Tang Xiaoyu grabbed the old man's collar fiercely and said viciously: "Old bastard, you're just messing with me! Do you believe I'll break your legs right now?"
The old man gently pushed Tang Xiaoyu's hand away.
"I'm telling the truth, I'm not deceiving you."
Seeing that Old Zhou casually pushed his hand away: [He's got some skills, could he really be one of those hidden masters from novels! Very likely.]
Tang Xiaoyu immediately put on a smiling face again, pulling the old man's arm and saying: "Who's not letting me join the sect, I'll be anxious with them. Master, where is the sect, let's hurry back, you see it's about to rain."
Zhou Ruiqing looked at the blue sky, unsure if his decision was the right one.
"This teacher still needs to buy some daily necessities."
Tang Xiaoyu patted his chest and said: "Master, don't stand on ceremony, that's what disciples are for, to be used."
"Tell me what you need Master, and I'll buy it."
Zhou Ruiqing's eyes lit up: [Not bad, a money tree, ah cough, a good disciple of this teacher.]
"Let's go together!"
First they went to the rice shop, Tang Xiaoyu slapped the counter and said: "Boss, buying rice."
Then he turned around and asked with a smile: "Master, how much to buy?"
"Let's buy 100 catties first!"
Zhou Ruiqing saw Tang Xiaoyu didn't look wealthy, so he bought less.
Tang Xiaoyu turned around: "Boss, give me 1,000 catties of rice."
"Alright!"
"Hurry up, you're wasting my master's time!"
"Coming right up."
"Give me the newest rice, money is no issue."
"Don't worry!"
Soon, five sacks of rice were placed in front of the old man.
After Tang Xiaoyu paid, he said: "Master, put away the rice!"
"Okay." Zhou Ruiqing then stored the rice in his storage bracelet.
Seeing this, Tang Xiaoyu became even more certain of his guess.
It took over half a day, spent over 2,000 taels of silver, before everything was bought.
Whatever Zhou Ruiqing said to buy one, Tang Xiaoyu would buy ten. After all, he would be eating and living at the sect later, what's the point of keeping so much money?
When leaving, he also grabbed a candy apple vendor.
"Old man, I want all your candy apples." Saying so, he grabbed them and put them over his shoulder.
"Young master, that's one or two silvers."
Tang Xiaoyu was furious: "Looking down on me?" Then he threw ten silvers to the old man.
"Be more clear-eyed in the future, or I'll break your legs."
The old man thanked him profusely: "Thank you Young Master, thank you Young Master."
After walking for over two hours, Tang Xiaoyu and the old man finally arrived at the sect.
Looking at the sect that was so much smaller than Yinsheng Sect, Tang Xiaoyu was speechless.
"Master, what an impressive gate, especially the characters for Sanqing Sect, so bold and vigorous, extraordinary aura!"
"Oh, Little Yu also knows calligraphy?"
Tang Xiaoyu didn't know the meaning of humility at all: "I know a little."
Zhou Ruiqing nodded satisfingly: "Not bad."
Tang Xiaoyu complained inwardly: [I don't know jack, I almost read Sanqing Sect as Sanshui Sect. And isn't this an insult to the Three Sages? If the Three Sages knew you developed the sect named after them into this, they'd surely strike you dead with a thunderbolt. No Limit Tianzun, forgive me, the three sage Lords, I have no part in this. After entering the sect, I will definitely make statues of you to pray and burn incense to every day in my room.]
Unaware of Tang Xiaoyu's little schemes, Zhou Ruiqing led him further inside.
Past the gate was a square, about the size of two basketball courts.
Facing the square was the Grand Hall, behind it were some houses, probably where the disciples lived.
On each side of the square was a pavilion tower, one was the Pill Pavilion, the other the Scripture Storing Pavilion.
There weren't too many houses, but they looked majestic and beautiful.
Just as they reached the Grand Hall entrance, a little girl around 11 or 12 ran over: "Master, you're back! Where's the treats you bought for me?"
"My little Ling'er, Master forgot."
"Humph! Master is a big liar." Little Ling'er said angrily.
Suddenly a candy apple appeared in Zhou Ruiqing's hand: "Master forgot, but your junior brother bought you some."
Little Ling'er grabbed the candy apple happily: "Junior brother is the best!"
Tang Xiaoyu's face darkened: "Old geezer, I want to be senior brother, I don't want to be junior brother."
"You brat, how can you break the rules like this?"
Tang Xiaoyu didn't care, he insisted on being senior brother: "Little girl, call me senior brother from now on. Senior brother will buy you tasty food and fun toys."
"No, I want to be senior sister."
"With my hot temper, old man, take out the candy apples I bought."
How could Zhou Ruiqing not hand them over? Tang Xiaoyu had grabbed his hand already.
"Let go, I'll take them out."
Tang Xiaoyu held up dozens of candy apples in front of the little girl's face.
"Will you call me senior brother?"
The little girl seemed to make some big decision.
"Senior brother, senior brother, senior brother..." She called him that over a dozen times before stopping.
Satisfied, Tang Xiaoyu gave her over a dozen candy apples.
Holding the candy apples, the little girl said: "Thank you senior brother." Then she turned and ran off.
Tang Xiaoyu took one and handed it to his master: "Master, it's pretty tasty."
"An old guy like me eating kids stuff, how's that proper?"
Tang Xiaoyu directly brought it to his mouth: "Says who? If it's tasty you should eat it."
Zhou Ruiqing took a bite: "Not bad, sour and sweet, pretty tasty."
Afterwards, the two of them ate one after another.
Zhou Ruiqing said he was at the Golden Core Initial Stage, and had founded Sanqing Sect over 100 years ago. Due to a poor location choice initially, the sect declined from its peak of 300-400 people down to less than 30 now, plus Tang Xiaoyu making just over 30.
Half of them were picked up, half tricked into joining, and most were just brats under 20.
Unknowingly, they finished over half the candy apples. Tang Xiaoyu burped loudly.
"Master, what should we do next?"
"What do you mean what to do next?"
"Stop pretending. A sect leader going out to recruit people means the sect must be in bad shape. If it's no good then hand over the sect leader position to me, you can be the Grand Elder."
"With my abilities, within five years we can catch up to Yinsheng Sect. The second five years, we can reach second-rate sect strength. The third five years, we can compete with first-rate sects."
"I'll call it the Three Five-Year Plans."
After thinking for a bit, Zhou Ruiqing slapped Tang Xiaoyu's shoulder and said: "My disciple, after this teacher's nurturing, you're capable of taking over the sect. I've decided to pass the sect leader position to you."
Tang Xiaoyu was just joking around, he didn't expect the other party to take it seriously.
"No wait, hear me out, I was just joking with you, don't take it seriously!"
Zhou Ruiqing's gaze told him he was serious.
"Aiya old geezer, I haven't even taken you as Master yet, I'm not even part of Sanqing Sect, you can't do this."
"Then take me as Master immediately." Saying so, he pulled Tang Xiaoyu towards the Grand Hall.
"Let me go, I want to go home, wuwu I want to go home." No matter how Tang Xiaoyu struggled and begged, it was useless.
After bowing to heaven and earth, and Zhou Ruiqing himself drinking the apprenticeship tea, Tang Xiaoyu officially became a Sanqing Sect disciple.
"Since I founded this sect, there are no ancestral masters to bow to, so I have the final say."
"Oh right, wait a moment!"
Zhou Ruiqing went out and soon came back with nearly 30 people.
Sitting in the main seat, he announced: "I have something to declare today."
"Starting today, the sect leader position will be passed on to my direct disciple, Tang Xiaoyu. I will support him from the shadows."
"Yes, Master."
Tang Xiaoyu knelt up: "We're all your disciples, yet I alone am direct disciple. I think we're all direct disciples!"
"Sect Leader Tang, don't fuss over such minor things. Come, feel what it's like to sit here." He moved over to let Tang Xiaoyu sit.
Tang Xiaoyu was also angry now: "Want me to be sect leader? Fine, whoever's afraid, I'll do it."
Zhou Ruiqing sighed in relief: [Now I don't need to worry about external debts anymore, let this money tree Tang Xiaoyu resolve it.]