243: Chapter 23 Young Master, Master, Brother-in-law?

After the matter of Wang Yuyan teaching A Zhu and A Bi the Luoying Divine Sword Palm was finalized, A Zi, who was nearby, couldn't help but ask Meng Li.

"Young Master, what about me?"

After reuniting with A Zhu, she was left at Canhe Village.

Initially, because of her wild nature, she still had thoughts of running away. Later, feeling that life here was much better than outside, having an older sister to rely on, and even having the hope of learning powerful Martial Arts, she gave up those thoughts and became much more well-behaved.

During this time, under A Zhu's arrangement, she not only studied and learned to read but was also taught etiquette, regarding herself as a maid, which is why she called Meng Li "Young Master."

Meng Li glanced at her and answered with a question: "How are your studies coming along?"

A Zi quickly said: "I've finished learning them all. I recognize all the characters in those books; if you don't believe me, you can test me."

Meng Li turned his head and asked A Bi to go to the study to fetch a book, then gave it to A Zi and told her to read it aloud.

A Zi took the book, opened it, and began to read according to the content, reading the entire book without making a single mistake.

Clearly, she hadn't lied.

Meng Li nodded in satisfaction and then said: "You've passed the hurdle of learning to read. Next, you can start learning Martial Arts."

Hearing this, A Zi's eyes rolled, and she knelt on the ground on the spot, bowing and kowtowing, performing a grand salute to Meng Li: "Master, please accept your disciple's bow."

Meng Li didn't expect her to do this and was taken aback.

Wang Yuyan, A Zhu, and A Bi, who were not far away, were also greatly surprised.

After a moment, Meng Li said meaningfully: "I am only teaching you Martial Arts, just like I do for A Zhu and the others; I never intended to take you as a disciple."

A Zi, however, said earnestly: "The sages have said, a Master is one who transmits the Dao, teaches professional skills, and resolves doubts. Since Young Master is teaching me Martial Arts, you are naturally my Master."

Meng Li said: "If I remember correctly, Ding Chunqiu is also your Master."

A Zi replied without hesitation: "When I took him as my Master, it was under duress, so it doesn't count."

"Taking you as my Master now, Young Master, is something I am doing willingly."

Immediately, her eyes rolled, and she continued: "If Master minds, I will call you 'Young Master Master' from now on to distinguish between you."

Meng Li: "..."

This situation felt familiar, and after thinking about it briefly, he remembered.

In The Return of the Condor Heroes, when Yang Guo took the Little Dragon Maiden as his Master, this situation occurred: Yang Guo hated Zhao Zhijing, and in order not to accidentally insult the Little Dragon Maiden when cursing him, as well as to distinguish between them, he didn't call the Little Dragon Maiden "Master" but changed it to "Aunt."

A Zi's proposal had a similar effect.

Additionally, the title "Young Master Master" sounded a bit familiar to Meng Li.

It seemed that in Chinese Paladin 1, Liu Jinyuan addressed Li Xiaoyao that way.

Thinking about it this way, A Zi's maneuver was a bit complicated!

Meng Li thought about some random things and didn't speak for a moment.

Seeing this, a flash of cunning crossed A Zi's eyes. She immediately took it as his tacit consent, hurriedly kowtowed a few times, and settled this title herself. Then, she touched her red and painful forehead and asked Meng Li with an expectant face: "Young Master Master, what powerful Martial Arts are you going to teach me?"

Seeing her like this, how could Meng Li not know her intention?

A Zi's maneuver was clearly an attempt to get closer to him and seek better treatment and Martial Arts.

After all, the Master-disciple relationship is much closer and more reliable than the relationship between an ordinary maid and her Master.

One has to say, having spent time out in the world really makes a difference.

Compared to Wang Yuyan, A Zhu, and A Bi, A Zi was not only wild in nature but also had wild methods.

At this moment, she had actually seized the opportunity to manipulate him.

Meng Li narrowed his eyes, feeling a strange sensation in his heart.

He had lived through several lifetimes and had guided and taught quite a few people, but he had never really taken on a disciple in a serious manner.

Now, "taking" such a disciple was indeed a bit novel.

However...

Thinking of a certain point, Meng Li said to A Zi: "Don't be in such a hurry to take me as your Master and learn Martial Arts; there is something we need to straighten out first. A Bi and your sister A Zhu have been raised by my side as maids since they were young, and if nothing unexpected happens, they will become my concubines in the future."

"In other words, I will be your brother-in-law in the future. If you take me as your Master, wouldn't that mess up the family hierarchy?"

A Zi was instantly stunned.

This was a layer she hadn't considered.

Because she had no idea that A Zhu would become Meng Li's concubine in the future.

A Zhu and A Bi were both stunned.

As for what Meng Li said, they had known it in their hearts for years, but for some reasons, it had never been spoken aloud.

Now that it had been suddenly revealed by Meng Li, the two were caught off guard, feeling sudden shyness in their hearts, and subconsciously turned their heads away.

After their emotions calmed slightly, A Bi turned her head and glanced at Meng Li, her eyes as gentle as water.

A Zhu's eyes flickered, her gaze sweeping between Wang Yuyan and Meng Li, and seeing that Wang Yuyan had no reaction to this, she couldn't help but be thoughtful.

On the other side, A Zi came back to her senses from the shock, her expression collapsing: "Then what should I do? I've already kowtowed."

As she spoke, she reached out to touch her red and swollen forehead, her eyes rolled, and she proposed: "How about this, I'll call you 'Young Master Master' now, and after my sister marries you, I'll call you 'Young Master Master Brother-in-law'."

Meng Li was speechless.

Young Master Master Brother-in-law, what kind of weird title is that?

Are you playing word chain?

Wang Yuyan and A Bi couldn't help but laugh when they heard this.

A Zhu's face darkened, and she scolded A Zi on the spot: "Nonsense! I think your skin is itching!"

After speaking, she didn't care that Meng Li was present and walked directly toward A Zi, preparing to pinch her ears.

Seeing this, A Zi stood up with a swish and darted behind Meng Li, saying to him pitifully: "Young Master Master, look at my sister. I was just stating facts, and she wants to pinch my ears. You should quickly discipline her."

Meng Li rolled his eyes at her: "If you mess around again, don't even think about learning Martial Arts."

Hearing this, A Zi instantly looked like an eggplant beaten by frost.

A Zhu wanted to say something, but Meng Li waved his hand: "You go learn the Luoying Divine Sword Palm with Yu Yan; leave her to me."

After speaking, he reached out and grabbed the back of A Zi's neck, carrying her toward the room, and before entering, he casually broke a branch from a tree.

Before long, the sound of branches whipping and A Zi's screams came from the room.

Wang Yuyan, A Zhu, and A Bi were stunned as they listened.

It was the first time they had seen Meng Li personally whipping someone.

A Zhu felt a pang in her heart as she listened, but she didn't say anything.

In her view, A Zi's behavior just now was truly disrespectful, and being punished now was deserved.

Before long, A Zi started begging for mercy, but the whipping did not stop because of it.

It wasn't until A Zi's voice grew weak and faded away that the whipping finally stopped.

Afterward, Meng Li walked out and handed A Zhu a porcelain bottle: "Apply this to her wounds, and she will recover in a day or two."

A Zhu took the porcelain bottle and walked quickly into the room, discovering that A Zi had already fainted. She was startled and hurriedly helped her check her injuries.

However, when she loosened A Zi's clothes to look, she didn't see any bloody scenes; there were only some red marks on her buttocks, which didn't look serious.

What was going on?