Oh. My. Fate?! (BL, Volume #1)

13 The True Master

Qiu Ling reached the edge of thevillage just in time to see Madam Zhong falling. Nobody stood behindher to catch her. And not just that. One of the villagers had placedhis sickle in the window sill. While flailing Madam Zhong knocked itdown. If she fell onto it ...

Qiu Ling lifted his hand and thewinds picked up. They caught Madam Zhong and shoved her in the otherdirection. She collided with Miss Lian and Madam Pan and pushed bothof them to the ground. Even worse, in his haste, Qiu Ling hadn'tconsidered that this was the mortal realm. The gust shoved the othervillagers too and they all landed in a heap on the ground.

Qiu Ling winced. He formed a fist,raised it slowly to his mouth and coughed. "That ... lookedquite dangerous," he commented and strolled toward the villagersas if nothing had happened. Ah, they couldn't blame him! Who hadasked them to place such a dangerous thing there and then shove ayoung woman around? He had only tried to help!

The people looked at him in a daze.Even Qiguan Cheng Da had fallen. He opened his mouth to say somethingbut then reconsidered with a look at Qiu Ling's clothes. The personin front of him obviously was a cultivator too and judging from thatgust of wind just now he was powerful.

"Madam Zhong, are you alright?"Qiu Ling stopped in front of the Zhongs and smiled serenely.

The villagers who were just about tocomplain shut right up. "Is that ... Is that a real immortal?"asked Madam Pan Mister Pi who stood behind her.

Mister Pi pursed his lips. Comparingthe man before them to Qiguan Cheng Da he indeed seemed more like animmortal. "Of course! Just have a look at his robes. They seemreally ordinary at first glance but wise people would be able toimmediately ascertain that they are made of a special thread."

Qiu Ling took a hasty glance at hisown robe to make sure he hadn't made it look like anything from theimmortal realms in his haste. Something like that might just lead toanother strange rumor that would implicate Jing He. But no, his robedidn't look like it was from the immortal realms. It seemed like arobe from the mortal world. And quite an ordinary one at that. Whatspecial thread? This clearly looked like it was only made of hemp!

"Oh!" Madam Pan was quiteimpressed and stole a glance at Qiguan Cheng Da. She leaned closer toMister Pi and motioned at the young Daoist. Lowering her voice sheasked: "Then what about him?"

Mister Pi followed her glance andsnorted. 'Common people, eh?' he thought. We'll see about that!"Oh, it's nothing much. But, well, Cheng Da is still young. Ofcourse, he couldn't have attained the same heights as this manbefore us."

Qiguan Cheng Da furrowed his browbut smoothed it out just as fast. He might not have been a cultivatorfor long and his talent might not even be average but he could stillclearly hear what people whispered about him five steps away.

Madam Pan and Mister Pi had been sowelcoming before and he normally felt that it was beneath his dignityto even talk to common people anyway. Today he had been magnanimousand made an exception but now they actually dared to say things likethat!

Who did they think they were tospeak about him like that? They were just some commoners who wouldnever in their life leave this damned place! But he, he was acultivator now! Even though he might not make it to a high levelbased on his meager talent who knew what might happen in the future?Cultivation had always been something that didn't only rely ontalent. There was luck involved too.

Well, whatever he thought hecouldn't let the villagers around him notice. He had to uphold hisimage so he just pretended not to hear anything while he continuedscolding them in his heart.

"But that man seems quiteyoung, too." Madam Pan wasn't quite satisfied with Mister Pi'scomparison just yet.

"Indeed." Mister Piexamined Qiu Ling from head to toe. Qiguan Cheng Da was only ajuvenile so he still had some time to try to reach the height MisterPi proclaimed Qiu Ling to have.

"Well ... He is immortal, afterall," added Mister Pi after some contemplation. "He onlylooks young. He is probably ... of my age."

"Your age?"

"Mn ... No, no. My father'sage. I misspoke. How could he only be of my age as an immortal?"

Qiu Ling resisted the urge to rollhis eyes and turned toward the door. Mister Pan just came out,carrying a child that had scrunched up his face as if it would crythe next instant. Qiu Ling's heart shook.

My poor beloved! I shouldn't haveleft you alone!