As Feng Yongrui flew to the Sect, he chatted with the System, the main culprit behind this whole incident.
"Speak! Tell me, how did the medium ranked task suddenly become 'extra hard'? And why is there a penalty? Explain everything to me clearly, or I won't be polite anymore!" Feng Yongrui was really upset this time.
"Host... For every 'medium' and 'hard' task, there is a 5% chance for it to upgrade into an 'extra hard' task or an 'extra super hard' task. For tasks above the 'hard' level, the reward is 10 points, and there is a penalty for failure," The System summarized everything in one go.
"Why didn't you tell me such an important thing, huh??" Feng Yongrui enunciated every word with anger.
"Host, the probability of a task upgrading is only 5%, which means it's close to zero. Therefore, the System deemed the information as unnecessary and forgot to tell the Host~"
Feng Yongrui was on the verge of exploding, but he held it in. "Heh, don't think I don't know how bad you are... You definitely didn't tell me about this because you wanted me to get into trouble, right?"
"Host... please do not slander the System..." The System's pitiful voice rang in his ear.
Feng Yongrui wasn't buying it and he didn't feel sorry for the System at all. From the moment the System upgraded the task and told him he couldn't switch targets, Feng Yongrui couldn't help feeling that something was wrong, but he couldn't point out what it was.
He had the feeling that the System was just playing with him, but he didn't understand why it would do so.
Feng Yongrui ignored the System -- he was still angry at it -- and landed in his Mountain Peak. It was noon, so he called his two disciples and began speaking as he had planned.
Previously, Feng Yongrui had spent some time in the library organizing his thoughts and his lesson plans. Now, he was thoroughly ready. The two disciples stood and listened respectfully, nodding from time to time.
First, Feng Yongrui explained the rules of the Immortal Sect such as no bullying or infighting, certain forbidden areas they shouldn't go to, and so much more. Next, Feng Yongrui explained the rules in his Mountain Peak.
"Unlike other elders, I'm not very strict," Feng Yongrui explained while putting a mature and cold face. "You don't have to greet me or speak too formally with me. However, there are certain rules that I have; since you'll be staying in my home, you have to abide by these rules."
"You both have to be awake by 7 o'clock, and your curfew is 9 o'clock. This means you have to be in bed by nine, and you're not allowed to play video games, I mean, cultivate, late into the night. Physical health is very important and you shouldn't mess up your circadian rhythm."
Once Feng Yongrui started, he was like a cannonball rapidly firing one shot after another. He was in full "teacher mode".
"You both should have three meals a day, which should include vegetables and fruits filled with nutritious vitamins. You are not allowed to be picky eaters," Feng Yongrui said.
"Your mental health is also important and should not be neglected. If any of you have any problems or issues that is disturbing your heart, come to me immediately. Even though I did not study psychology, I know a thing or two. Remember that when we cultivators have problems in our minds, it is very dangerous as it can become a heart demon."
"Also! In my Mountain Peak, harmony between disciples is a very, very important factor (to complete my task)," Feng Yongrui stressed this point and looked at Hou Renshu and Ma Bo pointedly. Of course, he whispered the latter half very quietly.
"Other peaks might not pay this much attention to disciple harmony, but I want you two to become the best of friends (so that I can get my points)."
"If you two encounter problems or start becoming hostile to each other, I hope you will let me know, so that we can settle the matter peacefully. Remember that I care about you two -- 'a teacher for a day, a master for a lifetime, and a father forever.' I hope you remember this."
"I care about you both equally. You two are my disciples and I don't want anything to happen to you both," Feng Yongrui stressed this point also. Even though one was the protagonist and the other was the villain, Feng Yongrui did not want to be biased towards either one of them.
Regardless of their role in the original story, now they were his disciples. Nothing less, nothing more. He would do his best to be impartial.
"Another thing I want you both to know is that no matter what, you should prioritize your safety first. It doesn't matter what happens or who is involved, but if you sense danger, run away first," Feng Yongrui's words somewhat shocked the two kids.
In the cultivation world, honor and dignity was very important. However, Feng Yongrui thought that safety was number one.
What is the use of dignity and honor if you're dead? Also, how was he supposed to complete his task if the protagonist and villain were dead?
So Feng Yongrui mentioned this a few times, saying that life is the most important and that they shouldn't be easily provoked by people and rush into a fight without thinking of the consequences.
"Do you have any questions?" Feng Yongrui looked at his disciples and asked.
To be honest, Hou Renshu and Ma Bo did have some questions, however, they hesitated to ask anything. From Feng Yongrui's speech, they understood 75% of it, but some terms and words were hard to understand. For example, they had never heard of 'curfew' and 'video games'.
They also didn't understand 'psychology' and they wondered why their Master seemed so obsessed with disciple harmony. However, Hou Renshu and Ma Bo could see that Feng Yongrui had put a lot of effort into this.
He looked calm on the surface, but they noticed his slightly trembling hands and his eyes drifting to the side from time to time, as if he was memorizing something.
They could also see that Feng Yongrui genuinely cared about their well being. Of course, this made them very happy and planted a warm seed into their hearts.
Unfortunately, they were both still apprehensive and were afraid to anger Feng Yongrui. So, the two boys tacitly agreed not to ask any questions. They shook their heads and told Feng Yongrui that they had no questions.
Feng Yongrui was inwardly pleased and felt that he was a good teacher. So Feng Yongrui began a basic introduction on cultivation.
"Cultivating to become an immortal is the dream of every cultivator. However, cultivating is an act that goes against the heavens..." Feng Yongrui began a lengthy explanation and added some chicken soup (wise words/teachings) from time to time.
When he was done, Feng Yongrui took out a stack of books, one stack for Hou Renshu only, one stack for Ma Bo only, and the other stack for the two of them.
"I picked these books for you based on your spirit roots' attributes," Feng Yongrui said as he looked down and distributed the books. Feng Yongrui was so absorbed that he did not see Ma Bo visibly flinch at his words.
"After reading these books, I want you to make a 1,500 word summary of these books and submit them to be by the end of tomorrow," Feng Yongrui's expression at the moment was just like a teacher's: scholarly, refined, and stern. All he lacked was glasses to complete his "teacher" look.
"The content of the summary has to include the type of spirit root you have... its common uses, common spells for that particular attribute, and its weaknesses... You should also include an analysis on the various combinations of spells or arrays that your spirit root can use."
Feng Yongrui stopped and suddenly felt a bit bad. These kids were only 10 years old, but he gave them this kind of task... was it too difficult? But for Feng Yongrui, understanding yourself, or, in this case, your spirit root, was the most essential step in cultivating.
Know yourself, know your enemy.
First, know yourself.
Therefore, even if it was difficult, Feng Yongrui wanted Hou Renshu and Ma Bo to start by understanding themselves first before doing the real cultivating later.
"If... if you can't finish the task by tomorrow, it's alright. I can extend the deadline. Just tell me if you need help or guidance. Understood?" Feng Yongrui concluded his lesson.
Hou Renshu and Ma Bo nodded their heads vigorously, like chicken pecking corn.
"Understood, Master! We won't let you down, Master."
Feng Yongrui nodded and gave a satisfied smile. His disciples were really good. He let out a sigh of relief and told them to wait. He would cook lunch so that they could eat together again.
Hou Renshu and Ma Bo wanted to help their Master cook, but he was secretive and did not allow them to help. Ma Bo could only look down pitifully and wait for lunch to be cooked.
When lunch was served, the two boys were surprised to find that it was the same as breakfast. This time, all three of them were able to eat with some restraint. After some time, Ma Bo noticed something strange.
"Master, didn't you say that we have to eat nutritious food with vegetables and fruits?"
The meaning behind his question was clear. Why were they eating only noodles without any condiments?
Feng Yongrui almost choked on his food. How could this kid still remember what he said?
"Since this is your first time here, it's okay," Feng Yongrui lied seamlessly as he scowled in his heart.
Kid, I'm the one who made the rules, so, it's fine if I break them from time to time.
After all, rules are meant to be broken.
Hehe, Feng Yongrui gave a small grin.
...Of course, Feng Yongrui would never admit that he only gave them noodles because at that time he was really poor and he couldn't afford to buy a more nutritious meal...
***
Feng Yongrui: A teacher for a day, a master for a lifetime, and a father forever...
Ma Bo: Wow! Master is so knowledgeable, I've never heard of this proverb before!
System: Dear readers, please do not copy this idiot. The real proverb is: a teacher for a day, a father for a lifetime.
***
What's your favorite proverb, where does it come from, and why do you like it?
Comment below~