LONG TIAN: THE DRAGON'S SECOND CHANCE

Ch 7

Dawn had not yet fully arrived when the campfire began to die down, leaving behind glowing red embers that occasionally sent sparks into the air whenever the morning wind blew.

Xuan Mo sat silently while looking at the little boy in front of him. Although his face remained hidden behind the iron mask, his eyes still contained the confusion that had yet to disappear.

To be honest, he still found Long Tian's explanation difficult to believe.

Knowing his surname was not necessarily impossible. The name "Xuan" had indeed been heard in the martial world before, although not many people knew him personally.

However, knowing his full name precisely, and even calling him Master during their first meeting, was far too coincidental.

If the person who had said those things were an old martial artist, Xuan Mo might have immediately drawn his sword.

However, the person standing before him was only a five year old child.

A child that young could not possibly have fabricated such a complicated lie.

Xuan Mo let out a long breath.

"I don't know. The more I think about it, the harder it becomes to understand."

He looked at Long Tian.

"He is merely a child who has lost both of his parents. I cannot possibly leave him alone in the middle of a forest like this. Besides, he called me Master from the very beginning. Perhaps all of this really is fate arranged by the heavens."

On the other hand, Long Tian also had his own thoughts.

In his previous life, he had become Xuan Mo's disciple. His Master had sacrificed many things to save him.

Now that he had been given a second chance, he would not allow their relationship to be severed simply because of suspicion.

However, he was also aware that his explanation about the dream really did sound suspicious.

If their positions were reversed, he himself probably would not believe it immediately.

Even so, it was still far better than revealing that he came from decades in the future.

After remaining silent for quite some time, Xuan Mo finally made his decision.

"Brat, if the dream you described is truly real, then perhaps our meeting was destined from the very beginning. I have also never accepted a disciple in my entire life. So... if you truly wish to learn from me, starting today, you can become my first disciple."

Before Xuan Mo could finish his sentence, Long Tian suddenly moved.

Thud!

Both of his knees touched the ground.

Without the slightest hesitation, he bowed until his forehead touched the ground.

"This first kowtow is my respect for Master, who saved this disciple's life."

He raised his body again.

Then he kowtowed a second time.

"This second kowtow is my gratitude because Master is willing to accept a disciple who has no one else in this world."

Without waiting, he performed the third kowtow.

"This third kowtow is my promise that as long as I remain alive, this disciple will respect Master Xuan, protect Master's reputation, and never betray Master's teachings."

After saying those words, Long Tian remained kneeling while clasping his hands together.

"My respectful greetings to Master Xuan."

Xuan Mo froze.

For several moments, he even forgot to breathe.

No one had ever treated him with such sincerity before.

Especially not a five year old child.

A warm feeling slowly appeared in his chest, but at the same time, a sense of worry emerged.

Accepting a disciple was not a simple matter.

From that moment onward, the life of a disciple would become the responsibility of his master.

If Long Tian died one day because of his own weakness, then Xuan Mo would have failed as his master.

If Long Tian ever strayed onto the wrong path, that mistake would also become his responsibility.

After thinking for quite some time, Xuan Mo finally let out a soft sigh.

"Very well. Starting today, I acknowledge you as my disciple. But remember this clearly. Becoming my disciple does not mean your life will become easy. The path you will walk will actually be much harder than that of an ordinary person."

Long Tian's face immediately filled with joy.

"This disciple understands, Master!"

Morning finally arrived.

Sunlight began shining through the gaps between the trees.

Xuan Mo stood up and brushed the dust from his clothes.

"We have to leave this forest. This place is not safe. Follow me."

Long Tian immediately stood up and followed his Master's footsteps.

Their journey was still very long.

As they walked through the forest, the two of them talked several times.

The longer they talked, the more questions appeared in Xuan Mo's mind.

Long Tian's answers did not sound like those of a child at all.

His way of thinking was calm.

He could understand various matters with only a little explanation.

Several times, even the questions he asked forced Xuan Mo to think before answering.

"Long Tian, sometimes I feel that you are not like a five year old child. The way you speak is far more mature than your age. Are all the children in your village really like this?"

Long Tian laughed awkwardly.

"Maybe it is because I often listened to adults talking when I was young, Master. So I unconsciously learned from them."

Xuan Mo slowly nodded.

Although the explanation sounded simple, he chose not to investigate further.

As long as Long Tian continued to have a good heart and respected him as his master, that was more than enough.

Deep down, he instead believed that his new disciple possessed extraordinary talent.

After walking for quite some time, Xuan Mo started another conversation.

"Long Tian, there is one thing you must remember from today onward. The martial world is not a beautiful place like the stories told by storytellers. There is only strength and weakness. The weak will be trampled upon, while the strong decide the rules.

"If you want to survive one day, you must train seriously. Never become satisfied simply because you are stronger than someone else."

Long Tian nodded respectfully.

"This disciple will always remember Master's advice."

Throughout the journey, Xuan Mo did not tell Long Tian anything about the origins of his sect. He also did not mention where they were actually going.

All he did was describe the harshness of the martial world so that Long Tian could understand the path he would eventually walk.

Long Tian secretly felt a little awkward.

In his previous life, their first meeting had been much shorter. Xuan Mo had barely spoken a word other than telling him to leave with him.

But now, everything was different.

His Master was giving him far more advice.

After thinking about it, Long Tian finally smiled faintly.

"I really was only five years old back then. Even if Master had explained all of this to me at that time, I definitely would not have understood it. Now he thinks I am brave, calm, and talented, so he has chosen to tell me more.

"It seems that even though fate has brought me back to the past, some things can still change because of my own choices."

He muttered silently in his heart.