"Are you sure, Master Lin?" Xue Cong tried to confirm one last time with Lin Xuan Qi.
She looked at him with her eyebrows furrowed.
Gripping the firewood tightly with her hands, she raised the stick of firewood up to her body.
"Go on. I'm ready." Lin Xuan Qi took a deep breath and held it in as that was what he had always seen martial arts experts do.
His expression stayed calm and he nodded his head. Gesturing for Xue Cong to go ahead.
Yue Jie and Yue Xin looked on from the side.
One of them had an anxious look and the other looked on with anticipation.
Yue Jie used her hands to block her own sight, peeping through the gaps between her fingers with her narrowed eyes.
Her younger sister opened her eyes wide, eager to find out if Master Lin was strong enough to withstand a blow from the firewood.
"Here I come, Master Lin." Xue Cong shouted.
She swung her arms back, took a step forward, and swung the firewood at Lin Xuan Qi's back.
Crack!
The firewood broke into pieces.
"Ouch!"
Lin Xuan Qi gave out a cry of pain.
"Master Lin, are you all right?" Xue Cong frantically went up to him and held onto his body, fearing that he might fall.
She felt Lin Xuan Qi's body tremble and her heart was in her throat.
Her eyes teared up.
Lin Xuan Qi had been good to her, even though he had no obligation to do so.
And now...
What had she done.
Many thoughts went through her mind, but she stopped when she saw Lin Xuan Qi giving her a smile.
Lin Xuan Qi pranked her.
He didn't feel a thing when the firewood hit him.
It was as he had speculated.
He couldn't be hurt within the mansion's compound.
And when he confirmed it, a huge stone was lifted off his heart, so he decided to play a prank on Xue Cong.
He was still a young man after all.
However, when he glanced at her, he realized that he might have given her a shock.
Lin Xuan Qi didn't expect Xue Cong to be close to tears.
"Your Master is all right. I was just pulling your leg." He patted her head trying to console her.
"Really?" Xue Cong tried very hard to hold back her tears and felt his back with her hands.
When she saw that Lin Xuan Qi didn't flinch from pain, she gave out a huge sigh of relief.
"That wasn't funny, Master Lin," Xue Cong said, taking a step back.
Her face burned with embarrassment as she realized how close she had been to Lin Xuan Qi.
"Yes. I'm fine." Lin Xuan Qi assured her.
He was somehow pleased when he saw her response, close to tears thinking that she had hurt him.
It felt great to see his kindness being reciprocated with care for him.
He had heard horror stories about girlfriends leaving their boyfriends after receiving tons of gifts from them.
Sometimes even leaving for the boyfriend's best friend, as long as the guy was rich.
In comparison, Xue Cong was so much better than these women.
Yue Jie and Yue Xin also came closer to see if Lin Xuan Qi was all right.
Yue Xin squatted and picked up the pieces of the firewood.
She was glad that Lin Xuan Qi could withstand such a blow.
Her plan to avenge her father's enemies might have a chance of succeeding.
If only she could convince Lin Xuan Qi to teach her martial arts, she thought.
Yue Jie poured a cup of tea and passed it to Lin Xuan Qi.
Lin Xuan Qi took the teacup, sipped a mouthful of tea from it and said, "Thanks."
Now that he had confirmed his undefeatable status, he still had some decisions to make.
If he left the mansion with all the servant girls to go to the magistrate and report the thieves, the thieves might take the opportunity while they were away and come into the mansion.
But if he went alone to the magistrate, the servant girls would be at risk. And if the servant girls went, they might be taken and harmed by the thieves.
He was in a fix.
There was only one option left.
Lin Xuan Qi would stay in the mansion with the servant girls and protect them when the thieves came.
Hopefully, he would be able to apprehend the thieves with his undefeatable status.
And after this, Lin Xuan Qi knew that he would have to get someone to oversee the security of the mansion.
On top of that, Lin Xuan Qi also had to start trying to make some allies in Hong Feng City.
Thinking that he could pass the days safely without any contact with the officials, rich merchants and even cultivators was impossible.
Trouble will always come and find you.
"Bring out the brush and paper. Today I shall teach you some mathematics." Lin Xuan Qi said.
It was the best way to keep the servant girls together with him, without arousing their suspicion.
He had witnessed their reaction when he pranked them just now, making him wary of telling them the situation they were facing.
"Mathematics?" Xue Cong, Yue Jie and Yue Xin asked in unison.
It was something they had never heard before.
Their eyes gleamed with admiration for Lin Xuan Qi.
Not only was Lin Xuan Qi strong, but he was also well versed in different studies.
Xue Cong eagerly brought out brushes and paper, laying them in front of everyone.
It would be the first time that she would be having lessons.
Learning from a teacher was an impossible thing for her just a week ago, when she was sold off to the slave brokerage.
She leaned forward when she saw Lin Xuan Qi clear his throat.
Yue Jie and Yue Xin had been learning from a teacher previously.
They weren't as excited as Xue Cong.
Lin Xuan Qi with a finger pointing to the air, stood up straight and said, "Let us now begin our mathematics lesson."