Chapter 52 – First Disciple Candidate!
"You don't have to study abroad to understand the outside world."
Renji shook his head. In both his previous life and his current one, he had always lived on this land.
"Then how did you learn so much, Sect Leader Renji?"
Wencai looked a little anxious.
He was trying to find a topic he could talk about with Ren Tingting. But he was just a country bumpkin, and she was a proper young lady—and stunning at that. If he could marry her, that would be perfect.
He had decided to learn from Renji. Then maybe he could have something in common with her.
Beside him, Ren Tingting also blinked her curious eyes at Renji.
"Wencai, how about I send you to study abroad?"
Jiu Shu smiled as he turned to Wencai. If only his disciple cared about cultivation as much as he cared about flirting.
"Really, Master?"
Wencai's face lit up with excitement. He never used to care about going abroad, but now he really wanted to go, just so he could talk to Ren Tingting about foreign things.
"What do you think?"
Jiu Shu's face immediately darkened. He was clearly being sarcastic, and this kid had the nerve to take it seriously?
Is your skin itching for a beating?
"Then I won't go…"
Wencai's expression drooped. Seeing Jiu Shu's look, he didn't dare bring it up again.
Ren Tingting giggled behind her hand. But in Wencai's eyes, he began to suspect—Does she like me? She actually laughed at something I said!
What a simp.
Renji gave Wencai a strange look. If this guy didn't make the list of the Four Legendary Simps, Renji would personally file a complaint. Though, to be fair, the existing ones were all equally outrageous.
But the farce didn't last long. Master Ren soon started discussing the reburial matter with Jiu Shu.
Before his father passed, he had left instructions to exhume and rebury his remains after a certain period. Over the years, their business had been declining, and Master Ren was hoping that relocating the grave might improve the family's feng shui.
"Master Ren, it's best to leave the dead undisturbed. I think you should reconsider this."
Jiu Shu wasn't in favor of reburials. Once someone's been buried properly, moving them again often brought more harm than good.
As he spoke, he gave Renji a look, clearly hoping Renji would also try to dissuade Master Ren.
"Well, that may be… but it's still up to Master Ren, no?"
Renji cleared his throat. He'd caught Jiu Shu's signal, but this really wasn't his business.
It was obvious that Master Ren had already made up his mind. Trying to change it now would be pointless.
"Dad, why do we have to rebury Grandpa? Is there something wrong with his grave?"
By the way… shouldn't you be out buying rouge and powder by now?
Ren Tingting was still here. Technically, she should have already left for her shopping trip.
"Tingting, you don't need to worry about this." Master Ren waved her off wearily. Then he turned to Jiu Shu and said, "Jiu Shu, I'll leave this matter in your hands. Huang Baiwan is waiting to discuss business, so I'll be going now."
"…Very well."
Jiu Shu opened his mouth but couldn't get the words out in the end.
He had wanted to talk Master Ren out of it, but since the decision had already been made, there wasn't much he could do.
"Daoist brother, sometimes it's best to just respect their wishes. Even if we know it's unwise, all we can do is make sure everything else goes smoothly."
"Actually… I just forgot to discuss the fee."
Jiu Shu hesitated for a long time and finally admitted it.
He'd forgotten to talk about payment! Master Ren had just left, and the deal wasn't even finalized!
Of course he understood what Renji meant—he didn't agree with the reburial either. But once someone had made up their mind, there was nothing else to be done.
"Why is reburial a bad thing? Isn't that just superstition?"
Ren Tingting leaned in and asked Renji, her curiosity piqued. She had received a Western education, so she didn't really buy into all this Daoist stuff. In her eyes, it was mostly smoke and mirrors.
She actually hadn't wanted to come when she found out her father and Jiu Shu were discussing things like this.
But in the end, she decided to greet her father, then head off to buy cosmetics. She didn't plan on staying long.
However, Renji's behavior had caught her interest, so she set aside her discomfort for the moment.
In truth, she felt it was a bit of a waste.
Judging by Renji's manners and knowledge, he clearly had a modern education. Why would someone like that become a Daoist?
What a waste of talent.
"It's not superstition. Miss Ren, let me explain—"
"I'm not interested in that stuff."
Poor Wencai.
He was once again the day's unintentional comedian.
He'd wanted to explain that reburial wasn't superstition, but before he could even finish his sentence, Ren Tingting shut him down flat.
"Think of reburial like moving house. If you've lived somewhere a long time, and someone suddenly comes and forces you to move—how would that feel?"
"Not good."
Ren Tingting nodded. That made a certain kind of sense. Even though her grandfather had passed, he had indeed been buried there for years. Moving him now did seem a bit inappropriate.
"As for superstition, that's up to each person's belief. People used to believe the world was flat and the sky was round, didn't they?"
Even in Renji's previous life, there were still some who clung to those beliefs.
"You're too eloquent to be just a Daoist. What a waste of talent."
"Being a Daoist is just a profession like any other. Nothing wasted. I actually quite like it."
Renji genuinely didn't mind his identity.
In times like these, ordinary people were the ones who died the fastest—not only did they have to deal with warlords, but also with supernatural creatures.
"Master, didn't Miss Ren just say she wasn't interested in this stuff?"
"Shut it, you idiot!"
Jiu Shu shot Wencai a glare, helpless inside. She's not uninterested in the topic—she's uninterested in YOU!
If Wencai were as good-looking as Renji, maybe she'd be willing to chat a bit longer.
Thinking of this, Jiu Shu couldn't help but recall his own youth—back then, even stray dogs would give him a second glance. Truly, being handsome had always come with its own problems!
"Miss Ren, if there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave now."
"Alright, let's chat again sometime. Oh, and I'll mention that matter to my father."
After bidding farewell to Renji, Ren Tingting also said a few words to Jiu Shu, clearly referring to the fee Jiu Shu had forgotten to discuss earlier.
Looks like the rouge and powder would have to wait for another day.
"Thank you, Miss Ren. I'll choose an appropriate date for the reburial."
Jiu Shu gave her a grateful look. He had clearly sensed earlier that due to Wencai's behavior, Ren Tingting hadn't thought much of them.
Apparently, it really was Wencai's lack of manners. Ren Tingting was actually a well-mannered girl without the usual temper of a wealthy young lady.
After the four of them parted ways, Wencai nervously glanced at Renji and asked, "Sect Leader Renji… you're not interested in Miss Ren, are you?"
Though Wencai was a bit dumb, he wasn't blind. It was obvious that Ren Tingting had shown some interest in Renji.
Looking at Renji's handsome features, his witty humor, his broad knowledge—Wencai felt like he had no chance competing.
"I've taken a liking to her."
"Ah!?"
It wasn't just Wencai—even Jiu Shu turned with a shocked expression.
What?!
You're being serious, Renji?!
"I don't mean that kind of 'liking.' I'm thinking of taking her as a disciple. I observed her just now—she's quite suited for cultivation."
Her pure yin body was untouched, and her constitution looked promising. She might be a good fit for cultivation.
The Divine Firmament Sect only had him now. He had to take in disciples and rebuild the sect.
"She's definitely a good seedling."
Jiu Shu nodded with understanding. That explained everything.
"Then Master, why don't you take her as your disciple instead?"
Wencai panicked.
If Ren Tingting became Renji's disciple, wouldn't that make it even harder for him to see her? If Jiu Shu accepted her instead, she'd be around all the time. Then maybe, just maybe, he could chase her and marry her—truly a path to success!
"Are you dumb?! Look at my situation—how could I take her as a disciple?!"
Jiu Shu immediately smacked Wencai on the head. This disciple of his would be the death of him.
First off, his place was a mortuary—a place where corpses were stored. How could he ask a young woman to live there?
Second, all his students were men. In a small town like this, if Ren Tingting moved in, people would gossip. Even if he didn't care, he had to consider her reputation.
And Ren Tingting's father would never agree.
On the other hand, Renji didn't live in town. If Ren Tingting was willing to go with him, it would be a far better choice. In times of chaos, it was safer to head into the mountains and cultivate than stay here.
Plus, the Divine Firmament Sect only had Renji left. Was Jiu Shu really going to fight him over disciples?
"Alright…"
Wencai looked even more miserable.
After hearing Jiu Shu's explanation, Renji finally understood why Jiu Shu never took Ren Tingting as a disciple in the movies.
It made sense when you thought about it.
Jiu Shu didn't lack talented students—Qiusheng, for instance, had decent talent. He just didn't take cultivation seriously.
Ren Tingting, though promising, didn't seem all that interested in cultivation. Later, after her father passed, she had to take care of the family business. Naturally, she couldn't devote herself to the Dao.
Besides, even if she were willing, staying at the mortuary would hurt her reputation. And unlike Qiusheng, who could come and go freely, it would be far more dangerous for her.
"Daoist brother, she didn't seem all that interested in cultivation just now."
"That's only for now. I'll make her interested."
"Wait—Daoist brother… you're not planning to seduce her, are you?"
Renji widened his eyes. "What kind of person do you think I am?! Since when does the Divine Firmament Sect need to resort to such methods to recruit disciples?!"
He stared at Jiu Shu in disbelief. How could those words even come out of his mouth?
So this was what Jiu Shu really thought of him?!
"Ahem… Daoist brother, what are we eating today? I'll go buy it."
Jiu Shu felt so awkward he wanted to dig a hole. Why did he even say that?
"No need. Today, I'll treat you."
"How can I accept that, Daoist brother?"
"It's fine. I have something prepared."
Renji pulled Da Huang and Xiao Hei from his sleeve.
Then he reached in again and took out a jar of monkey wine from the Yōkai world and some Sea King meat from the One Piece world.
"What kind of meat is this?"
Jiu Shu looked at the chunk of meat in surprise. He'd never seen anything like it.
It looked delicious, but as a Daoist, he had to ask—there were four animals they didn't eat.
"Fish."
"That big?! Sect Leader Renji, where on earth did you get this?"
Wencai's eyes lit up. He had never seen such a huge cut of fish. He gulped—it looked so tasty.
"From the ocean. I've got some other meats too, but we'll bring them out later. I may need your help preparing them."
"Leave it to me!"
Wencai patted his chest confidently. He wasn't good at much, but he had always cooked at the mortuary. He knew his way around the kitchen.
They stayed at Jiu Shu's mortuary for three days. During that time, Jiu Shu left briefly to confirm the reburial date with Master Ren.
When the day arrived, Jiu Shu donned his yellow Daoist robes and had Wencai and Qiusheng carry the necessary tools as they hurried to the back mountain cemetery.
"Wasn't there a girl named Dong Xiaoyu buried here?"
As Renji passed by a tombstone, he glanced at the name. He had almost forgotten.
Though the ghost girl was pitiful, he figured he should still perform rites and send her off.
Leaving her in the world would only cause harm.
"Sect Leader Renji, we meet again."
Ren Tingting greeted him cheerfully. Since returning to Renjia Town, she had felt out of place—none of the people here really matched her. Even in the county town, she hadn't met anyone quite like Renji—knowledgeable, interesting, cultured.
Even if he was a Daoist, she was bored. Seeing Renji again, she thought she might as well chat with him to pass the time.
"Hey, hey, hey! Who are you?! Dressed like some slick playboy, trying to seduce my cousin and steal my uncle's inheritance?!"
Security captain Ah Wei scowled at Renji. His cousin was being way too friendly with this pale pretty boy. No way he was going to allow that!
(End of Chapter)
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