Chapter Four: Taking a Master

“Little ones, come over here and stand properly!”
Ye Yunxiang suddenly called out in a thunderous voice that echoed in the ears of the six children, startling each of them and compelling them to walk before him and line up in order.
The large wine gourd in his hand vanished without a trace, leaving the six children dumbfounded, unable to fathom how Ye Yunxiang had accomplished such a feat.
“As you must know, your parents have already told you what you are here for,” Ye Yunxiang cleared his throat and his expression grew solemn. “Do you know your purpose here?”
“To study the Dao, to learn the Immortal arts!” Ye Peng declared loudly, and Ye Yun and the other children nodded in succession.
Ye Yunxiang nodded. “Soon, each of you will be assigned to a teacher who will guide your academic and cultivation journey.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than several figures appeared as if descending from the heavens, standing before the group. The leader, imposing and clad in purple, radiated nobility, while the others too possessed remarkable presence, each unique in their bearing.
“Greetings to the Lord of the Residence and esteemed Elders!” Ye Yunxiang and Ye Yunfei hurried forward to bow respectfully.
The man in purple was Ye Haiyi, Lord of the Residence, reputed to be the greatest among the Ye family in Yunshui City, second only to the Ancestor. The others were elders of the Ye clan, some of Ye Haiyi’s generation and others from earlier ones.
Ye Haiyi waved his hand. “Rise.”
Ye Yunxiang and Ye Yunfei respectfully stepped back to stand aside, allowing the Lord and elders to focus their attention on the six children chosen this year.
“Yunfei, take these two children to report to the Outer and Inner Sect supervisors,” Ye Haiyi said with a smile, gesturing toward Ye Qian and two boys.
“Yes!” Ye Yunfei replied, sending out a streak of azure light that gathered the three children and departed with them.
Ye Haiyi smiled at Ye Peng, then at Ye Xian, and when his gaze fell upon Ye Yun, it flickered with a hint of mystery.
“Honored elders, talent is a rare gift. As Lord, I have yet to accept a disciple. I shall take Ye Peng as my own,” Ye Haiyi announced with a smile.
“Haha, the Lord is indeed magnanimous and noble, leaving us elders a taste of the soup, a sign of humanity yet,” joked a slender, goateed middle-aged man.
These elders were familiar with Ye Haiyi, so their banter was unrestrained.
“I’ve made my choice. As for the remaining two, you may compete as you wish,” Ye Haiyi laughed, reached out to pull Ye Peng closer, then stepped back to watch the spectacle unfold.
“This little girl looks familiar—could she be my long-lost granddaughter?” cried a white-robed elder, striding eagerly toward Ye Xian.
“Nonsense! She resembles me; perhaps she is my illegitimate child,” sneered the goateed elder, summoning a green vine to coil around the white-robed elder’s ankle.
“This girl and I share a destiny.”
“Destiny, my foot! Only a learned man like me can sculpt such talent.”
The elders’ playful teasing soon escalated to harsh words, and before long, it erupted into a full-blown magical duel. Spells and lights burst forth, dazzling the square.

“Are these uncles and grandpas immortals?” Little Ye Yun and Ye Xian stared in awe.
Lord Ye Haiyi watched with relish, occasionally commenting, while Ye Yunxiang remained calm, as though used to such scenes.
“Whoever touches the little girl’s sleeve first shall take her as a disciple,” Ye Haiyi declared, adding fuel to the fire.
“Ah!…”
The goateed elder was beset by the other four, bound tightly with vines, and the white-robed elder seized the moment, grabbing him with a glowing green hand and tossing him hundreds of meters away.
“Ye Min, you old man, I, Ye Hanshan, will remember this!” came the furious shout from afar as Ye Hanshan returned but refrained from rejoining the fray.
“Lord, seeing you suppress your laughter reminds me of a certain word,” Ye Hanshan quipped, redirecting his attack to Ye Haiyi.
“Enough! Tonight, let’s sneak into Ye Min’s cellar and steal some wine,” Ye Haiyi replied seriously, knowing nothing good would come from Ye Hanshan’s mouth, and sought to draw him in.
“Agreed! You handle breaking the wards; leave the wine theft to me,” Ye Hanshan’s eyes lit up, grinning.
Eventually, the contest ended. The white-robed elder, Ye Min, though looking rather battered, was the first to grab Ye Xian’s sleeve and burst into laughter.
The other elders hung their heads in defeat; their contest was not of cultivation, but of mastery over their arts, and Ye Min had bested them all.
“Little girl, from now on I am your teacher!” Ye Min declared, happily picking up Ye Xian.
The remaining elders, full of envy, turned their gaze to Ye Yun, their expressions complex.
“Perhaps the Ancestor merely finds this boy interesting—maybe there’s still a chance to take him as a disciple,” some elders thought.
His talent, bright as a lamp if not fiery, was rated tenth and thus exceedingly precious. Such a promising seedling naturally attracted elders willing to personally instruct him.
Having held esteemed positions in the Ye Residence for many years, each elder hoped to cultivate a brilliant disciple to outshine the others, a matter of pride and competition.
Suddenly, gentle footsteps approached. Even Lord Ye Haiyi and all the elders turned to look.
A figure of medium height, clad in white robes, with hair of pure silver cascading over his shoulders, walked toward them.
Though his hair was completely silver, his face appeared youthful, as if only seventeen or eighteen.
“Greetings, Ancestor!” Ye Haiyi and the elders knelt, their demeanor reverent.
The great figures of the Ye clan were deeply moved; even when Ye Haiyi inherited the position of Lord, the legendary Ancestor had never appeared.
For over seven hundred years, many elders and even the Lord himself had never glimpsed the Ancestor.
Unless the matter concerned the survival of the Ye clan, he would not show himself. Yet now, for a child with talent merely bright as a lamp, he had left his retreat.
His expression was calm, his face youthful. The silver hair draped over him was like that of an ageless youth. His brow bore a spot of crimson, lending him an air of mystery.

“Rise. Go about your duties as you must,” the Ancestor, Ye Yu, spoke softly, his tone serene and ageless, as if rejuvenated and youthful.
“Yes!”
Ye Haiyi and the elders responded respectfully, then Ye Haiyi took Ye Peng and Ye Min took Ye Qian, each departing in obedience to the Ancestor’s command.
Thus, the vast square was left with only little Ye Yun, who was just six and unaware of the Ancestor’s true stature.
“Big brother, are you here to teach me?” asked little Ye Yun, his bright eyes gazing at Ye Yu with a clear, ringing voice.
Ye Yu looked so young, like a youth, that Ye Yun mistook him for an older brother. Had Ye Haiyi and the elders witnessed such a scene, they would surely have broken into a cold sweat, torn between laughter and tears.
Ye Yu, whose mind had been tranquil for centuries, looked upon the child’s pure, water-clear eyes and listened to his innocent words and address—it brought an involuntary smile to his lips.
“Your name is Ye Yun?” Ye Yu asked kindly.
“Yes. Father said I would meet my teacher today. Ye Peng and Ye Qian have already found theirs, but I haven’t,” Ye Yun replied, disappointment clouding his face.
“From now on, I am your teacher. You must call me ‘Master,’ not ‘Big Brother.’ Will you accept me as your teacher?” Ye Yu smiled.
Had it been anyone else, to be taken as a disciple by the Ye clan’s Ancestor would have prompted immediate bows and joyful acceptance.
But little Ye Yun, at this moment, was confused and slightly disappointed.
“Father told me that only by becoming the disciple of one of the elderly grand elders could I achieve greatness. Are you an elder, Big Brother?” Ye Yun asked hopefully.
“You little rascal.” Ye Yu could not help but laugh, the corners of his mouth twitching. “I am not an elder, but I am a thousand times more powerful than any elder. If you accept me as your master, you can one day beat the elders to a pulp—what worry is there about greatness?”
As the founder of the Ye clan, Ye Yu’s words could not be doubted, but Ye Yun was only half convinced.
In truth, his young heart clung to his father Ye Zili’s words: only by apprenticing to an elderly grand elder could he rise above others.
But now that all the elders had left, taking Ye Peng and Ye Qian with them, Ye Yun felt he had lost the chance to be their disciple, and was left only with this ‘Big Brother’ who boasted he was even greater than the elders.
“Ye Yun bows to Master!” With no other choice, Ye Yun knelt and bowed to the ‘Big Brother’ before him.
At six, a child cannot hide his thoughts, and Ye Yu saw through him, knowing Ye Yun suspected him of exaggeration and doubted his prospects as his disciple.
Ye Yu could only attribute it to childish ignorance, for at his level, such things were beneath notice.
The rituals of bowing and apprenticing had been taught to Ye Yun by Ye Zili. After Ye Yun had bowed nine times, Ye Yu smiled and reached out to lift him. “Little one, from now on, you are my disciple and I am your master. Once a teacher, forever a father—you must never call me ‘Big Brother’ again. Understand?”