Volume 4: Hidden Battles – Chapter 223: The Love for the Secret Manual

As soon as Chu Tianyu heard this familiar voice, despite the stranger still having a mask on and his appearance being different, it didn’t stop Chu Tianyu from rushing over to give him a firm hug like lightning!
At the same time, he said excitedly, “Master, I’ve missed you so much! Ever since that time… you, the First Master, and the Second Master… all of you…” Even in such an emotional state, Chu Tianyu couldn’t continue speaking.
Along with his words, a series of crackling sounds arose, and theCrazy Confucianist’s figure gradually returned to normal. He then wiped his face with his hand, revealing the face that Chu Tianyu knew all too well—now with a kind smile.
It was only at this moment that Chu Tianyu truly saw his master. He called out “Master” several times again, overwhelmed with longing. TheCrazy Confucianist patted Chu Tianyu’s head affectionately and said, “Hehe, our bold and remarkable Hero Chu, why do you act like a child? Aren’t you afraid those girls behind you will laugh at you? What did I tell you? This is about image, image! Enough, stop crying! You were like this as a child—why do you still cry as an adult? Haven’t you gotten rid of that bad habit of wetting the bed? Hehe…”
Facing his master’s teasing, Chu Tianyu felt indignant. When had he ever wet the bed? He also knew his master was saying this on purpose for “them” to hear. In fact, Chu Tianyu had already sensed that Ouyang Ziyi and Xue Feifei had arrived—after all, with all the noise in the courtyard, it was impossible to hide it from them, even if Ouyang Ziyi and Li Rou couldn’t hear it.
But at this moment, Chu Tianyu wasn’t embarrassed at all. His affection for his master flowed naturally—it wasn’t something shameful. After all, a man should be bold and unbothered by such trivial matters. There was no need to act coy. But accusations like “wetting the bed,” which were just childhood rumors, were outright slander and absolutely “unforgivable”!

But this was not the time to argue, so Chu Tianyu put the matter aside for now. Hearing what his master said, he simply turned around openly, waved at the girls, and said, “Stop eavesdropping. Come and meet Third Master! He loves it when people greet and pay respects to him. He has a habit: the one who is the most enthusiastic, sincere in their greeting, and has the most heartfelt words will be rewarded by him with decades of cultivation power, along with other mysterious gifts like martial arts secrets and miracle medicines. It’s a rare opportunity!”
As soon as Chu Tianyu said this, the Mad Scholar immediately felt like he was surrounded by charming girls. The old man wiped the sweat from his forehead repeatedly, overwhelmed by the energetic girls who kept calling him “Good Master” and “I pay my respects to you.” Seeing a few girls with fairy-like beauty, encouraged by Chu Tianyu, even glanced eagerly at his pockets, clearly thinking about the mysterious gifts he mentioned.
The Mad Scholar had no choice but to look at Chu Tianyu, seemingly asking him to take control of these delicate young ladies. It would have been fine if he hadn’t looked, but upon seeing Chu Tianyu standing there casually, his eyes twinkling with mockery, it almost made the Mad Scholar’s nose twist in anger. Chu Tianyu’s expression seemed to say, “Master, how does it feel? Being worshipped by young girls must be nice, right? From now on, be more careful with what you say. Never spread rumors or gossip about others’ childhoods again—that’s truly a big no-no that damages my reputation! Remember this!”
“You’re ruthless!” The Mad Scholar shot him a look in response.
Chu Tianyu whistled and looked up at the sky, counting the stars…
…
After everyone sat inside, the Mad Scholar finally broke free from the crowd surrounding Zi Yi and Fei Fei. Besides being drenched in sweat, he indeed gave away many of the mysterious gifts as Chu Tianyu had said!
Actually, Chu Tianyu and Third Master shared a relationship of both teacher and friend. Especially after that adventure when he went mad and tried to change his path, and the Mad Scholar and Xian Yun joined forces to subdue him, he lost all dignity in Chu Tianyu’s eyes. Of course, their relationship before that—challenging each other everywhere—also meant they often joked and argued, with little formality between them.

And the Mad Scholar kept saying he couldn’t take it, pretending to wipe sweat from his forehead and gasp for breath, acting as if they were being overly enthusiastic. Yet the expression on his face revealed unmistakable joy and delight! The looks in Ouyang Ziyi and Xue Feifei’s eyes were just like when they first saw Chu Tianyu—filled with relief and affection.

“Master, how did you find your way here? This is the happiest thing that’s happened tonight. The moment you spoke, I couldn’t believe it was you. I was so excited I almost couldn’t breathe! You know, after you, the First Master, and the Second Master left, there was no news at all. Sometimes I wanted to ask questions but had no way to reach you…” Once the laughter subsided, Chu Tianyu couldn’t help but express his longing, his tone naturally revealing his yearning.

“Haha, stop calling me ‘old man.’ Otherwise, you might scare away all these young wives, thinking I’m some dull old guy. That would create a generation gap. Who would still call me ‘Third Master’ so affectionately using the voice of heaven and earth? Who would still reach into my pocket with such tenderness…”

Hearing this, Xue Feifei blushed and lowered her head. She had acted on impulse, wanting to test the all-powerful and all-knowing Mad Scholar mentioned by Chu Tianyu! Ouyang Ziyi and Jin Yujie also blushed and bowed their heads upon hearing about reaching into the pocket. It couldn’t be blamed on them—Chu Tianyu had given them tips, and indeed they had gained a lot. Their blushing might actually be them thinking about their unexpected gains!

The Mad Scholar glanced at everyone’s expressions, paused for a moment, then continued answering Chu Tianyu’s question: “What do you mean ‘no way to reach you’? We’ve always been by your side…”

Hearing this, Chu Tianyu was filled with excitement—his masters had always been by his side! But before he could react further, he heard the Mad Scholar say something that almost made him choke: “…Even if we’re not physically present, our spiritual strength has always supported you and accompanied you! Keep going, Tianyu!”

At this, Ouyang Ziyi and Xue Feifei couldn’t help but laugh, moved by the Mad Scholar’s humor. They truly understood what Chu Tianyu had always said—the Third Master, the Mad Scholar, might appear cool on the outside, but his heart was like fire, full of seeds of humor. Seeing him today confirmed his reputation!

Chu Tianyu rolled his eyes in surrender and said, “Master, you really take deep breaths! I really thought… Sigh, Third Master, sometimes I really wish all of you were by my side. That way, if there’s anything, I could ask for advice. Even if I don’t ask for advice, just talking would be fine!”
The Mad Scholar could understand what Chu Tianyu said. After suppressing and hiding his feelings for so long, no matter how low-key one tried to be, there would still be a contrast. What one most wanted was to talk to someone—this mindset was something he had experienced himself. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have completely let go when around Chu Tianyu, putting aside his role as the head of the Xuanji Sect and his usual cold demeanor to show a different, yet natural, side in front of him.
Seeing Chu Tianyu speak like this, the Mad Scholar stopped joking and looked at him seriously, saying, “Tianyu, actually, your masters are right by your side. As the saying goes, jade must be carved to become useful. We old guys have only you as our precious successor—how could we not care? But there are some things that you really need to face and overcome on your own to truly find your own path! Leaving aside other things, we promised not to interfere with your affairs. But from my ‘statistics,’ while keeping an eye on you secretly, I encountered that fake monk Buzhanna seven times and that old rascal Xianyun six times. Good heavens, you have no idea—those two swore to me solemnly, talking about things like birds wanting to fly and young apes wanting to leave the mountains, using various big ideas and metaphors. But then they would sneak back right away. Ugh…”
The Mad Scholar spoke carelessly, but Chu Tianyu was deeply moved. From his Third Master’s words, it wasn’t hard to “calculate” that he must have secretly checked on Chu Tianyu at least thirteen times!
At this moment, Ouyang Ziyi and Xue Feifei saw that the master and disciple were having a pleasant conversation, so they wisely exchanged glances, got up together, and bid farewell to the Mad Scholar to return to their rooms, giving the two space to catch up.
Chu Tianyu poured out everything he had been holding back since parting from his masters—talking about the Black Dragon incident, his trip to Motuo, his journey to Europe, the Wild Road, and so on. They talked until dawn.

As for what Chu Tianyu had said, the Mad Scholar knew some of it and was unaware of others—things like being possessed by a black dragon, and not long ago, Chu Tianyu’s breakthrough when he survived in the wilderness by absorbing moon energy, reaching a peak in both internal and external martial arts skills. Of course, there was also the change in the Dragon Core that he had been concerned about. Listening to this, the Mad Scholar stroked his short beard absentmindedly; this was his way of calming his shock. Especially when he heard about the Illusion Flame, he became utterly focused and repeatedly expressed his amazement…

At some point, Ouyang Ziyi and the others reappeared before them, each holding a plate with exquisite breakfast, clearly the result of their careful efforts!

Before Chu Tianyu could invite his master to eat, a ringing sound came from outside, along with a deep female voice: “Chu Tianyu, get out here right now!”

Hearing this, Chu Tianyu and his third master, the Mad Scholar, both frowned immediately, filled with surprise. Although the speaker’s voice could penetrate the walls, using her martial arts skills to convey her words clearly so that everyone inside could hear her, to be honest, such strength might seem incredible to ordinary people. But for those with strong martial arts skills like the Mad Scholar, Chu Tianyu, and the expert in sound arts, Xue Feixiao, not even Ouyang Ziyi and Li Rou were surprised—they were too used to it!

Jin Yujie, on the other hand, showed a hint of horror, stunned by the strength displayed through this voice transmission. Moreover, given the hostile tone of the speaker, she nervously glanced at Chu Tianyu and then anxiously looked at the women around her, only to find them completely calm. Apart from showing curiosity about why someone would come knocking at their door early in the morning, they didn’t seem worried or uneasy at all.

At that moment, the Mad Scholar glared at Chu Tianyu several times and said, “What trouble have you caused outside again? Did you offend some young lady or married woman, forcing her mother to stand at the door scolding you early in the morning? Your second master predicted long ago that you’re destined for romantic misadventures and lifelong troubles. Go deal with your own problems! Didn’t you hear her tell you to get out?” When mentioning romantic misadventures and lifelong troubles, the Mad Scholar glanced resentfully at the women around him, as if to confirm his words.

Chu Tianyu was described by the Mad Scholar as having no temper at all, and he could also tell that the person who had come was an older woman. Given his current entourage of beautiful women, it wasn’t surprising that the Mad Scholar made such a guess—it actually had some basis.

But at that moment, Chu Tianyu felt utterly wronged. He racked his brains for a long time but still couldn’t figure out what was going on. He remembered never having dealt with any middle-aged or elderly woman before, let alone having any grudges or feuds with them. So why would someone come to his door so early in the morning and insult him so directly?

There was no time for further speculation. His third master, the Mad Scholar, had already led the women toward the door. Chu Tianyu thought to himself, What’s the point of guessing here? She’s right outside—just go out and everything will become clear!

Yet when Chu Tianyu followed everyone to open the door and saw the woman’s appearance, aside from being momentarily stunned, he still didn’t understand anything.

The woman indeed appeared to be in her thirties or forties, though overall she might have seemed younger. She exuded the charm of a mature woman, and her attire, demeanor, and even her face all reflected an air of elegance and refinement. She was dressed in a beige velvet top and linen trousers with subtle patterns. Combined with her perfectly shaped figure, she was no less beautiful than any young girl. What was even more remarkable was the noble, aloof, and wise aura she emitted, which inspired admiration and respect in everyone.

“Tianyu, what’s going on? Do you know this woman?” the Mad Scholar asked softly as he stepped forward.

Chu Tianyu scratched his head, completely confused. With an innocent expression, he said, “I really don’t know her. She must be here to see you, Master. Look, it’s too coincidental that you two arrived at the same time! And your ages seem quite compatible too. Hey, Master, could it be that you left my name with that woman outside?”

“Shut up! What woman? You silly kid, what are you thinking all the time? Don’t think everyone is like you, always chasing after women…” the Mad Scholar said disdainfully.

“I’m not like that!” Chu Tianyu protested. But after glancing at the beautiful women beside him, his last word was barely audible.

The two of them murmured as they approached the woman. They had thought she would explode immediately, given the tone of her message earlier, but strangely, from the moment they met, she seemed stunned, staring fixedly at the mad scholar with an excited expression, her trembling lips revealing the turmoil in her heart. Chu Tianyu was amused upon seeing this scene; it turned out he was right—she indeed came looking for the Third Master. Heh, the Third Master truly lived up to being an idol among middle-aged and elderly women!

The mad scholar, on the other hand, felt a chill in his heart. Could it be that this brat Chu Tianyu was right? That would be extremely embarrassing! Although he examined her carefully and confirmed he didn’t know her, seeing her obsessive gaze, excited expression, and hesitant demeanor, his once firm confidence began to waver, prompting him to observe her more closely.

Ouyang Ziyi and the others also looked at one person then another in surprise. They had thought it would be Chu Tianyu’s stunt, but it turned out to be the mad scholar’s. It seemed to confirm Chu Tianyu’s words—the mad scholar was actually using Chu Tianyu’s name as a cover…

All the women’s attention soon focused on the mad scholar, leaving the venerable leader of the Xuanji Sect, who had seen so much over the years, utterly flustered and embarrassed.

“Ahem, um, this… madam, you’re here to see Chu Tianyu, right?” The mad scholar took the initiative to remind her. This couldn’t continue—if things stayed this ambiguous, who knew what filthy ideas those kids around might come up with! At his question, the woman’s face immediately turned red; she became shy and even lowered her head, fiddling nervously with the hem of her clothes.

No one expected that just a few words from the mad scholar could make this woman act so shyly—it was utterly unbelievable!

By the time Chu Tianyu and Ouyang Ziyi and the others realized what was happening, their stomachs ached from holding back laughter. The mad scholar’s embarrassment grew even worse, and he inwardly cried out, “Heaven, this is unjust! Unjust!”

“Um, madam, do we know each other?” Desperate, the mad scholar decided to push things further. There was no other choice. For the sake of his reputation over the past hundred years, he had to get to the bottom of it. This was a matter that could affect his glorious image!

Especially that kid, Chu Tianyu—we mustn’t let him catch any hold of us, or he’ll have more excuses in the future! He seems honest on the surface, but actually he’s full of schemes; I wonder who he learned that from… Ahch… At that moment, theCrazy Confucianist stopped himself from sneezing.
Perhaps the lady was too excited to see theCrazy Confucianist, or maybe she didn’t hear his words clearly. In any case, aside from continuing to look excited with a hint of shyness, she showed no reaction at all, not even the aggressive tone everyone had heard earlier in the room!
Chu Tianyu was now free from worries. From time to time, he glanced at his master with a teasing look, then at the beautiful woman before him. He exchanged knowing smiles with Ouyang Ziyi and the others. At that moment, he felt incredibly satisfied—true retribution! Now you can’t keep blaming others for their romantic troubles; look, retribution has come…
While Chu Tianyu was enjoying himself, his “retribution” arrived as well!
Just as everyone in the room was caught in this delicate situation, a loud engine sound from a sports car could be heard in the distance. It arrived in an instant, and with a screech of brakes, someone rushed out of the car. Without even taking a look at the situation, they hurriedly turned to the beautiful woman and said anxiously, “Auntie, this is someone else’s business. It’s Nianran’s problem—let her solve it on her own, okay?”
After saying all that in one breath, Tai Nianran noticed that everyone was staring at her in surprise. Only then did she realize the situation wasn’t as she had imagined—no angry, helpless outburst from the auntie. Instead, to her astonishment, the auntie showed no anger at all, looking rather like a young girl, even a bit shy. Tai Nianran couldn’t believe her eyes, nor could she believe the auntie could have such an expression. Was she seeing things? Yes, it was Tai Nianran—Chu Tianyu’s fiancée!
Given the situation, even with the intelligence of Chu Tianyu and Ouyang Ziyi, or even an ordinary person, it would be easy to guess what was going on!
It seems this “retribution” also applied to Chu Tianyu. His earlier smile vanished the moment he saw Tai Nianran’s car—his smile must now have taken on a hint of bitterness.

Unexpectedly, the way things developed indeed matched what her master, Kuang Ru, had predicted. Although it wasn’t the mother-in-law showing up, this “aunt” was more or less the same thing. Moreover, it gave Chu Tianye a very bad premonition—that Tai Nianran’s aunt might have some intricate connection with his master… With a screech of brakes, someone rushed out of the car, not even taking a moment to assess the situation, and immediately spoke urgently to the beautiful woman, “Aunt, this is someone else’s business. Let Nianran handle her own problems, okay?”
After Tai Nianran finished speaking in one breath, she noticed that everyone was looking at her in surprise. Only then did she realize the situation here was far from what she had imagined—a scene of the aunt being furious and helpless. Instead, to her astonishment, the aunt showed no anger at all; instead, she acted like a little girl, even seeming a bit shy. Tai Nianran could hardly believe her eyes, let alone that the aunt could have such an expression. Was she seeing things? Yes, the person who had arrived was indeed Tai Nianran, Chu Tianye’s fiancée!
Given this situation, even with the intelligence of Chu Tianye and Ouyang Ziyi, or even ordinary people, it would be easy to guess what was going on!
It seemed that this “retribution” also involved Chu Tianye. His smile from earlier had likely turned bitter the moment he saw Tai Nianran arrive in her car.
Unexpectedly, the way things developed indeed matched what her master, Kuang Ru, had predicted. Although it wasn’t the mother-in-law showing up, this “aunt” was more or less the same thing. Moreover, it gave Chu Tianye a very bad premonition—that Tai Nianran’s aunt might have some intricate connection with his master…
“Nianran, why have you come? Who is this?” Chu Tianye thought about it but still had to greet her verbally, taking the chance to ask about the situation.
However, seemingly ignoring Chu Tianye’s feigned ignorance, Tai Nianran didn’t respond at all, leaving Chu Tianye extremely awkward. It was Ouyang Ziyi who stepped in to defuse the situation, saying, “Oh, it’s Nianran! What brought you here? Welcome, welcome! Hehe, this must be your aunt. Hello, aunt. Please come inside first. I’ll make you some good tea. We can talk while drinking if there’s anything to discuss!” Tai Nianran wanted to refuse, saying it wasn’t necessary, but when she looked at her aunt, she saw her start walking inside following Ouyang Ziyi’s words, her face red but silent!

Qin Nianran really didn’t know why her great-aunt was acting so strangely today. Originally, when her great-aunt came to Beijing to see her, Qin Nianran had casually poured out her troubles to her, sharing her feelings and what had happened between her and Chu Tianyu, as well as her conflicted emotions at the moment. At that time, her great-aunt hadn’t said much. But when Qin Nianran woke up early, she found her great-aunt missing. Recalling that her great-aunt had casually asked for Chu Tianyu’s address the previous day, Qin Nianran immediately realized something was wrong. She rushed to Ouyang Ziyi’s villa right away. As expected, she saw a large group of people confronting her great-aunt, including that annoying Chu Tianyu! Qin Nianran knew that with her great-aunt’s skills, she was no match for Chu Tianyu. Even with her own current abilities, thanks to Chu Tianyu’s guidance and the secret manuals he gave her, she was far stronger than her great-aunt. That’s why she got out of the car and shouted as soon as she arrived. At Ouyang Ziyi’s suggestion, everyone finally returned inside. Throughout the process, the atmosphere was extremely awkward and tense. Of course, Chu Tianyu and Third Master Kuangru felt this most acutely. One of them clearly understood that it was the other party’s parents coming to demand an explanation—a difficult situation to navigate. The other was completely confused, not knowing what the problem was; why was this woman staring at him so intently? Logically, she was here to see Chu Tianyu, but why did it seem like she had something to do with him as well? To be honest, he really couldn’t remember knowing her. With everyone lost in their own thoughts, the atmosphere remained unusually tense after they sat down. After a while, it seemed the parties involved realized the tension. Only when Ouyang Ziyi offered tea did the atmosphere gradually ease. As the instigator of this whole situation, Chu Tianyu wanted to speak first, but after opening his mouth, he couldn’t say anything. What could he say? “Nianran, what are you doing here? What does your great-aunt want from me? Aren’t these obvious questions?” Besides, he had already asked earlier, and she hadn’t even responded. Kuangru had also asked earlier and gotten no reply, so he didn’t know where to start either. Just as everyone was awkward, Qin Nianran’s great-aunt slowly raised her head. Though her face still showed some embarrassment, it seemed she had made up her mind. She stared straight at Kuangru and said in a trembling voice, “Are you… ‘Little Scholar’?”

The mad scholar was stunned upon hearing this, his face filled with confusion as he still couldn’t process it, and he shook his head. Upon seeing this, Qin Nianran’s great-aunt wasn’t discouraged and continued, “Thirty-six years ago, while viewing the West Lake at night in Hangzhou, do you still remember a little girl who could discharge electricity? She encountered a few cultivators and there was a conflict. Suddenly, you descended from the sky and subdued all of them with just one move. That little girl immediately wanted to make you her master. You said your task of eliminating demons and monsters was arduous, and you also had to protect Earth’s safety, so you had no time for now. Instead, you gave me the Ice Heart Technique, saying I should practice it diligently. After that, you hurriedly flew away. I chased after you to ask for your name, but all that remained in the air was your words, ‘I’m just a humble scholar; not worth mentioning…’” Hearing this, the mad scholar broke into sweat! He finally remembered that something like this had indeed happened back then. He remembered being in a hurry and looking for a place to relieve himself, only to run into this trouble. After resolving it, that little girl kept pestering him, so he simply tossed a few words at her and gave her the basic internal energy technique he had on him as paper for using as toilet paper—something he had obtained from a thief earlier. As for whether it was called the Ice Heart Technique, he had long forgotten. After that, he hurriedly left, and later, after finding a place to relieve himself, he even had to use grass leaves instead…