Chapter 898: Taking a Disciple

Han Li and Gu Qianxun followed the short, stout young man all the way to the top floor of the Flame Yang Tower, where they stopped outside a room.

"Master, the two guests have been brought..." the short, stout young man said respectfully, standing with his hands at his sides.

"Since they're here, invite them in. What are you dawdling at the door for!" a slightly hoarse voice sounded, its tone somewhat impatient.

Han Li and Gu Qianxun exchanged a glance, both frowning.

The short, stout young man dared not delay and quickly groped at a spot outside the door a few times.

A scraping sound was heard, and the stone door of the room slowly slid to both sides, revealing a wide doorway from which the aroma of meat wafted out.

Han Li's nose wrinkled, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. He and Gu Qianxun entered one after the other, and the stone door slowly closed behind them.

Once inside the room, the aroma of meat grew even stronger. Han Li's gaze swept around and landed on a strangely shaped, wide stone table placed by the window.

A large hole had been hollowed out in the center of the stone table, over which a large pot was set. Charcoal seemed to be burning beneath it, heating the pot, where a milky white, rich broth was boiling vigorously, with large bubbles churning and popping.

In the pot were thick bones and sinews of some unknown exotic beast, giving off a fragrant aroma.

Behind the stone table, a short but sturdy old man in black, with his sleeves rolled up and bare-armed, was holding a piece of beast bone as thick as an arm in one hand, gnawing on the sinew with greasy lips, while his other hand rubbed a white bone token gently.

The old man's appearance was no different from a human's. Perhaps because he was too close to the charcoal fire, his face was flushed red. The front half of his head was bald, but his beard beneath his chin was thick and braided into three strands, also covered in grease.

Even though he already knew that "Madam" was merely a special title for a master artifact refiner, Han Li still found it hard to suppress a sense of incongruity when he saw the actual appearance of Sixflower Madam.

"This bone token, which of you..." Sixflower Madam began, turning his head to look over.

But when he saw Gu Qianxun's appearance, he froze completely.

"So alike, so alike, truly so alike... What relation are you to the owner of this bone token?"

The beast bone in Sixflower Madam's hand fell with a slap onto the stone table. He slowly stood up from the table, walked over to Gu Qianxun, and looked up, carefully examining her face.

"The owner of the bone token is my mother," Gu Qianxun said, feeling a bit uncomfortable under his scrutiny, turning her head slightly.

"You are Hongyu's daughter... What is your name?" Sixflower Madam frowned and asked.

"This junior is Gu Qianxun," Gu Qianxun replied.

"Gu Qianxun... Your surname is Gu? Who is your father?" Sixflower Madam's eyes flickered with a trace of gloom as he asked.

"This junior... does not know. I have never seen my father, and my mother never mentioned him. She only said that my father was the original owner of this bone token, and my surname... comes from this token," Gu Qianxun said slowly.

After speaking, she shifted her gaze slightly and landed on Sixflower Madam's face, studying him with some curiosity. She had already formed some vague guesses about the relationship between her mother and Sixflower Madam.

Han Li stood to the side, seeming to have figured something out. He felt a slight relief but also a bit of resentment toward Gu Qianxun—since she had this connection, why hadn't she told him earlier, letting him worry needlessly for so long?

"Your mother... is she well?" Sixflower Madam's gaze softened, and he said with some agitation.

"My mother... she has passed away..." Gu Qianxun's eyes showed a hint of sorrow as she spoke.

"What? Hongyu... how could that be?" Sixflower Madam's expression changed drastically, his eyes wide open as he urgently asked.

"My mother's true spirit bloodline was coveted by others, and many years ago she already..." Gu Qianxun couldn't finish her sentence.

Hearing half of it, Sixflower Madam clasped his hands behind his back, his face dark as he paced in circles on the spot, his fists clenched so tightly they creaked. An indistinct aura kept emanating from him, as if he was forcibly suppressing the anger in his heart.

Finally, a flash of regret crossed his eyes, and he stopped.

"We'll discuss this in detail later. Come, sit down first," Sixflower Madam said, slowly walking back to his seat and sitting down.

Han Li and the other followed and sat down opposite him.

"Who is this brat? Your dao companion?" Sixflower Madam's attention had been on Gu Qianxun earlier, and only now did he notice Han Li, frowning as he asked.

Seeing that he was looking at him with a suspicious, almost father-in-law-like gaze tinged with disdain, Han Li quickly waved his hand and said, "Senior misunderstands. I am Li Feiyu, a... friend of Fellow Daoist Gu."

"Tell me, have you come to purchase weapons or to custom-order them? Let me make this clear: if you're custom-ordering, you can only tell me your requirements for the weapon. Don't bring me any damn design drawings. I only recognize weapons I design myself; others'... are all crap," Sixflower Madam said, glancing at Han Li with a frown, clearly speaking for his benefit.

"Senior misunderstands. We have come neither to purchase weapons nor to custom-order them," Gu Qianxun said.

"If not for weapons, then why?" Sixflower Madam frowned slightly and asked.

"To be honest, this junior has come to seek from Senior the secret method to remove the Black Calamity Insect," Han Li said.

Hearing this, Sixflower Madam's eyes flickered with a complex expression as he asked, "Have you come from Qingyang City?"

"Why does Senior say that?" Han Li's heart stirred as he asked.

"I only passed down the method of taming the Black Calamity Insect to Du Qingyang. Unless he was a fool, he wouldn't have spread it. And I believe no one else within the entire Xuan City area could have learned it. You must have come from Qingyang City," Sixflower Madam said with a sigh.

"Senior is correct. We did come from Qingyang City. Previously, we were coerced by Du Qingyang using the Black Calamity Insect. Now we have come here seeking a solution from Senior," Han Li said.

"So, Du Qingyang's death is likely related to you two?" Sixflower Madam asked, looking askance at Han Li and the other.

"You passed down the method of taming the Black Calamity Insect to Du Qingyang?" Gu Qianxun's expression changed drastically upon hearing this, and she asked.

Sixflower Madam noticed that Gu Qianxun's address to him had changed from "Senior" to "you," and for some reason, he felt a faint unease in his heart.

"I dare not deceive Senior. Previously, Du Qingyang tried to use a secret technique to devour our essence blood. With no other choice, we joined forces with the current city lord to overthrow him," Han Li interjected, seeing the situation.

"Back then, I owed him a considerable favor, so I passed down the method of taming the Black Calamity Insect. As for how he used it, I truly did not know," Sixflower Madam sighed, looking at Gu Qianxun with some guilt.

"He used it on Fellow Daoist Li, on me... and back then, on my mother as well," Gu Qianxun said, her eyes fixed on Sixflower Madam, gritting her teeth as she spoke each word.

"Are you saying... your mother was killed by Du Qingyang?" Sixflower Madam's expression turned extremely grave upon hearing this.

"I can't be certain, but back then, for my mother to be abducted from Xuanzhi City by Du Qingyang, City Lord Qin Yuan likely had a hand in it as well," Gu Qianxun said through gritted teeth.

"This... we'll discuss later. You should already have Black Calamity Stones on you, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to survive until now. But even with these, it's not a long-term solution," Sixflower Madam said, his expression slightly restrained, lost in thought.

"Senior means..." Han Li frowned and asked.

"Black Calamity Stones can indeed prevent the Black Calamity Insect from developing further, but their effectiveness diminishes over time. The day they completely lose their power will be the moment the insect fully retaliates. When that happens, the backlash will be even more ferocious, and you will surely die," Sixflower Madam said flatly.

"Since we have found Senior, I earnestly beg you to remove this insect for us," Han Li said with a cupped fist salute.

"If you want me to save you, you must first agree to one thing," Sixflower Madam said after a moment's deliberation.

"Senior, please speak," Han Li said.

"Become my disciple and join my school," Sixflower Madam said, shaking his head.

"Become your disciple?" Han Li was taken aback, finding it hard to believe.

Gu Qianxun's expression also changed slightly, showing great surprise.

"What? You're unwilling?" Sixflower Madam's brows shot up, and he asked coldly.

"It's not that I'm unwilling, but I truly don't understand. Please, Senior, tell me the reason," Han Li said, taking a deep breath.

Because of the deep impression Doctor Mo had left on Han Li back then, he had never placed much importance on the master-disciple relationship. But if he could learn artifact refining from Sixflower Madam, he wouldn't mind.

"No particular reason. We're both humans, and I find you agreeable. Isn't that reason enough?" Sixflower Madam snorted coldly.

"It is enough. To receive Senior's favor is my blessing. But may I ask, are there any restrictions for becoming Senior's disciple?" Han Li inquired.

"Restrictions, of course. You must stay by my side and serve me, and you cannot leave for at least ten thousand years," Sixflower Madam nodded and said.

"Cannot leave for ten thousand years?" Han Li frowned repeatedly upon hearing this.

"Ten thousand years is but a fleeting moment for cultivators. What, you don't even have that much patience? To tell you the truth, countless people kneel and beg me to take them as nominal disciples, and I can't be bothered to give them a glance. Don't be ungrateful, boy," Sixflower Madam said arrogantly.

"I naturally understand that point, but I have entered the Scale Abyss to find a very important person. Until I find her, I cannot stay in Xuan City. So I must decline Senior's kind offer," Han Li shook his head and said frankly.