Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 101 Zhang Lingyu, encountering the trials of love, was extremely awkward.

Celestial Master's Mansion

Under the guidance of the old Celestial Master, a well-organized apprenticeship ceremony was quickly completed.

When Ding Shian's name appeared on the register of the Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain, the old Celestial Master personally bestowed a talisman upon this junior disciple, and the lineage of Tian Jinzhong thus gained its first disciple.

Tian Jinzhong was dressed in a purple robe and wore a lotus crown. At first, he was very reserved and even somewhat reluctant to take on a disciple, fearing that his disability would hinder Ding Shian.

But when Ding Shian, dressed in his disciple's robes, respectfully served him tea, Tian Jinzhong trembled all over and couldn't bring himself to refuse.

His eyes, already red from decades of sleep deprivation, became even redder, with blood vessels covering his entire eyeballs. He tried his best to smile, but the bitterness that had been building up inside him for decades made his smile look eerie.

He opened his mouth wide with excitement, crying and laughing at Ding Shian, completely disregarding his seniority and status, warm tears streaming down his face.

"Okay...okay...okay..."

After finishing his tea, Tian Jinzhong, sitting in his wheelchair, seemed to have lost his mind and could only stammer as he kept saying "okay."

In Taoism, the existence of disciples and their descendants is not only about perpetuating the lineage, but also about inheriting the mantle and continuing the tradition for their masters.

The inheritance of the Dharma lineage is a major event in the secular world, comparable to passing on one's lineage and continuing the family line.

Tian Jinzhong was crippled in his early years, with all his limbs and meridians missing, and all his martial arts skills dissipated, leaving him only able to practice meditation in solitude.

This old man was considerate of others and did not want his disability to hinder their cultivation. For decades, he had not accepted any disciples or juniors and could only live alone on Longhu Mountain.

He treated all the other disciples on Longhu Mountain as his own children, and devoted himself to cultivating the next generation.

However, these disciples were not his in terms of legal principles. Although he was happy with this, Tian Jinzhong couldn't help but feel happy when a disciple who truly belonged to him in terms of legal principles appeared.

No matter how profound his meditation skills were, Tian Jinzhong was still a person. Having descendants meant that his mantle and lineage would be inherited, so how could he not be happy?

Ding Shian remained very respectful and was not surprised by Tian Jinzhong's performance. He meticulously completed the apprenticeship ceremony according to the old master's instructions.

Outside the Ancestral Hall, many disciples from Longhu Mountain who had gathered around watched this bizarre apprenticeship ceremony, and many of them quietly covered their faces and wept.

Zhang Qianhe and Rong Shan, who were in the lead, had their lips pursed and their eyes reddened; they wanted to cry but dared not.

The disciples were all happy that their kind elder, Tian Jinzhong, had found a successor.

Inside the Ancestral Hall, the old Celestial Master, having completed the ritual, stroked his beard with a smile. His junior brother, who used to be lifeless, now truly seemed like a living person.

There is no greater sorrow than a broken heart. Now that he has something to care about, I think my junior brother will have the will to live on.

The old master couldn't help but give himself a thumbs up for his wit. He looked at Ding Shian, who was respectfully serving Tian Jinzhong, and became even more satisfied with this junior disciple.

"Alright, look how happy you are."

The old Celestial Master put down the memorial and clapper in his hand, pointed at Tian Jinzhong who was laughing like a fool, and jokingly scolded him.

"So, do you still resent your senior brother for acting first and reporting later?"

"Honestly, this poor old man meant well, but my junior brother doesn't even know what's good for him. Humph!"

The old master's humorous performance made everyone present laugh. Tian Jinzhong, who was in a wheelchair, hadn't recovered yet, and he shook his head at the old master.

"Thank you... thank you, senior brother..."

The old master's eyes welled up with tears. He tilted his head slightly and waved to his disciples. "Alright, let's not talk about that anymore, Rongshan."

"Disciple is here."

Upon hearing this, Rongshan stepped forward and bowed to the Celestial Master.

The old master stopped the tears welling up in his eyes, lowered his head and rubbed his eyes. "Take your Uncle Tian and Junior Brother Shian back to their rooms first. You will take care of your Uncle Tian and the new junior brother for the next couple of days."

"yes!"

After receiving the order, Rongshan led Dingjima An and Tian Jinzhong down.

Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, the old master couldn't help but think of the news he had just received the night before. He sighed helplessly, then went back to his room to change his clothes with his hands behind his back.

……

That night, the stars shone brightly, and Mount Longhu was shrouded in silence and darkness.

The old Celestial Master, dressed in his everyday clothes, arrived at Tian Jinzhong's residence. He heard his junior brother's strong voice coming from inside the room through the door and couldn't help but nod.

"Oh, you seem to be in a really good mood."

As soon as the old master opened the door, he saw Tian Jinzhong laughing heartily. He waved to the two juniors beside him and said, "Rongshan, Shian, you two go down first. I'll talk to your uncle and master for a while."

"By the way, Rongshan, you teach Shima An the Golden Light Mantra tonight, and I'll go find Shima An to try it out tomorrow."

"yes!"

The two men accepted the order and left. Only the two brothers, with smiles on their faces, remained in the room.

"Squeak!"

As soon as the courtyard was closed, Tian Jinzhong, who was sitting on the bed with his head resting against the pillows, immediately wiped the smile off his face and looked at the old master with some worry.

"Senior brother, has the Celestial Master's Mansion encountered some calamity?"

Today could be said to be the happiest day of his life in decades, but after the joy subsided, he immediately realized the irrationality of the old master's behavior today.

Even if the old master was thinking of himself, he wouldn't have rushed to take on a disciple for him today; it seemed like he was in a hurry.

"Sigh~"

Faced with his junior brother's doubts, the old master didn't hide anything, or rather, hiding anything would have made him seem less like himself.

"Look at what my good apprentice Zhang Lingyu has done."

As he spoke, he took out a folded yellow sheet from his sleeve and spread it out on Tian Jinzhong's lap so that he could see the contents clearly.

"Isn't Lingyu traveling around? What does that child have... what?!"

Tian Jinzhong looked at the yellow card on his knee in confusion, his voice changing from indifference to disbelief.

"Senior brother, is this true?"

"It couldn't be more true. That kid Guofu has been sending people to keep you updated on the news about the spirit jade. That boy has encountered a love problem."

The old master sat on the other side of the bed with a frown, and said with some headache in response to Tian Jinzhong's question.

"Junior brother, how come a great sage suddenly appeared in my Longhu Mountain?"

"Lingyu, you slept with her, so what? It's no big deal if you lose your virginity. The Zhengyi sect doesn't prohibit marriage anyway. Just bring her back."

"Or he might not be able to get over his own conscience and just be more forceful in cutting off all ties of affection, which is fine too."

"But this kid is something else, he's neither willing to break off the relationship nor willing to admit it."

At this point, the old master covered his face in disbelief, "Why are you playing these games with me like this? Do I even love you...?"

"The woman declared right in front of him that she had joined Quanxing."

"In the end, Lingyu didn't say anything, just stared at the person for a long time, and then slunk away!"