Chapter 5 (1/2)
Chapter 5
Grandmaster? Teacher?
When a spirit master level personage apologized towards him, old Jack’s vanity received an enormous boost, and he hastily shook both hands, saying:
“Don’t apologize, don’t apologize. We are also in the wrong. Grandmaster, I will trouble you with this child. Tang San, you follow Grandmaster inside ok, but you must be obedient.”
Tang San nodded, but did not open his mouth.
Earlier, when this Grandmaster before him stopped the gatekeeper from charging at him, his left hand was already lifted, and for insurance, a sleeve dart was already readied. If this Grandmaster before him had spoken a step later, perhaps that gatekeeper’s throat could have received a short arrow.
【Tang Sect Mysterious Heaven Treasure Records, general principles, third item: Determine whether the opponent is an enemy. If they are, then aim to kill. If not then show mercy, otherwise you shall only increase your worries.】
To Tang San it seemed that the gatekeeper moving towards Jack was trying to strike an old man. In addition to his unkindness, this in itself was already enough to aim to kill. At the same time, he was also absolutely certain that including old Jack there was nobody who could detect him using that sleeve dart. Without evidence, who could say that he killed? Tang sect’s silent sleeve dart shot so extremely fast, it would only leave a shadow, and how could the doorkeeper have dodged with those trash capabilities?.
Not until after old Jack warned Tang San several more times did he leave.
Grandmaster coldly glanced at that gatekeeper,
“This is the first time, and also is the last time. If there is a repeat offense, you need not remain here.”
His hoarse voice was calm, but gave a feeling that made it impossible to refute.
The gatekeeper’s back broke out in cold sweat, and he hurriedly repeatedly echoed agreement and got out of the way to the side.
Grandmaster lowered his head to look at Tang San, on his face emerged a slight smile. As if his facial muscles were stiff, the smile had an appearance that most people would not dare compliment. Dragging Tang San’s hand, he said:
“We’re entering.”
Grandmaster’s hand was soft and dry, its grip very comfortable, imperceptibly bringing Tang San a kind of sense of trust. Following him, Tang San finally entered this academy.
“Teacher, thank you.”
Tang San said to Grandmaster.
“Teacher? I am not an academy teacher.”
Grandmaster turned his head to glance at Tang San, speaking coolly.
“Not a teacher? Just now did you not speak on behalf of the academy?”
Grandmaster shook his head, all along today he had been nothing but exceptionally patient, and again squeezed out a trace of that unsightly smiling expression,
“Who said one must be an academy teacher to represent the academy?”
Tang San said with sudden realization:
“I understand. You are an academy principal, or a leader, right?.”
Grandmaster could not help laughing, and said:
“For a six year old child, you are very clever. However, you still guessed wrong.”
Tang San uncertainly said:
“Then you are?”
Grandmaster said:
“I am only a freeloading tenant at this place, that’s all. You and the others alike called me Grandmaster, right. Everyone address me like this. Even to the extent that I have already forgotten my name. On the spirit hall certificate was written that you are called Tang San, right. Tang San, you must understand, the meanings of grandmaster and teacher are entirely different, and hereafter must not address me incorrectly. Unless……”
Saying this, his words slowed, in his eyes glimmered a burning light,
“Unless you are genuinely willing to make me your teacher.”
“You want to teach me spirit cultivation?”
Tang San asked.
Grandmaster halted his steps, standing calmly ,facing Tang San.
“Are you willing to do that?”
Tang San naturally also stopped, raising his head to look at Grandmaster before him, now observing at close range. Again looking him over from down to up, he discovered Grandmaster’s mouth was a little large, and his lips also very thick. He didn’t open his mouth, both unable to answer, and also unable to not answer.
Grandmaster saw Tang San’s both eyes staring at him blankly, and that stiff smiling expression once again emerged,
“Good, you really are a clever child.”
Not speaking had a second meaning. First not being impatient to refuse, so as not to offend Grandmaster. Second to use this action to inquire from Grandmaster, ‘why must I acknowledge you as master?’
Grandmaster, resembling old Jack, raised his hand to tousle Tang San’s head.
“Naturally gifted, and also this clever. It seems even I must persistently try again. How should I say this? You also have the third twin spirit in these last hundred years.”
Hearing grandmaster’s words, Tang San was greatly startled. His gaze looking at Grandmaster suddenly changed. He already quietly lifted his left wrist, a surprised unpredictable look appearing in his eyes.
Grandmaster calmly and in an easygoing way looked at him. Smiling, he said:
“Don’t you want to know how I could know so quickly that you have twin spirits?”
Speaking, he flicked open the certificate in his hand that old Jack gave him,
“It is precisely because of this certificate. Perhaps another person looking could not find the flaw, but if I also could not see it, then I could not be called Grandmaster.”
“I have investigated six hundred forty seven people with blue silver grass spirits. Among them were sixteen with spirit power, so the odds are less than three in a hundred. And even these sixteen people possessing spirit power did not have spirit power ability exceeding the first rank, and yet your innate full spirit power is of the tenth rank. According to my research in the first of the ten great core spirit competencies, innate spirit power size is in direct ratio with the quality of the spirit. Blue silver grass is obviously unable to measure up, therefore I can conclude that you should still have another spirit, and also that it is an extraordinarily powerful spirit.”
The expression in Tang San’s eyes gradually calmed down, and he argued:
“Everything has exceptions, why couldn’t I be a special case?”
Grandmaster nodded seriously, and said:
“That’s right, everything has exceptions, but your spirit is blue silver grass, therefore you clearly are not that exception. In the last hundred years in Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire, although twin spirits have only appeared twice, innate full spirit power has appeared nineteen times. I have carefully studied each of those spirits, and not one wasn’t formidable. The youngest one has now already reached the spirit grandmaster level. Other than fourteen who inherited formidable spirits from clan blood lineage, there were five exceptions.”
Part 2
“They did not come from a privileged background, but also possessed innate full spirit power. And this kind of unexpected existence is exactly what is called variant spirits. On the basis of my many years of research in variant spirits, never has any kind of spirit with blue silver grass spirit produced a variation. And your blue silver grass spirit is also an ordinary blue silver grass, therefore, I can be completely confident that my judgment is correct.”
“Variant spirits, what is that?”
Tang San asked.
Grandmaster patiently explained:
“I earlier mentioned the issues of how spirits are inherited. A person’s spirit has a direct relationship with their parents’ spirits, and under normal circumstances the spirit is inherited from either the father or mother’s side. This is family pattern spirit inheritance. Among them are a few exceptions and these are what are called variation spirits. Same as the source parent’s spirit, but because there is a certain variation between the father and mother’s spirits, inheritance of one or the other spirits can produce a variation, bringing about a new kind of spirit. Variant spirits can have formidable variations, and even appear with innate full spirit power. But the overwhelming majority of variant spirits only become small and weak. Variant spirits are like the result of inbreeding: the possibility of retardation is very big, but there is also the possibility of producing an exceptional sage.”
Tang San nodded, and suddenly moved back a step, opening up the distance between him and Grandmaster. Immediately after, he fell to his knees, and respectfully kowtowed three times towards Grandmaster.
This time, it was Grandmaster’s turn to be dumbfounded,
“What are you doing?”
“Teacher.”
Tang San respectfully called,
“Please accept me as a student.”
Grandmaster smiled a very satisfied smile, stooping to pull Tang San back up,
“Muddleheaded boy, why kowtow to formally become a pupil, don’t you know this is only courtesy when acknowledging the emperor and parents? You need only to bow for this.”
Douluo Continent customs are of course not the same as circumstances in Tang San’s first life, but Tang San certainly did not think his courtesy was too much, and solemnly said:
“A teacher for a day is a father for life. You should receive my kowtow.”
Tang sect’s teachings regarding courtesy were extremely severe. Having received that kind of education when he originally grew up, it had been branded deeply into the core of Tang San’s heart a long time ago.
Grandmaster was moved and looked at Tang San,
“Teacher for a day, father for life, good, good, it appears that as expected, I have not chosen incorrectly.”
What is called ‘one tiny clue reveals the general trend’ is that the details determine success or failure. Even though this pair of master and apprentice had not met for long, but Grandmaster already had no small understanding of this child before his eyes.
“Let’s go, I will bring you to report to the dean’s office.”
Grandmaster again dragged Tang San’s hand. His originally dry big hands were faintly perspiring because of excitement.
Nuoding primary spirit master academy was not as big as it appeared outside, and was mainly divided into a few areas: the main school building, a sports ground and a dormitory to the east of the sports ground.
Even though it was only an elementary spirit master academy, this place’s requirements towards students were extremely strict; even if the home was near the academy, students must still live in the academy under a unified regime.
At the dean’s office on the main school building’s first floor was a sixty year old teacher who was in charge of dealing with new students and two additional teachers in their thirties who assisted him.
Grandmaster placed the certificate he held on the desk, and said towards that elderly teacher:
“Director Su, this is this year’s working student delivered by Holy Spirit village, I will trouble you to help him register at once.”
Director Su, his face covered by a smile, said:
“Why Grandmaster, you have come, a rare visitor, ah! Please have a seat.”
Grandmaster shook his head, and said towards Tang San:
“You enroll here on your own, these several teachers can tell you what to do. I’ll leave first, I will go find you later.”
Tang San nodded, and respectfully said:
“Goodbye teacher.”
Grandmaster revealed a smile, stroked his head, then turned and left.
Hearing how Tang San addressed Grandmaster, director Su appeared very interested,
“Lad, you called Grandmaster teacher? He is not our academy’s teacher.”
Tang San said:
“But he is my teacher.”
Director Su stared blankly,
“You acknowledged Grandmaster as your teacher?”
His expression was somewhat queer, a kind of expression as if holding back laughter.
Tang San Said:
“Is something wrong, teacher?.”
Director Su repeatedly shook his head and said smilingly:
“Not at all, not at all. I did not think Grandmaster also could accept disciples. Only, you are still originally an academy student, and hereafter must comply equally with the academy’s system of regulations, you understand?”
Tang San nodded.
The two teachers to the side of director Su did not have as much self-restraint as him. One of them grabbed the spirit hall certificate for a look. Smiling, he said,