Chapter 165

Chapter 165 Apprenticeship and Assassination!

“Brother Li, don’t you recognize this young man?”

Several disciples of Qingyun Sword Pavilion were surprised.

“Indeed, we don’t recognize him. This is the first time we’ve seen him.” Another young man also shook his head.

To be honest, they were equally astonished.

Not only was Lu Qing unfamiliar, but even his aura was very ordinary.

Why did his elders look so awed upon seeing him?

This was a scene they had never witnessed before.

Some of the more perceptive ones suddenly thought of something and were startled.

But they were a little hesitant to confirm it. “Could this be the young man who’s been rumored these days, the one who defeated a martial arts master head-on during the battle at the city gate?”

After he reminded them of this, the others also realized it.

“Yes, it must be that person. Otherwise, how could so many martial arts masters be so in awe and fear him!”

Looking at Lu Qing’s somewhat childish face, the young men were shocked.

It’s no wonder they didn’t think of this for a moment. The elders in the clan had been either vague about the matter these days or simply referring to him as “young hero.”

They’d assumed he was at least their age, but they hadn’t imagined he was so young.

“Everyone, what are you talking about? This young man defeated a martial arts master? Are you kidding?”

Upon hearing this, the disciples of Qingyun Sword Pavilion all expressed disbelief.

It’s no wonder they didn’t believe it. It

was simply too absurd.

A teenager could defeat a martial arts master with perfected internal organs?

It was absurd no matter how you considered it!

A teenage martial arts master?!

Not only in this remote Cang County, but even in the prosperous and most gifted Zhongzhou, such a figure is rare.

Only the most elite sects could produce such a prodigy.

How could such a prodigy be born in a small place like Cang County?

“Brother Zhao, we know this is hard to believe, but it’s true. If we’re not mistaken, this young man is very likely the one who saved the Wei family not long ago.”

With that, several members of the aristocratic families recounted the events of the recent past.

After chatting for a while, everyone understood that these young men, with their unique auras, were fellow disciples of the Wei family’s eldest son, hailing from a major sect in Jeju.

Naturally, they were eager to make friends with such figures, and they recounted in detail the recent events in the county.

After hearing this, the disciples of the Qingyun Sword Pavilion looked at each other in bewilderment.

The Tiancang Sect’s invasion of the Wei family was understandable; they had heard about it on their way here.

But the subsequent stories seemed increasingly absurd.

Especially their claim that the young man, with his perfected Bones and Muscles Realm, had defeated a martial arts master?

How could that be possible? This

wasn’t just absurd; it was utter nonsense. No matter

how powerful a Bones and Muscles Realm cultivator was, there was no way they could be a match for a martial arts master.

Whether in terms of cultivation or realm, the two were completely on different levels!

In a real clash, the Bones and Muscles Realm would likely suffer defeat.

Several Qingyun Sword Pavilion disciples, hailing from major sects, had already reached the Bones and Muscles Realm. They had witnessed countless battles between martial arts masters within their sects.

They were well aware of the sheer magnitude of the gap between Bones and Muscles Realm and a master of martial arts.

It was a chasm that could not be bridged by mere techniques or martial arts training!

After all, it was a small place, and for such a crude rumor to spread, it must be clear that the people’s martial arts knowledge was truly lacking.

Several Qingyun Sword Pavilion disciples immediately formed their own conclusions.

They concluded that what had just been said was pure nonsense.

These young masters were either blindly following rumors or bragging to attract their attention.

However, despite their inner disdain, the Qingyun Sword Pavilion disciples remained demure and kept their composure.

Instead, they continued their polite conversation with the country heirs.

As for how they laughed in their hearts, only they themselves knew.

“Your Excellency, Lord Zhirui has arrived!”

At this moment, the gatehouse’s announcement came from outside.

The guests in the courtyard were in a commotion again, and they all looked outside.

Soon, they saw the Lord of the County and the mysterious Lord Zhirui walking in together, led by Wei Dazong.

“Your Excellency, Lord Zhirui, please take a seat here.”

Wei Dazong led the two to the banquet table where Lu Qing was sitting and said very politely.

“Young Master Lu, we meet again.”

The Lord of the County waved his fan and said with a smile.

“Yes, I felt very sorry that I couldn’t drink with the County Master that day. Today I have fulfilled my wish.” Lu Qing also smiled.

The County Master’s smile suddenly froze.

On the other hand, the young man in plain clothes next to him couldn’t help but twitch his mouth when he saw Lu Qing’s polite look.

He found that what the young man said was also very interesting.

Without saying a word, he could make his good friend hit a wall.

After being bored, the County Master did not continue to talk to Lu Qing, but sat opposite and drank by himself.

Lu Qing ignored him and continued to sit there with a calm expression.

He couldn’t say that he hated the County Master, but he was subconsciously a little repulsed.

So it’s better not to have any intersection between them.

But this did make the other people at the banquet table a little uneasy.

The head of the Ma family keenly noticed that Lu Qing and the County Master seemed to be getting along a little.

Unfortunately, his influence was insignificant, and even if he noticed, he dared not say anything. He could only sit there silently, minimizing his presence.

As for the young man in plain clothes, he was never talkative to begin with, let alone engaging in small talk.

For a moment, a strange silence fell over this all-important banquet table.

Fortunately, it wasn’t long before the guests arrived.

Wei Xinghe and his wife, along with Ma Gu and other key figures, emerged from the inner courtyard.

With a shout from the chief steward Wei, the apprenticeship ceremony officially began.

The process itself wasn’t particularly impressive.

While there were many steps involved, nothing went wrong. Aside from Ma Gu’s nervous expression, everything went smoothly.

After Wei Zi’an knelt and kowtowed several times, tea was served, and Ma Gu drank it. The apprenticeship ceremony was officially complete.

Seeing this, the various factions knew the matter was set in stone, irreversible.

However, they hadn’t expected the Wei family to actually allow Wei Zi’an to become Ma Gu’s apprentice.

They had initially suspected there might be some hidden agenda.

The Ma family’s patriarch was even more delighted.

With so many witnesses, the master-disciple relationship between Ma Gu and Wei Zi’an was officially sealed.

From then on, Ma Gu was the young master of the Wei family, responsible for his instruction.

Likewise, he had the right to discipline Wei Zi’an.

Even regarding Wei Xinghe’s future marriage, Ma Gu would have a say if he so desired.

“Congratulations, young master Wei, on finding a good teacher. Congratulations, Master Ma Gu, on finding a worthy disciple!” At that moment, a plump, pale guest stood up and shouted, “I have a gift. It’s a small token of my respect, but I hope you will accept it.”

The guests were stunned at first, then realized what was happening, silently cursing the old fox.

Their gifts had already been presented upon entering.

They hadn’t expected someone to pull this trick.

Presenting the gift in front of Wei Xinghe would surely make a deeper impression, and he’d probably be delighted. That would be a real win.

“Master Qian, what precious treasure have you found that you’re giving it away in front of Master Wei?” someone asked jokingly.

But everyone was genuinely curious.

What gift could possibly have convinced the usually shrewd old fox of the Qian family to so confidently present it publicly?

After all, in such a public setting, if the gift wasn’t special enough, it wouldn’t just be a show-off, but a complete embarrassment.

“It’s just a little trinket, but the young master will surely appreciate it,”

Master Qian said with an ingratiating smile, holding out an exquisite wooden box about a foot long and walking forward.

“Really? What is it?”

Wei Zi’an, intrigued, glanced at the box.

Everyone also looked at the box in Master Qian’s hands, their curiosity piqued.

Lu Qing was no exception. However, as his gaze settled on Master Qian approaching Wei Zi’an, a sense of foreboding rose within him, subconsciously activating his supernatural powers.

Then, his expression changed.

He shouted urgently, “Young Master, be careful!”

The first person to react to this shout was not Wei Zian, but the head of the Qian family.

The ingratiating smile on his face suddenly disappeared, replaced by a cold expression.

Bang!

The wooden box shattered, revealing its contents.

It was a sharp black dagger, its edge gleaming with cold light, a trace of blood on its edge!

At the same time, a powerful and icy aura erupted from the head of the Qian family, suppressing everyone’s mind.

Grabbing the dagger with one hand, the powerful force exploded, shattering the bluestone beneath his feet. Like an arrow from a bow, the head of the Qian family rushed towards Wei Zian, who was more than ten steps away!

(End of this chapter)