Chapter 71: Disciple Recruitment Route?

Zhou Sheng'an didn't immediately respond to Zhu Zhuqing.

If this were a simulation, he wouldn't care. But this was reality—and Zhu Zhuqing's status was far too noble, which meant potential trouble. If he were to take her as a disciple, he absolutely needed to think it through carefully.

"Let's leave the Star Dou Forest first," Zhou Sheng'an said.

"Yeah, Zhuqing, let's go together," Xiao Wu skipped over cheerfully, looping her arm through Zhu Zhuqing's.

In the second simulation, they had studied together at Shrek Academy, so they shared some rapport.

Zhu Zhuqing paused slightly, then looked at Xiao Wu. Understanding flickered in her eyes.

Liu Erlong curled her lip, secretly cursing Zhou Sheng'an for not knowing how blessed he was. A student with such high talent walked right up to him, yet he didn't immediately accept her. Wasn't he afraid she might run away?

Suddenly, Zhou Sheng'an walked toward Liu Erlong. Her expression shifted slightly—only then did she remember she was still unclothed.

Zhou Sheng'an draped a robe over her shoulders, covering her body, then turned his back to her.

"Don't waste time."

"..." Liu Erlong gritted her teeth. A dignified Soul Sage, getting lectured by a young Soul Elder?

She climbed onto Zhou Sheng'an's back and closed her eyes, pretending to sleep.

And so, the group quickly left the Star Dou Forest.

...

The return trip was uneventful. By early dawn, Zhou Sheng'an and the others arrived back at the nearby town.

They found an inn, but only two rooms were left—one single and one double. The three girls took the double room, while Zhou Sheng'an and Liu Erlong shared the single.

By now, Liu Erlong hadn't fully recovered, but her injuries had stabilized and she could move around normally.

She sat cross-legged on the bed, looking at Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu with great interest.

These two girls had incredibly high soul power for their age—true prodigies rarely seen in years. Yet now they were practically picked up like mushrooms by Zhou Sheng'an.

And to top it off, they both seemed to have lost their minds, insisting on becoming his disciples.

Liu Erlong looked at them with curiosity. She didn't even have a successor yet—maybe she could coax one of them over!

Or perhaps... adopting one as a goddaughter wouldn't be bad either.

Zhu Zhuqing looked steadily at Zhou Sheng'an and said sincerely, "Teacher Zhou, I truly wish to become your disciple..."

Xiao Wu nodded, chiming in, "I can vouch for Zhuqing."

Zhou Sheng'an rubbed his forehead, sounding exasperated. "Xiao Wu, don't cause trouble. You two just met—what kind of testimony is that?"

"We clicked instantly! It feels like we've known each other for years, right Zhuqing?" Xiao Wu said with a grin.

'...Yeah, the two of you met during the simulation, but does that really count?'

Zhou Sheng'an shook his head slightly. He'd thought everyone experienced the simulation like he did—just words on a screen. Who would form real emotional bonds over a piece of text?

Sure, in the fourth simulation, he had indeed become Zhu Zhuqing's teacher—and that rebellious disciple had even tried to climb into his bed.

But that was all just hypothetical, a written simulation!

It wasn't even as real as Queen Zhu's body—at least he had personally experienced that.

"Zhu Zhuqing, you want to become my disciple. Why?" Zhou Sheng'an asked, meeting her eyes.

Zhu Zhuqing hesitated for a moment and then looked away. She thought to herself, 'Teacher doesn't know me yet, but the most important thing right now is to establish a connection with him and protect him.'

Whether or not she truly became his disciple was, in the end, just a formal title.

"Because... I think Teacher Zhou is... very special. It's an instinct, a kind of intuition. And the method you used to kill that Soul King—there's no doubt you're someone extraordinary," she said seriously.

Zhou Sheng'an narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "Then let me ask you—who are you?"

If Zhu Zhuqing tried to hide her identity, he would stay far away from her.

If she couldn't even be honest, her identity might explode someday and drag him into a disaster.

"I'm the second daughter of the Zhu family of the Star Luo Empire—Zhu Zhuqing. I'm also the fiancée of the empire's third prince. I left this time because I want to become stronger and defeat my older sister."

Zhu Zhuqing didn't hesitate as she revealed the truth.

Her honesty immediately earned Liu Erlong's admiration. She spoke up at once, "Little girl, if Teacher Zhou won't take you, I can be your teacher! You'll still be able to learn from him that way!"

Zhou Sheng'an shook his head slightly. After four simulations, none of his endings had been particularly good. He had to be even more cautious in real life—there were no do-overs here.

Taking Zhu Zhuqing as a disciple would bring more harm than benefit, so there was no need to take unnecessary risks.

Zhou Sheng'an said, "Since Dean Liu said so, it wouldn't be right for me to steal the opportunity. You can take Dean Liu as your master. If you have questions, you can still come ask me."

Liu Erlong was overjoyed when she heard that and quickly said, "Yes, yes! I'm the dean of Blue Tyrant Academy, you know!"

Zhu Zhuqing paused briefly, then nodded. "Alright, I'm willing to become Dean Liu's disciple."

Despite her injuries, Liu Erlong immediately jumped off the bed and hugged Zhu Zhuqing tightly, grinning. "The more I look at you, the more I like you. From now on, you're my disciple—I'll make sure you're well taken care of!"

"Alright, it's getting late. Time to sleep," Zhou Sheng'an reminded.

It was already two or three in the morning. Any later and they'd be pulling an all-nighter.

"See you tomorrow, Teacher."

Xiao Wu waved, dragging Zhu Zhuqing out of the room.

As Zhu Zhuqing left, her eyes darted briefly toward Zhou Sheng'an, flashing with a hidden emotion.

...

Liu Erlong wore a satisfied smile. But just as she turned around, she saw Zhou Sheng'an already climbing into bed, clearly ready to sleep.

"!!!"

Liu Erlong's face flushed red. She glared at him. "Don't think that saving me once means I'll offer myself to you! Get down!"

"It's one bed, and it's big enough for two. I even used a pillow to make a divider in the middle—why should I get down?" Zhou Sheng'an frowned.

The floor was cold. If he slept on it all night, he'd feel like crap in the morning.

It wasn't like Liu Erlong was some innocent maiden... Wait, no—technically, she was. A very old virgin.

They were traveling, not in a prim and proper household. No need to be bound by so many rules.

Liu Erlong glared at him once more but still climbed into bed with her clothes on. She turned her back to him and closed her eyes, but couldn't fall asleep. She kept paying too much attention to his breathing on the other side.

In the darkness, Zhou Sheng'an was also wide awake under the covers.

It had been exactly five days since the last simulation ended—time to start the next round.

-Ding! 

[Fifth simulation initiated...]

As the interface appeared before his eyes, Zhou Sheng'an's sleepiness vanished. Having accepted two disciples, a sudden thought came to him—why not go with the flow and simulate what the future would be like after taking disciples?

He could stay in the background, keep a low profile, and let his disciples go make waves.

In cultivation novels of his past life, many powerful beings had taken in disciples to help deflect disasters.

He didn't plan to be that heartless, but having others share some of the attention? That could work.