31 Master and Disciple

Lien Hua as she was walking towards Shi Yueh thought, 'Should I immediately bow or something? No, I think it's better to play dumb and ask how it's done, that way I won't create unnecessary suspicion. After all, no one taught me that in this world.' Lien Hua didn't want to create doubt in Shi Yueh's head, so she decided to play dumb and ask.

So as soon as he climbed the small steps that separated the sect elder's podium from the solid wood floor, Lien Hua stopped in front of Shi Yueh and looked into his eyes with a slightly confused look, but in the process she felt a small pain in his eyes that bothered her but she didn't move. 'Why is it that every time I look at Shi Yueh in the eyes mine burn? Strange... I'll ask him'.

Shi Yueh looked at Lien Hua, who was still able to look him in the eyes without crying with pain, and was more and more shocked. He now knew he did not need to restrict the spiritual power in his eyes in front of her, like he did with the other disciples and was more or less shocked, but also happy.

But after a few seconds of seeing her looking at him without saying a word, Shi Yueh finally understood why her face was a bit confused. 'Ah, she doesn't know what to do! Well, that's understandable.' So he began to explain to her what needed to be done.

"First of all, Lien Hua would you like to become my personal disciple?"

Lien Hua, although in the last few hours she had been completely sure that she was going to become his disciple, now in front of the person who had started the speech asked her this question, found herself a little indecisive. 'No! I don't have to be indecisive. Come on Lien Hua you know what it means to become a personal disciple of a Sect Elder so high up in the hierarchical ladder of this Sect!'

With that thought, Lien Hua had no more indecision. Looking at him with sharp and resolute eyes that made Shi Yueh feel a little strange, she began to speak, "Yes, I Lien Hua accept Inner Sect Elder Shi Yueh as my master!"

"Well, now that you have accepted, as per the usual ceremony, the disciple must bow three times to the ground."

Lien Hua was just waiting for the go ahead, and with her hands shaking from the excitement of being just like one of those characters in the novels she read when they became someone's disciple.

She first put her knees on the ground and then lowered her back to the floor, and putting her hands on the floor, began to bang her head without much force on the solid wood 3 consecutive times. After that, she stood up and looked at Shi Yueh, who was looking at her with an accepting face.

But soon afterwards Lien Hua started to think about certain things like, 'Holy moly, how much does it hurt to hit your head there? I didn't even hit my head hard and I feel dizzy... I hope this sensation goes away soon.'

Shi Yueh, without hearing Lien Hua's inner monologue, happily spoke, "I, Shi Yueh, 5th Inner Sect Elder, accept Lien Hua as my personal disciple."

Thus a bond of Master and Disciple was created between Lien Hua and Shi Yueh. The latter looked at his disciple, who was looking at him more intensely than usual, and felt a little strange, but he couldn't think on what it was because she was squinting due to the mild pain she had on her forehead from the ritual. Not paying much attention to whatever seemed to be bothering him, Shi Yueh continued the ceremony with an explanation.

"Being my personal disciple, moreover the first one I have, will lead to an increase in your status. You will receive a new uniform, and if you wish, you can move into my residence. Your monthly allowance will also be increased, from 5 grade 1 spirit stones to 25 grade 1 spirit stones, so few because you are still low level and too many would not be good for you."

Seeing how fast everything was going and Shi Yueh was continuing to explain to her things she had to do and would have in the future, Lien Hua hurriedly stopped him to remind him of the fact that he had said in his letter to her that she didn't have to be modest in asking for conditions to be his disciple.

"But Se- Master! Yesterday you wrote that I could propose some rules. First of all I don't want to leave here... You know, I have both Chen Huang and Lin Yue and I don't want to leave them alone, or at least not for now, and secondly I don't want it to be known publicly that I've been accepted as your disciple, for now at least. In the future it's fine, but right now I don't want to create rifts between my friends because of that."

Shi Yueh, remembering what he had written in the letter and listening to what Lien Hua had said, thought, 'Sigh... It seems Lien Hua is such a caring disciple that she would rather not be famous in the sect if it would cause difficulty for her friends… How interesting.' Seeing her so resolute, he could think of nothing else but accepting. After all, his friends were also essential to him.

"Alright, but I won't be able to hide this from the important people in the Sect; eventually they will have to write about this in the sect's records, but for now you can call me Sect Elder in public."

"Don't worry Se-Master! And thank you very much!"

Still mulling over the word 'Master', Lien Hua still hadn't gotten used to it. She was a bit shocked that she had found such an understanding person in a world like this. She had expected the people here to be very traditionalist at the very least. 'Better for me then, and from that bonus in spirit stones I definitely won't refuse extra help.' But as soon as she thought of the spirit stones, she was reminded of last night again.

'Ah!!! Damn what a fool I am! I didn't use the spirit stones they gave me yesterday! Ah heck, I need to be more careful!'

Shi Yueh, noticing nothing strange about his disciple's silence after his reply, continued, "From now on, every Saturday evening we will meet at your house for me to teach you and help you to cultivate better, and then I will give you some missions which will carry with them rewards."

"Of course, Master! I'm looking forward to meeting you in two days."

Lien Hua, as soon as she heard that he would be helping her with cultivation and wanted to give her some extra missions, she became excited. 'Yes, I can't wait to be helped with my training! I will surely cultivate even faster right?' Lien Hua, even though she knew she was a bit shameless, didn't worry. She had already understood that any help in this world meant becoming stronger, and she definitely didn't want to remain weak.

"Well then, that's it for today; I'll see you in two days. Make sure you cultivate, and don't worry about anything else."

"Of course Master. I won't let you down."

Lien Hua, seeing how he was already fond of her, or at least thought he was fond of her, was a bit suspicious. "How can someone who has only known me for a few days be so fond of me? Ah right, I need to ask him about that eye thing before I forget about it.'

"Excuse me master, one more thing, but why is it that every time I see your eyes mine burn?"

"Ah, it's not a big deal. It's just that wild spiritual energy passes through one's higher level cultivators' eyes. It can be tamed to make it dormant, but in front of you I've noticed that it's not needed so I'll let it loose, seeing as it doesn't do you any lasting harm."

Understanding why she was feeling that pain, Lien Hua lingered on the phrase 'In front of you it's not needed' and was a little annoyed. 'Ah so in front of me it's okay to burn my retinas but for others it's not, whatever.' Obviously she wasn't angry, just a little annoyed, but she didn't blame Shi Yueh and looked towards him, noticing that he was about to leave.

"So, Lien Hua, have a nice day."

"You too Master, goodbye."

So Shi Yueh, like a shadow that was disintegrating in front of her, disappeared from that place without distributing a spec of dust or even causing so much as a bit of wind, shocking Lien Hua, 'Wow, will I be able to do this too when I'm this strong? I hope so'.

With a dream in mind, Lien Hua also moved towards the exit of the classroom, heading towards the mission building.