From a humble farmer to a great martial arts master

Chapter 118, Master and Disciple, Father and Son

Chapter 119, Master and Disciple, Father and Son

The third floor of Qingyun Tower.

Before the meal began, there was a solemn and respectful apprenticeship ceremony.

First, the elaborate apprenticeship letter is made public, mainly recounting the master's achievements and the disciple's origins.

Then the disciples presented the "Six Gifts of Respect": celery, lotus seeds, red beans, red dates, longan, and dried lean pork strips.

Then the master and disciple bowed three times and kowtowed nine times before the portrait of Emperor Wu, the founding emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Finally, the apprentice bowed to his master again.

From then on, the martial arts world lost a lone swordsman and gained a martial artist with a powerful background.

Ren Qingshan felt a little complicated.

The master-disciple relationship before him meant that he would have to take care of him in his old age and see him off in his final days, but if something happened to him, the disciple would also have to risk his life for him. They were a community of interests second only to blood relatives.

If either party goes against this, they will find it difficult to hold their head high in front of their fellow martial arts practitioners in the future.

Even bandits on the outlaw trail, the most despicable womanizers, and various evil cults—as long as they are not too utterly immoral, they cannot escape the constraints of the master-disciple relationship.

This, like "pay back your debts, pay back your life for a murder," is the most basic and fundamental rule.

Of course, there are also masters who betray their disciples and disciples who kill their masters, but these are isolated cases and often cause a huge uproar.

Damn, from now on I'll be from a prestigious sect. Before I want to fight, I'll have to ask about the other person's lineage, then tell them about my own, find out the details, weigh the pros and cons, and then decide whether I really want to fight. Thinking about all this, Ren Qingshan almost burst out laughing.

I used to think it was a bit silly, but it really is true.

The martial arts world is not just about fighting and killing; it's about human relationships and social interactions!

Unless—the differences in positions and interests become so great that a life-or-death struggle is inevitable.

"The ceremony is complete!"

"Haha, congratulations to Master Gongshu on accepting a beloved disciple, and to young friend Ren on having a renowned teacher."

The ceremony was presided over by Feng Jingxian, which means that if the master and apprentice have any conflicts in the future, they can ask him to be the first mediator.

At this point, having completed all the ritual procedures, he was the first to smile and say.

The onlookers then offered their congratulations and cheers.

Chu Tiankuo, the Assistant Magistrate of Fengcheng Prefecture; Wei Yunqi, the Commander of the Demon Suppression Division; Luo Ming, the Innate Swordsman; Feng Wuyin, the Garrison Commander; Lan Yungui, the representative of the Divine Firmament Holy Realm; Liu Zhirui, the son of Liu Fangyuan, the Prefectural Magistrate; Fang Yanping; Li Xuanqing; Kang Mianzhi; Jiang Shi'an; Lan Chonglou; Lu Haichuan—and so on—are all prominent figures in the prefectural city.

Lan Yungui is Lan Chonglou's son, but in this formal occasion, he represents the Divine Firmament Holy Realm, and his status is even higher than his father's.

He seemed somewhat absent-minded, but being in his thirties, he was naturally deep in thought and did not show any signs of losing his composure.

Ren Qingshan returned the greetings in turn.

He couldn't help but think to himself, "Mom and Dad, your son has made something of himself! He's a big shot in the city now—it's a shame you two can't travel back in time."

Thinking about all sorts of random things, he exchanged pleasantries with everyone for a while.

Let's go downstairs together.

Hugging a mat and eating dry rice.

During the gathering, everyone tacitly avoided mentioning the fire at Xishan in Shenxiao Sacred Realm. Although the matter was significant, it was irrelevant to the present situation. In the midst of a joyous atmosphere, why bother to upset others unnecessarily?

In a harmonious and joyful atmosphere, everyone ate and drank to their hearts' content, and the banquet ended with everyone "getting acquainted with each other".

At least on the surface, everyone is a respectable person.

Ren Qingshan was still somewhat hopeful that something insignificant might jump out and make a fuss, or perhaps act crazy under the influence of alcohol, but nothing did, which left him slightly disappointed.

"Master!"

"I just attended Ren Qingshan's innate banquet. The people who came included—"

In an exquisite and elegant room, Liu Zhirui looked at the white-haired old man in front of him and reported softly.

The old man was his master, Shen Changyu, a renowned martial arts master from Fucheng and the founder of Tiandao Martial Arts School.

-

Tian Dao Martial Arts School is the oldest martial arts school in the city, with three generations and a history of nearly a hundred years.

The Liu family is a prominent local clan, and they have become closer to established local powers. This is why they formed a marriage alliance with the Qian family and became Shen Changyu's apprentice.

Today, Liu Zhirui went to Ren Qingshan's Xiantian Banquet, but in reality, he went on behalf of his father, and it was also at his master's behest.

His father-in-law, Qian Chengen, was dead, and his father, Liu Fangyuan, was crippled. The matter was settled, but life had to go on. Of course, he couldn't help but have doubts about Ren Qingshan.

After all, it hasn't been long since the Liu family case, and Ren Qingshan has already broken through to the Innate Realm?

Although it was because he joined the Jiuyang Martial Arts School that Feng Jingxian was backed by Gongshu Ce, the real culprit that night still deserves to be reconsidered.

However, the court has already made its decision—if they want to overturn the verdict, they can only rely on their master.

"Did you see the great fire at Shenxiao Sacred Realm?"

After listening to his apprentice's report, Shen Changyu took a sip of tea and asked in a cold voice.

He was a swordsman, known for his ruthless attacks in his youth, and he was always serious and unsmiling in life, even in his old age.

"I saw it."

Liu Zhirui swallowed hard: "Is it related to Ren Qingshan?"

Shen Changyu shook his head slightly and said, "The Shenxiao convoy transporting the autumn sacrifice silver was robbed on the official road, and nearly a hundred disciples were killed."

"What?!"

Liu Zhirui's pupils suddenly widened, and he shouted in a loss of composure.

My younger sister, Liu Jingshu, is a disciple of the Divine Firmament Sect. She did some reception and miscellaneous tasks during this Autumn Festival and returned to the sect today.

"This matter is still unresolved."

"The Shenxiao Sect members chose to set off today, hoping to take advantage of Ren Qingshan's Innate Banquet, which attracted many experts, to ensure their safety. However, they were still robbed."

"Feng Jingxian and Gongshu Ce were both present, as were Chu Tiankuo, Wei Yunqi, Luo Ming, Feng Wuyin, and Ren Qingshan. Who do you think committed this crime?"

Shen Changyu frowned and asked.

Liu Zhirui had no time to care about his younger sister's life or death. Hearing his master's question, he took a deep breath: "Zhi—"

—Your Excellency the Prefect?

Wu Shaoqin, the prefect of Fengfu, has always held a superior position and his behavior is even somewhat mysterious.

Shen Changyu glanced at him, and the muscles on his face twitched slightly; he felt an urge to draw his sword.

idiot!

Having run a martial arts school his entire life, Shen Changyu has seen countless people: Disciples from aristocratic families often fall into two extremes: the outstanding ones are exceptionally talented due to the support of their family resources, while the foolish ones become even more foolish in their privileged family environment.

"Go back and take good care of your father. Try to avoid drawing attention to yourself these days—go ahead."

He lost interest in the conversation and said indifferently, "Get rid of the idiot."

Knowing his master was dissatisfied, Liu Zhirui, with high emotional intelligence, said a few words to appease him before respectfully leaving.

After leaving the house, he couldn't help but feel a bit irritated. What were these martial artists doing fighting and killing all day long? Did they all have nothing better to do? Wasn't it better to just eat, drink, and find some fun?

I returned home with trepidation.

Sure enough, the steward reported that his younger sister had died today, on the official road, along with her fellow disciples from the Divine Firmament Sect.

Liu Zhirui's face turned deathly pale instantly. He felt as if an invisible hand was gripping his heart, causing him pain and panic.

Having lived for twenty-six years and even having a son of my own, I only realized for the first time how cruel the martial arts world truly is.

Lan Chonglou and his son Lan Yungui rode home in a horse-drawn carriage.

Both of them were preoccupied with their own thoughts throughout the journey.

Lan Yungui is a core disciple of the inner sect of Shenxiao. He is a disciple of Lu Jie, an innate elder of Shenxiao, and his status in the sect is already quite high.

Today, he was sent by another innate elder who led the team down the mountain to attend Ren Qingshan's innate banquet. He saw the fire on Shenxiao West Mountain early in the morning. According to the sect's rules, he should have returned at all costs.

However, after much hesitation, I decided to hold back.

The fire has already started. There are many experts from the sect. If they could put it out, they would have done so long ago. If they can't, going back won't help.

Just now, while we were eating, my men came to report that the Shenxiao caravan on the official road had been robbed and killed.

This put him under immense pressure, and he was even somewhat relieved.

Thankfully, we didn't leave the city.

Otherwise—they might be robbed and killed on the way!

"Father, I have a bad feeling."

"Would the imperial court really intend to target the Divine Firmament?"

After thinking the whole thing through, Lan Yungui looked at his father and said in a low voice.

This kind of dispute over choosing sides involves the whole family, and if you choose the wrong side, the consequences can be terrifying.

Lan Chonglou frowned deeply.

With insufficient information at the moment, it is truly difficult to make a judgment.

The Lan family has three sons. The eldest son worships the Divine Firmament Holy Realm, and this son takes the martial arts exam to become a scholar and enter the officialdom. The third son worships the innate swordsman Luo Ming and roams the martial world. The arrangement is quite well-organized. Although none of the three sons have reached the innate level, they are all considered to be successful.

However, this situation is indeed very difficult to handle.

"Sigh... If only we had arranged that marriage with the Ren family back then."

Lan Chonglou sighed.

This was something he hadn't anticipated. In his fury, he banished his daughter, which was perfectly reasonable. He even informed the young man from the Ren family. However, he never expected that it would lead to the deaths of both of them on the way.

"Hmph, you should ask your good son what kind of gangster he's involved in."

"The third brother is really capable. He's sworn brothers with the bandits at Shahu Pass, a bond so strong they'd risk their lives for each other. Every time my caravan passes through Shahu Pass, the third brother manages to get back 10% of the value of the goods he delivers and pockets it all."

Lan Chonglou froze, his eyes widening in disbelief: "Such a thing is true?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he quickly regained his composure, his voice low and laced with anger: "You mean—it was your third brother who sent people to kill him?"

Lan Yungui took a deep breath and hummed softly.

"I hope not!"

"I hope that the truth of this matter remains unknown to Ren Qingshan!"

"If my family is implicated, Father, the third son is probably doomed. You'd better go back and ask him today. I heard from a friend at the yamen that those two bandits from Shahu Pass escaped, and it's possible they've changed their identities and are hiding in my house."

Lan Chonglou trembled again, lifted the carriage curtain, and urged the coachman.

"Hurry! Hurry up! Go home!"

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