Chapter Six: I Am Your Grandmaster

Over the next half hour, Lin Yi deliberately guided Wang Yang, effortlessly resolving every cultivation dilemma Wang Yang posed. Though age had caught up with him, Wang Yang’s thirst for knowledge remained undiminished; he absorbed information like a sponge. Cultivators possessed memory and comprehension far superior to ordinary people, so in just a short span, Wang Yang gained more than he had from ten years of arduous practice.

Half an hour later, Wang Yang’s confusion on his cultivation path had vanished. He bowed deeply to Lin Yi once again. “Thank you, Teacher, for your guidance.”

Lin Yi, casual by nature and disliking excessive formalities, waved his hand. “No need for ceremony. Since you call me Teacher, it is my duty to be responsible for your cultivation. By the way, I have another purpose today—to retrieve the Arcane Vessel.”

The Arcane Vessel was a superior magical artifact. Years ago, Lin Yi not only taught each of them a cultivation method but also gifted them such an artifact.

Fill the Arcane Vessel with water and let it sit overnight; the water would transform into spiritual liquid, useful for assisting cultivation and healing injuries or dispelling illnesses.

Wang Yang, despite his limited talent, reached the tenth level of the Strengthening Technique thanks both to his personal effort and this spiritual liquid.

Now that society was peaceful, Lin Yi naturally wanted to collect these magical artifacts.

“Teacher, please wait. I’ll fetch it for you at once.” Wang Yang didn’t hesitate at all.

He knew well that with Lin Yi’s strength, destroying the Wang family would be as easy as lifting a finger.

He once thought that, through years of cultivation, he might narrow the gap between their abilities. But seeing Lin Yi again today, he realized how laughable that notion was. The man before him was an insurmountable mountain, daunting and unreachable.

Wang Yang left the room and saw Wang Ke, her face pressed against the wall, eavesdropping without a shred of dignity. There went the image of a refined young lady, replaced by a peeping tom.

“What are you doing?” Wang Yang asked sternly. Normally, her willfulness was tolerable, but today, with the Teacher present, any offense could cost the entire Wang family dearly.

“Grandpa, I…” Caught red-handed, Wang Ke stammered.

She was simply curious about what her grandfather and Lin Yi were doing in the room for so long.

Yet no matter how she strained her ears, she hadn’t caught a single word.

“You…” Wang Yang shook his head helplessly at his granddaughter’s antics.

Wang Ke stuck out her tongue; she knew her grandfather well and sensed he wasn’t angry. She immediately grinned. “Grandpa, I’m just worried about you. Who exactly is Lin Yi?”

Wang Yang waved dismissively. “So young and already so nosy. Go back to your room. Don’t pry into things you shouldn’t.”

“Oh.” Wang Ke pouted. Since her grandfather wouldn’t tell her, further questions were pointless, so she returned to her room.

Wang Yang fetched the Arcane Vessel and presented it respectfully. “Teacher, here is the Arcane Vessel you wanted.”

The vessel was palm-sized, resembling a black gourd with a shimmering surface.

Lin Yi took the Arcane Vessel. With a tap of his finger, the vessel vanished instantly.

“Remarkable, Teacher!” Wang Yang exclaimed. He had seen Lin Yi’s feats as a child, but witnessing them again filled him with awe.

Lin Yi smiled lightly. “Just a simple vaporization technique, nothing noteworthy.”

Vaporization techniques came in many forms. The one Lin Yi used stored objects in gaseous form within his person, akin to the legendary ‘universe in a sleeve.’

Though simple to cultivate and considered a basic spell for immortals, it consumed a huge amount of spiritual energy. Only Lin Yi, with his nine golden cores, could use it freely.

Unfortunately, the present world was ill-suited for immortality cultivation; one could at best reach the ninth level of Qi Refinement, never breaking through to Foundation Establishment, let alone the higher realms.

With the Arcane Vessel retrieved and his old acquaintance met, Lin Yi’s purpose was fulfilled, and he saw no need to linger.

Before departing, Wang Yang offered a property deed with sincere respect. “Teacher, I know ordinary things hardly interest you. This is the transfer contract for Villa No. 8 at Lake Dragon Bay. I hope you’ll accept it.”

Lin Yi had lived in Lan City for years and knew the villa’s value—it wasn’t something money could buy.

He accepted Wang Yang’s gesture without refusal, knowing he had given Wang Yang far more than the villa was worth, and felt at ease taking it.

“In front of others, just call me by my name.”

Lin Yi didn’t want undue attention. The Wang family was one of the top ten families in Lan City, and if word got out that Wang Yang called a twenty-something youth ‘Teacher,’ all of Lan City would be abuzz.

Seeing Lin Yi accept the contract, Wang Yang breathed a sigh of relief. “Teacher, that won’t do. How about I call you ‘Sir’ instead?”

Lin Yi nodded. ‘Sir’ had the meaning of ‘Teacher’ in the past, and it sounded less conspicuous.

Finally, Wang Yang summoned Wang Ke and instructed her repeatedly: “Escort Mr. Lin home. Do whatever he asks you to.”

“Grandpa, am I really your granddaughter?” Wang Ke complained. Was she supposed to obey Lin Yi even if he wanted to sleep with her?

“Yes, of course.” Wang Yang was puzzled. If she wasn’t his granddaughter, was she picked up off the street?

“Then why does it feel like he’s your real grandson?” Wang Ke pointed at Lin Yi, her jealousy evident.

She had never seen her grandfather care so much for a young man. Even the brightest talents of Lan City only earned a few compliments at best.

But her grandfather’s attitude toward Lin Yi was almost excessively attentive, treating him like a steward.

“Don’t talk nonsense.” Wang Yang quickly covered Wang Ke’s mouth and glanced at Lin Yi, relieved to see he didn’t mind.

One can eat recklessly, but words must be chosen carefully; if the Teacher took offense, not even Wang Yang could protect Wang Ke.

Lin Yi stood nearby. Wang Ke’s words were loud enough for him to hear clearly, but he couldn’t be bothered to quarrel with a little girl.

“Let’s go.” Wang Ke said with a sour face.

Lin Yi smiled gently and got into the car.

Wang Ke started the car, and after driving for a while, asked suddenly, “Hey, you said before you could solve my troubles. Is that true?”

“Of course,” Lin Yi nodded.

Seeing Lin Yi so readily agree, Wang Ke’s curiosity flared. “Can you tell me how?”

“Certainly. The issue is a flaw in your Strengthening Technique. If you revise it and practice anew, your condition will gradually dissipate,” Lin Yi replied.

Wang Ke’s tone turned hostile. “Hmph, that’s as good as saying nothing. The Strengthening Technique is a family legacy, thoroughly refined—how could it need revision?”

“Are you sure it’s a family legacy?” Lin Yi asked with a playful smile.

“If it’s not family, then what, yours?” Wang Ke snapped like a little pepper, quick to anger.

Lin Yi thought to himself, she’s actually right—it was indeed his creation.

But Wang Ke didn’t believe him, and instead, she mentally labeled Lin Yi as a braggart. Perhaps he had some skills, but he fell far short of her expectations.

Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she continued, “You must be my grandpa’s new disciple, right?”

Lin Yi shook his head. “You’re mistaken. I am your grandfather’s master. Strictly speaking, you should call me Grandmaster.”

“Pah! Overconfident. With your puny frame, you want to be my Grandmaster? Why don’t we have a match?” Wang Ke fumed, her face flushed with anger.

The Wang family had earned its place among the top ten through her grandfather’s own efforts, not empty boasting.

Lin Yi knew the truth would never be believed and chose not to explain further, closing his eyes to rest.

Wang Ke assumed Lin Yi was afraid, and smugly lifted her chin. “By the way, I heard at the bar you got fired?”

“Mm.” Lin Yi half-opened his eyes.

“Need me to help you find a job?” Wang Ke asked with a playful smile, her eyes crescent-shaped and adorable.

“No need,” Lin Yi replied, shaking his head.

He sought work only to stave off monotony, not out of necessity. Besides, if he truly wanted a job, he had no reason to rely on a little girl.

“Hmph, pretending to be noble.” Wang Ke snorted, convinced that Lin Yi was suffering from pure male pride, clinging to his dignity.

Soon, Wang Ke delivered Lin Yi to his residence. Watching his departing figure, she secretly gave him a middle finger before driving off.

Lin Yi shook his head and smiled; her little gesture naturally didn’t escape his notice.