Lu Sheng immediately understood the old Sect Master's intentions.
"Where is Sect Master's master now?" He was tempted. An expert capable of being the old Sect Master's master must be at a higher realm than Spirit Focus. It wouldn't be bad to be his master.
"My master passed away more than ten years ago," the old Sect Master said in a low voice.
Lu Sheng was speechless. This old man was trying to tie him to Crimson Whale Sect.
In this world, once one became a disciple, one's reputation and status would be ruined if one rebelled in the future. Their nature was not much different from biting the hand that fed them and being ungrateful. Despised by others.
Hence, once he became the disciple of Crimson Whale Sect Master, he would never be able to join another sect.
"Sect Master, please allow me some time to consider," Unable to make up his mind, Lu Sheng could only delay.
"What's there to consider? This old man isn't asking you to be a slave. " The old Sect Master shook his head and laughed. "Besides, this old man's sect is not in the same league as Crimson Whale Sect. If you really become my master's disciple, you'll find out in the future. You'll benefit from it. "
Lu Sheng hesitated for a moment. However, after some careful consideration, he came to a decision. Even though he might come across better martial arts in the future, he was currently in a period of rapid growth. He was still too weak right now, and only barely had the ability to protect himself. If he encountered a truly powerful ghost, he would be in deep trouble.
"Since that's the case, I greet Senior Apprentice Brother!"
Lu Sheng steeled his heart and bowed deeply towards the old Sect Master with the force of a collapsing mountain.
"Don't worry, you won't regret it," the old Sect Master laughed heartily. "Come, come, come, follow me."
Now that their status had been confirmed, Hong Mingzi was delighted. He led Lu Sheng out of the little garden, down two flights of stairs in the Crimson Whale Ship, and into a secluded place that looked like an ancestral hall.
There were rows of portraits hanging in the ancestral hall. They were all portraits of all kinds of old people, both men and women.
The old Sect Master pointed to the centermost portrait and said softly.
"This is our Crimson Sun Sect's previous Sect Master, and also your master, Scorching Sun Hand Mo Fei. Come, bow to the portrait. "
Lu Sheng was not averse to it. Since he had become a disciple of the other party, it was only natural for him to perform the ceremony of acknowledging a master.
In front of Mo Fei's portrait, he knelt on the praying mat and kowtowed nine times. This was the Nine Kowtows Ceremony. Once a disciple acknowledged a master, a master for a day, a father for life. This was not a joke.
To the master and the disciple, it was a restriction and responsibility. If a master didn't put in the effort to teach his disciple, his reputation would be ruined, and he would be cursed by others. His credibility would plummet.
On the other hand, if a disciple did not show filial respect to his master, he would also be laughed at by the world.
They saluted, served tea, offered incense, burned paper money, and recited the rules of the sect.
Lu Sheng had a rough understanding of this Crimson Sun Sect after going through all of them.
This Crimson Sun Sect was a sect that was neither good nor evil, and it had always been sparsely populated. It was difficult to pass down its inheritance, and it was secretive. Even at its peak, there were only four people in the sect. Crimson Whale Sect was merely an extension of Crimson Sun Sect.
By the time the entire process was completed, it was already late.
Lu Sheng accompanied the old Sect Master on the deck for a stroll to relax. The deck of the Crimson Whale was huge, and there were many pavilions and courtyards on it. At a glance, it looked like a city district.
Under the protection of numerous guards, the two strolled along the side of the ship, enjoying the river breeze.
"Junior Apprentice Brother … from now on, you're one of us. I've added your name to the sect's letter, and I've also sent messages to some sects we're on good terms with. From now on, you're also one of Crimson Whale's core members. There are some things you should know, "Hong Mingzi coughed a few times and said in a low voice.
"Is it about the Noble Families?" Lu Sheng asked simply.
"You've heard about it too," Hong Mingzi nodded. "The Noble Families are high and mighty. That's a position we were born with. We have no choice but to adapt and get used to it. Because only they can fight against Devils and Anomalies. However, the Noble Families rarely intervene in worldly affairs. Usually, they only send an order once every ten years or so. It's fine, you don't have to worry about them. I'm just letting you know what's going on. This world is dangerous. Devils and Anomalies stand behind Demonic Ghosts. Naturally, we won't be fighting alone. "
Lu Sheng frowned but said nothing. He recalled Duanmu Wan's attitude back then. That feeling of looking down on all living things as mere ants had been lingering in his mind.
"Don't think too much. Noble Family disciples are rare, and even rarer when they're scattered across the entire Great Song. We're lucky to meet one every ten years," Hong Mingzi smiled.
"That rare?" Lu Sheng was stunned. He had met Duanmu Wan twice in a row, and then there was Yan Kai.
"Very few." Hong Mingzi smiled. "Take our Northern Lands' Zhen Family for example. Their entire Noble Family lineage only has a dozen or so people. And most of them roam the world without a fixed residence. Some even hide their identities and roam the world. In the vast Northern Lands, there are hundreds of cities and millions of people. How can it be so easy to meet them? "
Lu Sheng understood now.
"Noble Families are high and mighty, but they're few in number. That's why the imperial court and our sect are the ones in charge," Hong Mingzi continued. "So in reality, our Crimson Whale Sect's jurisdiction is huge. Mountain-Edge City, Green Maple City, a few other big cities and a dozen or so small cities are all under our jurisdiction. Usually, we have quite a number of people stationed in those cities. They'll send back intelligence and valuables regularly. In reality, because of the long distances, each city has its own branch, which is equivalent to a small Crimson Whale Sect. Most of the time, these sects are independent. "
"Then Senior Apprentice Brother means …?" Lu Sheng did not understand what Hong Mingzi meant by telling him all this.
"After saying so much, it's actually because Senior Apprentice Brother's health is deteriorating. There are many things that I may need Junior Apprentice Brother's help with," Hong Mingzi slowly reached into his robes and retrieved an intricate, iron-grey scroll, handing it to Lu Sheng.
"This is Ultimate Crimson Mantra, from Level One to Level Seven. It needs to be cultivated together with the Crimson Sun Pill. Its power is limitless. Junior Apprentice Brother, take it back and keep it safe. Do not leak it, "Hong Mingzi said solemnly.
Lu Sheng's eyes brightened. He hurriedly received the scroll with both hands and lightly unfolded it. Tiny words as tiny as mosquito buzzes came into view.
"But Senior Apprentice Brother, why has our Crimson Sun Sect always had so few members? Wouldn't it be better to recruit more disciples?" Lu Sheng suddenly asked.
"It's not that we don't want to, but inner force mantra is too precious. There was once a rebellion in the sect and the mantra was almost leaked. Moreover, our Ultimate Crimson Mantra requires special Crimson Yang Pills to be consumed and cultivated. Otherwise, the Yang Fire will be too strong, harming one's lifespan and draining one's body. And Crimson Yang Pills are too expensive … "At this point, Hong Mingzi's meaning was clear.
The key was the Crimson Yang Pill. It was too expensive and too many people couldn't afford it.
Lu Sheng understood at once. He watched as Hong Mingzi retrieved a small scarlet bottle from his robes and handed it to him.
"There's a month's supply of Crimson Yang Pills in here. Junior Apprentice Brother can consume it yourself. Let's go, Senior Apprentice Brother will teach you the first level of Ultimate Crimson Mantra, "Hong Mingzi coughed a few more times and said gently.
"Sorry to trouble you, Senior Apprentice Brother," Lu Sheng cupped his fists.
"Just bring more glory to our Crimson Sun Sect in the future. The main sects in our vicinity are White Sand Sect, Green Star Sect and Plum Blossom Sect. The former two are competing with us for the trade market in Jie Long City. Plum Blossom Sect has a conflict with us over medicinal herbs and several important medicinal valleys and forests. Although our Crimson Whale Sect is the number one sect in the Northern Lands, the other sects are no pushovers either, "Hong Mingzi explained. "Junior Apprentice Brother, as the External Affairs Emissary, I'm afraid you'll soon encounter all sorts of troubles. The Mountain-Edge City you're in charge of isn't a friendly place."
Lu Sheng understood.
Stepping out of the Crimson Whale, Lu Sheng was pleasantly surprised. He hadn't expected to obtain Ultimate Crimson Mantra, which was even more powerful than Black Fury Skill, so easily.
Although he now held the title of Crimson Sun Sect disciple, his Senior Apprentice Brother was still the current Sect Master of Crimson Sun Sect. But none of this mattered to him. It didn't affect him much.
On the contrary, if he were to slowly accumulate sect contribution points and exchange them for inner force skills like Ultimate Crimson Mantra, who knew how long that would take.
Even inner force skills like Ultimate Crimson Mantra couldn't possibly be displayed in the Martial Proclamation Library.
By the time they disembarked from the pier, the sky had already darkened. Lu Sheng mounted his horse. Ning San and Duan Meng 'an followed behind him, along with a few sect subordinates. They planned to return to Mountain-Edge City.
"External Affairs Emissary Lu, you seem to be in high spirits. You didn't accomplish your mission, but you must have reaped quite a lot of benefits, right?" Just then, an enigmatic female voice drifted over from the pier.
Lu Sheng lifted his gaze. A few burly men were escorting an effeminate woman with long, narrow cheeks.
This woman was dressed in red. Her face was clearly a standard oval face, but because her cheeks were deeply sunken, she gave off an unhealthy sense of malevolence. Hence, even though her figure was curvaceous, it did not arouse any lust.
"Who are you? Why are you blocking my way? "Lu Sheng frowned.
"I am Gongsun Jing," the woman in red replied coldly. "But I've heard of External Affairs Emissary Lu's name many times from my uncle."
"Gongsun Jing? Gongsun Zhanglan's niece? "Lu Sheng asked casually.
"That's right," Gongsun Jing replied coldly.
"Then what's the meaning of you appearing before me now?" Lu Sheng looked at her with a strange expression. "Your uncle has agreed to fight me?"
"What?" Gongsun Jing was stunned, as if unable to comprehend what he meant.
"Isn't that so? Your uncle specially sent you over for me to give you a beating. After that, he'll have an excuse to fight me officially. Isn't that how it works in novels? "Lu Sheng's expression grew increasingly strange.
"YOU!!" Gongsun Jing was instantly enraged. Pointing at Lu Sheng, she was about to berate him.
"Looks like that's not the case …" Lu Sheng was slightly disappointed. He flexed his fist. "Then …"
"I'll beat you to death first, then let your uncle avenge you!!!"
"BOOM!!"
In an instant, he stomped on the wooden planks on the ground. With a crisp crack, the thick wooden planks of the dock crumbled.
Lu Sheng suddenly burst forward, his body like a ferocious tiger. A thunderous tiger's roar rang out in the air.
"ROAR!!!"
"BAM!!"
Lu Sheng's palm struck Gongsun Jing right in the middle of her chest.
"PFFT!"
Gongsun Jing spat out a mouthful of blood. Her body flew backward, knocking into several burly men behind her. She slid on the ground for more than ten meters before coming to a slow stop.
She didn't even have time to scream before she was on the verge of death. She lay on the ground, blood pouring out of her mouth.
Lu Sheng stood where he was. He glanced at the burly men beside Gongsun Jing. They trembled in fear and quickly lowered their heads.
"Gongsun Zhanglan that old bastard keeps avoiding me. Let's see what excuse he has left to hide like a turtle!"
After a bout of laughter, Lu Sheng led Duan Meng An and the rest away on horseback.
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