Cultivation Retirement Plan (BL)

10. Shizun Knows Your Wrongs

Nan Wuyue regretted it as soon as he spoke, but Mo Yixuan had already heard him. He cocked his head back inquisitively, looking like an attentive servant with a tray in his hands. Only the indifferent gaze in his eyes spoiled the illusion.

"Yes?" Mo Yixuan asked.

Nan Wuyue wet his lips. Why had he called out just then? It was an impulse born from pure instinct—an urge to make sure his master didn't leave. But he'd rather die than use that excuse.

"T...tomorrow, will I start training again?" he asked instead.

Mo Yixuan only fixed him with a long look. I see. So in the end, he's still concerned about his cultivation. Better let him get to it. "Yes."

Nan Wuyue furrowed his brows. "Then shizun...I'll follow the old schedule." He waited to see if Mo Yixuan had any objections, but only felt a twinge of disappointment when his master nodded without a word. I see. So in the end, he put on this whole act just to throw me back in the mud again!

How could Mo Yixuan have any idea what the old "Mo Yixuan" liked to do to his core disciple? He could only keep up this identity while gradually adapting it to himself. Although he had no qualms about jumping off a cliff the first day, Mo Yixuan...was starting to like this life in spite of himself. Ouyang Che was right: there were worse places than Star Pavilion Sect if he wanted to find some peace.

As he stared at Nan Wuyue's uncertain expression, Mo Yixuan assumed that he hadn't made himself clear enough. "Just do as you used to," he affirmed.

Nan Wuyue lowered his head to hide his dimming eyes. "Yes, shizun."

"Mm." And Mo Yixuan gracefully made his exit before the boy could say another word.

—

As it turned out, Nan Wuyue's original training started at 4AM. That was Mo Yixuan's own estimate, at any rate—he didn't have any clocks here beyond that of the natural world. For the past few days, he'd been spending his nights meditating in his study after discovering it granted him rest similar to sleep. Outside, the world was still dark and the birds hadn't even started chirping, yet he clearly heard the sounds of physical exertion coming from the courtyard.

Mo Yixuan paused just long enough to peek out the window: there, as expected, was his disciple Nan Wuyue, running through a series of exercises as a fine sheen of sweat graced his brow. He wasn't alarmed by the sight, as plenty of martial artists in his world had similar grueling schedules. But he did take in the thin silhouette of the boy and resolved to make him a proper breakfast later.

With that, Mo Yixuan went back to meditating.

As soon as Nan Wuyue felt the presence studying him disappeared, he subtly changed his movements into the standard techniques for all Star Pavilion Sect disciples. Years ago, Mo Yixuan had taken him aside as a core disciple and given him "exclusive teachings" for him to train in secret. He was to get up well before dawn everyday and complete the entire set 10 times, then go off to alternate between various chores and qi exercises all morning.

Who would have thought that all of those teachings were fake?

Who would have known that Mo Yixuan told him to keep things secret simply because he was teaching him the wrong things on purpose?

Those exercises not only impeded his cultivation, they made it impossible for him to properly control and circulate his qi! He foolishly tried to fix it by practicing even harder, which worsened his condition and nearly crippled him psychologically with the heart demons that came with each successive failure. By the end of his last life, even channeling the smallest bit of energy caused him massive pain and effort.