Chapter 58: You Are... the Teacher?

A captain from the Xiao family’s forces entered the hall.

“Is everything packed up? How are the local resources—are they all accounted for?” Xiao Zhan sat atop the high platform now claimed by his family, questioning the man who had just come in.

This great hall had once belonged to the Jaliao family.

There were five people present: Xiao Zhan and four senior elders of lesser rank.

The captain knelt on one knee with respect and replied, “Patriarch, the Jaliao family’s estate has been entirely taken over by the Xiao family. All resources have been transported to our main house. Not a single member of the Jaliao clan survived. Please instruct us on the next steps.”

Having finished his report, Xiao Li remained kneeling, awaiting further commands.

“Very good,” Xiao Zhan said solemnly.

He tapped the arm of his wooden chair, pondered for a moment, then continued, “You may withdraw. If there’s any news, I will inform you. Take these pills and distribute them among the soldiers. Let them rest well and regain their strength.”

With a gesture, a storage ring flew into Xiao Li’s hands.

“Yes, Patriarch!” Xiao Li’s eyes burned with excitement as he gazed at the ring.

...

In an inner chamber,

Xiao Yan, whose fighting energy had been depleted, was now recovering thanks to the medicinal pills.

After the fierce battle just now, Xiao Yan’s Great Brahma Golden Body had broken through from the peak of the Primary Profound Rank to the Intermediate Profound Rank.

“Hah... ah!” Xiao Yan exhaled deeply and opened his eyes, sensing the changes within his body.

“After such an intense fight, tell me what you felt,” his master’s voice sounded beside him. “This was your first time crossing ranks for such a heated battle. If it weren’t for the Great Brahma Golden Body, you’d still be lying there, unable to move.”

But Qian Mo did not appear in his usual spiritual form—he had materialized in the flesh. He stood behind Xiao Yan, silently observing his transformation.

Xiao Yan glanced back, astonished. “Old... Master?”

It wasn’t that Xiao Yan was exaggerating—he truly didn’t recognize his master now. The transformation was too drastic; he looked remarkably young, handsome, and elegant. Only the long white robe, painted with landscapes, remained unchanged. A small jade pendant hung from his belt on the right.

Seeing his student’s confusion, Qian Mo smiled faintly. “What’s wrong, my disciple? Don’t tell me you don’t recognize your own master?”

He pulled out a mirror, regarding his own striking features with self-satisfaction. “Indeed! My appearance has changed so much, it’s no wonder you don’t recognize me.”

“Teacher, you’ve changed so much! I never imagined you’d be so... dashing,” Xiao Yan said, excitement coloring his voice.

Smack!

Qian Mo delivered a quick slap to the back of Xiao Yan’s head. “What do you mean, ‘never imagined’? Hmph! You little scoundrel, did I take you in for nothing? Or should I... just get rid of you and find a new disciple?”

He spoke in deliberately cold tones, stroking his chin thoughtfully and casting pointed glances at Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan shivered at his master’s look, realizing he’d said the wrong thing. He hurriedly grabbed Qian Mo’s leg, begging for mercy. “Master, it’s not what you think! I just... Your transformation is so great, I was caught off guard, not that I ever thought you were anything less than handsome! I’ve always thought you were the best-looking! It’s just the change is so big, too big! Please, master, have mercy, don’t kill me! I know I was wrong, please don’t... I don’t want to die!”

“Oh, come on! What’s this about? Why is this Xiao Yan so different from the one in the original story?” Qian Mo thought, staring wide-eyed at his disciple’s antics.

If Xiao Yan knew what his master was thinking, he’d probably say, “Dignity? I’m about to die! Who cares about dignity? I’ll grovel if it means surviving this demon!”

“Ahem. Enough. I was only teasing you. You’re my favorite disciple—how could I bear to kill you? At most, I’d break your limbs, strip away your fighting energy, toss you into the endless void, and let you perish on your own!” Qian Mo added with a sly grin.

But to Xiao Yan, these words were hardly reassuring. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. “Break my limbs, cripple my energy, throw me into the void to die on my own—that’s even worse than death! Might as well kill me outright...”

“All right, back to business. Tell me what you learned from this battle,” Qian Mo said, plopping down on the ground in a relaxed manner.

Relieved that his master wasn’t going to kill him, Xiao Yan immediately straightened up.

“First of all, I realize now that the gap in cultivation was the reason I lost. I was too arrogant, overconfident because of all the skills you’ve given me. I thought I was invincible, so I let my guard down and got sent flying. You were right, Master—if it wasn’t for the Great Brahma Golden Body you taught me, I’d be lying on the ground, seriously injured. I was too full of myself. Even if I had won, it wouldn’t have been my own achievement, but the credit of your techniques,” Xiao Yan said earnestly, taking full responsibility for his shortcomings.

...

“Hmm, ha! Excellent! As expected of my disciple. Yes, your problem is arrogance—overestimating yourself. You must understand, you’re only at Six-Star Fighter, and your opponent was a Seven-Star Great Fighter. That may be trivial for me, but for you, it’s a formidable enemy. You can rely on my techniques for now, but when you face those at the Douzong level and beyond, these tricks won’t save you. At best, the Great Brahma Golden Body will let you flee. To put it nicely, that’s escape; to put it bluntly, it’s just barely clinging to life!”

Qian Mo’s tone grew harsher and colder.

“Yes, Master, I realize my mistake. I promise—I’ll never make that error again,” Xiao Yan vowed, his gaze firm and resolute, as if silently pleading, “Master, trust me! After all, it’s my own life—I wouldn’t be so reckless with it.”

Of course, whether Qian Mo picked up on that silent plea was anyone’s guess.

“Good. Since you understand, that’s enough. Gather your things—we’re heading to our next destination: the Oba family. If we’re going to do this, we might as well do it thoroughly. The Oba clan is even stronger than the Jaliao family, so be extra cautious this time,” Qian Mo cautioned, just in case his disciple got careless again.

“Yes, Master!” Xiao Yan replied.

...

Back in the great hall,

Xiao Zhan and the other four were discussing their next moves and arrangements.

“Patriarch Xiao, in my opinion, since we’ve already taken action, we should see it through to the end and wipe out the Oba family as well,” Qian Mo said, striding into the hall.

Xiao Yan followed close behind.

The five inside eyed the newly arrived youth with curiosity. “Who is this?” they wondered.

Xiao Zhan voiced the group’s confusion. “May I ask... young sir, who might you be?”

...