After leaving the workshop, Wufu was tasked with escorting her new ntor ho, to familiarize herself with the route.
In Old Mr. ng’s carriage, Wufu sat with Jadeite, accompanying the eccentric old man. The carriage was spacious, furnished with a small red furnace and a tiny table, where Jadeite was busy boiling water for tea.
"Wen Lao San said you ca from Huayang?" Old Mr. ng looked at Wufu and asked.
Wufu replied, "You know nothing about , yet you dare take as your disciple?"
Old Mr. ng snorted, "Why wouldn’t I dare? Can you ascend to the heavens or descend to the underworld, or are you capable of threatening the integrity of the kingdom?"
Wufu accepted the tea Jadeite handed over and offered it to Old Mr. ng, lowering her eyes, "What if I do threaten the kingdom? What will you do then?"
Old Mr. ng was montarily speechless, then scoffed, "Why worry? The country belongs to the Zhao family, not the ng family. It’s none of my concern. If the Zhao family’s kingdom truly falls to a woman’s machinations, then it’s simply its fate running out. What is there to fret about?"
Wufu raised an eyebrow, "If the Zhao family hears of your words, I fear..." As she gestured across her neck.
Old Mr. ng was dismissive, saying, "I am just speaking the truth; moreover, regarding the current state of Nanyue... better not to ntion." His voice carried a hint of lancholy and sighs.
Wufu said nothing.
Not intending to dive into court politics with Wufu, Old Mr. ng shifted to discussing her personal affairs, asking where she lived now that she had reached the age of marriage, who was in her family, and whether she was betrothed.
Wufu took a sip of tea, set down the cup, looked at Old Mr. ng, and said, "Old Mr. ng, I won’t hide it from you; my personal history isn’t all that respectable."
Old Mr. ng paused, raising an eyebrow at her.
Wufu, with nothing to conceal, straightforwardly recounted her background, detailing who her father was, how her mother fared, and what the future might hold.
Old Mr. ng listened, his brows knitted in thought.
"...and so, would you still take as a disciple? A disciple like might tarnish your reputation. The ng family is a reputable family of scholars; you needn’t burden its reputation for a so-called disciple like ," Wufu earnestly said. "If you’re unwilling, let’s just disregard the earlier ceremony, as no formal path has been crossed yet."
Hearing this, Old Mr. ng’s expression relaxed, and he rebuked, "What, you’ve gone through the apprenticeship ceremony, and now my unruly disciple wants to turn around and deny as her master?"
This ti, it was Wufu who raised an eyebrow, realizing he was adamant about accepting her as a disciple.
"I’ve defied even the forr emperor, what’s there to fear? I have lived a life of indulgence for sixty years, and you think I’d beg for anyone’s approval in my waning years? Just taking on a close door disciple, do I need to investigate eighteen generations of their ancestors first, only accepting those from prestigious families? I have no such interest. Whoever I choose is my disciple, regardless of their background," Old Mr. ng declared proudly, "As for you, young lady, you might be overthinking this. The affairs of the previous generation are not your concern. Bla only your mother for misjudging people and your father for not standing up as a decent person!"
Listening to this, Wufu genuinely felt the old man resonated with her. She smiled, sincerely knelt before him, clasped her hands, rested her forehead on them, and respectfully declared, "Master above, accept this disciple’s bow."
This bow was sincere and earnest, unlike the earlier one, which had a hint of perfunctoriness.
Old Mr. ng huffed, "You girl, cunning as a fox, were you trying to test the old man?"
Yet in his heart, he sighed, pondering if she was clever or kind-hearted. Many would likely hide the truth as long as possible.
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