Baili Chao couldn’t help but think back to the past. When he took in Zhi Guan as his first disciple, the boy didn’t care much about cultivation. What he wanted to learn were sword arts and pretty much only that. He had done what was required though and it had worked out quite well. Usually, it didn’t take long for him to learn a technique and with his high perception, actually using it in a fight was even more of a breeze.
At that time, he had thought that he was a very good Master and that his ability to teach disciples had to be off the charts. Yes, he had been proud of that success and hadn’t been against taking in disciples as much anymore.
Thus, when he met Yan Hong Min, he hadn’t worried too much. He had taken him back and tried to teach him. The result … well, the fact that his third disciple had a higher level than his second likely spoke leagues.
He hadn’t been able to teach Yan Hong Min much. It wasn’t that his second disciple was stupid. On the contrary. Between the four of them, Yan Hong Min was likely the smartest. The problem was that he genuinely didn’t care. His whole focus was on developing his spiritual tools and many of them were useless garbage.
Seeing that outcome with his second disciple had really been a blow to the pride he had originally developed. He could still tell himself that the problem was his disciple though and thus didn’t hesitate too much either when he took in Luo Lin.
Of course, Luo Lin’s success couldn’t be attributed to him either. He had raised his level doing couple cultivation with those senior martial brothers of the sect or whoever he met when out on a mission. As for skills … well, he apparently picked them up on the side because those youngsters all liked showing off in front of him.
As his Master, where could Baili Chao put his face? He didn’t need to teach that youth at all and he admittedly felt awkward asking about his progress because he knew where it came from. Thus, he finally stopped inquiring and simply let him go.
At that time, he had decided that he likely wouldn’t take in another disciple. But then, seeing Yun Bei Fen, he couldn’t help but feel that fate was at play or maybe he simply had a penchant for saving children in need. Either way, he couldn’t watch him stand there lonely in the doorway so the decision was made.
Needless to say, he hadn’t been very successful as his Master and while he liked to say that it was because Yun Bei Fen’s comprehension ability was poor, there was clearly more to it: He wasn’t the right person to teach him.
No, maybe that didn’t go far enough. Out of four of his disciples, two had made themselves into successful cultivators without much of his help. The other two were a bit of a disappointment in that regard but one was able to forge more useful spiritual tools by now and would raise his level whenever he felt it was necessary for his latest experiments while the other was still young and finally making some progress now that he was out on his first mission and had other people’s help.
He had simply had no part in making any of them into what they were today. Rather than that, he only seemed responsible for getting them to the place where they had to be in order to grow into themselves. Realizing this … it was a harsh blow.
He watched Yun Bei Fen interact with the red priest and couldn’t help but wonder if it would do the youth any good to stay with him. Maybe rather than making him return to their valley in the Teng Yong Sect with him after the war was hopefully won, he should make alternative arrangements for Yun Bei Fen.
Who knew? He might benefit from that and grow further both as a person and as a cultivator. He sure could use some more maturity and independence going forward.
Baili Chao tried to imagine that kind of future and could only sigh to himself. He might not originally have intended to take in a disciple and he might not have done a good job teaching and raising him but he still loved all of his disciples. To imagine that Yun Bei Fen wouldn’t be staying with them in the future … it really pained him.
Also, he had to admit that he would be worried. As he was now, Yun Bei Fen was like a small bunny curiously scuttling over the meadow, completely unaware that there were a million dangers laying in wait around him. If there was nobody to defend against those, would his little disciple even come back alive? Truthfully, he didn’t have much trust in that.
No, if Yun Bei Fen was supposed to grow up, he couldn’t just throw him out on his own and hope that he would make it. He’d have to make careful arrangements. For example, wouldn’t it be nice for all the disciples to go out together? In fact, not just Yun Bei Fen but his second disciple would also benefit from that.
Baili Chao nodded to himself. Yes, yes, this seemed like the perfect idea to pursue. Well, not immediately, of course. They first needed to win the war against the demonic practitioners and prevent them from doing whatever it was they were trying to accomplish.
But then, he believed that it was best to stay hopeful and trust that they would be able to do that. Part of that would always be to make plans for afterward. Well, it wasn’t like he currently had anything else to do either way. Somehow, even though he was an Elder of the sect, he had been completely relegated to the side while his disciples had become important cornerstones of the plans they were making. It was odd to watch and yet, he was also a bit proud of them.
