(I'll have another chapter out tonight, but it might be a little late!)
Normally, being taken as a disciple by a Core Formation cultivator would be an unimaginable blessing for any low-level cultivator. But after hearing those words, Han Li felt a jolt of surprise followed by an instinctive sense that something was off.
With his aptitude and cultivation techniques, there was no way such good fortune would fall on his shoulders. As for the claim that he had rendered great service to the Yellow Maple Valley and deserved a generous reward — Han Li didn't believe a word of it. If this ancestor had actually won the bet and, in a fit of goodwill, decided to take in the disciple who had helped him win, there might have been some sincerity behind it. But the man had clearly lost spectacularly, and was still insisting on taking him as a disciple? That was enough to make anyone suspicious.
While Han Li's mind raced through countless possibilities, Granduncle Li was growing displeased.
After announcing his intention to take Han Li as a disciple, he had expected the boy to be ecstatic and immediately agree. Instead, Han Li just stood there rooted to the spot, his face frozen in a look of stunned shock, not uttering a single word of acceptance. This irked the Granduncle to no end.
Still, on the surface, Granduncle Li naturally maintained the dignity befitting his status. He spoke again in a calm, detached tone: "Han Li, if you are unwilling to take me as your master, you need only say so. I won't force you. I'll simply bestow several magical tools upon you as compensation."
The moment Han Li heard this, he knew the words sounded gracious but the sentiment behind them was anything but. He didn't need to think hard to understand the consequences of offending this ancestor. Moreover, an insignificant Qi Condensation disciple refusing a Core Formation cultivator's offer to take him as a disciple — that would be utterly absurd. If he refused, it would almost certainly bring even greater trouble.
Thinking this through, he gritted his teeth. Whatever the ancestor's true intentions might be, he had to get through this immediate situation first. From the looks of things, refusing wouldn't end well for him.
"It would be a great honor for this disciple to study under Granduncle's guidance! Just now I was so overwhelmed with joy that I forgot to respond — please forgive me, Granduncle!" A deep flush spread across Han Li's face as he put on the appearance of someone just snapping out of a daze of excitement, his voice brimming with eagerness.
Then, Han Li dutifully kowtowed several times before Granduncle Li, performing the formal rite of accepting a master.
"Very good! From this day forward, you are a disciple of Li Huayuan. This Azure Light Blade shall serve as my welcoming gift." Li Huayuan's face broke into a broad smile. He stepped forward to help Han Li to his feet and handed him a long saber glowing with a pale green light. Its spiritual glow flickered and shimmered — it was unmistakably a top-grade magical tool.
Han Li accepted the saber reverently with both hands, then kowtowed once more as a mark of respect before rising to his feet, doing his best to look overjoyed.
The surrounding disciples, who had been watching with slack-jawed disbelief, now shot Han Li gazes smoldering with envy and jealousy. They wished more than anything that it was them standing there receiving the magical tool instead of Han Li — someone they had long found disagreeable.
Though Han Li couldn't read their minds, the burning stares boring into him told him enough to piece together their thoughts, and he couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and helplessness.
If he had any say in the matter, he would have much preferred the Granduncle to have taken a liking to literally anyone else rather than him — the poor unlucky fellow. After all, the lesson his previous master, Doctor Mo, had taught him was still painfully fresh in his memory! And now here was yet another master, far more capable, with clearly hidden motives of his own. It left Han Li utterly speechless.
"In a while, if you succeed in Foundation Establishment, I will bring you to my residence and formally accept you as my direct disciple. If you fail to establish your foundation, that's perfectly fine too — I will still offer you some guidance in your cultivation techniques." Granduncle Li issued his instructions to Han Li.
"Yes, Master!" Han Li naturally had no objections and answered meekly.
"All right, it's getting late. Let's head back to Yellow Maple Valley!" Granduncle Li glanced up at the sky and declared.
Following this, everyone mounted Granduncle Li's Silver-Scaled Horned Python once more and flew for several days before arriving back at the Yellow Maple Valley.
Upon entering the valley, Granduncle Li Huayuan took two stewards and headed straight for the Council Hall. The others dispersed, returning to their own quarters to await the rewards that would be bestowed in a few days.
...
Inside a small thatched hut in the Hundred Medicines Garden of the Yellow Maple Valley, the diminutive elderly man known as Uncle Ma stared at Han Li with eyes wide as saucers, as though he were looking at a ghost. His lips kept moving, muttering in a continuous stream: "This can't be true. Not only did you not die, you stumbled upon a hidden treasure in the forbidden grounds, submitted over twenty spirit herbs in one go, AND were taken as an In-Name Disciple by Granduncle Li!"
"That's right, Uncle Ma! Wouldn't you say my luck has been truly extraordinary, and my fortune astounding?" Han Li sat across from the little old man, a half-smile playing on his lips, looking rather pleased with himself.