Chapter 45: Normal mode

Luo Xing naturally wouldn't tell the truth. He smiled and said, "Because I want to find my own training resources. I don't want to always trouble you, Master."

"Trouble..."

"Bother..."

'So...'

'He thinks I'm annoying...'

"Training resources... are they that important?" Ye Li didn't know what was wrong with herself, but she felt she really wanted to hear an answer from Luo Xing. "You want to become strong that badly? Why?"

Luo Xing: "..."

'Do you even hear yourself?

Setting aside whether training resources are important, just this "becoming strong"...

Who forced me to break through to Tui Fan within two months?

Who had tens of thousands of sword qi chasing after me?

Who forced me to condense my Sword Heart ahead of time?

Wasn't it all you, Ye Li, the great Elder, who forced me?

Originally, I didn't pursue strength or anything. After my sister Luo Han became Pei Qingshuang's disciple, I could have just been an outer disciple and coasted through the rest of my life...

But!

Fate played a twisted joke on me—I became Ye Li's disciple...

What kind of mess is this...'

"This... isn't it just that I don't want to lose face for you, Master..." Luo Xing said with a laugh. "After all... after all, I am your first disciple, and your personal disciple at that. If I don't work hard and improve, people might laugh, right..."

The young man said a lot, but none of it was what Ye Li wanted to hear...

To be precise, his answer wasn't the answer Ye Li wanted...

But Ye Li didn't press further. She coldly glanced at Luo Xing, then turned and walked toward her room, waving her hand to summon a sword qi avatar: "Continue practicing swordsmanship."

Seeing that Ye Li didn't ask more, Luo Xing shrugged and picked up his Spirit Sword to continue...

Whoosh!

Before he could even react, "Ye Li" swung her longsword toward Luo Xing's waist. If this weren't a sword qi avatar, Luo Xing would have been cut in half right then.

Luo Xing: "..."

'No, seriously? The difficulty just went up?'

After all, he had been practicing swordsmanship for so long and had been chased by tens of thousands of different sword qi attacks. Luo Xing could clearly tell that this last swing was completely different from before...

'What's going on?

When did I ever get past the "easy mode"?

Now it's "normal mode" for me?'

...

At dusk, Ye Li's sword qi avatar disappeared, and Luo Xing's training for the day came to an end.

Summary:

"Died" 106 times, cut in half 86 times, legs severed 98 times...

[Swordsmanship Lv.1: 17/20]

He didn't understand. A few days ago, he could block one or two strikes, but today he couldn't block a single one. What baffled him even more was why every attack today was aimed at his lower half?

Either cut in half or legs severed...

He didn't get it...

Really didn't get it...

However, Luo Xing only felt a brief confusion and didn't dwell on it. After all, if he dwelled on matters concerning Ye Li, he wouldn't be far from going crazy.

Just like in the original story, she inexplicably transformed from a normal master into a twisted, paranoid, deranged yandere...

'Hiss...

I can't let my guard down...

Who knows, maybe that woman will suddenly go crazy with a "duang" one day...

After all, going crazy is like falling in love—cases of love at first sight are not rare.'

Luo Xing remembered that in the original story, Ye Li started becoming abnormal around the 100,000-word mark. But since he wasn't in the original story now and the plot didn't match the original, he didn't know which stage he was currently at.

But no matter what, he had to make plans early. What if one day Ye Li...

"Master, dinner is ready."

After finishing dinner, Luo Xing knocked on Ye Li's door.

Lately, Ye Li had been eating with Luo Xing almost every day, but she only used his dishes as snacks to go with her wine. Of course, sometimes when Ye Li drank tea, she would have Luo Xing prepare two small plates of appetizers.

[Cooking Lv1: 18/20]

"Hm? Master?"

After waiting for a long time with no response, Luo Xing knocked twice more. Finally, he pushed the door open and found the room empty...

"She left?" Luo Xing scratched his head. "When did she leave?"

Without even a word—this rebellious master was really rude...

...

At the same time, at Fengling Sect.

Ji Chuying: "..."

Ye Li: "..."

After thinking back over her entire life, Ji Chuying confirmed that she hadn't provoked Ye Li recently.

"Even if you're going to kill me today, you have to give me a reason." Ji Chuying no longer had the will to resist and silently poured herself a cup of tea. "Otherwise, I really won't be able to rest in peace."

As for Ye Li's sudden visit, Ji Chuying didn't think it was for a casual chat.

However, Ye Li glanced at her without a word, then walked over to sit opposite Ji Chuying, gracefully taking a seat.

Ji Chuying: "..."

'No way? She actually came to chat with me?'

"What's up?" She poured Ye Li a cup of tea and asked tentatively, "Hit a bottleneck in your training?"

'That can't be right...

Ye Li is already in the late Mahayana stage. The next stage is Tribulation Transcendence Realm. Coming to me for a bottleneck is useless—I'm only at the Harmony stage...'

Ye Li picked up the teacup, took a sip, and furrowed her brows slightly...

'His tea tastes better...'

"Regarding your disciple..." After just one sip, Ye Li set the cup down and asked in a calm tone, "What do you think about her?"

"What do you mean by 'what do I think'?" Ji Chuying was puzzled by the question. "What do you want to ask?"

"Your disciple..." Ye Li's eyes shifted slightly, as if organizing her words. "Have you ever thought... that she might leave you?"

Ji Chuying spread her hands. "Otherwise? What, am I supposed to support them for the rest of their lives?"

After I've taught them everything I can, they can go wherever they want. As for me, either I continue to train the eternal "worst batch," or I meditate and try to break through.

Isn't that how most masters in the cultivation world do it?

"Have you never thought about keeping your disciples?"

"What for? To piss me off?"

Ye Li was taken aback by the response, her thoughts drifting to certain moments...

'Pissed off?'

'Indeed, that rebellious disciple is infuriating sometimes. So infuriating that I wish I could shove my foot in his mouth to block those words I don't want to hear...'

'But sometimes, that little guy makes me feel...'

'Feel...'

'...fond of him?'

Ye Li didn't know how to describe this emotion. She only knew that whenever Luo Xing was obedient, she felt pleasure and joy...

She had even thought that if only he would stay by her side and be this obedient forever, that would be wonderful...

"By the way, you came all the way here just to ask about this?" Ji Chuying refilled her own tea and glanced at Ye Li's cup. Noticing it was still full, she didn't add more. "What's wrong? Is your disciple being disobedient?"

'Disobedient?'

Recalling the scene earlier today where Luo Xing ignored her and discussed with Luo Han how to "leave" on his own, Ye Li silently nodded...

He was indeed a bit...

disobedient today...

"Easy!" Ji Chuying raised her hand. "If your disciple is disobedient, just give them a good beating!"

As the saying goes, "Spare the rod, spoil the child." If an apprentice is disobedient, beat them until they obey!