593 Taking In The Crackpot Again (1/2)

”That second disciple of mine, Yu Wenzhe, was highly talented as well, but he's a romantic one. After teaching him all I could, I asked him to roam the martial world, to gain some exposure. My intention was to increase his martial world experience before letting him come back and become an heir. However, after this bastard left, he toned down significantly in his handful of years roaming the martial arts world; he didn't provoke fights and actually didn't frequently engage in battle. Still, he wasn't unoccupied all these years. Other than finding a wife, he found concubines as well. In the end, the old man who waited with a long neck for him to come back and inherit the art received a big bunch of wives to kowtow to me. Then, he brought these wives into seclusion as well…” Dugu Chou recounted the chain of events with helplessness.

He had taken in three disciples; the one he thought would inherit his art had died early from battle, while the remaining two were crackpots.

”Cough, cough…” Ling Xiaozui and the others coughed dryly.

They had no idea what to say. Dugu Chou's luck was really something. Others could not get even one such crackpot disciple, but he managed to get two! Putting themselves in his shoes, what could they do if their disciple brought a handful of wives back and told them he was going to live in seclusion?

Thinking about it, they could only sigh. They could totally understand Dugu Chou's speechlessness and feelings back then.

Only Yun Yang could not help clicking his tongue at the side of his mouth, ”Tsch, tsch, tsch…”

How… envious he was! Living in seclusion with a big bunch of wives… The keyword was 'a big bunch! How a big a bunch was it?

”The last disciple is this child's master, Xiao Shaoqing… That fellow had an unrestrained nature, not only was he narcissistic and a wise-a**, he was easily swayed… there was nothing else in his eyes the moment his spotted the Wine. Back then, I had sent him to the Snow Summit to retrieve the Ten Thousand Year Lotus Seed. My intention was to grind and build his foundation, but who would have known that this fellow had laid low for half a year once he was gone. He was drinking outside for three months and had actually lost the lotus seed when he was coming back”

Dugu Chou sighed until his hair turned white. ”He came back intoxicated. I asked him where the lotus seed was. This bastard patted his chest, saying ”Here!”, but there was nothing there when his hand went to retrieve it. He stood there murmuring, ”Where did I lose it; Here? There? Or….” He didn't even know when he parted with it.”

”There weren't any battles that were underway and no one had stolen it. He'd obviously lost it while under the influence of drink… I was so furious at the time…”

”Hahaha!” Ling Xiaozui, Feng Xiange, and Gu Chaliang laughed to the point that tears almost leaked out of their eyes. It was really… f*cking insane.

Dugu Chou chuckled humorlessly. ”Missing his destined fate was already a huge mistake, he had to do things in an unreliable manner as well. How could he succeed? After I censured him, I chased him out of the school and had him leave right away. He wasn't allowed to say that he was my disciple and wasn't allowed to boast by using my name… It's been three hundred years since then…”

”Wasn't he a disciple after you retired to seclusion?” Ling Xiaozui said in surprise.

Dugu Chou nodded. ”At that time, I saw a child who had fainted at the side of the road and I took him back. After a few days of interaction, I was quite drawn to him and thought to take in another disciple. It's just too bad… he's simply another crackpot.”

The group was speechless, at a loss for what to say.

”I didn't expect that the fellow would choose not to disclose anything about me for so many years…” Dugu Chou was in a trance as he looked at the sky. After some time, he finally looked back down and asked Bai Yixue, ”Your master… Xiao Shaoqing… Is he still alive?”

Bai Yixue answered respectfully, ”Master is well, but he hasn't roamed the martial world for a long time now. He's staying in seclusion at the Black Clouds Summit, and doesn't usually come down…”

”Does he still drink like an alcoholic?” asked Dugu Chou with a frown.

”This disciple has followed master for a long time, but I've never seen him drink a single drop of wine,” Bai Yixue said with a lowered head.

Bai Yixue understood now why his master had never touched wine; so, this was the reason. He could not help sighing for his master. If he were to encounter such an incident, he would probably not touch a drop of wine in his life as well.

He looked up fervently at Dugu Chou, his eyes pleading pitifully.

”Doesn't touch a drop of wine now, does he?” Dugu Chou mumbled to himself after a long sigh.

Ling Xiaozui and the others were moved as well. How much determination was required for an alcoholic who loved wine to not touch a drop of it for the rest of his life? They could not help but wish to persuade the other man to change his mind.

”Fine. When you see your master again…” Dugu Chou finally said softly after a long period of contemplation, ”Let him know that I… allow him to come back to the school again. Ask him to come and bow down to me!”