Chapter 65: Shiyao's Negotiation Skills are Maxed Out!

Huh?
How does this fellow want to become my apprentice as well?
"Hmm? Sect Master Su? Why aren't you speaking? Could it be that you don't like Shiyao?"
[Dare I like her? Goodness me, my Lingxian Hall is too small a temple to hold so many Children of Destiny!]
[I'm already a bit flustered handling Ye Qinghan; I simply cannot deal with this female fox!]
[Another little fool? Wouldn't that be PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds?]
"If you let Shiyao apprentice at Lingxian Hall, Shiyao can sleep with Master every single day, how about that?"
Daft Yao understood none of those twists and turns; sleeping didn't hurt after all, so it was no big deal.
Though she really wanted to sleep with Senior Sister Qinghan, Senior Sister Qinghan always hugged her sword when sleeping, which was quite terrifying.
[Ah? Do you even know what you're saying?]
"Ahem... Sleeping together is quite unnecessary. I can fall asleep just fine on my own."
For some reason, Li Shiyao felt a chilly breeze emanating from the wall behind her...
She instinctively leaned a bit closer to Su Cheng; the Sect Master felt much warmer...
"Then could Shiyao massage Sect Master Su's shoulders? Would Sect Master Su like to try?"
"Why on earth are you so insistent on entering Lingxian Hall?" Su Cheng couldn't fathom it. Why did these people all insist on pestering him?
"Shiyao wants to be with Senior Sister Qinghan every day, and besides, you look quite handsome, and seem very powerful too! Shiyao is in very good health and can bear you very pretty little babies!"
[These damned elders of the Holy Mountain! Why do they never teach anything proper?]
Su Cheng knew a thing or two about the protagonists, and this Li Shiyao was a textbook example!
Spoiled rotten by the Holy Mountain, that Sixth Elder always told her romance stories just to coax Li Shiyao into cultivating!
With the mental capacity of a mere nine-year-old, what the hell did Daft Yao know about romance!
"Ahem... Taking an apprentice is no child's play. Shiyao is a Holy Maiden; how can such a matter of apprenticeship proceed without the Holy Mountain's consent?"
"Does Sect Master Su mean that as long as the elders agree, Sect Master Su will take Shiyao as a personal disciple?"
[The Holy Mountain will certainly never agree to let her apprentice under a good-for-nothing like me. Besides, I need to send her away quickly right now!]
[After all, I haven't done anything yet. As long as she gets dressed and gets out of bed, there is still room to salvage everything!]
Hardening his heart, Su Cheng nodded. "Shiyao, I already know your intentions. If the Holy Mountain is also at ease entrusting you to me, I will take you as the second disciple of Lingxian Hall."
In the next room, Ye Qinghan felt as though she too could foresee the future. She could even picture Daft Yao running back and forth across Lingxian Hall...
This Daft Yao was no ordinary person. She could cause a massive catastrophe if one wasn't careful, such as drinking dry the spiritual liquid of the Spirit Pool Hall overnight...
Hoping that the elders of the Holy Mountain would be able to talk Li Shiyao out of this, Ye Qinghan sneered inwardly. Although her master was capable of perceiving heavenly secrets, at this moment, Ye Qinghan felt as though destiny itself had truly shifted.
From the very moment she heard her master's inner voice, the so-called destiny seemed to cease to exist.
Compared to her master, destiny was simply not worth mentioning!
Before long, Li Shiyao ran back wearing a white dress, and trotted over to Ye Qinghan with a cheeky smile.
"Senior Sister!"
Ye Qinghan smiled helplessly, then wore a doting expression. "I heard everything. But don't disturb Master's rest next time!"
"Shiyao didn't disturb Master's rest."
Ye Qinghan gently patted Daft Yao's little head. "Clearly you drank too much wine, ran into Master's room to sleep, and you still dare to quibble?"
Li Shiyao froze, as if she had just snapped back to reality.
"So that's how it was. Shiyao was wondering why she still felt a bit dizzy..."
At this moment, Ye Qinghan put on the posture of a senior elder sister. "I will let this slide for now, First Senior Sister is keeping a tally. If you ever dare to offend again, I will discipline you using the sect rules!"
Li Shiyao suddenly found Senior Sister Qinghan terrifying!
Recalling that River-Crossing Ruler, Daft Yao was so frightened she nearly pissed herself!
Mind you, someone as formidable as Senior Sister Qinghan had been whipped into complete submission by the River-Crossing Ruler! With her scrawny arms and legs, she would probably be beaten to death!
"Senior Sister, Shiyao knows she was wrong, she'll never dare do it again!"
Ye Qinghan was also a bit baffled. Normally, this fellow would never admit her mistakes!
Even Master couldn't do a single thing about her!
They say the tough fear the daring, and the daring fear the reckless!
Li Shiyao was both tough and reckless, and completely fearless—she even dared to beat up Master! Yet now she actually knew she was wrong?
For a moment, Ye Qinghan couldn't quite wrap her head around it. This creature wasn't even afraid of Master, yet she was afraid of her?
"Qinghan, it's time to head to the Spirit Mountain."
Outside the door, Su Cheng had already tidied up his attire, ready to take Ye Qinghan to the Spirit Mountain.
This morning's matches featured Ye Shihan versus Dongfang Jue, while Li Shiyao had already secured her victory in the preliminary rounds yesterday.
Ye Qinghan smiled in greeting, then abruptly spoke in an indifferent tone.
"Master seems to be in quite a good mood this morning?"
Su Cheng was stunned. Could Qinghan have found out?
[Oh crap, Qinghan's current state feels a bit off!]
[Could she know that Li Shiyao was in my room last night?]
Su Cheng carefully scrutinized Li Shiyao and Ye Qinghan. Daft Yao showed no change, acting just as usual.
Seeing her master's guilty conscience, Ye Qinghan smiled faintly and said no more; bullying her master wasn't her original intention anyway.
Reason and emotion dictated that, although she was green-eyed with jealousy to the point of distortion, she couldn't really blame her master.
It wasn't until Li Shiyao went to pester Shi Mingyi to buy her breakfast that Ye Qinghan spoke up slowly.
"Master, do you intend to take on a junior sister for Qinghan?"
Su Cheng was taken aback. "What are your thoughts on Li Shiyao?"
"Shiyao has a pure disposition; she truly is a good girl."
[Heh, as if I don't know she's a good girl, but good girls always belong to Cheng Liang!]
[Li Shiyao is pure-minded. If she hadn't been used as an abandoned pawn by Cheng Liang, she could have ascended to the path of the Great Emperor. Such a pity.]
[Taking her in was just going with the flow of the conversation; since it came up, there was no help for it.]
"Qinghan, she was in my bedroom the moment I woke up. Do you have any idea about this?"
"Such a thing happened?" Ye Qinghan hadn't expected her master to spill the whole story. It seemed she had still underestimated the trust her master placed in her.
Didn't he say he didn't want me to know? Why is he asking me now then?
Ye Qinghan could only pretend ignorance, lacking any better excuse.
"Li Shiyao only has the cognitive maturity of a nine-year-old child. It would be one thing if she genuinely wandered into her master's bedroom by mistake, but if there is manipulation from the Holy Mountain behind the scenes, this matter becomes far from simple."
[The situation has been growing increasingly grim lately. The Liu and Mo families already have their blades at Lingxian Hall's throat, and Cheng Liang will most likely try to sabotage things during this martial tournament as well.]
[Not to mention running into that fiend Su Muchan yesterday. If the Holy Mountain meddles at a time like this, it might become rather difficult to handle.]
[Qinghan could very well be in danger! Given Cheng Liang's character, he will most likely send people to trip her up during the tournament, using secret arts or magical treasures, most likely attempting to eliminate Qinghan through the matches...]
"Daft Yao drank a lot of wine last night. From the disciple's perspective, it shouldn't be the intentional instigation of any mastermind behind the scenes."
[If that's the case, taking in Daft Yao actually seems more beneficial for both Qinghan and me. This Li Shiyao is pure of heart and seems to have a close relationship with Qinghan...]
[I need to change my strategy. Blindly avoiding things won't work.]
[If this Li Shiyao is sincere about apprenticing, taking her in is acceptable. As for Su Muchan and Dongfang Jue, I must still handle them with caution.]
Ye Qinghan was slightly bewildered, thinking: Who is Su Muchan? Judging by the name... is she another one of Cheng Liang's women?