Elder Wu squinted at the Darts on the target. With his Eye Power, it was easy to see that the Darts were embedded deep in the wood—their force was clearly not weak.
He subconsciously glanced at Qin Fang... who looked like a bamboo pole. Although he'd grown a bit paler recently, he was still bone-dry and skinny... because Elder Wu hadn't prepared any meat for him last time.
The boy was a refugee and had been starving for a long time. When Elder Wu had treated his injuries, he had discovered that Qin Fang's stomach was already having issues. Compounded by his extreme weakness, his body couldn't handle rich, oily foods, or there could be serious problems.
That was why he had first put him on a diet of light foods like sorghum rice for a while. Only after his body had naturally recovered could he eat rich foods to fully regain his health.
Therefore, he was well aware that the boy's body should still be very weak.
'Yet he can throw such powerful Darts?'
He narrowed his eyes.
With his keen sight, he could naturally tell that the boy had no martial arts foundation whatsoever. His stance was rootless, unsteady, and weak, and his hands bore none of the marks left by years of practicing Darts.
'In just ten-odd days, less than twenty, he's actually learned to throw Darts? And not only with power, but even with some degree of accuracy?'
Elder Wu was a little surprised.
But he remained impassive, just watching Qin Fang...
At that moment, Qin Fang was staring intently at the half-side of pork on the handcart, his eyes practically glowing green...
"Bring the things inside."
Elder Wu didn't say much more, instead calling to the simple and honest-looking youth.
"You got it."
The youth replied and started moving the items. As he entered the courtyard, he gave Qin Fang a simple, honest smile.
Qin Fang snapped back to reality and nodded in response.
He then started to help, and they quickly moved everything from the handcart into the courtyard.
Once all the work was done, Elder Wu took out a few copper plates and handed them to the youth. The boy accepted them happily before saying his goodbyes.
After the courtyard gate was closed, Qin Fang kept staring at the pork, swallowing his saliva...
He hadn't eaten a single meal with meat since he'd transmigrated.
In his previous life, a meal wasn't a meal without meat...
Just thinking about jiggly, glistening, fatty braised pork... he could feel his stomach roaring...
"Were you practicing Darts just now?"
Just then, Elder Wu's voice suddenly rang out.
Qin Fang snapped out of it, and with great willpower, tore his gaze away from the meat. He looked at Elder Wu, who was staring at his target.
"Yes," Qin Fang nodded.
"Have you practiced before?" Elder Wu asked.
"No." Qin Fang shook his head.
Elder Wu raised an eyebrow. He thought for a moment and said, "Throw a round for me to see."
Qin Fang was a bit confused, not understanding why Elder Wu would suddenly make such a request.
However, after a moment's thought, he nodded. He walked to the target and pulled out the Darts.
On his panel, his 'Hidden Weapon (Darts)' skill had reached 'entry-level 487 points'. He was just over ten points away from the Minor Achievement Realm.
Now, not only did every dart he threw have power, but their accuracy was also somewhat guaranteed.
He couldn't hit the bullseye every single time, but from five meters away, he could basically hit it consistently.
At this rate, he could reach the Minor Achievement Realm in one more day at most...
To be honest, he was quite looking forward to the Epiphany from the Minor Achievement Realm.
'I wonder what benefits the Epiphany for Darts will bring?'
'More power behind my throws?'
'Or better accuracy?'
He retrieved the Darts and naturally stepped back to a distance of five meters. Elder Wu squinted and watched.
He then saw Qin Fang exhale lightly, his expression becoming focused.
The next moment...
SWOOSH!
With a flick of his wrist, a dart shot from his hand.
A sound of parting air was followed by a THUD as it instantly hit the bullseye.
This was already a common sight for Qin Fang. Without pausing, he took another dart and threw it...
SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Three consecutive sounds.
Four Darts on the target, all precisely in the bullseye.
'From a full five meters away, Qin Fang, who has no Cultivation, can actually hit the bullseye with every throw?'
'Ordinary People might not even hit the target from one meter away, let alone five...'
Elder Wu's astonishment grew.
"Boy, come here."
Elder Wu suddenly beckoned to Qin Fang.
Qin Fang was confused, but he walked over anyway.
Then Elder Wu suddenly grabbed his arm. As Qin Fang stared in a daze, Elder Wu began to feel the bones in his hands and arms, inch by inch.
...His two arms were rail-thin, with almost no muscle or fat, just a layer of skin stretched over bone. Even he found them bony to the touch.
Elder Wu examined him very carefully, not only feeling Qin Fang's arms but also his back.
Qin Fang was completely bewildered, having no idea what Elder Wu was doing.
But he didn't resist.
After feeling him for a while, Elder Wu lowered his hands, a thoughtful expression on his face.
A moment later, he suddenly asked again for confirmation, "You've really only been practicing for ten-odd days?"
Qin Fang nodded.
Elder Wu fell into deep thought.
"Elder Wu?"
Seeing Elder Wu remain silent for a long time, Qin Fang spoke up, his face full of confusion.
Elder Wu came back to his senses, looked at Qin Fang, and after a moment of silence, he squinted and suddenly asked, "Boy, do you want to pursue Martial Cultivation?"
Qin Fang was stunned at first, but in the next instant, before Elder Wu could even react, Qin Fang had already dropped to his knees with a THUD and kowtowed three times with loud THUMPS.
"Huh?"
Elder Wu was taken aback. He had only managed to let out a "Huh?" before the boy had already finished kowtowing.
Then a respectful voice immediately followed.
"Disciple Qin Fang pays his respects to Master!"
'Wait, I never said I was taking a disciple!'
Elder Wu's eyes went wide.
'I just asked casually, and you're already climbing up the pole I offered?'
Elder Wu stared at Qin Fang.
Qin Fang wore a look of utmost respect.
"..."
Elder Wu was speechless for a moment.
'I'd forgotten.'
'This boy is a clever one.'
'As a refugee, severely injured and trapped in a desperate situation, he was still able to find a way to survive in a short amount of time.'
'Although the aftereffects were significant... if I were in his shoes, I'm not sure I could have done any better.'
'I'm also well aware of his current predicament... He's probably been racking his brain these past few days, trying to figure out what to do.'
'My question was undoubtedly a bamboo pole offered to him.'
'...So how could he not climb it immediately?'
Thinking of this, he felt completely exasperated.
But Qin Fang remained perfectly respectful.
Elder Wu was choked with frustration, but it was true that he had been the one to say something so easily misinterpreted.
'This...'
'Should I take him as a disciple?'
Elder Wu furrowed his brow.
'To be honest, I truly had no such intention before.'
'But now...'
He actually began to consider it seriously.
'The boy's mind and willpower are both impressive. Although I haven't known him long, his speech and bearing are beyond comparison to the young assistants at Huichun Hall.'
'What's more, in just ten-odd days, he's managed to grasp the basics of Darts, something he'd never touched before...'
'Though it seems he's barely at the entry-level, he figured it out all by himself, which shows his comprehension is extraordinary.'
'His innate constitution and aptitude are a bit poor, though.'
'But with this level of comprehension, if he's properly cultivated, reaching Mingjin in a few years shouldn't be a major issue.'
'It's just his character and integrity...'
Elder Wu was conflicted.
But after a moment, he sighed softly.
"You're a clever one... Get up for now."
"Yes," Qin Fang said respectfully.
Only then did he get to his feet.
Elder Wu looked at Qin Fang, who was a head taller than him, a helpless expression on his face.
He paused, then said, "Taking a disciple is no small matter. But since you've already kowtowed, and it was indeed I who first..."
"Forget it. I will take you as a Registered Disciple for now. But as for making it official... I will have to think on it."
In this ancient world, the master-disciple relationship was an incredibly close bond.
Formally becoming a disciple involved a whole set of complex and solemn rituals.
As the saying goes, "A master seeks a disciple for three years; a disciple seeks a master for three years." A master teaches you the skills and principles to make your way in the world. The disciple, in turn, is responsible for carrying on the master's legacy, even caring for him in old age and seeing to his burial.
It was almost equivalent to the relationship between a father and son.
Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parent, Teacher.
The teacher was a figure to be elevated to the level of a God!
For such an important relationship, it was only natural to conduct a comprehensive assessment and confirmation of the other person's character, temperament, and other aspects.
How could it be such a simple matter?
And how long had Qin Fang and Elder Wu known each other?
A month at the absolute most.
How could there be any real understanding or trust between them?
All they could see were the most superficial things.
But since Elder Wu had spoken, and Qin Fang had already climbed the pole, a man of his status couldn't bring himself to outright refuse.
Still, the necessary warnings had to be given.
"However, don't think that just because you've acknowledged me as your master, I will handle everything for you... Some things, you must handle yourself... I'm not taking a disciple just to find more trouble for myself."
Elder Wu warned him earnestly.