Chapter 105: Apprenticeship – Part Two

Having resolved these thoughts, Li Sibai hurriedly stepped forward a few paces and knelt down with a thud, saying, “Disciple Li Sibai pays respects to Master!”

The elder’s face remained calm and unreadable. “Do you even know who I am before you ask to become my disciple? I don’t accept just anyone.”

“I am foolish and have only recently entered the inner sect. Though I do not know your Dharma name, I sincerely wish to become your disciple. I hope Master will grant me this honor,” Li Sibai quickly responded.

The people by the gate still seemed uncertain about what to do. If they were here to cause trouble, this esteemed figure before him was his only lifeline, and he did not want to regret his choice later.

To remain in the inner sect, even if bullied now, still meant he had a chance to improve his strength. Without a master’s acceptance, he would not be considered a true inner sect disciple, and if driven out, there would be nothing he could do.

The elder appeared hesitant, pondering for a moment before making a firm decision. “Very well. I have not taken disciples for a long time. It seems fate has brought us together. I will make an exception and accept you as my disciple.”

Li Sibai’s heart leapt with joy. He hurriedly said, “Thank you, Master,” then prostrated himself three times before handing over his inner sect jade identification token.

The elder lightly touched the jade token, infusing it with an aura. This meant that anyone who saw the token would sense his presence and know that Li Sibai was his disciple.

Having completed this step, both seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Li Sibai gradually recovered from his earlier excitement but sensed something was amiss.

“Master said you haven’t taken disciples for a long time?” Li Sibai thought and quickly asked, “Disciple does not yet know Master’s Dharma name. Please tell me, so I may remember it well.”

The elder, at some point, had turned around and said, “Remember this well: I am Yun Ling Zhen Ren. Do not disgrace me once you leave.”

“Yun... Yun Ling Zhen Ren?!” Li Sibai felt unfamiliar with the name. Huh? He had never heard of such a figure. He knew the famous and formidable elders or teachers of the sect—names like Yun Fei Zhen Ren, Yun An, Yun Li, Yun Yang… But Yun Ling Zhen Ren was completely unfamiliar.

Li Sibai was momentarily puzzled.

Yun Ling Zhen Ren seemed unaware of Li Sibai’s expression and said, “Since you have already accepted me as master, come to the Xinyun Pavilion’s Shenzi Room at dawn tomorrow to cultivate with me. It is late now; better to return early and rest.”

With that, without another glance, he went back to calligraphy practice.

Li Sibai stood there stunned, unsure of what to do.

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“Tomorrow at dawn, I am to learn from him. But what do I do now? I thought that after accepting a master, as a disciple, I could at least walk upright and not be bullied. But it turns out I have accepted some unfamiliar elder, whose reputation I don’t even know. I wonder if he has any influence on those outside.”

Sibai’s head throbbed with frustration.

Lacking a well-known master was one thing, but there were unknown people guarding the gate. It wasn’t that Li Sibai feared them, but he didn’t want to be entangled in endless trouble.

Sigh, how am I supposed to go back? Can’t my master be a bit more supportive?

Lost in thought, unsure how much time had passed, Yun Ling Zhen Ren finished writing a piece of calligraphy and looked up, spotting him again.

“Why are you still here? Do you have something else to say?” The elder’s tone was somewhat displeased.

Li Sibai hurriedly replied, “Master has not left yet; disciple dares not leave first.”

“Hm.” Yun Ling Zhen Ren seemed satisfied with his answer, waving his hand. “It’s late; I’ll go rest first. You must clean up here before you leave. Remember, this too is a form of cultivation.”

Without waiting for a response, he clapped his hands and left.

Li Sibai was dumbfounded. If he had known earlier, he might as well have left then. Now he had to stay behind and clean the room. What kind of unreliable master is this?

Just then, three men with grins entered from the gate.

“So you’re Li Sibai?”

Li Sibai recognized the leader—it was the same person who had followed Guo Jian the first time he came to the inner sect lectures. He thought, what a nuisance, trouble always finds me. But at least he had a master now. Worrying was useless; he’d deal with it as best he could.

“That’s right, I am Li Sibai. What do you senior brothers want with me?” Though he guessed their intent, he remained polite, not wanting to cause a rift.

“Hm, attitude’s better than last time. I’m Zhang Qiang, but you can call me Brother Qiang. You probably already guessed why I’m here, right?”

Li Sibai frowned, sensing their aura. Though these three looked fierce, their oppressive presence was not overwhelming. He estimated they were at the third level of the Qinxin Realm, roughly equal to He Tianshu and the others.

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At this level, Li Sibai was not afraid to fight them one-on-one. Though only at the first level of the Qinxin Realm, his strong physique and internal vitality made him confident. Even without using Zizhu’s techniques, he was unafraid in a one-on-one duel.

Besides, this was the inner sect, with its own rules. Private fights could lead to expulsion. However, if there was an irreconcilable dispute, one could apply for an official contest. Li Sibai believed that while he might not yet surpass Guo Jian, he could still hold his own against these three.

Having made up his mind, Li Sibai said firmly, “If you have something to say, say it quickly. Don’t you see I have a lot of work to do? I have no time to chat idly with you.”

Zhang Qiang was caught off guard by how fast this fellow’s attitude flipped, glaring in anger.

He had indeed been sent by Guo Jian to trouble Li Sibai, even arranging several informants to monitor him once he returned to the inner sect.

Today was supposed to be uneventful, but near dusk, someone reported seeing a middle-aged man carrying Li Sibai’s jade token entering the inner sect and going directly to Tianyun Pavilion.

Zhang Qiang found this strange and led his men to Tianyun Pavilion. They were originally searching for that middle-aged man but spotted Li Sibai immediately.

Guo Jian had anticipated that if Li Sibai returned to the inner sect, he would seek out a master, making him a formal inner sect disciple—something Guo Jian wanted to prevent to more easily expel him and settle a grudge.

Thus, Zhang Qiang’s mission was to stop Li Sibai from taking a master, to find an excuse to drive him out quickly.

Earlier, Zhang Qiang had waited outside for some time, knowing the classroom doubled as a duty room. But the teacher on duty today was a stranger, so they dared not barge in.

After asking some disciples, they learned the teacher was covering a shift, but no one knew his name.

Seeing Li Sibai kneel and kowtow, Zhang Qiang wanted to rush in but lacked the courage. Though no one knew the elder’s name, his aura was unmistakably formidable.

With no choice, Zhang Qiang waited until the elder left before stepping inside, only to be snapped at by Li Sibai.

Anger stirred in his mind, making his thoughts race. He vowed to find a way to deal with this brat.