The Face Mask Master

Old Man Tianchi, wearing a seaweed face mask, walked up to Li Wuya and circled around her, his eyes filled with interest. "Little girl, you've got quite the courage."

"Many people want to be my disciple, and they've used all sorts of methods to succeed. But you're the only one who dares to impersonate my disciple and come knocking on my door."

Li Wuya sensed that this white-haired man

who suddenly appeared had no ill intentions towards her, so she relaxed her tense posture slightly.

Through her spiritual senses, she could tell that this person's actual age was over a hundred.

Agile in movement, with a head of white hair and dressed in wide-sleeved white robes, though his face was covered by the mask, his hands and neck looked smooth and well-maintained. It was almost certain that he was none other than the renowned Old Man Tianchi with his youthful appearance.

With formidable martial skills and exceptional medical expertise, having such a master seemed quite nice.

As she looked at Old Man Tianchi with the seaweed-covered face, Li Wuya found it a bit eye-catching. However, to pique his interest, she hesitated to look directly at him. She intentionally showed a sceptical expression, as if she didn't believe he was Old Man Tianchi.

Seeing her reaction, Old Man Tianchi seemed displeased. "What's with that expression on your face?"

Li Wuya tilted her head and said, "You're quite different from how I imagined my master."

Old Man Tianchi chuckled. "And how did you imagine your master to be?"

Li Wuya replied, "Elegant and kind-hearted, like a celestial sage."

Old Man Tianchi glanced at her and continued, "Was he especially close to you?"

Li Wuya hurriedly nodded. "Yes, my master treats me very well."

Old Man Tianchi shook his head in disbelief. "You little rascal, you're quite good at buttering up, aren't you? Let me ask you, when and where did I accept you as my disciple?"

Li Wuya's eyes darted, and she answered, "When I was five years old, you accepted me as your disciple in my dream."

Upon hearing this, Old Man Tianchi couldn't control his expression. The face covered by the mask twitched several times.

Wow, kids these days are so skilled that they're even telling lies like this to his face.

"Are you also going to say that Queen Mother of the West guided you to become my disciple?"

Li Wuya's eyes lit up suddenly. She looked at Old Man Tianchi with admiration. "Master, how did you know about that? Did you also see Queen Mother of the West in your dream?"

Seeing Li Wuya's look of excitement as if she had found a kindred spirit, Old Man Tianchi's expression turned somewhat stiff.

He realized that this girl had quite thick skin!

"Master, I've had such a hard time finding you. I've finally met you today!"

Li Wuya was so moved that she was on the verge of tears. "Master, please accept your disciple's bow." With a thud, she knelt in front of Old Man Tianchi and then performed three kowtows.

Old Man Tianchi remained standing, looking at Li Wuya with a strange expression as she remained absorbed in her self-generated emotions of sentimentality and delight.

Beside them, Zhan Peng saw that Old Man Tianchi didn't object and looked at Li Wuya, who was now kneeling on the ground. He grinned and said, "Master, is she my little junior sister now?"

Old Man Tianchi cast a helpless look at his second disciple.

His disciple was great in many aspects, but his brain wasn't quite there!

However, Zhan Peng couldn't perceive the complex expression in his master's eyes. He happily stepped forward, lifting Li Wuya up with a single hand. "Big Senior Brother went to the capital city, so there's no one to fight and chat with me. It's great that my little junior sister is here."

Li Wuya: facepalm

So, she became his disciple to keep him company for fights and chats?

Then Zhan Peng continued, "Managing the medicinal fields at Tianchi is quite troublesome. Although my little junior sister is a bit young, she can help me out."

Li Wuya's eyes lit up. Medicinal fields?!

"Second Senior Brother, we have medicinal fields?"

Zhan Peng nodded, "Yes, there are plenty. The areas around Tianchi are all medicinal fields."

Li Wuya's expression brightened, "Second Senior Brother, I love tending to herbal plants. In the future, I'll help you with that."

Seeing Li Wuya's understanding nature, Zhan Peng grinned with satisfaction.

Old Man Tianchi watched as the two addressed each other so affectionately as senior brother and junior sister, and how his second disciple seemed eager to take the cheeky young girl up the mountain. He had to intervene:

"Alright, Peng, let go of the little girl. She's not your junior sister."

Zhan Peng blinked, confused. "Master, she already became your disciple."

Old Man Tianchi glared, "I didn't agree to take her as my disciple."

Li Wuya became anxious, "Master, I'm a medical prodigy. Otherwise, Queen Mother of the West wouldn't have taken an interest in me and guided me to become your disciple."

Old Man Tianchi snorted, "You little rascal, you're so young, yet you're lying so naturally. Claiming you met Queen Mother of the West in a dream? With such talent, why not ask her to dream for me as well?"

Li Wuya pouted, inwardly muttering that he was the one who brought up Queen Mother of the West in the first place.

Old Man Tianchi waved his sleeve, "Enough, don't linger here. Leave the same way you came."

Li Wuya, still eager about the medicinal fields, hesitated to leave like this. "Master, look at the vastness of Tianchi. There's even a maze in the valley. If I managed to find you like this, doesn't it mean we have a strong bond? Isn't it heaven's will for me to be your disciple?"

Old Man Tianchi sensed his face mask drying up and was too tired to argue further. He instructed Zhan Peng to escort Li Wuya away and turned to leave.

Li Wuya panicked, her eyes falling on the mask on his face. A quick thought crossed her mind, and she hurriedly said, "I can make face masks – for whitening, hydrating, lightening spots, reducing wrinkles, firming the skin – whatever you need. I guarantee they'll be even better than what you're using now."

Hearing this, Old Man Tianchi paused, then turned to Li Wuya, "Face masks?"

Li Wuya nodded, "Exactly, the kind you're putting on."

Old Man Tianchi burst into laughter and peeled the face mask off, revealing an exquisitely handsome face.

Seeing it, Li Wuya's eyes lit up with astonishment.

Over a hundred years old, yet having the appearance of someone in their twenties or thirties – it was truly astonishing!

Old Man Tianchi remarked, "Little girl, not only do you have thick skin, but you're also quite audacious. In the realm of managing appearances, I'm second to none. No one dares to claim the top spot. Are you saying the face masks you make are even better than what I use?"

Li Wuya examined Old Man Tianchi carefully, noting that his skin wasn't very firm. She smiled and said, "Whether my confidence is justified or not, you'll know when you try."

Old Man Tianchi looked at her for a moment and inquired, "Little girl, do you really know how to make face masks?"

Li Wuya nodded decisively, "I do."

Seeing her self-assuredness, Old Man Tianchi fell silent.

If Li Wuya said something else, he would likely leave without further ado.

However, face masks... His most cherished possession was his face. To maintain his youthful appearance, he had scoured all available ancient texts, which allowed him to retain his youthful look.

Unfortunately, as he grew older, the effects of his medical skills and remedies weren't as effective as before. In recent years, as he witnessed his skin gradually loosen and wrinkles emerge, he felt truly distressed.

"Peng, take this little girl up the mountain. I want to see what kind of face masks she can produce."

At the summit, there stood an ancient and solemn residence.

Despite being in an icy terrain, the house was surrounded by blooming flowers and lush greenery.

Li Wuya felt like she was in a fairyland as soon as she entered.

Upon seeing the natural hot spring pool, left open to the elements, she understood why.

There must be magma beneath this snowy mountain!

Before long, Li Wuya was taken to the medicine room.

Gazing at the nine-story-tall medicine building, Li Wuya felt a mixture of awe and delight.

"Every medicinal ingredient in the world can be found here. Little girl, go and prepare the face mask you mentioned."

At this moment, Li Wuya's heart was unsettled. Enhancing her healing ability required absorbing various medicinal ingredients. The more diverse the ingredients, the stronger her healing power, and the wider the range of illnesses she could treat.

But how many medicinal ingredients could she gather by herself?

At this moment, Li Wuya's determination to become Old Man Tianchi's disciple grew stronger. She promptly said, "If I can make a face mask that satisfies you, will you agree to take me as your disciple?"

Old Man Tianchi chuckled, "You're quite confident, little girl."

Li Wuya remained silent, smiling as she looked at Old Man Tianchi.

After observing her for a while, Old Man Tianchi smiled, "Alright, as long as you can make a face mask that pleases me, I'll accept you as my disciple."

A bright smile bloomed on Li Wuya's face.

With Zhan Peng's assistance, Li Wuya quickly collected the ingredients needed to make a firming face mask. Half an hour later, the black mud-firming mask was ready.

"For the first time using this mask, coupled with my unique massage technique, the effect will be better. Do you want to give it a try?"

Old Man Tianchi picked up a bit of black mud, sniffed it, and without saying a word, reclined in a rocking chair.

Li Wuya, prompted by his action, approached with the black mud mask and began applying it to Old Man Tianchi's face.

Two-quarters of an hour later, Old Man Tianchi cleaned the mud off his face. Feeling his significantly firmer skin, he looked pleased.

"Master?"

Li Wuya stood before Old Man Tianchi, beaming, "Can you accept me as your disciple now?"

Without hesitation, Old Man Tianchi nodded, "From now on, your face masks will be relied upon, my disciple."

Seeing how readily he agreed, Li Wuya was momentarily surprised.

She had thought that Old Man Tianchi would test her further.

As she watched Old Man Tianchi stand before the mirror, observing his remarkably beautiful face with a loving gaze, Li Wuya's expression became somewhat peculiar.

Who would've thought that the elegant and dignified Old Man Tianchi would be such a vain person? She never saw that coming!