Murim's Weakest Princess-Chapter 169: Shifu Is Back

For some reason, Anji spent most of her time at Doctor Yun’s clinic and Aunt Wine’s cafeteria after visiting the research centre. Senior Researcher Mo often accompanied Anji in the afternoons for self-study sessions using the thick stack of new books and reference materials provided by Researcher Xi. Nobody told her what was happening, but judging from the increasing traffic on the main street, Anji deduced that something major was happening. Nobody had time to babysit an unknown apprentice, not that Anji minded. She made more progress with self-studying anyway. Thanks to Senior Researcher Mo, Anji could now understand the moving formations of the Seven Star Dipper, even if she still struggled to maintain the spell with her limited qi.

"We will be too busy maintaining urgent internal sect affairs," Senior Researcher Mo explained one afternoon. "From tomorrow onwards, remain in the hut and do not leave it. Pearl or Aunt Wine will bring you food. Doctor Yun will travel up to see you if needed. However, until further notice, please remain within the compound."

House arrest? Anji had barely recovered from the sustained injuries previously. She had been looking forward to returning to becoming an enthusiastic apprentice. However, the Mystical Qilin Sect suddenly came out of hibernation. Anji had no idea how many people lived in the inner court until they all came out of hiding from their labs. The main street was usually wide, with ample space to walk leisurely, even with a high lunch crowd. Anji thought it was a luxurious structure meant to emphasise the grandeur of the ancient sect. Seeing how crammed with people the main street had become within days of an emergency activation to mobilise everyone in the inner court, Anji finally understood the main street was designed for practicality. freewebnøvel.coɱ

Unwilling to jostle with the serious crowd, Anji agreed to remain in the hut from tomorrow onwards. Although nobody would tell her what was happening, Anji could guess the state of emergency with the number of materials and tools moving around. There was a huge relocation, more so than the constant expansion of the academic central slum.

While Anji appreciated the sudden and temporary break, she was slightly bummed that she could not see Gu Ying. The outer court was also under house arrest, according to Pearl. Although the senior librarian did not know the details, she told Anji that a huge sect was preparing for a huge change. The Senior Researchers were all called for an important meeting, and security was tightened after they discovered a leak. Unfortunately, only the higher-ups knew what was happening. Pearl was assigned to overhaul the inventory of every book in her library section. They were short of manpower with the short deadline, and everyone was burning midnight oil.

Without much to do alone, Anji spent the next few days practising her soul cultivation with Grandpa Jin. Apart from meal times when she would see people briefly to ask about the outside situation, Anji’s days were relatively peaceful in her shifu’s hut. She had gotten used to living alone without Lizi or Gu Ying by her side. Hence, it was surprising when Anji spotted someone in the same room as her early one morning.

"Who’s there?" she rubbed her eyes. "It’s still early for breakfast. Did something happen in the sect?"

With bleary eyes, Anji slipped out of bed and padded to the dining room, expecting to see Aunt Wine of Pearl. However, the snowy white hair caught her by surprise. There was only one person with such long white hair and demeanour.

"Shifu!" the girl’s face lit up. "Shifu, is it really you?"

Yan Ping hid a small smirk. She had removed her large hat and opted to dress casually today. Unlike the rest of the sect, it was her off day. She deserved a break after working non-stop overtime for months. Besides, this was an important bonding period between master and disciple. Many things would change after the successor announcement. Yan Ping still wanted Anji to remember her childhood as more than a struggle with health and cultivation.

"Yes, child. It’s me. Do you want to sleep a little more? It’s still too early for breakfast."

Indeed, the sky was still dark, and no birds were chirping. However, Anji shook her head. Even without any candlelight, the faint glow from the dying embers in the fireplace was enough to light the small room. Thanks to the soul cultivation practices with the Golden Dragon, Anji was wide awake and brimming with energy. More importantly, she had so many things to tell her shifu. It was the first time Anji had seen Yan Ping in person after years.

Dropping to her knees, Anji gave her shifu three bows of respect along with her morning greetings to observe tradition. Yan Ping did not refuse the tradition even if she did not prefer it. Zhao Mingfeng raised his daughter well. However, this would be the first and last time Anji would greet her like that. The Mystical Qilin Sect was not a place for tradition. It was a sect that thrived on innovation.

"Get up," she told the girl. "Sit here with me. It’s been a long while. Don’t you have a lot to tell me?"

Thrilled that Yan Ping remembered everything she included in her crystal messages, Anji gushed about all the things she could not tell her shifu because of the time limit in each crystal. Not knowing where to start, Anji recounted all the most recent things that came to her mind. The Mystical Qilin Sect was a very interesting place, but it was completely different from how Yan Ping previously described it to her.

"I thought the Mystical Qilin Sect would be a more serious and mysterious place based on how shifu described it. However, it turned out to be more fun and bizarre than the Celestial Dragon Sect."

Children raised well, like Anji, would seldom have reasons to lie. Yan Ping was unsure if she should be glad that her successor saw the ancient sect as a circus instead of a prestigious cultivator school. It was shameful for the adults here to behave less maturely than their youngest disciple. However, there was nothing Yan Ping could do. The culture of curiosity and competition was too deeply ingrained in the Mystical Qilin Sect to change. Most cultivators here have forgotten what being human or even cultivators meant. If anything, they had transformed into a mad labyrinth of researchers and scholars since their founding days.

Swallowing the ugly truth with difficulty, Yan Ping told Anji that she could change the sect to a more serious and mysterious place if she wanted to.

"After all, you are my successor," the blind prophet explained. "Once the announcement is made, you will have to use the courtesy name I give you until you have completed the successor training. As Ci Wang, everyone else will listen to your words as if they were listening to mine. If you want them to become more dedicated to training the way of the sword over reading books, they will do it without question."

Frowning, Anji dismissed the idea. There were already so many martial sects who focused on combat. Anji personally enjoyed the scholarly nature of the Mystical Qilin Sect. However, they were too competitive and disorderly.

"Shifu, do you think they will agree to change just by listening to a six-year-old?"

Chuckling at Anji’s boldness, Yan Ping encouraged her to share her thoughts. Even back in the Celestial Dragon Sect, Anji was known for creating many new innovative ideas. The charcoal pencil was one of them, and the martial arts comic books changed how martial manuals were recorded.

"It depends on what kind of change," she smiled, brewing some tea for their lengthy discussion. "You’ll have to first convince me before implementing those changes."

Of course, it would not be as simple as throwing her name as a successor around. After hearing how she had to convince her teacher, Anji perked up at the challenge. With a reliable and logical person like Yan Ping as a judge for her ideas, Anji felt a little more confident speaking up. Her shifu was strict, but she craved progress more than anyone else.

Without holding back, Anji shared her thoughts about introducing compulsory chores talismans in every research lab compound with a welfare inspection unit to ensure researchers properly care for their physical and mental well-being. At the same time, Anji revealed how she thought the sect could benefit more by sharing information and forming teams to do joint research with experts in different specialisations.

The idea of cross-collaboration had long been on Yan Ping’s mind. However, the sect was so divided in competition that she had not found a way to integrate the different research sectors.

"How would you suggest encouraging cross-collaboration efforts? I think you can tell just how self-centred most researchers here are."

Self-centred? Anji blinked in confusion. Sure, there were a few. However, most researchers were more awkward than selfish. Anji thought they were rather kind despite being clumsy and rough around the edges.

"How about a tournament?" Anji suggested. "The Rainbow Alliance hosts martial arts tournaments to foster greater bonds between the sects. We could host something similar within the Mystical Qilin Sect to address something that requires collective effort. For example, a better transportation system can be used in the sect for people instead of things. Maybe a better courier messenger based on spatial coordinates of sect entry tokens instead of pigeons. We could even open a new research sector to select keen applicants to work on spiritual-medical surgery."

Listening to Anji babble about her ideas, Yan Ping found herself nodding to most of them. Although they would still have logistic issues to resolve before they are feasible, the new angle at tackling decade-long problems felt refreshing. Although there were many geniuses in the Mystical Qilin Sect, there was not another genius as creative as Anji. Once more, Yan Ping envied Zhao Mingfeng for having such talented children.