Journey to the West: The Mountain Shaker

Chapter 106 Teacher Yin's Experience 2

"Xiao Lin..." Yin Lianli looked at the other person with pleading eyes, but Xu Xiao Lin turned his face away and ignored him.

Yin Lianli said, "Xiaolin, you know I'm terrified of death. I don't mind being a spy, but only in the market. The academy is too dangerous. I only went to the academy because of your suggestion. Now, if you insist on letting me go, I'll need your word."

"What did you say?" Xu Xiaolin asked.

"You said before that if I went to the academy as a spy and made good contributions, I could marry into your family," Yin Lianli said bluntly, steeling his resolve. "Now, if I go back to the academy, you'll have to allow me to marry into your family!"

"You're marrying into my family? Ha, who do you want to marry? My sister, or my younger sister?" Xu Xiaolin was taken aback, then burst into laughter as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world.

At first, he thought Yin Lianli was joking and just chuckled, but Yin Lianli, though extremely embarrassed, remained very serious.

Xu Xiaolin finally couldn't help but burst into laughter, pointing at his face as he laughed until he bent over and coughed uncontrollably.

"I'm a good match for your sister, aren't I? As long as I can see you all the time, I'll do anything for you—marry into your family, change my surname..."

Yin Lianli's head almost shrank into his shoulders, and his whole body shrank. He spoke very softly and very quickly the words he had thought of countless times, but he was interrupted by Xu Xiaolin without any politeness as soon as he started.

"Impossible!" Xu Xiaolin sat down again and said sarcastically, "Teacher Yin, you are over thirty years old, while my sister is only 13. You want to marry into my family? An old cow eating young grass? Have some shame."

"Isn't this something we should say in advance? We're all cultivators, so an age difference of more than ten years shouldn't be a problem..." Yin Lianli argued softly.

"Is it an age issue? Age is the least of your problems!" Xu Xiaolin interrupted Yin Lianli again. "The key point is, you're not good enough for her—in terms of family background, personality, talent… except for your looks, you're not good enough for her in any way!"

Xu Xiaolin was clearly getting impatient. He tapped the table and stood up again: "Just tell me if you're going or not! If you're going, come with me; if not, get back to your Thirteenth Family!"

Yin Lianli buried his head in his arms and muttered very softly, "People will die. I can't go."

"Really not going?"

"I really can't go, Xiaolin. You don't know, the moment I close my eyes I see Lao Bao's corpse. One second he was talking to me, the next second his head flew off. I... Waaaaah..."

Ms. Yin, who was in her thirties, embarrassingly burst into tears in front of Xu Xiaolin, leaving Xu speechless.

It seems that forcing people won't work; we still need to give them some hope.

After a moment, Xu Xiaolin spoke up: "I signed up for the Great Wilderness Trial. I've been running back and forth these past few days, and my classes have been on and off. There are only three months left, and I probably won't be coming out again after this trip. You probably won't see me again."

What?!

Yin Lianli raised his head with tears in his eyes, his face filled with disbelief.

Xu Xiaolin repeated: "We absolutely must kill this so-called Son of Aolai. After this incident, it will probably be difficult to do anything here. We can only go to the Great Wilderness to kill him."

"You're going to the Great Wilderness?" Yin Lianli panicked immediately.

"Yes, going to the Great Wilderness was decided months ago, I just haven't told you yet," Xu Xiaolin nodded.

"Then I have to go too." Yin Lianli wiped away the tears on his face, vigorously rubbing his face, and quickly racked his brains.

He quickly came up with an idea: "I'll go back to the academy and sort out the succession within six months. There are quite a few students in the top class who are weak in certain subjects. I'll give them some extra lessons during this time, build good relationships with them, and then find a reason to get them to reserve a ticket to the Great Wilderness for me?"

"Okay." Xu Xiaolin agreed, turned around and walked towards the courtyard gate. "Let's go, you're dawdling, Wan Jie Bao must be getting impatient."

Yin Lianli got up and followed, asking in a low voice, "Xiaolin, with you running around like this, are you keeping up with all your classes? I'm Teacher Dahuang Tong, how about I give you some extra tutoring these next few days..."

Xu Xiaolin ignored him completely. The small courtyard where they met was at the east end of the market. After walking half a mile from the door, they reached the forest area. After turning a few corners on the forest path, they left the market and walked several hundred meters more before finding Wan Jie Bao in a secluded spot.

Xu Xiaolin introduced Yin Lianli to Wan Jiebao, who didn't bother to say a word. He simply took Yin Lianli on his flying sword, flew straight east, and dropped Yin Lianli off at a giant rock on the coast.

Beneath the giant rock, the Hundred-Benefit Rat had been waiting for a long time.

"Just one thing." Bai Sunshu didn't waste any words and directly pointed his finger at Yin Lianli's forehead. "Who is that girl you drew? Ask her out so I can see her."

really!

Yin Lianli took a large step back. Although he was prepared, he was still speechless for a moment.

"What? You're reluctant?" Bai Sunshu asked earnestly. "She's just a woman. If you can trade her for a spy, Xingyue will definitely agree. Go and talk to them properly. If they're willing, I won't report you. Of course, if she's not good-looking in person, then I won't take her."

"It's not that I'm unwilling," Yin Lianli said with a wry smile. "Mr. Baisun... I'm just a lowly spy. I can only become an outer disciple of Xingyue after serving for ten years, while that girl is an inner disciple of a century-old family in Fangcun Mountain. There's such a big difference in our status..."

Yin Lianli made a gesture of heaven and earth and said sincerely to Bai Sunshu, "People like us are just dogs in their eyes. Let alone replacing her, even if they knew I secretly drew her portrait, I would be beaten to death."

"Is that so?" Bai Sunshu was a little doubtful, but he knew in his heart that Yin Lianli was telling the truth. He pondered for a moment and changed his conditions, "I'm just curious... well, I just want to see her. It's okay to see her, it's not like I want her to do anything. I can just see her from afar."

"I'm afraid it's difficult," Yin Lianli honestly admitted. "As you know, everyone is preparing for the Great Wilderness Exams during this period. Xingyue has organized a closed-door training camp, and our academy can't even get some materials from them. How could we possibly let her out... Besides, Mr. Baisun, even painters tend to beautify their paintings. The real person will definitely disappoint you. There are several girls in our Jingtianfang Yichun Courtyard who are prettier than her..."

"Then why don't you draw the brothel?" Bai Sunshu interrupted.

"Uh... I'm a bit... a germaphobe, yes, a germaphobe. I don't like the kind of thing where a thousand men ride and ten thousand men sleep with you," Yin Lianli explained.

"We're kindred spirits! I'm a germaphobe too—I only like people with germaphobia!" Bai Sunshu laughed as he walked over and patted Yin Lianli on the shoulder. Unfortunately, he was a head shorter than Yin Lianli, so he only patted the other's chest. He then gestured for Yin Lianli to squat down.

Yin Lianli bent down obediently, and Bai Sunshu patted his shoulder a few times and then touched his face.

Before Yin Lianli could react, he was suddenly turned around and shoved forward by Bai Sunshu. He involuntarily reached out and pressed his hand against the rock, then heard a few soft "sizzling" sounds. His Taoist robe and underwear were torn by the dagger, revealing his fair and tender lower body...

The sea breeze is salty and bitter, and the rocks are cold.

Yin Lianli closed his eyes, unwilling to think or see anything. Half an hour later, the ordeal finally ended, and the Hundred-Burning Rat shook its legs and left.

Yin Lianli's legs were weak, and he had to lean on a rock to stand up...

Half an hour later, Yin Lianli returned to Jingtianfang in a daze, bringing Xu Xiaolin a reply: Baisunshu wanted a ticket to the Great Wilderness.

"Sure, as long as he promises not to hurt Xingyue again, I'll give him a ticket." Xu Xiaolin agreed without hesitation, then looked at Yin Lianli with a puzzled expression, "What's wrong? Did he torment you?"

One question filled Yin Lianli with bitterness, and tears welled up in his eyes. He truly wanted to speak but couldn't, wanted to speak but couldn't...

But despite his tearful attempts to speak, he only managed to utter one sentence: "I have to go back."

Having been away from the academy for a long time, Yin Lianli had been temporarily replaced by Teacher Yue. Teacher Yue kept complaining, and the academy kept urging him to return immediately.

So he didn't say anything more. Under Xu Xiaolin's questioning gaze, Yin Lianli took his leave. As he turned around, his knees buckled and he almost fell. However, he quickly steadied himself by holding onto the door frame, took a deep breath, and left without looking back.

In the past, Yin Lianli would always dawdle and be reluctant to leave, but this time he was unusually decisive.

Xu Xiaolin couldn't help but be curious, so he watched Yin Lianli walk out of the courtyard gate.

Yes, although the style is the same, this robe is new; the previous one must have been torn to shreds. I guess his leg is also quite badly injured, because he can't even walk properly.

This man, he cries at the slightest thing, but now that he's been beaten like this, he hasn't said a word...