The other old man next to him widened his eyes and directly pushed the president’s old face away with his hand. He cursed loudly, "You shameless old coot. What do you mean your disciple? You don’t even know his name yet. He’s my disciple. Such an excellent young man can’t be taught by you."
"What? What nonsense are you spouting? Have you no shame? I shouldn’t have invited you over for tea today." The president shouted loudly.
"Who exactly has no shame here? Do you want to fight?"
"Let’s fight! Whoever wins gets the disciple."
"I’m not afraid of you. Watch me mess up your old face today!"
Everyone in the hall was dumbfounded as they watched the scene unfold. These two men, one was the president of the Knight Association and an instructor for the Royal Knight Order. The other was the dean of Chaoyang Academy and an instructor for the Royal Griffin Knight Order. Both were prominent figures. Many people wanted to apprentice under them but were unsuccessful.
Even the current second prince was turned away when he sought to be the president’s disciple. The third prince who wished to be the dean’s disciple was sent off with an irksome remark to go back to sleep. When asked what he meant, the dean sneered, "Only in your dreams."
The third prince was so angry he almost spat blood, but he dared not express a shred of grievance. The dean’s might and reputation were beyond his reach.
And now, these two self-important figures were brawling right in the hall of the Knight Association over taking on a disciple. Worried about harming others, they engaged directly in a hand-to-hand brawl.
Jesse also watched wide-eyed at everything before him. How things had developed to this stage was beyond his expectations.
In the end, the dean, with a bloody nose, emerged victorious and successfully took Jesse as his disciple. The president, with a black eye, fumed and stomped his feet.
The dean’s name was Buck. He looked to be over fifty on the outside, but no one knew his exact age. Buck had a long beard on his chin, a red nose, and fierce eyes, definitely not what you would call handsome. After accepting Jesse on the spot, he took Jesse away.
"Dean..." On the way, Jesse started to say something but was cut off by Buck.
"Call me teacher. I know what you’re about to ask — wondering why I took you as my disciple, right? Puzzled why I recruited you so quickly even if you have great aptitude?" Buck seemed to see through Jesse’s doubts and spoke frankly.
Jesse nodded with some surprise.
"When I take on a disciple, it’s not just about aptitude but also character. You brought your little sister to take the test and kept watching over her, showing care in your gaze. Do you think I’m blind?" Buck grinned as he looked at Tianmiao, who was lying on Jesse’s shoulder eating a candy, and tried to flash a smile he assumed was kindly, "Little darling, when we get home, how about I have someone make pudding for you?" In truth, Buck felt a bit anxious; his fierce appearance never seemed to endear him to children. He tried to soften his voice, afraid of scaring Tianmiao.
"Could you make roast goose? I like meat more," Tianmiao tilted her head, looking at Buck and quietly asking.
"Hahaha, yes, of course." Buck wasn’t angered but instead was delighted by Tianmiao’s bargaining tone, laughing heartily, "I’ll have them make whatever you want to eat."
"Thanks!" Tianmiao smiled with pursed lips and handed Buck a candy, "Then I’ll treat you to some candy."
"Ah, thank you, thank you." Buck accepted it with great joy. It was the first time a child wasn’t afraid of him and was willing to be close to him, and moreover, such an adorable little girl. What a wonderful feeling this was.
From that day on, Jesse and Tianmiao stayed at Buck’s residence. Later, much to Jesse’s surprise, Buck spoiled Tianmiao to the point of "utter indulgence," to the extent that Jesse sometimes suspected that if Tianmiao wanted a dragon’s treasure, Buck would go plunder one.