Chapter 2: The Ancestral Charm of Xuanjing Passed Down, A Brilliant Talent Revealed |
They had agreed to invite a few Fellow Daoists to witness the apprenticeship ceremony, but both sides kept the guest list remarkably short.
Sending their clan's Qilin child away to learn the auxiliary paths naturally meant the Wang Clan wanted to avoid drawing too much attention. Secrecy was the key to success, after all.
Therefore, Rongyuan Shu had only invited Tang Nianqiu, the chief manager of the Flavorful Bistro, who would look after the two youths in Clear Stream Market.
On his end, Householder Redbrow had only invited his sole close friend in Clear Stream Market—Wu Jinyan, the Patriarch of the Qi Refining immortal Wu Clan.
As an independent cultivator who relied on his mastery of the artificing path to make a living, Householder Redbrow's Forge Peak Residence needed a reliable supplier for metal and stone spiritual materials.
The Wu Clan just so happened to possess a ninth-grade Chaotic Stone Well, and they supplied all the metal and stone spiritual materials it produced year-round to Forge Peak Residence.
Bound tightly by this mutually beneficial supply chain, the two parties had forged a solid friendship.
Oh, right—Householder Redbrow also had a daughter named Zhong Ningyao, who was present today as well.
A simple ritual altar stood in the center of the main hall of Forge Peak Residence. The plump Householder Redbrow, Zhong Tianshuo, wore his beautiful red Dharma robe and sat looking entirely at ease.
Seeing that the helpers were nearly finished setting up, Tang Nianqiu murmured a few words to Wang Rongyuan. Wang Rongyuan then looked toward Householder Redbrow.
"Everything is ready. Shall I call them in?"
"This is too formal, Old Wang. You're actually making me a bit nervous," Householder Redbrow said softly.
They were all old geezers who had cultivated for half their lives. What was there to be nervous about!
Zhong Tianshuo had simply realized that Wang Rongyuan had tricked him!
He finally saw the truth of it. Originally, this was supposed to be a simple transaction: the Wang Clan pays, and he teaches.
But yesterday, that old thief Wang Rongyuan struck while the iron was hot and goaded him into holding an apprenticeship ceremony to liven things up.
Without thinking it through, he had naively agreed.
An apprenticeship ceremony sounded nice enough. Descendants of a Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan bowing to a mere Qi Refining independent cultivator—how prestigious!
But seeing the elaborate setup orchestrated by Tang Nianqiu today, Zhong Tianshuo finally realized he was in trouble.
A ritual altar had been erected, Fellow Daoists were invited to bear witness, and soon there would be the formal three prostrations and three bows...
If these two brats went through such a formal ceremony to become his disciples...
He would be taking a massive loss!
'I still need to attempt Foundation Establishment! The Wang Clan is trying to tie me down!'
Zhong Tianshuo currently felt like a young maiden tricked into a bridal sedan chair—completely exasperated.
Of course, he was just a three-hundred-pound fat man, not some young maiden.
"Come, Yulou, Yu'an. Stand in the center of the altar."
As the host of the apprenticeship ceremony, Tang Nianqiu directed the two youths to the center of the altar before chanting loudly:
"Wang Clan's Yulou, age thirteen. Carrying the ancestral charm of Xuanjing, a brilliant talent revealed.
Wang Clan's Yu'an.
Offer the tea!"
As Tang Nianqiu's words fell, a helper hurriedly brought a tea tray over to the two youths.
Yulou took his tea. Yu'an hesitated for a moment, withdrew his gaze from stealing glances at Zhong Ningyao, and hurriedly picked up his cup as well.
The two knelt before Householder Redbrow, raised their teacups, and called out in unison:
"Master, please accept this tea!"
This was the first bow, signifying their acknowledgment of Householder Redbrow as their master.
Glancing at Wang Rongyuan, who was seated beside him in a position of honor, Householder Redbrow smiled, nodded, and accepted the tea.
What else could he do?
As long as one had not yet become a true immortal, one could not speak of absolute freedom. If Householder Redbrow wanted to attempt Foundation Establishment, he needed to gather enough resources and support, all while considering his future position within the Red Lantern Illumination Sect.
The rule in the Wunan Cultivation World was that independent cultivators and family cultivators who reached Foundation Establishment must join the Ten Sects to contribute their strength toward the stable development of the Immortal Alliance.
Although Zhong Tianshuo had a decent relationship with the Red Lantern Illumination Sect's Town Guardian Cultivator stationed at Clear Stream Market, that man was no ordinary figure. He was even willing to affectionately call Zhong Tianshuo 'little brother'—this was no simple pleasantry, but a reflection of his rapacious nature!
That Town Guardian Cultivator was a ravenous wolf who ate people without spitting out their bones, the kind who would even lick the soup bowl dry!
Householder Redbrow did not dare to join his faction!
On the other hand, the Wang Clan's Foundation Establishment Ancestor had taken a Purple Palace Grand Cultivator as a master within the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, securing the status of a Core Disciple.
Pondering these future prospects, Zhong Tianshuo took two sips of his tea with mixed feelings. He then set the cup down on the adjacent table, looked at the two youths, and said warmly,
"Rise. You may both rise."
Seeing that the first bow was complete, Tang Nianqiu chanted loudly,
"Profound teachings should not be imparted lightly; they must be honored with an apprenticeship gift!"
'Old Zhong, our Wang Clan won't let the boys study under you for nothing. We're paying.'
Yulou and Yu'an each retrieved the apprenticeship gifts their clan uncle had prepared for them. Kneeling before Zhong Tianshuo once more, they respectfully said,
"Master Zhong, we humbly ask that you accept this meager offering!"
This was the second bow. The first was to acknowledge the master, and the second was to present the apprenticeship gift.
Staring at the eighth-grade spiritual donkey shoulder bone in Yulou's hands and the two blocks of ninth-grade Cold Refined Iron in Yu'an's, Wu Jinyan thought to himself:
'Meager offering... The audacity to call that meager!'
An eighth-grade donkey shoulder bone was a top-tier material, worth at least two hundred and fifty spirit stones.
The ninth-grade Cold Refined Iron was a type of spiritual iron. Materials like this were even more valuable than spiritual bones. Though they were only the size of a fist, a single piece was worth over a hundred spirit stones.
Even though the ninth grade and eighth grade were a full rank apart, the Cold Refined Iron was just as expensive as the eighth-grade donkey bone!
The sheer generosity of a Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan was enough to make even Wu Jinyan a bit envious.
Pleasantly surprised, Zhong Tianshuo accepted the apprenticeship gifts from his two new disciples. Any lingering grievances he held toward the sly Wang Clan evaporated completely.
'Such good children!'
'With an eighth-grade donkey bone, I can finally properly attempt to refine a bone-based Dharma artifact.'
"Excellent, excellent. You are both good children. Rise."
Yulou and Yu'an stood up. Zhong Tianshuo smoothly initiated the third step of the apprenticeship ceremony, turning to his good friend Wu Jinyan to ask,
"Jinyan, tell me—should I accept these two as my disciples?"
This was the prelude to the third bow. The master would performatively ask for the witness's opinion, and everyone would chime in to praise the prospective disciples. It served as the elders' formal acknowledgment and blessing.
"Brother Zhong, your mastery of the Dao requires a legacy, and these two are the finest inheritors you could ask for!"
Wu Jinyan nodded slightly in approval.
"Fellow Daoist Tang, you know the youths of your clan best. Do they have any shortcomings?"
Householder Redbrow then directed his question to Tang Nianqiu. Calling Wu Jinyan by his given name while addressing Tang Nianqiu as 'Fellow Daoist' subtly highlighted the difference in their closeness, though it hardly mattered in the grand scheme of things.
After all, there was no way Tang Nianqiu would actually list any flaws.
Although he personally took issue with the massive amount of resources the Wang Clan lavished upon its direct descendants, he certainly lacked the courage to voice his grievances aloud.
Relaxing a face that was tense either from hosting the ceremony or from his own hidden dissatisfaction, Tang Nianqiu replied solemnly,
"The minds of youths are not yet settled, so it is only natural for them to act somewhat foolishly at times. However, with an excellent teacher like Fellow Daoist Redbrow to guide and polish them, they will surely be sculpted into flawless jade in the future."
Wang Rongyuan nodded inwardly.
'Good old Nianqiu. He's smoothing things over for that useless Yu'an!'
Ever since stepping into Forge Peak Residence, Yu'an had stolen glances at Householder Redbrow's daughter, Zhong Ningyao, more than once.
Yet in this main hall, even the helpers had higher cultivation bases than he did. Anyone paying even the slightest attention would have noticed Yu'an's wandering eyes.
'Youths with unsettled minds, indeed.'
Rongyuan Shu then observed Yulou, noting his downcast gaze and completely well-behaved demeanor, like a polite junior quietly awaiting his elders' instructions.
'Fortunately, Yulou is a true Qilin child!'
Although Zhong Tianshuo had a good relationship with the Town Guardian Cultivator of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect stationed in Clear Stream Market...
That man was no ordinary person. He was even willing to call Zhong Tianshuo "little brother"—this was not a simple, friendly address, but a testament to how ruthlessly he devoured his prey!
That Town Guardian Cultivator was a vicious beast who ate people without spitting out bones, even licking the soup bowl clean!
Householder Redbrow dared not join his faction!
On the other hand, the Foundation Establishment Ancestor of the Wang Clan had taken a Purple Palace Grand Cultivator as his master within the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, securing the position of a Core Disciple.
Pondering future matters, Zhong Tianshuo took two sips of tea with mixed feelings, then set the cup down on the small table beside him. Looking at the two youths, he spoke gently.
"Rise, rise."
Seeing that the first bow was complete, Tang Nianqiu chanted:
"Excellent teachings are not lightly bestowed, nor are they freely given. They should be honored with the Apprenticeship Gift!"
'Old Zhong, our Wang Clan isn't having our children study under you for free. We are paying.'
Yulou and Yu'an each took out the Apprenticeship Gifts their clan uncle had prepared for them, knelt before Zhong Tianshuo again, and bowed their heads respectfully.
"Master Zhong is above. We hope you will not disdain our meager offerings!"
This was the second bow. The first was to acknowledge the master, and the second was to present the master with the Apprenticeship Gift.
Looking at the shoulder bone of an eighth-grade spiritual donkey in Yulou's hands and the two pieces of ninth-grade Cold Refined Iron in Yu'an's hands, Wu Jinyan thought to himself:
'Meager offerings? How can you even say that without blushing!'
An eighth-grade donkey shoulder bone was top-tier material, worth at least two hundred and fifty spirit stones.
The ninth-grade Cold Refined Iron belonged to the category of spiritual iron. Such materials were even more valuable than spiritual bones. Though they looked only the size of a fist, a single piece was worth over a hundred spirit stones.
Despite the obvious difference between the ninth grade and eighth grade, the Cold Refined Iron was just as expensive as the eighth-grade donkey bone!
The generosity of a Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan was truly grand. Even Wu Jinyan felt a bit envious watching.
As Zhong Tianshuo accepted the Apprenticeship Gifts prepared by his two new disciples with some surprise, his minor grievance toward the cunning Wang Clan completely vanished.
'Good boys!'
The eighth-grade donkey bone could be used to properly test the forging of bone-based magical artifacts.
"Good, good, good. You are all good boys. Rise."
Yulou and Yu'an stood up. Zhong Tianshuo then actively initiated the third step of the apprenticeship ceremony. He looked at his close friend Wu Jinyan and asked:
"Jinyan, do you think I should accept these two disciples?"
This was the prelude to the third bow. The master would pretend to ask for the opinions of the witnesses, and everyone would cooperatively praise the new disciples. It served as the elders' testimony and blessing.
"Brother Zhong, your mastery of the Dao requires inheritors, and these two are the best possible successors!"
Wu Jinyan nodded slightly, offering his approval.
"Fellow Daoist Tang, you know the children of your family best. Do they have any shortcomings?"
Householder Redbrow then asked Tang Nianqiu. Calling Wu Jinyan "Jinyan" and Tang Nianqiu "Fellow Daoist" subtly revealed the difference in their closeness, but it did not really matter.
After all, Tang Nianqiu naturally did not dare point out any actual flaws.
Even though he had strong opinions about the Wang Clan pouring such massive resources into their direct lineage descendants, he did not have the guts to speak his mind.
Relaxing his facial expression—which was stiff either from hosting the ceremony or from internal dissatisfaction—Tang Nianqiu spoke solemnly:
"Youths are still finding their footing, so it is not surprising if they act a bit foolishly at times. However, under the guidance and molding of a fine teacher like Fellow Daoist Redbrow, they will undoubtedly become true, polished jade in the future."
Wang Rongyuan nodded inwardly.
'Good job, Nianqiu. Way to smooth things over for that useless Yu'an!'
From the moment they stepped into Forge Peak Residence, Yu'an had repeatedly stolen glances at Householder Redbrow's daughter, Zhong Ningyao.
However, in this main hall, even the helpers had higher cultivation bases than him. It was safe to say that anyone paying the slightest attention had noticed Yu'an's behavior.
'Youths are still finding their footing.'
Rongyuan Shu then observed Yulou and found him standing with lowered eyes, the very picture of an obedient child waiting for an elder's inquiry.
Fortunately, Yulou was truly a genuine Qilin child!
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