Qing Linyun brought Tang Wulin back to his own dorm room. It was called a dorm, but it was more like Qing Linyun's workplace, since he didn't have an office.
The door shut behind them, leaving just the two of them in the room.
Tang Wulin stood by the door, not knowing what to do with his hands or feet. His head was lowered, his eyes fixed on the tips of his shoes.
The room wasn't large, and its furnishings were simple: a bed, a desk, and a few chairs. Yet standing inside, Tang Wulin felt ill at ease no matter where he turned.
"Sit."
Qing Linyun leaned back in a chair and casually poured a glass of water. "Don't stand there like you're being punished."
Tang Wulin hesitated, then perched half a buttock on the edge of a chair.
Qing Linyun watched him and chuckled inwardly.
Look how stiff he is.
Back on Blue Planet, he'd be the spitting image of a middle schooler called into the office for a lecture.
Just like me back then...
He didn't rush to speak. He took a leisurely sip of water, then set down the glass and adopted the manner of those teachers from his previous life who put on airs but did no work.
"Tang Wulin."
"Here! I'm here!"
"Do you know where you fall short of others?"
Tang Wulin froze. He opened his mouth, and after a long while managed to squeeze out an answer.
"M-my talent isn't good, and my Martial Soul is a Trash Martial Soul, just a single strand of Blue Silver Grass. How could I ever become a strong expert?"
"Wrong."
Qing Linyun cut him off, his gaze solemn.
"The gap between you and others isn't in your Martial Soul. It's in your heart."
Tang Wulin didn't understand. Of course he didn't, because even Qing Linyun didn't know why he had said that. He had made it up on the spot.
"When you look down at yourself, you see Blue Silver Grass, a white Soul Ring, and a One-Ring Soul Master."
"Only when you dare to lift your head and look at yourself, to see the drive in your bones, will you truly begin to cultivate."
"B-but what if I can't do it?"
"Lift your head and look at me."
Qing Linyun was at his wit's end. Why is Tang Wulin just like Lu Mingfei? How did he not inherit any of the Tang family's traditional thick skin?
Tang Wulin hesitated, then slowly raised his head.
"There's a lion hidden in your eyes."
Qing Linyun stared into his eyes.
"Those eyes seem to burn with fire. You're a born king. You can absolutely become a strong expert."
(Did you keep a straight face? I couldn't.)
Tang Wulin froze.
In all his years, this was the first time anyone had said such things to him.
Ever since he was little, everyone had told him that Blue Silver Grass was a Trash Martial Soul, a lump of mud that couldn't be propped up against a wall. Even he had almost come to believe it.
But the man before him looked into his eyes and spoke with such certainty, as though he really had seen something.
A lion.
He silently repeated the two words in his heart.
Is there really a lion hidden in my eyes?
Yet he still couldn't get over that hurdle in his heart.
"Teacher."
He spoke softly.
"I'm just a Blue Silver Grass Soul Master. How can Blue Silver Grass become a strong expert?"
Qing Linyun smiled, though inwardly he felt helpless.
Why won't this kid catch on? Do you really want to follow Lu Mingfei's path all the way into the dark?
"What's wrong with Blue Silver Grass?"
"Blue Silver Grass is only the starting point, not the finish line."
Tang Wulin raised his head, a glimmer appearing in his eyes.
"Do you know what lies beyond Blue Silver Grass?"
Qing Linyun asked him.
Tang Wulin shook his head.
"Blue Silver Grass has three stages in all."
Qing Linyun raised a finger.
"The most ordinary Blue Silver Grass is the first stage. The Blue Silver King, second only to the emperor, is the second. Above that is the true Blue Silver Emperor, the emperor among grasses."
"Blue Silver Emperor?"
"That's right."
Qing Linyun nodded.
"And only one Blue Silver Emperor can exist in an era."
Tang Wulin's breathing grew heavier.
"I can help you."
Qing Linyun spoke.
"I have a way to help you evolve from Blue Silver Grass into a Blue Silver King."
The moment those words left his mouth, Tang Wulin's head buzzed.
Evolution.
Blue Silver King.
The Blue Silver Emperor, of which only one appeared in an era, was just one step above the Blue Silver King.
In other words, the teacher before him could forcibly widen the path of his Trash Martial Soul?
While he stood there in a daze, he failed to notice a faint, almost imperceptible glint flash across the corner of Qing Linyun's eye.
[Emotion Card · Bound: Tang Wulin] [Positive Emotion Points: +10]
Qing Linyun clicked his tongue inwardly.
Just one sentence, and it went up by 10 points.
Sure enough, now's the best time to farm Emotion Points from this kid.
One comforting remark earned me 10 points. Doesn't that make 1,000 points as good as in the bag?
He suppressed his secret delight, letting none of it show on his face. Rising, he walked to the bed, took something out of his Storage Soul Tool, and casually placed it on the desk.
A warm, gentle wood-attribute presence slowly spread through the room.
The hairs all over Tang Wulin's body stood on end almost instantly.
It was as though something had snared his soul. His eyes were fixed on the object on the desk, and an indescribable longing welled up inside him. It was as if something were calling to him, making him want to reach out and take it.
"What is this?"
He murmured.
"A Thousand-Year Blue Silver King Torso Bone."
"It's for you."
Tang Wulin came to his senses with a start, as though he had been burned.
"A th-thousand years?"
His eyes widened, and his voice changed pitch.
"Teacher, th-this is too valuable! I can't accept it!"
He waved his hands repeatedly, his face reddening with anxiety.
"Teacher Wu said in class that Soul Beasts have almost gone extinct in this era, and even fewer Soul Bones remain. Let alone a Thousand-Year Soul Bone-even a ten-year or hundred-year Soul Bone could cause a huge uproar!"
He swallowed.
"This thousand-year Blue Silver King Torso Bone is also a torso bone, one of the highest-grade types of Soul Bone. Th-this is a rare treasure. How could I accept it?"
[Emotion Card · Positive Emotion Points: +10]
Qing Linyun looked at the boy before him, who was so anxious he could barely speak coherently, and felt increasingly pleased.
Look at that. How nice.
He won't take it, and he's even saved me the trouble of laying the groundwork. He's said it all for me.
"All right, stop refusing."
He spoke calmly.
"This Soul Bone belongs to the Blue Silver Grass line. In my hands, it's just a piece of scrap metal. Only by giving it to you can I put it to proper use."
"But Teacher, this Soul Bone really is too valuable."
"No buts."
Qing Linyun cut him off.
"If you want to grow stronger, if you want to become a strong expert, the first step is learning to accept kindness from others."
The two went back and forth for a long while. Unable to prevail against him, Tang Wulin finally accepted the Soul Bone with both hands, his eyes red. He held it in his palms as though it were some sacred relic.
"Teacher, I... I really don't know how to thank you."
His throat was tight, and it took him a long time to squeeze out those words.
What? Are you going to say you'll take care of me in my old age next?
[Emotion Card · Positive Emotion Points: +80] [Emotion Card · Notice: Daily emotional favorability limit reached]
Qing Linyun looked at the notice, the corner of his mouth twitching.
There's a limit?
This divine artifact sure has its rules. It only collects this much in a day?
Still, at 100 points a day, it'll be full in ten days. Even counting everything, it won't take a month.
He looked down at Tang Wulin. The boy was holding the Soul Bone, his eyes red, looking utterly overwhelmed with gratitude.
All right, with an effect like this, it was worth the billion.
"All right, stop sniffling."
He waved a hand.
"Put the Soul Bone away for now. I'll teach you how to fuse with it later."
Tang Wulin nodded hard and carefully put the Soul Bone away. Then, with a thud, he dropped to his knees.
Qing Linyun jumped. "What are you doing?"
"Teacher!"
Tang Wulin raised his head. His eyes were still red, but his voice was unusually firm.
"I, Tang Wulin, have never met anyone who treated me as well as you in my entire life! Please take me as your disciple!"
Holy crap! Who said Tang Wulin wasn't shrewd? Step forward! He's shrewd as hell, all right? He learned that from Gao Qiqiang too.
"Hey, uh, get up first."
"If you don't accept me, I won't get up!"
Qing Linyun didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
The boy looked honest and simple, but once he latched onto an idea, he was more stubborn than anyone.
He thought it over. He had intended to keep Tang Wulin in the palm of his hand anyway. Taking him as a disciple would make it official and save him trouble.
"All right, all right, I'll take you, I'll take you." He nodded helplessly. "Get up."
To be honest, he had only been teasing the boy in the first place.
But seeing Tang Wulin kneeling on the floor, his eyes crimson yet his back held straight, he suddenly felt that taking such a disciple might not be a bad deal.
After all, this was the future protagonist.
"Thank you, Master!"
Tang Wulin solemnly knocked his head against the floor three times, thud, thud, thud.
"A teacher for a day is a father for life. From now on, your affairs are my affairs, Master!"
Qing Linyun looked at the boy before him, whose kowtows had struck the floor with a bang, and sighed inwardly.
A teacher for a day is a father for life.
You do know how to talk.
I hope you're like your father, Tang San, and observe the rules. Don't go stabbing me in the back one day.
He reached out and helped Tang Wulin to his feet.
"All right, the formalities are done, and I've taken you as my disciple."
"From today onward, you are my disciple, the disciple of Qing Linyun."
Tang Wulin stood before him, his eyes still red, but his back had straightened a little.
Outside the window, the sunshine was just right.
Tang Wulin stood by the window, holding the Soul Bone and looking at it for a long while. Then he turned back and bowed earnestly to Qing Linyun.
"Master."
"I definitely won't let you down."
Qing Linyun leaned back in his chair, amused as he watched Tang Wulin's solemn manner.
All right, with those words, this Soul Bone wasn't given away for nothing.
Emotion Points, so easy.
Huh? Doesn't that put me in the same generation as Tang San? And I'm Tang Wulin's master too. By that reckoning, have I become part of the Tang family?
Uh... what about the Silver Dragon King? Wait, the Silver Dragon King seems to be my wife.
What now? Standing in the middle, tied to both sides?
Qing Linyun realized where the problem lay and found it was a question worth pondering.