She turned to look at Su Wantang and continued:
“Junior Sister Su’s talent is rare not just in Tongzhou, but across the entire Four Continents. For her to join our Azure Cloud Sect at this time… it feels like the will of Heaven. If Junior Sister Su truly is the key to this change, am I, as her master, truly capable of teaching her?”
“I don’t want my own bad habits and playful nature to affect Junior Sister Su, or to bring harm to all living beings.”
This was a heavy topic, well-reasoned and well-argued.
The elders who had been fighting over Su Wantang all fell into silence.
Even the Second Elder, who usually targeted her, couldn’t help but see Lu Zhu in a new light.
So the usually unreliable Xiao Qi could be dependable in a crucial moment.
How reassuring.
Of course, everything above was just a lie Lu Zhu made up.
What she was really afraid of was accidentally corrupting Su Wantang and becoming the sect’s sinner.
‘Yeah, right. If the sky really falls one day, I’m the last person who’d have to step up. Besides, what do the world’s problems have to do with me? I’m just an ordinary person who wants to coast through life. Protecting my own little patch of land is the most important thing.’
‘Mm… and the Azure Cloud Sect is within the protection range of my little patch of land too.’
Xuan Zhen affectionately patted Lu Zhu’s head, just like he had ten years ago when he first took her in.
Back then, Lu Zhu was malnourished and thin as a monkey.
Now, in the blink of an eye, that little monkey had grown into a sensible young woman.
He patted her shoulder approvingly, signaling for her to sit down before looking at Su Wantang.
“Child, have you truly thought this through? Once you apprentice, there’s no turning back.”
Su Wantang said seriously, “Disciple has thought it through.”
Xuan Zhen was silent for a moment, then nodded.
“Since Miss Su’s joining our Azure Cloud Sect is Heaven’s will, and Miss Su has followed Heaven’s will in choosing Zhu’er as her master, then Zhu’er, you should also follow Heaven’s will and accept Miss Su. This acceptance is also for the sake of all living beings.”
“!”
Lu Zhu had thought she was in the clear this time.
She instinctively looked up, meeting Xuan Zhen’s knowing smile.
‘Using my own excuse to achieve his goal, huh!’
‘As expected, the older, the craftier.’
Lu Zhu would never learn this trick of killing two birds with one stone, even if she went into seclusion for ten more years.
Lu Zhu opened her mouth to say something else, but when she turned her gaze to Su Wantang, she met the latter’s slightly anxious eyes.
“Elder Lu, are you… disappointed in me as your disciple?”
Disappointed in me as your disciple…
Disappointed in me…
Disappointed…
Master…
The girl’s words were like a captivating siren’s song, striking Lu Zhu’s fragile heart.
“Absolutely not!”
Lu Zhu blurted out, clutching her chest.
After all, no one could resist a top-tier beauty’s sparkling, pleading gaze.
Game over.
Old man Xuan Zhen, you win this round.
Seeing that the matter was settled, and since the Sect Leader and Xiao Qi’s words made sense, the other elders got up to take their leave.
As he left, the Second Elder, Xuan Qing, even patted Lu Zhu on the shoulder.
“Hmph, you’ve grown up.”
Lu Zhu was full of exasperation, feeling like she’d just been taken advantage of.
When Yun Qingqian passed her, she secretly squeezed her hand and whispered, “This child is good. Treat her well.”
Lu Zhu nodded obediently.
Soon, only the Sect Leader Xuan Zhen, Lu Zhu, and Su Wantang were left in the council chamber.
Xuan Zhen took two teacups from his sleeve and placed them on the table.
“Child, the tea is over there. Please serve it yourself.”
Su Wantang’s eyes lit up; she immediately understood the Sect Leader’s meaning.
She walked quickly to the small side table where a tea set and hot water had already been prepared.
With practiced grace, she warmed the cups, added the tea leaves, and poured the water, her movements flowing smoothly.
It didn’t look like her first time.
Soon, two cups of hot tea were brewed, their fragrant aroma rising in spirals.
Su Wantang took one of the cups, walked over to Lu Zhu, knelt on both knees, and raised the cup respectfully above her head.
“Master, please have some tea.”
Her voice was soft and firm, with a barely perceptible tremor of excitement.
Lu Zhu stood there at a loss, unsure how to react.
When she had apprenticed, there hadn’t been such a ceremony.
For a moment, a storm of thoughts raged in her mind.
‘I’ve never been a master before! Should I take the tea? What do I say after I take it? Do I have to drink it? Am I supposed to give a lecture? What lecture?’
She instinctively looked at the Sect Leader, but Xuan Zhen just smiled at her with no intention of helping.
She looked back at Su Wantang kneeling before her, meeting those eyes.
Those eyes were smiling, sparkling as if holding stars.
But beneath the smile, there seemed to be something else—not a plea, not nervousness, but a very earnest, almost devout gaze.
As if looking at someone very, very important.
Something in Lu Zhu’s heart softened inexplicably at that look, and her nervousness and panic faded away.
She took a deep breath, reached out, and accepted the cup of tea.
The cup was warm, the heat passing through the wall and into her palm.
She looked down at the girl kneeling before her, at that pink-haired, adorable figure, at that earnest gaze, and suddenly felt that taking a disciple might not be such a bad thing.
She brought the cup to her lips and took a small sip.
“Sss—”
Hot!
The tea had just been brewed and was very hot.
Lu Zhu was so scalded she almost threw the cup, but remembering this was the formal Apprenticeship Tea, throwing it would be unlucky.
She had to grit her teeth and bear it, trying her best to look composed.
The expression on her face twisted like she had swallowed a live frog.
Su Wantang saw this and almost couldn’t help but laugh.
She lowered her head, her shoulders shaking slightly from the effort of suppressing her laughter.
Pretending nothing had happened, Lu Zhu cooled her tongue with the Ice Spirit Root’s internal energy while setting the teacup down.
She cleared her throat, trying to make her voice sound steady and reliable.
But when she opened her mouth, her tongue was still a bit clumsy:
“Ahem, th-then… g-get up.”
Su Wantang stood up, then took the other cup of tea and walked over to the Sect Leader, Xuan Zhen.
She knelt and respectfully offered it.
“Grandmaster, please have some tea.”
Xuan Zhen took it with a smile, took a sip, and nodded.
“Good child. Intelligent and sensible. From now on, follow your master and cultivate diligently. Don’t be lazy. And if your master bullies you, you can come find me on the Main Peak.”
“Yes, disciple will remember.”
Xuan Zhen put the teacup down, stood up, and patted Lu Zhu on the shoulder.
“Zhu’er, you are a teacher now. Don’t do those childish things anymore. For the next few days, take her around the sect grounds to get familiar with things. In a few days, I’ll have someone select a suitable cultivation technique for her.”
With that, he didn’t wait for Lu Zhu’s reply and walked away with long strides, leaving the master and disciple staring at each other.
Silence had never been so awkward.
Lu Zhu looked at Su Wantang before her, and Su Wantang looked back at her.
A full three breaths of silence passed.
“Um…”
Lu Zhu scratched her head.
“Disciple, are you hungry?”
Su Wantang was stunned for a moment before her eyes curved into crescents and she let out a laugh.
“Yes.”
“Th-then let’s go. I’ll take you to eat.”
Lu Zhu turned to walk out, took two steps, then stopped and looked back.
“What do you like to eat?”
Su Wantang followed, walking beside her, her voice light.
“I’ll eat whatever Master eats.”
“Oh.”
Lu Zhu nodded.
“Alright. I’ll take you back to Quiet Heart Peak first. I think some disciples sent over Spirit Fruit Cake today.”
“Okay.”
The two walked out of the council chamber one after the other, the sunlight warm on their skin.
Su Wantang looked at the light-footed figure in front of her and quietly quickened her pace by half a step, drawing a little closer to that person.
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