12 - Crazy! Criticizing the Prime Minister for Being a Servant

She didn’t really want it, but when you're falsely accused, what can you do? Lin Yuxue would likely make a fuss about this sword anyway, so Ning Songwu figured it was better to act first. Before sleeping, Ning Songwu turned over and sighed deeply. Oh heavens, she was just a lazy person with no ambitions. Why was she being forced into action? Was this her punishment? She had to admit, it was quite effective—it really hurt her! Ah, for the sake of survival, she had to be ready for anything. She glanced at her potential outcomes. She used to know how she would die, but now, she had no clue. She had to be wary of everything. With that, she sighed again. She had a restless night. Maybe it was because she had something on her mind. The next morning, barely after the sun began its ascent, Ning Songwu got up and awkwardly dressed herself in elaborate attire, following the subtitles she was given. This outfit was undeniably a fine piece from Ran Fanyin. A white robe, with golden threads sewn along the shoulder lines and collar, a gold-edged soft belt around the waist, slightly cinched, with the robe falling to her ankles. She looked like one of Ran Fanyin's fine folding fans come to life. Though she managed to put on the clothes, her hair was a different story. After fiddling with it for a long time, she gave up on replicating the style from the previous day and simply tied it into a neat high ponytail to match her fitted long robe. She hesitated for a moment, then looked in the water mirror in her room. It didn't look too bad. [Shifu shouldn’t laugh at me… right?] From a distance, Ran Fanyin heard her disciple’s anxious thoughts and was extremely curious about how this girl had dressed herself to invite such concern. The clothes she had given were not complicated; compared to her own wardrobe, they were relatively simple to wear. [I've only seen this online before. It's really a hassle to put on myself.] “Online”? Ran Fanyin, holding a cup of tea, raised her eyebrows slightly. What kind of word was that? Her little disciple seemed… intriguing. Overnight, Ning Songwu’s information had been sorted and placed in front of Ran Fanyin. The girl’s past was very clean, no parents, grown up near the feet of Shangyun Sect, fed by various families. She had been taken into the outer sect six years ago, silent and unsociable. In the outer sect for six years, she had performed chores for four, and two years ago, she had entered the Tao by chance. Now, she was in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. There was no sign of the negative impact typically brought by such a background; her cultivation speed was stable and fast—a true genius. Once she cultivated a method truly suited to her, she would likely advance even quicker. With such talent, how could she be without parents? Elder Ran sipped her warm tea, pondered over her thoughts, and silently adjusted her speculations, listening carefully to her disciple's thoughts. After a sigh, the thoughts calmed down, and the sound of footsteps approached. In no time, a girl in white robes with a high ponytail appeared at the door, nervously tugging at her clothes. Ran Fanyin took a glance and paused for a moment. This girl really didn’t know how to dress herself, did she? Suppressing her laughter, she waved her over. “Come here.” Blushing, the young girl stiffened her neck and approached. [Sob, sob…I knew it. I didn’t wear it right; Shifu will surely be disappointed.] [It’s so hard to wear.] Ran Fanyin internally amended her earlier verdict. This little one, though quiet in speech, had a very active mind—so noisy. “The clothes are fine, just need slight adjustments. I’ll help you with your hair this time; watch closely and learn.” “...Thank you, Shifu.” Ning Songwu felt a bit shy, and sat stiffly in front of Ran Fanyin, tightly gripping the hem of her robe. She didn’t notice that Ran Fanyin’s way of addressing herself had softened. Her entire mind was consumed by anxiety. [Pretty Shifu smells so nice. She has such long and skillful hands.] Ran Fanyin was amused. It was just a simple hairstyle—how did she come up with “skillful hands”? The praise warmed her heart, making her movements gentler as she meticulously styled the girl’s hair. Moments later, leaning back lazily in her chair, Elder Ran observed the girl standing upright in front of her. Despite looking a bit malnourished and having a pale complexion, she had good foundations. Over time, she would surely thrive. But... She glanced at the girl’s slender body and sighed softly. Not sure if that would ever develop. [Shifu, don’t sigh like that… Though my figure is indeed a bit plain… Well, if I eat better, I should grow. Even if not, it’s okay. Flat chests look good in shirts.] [Oh, there aren't shirts in this era…] [I’m doomed.] Ran Fanyin accurately caught the key term in her thoughts: "this era." It made her suspect that her little disciple’s actual age might be much older than her appearance suggested. Perhaps there was some unspeakable secret. But she didn’t delve deeper, merely incorporating this hint into her previous clues. Then, resting her chin on her hand, she said softly, “This is my first time teaching a disciple; let’s give it a try.” [It's okay, Shifu. My mentors in the past often praised me for being low-maintenance, only needing periodic checks to see if I’m still alive. I won’t trouble you.] Elder Ran: Is that supposed to be a compliment? Is my little disciple perhaps a bit silly? They stood facing each other for a while. Ning Songwu stuttered, “Shifu, is today’s training… standing posture?” [Oh my goodness, the atmosphere is so weird. Shifu, why are you not talking? This makes me, who’s socially anxious, very scared.] Ran Fanyin cleared her throat. “Of course not, I almost forgot. Follow me.” Elder Ran: Ahem, her thoughts are too interesting. I got carried away listening. Since Ning Songwu still couldn’t fly, and the sword’s space was too small, Elder Zhu Que dutifully waited by the cliff for the two. Elder Ran grabbed the girl's wrist, hesitated for a moment, then switched to grip her shoulder, and without a breeze, leapt onto Zhu Que's wide back.