: I'll Teach You

2024-07-31 Author: Gu Zhenren

In the room.

After finally calming down the two-year-old Ning Zhuo, Sun Lingtong felt utterly drained.

Seizing the moment when Ning Zhuo left the room, he swallowed hard and spat out the medicine he had just drunk into a storage pouch.

He tasted the medicine with the tip of his tongue, identifying some of the herbs within.

"Twenty-year-old Ginseng, Chinese Angelica, Donkey-hide Gelatin, Milkvetch, Atractylodes..."

"Indeed, they are all things that nourish blood and qi."

But Sun Lingtong still collected it in his storage pouch without drinking it.

He considered his own skill in alchemy insufficient, knowing that sometimes a great tonic could be a great poison, and sometimes mixing herbs could create a combined toxin.

Sun Lingtong had joined the unorthodox sect, the Bukong Sect, and traveled north and south with his master. His experience in the martial world far exceeded what his appearance suggested.

"Something's strange..."

"This Ning Zhuo is only two years old, why is he so clever?"

He couldn't help but think of himself; he looked three but was actually already thirteen.

"I was severely injured, covered in blood, with gruesome wounds. He saved me and brought me home. Wasn't he afraid of causing trouble?"

"Wasn't he too skilled at decocting medicine?"

Sun Lingtong suspected this might be a setup.

But then he thought again: "I'm only at the mid Qi Refining stage, what could they possibly want from me?"

"Although I'm from the Bukong Sect, I practice the Child Art, not the orthodox methods of the Bukong Sect. What is there to covet?"

Lacking sufficient information to make an accurate judgment, Sun Lingtong decided to observe first.

After a few days of rest, his mana recovered to its peak, and he gradually saw Ning Zhuo's genuine sincerity.

One day, Sun Lingtong, lying on the bed, suddenly twitched his ears slightly, revealing a trace of surprise.

Soon, Ning Zhuo pushed the door open, ran in panting, and said urgently, "Someone from my family is here! Quick, little brother, let me help you to my mother's bedroom. There's an underground secret room where you can hide."

Sun Lingtong, having anticipated this, smiled slightly: "Don't worry, I have a way. Look!"

As he spoke, he vanished from the bed.

Ning Zhuo stared blankly, hurried to the bedside, reached out to touch the empty bedding, and looked around in astonishment.

Sun Lingtong sent a voice transmission: "Go quickly and deal with your family."

Ning Zhuo uttered an "Oh," his face full of amazement, and ran to the small courtyard to see Wang Lan.

"Aunt." The two-year-old Ning Zhuo proactively bowed and greeted her.

Wang Lan forced a smile, nodded, then waved her hand, signaling the servants behind her to enter the house.

"Xiao Zhuo, I've come this time to move your things."

"You can't live here alone; you need to move to your uncle's house."

Ning Zhuo let out an "Ah," his face full of surprise.

After explaining, Wang Lan ignored him, entered the house, and began directing everyone.

"Take this table and chairs away, bring them back."

"Hmm, this vase is nice, take it too."

"This talisman-making table is quite valuable. Be careful when moving it; don't damage the array patterns on the surface."

Soon, Wang Lan had almost emptied Ning Zhuo's home.

Before leaving, she said to Ning Zhuo, "Your uncle and I will keep these things safe for you."

"You're just a child; it's too easy for thieves to target you."

"Once the matters at the Ancestral Hall are settled, we'll bring you over to live with us."

Ning Zhuo widened his eyes, shaking his head repeatedly, anxiously saying, "I... I won't move!"

"Mother lived here..."

"But your mother is already dead!" Wang Lan immediately shook her head, firmly refusing, "This isn't up for discussion. You're too young to protect yourself."

Wang Lan walked up to Ning Zhuo, pulled him into a corner, bent down, stared into his face, and lowered her voice: "By the way."

"Xiao Zhuo, before your mother left, did she specially give you anything to keep separately?"

"These things might be important. You're just a child; if you lose them, it would be a big problem."

"Be good, take them out, and let your aunt keep them safe for you! When you grow up and the time is right, I'll return them to you."

Ning Zhuo quickly shook his head, flatly denying: "No, there are no such things."

"Really none?" Wang Lan was suspicious.

Ning Zhuo continued shaking his head: "Really none!"

"Mhmm." Seeing that the servants were still moving things, Wang Lan didn't press further and temporarily let Ning Zhuo off, "Once the Ancestral Hall has processed your household registration, we'll come to pick you up."

Before leaving, Wang Lan lowered her voice and whispered in Ning Zhuo's ear: "Xiao Zhuo, if you're scared and want to move in sooner, that's fine too!"

"Remember to keep whatever your mother gave you privately safe, carry it with you. Don't leave it here to be stolen!"

Ning Zhuo said, "Don't worry, Aunt, I have Da Jiang and Xiao Jiang to protect me."

Wang Lan sneered, "Those two puppet constructs only have the combat power of mid Qi Refining at best. They consume spirit stones just for daily guarding."

After the group left, Ning Zhuo stood dazedly in the main room.

Many furniture items had been taken away. The two-year-old child seemed so small in the empty house.

Sun Lingtong witnessed the entire process. Looking at Ning Zhuo, he couldn't help but feel a ripple in his heart.

At this moment, he discovered the reason he was saved—

"He saw that I was also a child, so he came to rescue me."

"He treated my wounds and decocted medicine because he had done the same for his mother. For him, it was a familiar thing."

"Perhaps he saw himself in me."

"Both alone and helpless, so he naturally felt close."

"His mother passed away less than half a month ago. He just wants to find a companion, a support, in this suddenly enlarged, cold, and unfamiliar world."

Thinking of this, Sun Lingtong deliberately went around behind Ning Zhuo and lightly tapped his shoulder.

Ning Zhuo was startled.

Sun Lingtong revealed himself: "Hehe, don't be scared, it's me!"

The失落 on Ning Zhuo's face disappeared, replaced by惊喜 and expectation: "Little brother, are you... are you a cultivator?"

"You're so small, yet so powerful!"

"Was that an invisibility technique you used just now?"

Sun Lingtong raised his head proudly: "That's no ordinary invisibility technique. Wait, don't call me brother. I'm much taller and older than you."

"You should call me *ge*!"

Only at this moment did Sun Lingtong truly reveal his identity to Ning Zhuo and began correcting Ning Zhuo's form of address.

Ning Zhuo retorted, "But my mother told me some children just have bigger frames; their age might not be older than mine. There's one in our family..."

Sun Lingtong waved his hand: "Alright, alright. From now on, just call me *ge*."

"Speaking of which, you were pretending to be stupid earlier, right?"

"Before your mother left, she must have given you some very important things!"

Ning Zhuo let out an "Ah," his gaze shifting to the wall, not daring to look at Sun Lingtong: "I don't know what you're talking about!"

Sun Lingtong chuckled: "I'm just telling you, your act isn't convincing at all."

"Next time your aunt asks you, just say you don't know; don't flatly deny it."

"The more坚决 you deny, the more you admit your mother left you belongings."

Ning Zhuo said "Ah" again, unable to resist asking: "Why?"

Sun Lingtong's gaze seemed to see right through him: "You have talent, don't you?"

Ning Zhuo exclaimed "Ah" once more, his face showing panic. He couldn't help but take a step back, shaking his head repeatedly: "N-no. Absolutely not!"

"What are you talking about? I don't understand at all."

"I don't know, I don't know anything!"

He denied it flatly, but his flushed little face, full of guilt and panic, said it all.

This amused Sun Lingtong. He laughed heartily and patted Ning Zhuo's shoulder: "Little fella, you may have talent and a cleverness beyond your years."

"But you're still too green!"

"It's really obviously fake."

"However, you're lucky you met me!"

"No one knows better than I do how to act like a normal child."

"I'll teach you how to disguise yourself as a two-year-old!"

Sun Lingtong wasn't boasting when he said this.

He appeared to be only a three-year-old child, but his soul was already that of a thirteen-year-old youth.

He had joined the Bukong Sect, which specialized in training various skills of theft, deception, and trickery. His master had adopted him since childhood, teaching him by word and deed, taking him on travels, teaching him to observe others and navigate the martial world.

Often, Sun Lingtong would act according to his appearance, fully utilizing the advantage his looks gave him for deception.

Under his guidance, the two-year-old Ning Zhuo improved rapidly.

"Hey, what kind of talent do you actually have? This cleverness is unusual."

"Didn't your mother tell you?" Sun Lingtong asked curiously.

Ning Zhuo glanced to the side, then quickly looked back at Sun Lingtong, his expression natural: "Brother Sun, my mother didn't tell me."

Sun Lingtong grinned, giving a thumbs-up: "Not bad, much better at lying than before."

"But there's still that little habit of shifting your gaze."

"Remember to get rid of it!"

Ning Zhuo felt somewhat ashamed: "Brother Sun, you don't blame me for hiding it from you?"

Sun Lingtong shrugged, indifferent: "What does it matter? Everyone should have their own secrets, and we should allow others to have theirs too."

"I was just thinking, perhaps you should reveal your talent to your family? It might greatly improve your living conditions."

Ning Zhuo quickly shook his head, his expression serious and stern: "Before my mother left, she told me to hide, to conceal my cleverness."

"She said the family is unreliable, my uncle is unreliable."

"She told me to hide as deeply as possible, to better protect myself!"

"Mhmm, your mother surely had your best interests at heart," Sun Lingtong said perfunctorily.

He had stayed at Ning Zhuo's place for over half a month. His injuries had long healed. Now that Ning Zhuo could disguise himself as a normal two-year-old, Sun Lingtong's desire to leave grew stronger.

But how to settle Ning Zhuo?

Earlier, Wang Lan had said she would take Ning Zhuo in, but she never did. Instead, she sent servants every couple of days to check on him and deliver daily necessities.

Sun Lingtong secretly explored the Ning family compound several nights in a row.

Although only at mid Qi Refining, the excellent spells of the Bukong Sect allowed him to infiltrate smoothly.

He gradually figured out the situation of the Ning family, learned about the main branch suppressing the branch family's affairs, and inquired about Ning Xiaoren's reputation.

One day, he overheard a discussion between Ning Ze and Wang Lan.

Ning Ze urged Wang Lan to have Ning Zhuo move in.

Wang Lan said, "Husband, the people from the Ancestral Hall are deliberately stalling, demanding a bribe of a full two hundred spirit stones from me!"

"Does it mean we have to pay two hundred spirit stones upfront just to take in another child? What kind of logic is that!?"

Ning Ze stroked his beard: "The family system has its reasons. The elders of the Ancestral Hall must review and judge that we have no ill intentions in adopting the child of a close relative. Only after passing this can we formally adopt."

"Before this system was established, it was indeed chaotic, and many tragic incidents occurred."

"Xiao Zhuo has been living alone for so many days; it's not right. If this gets out, what face will I have as his own uncle?"

Wang Lan complained: "But two hundred spirit stones is no small amount either!"

Ning Ze sighed: "Sigh, alright then. My younger brother once saved the Young Clan Head's life. I'll go see the Young Clan Head tomorrow and ask him to intervene."

Sun Lingtong went to investigate the Ancestral Hall, finding the Ning family elder who was blocking Ning Zhuo's household registration matter.

One night, he heard the elder secretly conversing with a visitor.

The visitor said: "The land deed for Ning Zhong's house still hasn't been found by Ning Ze. I offer four hundred spirit stones; here's one hundred eighty as a deposit. I hope the Elder will accommodate."

The Ning family elder laughed: "Easy to say. That Ning Ze doesn't know the rules; he won't even pay two hundred spirit stones. He deserves to suffer a bit."

"Just don't cause a commotion."

"After all, Ning Zhong gave his life to save the Young Clan Head."

The visitor said: "Elder, rest assured. Both Ning Zhong and his wife are dead, leaving only a two-year-old child. With a little哄骗, he can sign the contract."

"This matter is as easy as turning over a hand!"

Hearing this, Sun Lingtong couldn't help but roll his eyes, inwardly scoffing at the Ning family.

Returning to Ning Zhuo's residence, little Ning Zhuo was sleeping soundly.

Sun Lingtong watched for a while, thinking: "Although this little guy is clever and has learned to disguise himself, it's only skin-deep."

"He lacks experience, doesn't recognize the dangers of the world, and has no real support. He could easily be devoured by those around him."

Sun Lingtong shook his head inwardly, feeling he couldn't just leave.

"I need to teach him to see through treacherous human hearts."

***

Sun Lingtong's residence.

Han Ming and the other two were quickly repairing the small courtyard, clearing away the traces left by the recent fierce battle.

Inside the main room.

Judge Cha Cha's eyes shot forth divine light, enveloping Sun Lingtong's soul.

Sun Lingtong's soul had its eyes tightly shut, his face contorted in pain, his body trembling violently, but he stubbornly didn't utter a single cry of pain.

"He's tough!" Judge Qi Bai sincerely praised upon seeing this.

He muttered an incantation, activating a spell to check the results of the soul search.

A complete blank!

"Huh?" Qi Bai was astonished, "Emptiness Seal?"

He knew about this.

The Emptiness Seal, one of the signature treasures of the Bukong Sect, could imprint a heart seal, providing protection for sect members.

The Emptiness Seal could guard against soul searches, preventing sect secrets,典籍, etc., from being leaked if a disciple fell into enemy hands and was subjected to a soul search.

"The Emptiness Seal usually protects vital sect secrets. This time I'm just searching for information related to the垂髫客; is it even associated?"

"This Sun Lingtong is just an outer sect disciple, right? Is the Emptiness Seal's protection this comprehensive?"

At this moment, Han Ming entered the room: "Lord Qi, have you found any news about the垂髫客?"

Qi Bai snorted coldly: "This matter is a bit troublesome. No wonder Sun Lingtong was so confident earlier, unafraid of a soul search."

"However, ordinary peers would be helpless against this."

"Meeting me, Judge Qi Bai, is his bad luck!"

"Give me one more day, and I'll have your answer."

Qi Bai waved his hand, displeased.

Han Ming quickly lowered his head, tactfully exited the room, and respectfully closed the door.

(End of )