I Fabricated the Techniques, but my disciple really mastered them? Chapter 1 - 1: I Didn’t Want to Take a Disciple, but He Gave Too Much_1
1 Chapter 1: I Didn’t Want to Take a Disciple, but He Gave Too Much_1
Translator: 549690339
“Senior, please accept this humble gift as a token of my respect for our master-disciple bond!”
With great reverence, the youth set three rosewood containers down before Li Xuan.
“You’ve got it all wrong; I am no hidden expert, and I certainly don’t take on students. Please, take these things and go!”
Li Xuan spoke with a hint of mounting frustration.
The young man's name was Xu Yan, a descendant of a wealthy clan from the prefecture city. His prestigious background was something Li Xuan, a transmigrator, could only envy. Regrettably, Xu Yan seemed to lack common sense, stubbornly insisting on becoming Li Xuan’s disciple because he was convinced the man was a reclusive sage.
It had been over ten years since Li Xuan was transported to this world. He possessed no overpowered system or cheats, and he found himself trapped within the confines of a tiny, isolated village. To make matters worse, he was now the sole inhabitant remaining in this small settlement.
Sheer cliffs loomed over the village on every side. The only path to the outside world was a treacherous trail, barely a few feet wide. While it was a perfect sanctuary for hermits, the original villagers had only settled here to escape the ravages of war.
With peace restored to the lands, the younger generation eventually grew tired of the mundane mountain life and began to depart for civilization.
The nearest town lay a hundred miles away, and the trek was filled with peril. Travelers had to navigate a thick forest where predatory beasts and tigers were known to prowl.
The village population had steadily declined over the decades. By the time Li Xuan arrived, only about a dozen households were left, mostly inhabited by the elderly.
Including Li Xuan, only five able-bodied young men remained at that time. Like him, they all craved the excitement of the city. However, the journey was lethal, particularly the thirty-mile stretch of the Deadly Woods, which teemed with man-eating tigers. Many who had attempted the journey never returned.
A decade ago, a former villager returned from his travels. He intended to bring his mother to the city, boasting that he had mastered a technique for slaying tigers and no longer feared the monsters of the Deadly Woods.
Hoping for a new life, Li Xuan and the other young men decided to follow him.
Though the Deadly Woods were dangerous, one could theoretically cross them safely if they were lucky enough to avoid any predators.
Li Xuan’s luck, however, was non-existent.
A massive, striped tiger suddenly blocked their path.
The man who claimed he could kill tigers unsheathed his blade, let out a fierce battle cry, and charged forward into a sliding tackle…
Li Xuan was the only survivor to make it back to the mountain village. He attributed his life to the fact that the moment he saw that ridiculous sliding tackle, he turned and bolted in the opposite direction.
That so-called tiger-killing technique was a complete sham that delivered the man straight into the beast's jaws!
Following that tragedy, Li Xuan became the only young man left in the village. The elderly residents, mourning their lost kin, slowly passed away over the next ten years. Just two weeks ago, Li Xuan had buried the final elder.
Standing alone in the silent, empty village, Li Xuan was consumed by a mix of sorrow and resentment. Other transmigrators were either destined for greatness or born into power.
But what about him?
He was stuck in a hole he couldn't even climb out of!
Without a system or any cheats, he was likely destined to die in total isolation in this mountain wasteland.
“Sigh, I really thought I’d be like a webnovel protagonist—carrying a Longsword across ten thousand miles, purging demons, attaining the status of a saint, and looking down upon the heavens. I was clearly delusional.”
Li Xuan let out a heavy sigh, mocking his own misfortune: “I can’t even leave this village, yet I’m fantasizing about traveling the world with a Longsword? What a joke!”
It was precisely because of these self-pitying words that Xu Yan, who had somehow stumbled into the village, overhead the phrase “traveling ten thousand miles with a Longsword.” Mistaking Li Xuan for a profound master, the boy immediately dropped to his knees, begging for tutelage.
“Senior, I have finally found you! Please, accept me as your disciple and grant me the honor of learning your peerless martial arts!”
“What?!”
Li Xuan was stunned. He blinked at the teenager, who looked about sixteen or seventeen, dressed in fine silks with a Longsword at his hip, feeling completely bewildered.
“I am Xu Yan of the Donghe Prefecture. Since my youth, I have searched for the path of true Martial Arts. Meeting you today is my greatest fortune. I implore Senior to take me in. I will devote myself to Cultivation and never dishonor your legacy!”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Watching the boy kowtow with such fanaticism, Li Xuan was speechless. His first thought was: this kid has definitely lost his mind!
Despite Li Xuan’s repeated claims that he wasn't an expert and knew nothing of martial arts Cultivation, Xu Yan remained unconvinced. He was determined to prove his loyalty. His obsession was giving Li Xuan a massive headache.
“I am not a hidden expert, nor do I know any Cultivation techniques. You’ve found the wrong person. Honestly, I’m looking for a teacher myself!”
“That’s impossible!”
Xu Yan looked at him with unwavering certainty and said, “Honored Elder, please stop testing me. You are clearly a master!”
“Just look at this location—hidden by cliffs and surrounded by such mystical beauty. It is the perfect dwelling for a recluse. If you weren't a supreme expert, why would you live here in solitude?”
“Elder, I beg of you, accept me! I swear I will not waste your profound teachings!”
Xu Yan continued to strike his head against the ground, his eyes burning with a zealous, stubborn light.
“I’m telling you, I’m no expert, I have no secret manuals, and I don’t take disciples. You’ve made a huge mistake…”
Li Xuan felt utterly helpless. This kid was incredibly thick-headed. He couldn't even fathom how the boy had survived the dangerous woods to get here.
Had his search for a hidden master driven him completely insane?
“I understand now!”
Xu Yan suddenly stood up, a look of realization washing over his face.
“Becoming a disciple is a sacred matter; it shouldn't be handled so casually. I shall return once I have prepared a proper ceremonial offering!”
Before Li Xuan could even react, Xu Yan sprinted away and vanished from the village.
Two weeks passed in a flash.
During that time, Li Xuan felt a pang of regret. He should have used the opportunity to ask Xu Yan about the world outside or see if the boy could help him escape the village.
To his surprise, Xu Yan actually returned.
And this time, he came bearing gifts for the discipleship ceremony!
He was dead set on making Li Xuan his master!
No matter how many times Li Xuan denied it, the boy’s belief that he was a hidden expert remained unshakable.
Li Xuan didn't want to be a fraud, especially toward someone from a powerful family. Without a system to back him up, he feared the consequences if his lack of ability was ever discovered.
He rejected the boy over and over, yet Xu Yan’s conviction was like iron.
“Honored Elder, here are three hundred taels of gold. I am aware that such worldly treasures are beneath someone of your stature, but a disciple must show his sincerity!”
Xu Yan flipped open the first box, revealing thirty neatly stacked bars of pure gold.
Li Xuan stared at the gold, his throat dry. He was tempted, but he forced himself to growl, “I don’t take disciples! I am not an expert! Take it back—I’m barely older than you are!”
“Though you appear young, Elder, it is surely because your high level of Cultivation allows you to retain your youthful vigor!”
Xu Yan was far too gone. He opened the second container.
“This is a thousand-year-old ginseng, a treasure of the Xu family. This is my second offering; please, Elder, accept it!”
Li Xuan gulped again. Inside the box lay a thousand-year-old ginseng that had taken on a human shape. Its rich, earthy aroma filled the air, making him feel instantly more energetic just by breathing it in.
A thousand-year-old ginseng was a legendary rarity. The village elders used to say a hundred-year-old root could keep a dying man alive for three days and drastically boost one's vitality.
The power of a thousand-year-old specimen had to be even more miraculous.
Li Xuan’s resolve wavered, but he gritted his teeth. “Take it away. I really don't have any Cultivation methods to teach you!”
Xu Yan then opened the third box: “Honored Elder, this is a Nine Leaf Elixir, my final ceremonial gift!”
The Nine Leaf Elixir!
Li Xuan’s eyes were practically glued to the box. According to village lore, the Nine Leaf Elixir was the most precious herb in existence. Consuming it supposedly cured all ailments, cleared the mind, prevented hair from graying, and extended one’s lifespan by two decades!
It was a treasure that even kings would kill for!
Li Xuan gazed at the pale, jade-like herb, which resembled a lingzhi mushroom topped with nine vibrant purple leaves. He took a long, steadying breath, looked away, and let out a deep, theatrical sigh.
“Very well! Since you have managed to find your way here, it must be the will of the Dao. I shall accept you as my disciple!”
He simply couldn't say no—Xu Yan had quite literally given him too much to refuse.