Teacher by day, Farmer by passion - Chapter 267

Chapter 267: Backstab [4]
“Ah… anyway!” Mati cleared her throat, fluster still clinging faintly to her cheeks. “Back to the legend.”

Shan Yifeng nodded eagerly, eyes shining as he settled in.

Mati’s gaze drifted toward the open window, her voice softening into the hush of a bedtime story. “She was so beautiful…”

Her voice taking on the soft, wistful cadence of a bedtime story. “So breathtaking, in fact, that even the gods of the heavens grew jealous.

They all desired her, but only one among them crossed the line. He didn’t just desire her. He took it, even if it was by force.”

Shan Yifeng’s smile faded slightly. He listened in silence.

“Beauty without strength… it came with a terrible price,” Mati continued. “She was taken, used, and left with child. A child born not of love, but of force. She hated that child, hated what it represented. And the culprit, he left, roaming the land freely.”

Mati’s eyes drifted to the ceiling as if seeing the memory etched in starlight.

“But even with all that loathing, she found herself rocking the child to sleep, whispering lullabies with a voice that trembled. Every season passed with her conflicted heart split in two. And then—”

She paused, her tone softening.

“By the fifth year, the child had grown, bright-eyed, clever, and incredibly kind. Too kind for a child born of such misfortune.”

Shan Yifeng leaned forward, utterly engrossed.

“And over time… her hatred melted. Not because she forgot, but because the child taught her something stronger. She stopped seeing the child as a curse. She started seeing it as… hers.”

Mati smiled faintly, eyes misty with emotion.

“She no longer cared about what others had done. All she wanted was for the child to grow up happy and healthy. From that point on, her heart was his completely.”

She let the story hang in the air like a gentle breeze.

“…That child became the first ancestor of our kind,” she said softly.

“And as for our hairless appearance, legend says the Ancestor made a deal with a god so that his descendants, will never grow a hair until the destined one arrived.”

She glanced over at Shan Yifeng with a chuckle. “But honestly, I think it was just a way to make peace with looking funny.”

Shan Yifeng blinked, then burst out laughing. “That’s not funny! It’s cool! Really, really cool!”

Mati laughed too, this time not to hide anything, but because his words genuinely touched her.

“…Thank you,” she said quietly, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You’re a good boy, Yifeng. A very good boy.”

“But Elder Mati,” Shan Yifeng tilted his head, curiosity gleaming in his eyes, “is that really how the story goes? It doesn’t sound like a legend… not one bit.”

Mati chuckled, her voice warm but faint. “Yes, strange as it sounds, that’s how it’s been passed down. Our ancestors always said beauty could be a curse disguised as a blessing.”

She stood up and gave him a soft nudge toward the door. “Alright, off you go now. It’s late, and you’ve trained hard today.”

Shan Yifeng nodded, bowing politely. “Thank you for the story, Elder Mati. Goodnight!”

“Goodnight, little one,” she said, watching him leave with a fond, wistful gaze.

As the door clicked shut behind him, the smile slowly faded from her face.

She turned toward the dimly lit room, where shadows danced on the wooden floor.

A soft sigh escaped her lips, more memory than breath.

“The story doesn’t end there, Yifeng,” Mati murmured, her voice barely above a whisper as she watched the boy disappear down the path. “It goes… far darker than that.”

She sighed, “But that’s not for a child of human to understand… or know.”

The night breeze rustled the herbs hanging by the doorway as she gently closed the door behind her.

Her fingers lingered on the wood for a moment before she turned away, walking deeper into the house.

Silently, she lifted a woven basket from a shelf, its bottom already lined with dried leaves and strange roots and slipped on her sandals.

Outside, the moon hung low, silver and still.

Shan Yifeng walked quietly down the lantern-lit path.

“Good evening, Senior Brother!” a group of disciples greeted as he passed.

He returned their bows with a small smile and a nod, his mind elsewhere.

When he reached his dorm, he shut the door behind him, letting the quiet settle.

With a sigh, he collapsed onto his bed, arms behind his head, eyes fixed on the darkened ceiling above, though in his mind, he was seeing stars.

That ring… how do I even get it from Elder Mati without being caught by the others?

He rolled onto his side, lips pressed in a tight frown.

Grand Elder Lily is a pain in the ass… she’d lecture me for days if she found out. Elder Yuu? She’s the sect’s wild card. And Liu Mei’s soul bond. White Fur? I wouldn’t stand a chance against her, even with my own soul bond summoned.

He sat up suddenly, troubled, and began drawing a few formations around the room with practiced fingers.

A simple sound-repellant seal, nested over the existing layers of protective enchantments already in place.

Just a little extra security, he told himself. Better safe than sorry.

He stared at the glowing runes for a while, their soft hum oddly comforting.

Then there’s Teacher Akha… she may be quiet, but she’s sharp. And Master…

A beat of hesitation. He glanced toward the direction of the seclusion cave.

Good thing he’s still deep in cultivation. If he weren’t… I wouldn’t even think of doing this.

He let out a tired sigh and rubbed his face with both hands.

“Damn it… I don’t even know if I should be doing this.”

The thought echoed in his head a few times. But the answer didn’t come.

Eventually, he flopped back down on the bed and rolled to his side.

“Never mind. Let’s not overthink it. I can’t cultivate tonight anyway…”

He closed his eyes.