Number One Under Heaven

“Master, just in case, what do your parents like to do?” Tian Yi asks.

“My parents?... Hmm…” Xuan Wanshan starts to think.

If she remembers correctly, “I remember my father chasing after his dream of wanting to become a Pill Grandmaster before I left, which was seven years ago.”

“Pill Grandmaster? What is that?” Tian Yi asks with a puzzled face.

Hearing Tian Yi’s question, Xuan Wanshan was a bit surprised in her heart, “He does not know what a Pill Master is?”

“Tian Yi, you do not know what a Pill Master is?”

“I know what a Pill Master is; they make Pills right? But I have never heard of a Pill Master being at this Pill Grandmaster rank back at my Realm.” Tian Yi said truthfully.

Pill Grandmaster? Back at the Celestial Emperor’s World, if you were not at least a Pill Sage, you will not be considered a Pill Master! Pill Grandmaster? There was no such rank in the Celestial Emperor’s World!

“What? No Pill Grandmasters? Maybe the Pill Master ranks are different in the higher Realms so that Pill Grandmasters may have another name…” Xuan Wanshan was bewildered upon hearing that, but she did not mind it much.

Misunderstanding Tian Yi’s knowledge, Xuan Wanshan starts to explain to him, “Tian Yi, listen up, becoming a Pill Grandmaster in this Realm is considered the pinnacle of Pill Masters. In order to be called a Pill Grandmaster, you need to master three things known as the Pill Making Three Phases. The first phase being Ingredient Refining, the second phase is Pill Consolidation and the last phase, Pill Creation.”

“Ingredient Refining is the first step to creating a Pill; it is where you purify the impurities in the ingredients before putting them into the Cauldron and then melting it to liquid.”

“Pill Consolidation is what comes after the Ingredient Refining, mixing and consolidating the liquids, forming a Pill shaped liquid. The last phase is the Pill Creation, taking that almost finished Pill and hardening it with Spirit Power, creating a Pill.”

“If you mess up during any of the steps, especially the first one, the Pill will not come out properly or will have a bad quality. Pill making usually takes around a few hours to even days depending on the Pill they are trying to make, do you understand?” Xuan Wanshan finishes lecturing, finally acting like a proper Master…

“Three Phases? That sounds very bothersome.” Tian Yi said.

“Of course it is bothersome, or why else would Pill Masters be so famous and well respected?” Xuan Wanshan said with a weird face. That is what Pill Making is all about, yet Tian Yi finds it bothersome? If people skip these Three Phases, would it still be called Pill Making?

“Looks like my Disciple is only talented in Cultivation and has no clue about Pill Making…” Xuan Wanshan sighs in her heart.

If her Disciple was also talented in Pill Making, how Heaven Defying would that make him? Because of Tian Yi being so Heaven Defying, Xuan Wanshan thought that he might also have other unknown talents, but it looks like her expectations were too high.

“This is not good; my Disciple has spoiled me with his shocking talents… His current talent is already more than anything I can hope for; I do not need him to be perfect in every aspect… As a matter of fact, it is better for him to have some flaws, this way I will not feel so useless….” Xuan Wanshan cries in her heart.

If Tian Yi is going to be any more Heaven Defying than he is now, what good is her role as his Master? Is she just there to be shocked by him every day? The more flaws Tian Yi has, the better it is for her as his Master, because there will be more things that she can teach him!

Thinking that, Xuan Wanshan asks him, “Tian Yi, what are you not good at? Your flaws.”

“My flaws?” Tian Yi was surprised by such a sudden question.

“Yes, your flaws. How am I supposed to know what to teach you when I do not even know what you are bad at?”

“Hmm….” Tian Yi thinks for a moment.

“Ah, I know. Females.” Tian Yi said with a straight face.

Hearing an unexpected answer, Xuan Wanshan’s eyes twitches, “Females? How are you bad with females?”

“I am not used to them.”

“……” Xuan Wanshan turns speechless. Not used to them? What about Meng Xiang and her? Are they not females in his eyes?

“Then what about Meng Xiang and I? Are we not females?”

“Master and Meng Xiang are females, but I cannot really see you two as one. You are my Master, and she is my servant, it just happens, and I do not even think about it.” Tian Yi said with a calm face, not bothered by it.

“…..” Xuan Wanshan felt her heart tremble a bit after hearing that. Although she cannot blame him for that, it still did not feel good.

“Then what about Feng Yan? Was she not a female?”

“I could only see her as an Evil Cultivator and nothing else…” Tian Yi sighs in a low tone.

“…. I am sorry for mentioning about her…” Xuan Wanshan regretted asking him that because it suddenly changed the atmosphere.

“There is no need for Master to be sorry.” Tian Yi smiles, making Xuan Wanshan feel better.

“Then forget about this female thing, you will get used to them as time goes. What else are you bad with?” Xuan Wanshan asks him again.

“If it is anything else, then I have a very limited knowledge of how the world works, things like common sense. What I find normal might be abnormal in other people’s view, so I want to know what most people view as ‘normal.’” Tian Yi said.

“Well first and foremost, normal people do not summon a Phoenix to travel!” Xuan Wanshan has always wanted to say this to him but did not get the chance to.

“Eh? But people ride on Magic Beasts to travel, so why can’t I do the same with Yan Yan?” Tian Yi was bewildered. People do not normally travel with Magic Beasts?!

Xuan Wanshan massages her temples hearing his question, “Tian Yi, riding on a horse and riding on a tiger is two different things…”

“But Master, they do the same thing…” Tian Yi cannot understand the difference between the two. Other than their appearances and sizes, everything else was the same.

“This is going to take awhile… Well, at least I have something to teach him for a long time…” Xuan Wanshan sighs in her heart.

While Xuan Wanshan and Tian Yi talks back and forth, Meng Xiang continues to eat breakfast.

Staring at the fist-sized Yan Yan who was trying out Mortal food for the first time, Meng Xiang asks, “Yan Yan, what kind of chicken are you?”

*Cough*

Yan Yan chokes on her food hearing that question and almost cried.

* * * * *

After another hour, Xuan Wanshan finally brings Tian Yi and Meng Xiang to where her family was located at.

After two hours of walking, they finally arrive at the front gate of a very big Siheyuan.

Xuan Wanshan looks up at the nostalgic sign hanging up there that reads, ‘Xuan Family.’

“Tian Yi, this is where I was born, let’s go in.” Xuan Wanshan said.

“Master, wait!” Tian Yi stops her.

“What is it?”

Tian Yi starts brushing the dust off his clothes and fixes it to make it more neat looking.

Seeing her Disciple’s cute actions, Xuan Wanshan smiles and thinks, “What a good Disciple. My parents will surely be delighted to know that I have a Disciple like him…”

After another minute, Tian Yi finally finishes, “Okay, I am ready now.”

“Un.” Nodding, Xuan Wanshan leads them inside.

After reaching the inner gate, they meet a guard.

“Halt! State your identity and your business for being here!” The guard stops them.

“I am Xuan Wanshan, daughter of Xuan Cheung.” Saying that, Xuan Wanshan takes out a golden medallion that reads, ‘Xuan.’

Seeing the golden medallion, the guard instantly trembles and bows with respect, “So it is Young Lady Xuan, please excuse my previous attitude.”

“Un. You must be new here, do not mind it.” Xuan Wanshan nods.

“Thank you, Young Lady.” The guard said.

“Are my parents at home right now?” Xuan Wanshan asks.

“Yes Young Lady, but they are currently preparing to head to Xiangliu Continent.” The guard answers.

“Xiangliu Continent? For what?”

“Family Head had just recently become a Pill Grandmaster, and he was invited to be a judge at some Pill Contest for the younger generation there.”

“What?! Father has finally become a Pill Grandmaster?! That’s great news! Tian Yi, let’s go and congratulate my father!” Xuan Wanshan instantly becomes excited once she hears that her father has finally fulfilled his dreams to become a Pill Grandmaster.

“Master, wait!” Tian Yi stops her again.

“What is it this time?”

“Is becoming a Pill Master something big?” He asks.

“Of course! This was my father’s dream!” Xuan Wanshan does not know why he asked her that question.

“Then I need to change my meeting gift…” Tian Yi said.

“…. You can think about it while we go inside,” Saying that, Xuan Wanshan surprises Tian Yi by grabbing his hand and dragging him inside.

“….” Tian Yi silently stares at his hand being hold onto by Xuan Wanshan, thinking, “It’s warm.”

After arriving at the main room, Xuan Wanshan can see a middle aged man talking with a beautiful middle aged lady that has similarities to her.

The middle-aged man did not notice them at the door and continued to talk, “Hahaha, so I told him—-”

“Father! Mother!” Xuan Wanshan calls out to them, frightening them.

“!?!?!?!” They both look at the door to see Xuan Wanshan walking towards them.

“Oh, my Shanshan!” The middle-aged female stands up to hug her.

“Mother, I am back.” Xuan Wanshan hugs her back with a smile.

“Shanshan?” Tian Yi chuckles in his heart after hearing this new nickname for his Master.

“Shanshan, it has been seven years since you have last visited us! What, are we too old now?” The middle-aged man laughs.

“Father, I have been busy trying to breakthrough. Look, I am now a Spirit King.” Xuan Wanshan said.

“Oh! Now our family has one more Spirit King, as expect from my daughter. Hahaha!” The middle-aged man laughs even more now.

“Father, I heard that you had just recently become a Pill Grandmaster? Congratulations!”

“Hahahaha, of course! Are you underestimating this old man? If I said that I would achieve it, I will!”

“….”

Tian Yi and Meng Xiang silently watches them at the door, not trying to bother their family reunion.

“Ah, Mother, Father, I still have some good news for you.” Xuan Wanshan finally remembers her Disciple.

“Tian Yi, come meet my parents. This is my Father, Xuan Cheung, and my Mother, Xuan Yuming.” Xuan Wanshan introduces her parents.

“Mother, Father, this is my first Disciple, Tian Yi.” Introducing Tian Yi to them next.

“Disciple?” They were both excited.

Seeing how Tian Yi was silent, Xuan Wanshan thought that he was just shy and chuckles, “Tian Yi, you were just so excited to see my parents just now, why are you being so shy now?”

“My daughter is right, come and—” Xuan Cheung tries to speak, but chokes on his words.

*RUMBLE*

The aura around Tian Yi instantly sharpens like a sword and domineering like an Emperor!

He starts walking forward with a proud face and his back straightened, with each step of his feeling graceful, yet imposing!

“…..” Bewildered by his imposing aura, the Xuan Family’s eyes went wide. What kind of aura was this? Even they feel like kneeling in front of him!

Tian Yi stops in front of the Xuan Wanshan’s parents and stands there, staring straight into their eyes, almost sucking their Souls out.

*DONG*

He suddenly drops, taking a kneeling position with his left knee touching the floor and his right leg making a 90-degree angle.

After kneeling, he takes out a palm-sized red box outlined in gold, and he holds it above his head, speaking in a loud voice, he said, “Greeting Seniors, my name is Tian Yi. Although this is not much, please accept this small gift from me, expressing my gratitude to you for giving birth to such an outstanding woman! I promise to do whatever it takes to protect her and to keep her happy no matter what, so rest assured that nothing bad will happen to her while she is in my care!”

The moment Tian Yi finishes his speech, the entire room turns silent, “………..”

“?!?!?!?” After a long time of shock, the parents with their jaws somewhere on the floor slowly turns to look at their daughter, only to see her face so red that it looks like a tomato, and even her eyes were popping out of their eye sockets.

After another moment of silence, Tian Yi looks up with a puzzled face, “Seniors, are you not satisfied with my greeting—”

*PAP*

“Greetings my ass!” The embarrassed Xuan Wanshan slapped Tian Yi on the back of his head so hard that he almost kissed the floor.

“Master?!” Being slapped by his Master out of nowhere shocked Tian Yi.

“You—-! Are you asking my parents for my hand in marriage or are you greeting them?!” Xuan Wanshan yells at him.

“What?! What else would I be doing other than greeting them?!” Tian Yi said with a bewildered face.

“And who taught you how to greet someone’s parents like that?!” Xuan Wanshan continues to question him. Whoever taught him how to greet like that must have done it with the intentions of embarrassing her!

“My best friend taught me!” Tian Yi said, feeling wronged.

“Your friend? Male or Female?”

“He said that he was a male.” Tian Yi said truthfully.

“Said? What do you mean by said?” Xuan Wanshan asks with a puzzled face.

“He always has a mask on, and he told me to treat him like a male…”

“What?! Then tell me what that friend of yours taught you!” Xuan Wanshan said.

“He said that if one day I get to meet with his parents, the most respectful way to greet them was how I greeted just now….” Tian Yi said with an innocent tone.

Xuan Wanshan almost coughed up a mouthful of blood hearing that, “That friend of his is definitely a female!” She thought.

No matter how you looked at it, she was definitely preparing for the future!

“Haaa. Forget it; then I will not blame you.” Xuan Wanshan sighs and turns to look at her still shocked parents.

“Sorry Mother and Father, but as you can see, this Disciple of mine is lacking in common sense…” She said with an embarrassed face.

“…..” The parents were speechless at this never seen before situation! This is definitely the weirdest greeting they’ve gotten yet!