The Bonds of Master and Student

Roh Ki sat on the bed silently, redressing himself after Namgung Ji, the sect head doctor, inspected his body, and qi meridians, like he did frequently.

Namgung Ji exhaled as he stated, "It doesn't seem like there's anything wrong at the moment, but I'd advice you to be careful when using your qi for the next few days at least, since your meridians are still exhausted."

"Yes I understand." Roh Ki responded, arranging his clothes.

He found the issue with his messed up meridians exhausting and quite troubling. Especially since he knew it wasn't supposed to be this way. And, he had a reputation to uphold as the second strongest cultivator in Tian-Zhi Ai. It hurt his pride that he had to be taken care of this way, day in and day out. Moreover, he didn't want to worry anyone concerning his duties as peak leader. Whether his meridians were in pain or on fire, he would perform as any peak lord should.

"You just came back from defeating ghouls in the mountains west of here isn't that right?" Namgung Ji asked, packing up his tools that lay on Roh Ki's bed.

Roh Ki furrowed his brows as he answered. "Yes?"

Namgung Ji nodded slowly, then turned his gaze to Roh Ki. "Then I do hope you understand. You may have the biggest abundance of qi this old man has ever seen. And you have the unique ability to draw qi extraordinarily from your surroundings, so usually I wouldn't worry like this, but your abundance of qi is what is most detrimental to you in your current state. If you keep using huge amounts of qi at a time, you will only hurt your meridians further. And because you have so much, you won't be able to pace yourself or determine just how much you're using at once. You've just gotten back from another battle even though you just fainted the other day. Please take care of yourself."

Roh Ki stared blankly at Namgung Ji for a second, before letting out a relaxed sigh. "I can see that Elder Namgung is really concerned and worried for me. I would be unwise to take advantage of your sentiment and run myself into the ground. I will heed your warning and cause less trouble for myself."

More than the rest, he meant every word of his last statement. With knowledge of the future, he knew just what awaited him, and for the most part, he didn't like it. He absolutely had no intention to cause any further trouble for himself in this life. It was why he was trying so hard to win Yong Kyubok's favor.

Then, to relieve elder Namgung Ji further, he added: "Besides, there really isn't any need to worry so much about my last assignment. Elder Beom and my disciples escorted me to eliminate those ghouls."

Elder Namgung Ji exhaled a bit of air first, before stifling a smile. "First viscous ghosts, now ghouls. I wonder what is happening. As long as you understand then it's fine. This old man will stop worrying."

"Thank you, elder Namgung Ji."

Elder Namgung Ji gave a small bow before leaving Roh Ki to himself in his room.

Roh Ki sighed as he tightened the rope on his robes and stood up. He had only taken a few steps out his personal chambers when a disciple ran towards him panting.

"Master, master!"

"What is it?" Roh Ki asked, wondering why he sounded urgent.

"Master, Yan... Yan Bohai is back!"

"Ah," Roh Ki let a small gasp escape his lips.

Yan Bohai was Roh Ki's first core disciple that had left to study under an allying sect two years ago. Roh Ki once again regained his composure before he answered. "Mm. Thank you. You may go back."

"Yes." The disciple responded, joining his hands to bow respectfully before leaving.

Roh Ki silently contained his excitement as he stood at top his peak waiting for the train that accompanied his first disciple. Though as he waited, he couldn't shake a discomforting feeling that something wasn't right, but he couldn't put his finger on it. This made him uncomfortable and uneasy, but he let a small smile spread across his lips as his disciple came into view.

Yong Kyubok who had been tending to the horses in the stables came out to see what the commotion was about, caught a glimpse of his master standing at the edge of the hill gazing down at a long train following a man with a horse trekking up the path to Roh Ki's mansion. He couldn't stop staring as this was a rare opportunity to see his master in an uncommonly good mood.

Once he was face to face with his disciple, for a reason he couldn't put his finger on, his spine chilled and his skin developed goosebumps. It was as if his body was warning him of something. The only thoughts that filled his mind were, 'Does something happen to Yan Bohai?'

"Master, your long lost disciple greets you after so many years of absence," Yan Bohai greeted, bowing to Roh Ki with his hands joined together respectfully, jerking Roh Ki from his deep thoughts.

Regaining his composure, he responded. "Mn. It is good to see you once again. I'm glad you seem to be in good health. Was the journey alright?"

Yan Bohai smiled and nodded. "It was long but fine."

Roh Ki sighed, shifting his focus to his present disciple. "Good to hear."

"Now that I am back, may I once again serve my master some tea?"

Roh Ki paused, looking at his disciple intently before allowing a tiny barely visible smile spread across his lips before nodding in response. "Alright."

The smile may have been barely visible but it was enough for the peeking Yong Kyubok to catch notice of, as he stood there shocked at a rare expression his master wore, but more than that, he was intrigued.

Roh Ki sat silently as he watched his first disciple, Yan Bohai serve him tea after so long. "You have been gone for so long. Tell me how you've been."

Yan Bohai smiled warmly at his master before answering respectfully. "I have been well master, but rather than this disciple's well being, may I ask how you have been master? I was greatly distressed when I heard master had fallen into a coma, and now you look worried about something. Can this disciple dare to ask how you are feeling master?"

Roh Ki looks on at him for a while before sighing and responding. "It seems I have worried another disciple. You do not need to be concerned for your master, I am fine now. As for my current worries, it is not something I should burden my newly returned disciple about."

"Might it be about the request of the Raishu mountain sect?" Yan Bohai asked, looking at Roh Ki with concern.

Roh Ki dragged a long exasperated sigh before answering. "It seems even you have caught wind of this, and you have only just returned. It is indeed true it is about the Raishu mountain sect's request. They asked for the Faltang Amulet."

Yan Bohai flinched at the mention of the cursed item. "The Faltang Amulet?"

"Mn," Roh Ki hummed with a small sigh. "I know not what their intentions for the amulet are, but I know we absolutely can not let them have it, knowing just what sort of item it is. We have managed to appease them with some gold and more heavenly binding nets, but I have a feeling they will still try to get their hands on the amulet."

Yan Bohai let out a sigh as well, clenching his fingers. "I see."

Roh Ki didn't want to bring up the matter in the first place because he knew it would displease his disciple. During the war against the demonic sects, the wielder of the amulet, 'the mad demon Wu Yanlin', a demonic sect leader had used the power of the Faltang Amulet to massacre all the disciples that followed under Yan Bohai's lead in the battle. He knew Yan Bohai probably still blamed himself for the lose of lives against Wu Yanlin. In the end Roh Ki managed to get there on time and defeat Wu Yanlin, saving the lives of Yan Bohai and the other surviving disciples of the sect.

Roh Ki exhaled, sipping on the tea that had been sitting out during their discussion. "Like I said, it is not something I need burden my disciple with."

"Mm," Yan Bohai nodded, adhering to his masters words. "And the amulet is still in the ashar vault, is it not master?"

Roh Ki paused for a second, before answering his disciples question. "Yes that is right. Whether I am alive or dead, no one will get their hands on the amulet or any other item present in the vault."

Roh Ki was significantly weaker now, but he only needed to maintain the qi he placed within the vault for it to recognize him as the owner, so it didn't matter even if he died or depleted all the qi in his body, the ashar vault would still only ever open to him. Even at his weakened state, he still remained one of the strongest members of the Tian-Zhi Ai mountain sect. Still, it bothered him that he could not remember why the Raishu mountain sect wanted the amulet in the fist place. He thought if he could only figure that out, he may be able to get a better grasp on the situation and appease both sides. Though he was satisfied knowing he at least had the power to withhold the amulet from anyone seeking it, including the party that would steal the amulet from the Raishu sect a few years from now.

Yan Bohai smiled gently as he remarked. "That must ease the sect leaders concerns, to know that master is the one in charge of safe keeping the sects treasured and cursed items."

"I would hope so," Roh Ki responded, shifting the tea cup he had drank from to the side after he sipped from it once more. "It is my duty to aid the sect in any way I can."

Roh Ki glanced outside the window, watching the sun's rays getting dimmer, then turned to Yan Bohai as he said. "It is getting late, you should go and get yourself settled, and great your junior disciples. I have taken in one more core disciple as well. I will leave him in your care."

Yan Bohai stared blankly at Roh Ki at his words, before gathering himself and responding. "Master has taken on a new disciple? I did not expect that on my return, as master isn't known as someone who really likes to be around other people. But I understand, I will look after him as you have requested. Good night master."

"Of course he would find it strange,"

Roh Ki thought to himself once his disciple had left. Under normal circumstances, he would have gone on with his life ignoring Yong Kyubok's suffering and would have had no problem with that. But now, to ensure his life as well as the happiness of his new core disciple, he intends to treat the protagonist very well in this life, not just to keep his life, but because he had realized that he truly didn't want to be hated by Yong Kyubok. He had indeed already fallen for the trap.

He sighed as he rested on his bed, settling in a position for meditation. Something still troubled him whenever he looked at or thought about Yan Bohai, but he couldn't remember anything concerning this time within the novel. He only recalled the problem concerning the faltang amulet with the Raishu mountain sect, but could not recall anything else within this time period. Why did he have bad feelings about Yan Bohai? As if something were going to happen to him. And why did the Raishu sect desperately seek the faltang amulet? There should be nothing threatening their sect at this time. Or was it that they wanted to threaten another sect? The Raishu mountain sect was often unreasonable and stubborn in their pursuit to satisfy their greed, so it wasn't a surprise they had a lot of enemies. Could that be why they needed the amulet? To threaten a rival sect? If that was the case, even less of a reason to give it to them. The amulet would be sure to get overloaded with the amount of negative energy that would surround a tense situation. It was why it was so efficiently used by the demonic sects in the war against the allied sects. In a setting of war, the amulet's power can be used at full potential. But even with that hypothesis, it didn't ring any bells for Roh Ki.

He sat there processing the situation. He couldn't understand or figure these things out. he only knew that no matter what, for the sake of the survival of the sect and the relationship between him and the protagonist, he could not let anyone get their hands on the amulet, and he was thankful for his connection to the ashar vault. With it, he knew that now, he would most likely be a target of anyone with intentions to claim the cursed items he kept sealed in the vault.