Chapter 212: Let's Hold a Spar

Hmm, maybe I deserved that one this time, Qing thought, rubbing her head.

Whether sticking her tongue out at her Master crossed the line or not… well, anyway, it was strange how her lips always loosened around her Master, making her say things she should and shouldn't say.

"My head's going to get flattened at this rate… Am I going to end up with a flat head?" Qing muttered.

"Your head is practically tougher than Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron, disciple, so there's no need to worry, hmm," Ximen Surin replied. "Anyway, did you say The Divine Thief is after your master's position?"

"Uh. He wasn't that bad a person," Qing said. "He even taught me a training method. And I firmly refused him."

Qing defended Cheon Yuhak.

Truthfully, hadn't she just been taking things from him without giving anything back?

"Hmph. Trying to entice a disciple who clearly already has a master to serve two masters. That fellow has some nerve," Ximen Surin scoffed. "Fine. I suppose I should see his face for myself."

"If I explain it well..." Qing began.

"Who said anything? I just said I'd see his face."

"Ah, ahh."

Qing fidgeted, unsure what to do.

Of course, Cheon Yuhak had made an improper attempt, but it had ultimately failed and would continue to fail, so she felt maybe she shouldn't have brought it up.

Just then.

"Qing-ah! What on earth is taking so long… Oh, hello. Matriarch, you've arrived?"

"Nanah, is that you?" Ximen Surin asked. "I haven't officially arrived yet, so pretend you didn't see me, would you?"

"I'll relay that Qing-ah had to eat separately due to an important guest," Tang Nanah said quickly. "I shall take my leave now."

Tang Nanah appeared suddenly and disappeared just as quickly.

Among her peers, Qing was the only one who treated Ximen Surin comfortably. Even Qing, recognizing Tang Nanah when the door opened, had already judged she wouldn't be much help.

"Now. Lead the way," Ximen Surin instructed.

"Yes…" Qing mumbled.

At this point, all she could do was hope the book peddler guy, presumed to be The Divine Thief, had the sense to run away.

But how could even a Divine Thief, no matter how skilled, possibly know that a martial artist of Ximen Surin's caliber had intentionally sought him out in secret?

The Divine Thief, lying on a reed mat, paused at the sound of approaching footsteps. The heavy, thudding steps, using the whole foot, characteristic of a man's casual gait, belonged to Qing.

Mixed with hers was the sound of light, graceful steps, like those of a celestial maiden, which even Cheon Yuhak almost missed.

Did that wench forget something?

Although they hadn't explicitly decided, he had thought they had an unspoken agreement that this place was something like their 'meeting spot'.

Does she have no sense? Is she dragging a friend along?

Cheon Yuhak pondered for a moment, then decided he had nothing to hide and hadn't done anything wrong, so he should face them confidently. He got up from his spot and straightened his clothes.

By the time Qing arrived, he was no longer the book peddler guy scratching his belly while lying on the reed mat, but Cheon Yuhak, standing with a composed, serious expression.

"Well, you've finally arri— hmm hmm."

Cheon Yuhak, who had started speaking sternly, cleared his throat upon seeing Ximen Surin and adjusted his tone.

"This one is Cheon Yuhak, a Lecturer of the Hanlin Academy. I came to be acquainted with this child through a brief connection. Forgive my impudence, but might this humble one ask for the esteemed name of such a refined noble lady?"

His voice was unbearably greasy.

Ugh. The corners of Qing's mouth turned down.

In response, Ximen Surin gave a slight smile.

The way Cheon Yuhak's expression brightened was unusual. The deep gaze he directed at Ximen Surin was even more unusual.

Maintaining her smile, Ximen Surin spoke.

"A Hanlin Academy Lecturer, you say. Do you happen to know a Daoist called Ojanja? He has the appearance of a true Daoist master, all aloof and refined, yet he's quite the comical fellow, missing one upper and one lower front tooth."

At that, Cheon Yuhak's expression stiffened.

"That, the deceased...?"

"Didn't your master tell you?" Ximen Surin asked. "How he managed to lose his front teeth?"

"Are you referring to the upper one, or the lower one?" Cheon Yuhak asked cautiously.

"Did he mention them separately? Yes, what did he say?"

"The upper one, he said, was lost when Great Monk Muhan of Shaolin sparred with my master. The match was so fierce that the Great Monk couldn't afford mercy in his strikes."

Ximen Surin's smile deepened.

"And the lower one?"

"I heard that while engrossed in his Lightness Skill, leaping over a wall, he entered a state of selflessness and collided with a flying white egret…"

"How strange. I distinctly remember smashing them myself right here."

Ximen Surin pointedly tapped the protruding knuckle of her middle finger.

"He's still a wretched fellow. Losing a tooth to Muhan isn't shameful, but to be so embarrassed about losing one to a woman that he lies to his own disciple, tsk tsk."

Cheon Yuhak's expression turned grave.

"And what was that? Reaching a state of selflessness with Lightness Skill and colliding with a bird? That's a story even an egret would laugh at," Ximen Surin added.

"Th-that noble lady, your name is…" Cheon Yuhak stammered.

"Ximen Surin. I hear you're quite taken with my disciple."

Cheon Yuhak shot Qing a stunned look.

It was a gaze filled with utter betrayal.

The kind of look an emperor from some well-connected country in the distant past might have given his most trusted confidant upon being betrayed.

Qing awkwardly avoided his gaze.

Ximen Surin spoke with a smile.

"Well? Would you care to make an excuse?"

"That is, aigoo, I have committed a crime worthy of death!"

Cheon Yuhak suddenly prostrated himself flat on the ground.

Of course, the discipline in his bow was far inferior to Tang Nanah's, but considering the difference in face between a grown man and a young girl, it was quite a move.

"However, had I not seen the esteemed one's disciple, it would be different, but now that she has caught my eye and I've recognized her as a talent unlike any other, nay, the greatest talent under heaven, how could any aspiring master in the world simply pass her by?"

"You were that impressed?" Ximen Surin asked.

"At such a young age, she has already mastered Lightness Skill, possesses exceptional senses, and learns with the speed of lightning. Does such talent exist twice in this world? It is merely that my nature is impatient and persistent, so even though I knew it was wrong, I simply couldn't restrain myself."

"Hmm."

"However, since the esteemed one's disciple, out of loyalty to her master, refused all manner of divine arts and made her rejection clear, I had already given up. Moved by her admirable spirit, I merely wished to offer a little help. I have long since abandoned any thought of coveting her as a disciple, so please, do not be too angered…"

"Fine."

Ximen Surin cut Cheon Yuhak off.

He cautiously raised his head, trying to gauge her expression.

"...When you say 'fine,' do you mean you forgive me, or perhaps, about your disciple..."

"Has there ever been a female Divine Thief? If so, it might be good for one to emerge," Ximen Surin mused. "Though you are infuriating, calling yourself a Hanlin Academy Lecturer, you seem to be an enlightened fellow."

It was a surprisingly straightforward acceptance.

Completely unexpected, Cheon Yuhak blinked, taken aback by the praise he hadn't anticipated.

"Thank you! I shall become a great master worthy of the esteemed one's disciple."

"Yes. You should," Ximen Surin said. "Disciple, what are you doing? Pay respects to your little master."

"Uh, Master," Qing hesitated.

"Why, are you not pleased?" Ximen Surin asked. "I have a general idea of The Divine Thief's martial arts, and there isn't one among them that isn't a divine art; they are exceptionally profound. When divine arts practically fall into your lap, what's the big deal about taking one more master that I should stop you?"

"I'm fine. I just need you, Master," Qing insisted. "And I don't really covet things like divine arts that much anyway…"

At this, Cheon Yuhak looked disappointed, while Ximen Surin gently stroked Qing's head.

"It's truly heartening to hear you say that. There are countless fools in this world who commit heinous crimes out of greed for martial arts. Having such a lovely disciple is a great blessing in my later years."

"Hehe…" Qing chuckled.

"However," Ximen Surin continued, "I intended to grant permission after seeing your character from the start. As a Lecturer of the Hanlin Academy, his scholarship alone makes him a giant worthy of being a master."

At that, Cheon Yuhak's expression turned smug again.

Qing finally performed a deep bow on the spot.

Normally, bowing to accept a master requires three bows.

One to the sect and its founder, one to the master's masters, and one to the master themselves.

However, The Divine Thief doesn't really have a sect, and the previous Divine Thief would retire after passing on their skills to return to their original life, so they weren't particularly revered.

Thus, it was just one deep bow for the master.

Cheon Yuhak was beaming from ear to ear.

Then, he suddenly glanced around cautiously and asked—

"By the way, Elder, about my master, Ojanja, losing his front teeth…"

"Why? Do you want to know?" Ximen Surin replied.

"Yes. Shouldn't a disciple know about their master's affairs?"

Ximen Surin let out a chuckle.

It was obvious she planned to tease him about it when they met.

"It was nothing much. A man dared to invade the sacred ground of the Divine Maiden Sect, a place forbidden to men, and audaciously stole underwear. I simply disciplined him. After taking quite a beating, he ran away."

Ximen Surin's reason for punching him was simple: her usual principle that all sex fiends should be beaten to death.

Figuring he'd die if he took any more hits, The Divine Thief fled with all his might.

Since The Divine Thief's Lightness Skill is the best under heaven, and he possessed all sorts of evasion techniques like transformation and bone shrinking, even Ximen Surin found it hard to pursue him.

But there was no way Ximen Surin could forgive such a shameless sex fiend who dared to infiltrate the Divine Maiden Sect and steal her disciple's underwear.

Thus, after a persistent chase and escape, the previous Divine Thief, unable to endure any longer, finally hid himself away in the Shaolin Temple.

However, he underestimated the strong bond between Buddhist and Daoist sects. In the end, The Divine Thief, beaten up by Muhan and losing another front tooth, was tied up and presented before Ximen Surin.

"Are you saying my master stole women's underwear?"

Cheon Yuhak's eyes glinted.

It was an utterly irreverent expression, like someone who had just discovered their master's shameful secret.

Ximen Surin finished the story with a smile.

"Turns out the stolen disciple's underwear was supposedly a treasure map that could cause a bloodbath in the martial arts world. It wasn't something good to have a connection with, so I took that into consideration and forgave him."

Deciding she should spend some quality time with her disciple today, Ximen Surin told the little master to begin his proper instruction tomorrow.

She then had a cozy dinner with Qing.

Qing glanced at her Master and spoke.

"Master, it really would have been fine even without taking another master."

Ximen Surin smiled gently.

"It's fine. People won't know anyway, so what's the big deal?"

Ximen Surin was no pushover either.

She had weighed the pros and cons and judged that it would be acceptable.

Firstly, the identity of The Divine Thief is a secret.

Meaning, the identities of the current Divine Thief, the previous one, and any future ones were all secrets that must not be revealed to the world.

Therefore, there could only be a few masters and disciples in any given era. At most, it would be limited to perhaps four people: the grandmaster, master, disciple, and disciple's disciple.

So, Qing wouldn't go around announcing she had two masters, and Cheon Yuhak couldn't boast anywhere that Ximen Surin's disciple was his disciple.

Of course, even if their identities were revealed, wouldn't it still be fine?

The fact that The Divine Thief is a woman could become a great source of pride for the women of the Central Plains, and given Qing's seniority, who would dare say anything?

However, inheriting the name of The Divine Thief did come with certain obligations.

Something about protecting the martial arts world from the shadows, ensuring dangerous items didn't fall into dangerous hands.

In Ximen Surin's opinion, it was a sufficiently righteous duty, and also one that wouldn't require much work.

And above all, there was no reason for her disciple, destined to become the Greatest Under Heaven, to stoop to thievery. Couldn't she just go beat them up and take what was needed?

Besides, having experienced The Divine Thief's methods firsthand, they were truly excellent skills for her disciple to learn.

Thinking about it from various angles, there were only benefits.

Therefore, Ximen Surin had no reason to object.