Finally, that scene filled with both joy and sorrow, that heart-wrenching moment, gradually calmed down. I think anyone would feel a pang of sadness seeing a group of several-hundred-year-old elders shedding tears. The Daoists, almost as if they had discussed it beforehand, lined up neatly in front of Henry Bolton according to seniority, and bowed deeply and respectfully to Henry Bolton. If the gratitude they felt earlier upon receiving the elixir was heartfelt, then the gratitude they felt now came from the very depths of their souls. Earlier, Henry Bolton had merely given them fish, which could only sustain them for a while, but now he was teaching them how to fish—a skill they could benefit from for a lifetime.

At this moment, Henry Bolton silently accepted the grand salute from the Wudang disciples, feeling deeply moved and sorrowful for these disciples who lacked guidance from their forebears. In fact, Henry Bolton didn’t realize that the Wudang disciples were already quite fortunate; predecessors like George Bolton had generously passed down many scriptures and magical artifacts. What they lacked was only the guidance of a true master. As for other sects, their disciples and descendants were even more pitiful—basically, the master would only lead them to the door, and cultivation depended on the individual. Except for a few exceptionally gifted disciples who received special instruction, most people could only practice the most basic Daoist arts. This is also why, with only about 700 years of history, the Wudang sect could join the ranks of those ancient cultivation sects with legacies spanning tens of thousands of years. Even though they were only at a lower-middle level, it was already a miracle.

After the grand ceremony, Ethan respectfully walked up to Henry Bolton, then gave several loud kowtows—“bang, bang, bang”—and said, “Disciple Ethan pays respects to the Ancestor!”

Henry Bolton lightly waved his sleeve, and a gentle force lifted Ethan up. Then Henry Bolton curiously sized up the current secular leader of the Wudang sect standing before him: a slender figure, snow-white beard and eyebrows, smooth skin, and an almost otherworldly, immortal aura—truly worthy of being the head of Wudang.

Although Henry Bolton’s gaze was gentle, when his eyes swept over Ethan, Ethan felt as if he were standing naked before Henry Bolton, an indescribably awkward sensation. Still, as the current head of Wudang, and given how complex society is nowadays—even if Ethan hadn’t had much contact with the outside world—he was a social expert compared to Henry Bolton and these Daoists. With a quick turn of his eyes, he launched into a torrent of lavish and creative flattery, as endless as the waters of the Yangtze River. If a modern person were present, they would surely disparage Ethan as utterly worthless and scold him for using such outdated and vulgar phrases. But to the inexperienced Henry Bolton, it sounded like heavenly music, incomparably beautiful. The old Daoists, upon hearing Ethan’s flattery, all felt like smashing their heads against a block of tofu out of embarrassment. Especially when they saw Henry Bolton, in his delight, give Ethan three elixirs and three exceptionally fine immortal swords, they all started thinking about asking Ethan to hold a remedial class to improve their own skills in this area.

“Ethan! I wish to descend the mountain and enter the secular world for cultivation. Do you think you could explain some common knowledge about the mundane world to me in the next few days?” Henry Bolton asked Ethan with a smile.

Ethan very much wanted to say yes, as that would surely earn him even more benefits from this most senior Wudang elder. However, Ethan was self-aware enough to know that society had changed greatly and was no longer as he remembered it forty years ago. Though the temptation was great, he dared not deceive his master or ancestors. So he honestly replied, “Ancestor, I too have not left the mountain for decades and am not very familiar with the current world. However, my second disciple, Brian, often travels in the secular world. Perhaps I could have him explain things to you?”

“That will do! Bring him here tomorrow. For the next few days, I will lecture every morning, and in the afternoons, let Brian tell me about the secular world. You can also bring the other Wudang disciples of the ‘Qing’ generation to listen in! That’s all for now—everyone is dismissed. Take the opportunity to thoroughly comprehend the Dao I spoke of today!”