My Master is the Real Boss – Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Staying Overnight

Li Jin lingered at Ping’an Temple for a long time this time. Even after the last incense guest had left, he showed no sign of taking his leave. After offering three incense sticks to the Grandmaster, Xiang Jiannan felt it was inappropriate to ask further questions. The two sat side-by-side on the cattail hassocks, listening to the sounds of chopping and fighting coming from the backyard.

It was now dinnertime. Gao Yu’an had gone to the back early in the morning with ingredients to prepare a meal. After chatting with Li Jin for nearly two hours, Xiang Jiannan felt at a loss for words. It seemed they were going to have dinner at the temple, no wonder his master had been carrying so many bags and packages.

It seemed Gao Yu’an had known Li Jin would be staying late today, so he had bought a lot of ingredients. His cooking skills were always excellent, but what was most impressive was the aura he exuded while cooking. He could chop a chicken so loudly that the whole town would know. Not to mention when he started stir-frying dishes, there hadn’t been a moment of quiet since he went into the backyard. When the first sound came, Li Jin had even thought something had happened.

“I should close the door first.”

As the saying goes, “Don’t wash your dirty linen in public.” Although Gao Yu’an often made a lot of noise while cooking, before, Xiang Jiannan had always endured it alone. Today, with Li Jin present, Xiang Jiannan felt his master seemed to be getting more and more unrestrained. It was the first time he was accompanying someone to appreciate it, and he didn’t even close the door.

The shouts and clangs were even more ferocious than before, like they were renovating the place.

“Little Taoist Priest!”

Having just gotten up and taken a few steps towards the temple gate, Xiang Jiannan heard Li Jin call out behind him. As he turned around, he felt a strong gust of wind strike him. It hit him squarely on the side of his face.

The punch was powerful, knocking Xiang Jiannan to the ground.

“What are you doing!”

Covering his face, Xiang Jiannan looked at Li Jin with bewildered eyes, a little dizzy from the sudden attack.

He had been attacked on his own turf, what did this guy mean!

“It’s nothing, just testing you.”

As if he had something to say to Xiang Jiannan, Li Jin then fell silent. He hadn’t expected to succeed so easily, and suddenly it was hard to explain.

He had imagined exchanging a few blows with the little Taoist priest, a thought he had had for a long time.

“What are you two doing?”

Carrying a kitchen knife, Gao Yu’an walked out of the backyard, looking puzzled. When he saw his disciple on the ground looking aggrieved, the master of Ping’an Temple immediately showed his magnanimity:

“Disciple, see the guest out. Young Hero Li, this old Taoist won’t keep you for dinner.”

“Please don’t take what happened just now to heart, Little Taoist Priest.”

Sitting upright at the wooden table in the backyard, Li Jin was humble and polite, and in the end, he still managed to get a meal from Gao Yu’an.

Although he didn’t know how to end things before, he suddenly understood after hearing Gao Yu’an’s order to leave. He quickly pulled Xiang Jiannan up and then gave a sincere explanation. With Xiang Jiannan smoothing things over, the old Taoist priest finally thought it was a misunderstanding.

Young people always had moments when they were eager to test their skills. He himself had been through that age. If his disciple didn’t mind, he, as the master, would let it go.

People of the Taoist faith were mostly open-minded. How could he, Gao Yu’an, hold onto a junior’s mistake and refuse to let it go?

“It’s nothing, my teeth are still here.”

While picking up food, Xiang Jiannan couldn’t help but think of the half of Li Yuanwai’s face that he had swollen. He just felt that it was the cycle of cause and effect.

Could it be that Li Jin was trying to get revenge for Li Yuanwai? They both had the surname Li, maybe they were distant relatives. Although most of the people in the Fu Mo Si with the surname Li had tragic backgrounds, it wasn’t so bad that they had to be orphans. Judging from the strength of Li Jin’s punch just now, he shouldn’t have used his full power.

His mental state was a bit abnormal today. Just when they were sitting on the cattail hassocks, he had felt that he seemed to be planning something. It turned out he wanted to spar with him.

Regarding Li Jin wanting to spar with him, Xiang Jiannan didn’t agree with it. In terms of strength, he was far inferior to him. A spar should be with someone of equal strength. Maybe the recent limelight had given him the illusion that his cultivation was very profound. As an active member of the Fu Mo Si, why would he be interested in a weakling?

Did he not even have this ability to discern?

“Have you ever thought about serving the imperial court?”

Knowing that Xiang Jiannan was still a bit upset, Li Jin spoke after hearing his slightly angry words. The master and disciple were clearly interested in what he was saying. They had put down their bamboo chopsticks, but hadn’t expressed their stance immediately.

“Serve the imperial court, join the Fu Mo Si?”

While speaking smoothly, Gao Yu’an picked up a chicken leg for Li Jin. His enthusiasm was even greater. He had his own thoughts. For his disciple, this was a good opportunity.

If his disciple could join the Fu Mo Si, he, as the master, would also be honored. Most importantly, it would also elevate Ping’an Temple’s status in the county. He had long been envious of the monks’ privileges. He hadn’t expected his luck to turn around today.

Being a Taoist was hard, being a Taoist in the Great Zhou Dynasty was even harder. If you had someone above you, even the strictest rules could be bent at the local level. These thoughts couldn’t be said out loud for now. Anyway, the old Taoist felt it was a rare opportunity.

To be invited by someone from the Fu Mo Si was different from actively requesting to join.

What kind of place was the Fu Mo Si? From its attitude in the Great Zhou Dynasty, one could tell. In the past, he might not have cared about these things, but now that he thought about it, it was better to be compliant. Some things, you couldn’t deny just because you looked down on them. After so many years in Ping’an Town, he, Gao Yu’an, had actually come to terms with it.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have lived to this day.

“I haven’t thought about it, and my master doesn’t count.”

Seeing that his master was trying to sell him out again, Xiang Jiannan spoke up when he heard his master’s calculations, he was really not interested in what Li Jin was saying. Serving the imperial court was too illusory.

The Great Zhou Dynasty had a sound civil and military system, with all kinds of talents emerging. He was doing well at Ping’an Temple now, why bother wading into that muddy water? What was wrong with today? Why was Li Jin doing such inexplicable things?

“Can you bring my disciple in?”

Signaling to Li Jin not to listen to Xiang Jiannan, Gao Yu’an then asked with concern. He was disappointed in Xiang Jiannan, he hadn’t expected his disciple to be so lacking in comprehension, only seeing what was in front of him. No wonder he was still at the first rank of Dao Fruit after so long. As a Taoist, one’s vision should be long-term. Today, in this Ping’an Temple, this old Taoist would make the decision.

“No.”

The answer was unusually straightforward. Li Jin saw the corners of the old Taoist priest’s mouth twitch, but then he saw him put the chopsticks he had raised back into his bowl, and calmly took back the chicken leg he had just picked up for himself:

“Even if you could, it wouldn’t work. This old Taoist wouldn’t agree.”

“You seem a little strange tonight.”

After dinner, Xiang Jiannan was sharing a room with Li Jin. He hadn’t expected him to stay overnight. There were extra rooms for him to stay in, but his master insisted that it was not the way to treat a guest, that they hadn’t been cleaned. How could he possibly make Young Hero Li feel wronged with those dirty and messy rooms? Using the excuse that his own bed was big enough, after some arguing, he finally made the final decision.

“Just saying, your master doesn’t agree either.”

Reaching out and stripping off his clothes, Li Jin revealed the scars on his body, some old and some new. The shocking sight shifted Xiang Jiannan’s attention:

“Serving the imperial court, when you sleep, will your hands and feet be clean?”