Sun Yuan rushed back to Bibo City, burning with urgency, and the first thing he did was barge into the Su Family residence.
But then he was struck dumb: The Su Family home was empty.
Not a single authoritative person was at home.
"Where did they go?"
"I don't know."
"Didn't they leave any message?"
"None."
"Who else is at home?"
"There are still the ladies."
"When will they be back?"
"I don't know."
"..."
Sun Yuan was rendered speechless.
What was the Su Family playing at?
This was too outrageous, wasn't it?
His Divine Sense scoured the entire Su Family home and found not a single person in charge. Left with no choice but to sulk, he returned to the inn.
All the way back, he cursed the Su Family's ancestors out loud.
With no other option, he had to seek out Fang Che himself.
When he arrived at the Fang Family's place, he saw Fang Che busily preparing venison. A boning knife flickered deftly in Fang Che's hands, swiftly cutting through the meat…
He only watched for a dozen cuts before he couldn't help but reveal himself.
Because those few cuts were filled with effortless Spiritual Power.
Although it was just cutting meat, the precision, the knife control, the quivering edge—all of it had an innate, masterful feel.
This set Sun Yuan's heart ablaze.
I've discovered a genius! —That was the feeling.
Then, observing the young man's movements and eyes closely, he was even more satisfied.
He assessed the state of his muscles and the veins and tendons, which faintly glistened.
"This doesn't look like just a Grade B talent, more like Class A Talent."
Sun Yuan, thinking this, couldn't help but feel excited.
Martial Arts Talent was divided into four grades: A, B, C, and D.
Each grade was further divided into high, middle, and low.
Those with the lower rank of Ding might as well accept a lifetime as an ordinary martial artist with slightly greater strength.
The upper rank of Ding, with diligent practice, could achieve a life of comfort and wealth.
At Grade B, one was essentially a genius in the eyes of common folks!
And B level High Grade was the basic standard for a Great Sect to scout for disciples.
Class A Talent denoted a super-genius.
Above A level, one in ten thousand.
And beyond Class A were various legendary physiques, like Bone Blade, Sword Spirit Body, Innate Spiritual Body, Ethereal Body, and other such special cultivational talents, some unique to females.
Sun Yuan had assumed Fang Che to be of Grade B talent casually infected him with the Five Spirits Gu and left without much thought.
But it was not so.
"The Su Family has deceived me!" Sun Yuan was angered in his heart.
But recalling the rivalry between the Su Family and Fang Family, he understood.
"Flattered me while ruining a Fang Family genius—the Su Family really played their cards right. No wonder this kid's talent differs from what the Su Family described; it must be this reason."
Sun Yuan snorted.
An anger he couldn't repress surged within him, "I almost missed out on such a promising talent."
Overcome with eagerness, he just leaped out.
"Do you need help?"
Fang Che glanced at Sun Yuan and said disdainfully, "And you are?"
Although determined to approach from this angle, he couldn't simply show it too easily.
As the saying goes, the harder to obtain, the more one appreciates it.
"I am Sun Yuan, known in Jianghu as the Flying Sky Saber King!" Sun Yuan announced with some pride.
The Flying Sky Saber King, a King-level Master—that was his public identity. In a small place like Bibo City, it was enough to rule supreme!
Mentioning his name should have been enough to startle someone.
"Never heard of you."
"???"
"And I'm not fond of using sabers."
Fang Che rolled his eyes and said, "Besides, I don't know you. This is my house; how did you get in? Somebody! Help!"
"Wait, wait, wait…"
Sun Yuan was initially caught in a flurry, but then thought, "Alright, let's wait for your family to witness this."
"Witness what?"
"I want to take you as a disciple!"
"But I'm not looking for a master. And you're just a King level…"
This was truly what Fang Che thought in his heart.
Just a King level… Fang Che was hardly impressed.
Needed to be somewhat more substantial. You, as a King level, don't have that high of a status in the Wei Wo Zheng Sect, do you?
Sun Yuan was shocked.
I, a Martial King, and moreover, a Sword King, find it hard to take a disciple from such a minor family?
Your family, at most, has a Grandmaster, and a minor one at that!
You're still so many levels below my rank—below King level, feel Great Grandmaster, Martial General, and Marquis. That's a difference of thirty-six smaller Grades. How dare this kid look down on me, a Martial King?
Even using the word "just"?
"You look down on me? I might not insist on taking you as a disciple."
Sun Yuan snorted and, with a flick of his wrist, produced a white jade tower—the Yulong Tower, used in the cultivation world to test talent.
Furious!
If this kid is just a lower Class A Talent, I'll send him to the sect for my mission and let someone else take him.
If he's middle Class A or above, then I'll find a way to take him.
I'll test him now, so as not to waste any feelings.
"Hand it over!"
"What for?"
Sun Yuan snorted and rudely seized Fang Che's hand, pressing it onto the Yulong Tower while placing his other hand on Fang Che's back, channeling Spiritual Power into him.
In an instant, six levels of the tower lit up.
Bypassing the C, B, and A Grades in a flash.
"That was fast!"
Sun Yuan took in a sharp breath.
Was that just the operation of Spiritual Power?
Then the seventh layer lit up, indicating lower Class A, followed by the eighth layer shining brightly, then the ninth layer blazed on, gleaming with golden light.
"High Class A… that was quick!"
Sun Yuan swallowed hard.
Next was the top-tier tenth layer, the realm of legendary talent.
Without any impediment!
Directly all ten layers gleamed, bursting with dazzling golden light, then the radiance burst through the top of the tower, shooting out!
Sputter!
The radiance of the Yulong Tower went out in an instant.
It's ruined.
Sun Yuan was as stunned as a wooden chicken!
A legendary level, and even beyond!
To break through the Yulong Tower simply by the brilliance of a talent assessment!
He had never in his life imagined that such a thing could exist in this world.
His eyeballs nearly popped out, not caring about the damage to the Yulong Tower, he grabbed Fang Che's hand and refused to let go, "You, you must take me as your master!"
This...
Talent beyond legend!
Sun Yuan was so excited he could cry.
He was just a talent slightly above Class A, had been injured in the past years, and had given up hope of achieving anything significant in this lifetime. Now, a gem of talent had appeared before him!
To let it slip would be against the natural order.
He had decided, this would be his successor!
Fang Che was also dumbfounded.
He had just been going through the test half-heartedly, after all, he too wanted to know his current level of talent.
He knew about the Yulong Tower, of course. Ever since it was created, it had become all the rage in the cultivation circles.
He knew that his original body was at most a B level. Three Tianmai red fruits, combined with the Infinite Scripture for marrow cleansing, had unexpectedly propelled him straight to legendary quality!
But the Tianmai red fruit could not possibly have that much power. Could it be the effect of the Infinite Scripture?
Following that, Sun Yuan began to show off various things to take on a disciple.
Bending steel with his hands!
Turning breath into steel!
Hammering with his head!
Performing the Blade Rain with his saber!
And then all sorts of promises: "As long as you take me as your master, I won't restrict you; you can still take on other masters in the future, and your actions will be free, I won't force you; at most, you'll have to do a few sect missions..."
Moreover, our sect's resources will be first made available to you, and all my life's belongings are yours, and I can even get you better policies.
All sorts of benefits, all sorts of persuasions.
Sun Yuan knew very clearly that such a talent was impossible for him to retain!
Once his cultivation improved, completed a few missions, and caught the eye of others, then surely some powerful figures would come to take him as a disciple.
And with his own ability, he could definitely not stop this. If he showed the slightest reluctance, he would be discarded in an instant.
By then, even if he died, others would still take the disciple as they pleased, right?
So first of all, he couldn't keep this to himself.
Sun Yuan's requirements were simple: he just wanted to have the status of a master, and for this he was willing to pay any price. Once Fang Che rose to power, his own family would naturally receive the greatest protection!
With such talent, he was almost bound to rise to the high ranks of the Wei Wo Zheng Sect!
By then, the status of a 'high-ranking master' would be more than enough for him to enjoy a prosperous life, including his descendants for generations!
Eventually.
Of course, Fang Che agreed.
With much reluctance.
"...Alright then. Master, please accept..."
"Wait!"
Sun Yuan did not agree, "This must be witnessed by your family elders; the ceremony of taking a master must be grand and solemn."
Fang Che was immediately reluctant: "I'm the one taking a master, not them. Why does my family need to witness it?"
He was well aware that once his family witnessed this, and Sun Yuan's identity was exposed, the Fang Family would have to be involved.
If it was just a personal act on his part, then he still had ways to maneuver. At most, it would only involve himself. This was what the Guardian's Law Codes stipulated.
Using the excuse of 'youthful rebellion' to decline was just right.
The two of them argued back and forth.
Eventually, Sun Yuan backed down a step.
After all, geniuses deserved special privileges.
"I just need to make a note within the sect."
Sun Yuan had his own plans.
Then, everyone was happy.
"Master above, please accept your disciple Fang Che's bow."
Fang Che did not care about this.
For him, as long as he could blend in now, the future would take care of itself.
Does taking you as a master have anything to do with me?
Although I don't know who I am...
But from this moment, Fang Che knew he was choosing an incredibly difficult path: to be a standard undercover agent with no contact above or below.
Fighting alone, uncomprehended.
Perhaps one day he would die inexplicably at the hands of his own people.
But Fang Che did not regret this choice.
In his past life, he went from an ordinary martial artist, was tested, and joined the Guardian Army; after reaching a certain level of cultivation, he left the Guardian Army, did missions for points, and gradually ranked up to be a Guardian.
Then from an Iron Medal Guardian all the way up to Silver, and last time he could have been upgraded to Gold Medal, he died.
But along the way, he didn't know how many comrades-in-arms and brothers fell at the hands of the Wei Wo Zheng Sect.
Master, Mistress, Senior Brothers, Junior Brothers... and Junior Sisters!
All family members and countless comrades-in-arms and brothers fell at the hands of Wei Wo Zheng Sect.
He also witnessed the harm that Wei Wo Zheng Sect did to the whole world.
Villages filled with corpses.
Mountains heaped with bones.
Towns and cities filled with smoke!
He remembered entering that small town, eerily silent as a domain of death.
Those vultures that soared up and then fell down, those spine-chilling, unnerving cries.
Walking on the streets, the hollow echoes of his own footsteps.
Bodies everywhere, old and young, men and women, all dead, so many bodies with blank expressions.
They did not understand why they, who had lived peacefully, had died like this!
Fang Che utterly loathed Wei Wo Zheng Sect and seethed with hatred.
Now, Wei Wo Zheng Sect was growing even more powerful, and the Guardians were already at a disadvantage.
Now, with the opportunity to infiltrate Wei Wo Zheng Sect, even if he had to crumble into dust, Fang Che was absolutely determined not to change his mind.
He knew that within the Guardians, even among the high ranks, there were also undercover agents of Wei Wo Zheng Sect.
And his identity, with no contact, was as if heaven-sent, making him the perfect candidate.
Because… no matter how Wei Wo Zheng Sect checked, they would not find him in their files!
All he needed next was to pass this hurdle of Wei Wo Zheng Sect!
...
Sun Yuan was grinning from ear to ear!
He had taken on an absolute genius disciple.
He could already see the day he would rise within the sect.
He felt that his disciple was sure to create brilliance; in the future, he would definitely become a high-ranking member of the sect, it was as certain as a nail hammered into a board.
At the very least, becoming a high-ranking member of the Yixin Divine Sect was within easy grasp, perhaps becoming a Sect Hierarch or Vice Sect Hierarch was not impossible, and at worst, being in charge of a hall with great authority was a sure and certain future that could be foreseen.
By then, I, Sun Yuan... haha.
Thinking about it, he almost laughed out loud.
Heavenly Talent!
Beyond legend!
Who wouldn't envy me? Who else is there!
Hahaha...
So he began to take out things right then and there.