Chapter 148: Taking a Disciple

"The Fairy probably assumes I wish for your help in curing the illness and pain that plague my body? Heh, I know the nature of the injuries I have sustained myself..." Mother Qiu smiled and shook her head.

"I beg the Fairy to save my mother's life. Qiu Hanshan and Qiu Li are willing to be slaves for eternity, at the command of the Fairy!" The Qiu siblings, who had been listening until now, could no longer restrain themselves. They stepped forward in front of Ji Mo, dropped to their knees, and kowtowed.

Although they had not quite understood the mentions of the Heavenly Mystery Valley, the Ten Directions Cultivation World, or the Purple Meteor Soul-Burning Sword, they heard that Ji Mo had once suffered the same injury as their mother and had now fully recovered. In their hearts, they believed that Ji Mo must know a way to cure their mother. Hearing their mother's intent seemed to be merely hoping the two immortals would take them in as disciples without concerning themselves with her physical condition.

To the Qiu siblings, this was completely unacceptable. They indeed held a very favorable impression of Ji Mo and Su Ye, and would be delighted to become their disciples, yet they could not accept leaving their mother's life uncared for in exchange.

"Hanshan! Li'er! Do not be foolish, get up quickly. That the Fairy could recover safely after being injured by the Purple Meteor Soul-Burning Sword is a chance that can only be met by fortune and never sought. The Purple Meteor Soul-Burning Sword is the utmost Yin and bizarre artifact between heaven and earth. Once injured by it, a person's seven mortal souls and six intelligent spirits are slowly and steadily eroded until vitality is extinguished and life disperses. That I have been able to linger on in this frail existence for these past ten years is already a rare blessing. Do not force what is difficult upon others!" Before Ji Mo could speak, Mother Qiu's face darkened as she glared at the siblings and sharply rebuked them.

"Mother!" The Qiu siblings gave the elderly woman a stubborn look, then shifted their gazes back to Ji Mo, their eyes filled with anticipation.

"Hanshan, Xiao Li, it is not that I am unwilling to extend a helping hand, but rather that I truly lack such capability. The person who saved me back then was an elder of mine, but he is far away from this place. Even if we were to set off right now, it would take several years at the very least. If I am not mistaken, your mother's injuries can sustain her for at most half a year longer." Ji Mo looked at the siblings kneeling before her, shaking her head with a trace of helplessness. If she truly possessed the ability to heal the elderly woman before her, she would not be stingy in offering her aid.

"The Fairy speaks the truth. Having exhausted all my strength to drag my life out until now, my oil is spent and my lamp is dry. I originally worried I would not live to see the arrival of the Immortals, but fortunately, the Heavens have not treated me unfairly, allowing me to await the two of you in my final moments. Although my two children cannot be described as having peerless talent, they are nonetheless quite good. I wonder if the two of you might take them in as your disciples?" Mother Qiu appeared quite calm. She glanced at her children, then turned her gaze to Ji Mo and Su Ye, pleading with them.

"Mother!" Qiu Hanshan and Qiu Li cried out in simultaneous grief. The old woman ignored them, gazing quietly at Ji Mo and Su Ye instead.

"Madam, I have already stated earlier that the talent of your two children is so high that even if they wished to enter a first-rank sect, there would be numerous mighty figures scrambling to take them as disciples. Putting aside the fact that both of us are merely Core Formation cultivators, since Madam is well-versed in the studies of divination and reasoning, you can naturally see that both my senior brother and I are people tangled in endless troubles. If you let your son and daughter follow me, I fear they will not know many good days," Ji Mo said with a bitter smile.

"Heh, leave aside first-rank sects; even those few super-factions within the Ten Directions Cultivation World do not equal a ten-thousandth of the two of you in my eyes. As for the troubles you speak of, among those who walk the Daoist path, who can step onto the true supreme immortal path without experiencing setbacks and hardships? Since I have already decided to entrust these two children to the two of you, I will willingly bear all the accidents and risks that may arise along the way."

"It is not that I am boasting about my own children, but their talent is secondary. What makes me most proud of them is their disposition and character. With the discerning eyes of the two of you, you can naturally see through this," Mother Qiu added with a hint of pride.

"But..." Ji Mo involuntarily furrowed her brow. She also fonded the children Qiu Hanshan and Qiu Li greatly, but at this stage, she and Su Ye were already burdened with troubles of their own. To take on two children with such complicated backgrounds as well...

Mother Qiu simply looked at them with a smile, saying nothing more. Hearing this, Ji Mo and Su Ye exchanged a bitter smile, feeling as though they were truly being awaited for a final decision! Were people coming out of the Heavenly Mystery Valley truly this formidable? Relying solely on their mysterious and unpredictable art of divination regarding two completely unknown individuals, she was willing to stake the entire lives of her two children upon them?

"If Madam is truly willing to part with them, my junior sister and I will each take one," Su Ye thought for a moment before taking over the conversation.

Since Mother Qiu had foreseen their arrival and laid her cards on the table, coupled with the fact that they had just consumed the priceless Heavenly Heart Nourishing Spirit Tea, if they stubbornly refused the Qiu siblings, they would feel quite ashamed of themselves.

Moreover, just as Mother Qiu had said, the disposition and character of the Qiu siblings truly suited their tastes. He and Ji Mo shouldered the heavy responsibility of reviving their sect, but the restoration of a sect could not rely solely on the two of them. It was rare to encounter such promising saplings of fine talent and matching temperament, and turning them away would indeed be a pity.

"That is wonderful. This old woman thanks the two of you for your immense kindness. Hanshan, Li'er, come over and pay your respects to your master." Mother Qiu heaved a gentle sigh of relief and hurriedly turned her gaze to beckon Qiu Hanshan and Qiu Li.

Although her expression had remained calm and composed throughout, her heart was actually filled with anxiety. Neither Ji Mo nor Su Ye were ordinary people; their destiny palaces were shrouded in heavy mists. While she could see through the past events in their lives and vaguely predict the direction of their futures, there were simply too many variables and obscuring mists within, leaving Mother Qiu uncertain whether they would truly accept her two children.

Though Qiu Hanshan and Qiu Li had only spent a little over two hours with Ji Mo and Su Ye, their impression of the two was exceptionally favorable. Naturally, they were willing to take such immortals as their masters, but hearing their mother's tone clearly sounded like entrusting orphans to others. Overwhelmed by the thought, a sourness rose in their noses as they both hurried to the old woman's side, prostrating themselves and weeping, "Mother, we do not want to leave you."

"The moon has its waxing and waning, and men have their sorrows and joys. I was a person long destined to die, yet I have snatched ten years of borrowed life and even witnessed you obtain this fortune and find such fine masters. Your mother is already completely satisfied. Children, be obedient and go pay your respects to your masters!" Mother Qiu reached out to stroke the heads of her two children, a profound and tender affection welling up on her face. A moment later, she withdrew her hand and spoke in a soft voice.

Qiu Hanshan and Qiu Li looked at their mother, then turned to Ji Mo and Su Ye. Finally, they walked over to the two respectively, knelt down, kowtowed, and addressed them as master. Ji Mo helped Qiu Li, who was kneeling before her, to her feet, saying, "Since you have taken me as your master, from this day forward, you are my disciple. As long as your master draws breath, no one shall ever bully you."

"This is my token of gratitude for accepting my disciples. I ask that the two immortals not disdain it." A satisfied smile bloomed on Mother Qiu's face. She walked into the house, and after a short while, emerged holding two black boxes that appeared to be neither gold nor jade, presenting them to Ji Mo and Su Ye respectively.

"Mother!" Qiu Hanshan and Qiu Li called out in unison as they looked at Mother Qiu.

"Good children, follow your masters well from now on and do not bring shame upon them..." Mother Qiu let out a long breath, her eyes revealing an indescribable satisfaction and tranquility as she slowly stopped breathing. (To be continued...)