C44 Lau Qinghan

The backyard was serene, while the front yard was bustling with decorations and excitement. Today was a big day for the Lau family. Lau Qingfeng's second son, Lau Ruyue, had returned home with great honor, having been accepted into the Iron Cloud Sect, one of the four major sects.

Woo Zhengyang had already heard the news from Uncle Fu, but he wasn't interested in joining the celebration. In fact, Woo Zhengyang's decision to join the Profound Heaven Sect was influenced by Lau Ruyue. It was only after overhearing that Lau Ruyue was heading to the Iron Cloud Sect that Woo Zhengyang learned about the existence of the four major sects and eventually found his way to the Profound Heaven Sect.

Lau Ruyue's acceptance into the Iron Cloud Sect was a significant event for the Lau family. In this country, the emperor's power was supreme. Whether you were nobility or a commoner, unless you had the strength to oppose the emperor, you had to obey. The greater your power, the more restrictions you faced. According to the country's rules, families like the Lau family had to send at least half of each generation to the Heavenly Martial Academy for assessment. The remaining half could choose to be assessed by one of the four major sects. However, this was merely a choice, as each person only had one chance before turning sixteen. If they failed, they had to rely on their family's resources for training.

This rule was seen as oppressive and unreasonable by both families and the sects, but no one dared to resist, as the power behind the country was the Heavenly Martial Sect.

In the aftermath of a great catastrophe, the world underwent extensive restructuring, leading to many unwritten rules. Even the titles of martial arts sects faced numerous restrictions.

The hierarchy of sect titles, from lowest to highest, is as follows: Guild, Society, Sect, School, Order, Palace, and Alliance. The saying goes: "With a master of the Reality Condensing Stage, you can form a Guild; with an expert at the Shape Gathering Stage, a Society; only with a Reality Condensing Stage expert can you establish a Sect; an Essence Shaking Stage expert can lead a School, and so on."

Originally, the Profound Heaven Sect was called the Profound Heaven Order because it was established long before the catastrophe, when there were no title restrictions. Nowadays, if the Profound Heaven Sect dared to call itself the Profound Heaven Order, it wouldn't be long before it was destroyed.

Woo Zhengyang learned all this while researching in the Profound Arts Pavilion. Had he known earlier, he would never have agreed to Xuan Tianshang's proposal to revert the Profound Heaven Sect back to the Profound Heaven Order during his time in the Mirror of Inquiry. To make such a change, a Sovereign-level expert would be required. Sovereigns are rare, not just in the Profound Heaven Sect or Dongjue Country, but even in the Heavenly Martial Sect.

Among the four major sects, including the Profound Heaven Sect, they sound impressive within Dongjue Country. However, beyond its borders, many might not even know they exist. Under the umbrella of the Heavenly Martial Sect, there are four countries like Dongjue, with Dongjue being the most remote.

The Heavenly Martial Academy is brimming with talent and is the only academy in Dongjue Country. Given its name, it naturally has deep ties to the Heavenly Martial Sect. It’s said that excelling at the Heavenly Martial Academy could lead to an opportunity to join the Heavenly Martial Sect, a colossal entity far surpassing the four major sects.

Even if one doesn’t join the Heavenly Martial Sect, graduates of the academy often achieve great success. Some become high-ranking officials, while others command armies and wield significant power. However, families like the Lau family are hesitant to send their children to the academy, as nine out of ten who enter never return.

As a result, joining one of the more independent four major sects has become the goal for many families looking to nurture the next generation. Although the recruitment of disciples is restricted by royal authority, Dongjue Country never lacks people, and the entry requirements for the four major sects remain high.

For any family, having a member join one of the four major sects represents a formidable strength. If someone is fortunate enough to become an inner disciple, the family’s status will rise significantly. In the previous generation, the Lau family had one member join the Iron Cloud Sect. Unfortunately, he didn’t achieve much and tragically died before he could return to assume leadership, leaving the Lau family at the bottom of the social ladder in Bright Sun City.

Now that Lau Ruyue has joined the Iron Cloud Sect, if nothing unexpected happens, he's set to be the next head of the Lau family. This is a significant event for the entire Lau family, and today they’re hosting a special gathering to celebrate.

Woo Zhengyang, unaware of the timing, had no intention of attending the event. He just wanted to leave this place with Uncle Fu.

"Zhengyang?"

A voice tinged with surprise came from the side, and a warm-looking middle-aged man approached.

"Uncle!" Woo Zhengyang exclaimed, a bit taken aback.

The man, Lau Qinghan, was Woo Zhengyang's mother's older brother. Besides Uncle Fu, Lau Qinghan was the only one in the Lau mansion who truly cared for Woo Zhengyang, as he was his sister's child. However, Lau Qinghan was too straightforward and not politically savvy, making him no match for Lau Qingfeng. After the old family head passed away, Lau Qingfeng subtly took over the position, and Lau Qinghan was soon sent away on various errands, rarely returning home.

"I heard you ran off saying you wanted to join a sect. That was reckless!" Lau Qinghan scolded, his expression slightly stern, but he quickly softened. He patted Woo Zhengyang's shoulder and said, "It's good you're back. Don't act on impulse anymore. You're grown up now. I’ll get you a special fruit, and you can come along with me on my travels!"

Woo Zhengyang felt a warmth in his heart at Lau Qinghan's words. However, he knew that with Qinghan's personality, it was unlikely he could secure the spiritual fruit. Otherwise, his daughter, Lau Ruyan, wouldn't have had to reluctantly enroll in the Heavenly Martial Academy.

"Well, well, isn't it cousin Woo Zhengyang? How did your visit to the sect go? It must have been smooth sailing, right? Are we celebrating a double blessing at the Lau mansion today?" A young man, who had been teasing a maid, noticed Woo Zhengyang and approached with a sarcastic tone.

Woo Zhengyang remembered the name Lau Ruyue but couldn't recall which branch of the Lau family he belonged to. What he did know was that Ruyue was part of the main family line, often seen with Lau Qingfeng and Sun Wuji.

Many had bullied Woo Zhengyang over the years, and he had little interest in retaliating against such insignificant figures.

In front of Lau Qinghan, Lau Ruyue didn't dare to go too far. Seeing that Woo Zhengyang remained silent, he simply smirked with satisfaction and entered the banquet hall.

Woo Zhengyang wanted to leave right away, but Lau Qinghan held onto him. With no other choice, Woo Zhengyang asked Uncle Fu to wait and followed Qinghan inside.