Chapter 144: Taking a Master...

Chen Bo’s curiosity was thoroughly piqued by the mysterious old man, and his eager expression resembled that of a diligent student thirsting for knowledge.

The old man sighed and said, "Things remain, but the people are gone! One by one, they have all perished, and who knows how many will manage to survive in the end."

Then, lowering his head, he looked at Chen Bo and said, "Little fellow, reach out your hand and let me take a look."

"Huh? What are you trying to do?" Chen Bo asked warily. Gazing at the old man's greasy hand, Chen Bo couldn't help recalling how that very hand had just patted his head; right now, his hair was probably slick and gleaming with grease.

This was definitely free hair mousse, except that this particular mousse was completely useless for holding a hairstyle.

Although the old man’s previous words had aroused his intense curiosity, having recently survived life-and-death perils, Chen Bo maintained a deep sense of vigilance toward everything around him.

He had a constant, nagging feeling that a massive monster would suddenly jump out and chop him to pieces—the classic situation known as "some treacherous scoundrel is always plotting against me."

"Haha! Do you really think an old man like me would try to harm you? We have no grievances between us; surely I wouldn't be so bored as to look for trouble with you?" The old man seemed to see right through Chen Bo's thoughts, and finding it amusing, he let out a hearty laugh.

Chen Bo had no idea what was so funny about that—did being vigilant require a laugh? He muttered curses inwardly, but still reluctantly extended one of his hands.

He knew that even if he refused to reach out, the old man had plenty of ways to force him. After all, this mysterious old man's mere aura had nearly immobilized him; just how terrifying must his true strength be? He was probably vastly more powerful than Yu Shifei.

Initially, Chen Bo considered using a few talismans to escape the old man's clutches, but he quickly dismissed the idea. Against a combat prowess far exceeding Yu Shifei's, he had no idea what use his talismans would be.

The unkempt old man grasped Chen Bo's extended hand, incessantly rubbing and stroking it as if he were fondling a young maiden, sending a wave of extreme goosebumps all over Chen Bo.

Could it be that this old man wanted to—good grief, that mental image was simply too horrifying to contemplate!

Chen Bo felt a sudden, inexplicable tightening in his nether regions. What should he do if this immensely powerful, slovenly old codger actually took a fancy to him? Should he refuse? Or should he refuse? Or perhaps... refuse?

After a fierce internal struggle, Chen Bo resolved to resist to the death! Even if he died, he would preserve his chastity. As for whether his corpse might be desecrated afterward, that was a thought he hadn't dared to entertain yet.

He tried to pull his hand back, only to find that the unkempt old man's grip was like a pair of iron pliers; he couldn't retract it at all!

Abruptly, the old man placed his other hand directly onto Chen Bo's dantian—and it was worth noting that the dantian was only a hair's breadth away from certain very vital parts.

Could it be that his chastity was truly going to be lost tonight?

Just as Chen Bo was letting out a silent, miserable howl in his heart, the old man suddenly released both hands, a look of utter satisfaction filling his eyes. "Not bad! Not bad at all! Your innate constitution is exceptional! Little fellow, would you be willing to take me as your master?"

"Take you as your what? What on earth? Master?!" Chen Bo was completely dumbfounded, choking back a mouthful of curses as he cried out in disbelief.

If he took this old man as his master, would the old man use his status as a teacher to pull some inappropriate stunts that transcended the bounds of a master-disciple relationship? Just thinking about it made goosebumps erupt all over Chen Bo's body.

He immediately shook his head like a rattle-drum and stammered, "No! I cannot take you as my master!"

"Oh? Why not?" The old man's expression turned slightly displeased, clearly not expecting Chen Bo to reject him.

Hearing the question, Chen Bo was temporarily struck dumb. Could he possibly tell the old man that he was afraid of being deflowered by him? Damn it, if such a humiliating thing were spoken aloud, would he ever be able to show his face in public again? He would instantly become the laughingstock of the entire Tianyang Province!

Besides, he had already offended so many people; if they all banded together to humiliate him, let alone making a name for himself in Tianyang Province, he might become infamous throughout the entire empire!

"Boy, do you have any idea how many people have begged to become my disciple, only for me to reject them? Right now, I only have two disciples. If you take me as your master, you will be my third!" the old man declared.

He had dropped the "little fellow" moniker, and his tone had instantly turned forceful. Damn it all, the speed at which this guy changed his face was truly breathtaking.

"Well... Senior, I already have a master," Chen Bo said after much deliberation, deciding to try and bluff his way through first.

Once he slipped away, he would go grind monsters to level up and never have to lay eyes on this ridiculously overpowered weirdo again. The world was vast and wide, and he would soar like a free bird!

"You already have a master? And who might that be?" the old man asked with mild curiosity.

"My master is... well, my master is..." Chen Bo stammered. Where on earth was he supposed to get a master? He was just making it up on the spot!

Wait! A master! Wahahaha! I've got a way out!

A flash of inspiration struck Chen Bo's brain, and he immediately blurted out, "Senior, my master is Yu Shifei! If you happen not to know Yu Shifei, then surely you must know Dean Yu Chenling of Tianyang Academy? Yu Shifei is the Dean's only daughter."

Chen Bo was borrowing a tiger's skin to wrap himself in imperial banners this time, hoping that the formidable reputation of the stingy old dean could intimidate this mysterious, unkempt old man.

After all, this was Tianyang Academy, and within the academy, the Dean was naturally the supreme authority!

"Yu Shifei?" The slovenly old man wore a peculiar expression before suddenly looking at Chen Bo with a half-smile. "Boy, I forgot to tell you—Yu Shifei is my eldest disciple! Which means, I am currently your grand-master!"

"What?!" Chen Bo was truly terrified this time. This old man was Yu Shifei's master? Damn it, could he really be this unlucky?

No, he must be lying to me! Yes, that has to be it! Clinging to this thought, Chen Bo convinced himself the old man was just trying to pull his leg.

Therefore, Chen Bo said, "Senior, although I am young, you shouldn't try to fool me like that! Lies this childish can be seen right through instantly."

"You don't believe me? If you don't believe me, you can call your master over and we can settle this face-to-face!" The unkempt old man uncorked his wine gourd, took a hearty swig, and said with a hazy glint in his eyes.

Seeing the unkempt old man looking so utterly confident, Chen Bo felt a twinge of nervousness. With such unwavering certainty, could this bastard actually be Yu Shifei's master?

"If you want me to become your disciple, you at least have to demonstrate some real strength!" Chen Bo said, still holding onto a sliver of wishful thinking.

"Strength? Very well!"

No sooner had the words fallen than Chen Bo felt a hand grab his wrist.

Then, the scenery before his eyes instantly morphed into streaks of light, continuing for a few seconds before finally coming to a halt.

Huh? Something felt severely wrong! Chen Bo looked around, and once again, he was utterly dumbfounded. This was actually the main gate of Tianyang City! In mere seconds, the unkempt old man had brought him all the way from the artifact-crafting department to the city gates!

Good lord, this kind of power and speed was simply heaven-defying! It was faster than a bullet! Damn it all!

Immediately afterward, Chen Bo was whisked right back to Yu Shifei's artifact-crafting chamber by the old man, the entire round trip taking less than ten seconds.

Gazing at the slovenly old man beside him, Chen Bo didn't hesitate for a single second. He dropped straight to his knees, half-knelt, and blurted out, "Disciple pays respect—bah! Master is above, please accept this disciple's kowtow!"