Chapter 91: Martial Prowess To Spray Across The Four Seas, Literary Skill To Balance Yin And Yang And Stabilize The Universe!
Before Xuan Qing could introduce Jiang Ce and the others, Zhang Ze Zhi looked at Xuan Qing and asked, “How do you have time to come to our place?”
He ignored Jiang Ce and the others and had no intention of getting to know them. Although he didn’t show it, it was clear he didn’t take anyone other than Xuan Qing seriously.
Noticing this, Xuan Qing frowned slightly, feeling a bit dissatisfied.
Afraid that Jiang Ce would feel uncomfortable, he prepared to explain the purpose of their visit and Jiang Ce’s identity as the leader to Zhang Ze Zhi.
However, Jiang Ce unusually put on a silly and sweet expression, sighing, “The Celestial Master’s Mansion is indeed extraordinary. It’s truly full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.”
Hmm?
Xuan Qing looked at Jiang Ce strangely, thinking to himself that this guy had changed his personality today and even knew how to compliment people?
But the next second, he knew he was wrong, very wrong!
He only heard Jiang Ce sarcastically add, “Even greeting guests is done by a Heaven-Reaching Dharma Master. That’s really prestigious.”
Zhang Ze Zhi’s expression changed. Is he saying I’m just a gatekeeper?
But in front of Xuan Qing, he couldn’t get angry at the people he brought, so he held back his anger, forced a smile, and said, “That’s because of Xuan Qing’s prestige and the gatekeeper’s status. If it were ordinary people, they could wait here a whole day and still not see me.”
“Oh, I get it. I heard elders mention it before. It’s called… it’s called”
Jiang Ce looked troubled, as if he couldn’t remember what to say, and gave Lou Leshan a look.
Lou Leshan cleared his throat with a light cough: “Judging people by their status.”
“Not that one, it’s too harsh.” Jiang Ce waved his hand.
“Uh, two-faced and three-knifed?” Lou Leshan pretended to hesitate.
“No, no.”
“Then what, look down on that what?”
“Look at you, getting more ridiculous.” Jiang Ce smiled apologetically at Zhang Ze Zhi and scolded Lou Leshan, “I told you to read more books but you didn’t. Now you regret not studying when you need it, right? Just stick with the first one.”
At this point, Zhang Ze Zhi, besides being angry, also sensed something was off. His suspicious gaze swept back and forth between Xuan Qing and Jiang Ce.
He felt very strange. How dare a follower speak like this? Or was he just simply foolish?
Xuan Qing only felt a headache and quickly stepped in to smooth things over: “Ze Zhi, this is our leader this time. He’s straightforward and upright, can’t tolerate the slightest grievance. Don’t take it to heart.”
Although Xuan Qing only hinted at it, Zhang Ze Zhi still caught the deeper meaning.
Can’t tolerate the slightest grievance—doesn’t that mean he’s blaming me for looking down on them?
While understanding, he was also somewhat surprised. Earlier, he subconsciously thought the highest-cultivation Xuan Qing was the leader, but unexpectedly, it was this sixth-rank young man who was the leader.
He was also shrewd and immediately guessed that either Jiang Ce had exceptional talent and was a treasured figure within the gatekeepers, or he had some relationship with the gatekeeper’s higher-ups.
But regardless of which, it proved that Jiang Ce wasn’t as simple as he seemed—at least, not someone to be underestimated.
So he immediately changed his attitude, slapping his forehead: “Aiya, my fault. Don’t mind me. Xuan Qing and I are old friends. I was so eager to catch up with him that I forgot my manners. Look at me messing up. Don’t take it to heart.”
“No problem, no problem. Uncle Zhang misunderstood.” Jiang Ce smiled sweetly: “Martial Uncle Xuan Qing is bad, always thinking the worst of me. I don’t have so many ideas. It’s just that the Heaven-Reaching Dharma Masters I usually see at the gatekeepers are all high and mighty. I’ve never seen someone as approachable as you, Uncle Zhang. I was just a bit astonished, nothing else.”
Zhang Ze Zhi sighed inwardly. Sure enough.
He had been to the gatekeepers’ headquarters and various branches. He knew that although the gatekeepers’ purple, blue, and white talismans were in the same place, ordinary white talismans might not see a Heaven-Reaching Dharma Master even once a year without urgent matters.
This was still the gatekeepers where elites gathered. Ordinary sects might not even have a Heaven-Reaching Dharma Master.
But in Jiang Ce’s words, Heaven-Reaching Dharma Masters seemed as common as roadside cabbages, enough to show that his circle within the gatekeepers was among the very top tier.
So he completely lost his temper, going along with Jiang Ce’s flattery and descending the steps with a big laugh: “Hahaha, what approachable or not, we’re all family. I was busy catching up with Xuan Qing and almost missed the chance to get to know Virtuous Nephew. Come on, let’s go inside the hall and sit down to talk.”
“Uncle Zhang and I are like we’ve met too late too. Let’s go, let’s go, sit down and talk properly!”
Seeing Jiang Ce suddenly become intimate with Zhang Ze Zhi, Qin Shen Bo and the others were all caught off guard.
Did we miss a chapter?
“I get it, I understand!” Suddenly, Liang Zhi Che let out a strange yell: “This is tolerance, treating the rude with courtesy, that’s tolerance! Big Brother moved Daoist Priest Zhang with his sincerity!”
Qin Shen Bo was all brawn and no brains, and hearing this, he half-believed it: “Is that how it is?”
Lu Yun vaguely felt something was wrong but thought Liang Zhi Che had a point, so he nodded: “Probably.”
The perceptive Lou Leshan was eager to see someone fooled and fanned the flames confidently: “Yes, yes, that’s exactly it.”
Only Xuan Qing had a face full of black lines. What kind of ghosts and monsters was he babysitting?
Sitting in the hall, Jiang Ce and Zhang Ze Zhi chatted happily. The others obediently played the role of followers. Xuan Qing felt uncomfortable all over and inexplicably thought he was a bit superfluous.
Aren’t I the old friend of Zhang Ze Zhi? How did I become the stranger?
“Oh, so Virtuous Nephew, you actually encountered that kind of thing.”
Zhang Ze Zhi sighed: “That gluttonous ghost is indeed despicable, using Unity of Heaven and Man strength to sneak attack a sixth-rank Jianghu sorcerer.”
After a conversation, Zhang Ze Zhi not only no longer looked down on Jiang Ce but started to take him seriously.
Under a Unity of Heaven and Man strike, only heavily injured, and even after a few days of rest, able to be full of vigor—this wasn’t something ordinary people could do. Regardless of his background, his own strength alone was worth taking seriously.
And for capable people, the world is always full of tolerance. The earlier minor incident naturally didn’t leave any dissatisfaction in Zhang Ze Zhi; instead, he felt that ignoring them was indeed somewhat lacking in etiquette.
Jiang Ce was animated, speaking as if it were serious:
“Exactly, Uncle Zhang, you don’t know, after I got into trouble, it worried Wei Lao badly.
If Wei Lao didn’t have urgent matters, he originally planned to personally bring me to seek an audience with the Old Celestial Master. At the time, I was puzzled and said, what status does Wei Lao have? Whatever he wants isn’t just a word away?
Wei Lao immediately scolded me for being ignorant and lacking etiquette. I was a bit unconvinced.
Only today, seeing you, Uncle Zhang, did I know I was wrong, very wrong. Just seeing you shows how revered and respectable the Old Celestial Master must be!”
This speech again flattered Zhang Ze Zhi into blooming with joy.
He wasn’t unused to flattery, but it depended on who was doing the flattering.
If it were ordinary people, hmph, social climbers.
But this was the young talent for whom even Wei Men Shen of the gatekeepers panicked after an incident—that was a different concept.
“Unfortunately, Virtuous Nephew, you came at a bad time. My father went with my brother to Wudang Mountain to visit True Person Wang. They probably won’t return with True Person Wang until close to the Daoist Grand Ceremony.”
Zhang Ze Zhi said with a wry smile:
“With such a big Longhu Mountain, I’m the only one in charge now. If I hadn’t heard you came and had this moment of leisure, I’d probably still be busy with preparations for the grand ceremony on the Back Mountain.”
