Chapter 517 - 304: Unparalleled Talent!
Chapter 517: Chapter 304: Unparalleled Talent!
Chen Yi looked at the still-ignorant Yuan Liu’er and couldn’t help but ask, "Have you ever studied?"
Yuan Liu’er shook her head, her expression dimming. "Private schools are too expensive. My father wouldn’t allow it. I... I only memorized some words and sentences when my younger brother was reading."
Saying this, she raised her head again, her small face tense. "Shopkeeper, Master is really good to me."
"Teaching you how to read is considered treating you well?"
"Is... is it not?"
Chen Yi smiled and shook his head. "What a waste of natural talent."
He truly hadn’t expected that a momentary bout of compassion would actually result in picking up someone with unparalleled aptitude for the Medical Dao.
No, not just the Medical Dao.
With her photographic memory, Yuan Liu’er also had an extremely high talent for studying and pursuing academics.
As for everything else...
Chen Yi thought for a moment, then called Liu Quan over and ordered, "Go fetch the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone."
Without overthinking, Liu Quan hurriedly placed the items on the table. He thoughtfully spread out the paper and secured it with a paperweight.
Just as he was about to stay and see what was happening, Chen Yi waved his hand. "Wait outside."
Liu Quan shot a glance at Yuan Liu’er and awkwardly backed out of the room.
Chen Yi then beckoned to Yuan Liu’er, "Write a few words for me to see."
Yuan Liu’er paused, shaking her head repeatedly. "Shopkeeper, Master hasn’t... hasn’t taught me how to write yet. I..."
Chen Yi interrupted her with a smile, "It’s fine. I’ll teach you. Watch me."
He then picked up the brush and wrote a few characters on the paper: "Medicine, Canon, Yellow, Astragalus."
"Come, you try."
Yuan Liu’er looked at the wolf hair brush he handed her. She accepted it hesitantly, recalled his earlier posture, and lifted the brush.
First, she adjusted her grip on the wolf hair brush. Then, she dipped it in the ink, raised the brush, and lowered it onto the paper.
A blob of ink immediately spread across the page.
Yuan Liu’er’s face paled. She turned her head, about to apologize, when she heard Chen Yi encourage her, "Continue.
"This time, focus on using your wrist more. Press down firmly when you start, and lift gently at the end..."
Hearing this, Yuan Liu’er tensed her small face. Gripping the wolf hair brush with great discomfort, she wrote the character for "Medicine."
Although the character was still terribly written—with scattered force and unpracticed brush control—Chen Yi noticed something.
This little girl had actually memorized his movements and was mimicking them quite decently.
As Chen Yi watched, a brilliant light flashed through his eyes, and he used his Qi Observation Skill to examine her body.
"Hiss!"
Even though Chen Yi had previously used his Qi Observation Skill to inspect the internal conditions of many people, and had seen quite a few rare meridians and auras—such as Xiao Wan’er’s extremely cold Physique or the Old Master’s heavily ill body—upon seeing Yuan Liu’er’s aura, he still couldn’t help but reveal a hint of awe.
"Truly an unparalleled, heaven-sent talent."
He saw that the Twelve Main Meridians within Yuan Liu’er’s body were completely unobstructed. She actually possessed an Innate Clear Physique. In other words, if she were to practice Martial Arts, she could shoot straight into the Middle Three Grades in an extremely short amount of time.
However, to achieve greatness in both Martial Arts and the Medical Dao, one needed comprehension; one had to enter the Dao.
Chen Yi took a few more glances and muttered "what a waste of natural talent" to himself once again.
Leaving a genius like this in Ma Liangcai’s hands was a complete waste of her potential. Especially after seeing the visible increase in proficiency once Yuan Liu’er finished writing a few characters, it truly made him feel a sense of, "If Liu’er was born, why must Yi be born as well?"
If he didn’t have his own Opportunity and excellent comprehension, his lifelong achievements probably wouldn’t even amount to a fraction of Yuan Liu’er’s.
Pondering for a moment, Chen Yi made a decision.
It was too late to have Yuan Liu’er switch masters now. There was only one viable solution—he would take Ma Liangcai in as his disciple! Only then would he be able to openly and properly teach Yuan Liu’er.
However...
That dull-witted fool Ma Liangcai was truly unworthy of his attention. If he became his first founding disciple, wouldn’t people question his judgment when word got out?
Fortunately, there was still Yuan Liu’er. Thank goodness there was still Yuan Liu’er.
Chen Yi consoled himself. His gaze toward Yuan Liu’er grew increasingly amiable as he smiled and said, "Not bad.
"Your master has indeed taught you quite a bit."
Yuan Liu’er’s face relaxed, and much of the anxiety in her heart faded. She had truly felt that the characters she just wrote were too terrible, and she had worried it would implicate Ma Liangcai.
"Shopkeeper, if... if you have no other matters, I... Liu’er will go busy herself in the outer hall first."
Chen Yi hummed in acknowledgment. Before she could turn around, he spoke up, "Don’t call me Shopkeeper in the future.
"Call me Grandmaster."
"Grandmaster?"
Meeting Yuan Liu’er’s confused gaze, Chen Yi smiled and said, "That’s right.
"Your master, Ma Liangcai, is my first founding disciple. As his apprentice, you naturally have to call me Grandmaster."
Yuan Liu’er blankly thought about it for a moment, then hurriedly bowed in greeting. "Grandmaster."
Chen Yi smiled and nodded. "Go get busy.
"When your master returns, tell him to come find me immediately."
Yuan Liu’er let out an "oh" and meekly walked out of the inner hall.
Who would have thought that a moment later, she would return. "Grand... Grandmaster. Thank you for letting Master take me in as a disciple.
"I... I know it was also you who provided the silver to bury my father. Please... accept a bow from this disciple!"
Chen Yi looked at Yuan Liu’er kneeling on the ground. The smile on his face receded for a moment, and he let out a soft sigh. "Actually, I should be thanking you."
"Wh-what?"
"It’s nothing. You’ll know in the future. Go out and get to work for now."
Yuan Liu’er looked at his expression, bowed once more, and then got up and walked out of the inner hall, looking much more relaxed.
Watching her back disappear out the door, a bitter smile tugged at the corners of Chen Yi’s lips.
"Every drink and every peck is preordained by heaven.
"So be it.
"Since I’ve entangled myself in this karma, I won’t think about running away from it. Whatever happens in the future, it’ll be up to her to decide for herself."
Even though Yuan Liu’er’s father hadn’t died by his hands, his death was still connected to him to some extent. When Yuan Liu’er completed her studies in the future, he would eventually reveal the whole truth to her.