Chapter Thirty-Four: Zhang Cuishan Seeks a Master

“Me, as your disciple? Senior, are you truly willing to take me in?” Zhang Cuishan said in astonishment and delight.

“I never speak falsehoods. Come now, Daoist Tang and the others are waiting for us up ahead. We can tell everyone about this in front of the whole group and let them share the joy too, ha ha...” Zhang Sanfeng laughed heartily.

When the two Zhangs were about a thousand meters from Tang Yi and the others, the monsters that had been pursuing them suddenly retreated in a surging tide.

“Come in and rest for a while, you two Zhangs. Everyone must have enjoyed themselves in the fight this time, right? Ha ha...” Tang Yi said to Zhang Sanfeng and the other.

“Daoist Tang, it seems you really are the clever one. You made such arrangements from the very beginning. As for me, I have an announcement: I have decided to take Zhang Cuishan as my disciple and let him inherit my mantle,” Zhang Sanfeng said to the crowd.

“Ha ha, Ruoxue, I told you, didn’t I? Zhang Cuishan is Zhang Sanfeng’s disciple, right? A surprise, wasn’t it?”

“You’re the sly one. I think you must have been eavesdropping just now, haven’t you?” Hua Ruoxue said.

“What eavesdropping? I heard them talking naturally. How can that count as eavesdropping? Right? All right, everyone, I think you’re all tired today, so let’s head back first. Tonight we’ll celebrate Zhang Sanfeng gaining a disciple like Zhang Cuishan, and Zhang Cuishan finding a master like Zhang Sanfeng. As for the matter of the spirit beasts, we’ll hold a meeting tomorrow and make a decision then. Pack up. Jett, prepare for transport.”

That night, Zhang Cuishan’s apprenticeship ceremony was held in the banquet hall of the spaceship. Tang Yi held a large, thick book in his hands, stood at the center of the platform facing the audience below, and called Zhang Sanfeng and Zhang Cuishan up.

“Zhang Sanfeng, do you solemnly swear to accept Zhang Cuishan as your disciple, regardless of wealth or poverty, rank or status, sickness or health, in life and in death...” Tang Yi said, bobbing his head as he spoke.

Someone below immediately cried out.

“Hold on, Brother Tang, if someone is dead, what use is that?” Zhang Qiang raised his hand to speak.

“This student, please remain quiet. This is a solemn ceremony of taking in a disciple and acknowledging a master; no reckless remarks are permitted. Where was I? Ah, yes, regardless of life and death...” Before Tang Yi could finish, someone else interrupted him.

“Wait, wait, wait, Brother Tang, I remember now. Isn’t that what some priest says at a Western wedding?” Hua Ruoxue suddenly realized something and said anxiously.

“Ah, no way, Brother Tang, you’re too wicked. How did a disciple-taking ceremony turn into a wedding? No wonder it sounded so familiar,” Hua Shaojie said loudly.

At that, everyone burst out laughing. Zhang Sanfeng and Zhang Cuishan both stepped down from the platform with displeased expressions.

“Hahaha, you saw through me. All right, I won’t tease you anymore. The apprenticeship ceremony officially begins now!” Tang Yi laughed. With a wave of his hand, a grand master’s chair appeared on the stage. He invited Zhang Sanfeng to sit upon it. Zhang Sanfeng smiled and nodded before happily taking his seat. Tang Yi flicked his sleeve again, and a tray appeared in his right hand, carrying a cup of tea still steaming hot.

Zhang Cuishan came up onto the stage, knelt before Zhang Sanfeng, performed the three bows and nine prostrations, and then accepted the tray from Tang Yi. He presented it to Zhang Sanfeng. Zhang Sanfeng took the teacup and took a symbolic sip, then set it back on the tray. Tang Yi withdrew it, and Zhang Sanfeng then took out a red envelope and a red storage pouch, handing them to Zhang Cuishan. Zhang Cuishan bowed in thanks. The people below rose and applauded, and the ceremony ended.

“Excellent. Today Senior Zhang Sanfeng has received a fine disciple. As your current boss, I ought to give you all a grand gift. But I’m a fairly fair person, so everyone gets one today. Come on, one each, and no one gets left out. Qiangzi, take these out and hand them around. One apiece, no more and no less.”

“Brother Tang, isn’t this the Square Device? Didn’t you say it still hadn’t been completed? You’re giving us a half-finished product? That’s a bit insincere, isn’t it?” Hua Shaojie said in dissatisfaction, looking at the small square box in his hand.

“Oh, so you’ve been spoiled by good things, have you? If you don’t want it, give it back. There are plenty who do. What do you all say?” Tang Yi said loudly to the crowd.

“Yes! Brother Shaojie, if you really don’t want yours, why not let me have it cheaply?” Lu Zhengyang stretched out his hand toward Hua Shaojie. Hua Shaojie slapped it away at once.

“Get lost, I was just speaking carelessly. The products from Brother Tang are always top quality. I’m sure Brother Tang would never give away a half-finished item as a gift. Am I right, Brother Tang!” Hua Shaojie said with a bright smile, gazing at Tang Yi with such ardor that Tang Yi got gooseflesh all over. Tang Yi swept his sleeve and turned Hua Shaojie’s head to the other side. Then he said to the woman beside him, Gu Zhenzhen, “Your man is in heat. Hurry up and take him back and keep an eye on him. He’s making a fool of himself out here.”

Another round of laughter broke out among the crowd.

“All right, all right. Everyone settle down. Business comes first. Next, let’s watch the footage Jett captured for everyone today. The reason I gave each of you a Square Device is precisely for this. Rest assured, the Square Device has already been developed successfully and is now a fully finished product.” At Tang Yi’s words, everyone cheered.

“Wow, Brother Tang, you’re amazing!”
“Wow, Brother Tang, you really are a superman!”
“Wow, Brother Tang...”

“Enough, enough. Stop wowing and save it for after you’ve watched the recording. Jett, begin the projection!” As soon as Tang Yi finished speaking, the lights in the hall went dark and the screen on the stage lit up. The scene from the forest that day immediately appeared before everyone’s eyes.

Soon, bursts of laughter rippled through the hall. They had all seen the embarrassing moments that others usually never got to witness. For instance, Sun Lang, who had always been extremely composed, ended up being burned all over until smoke rose from his body because he was far too serious and was attacked by a group of furry rabbits that seemed harmless and innocent.

To be fair, a single rabbit of that kind was nothing to fear. It could only spit out a few tiny sparks, and even if they landed on clothing, they would not necessarily start a fire. Unfortunately for Sun Lang, he had run into a whole pack of them. They looked extremely cute, especially to the girls, who shrieked at the sight of them and all said they wanted one. Yet it was precisely those adorable little rabbits that drove Sun Lang back in such a sorry state.

Then there was Lin Jiang. He cultivated water and ice techniques, but in the forest he encountered a strange flock of ducks, much larger than ordinary ducks, nearly the size of swans. Lin Jiang accidentally strayed into their territory and was immediately met with a barrage of water arrows. If it had only been water arrows, that would not have been much of a problem, but the moment they struck another object, they instantly froze into ice and clung to whatever they hit. It was fortunate that Lin Jiang was the one who encountered them; if it had been someone else, the result might have been a human ice sculpture.

When Lin Jiang was frozen, he immediately circulated the technique he cultivated, the Cold Ice Sword Art, and absorbed the water-and-ice energy within it for his own use. At first, Lin Jiang was quite pleased, thinking this would greatly benefit his cultivation. But the ducks were not willing to let that stand. Their attacks were being diverted and exploited, and before long, quacking rose all around them as more and more ducks rushed into the fray.

This time, Lin Jiang suffered terribly. Amid the many water jets spat out by the ducks, he could only flee back in a most miserable fashion.

Just as everyone was watching with great amusement, someone suddenly burst in...