Chapter 4 Part 1

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Chapter 4: Poverty Discourages Me (Part 1)

“Master.”

Bai Lian looked at An Lan’s worried face and decided to seize the moment. She needed to strike while the iron was hot.

Taking a deep breath, she launched into her speech.

“Don’t be afraid of the difficulties we encounter. Smile at them!” she began with fervor. “If there’s something troubling you, don’t bottle it up. Speak out, and let’s work together. After all, many hands make light work.”

She continued, pulling out anecdotes and weaving them into her argument. One such story involved an oil peddler.

“Kang Su asked, ‘Do you also know how to shoot? Do you shoot well?'” Bai Lian recounted.

“The oil peddler replied, ‘That is nothing special. I can do it because I have practiced it a lot.'”

An Lan’s head lifted slightly. Her deep eyes, like tranquil spring water, rippled faintly.

Bai Lian smiled warmly, her expression like the gentle flow of a river.

She felt as if she were a teacher standing at the front of a classroom, enlightening a confused young student.

Yes, that’s exactly what this feels like, Bai Lian thought. In her mind, the dark cave faded, replaced by a warm classroom bathed in the glow of the setting sun. Only she and An Lan remained, their figures outlined by the golden light.

Suddenly, inspiration struck.

Since deciding to create a family portrait, Bai Lian had been at a loss for how to arrange it. Just gathering everyone together seemed too plain. But now, she had an idea.

The intersection of past and present, dream and reality—her vision began to take shape:

The world’s famous painting: “Class Delayed Before School in Early Summer!”

Her eyes lit up. This was it.

Her excitement reminded her of a time from her previous life when she had considered becoming a teacher.

Both of her parents were teachers, and their influence had naturally shaped her thoughts. Yet she had ultimately given up on the idea.

“I’m useless,” Bai Lian had once thought.

She couldn’t even plan her own life properly—how could she stand before a group of bright-eyed students and teach them about the future?

In this life, however, the irony was clear. She had become someone else’s “teacher” without even trying.

“It’s too hard,” Bai Lian sighed inwardly.

Before coming to this world, she wouldn’t have imagined feeling so deeply about such things.

As much as she changed those around her, they, too, had changed her. The relationship between a master and disciple was far more complex than she had ever anticipated.

She summarized her thoughts aloud:

“In this world, only those who reach the level of an Immortal can be truly omniscient. The rest of us are just fish, struggling in a vast sea of pain.”

An Lan’s eyes rippled even more intensely at those words.

Yes, she thought. That’s right.

But something still felt wrong.

From the moment Bai Lian had turned around to apologize, a strange tension had filled the air.

Bai Lian was standing; An Lan was sitting.

Bai Lian was speaking; An Lan was silent.

Who was the master here?

An Lan’s pride as the Heavenly Lord, accustomed to overseeing life and death, couldn’t bear this reversal of roles.

Suddenly, she stood up, her gaze sharp and commanding.

“?”

Bai Lian froze, instinctively leaning back.

A chill swept through the room, as if she had plunged from a warm greenhouse into an icy cave.

“Sit down!” An Lan ordered, pointing to her bed.

Without thinking, Bai Lian obeyed, sitting stiffly on the edge of the stone bed.

“Come here!”

“Ah?”

Confused, Bai Lian leaned forward slightly.

Then, out of nowhere, An Lan conjured a yellow bamboo ruler.

Here comes the ruler!

Before Bai Lian could react, the ruler struck with a crisp snap.

“How dare you scold me? This is your punishment!” An Lan declared, her strikes swift and decisive. “Stay still and take it!”

Bai Lian was furious.

“I was trying to comfort you, and this is how you repay me? You rebellious teacher who doesn’t understand my good intentions!”

Her anger simmered as the ruler came down again. “One day, I’ll return the favor. I’ll smack you myself—bare-handed!”

Finally, An Lan stopped and pointed toward the mouth of the cave.

“Get out. And don’t come back without my permission!”

“Tsk.” Bai Lian rolled her eyes.

“Do you think I like coming into your cave? It’s cold, damp, and depressing. If I stay here any longer, I’ll end up with arthritis, osteoporosis, and a lumbar strain!”

Without another word, Bai Lian turned and hurried away.

Once she was alone, An Lan yawned and curled up under her quilt like a cocoon. She rolled around for a bit before sitting up again.

No, it’s not time to sleep yet.

Bai Lian’s words echoed in her mind: “Don’t be afraid of difficulties. Smile at them!”

Resolving to face her challenges, An Lan made a decision.

She would let Bai Lian continue teaching Xiao Jinse and Su Youwei, keeping the younger disciples out of her karmic entanglements.

As for Bai Lian…

It’s already too late.