Early on the next morning, before dawn, Meng Xiuyuan picked up his luggage and prepared to set off.
When he arrived in front of the Zixiao Palace, he looked from a distance and saw Zhou Zhiruo already waiting there.
Spring has not yet begun at this time, and the weather is already cold. In addition, it is an early morning before the sun has fully risen, and the mountain wind makes people tremble.
But Xiao Zhou Zhiruo Xu was afraid that Meng Xiuyuan would not be able to see her and miss her, so he did not find a shelter from the wind, but stood upright in the center of the entire martial arts training ground.
I don't know how long she has been waiting, but her face has turned pale with cold, and she is trembling when she speaks:
"Well... benefactor."
While speaking, Zhou Zhiruo wanted to step forward and salute Meng Xiuyuan.
But I didn't expect that it would be better if I didn't move. This time, because my legs were numb from the cold, and I had been standing for a long time, my body leaned forward, but I couldn't take a step, so I fell straight to the ground.
Meng Xiuyuan waved a palm from a distance, gently lifted Zhou Zhiruo's body up, then slowly walked to her and asked:
"How long have you been waiting here?"
Although Xiao Zhou Zhiruo felt that his legs suddenly felt numb and tingling due to such movement, he did not dare to neglect Meng Xiuyuan and hurriedly replied:
"Since my benefactor left yesterday, I have been here and have not dared to leave. I have only been to the hut a few times..."
Meng Xiuyuan frowned slightly when he heard this, because from what he could see, Zhou Zhiruo's expression didn't look like he was lying at all.
This little girl actually stood in the cold winter, blowing the mountain wind for half a day and one night.
Seeing this, Meng Xiuyuan couldn't help but said:
"Your perseverance is commendable.
Let me ask you, didn’t I say that I just set off early this morning? Didn’t you hear me clearly?
Even if you have to wait for me earlier, it will definitely be too late if you wait until midnight.
Why do you have to suffer like this? Do you want to show your sincerity in becoming a disciple?"
After Zhou Zhiruo heard this, he nodded sincerely:
"I won't hide it from my benefactor, but Zhiruo does have some thoughts like this in his heart.
Since you said you wanted to test me, I naturally didn't dare to disappoint my benefactor.
Last time my benefactor asked me to make a choice, I made a mistake and regretted it for a long time.
This time I have another opportunity in front of me, and I don’t dare to miss it again..."
Meng Xiu saw that such a small person could speak such mature and resolute words, and he couldn't help but sigh. She was truly an extraordinary person who could stir up the martial arts scene in the original work.
Seeing the little girl looking uncomfortable, swaying, and unsteady on her feet, Meng Xiuyuan paused for a moment, and then said:
"Stretch out your hand."
After all, at such a young age and without the time to protect herself, Zhou Zhiruo endured it for so long, and Meng Xiuyuan couldn't help but worry about her.
Although he wanted to test her, Meng Xiuyuan didn't want her to damage her body's foundation and suffer any disease.
Zhou Zhiruo didn't quite understand what Meng Xiuyuan meant, but he still hurriedly followed his instructions and stretched out a cold little palm.
For a child, Meng Xiuyuan had nothing to worry about. He took her hand and used the techniques of the "Healing Chapter" in the Nine Yin Manual to slowly inject the pure Yang Qi into her body.
Zhou Zhiruo, whose body was originally cold and numb and whose legs were unbearably tingling, now felt a warm and comfortable flow of warmth pouring in from her palms, which soon spread and surged throughout her body.
Every time this warm current reaches a part of the body, all the cold pain there will be dispersed, just like ice and snow melting under the warm spring sun.
Even the numb and tingling legs gradually eased their pain as the meridians were dredged.
Feeling all the changes in his body, Zhou Zhiruo couldn't help but feel excited. He was surprised by Meng Xiuyuan's magical Qi and was also excited by Meng Xiuyuan's attitude.
In the faint morning light, Xiao Zhou Zhiruo looked at Meng Xiuyuan and couldn't help but laugh:
"Thank you, Master..."
When Meng Xiuyuan heard this, he was shocked by her words and quickly interrupted:
"Wait a minute, don't scream.
I don't know what you misunderstood, but I haven't even said a word about accepting you as my disciple.
Don’t make your own decisions.”
"Oh..." Zhou Zhiruo felt blushing and very disappointed when he heard this.
She originally thought that waiting for Meng Xiuyuan here would be a test. So when she saw Meng Xiuyuan taking the initiative to do exercises to warm her up, she took it as a sign that he accepted her and was willing to accept her as his disciple.
Now it seems that she is too smart.
Seeing the situation, Meng Xiu did not have the habit of embarrassing others. Instead, he circulated the pure Yang Qi in Zhou Zhiruo's body twice and then slowly withdrew it.
Then, he took out a book from his arms, handed it to Zhou Zhiruo and said:
"I have a book here, which can be regarded as my diary. I will leave it to you for safekeeping for the time being.
You'll have to read it all while I'm on my way down the mountain.
When I come back, you have to find one thing from this booklet, one thing that you think I did wrong, and point out my mistake face to face.
And, when the time comes, I want you to make it clear what you would do if it were you.
Do you understand?"
Zhou Zhiruo suddenly felt that the warmth in his body was being taken away. He was not used to it yet. Hearing Meng Xiuyuan speak so many words in succession, he became even more stunned.
But after a moment, she reacted, first nodded, and then asked Meng Xiuyuan carefully:
"I have written down what you said.
It’s just that I don’t know how to read, so how can I read your diary?”
Meng Xiuyuan smiled when he heard this:
"This is also one of the tests for you. Naturally, you have to solve it yourself."
After saying that, Meng Xiuyuan ignored Zhou Zhiruo, turned around and flew up. He floated out in a few steps on the way down the mountain, and his figure gradually disappeared into the distance.
What Zhou Zhiruo didn't realize was that the book she was holding in her hand was Meng Xiuyuan's diary, rather than a "manual for eliminating evil."
Its original form was the thin book that Meng Xiuyuan used to record the bandits and bandits mentioned by Shopkeeper Dong on the road.
After Meng Xiuyuan returned home yesterday, he added many details to it overnight, including the evil deeds he heard and saw along the way, as well as the methods he used to kill and eliminate them.
Meng Xiuyuan even briefly recorded the story with Gesang's family and what he saw and heard at Hongmei Villa.
So it was said that Zhou Zhiruo had been waiting here for Meng Xiuyuan all night. In fact, Meng Xiuyuan did not have a good rest. Instead, he lit up the lamp and stayed up late, and also wrote for the whole night.
Its main purpose was to give Zhou Zhiruo a shocking education.
In fact, as for whether to accept Zhou Zhiruo as his disciple, Meng Xiuyuan had already been leaning towards the affirmative when she first mentioned it yesterday.
In Yitian's original work, there are not many characters of the younger generation who stand out. Apart from Zhang Wuji, the cheating protagonist, the only ones that can be counted are Zhou Zhiruo and Song Qingshu.
If, as the master hopes, he must find a talented successor, then Zhou Zhiruo, who comes to his door, is naturally the most suitable candidate.
And when it comes to personal background and moral character, if Zhou Zhi is just a ten-year-old fisherman girl at this time, it is the right time for her to be educated.
Meng Xiuyuan has nothing to do with what happens to others.
But if he really accepts a disciple, Meng Xiuyuan dare not say that he wants to cultivate a great knight who is kind, righteous, and hates evil, but at least it cannot go against his own three views.
With Meng Xiuyuan's martial arts skills and Zhou Zhiruo's own talent, if she becomes a disciple, she will definitely become a peerless master in the future.
With this ability, you naturally don't have to worry too much about gains and losses like ordinary people. In this troubled world, you can also live according to your own temperament like Meng Xiuyuan is doing now.
In this case, there are already enough selfish and unscrupulous people in this world, so there is no need to add one more.