It was unknown how much time had passed when suddenly, the voice of Gouzi erupted, permeating the ears.
"You have all seen the look in our Master's eyes just before, haven't you? Do the Elders still not understand?" Gouzi seemed to be speaking outside the door with the same Elders as before. "Here in Danxue Mountain, every celestial elder of some rank is well aware that many things cannot be said in front of Crown Prince. Yet now, you choose to bring up the topics our Master loathes most. Do you think our Master will comply with your wishes, or will he flatten the entire Danxue Mountain in a rage?"
"He wouldn't dare! Not to mention that the Divine Monarch is still in power, even if one day the Crown Prince does succeed to the great rule, it wouldn't be as he pleases; at least…"
"Do you really want to try?" Before the Elder could finish, Gouzi suddenly raised his voice, cutting him off.
Outside the door, there was a moment of silence, then Gouzi let out a heavy sigh, saying, "How come the Elders suddenly become muddled?"
Another spell of silence ensued.
Who would dare to take such a huge risk to test the temperament of the Crown Prince?
That Crown Prince became a Divine Monarch at the age of thirty thousand, ascending to sanctity tens of thousands of years earlier than ordinary deities, hailed as the reincarnation of the ancient Divine Monarch.
Because of a single doubt voiced by a true god long ago, the Crown Prince, in a fit of rage, drew his sword and slew him. The Heavenly Emperor, having witnessed the killing, could only persuade but could not speak too harshly about him.
Being a Divine Monarch is merely a rank; plentiful yet scarce depending on cultivation. However, for most deities, their cultivation could only peak at the rank of Divine Monarch. This is because they lack the divine nature necessary to become a supreme celestial deity.
Only gods birthed naturally by the primordial energies between heaven and earth at the beginning of chaos possess such a divine nature, hence they are rare. The Phoenix clan of Danxue Mountain is among them.
Even the Heavenly Emperor defers to him by three parts, so who would dare to offend him recklessly?
Besides, they were merely Elders of this mountain.
Subsequently, sounds of long sighs and short lamentations continued unabated outside the door. After a while, the rustling noise of robes suggested that the Elders gradually dispersed.
"Why pretend to sleep and not get up."
Startled by the sudden remark of the Crown Prince, Lin Suqing's heart trembled, and he hurriedly tried to rise, explaining, "My apologies, I just woke up... just woke up..."
With every ounce of strength, he tried to sit up but couldn't manage to stay seated and, with limp limbs, slid off the wooden couch and crawled a few steps forward before kneeling.
Yet, clearly kneeling on the floor, his legs felt no pressure at all, limp as if they were not his own.
He rubbed his dough-like legs and, bowing his head towards the Crown Prince, said, "Thank you for saving my life, Your Highness."
The Crown Prince sat at a desk by the window, the scene tranquil, holding a scroll and looking at it indifferently.
Golden sunlight sifted through the window, casting a fuzzy golden glow on his sharply featured face. He casually brewed himself a cup of tea and sipped leisurely.
The fragrance of the tea was so inviting that Lin Suqing couldn't help but swallow several times to quench his dry throat.
Just then, Gouzi suddenly burst in through the door, immediately spotting Lin Suqing kneeling before the desk. Surprised, it grinned and said, "Oh? Has the calamity finally awoken?"
Uh... the term "calamity"... it really just rolled off his tongue. Probably as revenge for that "Gouzi" remark...
Lin Suqing pursed his lips and continued to kneel, his mind made up, not daring to make any other gestures at the moment.
"Rise," the Crown Prince said, his gaze still fixed on his book, his tone neither salty nor bland.
"I will not rise," said Lin Suqing, prompting the Crown Prince to glance at him briefly before he continued, "I have a request I hope you will grant."
The Crown Prince withdrew his glance and leisurely turned a page of his book, ignoring him entirely.
"..." Lin Suqing was momentarily at a loss, expecting the Crown Prince to inquire about his request... To his dismay, he got completely ignored.
Meanwhile, Gouzi, watching the entertainment, kept covering its mouth to stifle laughter, making Lin Suqing scratch his head in embarrassment, which seemed even worse than if Gouzi had made a snide remark.
But if he did not speak now, he might never find another chance to do so.
He couldn't remain weak and helpless forever, could he? He couldn't just flee every time he encountered a monster, could he?
Apart from the Crown Prince, he had no one else to ask. Besides, judging by his experiences over the past two days, although the Crown Prince seemed cold, his heart was kind.
He had only been in this Otherworld for two days but had nearly lost his life several times already. Since Crown Prince and Gouzi had repeatedly come to his aid, they surely wouldn't stand by and let him die.
Lin Suqing steadied his heart, gathered his courage, and took the initiative to say, "I wish to take you as my master and cultivate under you."
As soon as he spoke, Gouzi immediately burst into laughter, rolling on the ground, which made him feel even more embarrassed.
In Gouzi's view, even if a brilliant Divine Monarch wished to take the Crown Prince as a master, they might not be worthy. Not to mention Lin Suqing, a mere mortal from the Otherworld. It was simply preposterous.
Lin Suqing didn't understand why Gouzi laughed. He insecurely pondered... perhaps his request to become a disciple was too abrupt... Maybe he should have prepared a ceremonial gift...
The Crown Prince turned another page of his book calmly and indifferently asked, "Is it to go back?"
"It's to live!" Lin Suqing asserted. Going back was true, but surviving was an even more pressing matter.
After narrowly escaping death these past two days, he had come to a profound realization. As a mortal in this Otherworld, he was like livestock waiting to be slaughtered in his original world, where anyone could strike him down or take a bite out of him at any time.
Gouzi and the Crown Prince could not always come to his rescue just in time. To survive, the only way was to acquire a mastery that could protect oneself.
The Crown Prince glanced at him, setting down the scroll in his hands. He sat composedly, his handsome features partly lit in the sunlight, half-shadowed, his calm eyes unexpectedly showing a trace of seriousness as he asked, "What skills do you wish to cultivate?"
That question stumped Lin Suqing. He knew nothing about cultivation, let alone that after becoming an immortal, there were different ranks among the divine. He definitely couldn't just pick any level that would allow him to return to his original world and aim for that.
He figured no one would want their diligently taught disciple to turn tail and run away...
After deep consideration, Lin Suqing tentatively responded, "Uh… to be like Zhui Feng would be good!" It would be good enough to keep himself alive for now.
"Hahahaha! Foolish dreams!" Gouzi burst out laughing and rolled on the floor a few times. Then, he got up, swaggered over to him, lazily sprawled on the ground, and while wagging his tail indolently said, "You've only seen the merest scrape of my capabilities, and you already fancy ascending to heaven in a single bound?"
Gouzi was no ordinary dog.
He saw that Lin Suqing, this mortal, had already missed the optimal time for cultivation and yet still fancied achieving a transformation like his; truly foolish yet naïvely endearing.
"Even obtaining your ability to blow away ashes would suffice," Lin Suqing said.
Uninformed as he was, Lin Suqing thought that Gouzi's ability to blow away ashes might not be too difficult to learn. He wasn't greedy; such a skill was already formidable enough to keep him thriving.
Yawning, Gouzi mentioned, "You do know that the best foundation in cultivation starts from childhood?"
He rolled over, basking his soft belly in the sunlight, and added, "Those who have achieved anything significant all started young."
"But you previously said that I could too," Lin Suqing recalled. Gouzi's words from yesterday clearly hinted that it was possible for him.
"Furthermore…there's a saying, 'The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the next best time is now.' I'm only about twenty-some years late, which is not too late at all."
Having said all this, if the Crown Prince refused, even kneeling and begging probably wouldn't help.
Unsure whether the Crown Prince would agree, Lin Suqing nervously swallowed several times. His palms sweated profusely, and dense sweat began to form on his nose and forehead as well.
Meanwhile, the Crown Prince leisurely picked up his teacup and gently skimmed the floating tea leaves off the top, taking a slow, thoughtful sip.
The air was so still that only the dust motes dancing in the sunbeam remained in motion.
After a moment, the Crown Prince placed the teacup down, the lid clinking crisply against the cup, causing Lin Suqing's tense nerves to shiver.
The Crown Prince nonchalantly raised his hand, extended his palm, and remotely fetched a wooden plaque from a rack on the other side of the room.
Gouzi's eyes glittered, and he quickly leaped forward to catch the wooden plaque, then turned and presented it to Lin Suqing, saying, "The master does not take disciples. If you are willing to be a servant, write your name and birth details on this plaque. If not, leave."
His words were no different from what the Crown Prince had said the previous night.
He really had no choice. Leaving their protection was akin to seeking death. He couldn't leave them, yet the Crown Prince didn't take students...
To be a servant… Well, great heights are achieved from humble beginnings. If a servant he must be, so be it.
Lin Suqing took the wooden plaque from Gouzi, looking around hesitantly, wondering whether to approach the Crown Prince for a pen. After some deliberation, he decided against it; a mere servant should not have so many demands. It's better not to anger the prince and be cast out to fend for himself—that would really be bad.
He simply bit open his own finger, and using his blood, began to write.
The Crown Prince glanced at him out of the corner of his eye without any visible reaction, while Gouzi, sensing the tension, also watched as Lin Suqing scowled in pain, writing with the blood from his fingertip.
One couldn't help but admit, this foolish young man carried an interesting tenacity, possessing the resilience of a great man who could bend or stand tall as needed.
Beads of sweat dotted Lin Suqing's forehead as he frowned deeply, enduring the pain as he wrote. Recalling Gouzi's words from last night — the Crown Prince never took servants, and he was an exception.
The wooden plaque had a soft texture and a deep crimson color with minute, curly patterns resembling cow hair, and its surface was smooth enough for writing. Nevertheless, every stroke across the wooden surface still brought searing pain through the broken wound.
Considering his resolute and loyal disposition, he should in fact be worthy of the Crown Prince's favor, right?
It took a while for Lin Suqing to finish writing his name and birth details. His wound had been rubbed raw and white, the pain making his entire arm especially numb.
He struggled to his feet, unable to stand firm due to weak legs, and had to lean on one hand as he knee-walked a few steps forward to present the still damp wooden plaque on the Crown Prince's desk.
Gently placing it down, he knee-walked back to his original spot.
The Crown Prince picked up the plaque, held it by the fingertips, and glanced at it nonchalantly.
"Four Pillars of Yang Fate."
The corners of the Crown Prince's mouth twitched slightly, very indifferently, as if he was muttering to himself, yet seemingly meant for Lin Suqing to hear, "And it's a child's fate."
Lin Suqing did not understand, but noticed Gouzi looking surprisingly pleased, eagerly wagging its tail and standing to gaze upward, seemingly fascinated by his fate plate.