Chapter 46: The Decisions of the Celestial Master and Left Sect Master

Young boys are unable to resist being egged on, and many adolescents have been encouraged to confess their feelings to someone they fancy.

Bolstered by liquid courage, and incited by his mastermind advisor Zhang Zhiwei, the somewhat hesitant and timid chubby boy Wang Ai drained a bowl of wine in one gulp and set off with high spirits and great valor.

The surrounding crowd immediately focused their attention on him. Even Lu Jin and Lü Ren, who were right in the middle of a drinking contest—you four cups, I four cups—took a halftime break to watch the fat boy's performance.

As it turned out, everyone had underestimated the ferocious nature of Guan Shihua, the boisterous young woman from the Northeast.

The moment Guan Shihua saw Wang Ai approaching like a man walking to his execution, and then glanced at the crowd egging him on from behind, how could she not understand what was about to happen?

Instead of giving Wang Ai any chance to deploy his military advisor's strategies, she simply uttered a blunt word of dismissal, and then kicked Wang Ai so hard that he fell flat on his face in the dirt.

Seeing this spectacle, everyone burst into loud laughter.

Wang Ai could only pick himself up with a pitiful, aggrieved expression, and slink back to his seat in dejection. "Senior Brother Zhang, your strategy doesn't work at all!"

"I have another trick up my sleeve!" Zhang Zhiwei intended to keep egging him on.

Someone nearby laughed heartily, "Hahaha, you silly fat boy, what were you thinking? How could you let a Daoist priest teach you how to woo a maiden!"

Immediately, the entire company burst into roaring laughter.

Wang Ai's father, the head of the Wang family, was also laughing. "Hahaha, look at how amusing these youngsters are! Why don't we..."

"What is Brother Wang trying to suggest?" Lu Xuan asked.

"Why don't we have them put on a show for us tomorrow?" the Wang family head said.

"A show?" Lu Xuan asked, puzzled. "What do you mean, Brother Wang?"

The Wang family head replied, "It is rare for so many prominent families to gather together in one place. How about letting these juniors spar and practice their skills for our entertainment?"

"Won't that risk harming the harmony between us?" Lu Xuan asked, looking somewhat hesitant.

"Kids don't get their harmony harmed that easily. Didn't those two youngsters, Lü Ci and Lu Jin, have a fierce conflict earlier, only to make up and enjoy wine together shortly after? A friendly sparring match would also be a good way for them to exchange insights!" the Wang family head continued.

The head of the Lü family chimed in as well, "I think this idea is quite decent. These youngsters are all brimming with boundless energy; who knows, they might end up fighting in private just like they did this afternoon. Since that's the case, wouldn't it be better to let them spar openly in front of us? That way, if any unexpected accidents happen, we'll be right here to intervene, won't we?"

"What do you think, Sect Master Zuo?" Lu Xuan asked, turning to seek Zuo Ruotong's opinion.

Zuo Ruotong smiled faintly and said, "As far as I'm concerned, a little game among the youngsters wouldn't be bad at all!"

"Celestial Master, what is your view?" Lu Xuan asked, turning next to Zhang Jingqing.

This remark happened to fall right in with Zhang Jingqing's wishes. He had just been pondering how to bring this very matter up!

"It sounds rather interesting!" Zhang Jingqing said. "Sect Master Zuo, Mr. Lu, might I trouble the two of you to step aside with me for a private word?"

Zuo Ruotong and Lu Xuan exchanged glances. An invitation from the Celestial Master was naturally not something either of them would refuse. After murmuring excuses to the table, they left the banquet.

The three men walked over to the Lu family's backyard.

"To be frank with the two of you... my purpose in coming this time is twofold: first, to offer birthday congratulations to Old Master Lu, and second, I genuinely have a small matter on my mind. Originally, I wasn't quite sure how to broach it with you all, but since the Wang family head has brought it up, I might as well speak my mind directly."

Zhang Jingqing continued, "I brought one of my disciples along on this journey to let him gain some worldly experience. I've been planning to find a peer of his caliber outside to properly put him in his place and knock him down a peg or two. Now that Mr. Wang has proposed having the juniors spar, and with so many talented young fighters present, I feel this is a rare opportunity!"

"What kind of game are you playing, Celestial Master?" Lu Xuan asked, thoroughly baffled. Was it really that troublesome to discipline a disciple? If you want to discipline him, you just do it.

"Ah! To be honest with you two, this disciple of mine is faultless in every single regard, except when it comes to certain defensive arts of our sect..."

Zhang Jingqing sighed. The words that followed sounded a bit too much like humblebragging, prompting him to pause and gather his thoughts.

"Somewhat less than satisfactory?" Zuo Ruotong smoothly picked up the thread.

Zhang Jingqing said in a deep voice, "Not at all. They are somewhat too overpowering."

Lu Xuan: "…………"

Zuo Ruotong: "…………"

Listen to this—is that human speech?

Zhang Jingqing went on, "His cultivation journey has been far too smooth-sailing. I worry that this mischievous wretch is growing excessively arrogant. Over this past period, I have dropped hints and reprimanded him several times. While he puts on a humble face in words, his attitude has always been to let things go in one ear and out the other. In the end, mere words and saliva are far too feeble; I really need to find someone to give him a thorough and resounding thrashing!"

Lu Xuan finally understood and asked with a puzzled expression, "Is that all? Celestial Master, regarding matters within your own sect, surely you don't need outsiders for that? Wouldn't it suffice to find a few senior or junior martial brothers with profound cultivation to beat some sense into him?"

"If there were actually any capable of doing that, I wouldn't have brought the matter up here!"

Zhang Jingqing sighed and said, "To put it bluntly, roughly all the martial brothers in our sect have already been beaten by him. Naturally, we elders can't personally step down and spar with him ourselves—that would completely defeat the purpose. Win or lose, it would only end up inflating his ego!"

At this moment, Zuo Ruotong suddenly chuckled. "Hahaha, so even the Celestial Master has such headaches. What a coincidence, Celestial Master, your thoughts are identical to mine!"

Zuo Ruotong had never considered himself inferior to anyone throughout his entire life: "My foolish disciple, Lu Jin, has never suffered the slightest setback ever since he entered my sect. I've long harbored the intention of knocking him down a peg as well. Of course, this ultimately requires the final say from Mr. Lu, as he is the boy's father!"

With that, Zuo Ruotong and the Celestial Master both turned their gazes toward Lu Xuan.

Lu Xuan smiled and said, "Well, now that the two of you put it this way, I also feel that Jin'er has grown rather arrogant over the past couple of years. Over some trivial matter, he even got into a fight with Lü Ci today, and Lü Ci came out on the losing end. If we don't teach him a lesson and show him some color, I'm afraid he won't know the immensity of heaven and earth!"

"Since that's the case..." Zhang Jingqing said, "Why don't we seize this opportunity and let the two of them have a bout?"

"Let them have a bout, then!"

Zuo Ruotong smiled. "If he wins, let's treat it as helping him achieve renown in his youth!"

Zhang Jingqing added with a smile, "If he loses, it will teach him what the immensity of heaven and earth truly means!"

With the two of them harmonizing back and forth, the matter was settled just like that.

Lu Xuan looked at the two men singing the same tune, opened his mouth, and felt a slight urge to ask whether they should consult the old patriarch's opinion on this matter.

But upon second thought, he was already the head of the family; if he had to bother the old gentleman over such a minor affair... wouldn't that make him appear utterly incompetent? Steeling his heart, he declared:

"Then I'll arrange the match for tomorrow, and let Jin'er test his mettle against the Celestial Master's prized disciple!"

…………

…………

The banquet continued deep into the night.

The drinking duel between Lu Jin and Lü Ren ultimately concluded with Lu Jin being defeated and passing out.

However, Lü Ren was also at the end of his rope, sitting there in a daze, looking like a single gust of wind could knock him over.

Fatty Wang had also collapsed. With his mediocre alcohol tolerance, after being kicked flat on his face by Guan Shihua in front of everyone, he had started drowning his sorrows in alcohol, and within a short while, he was completely out cold, slumped over the table while muttering "Shihua" every now and then.

As for Zheng Zibu of Mount Mao... nobody knew when he had passed out. He hadn't even reached the stage of the intense drinking circles, having evidently fallen somewhere along the way—a minor casualty who died from stray, unidentified area-of-effect damage.

Consequently, throughout the entire banquet table, only Zhang Zhiwei remained upright and seated. Fortunately, there were servants from the Lu family on hand, sparing Zhang Zhiwei from having to clean up the mess and look after the drunken revellers.

"As expected, the strong remain strong. When it comes to drinking, I am still the supreme peak!"

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Zhang Zhiwei wiped his mouth and strolled back to the guest room the Lu family had arranged for him.