"Impudence!" Xiao Li quickly covered Xiao Lao's mouth. "My apologies for my impudent granddaughter. Xiao Lao, don't you know what the relationship between master and disciple is like? It's said to be like family and sometimes even closer..."
Yi held up his hand, and Xiao Li stopped speaking. "Xiao Lao, are you serious about your wish? If yes, I have to warn you. I never took in a disciple, but if I do, I expect obedience and discipline. You need to follow my instructions, and you need to cultivate diligently. My expectations are high, and you need to meet them. If you are up for the task, though, I will accept you as my first disciple." Yi said seriously.
In the end he just talked about what he heard about a master-disciple relationship since he had no idea what it would be like, and he didn't intend to be particularly harsh with Xiao Lao, but he wanted to know if she had enough motivation.
Xiao Lao on the other end just bowed down and said, "I greet Master Yi." To her, these requirements were nothing at all.
The dinner went by, and while Yi thoroughly enjoyed the food after eating nothing for at least 1 million years, the noble members of the Xiao clan, used to the meat of cultivated beasts, didn't enjoy these common animals.
The details of the company were now clear. It would be under the name of Xiao Li, with Xiao Lao as his official assistant. The work, though, would be done by Xiao Li alone. He would be responsible for training new recruits in cultivation, while Yi and Xiao Lao were supposed to train them in the etiquette of a bodyguard. Yan Yuiling was responsible for everything else.
Now the only problem left to solve was money. Yi and the Xiao's obviously had no money, and Yan Yuiling had nothing left, since everything she earned went back into her now lost company.
And since, somehow during the teleportation to this realm, the storage rings of Yi, Xiao Li, and Xiao Lao were lost, they had no wealth either.
"There shouldn't be a problem," Yi said. "There seems to be a market for antiques. I will craft a protective artifact and let them auction it off. Then we should be able to afford what we need."
While saying that, he grabbed a small rock and put it in his pocket. "That should be enough," he said, while Xiao Li and Xiao Lao looked at him in wonder.
"And what will you do with a rock?" Yan Yuiling asked.
"Woman, you didn't see it?" Xiao Lao asked. "This stone is an artifact now. And it would be useful, even for me. Do you truly have no cultivation at all? Unbelievable."
This hateful woman could command Master Yi without any cultivation? How?
Yan Yuiling wanted to respond, but Xiao Lao had already turned her back. She couldn't quite understand these people, but Xiao Lao seemed... jealous?
In the end it was decided that Yi and Xiao Lao were headed towards the antique street to sell the artifact, while Yan Yuiling and Xiao Li already prepared to start the company.
Xiao Li, finding a company somewhat similar to a guild, wanted to learn more, and Xiao Lao wanted to see this weird world while staying with her new master.
Yi, who already knew some things about the world, first took Xiao Lao to change into casual clothing and took her to the street afterwards.
Xiao Lao, who found these garments quite weird, still wore them without protesting and was now at Yi's side. The sights and sounds of this new world threw her off and made her excited and curious, but staying with her master, Yi, was more important to her.
Yi and Xiao Lao walked through the antique street towards the house of the owner of said street.
Yi was quite hopeful, since this woman had already helped him before when he bought the baseball bat.
They arrived at the entrance of the medium-sized, old-looking building. Although it didn't look special, two guards were still positioned at the entrance.
"Hello, I would like to auction off an item," Yi started.
"Item?" one of the guards asked while he extended his hand to receive the item in question.
"Are you an appraiser?" Yi asked, surprised.
"Don't you know. We might be guards, but all of us are trained in appraising items. Madam Zhishi doesn't have the time or energy to appraise everything by herself. A lot of people come here to get their item into our auctions, but most of them aren't good enough. If your item is too poor, just sell it on the street," the guard explained.
"Alright, this item should be good enough," Yi said and handed over the rock from his pocket.
The guard carefully received the rock, since it was always important to handle artifacts with care, but as he saw what he held, he threw the rock to the ground without thought.
"Are you looking down on the antique street and Madam Zhishi?" he asked in anger. Most of these guards were picked up from the street and raised into guards and appraisers by Madam Zhishi, so any disrespect would most likely end up with broken bones.
Seeing that the guard was about to strike, Xiao Lao could no longer hold back. "You dare, moron?!"
She herself was about to release her aura, but suddenly someone else intervened.
"Halt!" An older feminine voice was heard, and the guard and Xiao Lao both stopped.
"Let them through; I will appraise their item," she said.
The guards, unsure why this rock got the attention of Madam Zhishi, still moved, and Yi, together with Xiao Lao, moved into the house.
Madam Zhishi beckoned them to follow, and they arrived at her appraisal room shortly after.
"First of all, I'm sorry for my subordinate's behavior," Madam Zhishi said. "Sadly, he is still blind to real treasure."
"No problem, Madam Zhishi. What made you think otherwise?" Yi asked.
"I know a few tricks," Madam Zhishi answered mysteriously. "But that is unimportant. First of all, I would like to know your name, Mr. Amnesia."