Chapter 350 - 305: Be My Disciple! Take Me as Your Master

After all, a maidservant’s attitude was largely a reflection of her master’s. And besides, not just anyone could get an audience with the Lady of the Xiao Mansion.

As things stood now, it seemed even the Lady of the Xiao Mansion had to treat him with a degree of respect.

Before long, Xiao Mo arrived at the Xiao Mansion’s East Courtyard.

Compared to the tiny courtyard where his mother lived, the East Courtyard was absurdly vast.

The path beneath Xiao Mo’s feet was paved with sky-blue flagstones from the Jin Kingdom, worn to a soft, jade-like luster by countless footsteps over the years.

He walked along a covered gallery. The pillars were unadorned, crafted from what was clearly high-quality, aged wood that gleamed with a deep, steady luster.

The bronze fittings on the railings were shaped like simple bamboo stalks. A faint, dark-green patina had formed on their surface, yet they were smooth to the touch.

The courtyard was expansive. Sunlight, filtered through the surrounding eaves, fell softly upon the ground.

Tucked away in an inconspicuous corner were several stone drum stools, stained with moss. The intertwining lotus patterns carved on them had grown faint with time.

A stone basin stood nearby, half-filled with clear water. Several inky black koi swished their tails leisurely as the round leaves of a water lily or two drifted across the surface.

Massive Taihu rocks were stacked in a seemingly random yet striking formation, their surfaces pocked with holes of varying depths.

When he reached the reception hall of the inner courtyard, Madam Xia Qingke was already waiting.

Several other women stood beside Xia Qingke.

Xiao Mo recognized them as the women who had come looking for his mother the previous night.

Though in her early thirties, Xia Qingke was impeccably preserved. She had a full, well-proportioned figure that could only be cultivated by a life of wealth and status.

Her skin, rarely touched by the sun, was the creamy white of fine jade, so smooth that not a single pore was visible. Her cloud-like mass of jet-black hair was casually tied in a loose chignon, held in place by a simple White Jade Comb.

"Madam, Master Huang and Xiao Mo are here," a maid announced with a bow.

"Huang Shan greets you, Madam."

"Xiao Mo greets you, First Mother."

Both Huang Shan and Xiao Mo saluted with cupped fists.

According to the traditions of the Qin Kingdom, children born of concubines were required to address the matriarch as "First Mother."

"Master Huang, there’s no need for such formalities. Please, have a seat," Madam Xia Qingke said with a smile.

The Madam had just finished speaking when a figure hurried into the reception hall.

Xiao Mo turned to see it was his mother.

Zhou Ruoxi glanced at her Mo’er before quickly looking away. She bowed to Xia Qingke and said, "Ruoxi pays her respects to you, Madam."

"Please rise, Sister Ruoxi," the Madam said.

"Thank you, Madam." Zhou Ruoxi rose to her feet, subtly moving to shield her child behind her.

"We won’t be sitting." Huang Shan addressed the Madam, his tone utterly devoid of the flattery one would expect for the Lady of the Xiao Mansion. "I must ask, why have you summoned my disciple?"

"Oh, it’s nothing of great importance."

Madam Xia Qingke replied deferentially.

"With my husband away on campaign, it falls to me, as the lady of the Xiao Family, to manage household affairs so that he has nothing to worry about.

In my eyes, whether near or distant, all our relatives are part of the Xiao Mansion. Should anything happen in the future, we can all support one another. A family should be harmonious.

However, not long ago, some relatives came to me with a complaint. They said that Xiao Mo beat up the other children at the training grounds and even stole their lunch."

At this, the Madam turned to Zhou Ruoxi. "Sister Ruoxi, is there any truth to this?"

Zhou Ruoxi bit her lip and replied, "In response to your question, Madam, these events did occur. But it has nothing to do with Mo’er. It is my failure as a mother. Mo’er is still young, only a three-year-old child. I beg you, Madam, do not hold this against him. I am willing to accept any punishment."

"I did do it!" Xiao Mo stepped forward, hearing his mother’s words. "But they started it first! And we already made up today. If First Mother doesn’t believe me, you can ask Xiao Yang and the others."

"Mo’er! Don’t be rude!" Zhou Ruoxi hastily pulled him back behind her.

Just as Zhou Ruoxi was about to speak again, Master Huang burst out laughing.

"HAHAHA! I thought it was ridiculous when I first heard about it.

Our Qin Kingdom was founded on martial might! And that boy, Xiao Shi, is a fine warrior who has bled on the battlefield.

As a man of the Xiao Family, he must be strong.

What’s there to punish? What’s there to apologize for?

If they can’t accept it, they should have let their fists do the talking.

They lost the fight, plain and simple. What else is there to say?

I have no desire to get involved in the affairs of you women.

But on the training grounds, what I say goes.

Does the Madam have a problem with that?"

"What do you think you are, daring to speak to the Madam that way? You even dare to speak the Prince’s name so casually!"

One of the women beside the Madam stepped forward, pointing an accusatory finger at Master Huang.

She had long found this tutor insufferable. Not only did he work her son to the bone, but he was also incredibly arrogant and condescending.

’Now that I have the Madam’s authority to back me up, I’ll let him have it.’

The Madam’s brow furrowed. She said to her maid, Huan Ying, "Huan Ying, slap her."

"Yes, he deserves a..."

SMACK!

Before the woman could finish her sentence, Huan Ying’s hand had already struck her across the face.

The woman clutched her face, her mind reeling.

"Slap her again."

SMACK!

"Again!"

SMACK!

After three consecutive slaps, red palm prints adorned both of the woman’s cheeks.

She had assumed the Madam meant for Huan Ying to slap Master Huang and humiliate him.

She never imagined she would be the one getting slapped.

"I have been remiss in my duties as lady of this house, allowing Master Huang to witness such a spectacle. I offer you my apologies." The Madam stepped down from her chair and gave Master Huang a slight bow.

"Madam, may we leave now?" Huang Shan asked, completely unfazed.

"Of course." The Madam nodded. "In truth, I only asked Sister Ruoxi and Mo’er to come today to clarify the situation. I had no other intention. Henceforth, all matters concerning the training grounds will be left to Master Huang’s discretion. We will not interfere."

"As long as the Madam understands." Huang Shan offered a cupped-fist salute, then glanced at the little tyke beside him. "Let’s go."

"Oh, okay, Master..."

Xiao Mo numbly followed his master out.

Zhou Ruoxi bade farewell to the Madam and also hurried out of the reception hall.

Since Master Huang was going to give Xiao Mo some private instruction, Zhou Ruoxi could only return home first and wait for her son. Xiao Mo, in turn, followed Master Huang to the training grounds.

"Master, why does even the Madam have to show you respect?"

Xiao Mo asked curiously as they walked.

"Heh." Master Huang ruffled Xiao Mo’s hair, looking pleased with himself. "Forget Xia Qingke. Even your father would have to bow to me respectfully if he were here."

"You’re that amazing?"

"I am." Master Huang lifted his head proudly. "In any case, from now on you don’t need to worry about a thing. Just focus on your training. Got it?"

"I understand, Master," Xiao Mo nodded.

"By the way, kid, you haven’t been eating your fill lately, have you?" Master Huang asked, looking at Xiao Mo.

"No, I haven’t..." Xiao Mo admitted honestly.

"Don’t you worry about your food. From now on at lunch, you can eat as much as you want; I’ll handle it. But, kid, I have one condition."

"What condition, Master?" Xiao Mo asked with childlike innocence.

"Become my disciple! Take me as your Master!"

Master Huang stopped in his tracks and spoke to Xiao Mo in a serious tone.

"Even though you call me ’Master,’ there is a world of difference between a tutor and a true Master. As the saying goes, ’a teacher for a day, a father for life.’ If you take me as your Master, I will be like a second father to you. You’re still young, so it’s fine if you don’t understand. You don’t have to agree right away. You can go home and discuss it with your mother.

Once you become my disciple, I will hold nothing back and teach you every Spear Technique I have ever learned."

"Master, is your Spear Technique really that good?" Xiao Mo asked. A child’s words carry no ill intent, after all.

"Very high!" Master Huang nodded.

"How high is it?" Xiao Mo was genuinely starting to feel expectant.

"How high, you ask?" Master Huang thought for a moment, then pointed to a pavilion ahead of them. "See that building over there? Your master’s Spear Technique is as high as that three-story pavilion."

"Three stories high? That’s... not very high at all," Xiao Mo said, looking a little disappointed.

"HAHAHA."

Huang Shan didn’t get angry. He just laughed heartily and strode onward.

"Master, wait for me!"

Xiao Mo broke into a trot to catch up.

「A long, long time later, Xiao Mo would finally understand.」

That when his Master said his skill was "as high as a three-story building," it was truly, immeasurably high.

And that his Master stood alone on that third story, with no one else above him.