To Walk The Mist

"Because of this, I am making an exception. I will accept you as my disciple." she said and Ed paused.

"No need to be shocked. You may be just a spirit picking junior, but with me on your side, you may get lucky enough to reach the spirit merging stage." she said calmly.

"I have a master." those words from Ed's mouth were more burning for his ears than for the first elder. A master? He never even took the one he had seriously and this was a should realization grandmaster. Talk more of she who was merely a spirit awareness master.

"You don't think me worthy?" she asked.

"Worthy or not, I cannot have two masters." Ed said.

"Your master, if he truly cares about your well being, would understand why you should not let go of this opportunity." she said.

"When you meet him, you two are welcome to talk it out." Ed said and she frowned.

"What level of cultivation is your master?" she asked.

"Why does it matter?" Ed had no intention of telling her such a thing. There were very few soul realization grandmasters. She may not believe it now, but if someone came looking for him, they would know exactly who he was. He had not intention of getting mixed up in politics for power.

"It does." she said.

"Is this all you wished to say? If so, I will take my leave." Ed said and turned away.

"I don't make this kind of offer twice! You walk out that door and your chance goes with you." she said.

As far as she was concerned, there was no way Ed could walk away from such an opportunity, master or no master. But Ed could care less about her pride, as he opened the door and walked out.

Her calm face fell into a frown. This boy was far too arrogant. A mere spirit picking sapling dares to look down on her?

Ntia walked in and stared at her master's frowning face.

"Master, why did he leave so soon?" she asked.

"That little thing thinks himself great." she answered.

"He did not agree to bring back the cold beads when they enter the astral roots?" Ntia asked.

"He thinks himself too great to be my student."

"Master wanted to accept him as a disciple? He is just a spirit picking junior. What right does he have to become master's disciple?" she was very dissatisfied. Why would master be interested in the likes of him? He still dared to reject?

"Enough! Take him to his cave and keep an eye on him." the first elder waved Ntia away.

Ed had left without care. He waited outside for Ntia to take him to his cave, knowing well that she will come find him. If nothing, at least to fume over his disrespect for her master.

As if on cue, she approached him in fury.

"You dare look down on my master?"

"I don't remember looking down on anyone." Ed said casually.

"Even though I feel you don't deserve to be master's disciple, you have the guts to reject her? Do you know how many people would beg to....." she started to rant.

"Take me to my cave." Ed said. He was not interested in the stories of her master's value. He could see hot flames in her eyes at his words.

"Or does your master wish to strip me of this privilege for rejecting her offer?" he asked. This caused her anger to rise to a different level.

"You will regret this!" she promised. Ed could care less about this master-disciple duo. He followed her to a cave on the very edge of the first section.