Chapter 12: Little World

After class, in the pavilion.

Chen Qianchi came running over and cupped his fists.

“Master, you guessed correctly. It is indeed Xie Xiaoya’s little clique that is bullying Lin Anlan.”

“Mhm, I see.”

Standing behind Chu Fan, Shen Yuying smiled and said, “Master, do you need me to handle it?”

“How do you plan to handle it?”

Chu Fan turned back to look at her.

“Hehe, once and for all, of course. You know I am a demon, Master. To us, human lives are just numbers.”

“Did you forget what I told you again?”

“Xie Xiaoya and her friends are at the Profound Origin Realm at most. Besides, the Xie family still holds an old grudge against you, Master. Why not take this opportunity to wipe them all out together?”

“Uhm… Yuying, besides killing people, are there any other ways to handle things in that head of yours?”

Shen Yuying had followed him since she was very young.

Chu Fan did not remember raising her to be such a violent person.

“Of course.”

“Oh? Let’s hear it.”

“We just need to cripple their cultivation and sever their limbs to turn them into human swine. That way, they naturally won’t be able to do anything to Lin Anlan, who has already reached Foundation Establishment. What does Master think?”

Shen Yuying spoke with a calm, breezy smile, as if she were discussing something trivial.

“What do I think…”

Chu Fan was in despair.

He decided to ask someone else.

“Qianchi, what is your opinion?”

When asked, Chen Qianchi began to stroke his chin in thought.

After a moment, he said, “I know you want her to speak up for herself, Master. You hope to correct her weak personality, but it is clearly difficult right now. So, why don’t we wait and see? Perhaps something unexpected will happen.”

Chu Fan nodded in affirmation.

“Mhm, you have a point.”

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Su Xiaotang stuffing food into her mouth.

His lips curled up slightly as he smiled.

“Xiaotang, why don’t you tell me your thoughts as well?”

“Huh? I have to speak too?”

“Yes.”

Su Xiaotang quickly chewed twice and swallowed.

Then, she said with a nonchalant expression, “It’s so simple. Master, why don’t you just take her in?”

In an instant, Su Xiaotang felt two waves of killing intent radiating from behind her.

It was the severe, cold, and pure kind of killing intent.

The kind that would not rest until she was dead.

Su Xiaotang could not help but shiver.

At that moment, a white and red fur coat was draped over her.

“Junior Sister is truly as bright as the snow, hitting the nail right on the head,” Shen Yuying said with a fake smile.

“Really? Thank you, Senior Sister! But doesn’t this still require Master’s consent?”

The three of them turned their gaze toward Chu Fan.

Chu Fan lowered his head and rubbed his chin.

“Although that child’s cultivation isn’t high, her talent in alchemy is truly extraordinary. I imagine she should know a thing or two about artifact crafting as well.”

“While you and Qianchi have high enough cultivation, you both still have many deficiencies in alchemy and artifact crafting. Furthermore, I am about to start forging a set of protective armor for Yuying. If I had an assistant, I would certainly get twice the result with half the effort.”

“Master, what about me?”

Su Xiaotang raised her hand and asked.

“You… you’re not bad either.”

“Hehe~ Thank you, Master~”

“In any case, I do have the intention of taking her as a disciple. I just don’t know what the child is thinking. Her personality is too weak. First, I don’t like it; second, with her personality and strength, if she joined this family, I’m afraid she would be swallowed whole by a certain someone.”

Upon hearing this, the three of them spoke up at once.

“Master, what are you saying? We were all raised by you. We are all good children with excellent character and academic performance. Who would do such a thing?”

“Is that so? I think some people only have the ‘excellent academic’ part. As for the character… hehe, think about it carefully.”

“I wonder who Junior Sister is implying?”

“Those who do it know it in their hearts.”

Just then, Su Xiaotang suddenly interrupted with a dissatisfied look.

“I would never do such a thing! Master, how could you think so poorly of me! I have the best heart!”

“……”

That afternoon, when the outer disciples gathered in the study hall to prepare for their lesson on formations, they saw Chu Fan once again.

Almost everyone wore an expression that said, ‘Why is Teacher everywhere?’

On the way there, Chu Fan had heard from Jun Lin that as soon as he had agreed to be an instructor elder, she had dismissed all the other instructors.

Since he was responsible for all the courses alone and only required one salary, it was a total steal for her.

In Chu Fan’s eyes, this was exactly like a black-hearted corporation back on Earth.

“Anyway, let me ask again. Does anyone here understand formations?”

Chu Fan looked at Lin Anlan first as usual, but this time he was even more certain that she was simply a cowardly person.

Chu Fan sighed and shook his head.

However, in the middle of the crowd, he saw an unexpected person raise her hand.

“Teacher, Teacher! I understand formations!”

Xie Xiaoya bounced up and down as she raised her hand.

Adhering to his principle of recognizing talent over morality, he gave a light chuckle.

“Oh? Then why don’t you tell us about it.”

“Okay, okay!”

Xie Xiaoya skipped over to Chu Fan’s side.

Surprisingly, Xie Xiaoya, who always acted like a delinquent girl, was actually correct about everything regarding formations.

On second thought, it made sense.

After all, the Xie family was a prestigious family of formation masters.

When the Xie family had ambushed Chu Fan originally, it wasn’t entirely because he had snatched the cauldron they wanted to buy.

It was also because when Chu Fan was short on money, he had sold a formation map he had drawn himself.

“Teacher, Teacher, did I get it right?”

Xie Xiaoya looked up at Chu Fan with the expression of a child waiting for praise.

Although there were slight flaws in what Xie Xiaoya said, it was largely correct, and Chu Fan did not withhold his praise.

However, as if on purpose, Chu Fan did not just praise her; he even reached out and patted her head in the same way he had once praised Lin Anlan.

“Yes, very impressive.”

“Haha, thank you, Teacher!”

Xie Xiaoya enjoyed Chu Fan’s touch, her lips curling up uncontrollably.

“No… that’s not right…”

A nearly imperceptible smirk appeared on Chu Fan’s lips.

The voice came from within the crowd.

Lin Anlan walked to the front of the group, clutching the parchment book tightly.

“Huh?”

Xie Xiaoya made a dissatisfied sound.

“What you said… is wrong…”

“Teacher already said it was right. Do you think you know better than Teacher?”

“Teacher was… purposely not correcting you… I know it…”

“Huh? I have no idea what you’re talking about. Why are you talking so much?”

Xie Xiaoya looked like she was about to go over and hit her, but Chu Fan intervened in time.

Chu Fan could tell that Lin Anlan had keenly captured his intention and had finally summoned the courage to stand up.

This was the final chance he was giving her.

Seeing that she had finally seized it, Chu Fan proceeded to the next step.

“How about this? Since you two have different opinions, why not take this opportunity to have a contest?”

“Sure, Teacher! How do we compete?”

Chu Fan smiled slightly and spread his hands.

Before everyone’s eyes, two distorted spaces gradually converged, looking like portals leading to mysterious lands.

“A… Small World…?”

Lin Anlan’s eyes gradually widened, but Xie Xiaoya didn’t understand.

“Small World? What’s that?”

“The ancient text, Formations of the World, mentions that the pinnacle of formations is called a Small World. Ordinary formations merely borrow space, change rules, and trap or defend against enemies.”

“But the ultimate formation has no eye, no inscriptions, and no reliance on anything else. It does not borrow a single inch of the mortal world or rely on existing laws. In the midst of chaotic void, with the formation as the foundation, power as the fuel, and the Dao as the bones, it opens up a new world belonging solely to the caster. This realm is the final form of formations—a Small World.”

“Wow! Teacher, you’re so amazing!”

Xie Xiaoya’s eyes began to sparkle wildly.

She lunged at Chu Fan, hanging her arms around his neck and swinging off him, her legs kicking back and forth.

“Alright, the rules of the competition are as follows: whoever can find the exit from my Small World and return here first will be the winner.”

“If she is willing, I will make an exception and take her as my personal disciple. Like Shen Yuying and the others, I will teach her everything I know.”

“Wow! Really, Teacher!?”

Xie Xiaoya looked as if victory were already in her grasp, her face beaming with joy.

“Of course.”

Just before the two of them were about to enter the Small World, a familiar voice sounded from behind Chu Fan.

“Elder Chu… may I… also try…?”

Chu Fan turned around.

It was Chu Lingshuang standing behind him.

He looked at Chu Lingshuang, sighed, and reached out to create another Small World.

“Go ahead.”

Having received an affirmative answer, Chu Lingshuang looked somewhat surprised.

She had originally thought Chu Fan would definitely reject her, but she truly didn’t expect him to accept.

‘Do I really still have a chance? Is it really possible for a broken mirror to be mended?’

She tensed her nerves like never before and took the first step into the Small World.

Chu Lingshuang believed that with her strength, it was absolutely impossible for her to be slower than these outer disciples.

She had to be the first one back.

Back to this place.

Back to his side.