"Proposal?" Apollo muttered, glancing at the piled-up dummies and then at the training ground pervert. Seeing that smile, his body shivered. "I've already told you, I'm not into men!"
Hearing this, Sir Guo's face twitched. "Hey! Listen, my proposal will greatly benefit you."
Apollo stared at Sir Guo suspiciously. "Is it about me doing something for you in exchange for the damage I did to the dummies and the training ground?"
"You're a smart fellow, Wanderer," Sir Guo smiled. "I want you–"
"What's a Wanderer?" Apollo interrupted before the ground guardian could finish.
"A Wanderer is a…" Sir Guo trailed off, squinting at the beggar. Seeing the genuine confusion on Yoma's face, he sighed. Okay, he's still pretending... or maybe, there's a possibility the beggar really doesn't know what it means. But that seemed impossible.
The reason Sir Guo was certain the kid in front of him was a Wanderer was that no child of seven or eight could reach the Half-Step Qi Condensation stage. Wait! Half-Step Qi Condensation? He was just at the 3rd-Step Foundation Building stage before... Hmm, maybe his artifact or technique that hides his Cultivation is malfunctioning.
Sir Guo suspected that the Half-Step Qi Condensation Stage wasn't the beggar's real cultivation. Nevertheless, it wouldn't hurt to explain.
"Well, Wanderers are cultivators who decide to explore the world rather than stay in one place to cultivate. They don't have any affiliation, and even if they do, they don't care about it," Sir Guo explained, with Apollo nodding occasionally. "And they like to pretend to be someone else, to protect their peace, their Way of Cultivation."
"Oh, I see. But you said you're also a Wanderer, right? Why did you take this position?" Apollo asked. He finally understood what a Wanderer was—basically, they were nomads. Does he think I'm a Wanderer? Hmm, let's pretend I am.
I might be able to use this to my advantage, Apollo thought. Though he still couldn't grasp what the Way of Cultivation meant.
"It's because... Anyway, hear my proposal. Maybe we can work something out," Sir Guo said, smiling as he looked Apollo up and down.
Seeing those eyes gazing at him like a snake, Apollo's body couldn't help but shiver. "If you propose something I don't like, you'll taste my wrath!" he threatened, though he would probably just run. It's a strategic retreat, not a shameful thing to do.
"Remember, you're the one at fault here. I'm already being generous by making an offer so you can pay off your debt," Sir Guo smirked.
Apollo was silent for a moment before narrowing his eyes. "Tell me."
"Become my disciple," Sir Guo said, bringing his hands behind his back and puffing out his chest. He looked down at the beggar with confident eyes.
Eh? Apollo couldn't help but be surprised. Disciple? He wants me to be his disciple? This pervert?!
"I think I'll have to pass on that," Apollo said after a moment of thought. He didn't trust this bamboo hat-wearing man. What if Sir Guo tried something funny while he had his eyes closed and was cultivating? Just thinking about it terrified the beggar.
"If you agree, you won't have to pay all the damages. Besides, when it comes to the relationship between master and disciple, there's no age requirement," Sir Guo said, squinting at Yoma.
"I agree!" Apollo shouted with determination. Fuck! That's 18,500 gold coins! There's no way I'll ever have that kind of money to pay off my debt!
"That's great," Sir Guo said.
"But why?" Apollo asked, intrigued. Sir Guo had sought him out to make him pay for the damages, but now, after that torturous ordeal, he was offering Apollo the chance to be his disciple.
"Lightning attribute—you have it too, right?" Sir Guo asked.
At this, Apollo had a realization. Sir Guo also had the Lightning Attribute. He hadn't immediately made the connection, thinking the bamboo hat guy had just used some special technique. But now, with Sir Guo's question, it all clicked.
"Yes," Apollo nodded, his eyes lighting up. "Are you going to teach me how to use it?"
"Of course. Now that you're my disciple, I'll teach you everything you need to know about wielding the attribute," Sir Guo smiled.
Apollo grew excited but turned serious. "But why? You still haven't really answered my question. There's no such thing as a free meal in this world. What's your angle?"
"Hahaha!" Sir Guo burst out laughing. After taking a moment to collect himself, he looked at Apollo with a mysterious gleam in his eyes. "You accepted this offer because you wanted to pay off your debt—just leave it at that. When the time is right, I'll tell you the reason."
"And when is the right time? I think now would be a good time," Apollo said. "I may have accepted becoming your disciple, but that doesn't mean I'll be your pushover."
"Then give me 18,500 gold coins," Sir Guo said, extending his hand.
Apollo stared at the hand before glaring at his new master. "You're an asshole."
"Proud of it," Sir Guo grinned.
Oh? Apollo raised an eyebrow. He hated that smile, but he decided to let it slide for now.
"Alright, let's not waste time. Teach me everything you know so we can get this over with," Apollo said, excitement clear in his voice.
To his surprise, he was more eager about learning from Sir Guo than he had been when he accepted Headmaster Axton as a master. Both men had forced him into becoming their disciple, something Apollo despised. It felt like swallowing something so bad that it made him want to vomit.
Headmaster Axton of the Great Serpent Cultivation School had promised to teach him whatever he wanted, from battle techniques to cultivation practices and more. Yet, none of that had truly interested Apollo. He could have asked Axton about the Lightning Attribute, but it was more likely that the headmaster had the Water Attribute.
Sir Guo, on the other hand, shared the same Lightning Attribute as Apollo, making him more relatable—though still a pervert in Apollo's eyes.
"I have two masters. This is going to be a headache," Apollo thought, though he knew that if people found out, they'd go mad.
Having two masters in the world of cultivation was a grave sin.
"Don't be hasty," Sir Guo shook his head. "I'll find you again when the time is right. For now, go back to pretending to be a beggar."
I'm really a beggar, Apollo thought, though he had no intention of telling Sir Guo that. Let him believe whatever he wants—it could only work in Apollo's favor.
With a sigh, Apollo turned to leave. He was excited to learn more about his attribute, but the company of Sir Guo made him uncomfortable.