LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 89: Master and Disciple
Chapter 89: Master and Disciple
After finishing breakfast, Xu Lian and Qin Liu left the Lin family’s residence.
Qin Liu whispered, “The tools for digging graves and some items to ward off evil spirits are ready. My fellow brothers are eating noodles at a street stall.”
Xu Lian asked, “Shall we go now?”
Qin Liu smiled, “We can go now, or we can play around in town for a few days before we leave.”
Xu Lian thought for a moment. Since he had nothing better to do, he said, “Let’s go now. The sooner we dig up the cultivator’s grave and retrieve the items inside, the better. It’s always good to get things done quickly and avoid unnecessary trouble.”
“Alright,” Qin Liu agreed.
Qin Liu led Xu Lian out into the street, and they arrived at a noodle stall on the fifth street. There was only one customer, who had ordered two large bowls of noodles and was slurping them down loudly.
The customer’s head was shiny, and he wore a cotton hat that, although washed, still showed signs of dirt. It was clear that he was someone who often worked with dirt.
Qin Liu introduced the customer to Xu Lian, “This is my fellow brother, Chen Lu.”
Chen Lu looked up, adjusted his hat, and sized up Xu Lian before continuing to eat his noodles, “So this is the disciple you picked up in the dungeon? He looks like a young kid, only about 16 or 17 years old. Don’t get too scared and wet your pants.”
Qin Liu chuckled, “Don’t worry, Lu. My disciple is brave and smart. He won’t mess anything up.”
Xu Lian was taken aback by Qin Liu’s introduction and looked at him questioningly.
Qin Liu quickly gave him a signal, and Xu Lian understood that Qin Liu was trying to conceal his identity.
Xu Lian didn’t care and stood up to get a clove of garlic from the stall owner. He peeled it and placed it next to Chen Lu’s bowl, “Eating noodles without garlic is like missing half the flavor”.
Chen Lu was skeptical, but he decided to try it. He took a bite of the garlic and then continued eating his noodles. However, the pungent flavor caught him off guard, and he started coughing violently, his face turning red. He had to spit out the noodles to catch his breath.
Chen Lu glared at Xu Lian, “I’ve been in this business since before your master started. Are you trying to get back at me?”
Xu Lian explained, “You are not used to eating garlic with noodles. You’ll get used to it eventually.”
In reality, Xu Lian had never tried eating garlic with noodles before; he had only seen it in a novel.
After Chen Lu finished his meal, the three of them set off in the donkey cart.
The donkey cart belonged to Chen Lu, and the tools for digging graves and warding off evil spirits were already loaded onto it.
Qin Liu didn’t mention where the grave was, and Xu Lian didn’t ask. He just followed along.
As a third stage Bright Strength cultivator, Xu Lian wasn’t worried about his safety, especially since Qin Liu and Chen Lu were ordinary tomb raiders.
The main reason he didn’t ask was that even if Qin Liu told him the location, he wouldn’t know the place anyway.
On the way, they stopped to eat dried food and drink from mountain springs. After two days, they left the main road and ventured into more remote areas, where the roads became increasingly difficult to navigate. Chen Lu and Qin Liu were both sore from the bumpy ride and often stopped to massage their buttocks to ease the pain.
Xu Lian, on the other hand, didn’t feel a thing. As a Bright Strength Stage Three cultivator, his physical body was robust, and the bumpy ride felt like sitting on a cloud.
After another day of traveling, they finally reached a place where the road disappeared.
The three of them had no choice but to disassemble the cart and continue on foot, leading the donkey.
“Xu Lian, you have no sense of being a disciple,” Chen Lu said unhappily. “You are not even willing to come and lead the donkey. You’re just like a nobleman, not doing any work at all.”
Qin Liu chuckled and took the donkey’s reins, “I’ll do it, Brother Lu.”
But Chen Lu pushed him away, “No, today I want Xu Lian to lead the donkey. You’re not a good master, you don’t know how to discipline your student. I’ll take care of it for you.”
Qin Liu cautiously looked at Xu Lian’s expression, worried that he might suddenly lose his temper and scold Chen Lu.
Fortunately, Xu Lian didn’t care and took the reins to lead the donkey.
Chen Lu nodded in approval, “This is how a disciple should behave. You must have a good sense of awareness, be attentive, and be diligent. Only then will your master teach you the true skills.”
Xu Lian casually replied, “You’re right.”
Chen Lu smiled and looked at Qin Liu with satisfaction, “See, this is the right way to teach a disciple. You should learn from me.”
“…”Qin Liu opened his mouth to speak, but ultimately said nothing. Anyway, if he annoyed Xu Lian…he would not be the one to be beaten.
Xu Lian asked curiously, “Since you like teaching disciples so much, why don’t you take on a disciple of your own?”
Chen Lu’s expression turned dark, “Don’t mention it. It’s frustrating. During the years your master was in prison, I was alone and didn’t have any help. I took on a disciple, and he was much more clever and diligent than you. He would follow me everywhere, calling me ‘Master’ this and ‘Master’ that, until it reached my heart”.
Xu Lian guessed, “But he betrayed you?”
Chen Lu nodded, “That kid learned the skills of grave digging from me and then started his own group, leaving me behind. I don’t know if it was because I taught him well or if he was just lucky, but he soon dug up several rich graves and became wealthy”.
Xu Lian sympathized, “It’s true what they say: ‘Teach a disciple and you’ll starve to death’.”
Chen Lu shook his head, “I’m not starving, but I almost died from anger. That kid became rich and then eloped with my wife, and she even had a child with him. The worst thing is that they often pass by my house with my wife and child in tow, showing off their wealth.”
Xu Lian couldn’t help but think that Chen Lu was reaping what he had sown. He had taught his disciple how to dig graves and steal from the dead, and now he was suffering the consequences. Chen Lu was indeed pitiful, having lost his wife to his own disciple.
Qin Liu was stunned, “Brother Lu, I remember asking you where your wife was, and you always said that she had gone back to her family. I had no idea that she had been taken away by your disciple.”
Chen Lu murmured, “I was too ashamed to say anything. In the past few years, I’ve become a laughing stock in the neighborhood. How could I bear to tell you?”
Qin Liu patted Chen Lu’s shoulder comfortingly, “Brother Lu, don’t worry. Once we get to the grave of this cultivator, if there are any cultivation manuals or secret techniques inside, we can practice them. Even if we can’t become a cultivator, we can still learn some martial arts skills. Then we can kill that kid and avenge you.”
Chen Lu sighed, “Forget it. A day of marriage brings a hundred days of grace. They are still husband and wife. She already had a child with him, and now she’s pregnant again. Even if I kill that kid, what’s the point? I don’t have the heart to leave her children without a father. If she wants to be with him, then so be it”.
Xu Lian couldn’t help but look at Chen Lu with newfound respect. He hadn’t expected Chen Lu to be so sentimental. No wonder Qin Liu didn’t betray Chen Lu even when he was subjected to severe torture in prison.
As the saying goes, “birds of a feather flock together.” People tend to associate with those who share similar values and characteristics. Qin Liu was a man of loyalty, and Chen Lu was a man of strong emotions. Despite their rough exteriors, they were actually quite decent friends, and it was rare to find such friendships in these tumultuous times.