Chapter 32: Master, Please Take Me In
“I know my actions last night were inappropriate, and I apologize again to everyone. But he is truly very important to me. You cannot stop me, and don’t try to. Of course, I promise I won’t leave your sight.”
After saying this, Luo Luo walked out of the room. Along the way, maidservants handed her scented towels to wash her face and a water basin to rinse her mouth. As she walked, she said to the clansmen following behind: “Even if you have to follow, don’t follow too closely. If you expose my background and scare him off, that won’t be good.”
Behind her, a middle-aged man and a beautiful woman exchanged glances, their faces slightly pale. They were the Chief Steward and Female Official sent by His Majesty to serve the young princess. Hearing the young Highness’s words, which clearly echoed the folk tale of a noble lady falling in love with a poor young scholar, they naturally felt uneasy.
“Chief Steward Jin, what do we do now?” the beautiful woman asked in a low voice.
The middle-aged man called Chief Steward Jin had a face ashen and grim to the extreme: “You women who serve her closely don’t even know what’s going on—how would I? Female Official Li, if something goes wrong, you’ll bear full responsibility!”
Under the escort of the crowd, Luo Luo left through the side gate of the Hundred Herbs Garden. She brought the things her subordinates had prepared earlier, boarded an ordinary-looking carriage, waved her small hand at everyone, and drove the carriage herself toward the other end of Hundred Flowers Lane. As for the clan’s experts, they had already gone ahead in secret.
This young girl truly acted with swift and decisive force.
Female Official Li watched the carriage gradually disappear, raised her sleeve to gently wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes, feeling both uneasy and somewhat relieved. She said to Chief Steward Jin beside her: “Since the young princess has started falling in love, we must let His Majesty and Her Majesty know as soon as possible.”
Chief Steward Jin’s expression grew even uglier. “Letting His Majesty know that the princess is in love with a human—do you think we’ll survive that?”
Female Official Li said, “Don’t forget, didn’t His Majesty also marry a human woman?”
Chief Steward Jin snapped angrily, “Marrying and being married off, man and woman—are those the same thing?”
Female Official Li sneered, “If you’ve got the guts, say that to Her Majesty.”
Chief Steward Jin was left speechless, and his heart was equally blocked.
……
……
The Hundred Herbs Garden and the National Teaching Academy were separated only by an old wall. Even taking the detour through Hundred Herbs Lane, the distance was very short. The carriage didn’t travel far before it entered the academy’s old gate, where ivy was just beginning to grow, and arrived on the campus that, though still quiet, now showed signs of new life.
The National Teaching Academy was silent. Deep in the dense forest, faint bird calls could be heard. The small building with its eaves peeking out reflected sunlight like glass. The stone lion fountain outside the main building had been cleaned, and the weeds removed. It still looked somewhat weathered, but at least it no longer felt abandoned.
Luo Luo led the horse to the lakeside. Looking at the deep marks on the lawn and the trees that had been knocked over by the lake, she thought about last night’s assassination—seemingly sudden but actually secretly planned by the demon race for years—and suddenly felt a chill run through her body.
The National Teaching Academy was eerily quiet, as if no one was there. In reality, many experts were hidden, including strong members of her clan and masters sent by the imperial palace. She was certain her safety was no issue, and only then did her mood gradually relax.
The door to the library was tightly shut, but the copper lock wasn’t fastened. She knew someone was inside.
She took a deep breath, feeling a bit nervous, and walked over.
……
……
Chen Changsheng was holding a scroll of the Minghua Sutra and reading, but for a rare moment, he was distracted while studying, thinking about what had happened last night.
He gently stroked the sheath of the short sword with his left hand, silently recalling those scenes, hoping it wouldn’t affect his studies at the National Teaching Academy. A demon expert had been lurking in the capital for so long—someone had to take responsibility for that.
That young girl targeted by the demon must have an extraordinary identity. Was she safe now?
Just as he was thinking about these things, a knock came from outside the library.
He stood up, walked to the door, and pulled open the heavy wooden door. Then he saw the young girl he had been worried about.
The girl looked very young, with bright, large eyes, long eyelashes, and very red, pretty lips. She opened her big eyes wide, and the way she blinked her lashes was adorable.
He had never dealt with such a cute girl before and was momentarily stunned.
Luo Luo opened her eyes wide, her eyelashes fluttering. Seeing the boy standing there like a silly goose, she felt both shy and a little smug, thinking that the tricks her mother taught her really worked.
“Hello,” Chen Changsheng finally snapped out of it and stepped back.
Luo Luo said, “Hello.”
Chen Changsheng asked seriously, “May I ask, is there something you need?”
Luo Luo was slightly taken aback, thinking, We just met last night, and so much happened—don’t you know why I’m here? For some reason, seeing Chen Changsheng’s earnest expression, she couldn’t help but become serious herself. She bowed politely and said, “Thank you for saving me last night.”
The way the young girl bowed earnestly was a bit clumsy, because she rarely needed to bow to anyone, especially since leaving her homeland and coming to the capital. But as the saying goes, earnest clumsiness paired with a pretty face equals absolute cuteness. At that moment, she was truly adorable.
Chen Changsheng, uncomfortable with physical contact with the opposite sex, made an awkward gesture of supporting her in the air and said hurriedly, “No need to thank me, no need. It was what I should do.”
This was a common polite phrase, but Luo Luo didn’t want to be polite with him. She straightened up, her dark eyes shifting slightly, and asked, “Why should you?”
Chen Changsheng was taken aback. After thinking for a moment, he explained seriously, “You’re younger than me, and he was a demon. We’re both humans, so of course I should protect you.”
Luo Luo smiled at the phrase “we’re both humans,” then noticed a detail in his words: he said “protect you,” not “save you.”
“But in the end, you did save me,” she said, looking at Chen Changsheng. “How should I repay you?”
Chen Changsheng said seriously, “Coming all the way here to express your thanks is enough.”
Luo Luo thought for a moment, smiled at him, then turned and walked out of the library.
She turned without any hesitation and left with firm resolve.
Chen Changsheng watched the young girl’s petite back, feeling deeply moved. I said it was enough, and she just leaves like that—people in the capital really are magnanimous.
But just as he sat back down on the floor, ready to continue reading…
The girl came back.
She carried many things from the carriage and laid them out one by one on the floor in front of Chen Changsheng.
……
……
The first item was a night pearl.
This night pearl was huge—not as big as a washbasin, but definitely as big as a rice bowl. It was perfectly round, smooth, and flawless.
Chen Changsheng stared blankly at the night pearl rolling back and forth on the floor in front of him.
He had never even seen a night pearl before, let alone one this big.
He had heard that the Dew Terrace in the imperial palace had countless enormous night pearls, but he was sure none of them were as big as this one.
……
……
Chen Changsheng had never seen a night pearl, but he knew that thing like a glass ball was one—not because he had read about it in books, but because Luo Luo earnestly introduced each item she took out in her childish voice.
Luo Luo was generous, but she never let her treasures go unnoticed.
“This is the complete Lishan Sword Technique manual… Whether it’s the Eternal Life Sect or the Holy Maiden Peak, anyone who uses a sword has to learn this technique. But those southern barbarians are so petty, they won’t pass it on. My… my family went through a lot of trouble to get this manual.”
She handed a scroll, ancient in appearance, to Chen Changsheng, adding, “This is the original. The one in the Lishan Sword Hall now is a copy.”
Chen Changsheng’s mind was in a daze as he looked at the scroll in his hand, feeling like he must be dreaming.
Was he really holding the complete Lishan Sword Technique manual?
There had never been any news on the continent about the Lishan Sword Technique manual being stolen.
Or had this girl’s family stolen it?
Just who… was this girl?
……
……
With a dull thud, Luo Luo placed a heavy chest in front of Chen Changsheng, shaking a bit of dust from the floorboards’ cracks.
The chest was opened, revealing it was filled with gold leaves. But that wasn’t all. She used her small hand to sweep the gold leaves aside like real fallen leaves, revealing what lay beneath: half a chest of extremely rare and precious crystals!
“Oh, by the way, I live in the Hundred Herbs Garden, right next door.”
Luo Luo produced a bamboo basket from behind her, like a magician, and said, “…I didn’t know what you needed, so I had someone pick a bit of everything.”
Chen Changsheng was already numb from the shock of the night pearl, the sword manual, and the half chest of crystals. But now, seeing the rare medicinal herbs and exotic fruits in the bamboo basket piled up like wild vegetables, he was stunned again and completely speechless.
Luo Luo looked at him curiously, thinking, Isn’t this enough?
She thought for a moment, reached her small hand to her left lapel, and with a slight tug, pulled off a button.
She had already pulled off two last night. With this button removed, the left lapel fell open, revealing her fair neck.
Chen Changsheng was jolted back to his senses by that flash of white. He quickly turned his head away and asked in surprise, “What are you doing?”
Luo Luo handed him the button made of rhinoceros horn and said, “Here… I’ll give you this too.”
“What is this?”
“The Thousand-Mile Button. Have you heard of it?”
Chen Changsheng took the button, recalling the records of this marvelous artifact in the Daoist scriptures. He was very surprised and held it up to the sunlight to examine it closely.
After a moment, he snapped out of it and quickly placed the button back in the young girl’s hand.
“One should not accept rewards without merit,” he said seriously, looking at her. “About last night, it was mainly that general who came to save both of us. I really didn’t do much. Even if I did a few small things, as I said before, coming all the way here to thank me is enough. How could I possibly accept such valuable gifts?”
“You misunderstand. These aren’t to thank you for saving my life.”
Luo Luo pointed at the items on the floor and said, “These are apprenticeship gifts.”
Chen Changsheng didn’t quite understand. “What?”
“Apprenticeship gifts,” Luo Luo said, looking into his eyes with unwavering determination. “Master, I want to become your disciple and cultivate under your guidance.”
……
……
The library fell silent.
A gentle breeze blew in from the window.
The night pearl rolled slowly across the dark floor.
The pages of the ancient Lishan Sword Technique manual rustled softly, revealing dozens of figures standing with swords drawn.
The medicinal herbs in the bamboo basket gave off a faint fragrance.
It took Chen Changsheng a long time to understand what was happening.
He looked at the young girl and asked in confusion, “Why?”
Luo Luo said, “On the night of the sixth, did you light up your destiny star, Master?”
Chen Changsheng thought for a moment and said, “Yes… but, you see, I’ve only just lit my destiny star. I haven’t even succeeded in marrow cleansing. Last night, I saw you fight that demon. You’re far stronger than me. How could you possibly want me as your teacher?”
Luo Luo said, “Last night, I was able to injure that demon—wasn’t that all thanks to you, Master?”
Chen Changsheng said, “First of all, can you not call me ‘Master’?”
Luo Luo smiled sweetly and said, “Okay, Master.”
Chen Changsheng was very frustrated and raised his hands in explanation: “That was just a coincidence.”
Luo Luo’s smile remained radiant: “But you knew the Zhongshan Wind and Rain Sword technique and the Yeshi Step. That couldn’t have been a coincidence.”
Chen Changsheng thought for a moment and said, “I just… read more books than most people.”
Luo Luo opened her big eyes wide and said seriously, “And what about the method for circulating true essence? I’ve long memorized the Zhongshan Wind and Rain Sword technique, but I never knew how to use true essence to drive the sword. Even the professors at the Heavenly Dao Academy and the Star Picking Academy couldn’t answer that. But you, Master… you enlightened me with just a few words.”
Chen Changsheng fell silent. He really wanted to explain that it was just a coincidence—that he had several almost-theoretical experiments on using true essence when meridians were blocked, and in the critical moment last night, he had been forced to try shouting them out. He never expected the girl to actually succeed.
But success last night didn’t mean it could always succeed.
He also couldn’t explain his own physical problems to this girl.
Of course, he couldn’t really take her on as a student.
Even though the night pearl was beautiful, the sword manual was tempting, and those herbs were really good…
He stood up, ready to leave the library, but found he couldn’t take a step.
Because his leg was being hugged.
Luo Luo sat sideways on the floor, leaning forward, her two hands tightly gripping his thigh.
Her small face was pressed tightly against his thigh.
She looked like a pitiful girl abandoned by a heartless man, unwilling to give up.
But inside, she was filled with joy.
She thought silently: Yes, this is the scent!
“Master, please take me in.”
She looked up, her big eyes watery, gazing at Chen Changsheng pitifully. “Whatever you want, I’ll agree to it.”