The little immortal child’s action of dispersing the incense ash stopped. He let out a surprised laugh and raised his head to look at her. His gaze was extremely clear and gentle, as if it contained an entire boundless ocean.
“How did you know I am Baize Dijun?” He was somewhat incredulous.
Xuan Yi thought for a moment: “I guessed.”
Guessed… Baize Dijun couldn’t help but laugh. What a strange child—he truly didn’t know whether she was clever or foolish.
“This seat rarely shows his face. Even your father has never seen this seat, let alone you. That you could guess correctly—could it be you possess tremendous good fortune?”
As he spoke, he lightly tapped the incense burner with the copper poker. The other four celestial deities in the study instantly transformed into four wisps of green smoke, curling and dispersing.
Xuan Yi respectfully presented the jade box: “Congratulations to the Dijun on fulfilling your long-cherished wish.”
Baize Dijun laughed again. He didn’t stand on ceremony, accepting the jade box straightforwardly and opening it. When the dragon scale inside touched his divine power, it actually emitted faint traces of dragon song.
He couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, his face full of joy at obtaining a treasure, looking quite far removed from the venerable and respected image the deities held of him.
“Good, good, good!” He said the word “good” three times in succession, raising his head to look at Xuan Yi with blazing eyes, smiling: “You are very good, the dragon scale is also very good, and this seat’s fulfillment of a long-cherished wish is even better! What harm is there in taking you as a disciple?”
It sounded like he was rather reluctant to become this teacher. Perfect—she wasn’t particularly willing to be this disciple either. She believed that in the future, master and disciple would certainly be able to get along easily and happily.
“Disciple Xuan Yi pays respects to Teacher.” She seized the opportunity, and this discipleship ceremony was performed both quickly and beautifully.
Baize Dijun uttered an “Mm,” reluctantly closing the jade box. He raised his eyes to glance at the sky and said: “That’s about enough for today. Let’s stop here.”
He clapped his hands lightly. The entire study suddenly collapsed and crumbled like snow. Light and shadow before her eyes spun rapidly, and in another blink, Xuan Yi discovered she was already inside Mingxing Hall. Baize Dijun, with a childlike tender face, was sitting in the Dijun’s chair with a smiling expression, his chin propped on his hand. Standing respectfully beside him were two young deities, one male and one female, wearing friendly smiles as they gazed at… well, not at her, but at the celestial deity beside her: Fucang Shenjun.
Tch, he had actually passed the test too. Xuan Yi curled the corners of her mouth somewhat unhappily.
Baize Dijun smiled: “Usually, even thousands of years may not yield a single disciple, but unexpectedly today I’ve taken in two. No wonder the blue bird called three times from the branches this morning—it was announcing good fortune. Tai Yao, Zhi Xi, take a look—one junior martial brother and one junior martial sister. What do you think?”
Tai Yao Shenjun, who stood to his left with a steady and composed bearing, said warmly: “I have already witnessed the words and actions of Junior Martial Brother Fucang and Junior Martial Sister Xuan Yi just now. Junior Martial Brother Fucang is alert and composed, and Junior Martial Sister Xuan Yi… is also not bad. This disciple believes that having these two enter under Teacher’s tutelage is most appropriate.”
By addressing them as junior martial brother and junior martial sister, he had clearly already accepted the two new disciples.
Unexpectedly, Fucang suddenly stepped sideways, cupped his hands in salute, and said in a low voice: “I am honored by the Dijun’s favor, but this junior is ashamed and dare not accept. However, this junior fears he cannot enter under the Dijun’s tutelage. I hope for your forgiveness.”
His tone was respectful yet detached. After bowing again, he actually turned to leave.
Baize Dijun said with surprise: “You passed the test yet want to leave? I heard you and Gu Ting have had an extremely good relationship since childhood. He, being this seat’s disciple, constantly recommends you before this seat—did you know? You came today, probably also to honor his feelings. If you just leave like this, what is this seat to do?”
Fucang remained silent. The goddess standing to Baize Dijun’s right suddenly stepped forward gracefully, bowing: “Teacher, this disciple also has some insights.”
“Zhi Xi, speak your mind.”
Goddess Zhi Xi responded and turned around. Her movements were ethereally light, her appearance bright and beautiful, her bearing elegant and refined—upon seeing her, worldly concerns were forgotten.
Her eyes, clear as water, first glanced at Xuan Yi before she spoke: “Teacher, this disciple believes your test for Princess Xuan Yi was too frivolous. This disciple is slow-witted and dares not accept this. Moreover, this disciple also has objections to Princess Xuan Yi entering under Teacher’s tutelage.”
She was extremely courteous. She turned and first bowed to Xuan Yi before saying: “I have some words I must speak. First, I ask the princess not to take offense. Earlier, I also witnessed the princess’s conflict with Junior Martial Brother Fucang at the hall entrance. However, there was a cause for this incident. Days ago in the Flower Emperor’s rear garden, the princess first used her imposing aura to pressure Fucang Shenjun, then injured him with words, causing the Shenjun to leave in anger. This was the beginning of the dispute—could the princess have forgotten? Teacher values talent, bearing, and character most when selecting disciples. The princess’s words are sharp and uncompromising. I believe the princess is not suitable to enter under Teacher’s tutelage.”
Xuan Yi’s clear black and white eyes gazed at her face for a moment. Suddenly she asked: “Excuse me, who are you?”
A trace of embarrassment swept across Goddess Zhi Xi’s beautiful face, but she quickly answered: “I am from the Zhongtian Xuanyuan Youxiong Clan. My name is Zhi Xi. Nine thousand years ago, I entered under Teacher’s tutelage as a disciple.”
Xuan Yi smiled amiably and said gently: “Thank you for Senior Martial Sister Zhi Xi’s instruction. Xuan Yi will certainly keep it in mind.”
Goddess Zhi Xi’s brows furrowed tightly at that address of “Senior Martial Sister”: “I have not yet acknowledged you as my junior martial sister. When I said your words are sharp and uncompromising, was I wrong?”
Xuan Yi said: “Senior Martial Sister’s eloquent words make such good sense that I am left speechless.”
Goddess Zhi Xi’s face darkened. She turned to look at Baize Dijun: “Just now, Teacher’s test for the princess—this disciple truly cannot agree with it. Stumbling upon the correct answer by chance, and when Teacher asked about it, being unable to explain the reasoning and only saying it was a guess—compared to Junior Martial Brother Fucang’s one sword splitting heaven and earth, it’s like child’s play. Sharing the same status with her, this disciple feels deeply uneasy. If you accept her into your tutelage like this, how can it convince others?”
Baize Dijun’s childlike face wore a constant smile. He looked at her for a while, then at Xuan Yi again, appearing about eighty percent as if he were watching an entertaining spectacle. Tai Yao Shenjun beside them couldn’t bear to watch any longer and couldn’t help but cough lightly: “Teacher, what Junior Martial Sister Zhi Xi says may also have merit. Should Teacher reconsider this matter more carefully?”
Baize Dijun emphasized “benevolence,” “elegance,” and “magnanimity.” The disciples he accepted were mostly benevolent, magnanimous, gentle, and refined people. This princess of unknown depth was indeed somewhat out of place. Moreover, if they were to lose Fucang for her sake, Gu Ting would probably also be quite unhappy.
Baize Dijun furrowed his brow: “But this seat has accepted Zhongshan Dijun’s valuable gift and absolutely cannot bear to return it. What should I do? Xuan Yi, explain to your senior martial brothers and sisters exactly how you guessed this seat’s identity, so that this seat can keep this dragon scale.”
Here we go again! This almost shameless manner! When all was said and done, he just couldn’t bear to part with the Zhuyin Clan’s dragon scale!
Goddess Zhi Xi had always been upright and unyielding. She immediately clasped her hands and said in a deep voice: “Teacher has always taught us that in all matters, there are things one should do and things one should not do. For Teacher to disregard the rules because of a treasure—wouldn’t that chill the disciples’ hearts?”
These words were harsh. Tai Yao quietly tugged at her sleeve, but Zhi Xi simply ignored him.
Xuan Yi suddenly laughed once and very graciously spoke: “As soon as I entered the study, only Teacher didn’t look at me with his eyes. The other four celestial deities were manifestations of Teacher’s divine powers, so naturally they also reflected Teacher’s true heart—this is something Teacher himself cannot control. In my hands I held the jade box, a treasure Teacher longed for. Even if he didn’t look at me, his true heart couldn’t help but want to glance at it, so I saw through him.”
Who would have thought she could actually provide a proper explanation, and a logical one at that? Even Baize Dijun himself was surprised for a moment: “Really?”
“There’s another reason. Does Teacher want to hear it?”
“Continue.”
Xuan Yi said coolly: “I watched Teacher disperse the incense ash back and forth, but not a single piece of actual incense was replaced. I guessed that Teacher didn’t know how to replace it, so he could only find something to do by using the copper poker to disperse the incense ash.”
Baize Dijun burst into hearty laughter. After laughing, he looked at her for a long while, not knowing who he was reminded of, and sighed: “This cleverness and arrogance that makes one unable to either love or hate—it’s quite similar.”
He rose and shook out his sleeves, calling: “Tai Yao, record the names of the two newly inducted junior martial brother and sister in the register and send it to Wenhua Hall tomorrow.”
He didn’t wait at all for Fucang to object again, forcibly settling this matter. Tai Yao at his side immediately obediently agreed, quietly giving Fucang a reassuring smile.
“Fucang, Xuan Yi—come again to Mingxing Hall in three days at the hour of chen. At that time, as colleagues, you must dwell together harmoniously and with goodwill. All of you may go.”
The disciples bowed and took their leave one after another. Baize Dijun suddenly called out to Xuan Yi again: “You wait a moment.”
Xuan Yi looked at him innocently. Was he going to give her some warning again?
Baize Dijun waited until Mingxing Hall was completely empty before saying in a low voice: “You… this temperament of yours…”
Speaking to this point, he stopped, not knowing what he was reminded of again, his face full of emotion: “Your temperament actually looks more like… Never mind, let’s not speak of these things. Xuan Yi, this seat has a few words to give you.”
Xuan Yi bowed: “This disciple is all ears.”
“Your thoughts are penetrating, your cleverness openly displayed, and you are arrogant, self-important, arbitrary, and willful. The first two are advantages, but the latter two are disadvantages. Even the most thorough has an oversight eventually. If someone with ulterior motives grasps even a trace of your negligence, it will be a fatal blow to you.”
Xuan Yi rolled her eyes: “Teacher’s words are extremely profound. This disciple doesn’t quite understand.”
Baize Dijun smiled while sighing: “You’re also a little creature who habitually plays dumb. Just remember this. You may go.”