Taking a master

"The three of you are all Awakened, with psychic powers, the power of the moon, and the power of darkness. I imagine you can guess why I asked you to stay. I'm going to teach you how to properly cultivate and use Elements—in other words, your Hidden Power," Qiu Yuxuan said, looking at the three of them after everyone else had left.

"First, tell me what you think Hidden Power actually is. Why can you use it? Why are you called Awakened?"

Those three soul-searching questions immediately plunged them into thought. They were indeed Awakened, and they could indeed use Hidden Power, but what exactly was it? They could barely answer any of those three questions.

Xiao Ran had done some research, but he had been too young to dare delve very deeply, and access to information on the subject was restricted. Ordinary people could not easily obtain it, so his understanding was only partial.

"Hidden Power is a mysterious power buried deep within the human body. Exposure to Elements from another world triggers and activates it, giving us the ability to control various Elements," Xuan Yuan Nian answered.

Perhaps because she had awakened psychic powers, this girl always gave off a distinctive air. Her pretty face was hidden behind large-framed glasses, making her easy to overlook at first, yet a closer look made it hard to look away.

"I think Hidden Power is itself energy from another world. Living in this environment for a long time gives people a certain resistance to that energy, along with the capacity to contain it, allowing them to use it." Xiao Ran offered an explanation completely different from Xuan Yuan Nian's.

"It's energy that makes me stronger!" Focused as she was on fighting, Ye Ling could not explain it, but there was no denying that this energy made her stronger.

"Everyone has their own understanding of energy. Perhaps no one can clearly explain its true nature, but we must keep trying to understand and analyze it. Only then can we truly control this power and use it to become stronger," Qiu Yuxuan told them.

"We all know Pokémon have fifteen types, but Hidden Power comes in far more than fifteen types. No one can even say exactly how many kinds of awakened energy there are. On average, a completely new awakened ability appears every ten years. From the earliest psychic powers and Aura... to the type-based powers we have today, and even Xiao Ran's power of the moon. That, too, is a new power that appeared within the past ten years. Similar awakened energies may have existed before, but they weren't exactly the same."

Xiao Ran froze. He had never imagined that the power of the moon he had awakened was a first—a special power that had never appeared before.

"That's why no country in the world can provide standardized instruction for these special abilities you've awakened. All we can do is guide you toward discovering and developing your own abilities. What I can tell you is that, so far, no ability has ever been found to be completely useless. Everyone who has awakened has eventually become a formidable figure in their own right. That's also why the country places such importance on the Awakened."

"Now, let me formally introduce myself. My name is Qiu Yuxuan. I'm twenty-one years old, a Water-type Gym Leader Class Pokémon Trainer, and an experienced Awakened. So, throughout your four years here, I'll not only be the homeroom teacher for Pokémon Trainer Class One at Nancheng University, but also the Awakened teacher for the three of you. Do you... have any questions?" Qiu Yuxuan asked solemnly.

Her words stunned all three of them again. A twenty-one-year-old Gym Leader Class Pokémon Trainer? An experienced Awakened? Good heavens, did that mean she had reached Gym Leader Class as soon as she graduated from university? She might even have reached it before graduating. And hadn't the faculty list said she was Elite Class? Their minds were thrown into confusion.

"Um, when you say teacher, do you mean the kind we have to formally take as our master?" Xuan Yuan Nian asked uncertainly.

"What do you think?" Qiu Yuxuan watched them with interest, offering no direct answer.

"Well, Ms. Qiu, since we're becoming your disciples, shouldn't you give us a welcome gift or something?" Xiao Ran paused, then asked jokingly.

There were two kinds of teachers in this world. One was an ordinary schoolteacher, also called an Instructor. The other required a formal master-disciple ceremony. This kind of teacher followed traditions passed down since ancient times: disciples had to perform the proper rites and could never betray their master. A teacher for a day was a parent for life. That was what Qiu Yuxuan had meant by her question: did the three of them have any objections to taking her as their master?

"A welcome gift? I heard you're quite a capable breeder, and breeders tend to be rather wealthy. Shouldn't I be asking you for an apprenticeship gift first? And enough for two people, at that?" Rubbing her smooth chin, Qiu Yuxuan smiled at Xiao Ran.

"Uh, well... Master, please accept your disciple's bows." Xiao Ran blinked, then stepped back twice, knelt, and knocked his forehead firmly against the floor three times, completing his part of the ceremony.

Unlike the hesitant Xuan Yuan Nian, Xiao Ran had begun carefully considering the matter as soon as Qiu Yuxuan finished speaking.

Qiu Yuxuan was certainly young. She had probably only graduated from university that year and was just a few years older than them. Taking such a young woman as their master was hard to accept, not only for Xiao Ran, who had lived two lives, but even for Ye Ling and Xuan Yuan Nian.

But since the university had arranged for her to teach them, it had to benefit them. All three were Awakened; the university would not hold them back for no reason. Besides, at Qiu Yuxuan's age, she would not normally have considered taking disciples. That could only mean the university had paid a considerable price to bring her in.

Although Nanjing University was famous, it did not recruit Awakened students every year. Hiring an experienced Awakened to mentor such students as an Instructor was uncommon, too.

Every Awakened who successfully graduated could be considered a pillar of the nation. They could not spend all their time at a university teaching students. This teacher must therefore have been specially arranged for them. After all, Xiao Ran and the others had received exceptional admission and were already on file at Nanjing University. Three Awakened was no small number.

So, after making a little joke, Xiao Ran had simply taken her as his master. She might be a little young, but she was still a Gym Leader Class trainer—and one who had reached that level straight out of university. She was more than qualified to teach them.

As for the possibility that he might grow beyond what she could teach him, that did not matter. No teacher could teach someone forever. Ultimately, he would have to walk his own path. A teacher was merely a guide.

"You're a quick one. What about you two?" Qiu Yuxuan asked with a smile, pretending to be seasoned and mature, unaware that she still looked every bit the young woman she was.

Ye Ling did not give it much thought. She had been reluctant at first, but now that Xiao Ran had accepted Qiu Yuxuan as his master, she could not be bothered to dwell on it. She simply knelt without a word and bowed her head to the floor three times.

Every country had its own master-disciple rites. In China, the ancient tradition of respecting teachers and their teachings was particularly upheld, so the simplest ceremony consisted of kneeling on both knees, bowing one's forehead to the floor three times, and offering a cup of tea.

Qiu Yuxuan could not be bothered with anything more elaborate. What young person enjoyed all those old-fashioned formalities? Still, the rites could not be discarded entirely, so the bows were mandatory. As for the tea, they could offer it anytime. If today was inconvenient, another day would do.

"Just like a wife following her husband's lead. Once he agreed, you didn't even hesitate," Qiu Yuxuan teased, before turning her gaze to Xuan Yuan Nian, who was still standing beside them.

Seeing that both of them had already taken Qiu Yuxuan as their master, Xuan Yuan Nian bit her lip. After a brief hesitation, she too knelt and dutifully bowed her head to the floor three times.

"Awakening psychic powers gives you mental strength beyond that of ordinary people, often making you seem more intelligent. But overthinking isn't a good thing. Opportunities in battle change in an instant, and thinking too much often means missing your chance. Still, someone from the Dragon Tamer Clan awakening psychic powers is certainly interesting. I accept these three bows." Qiu Yuxuan's tone was considerably cooler with Xuan Yuan Nian than it had been with Xiao Ran and Ye Ling. However, her identity as a member of the Dragon Tamer Clan seemed to interest Qiu Yuxuan greatly, so a warm smile remained on her face.

"You're right, Master. Your disciple will remember!" Xuan Yuan Nian rose and answered with her head lowered. Psychic powers had indeed given her unusual intelligence, but thinking too much often left her indecisive. That was also why Qiu Yuxuan was displeased.

"All right, stop calling me Master. You're making me sound old. We may be master and disciples, but I'm not much older than you. Just call me big sister! As for your seniority, we'll go by the order you bowed in. Hmm, 'second senior sister' doesn't sound very nice. Why don't you two switch? 'Second senior brother'?" Qiu Yuxuan waved a hand, then looked at Xiao Ran and Ye Ling, sinking into thought.

"Uh, there's no need to switch, is there? But calling you Master really doesn't suit you. Big sister sounds much better. I'll call you Sister Qiu from now on!" Alarmed, Xiao Ran spoke quickly.

"Heehee! To think our campus beauty Xiao actually gets scared! Fine, we won't switch. Just put on some women's clothes for your master to see sometime, okay?" Qiu Yuxuan laughed as she teased him.

"Uh, well... let's talk about that another day... another day..." Xiao Ran was utterly exasperated and could not help wondering whether his earlier decision had been the right one.

"Another day, huh... then why don't we..."

"Um, Sister Qiu, I just remembered we haven't fed our Pokémon tonight. They're going hungry in the dorm. We'll go feed them now!" Xiao Ran panicked, grabbed the first excuse he could think of, and pulled Ye Ling toward the door.

"Hahaha! Go on, go on. It's getting late anyway. But remember to come see me every Saturday at seven in the evening. I'll teach you how to use your Hidden Power properly." Watching the pair flee, Qiu Yuxuan burst out laughing. Fortunately, she had not forgotten to remind them of their lesson time.