“Palace Master Tu.”
“You’ve come.” Tu Ao’zhi did not seem surprised by her arrival. A Go board was already set before him, as if he had known all along that someone would come to play a match against him. “Please, sit. Now, should I address you as the formal Palace Master of the Hundred Flowers Palace, or something else?”
Nan Muxue walked in from outside. After taking her seat, she picked up a white stone and placed it directly onto the board. “It is but a title. By all accounts, I am your junior; I should address you as Senior Tu.”
The man nodded with a smile, his eyes drifting casually over the board. “I have long heard that the Young Palace Master of the Hundred Flowers Palace is the preeminent talent among the younger generation. Perhaps in a few years, you will be the undisputed number one in the martial world.”
“There is always a heaven beyond the heaven; there are no eternal victors. Besides, is Senior Tu not still here?”
“Hahahaha!” Tu Ao’zhi threw his head back and laughed. “You speak so bluntly. Are you threatening me, or are you trying to force my hand?”
“If you intended to strike, would you have waited until now?”
“Do you always speak this way?”
Nan Muxue did not answer. The match had only just begun, and neither side showed signs of victory or defeat; they were evenly matched. As she placed another stone, the man opposite her laughed again.
“Luring the tiger into the pit? Interesting. However, I think I shall venture inside and see for myself.”
“Palace Master Tu, what exactly is your relationship with my mother?”
“You certainly are direct.”
“I do not like beating around the bush.”
“I can see that. In this regard, you are very much like Third Sister—expressionless, as if you look down upon all things. You speak little, but when you do have much to say, it must be because...”
“None of that matters. I only wish to know the truth. From your words, it seems you are not just an old acquaintance of my mother, but quite close to her.”
“The martial world is currently rife with rumors that your Hundred Flowers Palace is massacring the various sects. Instead of finding a way to clear your name, you have the Sect Leader of the Heavenly Demon Palace staying here and even come to play chess with me. Are you not afraid of inciting public outrage?”
Nan Muxue paused, finally shifting her gaze from the board to the man across from her. “The Hundred Flowers Palace has never needed to explain itself to anyone.”
“Showing too much sharpness will lead to losses.”
His tone actually sounded like a well-intentioned warning. She simply continued to stare at him. “That is not what I want to hear.”
“You really are impolite.” Tu Ao’zhi turned his focus back to the game. He deliberated for a long time before every move, making the match progress very slowly. “Fine. Before I answer you, I want you to answer a question of mine.”
“Bai Zhier likes Ruo’er, but the one Ruo’er loves is me.”
He chuckled. “You knew that was what I was going to ask?”
“The Hundred Flowers Palace does not have what you seek. Besides, as an adoptive father, you seem quite concerned for your daughter.”
“I have no wish to interfere in the grievances between the three of you. However, that Chu Ruo clearly promised to marry my daughter, yet now he runs off to be with you. This is an insult I cannot swallow, no matter what.”
“Ruo’er was a member of my Hundred Flowers Palace from the very beginning. It was destined. Did Bai Zhier not make that clear enough to you the other day?”
“I don’t care about any of that! Since he promised to marry Zhier and swore to me that he would treat her well for a lifetime, he should not go back on his word. To lack such accountability... he is unworthy of being called a man!”
“So, you claim not to interfere, yet you are actually meddling in this matter?”
“I give you two choices. Either let the two of them marry, and I will tell you everything you want to know, or I will kill him. As for you and the Hundred Flowers Palace, for the sake of Third Sister, I can let you live.”
A cold aura began to emanate from Nan Muxue’s body. “No one is permitted to harm Ruo’er.”
“You are quite the devoted lover.” Even with the atmosphere turning so rigid, he continued to look at the board. “You are master and disciple. Being together is a violation of the rites. Do you not care for the opinion of the world?”
“What does the world have to do with me? Why should I leave my Ruo’er for the sake of a pack of irrelevant trash? The Rites? Hearing such words from the mouth of a Demon Sect Leader is the true joke of the century.”
“Your chess skills are excellent; I admire you. I am truly puzzled—the two of you are so outstanding, why did you both happen to take a fancy to him? He is so cowardly and timid...”
She frowned. “You have said too many disparaging things about Ruo’er today. I do not wish to hear them again.”
“The youth are to be feared,” Tu Ao’zhi said, picking up a black stone. In an instant, it turned into flying ash. “However, this old man has never liked being threatened.”
Nan Muxue placed her palm over the container of chess pieces. After a brief moment, she moved her hand away to reveal that the white stones inside were covered in glistening ice. *Clatter—* a second later, all the white stones shattered completely, turning into a pile of crushed ice. The pieces had vanished.
“The Icy Palm, the ultimate technique of the Hundred Flowers Palace,” the man laughed. “Mm, you have practiced it well. To reach such a level of cultivation at your age is not beneficial for the body.”
“In this martial world, whoever wins is the one who has the final say.”
“Is that why you study martial arts?”
“And what about you, Palace Master Tu? You seem to harbor a great hatred for the people of the martial world.”
Tu Ao’zhi stiffened for a moment. “Why turn the conversation toward me? Right now, we seem to be talking about you and that Chu Ruo...”
“What does it matter if others are dissatisfied? I have toiled for twenty years; if I cannot protect the one I love and be with her, then what use is this martial power?”
“You have the same rebellious and unorthodox streak in your bones as your mother...”
Nan Muxue looked at him sharply. Realizing he had said too much, Tu Ao’zhi quickly shut his mouth. “It seems we still can’t quite determine a winner. Are you interested in finishing this match with me? Though, it seems you have no pieces left.”
Nan Muxue circulated her energy into her palm once more. Within seconds, several shards of ice appeared in her hand. She dropped an icy piece onto the board. “Then Palace Master Tu had better be quick.”
“Hahahaha! Good!”
***
Meanwhile, on the other side, Chu Ruo was...
“I’m asking you, have you picked one yet?” Duan Ning looked utterly impatient, her brow furrowed. “Please, you’ve been picking for two hours. Just let me go, okay? You can choose slowly by yourself.”
“Oh, have some patience. Help me give some input...”
“Are you sick in the head?” Xiao Guo’er chimed in from the side. “Look at these young disciples; they’ve been stuck here with you for so long. If you’re not tired, they are. And you’re dragging us along to keep you company. Why are you being so indecisive?”
“You... you two are really too much. You have no sympathy for someone feeling the emotions of being a master for the first time. This is my first time taking a disciple! The first time! How many firsts does one get in life? My very first disciple... I’ve been looking forward to this for so long, wishing upon the stars and the moon...”
Duan Ning covered her ears and interrupted, “Shut up! Are you taking one or not? If not, we’re going back.”
“I’m taking one, I’m taking one! That’s why I’m asking for your suggestions, so we can speed this up!”
“Suggestions my foot!” the other spat. “We’ve picked so many for you! Look at you—this one’s no good, that one’s not right. One moment you think they aren’t cute enough, the next you think they aren’t smart enough, then you think their personality isn’t lively enough, but if they’re rowdy, you think they’re too noisy. What exactly do you want?”
Because Chu Ruo hadn't announced who she had chosen, the young disciples weren't allowed to leave. Instead, they were left to play in the hall. As a result, the room had turned into a noisy, chaotic mess of chirping voices. Everyone was covering their ears, and Xiao Guo’er was complaining incessantly. “I beg of you, don't take a disciple. With your brain, a smart one will be turned stupid by you, and a stupid one will only get stupider. The main thing is, don't drag us here to suffer with you...”
“Hey, I'm telling you two...”
“Young Palace Master!”
A shout from the disciple at the door caused the cacophony to vanish instantly. Although these disciples were young, they had been strictly disciplined before coming up the mountain. They might not know much, but they knew one thing: when they saw the Young Palace Master, they must not be disrespectful.
“Master.”
As Nan Muxue walked in, the young disciples instinctively split into two rows. Wherever she went, all eyes followed. She sat down. “Is there a result?”
“You’ve come at the perfect time. You’d better get this disciple of yours under control,” Duan Ning said, rubbing her waist. “It’s been almost the whole morning. She’s been nitpicking every little thing. How bad could the aptitude of disciples who make it into the Palace be?”
“As a Protector, you should mind your status in front of the disciples. Complaining incessantly like this—aren't you afraid of becoming a laughingstock?” Before the huffing Duan Ning could reply, she added, “Fine, you have no patience anyway. You and Xiao Guo can head out first.”
“Yes, this disciple takes her leave.”
*Hmph.* “This subordinate takes her leave.”
Nan Muxue looked at the sky outside in the distance and spoke. “Each of you, come forward and report your name to me.”
Under the lead of the senior disciples in the hall, each newly arrived young disciple respectfully stepped forward, knelt, performed the rites, and stated their name. Without needing further instructions, others arranged to lead them away. Chu Ruo had always felt that her Little Scorpion carried a natural chill that inspired awe, intimidating others without them even realizing it. How much more so for this group of children? In their eyes, this older sister was beautiful, but why was she so terrifying?
After about another hour, all the young disciples had left, and Nan Muxue had dismissed the others. Chu Ruo immediately scurried over. “Xue...”
“Take a look at these few disciples when you get back and see which ones you have an affinity with.”
Taking the list of names handed to her, Chu Ruo asked curiously, “How did you pick them? No wonder I saw you writing things down earlier.”
“You wasted the whole morning. If I hadn't come, how long did you plan to drag this out?”
She went over and hugged the woman. “Until you came. Because I knew my Xue’er wouldn't just leave me be.”
As always, Nan Muxue did not withhold her smile from this person. “You certainly have a way with words.”
“Is it not the truth? You did come, after all. How did you pick these disciples?”
“Disciples who are too serious are not suited for you. For one, you would find teaching them boring, and for another, they would eventually look down on you.”
“What do you mean serious ones aren't suited for me? Are you saying I’m not serious? And they’re only a few years old, how could they look down on me...”
“Do you think the disciples of the Hundred Flowers Palace are fools? Aside from children like Xiao Guo’er who were homeless, found, or sold, most disciples who enter the Palace possess extraordinary natural talent and are more mature than others. Did you not notice that several disciples were looking at you with disdain?”
“...That really stings. But I did have my eye on one just now. I’m telling you, she’s a bit like you. I asked her if she wanted to be my disciple, and do you know what she said? She said she wanted to be *your* disciple. I told her you weren't taking any more, and that little brat actually turned around and walked away! She even told me that in that case, she wouldn't acknowledge a master at all. Talk about personality! While the other kids were playing, she didn't join in; she just sat there composed and calm, acting like a little old lady. Don't you think she’s just like you?”
Nan Muxue arched an eyebrow. “Are you saying I’m old?”
“I didn't say you were...”
“Acting like an old lady?”
“...I... well, you implied I wasn't serious and found me some 'unserious' disciples!”
“The disciples on this list all have somewhat quirky and mischievous personalities. They suit you.”
“How can you tell? Did you examine them before?”
She shook her head. “Just now, when they were reporting their names.”
“Are you joking? In just that short moment, you could tell?”
“A child’s thoughts are the easiest to decipher. Everything is written on their faces; you only need to pay a little attention to discover it.”
“A question has been bothering me for a long time. Can you actually read minds? Are you that god-like?”
No answer. Usually, Nan Muxue wouldn't bother responding to such silly questions. It was just a joke, so Chu Ruo didn't press it. Instead, she changed the subject. “Is there any result from Tu Ao’zhi’s side?”
“He refuses to speak.”
“As expected. If he wanted to talk, he would have told us long ago. If it’s as you guessed and he feels indebted to your mother, then he probably doesn't want to bring it up. It’s likely a past he’s unwilling to mention out of guilt.”
“He did say one very important thing, though.”
“What?”
“He said that in my bones, I have the same rebellious and unorthodox streak as my mother.”
Rebellious and unorthodox? “At first listen, there’s nothing wrong with that, but if you think about it... it means your mother was the same kind of person. So what was he referring to? What kind of act is considered 'rebellious and unorthodox'? Don't tell me your mother also liked her own disciple?! Did she ever take a disciple before?”
“You’re quite clever now, sensing something wrong with a single phrase.”
“Didn't you say it yourself? I figured you wouldn't just fixate on that one sentence. You’re so good at gauging people’s thoughts; I assumed there must be something problematic about it. You haven't said yet—did your mother ever take a disciple?”
“In my memory, she never took one directly. I still feel that the relationship between him and Mother is...”
“Xue’er, actually, I’ve had a thought.” Chu Ruo spoke tentatively, using extreme caution before continuing haltingly, “Do you think... could that Tu Ao’zhi be... could he be...”
“My father.”
As expected, if she could think of it, how could her Xue’er not? “I only suspect it. He feels indebted to your mother; could it be because of this...”
“I don't know either. That is why I went to test him. Actually, it doesn't really matter. Whether he is or isn't has nothing to do with me. The one I care about is you. I’m just worried because he seems to know a lot about the Command Token. I must investigate the matter between him and Mother thoroughly. I cannot let anything else pull us apart, and I cannot let anyone harm you again.”
“But his attitude after seeing you makes me feel like he isn't. Do you think it’s possible he doesn't know either?”
“It’s too early to be certain.” Nan Muxue smiled and gave Chu Ruo a pinch. “You should worry about your own disciples. Don't go leading them astray.”
“Don't you worry, the ones I teach will definitely be great. If you don't believe me, let’s have a competition.”
“A competition of what?” Nan Muxue actually took the initiative to give the other a kiss. “You are my last disciple. I promised you that I would never take another in this lifetime.”
Chu Ruo was deeply moved. “You...”
“Besides,” she looked at her with burning eyes, then accurately bit the other’s lip, “my disciple is bound to be better than yours.”
Chu Ruo hurried to respond. She knew, of course, that her favorite Little Scorpion had only ever had one disciple in her heart: herself.
***
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Master, Spare My Life: A Disciple's Sweet Rebellion | Chapter 107 | A Game of Secrets | Novela.app | Novela.app
