13 The Drunk-bert

Arthur was informed by his mom that his teacher-to-be is a drunkard, so he needed to plan how to be certain that he would not be refused.

The first part of his plan is learning about the target.

To amass info about the person he talked to Albert's friends at the army. There he discovered that, before coming to the Glory City, he was a General in a special force where everyone was high skilled at swords and fists.

He is infamous by, after a gruesome battle, killing a cultivator as a Martial Artist and, the worst part of it, this cultivator was his disciple. When Arthur asked about his training method, every soldier said that they do not know but the tales are terrifying.

After that, he started to look for Albert's ex disciples. For his surprise he discovered that he had an uncle, Carl Smith, who was one of them. Carl born with partially clean meridians and become a cultivator just for fun, he never really cared about to become strong.

So, the training he passed was a hell for him. The problem is that he swore don't talk about his training, the only tip uncle Carlos could give is "you will learn how and when be quiet".

After have tips about Albert's personality he come to the chef of his clan kitchen. He wanted to make use his knowledge as cook, merchant and waiter to get the best drink he could.

The next step of his plans is to know about his master-to-be habits. He already knew about his drinking problems, but knew nothing about the other moments of his life. The first thing that he could do was go to the pub at the time informed by his ancestor.

--------------------

The pub was named "Lame Horse" and was famous because his owner, a mid-aged beauty named Calypso, and her prestige. Calypso is a widow of an ex general, the pub started as a tribute for her deceased husband who had the custom of take all his friends to drink after a big victory on war.

She started as a tribute and, with the support of the soldiers, she started to make a living with the profits of the little pub. With her military client there wasn't a living soul with courage to make trouble at her pub, making that place almost the safest of the entire Glory City.

-----------------------

Albert for so long time become numb about the reality. The high frequency of his guzzles and his apathy about the other people made him just another drunkard. He was the most important martial artist from this province, but his strength degraded to a level only a bit strongest that the common man.

The drink, at the beginning, didn't have the power to make him eerie. But he stopped his training and his care about his health. Now his body was almost wasted by the mundane life that he throw himself. For a lot of time he tried to stop drinking, but when the alcohol goes out the wounds of the past reopen...

He couldn't control himself, he doesn't deserve to be a teacher...

--------------------------------

Arthur, with everything ready, started to go to the Lame Horse. Arthur was feeling optimistic about his chances, once he thought about every possible step. There is no way he could be rejected. He entered at the pub and asked:

"Please, you can tell me who is Master Albert?"

Listening to his question the only reaction was a boisterous laugh.

"HAHAHAHAHA there is someone that still looks for you to be a master Bert!"

"You need to accept this disciple, you had to get money to pay your bills, hehehehe"

"What this brat want to learn? How to be the youngest drunker of this town?"

Arthur was already used to this kind of jokes, this is a lot funnier than that ones that speak bad about his parents. So, he simply joined the fun:

"I'm already a lost case when we talk about cultivation, no matter what happens at last I will learn how to drown my sorrows."

Another round of laughters preceded before them pointing to him the table where Albert is.

"Be careful kiddo, even when drunk Master Drunker can beat us all alone. If he became your master he will make sure that you will suffer". Said one man in the crowd.

"Don't worry guys, to catch me he has to be sober. I'm not a martial artist but I can already beat two or three adults at once and outrun the most people of my age." Said Arthur. "Not only, I wouldn't come to him if he wasn't had his past and glory, but I don't expect anything of whom he is now."

"HEEEEY YOU LITTLE BASTARD, COME HERE. NOW!!!"

Arthur looked extremely scared, but inside his mind he was grinning. He isn't the first one who came looking for Albert after he started to drink, but everyone else already tried the most common methods. They already flatter him, give him expensive clothes, the finest drinks, the exquisite cuisines, the fastest horses and even cultivation manuals. None of these attempts worked.

There was people who tried to give him weapons, but Albert loathed them even more. Albert swore don't use a weapon while he didn't solve his matters of the past, and everyone knows that. If the person wanted to give him that, or he was too much stupid to be his disciple, or he was intentionally trying to be loathed.

So, Arthur started by another principle. Why he didn't try to start the conversation hurting his well-developed ego as a teacher. He never cared about his looking or manners. But he was famous about his pride to be an excellent teacher. Everyone has a soft spot and Arthur wants to use anger to have a chance...