Chapter 112: Reminiscence (2)

Gu Mojian knew that he had to go through with the apprenticeship today, and his perspective had shifted as well. Since Ye Zheng was so formidable, becoming his disciple would certainly be no loss; in fact, it offered limitless benefits. Why not seize the opportunity?

He knelt, offered the tea, and completed the ritual in one fluid motion.

Sitting in the seat of honor, Ye Zheng offered a disdainful smile. These people were truly driven by profit, never missing a chance to secure an advantage. If it weren't for the fact that the head of the Gu clan had done him a massive favor, leaving him with an outstanding debt of gratitude, he would never have come to the mundane world to trouble himself. If he were actually looking to take on a disciple, there were countless gifted individuals back in his mountains—but he had absolutely no interest in that. He preferred the quiet life, content to sit alone with his tea and his books. Too many people only brought noise.

However, a debt of gratitude is not easily repaid, so he had to follow through on the other party's request. He would accept the student and provide instruction once they reached his home, but how much Gu Mojian actually learned was no concern of his. As the saying goes, a master leads you to the door, but the path must be walked by the individual. Besides, his own methods of cultivation might not even be suited for a human; it all depended on Gu Mojian’s own capacity for enlightenment.

"Master, please have some tea." Gu Mojian was obedient for once, kneeling submissively before Ye Zheng to present the cup.

Ye Zheng was a man who enjoyed toying with others, and today, he nearly ruined the ceremony on a whim. "Hmm, get up." He took a shallow sip, but the tea was of such poor quality that he could barely stomach it.

"Take this. It will be the symbol of your status and grant you free access to Wumei Mountain." He tossed a blood-jade token at Gu Mojian and rose from his seat. The matter was settled; it was time to return to his own domain.

"I will give you one stick of incense worth of time to pack your things. Otherwise, you can walk back to Wumei Mountain yourself. I do not like people who dawdle." With a cold glance, he turned and strode toward the gates of the Gu estate.

He did not care for the atmosphere of the Gu family; the way those people constantly fawned over him made him feel nauseated. Compared to the Gu estate, the distant Broken Heaven Cliff was far better, and the boy there was much more obedient. Although he was the same type of person as Gu Zhiheng, that youth listened to his words, never questioning his commands. The people at Broken Heaven Cliff were also sincere, entirely devoid of the sycophantic behavior found here. He would much rather be at Broken Heaven Cliff; in every aspect, they were far superior to the Gu family.

Since he had to teach a spoiled brat anyway, one was as good as another, but if he had the choice, he would certainly prefer the one from the Yu family. If the chance arose, he would take that boy on as well. He wanted to see what would happen if two spoiled brats were kept together—would the chaos double?

"Master, can we depart—" Before Gu Mojian could finish his sentence, Ye Zheng grabbed him by the collar, flashed through the air, and arrived at Wumei Mountain, dumping the boy aside as soon as they reached his courtyard.

Gu Mojian stood there in a daze. What kind of godly being was this? This wasn't just teleportation; it was a blink!

"From today on, you will live in the second room on the right. Every day, I will assign you tasks; you only eat once the tasks are completed." Seeing the dim-witted Gu Mojian, Ye Zheng tossed him a book and headed for the mountain peak without looking back.

Everything Gu Mojian needed to do was clearly written in that notebook; he just had to follow the instructions. Ye Zheng couldn't be bothered to manage him personally. Until the tasks in the book were finished, he wouldn't spare Gu Mojian a second glance—doing so would be a waste of time. After all, besides the daily requirements, the book contained only basic cultivation knowledge. Once he mastered those, only then would Ye Zheng teach him real skills. Anything else was outside his jurisdiction; he had always been a master who preferred a hands-off approach.

The view from the mountain peak was magnificent. At this moment, the sunset was spreading thousands of rays of light across the world, a breathtaking sight that dazzled the eyes.

"My Lord, why did you bring back such a useless human? Is it really impossible to find a suitable candidate for an apprenticeship?" Bai Kun asked as he handed a cup of poured wine to Ye Zheng.

On Wumei Mountain, Ye Zheng was the heaven and the master; all living things obeyed him.

"I'm just passing the time. Besides, it’s because of the debt I owed for saving you last time. You have the nerve to tell me my eyes are failing me!" He kicked Bai Kun and tilted his head back to finish the wine in his cup.

Though Bai Kun and the others were technically his subordinates and followers, they were more like brothers to Ye Zheng. They stood by his side through everything and trusted him implicitly, no matter what happened.

"Boss, you are handsome and kind-hearted. I’m just bringing you good wine to drink!" Bai Kun said with a carefree, thick-skinned grin, and Ye Zheng let it slide.

Do not be fooled by the simple-minded, brawny appearance of the White-Haired Ape clan; in truth, they were incredibly sharp. Whenever Ye Zheng encountered a problem he didn't want to solve, Bai Kun and his kin handled it, always in a way that perfectly satisfied him.

"A-Kun, how much longer do you think this boring life will last? What will happen if you all ascend? Will I be left alone again?" It wasn't the first time Ye Zheng had lamented such things. Many groups of spirits had already ascended from Wumei Mountain, yet he remained, neither ascending nor dying, just wasting away the days.

"We brothers and sisters are here with you. We will stay as long as we can. Don't worry about these things, My Lord. We would never abandon you." A soft female voice came from behind. Ye Zheng knew it was the little green snake.

"Qingdai, you must keep your word. Don't go running off and leaving me behind when the time comes. I would be heartbroken." He smiled and patted Qingdai’s head, affectionately handing her a small gift.

She was the only girl on the peak of Wumei Mountain, and everyone doted on her; Ye Zheng was no exception. Though Qingdai had a temper, she was always well-behaved in front of him, appearing to be the perfect, obedient daughter. Indeed, as Ye Zheng had found her when she was young and raised her like his own child, he held the love of an old father for her. Every time he returned from a journey, he brought her a small gift, which kept her happy and quiet for a long time—for she was quite a handful.