The Urban Cultivation Grandmaster

Chapter 19: Taking in the Cross-Dressing Master

As evening fell, a guest arrived at Mu Tian’s small courtyard. The visitor was a young man of eighteen or nineteen, with delicate, handsome features and a hint of a smile at the corners of his eyes—he was quite beautiful. Mu Tian was puzzled. The youth was wearing the Tianjiang Cultivator Academy uniform, so he was clearly a student there. Why would he go out of his way to visit him so late at night? If it had been a pretty female student, Mu Tian might have understood—he could have figured it out. But a guy, in the dead of night? What was that all about? Sure, he was good-looking, but that wasn’t Mu Tian’s type. As soon as the young man came into Mu Tian’s line of sight, he recognized him immediately. Before the young man could even speak, Mu Tian said, “So you’re the guy dressed as a girl. No wonder you looked familiar.” Yang Chun, who was already extremely anxious, felt dizzy the moment he heard Mu Tian speak. A mouthful of old blood welled up in his throat, and he felt like he was about to cough up three liters of blood at any moment. Yang Chun’s face flushed crimson. “I… this… it was just an accident. I simply agreed to dress up in women’s clothes for a viewer in the livestream. A man of his word keeps his promises—I was just fulfilling my commitment. I’m not a cross-dresser, nor am I a trans woman, and I’m certainly not some ‘cross-dressing master.’ ” Yang Chun was visibly agitated; clearly, he’d been deeply troubled by the comments going viral online lately, and he looked utterly haggard and weak. At that moment, Mu Tian actually felt a pang of guilt and shame. He’d spoken without thinking, completely disregarding the young man’s feelings—truly unworthy of being a teacher. Immediately, Mu Tian said gently, “I’m sorry—it just slipped out. I apologize to you.” Yang Chun was taken aback. He never expected the renowned Teacher Mu—or “Master Mu,” as he was known—to apologize to him, and he immediately panicked: “It’s okay!” “Hmm, what’s your name? Is there something you need from me?” Mu Tian was puzzled. He’d been staying here for several days, yet very few students dared to come to him for guidance. “My name is Yang Chun. I’m a student at Tianjiang Cultivator Academy. As you probably already know, I’ve been livestreaming your Daowen lectures on Bamboo TV.” “Hmm.” Mu Tian had, of course, heard about it; otherwise, he wouldn’t have blurted out “cross-dressing master” so spontaneously. At this point, Yang Chun felt a bit embarrassed and said shyly, “At first, I was just fulfilling a promise to my viewers, but I never expected it to go viral so quickly. I started streaming without your permission…” In fact, Mu Tian actually had to thank Yang Chun. If he hadn’t started that livestream, Mu Tian probably wouldn’t have thought of using livestreaming to earn Star Sea Radiance. So Mu Tian smiled and said, “It’s nothing. I’m the one who should thank you for helping promote Daowen education.” Yang Chun quickly waved his hands. “No… no, there’s no need to thank me. Actually, I’m here today to give Teacher Mu the over 30 million in gift money from my livestream. I know my stream suddenly attracted tens of millions of viewers—they were all there for you. The gift money was meant as tips for you and your Daowen classes. I feel unworthy of it now. Once the platform transfers the funds to me next month, I’ll bring it to you right away…” As he listened, Mu Tian’s expression grew increasingly intrigued. He never would have imagined that Yang Chun had come to see him for this very reason. He felt quite tempted. In this materialistic world, where everything revolves around money, people will stoop to any low-brow antics for it—wasn’t the “Eel Streamer,” who went viral online, the best example of this? But looking at Yang Chun standing before him—if he hadn’t brought it up, no one would have said anything, and Yang Chun could have pocketed the money with a clear conscience. As fellow streamers, the difference between them was stark. “It’s nothing. Just take the money; it’s no big deal.” Mu Tian didn’t place much value on money, so he was quite unconcerned. Yang Chun didn’t nod in agreement but stubbornly insisted, “Teacher Mu, I can’t accept this money. Those fans explicitly said the gifts were meant for you. If I took them, I’d be no better than a thief—I’d feel guilty!” Mu Tian’s expression stiffened. “A guilty conscience?” What a powerful phrase—a guilty conscience! Upon hearing these words, Mu Tian’s eyes lit up like stars; his starry gaze shone brightly as he fixed his attention on Yang Chun. Yang Chun’s whole body tensed instantly. A strange sensation swept over him—as if he were being stripped bare, completely exposed—as though a mysterious force were X-raying him, laying all his secrets bare. Mu Tian said nothing, and Yang Chun dared not utter a word; the two simply stared into each other’s eyes. After a long while, a smile tugged at the corners of Mu Tian’s mouth: “Would you be willing to take me as your master?” Yang Chun was taken aback. Logically speaking, Mu Tian was already his teacher—the students of Tianjiang Cultivator Academy, and indeed the vast number of Daowen students worldwide, were all Mu Tian’s disciples. Yet clearly, the “becoming a disciple” Mu Tian spoke of was vastly different from an ordinary teacher-student relationship. A formal disciple! In ancient times, people revered teachers and valued the Way; a teacher was like a parent. In modern times, the bond between teacher and student had long grown tenuous. Yet since the great upheaval of the heavens and earth three years ago, this relationship had regained its importance. Students were no longer mere products on an assembly line, but rather Chuandao bearers, responsible for the transmission of the Way. Once you become a disciple, your teacher is your father for life. Yang Chun never would have imagined that a windfall would truly fall from the sky—and what was even more incredible was that it had landed right on him. “I’m willing! I’m absolutely willing! This disciple pays his respects to his master.” Yang Chun immediately knelt on the ground. Mu Tian had no fondness for formalities. He’d heard that many modern masters followed ancient rituals when taking on disciples, but he had little interest in them. He reached out to help Yang Chun up: “Stand up. There’s no need for all that. I’m only a few years older than you—there’s no need to be so formal.” “Yes, Master. I will work hard to master the true essence of the Daowen Scriptures as soon as possible and carry on their legacy.” Yang Chun’s face was radiant with excitement, his handsome features flushed with a deep blush. Mu Tian shook his head. “What I know isn’t limited to Daowen. People assume I’m only proficient in them, but I’m well-versed in many other things—cultivation techniques, alchemy, artifact forging, formations and restrictions, and raising beasts—I’m an expert in all of them...” “Go ahead, what do you want to learn?” Yang Chun was taken aback. He had never imagined that Master Mu Tian intended to teach him more than just the Daowen Scripts. Thinking about cultivation, he suddenly felt a pang of self-doubt: “Master Mu, my aptitude for cultivation is quite average. I’m afraid I’ll disappoint you and bring shame upon you.” Mu Tian smiled: “When I take on disciples, I never consider whether their aptitude is good or bad. The fact that you feel you’re not good enough is reason enough for you to be my disciple. It doesn’t matter if your aptitude is poor—with me by your side, you won’t be any worse than any genius. Besides, who says your natural talent is mediocre?” “Are you... saying?” Yang Chun’s heart raced, and he could barely contain his excitement. It was a long time before Yang Chun finally left Mu Tian’s residence. As he walked out, his face was flushed, and he could barely contain his excitement. Once Yang Chun had left, Mu Tian could only shake his head in exasperation: “My disciple, it seems you’re stuck with the nickname ‘cross-dressing master’ from now on!” A man with a woman’s appearance—he favors the yin and shuns the yang. “What a peculiar constitution. With proper cultivation, his future is limitless. I’ve struck gold.” Mu Tian’s starry sea shimmered with radiance; Yang Chun’s figure floated and swirled within it, then dissolved into a wisp of bluish-gray smoke, vanishing into the darkness.