Chapter 31
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Chapter 31: Apprenticeship
The old man gently tapped Little Tooth on the head with his cane, smiling as he said, “Here’s a secret for you. When you meet an immortal, don’t overthink it—just kneel and bow.”
“Then ask the immortal to take you as their disciple.”
“If you’re destined for immortality, you’ll be soaring through the skies one day.”
The old man’s eyes grew misty, filled with a tinge of regret as he sighed, thinking about how fleeting time was and how he’d missed his own chance at becoming immortal.
Little Tooth, however, wasn’t paying attention. He was staring off into the distance, transfixed.
On the snowy mountain, a figure was slowly descending, light as a feather.
The old man followed the boy’s gaze, and in that moment, a plan began to form in his mind.
He glanced around and noticed that the group ahead was too busy climbing the mountain to notice anything else.
Quietly, the old man gestured for Little Tooth to stay silent and led him toward the spot where the figure was landing.
Once they were far enough from the group, the old man whispered to the boy, “Your chance has come. If we save this immortal, even if you don’t become one, you’ll live a life of wealth and prosperity.”
“Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“What does wealth and prosperity mean?” Little Tooth asked, his mind only on the expensive pastries and snacks in town.
“It means you’ll eat meat with every meal.”
For some reason, the old man’s eyes gleamed, and for a moment, it seemed like he saw a spark of determination in the boy’s eyes.
Instantly, Little Tooth felt a surge of energy.
“Remember, don’t tell anyone about this. If the immortal lives, I’ll do everything in my power to help you seize this opportunity.”
“If the immortal dies, we’ll find a proper resting place for them.”
What the old man didn’t say was that before any burial, he’d search for anything valuable.
“I understand, Grandpa,” Little Tooth said seriously, already imagining a future where he could eat meat every day.
An hour later, the two finally reached the spot where the immortal had landed.
“Grandpa, this immortal looks… ordinary,” Little Tooth said, eyeing the plain-looking Xu Fan.
“Don’t talk too much; let’s focus on saving him first.”
Seeing Xu Fan in his robe, Little Tooth clenched his teeth and started searching for anything useful nearby.
The old man managed to fashion a makeshift stretcher out of rope and dry branches. With great effort, they dragged Xu Fan back to Little Tooth’s home.
As soon as they stepped inside, a thin little girl, about six years old, rushed over to Little Tooth.
“Brother, I’m scared! A big black dog tried to bite me!” she cried.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of that black dog later,” Little Tooth said firmly.
“Brother, who’s this man?” the little girl asked, pointing at Xu Fan on the stretcher.
“This is our ticket to wealth and prosperity! If we save him, we’ll eat meat every day.”
With that, Little Tooth and the old man carefully placed Xu Fan on the only bed in the house.
“Little Tooth, just make some thin porridge for him every day. No need to call a doctor.”
"The immortal’s illness isn’t something they can handle," the old man said, handing two bits of silver to the little boy. "For now, don’t go up the mountain to gather herbs. Just focus on taking care of the immortal," he added, repeating his instructions as if to make up for past regrets. After giving his advice, the old man stood up and left the little boy’s home. "Luosheng, I’ve repaid my debt to you. Whether your family can produce an immortal depends on the fate of these two children."
In the following days, the little boy followed the old man’s instructions, taking care of his sister. Their remote home saw few visitors. Half a month later, at noon, the little boy was massaging Xu Fan’s arm using the method taught by the old man. The Little Girl watched her brother work, resting her chin on her hand. "Brother, when do you think we can eat meat every day?" she asked. "After this big brother immortal wakes up," the little boy replied with a smile, though he felt a bit discouraged inside, realizing that a life of daily meat was still far off.
At that moment, Xu Fan slowly awoke, remaining still as he began to sense his surroundings. From the siblings’ conversation, he understood what had happened. "Good thing I was saved; if I were on the snowy mountain, I’d be finished," Xu Fan thought. While unconscious, he had been battling the Soul-Eating Bug in his spiritual space. Initially, the bug had taken advantage of Xu Fan’s weakness, consuming over half of his soul. Only when it was about to completely consume him did Xu Fan realize the danger, leading to a battle of wits and strength within his spiritual space until he finally defeated the bug.
Assured of no immediate danger, Xu Fan slowly opened his eyes. "Kid, massaging like that won’t earn you a tip," Xu Fan said slowly, feeling stiff after being unconscious for half a month; his mouth felt a bit dry. His words interrupted the siblings’ dreams of a better life. The little boy, recalling his grandfather’s instructions, immediately pulled his sister down to kneel and began to bow his head. "Immortal, please take us as your disciples," he pleaded, his head thudding against the ground with such force that it pained Xu Fan to watch.
Xu Fan helped the siblings up and checked their talents. The Little Girl had three spirit roots, and her brother had four, which in the grand world of cultivation, qualified them as potential cannon fodder. "Why do you want to take me as your master?" Xu Fan asked, sitting on the bed and initiating the discipleship questions, thus acknowledging their eligibility to become his apprentices, especially since they were his rescuers. The most crucial part was that he was now qualified to take in disciples in the sect; after assessment, disciples would become outer disciples of Que Tian Gate.
"We want to eat meat every day," both siblings said in unison. Seeing their sincere and longing expressions, Xu Fan thought, yes, they have passed this test; to face the great path is to become an immortal. "What do you think an immortal is?" Xu Fan started to ask the second question but held back. What did the two children really know? "Okay, I’ll ask you a key question," Xu Fan said with a serious expression. "Please speak, immortal." Xu Fan’s fingers glowed with purple spirit light, lightly pointing toward the siblings. "A person’s nature cannot be changed; this is my final test." Looking at the brother and sister, who had already fallen into slumber, Xu Fan said lightly, "After my test, I will take you as my disciples. If you don’t qualify, I will grant you a life of wealth and riches."
After inspecting everything, Xu Fan found that apart from a few magical items he had summoned in the sky, everything else was still intact; he had not lost a single one of his four storage bags. Xu Fan’s gaze toward the siblings softened even more.
