Chapter Nine: Taking Ling'er as a Disciple!

"You... you villain, where did you send Brother Xiaoyao?!"

Ling'er struggled out of her grandmother's arms, ran up to Hao Yun, and began pounding his thigh with her tiny fists.

Hao Yun smiled, extended a single finger to press against her forehead, and let her continue her assault. This little one was simply too adorable!

"This senior, Ling'er is still young. Please, do not take offense at any disrespect."

The grandmother’s face had turned pale with terror. Just a moment ago, Hao Yun had been able to reduce Li Xiaoyao to dust with a mere wave of his sleeve (or so she mistakenly thought). As a humble maid from the State of Nanzhao, how could she possibly stand against such a person? What if he found Ling'er annoying and killed her with a single blow? How could she ever answer to the Queen’s final entrustment?

"Haha, do not worry. I did not kill Li Xiaoyao; I simply sent him where he belongs." Hao Yun smiled at the grandmother and then crouched down to look at Ling'er.

"Ling'er, do you want to protect the State of Nanzhao, and protect your father and mother?"

"I do!"

A child is a child, after all. No matter how clever Ling'er was, the moment her parents were mentioned, she instantly forgot all about Brother Xiaoyao.

"Then take me as your master and learn the arts of the immortals properly! In ten years, I will take you back to Nanzhao to ascend the throne and save your parents!"

"Are you telling the truth? Can you really save my mother?" Ling'er looked up, her large, sparkling eyes brimming with hope.

"I never lie!" Hao Yun declared firmly, his voice filled with the majestic authority of one who looks down upon the world.

The grandmother’s lips parted as if to speak, but she wisely held her tongue. It was true: if Hao Yun had wanted to kill them, a mere flick of his sleeve would have sufficed. Why would he need to lie?

"Master!" To save her mother, Ling'er knelt down immediately. Hao Yun laughed heartily and helped her up. "Good! Good! Good! My obedient disciple, from this day forth, you are the only student I, Hao Yun, have in the Sword and Fairy world!"

...

Ten years passed. The Great Tang Empire continued to develop rapidly; the railway had already reached Yuhang. The once self-sufficient small town had transformed into a hub for overseas travel and a massive port for shipping goods.

Following Hao Yun’s deliberate instructions, Su Ping had tricked Li Xiaoyao out of the Water Spirit Bead and then sent him and his aunt to Chang'an to start a business, gifting them a large inn and sufficient startup capital.

Yes, as a master who was fiercely protective of his disciple, he certainly didn't want Ling'er to end up marrying a fickle, faithless man in the future! It was much better to keep Li Xiaoyao far away.

As for Ling'er, her decade was packed to the brim. Aside from her regular studies, she was sent to the Suzhou Prefect to learn the "dragon-slaying arts" of statecraft. It must be said that as a descendant of Nuwa, Ling'er was remarkably sharp. In just ten years, she had so impressed the Suzhou Prefect that he strongly recommended she be sent to Chang'an as a candidate for the Prime Minister’s succession.

In terms of immortal cultivation, she had mastered the Five Spirits Arts and reached the Tribulation Transcendence realm within a decade. Once she survived the heavenly tribulation, she would break through to become a Celestial-level powerhouse, matching Hao Yun’s own realm.

One day, while Hao Yun was playing with Ling'er, who had returned to Immortal Spirit Island for her vacation, Su Ping suddenly arrived to request an audience outside the island.

"Hmm? What is Su Ping doing here? Ling'er, have you been naughty again?" Hao Yun frowned. Could this girl have caused more trouble?

"I have not! Bad Master, I’ve been very well-behaved at the prefectural office; I didn't mess anything up!" Ling'er pouted, glaring at her master. He was just a bully who teased her all day long.

Hao Yun rubbed his nose. "That’s not on me. Just two days ago, the Suzhou Prefect complained that you wrecked a classroom at the cultivation academy while standing up for Lin Yueru. My savings are almost all gone from paying for your damages."

"Hmph! It's their fault for being jealous of Yueru and ganging up on her when they couldn't win a one-on-one fight. Besides, you didn't spend your savings on my damages; you spent it all on wine! And your drinking habits are so terrible—you always smash up the tavern when you're drunk, and half the time you're paying for your own messes!"

As the master and disciple traded barbs, Su Ping, led by the grandmother, crossed the formation and entered the island.

"Greetings, State Preceptor. Greetings, Little State Preceptor."

"Ahem, Su Ping, what is the matter?" Hao Yun gave Su Ping a look—if this was about another complaint, he needn't have bothered.

"State Preceptor," Su Ping clearly had poor reading comprehension... or rather, there was actually something important. "There is a disturbance in the State of Nanzhao!"

"Speak!" Hao Yun’s gentle demeanor vanished, replaced by an edge as sharp as a blade.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard in Chang'an reports that Li Xiaoyao’s aunt has fallen into a coma. Someone told Li Xiaoyao that he needs to come to Immortal Spirit Island in Yuhang Town to seek medicine... Li Xiaoyao has already arrived in Suzhou and is expected to reach Yuhang tomorrow!"

"Tsk, tsk, such an elaborate scheme, just to force Li Xiaoyao’s hand?" Hao Yun clicked his tongue. Even after moving him to Chang'an, those folks in the Heavenly Court wouldn't let up; they were determined to pull Li Xiaoyao into their game. "Moon Worshipper, what on earth are you thinking?"

"Master, Brother Xiaoyao, he..." Ling'er hesitated. She was no longer the naive, sheltered girl from the original story; she was a political genius of Suzhou. From Hao Yun’s words, she immediately deduced that Li Xiaoyao was being manipulated.

"It is fine. With your master here, Li Xiaoyao will be safe." Hao Yun ruffled the girl's hair. *Heh*, he had planned to let her return to Nanzhao to claim the throne when she came of age next year, but it seemed the puppet masters behind the scenes couldn't wait.

"Tomorrow, we leave the island for Nanzhao!"

...

The next day, when Li Xiaoyao arrived at Immortal Spirit Island, Hao Yun had already taken Zhao Ling'er back to Suzhou to visit her friend. As for Li Xiaoyao, the grandmother gave him a Purple Gold Pill at the gate, never even letting him set foot inside.

Back at the Lin Family Fort in Suzhou, Hao Yun and Lin Tiannan sat drinking tea, letting the two young girls play in the room.

"State Preceptor, are you planning to go out?" Lin Tiannan asked respectfully. Since the marriage age for girls had been pushed back to eighteen, he felt no pressure, and with his life improving day by day, he was in high spirits.

"Yes. You know Ling'er’s identity, right? I intend to take her back to Nanzhao." Hao Yun took a sip of tea. The tea leaves were being processed better and better these days.

"To Nanzhao?" Lin Tiannan looked troubled.

Hao Yun asked curiously, "What is the matter? Is there a problem at the Lin Family Fort?"

"Alas, I hope the State Preceptor will not laugh at me. Yueru is seventeen now, and she has never left Suzhou. With her marriage coming up in a year, I was hoping she could accompany you on your travels to see the world, so she might have no regrets in her life."