Chapter 26: An Unexpected Joy

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“Brother Zhao, are you all right?”

While his father, Lu Xuan, was discussing matters with the guests present, Lu Jin approached Zhao Zhen with an apologetic expression.

“I’m fine.” Zhao Zhen shook his head.

“I’m sorry. Everything that happened today was because of me. I truly never expected things to turn out this way.”

Looking at Lu Jin’s guilty expression, Zhao Zhen smiled faintly.

Putting everything else aside, being able to make a friend like Lu Jin—someone who, regardless of his background, would stand in front of you the moment trouble arose—made this trip to the birthday banquet worthwhile.

“It’s all right. In truth, you can hardly be blamed. After what happened at Welcoming Crane Tower became known, I had already anticipated that something like this might happen.”

Thinking about it now, perhaps the reason the old man had forced him to climb mountains and train his legs every day when he was young was that he had long since foreseen things turning out this way.

That old man… Just how many people had he managed to offend in his youth?

As Zhao Zhen pondered this to himself, Lu Jin suddenly said, “Don’t worry. After today, something like this probably won’t happen again.”

“Why?”

Zhao Zhen paused and looked at Lu Jin in confusion.

“Just now, when you clashed with Lü Ci, my master and the Heavenly Master both stepped forward to vouch for you.”

With that, Lu Jin roughly repeated to Zhao Zhen what Zuo Ruotong and Zhang Jingqing had said at the main table.

After hearing Lu Jin’s account, Zhao Zhen’s feelings became complicated.

When he had decided to attend the Lu family’s birthday banquet, he had also intended, to some extent, to test the orthodox sects’ attitude toward him.

After all, the old man had never told him anything about the grudges and grievances from his youth.

Rather than painstakingly gathering the old man’s “dark history,” it seemed better to take advantage of the Lu family’s birthday banquet—a gathering of orthodox practitioners—and make an appearance there.

For one thing, he could observe how the orthodox sects reacted to his presence and determine which sects’ disciples he would need to watch out for in the future.

For another, this was the Lu family’s birthday celebration, and on such a joyous occasion, they certainly would not truly attack him in force. With his Golden Escape Radiance, he could flee at any time.

At first, everything had proceeded according to Zhao Zhen’s plan, so Lü Ci’s appearance had not surprised him.

There were only two things he had failed to anticipate. The first was that he would happen to encounter Zuo Ruotong on the road. The second was that “willful” Heavenly Master, Zhang Jingqing.

When Zhang Jingqing had tested him at the entrance, Zhao Zhen could naturally have chosen to flee at once. But if he had done so, would that not have ruined everything he had planned?

Moreover, judging from his impression of Zhang Jingqing, the sixty-fourth-generation Heavenly Master, even when facing the old man, Zhang Jingqing had been reluctant to kill him because of his Golden Escape Radiance. How much less likely was he to kill Zhao Zhen, a completely “innocent” child?

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Not to mention that Zhao Zhen had arrived together with Zuo Ruotong. Even if Zhang Jingqing had truly intended to kill him, Zuo Ruotong certainly would not have stood by and done nothing.

So Zhao Zhen had gambled. He had gambled that Zhang Jingqing’s actions were merely a test, and that the Heavenly Master had never truly intended to kill him there.

Clearly, Zhao Zhen had won. He had made it through Zhang Jingqing’s trial.

Otherwise, when Zuo Ruotong had vouched for him just now, Zhang Jingqing would certainly not have personally stepped forward to support him as he had.

As for why Zuo Ruotong had treated him so well—even going so far as to personally vouch for his character before everyone present—Zhao Zhen believed that part of the reason was his beloved disciple, Lu Jin. But the greater reason was undoubtedly connected to Li Muxuan.

In the matter of Li Muxuan all those years ago, the young Li Muxuan had certainly been at fault for his arrogance and defiance. Yet in Zuo Ruotong’s eyes, was he, the so-called Great Surplus Immortal, truly blameless?

He had constantly taught Li Muxuan what sincerity meant, yet when his temper had truly flared, he himself had forgotten the meaning of that very word.

Li Muxuan had also been involved in the Welcoming Crane Tower incident. Unlike Zhao Zhen, Li Muxuan had genuinely joined forces with those demonic practitioners of the All-Nature Society.

Thus, in Zuo Ruotong’s view, he bore part of the responsibility for Li Muxuan’s descent onto the path of evil.

Precisely because Li Muxuan’s fate had served as a warning, Zuo Ruotong did not want to see the same person and the same tragedy repeat themselves. He wanted to do everything within his power to guide Zhao Zhen onto the so-called “righteous path.” That was why he had shown Zhao Zhen such obvious “favoritism.”

“Is that so? Then this time, I truly owe Sect Leader Zuo and the Heavenly Master a debt of gratitude.”

With that, Zhao Zhen clasped his hands and bowed respectfully in the direction of Zuo Ruotong and Zhang Jingqing.

“It isn’t time yet. Once the banquet is over, go thank those two seniors in person.”

“Understood.”

Lu Jin reached out and patted Zhao Zhen on the shoulder, his face openly displaying a smile of genuine happiness for him.

“I owe you thanks as well, Brother Lu.”

“Ah, it was nothing. But judging from the situation, tomorrow’s junior demonstration should be all but settled. Brother Zhao, do you still remember what you promised me back then?”

“Of course I remember.” Zhao Zhen smiled.

“For the past five years, I haven’t dared slack off in my cultivation even once. I’ve been waiting for the chance to win back that match. Brother Zhao, you mustn’t disappoint me.”

“Hahaha. There’s no point saying more. We’ll see the result tomorrow.”

“Hahaha, then it’s a promise. I’ll go back to entertaining the guests.”

“Go ahead.”

After watching Lu Jin leave, Zhao Zhen finally breathed a long sigh of relief.

To be honest, Zuo Ruotong personally stepping forward on his behalf had indeed been an unexpected delight.

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Regardless, after the Lu family’s birthday banquet, with Zuo Ruotong and the Heavenly Master jointly vouching for him, the younger generation might not change their attitude, but at least the older generation should no longer take out their resentment toward the old man on Zhao Zhen.

After all, both men had made their positions known publicly. If anyone still sought trouble with Zhao Zhen because of the old man, would that not amount to showing disrespect to both the Heavenly Master and Zuo Ruotong?

Anyone with even a little sense would know better than to do something so foolish.

“Congratulations, Brother Zhao.”

Zhao Zhen turned his head and saw Zhang Zhiwei striding toward him with the bearing of a dragon and the gait of a tiger.

“Thank you. I have my master to thank for that as well.”

Zhang Zhiwei waved his hand.

“That was something you earned for yourself. If you had fled the moment you left the gate, my master would never have stepped forward personally.

“By the way, Brother Zhao, when you fought that man from the Lü family just now, was the method you used to counter the Lü family’s Ruyi Force the Golden Escape Radiance?”

“Nothing escapes Daoist Zhang’s eyes. Yes, I was indeed using the Golden Escape Radiance.”

“Magnificent, Brother Zhao! That move of yours was magnificent! I had only heard that the Golden Escape Radiance was an escape technique. I never imagined you could use it in combat!

“If I didn’t see it wrong just now, then the instant you came into contact with the Ruyi Force, you used the Golden Escape Radiance to transfer the force away from that Lü family practitioner’s hand, didn’t you?”

After hearing this, Zhao Zhen could not help showing a trace of surprise as he looked at Zhang Zhiwei.

As expected of the man destined to become the one beneath all others yet above them all.

Just by watching Zhao Zhen use the technique once, he had seen straight through its workings. Such a keen eye was something even many of the older generation of extraordinary practitioners did not possess.

“Daoist Zhang truly deserves to be a candidate for the position of Heavenly Master. Nothing escapes your notice. I’m impressed, deeply impressed.”

“Tomorrow, during the demonstration, if my master permits me to take the field, Brother Zhao, you must come up and exchange a few moves with me.”

“Hahaha, naturally. Even if you hadn’t said so, I had long wished to witness the secret techniques of the Heavenly Master’s Mansion for myself.”

“Then it’s a promise?”

“A promise!”

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