A Disciple’s Request

Chapter 300: Taking a Disciple

“What old monster? No one said any such thing!” The girl’s face changed color dramatically as she forced out a weak laugh, hurriedly lowering her head and daring not to meet his gaze.

Han Li chuckled softly, not bothering to argue with the young girl. Instead, his gaze turned cold as it settled on the old man.

The old man’s face was equally panicked.

He had no idea how much of their conversation Han Li had overheard. A bitter complaint rose in his heart, and the carefully prepared speeches he had rehearsed died on his lips. He dared not utter a single word of them.

“This humble one did not expect Senior to arrive so soon! I thought we would have to wait at least another two hours. This humble one will retrieve that book for you right away.”

Left with no other choice, the old man forced himself to muster his spirits to deal with Han Li’s clearly displeased expression. A flash of inspiration struck him, and he immediately mentioned the Daoist manual, hoping to temper Han Li’s anger.

“Fine. Go get it.” Han Li’s eyes, sharp as swords, fixed on the old man for a long moment before he finally spoke coldly.

This allowed the old man’s suspended heart to temporarily settle back into place. In his view, at least the other party wouldn’t vent his fury immediately.

The old man quickly agreed and hurried into the adjacent room. The girl moved to follow him, but a sharp look from the old man stopped her in her tracks.

Was he out of his mind?

If they both slipped into the other room while he was here, wouldn’t that be a deliberate provocation? It would make the man think they were still trying some trick. But now, the old man had thoroughly abandoned any unrealistic schemes, terrified of causing any misunderstanding.

Left with no choice, the girl pouted her lips and remained in the room, standing silently beside Han Li without daring to say a word.

The old man was swift in his movements. In the blink of an eye, he returned carrying a shabby wooden box. The Daoist manual should be inside.

“Senior, the passive qi convergence technique my granddaughter and I practice was learned from this book. Please take a look and see if it is of any use to you.” The old man walked up to Han Li, his expression respectful as he gently opened the box, revealing a yellowed book that had blackened with age. He handed it over.

Just one glance was enough to tell this was an ancient relic from a bygone era!

Han Li narrowed his eyes, studying the book in the other’s hands for a few moments before nodding and accepting it.

Though the book had discolored from age, when Han Li’s fingers touched the cover, it felt smooth and fine, and seemed remarkably tough and durable.

It appeared this book was not made of ordinary material, but some specially treated demon beast hide. Otherwise, it would never have survived for so long.

Han Li gently stroked the cover for a moment, then, after a brief hesitation, slowly began to flip through the pages.

After only a cursory glance, his brow furrowed.

The moment he opened the book, his eyes met a form of ancient script he had never seen before. He could be certain he did not recognize these symbols, nor had he encountered anything similar in any of the various texts stored in the Yellow Maple Valley library.

Since he could not read it, Han Li wasted no more time and quickly flipped to the back of the book.

On the last two pages, he finally discovered what appeared to be a nameless oral formula that someone had added later. The script used for this formula was a type of ancient symbol more commonly seen in the cultivation world, making it easy for him to decipher.

Knowing this was the very qi convergence technique he was after, Han Li did not hesitate to settle in and carefully study it.

After the time it took to eat a meal, Han Li slowly closed the book, a thoughtful expression settling on his face.

The old man, who had been holding his breath the entire time, felt his heart start pounding wildly again. He knew this was the moment that would decide their fate. How the man before him would deal with them hung on a single whim.

Han Li paid no attention to the old man’s anxious state. Unhurriedly, he retrieved a jade box from his storage pouch and carefully placed the book inside.

Only then did he turn to the old man and speak in a calm voice:

“I’ll take this Daoist manual. Now, tell me what you and your granddaughter want in exchange. If it’s within my power, I will try my best to satisfy your request.”

Han Li’s voice was not loud, but to the ears of the old man and the girl, it sounded as sweet as heavenly music.

They both knew now that not only had they saved their lives, but it seemed they might even gain something from the exchange. Uncontrollable joy lit up their faces.

“Senior, could you allow my granddaughter and me a little more time to discuss?” Once the immediate crisis had passed, the old man’s thoughts naturally turned to maximizing the benefit of this transaction. He quickly spoke with an ingratiating smile.

Before Han Li’s arrival, the two of them had been so terrified of murder to silence that they hadn’t even discussed what they wanted in exchange.

Now that Han Li had asked, they were naturally caught off guard.

And now that Han Li had shown he was not the kind of heartless villain who would go back on his word, the old man dared to muster his courage and ask.

“As you wish. Just don’t take too long.”

Pleased with the valuable secret technique and the mysterious ancient book he had just acquired, Han Li waved his hand dismissively.

“Thank you for your generosity, Senior! We will only need a moment.” The old man said, beaming with delight.

He immediately pulled the girl outside, and the two of them began whispering to each other.

Han Li smiled faintly at the sight.

Though he could easily eliminate the two of them with a single move, he prided himself on not being a cruel and ruthless fiend. There was no need to go back on his word if he could help it.

After a while, the old man and the girl re-entered the room with a peculiar look on their faces, seeming somewhat uneasy.

Finding this a bit strange, Han Li still asked:

“Have you decided?”

“Senior, we have discussed it. My granddaughter does not desire any material possessions. Rather, she has an impertinent request, and she hopes Senior will grant it.” The old man hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and saying something that took Han Li by surprise.

“What request?” Han Li frowned, asking slowly.

Without knowing why, he felt a sense of trouble brewing.

The old man hesitated again. Only when he saw Han Li’s expression turn impatient did he stammer out the following words:

“The truth is… the truth is that my granddaughter greatly admires Senior’s profound cultivation and advanced techniques! She… she wishes to become Senior’s disciple, kowtowing at your feet and attending to you from now on. I hope that, considering her pure sincerity, you will take her under your wing.”

As soon as the old man finished his stammering plea, the quick-witted girl immediately knelt before Han Li and gave him a solid, resounding kowtow. Caught completely off guard, Han Li was taken aback before a wave of helpless amusement washed over him.

A disciple? Wasn’t that a bit of a joke?

He was still treading carefully in the cultivation world, unable to protect himself at any moment. How could he possibly take on a burden like her?

There was no way he would agree to this!

However, to be fair, the girl’s aptitude, though he hadn’t examined it closely, was likely quite good. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have reached the sixth layer of Qi Condensation at such a young age. When he had been at that stage, he had relied entirely on consuming pills by the handful to get through.

Thinking about it this way, it seemed a shame to let such a talented girl waste her life among low-level cultivators. Though he couldn’t take her on as a disciple, he could still find her a master. Her mischievous spirit had, oddly enough, made a favorable impression on him.

He remembered clearly that his old friend, Senior Martial Brother Ma, still didn’t have a disciple.

He had even run into him once after moving away from the Hundred Medicine Garden, and Ma had complained that he had to personally tend to the garden again, lamenting that he should have taken on an obedient disciple sooner.

This girl seemed incredibly clever. If her aptitude was truly not bad, it wouldn’t hurt to recommend her to Senior Ma. Whether Ma would be satisfied and actually be willing to take her on was none of his concern.

As these thoughts ran through his mind, a contemplative look settled on Han Li’s face. The old man and the girl, assuming he was seriously considering taking on a disciple, couldn’t help but show their excitement.

“Come here. Let me check your spiritual roots.” Coming back to his senses from his reverie, Han Li beckoned to the girl and said calmly.

“Yes, Senior!”

The girl acted with perfect obedience. After respectfully acknowledging the command, she stepped lightly over to Han Li and proactively extended a white, delicate wrist, a faint hint of shyness coloring her cheeks.

Han Li reached out with his right hand and gently grasped her wrist, slowly allowing his spiritual power to flow through her body. Not long after, he released her wrist.

“Dual spiritual roots. That’s truly excellent aptitude.” Han Li stared at the girl’s face as he murmured to himself.

The girl and the old man’s faces flushed with joy at his words, believing Han Li was about to agree to take her on as a disciple.

But Han Li’s tone suddenly turned.

“Unfortunately, I don’t take disciples. Otherwise, with your aptitude, you would be more than qualified to be my student.”

These words hit the grandfather and granddaughter like a bucket of cold water, leaving them stunned on the spot.