Translated by Kollumceti of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
While waiting for lessons to end, You XiaoMo used the time to refine pills.
The lesson lasted for an hour, and after the lesson ended, the students were free to leave.
This was because, be it for mages or practitioners, the most important thing was not theoretical knowledge, but to put the knowledge into practice.
Therefore when classes were let out, there would be many people traversing this corridor. You XiaoMo did not want to be treated as a spectacle, so when the hour was up, he immediately packed his things, and prepared to beat it. As for the matter of cutting class, he would just have to find a chance to explain his reason to the teacher-in-charge.
The old man saw him leaving and subconsciously called out to him, "You brat, stop right there."
You XiaoMo's reaction was to abscond immediately. Who would stay back to be pestered endlessly? Only a fool would do that.
The old man, "… …"
You XiaoMo did not return to his pavilion after getting away. He had promised to meet BaiLi XiaoYu to go to the sales area for magic pills after class. However, it was all ruined by that old geezer, and he could not uphold his promise now. You XiaoMo could only mentally apologise to BaiLi XiaoYu, and give him a proper explanation the next time they meet. Then he ran straight towards the sales area for magic pills.
You XiaoMo thought that the old geezer would not chase after him, or to be more accurate, never would he have dreamt that the old geezer would be able to catch him.
After running for some distance, an ear-splitting roar sounded from behind You XiaoMo. It made him stumble and nearly fall flat on his face.
You XiaoMo turned around for a look, and could not help gasping in surprise. The old geezer was actually chasing after him!
Seeing a frail-looking old man dashing over with an exceptionally astounding speed and vigour, and with him roaring after You XiaoMo, many passers-by stopped in their tracks to watch the spectacle.
You XiaoMo held his temples and began to moan about an imaginary illness.
This old geezer was really too brazen, who knew what he would do once he caught up?
You XiaoMo did not want to have more entanglements with the old geezer, thus he picked up his pace. No matter how useless he was, You XiaoMo thought he could definitely outrun an old man. In the end, he was terrifically aghast when his arm was grabbed, and he was forcefully carried off in the old man's arms as the old geezer walked back.
"You little brat, didn't you hear me when I asked you to stop?" The old man was still very vigorous and lively. After running for such a long distance, he was not even breathing hard. His complexion was rosy and he looked extremely energetic.
On the other hand, You XiaoMo was panting hard, and had no strength to retort.
Don't tell me this old geezer ate some body strengthening miracle medicine?
"What in the world are you planning to do?" You XiaoMo unhappily asked once he got his breath back. It's really enough, wo. Not only did this old geezer stop him from attending class, he was also bothering him now. You XiaoMo had never seen such an annoying old geezer in his life.
The old man saw that he was not struggling to run away, and slightly relaxed. When he heard You XiaoMo's question, he stated without hesitation, "I want to take you as my disciple."
You XiaoMo stared blankly at him in shock, "You want me to call you Master?"
The old man nodded his head, "Not bad, your aptitudes are pretty good. You have the qualification to become my disciple."
This old man was really narcissistic!
You XiaoMo bluntly replied, "It's a shame, but I don't want to be your disciple."
The old man immediately glared at him and he puffed up while letting out a loud outcry, "Do you know what you're saying?! Everyone in the academy wants to be my disciple. This great old man is giving you such an invaluable chance, and you actually want to reject me?!"
Wa, this old geezer became even more narcissistic…
You XiaoMo nodded his head, "I am extremely, certainly, and absolutely sure that I know what I'm saying. If this esteemed elder has nothing else to say, could you release me? I still have other things to do."
"No!" The old man instantly shook his head, "If you don't say it clearly, I won't let you go."
You XiaoMo said, "Didn't I say it clearly enough? What more do you want me to say?"
The old man replied, "Clearly explain why you don't want to be my disciple! What's not good about me?"
You XiaoMo, "… …"
But to stay in a stalemate was also not an option. You XiaoMo mused over it, and decided to elucidate his reason for declining the offer.
"What good points does this esteemed elder think he has?" Sprouting off the old man's defects in front of him was not a good idea. Furthermore, there was quite a large crowd surrounding them. You XiaoMo did not want to want to be crowned with a 'no respect for the elderly' criminal charge.
"The great old me is affable, amiable, accomplished, honourable, charitable, straightforward, magnanimous, indomitable, upright… …. Where else can you find such a virtuous Master?!"
You XiaoMo had seen narcissistic people, but not one who had narcissism cultivated to such a high level. To think he would dare to compliment his own self with so many positive character traits.
Just as the two were trapped in an inescapable deadlock, You XiaoMo's lifeline dropped into his lap.
"What are you doing?"
A voice, familiar enough to resound in his bones, was heard from behind You XiaoMo, carrying a hint of doubt and amusement.
Hearing this voice, You XiaoMo was so overjoyed that he nearly cried. His knight in shining armor had finally arrived. He turned back, and gave Ling Xiao, who was curiously observing them, puppy-dog eyes. "Ling Xiao, quick, save me! This weird old geezer wants me to accept him as my Master, and he won't take no for an answer!"
"Who is the short-sighted person who wants to take you as a disciple?" Ling Xiao's gaze landed on the old geezer who was grabbing You XiaoMo's arm. Under the mask, surprise flitted across his face - this old geezer's strength was remarkably high.
You XiaoMo may be thinking too much, but he felt that Ling Xiao's words were slightly belittling him. He could not refrain from frowning as he lifted the arm caught by the old man, "It's this person."
The old man heard the complaint in his tone, and unhappily replied, "With this great old me's strength, why would you feel aggrieved to be my disciple? The one who should be aggrieved should be me!"
"Then you should stop distressing yourself!" You XiaoMo instantly replied. He was sincerely hoping that the old geezer would not give grievances to himself.
The old man momentarily choked on his words. This little brat was not cute at all! But the more he was rejected, the more he refused to admit defeat. In the past, no matter how people begged him, he refused to accept them. Now karma was knocking on his door.
"In any case, the great old me is a level ten mage. Besides my disciple who has graduated, I am the only one left in the Long Xiang Continent. Tell me, where can you find such an awesome master?! Here I am giving you a chance, and you're finding all sorts of excuses! You really make me so furious!"
"You are a level ten mage?" You XiaoMo was stunned, and eyed him up and down. He still did not believe the old man, and shook his head, "That cannot be. I've heard that the best mage in the Long Xiang Continent is Qiu Ran. He is a high leveled mage rumored to be the closest to becoming the Number One Mage. Are you just saying this to deceive me into calling you Master?"
When he heard this scepticism, the old man was so angry he felt as if he had a foot in his grave.
"Who told you that Qiu Ran is the best mage in the Long Xiang Continent? That youngster is my disciple. Have you ever heard of a disciple who is better than their master?"
"Qiu Ran is you disciple?" You XiaoMo's jaw dropped.
"Of course, who else could nurture such an outstanding disciple? Most of the things he learned were all taught by me." The old man stuck his chest out and proudly replied.
Speaking of Qiu Ran, You XiaoMo subconsciously remembered the Heavenly Soul Scripture that Ling Xiao took. This matter was always weighing on his mind. He was constantly worried that he would be discovered, so he had to be very cautious when practicing the scripture. Knowing that the old geezer was Qiu Ran's teacher, he wanted to immediately decline, but inspiration struck him upon hearing the old geezer's last sentence.
"Old man, is it really true that you taught Qiu Ran everything that he knows?" You XiaoMo hastily asked.
"Of course it's true." The old man patted his chest, and replied without the slightest hesitation.
"Well then, please give me three days to think over it. After three days, I will give you my reply. I am staying at the Ninth pavilion in One Autumn Courtyard. If I have not replied within three days, you need not worry that I will escape." You XiaoMo said.
"Good, remember what you've said. When the time comes, you better not regret it." You XiaoMo did not seem to be lying. Even if he was, the old man had the ability to find him. Therefore, he agreed to You XiaoMo's terms.
After the old man left, You XiaoMo let out a sigh of relief. He thought of the jade drive that Ning Jing-daoshi gave him. When he returned, he would find some time to look for information on the old geezer.
Ling Xiao, who was watching the whole show on the sidelines, walked over with a smile, "That old fellow's strength is definitely that of a level ten mage. Taking him as your Master should be very beneficial to you. If he was the one who passed the scripture to Qiu Ran, you could find an opportunity for the old fellow to pass it to you too. Afterwards, you could practice it out in the open. In addition, he probably has many magic pill recipes on hand."
Who would have thought that Ling Xiao was actually thinking along the same lines as You XiaoMo? A cheap Master was still better than nothing, and although this old teacher's personality seemed to be a little impetuous, overall, he was still a pretty good catch. He may be a little unreasonable, but he was quite frank too.
You XiaoMo looked at Ling Xiao and asked, "Why are you here?"
They were currently in Block Two and it could not be a coincidence for them to meet here.
Ling Xiao took out his card, and beamed, "See what I have!"
When he caught sight of what Ling Xiao held, You XiaoMo was completely floored, "Your Black card… …how did it turn into a Purple Card?"
Ling Xiao told him, "I used the thirty middle level demon beasts that I hunted the last time to exchange for it. I guess it was counted as an important contribution to the academy, so they gave me a Purple Card."
The reason why Ling Xiao went to hunt demon beasts was for this Purple card. He originally planned to sell all the demon beasts he hunted. But he realized, after distributing the points out, the final amount would not be enough to gather five thousand points. Furthermore, he did not want to go into the mountains to wantonly hunt demon beasts again - experiencing that sort of thing once was enough.
You XiaoMo finally realized why he was so concerned about points. The reason was because of this, but … … "Why did you fixate on getting a Purple Card?"
Ling Xiao's response was to ambiguously lift You XiaoMo's chin, breathe out on his lips, and reply, "What do you think?" If he moved a little more, they would be locking lips. Fortunately, Ling Xiao still remembered that they were in a public place with numerous people.
What do I think?
Based on Ling Xiao's personality that was full of defects, he was definitely thinking of R-rated stuff.
You XiaoMo felt that besides that one reason, there was no other. He really understood Ling Xiao too well.