Chapter 293: What A Good Disciple!

Kong Ye didn’t know whether to applaud this disciple’s cleverness or laugh at his reaction.

Initially, he was feeling rather hesitant to paint himself as the interested party, since that wouldn’t exactly befit his status as an Elder, putting him at a disadvantageous position. Usually, things were the other way around when it came to the Elders of the sect who had special skills to pass on.

Most disciples begged them for a chance to learn under their wings. But Kong Ye was much more desperate than those disciples. His future was on the line!

So he had decided to cast aside his dignity and shamelessly tell these children that he’d like to have them as his apprentices. But Han Xuhan had spared him the embarrassment.

This one incident alone was enough to elevate Han Xuhan’s importance in Kong Ye’s heart. Which Master didn’t cherish a smart disciple well-versed in worldly affairs?

Meanwhile, Han Xuhan noticed Kong Ye’s accepting smile and immediately switched his tone.

"But I’m not sure what you’re going to teach me, Elder. Is there some particular field you specialize in? Can I get an overview beforehand?"

Kong Ye: "..."

Well, maybe having a smart disciple well-versed in worldly affairs had its own downsides as well.

"Don’t worry about what skills I possess, disciple," he said, waving Han Xuhan’s concerns off. This was the easiest part of the negotiation. His system could more or less generate what his disciples wanted.

The only requirement was that the disciple had to formally recognize him as his master beforehand and gain the System’s approval.

"My area of expertise is so vast and varied that there’s very little that I cannot teach you. What you should be asking is what skills I do NOT possess, hahaha!" Kong Ye did his best to put on a front of infallible confidence.

But why did it feel like he was running a scam? Tch~

"All you have to do is just accept me as your master. After all, special skills imparted to apprentices contain personal secrets. Some skills are also accompanied by great karmic ties. Without a formal relationship...."

Kong Ye left the sentence half finished, knowing that Disciple Xuhan would get the hint.

But looking at him with a skeptical light in his eyes that gave Kong Ye a bad premonition, Han Xuhan asked the very question he was dreading.

"Elder, you know quite well how terrible my situation is as a cultivator. Be it the path of Mystic Arts or the Martial Way, I’m facing obstacles that can’t simply be overcome by skills and legacies. So, does it matter how vast your array of skills is?

"Moreover, are you sure that you can teach me ANYTHING? I don’t mean to be rude, but it sounds rather, uhh..."

"Boastful? Yes, I’m aware of how I sound to you," Kong Ye said enigmatically.

"But when have I ever expressed my lack of knowledge about ANYTHING while teaching you and the rest of your fellow disciples? Have you ever seen any question stump me? Have some faith in your favorite teacher, young man."

Kong Ye could sense that this recruitment attempt was going rather poorly. But what else could he say when this was the truth? Never having done anything like this before, he realized that he should have taken more preparation before starting.

Well, better late than never. He did have something prepared if things went south...

Imperceptibly, one of his hands slipped inside a secret pocket of his robe.

"How about this, Elder? Why don’t I propose a deal that could be convenient for us both?" Han Xuhan said, his expression suggesting that he didn’t believe a word that came out of Kong Ye’s mouth, but he was too polite and too greedy to directly decline the offer.

If Kong Ye wanted, he could peer into this disciple’s heart diagram and spirit signatures easily. But doing such things without permission was not polite. He didn’t want a potential disciple to become wary of him just because he couldn’t contain his own curiosity.

Of course, even if he did violate the taboo, it wasn’t as if an inexperienced young cultivator like Han Xuhan would be able to sense his probing. But Kong Ye would rather not take the gamble.

While he was entertaining that dangerous idea, Han Xuhan came up with his win-win proposal.

"I’m just a mortal who became acquainted with the world of cultivation a few months ago. I don’t know what sort of wondrous skills and techniques are out there, like a frog in a well that doesn’t understand the heights of the boundless sky.

"So I don’t know what type of skill would suit me. But you, as a seasoned cultivator, probably have a better grasp of such matters. Without a formalized relationship, it would be inconvenient to decide between what skills you could teach me and what skills I’d like to be taught.

"So, why don’t you simply offer a few of the skills that you think may suit me the best? I can sort them out and see which one interests me the most. If we can come to an agreement that way, choosing to formalize our relationship as Master and Apprentice would be simple and satisfactory. Isn’t that a great idea?"

Kong Ye was speechless. He almost felt the urge to throttle this greedy brat.

’Young man, do you think legacy skills are something that you can put up for auction? I haven’t even accepted you as my disciple, and you’re already thinking about ripping me off?!’

Unfortunately, without revealing the existence of his system to others, he couldn’t explain why they’d have to recognize him as their formal Master before he could pull out cool techniques for them out of nowhere.

It wasn’t as if he was famous in the sect for any particular skill, either. As a relatively new teacher, his fame was solely dependent on his teaching style in regular classes. Who’d blindly put their faith in him?

Kong Ye gazed at Han Xuhan with a complex look in his eyes.

This young man, sitting in front of him with an innocent expression, had just pulled the same move as Sect Master Xuan Zi back when he had first informed the old man his plan to take apprentices.

By asking Kong Ye to show him the best techniques and skills in his arsenal, the boy was also testing him to see his limits and gauge his true capabilities...

’Since things have come to this, I shall have to broaden your horizons today, young man!’