"I told you she is clever."
Immortal Lu continued to laugh as if he enjoyed every moment of teasing Zhao Yao.
Zhao Yao watched him hatefully for a couple of moments before he also cracked a smile.
'Yes. Merry is clever."
It sucked to get kicked there, but it was much better than he thought. He will take this any day instead of getting controlled by an aphrodisiac.
His mind sharpened as he regained his confidence.
'Zhao Ping, you bastard. You tried to do something nasty even this Yao from Earth hates. Wait till I plot my revenge.'
The memories made him feel pain in 'that' part, but it also gave him ideas. Most importantly, he was innocent, and that changed a lot of things.
'Blaming after forcing someone to commit a mistake was different from blaming someone who didn't commit any crime.' Zhao Yao's smile widened.
"You are smiling, and even your aura changed. The depressive aura disappeared, huh." Immortal Lu said as he inspected the second leg piece, just like looking at a piece of art to find any imperfection. He took a long time to cook that, making Zhao Yao wonder about his disposition.
A powerful cultivator like Immortal Lu could cook anything faster. But ever since he woke up, Immortal Lu cooked with full attention like he was a mortal.
"Muaaaahh."
Merry cried, facing the leftover parts of the rabbit beast.
'Can she sniff?' Zhao Yao wondered. He went over and pulled the Merp with the leash. He didn't want a herbivore like her dealing with flesh. After dissolving his internal conflict, he didn't feel much hatred for the kick he got.
'I shouldn't waste time. I need to start cultivating fast and plan my next moves.'
Zhao Yao walked to the front of Immortal Lu and kneeled.
"Immortal Lu, please teach me. Please accept me as your disciple." Zhao Yao said aloud with determination and did the usual trick of kowtowing.
"Disciple?" Immortal Lu was stunned by his display. "Why should I?"
'Damn.' Zhao Yao felt like cursing, but he restrained his thoughts as he feared Immortal Lu reading his mind. 'Is he questioning my eligibility?'
Zhao Yao knew that he was a cripple with no cultivation and had no status. He had no selling point that could attract a powerful cultivator to take him in. Except...EMOTIONS.
He had to play it right.
"Immortal Lu. You told me that you are an 'old' friend of mine. You have become strong and almighty, while this friend of yours had died and lives surrounded by danger." Zhao kept his kowtowed position as he said.
"I am just a weak reincarnation who knows nothing. I can't cultivate, but I am sure you can find a solution to that. I don't have anyone to love me. My family wants to destroy me. I need help and guidance." Zhao Yao paused before throwing the final nail.
"Immortal Lu, you are not the selfish type who leaves behind their friends who need help. Right?"
Zhao Yao then sneakily took a peek of Immortal Lu.
"This..."Immortal Lu sat there with his eyes wide open. "Why become a disciple? I never took disciples."
This Zhao Yao got surprised. 'Immortal Lu didn't have any disciples?' This was exactly similar to the chosen disciple scenarios he usually used.
"How can I seek guidance from you without giving you proper respect? It is a commitment for a lifetime." Zhao Yao tried to persuade. "Why don't you try taking a disciple? Considering your vast knowledge and power, it will be a waste if you didn't. So why not me?"
"You are just like the Zhao brat. Nagging and persistent." Immortal Lu then shook his head. "Once you decided something, you won't give up, huh."
Zhao Yao prayed as he remained in the kowtowing position. If Immortal Lu didn't accept, then at least he had to try to get some help like a cultivation technique or an artifact. Going back to the Zhao clan without Immortal Lu's help will be worse than jumping off a cliff.
Zhao Yao believed becoming Immortal Lu's disciple was the best path he could choose.
Firstly, he needed guidance and companionship. He had written many novels with iron-willed protagonists who adventure alone facing problems with courage. He wrote them because he wanted to be like them, not because he was like them.
A mysterious powerful cultivator who coincidently helped was like announcing.
'Hi, I am your future Master.'
Zhao Yao did expect someone more ghost-like, but this was fine too.
Immortal Lu rubbed his jaws lost in thoughts.
After some time, he talked.
"Even though the Zhao brat was sometimes annoying, he was interesting. I don't want to see you surrounded by danger. Zhao Yao, raise your head."
Zhao Yao rose with a smile seeing his efforts paid off.
"But I have some conditions."
"Conditions?" Zhao Yao's smile froze, and his heartbeats started increasing.
"I will help and guide you, but..." Immortal Lu smiled. "You have to tell me more about the world you come from."
'What? Is that it?' Zhao sighed and immediately agreed.
"Sure."
"You have to tell me more stories like the one before."
"Sure."
"You have to tell me about the unique things found in your world."
"Sure."
"And you need to..." Immortal Lu's smile turned into embarrassment as he struggled to say the last demand. "...tell about the changes happened in this world."
"This...Sure." Zhao found it absurd, but it matched the bizarreness of Immortal Lu, who claimed to be alive more than 500,000 years.
But the weird aspect is, Zhao Yao, felt like he was the master who accepted a disciple. Immortal Lu wanted him to teach more than what he wanted to learn from the other.
'Who is the Master here? And who is teaching whom?'
Zhao Yao thoughts got interrupted by Immortal Lu's words.
"Zhao Yao, I accept you as my formal disciple. I will guide you to your future cultivation goal." Immortal Lu said and his face showed his happiness.
Zhao Yao's face brightened, and his eyes teared up. He, who created countless cultivators, was finally taking his own step into the world of cultivation.
'This is the time I should kowtow.'
Zhao Yao kowtowed to his master three times.
"That's enough. Rise up Yao'er."
Zhao Yao stood up.
'Yao'er? That sounded like a girl's name.' He didn't say anything as he didn't want to spoil the mood.
The cave became silent very soon as Immortal Lu went back to giving final touches to his leg piece.
'Nothing? No cultivation manual or gifts.' Zhao Yao felt anxious and questioned himself. 'Not even telling how to repair my body so I can start cultivating?'
"Master."
"What is it, Yao'er?"
"I was wondering whether you have any welcome gift for this disciple." Zhao took the courage to ask.
"Welcome gift. huh." Immortal Lu pondered.
He then looked at his grey robe and chuckled. "I guess I don't have anything... On second thought, I do have something."
Zhao Yao observed his Master's action with expectation.
Soon his hope shattered after seeing the thing his Master offered.
Instead of a Heavenly cultivation manual, or a God tier artifact, Zhao Yao was offered the Rabbit leg his Master was cooking.
Zhao Yao took a deep breath to calm himself down. He wanted to refuse, but...
Seeing the large roasted beast leg covered in oil, and smelling the rich aroma that waffled his nose, Zhao Yao's stomach kicked the crap out of his brain and took control.
He usually forgets hunger when he was concentrated on his stories, writing continuously for hours without rest.
Seeing the meat reminded him of his hunger and he forgot about everything else.
With a smile, he took the roasted leg from his master and took a bite. Even without any spice, the taste of the meat was the best he ever ate. He closed his eyes and submerged in the euphoria. When he opened his eyes, he saw his Master watching him eat with an amusing smile.
"Master, you didn't have any? Let's split this."
Immortal Lu smiled. "I already ate one leg. It's always great seeing someone else enjoy what you made." He then picked up a foreleg and started preparing.
'Yes, it's always great to see someone enjoy what you made.' Zhao Yao agreed as he remembered his career on Earth.
*************
Thus, the Weird Master-Disciple team had the first of their numerous campfire meals together.