Back in the bamboo pavilion, Cheng Xiaofan immediately felt the strange gazes from Lu Shengming and Dao Dahai, and a spark of anger ignited in his heart.
"What are you two thinking? What kind of looks are those?"
Cheng Xiaofan had initially decided not to let Li Mingxi explain, but seeing the peculiar expressions of Lu Shengming and Dao Dahai, he couldn't help but say, "Li Mingxi, you caused this trouble, so you explain it to them!"
Upon hearing this, Li Mingxi, her face red, was about to explain when Lu Shengming quickly said, "Mingxi, you don't need to explain anything. What kind of person is Xiaofan? Do I not know him? He met you for the first time today, how could he possibly have bathed with you? That's absolutely impossible!"
"That's right, that's right, I think so too!" Dao Dahai chimed in.
Cheng Xiaofan pointed his finger at Lu Shengming and said earnestly, "Old Lu, is it? It's not that I'm saying this, but as the head of a local martial affairs bureau, you should use your brain more when encountering issues and not just follow the crowd."
"Take today's matter for example. You brought two people from the Sakura Country's Blood Demon Sect here to confront me. If I were to report this to your superior, do you think your official cap would still be secure?"
Hearing this, Lu Shengming's face turned pale.
"I'm sorry, Xiaofan, I was wrong!" Lu Shengming said.
At this moment, Li Mingxi heard this and exclaimed, "What? Inoue Shoichi and Yoshida Hideo are not envoys from Sakura Country, but members of the Blood Demon Sect?"
She looked around, "Where are they?"
Cheng Xiaofan said, "I let them both go back."
Li Mingxi said, "Mr. Cheng, as far as I know, the Blood Demon Sect is an evil sect, notorious for its wicked deeds. If they came here to find you, they must have had some ulterior motives against you."
"Why did you let them go?"
Cheng Xiaofan said, "I let them go back for a reason!"
Li Mingxi, looking like a curious child, asked, "What is your reason?"
Cheng Xiaofan chuckled, "That is temporarily confidential!"
He didn't want to reveal his plan too early, lest it be leaked. If it reached Sakura Country, his plan would fall through.
"Li Mingxi, I must also remind you that you are a good talent for cultivation, but your psychological fortitude is too weak."
"In that patch of woods, even a snake scared you like that. Even if you cultivate to a very high level of ancient martial arts, it won't be enough!"
His words made Li Mingxi's face flush with embarrassment.
Cheng Xiaofan took out a bag of Golden Tea from a bag under the coffee table and handed it to Li Mingxi, saying, "This is the Golden Tea I'm giving you. I hope that on your path of cultivation, you can achieve greater success and also strengthen your psychological fortitude!"
"Thank you, Master!" Li Mingxi took the Golden Tea with both hands and, with a thud, knelt on the ground.
Cheng Xiaofan was stunned for a moment and said, "Miss, when did I become your master?"
Li Mingxi said, "Today, your cup of Golden Tea helped me break through, and now you're giving me such a large bag of Golden Tea. Of course, you are my master!"
"Yes, yes, yes, Xiaofan, I think what Mingxi said is completely reasonable!" Lu Shengming immediately spoke up in support of Li Mingxi.
If it weren't for Cheng Xiaofan as their master, how could Long Xingyun and his grandfather have defeated Jiang Feijiao, thus allowing Long Xiaotian to gain the position of helm master of a hidden aristocratic family!
If Li Mingxi had Cheng Xiaofan as her master, she would undoubtedly become a prominent figure in the ancient martial arts cultivation world.
Lu Shengming secretly gave Dao Dahai a few winks, asking him to help say a few words.
Dao Dahai had no choice but to chime in, "Xiaofan, I think Li Mingxi is a good girl. You should take her in!"
Cheng Xiaofan said, "Since you, Officer Dao, think she's good, then please take her in!"
"..." How could anyone continue the conversation after that?
Dao Dahai, having been put on the spot, immediately retreated to the side, not daring to say anything more.
Being used as a pawn felt really unpleasant!
However, Cheng Xiaofan couldn't bear to see Li Mingxi's awkward and pitiable appearance, so he said, "Li Mingxi, get up. I already have enough nominal cheap disciples, so one more won't make a difference!"
He wasn't wrong.
Long Xingyun and his grandfather, and now the three Shui Hu Li sisters and Shen Ruobing have appeared. Which of them is a legitimate disciple?
He had never actually taught them anything.
Cheng Xiaofan had also made his stance clear to Li Mingxi.
If you truly want to consider me your master, then I can tell you that in my heart, you are like my other cheap disciples; I cannot teach you anything substantial.
If you can achieve a breakthrough from me, it will all be your own good fortune!
Of course, there was one thing Cheng Xiaofan had to ensure: even for his cheap disciples, their character had to meet his standards.
Anyone who dared to act wickedly in his name would have their cultivation personally crippled by him.
"Thank you, Master!" Regardless of whether she was a cheap disciple, Li Mingxi was so excited upon hearing Cheng Xiaofan's words that she kowtowed a few times and, with a bounce, stood up.
Cheng Xiaofan smiled and said to everyone present, "I originally didn't plan to entertain you tonight, but for the sake of my cheap disciple, I'll invite all of you to stay here for a small meal!"
Upon hearing this, Dao Dahai was the first to jump up, "Haha, thank you for the treat, Xiaofan!"
Only he knew that whatever dish Cheng Xiaofan casually prepared would surely be the most delicious in the world, something that would be unforgettable for a lifetime.
"Thank you, Xiaofan!" Lu Shengming couldn't help but heave a long sigh of relief. The tense atmosphere that had filled the room finally dissipated with Cheng Xiaofan's words.
"Naughty one!"
At this moment, Cheng Xiaofan went downstairs and called out towards the yard, "Go, help me catch that cucumber snake from the forest ahead and bring it to the pond!"
Cucumber snakes are naturally lazy and tend to stay put for a long time once they find a spot. This snake's meat is quite tender and very nutritious, but due to its scarcity and difficulty in catching, most people can't get it.
This was the second time Cheng Xiaofan had seen a cucumber snake.
The first time he saw a cucumber snake on the island in the middle of the lake, Cheng Xiaofan had been so distracted by Xu Man that he didn't think about eating it.
Now that he encountered one again, it would be a shame to pass it up.
"Woof woof!"
When Cheng Xiaofan arrived at the pond, Naughty one also arrived, wagging its tail and throwing the thick cucumber snake at its owner's feet. *Master, this cucumber snake looks delicious. This dog grandpa isn't greedy, just half will do.*
"Scram! You want half of this two-meter-long snake? That's too greedy!" Cheng Xiaofan kicked out at Naughty one.
Cheng Xiaofan's kick was like a flash of light; any animal would usually be unable to dodge it.
Unexpectedly, Naughty one let out a whine and, like a shadow, circled Cheng Xiaofan's foot and landed on the ground without a single dog hair being touched.
"Haha, not bad!" Cheng Xiaofan couldn't help but laugh.
Naughty one also knew that its owner wasn't truly trying to kick it, but was using this opportunity to test its ability to react to danger.