Jun Mengyao’s eyes snapped open, revealing a sky full of stars, dazzlingly bright.
Beneath her lay cool stream water, immersing her as if in a spring, incredibly comfortable.
Am I… dead?
She recalled the final blow from Chen Baidi’s palm striking her body.
Strangely, there was no pain at the time, but rather a warmth circulating through her, protecting her at the crucial moment.
Could it be!
Was that truly the last breath Qin Yexuan had left for her?
Had Master… predicted even his own fate?
Jun Mengyao floated in the water, wanting to lift herself up, but her body was weak, utterly immobile. Su Dan Novel Network
Most peculiar was a fish beneath her, nudging her.
It turned out the fish had dragged her from the lake to this spot.
“Is the fish going to eat me as food?”
For some reason, she suddenly felt sorrowful. “I don’t want to die. I still have so many things left undone. But, were the conversations I heard in the lake just my hallucination? After all, one shouldn’t hear such clear voices underwater.”
At that moment, clear footsteps echoed nearby.
Jun Mengyao’s mind suddenly cleared. “I’m truly not dead! It was Master Qin’s breath that protected me!”
Master was right. In a moment of life and death, it had indeed saved her from disaster.
But who was arriving now?
Was it an enemy?
While she was filled with trepidation, a tall figure appeared, with a handsome face etched with slight exhaustion.
“Jun Mengyao, you’ve managed to escape this calamity. Although my breath was scarce, it was enough to protect your heart.”
It was Qin Yexuan.
For some unknown reason, Jun Mengyao’s nose stung, and she almost burst into tears.
Qin Yexuan leaned down, picked her up, and gently placed her on the sandy bank, then looked down at the stream.
The fish in the stream hadn’t dispersed; they were growing more numerous, as if protecting some living being.
“Master…” Jun Mengyao murmured, lying on the sand.
Qin Yexuan turned and sat beside her.
Feeling his presence, Jun Mengyao suddenly felt a touch of shyness.
Her clothes were thin and soaked from the water, clinging to her as if she were naked.
But Qin Yexuan seemed unbothered.
He produced a silver needle in his hand.
“Endure this. You were underwater for too long. Although my breath protected you, you were still deprived of oxygen, causing damage to your internal organs and lungs. You need immediate treatment.”
It was thanks to that breath that Qin Yexuan could follow its trail and find her in this wilderness.
Any later, and Jun Mengyao’s organs would have been damaged, rendering her a vegetable even if she survived.
Qin Yexuan didn’t want a patient confined to bed.
In fact, from the very beginning, he had been very optimistic about this girl’s potential.
One in ten thousand!
Sighing inwardly, Qin Yexuan swiftly pressed the silver needle against her acupuncture points, speaking as he treated her. “Chen Baidi’s Palm White Dragon is merely a combat technique for Qi refinement, nothing special. He himself thinks it’s a treasure. Heh, truly powerful individuals conceal their aura. That idiot.”
The silver needle traveled across Jun Mengyao’s body, restoring the flow of her breath.
Slowly, Jun Mengyao sat up. Her wet clothes, like torn silk, clung tightly to her, revealing every curve.
Qin Yexuan’s eyes were bright, his expression calm. He then removed his outer robe and draped it over her. “After surviving this ordeal, what are your plans?”
Jun Mengyao’s eyes sparkled, a hint of slyness appearing in her smile.
She immediately knelt beside him, her small hand grasping his sleeve. “Master, if you don’t take me as your disciple, I’d rather be eaten by the old turtles of Wanchun Lake.”
Qin Yexuan stood up, gazing at the starry sky without speaking.
Jun Mengyao dared not breathe.
She knew her dark origins and the many wrongdoings she had committed over the years, truly fearing that Qin Yexuan would refuse her.
However, Qin Yexuan’s hand quickly reached out and patted her small head. “I have many disciples, but most haven’t truly inherited my teachings. I’ve only imparted worldly knowledge to them, such as business, military strategy, combat… Only Ling Su has inherited a bit of my medical knowledge.”
As he spoke, Qin Yexuan’s gaze grew serious. “I come from a desolate place, and I cannot explain it clearly to you now. If you become my disciple, your first priority will be obedience. The other rules can be discussed later.”
Jun Mengyao cried out in joy, nearly leaping into her master’s arms.
Qin Yexuan, unusually pleased, patted her head again. “Although you might be my first true disciple, you must still respectfully address Li Tianxing and Ling Su as senior brother and senior sister.”
What kind of person was Jun Mengyao? She was adaptable, sharp-witted, and exceptionally well-behaved.
She respectfully knelt again, performing a grand kowtow.
Her eyes, filled with sincerity and gratitude, declared, “I will be Master’s most beloved junior disciple and serve Master for life.”
Qin Yexuan accepted it calmly, even teasing, “Heh, you’re much better at flattery than they are.”
Having formally accepted Jun Mengyao, Qin Yexuan stated, “This World Martial Arts Tournament requires a team of three. I don’t wish to participate myself, so I’ll find two more people to help you as vanguards for now.”
Jun Mengyao’s eyes darted. “Then Master, you must quickly teach me some powerful techniques! Otherwise, I won’t be able to defeat Chen Baidi.”
Qin Yexuan hummed. “What do you want to learn? Haven’t I already taught you the Mind Control Technique?”
“Oh Master, I want to learn something more powerful, preferably something that can fight! Mind Control is too childish.”
“Nonsense! Mind Control is childish? If that technique is honed to its peak, it can control thousands of puppets with a single glance. Among demonic arts, this is the most terrifying.”
He then rubbed his nose. “However, participating in a competition with demonic arts might lead to misunderstandings. How about this, what type do you want to learn?”
Jun Mengyao hesitated. She wanted to learn everything but couldn’t articulate it.
“Master, what else do you know? What’s the most powerful one?” she asked, her eyes wide, trying to gauge her teacher’s knowledge.
Truly mischievous.
Qin Yexuan knew a great deal.
But over the years, his experience in teaching disciples had grown richer.
Teaching according to aptitude was the best approach.
Considering her background, Jun Mengyao had been trained as a female spy by the Imperial Dragon Clan since childhood.
In terms of personality, this young girl was filled with a perverse energy, all crooked paths.
Furthermore, she possessed a natural allure that most men couldn't withstand.
Most crucially, her foundation was weak. If she were to start learning now, it would take at least ten years to achieve significant results.
It seemed he would need to employ some unconventional methods to rapidly improve Jun Mengyao!