Chapter 209 — The Etiquette of Taking a Master

Cock-a-doodle-doo—!

A rooster stretched its neck and crowed loudly. The autumn morning light pushed away the darkness from the eastern hills, wrapping the mountain village in its glow. In the fenced courtyard, the leaves of the old tree had turned yellow and lay scattered, covering the entire yard. 

Lu Liangsheng stepped out from the house and walked to the well to wash up. In the courtyard, Li Sui’an and Qu Yuanfeng, holding brooms, bowed and greeted him with a respectful, “Master.” 

The formal ceremony of taking a master had yet to be performed, but the matter of accepting disciples had already been decided, so calling him this was not considered abrupt. Behind the two of them, near the courtyard gate, Yuwen Tuo stood with a bruised and swollen face, his hair disheveled and messy. Seeing Mister Lu rinsing his mouth by the well, he opened his mouth, yet no words came out. Lowering his head, he continued sweeping the fallen leaves.

Within his lowered gaze, a toad in a short jacket walked past him leisurely, its webbed hands clasped behind its back as it yawned. Its toad eyes slid sideways, casting him a cold glance before it ambled off toward the vegetable patch. 

Yuwen Tuo froze in place, unable to stop himself from shivering. Only then did he speak, calling out, “Master!” 

By the well, Lu Liangsheng hung up the towel and smiled, nodding in acknowledgment. Over the past few days of observation, he had gained a certain understanding of the three youths. 

Yuwen Tuo, perhaps due to his status as a royal of the Northern Zhou, had an arrogant temperament. Coupled with being a reincarnation of a divine artifact, he possessed innate spiritual energy, making him naturally different from ordinary children. Trying to reason with such a child simply would not work. Not only was he intelligent, but his sense of self was extremely strong—so his arrogance had to be tempered first through other means. 

Otherwise, any future instruction would simply not be heard. That was why he had asked his master to step in and discipline him—besides, his master had also wanted to vent a bit. 

Hmm, a win-win situation. 

As for Li Sui’an, Lu Liangsheng had already come into contact with him earlier at his family’s inn in Huaiyi Prefecture. Having worked as an inn attendant since childhood, he had seen all sorts of people. His personality was sharp and decisive, not one to suffer losses easily. Over these past few days, Lu Liangsheng had taken time to test the sword-control technique he had previously taught him. Without further guidance, Li Sui’an had actually managed to make a wooden sword bounce several times on the ground like a carp. 

His natural talent could be considered above average. That he managed to track him all the way from Huaiyi Prefecture to Qixia Mountain showed he possessed intelligence, endurance, and courage in equal measure. Rare still was the sincerity with which he had come to apprentice himself. 

On this point, Lu Liangsheng was the most satisfied. 

As for the last youth, according to what Monk Fajing had said, his family had originally been a scholarly household. He was literate and courteous, which was why he bore the refined name Qu Yuanfeng. His elders had likely hoped that one day he would rise to prominence, succeed in the examinations, and enter the imperial court. 

However, more than a dozen members of his family had perished in that great drought. He was then taken in by the fat monk, traveling alongside Yuwen Tuo ever since. His nature was honest, and he possessed courage and a sense of responsibility. Yet after several days of observation, it was a pity that his aptitude for cultivation fell somewhat short compared to the other two youths. He handled matters rigidly, step by step, and was not very adaptable. 

If he wished to achieve anything greater on the path of cultivation in the future, it would likely be difficult. 

“Heh… why am I thinking so far ahead? We can’t see their future prospects now.” 

Lu Liangsheng let out a soft laugh, withdrawing his gaze from the three youths in the courtyard and returning to the room. On the wall, the ink-painted woman who had been depicted seated on a swing gradually gained color, then slowly drifted out of the painting, landing lightly on the ground before going over to help grind the ink. 

She cast a glance out the window, then turned back with a light smile. “That Yuwen Tuo has been thoroughly subdued by Master Toad. Young Master, just look at him now—where is the graceful young gentleman he once was?” 

“Master is quite skilled at disciplining people. Not at all as muddleheaded as he usually seems.” 

The autumn breeze brushed lightly past. Birds on the old tree chirped noisily as they flew down, hopping about and peering at the scholar through the window. 

Lu Liangsheng took a sheet of paper and spread it out on the desk by the window. Dipping the brush tip into the inkstone, he began writing character by character. 

“Young Master, what are you writing?” Hong Lian stepped behind him and glanced at the page. 

“Sorting out a few things. I’m afraid I might forget, so I’ll organize them on paper first—it makes them easier to remember.” 

What was written on the page concerned the future instruction of the three youths. Since he had taken on the role of a teacher, he had to devote himself wholeheartedly. It was impossible to teach everyone the same things; broadly speaking, this was what was meant by teaching according to each student’s aptitude. 

“Yuwen Tuo, in terms of cultivation, will progress much faster than the other two. If it goes too quickly, it may end up discouraging Li Sui’an and Qu Yuanfeng, causing them to develop feelings of inferiority… Hmm, I’ll have him start with scholarly studies first—establishing character, principles, and virtue. It also aligns well with Fajing’s wish to guide and reform him.” 

Hong Lian’s slender brows knit slightly. She gently overlapped her hands over the scholar’s as he finished writing, leaning her face close, her voice soft. 

“Won’t that make Yuwen Tuo dissatisfied?” 

“Dissatisfied? Then I’ll reason with him.” 

Lu Liangsheng smiled, making Hong Lian think he had come up with some mischievous idea. She lightly punched his chest. 

“I mean proper reasoning—what are you thinking? He’s not that young anymore; he should be able to understand.” 

For many years, one human and one ghost had lived together. From his youth to now, when Lu Liangsheng was already past twenty, the intimacy between the two had become natural, no longer carrying the shyness it once did. 

Yet there was one matter that had always troubled him—should Hong Lian go on to reincarnate as a human, or continue like this as a lone wandering soul? Even if she stepped onto the path of cultivation and became a ghost cultivator, she would still be a yin-aligned spirit… 

Forget it, why think about this now? We’ll talk about it later. First, I should settle the path for these three youngsters. Since they’ve come under my care, I can’t let their talents go to waste. 

Lu Liangsheng knew quite a few spells, but most of them were scattered techniques from the Emerald Heart Dream Nourishment and Southern Waters Collection of Lost Arts, incomplete and unsystematic Daoist arts. Only recently had he begun to piece together something more coherent of his own.

Hmm… 

Yuwen Tuo doesn’t need instruction for now. Li Sui’an will continue cultivating the sword-control technique. As for Qu Yuanfeng… his temperament is rigid, but he is steady… troublesome. Perhaps I’ll ask about their aspirations first before deciding. 

Nearby, seeing the scholar deep in thought, Hong Lian was afraid of disturbing him. She went next door to Lu Xiaoxian, playing with the little doll Mingyue. 

As the sun rose high, accompanied by laughter from Hong Lian and Xiaoxian next door, a Daoist and the fat monk returned from outside. 

“Old Lu, the time has come.” 

Sun Yingxian waved his sleeve toward the three youths under the tree. “You three as well—the apprenticeship ceremony is ready. Come along.” 

By the half-open window, Lu Liangsheng set down his brush, glanced once more at what he had written, committing it to memory. Then he wiped his hands and stepped out of the room, heading out with them. 

At this moment, the drying ground in the village was already packed with villagers. Upon hearing that Lu Lang was taking disciples, merchants familiar with the area had halted their journeys to come and watch. Even people from the northern part of the village had come over to join in the excitement. [TL_Note: Lang means Gentleman]

“Taking in three at once?”  “Hey, doesn’t that mean our Qixia Mountain will have even more people who know Daoist arts and immortal techniques?” 

“Sigh, I’d like to apprentice too, but I’m too old—and my seniority is too high.” 

“What’s there to fear? Just learn from Wang Banxia.”  “Bah! I can’t pull off his shamelessness.” 

“Hey, what are those people outside the village entrance doing?” 

“Who knows? They’ve been there since early morning.”  “Seems like they’re also here looking for Liangsheng, but he refuses to see them.” 

“Now that you mention it, why have so many people been looking for Liangsheng lately?” 

“Hey, didn’t you hear? I just heard from a passing merchant—the Emperor has died, and monsters have appeared. Some time ago, didn’t Liangsheng go to the capital…” 

“Oh my, then that means Liangsheng went to exterminate demons—his fame must have spread far and wide!” 

Amid the clamor of overlapping voices, someone suddenly shouted, “Liangsheng is here!” “Look, those three youths are following behind him!” 

At this moment, Chen Jing and the group of guards who had waited outside the village all night also got up from the ground, standing on tiptoe and craning their necks to look into the village. 

A figure in a white robe, his hair neatly tied in a topknot, walked over. On the offering table were arranged an incense burner and the three sacrificial animals—a chicken, a goat, and a pig. As Lu Liangsheng approached, he took the incense from the village elder. With a flick of his fingertip, the incense lit, curling smoke rising—drawing a wave of astonished exclamations from the surrounding villagers. 

Standing in the village, Lu Liangsheng wore a solemn expression as he bowed three times to Heaven and Earth and to Qixia Mountain, then placed the incense into the burner. Turning his head slightly, he nodded to the Daoist. “Begin.” 

With that, someone brought over a large chair and placed it before the offering table. Lu Liangsheng lifted the hem of his robe slightly and sat down beside it, his gaze fixed straight ahead. 

Yuwen Tuo, Li Sui’an, and Qu Yuanfeng each took lit incense from the Daoist’s hands and stepped forward together. Then, with a thud, they knelt, holding the incense level to their noses. 

“Above, we offer sacrifice to Heaven’s benevolence and virtue; below, we kneel in gratitude to Earth, who gave birth to and nurtured us; in the middle, we bow to the spirits and deities of the four directions as witnesses. Today, we—Li Sui’an, Yuwen Tuo, and Qu Yuanfeng—enter the sect under Lu Liangsheng of Qixia Mountain. We shall abide by the rules, never slander our master’s reputation, never bring disgrace upon the sect, never commit treacherous or unrighteous deeds, and never aid the disloyal or unfilial!” 

The three rose to their feet, raising the incense above their heads, their voices growing louder. 

“We hereby swear this oath, witnessed by the spirits of the four directions: should we violate it, our path of cultivation shall be severed, our Daoist arts rendered ineffective, and the incense in our hands shall break—” 

A gust of wind swept through, causing the surrounding villagers to squint and raise their sleeves to shield their eyes. Amid the encircling mountains, a faint rumble of thunder rolled through, only subsiding after a moment. 

When all eyes turned back again, the incense in the hands of the three youths was still burning steadily. To the side, the Daoist tilted his head in indication, and only then did the three step forward to place their incense into the burner, standing it behind their master Lu Liangsheng’s stick of incense. 

Nearby, someone brought over three cups of tea. The three youths each took a cup and respectfully offered it to their master for a sip, then clasped their hands and knelt. 

“Honored Master above, please accept your disciple, Li Sui’an…” 

“Yuwen Tuo!” 

“Qu Yuanfeng!” 

The three spoke the final line in unison: “First bow!!” 

From behind, the crowd was pushed aside as Wang Banxia rushed forward, tossing away his cane. He knelt behind the three youths and kowtowed loudly toward Lu Liangsheng, who sat upright on the chair. 

Over there, Lu Liangsheng finished sipping the tea and gently set the cup down on the offering table. His gaze swept over the three youths kneeling before him, as well as the gray-haired old man behind them. He spoke softly, “The rites between master and disciples are complete. You may all rise.” 

He then stood up from the chair and beckoned Wang Banxia over, having him stand together with Yuwen Tuo and the other two. 

“Since you have taken me as your master and will follow me in cultivating the Dao, from now on you must not flaunt your abilities before others, must not bully the weak or the helpless, must not kill indiscriminately, and must not consort with evil. Can you do this?” 

“Your disciples will abide by Master’s teachings!” 

The three youths and the old man cupped their hands and bowed their heads in response. 

In the distance, the Toad Daoist stood atop the old donkey, hands clasped behind his back, watching the scene. When a long tongue flicked toward him, he waved it away with a slap of his webbed hand. Looking on, he nodded with deep satisfaction. 

“This old man has become a grandmaster now as well.”