Chapter 41: Recruitment

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Time stops for no one, and Liu Jin is no exception. Although his wife is gone, his life does not slow down in the least. If anything, it speeds up, almost as if the time he and Xiao Shuang spend in that little house was but a fleeting dream. Once it’s over, Liu Jin is back to training under Old Jiang. He’s back to helping his father in the clinic and learning in the Xiao Sect.

Although Liu Jin’s status in the Xiao Sect has changed, it is not as if he can be instructed along with the Inner Disciples. Liu Jin is too weak for such a thing.

However, that’s not to say everything is exactly is it was before. Liu Jin is now able to access all areas of the Xiao Sect’s compound. Occasionally, Liu Jin goes back to his and Xiao Shuang’s house to take care of the Tree of Never Ending Vigor. He also finds it to be an excellent place to meditate.

Another thing that has changed is…

“Brother Liu is looking good today.”

“I must say Brother Liu’s form gets better every day.”

“Brother Liu! If it is not too much to ask, would you perhaps care to exchange some pointers with this one?”

That.

Liu Jin’s face turns sour. It has been this way since the wedding, although it wasn’t obvious right away. Since Liu Jin spent the month following the wedding with Xiao Shuang, there weren’t many opportunities for him to interact with Outer and Inner Disciples. As for the Core Disciples, they are more focused on their cultivation and the tasks entrusted to them by the Sect than anything else.

Now that Liu Jin is back to interacting with Outer Disciples regularly, the difference is all too easy to see. Before the wedding, they looked at him with wariness and envy, even resentment in some cases. His position was still uncertain back then. However, that has changed.

Liu Jin is Xiao Zheng’s son-in-law. That is an undeniable fact.

As far as status goes, he is their superior.

In light of that, it is not surprising that the disciples have chosen to be subservient to him. They hang on to his every word, always ready to agree with him and do him favors. They offer to take him out to eat and other things. It is only to be expected. By making a good impression on him, they hope to improve their fortunes. It is only natural for them to look after their best interests.

It is natural, but it is annoying.

Living in New Moon Town gave Liu Jin some experience on how to deal with situations like this. Even so, it is not something he finds comfortable. At least, back in New Moon Town, he could be in his room all day, and that would be it. That is not an option here, although there are days in which he goes to his and Xiao Shuang’s house to meditate all day.

However, he cannot hide there forever. It is unseemly for him to do so. Sooner or later, Liu Jin has to interact with the other disciples again.

He hates it.

Liu Jin hates their fake smiles and fake compliments. Most of all, he hates how much the situation reminds him of New Moon Town. Whenever Liu Jin thinks of New Moon Town, he cannot help but be reminded of his own helplessness. It is not a pleasant feeling at all and only causes Liu Jin to become increasingly curt with his fellow disciples.

While he is not in any danger from them, Liu Jin does not like the idea of potentially alienating the Outer Disciples. It sounds like the type of thing that could possibly backfire on him.

“Brother Liu!”

“Please, wait for us!”

And then, there is this.

Liu Jin’s eyes threaten to roll back into his head before he turns around to face the two disciples, a placid smile on his face.

They are female.

They are Outer Disciples his age or maybe a little older. Liu Jin supposes they could be called cute, though they aren’t much compared to Xiao Shuang. The two giggle and smile as they approach him. Their happy countenance, however, is not something that is reflected on Liu Jin.

“Brother Liu, how are you today?”

“We were wondering if you could accompany us for some tea?”

More smiles. More giggles.

Unfortunately, this type of thing is also something that has become increasingly common as the weeks have passed. Males are content to just praise his every action, no matter how meaningless. They’ll agree with him even if he says the sky is green and pat themselves on the back for a job well done.

The females? Some of them are a bit bolder.

After all, being the friend of the Patriarch’s son-in-law is good, but being the concubine of the Patriarch’s son-in-law? The difference in terms of benefits is indisputable. Whoever Liu Jin takes as a mistress will likely get to experience a happy life. Xiao Nan warned him things like these could happen, but seeing it still comes as a surprise to Liu Jin.

It is usually girls his own age that suddenly want to spend more time with him. Go for a walk. Eat out. Train together. The offers are typically innocent. Liu Jin has, of course, rejected all those offers as kindly as he has been capable of.

Tired, Liu Jin opens his mouth, already trying to think of the best way to excuse himself without sounding rude.

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“What a sight! What a sight! So young and already so impertinent!”

Liu Jin blinks.

That wasn’t him.

He looks to the side just as the two girls do. The speaker is another female. She seems to be a few years older than him, already in the process of blossoming into a young woman. She has long brown hair tied into a messy ponytail. With her bright brown eyes and small nose, many would doubtlessly have called her pretty.

She wears the robes of an Inner Disciple.

“Do you not have eyes? The person you’re addressing is the honored Patriarch’s son-in-law,” she says, her purposeful stride placing her between Liu Jin and the girls. She does a flourish with her arm to gesture at Liu Jin.

Her eyes narrow when the girls don’t answer, staring at her in stunned silence instead. “I asked you a question. Do Outer Disciples not know how to address Inner Disciples now? Have the standards fallen so low?”

“N-No!” They say, intimidated by the older girl. Perhaps unconsciously, they take a step back.

“No, what? You’re saying you don’t have eyes?” The Inner Disciple pressed, crossing her arms.

“W-We meant to say the standards have not fallen low!” One of them stutters. She does not dare to meet her eyes. “We recognized we were addressing Patriarch Xiao Zheng’s son-in-law!”

“And you thought you were worth his time?” The girl lets out a sharp laugh. “Do you not realize that a person of his position has more important things to do than pay attention to you?”

“We apologize!”

“We are sorry! We didn’t think!”

“No,” the Inner Disciple says. “You did not.”

She leans in, so her face is closer to the girls who desperately do not want to look at her.