Although it was called inviting a few Daoist friends to witness the apprenticeship ceremony, both sides actually invited very few people.
The Wang Clan was sending their prodigy out to learn auxiliary arts, so naturally, they did not want a high-profile event. Secrecy fosters success, after all.
Therefore, Uncle Wang Rongyuan only invited Tang Nianqiu, the chief manager of Flavorful Bistro, who would be looking after the two young n in Clear Stream Market in the future.
As for Householder Redbrow, he had only invited his sole close friend in Clear Stream Market, Wu Jinyan, the patriarch of the Wu Clan, a Qi Refining immortal clan.
As a rogue cultivator who relied on his artificing attainnts to make a living, Householder Redbrow required a reliable supplier of tal and stone spiritual items for his Forge Peak Residence.
The Wu Clan happened to possess a rank-nine Rocky Well, and they supplied all the tal and stone spiritual items it produced to Forge Peak Residence year-round.
The two sides shared a tightly knit, mutually beneficial relationship, which had led to a solid friendship over the years.
Additionally, Householder Redbrow had a daughter nad Zhong Ningyao, who was also attending the ceremony today.
A simple ritual altar had been set up in the center of Forge Peak Residence's main hall. The portly Householder Redbrow, Zhong Tianshuo, was dressed in his splendid red dharma robe, sitting there with an air of relaxed confidence.
The early morning light was not particularly bright, and inside the dim room, several specially crafted Everlasting Candles were lit, casting a heavy, somber glow over the few people present.
Seeing that the hired hands had finished setting up, Tang Nianqiu whispered a few words to Wang Rongyuan, who then turned his gaze toward Householder Redbrow.
"Everything is ready. Shall I call them in now?"
"This is a bit too formal, Old Wang. You are making feel a little nervous," Householder Redbrow said softly.
They were both old foxes who had been cultivating for half their lives; how could they possibly feel nervous over this?
Zhong Tianshuo had finally realized that he had been completely cornered by Wang Rongyuan!
He understood it now. Originally, this was supposed to be a simple transaction where the Wang Clan provided the spirit stones and he taught the craft.
But yesterday, that old scoundrel Wang Rongyuan had struck while the iron was hot, encouraging him to hold a formal apprenticeship ceremony to make things lively.
At the ti, he had not thought it through and naively agreed.
An apprenticeship ceremony sounded grand. A descendant of a Foundation Establishnt immortal clan bowing to a re Qi Refining rogue cultivator like him—what an imnse boost to his prestige.
Yet, looking at how Tang Nianqiu and his n had arranged the room today, Zhong Tianshuo realized he was in deep trouble.
With the ritual altar erected, fellow Daoists invited to witness, and three prostrations and three bows about to take place...
If these two boys went through with this formal ceremony and beca his true disciples...
He was taking a massive loss!
He was still aiming to break through to the Foundation Establishnt realm. The Wang Clan was clearly trying to tie him down permanently!
Zhong Tianshuo’s current mood was like a young maiden tricked into a bridal sedan chair—he was utterly exasperated.
Of course, he was just a three-hundred-pound fat man, not a young maiden.
"Co forward, Yu Lou, Yu An. Stand in the center of the altar."
Tang Nianqiu was the master of ceremonies. After directing the two young n to stand in the center of the ritual altar, he chanted in a loud voice.
"Wang Yu Lou, thirteen years of age. Inheritor of the ancestral charm of Xuanjing, possessing the radiant talent of clarity.
Wang Yu An...
Offer the tea!"
As Tang Nianqiu's voice fell, a hired hand hurriedly brought a tea tray over to the sides of the two youths.
Yu Lou took his teacup first. Yu An froze for a mont before tearing his gaze away from Zhong Ningyao, quickly lifting his cup as well.
The two knelt before Householder Redbrow, raising their teacups high, and called out together.
"Master, please accept this tea!"
This was the first bow, representing their formal acknowledgnt of Householder Redbrow as their master.
Glancing at Wang Rongyuan, who sat beside him in the other seat of honor, Householder Redbrow smiled, nodded, and accepted the tea.
What else could he do?
As long as one had not attained immortality, true freedom was out of the question. Since Householder Redbrow wanted to charge into the Foundation Establishnt realm, he had to consider gathering enough resources and support, as well as his future status within the Red Lantern Illumination.
The rule of the Wunan cultivation world dictated that any rogue cultivator or clan cultivator who reached Foundation Establishnt must join one of the Ten Sects, contributing their strength to the stable developnt of the Immortal Alliance.
Although Zhong Tianshuo enjoyed a decent relationship with the Town Guardian Cultivator of the Red Lantern Illumination in Clear Stream Market...
That man was no ordinary figure. He was even willing to call Zhong Tianshuo his younger brother—but that was not out of genuine affection; it was a matter of his insatiable appetite!
That Town Guardian Cultivator was a ferocious beast who ate people without spitting out bones, and would even lick the soup clean afterward!
Householder Redbrow did not dare to join his faction.
On the other hand, the Foundation Establishnt Ancestor of the Wang Clan had taken a Purple Palace Grand Cultivator as his master within the Red Lantern Illumination, earning the status of a Core Disciple.
Pondering these future prospects, Zhong Tianshuo drank two sips of tea with a complex expression. Placing the cup on the side table, he looked at the two youths and said warmly, "Rise, rise."
Seeing that the first bow was completed, Tang Nianqiu chanted once more, "Exquisite techniques are not granted lightly; it is only proper to offer the Apprenticeship Gift!"
'Old Zhong, we of the Wang Clan won't let our children follow you for nothing. We are paying.'
Yu Lou and Yu An each drew the Apprenticeship Gift their clan uncle had prepared for them from their robes. Kneeling once more before Zhong Tianshuo, they bowed their heads and said respectfully, "Master Zhong above, we hope you do not disdain our ager offerings!"
This was the second bow. The first bow was to acknowledge the master, and the second was to present the master with the Apprenticeship Gift.
Looking at the rank-eight spiritual donkey shoulder bone in Yu Lou's hands, and the two pieces of rank-nine Cold Refined Iron in Yu An's hands, Wu Jinyan thought to himself:
'ager offerings? How do you have the face to say that!'
The rank-eight donkey shoulder bone was a premium material, worth at least two hundred and fifty spirit stones.
The rank-nine Cold Refined Iron belonged to the category of spiritual iron, a type of material that was even more valuable than spiritual bones. Though each piece looked no larger than a fist, a single piece was worth over a hundred spirit stones.
Even though there was a full rank's difference between rank-nine and rank-eight, the Cold Refined Iron was just as expensive as the rank-eight donkey bone!
The generosity of a Foundation Establishnt immortal clan was truly imnse, leaving even Wu Jinyan a little envious.
Accepting the Apprenticeship Gifts from his two disciples with so surprise, the slight lingering dissatisfaction Zhong Tianshuo felt toward the crafty Wang Clan vanished completely.
Good boys!
With this rank-eight donkey bone, he could properly test out the refinent of bone-based artifacts.
"Good, good, good. You are both excellent children. Stand up."
Yu Lou and Yu An stood up, while Zhong Tianshuo took the initiative to begin the third step of the apprenticeship ritual. He looked toward his close friend Wu Jinyan and asked, "Jinyan, do you believe I should accept these two disciples?"
This was the prelude to the third bow. The master would put on a show of asking for the witness's opinion, and everyone would join in to praise the apprentices, serving as a senior's witness and blessing.
"Brother Zhong, your artificing attainnts require a legacy, and these two are the absolute best choices to inherit it!" Wu Jinyan nodded slightly, offering his validation.
"Fellow Daoist Tang, you know the children of your household best. Do they have any flaws?" Householder Redbrow then asked Tang Nianqiu. Calling Wu Jinyan by his na but addressing Tang Nianqiu as "Fellow Daoist" subtly revealed the difference in intimacy, though it did not truly matter much.
After all, Tang Nianqiu certainly wouldn't dare ntion any flaws.
Although he harbored quite a bit of resentnt regarding the Wang Clan's massive tilting of resources toward the direct lineage descendants, he lacked the courage to actually speak it aloud.
Relaxing his face—which was taut either from conducting the ceremony or from his inner dissatisfaction—Tang Nianqiu spoke solemnly.
"Young n are still unsettled in character, so it is not surprising if they occasionally engage in absurd behavior. However, with an excellent teacher like Fellow Daoist Redbrow to guide and polish them, they will surely beco fine jade in the future."
Wang Rongyuan nodded inwardly.
'Nianqiu is doing well, smoothing things over for that useless boy Yu An!'
From the mont they walked into Forge Peak Residence, Yu An had stolen glances at Householder Redbrow's daughter, Zhong Ningyao, more than once.
But in this main hall, even the hired hands possessed a higher cultivation base than him. It could be said that anyone with half a mind had noticed Yu An's wandering eyes.
'Young n are still unsettled in character.'
Uncle Wang Rongyuan observed Yu Lou next, only to find him standing with downcast eyes and a modest expression, perfectly embodying the obedient deanor of a junior awaiting a senior's instructions.
Fortunately, Yu Lou was indeed a true Qilin child!
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