Number One Under Heaven

*Ssssss*

An imaginary hourglass poured nonstop inside the minds of these Geniuses distracting them from thinking.

‘Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Only three more minutes!!!’ They were beginning to panic.

‘What does he really mean by ‘Who are you’?!? Is he asking who I am inside my heart? My true nature? Who I want to be?’ They racked their brains trying to figure out the most profound answer they can possibly think up.

“I am… Han Yixue,” a small voice spoke.

“?!?!?” The people there were shocked away by such a simple answer.

‘Someone actually dared to answer with their name! Who is that?! I don’t recall anyone with such a name within us!’ They all thought and looked around.

“You…”

They were all dumbfounded as the blind girl walked towards them.

“I am Han Yixue,” she repeated and then continued, “My mother was Han Ming, and my father is Guo Dai, the current head of the Guo Family. I am 17 Years Old with no remarkable talents. My mother died when I was only 7 Years Old, and before she had died, everybody in the family hated her saying how she was a slut. Yes, my mother used to work as a prostitute, but that did not stop my father from taking her in as his concubine. He said it was because he loved her, and that was all it mattered. However, after my mother had died, he stopped caring about me and even turned a blind eye when the mistress robbed my name that was given to me by my mother--- and after robbing my identity, she robbed my--- my sight,” she took a breather.

“...” The surrounding people looked at her with wide eyes. She had that kind of history?! But they were told that she had her name removed because she had committed a grave crime within the Family. Then what about her sight? Why did they rob that too?

“After removing my name and robbing my sights, the mistress spread a rumor that stated it was all punishment for the crime that I had committed. She never mentioned about what the crime I had committed was, but my crime was--- I had eyes that were too beautiful for someone like me, the daughter of a slut to have--- was what she told me. I have never seen my eyes before, but that was the crime I had committed that caused my eyes to be slashed by a sword…”

“..............”

The people hearing that could not believe her story! That was the reason why she had her name and sights removed?! All because her eyes were too beautiful for her?! All because of one's Jealousy?!

“Sir, I want to study under you not because I want revenge, but because I want to make my mother proud. That is who I am--- Han Yixue,” her fists were clenched so tightly that it was bleeding from her nails impaling into her skin!

“...”

Tian Yi stood there in silent.

“So you do have a name after all,” he finally said with a gentle smile.

“...”

“Okay, time’s up. These of you who couldn’t answer the question, I’m sorry, but it looks like we were never destined to be together as Master and Disciple,” Tian Yi began walking towards the exit.

“?!?!?!?”

The people who could not answer due to Han Yixue taking up all the time had their minds thrown into chaos.

“Wait!” Huang Li stepped forward and shouted, “That’s not fair! She took up all the time, so we couldn’t answer even if we wanted to! Senior, how can you---”

“What Senior?! Do I look like an old man to you?! I am only 18 Years Old!” He turned back and yelled louder than usual.

“!!!” Huang Li took a step back from fright.

“Hmph, I gave you so much time, but you couldn’t even answer such a simple question, and you have the guts to say it wasn’t fair?!” He said before turning back around to leave.

“.....” The crowd was stunned! What simple question?! That was the most profoundly thought up question they have heard of to date!

“W-wait! Sir! What about the two of us who answered your question? Who answered it correctly?” The first one to answer said anxiously.

“Hm? Ah, I’ll come by to pick you up later,” He answered.

“Who?” The man asked again.

“Who knows. If I don’t show up in front of you two by the end of today, then neither of you passed.”

*Whoosh*

“Senior Cheung, Senior Yuming, I’ll head back to the hotel now,” Tian Yi took a leap and flew away carrying Meng Xiang.

Yu Yue and Yan Yan also followed.

“......” Xuan Cheung and Xuan Yuming stood there with a stupefied face.

‘So we still don’t know if we passed yet?! What the hell! What will I do if you don’t show up?! Does that mean I failed?! Fuck!’ The man cursed inside his heart.

“...” Han Yixue stood there silently and watched Tian Yi fly away with worrying eyes.

*****

“Master! I am back, what did you want to talk to me about?” Tian Yi called out after arriving back to the hotel they were staying in.

“I’m in my room, come in,” Xuan Wanshan replied with a soft voice.

“Excuse me,” He walked in to see her standing near the window watching the sunset with a calm face.

Closing the door, he stood there waiting for her to begin.

“Tian Yi, do you know why I called you here?” Xuan Wanshan began speaking.

“Because of my display this morning at the Pill Contest?” He answered.

“That too, but no,” She turned to look at him with a complicated expression.

“...” He was a bit confused. What else was there?

“Tian Yi… I no longer want you as my Disciple, so starting now, I am not your Master,” she said with a calm face.

“?!?!?!?!?!?” Tian Yi’s mind was thrown into a vortex, and he stood there in shock.

“W-Why?! W-Was it because of what I did this morning? If so, then I will promise you that I will never do anything like that ever again!” He said with a panicking voice.

“No, it has nothing to do with your actions today. What you had done today has only made me realize something I should have long ago--- No, maybe I did, but I just did not want to accept it.”

“Then why?!” He shouted with emotion.

“Tian Yi, when it comes to comes to Talent, you are the best I’ve seen in this World, and as your Master, I should be glad to have a Disciple with so much Talent, and I am. However, when it comes to Cultivation, you are already so far ahead of me that I will never be able to catch up… Ever since you revealed your Cultivation to me, I already knew that my role as your Master would not work out. However, even with that, I still forced myself to believe that it will work out and that I will find something to teach you,” Xuan Wanshan said with an expression full of disappointment, but it was not towards Tian Yi, but herself. She was disappointed in herself for not being able to guide him properly.

“...” Tian Yi stood there with his words stuck in his throat.

“Did you know…” She continued, “Did you know how happy I was when I found out that you were not talented in Pill Making--- that you were not perfect? I know, it’s was horrible of me, your Master, to be happy after finding out my Disciple was not talented in something… But you know what, Tian Yi? I was happy--- happy that there was finally something I could teach you, my Disciple, and fulfill my role as your Master even if was something small. I had planned on studying about Pills and Pill Concocting when we got back to the Sect, but… But after your actions--- after seeing your Divine Flames this morning, I have to admit something even if I do not want to--- Tian Yi, I am not worthy enough to be your Master, nor will I ever be,” tears began appearing in the corners of her eyes.

“...” Tian Yi watched with wide eyes as tears rolled down her beautiful face. These tears were unnaturally large as if it contained many feelings within it.

“B-But what about life? I may not need guidance when it comes to Cultivation and Pill Concocting, but I still have a lot to learn about Mortals and their common sense… So---” He said with a trembling voice.

“Don’t… Don’t try to convince me by making it seem like I am worthy to be your Master. It is only making me feel worse about myself, so stop it. This is something I have decided, and something I will follow through,” she said as she stared at him with eyes full of resolution.

“Then what about your promise?! You promised that you would never abandon me no matter what! Are you breaking your promise?!” His eyes started turning red. He was angry at the fact that she was breaking her promise! The Spirit Power within him has already begun raging, but he suppressed it with the tiny bit amount of trust that he had left in her.

“That promise, I will not break,” Xuan Wanshan said as her body started falling.

*Thud*

Her knees were touching the ground along with her forehead kissing the cold, wooden floor.

She was kowtowing!

“????” Tian Yi was taken aback from her actions.

“Tian Yi… I know this is unreasonable and very selfish of me after all that I’ve said, but---” she looked up at him still with wet eyes.

“Please, accept me, Xuan Wanshan, as your Disciple!” She shouted with a clear voice.

“?!?!?!?!?!?!” Tian Yi stood there with confusion and shock. Even with his intelligence, he was unable to process what was going on! She had just disowned him as her Disciple, but not even a second later she was asking him to accept her as his Disciple?!

“Teaching you about life and common sense does not require me to be your Master! I can teach you that as your Disciple just fine!” She said.

“...” He did not know how to answer her!

“Tian Yi, I know this is crazy, but I cannot think of any other ways to do this without breaking my promise--- No, this has nothing to do with the promise! I want to continue traveling around with you just like I’ve been doing! I want to experience more shocking things from you! I want to be there with you when you cause more trouble in the future! I want to be--- with you! I want to continue doing all these things with you--- however, I am not strong enough to do these things as your Master, so let me do it as your Disciple… I-I am even willing to become your servant if you wish,” she said everything that was on her mind. She knew she was being very selfish. She knew she was being unreasonable. She knew--- she knew, yet she still wanted to stay with him.

“...” Tian Yi rubbed his temples.

‘I guess this is the extent of my experience with having a Master… I knew it wouldn’t last forever, but I didn’t know it would end so fast, not to mention it being like this… Ahhh, what do I do now?’ He looked at the still kowtowing Xuan Wanshan and racked his brains trying to figure out the best answer just like what the Pill Master geniuses had done a while ago when trying to answer his question.

“...”

“...”

“...”

After a long moment of silence, he finally spoke, “Only, and only if you accept one condition. If you do, then I’ll accept you as my Disciple. Forget about being my servant that’ll only make things more complicated. If you do not, then I will… I will erase all of your memories from the moment you met me to now, including your parents. Do you accept?” He was still having complicated thoughts, but he’ll see how this works out as he has really enjoyed his time with her. Although this will make their relationship a bit complicated, it’ll work out with time--- is what he was hoping.

“I accept!” Xuan Wanshan said without thinking.

“You did not even hear the conditions…”

“I do not need to,” she replied.

“I will still say it because I do not want you to feel cheated later. You will treat me the same way as you have always been treating me. Just thinking about you calling me Master sends chills down my spine. Do you agree?” He said.

“So I cannot call you Master? It’s a bit weird to call one’s Master by their name---”

“Then I’ll erase your memories right now,” he did not go easy on her.

“I’ll accept!” She replies without thinking.

“Good, but what do we do about the Master and Disciple ceremony? How does that work?” He asked.

“S-Since we already did it, we do not have to do it again. Even if we did, only our speaking roles would be changed,” she still remembers the feeling of his blood entering her and does not want to have such feelings in such a situation.

“I understand. Then let’s just do it informally,” Tian Yi said.

“Un.” Xuan Wanshan nodded and stood back up before walking in front of him.

*Thud*

She kowtowed again and said, “Disciple Xuan Wanshan, pays respect to her Master!”

Tian Yi shivered when she called him Master, but he did not say anything as this is a ceremony.

“Un. I, Tian Yi, have received your greetings. Stand up!”

“Yes, M--- Tian Yi,” she stood back up.

“Due to this sudden development, both of us will need to time to digest it. Go rest for today; I still have another Disciple to accept today,” he sighed before leaving the room in a hurry.

“...” Xuan Wanshan stood there with a dumbfounded face. He just accepted her as his Disciple, and he’s already heading out to pick up another one? Since when did that happen?

‘Ahhh, what will our future be like after today?’ She lays down on the bed to digest what had happened today while also preparing herself for the future.

*****

“...”

“...”

“...”

Yu Yue, Yan Yan, and Meng Xiang silently watched as Tian Yi lay face down on the bed.

‘He has been like this since he came back. What happened to him?’ Yu Yue was worried.

‘It’s better just to wait it out until he’s willing to tell us…’ Yan Yan thought.

“Big Brother, did something happen with Sister Xuan Wanshan?” Meng Xiang asked him out loud.

“!!!!!!” Yu Yue and Yan Yan snapped their head at her with shock and disbelief.

‘She said it!’ They cried inside their heart.

“...” Tian Yi continued to lay there silently.

Seeing how he was acting, even Meng Xiang understood that she should leave him alone for now.

“Meng Xiang, come over here, my head hurts…” Tian Yi suddenly called her out.

“Coming!” She jogged over to where he was laying down.

“I feel a sudden urge to hug something, so if you don’t mind, can I hug you for a bit?” He asked with a muffled voice.

“?!?!?!?!?!” Yu Yue and Yan Yan’s jaw dropped.

Meng Xiang’s eyes went wide from shock and stood there silently for a minute before answering, “Of course!” Her eyes had glittered with happiness before she jumped on the bed.

Tian Yi turned sideways to hug her like a pillow and said in a low voice, “Meng Xiang, my Master, Xuan Wanshan just disowned me as her Disciple…”

‘Huh?!?!?!?!?’ The three girls could not believe their ears. His Master disowned him?!

Killing intent appeared within Yan Yan’s eyes, ‘I knew it! To cause so much pain to Master, I’ll slaughter you when I get the chance!’ She thought.

“Yan Yan, stop it. She has her reasons, and I cannot say that I do not understand them. It was selfish of me from the start to accept a Mortal as my Master just for experience without taking her feelings into consideration. How would you feel if I asked you to become my Master, Yan Yan?” He knew what she was thinking.

“T-That’s…” She could not answer him, but it was not because she didn’t know the answer.

“Right? That’s how she’s feeling right now, so do not blame her. Well, she’s my Disciple now, so I cannot let you harm her either way…” He suddenly said.

“WHAT?!?!?!?!” They could no longer hold in their shock and cried out.

“I know, crazy right? This is why I’m having such a headache. Ahhhh, I need to organize myself before accepting my next Disciple…” He no longer spoke and continued to hug Meng Xiang with his eyes closed.

Yu Yue stood there with an amazed expression, ‘He’s really going to accept a Disciple from them? And to two of them in one day...’

‘..............’ Yan Yan was so shocked that she couldn’t even think properly.

‘Hehehe,’ Meng Xiang giggled inside her heart as she enjoyed being hugged by Tian Yi.

“...” The room had turned dead silent.