Fang Ping's smile froze.
The smiles of the martial arts hall masters lined up behind him froze too.
Yuan Long's smile froze on his face. His gaze shifted from Xu Buyu to Jiang Tian, then from Jiang Tian back to Xu Buyu. He did that several times.
His mouth opened, then closed, then opened again.
"What did you say?" His voice trembled slightly. "Jiang Tian... is Jiang True Disciple?"
Xu Buyu glanced at Yuan Long, then at Jiang Tian, and spoke with a hint of teasing.
"Who else? How many True Disciples surnamed Jiang are there in the Heavenly Fire Sect?"
Yuan Long froze.
Fang Ping and the others were all stunned too.
Yuan Long's gaze fell on Jiang Tian, the young man in white robes that fluttered in the breeze, his expression calm.
Just over ten days ago, this young man had been practicing post standing and punches in his martial arts hall...
Now, just over ten days later, he stood here, welcomed by thousands lining the streets and honored as a "True Disciple."
Yuan Long opened his mouth, wanting to say something.
But it was as if something had clogged his throat. He couldn't squeeze out a single word.
Jiang Tian looked at him and suddenly smiled.
"Master Yuan."
Yuan Long still hadn't come back to his senses.
His gaze swept over Jiang Tian's face. Too many emotions roiled in his cloudy old eyes: shock, bewilderment, heartfelt emotion, and a trace of pride he hadn't even noticed himself...
Fang Ping, on the other hand, was the first to react. He bowed and cupped his hands in salute, his voice respectful. "True Disciple Jiang."
He raised his head and looked at Jiang Tian, his expression exceedingly complicated.
A True Disciple of the Heavenly Fire Sect... When Jiang Tian defeated