Under One Person, your rebellious life has reached the heavens?

Chapter 81 The Prodigy of the Lu Family

Grandpa Lu was overjoyed. After Jiang Mo took the lead in agreeing to join the alliance, he felt reassured, as if he had taken a pill to put his mind at ease. All his previous concerns vanished like smoke, and he felt very happy.

In the old man's view, no matter how vicious the Japanese aliens who came from that tiny place were, they were probably only at the same level as the Quanxing. How could they possibly shake the giant mountain of the alien world beside him?

The group continued chatting until late at night. As they were about to finish, Old Master Lu suddenly became concerned and asked Lu Xuan:

"If You're following the schedule, will you be back tomorrow?"

"Hmm... that's how it should be, but it should be soon. If not tomorrow, then the day after. You know my third brother is very busy."

Lu Xuan replied somewhat hesitantly. In fact, according to the date his cousin wrote in the letter, he should have returned long ago. He didn't know why he was still adrift at sea. He was worried that the old man would be frightened, so he didn't dare to say more.

Lu Jin, who was standing to the side, was quite surprised when she heard the news: "Grandpa, Father, Uncle Three is back this year?"

"Heh, what's wrong, you miss him?" Old Master Lu said with a smile.

"think."

“It’s been more than ten years since we last met. He didn’t come back for your 80th birthday last time, and now another ten years have passed. It’s really time for Uncle San to come back.”

"I wonder how he's doing?"

Lu Jin couldn't help but sigh. In his memory, his third uncle was well-versed in both Chinese and Western learning, easy-going, and often taught him to read and write when he was a child. He would also take him to temple fairs. In the family, besides his great-grandfather and father, he was the person who doted on him the most.

"Jin'er, you don't need to worry about your third uncle."

Old Master Lu stroked his white beard, his aged eyes filled with deep longing:

"This kid is clever, hardworking, adaptable, and reliable. He's mastered three or four foreign languages ​​back then, and with your Uncle Xu by his side, he won't go hungry even if he goes abroad to study."

"Oh? Lord Lu, Jin'er's third uncle has gone abroad to study?"

Jiang Mo asked casually, knowing that the world overseas was undergoing rapid changes, with knowledge in various scientific and industrial fields being updated day and night.

If it weren't for the rushed return to the sect, he would have planned to buy a large number of books from overseas and properly store them in the Sanyi Sect so that the disciples could broaden their horizons and learn more. Or he would have personally taken them to travel to overseas countries to see the vastness of the world, instead of staying on the mountain all day long.

To his curiosity, Grandpa Lu acted like a proud father, readily sharing his child's academic achievements with outsiders, his smile growing ever brighter.

"Master Jiang, it's a long story, but I always end up talking about this child. Please don't think I'm being long-winded."

"Is that so? Then I would like to hear the details."

Seeing that Lu Gong's tea was finished, Jiang Mo poured tea for himself and then poured it to about seven-tenths full for him.

"You'er, Lu You."

Old Master Lu looked up and gazed into the distance, his eyes piercing through the hall. His tone was gentle:

"He is the child of one of my very good friends, whom I raised. He was intelligent from a young age and is the complete opposite of his father."

"My old friend has practiced martial arts all his life, is illiterate, and is bold and forthright."

"As for You'er, he was born with a dislike for swords and spears, and only loved reading. He was very patient and had many private tutors when he was young. He enjoyed foreign languages, physics, chemistry, and other subjects that his peers found tedious. He never thought there would be too many."

“Unlike the other children in the clan, You’er didn’t pursue Qi cultivation, business, or officialdom. He just wanted to study. Later, there weren’t many teachers left to teach him, so the boy told me he wanted to study abroad.”

Grandpa Lu held his teacup and gently swirled it.

For him, the memory was as clear as if it happened yesterday. When he adopted the child, the child was less than a year old. From learning to speak to showing his talent and going abroad to study, time passed so quickly. Before he knew it, the child had grown up.

Jiang Mo noticed the conflicted look on Old Master Lu's face, as if a lingering resentment still existed even after so many years. He couldn't help but ask with a smile, "So you agree?"

"Sigh... If he is of the bloodline of my Lu family, we can let him do whatever he wants."

Old Master Lu smiled bitterly, sipped his tea, and after a moment of comprehension, continued, "But the blood flowing in his veins is that of my dearest friend's only descendant."

"In times of war and chaos, sending a young man in his early twenties to study abroad across the ocean—what if something unexpected happened? How could I possibly take care of him?"

“It wasn’t until the child knelt down and begged me for several days that my heart ached. I went to visit my old friend’s grave and hesitated for almost half a month before finally deciding to let him go.”

"Didn't you do a good job with this?"

Jiang Mo agreed wholeheartedly: "The fledgling eagle will eventually spread its wings. The outside world is so wonderful and vast. Putting aside ethics and morality, how can you, Lord Lu, bear to bury his talent?"

Upon hearing this, the old man smiled silently, and after a long while, he began to speak:

"I really can't do it, and I can only feel guilty for my stubbornness."

"On the afternoon I saw him off, it was drizzling and a bit chilly. Before boarding the ship, the boy kowtowed to me to express his gratitude, muttering that he would only come back to see me after he had built a great career, otherwise he would feel ashamed of the family's upbringing."

"The dock was very noisy that day. I patted You'er's head, smiled, and didn't say anything."

“In those sincere eyes, I saw the same sharpness as his father, an ambition that could not be concealed, which made me believe that he could do it.”

Jiang Mo could clearly sense that Master Lu held that Mr. Lu in extremely high regard, a praise that even a young and outstanding figure like Lu Jin would find difficult to attain.

He asked, "And then what happened?"

“You’er has embarked on the path he wanted to take. He writes back every month, telling me about his experiences overseas, his rapid progress, and how he has been admitted to one of the world’s top universities for further studies.”

"He has figured out the operating rules of various multinational giants. At first, he shared them with me, and I could understand some of them. But in recent years, as I've gotten older, it's become harder and harder to understand them."

“You’er said last month that she had prepared a big gift for my birthday, but she was afraid the news would leak out, so she didn’t dare to write it in a letter.”

Grandpa Lu had a kind face and a deep affection for this child. He always smiled when he talked about him. In his heart, Lu You was no less than the top scholar of his ancestors.

"Congratulations, Mr. Lu, on your 90th birthday. May your family be filled with joy as you return home," Jiang Mo said politely.

"Hahaha!!!"

Grandpa Lu laughed heartily and then suggested, "Sect Leader Jiang, I reckon you and Xiaoyou are probably from the same generation. How about I introduce you two later?"

"Okay, thank you for your help."

Jiang Mo wanted to get to know this prodigy and consult him about overseas matters, so that he could purchase some supplies for the Sanyi Sect.

"You're too kind, it's nothing," Lu Gong laughed heartily.

Late at night, the old man grew tired, so Lu Xuan helped him back to his room to rest, while Lu Jin took Jiang Mo to a guest room to stay temporarily.

As dawn approached and the birthday celebration drew near, guests from all over were either fast asleep in the city's inns or already nearing the city's outskirts.

.......

At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), at the port.

A burly figure was supported by a dilapidated wooden pillar. The middle-aged man had messy hair, a full beard, and was terribly pale, as if he had exhausted himself to the point of exhaustion.

A strong arm clung to the wooden pillar, while the other hand numbly and mechanically pushed aside the seawater, using the force of the waves to slowly move forward.

"Huh...huh...huh..."

He gasped for breath, his steps faltering as he avoided the rocks, climbed onto the pier, and collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?!"

A cook who was unloading goods passed by and kindly asked what was wrong.

"Here...for you..."

"Take...take me...to the Lu family..."

Before losing consciousness, the man used his last strength to utter these words, and tried to hand the silver coin in his hand to the cook.

"No! Bro, wake up."

Seeing that his life was uncertain, the cook was so frightened that he hurriedly put down the sack on his shoulder and bent down to check the situation.

Chapter 82 An Old Friend Provokes

As dawn broke and the sun shone brightly, the vast Lu family mansion was filled with a festive atmosphere.

Guests from all walks of life stepped over the threshold one after another and were received by Lu Xuan and welcomed into the hall, where tables were already set with fine food and wine.

The sect leader of Huode Sect, accompanied by three disciples, came to offer birthday greetings and was the first to arrive.

The middle-aged man surnamed Chu, who was of slightly robust build and broad shoulders, greeted Old Master Lu.

"Lord Lu, on behalf of the old master and Huo Dezong, I extend my greetings to you."

"Oh, thanks, please take a seat."

"This is the finest Daughter's Red wine, come, have a taste."

After the Huode Sect Master sat down, he held a jar of fine wine that had been sealed for many years in his broad hands. With his right hand, he unscrewed the mud lid and immediately poured wine for the old man.

However, his gaze was involuntarily drawn to the young man in white with black hair sitting next to the old man.

After parting ways at Longhu Mountain, when I met this successor of Sany again, he had become even more otherworldly. His words and actions were no different from those of ordinary people, yet I could not feel any earthly warmth or human touch.

"This must be Master Jiang, right? I'm so glad to meet you."

The sect leader of Huode Sect greeted Jiang Mo with respectful words, his sharp eyes revealing a hint of regret for not having met sooner.

"Yes, I apologize for the trouble caused by the battle at Longhu Mountain. I left in a hurry at the time."

Jiang Mo started chatting with the man and Lu Gong.

Then, people from Yanwu Hall arrived: a fat man wearing glasses and two sturdy young men, following a man with a powerful gait.

"Greetings, Lord Lu. May your happiness be as boundless as the Eastern Sea and your longevity as enduring as the Southern Mountain."

"No need for pleasantries now that you're here, please have a seat."

In an instant, the Celestial Master's Mansion, Shangqing, the Wang family, and even the Lü family arrived.

The birthday banquet went smoothly, and the older and higher-ranking figures all sat at the same table with Lord Lu to discuss the alliance.

Jiang Mo, who was among them, accompanied Lu Gong alongside Zhang Tianshi. However, he was quiet and reserved, simply listening attentively. When asked for his opinion, he would only offer a few words and not participate much.

As time went by, after Lu Gong took the lead in establishing a basic alliance of mutual assistance and joint resistance against the enemy, the Sanyi Sect, the Celestial Master's Mansion, the Shangqing Sect, the Huode Sect, the Yanwu Hall, and the Wang and Lü families joined one after another, and the birthday banquet gradually came to an end.

At the other table, a group of younger people, including Zhang Zhiwei, Zhang Huaiyi, Liu Deshui, Feng Ping, Wang Ai, and Lü Ci, were gathered, and Lu Jin was the host.

These young people were all curious about Jiang Mo, the new successor to the sect leader, and they all tried to find out information from Lu Jin, but were all flatly refused.

"Everyone, if you are interested, go ask your martial uncle."

Lu Jin toasted everyone with a glass of wine, drank it all in one gulp, and the others looked at each other, none daring to step forward.

Although Master Jiang looked similar to them, his recent achievements were too dazzling. First, he killed the acting leader of Quanxing at Longhu Mountain, and then he traversed a vast territory from south to north, slaughtering Quanxing from top to bottom.

Faced with such a legendary figure, there was a vast gap in their status and position, so they dared not ask rashly, lest they cause embarrassment or displeasure.

"Young Master Lu, would it be convenient for us to talk alone?"

Liu Deshui smiled calmly and spoke in a very frank voice as he pushed up his glasses and extended an invitation to this acquaintance who had once undergone trials together at the Third Affiliated Hospital.

"Okay...this way please."

The two got up and, led by Lu Jin, walked towards the more secluded backyard, stopping by the pond.

"Let's get right to it here, Brother Liu. Please get straight to the point."

Lu Jin asked softly. As he matured more, he could vaguely sense the deep-seated hostility of this old acquaintance with whom he had little relationship. Whether it was the martial arts competition ten years ago or today, he could sense it.

"I was very sorry to hear that Master Zuo had passed away. I didn't have time to mourn him."

Liu Deshui, leaning against the stone railing of the pond, gradually lost his smile and sighed:

"Speaking of which, we were just a little bit short of fate back then. It's just a pity that Master Zuo's requirements were 'a bit too high' and he didn't take a liking to me, so we couldn't become fellow disciples."

Lu Jin frowned slightly. This old story sounded strange, and he instinctively felt uncomfortable.

"Brother Liu, you're joking. Everything happens for a reason. Let bygones be bygones. Our lives are both wonderful."

"That being said, but..."

Liu Deshui gazed at the koi leaping from the pond, then suddenly smiled, his eyes flashing with an even colder light, his tone authoritative:

"I will probably never forget the scene of kneeling in front of the Trinity Gate that day, and I will never forget the lecture given to me by the Left Gate Master."

"When he was still in the lower academy, he was tested by the sect. Li Muxuan cheated and used all his tricks. He was eliminated, which I think is only right."

"I have been diligent and conscientious, never daring to be perfunctory. How am I inferior to you, Young Master Lu?"

"You just drift along, resting whenever you're tired, treating that test like a joke, and yet, the Left Gate Master still chose you..."

Even when I knelt down and begged, Master Zuo still didn't give me a chance...

"For the past ten years or so, I have been striving to emulate Brother Lu. To be honest, I have felt intense jealousy and resentment."

"So, Brother Liu, what is the reason you came to see me today?"