Seeing this action and hearing the words spoken, Lin Feng like there was ten thousand crows flying over his head.
What was this all about? First the man followed him, questioned him, than called him the sect master. All this sounded like a wuxia novel, so odd that Lin Feng couldn’t wrap his mind around it. To Lin Feng, today’s experience overall was pretty bad.
“Cough….”
Probably thinking that his actions were a little odd, the man stood and apologetically smiled at Lin Feng.
“The Coiling Dragon bracelet in the symbol of the Qing Sect, and seeing it is akin to seeing the sect master, and even though I looked odd, I hope that the sect master will forgive me.”
The man scratched his head as he apologized.
Qing Sect? Sect master?
Lin Feng hadn’t heard these names and titles before, and didn’t really understand what the man was saying.
“Don’t tell me that Master Ling didn’t tell you these things when he gave you the coiling dragon bracelet.”
Seeing that Lin Feng was in a daze, the man thought about it and casually asked.
Ling Tian had shaken his head, and Ling Nanshan gave the bracelet, when did he have time to explain it. Ling Nanshan merely said to take care of Ling Tian, without saying anything else.
“Oh yeah, when he gave me this bracelet, he told me, unless I was going to die that I couldn’t give this bracelet to anyone else.”
Lin Feng then remembered something that he was told, and repeated the words to the man.
Lin Feng recalled on Ling Nanshan’s deathbed that he was told these words, but at the time all he could think about was how he was going to take care of Ling Tian, and didn’t pay attention. Thinking about it, Ling Nanshan told him this, and looking back on those words, they had some significance.
“That’s right, this means that the old sect master passed on his position to you. I searched everywhere for him in this base, and finally finding him is so gratifying. Ah.”
Hearing Lin Feng’s words, the man understood clearly. With a happy expression he opened his mouth to speak.
Seeing Lin Feng’s doubts, the man explained to Lin Feng carefully.
The man’s given name was Qian Xuejia, and he was taken care of by Ling Nanshan since he was young. Ling Nanshan originally was the master of the Qing sect, which had some influence.
The Qing sect had been established for over one hundred years, and was originally a chamber of commerce (Business network). That time period was filled with a lot of issues, the entire nation was unstable. Due to the war, the common people lived in an abyss of suffering.
At that time a chamber of commerce established a sect, which was to be called the Qing sect. The Qing sect wasn’t composed of just merchants, but of people of various walks of life and occupations that came together to form the sect. Since the era was embroiled in war, all were affected, regardless of their occupation.
(Sect here isn’t really the same as cultivation sect, but more of a conglomerate or company)
As a result many merchants joined, causing the Qing sect to gradually expand, from dozens of people to thousand and tens of thousands. Once the war ended, the Qing sect was still going strong, with the disciples reaching over a million in number.
When the country stabilized after the war, the sect master was Ling Nanshan. Ling Nanshan himself had a family background in business, and became the sect master at a young age but managed it very well, winning the respect of the disciples.
When the country was at war with other countries, because of the amount of power, the Qing sect made great contributions to the country. The sect also played a great role in suppressing the greed of other groups, allowing for smooth recovery, gaining indelible merit. (meaning can’t be wiped out or forgotten)
The million disciples of the Qing sect, people from various trades and occupations, made the Qing sect unmatched in power, and when they united, they were beyond compare.
Qian Xuejia was adopted at around ten years old and supported until he was around thirty. Through his own efforts became the financial manager of the sect.
After some years, the country was prosperous and peaceful, and the goal of the sect to let its disciples live a good life was achieved. Since the goal was achieved, the sect master Ling Nanshan decided to retire and no longer manage the sect. Ling Nanshan then left, no one knowing where he went.
The disciples of the Qing Sect unanimously recognized Ling Nanshan as the only one good enough to be the master of the sect, and after he left no one rose to claim the position of head.
However the dragon must have a head, so the group elected Qian Zhongguan(*) as the Qing sect head. He would temporarily be the master of the Qing sect and manage the sect and its disciples. If one day Ling Nanshan came back, he would take over as the head of the sect.
(* Qian Zhongguan is Qian Xuejia, the man Lin Feng is talking to is the current head of the sect)
And since then, even though they looked everywhere they could, the disciples didn’t even see a hint of Ling Nanshan.
Three years ago the apocalypse ruined the world and divided the country into bases, making communication difficult. Even the temporary leader of the Qing sect, Qian Zhongguan, would be powerless to find the master Ling Nanshan.
The Coiling dragon bracelet was the historical token of the sect master, and the one who carried the token represented the head of the sect. This was something that only the upper echelon and the powerful members of the sect knew and wouldn’t leak to others. If they did, it could lead to those having dangerous ambitions putting other’s lives in danger.
The custom of the Coiling Dragon bracelet was that it could only be passed along if the owner had died. Therefore even when Ling Nanshan left the sect, even if he didn’t want to govern it, he still had to keep the bracelet according to the laws of the predecessors.
For many years now the Qing sect didn’t have a leader, and in this time period Qian Zongguan searched innumerable bases, large and small, and didn’t find a trace of the bracelet. He didn’t think that today, in this Nan Shan base that he would see the Coiling Dragon bracelet. Seeing the bracelet in Lin Feng’s possession, Qian Zongguan knew that Ling Nanshan had given it to him and passed away. Even though his death was sad, since he was able to find a successor to be the next sect master, he had accomplished the most important matter.
In the apocalypse, humans had been split up into bases of different size, as were the Qing sect disciples. Some had died, and the rest were distributed among the bases. Since there hadn’t been a sect master in a long time the disciples were in a state of disunity. Now that the sect master had been found, the disciples could be rallied under a single banner and they could reconstruct the Qing sect back to its former glory.
Therefore, when Qian Zongguan saw the coiling dragon coil in Lin Feng’s possession, he was excited. Even though he thought the sect had hope, Qian Zongguan suspected whether or not Lin Feng had found or stolen the coil. But when he heard Lin Feng repeat Ling Nanshan’s last words, he felt relief wash over him. The ancestral teachings of the sect had to be passed down to the next sect master. Qian Zongguan himself had been told these words by Ling Nanshan before he retired.
The sect master token, the coiling dragon bracelet, could be given to anyone, and would be inherited by the one chosen by the current sect master, no matter who was chosen. Even if that person was a beggar off the streets, he would become the next master of the sect. The succession of the master seat was something that all disciples had to obey absolutely, and had been carried on for generations since the beginning of the sect for a hundred years.
“You said that since I have the coiling dragon bracelet, that I am now the sect master of the Qing Sect?”
Listening to Qian Zongguan’s explaination, Lin Feng finally understood the significance of the bracelet.
Lin Feng didn’t think that just because he had agreed to look after Ling Nanshan’s grandson, that he would be entrusted with the Qing Sect. Grasping the situation, Lin Feng couldn’t help but gain a long face, never dreaming that this would come to pass.
“This has been the custom of the Qing Sect, he who holds the coiling dragon bracelet would be the head of the sect.”
Qian Zongguan looked at Lin Feng and told him red with anticipation and filled with respect, treating the sect master with the greatest honor.
Hearing Qian Zongguan’s words, Lin Feng opened his mouth and spoke.
“No, I can’t do this, find someone else to do it.”