“It’s fine.”
Jiang Tian nodded calmly, exuding an air of unshakable composure.
Old Man Tang let out a long sigh of relief and turned to the master of ceremonies. “Let the apprenticeship ceremony continue!”
As Tang Linglong stepped forward, she performed the traditional three kneels and nine bows before Jiang Tian with utmost reverence, then served him tea.
“He’s… the Great Master Jiang?” Lu Changfeng’s eyes widened in horror, his mouth agape, his face twisted in disbelief.
“He’s actually the Great Master Jiang? No wonder Long Wu and Zheng Guangsha feared him! I—I’ve been wrong this entire time!” Liu Tianle’s mind was a storm of shock and regret.
He had hoped his father would introduce him to the Great Master Jiang’s circle, but now… it was all for nothing.
“How… how is this possible?!” Tang Jianfeng’s face turned deathly pale, his body swaying as if he might faint.
“I don’t believe it! There must be some mistake!” Du Tao’s face was ghostly white, sweat pouring down his forehead.
“Jiang Tian… Jiang Taichu… the Great Master Jiang!” Fu Lanjun’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
Of everyone present, Fu Lanjun’s emotions were the most complex.
She had once been set up on a blind date with Jiang Tian, but she had never regarded him as anything more than a bumbling fool—utterly worthless, the epitome of mediocrity.
In her eyes, Jiang Tian wasn’t even on the same level as the spoiled, debauched heirs of wealthy families.
But today, she realized the truth—Jiang Tian was the revered Great Master Jiang, the man the Tang family worshipped like a god!
Shock, regret, remorse, fear… a flood of negative emotions overwhelmed her.
Jiang Tian commanded such respect from the Jiangbei elite that even Tang Jianfeng—no, even his father, Tang Wannian—wasn’t fit to carry Jiang Tian’s shoes.
She had once thought Tang Jianfeng was impressive, but compared to Jiang Tian, he seemed like a pitiful joke.
“Please, Madam Jiang, take a seat! You must also drink the tea Linglong offers!” Old Man Tang beamed, humbly ushering Zhao Xueqing to her seat.
“Old Master Tang, this isn’t proper…”
Zhao Xueqing politely declined, but after a nod from Jiang Tian, she gracefully took her place.
Hand in hand with Jiang Tian, she sat tall and poised, her eyes bright and dignified, like an empress receiving homage as Tang Linglong bowed before them.
“Even Tang Linglong bows to her!”
Fu Lanjun’s nose stung with envy, her heart twisting in bitterness. She fought back tears as she watched Zhao Xueqing, radiant and exalted, and the regret inside her became unbearable.
If only she had recognized Jiang Tian’s worth back then… if only she had chosen him… she could have been the one sitting there, basking in glory.
“Huh? Lao Zhao, look! Jiang Tian is the Great Master Jiang!”
Wei Fang, who had just given Zhao Hucheng a dose of heart medicine, gaped in shock.
“What nonsense are you spouting? Have you lost your mind too? Wait… what’s happening?”
Zhao Hucheng, who had been ready to scold her, froze when he saw the scene before him.
His supposedly insane, good-for-nothing son-in-law was now seated in the place of honor, receiving Tang Linglong’s obeisance—with his daughter sitting proudly beside him.
“Am I hallucinating?” Zhao Hucheng rubbed his eyes, unable to believe what he was seeing.
Jiang Tian—the lunatic, the worthless fool, the biggest disgrace in the world—was now the revered Great Master Jiang? How was this possible?
“Director Zhao, Madam Wei, congratulations! With such an outstanding son-in-law, what more could you ask for?”
Several officials and tycoons—far more influential than Zhao Hucheng—swarmed around the couple, showering them with flattery and praise.
“Lao Zhao, you always had a sharp eye! How did you see Jiang Tian’s potential back then?”
Wei Fang was overjoyed, grinning from ear to ear. This was truly a case of “when a man rises to power, even his pets ascend to heaven.”
“This world… has gone completely mad.” Zhao Hucheng’s face twitched uncontrollably.
“I always said my brother-in-law was the most incredible man in the world! But none of you believed me!”
Zhao Qianru lifted her chin proudly, her face glowing with triumph.
The ceremony, though elaborate, didn’t take long. Soon, it concluded.
Remembering Tang Jianfeng’s earlier insults toward Jiang Tian, Tang Wannian’s heart darkened. He dragged his cowering son forward and handed him a ceremonial teacup, forcing a smile.
“Great Master Jiang, this is my worthless son, Tang Jianfeng. Please accept this tea from him…”
“Ah, we’ve met.”
Jiang Tian crossed his legs, lazily swirling the tea leaves in his cup with the lid, exuding the demeanor of a true grandmaster.
Tang Jianfeng, now trembling like a frightened quail, could barely hold the teacup steady, spilling half of it. Gone was his earlier arrogance.
Under Jiang Tian’s amused gaze, he stammered, “Great Master Jiang, it wasn’t my fault! Fu Lanjun poisoned my mind—she said you had humiliated her, so I… I…”
“Great Master Jiang, please show mercy…”
Fu Lanjun’s head spun in terror. She never imagined Tang Jianfeng would throw her under the bus.
Worse, she couldn’t fathom what terrible retribution Jiang Tian—now so powerful—would inflict upon her.
Jiang Tian didn’t even glance at her. “Oh? Is that so?”
“Great Master Jiang, it’s the truth!”
Tang Wannian, trembling, added, “I repeatedly warned them never to disrespect you! If not for that wretched girl’s lies, how would Jianfeng have dared?!”
“Great Master Jiang, she’s young and foolish! Spare her, please!”
Fu Leiming, the head of the Fu family, dropped to his knees, kowtowing frantically.
“An ant like her isn’t worth my attention.”
Jiang Tian took a leisurely sip of tea. Such a lowly creature wasn’t worth his time—scaring her was enough. Actually crushing her would be beneath him.
“She dared disrespect the Great Master Jiang! She is blind, foolish, and unworthy of being a Tang family bride!”
Tang Guozhu’s face darkened as he declared, “The alliance between the Tang and Fu families is hereby dissolved!”
“Grandfather Tang… Great Master Jiang, please give me another chance!”
Fu Lanjun let out a desperate wail, trying to rush forward and kowtow.
“Miss Fu, control yourself!”
“Do not disrupt the ceremony!”
Bodyguards swiftly blocked her path, and two of them dragged her out, kicking and screaming.
“Let me go! I need to speak to the Great Master Jiang!”
Tears and snot streaked her face, her hair disheveled, one high heel missing—she was hauled away in utter disgrace.
“Great Master Jiang, please join us for the banquet!” Old Man Tang said warmly.
“Very well.”
Jiang Tian nodded, and under the escort of Tang Guozhu, Ye Gufeng, and others, he made his way to the feast.
As Jiang Tian took his seat, the celebration officially began.
The guests, still reeling from shock, took their assigned places.
The Zhao family, to everyone’s envy, was seated at the head table with Old Man Tang, sharing toasts and laughter.
“A single word from him can overturn the alliance of two great families. In the Tang household, he’s treated like an emperor!”
Liu Tianle’s heart filled with dread and bitterness.
Yet, from start to finish, Jiang Tian hadn’t even glanced at him.
“Am I… not even worth your contempt?”
Rage flared in Liu Tianle’s chest, but it quickly turned to despair.
Jiang Tian’s achievements were so far beyond his reach that he could never hope to match them in his lifetime.
Among the guests, only Du Tao remained somewhat composed. He had little interaction with Jiang Tian and had powerful backers, but even he felt a chill.
“Not even thirty, yet he’s the Tang family’s supreme authority, the uncrowned king of Jiangbei… Cousin, even you might not compare!”
He thought of his brilliant cousin, Chen Bo, who had achieved great success in Jinling.
He had believed no young man in China could surpass Chen Bo—yet here, in this small city of Linzhou, such a monstrous genius had appeared.
“Chen Bo, if you want to catch up to this Great Master Jiang, you’ll need to move fast. Right now, he’s already on par with your father!”
…
Suddenly, a commotion erupted.
At the head table, chairs scraped as Jiang Tian stood up.
The Great Master Jiang, accompanied by the Tang and Zhao families, had begun making rounds to toast the guests.
“Great Master Jiang, it’s an honor to finally meet you! Your presence is truly majestic!”
“Great Master Jiang, we’ve long awaited this day!”
“Great Master Jiang, you must visit my home sometime—please honor us!”
Jiang Tian moved through the crowd, sipping lightly while the tycoons and officials drank deeply, their words dripping with reverence.
Even Zhao Hucheng received respectful treatment.
“Brother Zhao, with such a son-in-law, why bother with that measly director position?”
Zhao Hucheng, flushed from drinking, laughed heartily.
“Why would I keep working? With a son-in-law like this, my future is secure! I always said Jiang Tian was exceptional—even those high-born young masters like Liu Wangfeng and Wu Zhaohui can’t compare!”
“No offense, but my eye for talent is unmatched. Back then, my Xueqing was the belle of Linzhou, sought after by countless wealthy families. But I saw Jiang Tian’s potential—and look at him now!”
The crowd laughed along.
Tang Weimin raised his glass. “Director Zhao, I’ve heard good things about your work in the Development Zone Office. I was planning to promote you to Municipal Party Committee Director… but it seems you’re ready to retire!”
“W-what? Promote me to Municipal Party Committee Director?”
Zhao Hucheng was stunned.
After a sharp nudge from Wei Fang, he snapped back to reality, downed his drink, and declared, “If Secretary Tang believes in me, how can I refuse? I accept!”
Jiang Tian led the toasts, while Zhao Hucheng—his now-respected father-in-law—followed closely behind, even fussing over Jiang Tian’s slightly wrinkled shirt.
After making rounds to over a dozen tables, Jiang Tian finally stopped at the one where Liu Tianle, Tang Jianfeng, Fu Lanjun, Zheng Li, Chu Yuwei, and Lu Changfeng sat—the younger generation who had once looked down on him.
