Dance between Mortals and Immortals

Chapter 5.3

*clap*---*clap*---*clap*

Cui Xinya was clapping slowly as she stood up from her seat.

"Young girl what is your name?" Cui Xinya said with a hint of curiosity.

Rize turned to Cui Xinya and bowed "Minako Rize" she said breathlessly still trying to catch her breath from the intense fight.

"Minako Rize" she smiled saying the name "Congratulations on becoming my disciple."

The words smashed the ears of all the onlookers who were stunned that the famous youngest master in academy history had chosen the cursed nobody as her first disciple. The news caused the entire area to start conversing amongst themselves.

"Did you hear that? Master Cui Xinya finally took a disciple."

"Doesn't she see her cursed eyes?"

"How could she do something so brash even if she did win the fight?"

Cui Xinya watched her new disciple smile like she just found out she was long lost nobility. Rize could see it in her eyes. She was pleasantly surprised to see the abilities she had. They were not weak by any means, but she had never come across such a deity and Cui Xinya was most interested in finding out who this unknown deity was. Cui Xinya was certain that this deity was particularly vicious one of the first abilities she was able to manifest was so efficient and painful how could it not be. Whatever it was it was sure to be most interesting. Cui Xinya thought to herself. The girl's talent was not bad either.

"Minako Rize you've proven yourself to be of great interest to me so I've decided to accept you as my first disciple. Now come with me quickly, we have much to discuss." Cui waved her new disciple over to her side.

Cui Xinya did as the Grandmaster had asked and took a disciple. She was under no obligation to accept more than that. So her hasty retreat was not unexpected by any of the other masters. They knew that she was not one to be particularly fond of having a lot of students.

Leading the way to her personal courtyard, Cui Xinya glanced back every once in a while to check on her student, but she was surprisingly calm compared to right after her victory. Minako Rize... Cui Xinya knew she needed to do more research into her student. There were too many unknowns and Cui hated unknowns.

After safely entering the courtyard she turned to her student with a smile "Rize dear, I think we should take this time to talk with one another."

Rize nodded in agreement without uttering a word. "Alright" she said coolly, "the first question is who is the deity that gave you their blessing."

Cui Xinya waited patiently watching her new student carefully. She was certain this girls deity was trying to conceal himself; it was very apparent or she would have been more confident when she first met her the day before. Cui Xinya was most definitely going to learn more about this girl and her curiously vicious deity that would not be one that was found in the academy.

Rize was still trying to process the whole situation; she never thought she would succeed. In her heart she doubted that she would actually pass the sudden test, but somehow she had managed and to her surprise Naga-Jin's blessing was truly powerful. So she was giddy the whole way here even if her outward stature was slightly less enthusiastic than her mind. Rize looked at her new master wearing a flowing robe that blew gently on the wind giving her an otherworldly beauty as if she were a goddess that had descended from the heavens.

If it wasn't for the sudden question in regards to her deity she would have possibly died from sheer joy. Why would she ask that so suddenly without any delay?

"I'm sorry master, but I am not sure why you are asking so suddenly" Rize said cautiously.

"Well that is simple the abilities you displayed earlier were not something I've ever come across before. I am simply curious." Cui Xinya said her lips curled up into a smile.

"Master. I would love to, but I think I should ask my deity first before making such a decision." Rize knew it would be simply done as she wanted especially considering the nature of her god. The words of her deity you will have many enemies stuck into her head.

"Please do so. I will wait" Cui Xinya said in a controlled, even tone.

Rize bowed before closing her eyes "Lord Naga-Jin I need your guidance, please show me your will."

"Sssilly girl there is no sssensse in hiding the truth from your masster, even if you did hide it you would only delay the inevitable. In order for you and her to trusst each other you must tell her." he said objectively. "The identity of myself is ancient and mostly forgotten so she will likely not discover much about me."

"As you wish Lord Naga! I was worried when you said I will have many enemies."

"Child don't worry I won't be taking my eyes off you for a while ssso don't ask me permisssion all the time I will be here to guide you when I feel it iss necesssary."

Rize felt a sense of peace knowing that even though she still wasn't sure who or what the nature of her god was. Rize was certain he had her best interests at heart... or so she hoped. Regardless, knowing he would be so active in her life was comforting as it was rare for anyone to put much thought into her ever.

"Master." Rize said softly.

"Yes?" one of her eyebrows lifted up as she waited for an answer.

"My deity is known as Naga-Jin the serpent god of venom."

Cui Xinya was both shocked and confused; she had never heard of such a deity before and most certainly not one that had a shrine in the academy complex. She smiled at her new student and took her by the arm swiftly the girl was rather short for her age at least by a couple inches on average, but she could tell she would grow into a most beautiful woman albeit a shorter than average beauty.

"Follow me, young one, we should have dinner. I will call some of the servants to give us food for the evening." Cui waved her new disciple over to her side.

Rize followed Cui further into the courtyard into the main building where several servants waited silently. Cui Xinya waved them off, causing them to bow respectfully and leave to prepare a meal. Who was her master… that she could wordlessly give commands to her servants and they know her meaning?

"So Rize" she said out of the blue as she sat down at her cushion "tell me about your family what nobility do you come from?" she looked up as one servant came in and poured a cup of tea.

"Master--" Rize said slowly, not sure what to call her new master.

"Call me Miss Xinya please. No need to be formal here."

"Miss Xinya I do not come from nobility, my family is from a small village on the border of the Great Northern forest. We by the standards of the city were extremely poor."

Cui Xinya nodded in acknowledgement as she listened "I see so you don't have training in decorum and etiquette?"

Rize shook her head furiously; she had never seen any reason to learn something so pointless. Who had time to brown nose the nobility?

"First lesson my young student. Etiquette and decorum are essential to a cultivator of ki energy... you may not see it now, but politics are just as critical in our lives as anything else. Take me for example, do you think I'd have become the youngest master in the academy's history if I didn't know how to maneuver the political landscape?"

Rize's brows furrowed as she had never considered that she was at heart a country hick and no one had ever bothered inviting her to any formal events to learn such things as etiquette.

"I understand, but master why does politics matter so much? I have no formal training and won't I risk embarrassing you." Rize said concerned about her lack of knowledge in such fields.

Cui Xinya smiled as she looked at Rize's troubled expression "Don't worry child I will not let any student of mine embarrass me in the public arena so you will receive all the proper training these next couple of days. In one weeks' time many of the nobility and even the crown prince are going to be here for an annual event that is extremely important in the empire's world of politics. You will be my new little ornament." She smiled a slightly devious grin.

Rize felt a chill go down her spine as she watched her new master sip her tea slowly inhaling the sweet scent. Does her new master make it a habit of reading into people's minds?

…

Possibly the most powerful master besides the Grandmaster was Master Sada Yoshida his legend precedes him no matter what he did. Formerly a military captain who learned cultivation on his own he joined the academy five years ago at forty years old. His military experience refined his cultivation though it was self-taught and caused him to have a deep understanding of cultivation of ki energy. This was why he was the perfect master for Ezio who needed the best if he was going to impress his grandfather.

The Eternal Emperor nowadays rarely emerged from his cultivation only to let his children run the empire via a council along with several other important figures with his father at the head. Ezio saw the burden his father was under and knew that he had to be strong like his siblings so he could take some of the burden from him all the hard work he was going to put into his cultivation was for that goal.

It didn't help his father that the war with the Kalamdah alliance had taken a toll on the empire as a whole and still no end was in sight, so he had to become strong quickly if he was going to bear the burden of ruling by his father's side. His other siblings however had aspirations of their own and would seek to be by father's side as well.

"Master Sada I appreciate you taking me in. It is an honor." Ezio said as they walked towards Master Sada's courtyard "I am truly thankful as will my father."

"I didn't do it for you or your father" he said gruffly "I did it because you had the most talent out of this year's batch. Your lineage had no bearing on my choice... if you do not perform to the expected level you will be tossed aside and a new student will take your place. Do you understand?" Master Sada said without any hesitation despite Ezio's obvious rank.

Ezio nodded his head confidently as they continued onward.

They walked along the stone pathway before in the distance the girl with blue eyes was trailing behind the young master Cui Xinya. It took a second before Ezio could process the situation...WHAT THE HELL! Ezio almost tripped over his own foot from shock how did that girl manage to impress Cui Xinya, the legendary youngest master in academy history!

"Ezio" the gruff voice came from his master as he glared at Cui Xinya with unusually hateful eyes. "Watch out for that blue eyed girl. Do not let her get near you...anyone that witch takes an interest in is not good news. The only thing you should do is humiliate her in the upcoming showcase to the nobility cripples her prospects now before that witch makes her a deadly weapon...." He turned to Ezio. "Do you understand?"

Ezio nodded not sure how to take his master's words. What was so bad about Master Cui?