"...So, you're telling me that you have no other affiliation? You're not a descendant of some noble clan, a faction, or the disciple or a follower of an organization or sect? You're claiming you didn't even know of the world of essence condensation until a few weeks ago?"
Lu nodded. After stopping him with nothing but his voice, Lu finally realized that he didn't have a choice. Fortunately, the old man didn't seem malicious, and he promised Lu that he would let him go when he had sated his curiosity.
"Even that is an overstatement. I…—I happened to pick up a condensation art. I don't know more than that about essence condensation."
However, the gleam in the old man's barely visible eyes made Lu doubtful of that promise.
"Perfect!"
The old man slammed his hand against the table as he looked at Lu with wide-open eyes.
It was only when the old man dragged Lu off to a shabby apartment inside a dark alleyway that Lu noticed he only had one hand. But even with one hand, Lu didn't stand a chance. So, he looked at the excited old man with wary eyes, unable to do anything except hope.
"Become my disciple! Haha!"
Lu tilted his head.
"No, thanks."
His response cut the old man's jumpy laughter short. The old man's smile slowly vanished as he turned his gaze to Lu with a sour expression.
"...What?"
"I'm not in the habit of accepting crazy kidnappers as masters. My apologies, but I must be leaving now."
Lu tried to stand up. Hopefully, the old man was still rational and would let him go. However, before Lu could raise his cheeks more than a finger's breadth over his rickety chair, the old man had already moved the table to the side and placed his hand on Lu's shoulder.
"That wasn't a request. You are my disciple now."
Lu tried his best to keep calm. For some reason, this old man wanted him as a disciple. So, he probably wouldn't kill him that easily. He held up a hand.
"Yeah, no. That's not how it works. The reality doesn't change to your whim just because you want it to."
"It does if you're strong enough."
"And you're strong enough to convince me to become your master?"
"I'm strong enough to make you my disciple, regardless of your ignorantly stubborn refusal."
The old man raised one of his brows far enough to reveal the sharp dark eye below it as he glared at Lu while squeezing his shoulder tight.
Lu ignored the pressure and laid one leg over the other as he crossed his arms and leaned back. The old man let Lu lean back and ended up matching his angle, bringing his face closer to Lu's.
"Good. That means you're strong enough to convince me."
Lu smiled fearlessly as he met the old man's gaze, challenging him.
"Convince me."
Since the old man wasn't giving him a choice, Lu might as well make the best of a bad situation.
The old man held Lu's gaze without moving for several long moments.
"Hmph."
He let go of Lu's shoulder and snorted as he turned around and put the table and chair back in their places.
"Brat."
After sitting down again, the old man looked at the slightly anxious Lu.
"You make your master proud."
'I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing…'
Lu wasn't sure what he had gotten himself into. But he decided to try and be hopeful. Maybe this strange Master of his had some useful information. But Ackster was still waiting for the incentives his Master had tacitly agreed to hand over to satisfy his disciple.
"How about some introductions first?"
The old man spoke with a slightly friendlier attitude than anything he had shown so far. Lu gestured for him to begin.
The old man sighed.
"...Such a rude disciple. Anyway. I'm known as Limping Lightning Leopard. And you? Are you satisfied with only being known in my mind as my disciple?"
"Lu Mittens."
With such a horrifying proposition, Lu couldn't say his name any quicker.
"'Lu Mittens'..."
Limping Lightning Leopard repeated Lu's name with a thoughtful expression while Lu thought about how his Master could have earned such a name when he was missing a hand, not a foot, and his gait was as steady as a mountain when he walked.
"'Limping Lightning Leopard' is a mouthful. Can I call you something else?"
"Yes."
Limping Lightning Leopard grinned as he looked up and met Lu's gaze.
"You can call me Master."
Lu hadn't lied. 'Limping Lightning Leopard' really was a bother to say. But calling Limping Lightning Leopard Master instead…
'I won't give him the satisfaction!'
"All right, Geezer. I'm still waiting for you to convince me."
Leopard frowned as Lu stole his gratification and pride.
"Hmph. Impatient disciple, you have no tact. Naturally, since I've taken you in as my disciple, I will make sure you're well-fed."
Lu nodded.
"That's a given."
"...But I don't have what I want to give you on me at the moment. So the good stuff will have to wait."
Lu glared at his Master.
"Who are you trying to fool?"
"Not you. Sure, I have some trinkets and a couple of shit arts. But you're my first, one, and only disciple. I'd be embarrassed to give you anything but the best."
Leopard tapped his puffed-out chest with pride as he spoke.
Lu sighed.
"Fine. I'll let you off the hook for now. So, how about telling me why you're so desperate to have me as your disciple?"
Leopard looked at Lu in surprise.
"You haven't figured it out?"
"If I had, I wouldn't be asking, would I?"
Leopard chuckled.
"Hehe, that's true. No need to be so grumpy, disciple."
"Just spit it out already."
Once things calmed down, Lu's first priority was making sure something like this wouldn't happen again. To do that, he needed to find out why his Master wanted him so much to go so far as to kidnap and force his tutelage on him. Lu also realized he didn't even know what he was going to learn by being the Limping Lightning Leopard's disciple. How to kidnap innocent thieves?