Huang Fengqi exhaled deeply upon hearing Elder Guo's words, her shoulders dropping slightly in resignation. It seemed this peculiar disciple would remain beyond her reach. Still, she refused to abandon such a perfect test subject entirely. Perhaps there was another approach—although having him as her disciple would have made things easier, it could still work even if they weren't master and disciple.
"It's okay if you don't want to become my disciple," she said, her voice shifting to a more conversational tone. "But I still believe you're the ideal candidate for this opportunity." Her posture straightened as she adopted the measured cadence of someone making a compelling business proposal.
