The setting sun cast its light on Sun Mo's face. On the side, Lu Zhiruo was biting her lips, praying for him in her heart.
"There's a flaw in your character."
All sorts of data on Xuanyuan Po appeared right before Sun Mo.
"Hah, what are you talking about?"
Qin Fen let out a stifled laugh, thinking that Sun Mo was trying to fool others.
"You cultivate the Prairie Blazing Fire Spear Technique which pursues pressing forward courageously, fighting to one's last breath!"
Sun Mo ignored Qin Fen.
Xuanyuan Po's eyes lit up, and he started to pay attention. "Please go on!"
"He knows about Xuanyuan Po's spear technique?"
Qin Fen was astonished and his heart beat fiercely, almost jumping out from his throat.
To be honest, Qin Fen didn't recognize the technique.
(No, Sun Mo must have seen it by chance before. It must be a coincidence! There's no way that he has more experience than me, a graduate from Jixia Learning Palace!)
"To reach the apex in spear art, one must comprehend the state of 'one with the spear', but your character is too indecisive for it."
Grandmaster-grade Divine Sight could list out the target's strengths and weaknesses. After Sun Mo sorted through the data, he came up with this conclusion.
Xuanyuan Po sank into deep thought.
At the sight of this, Qin Fen felt anxious. "Don't listen to his gibberish. Youngsters like you tend to have an unstable temperament. You'll naturally become firm and decisive after you gain more experiences in life."
"Look, you're hesitating right now!" Sun Mo pointed out.
Before Sun Mo finished his words, Qin Fen bellowed furiously, "Shut up. You call this guidance? This is a hoax."
The two intern teachers were shocked. Qin Fen had always appeared refined and calm in front of others. They hadn't expected that he would have such a crazy side to him as well.
It did make sense. If they were in his shoes, watching as the prey that had gotten into their hands being snatched away, they wouldn't be in a good temper either.
"What you said isn't right. I'm unafraid of death. My spear technique is very forceful, not giving up until my last breath."
Xuanyuan Po shook his head.
"What does 'unafraid of death' have to do with your indecisiveness? I'm saying that you shouldn't be indecisive in your daily life or when you come in contact with others."
Sun Mo explained. "Have you heard of a saying before?"
"What?"
Xuanyuan Po was curious.
"Sometimes, living on requires greater courage than committing suicide does!"
Sun Mo recalled his classmate from university who hadn't been able to withstand the pressure from life. He had committed suicide in a bid to escape from reality.
Xuanyuan Po was stunned. Memories from his past surged out from the depths of his mind, and his expression turned extremely solemn.
"Xuanyuan Po, he's just trying to dupe you. What that can help you grow is still one's teaching capabilities. You can ask him if he has the confidence to beat me in this aspect."
Qin Fen felt unsettled.
On the other hand, Lu Zhiruo clenched her small fists and shuddered nervously.
Sun Mo stopped talking. He kept his right hand behind his back and his left on the wooden blade, his eyes looking at Xuanyuan Po calmly. No matter how much he wanted a genius disciple, he mustn't lose his front as a teacher.
Sun Mo didn't want to howl out in exasperation like Qin Fen.
Xuanyuan Po looked at Sun Mo and then at Qin Fen. Smiling, he lowered his head and stroked the marks on his spear. "You're right. I indeed have an indecisive character."
"Xuanyuan Po, don't listen to his gibberish." Seeing him like this, Qin Fen became anxious. "If you want to become a spear saint, other than talent, you'll also need to rely on a tremendous amount of resources. I can provide you with these."
Qin Fen made his offer, trying to tempt him.
"Teacher, he's tempted. Quickly say something!"
Lu Zhiruo mumbled softly.
However, Sun Mo didn't say anything, knowing that silence had a greater prowess in this situation. Moreover, he hadn't stopped with his psychological battle. He had calculated the place at which he was standing right now, and he happened to have his back against the setting sun.
From Xuanyuan Po's angle, the orange-red evening glow was casting down on Sun Mo, making his disposition stand out even more.
The old principal from No.2 High School had once said that as a teacher, one's disposition was very important. One must learn to make use of the environment to build up the atmosphere and influence the students.
"That can't be. This kid is going to choose Sun Mo?"
The two intern teachers didn't even dare to breathe too heavily as they watched this. However, they also admitted that Sun Mo's words were very provocative.
Qin Fen was anxious and his eyes turned red, but he still could think rationally. He wanted to let Xuanyuan Po understand that Sun Mo's teaching capabilities were lacking. Therefore, his gaze landed on Lu Zhiruo.
"Are you his personal disciple?"
Qin Fen questioned.
Lu Zhiruo backed off in surprise, shrinking her neck back. Her gaze started to dart around as she had the urge to find somewhere to hide.
(Haha, my gamble's right. I knew it!)
Qin Fen was laughing hard in his heart. Working with the principle of 'taking someone's life while he was sick', he continued with his questioning.
"Sun Mo, it seems like you treat her very well. Are you not taking her as your disciple because you feel that you're incapable and don't want to hinder her, or does she not care for you?"
This question was very cutting.
Xuanyuan Po looked toward Lu Zhiruo, and she panicked even more. Feeling nervous and afraid that she'd hold up Sun Mo's affair, tears started trickling down her face.
"Don't be scared!" Sun Mo turned and walked up to Lu Zhiruo, rubbing her head. "Even if I don't manage to recruit Xuanyuan Po, I won't blame you. You don't have to blame yourself!"
"Teacher Sun!"
Lu Zhiruo felt like she was lying on bedsheets that had been sunned after hearing Sun Mo's gentle voice. Her entire body relaxed and then she bit her lips, dropping to her knees.
"Teacher Sun Mo, student Lu Zhiruo makes a bold request for you to take me as your disciple!"
Lu Zhiruo kowtowed.
"What?"
Qin Fen and the two intern teachers were greatly astonished. They had thought that Qin Fen had managed to turn the tables around, but hadn't expected that his trump card turned out to be one that killed himself.
"Zhiruo, you don't have to do this for my sake." Sun Mo bent over and took Lu Zhiruo's arm. "Get up!"
"No, this is out of my own accord!"
Lu Zhiruo continued to stay down. Her forehead pressed down on the grass, and she could smell the dust. That was right. She had come out to learn, so why didn't she understand things?
Her father said that she was trash. She had traveled long distances but wasn't able to meet the great teachers she had visited. She had taken many tests and also asked some seniors, all of which proved that she had an extremely bad aptitude. However, she still had the wishful thought of learning under a great teacher...
During the journey, Sun Mo was the one who had treated her the best. He had given her osmanthus cake, pear blossom candy, hot buns, and a place to stay...
The teachers she had visited in the past all despised her aptitude, but what Sun Mo was first worried about was her feelings.
The funny thing was that she had waited for so long. She should have asked to become his disciple a long time ago.
At the thought of this, Lu Zhiruo straightened her back and then gave another hard kowtow.
Bang!
"Teacher Sun, please take me in as your student!"
Lu Zhiruo was very sincere.
"Are you crazy? You aren't going to consider your future?"
Qin Fen cried out. What was this?
"Have you really considered things thoroughly?"
Sun Mo's tone was solemn.
"Yes!"
Although it was a simple reply, it was the most serious one that Lu Zhiruo had ever given in her life.
"Alright then, I'll take you in as my disciple!"
Sun Mo smiled. He still remembered the horrible data belonging to Lu Zhiruo, but why did that matter? Since she couldn't become a great master in martial arts, then she could just aim to develop in other directions. He had always believed that as long as a person put their heart into things, any student would be able to shine.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Lu Zhiruo gave three hard kowtows and then stood up. A smile broke out on her tear-stricken innocent face.
"Haha!"
Sun Mo lifted his hand and wiped off the dust on Lu Zhiruo's forehead.
"Teacher!"
This 'teacher' sounded very sweet, and the meaning it represented was also different from before.
"En!"
Sun Mo answered, feeling that there was suddenly an additional responsibility on his shoulder now.
"You guys..."
Qin Fen wanted to say that this was an act meant to dupe Xuanyuan Po, but he didn't dare to do so. It was because in Middle-Earth's nine provinces, 'formal acknowledgment of one as their teacher' was something that mustn't be faked. Once discovered, the people involved would be banished to the Darkness Continent, with no possibility of getting saved in their lifetime.
"Haha!"
Xuanyuan Po broke out into a loud laugh and then carried his silver spear, walking toward Sun Mo in huge strides.
"Are you crazy?"
Qin Fen reached out his hand, wanting to pull Xuanyuan Po back. But how could he possibly stop something like this from happening?
"Teacher Sun Mo, please accept my bow!"
The sight of Xuanyuan Po, with his height of over 1.8 meters and a muscular body, was as if a mountain of gold had been pushed and jade pillars had been toppled, as he dropped to his knees. When he smashed his forehead to the ground, it was as though some kind of metal was clanking.
"You still have a chance to regret your decision!"
Sun Mo didn't put on a proud front but asked him again. If the student was going to regret in the future, then it'd be better off that they didn't establish this relationship in the first place.
"I, Xuanyuan Po, won't ever regret the things I say and do!"
Xuanyuan Po recalled Sun Mo's assessment of him. It was true that he should be more decisive about things. Since he had already done it, then he shouldn't regret his decisions. He bowed once again. "Please grant me my wish, teacher!"
"Alright, I'll take you in as my disciple!"
After Sun Mo said that, Xuanyuan Po gave three loud kowtows.
"You guys..."
The sight of this scene agitated Qin Fen. He had a strong urge to hammer Sun Mo's head and smash it. He wasn't able to accept such a defeat.
"My god!"
The two intern teachers were so shocked that their jaws dropped to the ground. How could Xuanyuan Po acknowledge an intern teacher like Sun Mo as his master? This was too unbelievable!
"Senior Martial Sister!"
Xuanyuan Po smiled at Lu Zhiruo. Over the one year plus, he had been fretting over such trivial matters. Now that he had acknowledged a teacher and things were decided, he followed what Sun Mo said, no longer being irresolute. He threw away all those things.
Just as he tossed away those thoughts, Xuanyuan Po immediately felt his entire body relaxing. The bottleneck that he had been in for several months now showed signs of breaking through.
Xuanyuan Po felt that he might have acknowledged a talented teacher!
"I... I..."
Lu Zhiruo instantly felt at a loss and subconsciously hid behind Sun Mo. To think that there'd come a day where she'd be called senior martial sister, what a strange feeling! However, more of her feelings was that of horror and anxiety. She was worried that she might not be able to do well in this position, to be a good example to her martial junior!
"Alright, things are over now. Let's go and have a meal to celebrate!"
Sun Mo felt very happy to have gained two personal disciples in one go, one of which was a genius. This was an exhilarating feeling.
"I have gained some insights and want to meditate on it!"
Xuanyuan Po reported and then sat down in lotus position.
Sun Mo had no other choice. He couldn't possibly leave by himself and thus could only wait.
The two intern teachers exchanged a glance, not knowing if they should go offer their congratulations or not. At this moment, Gu Xiuxun appeared in her blue robes.