Diligence System: From Servant to Martial King-Chapter 248 - 238: Master and Servant Reversed, "Bullying the Weak
Li Xian’s gaze was playful, the wheel of fortune kept turning. In his lifetime, he also witnessed Wen Caishang’s clothing barely covering her, caught in an embarrassing predicament.
The flowers were in full bloom in the spring of March.
Near the Fragrant Barrier Tree, wildflowers were scattered everywhere, white clusters to the east, red clusters to the west. Although nameless wildflowers, they bloomed in clusters, creating a beautiful scene.
This cluster of white flowers, Wen Caishang, thought for a long time, feeling helpless, and said: "Li Xian, take off your clothes and give them to me. You... could sneak off to steal clothes again, couldn’t you?"
Li Xian simply said: "No way."
Wen Caishang was half angry and half furious, thinking, "This boy is becoming more and more difficult to order around. You’re a big, healthy man, what are you afraid of people seeing?"
She naturally said: "Good Li Xian, good Li Lang, good Ah Xian... How have I treated you before? Taught you Martial Arts, spent money to nurture you, and treated you so gently. You shouldn’t quibble with me at this moment. Just give me your clothes and I... I will thank you properly." She could hardly hide her shame.
As she spoke, she was surprised: "How... how could I say such things, pleading like this, it really damages my dignity."
Li Xian felt immensely pleased, laughing: "No way, still no way. I would feel so humiliated like this." Wen Caishang angrily said: "You’re good to me, how is that humiliating? You ungrateful wolf, fine, fine, then let me be seen by everyone like this."
Li Xian looked on with a smile. The breeze blew gently, Wen Caishang felt a chill through her body, her face was unbearable, she quickly softened her voice: "Good Li Lang, I beg you."
Li Xian said: "It’s rare for a lady to ask me for a favor. Even if it costs me my life, I must help you. But this thing is truly dangerous, with the slightest mistake, my life will be at risk. Before this, I want to negotiate a condition with you."
"Such frivolous talk without any seriousness, when we were surrounded and under attack just now, you weren’t this troubled. Now letting you take off your clothes, you say it’s life-threatening." Wen Caishang scolded: "What condition, tell me quickly."
Li Xian laughed: "It’s always others who serve you, my lady. If I help solve this big problem for you, I too want to be served by you, not for long, just a month."
"Ah!" Wen Caishang exclaimed: "You dare to ask me to serve you?!"
Li Xian revealed his elegant nature, leaning against the tree trunk, he spoke freely and calmly: "If my lady doesn’t agree, I have no choice. My life is cheap anyway. I... am but a mayfly in this world, here today and gone tomorrow, I dare not seek more, I dare not seek more."
Wen Caishang held an exalted position and was absolutely unwilling to serve others. Yet hearing Li Xian’s self-deprecating tone, though she knew he was deliberately provoking her, she truly felt sorry for him. A life-saving great favor returned with service was quite normal. But Wen Caishang found it hard to switch her mindset at that moment.
Wen Caishang spat: "You ungrateful wolf, I... I yield to you. Quickly give me the clothes. I, naturally, will promise."
Li Xian laughed: "Good, my lady, please observe." He pulled out a white skirt from his backpack. Wen Caishang angrily said: "Oh! You tricked me? This doesn’t count, it doesn’t count."
Li Xian said: "I didn’t deceive my lady. My lady’s clothes are all made of silk, smooth and delicate to the touch. But this garment of mine, though not finely made, is of ordinary material. It’s something I bought myself."
Wen Caishang curiously asked: "Why on earth did you buy women’s clothing?" Li Xian said: "It’s quite accidental. When I just left the manor, I saw my lady only had two sets of clothes for change. I thought: ’While traveling, damp and hot weather is inevitable, and with long journeys, whether due to rain or sweat, how could two sets of clothes be enough for changing? I should prepare one more, perhaps it might usefully earn me some praise from my lady.’ So I also prepared a set."
Li Xian smirked: "I said earlier that my lady’s clothes were gone. It’s naturally true, but I still have a suitable one left. Therefore the agreement must count."
Wen Caishang sighed helplessly: "You... if you had been half as clever then, I would have passionately thanked heaven and earth." Actually, towards Wen Caishang, one should balance good and bad. Blind obedience, loss of self, will gradually become dependency.
Li Xian’s distinct traits were precisely what caught Wen Caishang’s interest. Neither of them noticed it. As Wen Caishang dressed, her grace and nobility could not be concealed. Her wet black hair added more charm.
Wen Caishang gave Li Xian a sideways glance: "Once I can move, ostensibly to serve you, I wonder if you can handle it." She mused: "This boy is already extremely disrespectful to me, why am I not very angry?"
She believed she had much life experience, imagining human love, anger, and joy were just like so. But in the end only a frog viewing the sky from the bottom of a well, presumptuous, and baseless conjecture. Human emotions vary in intensity and depth, how can they be generalized? When truly faced with it personally, she herself also found it perplexing and unclear.
Li Xian lit a fire, asking with a smile: "My lady, was the sea of flowers during the day beautiful?"
Wen Caishang laughed and said: "At this moment, I’m afraid those old guys must be stomping their feet in frustration. After today, it’ll not be easy for them to find us again."
Then she gave a sidelong glance, her charms naturally showing, and scolded: "As for you asking me about the sea of flowers... hmph, you dare to say it. That large sea of flowers, who knows how many decades, hundreds of years it took to form. You destroyed and ruined it all. I didn’t get to enjoy it."
"You truly didn’t enjoy it?" Li Xian asked.
Wen Caishang said: "Of course, I didn’t enjoy it."
Li Xian laughed: "Then take a look here." He took something out from his backpack. A cluster of multicolored flowers appeared, and Wen Caishang was surprised.
Li Xian said: "I thought it would be difficult to preserve the flower sea and felt guilty. I picked a few flowers on the way, my lady said she didn’t enjoy it. So I specially brought them for my lady to enjoy."
Wen Caishang’s face slightly reddened, she said: "You are thoughtful." Feeling inexplicably happy, she thought even though Li Xian showed no respect to her, he always remembered her. This feeling was hard to describe. Li Xian said: "The scene of heaven and earth is extremely rare to obtain. Once I’ve destroyed a flower sea, I must plant a flower sea."
"I plan to plant these flowers nearby. Someday in a certain year and month, if I pass by here again and the flowers bloom brightly, with the flower sea visible once more, it will surely evoke different feelings."
Wen Caishang murmured: "Destroy a flower sea, plant a flower sea." She pondered deeply, suddenly realizing something. Martial Arts draws from heaven and earth, why not return to heaven and earth? Even ordinary mortals, who eat the five grains of the earth, ultimately return to the earth?
Her beautiful eyes revealed a look of joy, her Heart Lake churned, her insight deepened, and it concerned a highly significant step for her. Opportunity is indeed born from danger.
Li Xian planted the flowers. He helped Wen Caishang with acupressure to stimulate blood flow, and Wen Caishang slowly began to move her fingers, feeling very pleased.
The night grew even darker.
Li Xian endured fatigue and practiced the "Seven Stars Step".
［You compare the Star Chart, stepping on stars and chasing the moon, Skill Level +3］
...
[Seven Stars Step]
[Skill Level: 356/1200 Mastery]
The steps are practiced, increasingly smooth. The Qi Ball within the body is solidified. Li Xian leaps and dodges with great agility, far surpassing his previous capabilities. His progress is pleasing, and he feels quite delighted.
[Food Essence]
[Skill Level: 100/100]
[Description: You drink Heavenly Essence and consume Earth Radiance. Your body resonates with heaven and earth, undergoing nine transformations to shed the mundane. Looking far ahead, ascending to a higher level.]
Li Xian experienced fierce battles, and the "Essence of Heaven and Earth" was quickly digested. The "Golden Scale" half a scale and tail, mostly consumed. More than three hundred strands remain gathered.
[You comprehend the gold scale in the pool, imitating Magic Dao... Skill Level +1]
[Magic Dao · Unknown]
[Skill Level: 18/100]
[Description: The Magic Dao of heaven and earth, ever-changing. Holding treasure techniques, roaming the human world. You consumed one half of a gold scale and understood the essence of magic, initial outlines of the treasure technique appear.]
[Consumption]
[Skill Level: 1956/2000 Minor Achievement]
...
...
Heaven rewards diligence, Li Xian accumulates little by little, quantity changes accumulate, gradually transforming into quality. Looking back on the past, gains are plentiful. The Food Essence Realm has reached its end, continuing the transformation from the outside in.
Approaching the Martial Arts Second Realm, forming bone and embryo, Tai Su Realm. Li Xian is already aware of the features of this realm: "Ethereal Immortal Sound", "Three Flowers on the Head", "Muddy Clothes", ....
Many features, fully revealed, signify the arrival of the Martial Arts Second Realm. Li Xian has perfected the Food Essence, with a solid foundation. Continuing to consume essence treasures, just waiting for features to fully manifest, surveying the various territories within the Qiong Heavenly Mansion, he can be considered a formidable figure.
Vast Leg, Setting Sun Bloodsword... demonstrated in succession. Reviewing the old and learning the new, steady martial arts. Steady heart, enduring loneliness. Only then can one go farther.
Has practiced "Cloud Covering the Moon, All Stars Hidden". Li Xian is extremely tired, balancing work and rest, sitting on the ground to rest.
Thinking about the road ahead.
"From starting as a servant, through various dangers, Yihetang Manor, Qingning County, Prefecture City... many challenges. Fortunately, with the help of fate, all safely passed, gradually touching the Martial Arts Second Realm. Considered a minor achievement. Though not worth boasting, it is ultimately a step forward."
"I saved the lady, but holding gratitude arrogantly, will surely lead to backlash. Wen Caishang is quite adorable now, but... whether she will resent or be angry when regaining strength is yet to be known."
"I made an agreement with her, to have her serve me. Certainly a moment of joy, but whether it will be a sin or debt in the future, may be hard to repay. If I successfully send her back to Yihetang Manor, the favor is repaid, simply leaving is better, whether sin or other, to hide from it."
"A man’s ambition is to travel and explore. But if to leave, one must go with joy. On this journey, I need to ’take advantage of the weak’, properly bully the lady, with Gu Worm lingering, Finger Power remaining, old injuries difficult to heal. On this journey, it is hard for her to rise."
Seeing Wen Caishang peacefully sleeping, her brows relaxed, naturally exuding nobility, Li Xian couldn’t help but harbor mischievous thoughts.
"I need to let Lady Zhe Jian also taste the feeling of being controlled."
Li Xian bit a stalk of grass, lying horizontally on a tree branch, gazing at the bright moon, closing his eyes to sleep.
The next day.
Wen Caishang leisurely awoke, searching around for Li Xian’s figure. Seeing him sleeping on a tree branch, feeling slightly comforted. After watching for a long time, suddenly started, turning her gaze away.
"Daring to take advantage of me, you’ve got some nerve. Time will come to punish you." Wen Caishang said. Angry as she was, joyful as she was.
Li Xian woke up, performing simple wash. Extinguished the campfire, dug a pit to bury it. Covered footprints and traces. Wen Caishang curiously said: "Have you been a fugitive once?"
Li Xian said: "I was a Martial Captain. Knowing how to chase fugitives, naturally also knowing how to escape. It was taught by Senior Li."
Wen Caishang frowned: "Hmph, what does Li Bo Hou count as, you from now on must not call him Senior Li. Directly call him by name, would he dare blame you?"
Thinking why you now treat me with such disrespect, what’s the reason for mentioning "Li Bo Hou" with a tone of respect?
Li Xian casually responded. Carrying Wen Caishang, moving towards another place. Wen Caishang said: "Little Immortal... although we’ve shaken off Su Qiuyu, they aren’t severely injured, still have strength left. And Shi Luo Village, Wuji Saber Sect, many strong figures haven’t shown themselves, things still need to be careful."
Li Xian raised his eyebrows: "Still calling me Little Immortal now? I’m not little anymore."
Wen Caishang started, snorted: "You brat, what do you want me to call you?"
Li Xian weighed it, half jokingly half seriously said: "Call me King Li."
