145: Chapter 145 Disciple Becomes Junior Sister?

Without making Pei Siyao wait long, Xiong Hongyou spoke in a low, serious voice, "Pei Siyao, are you willing to enter my tutelage?"

Pei Siyao replied without hesitation, "This Disciple is willing."

Xiong Hongyou shouted with a smile on his face, "Good! From this day forth, you are my eldest Disciple. As your Revered Master, I will take you to see your Grandmaster now."

Hearing this, Pei Siyao's heart suddenly sank.

This apprenticeship felt too hasty, making her feel as if it wasn't real.

Didn't others usually perform three kowtows and nine prostrations, hold an apprenticeship banquet, and present gifts, while the Revered Master gave a greeting gift in return?

Her apprenticeship was settled with just a single sentence.

This was way too fast!

Beside her, Pei Qingyun was also very puzzled.

For a commander of the Evil Suppression Bureau to take a Disciple like this seemed a bit unreliable.

As if sensing his confusion, Ancestor Yuhuan looked over with a smile on his face.

Others might not understand Xiong Hongyou's temperament, but he was not among them.

After all these years, his junior schoolmate's personality remained the same.

...

Before long, Pei Siyao and Xiong Hongyou arrived at Shanhe Academy. Pei Qingyun and Ancestor Yuhuan remained at Hongdu Mansion to wait.

Inside Shanhe Academy.

Master Tianlan was focused on a game of chess. His opponent was a middle-aged man dressed in a gold-trimmed purple robe with a touch of gray at his temples.

Judging by appearances, the middle-aged man looked to be in his fifties, but his actual age was unknown.

A Grandmaster of Meridians has a Lifespan of three jiazi. If a Martial Artist reaches the Breakthrough to the Meridian Opening stage early, they can maintain a middle-aged appearance even at over a hundred years old.

As for Xiantian Masters, they have a Lifespan of up to four hundred years. It is impossible to judge their age based on appearance alone.

One can only roughly estimate their age through secret techniques that detect life aura.

Looking at the middle-aged man across from him, Master Tianlan praised, "Yun Hong, I didn't expect your chess skills to improve so much after not seeing you for a few months. Especially that 'Finishing Touch' move; it was truly exquisite and almost caught me off guard."

Yun Hong nodded slightly and said humbly, "Revered Master, you overpraise me. Compared to you, this Disciple's skill is far inferior. If Revered Master hadn't been taking it easy on me, I would have lost long ago."

Master Tianlan curled his lip, looking like he didn't believe a word of it. "Yun Hong, you're being dishonest. Your chess skills are already no worse than those of national Revered Masters. Besides, I always give my all when playing. Be honest, did you go off somewhere to study recently?"

Yun Hong said with a look of grievance, "Revered Master, you've wronged me. A while ago, True Man Changning found me and forced me to play chess with him every day. This Disciple had no choice but to comply."

Master Tianlan's eyes widened, and his long beard bristled as he said angrily, "That old geezer Changning! He can't beat me, so he takes his frustration out on my Disciple. Yun Hong, wait here; I'll go vent your anger for you."

Yun Hong hurriedly said, "No, Revered Master, let's just forget it."

Master Tianlan said indignantly, "How can we forget it? That old geezer Changning dared to bully my Disciple; I must settle the score with him."

If one didn't know Master Tianlan's character, they might truly believe he was acting on behalf of his Disciple.

As Master Tianlan's sixth Disciple, how could Yun Hong not know his Revered Master's temperament?

His Revered Master had two great hobbies in life: playing chess and fishing.

Of the two, he loved chess especially.

Claiming to vent anger on True Man Changning was just an excuse to find someone to play chess with.

And True Man Changning was one of the many victims.

It would have been fine if his Revered Master was bad at the game yet loved to play; at least True Man Changning could enjoy the thrill of crushing a weak opponent.

But as it happened, his Revered Master was extremely good at chess.

True Man Changning was crushed every time, losing utterly.

Having lost so much to his Revered Master, Changning naturally wanted to get back at him, so Yun Hong became the victim.

But what could he do? He was the Disciple.

He would have liked to avoid paying the debts his Revered Master incurred.

But he couldn't win in a fight, nor could he win at chess.

Yun Hong advised, "Revered Master, True Man Changning is not at the academy. He went to North Cold State a month ago."

Hearing that True Man Changning was not at the academy, the anger on Master Tianlan's face vanished instantly, replaced by confusion. "Wait, what did that old geezer go to North Cold State for?"

"I heard True Man Changning went to look for an Ice Spirit Pearl, but I don't know if it's true," Yun Hong explained.

"Ice Spirit Pearl? That old geezer actually wants that thing. Forget it, since he's in North Cold State, I'll have to let him off for now," Master Tianlan said with a look of regret.

Immediately after, Master Tianlan looked at Yun Hong again. "Yun Hong, play a few more games with me. That last one didn't count."

Yun Hong said with a troubled expression, "Revered Master, didn't you say we'd only play three games?"

Master Tianlan looked confused. "When did I ever say that? It's still early; let's continue."

Just as Yun Hong was suffering in misery, a voice interrupted the two of them.

"Revered Master, Senior Brother, I hope I'm not interrupting your game."

To Yun Hong, these words sounded like heavenly music, rescuing him from his plight.

Yun Hong said with pleasant surprise, answering first, "Good Junior Brother, you've come just in time. Revered Master and I have just finished this game."

However...

Just as he finished speaking, he noticed Pei Siyao behind Xiong Hongyou.

"Eh? Junior Brother, who is this little girl behind you?" Yun Hong asked in surprise.

"This is my newly accepted Disciple, Pei Siyao," Xiong Hongyou introduced.

"Junior Brother, you took a Disciple?" Yun Hong was astonished, hardly able to believe his eyes.

How could he not know Xiong Hongyou's temperament?

He was a loner with thick skin who hated dealing with chores and troublesome matters.

Taking a Disciple was a troublesome task that had never been associated with his Junior Brother.

To his surprise, Xiong Hongyou actually took a Disciple.

Master Tianlan was originally quite displeased at being interrupted.

Not even by his own Disciple.

But when he noticed Pei Siyao behind Xiong Hongyou, his expression immediately turned into one of pleasant surprise.

Before Xiong Hongyou could introduce her, Master Tianlan flashed to the front of Pei Siyao and said with a kind expression, "I am Master Tianlan. Little girl, are you willing to be my Disciple?"

Xiong Hongyou hadn't expected Master Tianlan to pull such a move and immediately explained, "Revered Master, she is your grand..."

But before he could finish, he was interrupted by Master Tianlan.

"Don't interrupt when I'm speaking." Accompanied by an invisible pressure, Master Tianlan glared fiercely at Xiong Hongyou.

Having never seen Master Tianlan like this, Xiong Hongyou immediately fell silent.

He didn't understand what his Revered Master was playing at today.

He had heard of people stealing Disciples, but never of someone stealing their own Disciple's Disciple.

On the other hand, Pei Siyao was completely bewildered.

From beginning to end, she hadn't said a single word.

As a thirteen-year-old girl, she really didn't understand these adult schemes.

Weren't they supposed to see her Grandmaster?

As it happened, her Grandmaster wanted to take her as his Disciple instead.