>spare the rod, spoil the child<

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“Shizun, no one punishes their child like this.”

The bruises had already healed, yet the sore remained. Ji Shen cannot help but to lie on the haystack and avoid moving. Now he was just as useless as Xiao YiJun.

“I am your teacher, I would beat you if you make a mistake.”

Ji Shen pouted, “I never thought shizun would actually hit me.” He added, “Shizun don’t even beat the men from before when they are being mean.”

“Don’t compare yourself with others. You are my disciple, they are not as important to me as much as you.” 

Bai BingLu looked at the stunned disciple of hers and reached to remove the hay stuck in his hair.

“Be a good disciple, your actions reflect my teachings.”

“Shizun..” Ji Shen’s eyes sparkled, “You can hit me more if you want. I can take more!”

“....Don’t talk nonsense, rest.” She paused, "I am not hitting you because I like it. Don't do it again."

Ji Shen nodded quietly and closed his eyes.  It felt comfortable and warm with his master's scent on the robe he was covered with.

Bai BingLu turned her attention to Xiao YiJun, who was pretending to be asleep to avoid the awkward situations of being the third wheel. Although Bai BingLu had agreed to take him as a disciple, he still cannot bring himself to be friendly with them. 

There was a thought deep inside him that told him to be aware of those two as they seemed unaffected after seeing all the bodies in the underground cave.

Bai BingLu checked his pulse and knew that the boy was only pretending. His eyelids were trembling as it was forcing it to be closed. She smiled. 

The barrier he built against her was warranted for. Even though she had taken him as a disciple, she was still a stranger. It would take a long time for him to fully develop mutual respect. After all, it was a relationship forged for the sake of convenience.

 

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It took a couple of weeks for Xiao YiJun to recover to a state where he can withstand a long trip. While waiting for Xiao YiJun, Ji Shen was able to climb two levels of Qi Refining, albeit slower than he had expected. 

Bai BingLu frantically packed everything but no matter how many times she checked, there was a thought deep inside that screaming she had missed something. 

Then she turned to look at Ji Shen and remembered. 

“Shenshen, Xiao Jun, come here.”

Bai BingLu had been meaning to give Ji  Shen a waist pendant for a long time already but then Xiao YiJun arrived. She decided to make it into a symbol of being her disciples.

Bai BingLu handed them two identical waist pendants with the exception of the carving of the white jade charm which was the highlights of the pendant. For Ji Shen, a chrysanthemum motif to remind him to remain virtuous despite adversity and temptation. For Xiao YiJun, a fish motif to protect and keep him safe from danger as he grows. In her heart, she wished for the two children would be able to move forward from their past and live their life anew like what she once has done.

The important part of the waist pendant was the small red beads made out of jade.

“The red jade has my blood so my family would know that you two are with me.”

With the scent of her blood filled with yang energy, it would be able to conceal Ji Shen’s yin energy. Not to mention it can ward against weak beasts as well. 

Xiao YiJun looked intrigued at the sight of the intricate jade which was obviously expensive, it was his first time holding something so luxurious. 

Ji Shen however, already has his fair share on expensive things. The most important matter was that the waist pendant could protect him from unwarranted attention. He was right at hugging Bai BingLu’s thigh. Now, he can roam wherever without being hunted. 

Yet, there was something that had still lingered in his mind for a while now. 

It was whether Bai BingLu knew Tu Huo Long personally. 

The only people who could recognize Ji Shen as a child would be Tu Huo Long and his son. If Bai BingLu knew him enough to say the line that Tu Huo Long would only say when he was punishing someone, there was a possibility she could find out his real identity. 

Ji Shen had to risk it and find the answer. 

“Shizun! Actually…. It’s about the guy from before. His name..” He paused, pretending to recall a foreign name, “Tu Huo Long?”

“What about him?”

“People are saying he is the strongest! That he had killed a dragon before! Is it true? Is he the strongest in the world?” 

“Killing a dragon already shown how strong he is-”

“Is the dragon stronger than xianglu?”

Xiao YiJun intervened, clearly interested in the topic of strength. Bai BingLu smiled, it was the first time Xiao YiJun was acting like a child towards her. 

“Dragon is an imperial dragon that had once ruled all the beasts. A mere snake beast can never be compared on the same scale as a dragon.”

“Shizun.”

Ji Shen tugged on Bai BingLu’s hand to bring back her attention to him. 

“Have shizun ever seen him before? Is he really~ strong? He must be so scary~”

Ji Shen pretended to be afraid, smothering his face into Bai BingLu’s robe. 

“Meeting such a person is hard, not everyone can see him.”

Bai BingLu gave an answer that barely satisfied Ji Shen’s need. His grip on her robe tightened. 

‘Be more specific in your answer!’

Xiao YiJun ignored the obvious turmoil that was unnoticed by Bai BingLu and inquired more.

“Is Tu Huo Long the strongest man in the cultivation world?”

Bai BingLu hummed, “If you measure the strength with body counts then, yes. However, there is still a possibility of someone being stronger than Tu Huo Long who remained in the dark just because they are not flashy enough to fight with a dragon. You would not know their strength if they choose to conceal it.”

Bai BingLu patted their small heads. 

“So be aware of everyone you meet.”

‘Didn’t you take in two complete strangers as disciples?’

The two small disciples thought of that and silently glanced at each other in unity. 

 

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a/n: I thought I am good at dropping hints.........