Out of the bushes came the middle aged man that was on stage previously, he crawled out of the bushes with the leaves still stuck on his hair as he gave a vacant look towards MC and Xiao Zhang.
"Do you need me for something?"
Wu Xing Qu said scratching his head as he flicked the leaves off of his head.
"Teacher Wu, this is Lin Dong, he is of the Hou Tian level and he is suitable to be your disciple when he becomes a core disciple."
Xiao Zhang said smiling as he tried to pull Wu Xing Qu closer to Zhu Jiao.
"But… I don't want to…" Wu Xing Qu replied, not even bothering to look at Zhu Jiao.
Xiao Zhang's face turned red as he pulled Wu Xing Qu to the side while whispering in his ears.
"Xing Qu! I've used my resources to secure you a job here, but as a teacher here, you haven't even secured a single student, how will you be able to continue working here if that's the case. They've resorted to asking you to come out to judge the outer disciples so that you can have a chance to take a disciple for yourself and you sleep in the bushes. At least do it for me if not for yourself."
Wu Xing Qu sighed loudly before wiping his face with his hands.
"Fine, whatever, I'll accept him as a disciple or whatever, but there will be teachers out there claiming that I'm going to ruin a diamond or whatever. I'd just like to say that this is forced on to me and I have no choice in the matter, so please don't blame it on me."
Xiao Zhang stepped back as he sorted his robe as he walked back to speak to Zhu Jiao.
"After much discussion, teacher Wu has decided that he will accept you as his one and only student. He will be the one to teach you and take care of you while you are within the inner court."
Zhu Jiao looked at Wu Xing Qu before turning back to Xiao Zhang.
"Erm.. Huang Xiao Zhang sir, can I not accept him as a teacher?"
Xiao Zhang looked like he had the soul sucked out of his body, nothing was left in that hollowed husk of his.
"Well, I don't mind… It's fine if you don't accept me as a teacher."
Wu Xing Qu replied, there was no questioning in his voice and he was indifferent towards that response.
"Student Lin! Why would you not want to accept him as a teacher? You Xing Qu! Don't give up so easily! He's your one chance to remain as a teacher!"
Xiao Zhang turned his head left and right so quickly you might have mistaken him for a 3 faced buddha.
"It's nothing personal, it's not him it's me…."
Zhu Jiao mumbled before immediately thinking to himself,
"Shit… is this too cliche a way for rejection?"
"Can you at least give a reason why? Just because he looks shabby and doesn't look at all powerful doesn't mean he isn't. He's actually really strong! You're really strong right?"
Xiao Zhang turned towards Xing Qu, his eyes practically shooting lasers. Xing Qu on the other hand just shrugged before looking away.
"It's just… I don't like to be tied down or the feeling of being watched, I'm more of a free spirit so…"
Zhu Jiao tried to bring his point across, but Xiao Zhang seemed like he wasn't even listening. Immediately his hands reached out as he grasped onto Zhu Jiao's sleeve.
"Consider this as an old man begging you, I'll let you pick anything from the inner school's storage area. You can take everything if you want."
Zhu Jiao scratched the back of his head before speaking, "This… I…"
Xiao Zhang once again cut in before he could say a single word,
"I'll admit, asking you to be his disciple isn't a good thing, although he is strong, he is lazy and most of the time he'll end up neglecting you."
Hearing that, Zhu Jiao's eyes lit up.
"He wasn't like this before, he was my student a long time ago and he had a lot of promise, he had personal issues which led him to be this way, if he doesn't have a student this time around there is no confirmation that they would keep him as a staff."
Xiao Zhang continued speaking, his eyes with a tinge of sadness.
"Okay I'll do it." Zhu Jiao replied, internally he laughed to himself,
"Damn it, a teacher that gives me full autonomy, because he's too lazy, he's perfect. I'll just go with him so I can do what I want.."
Zhu Jiao walked in front of Xing Qu, shaking his hand, confusing Xing Qu.
"I'm your student now. Please take care of me"
Xing Qu smiled widely.
"Good! I can't be bothered with the customary taking in of a disciple anyway, this works for me too! I'll be your teacher from now on. But don't expect too much from me."
Meanwhile, Xiao Zhang was still continuing his story, in his heart he had been planning what was his next approach.
"Don't tell me I really have to cry? Wu Xing Qu, you owe me so much! I'll help you out."
He thought to himself. Committing to the bit he opened his teary eyes as a single tear rolled down the side of his cheek.
"Please…." Xiao Zhang looked around only to find that Zhu Jiao had disappeared, in a haste he turned around only to see Zhu Jiao and Wu Xing Qu holding hands.
"This…" he muttered.
"Oh, he's my student now… So you can do what you're supposed to do and I'll see him again after he becomes a core disciple. I'll leave it to you then…"
Wu Xing Qu took a step back as he vanished into the bushes never to be seen again.
"You… really agreed?"
"Yeah, why not, all's good…" Zhu Jiao smiled while Xiao Zhang brought him away towards the inner hall.
The rest of the students watched on with jaws agape, Hong Man Yuan was fuming that someone of his stature was ignored completely.
Lin Chen and Shi Tou looked at each other confused at what had happened.
Meanwhile for Zhu Jiao the gates to the inner courtyard had opened, as the colossal area filled his vision. He took his first step, into the inner courtyard.