If there was one thing Xiao Songfen learned in his twenty-seven years of modern life, it was not to get involved in the affairs of others without first knowing the real situation.

Doing so would only complicate things and bring more trouble.

Though Bai Yiyan was fully qualified, having already reached the middle foundation establishment¹Cultivation Stages: qi condensation --> foundation establishment --> core formation --> nascent --> etc stage, it did not change the fact that he had achieved his current position as a core disciple through nepotism.

So as his master, blindly interfering might actually end up worsening Bai Yiyan’s relationship with other disciples. 

Xiao Songfen decided to observe the situation from nearby first. His position gave him a clear view of a small forest clearing.

A group of disciples surrounded Bai Yiyan.

Moonlight illuminated their backs and created shadows on their face. Xiao Songfen recognized some of them. Most of them had been in the sect for many years, but lacked the cultivation potential or work ethic to be promoted.

Xiao Songfen studied his disciple’s appearance. Other than looking a bit dirty and disheveled, there were no evident signs of physical or spiritual injury on Bai Yiyan. 

As he did not personally see his disciple get pushed to the ground, the best option was to remain on stand-by and catch the culprits in the act.

A broad mountain-like disciple took a step towards the sprawled-out Bai Yiyan.

(I know this one. What was his name…)

Xiao Songfen pondered while leaning comfortably against the tree. He played with the weimao in his hands leisurely, spinning it back and forth. The veil fluttered like the hem of a swishing skirt.

The disciple wasn't particularly handsome, but he had a fiery look in his eyes that radiated aggressive energy. If one saw him for the first time, only one thought would come to mind…

(…vigorous…Ah. I remember. It’s Ma Chenbo.)

The third son from a non-cultivating family of butchers in Sanchuan.

Seventeen years old and still stuck at peak qi condensation²Cultivation Stages: qi condensation --> foundation establishment --> core formation --> nascent --> etc stage, unable to break through despite having been in the Qingshan Sect for over a decade. He was hard working with decent talent, but had a very hotheaded personality that interfered with his cultivation.

Ma Chenbo…Chenbo³Mǎ Chénbó 马晨博. Coincidentally, the Chinese pinyin for 'morning, daybreak' chén 晨 and 'win, gain, gamble' bó 博 is also the same for 'morning erection' chénbó 晨勃....

(Heh.)

The corner of Xiao Songfen’s mouth lifted and he started to laugh, but a hard pinch in the arm by his own hand prevented any sounds from leaking out. It was not good to laugh at someone’s name and it would be embarrassing if he got caught spying on them because of this.

(No laughing. No laughing.) He chastised himself.

Back in the clearing, Ma Chenbo leaned forward with a face of disdain.

“So?” He said angrily. “What do you have to say for yourself?"

Bai Yiyan sat up slowly, brushing off the dirt from the front of his robes. He did not make any movements to stand up and instead of responding, he was silent and kept his gaze focused on the ground.

“You are a bastard who just happened to have the right person for a father.” Ma Chenbo continued. “You are the same as the rest of us, yet you act as if you are better. Not even bothering to go to class or come to the practice fields. Crawling back here only after the sun has set. You think you’re too good for us because you are a core disciple ah?”

Surrounding disciples murmured expressions of assent.

“I heard you’ve been loitering outside your master’s residence all week. Do you really think the Willow Peak Elder, who cultivates every day so diligently, would acknowledge you? After using your connections to become his core disciple? Fucking disgusting.”

Xiao Songfen let out a vexed sigh. Another one with misguided views of OG Huan.

There was still no response from Bai Yiyan. He continued to endure the insults quietly. Frustrated at the lack of response, Ma Chenbo reached out to grab Bai Yiyan by the lapels and haul him upwards.

A flash of mild surprise flitted across Bai Yiyan’s face. He reflexively held onto Ma Chenbo’s arm to avoid choking on his own robe collar.

“Get up useless.” The hotheaded Ma Chenbo spat out. “I will beat some sense into you today.”

Bai Yiyan turned his head away with an expression of wanting to avoid conflict. Unfortunately, this action only further incensed Ma Chenbo.

“Answer me!”

Bai Yiyan then mumbled something, but no one could make out what he said.

“…try….can..”

“What!” The disciple yelled. He shook Bai Yiyan back and forth. “Speak up!”

The other disciples, though equally resentful of Bai Yiyan, began to feel uneasy. Ma Chenbo was being too loud and it was now past curfew hour. They did not want to be caught causing a ruckus by patrolling seniors.

Xiao Songfen felt sorry for his disciple. Over the course of the day, he had grown a bit partial to the current Bai Yiyan. The child was cute and invoked his paternal instincts.

Though he was tall, Bai Yiyan looked like a little rag doll being tossed about in comparison to the ox-like Ma Chenbo.

Something pricked his chest. It felt cold and thin. Like a needle. An unfamiliar sensation.

He immediately pressed a hand over his heart where the pain was originating.

(What is this feeling…)

He felt around.

(Ah.)

It was the pinwheel he had stuffed inside his robes earlier.

In his haste to get here, it had fallen sideways and the end of its stem was poking into his skin.

As he was focused on rearranging the pinwheel inside his robes, Bai Yiyan seemed to have said something that made Ma Chenbo explode in fury.

“You-You! Shameless!” Ma Chenbo sputtered with a red face. He let go of Bai Yiyan’s lapels and jerked his armed back as if he was scalded. Bai Yiyan was caught off guard and fell on his bottom at the sudden action with a small grunt.

Ma Chenbo stepped on the hem of Bai Yiyan’s robe this time to keep him in place. His reddened face full of rage and resentment.

“Looking down on me!” He spoke angrily as his boot ground the robe's hem into the dirt. “Don’t even think about dodging. If you think you can withstand my qi fist, you should take it like a man then.”

Bai Yiyan still refused to look at him. Instead, his eyes zeroed into the spot where his robes had been pinned to the ground by Ma Chenbo’s boot. His gaze darkened a little.

“Second Shixiong⁴Shīxiōng 师兄 - senior martial brother…” Another disciple approached in an attempt to calm Ma Chenbo down, “Maybe we should stop here…It is late and the patrolling seniors will soon pass by…”

But Ma Chenbo was too riled up to be receptive to any suggestions.

“Shut up!” He roared. “I cannot allow him to get away with continuing to disrespect our sect! Does he think this place is an inn where he can come and go as he pleases?”

Without warning, Ma Chenbo wound his fist back and a swift qi attack was dealt squarely point-blank to Bai Yiyan’s chest.

Xiao Songfen, who had been leisurely watching this dogblood⁵Gǒu xuè 狗血: lit. means 'dog blood'. In modern slang context, it means something unbelievably cliche/exaggerating/melodramatic. For example...when an anime protagonist convinces the antagonist to stop killing people through the power of friendship speech *cough cough Naruto*. Or when a rich mother splashes water in her son's girlfriend's face, then hands her a check to break up with her son. drama unfold, was startled at the sudden escalation to violence. He had momentarily forgotten that this was a dog-eat-dog world of cultivation where people died every day.

(Hey, wait a minute. I wasn't ready!)

Bai Yiyan made a small restrained noise and coughed lightly. A thin line of something crimson could be seen trickling out of his mouth.

Immediately regretting his moment of carelessness, Xiao Songfen hurriedly scrambled to fix the weimao back on his head and leapt off the tree bough, landing soundlessly in the grass. He darted like a ghost towards the clearing.

If Bai Yiyan died right under his watch, then he'd be even worse than OG Huan!

Ma Chenbo wound his fist back again, intending to deal a second blow.

Xiao Songfen aimed and threw Yaoye precisely. It zinged through the night air and pinned Ma Chenbo’s sleeve to the ground.

Trying not to look out of breath, the Willow Peak Elder emerged slowly out of the forest as if he was just out on patrol.

“What are you all doing at this time of night?” He spoke in a clipped manner. The weimao covering his face made his tone seem unreadable.

Ma Chenbo and the other disciples immediately shrunk back at his words. Xiao Songfen looked over at Bai Yiyan who was staring at him with wide eyes.

“S-shizun…” Bai Yiyan began to speak. He quickly wiped his mouth to hide the thread of blood that had escaped his lips earlier.

The sight of Bai Yiyan's blood distressed Xiao Songfen, but he kept a calm steady tone as he spoke.

“Be quiet.”

He reached down and lightly touched Bai Yiyan’s forehead with his forefinger, sending a tendril off spiritual qi over to inspect his disciple’s body. Bai Yiyan stiffened as he felt Xiao Songfen’s qi enter his meridians, but he eventually relaxed as the qi traveled around, spreading a warm comforting sensation.

After the investigating wisp of qi returned to Xiao Songfen’s body, the tension in Xiao Songfen’s posture eased up and he let out a small sigh of relief. There was no damage other than some superficial bruising in the chest area.

Good.

It was good that they were in a cultivation world, where you could even survive being run through with a sword as long as your cultivation was high enough.

After confirming Bai Yiyan’s condition, he turned to the other disciples.

“All, disperse.”

They immediately scattered without resistance, leaving only Bai Yiyan and Ma Chenbo, still pinned to the ground, behind.

Ma Chenbo had fallen into a kneeling position from the force of Yaoye piercing his sleeve. He looked pale and nervous, with a sheen of cold sweat on his face.

Xiao Songfen did not even spare him a glance as he reached out to pull Yaoye out of the ground, releasing the sleeve. Moonlight reflected coldly off of Yaoye’s blade as it slid silently back into its sheathe.

Ma Chenbo shivered unconsciously, not daring to even breathe. Xiao Songfen finally spoke after a moment of thought.

“The sins of a disciple are also sins of his master." He spoke monotonously. "As an incompetent master, I apologize for his lack of participation thus far."

Xiao Songfen helped Bai Yiyan up and reached out to help dust the dirt off his robes before continuing in a chilly manner.

"However."

The temperature of the air around him seemed to drop.

"This and that are separate matters. I do not appreciate others overstepping their boundaries to discipline my disciple."

Ma Chenbo tensed up at his words.

"Fortunately for you, it just so happens that our kitchen has ordered two thousand catties⁶1oo catties describes 'how much one man can carry on a shoulder pole. ~50-60kg. So you guys can guess how much work 2000 catties would be for one person to transport between Qingshan Sect and Sanchuan haha. of rice from Sanchuan to be delivered tomorrow. Since you are so concerned with the wellbeing of our sect, how about you help us cut delivery costs and transport them from Sanchuan yourself?”

With a meek nod, Ma Chenbo accepted the punishment.

"This disciple...accepts." He spoke weakly.

“What are you waiting here for? The kitchen will need the rice for breakfast. You’ll have to start now if you wish to finish before then."

After sending Ma Chenbo off to transport rice in the dead of the night, Xiao Songfen turned his attention to his disciple.

“Leave your belongings for now and come back with me to Liushu Peak. You can return to get them tomorrow.”

"...Mn.” Bai Yiyan accepted in a subdued manner. They flew back to Liushu Peak in silence with Xiao Songfen taking extra care to keep Yaoye's flying path smooth and steady.

As they entered Xiao Songfen’s residence, a glowing pine needle was floating anxiously back and forth in the courtyard. Upon seeing Xiao Songfen, it rushed over and nearly collided with his face.

[Didi! Didi! Where have you been all day? I came back to have dinner with you and you were gone! You have not been harmed anywhere? Did you go out with your disciple? Aiya, why didn't you invite me, I would have-]

Xiao Xusong’s voice became muffled as sounds of someone scolding him harshly in the background were also transmitted.

It was late in the night and Xiao Songfen was feeling exhausted after today’s events. He tiredly reported his whereabouts, glossing over most of the details.

"Ge, I just went out to eat and buy some things with my disciple. I'm home now, don't worry. I'm going to sleep."

Then he cut the communication without giving a chance for Xiao Xusong to start up another topic.

He then led Bai Yiyan to the spare room in his residence.

“It’s a bit small, but you’ll have to make do for tonight. The disciple's living quarters on Liushu Peak won't be ready to live in until tomorrow.”

He opened a cabinet in the corner where bedding and blankets had been neatly stored, pulling them out and setting them on the bed. He also pulled out a spare set of inner robes from his storage ring and handed it to Bai Yiyan.

“Here. We are about the same size, so use mine for today. Go wash and rest early. The spring is a short distance from here. If you find it too cold to bathe in it directly, there is a bathtub available behind the cultivation platform. Draw water and warm it up in there..."

He then looked pointedly at Bai Yiyan's chest.

"Your injury. Use ointment from the cabinet down the hall. We can postpone lessons tomorrow morning if you're not feeling well. The ointment works very quickly so I doubt that will be the case..."

Realizing he was starting to ramble, Xiao Songfen's voice trailed off. A rare lost expression appeared under the weimao veil. The two stood quietly in the room for a moment before Xiao Songfen let out a long breath.

"...sorry.” He spoke with regret. "I neglected you again."

A finger reached out to lightly brush against the injury on Bai Yiyan's chest. Blooming purple bruises were now just starting to show under the neckline of Bai Yiyan's robe.

Feelings of guilt welled up in Xiao Songfen's heart.

He had been calm about Bai Yiyan's situation up until now, but it was hard to remain indifferent upon seeing the fresh bruises.

Bai Yiyan was just a child with no one to protect him. No one except for his master.

"I didn't interfere soon enough."

Bai Yiyan shook his head.

"No, they were not wrong." He admitted. "I cannot deny who I am or how I got this position. I will be able to attend Shizun's lesson. It is only a minor injury."

He reached up to catch Xiao Songfen's outreached hand that was still hovering over his bruised chest.

"Thank you for saving this disciple." He spoke sincerely with gentle eyes.

"Shizun is really great."

His gaze glittered in the dark as he stared adoringly at his master.

Xiao Songfen felt a sudden urge to avert his eyes and run away. Bai Yiyan was idolizing him too much and the current atmosphere felt way more personal than he was comfortable with.

To hide his discomfort, Xiao Songfen used his free hand to take off the weimao and smack it on Bai Yiyan's head. The sudden action surprised Bai Yiyan and caused him to let go of his master's hand.

Over the rustling of the weimao, Xiao Songfen's soft-spoken words were barely audible.

"I'm not that great."

Something was stuffed into Bai Yiyan's hand and by the time he removed the weimao that had been forced on his head, his master had already left the room.

The double doors quietly closed and the youth inside stood silently for a moment, listening to his master’s footsteps pitter-patter quietly away. When Xiao Songfen's footsteps could no longer be heard, the youth's puzzled expression morphed into one of mellow confidence. He set the weimao lightly on the bed before looking down at the object in his hand.

Stormy irises flickered in amusement.

A gold-colored pinwheel.

[IF YOU ARE NOT READING THIS BY XIAOMANGISBUSY ON SCRIBBLEHUB OR WATTPAD,  IT HAS BEEN STOLEN. PLEASE REPORT AND ONLY READ OFF SCRIBBLEHUB OR WATTPAD.]

. . .

Xiao Songfen looked absolutely haggard the next morning. Even his advanced cultivation couldn’t keep dark circles from appearing and muscle aches from permeating his entire body.

Why?

Because he so confidently announced yesterday that he’d teach Bai Yiyan sword arts.

With no real experience in sword arts since transmigrating, he realized, just before getting into bed, that he was wholly unprepared to teach someone else. So he spent the rest of the night reviewing sword art manuals in the library pavilion. Luckily, muscle memory helped him reacquaint himself with the ones he already recognized from his memories.

(This is what I get for being overconfident about my abilities.)

His muscles groaned and protested as he sat on the jade stool in the courtyard.

He also regretted scheduling the lesson at sunrise.

(What is sunrise? Laozi doesn’t even like to wake up before 10 am.)

He had chosen to wear a simple robe today, with his hair tied up in a neat ponytail. Yaoye rested against the jade table by his side. He opted against wearing a weimao today as he felt it was too awkward to ask Bai Yiyan for his weimao back after running away last night.

In any case, his disciple had already seen his face.

Bai Yiyan was in the middle of demonstrating his sword skill. Gusts of wind whirled as he moved. Leaves swirled around his feet. The very image of a hardworking disciple.

Through his own memories, Xiao Songfen could evaluate the level of skill from a single glance.

Unexpectedly mediocre. His movements even looked a bit wasteful.

He frowned and raised his hand for Bai Yiyan to stop demonstrating. Seeing the signal, Bai Yiyan paused and lowered his sword, wiping the sweat on his forehead with a nervous expression.

"Shizun?"

"You...wait a minute."

Xiao Songfen disappeared into his study and brought out a few pieces of parchment, pinning two side-by-side on an overhanging willow branch. The parchment papers swayed in the morning breeze.

He then picked up a freshly broken willow branch and motioned for Bai Yiyan to stand aside.

"Put down your sword. Today we will work on flow and form. Watch me first."

He dipped the end of the branch in pond water. Glistening drops quivered and twinkled on the willow branch leaves as rays of morning sun reflected off their surface.

Xiao Songfen stood a short distance away from the pinned parchment paper.

With a sudden leap, he thrust the branch with great force towards the left piece of parchment paper, sending droplets of water in many directions. The parchment paper became speckled with water droplets.

"Half the result, twice the effort.⁷事倍功半 shì bèi gōng bàn" He stated.

He dipped the branch again in pond water and suddenly spun around the axis of one foot. The forest-colored robes floated as if unaffected by gravity. Time seemed to slow as droplets of water on the willow branch began to converge into one at the end.

This time he flicked the branch lightly, mimicking the bend and sway of a bamboo tree.

The condensed droplet of water left the branch and hurtled towards the right piece of parchment paper, piercing a hole in the center and leaving the entire parchment soaked.

His lips curved up in satisfaction.

"Twice the result, half the effort.⁸事半功倍 shì bàn gōng bèi"

---------------

WHITE-EYED WOLF THEATER

Xiao Songfen: Half the result, twice the effort. Twice the result, half the effort.

Bai Yiyan: Shizun, our robes are all wet.

Xiao Songfen: ...let it air dry.

---------------

AUTHOR’S NOTE

This is xianxia. Physics? We don't know her.

---------------

SONG OF THE DAY

The female version is the original and sounds more professionally done, but the male duet cover sounds like a real couple singing. So cute~

I love both. 

Female ver.   Chuī miè xiǎo shānhé 吹灭小山河 by 司南

Male Duet ver.   Chuī miè xiǎo shānhé 吹灭小山河 by 畢琛&凡世Eros

ERMMMMM the English title is something along the lines of "Blowing Out Little Mountains and Rivers".