Chapter 198 - 0141 A Day as a Teacher

The time for sunrise has passed, and that light capable of penetrating all obstacles gradually becomes ordinary.

Inside the room, the Daoist Nun’s dwelling is dim, with only a single oil lamp burning slowly.

——

Outside the guest courtyard of the Sword Hall.

"Chang’an pays respects to Teacher."

Xu Chang’an stood at a distance and respectfully bowed towards the main building, then straightened up and quietly waited for permission.

"..."

Inside the room, the Daoist Nun looked at the young man under the locust tree.

During this time, Xu Chang’an quietly stood in front of the door, not taking another step forward.

As the wind blew, the yellow cicada fluttered its wings, causing the flowers and grass in the courtyard to rustle. The chaotic sounds made the Daoist Nun’s eyelashes tremble, and she then regained her focus.

She raised her hand and flicked her sleeve, emitting a True Yuan strike onto the Copper Bell. When the Copper Bell rang, it permitted Xu Chang’an to enter the room.

In the distance.

Upon hearing the bell’s sound, the young man finally started moving again, heading toward the small courtyard.

——

Since it was morning, Xu Chang’an did not go to the school as before but instead, head straight to the Daoist Nun’s dwelling, familiar with the path.

On the road, Xu Chang’an’s expression seemed calm, yet... upon hearing the bell, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The moment of waiting earlier had made his heart quite uneasy.

It had been a long time since he had seen Teacher; although Teacher had said he could come to her with troubles, coming immediately... was somewhat rude.

Moreover, he had accepted the reward given by Teacher.

So he was truly worried about being rejected by Teacher again, but fortunately...

Xu Chang’an smiled.

Teacher was still someone who honored her promises.

——

Xu Chang’an passed through the school, facing a plain two-story small building, looking no different from the structures of ordinary people in Beisang City, perhaps even simpler, considered a rather "humble" courtyard within the Immortal Sect.

The front courtyard had no flowers or plants, only clean blue stone paving and a broom by the wall.

When arriving in front of the house, he did not see the silhouette of the Daoist Nun, Xu Chang’an paused slightly before pushing open the painted wooden door of the building, entering the first floor of her small building.

Xu Chang’an had been inside before.

The arrangement here hadn’t changed at all compared to a year ago; the candlelight on the first floor flickered slightly, he shook his head lightly at the sight of the accumulated oil.

The fact that he used dustproof clothing and even Lian Yunqian used the Immortal Sect’s Fire Stone, yet this Teacher of his still donned a worn-out Daoist Robe, illuminating with a simple oil lamp.

Xu Chang’an ascended the stairs, arriving on the second floor.

The door to the room was open.

Faced with a faint sandalwood scent, beyond the curling blue smoke, a Daoist Nun was sitting at the table having her morning tea.

Still wearing an extremely neat and simple Daoist Robe, her waist-length hair was gathered, tied into a crown, with a black ribbon.

Xu Chang’an stopped outside the room, bowed, and said, "The student greets Teacher."

"Hmm."

The Daoist Nun put down the teacup, looked at the young man outside, and calmly said, "Come in, what are you standing there for?"

"Yes." Xu Chang’an hesitated slightly, then crossed the threshold.

To a cultivator like Teacher, the place she lived was called a Quiet Room, not a woman’s boudoir.

"Lift your head, stand upright." The Daoist Nun suddenly said.

Xu Chang’an instinctively straightened his posture, looking at the Daoist Nun at the table.

The woman before him had an extremely ordinary appearance, her demeanor understated, yet she exerted considerable pressure on Xu Chang’an; perhaps... when he initially started cultivating, she often tapped his palm with a ruler.

The Daoist Nun examined the young man before her, her solemn demeanor slightly quickening Xu Chang’an’s heartbeat.

Soon, a surprised look finally appeared in the Daoist Nun’s eyes: "You... were you so handsome before?"

She remembered Xu Chang’an’s previous looks being quite charming yet definitely not of the current form; getting closer revealed his pair of bright, glowing eyes.

Open Source Open Source, revealing the true appearance.

Hence, this current appearance is his real self.

——

?

Handsome...

The meaning is, she hadn’t properly looked at his face before.

Xu Chang’an’s eye twitched slightly, helplessly said, "Teacher, I became like this after breaking through the Open Source Realm... gained quite a bit of softness."

"This doesn’t count as softness." The Daoist Nun shook her head: "Looking now, you indeed have an immortal presence."

"Immortal... Immortal?" Xu Chang’an froze again.

His aptitude was poor back then, often troubling Teacher; though not to the point of being scorned as a fool, the praise of an immortal presence coming from the Daoist Nun made Xu Chang’an feel somewhat unreal.

He momentarily didn’t know what to say.

The Daoist Nun looked at this refreshing, seemingly Daoist Canon-like young man before her, saying, "Turns out... you’re no longer a child."

Talking in front of the Sect Leader that he’s a good boy, looking again, it was surely her mistake.

Upon hearing this, Xu Chang’an’s expression became much more serious: "I will always be your student."

He told Miss Yun, people face different persons with different expressions, he does the same.

"Always?" The Daoist Nun heard this, a hint of helplessness in her eyes: "Cultivators shouldn’t say such things, need to bond affinity."

"A teacher for one day, a father for..." Xu Chang’an was about to say.

"Enough." The Daoist Nun looked at Xu Chang’an’s serious demeanor, interrupting him.

A teacher is just a teacher, quite different from a master.

She believed she hadn’t taught Xu Chang’an any significant, extraordinary knowledge, merely the cultivation basics, hence couldn’t be his master.

A teacher for a day, a father for life was even out of discussion.

Besides, she would be a mother.

Then who would be the father?

She had no Daoist companion.

...

The Daoist Nun picked up the teacup in her hand, pointed at the opposite side of the table, and asked, "Would you like some tea?"

Xu Chang’an shook his head.

"You also stood at the Sword Hall earlier, if I hadn’t heard you or called you inside, what would you have done?" The Daoist Nun took a sip of tea and looked at Xu Chang’an.

"Stand there and wait." Xu Chang’an replied.

"Why not knock on the door?" The Daoist Nun raised her eyes.

"A student doesn’t need to knock."

"You can knock, the Jade Talisman is your door-knocker." The Daoist Nun pointed at the Jade Talisman next to the sachet on Xu Chang’an’s waist.

"That would be for outsiders then." Xu Chang’an’s expression was earnest, considering himself part of the Sword Hall, certainly not having the rationale of using the Jade Talisman like a visitor.

"Moreover, upon knocking, can Teacher hear?"

The Daoist Nun shook her head: "Can’t hear."

"Then why ask me to knock?"

"Others must knock the door."

"If Teacher doesn’t hear, what about the one who knocks?"

The Daoist Nun earnestly replied: "Go back."

Xu Chang’an took a deep breath: "If you want me to go back, a word is enough."

He knew Teacher most feared trouble, so he was mentally prepared for dislike due to his arrival.

A teacher refusing a student doesn’t need to waste so many words.

"There’s no intention of asking you to leave."

The Daoist Nun calmly said: "I take back what I said earlier, you don’t even have a bit of Qi Cultivation Skill... truly still a child."