Chapter 111: Memories (1)

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Today was the day Ye Zheng accepted his first disciple.

His disciple was Gu Mojiang, the legitimate eldest son of the Gu family of the mortal world.

He was already over one hundred and eighty years old. Though his aptitude was rather ordinary in most respects, he was an honest man.

Ye Zheng held Gu Mojiang in high regard. If the young man followed him and cultivated diligently, Mistbrow Mountain could one day be passed down to him.

As his eldest disciple, Gu Mojiang had a very good chance of inheriting the sect, especially since Ye Zheng himself favored him.

“Lord Ye, Mojiang will be in your hands from now on. I’m afraid the boy may trouble you, as he can be somewhat unruly,” said the first patriarch of the Gu family courteously, bowing deeply to Ye Zheng.

He knew his son well. Gu Mojiang appeared amiable on the surface, but in truth he was extremely difficult to discipline.

Gu Mojiang had ambition and ideas of his own, but the Gu family could not yet place the clan in his hands. As it happened, Ye Zheng was looking for a disciple, and the Gu family considered this an arrangement that benefited everyone.

At first, Gu Mojiang had shown little enthusiasm for becoming someone’s disciple. He had his own pride, and felt that it was humiliating for a human cultivator like himself to apprentice himself to a demon spirit.

Thus, when Ye Zheng had personally named Gu Mojiang as the one he wished to accept, Gu Mojiang had resisted fiercely. He showed none of the excitement or exhilaration one might expect after being chosen by a powerful master.

“Patriarch Gu, there is no need to be so courteous. Guiding him is only what I should do.” Ye Zheng was mild-tempered while living in the mortal world and always treated others with polite courtesy.

The Gu family patriarch nodded as he looked at Ye Zheng, convinced that this arrangement would bring them nothing but benefits—especially immense benefits for the Gu family.

In their eyes, Gu Mojiang’s resistance was simply ingratitude. The entire Gu family looked displeased with him.

“Gu Mojiang, do you even understand what you’re doing? Becoming Lord Ye’s disciple is something countless people dream of. What could you possibly object to?” Madam Gu clearly could not understand him. Were children these days truly this disobedient?

Besides, Gu Mojiang was no child. He had lived for one or two centuries already. How could he still fail to see the wisdom of such an opportunity?

It was a fine chance to bring glory to the family. What reason was there to refuse? Following Ye Zheng would bring him far greater benefits than laboring away within the family.

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Watching Gu Mojiang behave so obtusely, Madam Gu felt utterly heartsick. She almost wished she could put him back in the womb and raise him all over again. All she wanted was a well-behaved, sensible son—not Gu Mojiang, who did nothing but oppose her and her husband from morning to night.

“Mother, Ye Zheng isn’t even a good person. Why are you insisting that I become his disciple? He isn’t the only one who can teach me cultivation!” Gu Mojiang shouted angrily at Madam Gu, unaware that Ye Zheng had just entered the courtyard and heard every word.

Ye Zheng was not offended. He merely glanced at him casually.

This fellow was just as unruly as he had been in childhood.

Even as a boy, he had been a mischievous troublemaker. How had he grown up without changing in the slightest? If not for the sake of his great-grandfather, Ye Zheng probably would never have accepted him as a disciple.

Still, favors and debts of human feeling had to be repaid sooner or later.

Had he known Gu Mojiang would turn out like this, he would have accepted his father, Gu Haifeng, as a disciple three hundred years ago. At least Gu Haifeng had been obedient and well behaved. Gu Mojiang, on the other hand, seemed born to rebel.

Even after taking him as a disciple, Gu Mojiang might never set foot on the proper path. There was a very real possibility that he would one day rebel against his own master.

Yet Ye Zheng had no choice but to accept him. His future trial was connected to the Gu family, and Gu Mojiang in particular. Some matters simply could not be avoided.

“Mojiang, your master has come to take you back to Mistbrow Mountain today. Have you packed your things?” Gu Haifeng called out to his son, shaking his head at the sight of such an irredeemable child.

Gu Haifeng truly found Gu Mojiang a headache. Among all his children, only this one had been born with such a rebellious nature. The Gu family had completely run out of ways to control him.

If Ye Zheng had not been willing to accept Gu Mojiang as his disciple, Gu Haifeng might well have taken the drastic step of casting aside his own son for the sake of the family.

People often said that indulgent mothers spoiled their sons. In his household, that was certainly true. Eight or nine parts of Gu Mojiang’s present disposition had been pampered into him by his mother.

“I already said I don’t want to become anyone’s disciple! Why are you forcing me to do something I don’t want to do? In your hearts, am I still your son or not?” Gu Mojiang shoved away Gu Haifeng’s reaching hand and stood before Ye Zheng with a vicious glare.

The world feared Ye Zheng. They said his cultivation was profound and unmatched, that he was the unreachable sovereign of all creation.

But in Gu Mojiang’s eyes, he was nothing more than a demon spirit with somewhat higher cultivation.

What was there to be proud of? Had he not spent countless years cultivating to achieve his current strength? What was so remarkable about that?

If Gu Mojiang were given the same amount of time, his cultivation would certainly surpass Ye Zheng’s. At bottom, Ye Zheng’s achievements were merely the result of accumulating effort over time.

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“You think this sovereign is incapable of teaching you?” Ye Zheng gave a cold snort. He was equally disdainful of Gu Mojiang. What an arrogant fool, unable even to recognize the person standing before him.

He was already so old, yet still so childish and witless. Ye Zheng had accepted him only because someone had pulled strings on his behalf. Otherwise, would such a fortunate opportunity ever have fallen to him?

“What exactly do you have to be so proud of? At your age, you still have the nerve to boast about your cultivation? Have you no shame?” Gu Mojiang launched into a furious tirade, showing no appreciation for the opportunity before him.

“Oh? You have quite a bit of backbone. It seems this sovereign underestimated you.” Ye Zheng cast Gu Mojiang a contemptuous glance and released his spiritual pressure.

As expected, Gu Mojiang could not withstand it and dropped to his knees.

With this sort of person, there was no need to lecture him on lofty principles. Crushing him with sheer force was enough.

Sure enough, the moment Gu Mojiang fell to his knees, he became much more docile. He looked timid and shrinking now.

He was young, yet his mouth was remarkably bold. Having never suffered the hardships of society, he dared to speak as though he understood its cruelty.

Today, Ye Zheng would teach him what it truly meant that there was always a higher sky beyond the sky and a stronger person beyond every person.

“Being accepted as this sovereign’s disciple is something you should feel fortunate about, not something that makes you look as though you are on the verge of death.” Seeing Gu Mojiang on the verge of tears, Ye Zheng raised a hand and withdrew the spiritual pressure. Only then did Gu Mojiang finally breathe again.

The pressure Ye Zheng had released was truly terrifying. If Gu Mojiang had not witnessed great spectacles before, he might well have fainted from fright on the spot.

Why was the outside world’s assessment of Ye Zheng limited to only a few casual remarks? Had they not said that his strength was merely average?

What was going on? When had he become so powerful? Could the rumors circulating outside have been wrong?

“Kneel and pay respects. Present the tea!” Gu Haifeng kicked his dazed son and shouted directly beside Gu Mojiang’s ear.

What a useless child. Gu Haifeng could not understand why Lord Ye insisted on taking him as a disciple when his other sons and daughters were also highly talented.

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