The Rebellious Disciple Was Me All Along - Chapter 5

Trading a few moves with these junior disciples would not interfere with my recovery.

Still, perhaps seven years beside Ji Lanshuang had infected me with some of his aversion to people. I had little desire to mingle with strangers now.

I was about to invent an excuse and escape the clingy mob when the junior sister who had called herself a delicate flower sighed with heartfelt admiration.

“I’ve always heard that Martial Uncle Ji is the greatest beauty in the cultivation world, but I never truly understood until I met you today. Only a mighty cultivator who is beautiful and kind could raise such an outstanding disciple.”

Who? Ji Lanshuang? Kind?

This junior sister had a real talent for comedy.

Since the joke amused me, I supposed I could indulge her.

Tilting my head, I asked casually, “You want to spar? One at a time, or will you all come at me together?”

…

I did not understand how matters reached this point.

At first, all I wanted was an undisturbed place to recover while hiding from the calamity-prone drama queen at home.

Somehow, I became these disciples’ extracurricular sparring partner.

Whenever I tried to slip away, someone would loudly praise Ji Lanshuang as though no one in heaven or earth could compare.

Again and again, my escape was thwarted.

Of course, I was not protecting Ji Lanshuang’s flawless public image. Nor did hearing other people praise him make me happy.

I was simply curious how these disciples had gone blind at such tender ages.

That curiosity held me captive for several more days. Eventually, I even grew used to their noise.

Thus, when Ji Lanshuang descended from the sky and appeared at the training field with a scowl, he found my left arm draped over Lin Shi’s shoulder, my right arm firmly embraced by a junior sister, and me happily enjoying the attention from both sides.

Ji Lanshuang stared.

All color drained from his face. He looked ready to ascend on the spot.

“You bastard… How could you do this behind my back?”

I, who had merely been beating up my juniors, blinked. “What?”

Lin Shi, whose arm was nearly twisted out of its socket, whimpered.

I could not imagine why fighting outside had struck another of Ji Lanshuang’s sore spots.

It did not matter.

He had always acted on whatever whim seized him.

More than his peculiar accusation, I wanted to know one thing.

“Master, why are you here?”

Without showing it, I examined him from a distance.

Aside from the pallor brought on by rage, he appeared perfectly well. Even the marks on his neck had faded.

But a healed body did not erase what had happened.

If a misanthropic recluse like Ji Lanshuang had left the mountain to drag me home, there could be only one explanation.

He was furious beyond endurance. He had no intention of pretending nothing happened; only dealing with me personally could soothe his hatred.

Was that really necessary?

What happened that night was not entirely my fault. I may have failed to push him away, but he was the one who seduced me!

I simmered with grievance and anger. Ji Lanshuang, however, was visibly angrier.

Seeing me still “entangled” with Lin Shi, he seized my collar and yanked me in front of him.

“You know perfectly well why I came.”

I did.

No one else present did.

Lin Shi innocently assumed that Ji Lanshuang was angry over disciples fighting privately. He hurried forward to plead my case.

“Martial Uncle, please don’t blame Senior Sister. Every fault is mine. I pestered her relentlessly until she softened and agreed. If someone must be punished, punish me.”

Lin Shi was talking about our spar.

To Ji Lanshuang’s ears, it meant something else entirely.

His face darkened. His gaze, like a blade quenched in frost, turned upon Lin Shi.

“Are you boasting to me? Do you truly think I dare not touch you merely because she protects you?”

Lin Shi looked confused but remained resolute.

“This disciple will accept the consequences of his mistake. I only ask Martial Uncle to punish me alone.”

Ji Lanshuang clenched his teeth hard enough to crack them and spat out three furious “Good”s.

When he truly moved to punish Lin Shi, I could no longer play dead. I caught his wrist.

“Enough. If you need to vent your anger, vent it on me.”

Ji Lanshuang was a venerable Immortal Lord. If he bullied a young disciple without cause, how would he ever face anyone again?

I thought he was lashing out indiscriminately in a moment of rage.

Yet the instant I intervened, he forgot Lin Shi.

Slowly, he turned to me.

We stood so close that I could clearly see the moisture trembling in his eyes.

Ji Lanshuang was so angry he had begun to cry.