"Hey, Senior Brother Zhang, I'm so sorry. I said I was going to take you for a walk, but I didn't expect that to happen halfway through. I made you laugh!"
When Lu Jin saw Zhang Zhiwei, he hurriedly said.
Zhang Zhiwei waved his hand: "It's just a small matter, just a few sparring sessions, a few fights, etc. It's normal. By the way, Brother Lu, is my master in?"
Lu Jin shook his head: "No, Tianshi and my master haven't arrived yet. They may have something important to discuss!"
"Oh, maybe!" Zhang Zhiwei said, but he was secretly complaining in his heart that the heavyweights would have to appear last, and it was estimated that Master and Zuo Rutong would arrive on time.
"Senior Brother Zhang, the banquet is about to begin. Let me take you to your seat!" Lu Jin said enthusiastically.
"Can!"
Zhang Zhiwei followed Lu Jin into the Lu Mansion and asked as they walked, "By the way, is there any explanation for this arrangement?"
"Grandpa said that at this gathering, everyone should have fun and there won't be so many formalities. We younger generations can just sit at the same table. It will also be convenient for us to communicate and exchange experiences!" Lu Jin said with a smile.
The Lu Mansion is very large, and the manor is particularly festive and lively today. It is covered with colorful papers, lanterns, and banners with blessings and congratulations are hung everywhere.
In order to entertain the strangers from all over the world, a tent was set up in the manor and the room was full of guests. In the middle, several famous folk artists were specially invited to sing songs to celebrate the birthday.
Among them was the Wuyou who performed "Zhong Kui Marries His Sister" that I met before. However, this time he did not play Zhong Kui, but was replaced by another person, who must have also cultivated several divine masks.
"Senior Brother Zhang, do you have any familiar friends who need to sit together?" Lu Jin asked.
"I can sit anywhere!"
Over the years, Zhang Zhiwei has been practicing in Longhu Mountain. Occasionally, he goes down the mountain with his master. Apart from a group of fellow disciples, he really has no friends.
"Brother Zhang, why don't you sit at the same table with me?" Lu Jin said.
"Sure!" Zhang Zhiwei nodded.
"Come on, let me introduce you!"
Lu Jin brought Zhang Zhiwei to a table where sat the Lu brothers whom he had met before, and a young Taoist priest in a blue Taoist robe.
"Brother Zhang, those two, the twin pillars of the Lu family, I'm sure you've already met them. There's still one vacant seat, which belongs to that fat guy Wang Ai."
Lu Jin introduced, "The young Taoist priest next to him is my childhood friend, Zheng Zibu, from the Shangqing Sect of Maoshan. Actually, like you, Senior Brother Zhang, he's from the Zhengyi Sect!"
Zheng Zibu... Zhang Zhiwei looked at the little Taoist priest. He didn't expect that he would meet another future Thirty-Six Thieves. If he remembered correctly, this person was also a leader among the Thirty-Six Thieves and had mastered the Tongtian Talisman, one of the Eight Wonders.
Zheng Zibu seemed to have never seen any big scene before. He sat there somewhat stiffly. When he saw Lu Jin coming, he smiled and nodded.
Lu Ci turned his face away, turning the swollen half of his face and the black eye to the side, and turned the intact face to Lu Jin, looking like he still had some anger left.
Lu Ren smiled and nodded at Lu Jin, then stood up and said, "Lu Jin, would you like to introduce yourself?"
"Brother Lu, this is Senior Brother Zhang from Longhu Mountain, a disciple of the Heavenly Master!" Lu Jin said hurriedly.
When they heard that he was from Longhu Mountain and was a disciple of a Taoist priest, everyone at the table immediately focused their attention on Zhang Zhiwei, even the tables next to them.
You know, the Tianshi Mansion in Longhu Mountain is one of the most powerful sects in the world of extraordinary people, and the Tianshi is one of the most powerful masters. It is inevitable that people are curious about his disciples.
Lü Ren clasped his hands and said, "So you are the high-ranking official from Mount Longhu. My name is Lü Ren, and I am from Lüjia Village. Nice to meet you!"
Zheng Zibu also stood up and said, "I am Zheng Zibu from the Maoshan Shangqing Sect. I am honored to meet you, Senior Brother!"
As the saying goes, one shouldn't hit someone who smiles at him. Zhang Zhiwei also returned the greeting of hugging the two of them: "Okay, okay!"
"Senior Brother Zhang, sit here!" Lu Jin pointed to the seat facing the door and said.
The main seat? You have a good eye, but even if you have a good eye, I still have to hit you when I need to hit you... Zhang Zhiwei was not polite. He pulled the chair and sat on the main seat with his arms and legs spread out.
Lu Ren glanced at it and said nothing. The main seat is usually occupied by the host or the most prestigious person.
He was a little older than Lu Jin and a little stronger than Lu Jin. Logically, he should have sat there, but considering that this was in the Lu family's house, he didn't try to grab it.
But I never thought that Lu Jin didn't sit himself, but let this Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain sit. Is it because he is a disciple of Tianshi?
Lu Ren is a very thoughtful person, but Lu Jin didn't think so much. The reason why he let Zhang Zhiwei sit in the main seat was not to curry favor with Zhang Zhiwei, but because he had just had a conflict with Lu Ci and wanted to give both sides a way out.
There would be conflicts between myself and Lu Ren sitting in this seat, so it would be better to let Senior Brother Zhang sit there. Senior Brother Zhang is two or three years older than me and is tall and strong. It would be perfect for him to sit in the main seat.
Of course, Zhang Zhiwei didn’t think it was that complicated. Isn’t it right for him to sit in the main seat?
"Senior Brother Zhang, you and Brother Zibu are from the same lineage of the Zhengyi Sect, so you should have a lot to talk about, right?" Lu Jin said.
"There are so many sub-branches under the Zhengyi Sect. By the way, one of you is in Sanyi Sect and the other is in Maoshan. How did you become childhood friends?" Zhang Zhiwei asked.
Lu Jin said, "Although Brother Zibu is a disciple of the Shangqing Sect of Maoshan, he has never practiced there. The Taoist temple where he practices is very close to the Sanyi Sect. Over time, we have become good friends!"
"Yemaoshan?"
"It's not Yemaoshan, I've already become a regular employee!"
Zheng Zibu explained, "Brother, you may not know that after reaching adulthood, most of our Shangqing Sect disciples, with the exception of a small number who remain at the mountain gate, must go out to inherit the sect's assets and contribute back to the sect."
"My master is the head of a branch temple. Although I have been his disciple since I was young, it was not until two years ago that I went to the main temple of the Shangqing Sect and underwent the ordination ceremony, officially becoming a member of the Shangqing Sect. Therefore, I am no longer a member of Yemaoshan!"
"So that's it!" Zhang Zhiwei nodded.
This is a very normal thing. After all, the sect is not an orphanage. They raise you, teach you skills, and take care of your retirement.
When you reach a certain age, you have to do something. At that time, you can either stay in the mountains to teach skills on behalf of your master, or accept assignments from the sect.
This is not only true for Maoshan, but also for Longhushan.
As for why the Ye Maoshan school emerged.
The original reason was that those disciples who went out to inherit the sect's property would often take in a few apprentices to do odd jobs in order to make things easier.
It’s just like how Uncle Jiu took Wencai and Qiu Sheng as his apprentices in “Mr. Vampire”.
And since you have accepted me as your disciple, it is only natural that you should teach me skills.
Some of these disciples who have learned the skills will report to the headquarters, receive the Taoist ordination ceremony, and officially become disciples of the sect.
However, some disciples who had learned the skills did not report to the headquarters for various reasons, and instead wandered around the world.
Because their master is a Maoshan Taoist priest, these people often call themselves Maoshan Taoist priests.
But they were not ordained in Maoshan and were not recognized by Maoshan.
So over time, the Ye Maoshan school appeared in the world.