But unexpectedly, the three of them ran into Yang Rufeng as soon as they left the inn.
He dropped straight to his knees!
"Master, please accept your disciple's bow!"
Xu Tong reached out and pulled him up.
"Convinced now?"
Yang Rufeng nodded.
"Please forgive my earlier disrespect. You're so formidable, senior, yet I had eyes and failed to recognize Mount Tai."
"Good! You're the Fifth Junior Brother now," Xu Tong told him. "You have four senior brothers and sisters ahead of you."
"You'll have to work hard. Three years from now, you'll fight Senior Xiao Se's disciple on my behalf, and you can't lag too far behind your fellow disciples."
Yang Rufeng nodded emphatically. "Understood!"
"Then, Master, when do we start cultivating?"
Xu Tong raised an eyebrow. "We can start now, but let's get something to eat first."
"Hey, kid! If you're teaching a disciple, what are we supposed to do?" Old Man Quan asked. "Don't forget, we've still got things to take care of."
Xu Tong smiled. "There's no rush. This boy has extraordinary talent. Seven days of instruction will be enough."
"After that, he'll have to learn everything on his own."
Geng Shu shook her head helplessly. "I don't think it's just him. You treat all your other disciples the same way-lead them through the door, give them some instruction, then leave them to cultivate on their own."
"The master leads you through the door, but cultivation is up to the individual." Yang Rufeng understood that perfectly.
Old Man Quan laughed. "Seven days! Think how much more silver I could earn."
"Still not enough?" Xu Tong asked. "Call it quits. I think you could open an inn or a pawnshop in Hongwu City. Business would definitely be good."
"Haven't you always wanted to retire, senior? How can you