rest for now. You still have combat training this afternoon," Jin'e said, patting her shoulder.

"Alright, I'm going to my room then," she replied and headed off.

After she left, Jin'e sat silently in his chair, his eyes filled with quiet contemplation, lost in thought.

Elsewhere...

In a beautifully decorated, antique-style room, Ye Xi sat at a writing desk, leisurely enjoying some pastries.

The door was gently knocked, and Qian Daoliu's voice sounded from outside.

"Xiao Xi, may I come in?"

Ye Xi quickly got up to open the door.

"Grandfather, what brings you here?"

Seeing him at the door, she gave him a warm and sweet smile.

"I came to ask how your training went this morning."

Qian Daoliu entered and sat down, gently stroking her hair.

"Grandfather, I felt really good about this morning's training."

"As for the combat training this afternoon, I think I'll be fine," Ye Xi replied seriously.

Indeed, everything in the morning had been manageable for her, and Qingluan's lessons especially had given her many insights—like a sudden clarity of thought.

"That's good to hear," Qian Daoliu smiled gently. "As long as you keep this up, your future will be bright."

"Don't worry, Grandpa," Ye Xi said with a determined nod. "I'll train hard."

"I also spoke with Qingluan. He's very impressed with you," Qian Daoliu said.

"It's almost time. I'll take you to the combat training ground," he added as he stood.

"Okay, Grandpa," Ye Xi responded, following him out the door.

(End of Chapter 10)

If you'd like to read advance chapters support me at my patreon.com/YugiroTL