Chapter 48: The Most Shameless Under Heaven
Li Yingling's cultivation was not weak, but her grasp of basic cultivation theory was truly dismal.
It wasn't that Chu Xingchen neglected her training. He had, in fact, given her a few foundational manuals to study on her own.
However, Li Yingling showed no interest at all in those purely instructional texts.
After all, such books were just dull teaching materials, far less entertaining than the tales of immortals she loved to read.
Besides, the manual was far too thick — even the catalog of monster classifications took up four or five pages. The rest was even worse.
After leafing through it for two days, she decided it was useless and tossed it aside to collect dust.
Chu Xingchen did not force her to finish it.
After all, cultivation was something one would eventually grasp through experience.
Therefore, Li Yingling didn't understand what "faith power" was, but when she saw the faintly disdainful expressions of her master and junior brother, she immediately knew it couldn't be anything good.
Anything that could make both her master and junior brother look disgusted was definitely suspicious.
Still, since Yaoqin had come all this way to observe it, it clearly wasn't so simple.
Seeing his disciple's puzzled look, Chu Xingchen sighed and casually explained, "You can think of it as a counterfeit cultivation pill. Once you stop using it, your cultivation plummets."
Li Yingling immediately understood.
Yaoqin shook her head slightly. "If that were all, I wouldn't have come. This Water Forest Dharma Assembly seems to be some kind of experiment. It's said they've found other applications for faith power."
Chu Xingchen replied, "Let me guess — they're planning to infuse faith power into artifacts."
After thinking for a moment, Li Xingtian offered his own opinion.
"Even if faith power can be infused into artifacts, the enhancement would be minimal. It'd be better to catch a spirit beast and feed it faith power — at least it could guard the gate."
Li Yingling, however, cared little for the technicalities. All she wanted was to see the excitement. "Let's just go and watch! I heard this year's donor gave the most ever — enough to have their spirit plaque placed above the abbot's own!"
Chu Xingchen was shocked. "What the— that abbot has no shame! How much did they spend?"
"This time, they're paying in spirit stones." Yaoqin lifted her fan to cover her lips, though her voice still carried amusement. "It's said the spirit plaque is enormous. You can't possibly miss it."
"..." Li Xingtian fell silent. In his past life, he had never witnessed such shamelessness.
Ever since he'd followed his master, it seemed the people around him all shared one trait — not a single one valued their dignity.
Perhaps there truly was truth in the saying, "Those who stay near ink become black."
Had Chu Xingchen known his second disciple was maligning him in his heart, he would've certainly repaid him with a few strikes of the "Respect Your Teacher Fist."
In the end, they all agreed that watching the Chanlin Temple abbot make a fool of himself sounded far more interesting than studying the use of faith power.
The four of them thus set off together toward the Chanlin Temple.
Though the festival streets were crowded, Yaoqin's Mysterious Dan Realm techniques easily cleared the way, allowing them to move without obstruction.
Li Yingling seemed to truly enjoy lively gatherings. Her face was full of delight as she looked around at the bustling stalls.
Along the way, she bought quite a few things she fancied — a lotus-embroidered pouch, an oddly shaped hairpin, and even four masks.
She wore the little fox mask herself.
She bought Yaoqin a cute white rabbit mask.
For her master, she chose a monkey mask.
And for her junior brother, a small pig mask.
Yaoqin glanced at the mask. Though the craftsmanship was average, it looked rather cute at first glance, so she politely put it on.
Chu Xingchen, looking displeased at his monkey mask, grumbled, "No, I want the fox one. The fox looks better."
Li Yingling burst into laughter, quickly slipping the fox mask over her face. "No way! Master, you're as sly as a monkey — it suits you perfectly."
Li Xingtian looked down at the little pig mask in his hand, then up at his master. "Master…"
Chu Xingchen cast a glance at his second disciple's mask and refused outright. "No. I'm not trading."
Li Yingling turned around, her eyes sparkling with delight as she looked at the other three.
Chu Xingchen reluctantly put on the monkey mask with a look of utter disdain.
His junior disciple, under his master's expectant gaze, had no choice but to also wear the little pig mask.
Yaoqin's delicate face was hidden behind the cute white rabbit mask, yet her cool and elegant temperament remained completely unchanged.
Still, one could faintly sense that she was happy as well, watching the two of them put on their masks with unwilling expressions.
Li Yingling, looking at the scene before her, didn't even know why, but she suddenly wanted to shout.
Perhaps it was because she had never attended such a lively temple fair before, or perhaps because this sect was the first place where she had felt true warmth from others.
And so she called out,
"Master!"
Chu Xingchen turned his head, glancing at his eldest disciple. She wore the fox mask, her voice trembling slightly, which made him ask curiously,
"What's wrong?"
Li Yingling laughed brightly and said,
"My master and I are the best in the world!"
Chu Xingchen replied perfunctorily,
"Fine, fine, your master and you are the best in the world."
Hearing that, Li Yingling turned around contentedly.
Li Xingtian could only look on helplessly. In a sect of only three people, if those two were the best in the world, did that make him unnecessary?
But Chu Xingchen would never neglect his second disciple. He patted Li Xingtian's shoulder and said sternly,
"You and your master were the best in the world, but since you knew and didn't report it, you're now promoted to second place."
Li Xingtian grumbled inwardly but still put on a grateful face. "Thank you for the honor, Master. Second is enough."
"Good. Since you have no ambition at all, you just dropped another rank. Da Huang is now above you."
Li Yingling blinked in confusion. "Da Huang? That sounds like a dog's name."
Chu Xingchen nodded seriously. "Correct. Your junior disciple now ranks below the dog."
Li Xingtian didn't react much. His master always spoke in strange ways, but though his words were sharp, his heart was soft.
However, Yaoqin's eyes, hidden behind the rabbit mask, suddenly glanced over with quiet intensity.
So the dog was second, and Li Xingtian was third — did that mean she wasn't even ranked at all?
She had helped so much, and yet all of it was apparently for the dog's sake?
Realizing the crisis instantly — especially since all his precious spirit stones were still in the hands of this wealthy lady — Chu Xingchen hurriedly said,
"You and I are the best in the world."
Yaoqin nodded in satisfaction, though she still refused to concede verbally.
"You're only the two-hundredth best in the world to me."
Li Yingling, hearing her master's quick and shameless response, gave him a big thumbs up.
As expected of her master — she still had much to learn from him!
Walking to Chu Xingchen's side, Li Yingling whispered with a laugh, "Master, you're the most shameless under heaven!"
Chu Xingchen whispered back, "Shameless? This is wisdom! She's holding all our sect's spirit stones right now!"
Li Yingling nodded in agreement, her laughter ringing like silver bells behind the mask.
Rebellious disciple! Truly a rebellious disciple!
After the little mask interlude, the four continued their cheerful walk toward Chanlin Temple.
Along the way were not only merchants but also street performers, storytellers, and other entertainers displaying their skills.
Li Yingling's gaze was full of curiosity as she watched the performers, especially the one breathing fire — she clapped the hardest at that stall.
Chu Xingchen could only shake his head in disbelief.
Even though Li Yingling was a water-element cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Realm, she could still manipulate fire through the Five Elements Arts.
If she were to breathe fire herself, it would surely look far more impressive than that performer's act.
But perhaps she simply enjoyed the novelty of it all.
Chanlin Temple had eight open gates, and its entrance was grand and imposing.
With Yaoqin's help, Chu Xingchen and the others easily slipped through the crowd and entered the temple.
When Li Yingling raised her eyes toward the center of the temple, her expression froze in astonishment. Then, as if sighing in apology, she said,
"Master, I take back what I said earlier — the most shameless under heaven is definitely him…"
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