The two Elders were left alone with the destroyed hut while Qiu Ling was led to the palace standing on the highest peak of the Yun Zou Sect. Seeing the imposing building before him, Qiu Ling nodded with satisfaction. Yes, this was what he had imagined! Nobody could expect him to live in a rundown hut but he wouldn’t say anything against living here. This was suitable for his status.

Zhangsun Xun Yi landed in front of the gate and turned to look at Qiu Ling. Seeing that his new disciple had managed to keep up with him, he nodded in satisfaction. Very well, he hadn’t judged him wrongly. He might not have used his fastest possible speed to get here but it had still been faster than most disciples that age would be able to go. Keeping up nonetheless was a sign that this young man had a promising future ahead of him.

After all, using a sword and being able to strike powerfully were not the only things one needed to know to be a good practitioner. Being able to move swiftly and to defend were just as important. His disciple had already shown that he had power when he collapsed that hut and now it seemed that his speed was also satisfactory. He would still need to see about his defensive capabilities and some other features that would be necessary to truly master the sword arts but this boy was definitely worth teaching. That much he could already say.

Zhangsun Xun Yi nodded at Qiu Ling to show his appreciation. "I will bring you to my study first to officially make you my disciple."

Qiu Ling nodded absentmindedly and followed him into the palace. Looking around inside, he nodded to himself again. The impression the building had made from outside still held true. It was spacious and tastefully decorated. Really the perfect place for him to live for the time he had to spend in this second-rate sect!

It was no surprise for the palace to look like this. Zhangsun Xun Yi was nobody who liked gaudy things but he tended to get presented with gifts whenever he met with high-level cultivators and he felt that it would have been impolite to store them away where nobody could see them so he displayed them in his palace instead. If those people ever visited, they could stroll through the building and search for the gifts they had left behind.

Zhangsun Xun Yi didn’t pay these things any mind and directly walked to his study. He went to sit down behind his table and motioned at the tea set standing to the side.

Qiu Ling poured a cup and sipped the tea while examining the room, lost in his thoughts. Mn, this Grandmaster’s lifestyle wasn’t too shabby. He wouldn’t need to be embarrassed when he invited his beloved over.

Zhangsun Xun Yi watched how Qiu Ling drank the tea and his brows furrowed further. He cleared his throat to get his attention and motioned at the tea set again.

Qiu Ling looked at the tea set, then at the half-filled cup in his hands, and finally, back to his Master. "The tea is good, yes."

Zhangsun Xun Yi’s brows twitched before they reverted to his usual frown. It seemed this boy didn’t understand the traditions very well. He would definitely need to teach him about this. "It’s customary to offer your Master a cup of tea."

Qiu Ling blinked his eyes. "So you want me to bring you a few tea leaves as a gift when I leave the next time?"

Zhangsun Xun Yi’s mouth opened but he failed to respond. Was it always this difficult to talk to one’s disciple? Maybe he had been too rash in taking this boy in.

When he didn’t get an answer, Qiu Ling couldn’t help but get a little anxious. His future with Jing He depended on his connection to this man! He couldn’t let him get angry! Who would hold off all these senior martial brothers then? And who could promise him that he wouldn’t try to take in Jing He as his disciple too, making that disgusting love story Fu Min and Ai Hua had been going on about come true?! He had to do something to prevent this!

Qiu Ling furrowed his brows and sifted through his spatial ring. Had anyone given him tea leaves before? He would’ve certainly thrown them inside there! Finally, he found a bag with something inside that looked a lot like leaves. He couldn’t remember when he had gotten it or who had given it to him but who cared? It definitely hadn’t been his beloved and it shouldn’t be something his beloved liked either, so it wouldn’t be a loss if he gave it away. He took the bag out of his spatial ring and held it in front of Grandmaster Zhangsun’s face. "Will these do?"

Zhangsun Xun Yi glanced at the bag and then looked up at Qiu Ling. Never mind for now that his disciple seemed to have happened upon one of the rare spatial rings … It seemed he was completely serious about offering him tea leaves? He sighed and lightly shook his head.

Qiu Ling frowned at the bag. Whoever had given this to him should have chosen more carefully. His Master didn’t even like it! What use did this thing have now? He should just throw it away.

Zhangsun Xun Yi motioned at his tea set again. "There is no need to gift me tea leaves. It is merely customary for someone who wants to become a disciple to pour a cup of tea for their future Master. So it will suffice to pour me a normal cup of tea."

"Oh." Qiu Ling threw the bag with the tea leaves that he was still holding onto the table and grabbed the teapot again, pouring a second cup of tea and bringing it over to Zhangsun Xun Yi. "You should have said so sooner."

Once again that day, the Grandmaster’s brows twitched. He still accepted the cup and drank the tea. Even though communicating with his new disciple was rather strenuous, they wouldn’t need many words after the first few days. When that time came, they could just speak with their swords.