“Huh?”
Yan froze, momentarily unable to process the sudden declaration from the crisp, capable-looking girl with the high ponytail before him: “Please take me as your disciple!”
Bystanding players, drawn by the commotion, halted their steps to observe the scene.
Some, arriving late and unaware of the full context, saw the deeply bowing girl and mistakenly assumed it was a passionate confession or some equally sensational event, prompting a few cheers from the crowd.
“Hold on, hold on a moment… please straighten up. Let me wrap my head around this.”
Yan waved his hand, quickly helping the girl to her feet.
“Alright.”
The girl, straightforward in her manner, nodded in assent and stood rigidly in place, awaiting Yan’s response.
Yan gazed at the tall, slender girl before him, at the high ponytail tied behind her fresh-faced countenance, and fell into contemplation.
Within “Companion God Realm (TL Note: The name of the game, ‘Bansheng Shenjie’),” there was no official master-disciple system.
In other words, no such thing as a master-disciple relationship officially existed; neither teaching nor being taught offered any system rewards or team bonuses.
Yet, the “master-disciple” dynamic was far from uncommon in this game.
Due to its “Companion-tier” design, “Companion God Realm” was even more intricate than typical complex RPGs, making it rather unforgiving for players entirely new to such games or those unfamiliar with its mechanics.
In such an environment, the master-disciple relationship naturally emerged.
Indeed, Yan himself could be considered half a “master” to Tian Jiu, having taught her many aspects of the game when they first met, though he never consciously saw himself as one, merely as a fellow player.
Back on the old server, Yan had witnessed many kind ‘dalao’ (TL Note: A Chinese internet slang term for a highly skilled or respected person, often used in gaming communities) willing to teach novice players about gameplay, controls, and game mechanics.
Despite receiving no benefits, these veteran players were still eager to help, perhaps driven by what Yan termed the “teaching impulse” (TL Note: ‘Jiaoshi Yu,’ referring to the desire to instruct someone in something).
However, Yan preferred to believe that the “masters” in “Companion God Realm” were akin to real-world artisans or mentors, performing a noble service even without tangible reward.
While Yan enjoyed assisting players he knew, he never thought of himself as someone’s master.
On the old server, too, other players would pale at the mere mention of the title [Frenzied Greatsword Wielder], perceiving him as a temperamental and ferocious greatsword player—let alone seeking him as a master.
He had expected his experience on the new server to be much the same, leaving him utterly unprepared to take on a disciple.
Hence, his mind had gone blank when the girl before him had cried out, “Please take me as your disciple!”
Finally composing himself, he fixed his gaze on the youthful player before him and slowly began to speak.
“Judging by your appearance, are you also a [Spear Player]?”
Yan’s eyes fell upon the straight spear behind her as he posed the question.
“Yes, Master.”
She nodded gently, her right hand stroking the shaft of the spear resting behind her.
“This disciple’s profession is also Spear Player.”
“I haven’t decided to take you as a disciple yet… well, never mind that…”
Yan rolled his eyes in exasperation, unsure how to respond to her so naturally calling him “Master.”
“Let me be clear upfront: I’m not actually very familiar with Spear Player gameplay.
If you were a greatsword player, I might be able to offer more professional guidance…”
This was the truth; Yan had only a vague idea of which branch the Spear Player’s Agility attribute specialized in.
“Then should this disciple switch to playing a greatsword now?”
The girl asked earnestly, without a hint of jest, startling Yan into waving his hands frantically to stop her.
“No, no, no, no, no… I was just saying…”
Yan was thoroughly intimidated by her terrifyingly strong initiative.
He lowered his head, pinching his chin, and mumbled softly.
‘It’s not that I can’t guide a Spear Player, it’s just that my guidance might not have much to do with the game itself…’
“What did you say, Master?”
She hadn’t heard clearly and furrowed her brow slightly.
“No… nothing.”
Yan shook his head, slowly turned away, and beckoned to Tian Jiu and Qing Bai, who were watching the spectacle beside him.
He then turned his face back, his bright eyes fixed on the girl.
“If you wish to become my disciple, then follow me.”
Having said this, he led Tian Jiu and Qing Bai towards the outskirts of Wind Star City without waiting for her reply.
“Understood, Master.”
She quickly responded, her slender legs striding as she hurried to catch up with them.
****
“What is your name?”
Yan turned his head, looking at the girl walking beside and slightly behind him, and asked.
Sensing his question might be misinterpreted, and fearing his earnest “disciple” might blurt out her real name, he hastily added.
“What’s your in-game ID?”
Unfortunately, the girl seemed to interpret his single question as two distinct inquiries.
“This disciple’s name is Liang Xiaoqing, and my in-game ID is Little Green.”
‘She said it anyway… her real name…’
Yan pressed a hand to his forehead in exasperation, as if nursing a headache.
“Ah… alright, Little Green. The first thing I’ll teach you is not to easily reveal your real-world information in a full-dive game, no matter how realistic the full-dive world may seem.”
“This disciple will bear that in mind.”
Little Green cupped her fist in salute, seemingly taking Yan’s teaching to heart.
‘Well, never mind. At least she’s an obedient and good disciple.’
Yan offered a helpless smile and continued walking in that direction.
“Little Green, why do you want to take me as your master?”
“Is this question a test?”
Little Green tilted her head, asking cautiously.
“No, it’s merely out of curiosity.”
Yan gave a wry smile, thinking, ‘I’m not some elder who’s retired from the martial world, asking questions and hitting palms before taking on a disciple…’
“This disciple watched Master’s arena match and found Master to be incredibly powerful and remarkably handsome…”
Little Green lowered her head slightly, revealing her thoughts without reservation.
“‘So a [Spear Player] can reach such heights.’ Master’s performance truly astonished me.”
Yan felt a touch of embarrassment from Little Green’s words and lightly scratched his head.
“But more importantly, this disciple…”
A rare blush spread across Little Green’s face, the crisp and capable girl suddenly seeming to transform into a different person, becoming hesitant and unwilling to voice her thoughts.
She took a deep breath, yet still strived to articulate what was on her mind.
“In reality, this disciple is an ordinary and timid person, lacking the perseverance and courage to stick with anything.
Yet, within this game, I’ve felt an unprecedented sense of ease and drive, capable of achieving everything I set my mind to.”
“I chose the [Spear Player] profession because I thought it was very cool, and I also wanted to use spear arts to exercise my body, which is why I came to seek your tutelage!”
‘Playing games won’t exercise your body, not even if you choose [Spear Player]…’
Yan internally grumbled this, but before he could speak, the two women beside him became even more agitated than he was.
“Mhm, mhm! I completely understand that feeling!”
Tian Jiu’s delicate eyelashes trembled slightly as she took Little Green’s hand, speaking with profound empathy.
‘Hey, hey, what are you getting so emotional about?’
“‘Useless one,’ this young lady commands you to take her as your disciple.”
Qing Bai turned her face away, seemingly trying to conceal an expression on the verge of tears.
‘So what are *you* getting emotional about now? And are you already shortening ‘Game Addict’ to just ‘Useless one’?’
Yan could only grumble internally.
With a helpless sigh, he looked at Little Green with a serious expression.
“You said you wanted to use spear arts to exercise your body, correct?”
“Yes, Master.”
Little Green nodded.
“Then you’ve certainly found the right person.”
Yan chuckled, unstrapping the spear from his back and gracefully twirling it in his hand.
“If your sole purpose is physical exercise, even I can teach you spear arts to that extent.”
“However, I must warn you: relying solely on in-game training will not improve your physical fitness.
Full-dive games can, at most, enhance your neural reaction speed.
If you truly wish to exercise your body, you must also diligently train in the real world.”
“And I, by chance, also know a little spear art in reality, so I can impart to you the methods of using spear arts for physical training.”
Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze on Little Green complex.
“If you can accept these points…”
“Then I shall take you as my disciple.”
“Yes, Master!”
Little Green gritted her teeth, reverting to her crisp and capable self, and nodded emphatically, officially establishing the master-disciple relationship with Yan.
Only now did she truly earn the right to call Yan “Master.”
‘Well… even though she’d already called him that countless times before…’
Yan smiled faintly, raised his hand to bring up the menu, and added Little Green as a friend.
“From now on, come find me around five in the afternoon every day.
I’ll teach you spear art movements and answer any game-related questions in the game.”
“After dinner, don’t forget to practice spear for one to two hours.
I’m referring to in reality.”
He commanded thus.
“Yes, Master!”
Little Green nodded in affirmation, then, as if something else occurred to her, she timidly spoke.
“Um… Master, what should I do if I don’t have a spear in reality?”
“Who needs a spear?
Just find a random stick to practice with when you’re starting out.”
Yan waved his hand as he said this.
“Oh…”
Little Green responded blankly.
“Then Master… where are we going now?”
“I don’t know either, but we’ll be there soon.”
Yan looked up, watching as what had initially been a small black speck on the horizon gradually transformed into a vast floating pavilion, and he said with a slight smirk.
“You’ll know once we arrive.”