Apprentice?
The old painter's expression didn't seem like he was joking.
However, Lu Yu thought for a moment and refused.
"I already have a master. How can I take you as my master too? No, no."
"Your master is definitely not as skilled as me. It's fine if you switch masters."
The old painter said indifferently.
"Once a teacher, always a father. If I betrayed my master just because he isn't as skilled as you, I'm afraid I would have sleepless nights and become consumed by guilt, forever unable to progress."
Lu Yu said.
"Hahaha, I didn't expect this little kid to be so persistent. Alright, forget it. You'll regret missing out on such a great opportunity later."
The old painter shook his head and laughed.
With his personality, even if Lu Yu betrayed his master and took him as his teacher, he wouldn't care.
Because he was eccentric and didn't care about these rules.
Of course, he wouldn't force Lu Yu if he wasn't willing.
"A missed opportunity means it wasn't meant to be. What's there to regret?"
Lu Yu said softly.
"That's quite insightful. It's rare to see someone your age with such comprehension. Your master truly found a good disciple."
The old painter sighed, then said, "Then grill me two more fat fish to soothe my mood after failing to acquire a disciple."
"Okay."
The reason Lu Yu refused to become a disciple was not because he looked down on the old painter, but because he had too many secrets. If he took a master like the old painter, his secrets would be exposed.
That would inevitably bring trouble.
As long as he could obtain the objects of fortune, he could continuously acquire items from the heavens to strengthen himself. He didn't lack resources.
Therefore, becoming a disciple was more risky than beneficial, which is why he wasn't willing.
As the sun began to set, Lu Yu bid farewell to the old painter and went home.
As soon as he arrived home, he saw Huang Rong bringing vegetables, saying she wanted to eat the fish he grilled.
This had been agreed upon yesterday morning, so Lu Yu wasn't surprised.
A meal of grilled fish satisfied Huang Rong.
In this early autumn season, having a grilled fish meal was indeed a treat.
After dinner, Lu Yu, the cook, earned the right to not wash the dishes and watched Huang Rong washing them in the kitchen.
Suddenly, he felt like he was already married.
Thinking about it, Lu Yu shook his head with a smile.
It was too early to be thinking about marriage at this time.
However, their relationship had indeed become closer in recent days, gradually exceeding the bounds of friendship.
"What are you thinking about?"
Huang Rong, having finished washing the dishes, returned to see Lu Yu looking at her. Her face turned red, and she asked softly.
Lu Yu shook his head and smiled, "Nothing. Let's go, I'll walk you back."
"Okay."
As they walked back to the inn, they continued to chat about everything under the sun, from poetry and prose to tales of the martial world. Their hearts drew closer.
This time, as always, passed quickly.
Seeing the inn's door, Huang Rong felt a tinge of reluctance.
Fortunately, they saw each other every day, so this reluctance was largely mitigated.
Early the next morning, in the courtyard of the Tongfu Inn.
"Little Lu, your martial arts talent is truly a blow to my ego. You've already achieved mastery of the Sunflower Acupuncture Hand within a single day?"
Lu Yu was showcasing his training results in front of Bai Zhantang, who had delivered the fish.
This demonstration made Bai Zhantang feel a little heartbroken.
"It's all thanks to the secret manual you gave me. It's extremely detailed, otherwise I wouldn't have learned so quickly."
Lu Yu laughed.
"If that manual was really so effective, I would have been a Grandmaster long ago."
Bai Zhantang complained.
"With your talent, Big Brother Bai, now that you've started practicing again, it won't be long before you break through to the Grandmaster realm."
"Hehe, I think so too."
Bai Zhantang laughed.
He rose to fame at a young age, a true genius.
Now that he had the motivation to practice martial arts again, his progress would naturally be swift.
"Woooo, it's unfair, you won't let me go out and play."
At that moment, Mo Xiaobai walked in from the lobby crying, holding paper and pen, clearly having just been scolded by Tong Xiangyu.
"Xiaobai, the proprietress is doing it for your own good. Didn't you hear Old Xing say that a group of bandits came to Mount Cuiwei recently, built a Black Wind Fort, and are extremely vicious.
Several escort agencies were robbed by them, and several people died."
Bai Zhantang said when he saw this.
"I'm not going inside to play, what's wrong with just staying in the outer areas? Besides, what's there to be afraid of with just a small Black Wind Fort? I'm the granddaughter of the Hengshan sect's Grandmaster Mo Da! They dare to touch me?"
Mo Xiaobai said defiantly.
In this world of combined martial arts, Mo Xiaobai had become the granddaughter of Grandmaster Mo Da, so the Hengshan sect was still quite powerful and had a high reputation in the martial world.
"Grandmaster Mo is thousands of miles away, he can't save you. Besides, when your grandpa came over the year before last, he specifically told you to stay here and not cause trouble. Yet you're still causing trouble."
"Hmph! I don't care! I haven't been out to play in a long time. Big Brother Bai, why don't you take me out to play.
You're the Thief Saint, are you afraid of these bandits?"
"I'm scared! Of course I'm scared. You don't know how cowardly your Big Brother Bai is."
"You're useless! I don't know how you roamed the martial world back then! I'm not talking to you anymore!"
Mo Xiaobai snorted coldly and turned back to her room.
Bai Zhantang laughed at this, not minding.
This brat, causing trouble every day, she'll be fine soon.
"There are bandits on Mount Cuiwei?"
Lu Yu said in surprise.
"Yeah, they just came recently. We only heard about it yesterday from Old Xing. This group of bandits has around a hundred people, they're not easy to deal with.
If we want to clear them out, we'll definitely need to find reinforcements from Guangyang Prefecture, otherwise the county government won't be able to handle it.
They say this group of bandits are extremely vicious, they've already robbed tens of thousands of taels of goods."
"So, they're quite wealthy."
"Little Lu, your words imply you want to steal from the thieves?"
"Big Brother Bai, do you want to join in?"
"No! I've retired from the martial world, I don't do things like that. You better not go either, a hundred bandits, they're not easy to deal with."
Bai Zhantang quickly said.
With their combined strength, they might be able to wipe out Black Wind Fort, but they would inevitably have to kill people.
He didn't want to kill, so he naturally wasn't willing to go.
Lu Yu didn't insist.
"Hey hey hey! Huilan is starting a martial arts competition, do you want to go see it?"
At that moment, Li Dazui suddenly ran over and asked.
"Huilan?"
Lu Yu was surprised.
"Yesterday, a father and daughter came to the inn, they're travelling around challenging people to duels to find a husband for their daughter. The girl's name is Yang Huilan. Dazui is smitten, he likes her, so he's been paying close attention to her."
Bai Zhantang, thinking Lu Yu didn't know Yang Huilan, briefly introduced her.
Lu Yu wasn't unfamiliar with her, but he was surprised that Yang Huilan had arrived so quickly.
"Hehe, you put it that way, I feel a bit embarrassed. Old Bai, Little Lu, maybe I'll be inviting you both to my wedding in a few days."
Li Dazui's face actually showed a hint of shyness.
"I think you're delusional. That Yang Huilan is a peak First-Rate realm expert, you haven't even learned martial arts, how can you win?"
Huang Rong, hearing this, also walked out from the kitchen and chided.