"Master Guo, everything is ready."
A respected elder spoke to Guo Wei.
"Good."
Guo Wei cleared his throat, puffed out his chest, and sat down in the grandmaster's chair.
"Let the apprenticeship ceremony begin. The two beloved disciples will serve tea to Master Guo," the elder announced.
The crowd fell silent, watching as Hei Hu and Chu Lingguang approached Guo Wei. Each holding a teapot, they knelt before him with a THUD.
"Master, please drink this tea!"
The two said in unison.
Guo Wei nodded. He first took Hei Hu's teapot, took a sip, and returned it. Then he took the teapot from Chu Lingguang's hands, also took a sip, and handed it back.
"Kowtow!"
The elder called out again.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu each performed three loud kowtows to Guo Wei. The Great Yuan Dynasty placed great importance on the etiquette between master and disciple. By drinking their tea and accepting their kowtows, Guo Wei was now obligated to sincerely pass on all his skills to them. If he were to hold anything back, he would be scorned by the martial arts world.
Likewise, once Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu completed their training, they would be expected to support Guo Wei in his old age, allowing him to live out his years in peace. They were also to uphold the reputation of their master's school. If Guo Wei were to fall on hard times or if the school faced disaster and they turned a blind eye, they too would be condemned by others, finding it difficult to establish themselves in either the imperial court or the Jianghu.
"My two good disciples, this is a small token from your master."
Guo Wei had prepared a red envelope for both Hei Hu and Chu Lingguang.
Chu Lingguang felt some copper plates and two lumps inside. He was shocked. 'Guo Wei returned our entire year's tuition fee!'
It was a full two silver taels and three large coins—enough for him to live on for several years.
"Today, I have been accepted as your disciple to learn a skill to make my way in the world. In the future, when I roam the Jianghu, I will surely make a great name for our master, and I will not fail your teachings. If I succeed in next year's Martial Arts Examination, no matter where I am, Master, you need only send a letter. Be it to the ends of the earth, though thousands of miles may separate us, this disciple will ride through the night to return. I will never allow anyone to harm a single hair on the Guo Family's head."
After accepting the red envelope, Hei Hu knelt again. Facing Guo Wei, he spoke with deep emotion, his words resonating with conviction.
Chu Lingguang inwardly cursed. 'This is bad.' That speech was clearly prepared in advance by Hei Hu. 'I only finished junior high in my past life, and I'm a commoner in this one. I don't have that kind of literary flair.'
But if he just stood there foolishly, not only would the guests laugh at him, but Guo Wei would also lose face.
THUD!
So Chu Lingguang quickly knelt as well. He looked at Guo Wei and said earnestly, "Me too!"
"Good, good! Your master was right about you two. Quickly, get up!"
With tears welling in his eyes, Guo Wei placed a hand on each of their shoulders and pulled them to their feet.
"Congratulations on accepting two new disciples, Master Guo."
"You're a fortunate man, Master Guo. These two will surely become Martial Arts Scholars one day."
"Heroes emerge from the young. Your two disciples have brought you great honor, Master Guo."
...
The guests swarmed forward to offer their congratulations.
"Hahaha, everyone, don't forget to stay for a drink."
Guo Wei invited the guests into the main hall.
During the banquet, while everyone was drinking, Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu stood behind Guo Wei, pouring his tea and wine. This was part of the etiquette between master and disciple.
Even when the three of them ate together normally, they had to wait for Guo Wei to be seated and pick up his chopsticks before they could begin. With guests present, it was even more important to follow the rules perfectly, lest people think the disciples were disrespectful and cause their master to lose face.
As a modern person, Chu Lingguang didn't find this sort of etiquette offensive. Guo Wei was the master who would instruct him, teaching him Martial Arts and helping him earn a title through the examinations.
'Whether I can pass the examination in the future or not, learning a skill to survive is a gift from the founders of the art. Especially in a society like the Great Yuan Dynasty's, why would someone with no connection to you pass on their life's work? To earn my master's approval, I have to do everything right, big and small.'
"You two have had a long day. Sit down and eat!"
After watching Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu make a round of pouring drinks for the guests and then stand by his side in attendance for a while, Guo Wei told them to sit and eat.
The disciples had fulfilled their duties. As their master, he couldn't ignore their efforts and neglect them, or he too would be looked down upon.
"Thank you, Master!"
Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu bowed.
Before taking their seats, they refilled Guo Wei's wine cup and brewed a fresh pot of tea. They chose to sit near him so they could respond immediately if he had any instructions.
When the guests had eaten and drunk their fill and began to leave, Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu put down their bowls and chopsticks to help Guo Wei see them out. Only after watching Guo Wei go to his room to rest did the two return to the table to clean up the aftermath.
"Junior Brothers, come with me to the tavern. I'll treat you to a welcome meal," Guo Fang said as she entered.
With Guo Wei accepting disciples today, she, his daughter, had also been busy all day. However, she didn't have to interact with the guests or serve them tea and wine. Her main problem was a pair of matchmakers who had been pestering her endlessly, which she found incredibly annoying.
Now that the guests were gone, Guo Fang wanted to go out and relax.
"Alright, thank you, Senior Sister," Hei Hu put down his bowl and chopsticks, his voice full of excitement.
Chu Lingguang saw that there was still plenty of food and wine on the table. Although it had all been touched by chopsticks, it was countless times more lavish than the coarse rice mixed with lard he was used to eating.
But since Hei Hu hadn't refused, he couldn't go against him, much less spoil Guo Fang's mood. So he echoed, "Alright, thank you, Senior Sister."
Over drinks, Guo Fang spoke more to Chu Lingguang that day than she had in the entire past year. As the saying goes, in vino veritas. Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu learned that among the disciples Guo Wei had taken before, some had become Scholars and even Martial Arts Scholars, but they had all grown distant after entering officialdom.
The reason was that Guo Wei had a son who had been exiled to serve in the army. Guo Wei had hoped his disciples could use their connections to help bring his son back to Baiyang County. However, none of them had been able to help. To avoid being implicated by their association with Guo Wei's son, they only came back to see him on important occasions over the years.
A while ago, Guo Wei had traveled a long way to inform those disciples that he would be accepting new apprentices today, asking them to come back for a visit if they had time. In the end, not a single one returned.
That was why, after the guests had all left, Guo Wei had returned to his room alone. He was probably wondering if, in the future, Hei Hu and Chu Lingguang would also turn a blind eye to his requests, just like his other disciples.
Chu Lingguang and Hei Hu were silent for a long time. They finally understood why Guo Fang had insisted on taking them out for drinks today. It was to warn them that, no matter what, they must not let Guo Wei down in the future.
The two of them escorted Guo Fang back to the Martial Arts Hall.
On the way back, Chu Lingguang thought to himself, 'If I succeed in the examinations one day and Master Guo asks for a difficult favor, what will I do?'
'Will I take the risk and help him repay this favor, or will I be like my senior brothers before me and turn a blind eye?'
He took the red envelope Guo Wei had given him from his pocket. The amount of silver inside was the same as the tuition fee he had paid earlier. By returning the fee, Guo Wei was undoubtedly telling him and Hei Hu that their master-disciple relationship was now formally established.
'A teacher for a day is a father for a lifetime.'
Chu Lingguang didn't have an answer now. He could only take things one step at a time.