The Disciple's Gift

Everyone who had been eating inside came out and stood at the door to see Shen Jingchuan off.

Once the dark figure had completely disappeared, everyone turned around and their eyes all fell on Yang Siqi.

Elder Wang and Elder Li exchanged a glance, both thinking the same thing.

This girl is truly blessed; the Yang Household is likely to prosper greatly in the future.

Ever since they met Shen Jingchuan, their view of the world has completely changed.

They are not ordinary people; they know all the intelligence the country can obtain.

As far as they knew, Shen Jingchuan was the only one in the world who could wield such mysterious power.

Yang Siqi was his first apprentice on this land, and is currently his only successor.

But the person involved stood there stunned, seemingly unable to grasp the weight of this matter.

Yang Xiao and Wang Lezhi, one on each side, took her arms.

Wang Lezhi tilted his head, looking at her dazed expression, and couldn't help but say, "Yang Mutou, are you... stupid?"

Yang Xiao glared at her and reached out to pinch her cheek. "Wang Lezhi, if you dare call my sister 'wooden blockhead' again, I'll beat you up!"

"You're clearly just jealous that my Siqi has such good luck."

Wang Lezhi snorted, not denying it, stamped his foot, sighed, and said, "I admit, I'm really jealous. Why don't I have such good fortune?"

The group chatted and laughed as they went back inside.

Elder Wang and Elder Li looked at Yang Siqi, their envy impossible to hide.

Elder Wang said, "Old Yang, you can't be stingy with this apprenticeship ceremony."

Elder Li nodded in agreement. "Yes, you mustn't be careless about this."

Elder Yang understood perfectly well; he sighed with a bitter expression.

"I think the same way you do, but tell me, what should I give as a gift?"

"This power is granted by the state; public resources cannot be used for private purposes. We can't just grant him an official position."

"As for money, does he really need it?"

Elder Yang became increasingly worried the more he thought about it.

With that kid's abilities, he could be a great asset if given a responsibility in national security, but he seems to have no interest in these matters whatsoever and doesn't even dare to bring them up himself.

Needless to say, money is even easier for him than if the three families were to pool their resources together.

He gave away something as precious as the Life-Extending Pill without batting an eye.

"We don't lack this, we don't crave that, so tell me, what should we give as a gift for the apprenticeship ceremony?"

Elder Wang nodded and sighed, "Yes, it's really difficult to manage someone if they have no desire for money or material possessions."

"Leaving aside overseas destinations, even domestically, countless high-ranking officials are inquiring about him. If it weren't for a few of us old folks covering for him, his courtyard would be bustling with visitors long ago."

Elder Li shook his head and said, "I don't think it can be covered for much longer."

"Take this wedding for example, these people are really good at finding information. More than a dozen families contacted me, wanting me to bring them into the venue."

"I refused them all, and that offended a lot of people. The marriage didn't go through, and even though I told them the truth, they still thought I was hiding something."

Elder Yang said, "Let's stick to what we discussed before and protect him as much as possible, for as long as we can, so as not to cause trouble for Young Friend Shen. This in itself is a great gift."

He paused, then added, "There's one more thing: although the marriage hasn't taken place, you must protect the safety of the Meng Household."

"This isn't about making an exception. We knew the Meng Household might be in danger, so taking precautions in advance is perfectly reasonable."

"If anything were to happen to the Meng Household, Shen Jingchuan were to retaliate, you can imagine the chaos that would ensue."

"Even if we don't know him, we still need to be cautious."

"Alright, we've gotten off-topic. Let's get back to the apprenticeship ceremony."

Everyone chimed in with their own ideas, but none of them were particularly insightful.

At this moment, Yang Siqi spoke up, "Then, let me tell you my thoughts."

Everyone in the room looked at her. Elder Yang said, "You say it."

"Grandpa, I think you can think of my master as a legendary hermit, like Guiguzi or Zhang Sanfeng from ancient times."

"Giving a gift to someone like that is meaningless."

"The most important thing about a formal apprenticeship ceremony is the respect shown; sincerity is enough. Its monetary value is secondary."

"Master prefers peace and quiet and doesn't like crowds, so let's not do anything fancy."

"In ordinary times, whether it's protecting our master's relatives and friends or protecting his wife's family, we just need to do our best to show him our sincerity. There's no need to overthink the gifts."

She paused, then said, "I just checked on my phone. In ancient times, the custom of becoming an apprentice involved a donation of money. I think we should follow that custom."

"I don't know when my master's lineage was passed down, but perhaps that's exactly what it emphasizes."

"From now on, as long as I take good care of my master, he will probably be very happy."

Elder Yang nodded repeatedly and said, "Alright, we'll listen to Siqi."

Yang Xiao, standing nearby, nudged her and teased with a laugh, "Look at you, calling me 'Master, Master' all over the place."

Wang Lezhi also chimed in, looking utterly Qi Ingestion: "Yang Mutou, who said you're a blockhead? I think you're the real smart one."

"I'll never call you 'blockhead' again. This is the last time."

Suddenly remembering something, she asked, "By the way, now that you've become an apprentice, what about your job at the research institute?"

Yang Siqi said, "I'll discuss it with my master later. We'll wrap up the projects we have now, and then I'll focus all my energy on cultivation."

"Our country doesn't need another researcher like me, but this matter of spiritual cultivation is something I'm the first to come into contact with."

"If I really want to pursue academic research, I'd like to shift my focus to this area. The institute will most likely grant me a project, so I shouldn't need to resign."

Elder Yang picked up the conversation, saying solemnly, "That's right, your project not only qualifies for approval, but it's also unique in the world."

"You've experienced this firsthand. Whether you can initiate a research project requires your mentor's approval, and any findings will be classified as state secrets. You need to be aware of this."

Yang Siqi nodded emphatically and said, "Grandpa, I understand. I will explain everything to Master and I will never do it behind his back."

After listening, Elder Yang nodded with satisfaction. "It's good that you think that way."

The next morning at eight o'clock, Yang Siqi prepared the apprenticeship gift and, accompanied by Elder Yang, with Yang Xiao and Wang Lezhi following behind, the group arrived at West Mountain Separate Garden No. 1.

They didn't bring many people, afraid of disturbing Shen Jingchuan, and didn't even invite Elder Li or Elder Wang.

Yang Siqi stepped forward, about to raise her hand to knock on the door, but then hesitated, afraid that her master hadn't gotten up yet. Her hand hovered in mid-air.

Before her fingertips even touched the door, she bumped into something soft, and a gentle force bounced her back.

She was stunned. She couldn't see or touch it, yet it was definitely blocking her way.

"What... is this? This is completely illogical."

Shen Jingchuan inside had already noticed, and his voice came through the door.

"Please wait a moment."

He used Cleaning Technique to tidy himself up quickly before walking to the courtyard gate and raising his hand to make way for the formation.

"Come in."

This courtyard originally belonged to the second branch of the Yang Household, but was later given to Shen Jingchuan. Since it was given away, this was the first time these people had stepped into this gate again.

The group followed them inside, and as soon as they entered, they were all stunned by what they saw.

The air was refreshingly clean; taking a deep breath made me feel completely relaxed, as if the entire courtyard had been transformed.