Disciple?

Madam Li and Fang slowly traveled through the streets of Shenhong City, taking in the sights.

A unique atmosphere enveloped the streets; cultivators from all walks of life made purchases and moved through the alleys and bridges, while children either ran from angry stall owners after stealing their wares or played with stray dogs in the more open alleys.

For someone accustomed to crowded cities, this sight would feel like home.

Fang was mesmerized by the stalls packed with all sorts of trinkets and unusual plants, but he decided not to approach, as his size would take up too much space for other customers.

He wanted to enjoy sightseeing alongside Madam Li in peace. Looking for trouble would put Madam Li in a difficult position, especially since he had no idea what appearance she had assumed.

Fang guessed that her disguising herself was more for convenience's sake. The probability of someone finding her true appearance familiar was very slim since she hadn't revealed herself in the past 200 years and had left everything to Guan Pan.

He doubted that piece of information but chose not to dwell on it, as the way Madam Li conducted herself was not his concern.

As they walked down the streets, Fang suddenly smelled something that made his mouth water. His heart clenched at the aroma of cinnamon rice cakes, his favorite dessert made by his mother.

Fang turned to Madam Li and tried to make his best 'puppy eyes' while pointing with his tail at the stall filled with sweets.

Madam Li looked deep in thought, but Fang's behavior pulled her back to reality and made her laugh lightly.

Fang was momentarily entranced by her melodious voice, but Corbin harrumphed in his head, breaking the spell.

'Dangerous!' Fang thought, making a mental note to stay clear of women when he regained his human body, lest he find himself entranced by some flower.

He knew some of them had thorns and could lead to an untimely death if not handled carefully.

He constantly reminded himself that he was no longer in his old world. The morals and customs in the cultivation world were as numerous as the stars in the sky.

Treading the path to power was not easy, and having a steeled heart was essential for avoiding complicated circumstances.

He thought this mentality was clichéd and stuck-up, but he had to admit that having no emotions indeed helped with staying clear-headed.

As the saying goes, emotions are poison for the mind, and logic is the killer of the heart.

Balance was key in everything, but few cultivators had the will to keep both their heart and mind open at the same time.

These were his passing thoughts as he slowly savored the cinnamon rice cakes.

Corbin naturally picked up on his ideas and let out an inaudible sigh.

How could he not agree with Fang's mentality when he was partly right? But even if it was right, that did not mean it was also applicable.

Having both mind and heart open is possible but also highly destructive in the long run as the two may oppose each other and drive the cultivator to madness or even the creation of a heart demon depending on the choices made in such situations.

Morals, worldly views, and impressions can lead to one's downfall but also steel the heart in unexpected ways.

No one says that having certain thoughts or feelings is wrong, but these two factors can influence important decisions at the wrong time and cause disastrous consequences.

Most cultivators were neutral and went with whatever their minds told them, while the few that listened to their hearts either perished or became indescribably powerful.

In this world, there were no bad or good cultivators, as there wasn't any right or wrong.

Perspective mattered the most, and everyone's perspective could be bent by either power or blood, so it goes without saying that if Fang adhered to his thoughts, only death awaited him.

Luckily, Corbin was here to guide him and decided to have a serious talk with Fang regarding his take on cultivation.

――

After Madam Li pulled Fang away from the stall, he suddenly bumped into a little girl and knocked her down.

"Ouch, watch where you're going!" said the girl, then looked up at Fang only to yelp in fright and run behind two men who quickly approached following her scream.

Fang was startled and had no idea what was happening.

He was about to finish eating his sixth cake when Madam Li suddenly pulled him away from the stall by one of his ears, berating him in front of the stall owner and other customers for his greed.

Madam Li was surprised as well, and just as she was about to apologize for Fang's lack of attention, a shocked glint flickered in her eyes.

"Little girl, do you want to be my disciple?" asked Madam Li, isolating the space around them and returning to her natural appearance.

Fang, the guards, and the girl looked at Madam Li in both shock and apprehension.

Fang had no idea why Madam Li asked the little girl to be her disciple, but he refused to believe it was her way of making up for him bumping into her.

'There must be something I'm missing, but if there is no punishment for me, then I don't care,' he thought, returning to Madam Li's side with his head lowered.

The girl suppressed her shock upon seeing Madam Li waiting for an answer, and asked in a meek voice while peeking from behind one of the guards, "W-why do you want me to be your disciple a-and who are you?"

Madam Li let out a giggle and replied, "Don't worry, girl, I mean no harm and it's clear that it was my pet's fault for making you fall. My name is Miss Li, and you are?"

Fang looked at Madam Li indignantly after hearing her words and thought, 'When did I become a pet, and why is she pretending to be the morning sun when it's clear she's almost hitting midnight?'

As if hearing his mental ramblings, Madam Li cast a fleeting glance at Fang that made him lower his head even further, not daring to meet her gaze.

A few seconds passed since Madam Li finished speaking, and the girl replied, "My name is Yi Hong, daughter of Yi Chen from the Xue Prefecture, Oros City."

Madam Li seemed unimpressed and questioned once again while releasing a bit of her aura, "Good, now answer me, do you want to be my disciple?"

The guards started trembling, sweat running down their foreheads, while Yi Hong was in an even worse situation as her knees buckled and she fell down.

Looking up at Madam Li, Yi Hong was frightened, but a determined light shone in her eyes as she responded in a louder tone, "I need to speak to my father about this as he was the one who guided me in my cultivation. Please understand, Miss."

Madam Li was pleasantly surprised by Yi Hong's tenacity and filial mindset, so she retracted her aura and pulled her back up using her qi.

"Fine, let me speak to your father. I'm sure he will be more than happy," said Madam Li, canceling the isolation around them.

Yi Hong regained her happy mood hearing this and quickly pulled out a white paper talisman to inform her father of the recent events and ask him to come talk with Madam Li.

―――

Trying to find the motivation to keep writing and I'm also a bit lost when it comes to the narrative. I'm trying to build the world and set up a few things before the action finally begins, but unfortunately I suck at writing slow-paced scenes and interactions―fact that leads me to stay in front of my monitor for hours on end contemplating weather my writing actually makes sense and is the best quality or not.

BTW, I changed MC's name from Odran to Fang since it irked me a bit and didn't fit the eastern vibe.