My Disciple Is Crazy!

The first time he'd discovered it, his mind had immediately supplied a single word: cooked. Which wasn't entirely inaccurate. He'd tried cultivating various times, following the techniques laid out in the manuals, but nothing happened. No progress. No advancement. Just a soul-deep awareness that something was fundamentally wrong with this body.

He hadn't wanted to believe it at first. He'd made excuses, blamed his self, his inexperience, his lack of focus. But the truth had a way of catching up with him, especially when it was as unavoidable as this.

The first time he'd found himself in this world, he'd entertained fantasies. Maybe he'd get a cheat skill, some overpowered ability that would let him steamroll through every obstacle. Or maybe he'd have main character luck, stumbling into fortune after fortune without ever having to work for it. Or a system, some divine interface that would guide him step by step toward ultimate power.

Those dreams had been shattered long ago.

There was no cheat skill. No luck. No system.

Just a crippled body.

He wasn't using the word lightly. In the world of cultivation, a crippled cultivation base was worse than being physically disabled. It was a sentence of mediocrity, a ceiling that couldn't be broken through.

It hadn't taken him long to identify the exact nature of his handicap.

His spirit root was trash. Waste. Garbage.

The kind of talent that made other cultivators sneer in disdain. With a spirit root like that, he absorbed Qi at a snail's pace while others flew past him. His cultivation would likely be capped at this level forever. Advancing was impossible.

Everything made sense now, why the original Xu Kai had thrown himself into endless study, why he'd taken near-death risks time and time again, why he'd made his head a library of every scrap of knowledge he could find. He'd been searching for a solution, a way around his limitation.

Xu Kai didn't know the original Xu Kai personally, but he felt a deep, unshakeable respect for the man. That kind of determination, that refusal to accept defeat, it was admirable. Inspiring, even.

He didn't give up. Even when everything was stacked against him.

The problem was that Xu Kai couldn't afford to give up either. Being weak in the cultivation world was a death sentence. The world was unpredictable, dangerous, full of people who wouldn't hesitate to crush someone beneath their heel. And then there was Chen Xi to consider. If he stayed weak, he wouldn't be able to protect her untill she could herself stand firm against that same cruel world.

But there was something else, too. Something deeper. He could feel it sometimes, a nagging sense that the original Xu Kai had had other reasons for his obsession. Reasons beyond self-preservation, beyond protecting what he cares about. Reasons he couldn't quite put his finger on—

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"Master!"

The shout cut through his thoughts like a blade, followed by the pounding of footsteps.

Xu Kai didn't flinch. He'd recognized the voice instantly.

The door burst open. Chen Xi stood in the doorway, chest heaving, sweat glistening on her forehead. Her eyes were bright, practically sparkling with barely contained excitement.

Xu Kai turned in his chair, letting his gaze settle on her. He raised a single brow.

"Xi, how many times have I told you it's nicer to knock before entering?" He leaned back, one hand gesturing vaguely at the door. "Or rather, not barge in. You could have given me a heart attack."

Chen Xi grinned, utterly unrepentant.

"Sorry."

The word came out as a half-laugh, and Xu Kai knew she didn't mean it at all. This wasn't the first time he'd had this conversation with her. It probably wouldn't be the last.

She only barged into his room when something extraordinary happened. Like the time she'd brought him a rare true beast she'd "found", or rather, "kidnapped", and kept it in her room until it escaped a few hours later.

So this meant something had happened. Something that had her practically vibrating with excitement.

"Alright," he said, a smile tugging at his lips despite his exasperation. "What happened?"

"Guess~"

The singsong quality of her voice made him chuckle despite himself. He was about to play along, to make some ridiculous guess just to see her expression, when something caught his attention.

He frowned, leaning forward slightly.

'Her aura... It's different.'

The realization hit him like a splash of cold water. He studied her more closely, feeling the shift in her spiritual presence. The quality of her Qi had changed, grown denser and more refined.

"You've reached rank ten of the Qi Gathering realm," he said softly.

Chen Xi nodded, her grin widening until it seemed to take over her entire face. She was practically glowing.

His mind reeled.

'It hadn't been that long since she'd reached rank nine. And now she'd advanced again?'

'But then again, this was Chen Xi.'

She'd done nothing but surprise him since he'd woken up in this world.

The thought came with a mixture of pride and exasperation.

Xu Kai smiled, letting the warmth of genuine happiness bleed into his expression.

"Good job," he said, and he meant it. "That's incredible progress."

He reached for the books he'd left on the table, gathering them into a neat stack. The leather binding felt familiar beneath his fingers, worn smooth from countless readings.

"You must be hungry," he said, more statement than question.

Chen Xi nodded enthusiastically, and Xu Kai bit back a laugh.

'Was there ever a time she wasn't hungry? The girl had a bottomless pit for a stomach, and her appetite seemed to grow alongside her cultivation.'

"Lucky for you," he continued, rising from his chair, "I made something special. Must be a coincidence, right?" He paused, catching her eye. "Go wait for me. I'll be with you shortly."

He added the last part almost as an afterthought, knowing from experience that if he didn't specify, she might hover. And he needed a moment to process everything.

"I'm also hungry," he added, "so I won't take long."

That was a lie, and they both knew it. Sometimes he spent longer than he said he would, getting lost in thought or organizing things that didn't need organizing. But today, he genuinely just needed to put the books back on their shelf. It wouldn't take more than a few minutes.

Chen Xi seemed satisfied with his reply. She turned, already heading for the door, her footsteps light and energetic.

Xu Kai opened his mouth, then closed it. Then opened it again.

"One more thing," he called out.

She paused, looking back over her shoulder, a questioning brow raised.

"After eating, you should prepare."

"Prepare for what?" she asked, her voice curious.

Xu Kai smiled.

"For the fight I have to watch," he said, his tone deliberately casual. "And the wolf you have to put to rest."