Only after a long while did Tongtian come back to his senses.
Looking at Gu Changqing, he could only shake his head with a helpless laugh, at a loss for words.
He had lived through countless epochs, seen so many dazzling talents, and taken in so many extraordinarily gifted disciples, yet none had ever made him, their master, feel as Gu Changqing did-both gratified and helpless, both proud and plagued by headaches.
What gratified him was that this disciple's cultivation, vision, and schemes had long since surpassed his own, reaching heights even he could not attain.
What left him helpless was the fellow's usual drunken, devil-may-care manner, which really was a disgrace to scholarly decorum.
What made him proud was that, whatever Gu Changqing did, the Interception Sect never came out the loser.
What gave him headaches was... whatever he asked, the answer was always, "Rest assured, Master," without a word about what Gu Changqing was actually plotting.
This brat simply hid his depths too well.
"Enough, enough."
Sect Master Tongtian shook his head and gave a wry laugh.
With a slight movement of his hand, he traced a series of profound, inscrutable patterns, as though erasing the contents of their earlier conversation.
"Since you're unwilling to say more, I won't press you."
He paused, his gaze settling on Gu Changqing, his abyss-deep eyes filled with emotion.
"But you brat, when will you change this disposition of yours? Can't you explain things clearly to your master?"
At that, Gu Changqing chuckled, took another great gulp of wine, and looked at Sect Master Tongtian through hazy, drunken eyes before speaking languidly.
"Uh... Master, it's not as though you don't know. This disposition of mine isn't going to change."
"Besides..."
He tilted his head, the corners of his mouth lifting into a