Chapter 90
Chapter 90
Zhu Yin countered, “Do geniuses not need to learn to read and understand right from wrong?”
The young man was not skilled at verbal disputes. He said quietly, “That is not what I meant.”
Of course Zhu Yin knew that was not what he meant. She was doing it deliberately.
The young man explained, “With aptitude like your disciples’, the earlier they begin cultivating and lay a firm foundation, the better their futures will be. You are a cultivator of considerable attainment yourself. You should understand this principle.”
He had watched them for some time and discovered that this woman truly sent her two disciples to school to read, then spent the rest of their time taking them around to eat and play.
It pained him to watch such exceptional talent go to waste.
Unexpectedly, the female cultivator’s expression changed the instant he said this.
She refuted him decisively. “What nonsense are you talking about? I am merely an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator. What considerable attainment could I possibly have? I am thoroughly ordinary!”
The young man stared at her in confusion.
Zhu Yin said frankly, “In any case, I have my reasons. I will not teach them cultivation.”
The young man clearly had much more he wished to say, but Zhu Yin stirred her thoughts. Heiwu emerged from a dark corner to see the guest out on his master’s behalf.
The young swordsman gave the soul servant a measuring look and gained an entirely new understanding of this “ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.”
Naturally, Yun Lie and Yun Xi knew nothing of the conversation.
The two children thrived at school.
They were already beautiful, and Zhu Yin loved dressing them in elaborate, colorful clothes. Their little schoolbags were always full of snacks and fruit, so everyone liked playing with them.
With the sharpened senses and intelligence of Qi Refining cultivators, ordinary elementary lessons required no effort at all.
In short, their classmates envied them for having such a generous and beautiful elder.
Their classmates’ parents envied Zhu Yin for having such clever and attractive children.
They were always someone else’s enviable family.
Only Yun Xi could not forget the strange swordsman uncle she had met that day. More precisely, she could not forget his beautiful longsword.
The swordsman visited their home twice more. On one occasion, Zhu Yin was away. On the other, she had just returned from outside with the scent of blood still clinging to her.
He knitted his brows. “I cannot say you do not care. Even disciples of the great sects rarely encounter the heavenly treasures you feed your disciples. But I do not understand why you refuse to teach them cultivation.”
Zhu Yin thought this man was far too stubborn.
She put on a stern face. “What heavenly treasures? I am merely greedy for good food and enjoy eating things unavailable in ordinary markets.”
The young swordsman: ?
“In any case, I will not teach them cultivation.” Zhu Yin clasped her hands behind her back and watched the sun sink toward the horizon. “Please leave. There is no need to return in the future.”
Unable to persuade her, he departed gloomily.
Barbara felt that something was wrong.
But it could not say what.
Then one day, while routinely checking on the two children, it unexpectedly discovered a familiar figure.
“Host!” it exclaimed. “I saw that–”
“Shh!” Zhu Yin suddenly interrupted.
The pink kitten stared at its Host with wide, puzzled eyes.
Zhu Yin stuffed a small treat into its mouth and said with a smile, “Barbara, the children are growing up. They should have some privacy. As their guardians, we cannot watch them every moment, can we?”
Barbara blinked blankly. “Meow?”
Its Host fed it another treat, pulled it into her arms, and thoroughly ruffled its fur. “Good child. You saw nothing.”
The two children were still young and not very good at hiding things.
That day, Yun Xi returned home with flushed cheeks and threw her arms around Zhu Yin. “Master, Master!”
Zhu Yin tossed her a handkerchief. “Wash your face first, little tabby.”
Yun Xi obediently washed her face and hands, then returned clean and clung to her again.
“Master, would you like Xixi to study the sword?”
Zhu Yin’s heart jumped. She said gently, “Whether Master likes it is unimportant. What matters is whether Xixi likes it.”
The girl’s eyes shone. “Then Master, Xixi has something to tell you… Mmph!”
Zhu Yin gently covered her young disciple’s mouth and looked toward her elder disciple, who had just entered.
Yun Lie: ?
Zhu Yin said, “You are not so young anymore. You should have some privacy. I bought the neighboring residence too. You two can live there.”
The children instantly forgot what they had meant to tell her and grew deeply uneasy. “Master, our house is so big. Why do we have to live next door?”
“Are we too noisy? Did we make you tired of us?”
They had heard classmates say that sometimes, when parents became very angry, they threatened to throw their children away somewhere far, far away.
Both immediately apologized with perfect obedience. “We are sorry, Master. Ah Lie and Xixi will never bother you or make trouble again. Please do not send us away.”
Zhu Yin thought, Little fools. If I do not arrange a place for you, will you invent excuses to stay away from home half the day every time?
But she could not bear their pleading eyes. She sighed. “I am not tired of you.”
Then she tried another explanation. “Fine. You are not the ones who need privacy. Master does. Look, Master is an adult too. I need some private space, do I not?”
The children looked at her with conflicted little frowns, but concern for their master ultimately won, and they agreed.
Heipao and Heiwu helped pack their belongings. The move was complete in less than four hours.
The children insisted that they would still come eat with Master during the day. They simply would not sleep on this side at night.
A certain swordsman who had been told never to return came to visit again one night.
“I do not understand,” he said.
Zhu Yin had recently found a new interest: jade carving.
She was carefully carving a cat’s head with a knife and did not look up. “There are countless things in this world. You do not need to understand every one of them.”
The swordsman said, “You are clearly willing to help them–”
Crack.
The fine white jade in Zhu Yin’s hand shattered.
Perfectly calm, she raised her head and stared at the sword cultivator. Then she declared with righteous confidence, “You made my hand slip. The jade broke. Pay me.”
The sword cultivator: …
In the end, he silently began taking spirit stones out of his storage ring.
The sword cultivator could not resist bringing the matter up again. “Those two young disciples of yours–”
Crack.
Another piece of jade shattered.
Meeting Zhu Yin’s placid gaze, the sword cultivator finally understood.
He expertly produced more spirit stones and never mentioned the subject again.
What an idiot. Zhu Yin lowered her head and resumed carving the cat’s head, now deeply worried.
Would her young disciple become stupid from studying the sword under such a fool?