Situ Gu seemed unused to beating around the bush. He asked directly, "What for?"
"Senior, here's the situation. The head of the Book Hall in Dazhi City has three daughters and a son..." Shi Chun gave him a roughly stitched-together account of his promise to the Red-Clad Woman about taking a disciple, then stressed, "Come to think of it, if I hadn't gone to the Heavenforging Sect to help that eldest daughter find you and become your disciple, I wouldn't have stumbled upon the Demonic Path's operation. We might never even have found out who abducted Zhen'er.
"Senior, I just wanted a connection among the Demon Empress's trusted confidants, someone I could actually speak to, so I made that boast. That girl has simply been frightened badly by the Extreme Fire Sect. She only wants the reputation of being your disciple to protect her family. As for passing on your teachings, that's up to you. Teach her if you want; it doesn't matter if you don't."
Facing such an important figure, Wu Jinliang once again nodded repeatedly in agreement. "Exactly. She just needs the name. It doesn't matter if you leave her alone afterward."
Situ Gu turned around, his broad robe and flowing sleeves catching the oncoming wind. Facing the vast, unhurried world, he refused without a moment's hesitation. "No! If I take a disciple, the Heavenforging Sect takes a disciple. How could admitting disciples to the sect be child's play? I'm an elder of the Heavenforging Sect. If I act as I please, where would that leave the sect's rules? I have my limits, too."
Shi Chun hadn't expected such a flat refusal and was left speechless. He badly wanted to ask him, Where were your limits when you took Zhen'er as your disciple?
After a little thought, he