txolops Chapter 131 Hasty
Chapter 131 Hasty
"Is everyone here?" Qingyangzi suddenly asked from the armchair.
Mingxin glanced around and nodded, saying, "Reporting to Master, everyone has arrived."
Qingyangzi smiled and stood up. Although he did not speak, he exuded an aura.
Instantly, the square fell silent. The servants dared not utter another word and stood solemnly.
Lin Xuan watched from the side, secretly amused. Although Qingyangzi's magical power was weak, his ability to put on airs was indeed quite impressive.
It's only level 15, but it's being made to look like level 50.
Qingyangzi was unaware of Lin Xuan's thoughts and felt quite pleased with himself.
He had made up his mind to leave soon and hide until the world stabilized before emerging from the mountains again.
Qingyangzi sighed softly, feeling a pang of emotion, wondering how long it would be before he could experience such a grand spectacle again.
Hey!
Mingxin's eyelids twitched, and guessing what his master was thinking, he hurriedly stepped forward and said:
"Fellow disciples, I clearly told you yesterday not to be late, but why didn't you take it to heart?"
"You all didn't take this apprenticeship ceremony seriously at all, dragging your feet and keeping your master waiting for ages!"
"He's really angry!"
The servants felt wronged upon hearing this. How were we late? The apprenticeship ceremonies always started at this time!
But they dared not refute it, and one by one they bowed their heads and admitted their mistakes.
Some of the servants even believed Mingxin's explanation, genuinely thinking they had arrived too late, and began to blame themselves.
Among the crowd, Tan De sneered twice and stood still, standing out conspicuously.
Mingxin glanced at Tan De, too lazy to pay him any attention.
Normally, he would never let Tan De off so easily; he would definitely drag him out and give him a good beating.
But now...
Mingxin pursed her lips and cupped her hands to Qingyangzi, saying:
"Master, I have already taught these people a lesson. Please don't be angry anymore. Today is a joyous occasion."
Qingyangzi nodded slightly and gave Mingxin a satisfied look.
This apprentice is indeed very clever and quick-witted.
He coughed, turned to face Lin Xuan, his expression becoming serious, adopting an air of otherworldly wisdom, and stroked his beard as he said:
"Mingyue, I see that you have extraordinary talent and intelligence, and I have decided to take you as my last disciple."
"After I pass away, this Taoist temple will be passed on to you. Would you be willing?"
[Ding! Qingyangzi wishes to take you as an inner disciple. Do you accept?]
[Tip: After becoming an inner disciple, you can unlock more items in the shop, and the speed at which you gain reputation in 'Ink Bamboo City' will also be faster.]
Lin Xuan was not surprised at all, and said calmly:
"Since my master thinks so highly of me, how could I refuse?"
Upon seeing this, Qingyangzi frowned slightly, showing a hint of dissatisfaction.
Although he had ill intentions and wanted to trick Lin Xuan, Lin Xuan was surprisingly unmoved, which displeased him.
I, Qingyangzi, want to take you as my last disciple, and you are so calm.
"Hmph, I initially felt a little guilty, not wanting to ruin you, but now it seems you deserved it!"
Qingyangzi sneered inwardly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it and laughed loudly:
"Haha, good! Now that I've accepted you as my disciple, I'll have a successor!"
You have become an inner disciple of Qingyangzi.
Lin Xuan didn't take the hint to heart at all, and simply cupped his hands in return.
Even Mingxin started to get upset, feeling that Lin Xuan didn't know any manners.
He squinted and pursed his lips, instinctively wanting to stand up and criticize Lin Xuan, but in the end he held back.
"Forget it, why should I bother with him?" Mingxin comforted herself and didn't say anything more.
The apprenticeship ceremony was very simple; it was just a formality.
Qingyangzi said a few more words of encouragement to Lin Xuan, then turned and left.
Mingxin had originally prepared several activities to support Lin Xuan, but now she was too lazy to do them and followed Qingyangzi's retreating figure.
He chased after him all the way to Qingyangzi's house, rubbing his hands together and saying:
"Master, we've already made that kid our last disciple. What should we do next?"
Qingyangzi had completely calmed down by this time. He sat back down on the futon and said calmly:
"That's easy. Bring him here later, let me say a few words to him and calm him down."
"Then I spread the word that I was going into seclusion to cultivate a profound supernatural power, and that Mingyue would temporarily take over as the abbot, so that we could leave."
Qingyangzi spoke calmly and confidently, but Mingxin was somewhat unsure.
"Master, isn't this too hasty? Shouldn't we wait a few days?"
What he said actually makes sense. They had just taken Lin Xuan into their fold today, and then immediately made him the acting abbot. This really makes people suspicious.
If Lin Xuan refuses, then things will be difficult.
Even if they force Lin Xuan to accept it, he will definitely still have doubts.
They might disregard everything and force their way into Qingyangzi's secluded training area.
Everything will be exposed then.
The abbot Qingyangzi and his senior brother Mingxin both disappeared without explanation. Even a fool could figure out what was going on.
The Taoist temple will inevitably be thrown into chaos, and the enemies lurking in the shadows will also be alerted and go after Qingyangzi and Mingxin.
That would be troublesome.
Mingxin was quick-witted; she understood the principle in a flash and then tried to persuade Qingyangzi.
But Qingyangzi had already made up his mind and said seriously:
"Don't worry, I think that kid is an idiot, he won't suspect anything."
"At worst, I'll give him some benefits first, and actually teach him a magic technique to distract him."
"He is just an ordinary person. If he suddenly obtains the magic technique, he will definitely cherish it and study it carefully."
"By the time he realized what was happening, it would have been a long time, and we would have already traveled hundreds of miles!"
Upon hearing this, Mingxin nodded in agreement, acknowledging that her master's considerations were indeed thorough.
However, he was also somewhat envious.
He has been a disciple of Qingyangzi for many years. Although he has practiced the techniques and gained magical power, he has not yet mastered any magic.
"Never mind, Master only passed on the method to Mingyue to fool him."
"After I escape with my master, he will definitely pass on a supernatural power to me."
Mingxin comforted herself, stopped thinking about it, nodded in acceptance, and went out to find Lin Xuan.
At this moment, Lin Xuan was surrounded by his other fellow disciples.
These fellow disciples weren't very bright. Although they vaguely sensed that something was amiss, they simply thought that Lin Xuan was very wealthy, rolling in money.
He bribed Qingyangzi with a large sum of money.
Qingyangzi is greedy for money, which is why he values Lin Xuan so highly.
They stopped Lin Xuan, trying to find out his background while also testing him.
If this kid is the rich man's foolish son, he has endless money to spend.
They are all kind-hearted people who don't mind helping Lin Xuan and spending money on his behalf.
Lin Xuan remained calm and dealt with these people, but soon became impatient.
If he hadn't wanted to avoid making a big deal out of it, he would have actually resorted to feigning compliance.
At this moment, Mingxin walked over and waved to his fellow disciples, saying:
"Alright, alright, our junior brother has only just joined the sect and doesn't know anything yet. Why are you all bothering him?"
"Everyone, step back! I'll show my junior brother around and explain the rules of our sect to him."
As soon as he spoke, the other fellow disciples dared not say a word and all stepped aside.
Mingxin smiled smugly, walked to Lin Xuan's side, and grabbed his hand:
"Junior Brother Mingyue, come with me."
Lin Xuan did not resist and followed Mingxin away, wandering around the Taoist temple.
Mingxin didn't get straight to the point and state her purpose directly. Instead, she first took Lin Xuan on a quick tour of the Taoist temple.
It wasn't until about half an hour later, after they had walked around the Taoist temple, that Mingxin brought up the real business.
"Junior brother, you may not know, but Master is a cold-faced but warm-hearted person. Although he doesn't say much, he actually thinks highly of you."
"The moment I met you, I knew you were a promising talent. I not only wanted to take you under my wing, but I also wanted you to grow up quickly."
Lin Xuan nodded calmly, as if he hadn't understood the meaning behind those words, and deliberately didn't respond.
Seeing this, Mingxin had no choice but to continue:
"Your master intends to pass on a supernatural power to you, so that you may cultivate it diligently."
"Others will also go into seclusion for a month. During this time, you will not only have to practice your skills, but also manage the affairs of the Taoist temple."
"After your master comes out of seclusion, he will test your cultivation level and examine the situation of the Taoist temple."
"If you cultivate very quickly and manage the Taoist temple very well, your master will be very happy and will teach you more skills."
Mingxin is usually glib and eloquent, but she was also a little embarrassed at this moment.
Everything happened too fast, without any foreshadowing, making it easy for Lin Xuan to notice that something was amiss.
However, to Mingxin's surprise, Lin Xuan seemed to believe these claims.
Instead of asking any questions, he nodded:
"My master truly has a discerning eye; I myself also believe I am a genius."
"By the way, I heard that my master is proficient in the art of creating clones. If he could pass on this technique to me, that would be wonderful."
Upon hearing this, Mingxin's face twitched involuntarily. This kid really dares to speak up!
They actually got selected?
He suppressed his anger and calmly said, "I can't make this decision myself; I must first report to my master..."
"Mingyue, why don't you come with me?"
"If your master agrees, he can impart supernatural powers to you on the spot."
Lin Xuan deliberately feigned a thoughtful expression, and after a moment said, "That's fine then. I'll trouble you, Senior Brother, to lead the way."
Mingxin didn't reply, turned around and left quickly.
The more he looked at Lin Xuan, the more he disliked him, and he wished he could talk to Lin Xuan less.
As the two passed through the Taoist temple, the servants along the way all stepped back and bowed to them.
Tan De was among these people, and for some reason, he appeared calm and composed, seemingly lost in thought.
At other times, Mingxin would definitely notice this and take the initiative to probe, but he was too lazy to pay attention to these trivial details now and just kept his head down and moved forward.
Soon after, he returned to Qingyangzi's house, and this time the door was open.
The two went straight inside.
Mingxin spoke first, "Master, Junior Brother Mingyue heard that you have mastered the art of creating clones and would like to ask you for guidance."