Chapter 44: It’s Up To You

Chapter 44: It’s Up To You"???" Mo Yanxue was stunned.

Liu Mingyue's eyes turned red, feeling utterly humiliated. She was a genius... yet she had been rejected six times in a row! The worst part was that they all refused her just to please a mere groom. What did this mean? Did she not even deserve to be his disciple?

On the verge of breaking down, she glanced at Elder Wu Liuyun and the others, only to see them also shaking their heads, "We won't accept you either..."

Rejection*7.

Rejection*8.

Rejection*9.

…

Rejection*107.

In the blink of an eye, she had been rejected over a hundred times.

All the students were dumbfounded, looking at each other and then at Liu Mingyue, before turning their gaze to the equally confused Zhang Xuan. What on earth was happening here? Those who knew the truth understood he was just a groom; those who didn't might think he was the dean!

"Can't these guys be more discreet?" Seeing the many teachers' rejection coupled with their eager expressions, Lu Mingrong couldn't help but feel frustrated. He had specifically instructed them not to reveal Zhang Xuan's true genius identity, but now, in their attempts to please him, it was blatantly obvious. Even a fool could see something was up!

Seriously, could they be any more clueless?

"What do you mean, respecting my opinion?" Zhang Xuan, equally perplexed, clarified earnestly, "I genuinely don't want to take her as a disciple!"

Rejection*108.

Taking on a student should mean accepting someone who is respectful and willing to learn. But this girl was arrogant and dismissive. If he accepted her, it would only lead to constant frustration.

"Wahhhhh..."

Seeing his earnest expression and with every teacher rejecting her, Liu Mingyue couldn't hold back any longer. Overwhelmed with frustration and humiliation, she burst into tears on the spot.

She really was a genius... Scoring 24 streams of Heaven's Fate Energy in the Source Pool Assessment was an achievement even the City Lord hadn't reached. Any other teacher would have fought to take her on as a prized student. Why, then, was she treated like a pariah here?

‘Am I really that bad?’

"Hey... stop crying!"

Seeing the girl burst into tears again, Mo Yanxue felt a headache coming on. If she remained tough, Mo Yanxue could respond in kind, but crying left her helpless!

After some hesitation, she looked over at the young man not far away.

"Zhang Xuan... why don't you just accept her? After the Source Pool Assessment, if no teacher accepts her, she'll not only be ridiculed but also won't be able to enroll at White Rock Academy."

She understood that the other teachers' refusal was undoubtedly linked to this former servant. Though she didn't know how he managed it, she realized that the only way to break this impasse was through him.

"Uh..."

Seeing everyone’s eyes on him, Zhang Xuan felt a bit helpless. He preferred to keep a low profile, but now, with so many people staring at him and someone desperate to become his student, he felt overwhelmed!

Couldn't he just be a quiet, handsome man?

"Alright then."

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Xuan said, "She can be my student in name, but whether I teach her and how I teach her will be up to me. Also, I want that Dao Li transferred to me!"

Since not accepting her wouldn't resolve the issue, he figured he might as well get some benefits out of it, considering it as her apprenticeship gift. As a revered teacher, even taking an auditor wasn't something he did lightly.

"???"

Mo Yanxue was stunned.

She thought that as long as she asked, he would give in. After all, accepting Liu Mingyue would benefit him greatly too. She never expected this response.

The dignified eldest daughter of the Liu family wants to apprentice under you, and you're still putting on airs?

"You're dreaming..."

Indeed, hearing this, Liu Mingyue forgot her tears and clenched her teeth in anger. Being his disciple was already beneath her, and now he wanted a gift too? Moreover, it wasn't even certain if and how he would teach her... Who did he think he was?

"Well..."

Just as she was about to explode with frustration, Yu Longqing, the City Lord, stepped forward. "Teacher Zhang Xuan, since Liu Mingyue isn't too keen on becoming your student, how about we just drop this matter?"

"The City Lord has stepped in!"

"Looks like he couldn't stand it anymore."

"Yeah, I heard this Zhang Xuan used to be just a groom. He was only made an auxiliary teacher because he's good at taming horses. He actually thinks he's some kind of expert now..."

As City Lord Yu Longqing spoke, a wave of disdainful murmurs arose around him. To the onlookers, it seemed ridiculous that Liu Mingyue, the third-ranked genius of White Roc City, should be rejected by Zhang Xuan. They thought he should be grateful for the honor and not act so arrogantly.

"Fine!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

He didn't want to teach her anyway. With his abilities, if he ended up teaching a genius who quickly became the strongest in White Roc City, it would be quite awkward.

"Mingyue, as we agreed, Teacher Zhang will not take you as his disciple..." City Lord Yu turned to the girl.

"Thank you, City Lord..." Liu Mingyue nodded repeatedly.

"Good!" Without paying further attention to the emotional girl, Yu Longqing looked at Zhang Xuan again, bowing slightly. "Teacher Zhang, since Mingyue won't be your student, how about letting my daughter become your student instead?"

‘Lu Mingrong might have brought you here to be an auxiliary teacher, but I'll send my daughter to be your student! With daily teaching and constant interaction, who knows what might happen? That would be a huge win for me!’

‘Hmph, you want to compete with me? Let's see who can outdo whom!’

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Yu Xiaoyu, stunned by her father's words, couldn't help but ask.

Yu Longqing frowned, "Just you, of course!"

Yu Xiaoyu's eyes widened, "So you want me to be Teacher Zhang's student, but I've already agreed to be Dean Lu's student..."

Yu Longqing smiled, "The apprenticeship ceremony hasn't taken place yet, has it? You can cancel it. I'm sure Dean Lu won't mind, right?"

Understanding Yu Longqing's intention, Lu Mingrong could only awkwardly and politely nod, "Sure. It’s up to you..."

"..."

Yu Xiaoyu was utterly bewildered. She had thought her father was joking, but he was serious. What made this groom so special that both Dean Lu and her father respected him so much?

Yu Longqing said, "Teacher Zhang, you saw my daughter's assessment just now. She ranks second in White Rock Academy and has exceptional talent. With the resources of the City Lord's Mansion, she will surely progress rapidly once she starts cultivating. Apprenticing under you would definitely not bring shame to your name. What do you think?"

Zhang Xuan glanced at him and frowned slightly. "I won't accept her."