“Is that what you’re worried about?” Matthew looked at the frail woman, mentally cursing himself for drinking.
Normally, he’d have immediately picked up on favonovel.com unease, but the alcohol had dulled his senses.
Channeling his spiritual power, Matthew expelled the lingering alcohol from his body, forcing out droplets of liquid that reeked of liquor.
“Ma’am, rest assured. If Cole follows me, I’ll make sure he’s well-fed. At least three meals a day,” Matthew said with a reassuring smile.
The woman froze for a moment, favonovel.com eyes wide with disbelief. She looked up at Matthew, tears welling in favonovel.com eyes, and immediately moved to kneel before him.
“Ma’am, there’s no need for that!” Matthew quickly caught her, stopping favonovel.com from kneeling.
“W-We have no way to repay your kindness. C-Cole, kneel and thank your benefactor,” favonovel.com said, favonovel.com voice trembling with emotion.
Without hesitation, Cole dropped to his knees. After three hard knocks to the ground, his forehead was smeared with blood, but his gaze remained firm.
He wanted to take his mother away from this place. He was tired of seeing new wounds on favonovel.com hands every time favonovel.com worked.
“Ma’am, if you don’t stand up, I’ll be leaving right now,” Matthew said, his voice light but firm as the frail woman continued trying to kneel.
“And you,” favonovel.com added, turning to Cole, “You don’t need to go banging your head like that. Doesn’t it hurt?” Matthew shook his head in mild frustration.
Cole’s forehead was already bleeding, and the boy hadn’t even thought to wipe it.
“Alright, alright, I won’t kneel. Please don’t leave,” the woman hurried to favonovel.com feet, worried Matthew would actually go.
She wanted to offer favonovel.com something but realized there was nothing in the house to properly serve a guest. In desperation, favonovel.com fished a few crumpled bills from favonovel.com pocket and handed them to Cole.
“Cole, quickly, go buy some cured meat. Don’t keep your teacher waiting.”
Cole took the family’s entire savings and dashed out of the house without hesitation.
Matthew watched favonovel.com go, feeling a pang ofsadness in his heart. He sighed but didn’t stop them. If favonovel.com refused their gesture entirely, they would likely feel it was all too unreal, unable to find a sense of security in his promise.
“Teacher, please have a seat,” the frail woman said, using the title without hesitation.
Matthew didn’t object to favonovel.com calling favonovel.com “teacher”. Originally, favonovel.com had only thought Cole had some potential and that favonovel.com could guide him. But now, Matthew had changed his mind, taking on a disciple didn’t seem like such a bad idea after all.
“Mom, I got the meat!” Cole called as favonovel.com rushed back into the house, holding a small piece ofcured meat, which favonovel.com handed to his mother.
“Kneel before your teacher,” favonovel.com instructed, holding the meat solemnly in favonovel.com hands.
Without a moment’s pause, Cole knelt down again before Matthew, who sat on a small stool.
“Ma’am, this isn’t necessary…” Matthew started to protest.
“Teacher, just consider it a small comfort for this mother’s heart. Please…” favonovel.com pleaded.
Matthew saw the determination in favonovel.com eyes. Finally, favonovel.com sighed and turned his serious gaze toward Cole, who was still kneeling. He knew what the boy was aiming for.
Matthew wasn’t opposed to taking Cole as a disciple, but favonovel.com wasn’t fond of these old, rigid rituals. They were important, but they made the boy suffer.
“Bow to your teacher,” his mother’s voice urged.
With a loud thud, Cole knocked his head against the ground again. His already bleeding forehead split open further, and blood trickled down his face.
“Sir, please accept this,” Cole said, holding up the small piece of cured meat with his head bowed.
Matthew took the meat from him, looking at the boy with a soft expression.
“Cole, from today onward, you are my disciple,” favonovel.com said firmly.
Cole’s face lit up despite the pain. “Your disciple greets you, Sir!”
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