She took a deep breath and stared bravely at him with her head held high: “Teacher, you were right. I lacked talents compared to my peers in my clan, so I became diffident. I do love reading but I shouldn’t use it as an excuse for my uselessness, so Teacher, please teach me.”

She actually got on her knees and bowed for a long time.

“I will teach you since I’m your teacher.” Li Qiye waved his sleeve and told her to get up: “The paths for both the dao and learning aren’t easy. For example, the legend you like so much, you will need to take it step-by-step before truly verifying it. Patience and unyielding perseverance...