Chapter 1405: Out of Debt, Out of Danger
There were voices coming from outside just when Duan Ling Tian was ready to enter the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda.
He could tell the voices belonged to Xiong Hu and Jin Yuan Bao.
The 'master' they mentioned was undoubtedly the City Governor of Mound Hill City.
"So soon?" Duan Ling Tian was a little surprised.
He knew why the City Governor of Mound Hill City was looking for him without even having to guess.
Just like what Guo Li said, the City Governor of Mound Hill City would make an exception to for Duan Ling Tian to become his disciple as soon as he found out about the results he obtained in the valley. After all, he outperformed Xiong Hu.
Apart from that, there was something that Guo Li did not know: the fact that he had killed the Perfection Mortal Shedding Stage bandit.
Despite being on the Intermediate Mortal Shedding Stage, he had killed a Perfection Mortal Shedding Stage cultivator. His talent and abilities were valued by the City Governor of Mound Hill City like never before.
As he walked out of the cottage, Duan Ling Tian happened to see Xiong Hu and Jin Yuan Bao returning to their cottages respectively.
"Duan Ling Tian, you're such a freak!" Jin Yuan Bao's voice rang in his ears just in time through True Energy Voice Transmission.
Although Xiong Hu did not say anything, the way he looked at Duan Ling Tian was gravely serious.
Duan Ling Tian flew down from the high platform as he was about to leave the Latent Dragon Camp.
Just when he was walking out of the entrance of the camp, a spectral silhouette appeared before him and blocked his way.
'That was fast!' Duan Ling Tian was shocked to see one of the 36 Guardians, the Heavenly Harm Guardian, appear before him. 'This doesn't look like the speed of a Perfection Mortal Shedding Stage Martial Cultivator!'
Duan Ling Tian activated his Divine Eye out of curiosity.
He found out about the Heavenly Harm Guardian's cultivation base in the blink of an eye.
'Paramount Mortal Shedding Stage?' Duan Ling Tian was surprised. He did not know that Heavenly Harm Guardian had broken through as well.
He had used the Divine Eye to check on the Heavenly Harm Guardian when they first met during his arrival at the Latent Dragon Camp.
Back then, the Heavenly Harm Guardian was merely on the Perfection Mortal Shedding Stage.
It was easy come, easy go for the Heavenly Harm Guardian.
He left when Duan Ling Tian snapped back to his senses.
The bunch of the Latent Dragon Camp members, who were excited to watch what was going to happen, was gravely disappointed.
"What happened?"
"Wasn't Master Heavenly Harm Guardian just about to stop Duan Ling Tian from leaving? Why isn't he stopping him now?"
...
Duan Ling Tian was the only one who figured that it must have been Xiong Hu or Jin Yuan Bao who had told the Heavenly Harm Guardian about his reason for leaving the camp. How else would the Heavenly Harm Guardian have dared to stop him from seeing the City Governor of Mound Hill City?
As he arrived at the assembly hall after leaving the Latent Dragon Camp, Duan Ling Tian knew that his speculation was right.
"Duan Ling Tian, I'd like to take you as my disciple. Are you willing to accept my request?" The City Governor of Mound Hill City squinted as he asked Duan Ling Tian directly.
"Master City Governor, what benefit is there for me if I agree to be your disciple?" Hearing the City Governor's request, Duan Ling Tian asked straightforwardly too.
The Heavenly Leader Guardian's expression changed upon hearing Duan Ling Tian and shouted, "Duan Ling Tian, don't you dare abuse what you're given! You must feel grateful that you've collected enough good karma for Master City Governor to take you as his disciple."
He did not expect Duan Ling Tian to be so daring. In fact, he was so bold that he was even bargaining with the City Governor.
Duan Ling Tian ignored the Heavenly Leader Guardian and proceeded to look at the City Governor of Mound Hill City calmly. He seemed to be waiting for him to respond.
The City Governor of Mound Hill City was stunned for a second before asking while feeling amused, "What kind of benefits do you have in mind?"
"Master City Governor's really outright straightforward!" Duan Ling Tian's eyes lit up. "I don't want much... I only hope that Master City Governor will accept my one request."
"Do tell," the City Governor of Mound Hill City said.
"Master City Governor, I hope you could protect Guo Li so that she won't be sacrificed in the clans' feud back in Fuyu Town," Duan Ling Tian said in all seriousness.
Duan Ling Tian conveyed his one and only request to the City Governor of Mound Hill City.
"Fuyu Town?" The City Governor of Mound Hill City frowned. "Is Guo Li from Fuyu Town?"
"Yes." Duan Ling Tian nodded. "Guo Li's from the Guo Clan of Fuyu Town. She's also the No. 1 powerhouse among the younger generation in Fuyu Town! The two other clans who treat her clan as their enemy want her dead."
"What's your relationship with her that you're willing to do this for her?" The City Governor of Mound Hill City asked while his eyes mocked him.
"She's my friend... I'm helping her for nothing more than returning a favor," Duan Ling Tian said.
"Are the both of you just normal friends?" The City Governor of Mound Hill City proceeded to tease.
"Really." Duan Ling Tian nodded calmly. There was no change of emotion in his heart at all.
Whatever he said was the truth. He did not harbor any feelings for Guo Li.
"Heavenly Leader Guardian, send my orders to Fuyu Town right away. If anything were to happen to Guo Li, my City Governor's Estate of Mound Hill City will destroy both the clans who go against the Guo Clan," dictated the City Governor of Mound Hill City while looking at the Heavenly Leader Guardian.
"Yes, Sir." The Heavenly Leader Guardian left the assembly hall right after hearing that. It was clear that he was on his way to send the City Governor of Mound Hill City's order out.
At that moment, Duan Ling Tian and the City Governor of Mound Hill City were the only two people left in the huge assembly hall.
"It's my pleasure being your disciple, teacher." Duan Ling Tian bowed to the City Governor of Mound Hill City.
"Teacher?" The City Governor of Mound Hill City frowned. He did not expect Duan Ling Tian to call him "teacher".
Although "teacher" and "master" were similar, there was a vast difference between the two. Compared to being a master, being addressed as a teacher was undoubtedly much more casual.
Usually, there was only one master. A person would need to get the approval from their first master if they wanted to make another person their second master. Otherwise, it would be disrespectful.
However, it was a different case for a teacher.
It was not as strict for a teacher compared to a master.
A senior who could teach and lecture would be called a teacher.
"Do you already have a master?" The City Governor of Mound Hill City's face relaxed from frowning as he asked a while later.
"No." Duan Ling Tian shook his head.
"Then, why don't you call me 'master'? Why did you call me 'teacher' instead?" The City Governor sounded strict and there was disdain in his tone as he spoke.
"An educator is one who passes on knowledge and solves the confusion of a student. To me, a master's like the light at night guiding me forward while a teacher is someone who helps me as I grow," Duan Ling Tian explained honestly.
Therefore, to him, even though he became the City Governor of Mound Hill City's disciple, the City Governor was only his teacher but not his master.
Calling the City Governor of Mound Hill City was too serious to him.
"It seems like you're saying I'm not worthy of teaching you, eh?" A cold gleam was sparkling in the City Governor of Mound Hill City's eyes and his voice became dangerously deeper.
"If you become the light that guides my way, teacher, then, I'll naturally call you my master. But for now, you're just a teacher to me." Duan Ling Tian remained calm as ever facing Mound Hill City's City Governor who looked thunderous.
"Hmph! You may leave now!" The City Governor of Mound Hill City scoffed angrily.
"Sure." Duan Ling Tian did not say much as he retreated and left the assembly hall.
Seeing Duan Ling Tian leave and eventually disappear before his eyes, the murkiness on the City Governor of Mound Hill City's face was no longer there. It was replaced by an amused smile instead. "What an interesting little fella."
"He killed a Perfection Mortal Shedding Stage Martial Cultivator when his cultivation base's only on the Intermediate Mortal Shedding Stage... It seems like this little fella is hiding a big secret," mumbled the City Governor of Mound Hill City to himself.
"Guo Li's matter is finally solved." Duan Ling Tian was beaming on the way back to the Latent Dragon Camp. He could finally return the favor he owed Guo Li.
Out of debt, out of danger.
Duan Ling Tian felt as light as a swallow at the moment.
'I'll drop by the Merit Pavilion three days later,' Duan Ling Tian thought to himself after returning to the Latent Dragon Camp.
Three days later, he would be able to trade the points he had obtained from the test today into Merit Points. Then, he could use the Merit Points to exchange something that he wanted from the City Governor's Estate of Mound Hill City.
He might even find something that he desired.
As Duan Ling Tian entered the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda to continue his cultivation, an order was sent far away from the City Governor's Estate of Mound Hill City.
It went all the way to Fuyu Town.
Fuyu Town was also called Fuyu Island. It was an island located not far away from Dao Martial Saint Land.
Fuyu Town was heaved in chaos today.
The chaos spiraled from a messenger sent by the City Governor's Estate of Mound Hill City to pass on the order from the City Governor.
"The Guo Clan's disciple, Guo Li, is a member of the Latent Dragon Camp in the City Governor's Estate of Mound Hill City. If anything were to happen to Guo Li, the City Governor's Estate of Mound Hill City will destroy both the clans who are against the Guo Clan."
Those were the exact words coming from the City Governor of Mound Hill City.
The entire Guo Clan was exhilarated when they heard the order. All of their emotions were stirred.
The most outstanding disciple of their Guo Clan was now protected by the City Governor of Mound Hill City!
As opposed to the emotional Guo Clan members, the other two clans were solemn as if they just had a funeral.
"The City Governor of Mound Hill City's protecting Guo Li?" They could not understand why would the City Governor do so.
"Find out why! Send someone to find out about it!"
"We must find out why the City Governor of Mound Hill City is protecting Guo Li... At the same time, stop all of the stakeouts in Mound Hill City. We can't do anything to Guo Li any longer."
...
Orders were issued from the two clans while the clan members headed towards Dao Martial Saint Land.
At the same time, the people from the Guo Clan left Fuyu Island as well. They wanted to know what exactly happened.
Guo Li only found out about it three days later.
"Master City Governor has ordered to protect me?" Guo Li was shocked to find out about it at the beginning.
However, she snapped back to her senses very soon. She knew it had to be related to Duan Ling Tian.
"Duan Ling Tian, it's you... Am I right?" Seeing Duan Ling Tian stroll out of cottage No. 6 slowly, Guo Li could not help but ask for confirmation.
"Hmm?" Duan Ling Tian could not help but feel surprised to see Guo Li staring at him emotionally.
He had just gotten out of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda. While still in a daze, he had no idea what Guo Li was talking about.
He only came to a realization when Guo Li proceeded to speak.