The Daily Task of Preventing My Disciple from Turning to the Dark Side: Chapter Seven
Gu Yunjue grabbed the hands of Mu Chen, “Shizun, don’t you think it’s not appropriate to hang it there?”
Mu Chen tilted his head in puzzlement and asked, “Where is the right place?” The Soul Bell will be drawing spiritual power from its wearer. It certainly cannot be put in a storage ring. People have always said that things hidden in the heart are the most secure. Putting it on the neck so that it hangs down to the middle of the chest should be the best location. The bright red color also looks good.
Gu Yunjue helplessly smiled: “Shizun, I can make it recognize my teacher.”
“This supernatural object has mystical powers. If it doesn’t accept a person then it will break your bones. wait for it to become familiar with your spiritual energy.” Mu Chen’s att.i.tude is quite tough. He has always been this way. Without giving Gu Yunjue the opportunity to refuse, he grabbed his disciple’s neck, hung the Soul Bell on it, and said: “Your teacher doesn’t want to spank your b.u.t.t, you better behave.”
Then Mu Chen glanced at the whip that was lying on the table. The threat was obvious.
Gu Yunjue was defeated but in his heart was the thought of one day grabbing his master’s neck and returning those words to him in a frightening manner: “I do not want to spank your b.u.t.t, Shizun better behave.”
Imagining this scene, Gu Yunjue thought that it would be like bullying his master and betraying his ancestors, but also quite interesting.
With the bell hanging around his neck, the picture was so beautiful that he couldn’t bear to see it. Gu Yunjue spent the whole afternoon sitting in meditation because the bell rang when he moved.
Jing Ming was very envious, excitedly circling around Gu Yunjue and making him pick clothes to wear. Gu Yunjue did not speak and Jing Ting kicked his brother out, dragging him away by the collar. Gu Yunjue shook his head helplessly. No one noticed when the Soul Bell recognized its master.
Late at night when Mu Chen had retired and the Sunshine Palace was quiet, the only sound was the rustling of the bamboo leaves as the wind blew through them. Gu Yunjue took out a communication device.
a.n.a.lyzing the events earlier, the fact that Mu Chen took the Soul Bell made Gu Yunjue’s expression more and more puzzled. Why, of all things, did his teacher give him the Soul Bell? Although he had some doubts at first and actually thought it was just a coincidence, he had not expected that Mu Chen would come with the leader. (TN: I believe he means he had not expected Mu Chen to pick him up at the trial since in the past life that was the role of Yue Ming Ze, the sect leader.)
Combined with the emergence of Mu Chen at this time, Gu Yunjue had a faint idea but it’s hard to believe. He could be reborn because of his soul magic. Mu Chen’s present actions, what’s the reason for them? If he knows what will happen in the future, why doesn’t he kill Gu Yunjue right away instead of being so nice to him?
Agitated and finding it difficult to think, Gu Yunjue placed a hand on his brow and asked the person opposite him: “What is the Dongzhu doing now?” (TN: Dongzhu is either a name or a t.i.tle meaning “Cave Lord.”)
The other said respectfully: “He is remodeling the mortal flesh.”
“Wait for him to do it successfully then kill him. Do it cleanly and do not involve the Sunshine Palace.”
When that person has abandoned the mortal body then he will certainly hold a grudge toward Mu Chen. Since he will be hostile to the master in the future, then Gu Yunjue will dispose of him now. The master’s hands will always remain clean.
“Little lord, won’t such complications endanger the mission entrusted to us?” the worried messenger asked.
Gu Yunjue gently lifted the corner of his lips, revealing a genial smile. This smiling face making the other’s whole body tremble and bow down low, not daring to show any of his emotions. He knew how terrible this five year old child is. In his little body is a fearful demon. His spiritual power might be higher than a king and his ambition more than that of a king. When they came to this continent, his soul was captured by Gu Yunjue. His life and death is completely controlled by this child’s hand and all he can do now is to obey.
Seeing the other’s weakness, Gu Yunjue smiled and said: “Remember who is your master, do not mess with me.”
The other side was relieved and quickly said: “Your subordinate understands and goes to make arrangements.
Gu Yunjue laughed without a trace of humor. "You don’t have to worry about my father the king.” Gu Yunjue paused, grinning, “His time is coming. I might as well find a way to live better for a few more years.”
In the morning, Mu Chen was meditating on his bed when he felt the protective enchantment he had set down shaking. He opened his eyes to see his small disciple running towards him, excitedly shouting: “Shizun!”
Mu Chen quickly reached out and caught his disciple. To see his disciple’s smiling face early in the morning, his mood was really good.
“Master, look!” Mu Chen watched as Gu Yunjue placed the Soul Bell on the palm of his hand. There was a white flash then the bell gradually became transparent until it dissolved completely into the body of Gu Yunjue.
“How did you do that?” Mu Chen was surprised and examined his disciple’s hand. Although he knew that the bell would recognize Gu Yunjue as its master, he had not expected it to happen when his disciple was just five years old.
“It recognized me of its own volition.”
“On its own?” Mu Chen happily hugged the young child, patting his head and earnestly praising him: “You are really talented.”
Gu Yunjue smiled, ha-ha, the sound is clear and full of innocence. Letting the magical instrument recognize him as its master was simple. In his past life the Heaven and Earth Soul Protecting Bells were his weapons. He knows that what this bell wants the most is its twin. Spiritual things also have their weaknesses, he just took advantage of this fact.
Gu Yunjue looked around him at Mu Chen’s room. He cannot help but smack his lips. His teacher had lived these many years in such a boring way. The furniture in his room has probably not been changed in a hundred years. Gu Yunjue wanted to throw everything out and give his master a set of luxurious, perfect things that are worthy of being used by Mu Chen.
His meditation disturbed by his noisy disciple, Mu Chen did not not continue to cultivate. The most important thing right now was to nurse his disciple’s body back to health.
Gu Yunjue’s tiny body was too weak. He was born prematurely and after his birth he didn’t receive much care. The whole body probably has internal injuries and he is also seriously malnourished. Mu Chen has innumerable treasures that he could use to improve his disciple’s body but he does not dare to use any of them for fear that Gu Yunjue’s body would not be able to bear a strong spiritual energy.
What can he do if medicine can’t be eaten? Then use Sibu! (TN: Sibu 食补 or food tonic is a diet based on the yin and yang of the body, it makes a person stronger and healthier.)
If one works hard enough, Sibu can also fatten up a person!
For breakfast Mu Chen put his disciple on his bosom, personally feeding him a bowl of Ling (spiritual) rice. His facial expression was very gentle as Gu Yunjue hurriedly opened his mouth to eat. Mu Chen fed him a piece of spirit beast meat. Gu Yunjue once again opened his mouth obediently in a very well-behaved manner.
Mu Chen was happy to feed his disciple and to see how lovable the child was with his delicate eyebrows, beautiful eyes, high nose, thin lips, exquisite small chin, and sweet, cute smile. Mu Chen felt as though the softest part of his heart was being poked and he couldn’t help but pinch Gu Yunjue’s face as he fed him a mouthful of soup.
Both the disciple and master were happy. They were acting in a completely informal, uninhibited manner. When a nearby servant peeped inside, he was shocked and wondered where the real Mu Chen had gone.
Well, who would think that such a cold person would like children! Mu Chen likes furry things, they know that. At the back of the mountain there is a nest of monsters which shows how many he has picked up. But to pick up a child? Everyone looked to Jing Ming for help.
Jing Ming blinked, at a loss: what?
Gu Yunjue smiled and braced his belly. His teacher hadn’t stopped feeding him. He ate for a very long time. Gu Yunjue had not seen his master this happy for some time and he does not want to reject his help so he kept on eating until he is almost stuffed to bursting.
Jing Ting was unable to continue watching this. He looked at Gu Yunjue’s belly, his expression complex, and said, “Palace Lord, eating too much is also bad…let him stop.”
Mu Chen put down his chopsticks, feeling that his disciple only ate “a few” things, and is somewhat disappointed. Wiping his disciple’s mouth with a kerchief that a servant handed him, Mu Chen then took out a bottle of medicine. He pulled the plug out and a delicate fragrance suffused the air. Mu Chen urged his disciple: “Take this.”
“Teacher, what medicine is this?”
“Children’s snacks.” Mu Chen said lightly.
Gu Yunjue smiled and, holding Mu Chen’s hand, put the medicine in his mouth. His lips felt the warmth of his master’s palm and inexplicably it made him feel more at ease. The medicine had a faint fruity scent. Afterwards Gu Yunjue’s body felt lighter, his belly felt better, and his internal injury didn’t ache anymore.
His little teacher has a unique talent for alchemy. The pills he made can even taste like children’s snacks. At the thought of how Mu Chen is carefully nursing him back to health, Gu Yunjue felts like his heart was rubbed with honey, sweet and warm.
Gu Yunjue wanted to say something to his teacher but the jest had not yet left his mouth when a small dwarf, disregarding the barrier around the palace, rushed into the room while shouting “Grand Martial Uncle! A particularly shocking and exciting thing happened!”
Gu Yunjue facial expression became cold, this is a voice he is very familiar with. This smelly person should be sticking to his own master but instead every day this useless person (TN: Useless person - Fantong 饭桶, literally “rice bucket” but meaning an incapable person who cannot do anything) comes running over to see Gu Yunjue’s own master.
Mu Chen raised his head, his expression helpless, the person calling him Grand Martial Uncle is Zhu Qianshuang, Liu Han of Hanyang Palace’s personal succeeding disciple.
Liu Han and Mu Chen were childhood friends, and entered Lofty Cloud Sect together. Hanyang (Cold Sun) Palace and Sunshine Palace are close neighbors, so Zhu Qianshuang thinks nothing of running to Mu Chen’s place looking for food.
Zhu Qianshuang looks like Jing Ting, they are of the same age, around 13 or 14 years old. He has big eyes, a childish face, and when he smiles two dimples appear. He is wearing the uniform of the inner disciples, a white robe and a green jade symbol hanging from his waistband. On his back is a long sword and from the sword hilt a bottle gourd is attached. As he runs, sleeves fluttering, the bottle gourd also bounces up and down.
Seeing Gu Yunjue at Mu Chen’s bosom, Zhu Qianshuang was surprised and said, “Is this my legendary little Martial Uncle?” (TN: Mu Chen is his Grand Martial Uncle so Mu Chen’s disciple is therefore his Martial Uncle.)
“Legendary?” Gu Yunjue shook the jar in his hand. “What do you mean?’
Zhu Qianshuang eyes followed the shaking jar while saying: "The entire Lofty Cloud Sect knows that Grand Martial Uncle took in a personal succeeding disciple that he cherished so much that he spoke to the sect master to get a self-defense tool for him.” Yue Ming Ze has apparently kept the news about the Soul Bell secret. The outside world does not know that the artifact is in Gu Yunjue’s body. “There are some disciples who are desperately practicing, waiting for an opportunity to teach a harsh lesson.”
Mu Chen saw that his young disciple did not speak, thought that he was afraid, and stroked his hair, “Just now you said that there is news, what is it?”
Translator’s Notes:
Yes, the chapter really did end that abruptly.