Over the next few days, I got to know these three silly scholars a little better. We agreed they would be my "students"—basically, they could hang around while I did my normal daily things — for one week, and then they would head back to Xizhi and leave me alone.

I learned that Xu Yun was a bright young man with a passion for knowledge and learning, who was always asking questions and trying to get at the true meaning of things. He'd been born poor, but had studied hard because of his love for philosophy, eventually becoming a renowned young scholar known all over Xizhi for his intelligence and curiosity. Every time I did anything, he always praised me and started writing down some random BS that sounded surprisingly wise.

When I picked up a small rock, he gasped.

"Immortal Xia, how wise you are! I see! So, instead of picking up the heavy stones first, we should pick up the small ones. Small progress over time builds strength and accomplishes great things!"

"Ahem, you are correct. That is exactly what I was going for...by picking up this rock."

I learned that Li Cheng, the youngest of the group, was from a rich family that sent him to Xizhi to study. He wasn't all that bright, but he had his ge Xu Yun to explain things to him. I wasn't really sure how he'd gotten through schooling and become a scholar. Apparently, he wasn't sure either. His motto was, "Luck".

That's it. That was his motto. "Luck". Because he got everywhere with luck. He became a scholar by luck, he was born into a rich family by luck, he answered every question on tests by luck. He was one lucky kid.

Lastly, I learned that Wei Li had moved to Xizhi a few years ago — after I'd become an immortal. She'd started studying despite the prejudice against female scholarship, and had worked her way up the system in record time. That was why, even though she was the oldest of the group, she was the lowest-ranking scholar among them. Still, she was quiet, humble, and respectful. She was actually the one who'd first heard rumors of me and started the whole idea of this trip to come and make me their laoshi.

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There was something weird about her. I couldn't put my immortal finger on it.

She was familiar somehow. Eh. Probably just my awesome immortal mind associating things subconsciously, heh heh.

Maybe it was that necklace she always wore, with a little obsidian figurine on it. I felt like I'd seen it somewhere. Huh.

Anyways...

On the seventh day, the last day these kids would be bothering me, I finally allowed them to come into my Cave of Glittering Immortal Sarcasm.

I mean, it was raining. What was I gonna do, let them sit out in the rain? I guess I could've cast a heated rain cover for them, but that was too much work. So...I let them come inside!

Of course, only after first lecturing them on what a great honor it was to be let inside the Cave of Glittering Immortal Sarcasm, of course. And telling them that if they broke anything, they'd be done for.

It rained for a long time. So long that I started to actually get bored.

"All right, scholar-student-kids — this immortal temporary laoshi of yours has an idea. Since it's our last day as laoshi and students, why don't we do something fun? I'll give you a tour of the Glittering Immortal Cave!"

"Wow!"

"Immortal Xia, you are too generous!"

"What an honor..."

I motioned for them to follow me deep into the cave.

"All right. See this fork in the cave here? I don't go back here much, but I've been all over the inside of this mountain before to clear it out of wild beasts. The fork to the right leads to a crystal cavern, and the fork to the left leads to an underground lake. Which way do my temporary student kids want to go?"

"Wherever you would like to go, Immortal Laoshi Xia! The crystal cavern sounds amazing!" Xu Yun piped up first.

"The lake!" Li Cheng and Wei Li piped one after another.

The three scholars looked at each other awkwardly.

I cleared my immortal throat. "All right. Both are a ways down, and we don't have forever to explore. I will take Xu Yun to the crystal cavern, and you two will go to the underground lake. Just remember; do not touch the lake water. It is poisonous to mortals. Got it?"

Li Cheng and Wei Li nodded. "Yes, Immortal Xia! We will definitely not touch the lake water!"