Your Teacher I, am Hella Rich

Chapter 25 - Perhaps There's More Than Meets The Eye

【Milk Tea Small Crisp: What’s wrong?】

The comic relief substitute continued to engage in gossip in the team channel with the other bosses, snacking on melons in gusto. Ji Xiaoli felt depressed after roughly having figured out the truth. However, no one could prove his speculation correct if he did not seek out YueJian ChunHe himself to validate the veracity of his deduction.

But how could Ji Xiaoli question YueJian ChunHe for confirmation?

If it were true, that would be equivalent to him literally sending himself up on a silver platter for the scum YueJian ChunHe to beat up.

If it was unfounded… That’s even more humiliating!

With his mind in turmoil, Ji Xiaoli failed to notice his disciple’s words, nor his difference in tone of voice compared to what was considered routine. When Milk Tea repeated his question, Ji Xiaoli finally roused himself.

【Teacher Orders a Salute: It’s… It’s nothing. It’s just that I may have misunderstood YueJian ChunHe. Perhaps he wasn’t the one who tricked me…】

【Milk Tea Small Crisp: He played you for a fool?】

Ji Xiaoli: “…”

Disciple, did you have to be so blunt to go straight to the point?!

Not even the slightest tact!

Ji Xiaoli was too embarrassed to reveal his foolish actions way back when, so he only muttered vaguely.

Knight Errant Road had been online for three months. Ji Xiaoli was amongst the first batch of players to the game. He had zero context to the aspects of the game, including the equipment, levels, and dungeons as it was his first time playing an online game. The game recommended Emeis as mechanically simple and can be picked up in no time, which prompted him to decide to be an Emei.

The Emei sect in Jin Yong’s epics consists of both men and women alike.

But when it came to Knight Errant Road, the Emei sect only took in female disciples. Ji Xiaoli was, however, not flustered.

【Teacher Orders a Salute: To tell you the truth, I used to play on an Emei account… Of course, I was nowhere as good as you. I was just a regular Emei. The highest I ever placed on the Emei rankings were in the eighties. I later took on a disciple. But, I didn’t expect it to be YueJian ChunHe’s alt account.】

Ruan Fenghe’s gaze flashed at the words on the screen.

【Milk Tea Small Crisp: What’s your IGN?】

Ji Xiaoli did not think twice before typing up his ID. He had no qualms about why his disciple was asking this question in the first place.

【Fanciful Oddity.】

【…】

Ji Xiaoli:【Ah, let’s not talk about it anymore. One of YueJian ChunHe’s proxy mentioned that he did not even use that alt and that it was usually his sub that goes online. Maybe he was the one who duped me. YueJian ChunHe himself has never played that alt, and he wasn’t the one who formally acknowledged me as master in the first place.】

Having learned this piece of information, Ji Xiaoli suddenly found himself no longer resenting YueJian ChunHe as much as he did before.

Or rather, back in the month or so since he joined Emperor Pavilion, he had already lost much of his ire for YueJian ChunHe.

He got to know Braised Pigeon and Meat Bun. He could go dungeoning every day if he so pleased. His day-to-day activities were enriching.

And, he had himself a new disciple.

Staring at the poised, white-clad Emei standing serenely on the screen, Ji Xiaoli’s spirits soared. He was no longer as agitated as before.

That’s right, he still had his disciple! Milk Tea Small Crisp is a brilliant disciple. And, he’s 10,000 times better than YueJian ChunHe!

【Teacher Orders a Salute: It doesn’t matter. Boss Yue is so distant, this teacher will have nothing to do with him in the future. Anyway, I may have been the one who misunderstood him. He’s not a scum. Our sect won’t treat him as arch-enemy number one any further.】

Following a long period of silence, Milk Tea Small Crisp finally responded:【Perhaps he’s as scummy as you say he is.】

Ji Xiaoli:【???】

Disciple, what do you mean?

In the spacious and quiet study, Ruan Fenghe reclined back against his chair and tiredly pinched the bridge of his nose.

Some of it may have been done by the discharged substitute. While YueJian ChunHe did not deceive his foolish teacher’s feelings, he was not as innocent as he seemed.

When the silly shifu mentioned his ID, Ruan Fenghe carefully combed through his memories. However, he had no recollection of the event where his alt had a master.

The matter had completely slipped his mind.

It wasn’t until Ji Xiaoli said the words “Fanciful Oddity” that Ruan Fenghe remembered after having dug up a memory from the crevices of his mind. He did seem to have a master at first, and that master’s name was indeed something along the lines of ‘fanciful’. But, he was at a loss as to what his exact name was, or even whether said master was a Huashan or Emei.

He was the one who formally acknowledged him as master, yet he never took him to heart.

For this foolish teacher to use an alt just to cry about “beating YueJian ChunHe to death”, there must be some history between the two. His alt must have done something that made the foolish teacher hot under the collar.

Indeed, the alt had a power leveler behind it, but Ruan Fenghe himself was also often on that account. Half the time his foolish shifu might have come across “HeChun”, it was him behind the account.

But he still had no memory of it.

How scummy.

Seeing that his disciple did not respond for a long time, he assumed he disconnected.

【Teacher Orders a Salute: Disciple, let me know when you’re back. I’m gonna go enjoy some soup after this dungeon.】

Ji Xiaoli returned to his room after gorging himself on soup ten minutes later…

【Milk Tea Small Crisp: Aren’t you afraid of getting a nosebleed again?】

""

Ji Xiaoli: “…”

What a trashy disciple! I’m expelling you from the sect right this second!

【Teacher Orders a Salute: Disciple, this teacher needs to remind you that I can only take in two disciples in this lifetime. But in the case of a divorce… I have a hundred million copper coins in my account…】

【Milk Tea Small Crisp: Are you threatening me?】

【Teacher Orders a Salute: I don’t dare. I don’t dare.】

You’re allowed to bully me every day, but I’m not allowed to retaliate even once?

【Milk Tea Small Crisp: Ok. Husband, I was wrong.】

“!!!”

A look of shock crossed Ji Xiaoli’s countenance as he nearly choked.

【Milk Tea Small Crisp: Let’s go, husband. It’s time to PK.】

Ji Xiaoli let out a dazed sound of confusion. As he mounted his steed, he brushed his hands up against his face.

“Why is it so warm…”

“Oh my god, fuck no! My disciple is male! Male! Male!!!”

Ji Xiaoli no longer saw YueJian ChunHe as his adversary. But, in reality, even he would roast himself. “Boss Yue doesn’t even know he has an enemy like me, right? 

Hence, the game soldiered onward. With the imaginary enemy out of the picture, Ji Xiaoli had a better time playing the game. 

The status quo remained in balance and undisturbed. Nevertheless, if one were to be specific, his disciple seemed to be “more animated” than usual. 

Once upon a time ago, Ji Xiaoli would’ve been rendered speechless. However, he’d come a long way and learned to scheme by throwing a fit. There was a time when Braised Pigeon teamed up with the master-disciple duo and bore witness to Ji Xiaoli rattling Milk Tea Small Crisp’s cage on the team channel, but Milk Tea Small Crisp stayed closed-mouthed as he healed Ji Xiaoli.

Boss Pigeon PMed Ji Xiaoli in abject horror:【Holy shit, Boss Salute, Bosssss! You speak to Milk Tea this way?】

Ji Xiaoli:【???】

What the hell? What’s going on?

【Does Milk Tea spoil you that much?】

【What?】

【!!! Had what was said in fun been fulfilled in earnest?!】

Ji Xiaoli was taken aback.

Well, no… 

Besides, what was fulfilled in earnest? Was there anything my disciple and I can fulfill together in earnest?

At that moment, Milk Tea Small Crisp single-handedly took out the BOSS as Ji Xiaoli and Braised Pigeon were slacking off by PM-ing one another. The BOSS slumped over with a deafening rumble, scattering treasures as it fell.

【Milk Tea Small Crisp: Pick it up. This BOSS has dropped you the emerald ore you need. Then, we can set our sights on the next BOSS.】

【Teacher Orders a Salute: Okay! Good work, disciple!】

【Braised Pigeon: !!!】

He treats you so well. How dare you say you’re not having some kind of affair?

The team disbanded. Braised Pigeon watched as Ji Xiaoli and Milk Tea Small Crisp rode away on their respective mounts and decided to send a final PM to Ji Xiaoli to test the waters.

【Braised Pigeon: I think Boss Milk Tea is still too standoffish. Salute, you have to persuade him. If he goes on like this, no girls will take to him.】

【Teacher Orders a Salute: ???】

【Teacher Orders a Salute: My disciple is the best. It would be a wonder if no girls find him charming. He’s handsome, rich and has brilliant mechanical skills. He’s also extremely thoughtful. Whoever doesn’t like him has bad taste.】

Braised Pigeon: “…”

""

This damn gay still won’t admit it!

【Braised Pigeon: You’ve met him before? How would you know whether he’s attractive or not?】

Ji Xiaoli: “…”

What does it matter if I haven’t seen what he looks like? I can’t think about it? My disciple is still the best!

However, Ji Xiaoli realized a few days later that he might not have to ‘think’ about it after all.

【Guild】Protect Our Meat Bun: Guys, Meat Bun, and I would like to host a party offline. It just so happened that Christmas is approaching, and several expatriates in our guild will be returning. I am in Shanghai, and there are more people located in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai. Thus, the party is to be held in Shanghai. Is anyone interested? 

【Guild】I am Meat Bun: Jie Se offered to cover the accommodation fees. We’re staying at his family-owned hotel.

【Guild】Pin Seng Fa Hao Jie Se: Amithaba, would a young lady come accompany this pitiful monk? A cold, wintry night, empty and lonely, the poor monk’s dwelling is incomparably dreary. The single dog is in desperate need of a lover’s warmth.