When Taking Disciples, Pick the Ugly Ones

Ji Qingbai, known as the Vast Immortal Venerable of Zhengchu, was a venerable three thousand years old. After attending the wedding of his nine hundred and ninety-eighth old friend and that friend's disciple, he finally realized something: being a master was a high-risk profession.

His old friends all assured him, "Don't worry. Someone like you is perfectly safe."

But Ji Qingbai didn't believe them. After all, he was handsome, ethereal, and adored by everyone. How could anyone spend day and night with him and not fall for him?

His old friends: "Because you're too full of yourself."

2

After studying hundreds of master-disciple romance novels and learning from his friends' experiences, Ji Qingbai figured out how to stay safe: take on the ugliest disciple you can find, and preferably make yourself ugly, too.

So, to test whether his theory was correct, Ji Qingbai transformed himself into a seventy-year-old man and planned to take on a disciple and spend every day with them as an experiment. The uglier the disciple, the better.

As soon as word got out, a long line formed outside his mountain gate. But since he insisted on ugly applicants, he sent every one of them away as soon as they appeared, until a young man showed up with skin as black as charcoal, only two glowing eyes on his face, and a pair of tusks.

Ji Qingbai: "You've got good potential. You're the one."

The young man: "I was just passing by."

Ji Qingbai: "Excellent. You've successfully caught my attention."

3

After taking in the young man, whose name was Mo Miao, Ji Qingbai discovered he might be a bit of a beauty enthusiast.

Ji Qingbai: "Hey, Mo Shui, cover your face a little more often. You're too ugly for me."

Mo Miao: "???" Then why did you insist on taking the ugliest disciple? Also, my name is Mo Miao, not Mo Shui.

4

Mo Miao's real name was Xiang Miao. A half-immortal, half-demon, he was the most powerful figure in the Demon Realm and considered Ji Qingbai of the Immortal Realm his lifelong nemesis.

Every time he challenged him to a duel, Ji Qingbai would say, "What, a duel? Don't try to use this to make me interested in you. Even if you're handsome, it won't work."

But Ji Qingbai never remembered what he looked like, and none of their duels ever came to pass. So when Ji Qingbai announced he was taking on a disciple, Xiang Miao saw a chance to get revenge. He blackened his skin from head to toe, made himself ugly, and infiltrated the place.

5

And then he became the other man's disciple.

Ji Qingbai: "Mo Shui, you're too ugly. How about I pay to get you plastic surgery and a skin-whitening treatment?"

Ji Qingbai: "You're so ugly that even if you flirt with me, I won't fall for you."

Ji Qingbai: "Practice your sword, but don't sway your hips like that."

Ji Qingbai: "That's it, I'm going blind from looking at you. I'm filing for injury leave."

6

In the eyes of outsiders: a lecherous old man and a charcoal-black monster.

A somewhat overconfident, fanciful master x a patient-until-he-isn't, originally-as-straight-as-they-come attack who turns gay to get revenge

Theme: Be confident, but remain humble and cautious.