Wen Li patted Gu Linshu’s head. “It’s not that I don’t want you. Although he’s a bit poor, his expertise in the Dao of the Sword is truly remarkable. You’ll gain insights and learn the sword much faster with him than by running around with me.”
Last time when Xie Tinglan parted with her, his pitiful “You don’t want me anymore” still haunted her during her idle moments. It even ruined her appetite, limiting her to just three bowls of rice.
She used to eat ten!
Gu Linshu knew she had his best interests at heart and nodded. “Un-understood, M-Master. I will study hard and... and wait for Master to c-come pick me up.”
Having the top swordsman in the Eastern Province teach him was something money or favors alone couldn't easily buy. His master’s kindness was as heavy as a mountain.
Wen Li put the pile of black-gold cards and spirit cores she’d taken out back into the three storage bags and handed them to him. “Your parents gave these to me for safekeeping. They knew sword cultivators consume the most money, so they prepared everything before they left. I’m giving it all to you today.”
Gu Linshu’s eyes welled up. Father, Mother.
“Take this token. If you meet someone with the same token in the future, they’re your fellow disciple. If there’s a benefit, acknowledge them. If not, and you see them causing trouble and being hunted down, don’t bother with them. Stay far away so you don’t get splattered with blood.”
Wen Li paused and added, “Oh, and especially don’t let them know you’re rich.”
Otherwise, those scheming brats would definitely scam this honest, well-behaved child until he didn't even have his underwear left.
In fact, Wen Li had great foresight.
When the six troublemakers eventually gathered and wreaked havoc, they would rely entirely on Gu Linshu’s “precision poverty alleviation.”
Five of them would whale with their lives, while he would whale with gold.
When they had money, they’d call him Little Third; when they were broke, it was “Third Senior Brother, save me!”
Gu Linshu nodded. “Yes, I’ll remember.”
Wen Li took out a storage bag she’d prepared herself.
“Inside are various ancient manuals on talismans. Read them in secret and don't let others see them, or every single book will cause trouble. For talismans, I’ve only left you three that reach Early-Stage Golden Core; usually, you’ll have to rely on yourself. I’ve written instructions for the pills and poisons. Read them carefully before taking anything so you don't take the wrong medicine. The antidote is at the bottom of the bottle; just smash the bottle to get it out.”
“And this sword—use it when no outsiders are around, but never take it out if someone is watching.” Wen Li took a sword casket from the storage bag and opened it on the table. A chill instantly spread.
Is Master finally giving me a peerless divine sword?!
Gu Linshu looked on expectantly.
A rusty sword covered in bright, vibrant mushrooms appeared...
The mushrooms were red, green, and white. One look told you they were highly poisonous.
You couldn't even tell what it originally looked like; you could only tell it was a sword.
Wen Li frowned. “...”
Wait, it’s only been one or two thousand years since I last took it out. Is it really going to be this embarrassing?
Gu Linshu suspected Wen Li had taken the wrong thing, but she said with absolute certainty, “Don’t look down on this sword’s humble appearance. It can grow mushrooms! If you’re ever trapped in the wilderness and hungry, you can pick them and eat them.”
To force some dignity back into her image of being reliable, Wen Li reached out to pick a mushroom. Just as she was about to put it in her mouth, her sharp eyes caught black energy rising from under the red mushroom, seemingly trying to burrow into her hand.
“Oops!”
She quickly threw the poisonous mushroom onto the floor and used a hand seal to incinerate it with fire.
“Never mind, this thing is expired. You can't eat it.” She refused to admit it was poisonous to her dying breath.
“...” Gu Linshu swallowed the words stuck in his throat.
“Don’t worry. I’ll just burn them all off.” Wen Li set about burning all the poisonous mushrooms. Honestly, they smelled quite fragrant.
“This sword is just sleeping, that’s why it looks like this. I’m not lying to you. Take it to practice with for now. One day when you’re injured and bleeding, try to consecrate it.” Wen Li suspiciously warned, fearing the kid might be a fool. “But don’t go putting it directly on your wound!”
“I’m telling you to drip blood onto it.”
Then, a flash of inspiration hit her.
“Wait, it wouldn't be a bad idea to just go around hacking people with it!”
The Blade of Tetanus was complete!
Gu Linshu nodded with a strange expression. “M-Master, I u-understand. D-don't worry.”
He put the sword away. With the sword this rusty and blunt, it might not even draw blood from a pig, let alone hack people. Master was probably pulling his leg again.
Wen Li chattered on for a long time. Seeing her throat was parched, Gu Linshu poured a cup of water and handed it to her.
“Yeah, I’ve pretty much told you everything.” Wen Li took the cup, her heart feeling heavy. She had to send another disciple away to be raised free-range.
The key was that this kid was too rich; she was reluctant to let go of him.
In her sadness, she downed the cup in one go without thinking, wanting to act cool for once.
“Pffft!”
She spat it out the next second.
“Master!”
Gu Linshu panicked. Poison?!
“This is...”
Wen Li turned her head. Gu Linshu had poured from the pot in front of Wangquan Chumo’s seat. This guy didn't drink tea; he only drank alcohol!
“Alcohol...” She had already swallowed some. It was too late.
Her vision went black, her eyes rolled back into her head, and her feet began to stagger. The world spun around her.
Oh? I can turn heaven and earth upside down now? How impressive!
Finally, she stumbled and fell flat.
“Thud!”
“Master!”
Fortunately, Gu Linshu caught her immediately and placed her in a chair. He rushed to the inner room to call Wangquan Chumo out.
It was over.
Wangquan Chumo left Zongzheng Huangyue and teleported over in a flash. He almost tripped over his own feet in his haste. He frantically grabbed the chair to steady himself and looked down.
“Zzzzz... Zzzzz...”
Wen Li, who he thought had met with disaster, was now slumped in the chair, snoring loudly. She was sleeping so deeply she didn't know where she was.
Wangquan Chumo’s heart had skipped a beat when he heard Gu Linshu say she’d fainted. To be safe, he slowly reached out to check her pulse. He wasn't hit, which meant she really was unconscious.
Her pulse was strong and steady; she was very much alive.
He checked her eyelids. Deep sleep.
“Senior Brother, what’s wrong with Master?!”
Gu Linshu and Zongzheng Huangyue, who had followed him out, looked frantic.
Wangquan Chumo caught a whiff of the spilled liquid on the floor. He let out a long sigh of relief, sweat dripping from his brow from the scare. He wiped it away and turned to look at Gu Linshu wordlessly.
His finger trembled as he pointed at him, shaking like he had Parkinson’s. It was out of sheer rage.
“Did you... did you pour the liquor from the pot in front of me?”
His usually mysterious and aloof persona vanished, replaced by an irritable fury. He looked like he wanted to laugh and cry at the same time from the absurdity.
Beiqiong Kingdom almost vanished from the map of the Eastern Province. How could this brat be so careless and reckless? He would have to train him extra hard until he didn't even have the strength to cry!
Gu Linshu nodded frantically. “I... I didn't smell any alcohol. I th-thought it was t-tea. Is Master... is Master okay?!”
He only knew she didn't drink, but not why.
It was indeed a coincidence. Wangquan Chumo loved to drink and was even better at brewing it. He didn't look for a strong aroma; he preferred it to be as light as water but rich and mellow on the palate.
Gu Linshu not smelling the alcohol was just a massive blunder.
“You... stop talking for a moment.”
Wangquan Chumo clutched his heart, which had almost stopped from the fright. He held onto the chair nearby, breathing heavily. He was wrong. The disciples Wen Li took in weren't just based on talent; she must have considered their brains too.
She probably got bored and found a few fools to raise for fun, enjoying the sense of achievement that came with turning idiots into geniuses.
Rate on N.U.
