Immortality begins with raising apprentices

Chapter 102 A Small Reward, Daily Life of Master and Disciple

As evening approached and night deepened.

The bustling market fell silent as the sun set, and the lights of every household began to twinkle in the twilight.

After a busy day, Chen Ye, still feeling the chill, pushed open the gate to his courtyard.

The courtyard was quiet. Qingjun had probably gotten tired of playing with Yuanyuan, and Granny Li had coaxed her to rest early.

The dim light shone through the paper windows of the house, and one could vaguely see Zhiwei's small figure bent over the desk.

"Is this girl studying hard again?"

Chen Ye felt relieved, took off his cloak, and tiptoed home.

But when he pushed open the door, the scene before him made his heart sink.

Knowing the subtle is not about reading books or practicing self-cultivation.

Her small body was curled up in the chair, her back to the door, her shoulders trembling slightly.

The thick cotton-padded coat that Chen Yexin had bought for her was carelessly tossed aside, and she was only wearing a thin inner shirt.

She had a slender waist, and her ribs were clearly visible beneath her thin shirt.

Although she has grown taller, she seems to have lost some weight.

What alarmed Chen Ye even more was that he saw several new, fine bloodstains on Zhiwei's bare, slender arms, as if they had been scratched by something sharp.

In front of her, several broken icicles lay scattered on the ground, tinged with dark red.

"Zhiwei!" Chen Ye rushed over in three strides.

Upon hearing the sound, the girl froze, like a startled fawn, and frantically tried to hide her arms behind her back.

However, due to the hasty movement, the wound was aggravated, and a suppressed groan of pain was heard.

"Zhiwei, what... what are you doing?" Chen Ye's heart sank.

He was not surprised by this scene.

Zhiwei possesses an immaculate, crystal-clear body, and recently, her constitution has been gradually awakening...

Zhiwei would certainly not harm herself in his presence.

But if he's not in front of you, then it's hard to say.

Zhiwei lowered her head, her long, dark hair obscuring her face, making it impossible to see her expression; only her pale, delicate chin was visible.

She didn't speak, gave up hiding her injured arm, and just sat there silently.

Nonviolent non-cooperation, right...?

Chen Ye remained silent as well.

Comforting words are too weak, and persuasion is even more useless.

before,

When Zhiwei was playing with the snow cat, he tried to stop her, but the girl immediately did the same thing again...

Ugh,
Problem children are a real headache to take care of.

Chen Ye suddenly smiled slightly: "Zhiwei, your master has something fun to play with. Do you want to play with it? This thing can make Zhiwei happy..."

Zhiwei remained silent, but her small body suddenly tensed up, like a fully drawn bow.

She was a little uneasy.

Chen Ye didn't care.

He took out a flat wooden board from his storage bag, and then some black and white pebbles of uniform size.

Then, quickly draw a simple chessboard grid on the wooden board with a charcoal pencil.

Yes, this is definitely Gomoku!

The rules of this game are simple and easy to learn.

But its endless variations are extremely captivating and immersive.

previous life,

When Chen Ye was in elementary school, he liked to use graph paper and secretly play Go with his deskmate.

He still cherishes those carefree days.

Chen Ye also figured it out.

Ultimately, Zhiwei was still in elementary school in her previous life.

Even if they are precocious, they are still children.

Kids... they always like to play and have fun.

He made Zhiwei stay at home all day to cultivate, never leaving the house.

Even without the influence of the Immaculate Glass Body, one would inevitably develop mental illness sooner or later.

Why not think of something entertaining?

This will allow the two little girls to relax properly during their training.

So that when Zhiwei has free time, she won't overthink things and torment herself.

……

The charcoal pencil moved across the rough wooden board, making a soft "shh" sound.

Chen Ye held the wooden board with one hand and a charcoal pencil in the other, intently sketching crisscrossing lines.

He lowered his head slightly, his hair falling across his forehead, leaving only a serious yet gentle profile.

The dim, yellow light enveloped him like a warm, fluffy ball.

It also reflects Zhiwei, who is curled up in the chair, quietly lifting a corner of her eyelids.

The eldest girl finally couldn't resist.

The sound of the charcoal pencil slicing across the wood, and the man's peaceful aura, acted like invisible hooks, drawing her to steal another glance.

He was no longer the Chen steward who, according to Granny Li, had debated with a group of scholars and amazed everyone in the examination hall.

Calm and composed, he remained unperturbed in the face of the doubts and questions from the group of independent cultivators. With his superb skills in planting spiritual plants, he single-handedly intimidated all the herbalists present.

At this moment, he was more like a clumsy yet extremely patient father, awkwardly preparing a slightly crude surprise.

The focus in his eyes was no longer for the purpose of impressing others, nor for the calculation of survival, but a pure dedication to doing something for the small figure in front of him.

In Zhiwei's mind, she couldn't help but recall the thrilling spirit plant master assessment that Granny Li had told her about that evening.

Chen Ye finished drawing the last line and examined the simple chessboard with satisfaction.

A standard Go board with 15 squares and 15 verticals.

He patted the charcoal dust off his hands, looked up, and met Zhiwei's eyes, which were quietly observing him, cold yet tinged with a hint of bewilderment.

"cough."

Chen Ye cleared his throat, pushed the wooden board in front of Zhiwei, and then placed two piles of black and white pebbles on either side.
"Zhiwei, look, this is finished."

Zhiwei's gaze slowly moved from Chen Ye's face to the checkered wooden board. Her little hand twitched, as if she wanted to touch it, but hesitated.

"Master... what is this?" she asked softly, her voice weak and still hoarse from the self-harm she had just suffered.

"This is called Gomoku (Five in a Row)."

Chen Ye smiled gently. He picked up a black piece, then a white piece, and waved them in front of Zhiwei.

"It's a really fun game, even more fun than when you were making snow cats before... um, even more fun."

Mentioning Snow Cat, Zhiwei's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her face seemed to blush a little.

Chen Ye pretended not to see and continued to explain:
"Look, we each take a piece of one color and take turns placing them on the intersections of this chessboard. Whoever connects all five of their pieces in a straight line, whether horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, wins."

He picked up a black stone and gently placed it on the center point of the board, making a crisp "click" sound.

“Like this, Master has placed one. Then, it’s Zhiwei’s turn.” Chen Ye pushed the small pile of white stones toward Zhiwei. “Try it, put your white stone anywhere you think is okay.”

Zhiwei looked at the lone black stone, then at the pile of white stones in front of her.

She looked up at Chen Ye again. Under the lamplight, the man's eyes were gentle, without the slightest hint of urging or impatience.

This was a look she had never felt from Chen Ye before.

Zhiwei took a deep breath and, imitating Chen Ye, gently placed the white piece in her hand on an intersection next to the black piece.

"Ah, very good."

Chen Ye nodded approvingly, then picked up another black piece and slowly placed it in another spot.
"Now, Master has made another move. Zhiwei, look, if Master makes another move here, won't it soon be three in a row?"

Zhiwei stared intently at the chessboard. She was naturally intelligent, and Chen Ye's explanation was simple and easy to understand, so she quickly grasped the rules of Gomoku.

Her brows furrowed slightly as she began to seriously consider where the white piece should land to stop her master while simultaneously creating an opportunity for herself.

For Zhiwei, who had never been exposed to entertainment games before

The simple and fun game of Gomoku immediately caught her attention.

For a moment, only the crisp sound of chess pieces hitting the wooden board could be heard in the bedroom.

Qingjun, rubbing her sleepy eyes, came out of the inner room at some point. She saw her master and senior sister playing with pebbles on a wooden board with grids drawn on it, and curiously came over.

"Master, Senior Sister, what are you playing?" she asked softly, afraid of disturbing them.

Chen Ye waved to her, signaling her to come and take a look.

Zhiwei was completely absorbed in the game and didn't react much to Qingjun's arrival. She just stared intently at the chessboard, thinking about her next move.

Although her skills are still very immature, she often neglects one aspect for another.

But Chen Ye could sense that her tense nerves were slowly relaxing.

The game ended, and Zhiwei lost.

She looked at the black stones lined up on the chessboard, a hint of barely perceptible annoyance showing on her small face:

"Master, again!!"

Chen Ye smiled slightly.

……

late at night.

Outside the door, the clattering sound of two little girls playing chess could be heard.

Inside the meditation room, Chen Ye sat cross-legged on a futon, preparing to immerse himself in cultivation and dispel the slight fatigue he felt today due to the changes in the market and the playfulness of his two disciples.

He was indeed somewhat helpless; that Gomoku game was merely a pastime he had casually played in his previous life.

But I never expected that it would make those two little girls, Zhiwei and Qingjun, so obsessed that they played several rounds in a row and didn't rest until late at night.

"Never mind, he's just a kid. It's rare for him to find something he likes."

Chen Ye shook his head. The two girls had never been exposed to this kind of novel game before, so it was normal for them to become a little addicted.

As for delaying cultivation?

That must be impossible.

In the original storyline, the two disciples would have to wait several hundred years to unleash their full power, so a little more time wouldn't make a difference.

He closed his eyes and meditated for about an hour, when he heard a very faint "knock knock" sound.

Chen Ye opened his eyes and looked at the simple wooden door of the cultivation room.

The door wasn't closed completely, leaving a small crack.

"Who?" he asked.

Zhiwei changed into a clean, moon-white nightgown, her long, dark hair flowing smoothly over her shoulders, which made her look even more petite.

She was carrying a wooden basin and was carefully squeezing through the crack in the door.

The basin was filled with hot water, and wisps of steam rose in front of her, blurring her slightly pale face.

"Zhiwei?" Chen Ye was somewhat surprised. "It's so late, aren't you asleep yet?"

Zhiwei did not answer immediately, but silently carried the wooden basin to Chen Ye and set it down steadily.

The water rippled slightly, and the steam intensified.

She then raised her head, her obsidian-like eyes quickly glancing at Chen Ye before swiftly lowering again.

The voice was soft, yet stubborn: "...foot."

"Feet?" Chen Ye was taken aback and subconsciously looked down at his feet. He was indeed quite tired after a long day.

Zhiwei stretched out her delicate white hand, pointed to the wooden basin, and then to Chen Ye's feet, her words concise and to the point.

But her little face wore a serious expression that seemed to say, "Don't you understand?"

Chen Ye looked at her, who was acting like a little adult and was worried about everything. He felt both amused and warm inside.

This girl, even though she's still a little one who needs to be taken care of, always thinks about serving her master.

Just as he was about to say something, Zhiwei had already half-squatted down, stretched out her small hand, and started to untie his cloth boots without saying a word.

"Wait, Zhiwei, Master can do it himself."

Chen Ye quickly stopped her. He couldn't bear to have such a young girl wash his feet.

Zhiwei paused, raised her head, and stared at him with her clear, cold eyes. Her small lips were slightly pursed, and she didn't speak, but her eyes clearly said "No."

Chen Ye stared at her for a moment, but ultimately had no choice but to give in.

He had experienced firsthand how stubborn this girl was.

He sat down on the low stool next to the prayer mat as instructed, and Zhiwei then continued what she was doing.

Her small hands were a little cold, but she was surprisingly skillful at untying her cloth boots.

Soon, Chen Ye's feet were soaking in warm water.

Zhiwei rolled up the sleeves of her nightgown, revealing her two fair wrists. She first carefully tested the water temperature, and then stretched out her small hands to gently and somewhat clumsily begin to massage Chen Ye's ankles.

Her strength was very light, and her movements were somewhat clumsy, clearly indicating that it was her first time doing something like this.

The two young maids had also served the "previous body" (although the previous body was Chen Ye).

But I've never been served like this before...

The meditation room fell silent for a moment, with only Zhiwei's shallow breathing.

"Master's feet... don't smell too bad, do they?"

Chen Ye suddenly remembered something and tried to break the somewhat eerie silence by making conversation.

Zhiwei's movements suddenly stopped.
She looked up and glared at Chen Ye with some annoyance, her cold eyes seeming to spit fire.

“…It doesn’t smell!” she squeezed out the two words through gritted teeth, her voice urgent and hurried.

After saying that, she lowered her head, but unconsciously increased the pressure of her kneading, as if she were venting her anger.

Chen Ye felt the force coming from his feet and chuckled softly.

This girl is still so easily teased.

After washing her feet, Zhiwei picked up the wooden basin and prepared to leave without saying a word.

That small figure stood ramrod straight.

Before parting, he calmly said:

“Disciple, you were just going to wash your master’s feet anyway.”

"?"

Chen Ye was puzzled.

Is this girl a riddle teller?
　Thank you Dedissus for the 4000 coins!

　　Thank you Toyokawa Inari for the 600 coins!

　　Thank you for the 500 points reward from Shui Zhong Shan Yue Fan Xing Hua!

　　Thank you 20220123172313722 for the 100 coins!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)