At a café, two eye-catching figures sat at an outside table. One was a young woman who was clearly nervous, occasionally shuffling while nervously sipping an Immortal's Delight.
Opposing her was a man with a calm aura. His red eyes gave an indescribable feeling of pressure, which made Sushang avoid eye contact several times.
Qin Shaoqing, who was emitting the aura of a swordmaster, was currently in turmoil.
He seriously looked at Sushang, wondering if there was something wrong with her head, or maybe even his system had something to do with it.
After much deliberation, he shook his head. It was worthless thinking about it right now.
'Thankfully I read those wuxia novels as a hobby,' Qin Shaoqing thanked his past self before refocusing on the current situation once more.
Calmly sipping the Immortal's Delight, his steady eyes studied the young woman in front of him, which made her even more nervous.
She truly thought she had found a hidden master in the Luofu. His aura, which was mostly dormant, became a raging wave against Sushang (his drain ability had empowered his calming aura), and his steady demeanor turned into an immovable mountain, insurmountable and resolute (his acting of a hidden master and steady demeanor skill).
"So, Miss Sushang, why do you think of me as a suitable master?" Qin Shaoqing's curt smile created an invisible pressure on Sushang.
Cold sweat formed on Sushang's face, creating a waterfall. Several times she opened her mouth only to get the words stuck.
Seeing her reaction, Qin Shaoqing's face shifted and he made a quiet yet noticeable sigh, which made Sushang panic even more.
But suddenly, Qin Shaoqing's invisible pressure receded, and his demeanor returned to that of an easygoing man.
"Let's take it easy, Miss Sushang. First, let's have a chitchat." Qin Shaoqing's sudden shift surprised Sushang, but she suddenly felt at ease.
They chattered about random stuff, and their smooth conversation had the reminiscence of old friends.
"So, Miss Sushang, why did you decide that this humble self deserves to be your master?" Facing the same question once again, Sushang was unfazed and answered smoothly.
"Oh, don't be so humble. I saw your amazing movements fighting that big guy. Even I couldn't see where his blade was going, and you dodged all of them so effortlessly."
"But I'm sure a lot of your seniors could do the same, no?"
"But all of them are so busy protecting the city, and it's hard to ask for something when faced with their stiff attitude. And you seemed like a retired veteran with a lot of free time. Tell me, were you once a Cloud Knight? I've never seen that kind of movement technique."
"Haha, you're flattering me. These techniques are simply self-taught." Qin Shaoqing chose not to tell her if he was a Cloud Knight to keep an air of mystery.
Seeing Qin Shaoqing decide not to answer one of her questions made her overthink if she had overstepped her boundary. "I-I see."
"By the way, what made you decide to become a Cloud Knight?" Qin Shaoqing decided to change the topic.
"Well..." Sushang's gaze seemingly drifted towards the street. Children walked while parents watched from the back. Working men carried packages, bustling to and fro, yet all of them walked with a smile on their face.
"I think protecting these people is reason enough."
"I see. Truly an admirable goal." Qin Shaoqing gave a faint smile as if satisfied. "I will take you in."
"What?"
"I accept you as a disciple." Hearing his words, Sushang couldn't help but rise from her seat in excitement, but she quickly suppressed it.
Seeing her excitement, Qin Shaoqing couldn't help but shake his head at how naive she was.
"Do you, Li Sushang of Xianzhou Yaoqing, accept I, Qin Shaoqing of Xianzhou Luofu, as master?" Qin Shaoqing opened the lid of his Immortal's Delight.
"Y-Yes!" Sushang frantically looked around for something to pour, and in panic, poured her own drink into his, completing the ceremony.
Sushang, who realized what she did, couldn't help but blush deeply before turning pale.
"Fft, ha ha." Qin Shaoqing couldn't contain his laugh—mainly because he couldn't remember talking to such a naive fool. His offering of being poured an Immortal's Delight was a joke, and Sushang had taken it seriously.
[Mission complete! Your rewa...] Overtaken by hysteria, he didn't pay attention to his system, which made Sushang, who was pale, deeply embarrassed once more.
'I-I just poured my teacher MY drink!' Sushang's mind panicked, but seeing his reaction, she didn't think he thought much of it.
Now that she thought about it, she had seen his serious face when talking about accepting a disciple, but after seeing her nervousness, he changed his course of action to let her talk freely.
The thought of it warmed her heart. She truly chose a good-hearted teacher.
"Haha, ha, ah, you're truly are a character, Sushang." Qin Shaoqing wiped his tears and returned to his usual demeanor. "I apologize for such a unsightly reaction."
"N-No need, Teacher." Hearing such an alien term, Qin Shaoqing's demeanor wavered for a moment before returning to normal.
'R-Right, how do I teach her...' His mind raced before remembering why he had accepted a disciple in the first place.
[Mission complete! Your reward is: Absolute Sword Sense!] Seeing the name itself, he felt like he had pulled a legendary-tier item. Excited, he quickly went to read the description of it.
[Absolute Sword Sense: Your eyes, trained by countless battles, could see every flaw in your opponent's sword, yet you cannot see the flaws of your own sword no matter how hard you try!] The once sparkling eyes turned dull.
'This cursed! DAMN YOU AEON.' Qin Shaoqing internally shouted into the infinite galaxy, yet outwardly, he stayed composed.
'Can't see my own damn flaws! Are you just taunting me now? Come fight me, you damn clown of an Aeon.'
After countless curses hurled toward Aha, he calmed down.
'At least I can keep the façade of teaching my disciple.' Qin Shaoqing internally sighed.
Seeing her teacher deep in thought, Sushang wondered what he was thinking before shaking those thoughts aside. Her teacher was still comprehensible from her perspective.
"Sushang, could you show me how you fight?" Qin Shaoqing broke out of his deep thought and asked.
"Yes, Teacher!" Seeing that they didn't delay their lesson, Sushang was excited to show him her skill that she had developed from years of training.
Of course, they had to move somewhere quieter to not disturb the locals, so they decided to move to Qin Shaoqing's house, which had a small courtyard big enough for a small spar if needed.
Honestly, Qin Shaoqing's current house was quite favorable, and he felt content having it. With low rent and a quiet environment, it was Qin Shaoqing's dream house.