The First Venerable of the Prosperous Age

The audience was stunned.

Chang'an, however, spotted A-Mei in the crowd at a glance, and smiled warmly, waving and calling out,

"Ah Mei! It's me!"

Amei tilted her head and looked at him strangely.

After a long while, she opened her eyes wide and cheered, "Junior Uncle?! It's Junior Uncle!"

"It's really you!"

Upon hearing him shout that, Feng Ranran immediately pulled her hand back, covered her blushing cheeks, and stepped aside.

Caught between the two women, Chang'an suddenly felt utterly helpless and wished he could find a crack in the ground to hide in.

Until he met those two burning gazes from the crowd once again.

Those were eyes he knew all too well, eyes that filled him with power.

Feng Chi has already come with outstretched arms and firm steps.

"Senior Brother Feng... oh no, Junior Nephew Feng, you're quick on your feet, hurry and catch those three people pushing the cart, don't let the spies get away."

Upon hearing this, Feng Chi didn't even hesitate. He transformed into a gust of wind and headed in the direction the wooden cart had gone.

The crowd below the stage was already somewhat chaotic, as these people were all adept at seizing the opportunity and were rushing to catch the three criminals.

Ah Mei will definitely go too.

So that awkwardness has been relieved quite a bit.

Now, he should focus on his own affairs; his junior disciples have already shielded him from enough harm.

He gestured for Ranran to stay where she was, while he carefully walked forward.

The gray-robed man was breathing rapidly, trembling all over, as if all the bones in his body were broken.

However, considering that the gray-robed man always leaves some tricks up his sleeve, Chang'an dares not let his guard down.

He gently poked the gray-robed man's face with his sword, and when the man still didn't move, he carefully lifted the mask off his face.

Seeing this, Chang'an was so frightened that he involuntarily took a step back.

After all, he was impersonating himself; if he wasn't handsome enough, where would he get the confidence?

Or perhaps this person is inherently ugly and deliberately impersonates someone to defame others…

But who could have imagined that beneath the masks lay only blurry, indistinct shapes...

A blood-red blur...

Those were marks left by haphazard slashing with a knife, just like the marks left on pork under a butcher's knife.

Unless there is a deep-seated hatred, it would be absolutely impossible to achieve such an effect...

My right eye, which should have been bright, is now covered with lumps of flesh.

Now, all these things combined and appearing on the same person's face are truly indescribably creepy and disgusting.

Although the scene was unsettling, Chang'an gritted his teeth, pushed his sword forward a few steps, and shouted sharply, "Who...who exactly are you?!"

The man in the gray robe just smiled and didn't say anything.

But there will always be people in this world who speak up for him…

"This... a left eye, and a face full of scars..."

"Could it be... that one-eyed brat sent from Spring Lake three years ago?"

"Meng Xuanwen!?"

"I haven't seen that kid yet today."

Although the audience below was buzzing and making various noises, Chang'an's ears still accurately picked up that name...

Chang'an squinted and said, "Whether you did it for the Spring Lake Sect or for your own selfish interests, it's all over now."

Meng Xuanwen clutched his chest and said with difficulty, "You...you think you won?"

Chang'an sneered, then looked up and shouted, "Senior Brother Zhang, tell him who really won!"

……

"Senior Brother Zhang?"

Senior Brother Zhang slept peacefully.

"Senior Brother Zhang!" This time, Chang'an mustered all his strength.

Thanks to three years of arduous practice, Senior Brother Zhang indeed woke up.

He was only stunned for a moment before immediately reverting to his previous serious demeanor.

Chang'an waved to him and smiled, "Senior brother! Did you dream about me just now?"

Senior Brother Zhang's body trembled, and he clutched his forehead, saying helplessly, "Ever since that serious injury, I've often felt sleepy..."

Chang'an laughed, "Judging from what you're saying, senior brother, apart from Feng Chi, who among us here isn't constantly feeling sleepy?"

"Besides, this villain is right under your nose, how can you sleep?"

Senior Brother Zhang looked like he wanted to laugh but couldn't. "I just saw you throwing stones down there. With you here, what do I have to worry about? Otherwise, I wouldn't be sleeping so soundly."

"Besides, aren't there other... people here?!" Senior Brother Zhang said, staring at the empty chair next to him.

"People have always been here."

The voice was sharp yet also somewhat hoarse.

A middle-aged woman, already holding a sword, walked out from behind.

"Senior Sister Xiao Liu!" Chang'an's first glance fell on that flat, duck-like beak.

But for some reason, all he could think about now was Wang Xiaofan's fat, round sausage lips.

Senior Sister Xiao Liu glanced at Chang'an indifferently and nodded symbolically. Compared to her previous disgusting fawning face, she was a completely different person.

How could Chang'an tolerate this?

He didn't immediately stop smiling, otherwise it would seem like he had lost.

"Hehe, if I had known that Senior Sister Xiao Liu was always here, I wouldn't have come up here to show off my limited skills," Chang'an said sarcastically.

Senior Sister Xiao Liu calmly sat down next to Senior Brother Zhang and praised him in the tone of an elder, saying, "But you did very well."

This time, before Chang'an could even speak, Ranran peeked out from behind him with a smile and said, "So, if it were you, you could have taken that blow more easily."

A barely perceptible glint of ferocity flashed in Xiao Liu's eyes, but his tone remained calm.

"Why not?"

Feng Ranran stood with her hands behind her back, her eyes darting around. "There's nothing wrong with that. Could it be that you, Uncle-Master, don't even believe in yourself?"

Xiao Liu first looked around warily to make sure that the person was not there before saying sternly, "Ranran, your martial uncle will naturally not stoop to your level."

"For the sake of your master, you should leave immediately, and all past grievances will be forgiven."

"Oh dear, you're displaying your tyranny, Master Tumor."

The person who spoke was neither Ranran nor Chang'an, but an inconspicuous little dwarf in the audience.

This dwarf had a full beard, but his appearance was quite handsome; he was also a young disciple.

I wonder who gave him the guts to suddenly dare to oppose Uncle Little Tumor?

Although Xiao Liu kept his beak tightly shut and didn't show any anger, his teeth inside were being ground down hard.

"Whose sect are you?!"

The dwarf deliberately feigned being frightened, "Oh no, Uncle-Master Little Tumor is using his master's influence to control people again! This disciple is terrified!"

He spoke of fear, but he had already jumped onto the platform, his head only reaching Chang'an's waist.

This move is undoubtedly provocative, how can a petty and narrow-minded person like Xiao Tuo tolerate it?

She really loves this whole hierarchy thing.

So Xiao Liu got extremely angry, slapped the arm of the chair, and stood up indignantly.

"Oh my god, my martial uncle is going to kill someone! Although he can't stop that black blade, killing a disciple is still a piece of cake, isn't it?"

The dwarf deliberately covered his head and pretended to be very scared, but he didn't move his body at all, which undoubtedly added another bundle of firewood to the raging fire.

Chang'an and Senior Brother Zhang remained expressionless, even showing some displeasure on their faces, but only they themselves knew how pleased they truly were.

Although Xiao Liu is holding a sword, he still has some sense left in his mind.

If it were quiet and deserted, the dwarf would have already died by her sword.

But with so many eyes watching, how can I possibly lay a hand on a junior?

So she simply glanced sideways and carefully said, word by word, "May I ask, Senior Brother Zhang, what is the punishment for a disciple of our sect who disrespects his or her elders?"

Senior Brother Zhang said with a serious expression, "Those who actively admit their mistakes will spend ten days reflecting on their actions at the foot of Phoenix Wing Mountain. Those who do not repent will have their martial arts skills revoked by their master and be expelled from the sect."

Senior Sister Xiao Liu snorted coldly, "But this person still refuses to reveal his master's name, so I'll do it for him."

The dwarf hurriedly replied, "No! My master is just a stinky cook, please don't kill me, Sister Little Tumor!"

The little tumor was stunned. It looked the dwarf up and down, then angrily sat back down in its original spot.

The dwarf was overjoyed. "I never expected that someone as powerful as Senior Sister Little Tumor would be afraid of my master. Hahahaha."

Xiao Liu didn't answer, but instead said to Senior Brother Zhang, "You already knew?"

"Yeah, so I almost fell asleep again." Senior Brother Zhang still had that serious face.

The dwarf, however, seemed to have gone too far, asking, "A small tumor? A small tumor? Do you think I'm right?"

"Shut up, you shameless bastard who can't be seen in public!" Little Tumor finally cursed.

The dwarf also burst into laughter, patted Chang'an on the back, and said with a smile, "Second Young Master, look, she's getting anxious, hahahahaha!"

The dwarf walked and laughed, then plopped down on a chair next to the little tumor, looking at Chang'an with admiration and saying, "Not bad, Second Young Master, you've made quite a bit of progress in the past three years."

Chang'an replied with a smile, "For the past three years, my daily expectation has been the beggar's chicken you make, Chef. If it weren't for you, I definitely wouldn't have been able to make it through a single day."

The dwarf pointed at him and grinned wickedly, "Looks like the second young master has been eating quite a bit of honey these past three years, hahaha."

This dwarf was actually a cook in disguise, who had been mingling with the crowd below the stage, which is why she hadn't gone on stage yet.

At this moment, Feng Ranran smiled and bowed, "Disciple Feng Ranran greets my master and uncle on behalf of my master."

The cook replied with a smile, "I know your master always keeps to herself, hehehe, this old woman will also send her my regards."

Senior Brother Zhang nodded as well, "Doctor Qin's medical skills are superb; she was able to pull me back from the brink of death. Please allow me to thank her again."

Chang'an laughed and said, "Your master has a beautiful voice, how could I not convey my greetings? Although I have never met her, hehe."

Ranran bowed three times in a row, in front of all the disciples below the stage, bowing to the cook, Senior Brother Zhang, and Chang'an, but not to Senior Sister Xiao Liu.

So Xiao Liu's expression was like he'd eaten shit, but he still managed to force a smile. "Also... please give my regards to Doctor Qin."

Ranran, who had been smiling sweetly, tilted her head, looking puzzled, upon hearing her words. "Why? I remember you and my master... didn't have much of a relationship..."

Xiao Liu was so angry her eyes almost popped out. "What? Does that mean everyone else has connections?"

A smile returned to Ranran's face. "That's right, Master saved Uncle Zhang's life. She also eats Uncle Chef's cooking every day and receives medicine from Junior Uncle."

Ranran tilted her head, "It seems like there's nothing for you, Uncle-Master, to do."

You don't even need to guess what kind of expression the cook is wearing right now...

To prevent the fire from getting out of control, Senior Brother Zhang quickly coughed twice, changed the subject, and looked at the other empty seats.

"Where are the others? Why aren't they here yet?"

"Uncle-Master! Uncle-Master!"

As soon as Senior Brother Zhang finished speaking, two disciples dragged a fat, square-faced middle-aged man onto the platform.

"Senior Brother Tang! You...you really haven't changed at all!" Chang'an was overjoyed to see this kind old acquaintance.

Master Tang quickly approached Chang'an, looked him over carefully for a while, then patted Chang'an on the shoulder and said with a smile, "You've grown so big! Good, good, good."

Senior Brother Zhang squinted and asked, "Old Tang! How come even you're late?"

The two disciples hesitated to speak until Old Tang chuckled and said, "Master Tang seems to have gone too far. We searched for a long time before finding it far away from here."

Master Tang chuckled, "Hehehe, actually I leave home earlier than everyone else here!"

Senior Brother Zhang was amused. "I already told you to find two disciples for you, so you won't get lost again because of your poor eyesight."

Master Tang chuckled and said, "We can barely take care of ourselves, how can we take care of our disciples?"

Old Tang's mind was filled with thoughts of how to take good care of his disciples.

"Hahahaha, Senior Brother Tang, you really haven't changed at all!" Chang'an laughed.

Then, the two disciples helped Old Tang to his seat. Before he could even exchange pleasantries with the others, several more disciples rushed over, shouting, "Something terrible has happened!"

"We were chasing the traitors with Senior Brother Feng just now, but who would have thought that those three guys would actually ride away in a wooden cart, so fast it was like flying! Even Senior Brother Feng could only smell their farts from behind!"

Chang'an was slightly startled. She pursed her lips, tilted her head back slightly, and began to think of a new solution.

But when he looked, his gaze seemed to freeze...

Suddenly, a giant steel bird flew overhead, with a person completely wrapped in cloth sitting in the center. Three ropes were tied to the bird's steel claws, binding three young people who were begging for mercy.

Chang'an felt that these three people looked very familiar.

"Stop looking. These are the three people you're looking for. Consider it a gift from your senior brother." The voice of a bone file came from the giant bird.

It wasn't until he landed on the giant bird and brought the three wailing figures to his feet that Chang'an came to his senses.

He glanced at the bone file before him, wrapped tightly up with only one eye remaining, then at the gray-robed man lying to the side in the distance, before muttering:

"Now I fully believe that you are not him."

Bone Cutter said, "Of course he's not me. That beast just stole my Semen Wheel and is now up to some weird tricks."

"So he's your apprentice. I never imagined that my senior brother not only has amazing skills, but also such remarkable swordsmanship."

"Hmph, I never taught him any swordsmanship."

As Chang'an spoke and laughed, he approached the gray-robed man again and said, "Now that most of the important people have arrived, it's time for us to discuss your successes and failures."