"That's right, our Bennett Village also has all sorts of strange little monsters. They're a bit mischievous, but most of them don't really mean any harm to humans." She recalled her days in Bennett Village. Although some of the demons' appearances had frightened her, none had ever truly hurt her.

"Demons and humans are different. Their temperaments are unpredictable and hard to grasp. The two races live in separate territories and, most of the time, don't disturb each other. But sometimes, a great demon will, on a whim, wreak havoc among humans, making it impossible to guard against."

Ethan Young cast his gaze toward the endless mountains south of Queqiu Town, where the ancient demon clan, the Celestial Wolf Clan, once had their lair. Although the Celestial Wolf Clan has long since vanished from this world, some truly terrifying beings still linger there.

"Emily, remember, even though we live at the foot of the mountain, you must never venture deep into the Celestial Wolf Mountain, and you must never provoke those great demons who dwell there. Some of them are beings even your master cannot handle."

Emily Bennett was in a great mood at this moment, so she agreed to anything. She glanced at the endless green mountains in the distance and promised, "Mm, I definitely won't go looking for trouble with them."

The master and disciple walked along the town's bluestone road. After passing through the busiest area, the houses and pedestrians on both sides gradually became sparse.

Summer weather changes in an instant. The sky, which had just been bright and sunny, was suddenly covered with dark thunderclouds, and with a crash, rain poured down.

Pedestrians on the street hurried to take shelter. Ethan Young placed his bamboo hat over Emily Bennett's head, scooped her up in his arms, and ran forward.

"Emily, don't worry, we're already home. It's that courtyard just ahead." He pointed it out to Emily Bennett.

At the end of the road, the green mountains slanted across the way, and at the foot of the mountain, a cool little courtyard with water-milled brick walls could be seen peeking out. Inside the courtyard walls, ancient pines and lush bamboo leaned gracefully; though not luxurious, the place exuded a sense of coolness and ease.

Before they could reach the entrance, the courtyard gate suddenly opened, and a pair of delicate hands holding a bamboo umbrella stretched out from within.

Author's note: It's not what you think—there's no slow, leisurely process of learning skills. The heroine will suddenly grow up in a flash, and then the male lead will appear.

Chapter 4

"Sarah, why did you come out?" Ethan Young stepped quickly through the muddy water and took the bamboo umbrella.

The person holding the umbrella revealed half of a lotus-like face under the eaves, dressed in a blue blouse and gauze skirt, with beautiful hair like clouds—a classic beauty who could make one forget the mundane world. Unfortunately, her figure was frail, like a willow swaying in the wind, with a sickly, delicate air.

Emily Bennett knew this must be the Mistress her master had mentioned several times along the way. She obediently called out Mistress from Ethan Young's arms.

Sarah nodded. "I thought you didn't bring any rain gear, so I came to the door to meet you. Is this the new disciple?"

Her voice was cool and calm, with no particular warmth, making it hard to tell her feelings.

Mistress's health was clearly not good. Despite the height of summer, her face was pale and she looked weak, dressed in thick clothing with an extra shawl draped over her shoulders.

Emily Bennett suspected that, let alone getting caught in the rain, even a strong gust of wind might blow this Mistress away.

Ethan Young held Emily Bennett in one arm and the umbrella in the other, keeping the umbrella tightly over his wife and little disciple, while most of his own body got soaked. The three of them walked together along the courtyard's pebble path.

All kinds of flowers and plants grew haphazardly around the courtyard, untrimmed and untamed, giving the place a wild charm. The most striking was a parasol tree, its trunk towering skyward, its branches spreading like a canopy.

From the dense leaves came a thin, sharp voice: "So this is the amazing disciple you brought back? Turns out it's just a little yellow-haired girl. If I'd known, I could have just grabbed her myself. Was it really worth you making such a long trip?"

Emily Bennett poked her head out, looking up from under the edge of the umbrella. On the thick trunk of the parasol tree clung a humanoid creature with an androgynous face, its eyelids painted with bold rouge, wearing a red crown, and two long crimson ribbons hanging from its pale cheeks, swaying gently among the green leaves. Its arms, folded under its chin, were covered in pure white feathers, and from its back, long white plumes trailed down the trunk.

"This is Clifford, my apostle," Ethan Young introduced to Emily Bennett.

Passing through the courtyard, a covered veranda encircled several rooms with paper windows and wooden beds, simple and elegant. Ethan Young led Sarah and Emily Bennett onto the veranda, then stood at the edge to shake the rain off the umbrella.

Sarah said nothing more, moving gracefully through the corridor and entering a room to the south, not appearing again.

Suddenly, a half-human, bull-horned head emerged from the ground at Emily Bennett's feet, startling her. A deep voice rumbled from beneath the wooden floor of the veranda, "Can a little girl like this really learn the master's secret arts? She doesn't even look like enough for a single bite."

"This is Edgar. He has a bit of a temper," Ethan Young said with a smile, "but they're all very powerful. With them guarding the house, even if your master isn't here, you don't need to be afraid. Feel free to play as you like."

It's because they're here that I'm afraid, Emily Bennett thought to herself, looking at Edgar's fierce appearance.

"What does 'apostle' mean?" she asked, not understanding.