novel bin Chapter 19 The Professional Horse Trainer of the Great Song Dynasty
Chapter 19 The Professional Horse Trainer of the Great Song Dynasty
Before today, he was always very proud of certain things about himself, such as his photographic memory, his ability to understand things by analogy, and his exceptional martial arts talent. This was the foundation that supported his pursuit of all martial arts and his confidence in his ability to master them.
But now that he has met Russell, he has truly understood what it means to be someone else's child, and his pride has been shattered.
One can only say that he truly deserves to be called a disciple of the Free and Unfettered Sect! He is indeed a prodigy!
Kumārajīva comforted himself, thinking that the Free and Unfettered Sect was full of monsters, and compared to everyone else in the world, he still had a significant advantage... well, probably.
"As long as Benefactor Luo practices diligently and masters the moves, he will at least not be at the mercy of others in terms of moves when facing enemies in the martial world in the future."
Being able to witness firsthand how a piece of raw jade was sculpted into its first brilliant light at such an astonishing speed filled Kumārajīva with a strange sense of accomplishment.
"Thank you for your trouble, Master." Russell was overjoyed to have acquired the new skill. After bidding farewell to Kumārajīva, he strolled briskly out of the courtyard and wandered around the Miaofa Temple with a sense of pride.
The temple is built against the mountain and is nestled among mountains and clear waters, in a serene and secluded environment.
It was not yet noon, and sunlight filtered through the layers of ancient tree branches, casting dappled, warm shadows. Faint chanting and the gentle fragrance of sandalwood filled the air, creating a tranquil atmosphere that seemed to cleanse away worldly cares.
Russell strolled to the back of the mountain, where unnamed wildflowers were in full bloom. He admired the flowers as he climbed the mountain.
A few steps from the summit, a child's clear "ee-yah-yah" sound and a woman's soft laughter drifted on the wind. Following the sound, they saw Mu Wanqing sitting side by side with Ayan's mother, Su, on a relatively flat grassy area at the summit.
Su held a sleeping baby in her arms, while Ayan squatted beside Mu Wanqing, playing on the grassy path.
No one knows what Madam Su said, but not only did she smile with her eyes crinkling, but even Mu Wanqing, who was usually cold and sarcastic, had a smile on her face.
Upon noticing Russell's arrival, Madam Su quickly stepped forward and curtsied, saying, "Young Master Luo."
Russell returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Madam, you are too kind. There is no need for such formalities."
"Have you finished talking with that big monk?" Mu Wanqing stepped forward and asked, her smile fading as she returned to her usual demeanor.
"I'm done talking, I feel refreshed." Russell stretched his limbs, put his hands on his hips, walked to the edge of the cliff, looked at the distant layered mountains shrouded in mist, and exhaled a long breath.
After using the Impermanence Scattered Hand technique, the Northern Darkness True Qi had cleared the blockage of blood and qi in his right hand. He only needed to rest and recuperate, and his injury would heal in three days at most.
"Speaking of which, what were you and Mrs. Su talking about just now that made you seem so happy?" Russell turned to look at Mu Wanqing.
"Happy? Am I?" A hint of confusion flashed across Mu Wanqing's eyes. How come she didn't feel it?
"Of course I have. I've never seen you laugh like that before," Russell said quite seriously.
Laugh? Mu Wanqing pressed the corner of her mouth with some doubt.
Seeing this, Madam Su smiled gently and explained, "Young Master Luo, you flatter me. I was just chatting with Miss Mu about some trivial matters at home."
According to Madam Su, she and her husband grew up in Shifo City and were childhood sweethearts. After they grew up, she became an embroiderer and he became a peddler. They naturally got married and now have a son and a daughter. Their life is quite fulfilling.
When talking about her husband, Mrs. Su couldn't hide the happiness on her face. It was a sincere and unpretentious emotion that was steeped in the daily necessities of life and mutual support.
Only when talking about Ayan did a hint of melancholy appear on Madam Su's face.
Ayan is not that she doesn't like to talk, but she developed aphasia after a high fever when she was young.
I've consulted many doctors and tried various folk remedies, but nothing has worked.
Russell was not surprised by this, but he was also quite disappointed.
As the sun rose higher and it approached noon, the group decided not to linger and descended the mountain together to return to Miaofa Temple.
After a simple midday meal, Russell and Mu Wanqing returned to their temporary room.
"Sit on the bed." Russell took out a Snow Lotus Heart-Clearing Pill and gave it to Mu Wanqing, but Mu Wanqing stopped him before Russell could use his internal energy.
"What?" Russell asked.
"You have lifted my veil, and are the first man in the world to see my face." Meeting Russell's gaze, Mu Wanqing solemnly said, "I made a vow before leaving the valley. I made a poisonous vow that if any man saw my face, I would either kill him or marry him. I do not wish to kill you. If you are willing to marry me, I will marry you. If you are not willing, I will commit suicide."
[Mu Wanqing]
[Causal Connection: 0% → 100%]
[This will trigger a prize draw. Do you want to participate now?]
Stable.
Upon hearing the system notification, Russell felt reassured and coughed lightly, "I'm truly sorry, but I have sworn an oath before my master that I will never marry in this life."
Mu Wanqing's personality is just like the black rose she raised—proud and passionate. If you go along with her, she'll take advantage of you. But she's also a straightforward person; if you go against her, she might just commit suicide. So Russell chose to use magic to counterattack and throw the problem back at her.
"What? What kind of sect are you? How can you have such ridiculous rules?!" Mu Wanqing immediately became anxious.
In the morning, she talked about this with Mrs. Su in the back mountain, and she had endless longing for her future married life. Coincidentally, Mrs. Su also told her that with her looks, no man would refuse to marry her, which gave her great confidence. But now Russell said that the rules of the family would not allow it, which makes no sense.
"Actually, it didn't exist before, but it does now." Russell shifted his position, making Mu Wanqing turn to face him.
"Why?" Mu Wanqing frowned. Was she targeting me?
"The story goes back to the era of my senior brothers and sisters."
Russell took a sip of tea and began to artistically embellish Mu Wanqing's image on the spot:
"My master actually has four disciples. Besides me, there are three senior sisters and one senior brother. Among them, my senior brother is the second oldest and is handsome and dashing, which has won the hearts of the eldest and third senior sisters."
"and then?"
The smell of melon!
Mu Wanqing had always lived in seclusion with Qin Hongmian in the valley, and had never heard of such a large-scale family ethics story before. Now that Russell was telling her about it, she could no longer suppress her curiosity.
"Then,"
Russell scoffed.
"Although my second senior brother was forced to marry my third senior sister under her threat of suicide, he was later crippled by my junior nephew in collusion with my third senior sister."
The third senior sister was worried that the eldest senior sister would avenge the second senior brother, so she ambushed the eldest senior sister while she was practicing her martial arts, causing the eldest senior sister's martial arts to backfire. After the eldest senior sister recovered from her injuries, she went to find the third senior sister and disfigured her face.
The once vast and powerful Xiaoyao Sect thus disintegrated, its members scattered, and its lineage nearly severed.