After Xing Yao finished speaking, he added, "If you're willing to join the Ten Thousand Stars Sect, I, Xing Yao, will do everything in my power to teach you." He looked at Zhou Cheng with earnest, eager eyes.
Zhou Cheng had understood what Xing Yao meant.
After a brief moment of thought, Zhou Cheng rose and respectfully bowed. "Your disciple, Zhou Cheng, pays his respects to Master."
Seeing Zhou Cheng bow, Xing Yao grew so excited that he stepped forward and personally helped him up. "Good! Good!" He burst into laughter. "Forty years! After forty years, I, Xing Yao, have taken another disciple. The heavens have treated me well!"
Forty years ago, he had taken a direct disciple: the current sect master of the Ten Thousand Stars Sect. Since then, he had never taken another disciple. It wasn't that he didn't want to; he simply hadn't found anyone who satisfied him.
He smiled at Zhou Cheng. "From now on, you'll be my final disciple."
"I, Xing Yao, will pass on everything I've learned to you."
Then Xing Yao suddenly said, "Wait here."
He went to a corner of the cave and dug a jar of wine out of the ground.
He smiled. "I buried this jar of wine decades ago. It's been here all these years, and today's the perfect time to open it. Let's have a good drink, Master and disciple."
He then brought out two jade wine cups and filled both Zhou Cheng's and his own.
Zhou Cheng tried a sip.
A warm current surged through him, and a fragrant aftertaste lingered on his tongue.
The two of them drank cup after cup as they chatted. Before they knew it, they'd finished the wine and talked until daybreak.
In the past, Zhou Cheng hadn't been able to hold his liquor, but now he had a Dual Divine Body. After sharing a whole jar with Xing Yao, he didn't feel drunk at all.
When the sky began to brighten, Zhou Cheng and Xing Yao finally left the cave.
Xing Yao went with Zhou Cheng to Zhou Mansion in the Capital City.
Since Xing Yao had decided to take Zhou Cheng as his final disciple, he naturally needed to visit Zhou Mansion and explain the matter to Zhou Wei and Luo Shui.
While Zhou Cheng and Xing Yao were on their way back to Zhou Mansion, Zhou Wei stood in Zhou Cheng's courtyard, looking rather displeased.
That brat had actually stayed out all night!
Zhou Wei glared at Jiang Chen, Yang Yu, and the others. "Where did your young master go last night?"
The previous night, Zhou Cheng had gone out with only Qin Meng and Lin Ru, so Jiang Chen, Yang Yu, and the others had stayed in the courtyard.
Jiang Chen, Yang Yu, and the others didn't know how to answer.
Luo Shui was about to speak when the guard Chang Qing walked in. "Sir, Second Young Master has returned."
At once, Zhou Wei flicked his sleeve at Jiang Chen, Yang Yu, and the others. "I'll deal with you later." Then he headed for the main gate.
Luo Shui hurried after him. Seeing his expression, she said, "When you see Cheng'er, speak to him calmly. Our son is grown up now."
At that, Zhou Wei's face hardened. "Grown up? Does he think that because he broke through to Body Refining Level Four a few days ago, his wings are strong enough to fly? He's always going out and neglecting his training, and now he's even daring to stay out all night."
Zhou Wei was furious.
When they reached the main hall, Zhou Cheng and Xing Yao happened to walk in.
Zhou Wei had never met Xing Yao. As soon as he saw Zhou Cheng, he asked sternly, "Where did you go last night?" Then he caught the smell of wine on Zhou Cheng and Xing Yao and flew into an even greater rage.
Zhou Cheng knew his father, Zhou Wei, had always had a fiery temper. Seeing Zhou Wei on the verge of exploding, he couldn't help looking toward Xing Yao.
Xing Yao stepped forward, cupped his fists, and smiled. "You must be Lord Zhou. I'm Xing Yao of the Ten Thousand Stars Sect."
The anger on Zhou Wei's face vanished in an instant. He froze.
He abruptly stood up and stared at the old man before him in disbelief.
Xing Yao of the Ten Thousand Stars Sect!
One of the five Supreme Grandmasters under heaven!
"You're Senior Xing Yao!" Zhou Wei exclaimed, recovering from his shock.
Luo Shui was stunned as well.
The five Supreme Grandmasters who shook the world were Saint Ancestor Taiming of the Da Feng Imperial House, Chen Long of the Sun Moon Sword Sect, the eminent monk Ming De of Shaolin, Xing Yao of the Ten Thousand Stars Sect, and the Imperial Preceptor of the Mongol Kingdom.
The old man before them was none other than Senior Xing Yao, a Supreme Grandmaster!
"This old man is indeed Xing Yao." Seeing Zhou Wei's reaction, he smiled. "Zhou Cheng and I hit it off when we met last night, so we had a little wine. I hope you won't take offense, Lord Zhou."
Zhou Wei hurriedly waved his hand and smiled. "Drinking is good. It helps circulate the meridians." Then he invited Xing Yao to take the seat of honor.
Xing Yao didn't stand on ceremony and took the seat of honor.
Once seated, Xing Yao smiled at Zhou Wei and Luo Shui. "Zhou Cheng has astonishing martial arts talent. I've come to take him as my final disciple. I hope you'll give your consent, Lord Zhou and Madam Zhou."
Zhou Wei and Luo Shui froze when they heard why Xing Yao had come.
Naturally, they were delighted that Xing Yao wanted to take Zhou Cheng as his final disciple. It was just that... did their son really have astonishing martial arts talent?
"We couldn't be happier to have Senior Xing Yao take Cheng'er as his final disciple. Why would we refuse?" Zhou Wei said with a smile. After a pause, he added, "It's just that Cheng'er's martial arts talent is ordinary. Are you sure you want to take him as your final disciple, Senior Xing Yao?"
Ordinary martial arts talent? Xing Yao burst into laughter.
Seeing him laugh, Zhou Wei was a little bewildered.
Xing Yao smiled at Zhou Wei and Luo Shui. "Rest assured. Once I take Zhou Cheng as my final disciple, I'll pass on everything I've learned in my life to him."
Then he added, "If Zhou Cheng is willing, I'll have him take charge of the Ten Thousand Stars Sect in the future."
Take charge of the Ten Thousand Stars Sect!
That meant he would be the next sect master.
Zhou Wei and Luo Shui were stunned again.
"How fortunate Cheng'er is to have earned such regard from Senior Xing Yao." Zhou Wei rose and solemnly cupped his fists toward Xing Yao.
Xing Yao waved a hand. "It is the Ten Thousand Stars Sect that's fortunate to have Zhou Cheng join us."
For a moment, Zhou Wei and Luo Shui didn't know what to say.
So Xing Yao settled in at Zhou Mansion.
It wasn't long before word spread that Xing Yao had arrived at Zhou Mansion.
In the rear courtyard of Chen Mansion, the Ministry of War's Vice Minister's residence, Chen Yuan was diligently practicing the Jade Maiden Sword Technique. She had already reached the peak of Body Refining Sixth Level, and she should be able to break through to Body Refining Level Seven in the next few days.
Just then, her maid came in, panting. "Miss, everyone outside is saying that Senior Xing Yao of the Ten Thousand Stars Sect wants to take Zhou Cheng as his final disciple!"
Chen Yuan's sword stopped in her hand. She stared in disbelief. "That's impossible!"
Given Zhou Cheng's Buddhist nature, it was understandable that Abbot Huineng of Shaolin wanted to take him as a direct disciple. But Zhou Cheng's martial arts talent was ordinary—he could even be called a complete failure. How could Senior Xing Yao, one of the five Supreme Grandmasters, possibly take him as his final disciple?
Her maid said, "It's true. Senior Xing Yao is staying at Zhou Mansion right now. And I asked someone from Zhou Mansion about it—they said Senior Xing Yao even intends to have Zhou Cheng take charge of the Ten Thousand Stars Sect someday."
Take charge of the Ten Thousand Stars Sect?
Chen Yuan stared blankly.
At the Grand Tutor Mansion, Gao Yi, grandson of Gao Fan, crushed the wine cup in his hand.
"Grandmaster Xing Yao actually wants Zhou Cheng to take charge of the Ten Thousand Stars Sect!" His face was grim.
He was the grandson of Grand Tutor Gao Fan. He had joined the Ten Thousand Stars Sect as a child and was the direct disciple of its current sect master. He was also the sect's chief senior disciple and the leading figure among its younger generation. Everyone in the Ten Thousand Stars Sect believed he had the best chance of becoming its next sect master.
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