54 First Day of Proper Instruction

Lu Qingyun was really excited that he would finally receive his first day of proper instructions from Qin Keqin. He got up really early and was thinking, \"I wonder what my master will be imparting to me on the first day? Is it martial arts or cultivation techniques?\"

Qin Keqin said to Lie Xingyuan, \"Brew some of the Heavenly Lotus Tea. We will be back soon.\"

And she said to him, \"Qingyun come, we are going out for a while?\"

Lu Qingyun was startled but excited at the same time, \"We are going out?\" Was she about to test his endurances in the mountains?

Lie Xingyuan muttered as she looked at Qin Keqin, \"Can I go with you?\"

\"No.\" Qin Keqin said nonchalantly as she walked out.

Lie Xingyuan: …

Lu Qingyun smiled as he said to her, \"Don't worry, we will be back soon. With master around, there won't be any dangers in the mountains!\"

Lie Xingyuan muttered after Lu Qingyun had run out, \"Hmph! She didn't even say where she is bringing you. What make you think she is bringing you to the mountains for trainings? Maybe she is selling you to the brothel instead.\"

Then she thought, \"Should I quietly follow them?\"

But she soon dropped the idea. It was because she had learnt a hard lesson the last time round. With her stealth ability, it was difficult for a fifth realm golden celestial to even sense her if she was careful but Qin Keqin was actually a seventh realm expert and her perception was really sharp.

She sighed heavily, \"Brewing tea seems to be my job…\"

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Lu Qingyun found himself walking in the districts of New Empyrean City for the past two hours. There was no indication that Qin Keqin was taking him out of the city or into the mountains that were within New Empyrean City.

As they walked along the streets, Qin Keqin was smiling with delight as she looked at the various colorful wares that were being displayed.

He asked, \"Erm master, aren't we supposed to be training? What are we doing?\"

Qin Keqin chuckled as she replied slyly, \"New Empyrean City itself is very big. We are now at the southern district where it is the most heavily populated as well as having the most plentiful supplies of exotic things.\"

Lu Qingyun stammered, \"Eh? We are looking at the wares?\"

Qin Keqin chuckled as she thought, \"It is so wonderful to have someone to accompany me to shop around.\" But she replied with a solemn countenance behind her curtain hat veil, \"I'm training you to observe and to remember the things that we are seeing. In the world of cultivation, your memory and ability to remember is really important. The tiniest and vagueness of the details may serve to help you to have a breakthrough in the future.\"

Lu Qingyun was ashamed of himself for he had been enjoying the sightseeing so he quickly said, \"I understand now-\"

\"No, you don't.\" Qin Keqin interrupted him with utter seriousness, \"Do you remember who are the cultivators and who are the mortals that you have seen earlier? What are their characteristics and what are they doing an hour ago?\"

Lu Qingyun: …

He replied weakly, \"I am so wrong. I will pay more attention from now onward.\"

Qin Keqin gave him a nod of approval, \"Very good. You ought to because I will be testing you later. Remember to take note of the price offering of the different wares too.\"

Lu Qingyun was startled, \"Do I have to check the prices of the wares too?\"

Qin Keqin rolled her eyes as she resisted a laugh, \"Do it discreetly. You can hear the prices as they bargain with each other. Be a little bit more attentive! How do you know that it is cheaper or more expensive than the other seller? If I ask you which are the most affordable vendors then do you know how to reply to me?\"

By now Lu Qingyun was totally ashamed of himself as he humbly replied, \"I will take note of that as well.\" Then he began with great earnest to commit everything to memory. This was really not easy but he was excited because this was his first day of training from his master!

Just as Lu Qingyun was about to take a more detailed look at his surroundings, he was pulled by his hand by Qin Keqin who was exclaiming with delight, \"Qingyun, look over there. It is even more interesting over there and there are also street jugglers over there. Let's take a quick look!\"

Lu Qingyun was startled when his hand was being pulled by her soft and silky hand. He wanted to say, \"Master, what if someone sees us in this manner? They may misunderstand and gossips may start.\"

Although that was clearly in his mind but when he tried to put that into words, he began to stammer. \"Alright. It really seems interesting over there…\"

He could not believe what he was saying…

But he was soon distracted from his thoughts when Qin Keqin had pulled him close to her and he could feel her body that was inclining to him.

He sighed quietly to himself, \"Keqin, if only we can be together and be in this manner, how good it can be?\"

Qin Keqin was also thinking the same, \"If only he didn't like Lie Xingyuan, this feeling is so wonderful. I wish that we can be like this forever.\"

After another hour or so in the streets, the heavens above had suddenly turned dark and it looked like it was about to rain.

Lu Qingyun said, \"It seems that it is about to rain soon. We should go back.\"

Qin Keqin gave a faint smile, \"It may already be too late. We are so far away from the Heavens Ridge Villa now that it is not possible to return before it starts to rain.\"

Then she pointed at a vendor that was selling bamboo umbrellas, \"Let get one of the umbrellas for ourselves.\"

Lu Qingyun nodded and he immediately approached the vendor to say, \"I will like to have two bamboo umbrellas. How much is one?\"

The vendor was an old man and he was smiling. Business was indeed good especially when it was about to rain soon. So he replied, \"50 copper pieces. For two, it will be a silver.\"

Lu Qingyun was startled as he muttered, \"It is so expensive? I've thought that the usual pricing is around 10 copper pieces?\"

The old man chuckled, \"Special circumstances require a special pricing, am I right?\"

Lu Qingyun growled, \"Then goodbye…\"

But Qin Keqin smiled as she said, \"Please give us one umbrella. Here is one silver. You can keep the change.\"

Lu Qingyun was startled as he stammered, \"We can get two umbrellas for a silver…\"

But the old man laughed jovially and suddenly said, \"It is one silver now for one umbrella now.\"

Lu Qingyun: …

\"This is a rip off.\" He said unhappily.

Qin Keqin chuckled softly, \"It is alright. It is exactly what he has said. It is a silver now.\"

\"Keqin…erm master, you're not offended by his rip off tactics or unscrupulous business?\" Lu Qingyun asked.

Qin Keqin smiled gently as she pulled him away, \"He didn't rip us off. I'm the one that offer him a silver for an umbrella…\"

As Lu Qingyun was being pulled away by Qin Keqin, he was heard muttering. \"I can fork out that one extra silver then we don't have to share…\"

The old man was smiling after they were gone, \"What a cute couple. Although I can't see that maiden's face but I can tell that she must be a lovely maiden. This lovely maiden is obviously interested in this fine handsome looking young man but it is a pity that the young man is too inexperienced in romances to know that the maiden only wants to share the umbrella with him. In this way, she can be intimate with him.\"

When Qin Keqin had offered him a silver, he had purposely jack up the price to play along with her and it was not to rip her off. However Lu Qingyun had no idea what was in Qin Keqin's mind and hence, he had thought that the old man was trying to rip them off.