Chapter 246

Overall, women in Bharata have a terribly low status, while goddesses enjoy a very high status in terms of faith.

This led poor families to be keen to sell their young daughters into temples—even becoming temple prostitutes was considered more noble than engaging in prostitution outside.

However, doing so also carries a risk, namely, greatly increasing the chances of it becoming a ritual implement of the guru.

In short, whether it was ascetic training, apprenticeship, or going to war, all of these were privileges reserved for men.

In the original Mahabharata, Karna suffered discrimination because he was the son of a charioteer.

But compared to the insurmountable barrier created by gender, so-called "identity discrimination" is like a stray dog on the street, not worth mentioning.

Hebe watched as Drona stood frozen in place.

This is also why she previously stopped Drona from making a vow to restrain himself.

Rather than letting this Brahmin, who adheres to the Dharma, realize the truth afterward and then fly into a rage.

It would be better to make things clear beforehand.

Moreover, in Hebe's plan, having Karna become Drona's apprentice was just one of the options.

"If there's nothing else, I'll head back to Pelican Town first..."

"I, Bharadvaja Immortal Drona, swear to the Vedas gods!"

Drona suddenly roared, and as he stretched out his palm, lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky.

"I will treat Karna as if he were my own son!"

"I will impart all my knowledge and skills to Karna!"

"I will never discriminate against Karna because of his status or gender!"

"May I be Heavenly Punishment! May Heavenly Punishment! Heavenly Punishment!"

"Brahma above, the heavens bear witness!"

The power of his asceticism ensured that his vow was truly valid.

Drona's sudden oath made the Kauravas and the Pandavas, who were not far away, feel extremely uneasy.

Hebe looked at Drona standing in front of her and sighed deeply, "Why do this? Master Drona, you don't have to force yourself."

If they wanted to influence the course of the Mahabharata, Hebe had plenty of pawns.

The advice given to Drona was actually just a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Success is certainly good, but failure is not necessarily bad.

So Drona continued his ascetic practices, and Hebe did not stop him.

Because although he was arrogant, he was not a bad person at heart.

As the saying goes, "He who possesses a sharp weapon will naturally have the will to kill."

Whether they are Ascended beings on the Path of Ascension or immortals in Lostbelt, they can't help but use their extraordinary abilities.

A slippery slope can easily occur when you can take someone's life without paying any price.

Hebe's approach was to integrate it into her daily life.

She gained many rewards from Lostbelt, and those extraordinary abilities were as natural to her as eating and drinking.

This is Hebe's philosophy: use it when needed.

Drona, on the other hand, strictly adhered to the Brahmin precepts. He was clearly capable of performing superb Vedic Archery, possessed powerful Brahma Artifact, and knew many secret incantations...

Yet he somehow managed to take his son begging, and even when he was about to be humiliated, he never thought of using the power he had gained through asceticism.

Hebe respected this person quite a bit.

"No, Master. This is what I must do."

Drona knelt on one knee, clasped his hands together and raised them above his head in a gesture of respect.

"Whether it is a boy or a girl, I will definitely raise Karna to be the best person—she can become the best archer in the world, and also the most learned scholar in the world."

"Hehe."

Drona heard a soft laugh coming from above him.

Hebe looked at Drona and shook her head. "Master Drona! You still don't understand what I'm saying."

"My attitude was made very clear from the beginning—I don't care, the key lies with Karna himself!"

"If you wish to take Karna as your disciple, you must consult her opinion."

Drona stared blankly at Hebe.

He then bowed again before standing up.

"Every time I meet you, I benefit greatly. Guru, you teach me how to be a father."

Drona said, "I really... Ashvasena. Fortunately, he's still young, and there's still time to cultivate his character."

On the other side, Kama gently patted Karna's head and tenderly pushed her forward a step.

Drona stepped over the wild grass swaying in the wind and came to stand before Karna.

The renowned Brahmin, skilled in both literature and martial arts, bowed his head.

Karna raised his head and met his gaze.

"Child, do you still remember me?"

Drona said, "I want to take you as my student and teach you the archery of the Brahmin and the spear techniques of the Kshatriya; I will teach you the ancient wisdom of the Four Vedas and the secret mantras from countless mandalas; when you have completed your studies, I will also bestow upon you the Brahma Artifact."

Did my father agree?

Karna asked.

Drona smiled upon hearing this, "That's quite unusual. Your father—that wise master—said he wanted to consult you. It's clear you must be a child with your own opinions."

But you told me to ask your father if he agreed. Why is that?

"My father said that because he respected me."

Karna calmly replied, "My father loved me, but he did not see me as an appendage or a tool to achieve his own life's desires. In his eyes, I was an independent person."

"I say this because I love my father. My parents are still alive, and my journey of education is long, so I must put their minds at ease."

As the saying goes, "While parents are alive, one should not travel far; if one must travel, one should have a fixed destination."

Drona paused for a moment, about to praise Karna, but then remembered something.

"And what is your mother's opinion?"

"Drona asked."

"I have already consulted my mother about her opinion."

Karna shrugged helplessly. "She pushed me out..."

Drona laughed heartily.

"Good boy, good boy!"

"Your parents have already given their consent."

"Okay, Professor Drona."

Karna clasped his hands together and bowed slightly.

Although the Pandavas and the Kauravas stood in the same place, they were clearly separated from each other.

This boundary is the boundary of Drona's son, Ashvasena.

As usual, Duryodhana began to provoke Bhima and Arjuna, which led to Yudhishthira's counterattack, after which the Hundred Sons and the Five Sons would fight each other.

But today was different. Just as everyone was exchanging barbs and mental attacks, Ashvasena slammed his sword to the ground.

"Shut up, everyone."

Without turning his head, Ashvasena said, "Keep quiet."

On the other side of the Pandavas, the eldest, Yudhishthira, tugged at the Bhima and Arjuna.

On the Kauravas, Duryodhana Di looked on with disbelief.

Even before becoming an apprentice, he and his uncle Shakuni, had already devised a plan, anticipating that Ashvasena, who was being taken around begging by Drona, must have never enjoyed anything good.

So as soon as he became Ashvasena Si's disciple, Duryodhana gave him a lot of gold and silver treasures, fine clothes and houses, using the generous material things to get closer to him.

This approach proved highly effective; in several private conflicts, Ashvasena either remained silent or secretly sided with Duryodhana.

But this time, Ashvasena's reaction left Duryodhana feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Before Duryodhana could speak, Ashvasena had already looked up.

But Drona had a smile on his face, and his steps seemed to have become lighter.

Behind him followed Karna expression remained calm.

From a distance, Karna's white hair looked like flames, but her fair skin was also strikingly dazzling.

"Wow, the third brother."

Bhima nudged Arjuna with his elbow, "This guy looks exactly like you."

Arjuna remained silent.

When he saw Karna, a strange impulse welled up deep within him.

This impulse wasn't outright hostility, but rather a complex mix of jealousy, admiration, and competitiveness. Even Arjuna himself didn't understand why he felt this way, but that didn't stop him from looking at Karna with unfriendly eyes.

"Children."

"Today you will have one more classmate," Drona said happily. "This is Karna, the child of a guru."

After much deliberation, Drona still did not reveal Karna's gender.

He could accept the truth that Karna was a girl, but the princes of Kurukshetra would not think so.

"Teacher, I am just the driver's child."

"Karna said in a low voice."

"Silly child. Do you really think your father is just a coachman or a farmer?"

Drona feigned displeasure and put on a stern face. "He taught me that Brahmin have their Brahmin way of practicing, Vaishya have their Vaishya path of practice. If I had to say, I think he must be a Brahmin Immortal."

Karna also felt that Hebe was not simple.

But she knew that since Hebe hadn't chosen to expose her, she probably still wanted to use the coachman's name to make something of it.

Since that's the case, what she said isn't wrong.

In short, once Drona spoke, she remained silent.

The princes of Kuru looked at each other, and their gazes toward Karna became less hostile.

In their eyes, Karna was Brahmin, not Kshatriya, and therefore not on the same competitive track as them.

"Hi, Karna!"

Amidst the crowd Ashvasena waved excitedly, "Do you remember me?"

Duryodhana narrowed his eyes slightly.

What the heck? Karna also gave money to Ashvasena, didn't he?

"Ah, the Ashvasena."

Karna walked over, clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect to the crowd, and finally stood to the right of Ashvasena.

She had her reasons for doing so, of course, because Ashvasena was the only person she knew here.

It was this calm demeanor that made everyone even more convinced that Karna must be a noble Brahmin descendant.

Otherwise, how could she dare to stand next to the Ashvasena?

Drona finally finished packing his things.

"Children! Now we are all ready."

Drona said solemnly, "Next, I will be giving you a long course of instruction for twelve years. During this time, you will not be able to return to the Kuru Dynasty, nor will you be able to enjoy any more luxuries—especially you, Ashvasena!"

"Ah?"