Chapter 27: I! Am! Not! Angry!

While Meng Yingxing was teasing Xiu Qingcheng, the indignant sword spirit delivered a fierce jolt to his back.
His entire upper body slammed onto the dining table.

No moment was spared to mourn Meng Yingxing’s embarrassment.
Immediately, Liu Chenxin and the curious stares of those around descended upon him!

Liu Chenxin covered her lips, clearly startled by Meng Yingxing’s sudden movement.
She leaned forward slightly, extending a hand to support his arm and help him up.

Meng Yingxing slowly raised his face.
His long bangs and cheeks were smeared with the sauce from the uneaten food on his plate, giving him a slightly disheveled look.

Liu Chenxin quickly pulled out a handkerchief she carried and began wiping his face vigorously.

“What are you doing?”

“I sneezed by accident, moved too much.”
Faced with Liu Chenxin’s surprise, Meng Yingxing could only mumble vaguely.
He couldn’t exactly tell others it was because he’d annoyed his sword spirit master.

Play’s fine, fun’s fine, but don’t mess with your master!

“Admit you were wrong?”

Xiu Qingcheng huffed, questioning her mischievous disciple who’d go wild if not disciplined every couple of days.
She could tease her disciple, but he wasn’t allowed to turn the tables on her!

Play’s fine, fun’s fine, but don’t mess with your master!

She was a double-standard sword—so what, got a problem with that?

“I was wrong, I was wrong…”

Meng Yingxing raised his hands in surrender, waving the white flag, promising not to do it again.

After wiping most of the sauce off Meng Yingxing’s face, Liu Chenxin handed the now-messy handkerchief to him.
“Here, clean up the rest yourself.”

“Thanks, Senior Sister Liu.”
Meng Yingxing took the handkerchief, wiping away the remaining bits of sauce.

“Be more careful next time. Keep the handkerchief and wash it for yourself; no need to return it.”
Liu Chenxin said generously, “If I’d learned a cleaning spell, I wouldn’t even need a handkerchief.”

Meng Yingxing nodded, saying no more.

The two began eating quietly.
Liu Chenxin occasionally offered words of encouragement, urging him to do his best in the upcoming Divine Armory Trial, just days away.
She also shared insider tips about a few participants she knew.

“Zhou Shangshao, mid-tier Ruxing, is probably the closest to you in strength.
He took a long spear from the Divine Armory Pavilion.
Lately, he’s been training day and night, and that spear’s power in his hands is impressive.
You’d better be cautious, Junior Brother.”

“Mo Kaiming, low-tier Miaoxing, also wields a sword like you.
His sword is supposedly a famous blade recorded in ancient texts.
At his age and cultivation, he’s quite the genius…”

Liu Chenxin didn’t say it outright, but her meaning was clear: Mo Kaiming outclassed Meng Yingxing in both cultivation and weapon.
If they crossed paths, Meng Yingxing stood no chance.

“Pfft, famous sword? Can it compare to my Ting Tian Sword?”
Xiu Qingcheng scoffed, thoroughly dismissing it.
“Besides, we specialize in crushing geniuses!”

“Master, you’re not angry?”
While eating, Meng Yingxing had wondered if Xiu Qingcheng’s silence meant she was upset with him.
Now, it seemed she wasn’t.

“Angry?”
Xiu Qingcheng let out a cold laugh.
“I wouldn’t get mad over such petty antics!”

A true man, Xiu Qingcheng was magnanimous and wouldn’t stoop to the level of a kid like Meng Yingxing!
No way!

She was totally angry…

Meng Yingxing thought to himself, but he didn’t dare respond, fearing another round of scolding from Xiu Qingcheng.

After a hearty meal, Liu Chenxin wanted to drag Meng Yingxing to do some shopping, but he declined, citing the need to return and train for the Divine Armory Trial.

Watching Meng Yingxing’s figure blend into the crowd, the usual smile on Liu Chenxin’s face vanished, replaced by a trace of impatient irritation.

“Lu Tianzhao… Tianfeng Sect… everything I’ve uncovered somehow ties back to this kid, Meng Yingxing.”

“Meng Yingxing… you’d better pull off something big, or these years of fake smiles will have been for nothing.”

Tianfeng Sect, Guest-Welcoming Peak.

As soon as Meng Yingxing sat down in his quarters, he felt soreness radiating through his limbs.
The clash with the fat and thin men had taken a heavy toll on his body.
Looking at his bandaged wounds, he noticed some had begun seeping blood again, likely from Xiu Qingcheng’s smack at the table.

They were minor injuries, though, and Meng Yingxing didn’t mind.
He’d endured worse in the past.
This time, though nearly fatal, thanks to Xiu Qingcheng and a bit of luck, he’d sustained the least damage yet.

“Master?”
Meng Yingxing called out to Xiu Qingcheng but got no response.

Thinking she was still upset, he scratched his head awkwardly, nudged a wooden sword with his foot, and prepared to practice the sword techniques she’d taught him.

“Stupid disciple, training in your condition? Are you trying to burst every blood vessel in your body?”

Xiu Qingcheng’s exaggerated words suddenly rang in Meng Yingxing’s ears.
Her tone was indifferent, but her words told him she was concerned.

Just as Meng Yingxing was about to call her name again, she cut him off.

“Let’s go back to the usual spot to gather herbs. This time, I’ll name them, you pick them.”

“You need to soak in the body-tempering medicinal bath daily.
Let’s gather extra today, then lock ourselves in for training.”

“We’ll work hard in secret and stun everyone.
Geniuses, famous swords—they’ll all get beaten so badly their own mothers won’t recognize them!”

“Yes, Master!”
Hearing his master speak to him so much, Meng Yingxing’s mood lifted considerably.

Their hushed master-disciple talk concluded, and the pair set off to gather herbs again.

At the site, Xiu Qingcheng named the herbs, and Meng Yingxing collected them.
He didn’t know the herbs, but she described their features, so there were no issues.
Along the way, Meng Yingxing learned to recognize some herbs.

This time, however, Xiu Qingcheng’s list included herbs not in the previous body-tempering recipe.

Meng Yingxing didn’t ask what the extra herbs were for.
He trusted his master wouldn’t harm him.

Each time Xiu Qingcheng named a new herb not in the original recipe, she glanced at Meng Yingxing.
It was so obvious—she couldn’t believe he wouldn’t notice or ask her about it.

Yet, until the end, Meng Yingxing didn’t say a word.

Now Xiu Qingcheng was impatient.

“Hey, you little brat, aren’t you going to ask what the extra herbs are for?”
Unable to hold back, she brought it up herself.

Meng Yingxing, with an “as expected” look, played along.
“Oh, oh, Master, what are these extra herbs for?”

His compliance gave Xiu Qingcheng a small thrill of satisfaction.

“To poison you!”
She feigned a menacing threat.

Meng Yingxing remained unfazed, calmly replying, “Okay,” with no further reaction.

Xiu Qingcheng’s enthusiasm fizzled.

So boring! No fun at all!

She’d never admit to Meng Yingxing now that those herbs were for treating his reopened wounds!

But what could she do? He was her disciple, and she had to look out for him.