129: Chapter 129 Successfully Taking on a Female Disciple

Fengshui City, in a dark alleyway.

"Hit her! Hit her hard!"

"She has food, yet she didn't know to offer it to us! It seems she hasn't learned her lesson!"

"Don't kill her. We need to keep her alive so she can keep bringing us things later!"

...

At that moment, four older beggars were surrounding a little girl, punching and kicking her while spewing vicious words.

The little girl just curled up tightly, silently enduring the beating without making a sound.

Not long ago, the girl had met two kind-hearted people who gave her two copper coins, which she used to buy a steamed bun.

But just as she was about to eat, she encountered the four fellow beggars. Terrified, she quickly stuffed the bun into her mouth and ate it all, leaving nothing behind.

Seeing that the girl had eaten the bun while they were still hungry, the four beggars refused to let it go and surrounded her for a beating.

This clearly wasn't the first time the girl had faced such a situation; otherwise, she wouldn't have eaten the bun so hastily.

"Scram!"

Suddenly, a thunderous shout echoed through the alley, followed by a gust of wind that blew all four beggars away. They crashed to the ground, crying out in pain.

Upon seeing the figure at the entrance of the alley, the four beggars looked terrified. They didn't dare stay a moment longer, scrambling to flee the alley without even a parting threat.

After driving away the beggars, Ning Yuan and his companion hurried forward to help the girl up, scanning her for any life-threatening injuries.

To Ning Yuan's relief, the girl only had superficial injuries—some bruises on her face and body, but nothing too serious.

The little girl looked at the two newcomers, feeling lost and terrified, fearing they had come to take back the two copper coins.

If that were the case, she had already eaten the bun and couldn't give the coins back. She would probably be beaten again!

Ning Yuan saw the girl's timid expression. Although he didn't know exactly what she was thinking, he guessed she was afraid he was there to cause more trouble.

Then, Ning Yuan crouched down, patted the dust off her clothes, and said softly:

"Don't worry, we aren't here to cause trouble. I just wanted to ask you, would you like to be my disciple?"

"That's right, we don't mean any harm!" Tang Qian added from beside him.

Hearing this, the weight in the girl's heart was lifted, but the words that followed confused her. What was a disciple?

The little girl asked weakly, "What is a disciple?"

"Hmm... well, it means if you follow me, you can learn skills and never be bullied again!" Ning Yuan tried to explain the meaning of "disciple" in a way she could understand.

The girl's eyes lit up slightly, seemingly understanding a bit. Her small hands gripped the hem of her clothes as she asked softly again:

"Um... will there be food after I become a disciple? I don't eat much; one bun every two days is enough!"

Hearing her question, Ning Yuan and Tang Qian couldn't help but feel pity. She might not truly understand what a "disciple" was.

But she likely felt that following them meant she would have food. She even suggested eating only once every two days just so she wouldn't have to go hungry or be bullied for a bite to eat.

Ning Yuan patted her little head and said with a smile, "Don't worry. Once you follow me, you'll have food every day. You won't have to worry about going hungry ever again!"

"Re... really?" An unbelievable light flashed in the girl's eyes. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to have food every day.

Ning Yuan confirmed, "Really!"

The girl said bashfully, "Then I... I want to be a disciple!"

"Good, from today on, you are my disciple! By the way, what is your name?"

"I... my name is Erya! My grandfather gave it to me!" Erya said with difficulty, her eyes dimming when she mentioned her grandfather.

Seeing Erya's expression, it was clear her grandfather was gone; otherwise, she wouldn't have become a beggar. Ning Yuan patted her head again and smiled:

"Erya can only be your childhood name. Since you're my disciple now, you naturally need a formal name. I'll give you one. What is your surname?"

The little girl shook her head, indicating she had no surname.

"If you don't have a surname, then take mine. My surname is Ning, and my name is Yuan! Hmm... we met here in Fengshui City. 'Fengshui' implies abundant water, so... how about Miao Miao? From now on, your name will be Ning Miaomiao!"

"Ning... Miao Miao?" the girl repeated softly, not quite understanding the meaning of the name.

"It's okay if you don't understand now. I'll teach you later!" Ning Yuan stood up with a smile and pointed to Tang Qian.

"This is your Master's Wife, Tang Qian. In the future, you will call her Master's Wife Tang."

"Oh... Master's Wife Tang!" Ning Miaomiao looked at Tang Qian and greeted her in a low voice.

"Miao Miao, let's go! Your Master's Wife will take you to eat something delicious!" Tang Qian said warmly, gently taking Ning Miaomiao's hand.

"Mm-hm!" Ning Miaomiao nodded quickly, afraid she would miss out if she were too slow.

"Let's go!"

Then, Tang Qian led Ning Miaomiao out of the alley. The figures of the woman and the child looked exceptionally warm and harmonious together.

"A disciple? Perhaps it's not a bad idea," Ning Yuan murmured to himself.

Ning Yuan watched their departing backs, then strode forward to join them.

The three figures—two adults and one child—gradually disappeared into the alley... Half a year later.

Seven Fragrances Island, Xiangye City.

"After twenty years, I'm finally back!" Tang Jingyi gazed at the towering city walls, her eyes reflecting complex emotions as she recalled the events of the past.

Back then, Tang Jingyi's father was the head of the Tang Family. Under his management, the Family flourished. In terms of both wealth and strength, they had no rivals in Xiangye City except for the City Lord's Manor.

To advance his cultivation further, he decided to enter seclusion for a Breakthrough to Soul Transformation. However, an accident occurred during the process, leading to failure and his ultimate demise.

Falling due to a failed cultivation Breakthrough was not unheard of in the cultivation world and was a reality people accepted.

After her grief, Tang Jingyi accepted this reality and began arranging her father's funeral. However, during the funeral, her father's younger brother—her uncle, Tang Shao—suddenly turned against her.

According to Family rules, the children of the head should inherit the position. But her uncle used excuses like her being too young and a woman to forcibly seize the position of Family head.

Not only that, he even planned to marry Tang Jingyi off as a concubine to the City Lord to curry favor and prevent retaliation from other forces.