Chapter 60: Chapter 60 Travel Companions, Daoist White Crane's Tea Ceremony

They took their seats and were served tea.Yi Chen sat to the left, while another Daoist with the hair of a crane and the face of a child took his place on the right.

The two exchanged glances and recognized each other as peers.

The Wang family head, Wang Ba, and his wife sat upright in the seats of honor.

"Taoist Yi Chengzi, the grand matriarch's time is drawing near. Unbeknownst to my clumsy wife, my second brother invited you, and without his knowledge, she asked her family to invite the esteemed Daoist White Crane."

"Both are revered and skilled practitioners. How about leaving the funeral arrangements to the two venerable Daoists to handle together?"

The speaker was the Wang family head, Wang Ba. Yi Chen had initially thought upon hearing the name that he would meet a robust and heroic man, but upon meeting, he found that Wang Ba was more like a scholarly middle-aged Confucian.

He spoke slowly and methodically, his tone tinged with sadness—presumably due to the impending demise of the Wang family matriarch.

Both Yi Chen and Daoist White Crane naturally had no objections and readily nodded in agreement.

At this moment, the Wang family head's wife beside him began to speak.

"My lord, everything has its primary and secondary, even in funeral matters. Between Taoist Yi Chengzi and Daoist White Crane, who will take the lead and who will assist?"

Mrs. Wang was a strikingly elegant and beautiful woman with a lofty demeanor, curvaceous figure, dressed in a rose-colored long-sleeved gown, exuding a very alluring presence, yet her expression was as cold as ice.

Yi Chen couldn't help but glance at her an extra time.

Quite the icy fire rose indeed.

Yet, he also couldn't help but wonder. As a daughter-in-law, why was Mrs. Wang dressed in such vivid colors during the impending death of the old matriarch?

Even more astonishing to Yi Chen was the discovery that a faint aura of ghosts lingered on Mrs. Wang, although it was very weak, it was still captured by his heightened senses.

"Is Mrs. Wang the one harboring ghosts behind the scenes, or has she encountered some evil in the last few days?"

"Things are getting more and more interesting," he thought to himself.

Yi Chen was deep in thought, with many questions in his mind, but he kept them to himself, maintaining an appearance of calm composure.

"Ahem, as to who leads and who assists, the matter is quite simple."

The Daoist White Crane sitting opposite Yi Chen spoke up, "In learning, there is no sequence; the adept takes precedence. What specific Daoist arts do you specialize in, Taoist Yi Chengzi?"

"I have some knowledge of the Pure Yang arts," Yi Chen replied.

"Oh? Are you versed in the Art of the Fireball?"

"Eh, no."

"What about the Technique of Beans into Soldiers?"

"Eh, neither."

"How about Locating Dragons and Acupoints, the Method of Observing Qi?"

"Eh, I have a slight understanding, slight understanding."

"Then what are you most skilled in?"

Yi Chen fell silent for a moment before he finally responded:

"Well, I do have a certain strength. That might be worth mentioning..."

With this, Daoist White Crane immediately stopped, recited his Daoist name, and then fell silent. Sёarch* The nôᴠel Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Proficient in the art of gauging the situation, he knew the right moment had been reached.

"Daoist White Crane is older and undoubtedly has more experience. How about we let Daoist White Crane take the lead, with Taoist Yi Chengzi assisting? Manage the funeral affairs this way, how does that sound?"

Mrs. Wang couldn't resist interjecting at this point.

Upon hearing this, the verdict of superior and subordinate had been decided.

At this moment, Daoist White Crane displayed a satisfied expression, constantly stroking his three goat's whiskers.

Yi Chen didn't argue and immediately agreed.

This White Crane Daoist was personally sought out by Madam Wang from her maiden home, and her bias was already quite evident; he was brought in by the brother of the Wang Family Head.

Some things were a matter of taking sides; arguing was pointless.

He didn't want to get involved in the complex interests of a major household; whether he played a major or minor role didn't matter, as long as the money was paid.

Furthermore, the moment he entered the Wang residence, he felt something was not quite right; he always felt that things were not so simple. The green tea skills of this White Crane Daoist were also very exquisite, not inferior to his. Yi Chen then simply took the opportunity to bow out gracefully.

He would let White Crane Daoist take center stage and perform, while he observed the overall situation from the shadows.

Heh, as if the cunning and smug look in White Crane Daoist's eyes could escape the current Yi Chen?

Little did this person know that every gift from fate had a price secretly marked on it.

When he asked Yi Chen what he was most skilled in, Yi Chen's response—that he had quite a bit of strength to speak of—was actually him going along with the situation and taking the opportunity to bow out gracefully.

Yi Chen guessed that when White Crane Daoist heard him say this, he must have laughed his head off, thinking he had encountered an honest man.

However, this situation was just what Yi Chen wanted to see, simply going with the flow.

You all see me as a fool, and I should see you in the same way.

No hurry, the play has just begun; let's accompany them in this performance.

Yi Chen and True Person White Crane were led by the servants to a separate courtyard, and the main hall regained its silence.

"My lady, Taoist Yi Chengzi was selected by my second brother; it's not right for us to do this," the Family Head of the Wangs couldn't help but murmur at this moment.

Madam Wang's eyebrows raised slightly, and she said with a thin veil of anger, "You have the nerve to say that? With the old lady's passing imminent, your second brother still hasn't returned, and you look at the sort of riffraff he has found to preside over the old lady's ceremony."

"How strong can a man be who claims he's worthy because of his strength? Our Wang residence is large, and there are no shortage of strong men. Do we need someone from his side of the family to find a Daoist with great strength to preside?"

"Should we let the oxen in the estate rest and have someone with great strength come to plow the fields?"

After a barrage of retorts from Madam Wang, the Wang Family Head showed a sheepish look and didn't want to argue further. Being a soft person by nature, although he guessed that the lady was partly motivated by the thought of exploiting the situation to divide the family wealth, since he would also benefit, he fell silent and tacitly agreed.

At night, in the Wang estate, the dining hall.

Candles as thick as arms lit up the entire hall as if it were daytime.

The small dining hall, with its carved beams and painted rafters, surrounded by celadon antiques, displayed the color of wealth.

Yi Chen sat below True Person White Crane, and everyone ate at their own tables.

At this time, he was fervently battling with the roasted lamb chop in his hands. Opening his mouth wide, he swallowed the ribs like sugarcane, bit by bit.

No, even more fierce than eating sugarcane, for sugarcane required spitting out the residue. He chewed the bones and meat directly and swallowed them down.

Like master, like pet: Little Miao's eating manner was identical to his owner's, gnawing on a lamb leg bone from a large bowl in front of her, getting oil all over her mouth and not minding the stains in her fur.

True Person White Crane, seated above Yi Chen, ate much more elegantly.

Even Yi Chen had to admit, True Person White Crane really had a pleasing appearance—hair as white as a crane's feathers but with a youthful face, his hair meticulously combed, dressed in a purple Daoist robe with gold-thread embroidery at the edges, and the robe's back embroidered with mountains, rivers, and lakes, while the front featured the sun, moon, and stars. He looked very imposing.

True Person White Crane ignored the small lamb chop in front of him, only occasionally taking a small bite of fruit and sipping tea. He didn't even drink wine, as he claimed he was fasting for the old lady's ceremony.

Next to True Person White Crane, a spotlessly white crane stood, with a neck slender and graceful, mirroring its owner. It only occasionally pecked at grapes and water, and now and then it sneaked a glance at Little Miao, who was gorging away, yet it never dared to meet her gaze directly. The moment their eyes met, it looked away, appearing quite frightened.

Sitting at the head of the table, Madam Wang and the Wang Family Head watched Yi Chen's eating habits. The Family Head shook his head; what on earth had his brother found? This was too unreliable.

What kind of high person eats like this? If it weren't for the Daoist robe on his body, he'd be more like a brute.

It seemed that the lady's decision was both correct and wise.

Madam Wang could not help but show a hint of disdain in her eyes as she watched Yi Chen.

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Thank goodness her urgent request for the highly skilled and respected White Crane Daoist from her parental home had arrived; otherwise... it would have been a disaster.

Alas...