"We've arrived, and even though you noticed us, you chose not to greet us and made us wait," Apollo said, clearly annoyed.
Eli's eyes widened in shock. He never would have expected the Personal Disciple to be so daring as to speak such words to the Headmaster! It was rude and disrespectful!
However, what surprised him even more was the Headmaster chuckling and not minding the rude comment.
"I couldn't just step out of the Void," Axton said as his feet touched the floor.
"Void?" Apollo tilted his head. "What's that?"
"You don't know?" Axton asked, raising an eyebrow.
Eli also looked at the Personal Disciple in confusion. Seeing the Headmaster's expression, he felt incredulous. Did Headmaster Axton recruit someone clueless about cultivation?! His trust wavered momentarily, but he shook his head, keeping his eyes focused and determined.
"Should I?" Apollo asked.
"Of course!" Axton replied. "You're a Wanderer. How come you don't know about that?"
Eli was stunned when he heard this. So all this time, the person he had been tasked to guide and accompany was actually a Wanderer? He had thought of Yoma as nothing but a clueless kid a moment ago, but now that image had shifted. Is this why the Headmaster chose Yoma? Eli wondered.
"A Wand–" Apollo coughed, realizing that even Axton believed he was a Wanderer. He couldn't understand why, but it seemed Sir Guo wasn't the only one who thought so. "Me? A Wanderer? Nope."
"You can keep pretending, but I'm certain you are," Axton said, nodding his head as if completely sure.
"Well, if you say so," Apollo shrugged. He decided to let them believe whatever they wanted. It worked in his favor, allowing his real identity to remain buried if people kept mistaking him for someone else. "So why did you call for me?"
"Ah, my apologies. I will leave now," Eli hurriedly said from the side, bowing to the Headmaster.
Axton shook his head. "No, you will stay and wait for my orders."
"Oh, okay," Eli nodded, though confused. Deep inside, he was excited. Working directly for the Headmaster was an honor that many Inner Circle Disciples would never have the chance to experience. He stood up straight, eager to serve.
Axton turned to Apollo, his eyes narrowing. "What did you talk about with that man?"
"That man?" Apollo tilted his head. "What man?"
"Master Guo," Axton said, the smile fading from his face.
"I don't know him," Apollo shook his head, though deep inside, he knew exactly who Axton was referring to. There was only one person named Guo that he knew.
"Master Guo, though most refer to him as Sir Guo," Axton clarified.
"Oh, that guy. Yeah, we talked at the training ground. But how did you find out?" Apollo squinted at the Headmaster, though he already had an idea.
"I sent someone to keep an eye on you," Axton said casually, a smile returning to his face.
"I figured," Apollo sighed in frustration. "But I don't think you should do that."
"You are my disciple, so of course I can," Axton replied, his face growing serious. "Now, what did you and Master Guo discuss?"
"Nothing serious. I just wrecked the training ground a few nights ago, and now he's asking for compensation," Apollo said truthfully, leaving out the most important details.
"Is that all?" Axton raised an eyebrow. Wrecking the training ground… that's a first. The person he sent to watch over the beggar had also reported that the training ground was in such bad shape, with scarecrows piled up on one side, slashed apart. So the culprit was now standing right in front of him.
"Yes. What else do you think we'd talk about?" Apollo asked with a shrug.
Axton was silent for a moment before he nodded. "I see… but let me remind you: stay away from him."
"Then where am I supposed to train from now on?" Apollo asked. He didn't dwell on the topic about the Bamboo hat man, afraid that his tongue would slipped out about Sir Guo as another Master. "That place doesn't have a lot of people at night, and it's perfect for training."
"That training of yours caused the destruction of the training ground, didn't it?" Axton smiled. "You can train here from now on. I'll give you a private area where you can train to your heart's content. You won't have to worry about causing any destruction."
"Okay, I won't refuse that," Apollo said. With this arrangement, he didn't have to sneak around to the forest or other places to train and get familiar with his body. As he thought about this, something came to mind, and his expression turned serious. "But I'm curious about something. Didn't you say you were going to keep this master-disciple thing a secret? Your students already know about it."
It was frustrating to think about. He wanted peace and to avoid too much attention, but things were turning out the opposite.
"I did keep it a secret, but that doesn't mean people couldn't figure it out themselves," Axton replied, casting a glance at Eli, who stood quietly to the side.
Eli looked away, his face reddening, but he remained silent.
Apollo shook his head. He couldn't just back out now, and the benefits he'd gained so far were almost too good to be true. He suspected that Axton wasn't telling him everything, perhaps waiting for the right moment. Still, Apollo decided to stick around for the benefits. If he ever sensed anything shady that he didn't like, he'd just leave.
"Anyway, I've answered your questions. Was that the only reason you called me here?" If Axton said yes, Apollo would be sorely disappointed. This could've been handled with a letter or by sending Luban, the carriage driver. No need for a face-to-face conversation.
"That was the initial reason, but something else came up, and I think you'll like it," Axton said with a mysterious smile.
"What is it? Can't you just tell me?" Apollo asked, growing frustrated.
"You'll see," Axton said, then turned to Eli. "You'll be the referee."
Eli's eyes widened in surprise.
Apollo glanced at the umber-haired student. Referee? Am I about to fight someone?
Just then, shrieks came from Bluetooth.
Apollo turned and saw his falcon staring into the distance.
Following Bluetooth's gaze, Apollo spotted two falcons flying towards them, each carrying a rider on its back.
Their speed was fast, and soon they landed on the balcony with a thud.