Stop crying, I'll give it to you, okay?

Chi Buwan and Xie Hanfeng went to a secluded spot and reverted to their original, ordinary appearances. They strolled around the streets for a while, and soon each bought a candied hawthorn skewer before flying back to their sect on their swords.

When his feet touched the ground, all that remained of the candied hawthorn stick in his hand was a bare stick. Without him even having to call out, the sword vanished in a wisp of mist.

The Longsui is an ancient divine sword, nurtured for ten thousand years, and has long since developed its own wisdom.

Xiao Wuli saw him from afar. When he saw him land, his eyes lit up and he took a step forward, but stopped a second later.

"Hey! Aren't you late? Why are you flying so fast on your sword? You didn't even wait for me." Xie Hanfeng arrived late and immediately put her arm around his shoulder after landing.

Chi Buwan shoved the candied hawthorn stick into his hand, saying, "If you're going to be any slower, you might as well walk back."

Xie Hanfeng was chuckling and about to say something when he suddenly caught sight of a tall figure out of the corner of his eye. He paused slightly, somewhat shocked, "Xiao Wuli? How come you're faster than us?"

"Master, Sect Leader." Xiao Wuli stopped in his tracks, the light in his eyes dimming slightly, and bowed with his hands clasped.

He explained, "My senior brother has high cultivation. He led the team and subdued the monsters that were causing trouble on Qinglu Peak in just half an hour. The mission was completed, so he naturally returned."

"I see." Xie Hanfeng nodded. "Alright, I have important matters to discuss with Jade Immortal Venerable. You go and cultivate on your own."

Just as Chi Buwan was about to leave, she met Xiao Wuli's somewhat disappointed eyes.

He paused slightly, and when he came to his senses, Xie Hanfeng had already pushed him forward and walked away.

Xiao Wuli looked at that slender figure and gently pursed his lips.

It's always like this.

As long as the sect leader is by his master's side, he can't get a word in edgewise with his master.

Moreover, even when his master was standing right in front of him talking to him, he always had the illusion that his master was very far away from him.

Only when his eyes turned red would his master's voice soften, speaking gently as if he were being comforted by someone close to him.

Xiao Wuli lowered his head.

He has also had difficulty seeing his master recently, except for the mornings when his master comes to the back mountain to watch them cultivate.

But Master wasn't standing there just to see him alone; many people would sneak peeks at Master during their breaks from cultivation.

Xiao Wuli pursed his lips.

Master is handsome, especially after he changed into a different person, his appearance seems even more refined, and he always makes people unable to look away, so it's normal for them to peek at him, but... he doesn't like those people looking at Master.

He wanted to have some time alone with his master.

But apart from this time, he had no reason to go to his master, and sometimes he could only catch a glimpse of him from afar every three or four days.

His lowered gaze fell on the pouch that his master had personally tied at his waist. After a long while, Xiao Wuli slowly exhaled.

He must be a unique figure in his master's heart, because his master praised him, protected him, gathered spiritual herbs for him, and even gave him a cultivation technique that was no longer seen in the world...

Thinking this, Xiao Wuli unconsciously curled up a smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Oh heavens, please favor this neglected, lovesick young man one more time!" the old man sighed, gazing at the sky at a 45-degree angle.

Xiao Wuli raised her eyes, her phoenix eyes looking at him.

The old man turned around and met his gaze, startled: "Why are you looking at me like that? I was just about to tell you how to gain exclusive favor, but if you don't want to hear it, then forget it."

Xiao Wuli lowered his head and ignored him.

half an hour.

"What method?"

The old man clutched his stomach and collapsed onto the grass, laughing hysterically. "Haha, you're quite the character!"

Xiao Wuli looked at him.

The old man raised his hand to wipe away the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes and said, "I think your master is the type who responds better to gentle persuasion than force. Why don't you have a good cry in front of him?"

"What kind of method is this?" Xiao Wuli frowned. "My master said, 'A true man sheds blood, not tears!'"

The old man didn't argue with him: "Then don't cry."

Xiao Wuli frowned, refusing to look at him, and scoffed at the "solution" he proposed.

Look up and gaze into the distance.

My master said that a man should act like a man.

-

Five days later.

Xiao Wuli cried.

The reason was that Xie Hanfeng, having nothing better to do, wanted to test the male lead's strength. As a result, he didn't hold back his own power and used his Mahayana stage cultivation to repeatedly whip Xiao Wuli, making him start to doubt his life.

Chi Buwan looked at the huge person standing in front of her crying, feeling completely helpless.

"Master...Master..." Xiao Wuli's eyes reddened, her gaze filled with pitiful tears as she looked at him, breathless and sobbing with self-reproach, "Disciple...disciple is still too incompetent, isn't he?"

Knowing he had done something wrong, Xie Hanfeng stood obediently to the side, scratching his head. He dared not slack off and dutifully acted as the translator, not daring to omit a single word, for fear that Chi Buwan would find out and cause him trouble again.

"No, you're not bad, you're very capable."

Standing before him was his beautiful, tear-streaked apprentice, looking pitiful and heartbroken. Chi Buwan didn't know where to put his hands, offering only a typical male-style consolation, while inwardly cursing Xie Hanfeng twenty times over.

Xie Hanfeng, that old man, is three thousand years old, yet he bullies a kid who just turned 19!

Even though the child is 1.9 meters tall...

He bullied Xie Hanfeng until he cried, then dumped him on him to comfort him. Right now, he has a hundred reasons to beat Xie Hanfeng to death.

Xiao Wuli lowered his eyes, large tears sliding down his long, thick eyelashes and falling heavily to the ground. He sobbed incessantly, "Disciple knows...disciple is already 19, not the optimal age for cultivating spiritual bones, but disciple will not give up. Master, please don't despise disciple, give disciple some more time, okay? Okay?"

Chi Buwan's heart trembled. Seeing the tears streaming down his face, she felt even more helpless. The cold light in her eyes was like a flying knife as she looked at Xie Hanfeng beside her.

When Xie Hanfeng met his gaze, she lowered her head guiltily to avoid his eyes.

Chi Buwan withdrew her gaze and looked at the poor little dog with its head down and tears in front of her. She subconsciously raised her hand and rubbed its head. After realizing what she had done, she began to spout some inspirational words: "The best time to plant a tree was ten years ago, the second best time is now."

Xiao Wuli's long eyelashes trembled slightly as she slowly raised her eyes, her red, tear-filled eyes looking at him with an expression of utter pitifulness.

Not too late, I breathed softly, and my fingertips stiffened for a moment.

"You're already quite skilled. Let the sect leader spar with you one more time." He slowly withdrew his hand, put it behind his back, and said, "I've asked him to suppress his cultivation to the early Foundation Establishment stage. Don't be afraid to hurt him. Use any moves you can, so I can see how your studies are going lately."

Upon hearing this, Xie Hanfeng quickly tried to appease him, "Come on! Wuli, don't cry anymore. I, the sect leader, will personally spar with you, okay?"

Xiao Wuli raised his hand to wipe away his tears, gently pursed his lips, and softly replied, "Alright, disciple will obey Master."

Chi Buwan shifted his gaze and subconsciously looked at Xie Hanfeng.

Xie Hanfeng: [Don't worry, I'll go easy on you.]

Xie Hanfeng was truly afraid.

The novel *Rebellion Against the Heavens* describes the male protagonist as having an indomitable spirit; even with broken bones and raw flesh, trembling with pain, he would only grit his teeth and swallow it down, never shedding a tear. But now...

Xie Hanfeng glanced at the sobbing Xiao Wuli, both shocked and incredulous.

He suspected he had been set up.