27: Finding a Student

Mellanie’s view

“Lanie, if you want to try testing what a human can learn to do by instinct, perhaps you should teach a mortal.”

“Why do you say that, Mel?”

“Well, a mortal who hasn’t cultivated will have nothing but a human’s own raw ability. So, whatever you can get a mortal to do, any human could do.”

“That is a good point. I already know it’s possible for a human to control ki without cultivation, and seeing if one can learn to use ki without being taught to sense it first, could also be useful.”

…

Visiting what I thought would be a familiar city, I was surprised that I could not find anyone living on the streets. What happened to the slums? Thinking on how best to investigate, I decided to pay a visit to my medical student. He should still be alive. It’s only been a century since I was last here.

With my newly acquired divine sense, it’s pretty easy to search the city for him, even if the city has grown to several times its former size. Ah, he’s in the palace. Why is he in the palace? No matter.

…

“I’m back, Brady.”

“Oh! Welcome back, teacher. I haven’t seen you in quite a while.”

“Yeah, it’s been a hundred years or so. You’re looking younger now than you did the last time we met though.”

“Indeed, thanks to your lessons, my own cultivation has improved immensely, along with my medical skill. Regaining my youth has been very helpful, and I’m currently supporting the queen. She too has gained greatly from my help. So, what brings you here?”

“I was looking for someone to teach as an experiment. However, I noticed the slums seem to be missing. I didn’t see anyone living on the streets.” 

“Ah, I’ve managed to spread knowledge of how to make food pills cheaply, so everyone can easily afford to not starve. After that, Queen Yamuna decided to dedicate a portion of the yearly budget to providing housing to those in need of it. Though, in truth, most of that money is spent on security, not housing. Anyway, what sort of person are you looking for?”

“An ordinary person. Teaching a gifted person how to do great things isn’t really all that informative. I want to know if I can teach an ordinary person to do something that should be impossible. If my plan works on an ordinary person, then obviously it’d work for much more talented people as well.”

“And if it doesn’t work, you can try to figure out what they are missing, so you know what to test for when picking the next student, right?”

“That’s right! You learn quick!”

“I’ve had a hundred years to think about why you chose me. It obviously wasn’t because of any innate talent.”

“Not everyone remembers to think. I’ve seen people spend a hundred years only to be no different at the end, than they were in the beginning. Just older.”

“Well, if you want someone young, there’s an orphanage on the west side of town. If you want someone older… I suppose I could ask someone to help you find someone. I don’t actually know where unemployed adults hang out. As royal physician, I don’t get out much.”

“An orphanage should be fine.”

…

“Bullies, how typical. Hey! What are you doing you brats!”

“Shit! Run!”

Everyone scattered in different directions. They’re clearly used to this. Just one boy left crying on the ground.

“Hey, would you like to leave this place? I’m looking for a student to teach.”

A short explanation later, I left the orphanage with a young boy in my arms, his snot on my robes, as a lady scolded the other children I’d left behind.

***Author Note***

Well, my buffer for this story is completely and utterly dead. Whoops.