TNIBFT -Chapter 28 Using Steamed Buns as a Disciple Offering

The old man looked reluctant as he dug out a dozen or so martial arts manuals from his worn cloth bag, holding a few in each hand and letting Ye Tian choose for himself.

Something about this plot feels off!

Ye Tian was completely baffled. Shouldn’t it have been that the protagonist’s compassion triggers the old man’s admiration, and the old man, seeing the protagonist, is instantly astonished, realizing he’s found a worthy successor? Then he decides to take the protagonist as his disciple.

In the original story, there was no mention of Shen Jie having to buy books.

Ye Tian grew anxious and angry. Could it be because he didn’t bring the buns? That must be it!

“I see you’re a man of talent. This Broken Stone Shakes the Heavens Hammer is suitable for you. Take a look, what do you think?” The old man’s eyes shone brightly as he stared at Ye Tian with a silly grin, practically broadcasting the words “sucker” across his face.

“And this one, how about the Imperial Maiden Sword Technique?”

Seeing that Ye Tian remained unmoved, the old man winked and gestured at him.

Ye Tian was speechless.

He knew it wasn’t the manuals themselves that were valuable—it was the old man. These scrap books were essentially just picture books; gaining the old man’s recognition was the real opportunity.

“The buns are here! The buns are here!” Xiao Jiang ran over, panting, and handed the bundles of buns wrapped in kraft paper to Ye Tian. Ye Tian, playing along, offered them to the old man: “Grandpa, would you like some buns? You must be hungry.”

“You brat!”

“Who’s your grandpa? Call me uncle!” Sun Wuji, fuming, puffed up his beard and glared, snatching a book and swinging it at Ye Tian’s head.

Damn it.

Ye Tian gritted his teeth in pain. Shen Jie had called him that, so why couldn’t he? What the hell was wrong with this world?

The old man, not even wanting the buns, had lost patience. He shoved the books back into his cloth bag. “If you’re not buying, don’t waste my time,” he said, turning to leave. Ye Tian resignedly caught up and asked, “Could you give a discount?”

For now, Ye Tian gave up on trying to win over the old man.

This old man was probably destined to be the source of the protagonist’s opportunity. Ordinary people couldn’t trigger the restriction; as long as Ye Tian kept coming to stir things up every day, Shen Jie wouldn’t get a chance.

“A discount?”

Sun Wuji puffed up his beard and glared at Ye Tian. “It’s only ten wen. Buy it and your whole family can practice, stay healthy, and improve their strength. Isn’t that worth ten wen?”

Ye Tian resignedly prepared to pay.

Behind him, Ye Shuangxue wore a stern expression, looking disdainfully at Sun Wuji. “He’s just an old conman. Don’t believe him.”

The little girl’s voice was young, yet crisp and cold.

Sun Wuji looked up, narrowing his eyes at the little girl beside Ye Tian. She looked four or five years old, not even reaching Ye Tian’s thigh. A little radish head, fair and tender skin, dressed in tattered clothes—but with thick brows and big eyes, full of spirit. In her gaze burned a flickering flame, yet there was no fear in her eyes, only a hint of fighting spirit.

“Interesting. Very interesting.”

Sun Wuji stared at Ye Shuangxue without blinking, nodding, a delighted expression on his face, as if he had found a priceless treasure. His excitement was palpable.

Ye Tian looked at the crazy old man, then at his daughter, and immediately understood everything.

So he was being ignored, and Sun Wuji had his eyes on his five-year-old daughter as a potential disciple—not him.

He was just useless!

“Let’s go!”

Ye Tian tossed the buns in his hand to Sun Wuji, held his daughter’s hand in one hand, his son’s in the other, and turned to leave. Sun Wuji followed behind, frantic like ants on a hot pan: “Little girl, I see your bones are exceptional. How about becoming my closed-door disciple?”

“No.”

Ye Shuangxue immediately refused.

Sun Wuji followed behind, relentless: “Weren’t we strangers just now? This is fate—this is destiny, little girl. You have to listen to me; your future is boundless…”

“This steamed bun—I’ll just take it as my apprenticeship gift…”

Seeing Ye Tian and the two children walk away, Sun Wuji waved at Ye Shuangxue’s retreating back. Finally, he had a disciple, and this little girl’s talent was once-in-a-century. If those old monsters knew, wouldn’t they die of envy?

A glint of determination flashed in Sun Wuji’s eyes.

…

“That old man just now was actually really powerful.”

Ye Tian turned to his daughter. He didn’t know how to explain this—he couldn’t very well say that he had read the script and tell his daughter to learn properly from Sun Wuji, could he?

Ye Tian shook his head.

In the original story, Ye Shuangxue was sold into a brothel and worked as a little servant for several years. Only after she escaped from the brothel and fainted by the river was she saved by an assassin organization. To survive, she carved a bloody path to live. But by the time the assassins saved her, she had already passed the optimal age for martial training.

In the end, Ye Shuangxue still became a terrifying female villain who killed without a blink, her martial power off the charts. This alone proves that his daughter’s martial talent surpassed Shen Jie’s—otherwise, she wouldn’t have achieved what she did later.

“How do you know?”

Ye Shuangxue asked skeptically, then turned to the crowd and scornfully looked at the old man who had been grinning foolishly at her: “I think there’s something wrong with him. Who in their right mind sells martial arts manuals on the street?”

Alright.

Ye Tian could only groan inwardly.

It seemed this apprenticeship was destined to be full of obstacles.

A few minutes later, the three of them arrived at a ready-made clothing store.

Ancient clothing stores had no mannequins. The owner arranged fabrics on shelves by color and type, and finished garments were hung in prominent spots. Men’s clothes were more numerous, with many styles; women’s were fewer, and children’s even fewer. This clearly reflected the high status of men in feudal society.

Nowadays, men are just corporate slaves—yes, the wife can spend thousands on clothes, tens of thousands on bags, and if she buys him a pair of socks, he has to be grateful.

Times have really changed!

As Ye Tian was lost in thought, the owner smiled and stepped forward: “What would the customer like to look at?”

The owner held a wooden ruler, looking very professional. Ye Tian said, “I want clothes for the children—thick cotton jackets. Bring them out; I’ll take a look first.”

“Okay.”

The owner nodded with a smile, turned to the shelves to get the garments, and as he glanced at Ye Tian and the two children, continued: “Would the customer like coarse cloth or fine cotton? Coarse cloth is cheaper.”

Was he implying they didn’t have money?

Ye Tian was speechless but didn’t play the fool. He replied, “Bring out the coarse cloth ones. Also, show me the styles for fine cloth—I’ll take a look at all of them.”

“Sure.”

After replying, the owner went to fetch the clothes.

Ye Tian looked at a small qiru skirt on the opposite shelf: “Daughter, Ye Shuangxue, this one—do you like it?”

“That one—the water-red one with white fox fur…”

Ye Tian’s eyes lit up as he stared at the little skirt. Back when he saw girls wearing this kind of traditional-style clothing in the park, he couldn’t look away. Now that he had a daughter, she had to be dressed properly.

Seeing Ye Tian so excited, Ye Shuangxue withdrew her shocked gaze from the dazzling display of clothes.

Ye Tian’s jumble of excitement and words moved her—am I really that important to him?