Chapter 297: Introspection And Retrospection

Han Xuhan didn’t rush to answer, giving him a thoughtful look. But Kong Ye didn’t need his confirmation either.

From his observations during their regular classes, he had noticed that while Mu Ran, Xuanyuan Zhou, and Xiao Wu were not on particularly good terms with each other, they were full of smiles while talking to Han Xuhan.

Nobody really liked Mu Ran due to his unbelievably arrogant ways. Xuanyuan Zhou was a very reticent person who rarely spoke to anybody unless necessary, and Xiao Wu was usually absorbed in his own practices, steering clear of socializing like Han Xuhan did.

"Yes, master. I am indeed close to my martial siblings," Han Xuhan finally said in a measured tone. Kong Ye could see the faint glint of realization in his eyes. The boy had probably guessed what his task was going to be, it seemed.

"If it’s possible, find out a bit more about their aims in life, disciple. What they want to be, what their short-term goals are, whether there is any particular area of skills that they’re interested in, and even things like which Elder they want to acknowledge as their master if the opportunity arises.

"The more details, the better. Although you four are a part of the Salted Fish Mountain Peak, I find you all to be full of potential, just waiting to be unlocked. It’d be great if I could manage to recruit all four of you as my disciples! And wouldn’t you like it to have your friends accompany you in mastering special skills?

"So, on behalf of your master, can you slip some suggestions to them, implying that I can teach them the skills that interest them? You’ve already seen how easy it was for me to come up with what you need right now, didn’t you?"

Master and disciple faced each other in a rather silent, but meaningful staring contest once he finished speaking. Kong Ye knew his request was borderline shameless, almost coming off as pathetic. But his system’s deadline was fast approaching.

There was nothing else he could do except hope these cheap tricks would work. It was the main reason why he had put Han Xuhan so high up on his recruitment list. The boy was the only disciple ’resourceful’ enough to help him execute the stunt.

"If you don’t mind me asking, master... Why are you so insistent on recruiting apprentices? As far as I’m aware, it isn’t exactly necessary for all elders to participate in this practice."

Hearing the question, Kong Ye felt a headache coming. It was an enquiry he had expected to face, but hoped not to.

"Think of it as a personal goal, disciple. Your master once made a promise. And the time is running out. I’d rather not break my word."

It might have sounded vague, like a flimsy reason, but it was indeed true, which was why Kong Ye could say it without feeling any guilt. His dao heart wasn’t compatible with treachery and lies. Those were the worst qualities a teacher could have.

Han Xuhan did not press further into the issue, having guessed that he wasn’t going to get a clear-cut answer. Kong Ye found himself being thankful to the heavens again that he had found such a sharp-witted disciple.

"As you wish, Master. I will do my best."

"Good disciple." Kong Ye sighed and turned off the talisman inside his pocket.

[ Mind Mollification Talisman terminated. 2/5 uses left ]

[ Runtime: twenty minutes ]

[ Used Intensity: 42 % ( mild ) ]

Looking at the usage data, Kong Ye felt another pang of guilt. Knowing Han Xuhan’s paranoid character, he had kept this talisman running the whole time, affecting his disciple’s judgment. He couldn’t afford to let this negotiation end in failure.

Of course, this talisman couldn’t force anyone to agree to something they were completely opposed to. The mild intensity of its usage also pointed to the fact that the Talisman had played a fairly minor role in convincing Han Xuhan to make the decision.

That thought was the only consolation for his guilty conscience.

"Have some tea, master," Han Xuhan said as his two minions brought out a set of cups and trays from the kitchen. "Don’t worry about poisons. Your cultivation is high enough to suppress anything my minions can concoct by themselves."

"...."

Silently, Kong Ye finished a cup. The ingredients used for the tea were certainly not cheap, that much he could glean from the taste. Not even many Elders in the sect lived this extravagantly.

"The worldwide tournament that’s about to commence soon will reflect the effect of our sect’s traditional apprenticeship ceremony. A detailed official announcement regarding this will be made by the authorities in a few days.

"Don’t waste any time in the next few days and prepare yourself for the first round of the tournament. I don’t have the permission to tell you anything about it in advance since that goes against the tournament rules. All I’ll say is... keep your mind fresh and ready to tackle some unique challenges ."

With the cryptic message delivered, Kong Ye left the hut. Gazing at his back, Han Xuhan’s muddled thoughts finally started clearing up.

His current situation was... terrible, to say the least. The tournament was one problem he couldn’t prepare to tackle with his current strength. Kong Ye made it sound even worse and more ominous than his initial ideas.

Setting the tournament aside, the more pressing issue was the problem with his meridians. They were damaged beyond repair to begin with. If they got worse, he would certainly lose the basic qualifications to cultivate Mystic Arts.

Among the three orthodox paths of cultivation, he couldn’t make any progress in the Monastic Path. Martial Cultivation was too difficult and resource-demanding. Now, if the Mystic Path was completely blocked...

Han Xuhan wasn’t keen on putting his trust in others to get his issues solved. Maybe Kong Ye would really find a way to repair his meridians, maybe he wouldn’t. But he had to make sure he himself did.

Cultivation was too interesting and useful to let go of, regardless of how many obstacles he faced. The addictive feeling of superhuman strength surging through his body and Qi obeying his command was beyond anything he had ever experienced. The status and safety a good cultivation level brought was worth fighting for.

Looking back, his journey as a cultivator had actually always been grounded in survival, all about a cornered rat fighting. There had never been a lofty goal, nor any ambition that would sugarcoat the story.

He could only look forward to the day when he’d not have to worry about his survival and safety anymore. Maybe that day, he could peer into the depths of his Dao Heart and find something interesting.