Chapter 73: Chapter 73: The Ceremony of Apprenticeship
 

Qi Yue, who had left, didn’t know about Zhao Xiyan’s misunderstanding and thought that all her enthusiasm had been wasted, which made her somewhat angry.

She walked briskly through the forest, wielding a firewood chopping knife, and indiscriminately hacked away at the weeds and trees along the path.

“Humph, not happy, are you? Damn Zhao Xiyan, dare to look down on me, I’ll make you regret it sooner or later!”

“Without me, see who would treat your leg and help you stand up!”

“Without me, see who would take care of your family, huh, ungrateful!”

“…”

After Qi Yue had muttered enough, she chopped wildly at a large tree to vent her frustration, and finally stopped.

Just as she took out a water bottle from her bosom to moisten her parched throat, she suddenly heard an old voice next to her.

“What? Done cursing? Got all your anger out?”

She choked on the water in her throat, coughing violently.

“Cough cough cough…”

When she caught her breath, she looked and found that her water bottle was gone.

“Tch, old man here thought it was wine…”

Qi Yue quickly looked toward the source of the sound but didn’t see even a ghostly shadow.

“That trickster, come out right now.”

“Eh, this water tastes quite good…interesting…”

Still, she could hear the voice but saw no one.

Qi Yue was getting anxious.

The water bottle she had just taken out was filled with pure Spiritual Spring Water. If this person drank it all, he would definitely notice something!

“Give me back my water bottle! Dare to drink one more sip, and I’ll smash your head in!”

“Hahaha, little girl, don’t be so hot-tempered, it’ll flare up your liver!”

Identifying the voice from behind a large tree, Qi Yue immediately threw a punch, smashing the tree, which was big enough for several people to embrace, leaving a deep handprint.

A long laugh came from behind the tree, and with a “swoosh,” a shadow disappeared in a flash.

“Little girl, you actually have Innate Divine Strength!”

“To hell with your nonsense! Give me back my water bottle.”

“Here you go, the water bottle is coming!”

A dark object was thrown at her. Qi Yue reflexively reached to catch it but dodged at the last moment.

Luckily she didn’t catch it, otherwise, she would have grabbed a dead crow!

“Who are you? Get out here!”

Being repeatedly toyed with by a person she hadn’t even seen, Qi Yue was seriously furious.

She took out the firewood chopping knife and started to be on her guard, ready to charge and chop as soon as the other party made a noise.

By this point, she had seen through this world.

It was a world ruled by power.

People here remember a beating but forget a meal.

When you treat them as equals, they don’t take you seriously.

But slap them hard, and they will kneel and call you daddy.

Like that night, she drove the cattle and the tiger to trample those natives almost to death; the ones who ran away never dared to come back.

She then saved those dying natives, who all became deeply grateful, completely forgetting that they were enemies.

“Little girl, still have not vented your anger? Seems you’re quite infatuated with that lame boy!”

“Boom…”

Those words exploded like thunder over her head, leaving Qi Yue somewhat disoriented.

“What nonsense are you talking about? Don’t spout nonsense!”

“Old man here isn’t talking nonsense, doesn’t your heart know it well, little girl?”

The voice was above her head!

Qi Yue hurriedly looked up and saw an old man, wearing ragged clothes and sitting cross-legged on a tree branch.

His hair and beard were long and white, nearly covering his entire face.

No, he was holding that water bottle, drinking huge gulps of the Spiritual Spring Water, which of course obscured his face!

Seeing this, Qi Yue yelled desperately.

“Don’t drink, shut your mouth!”

The old man continued drinking as if he couldn’t hear, glugging non-stop.

Finally, after finishing his drink, he burped loudly and threw the water bottle down.

“There, I gave back your water bottle…burp…Superb water indeed!”

Qi Yue was utterly infuriated, unable to comprehend this utterly odd old man who had appeared out of nowhere and how he knew about her and Zhao Xiyan.

“Little girl, what do you see in that lame boy? If he doesn’t want you, should I introduce someone else to you?”

“Shut your mouth! Stop bringing him up.”

Qi Yue was beside herself with rage, cursing Zhao Xiyan a hundred times over in her heart.

Dead Zhao Xiyan, wait and see how I deal with you!

“If I don’t sort you out, then I’m not Qi Yue!”

“Ah, that’s more like it. You should be settling your accounts with that lame kid, not this old man!”

Qi Yue felt a shiver in her heart.

How did this old man know exactly what she was thinking? Was he a demon?

“Who exactly are you? I have no grievances or grudges with you. Why are you making things difficult for me?”

“Little girl, the one making things difficult for this old man is you!” The old man still sat in the tree, refusing to come down.

His words had stunned Qi Yue.

“When have I ever made things difficult for you?”

The old man sighed.

“I ask you, little girl, wasn’t it you who dug up my dragon? You even used it on that lame boy!”

Dragon? Panlong Seven?

Could this old man be the master she had seen with the disciple before?

Qi Yue was struck with a realization!

Trouble had found its way to her door!

She hadn’t figured out how to respond yet when she saw the old man lightly descend to the ground.

“Little girl, you don’t need to deny it. In the whole Northern Ridge, aside from you, no one recognizes that thing.”

Now Qi Yue saw it clearly.

The elderly man had white hair and beard, but his complexion was very good, looking to be at least in his sixties.

His demeanor was kind and gentle, not seeming like a bad person.

Having taken something from someone, Qi Yue hesitated to say anything too harsh.

“Even if I did dig it up, it’s not the same as making things difficult for you. That thing was just growing there; whoever digs it up owns it. I dug it up so it’s mine.”

“What’s more, you drank my water today, so if anything, you’re the one making things difficult for me.”

She had thought this old man would be tough to deal with, so she decided to confuse him first with her words.

To her surprise, after her speech, the old man burst into hearty laughter.

“Okay, I accept your point. Come with me!”

What? Go with him?

“Where are you taking me?”

Qi Yue was somewhat puzzled, but seeing that the old man was walking ahead on his own, she gritted her teeth and followed.

To hell with it. He didn’t seem like a bad person anyhow, and she didn’t feel like going home just then. Might as well see what happens.

So it was, the old man in front, Qi Yue following, they walked one after another for a full shichen before they finally entered a deep, secluded valley.

After walking a bit further, they reached a grassy area surrounding a lake, complete with a small wooden house.

Upon seeing the house, the old man shouted loudly, “Little Shanzi, Little Shanzi.”

Following his calls, a teenage boy emerged from the house, evidently the disciple from the other day.

“Master, you are back?”

“Little Shanzi, come and greet your big sister apprentice.”

What big sister apprentice?

Qi Yue looked around suspiciously, wondering if there was a female ghost behind her.

Before she could collect her thoughts, Little Shanzi had already prostrated himself before her.

“Little Shanzi greets the big sister apprentice!”

Qi Yue quickly jumped to the side.

“No, no, I’m not any big sister apprentice. You’ve got it wrong!”

“Apprentice sister, the master said he went out to the valley today to find you, and he truly brought you back. You are the big sister apprentice!”

Little Shanzi insisted stubbornly, bowing down to her again.

Only then did Qi Yue realize that she was the ‘female ghost.’

She hastily leaped three feet in the air, wanting to leave the place as quickly as possible.

“Old man, what is this nonsense? I’m not taking you as my master!”

The old man stroked his white beard, grinning smugly.

“It’s not up to you. Since you’ve accepted my initiation gift, you must take this disciple!”

“What initiation gift?”

“That dragon you took.”

“But that dragon wasn’t yours either!”

“I guarded it for over a hundred years, so it is mine.”

“But you didn’t use it on me. Whoever used it should be the one you go after.”

“Both the one who dug it up and the one who used it can’t escape.”

“As a master, you should teach something. What can you teach me?”

“I can help you find the White Rhino.”