My Master Raised a Demoness - Chapter 2

Mei Zhexue took me up the mountain and tossed me a set of disciple’s robes.

“If you do anything evil, I’ll still kill you.”

I nodded.

A little later, he came back and tossed me a booklet.

“Read this aloud once every day. I’ll be back tomorrow morning.”

“All right.”

He left.

I opened it. The first page said—

Oh. I’d forgotten. I couldn’t read.

Afraid he’d throw me out, I tried to memorize the strokes of each character instead.

This was the world of immortals. Even the lamps in the room never went out.

It felt as though hardly any time had passed, but when I looked up, Mei Zhexue was standing in front of me again.

Who knew how long he’d been watching?

“It’s morning.”

I felt rather apologetic.

“I can’t read.”

“I’ll teach you,” he said. “For now, go to sleep.”

Once he’d seen me lie down and close my eyes, he left again.

That afternoon, I was looking at the book in my room.

Mei Zhexue came in, sounding a little angry. “Why haven’t you rested?”

“I already slept,” I explained quietly.

I just wasn’t used to sleeping for very long.

He froze for a moment, then took the booklet from my hands.

“Get changed. We’re going to collect your disciple’s token.”

He went out.

I picked up the robes I’d kept neatly to one side.

And sighed.

When he came back, I still hadn’t managed to put them on properly.

Or rather, I was a complete mess.

So was my hair.

As a beggar, I’d only had to pull my clothes over my head. They were filthy anyway. It didn’t matter how I wore them.

For the first time, I saw Mei Zhexue’s handsome face turn bright red.

He left by making a hand seal, vanishing on the spot.

My stupidity must have been too much for him.

I couldn’t read.

I couldn’t even get dressed.

Actually, I’d been quite clever as a beggar.

I could recognize every rich young man and woman in the county.

He was probably going to throw me out.

That was all right. I could go back for my little lump of silver and live a good life.

Mei Zhexue didn’t come back. A woman came instead.

She looked like a heavenly maiden, smelled lovely, and had a beautiful smile.

“Don’t be afraid. I’ll show you.”

“I knew he wouldn’t come asking for a favor without a reason. So he’s taken a disciple!”

She was very gentle, and her arms smelled wonderful.

She told me I could visit her on the next peak.

She said I had great talent. A promising seedling.

“Little Mei doesn’t know how to look after anyone. Would you like to come to my—”

Mei Zhexue walked in, his expression icy.

The lovely lady winked at me and left.

“No,” he said.

“What?”

His dark eyes turned on me.

“You can’t go to her. I have to watch you and make sure you don’t do anything evil.”

Then he pressed his lips together and turned his head a little.

“I’ll take good care of you.”

When we went to collect my disciple’s token, the man there asked my name.

For a moment, I had no idea how to answer.

An old beggar had picked me up. Not out of kindness, of course.

Having a tiny child beside him made him look more pitiful and brought in more money.

When he died of a chill, I duly inherited his broken walking stick and cracked bowl.

He’d called me “Nobody Wants You.” The other beggars called me “Bamboo Pole.”

Neither seemed like a very good name.

The silence had gone on too long when Mei Zhexue spoke.

“Fengqiu.”

He took the steward’s brush and swept the name onto the token.

Fengqiu.

That was who I was in the sect now.

On the way back, he said he’d only chosen it because it happened to be autumn. The name meant “meeting autumn.”

I asked what I’d been called in my previous life.

After a moment’s silence, he said, “Fan Baobao. A belly full of rice.”

I laughed.

What a happy name.

Mei Zhexue was very serious.

“Your previous life is over. In this one, you mustn’t become a demoness.”

I hurried to swear an oath.

“I won’t! If I do anything bad, may—”

A bolt of lightning struck.

My eyes widened.

Surely not! The only bad thing I’d ever done was strip the old beggar’s clothes off before I buried him so I’d have something to wear through winter.

You really couldn’t tell lies in a place full of immortals.

I shut my eyes and waited nervously to be struck down.

Mei Zhexue laughed softly. I opened my eyes.

His smile vanished almost at once.

But I’d seen it.

Like snow clearing on a winter night, like plum blossoms beginning to bud.

Beautiful enough to be a little frightening.

He turned and walked on.

“Someone’s undergoing a heavenly tribulation.”

That night, he began teaching me to read.

The first line of the booklet was:

“At birth, human nature is good.”