Qiu Zu: From an apprentice in a medicine shop to an immortal ancestor.

Chapter 108: Taking a Master! Treasure Blade: Ink Jade, Hundred Herb Spirit Incense Essence

A Family?

Calling Yourself a Student is Too Formal?

Hearing his master's wife, Nan Zhiyi's words, the astute Qiu Zhen immediately understood the deeper meaning.

Currently, his relationship with Apothecary An is still that of "teacher and student," not a true disciple.

However, in reality, Qiu Zhen and An Jishi's relationship, though not a formal master-disciple bond, is even closer than one.

For over a year, he has sought guidance from An Jishi on cultivation matters, not just in martial arts, but also in the principles of Yuan Shen and Yin Shen cultivation. An Jishi, with his extensive knowledge, provided insightful guidance, greatly benefiting him.

To some extent, An Jishi is the guide on his path of cultivation, a true "teacher."

Moreover, An Jishi made a scene at the Demon Suppression Division, breaking the legs of Wei Tan and Lin Shoulong in front of everyone, standing up for him.

This is something only a master fiercely protective of his disciples would do.

The relationship between a regular teacher and student wouldn't reach this level.

Qiu Zhen is willing to formally become Apothecary An's disciple, especially since everyone outside already knows him as Apothecary An's disciple.

If not, he will be after today.

Qiu Zhen's mind raced, and without hesitation, he immediately bowed to An Jishi:

"Disciple greets Master!"

After bowing, he bowed to Nan Zhiyi:

"Disciple greets Master's Wife!"

"A promising child!"

Nan Zhiyi smiled brightly, looking at An Jishi with a smug expression.

In this world, no one understands An Jishi better than she does.

Childhood sweethearts, growing up together, and then becoming husband and wife, spending many years together.

Others may not understand An Jishi's temperament, but Nan Zhiyi knows him clearly.

Usually, in his letters to her, An Jishi would praise Qiu Zhen endlessly, never stinting on words of admiration, a stark contrast to his harsh treatment of other direct disciples.

An Jishi's "strict teacher" attitude towards learning hasn't changed; it's just that Qiu Zhen appeals to him, making him cherish talent.

Nan Zhiyi knows An Jishi's "proud" and "stubborn" nature, unwilling to take the initiative for fear of losing face.

That's why she stepped in.

As expected, seeing Qiu Zhen bowing to him and calling him Master, instead of the usual "Teacher," a faint smile appeared on An Jishi's face.

Knowing my heart, the south wind soothes my husband's soul.

"Get up, no need to be so formal."

"Congratulations, Young Master! Congratulations!"

An Kang, standing to the side, had a face full of smiles upon seeing this scene. He had long seen through his young master's intentions, but his words carried little weight.

Only the mistress could come forward and immediately make it happen.

"Congratulations, Master and Master's Wife."

Tong Yuncong, standing to the side, also had a faint smile on his stern face as he witnessed the scene of the apprenticeship:

"Junior Brother, my name is Tong Yuncong, and I am Master's second disciple."

Qiu Zhen saw the young man in black martial attire with a saber at his waist and a cold expression and guessed his identity. He immediately cupped his fist in salute:

"Greetings, Second Senior Brother."

Beside Master's Wife Nan Zhiyi, there was a young girl in a light-colored Ru skirt, with double buns, a few strands of hair falling beside her ears, her delicate eyebrows slightly curved, her eyes sparkling, lively and cute, like a blooming flower in spring, fresh and moving.

"Junior Brother, I am Third Senior Sister Yu Lanyin."

"Greetings, Third Senior Sister!"

An Huayu, standing to the side, also spoke up:

"Junior Brother, I am..."

"Get lost, what are you joining in for!"

An Jishi glared at his son unhappily:

"Your junior brother has already achieved the Innate Realm, and you are still far from it, how dare you show your face!"

"I..."

An Huayu was speechless and unable to refute. Soon, he remembered something and looked at Third Senior Sister Yu Lanyin:

"Senior Sister, you..."

Yu Lanyin blinked her eyes: "Hehe, I achieved the Innate Realm half a year ago, I specifically asked Master's Wife not to tell you."

"Ah!"

An Huayu opened his mouth, feeling a sense of panic in his heart, only feeling pressure like a mountain.

He was the only one who hadn't achieved the Innate Realm...

For some reason, he had a bad feeling in his heart.

That day, the An residence was immersed in the joy of accepting a disciple, and no one paid attention to An Huayu.

The next day, An Huayu was reprimanded by his mother, Nan Zhiyi, for stepping out of the house with his left foot first, and she dragged him back to practice martial arts, thwarting his original plan to go out and play.

With his mother back at the residence, the happy days he had imagined did not appear.

With a senior sister breaking through to the Innate Realm and a junior brother also breaking through to the Innate Realm, under the double stimulation, the family's demands on him became more and more strict, completely cutting off his idea of slacking off.

In the next few days, the Demon Suppression Division in Changle Prefecture remained silent.

The commander and deputy commander of the Demon Suppression Division had been beaten, such a big event, yet everyone remained silent, and even the Changle Prefecture government made no response, as if nothing had happened.

It was unexpectedly calm.

Qiu Zhen didn't pay much attention to it either. With Master An Jishi handling things with discretion, there was no need for him to worry.

In the next few days, he was busy with matters related to the formal apprenticeship.

Under normal circumstances, with An Jishi's status and position, accepting a direct disciple was no small matter and would definitely be a grand affair.

Whether it was the Medicine King Valley or various forces in Changle Prefecture, important figures would personally come to congratulate and witness the apprenticeship ceremony, which would be quite grand.

However, with the "Demon Suppression Division incident," it was not appropriate for him to celebrate his apprenticeship with An Jishi in a big way and invite guests from all sides.

After all, An Jishi had previously stood up for him as his master, which could still be considered "justified." If you were to hold an apprenticeship ceremony afterward, it would be too much.

An Jishi was indeed arrogant, but not to the point of being arrogant and despising the world.

Fortunately, neither An Jishi nor Qiu Zhen were so particular about formalities. Taking a master and accepting a disciple focuses on imparting knowledge and teaching skills, not on the apprenticeship ceremony.

Of course, even if the two of them didn't care about formalities, the basic apprenticeship ceremony, held behind closed doors, with a small celebration at home, was still necessary.

Qiu Zhen returned to Qiu Family Village that day, without mentioning the "Demon Suppression Division incident" to avoid worrying his family, only mentioning that An Jishi intended to formally accept him as a disciple.

After the "Qiu Family Village" site selection incident, the Qiu Family Patriarch, Qiu Father, and Qiu Mother all knew that the benefactor behind Qiu Zhen was "Apothecary An." Hearing that the benefactor was formally accepting Qiu Zhen as a disciple, the entire clan was extremely excited and immediately sent a gift to the An residence in the city.

That night, the An residence was brightly lit.

After formally becoming a disciple, Qiu Zhen had dinner with his master An Jishi, master's wife Nan Zhiyi, and three senior brothers and sisters.

During the meal, everyone talked and laughed, very harmoniously.

After three rounds of wine and five courses of dishes, the servants cleared the table, and everyone moved to the main hall.

An Jishi sat upright in the main seat and said:

"Xiao Zhen, my sect doesn't have many rules. Don't commit evil, betray your master, or assist in wickedness, be friendly and helpful to your junior brothers and sisters, and work together in unity. There are no other rules."

Saying that, An Jishi thought for a moment and added:

"The only requirement I have for you is to unite knowledge and action, and have clear thoughts."

Qiu Zhen was taken aback.

This requirement, at first glance, seemed nothing, but in fact, it was extremely high. Achieving "unity of knowledge and action" and having clear thoughts was not easy.

"Disciple will definitely live up to Master's expectations!"

"Excellent!"

An Jishi was very satisfied and in a good mood.

"Junior Brother, congratulations, congratulations!"

While speaking, Second Senior Brother Tong Yuncong, with a stern expression and not given to smiling, squeezed out a smile and took out a wooden box from the hands of a servant beside him, opening it.

In the next moment, a sharp, cold light bloomed from the box.

Inside lay a blade with a smooth, mirror-like surface, slender, narrow, and straight, faintly emitting a cold light. The hilt was made of an unknown material, completely like ink jade.

"Junior Brother, this blade is called [Ink Jade]. It is forged from refined steel and contains a piece of Ink Flame Fire Jade that has gained spirituality. It can stimulate Ink Fire, allowing the blade energy to be infused with spiritual flames, greatly increasing the power of the blade technique. If it is properly nurtured, it has the potential to become a true spiritual weapon."

Saying that, Second Senior Brother Tong Yuncong's face was full of emotion:

"This blade has been with me for many years. Now that I have a better weapon, I will give this to you, Junior Brother, to celebrate your joining Master's sect!"

Qiu Zhen was no longer the clueless young man he once was and knew the value of "spiritual weapons."

To some extent, martial arts spiritual weapons have better circulation and are more valuable than the "spiritual tools" of cultivators.

A treasure blade with the potential to be promoted to a "spiritual weapon" is worth a lot.

"This..."

The gift was too valuable, and Qiu Zhen hesitated, looking at An Jishi and Nan Zhiyi.

The two nodded slightly.

"Your Second Senior Brother is sincere, accept it."

With their approval, Qiu Zhen took the treasure blade Ink Jade, feeling the warmth of the hilt. He was delighted and immediately cupped his fist in salute to Second Senior Brother Tong Yuncong:

"Thank you, Second Senior Brother."

This Second Senior Brother, though he looks cold, has a kind heart.

"Junior Brother, I also have a gift."

Yu Lanyin smiled brightly and took out a delicate and beautiful sachet from her sleeve.

Opening the sachet.

A refreshing fragrance wafted out, filling the room with fragrance, making people feel relaxed and happy.

"Junior Brother, this sachet is called [Hundred Herb Spirit Incense Treasure]. It is my unique skill. The spirit of a hundred herbs inside has transformed into a little monster, lingering and not dispersing. Usually, you feed it with a hundred herbs, and occasionally feed it some spiritual herbs and treasures, and you can keep it alive."

"According to our master, you have a destiny and are skilled at finding spiritual herbs and treasures, so it shouldn't be difficult for you to keep it alive. Its fragrance can detoxify all poisons and calm the mind. Whether you are cultivating or traveling outside, it will be of great use."

Qiu Zhen had heard An Huayu show off before and knew about this item.

"Thank you, Third Senior Sister!"

Qiu Zhen took the sachet with both hands, the fragrance refreshing his heart, and he felt quite warm.

"Cough cough ~"

An Huayu, standing to the side, saw everyone looking at him, and he was embarrassed, his old face turning red:

"Um, Junior Brother, the gift is owed first, I'm a little short on funds recently."

Qiu Zhen smiled:

"Huayu, didn't you give me a treasure bow long ago? That bow, I use it very smoothly."

An Huayu was stunned and remembered this, quickly agreeing:

"Yes, yes, yes, I gave it a long time ago. I forgot if you didn't mention it."

"Hahaha ~"

Everyone smiled without saying a word.

Master's wife Nan Zhiyi, sitting in the main seat, glanced at her youngest son, then looked at Qiu Zhen and smiled:

"Xiao Zhen, now that you have formally joined your master's sect, Master's Wife also has a meeting gift to give you."

Master's wife also has a gift?

Qiu Zhen was delighted.

Second Senior Brother Tong Yuncong, Third Senior Sister Yu Lanyin, and An Huayu were also curious and looked at An Zhiyi.

"Mother (Master's Wife), what gift have you prepared?"