The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, becoming a disciple of Yue Buqun.

Jiang Ning nodded.

The group quickly left to tidy up.

"We've collected so much this time, I wonder what Master will say when we get back."

Gao Genming said as he walked.

Tao Jun comforted him, "It's alright. Maybe we've recruited a lot here, while the other three prefectures might have recruited fewer. Take our eldest brother, for example. He doesn't like to get involved in these things, so maybe he hasn't recruited many. The extra recruits we've made up for the vacancies in his prefecture. Isn't that perfect?"

Gao Genming thought about it.

"That's true."

……

Xi'an Prefecture.

"Senior Brother, we recruited so many this time, far exceeding the quota. What if Father scolds us when we get back?"

Yue Lingshan couldn't help but worry.

Linghu Chong, however, was quite carefree, and laughed heartily upon hearing Yue Lingshan's words.

"It's alright, there aren't many in total, just over a hundred, not much more than that. We've recruited a few more here, maybe even Junior Brother Jiang Ning hasn't filled all his spots yet? Maybe the extra people we recruit here will fill the vacancies for Junior Brother Jiang Ning, isn't that perfect?"

Chapter 601: Where's my wine?

Hearing Linghu Chong say this, Yue Lingshan thought it made sense, so she stopped thinking about it and happily returned to Mount Hua with Linghu Chong.

However, when Linghu Chong and Yue Lingshan returned to Mount Hua a few days later, they were stunned when they learned the total number of people to be recruited.

"Four hundred and fifty-five?"

Linghu Chong was astonished.

Jiang Ning was also surprised by the number of people.

Yue Buqun, sitting in the head seat, said expressionlessly, "You recruited 142 people in Xi'an Prefecture this time, Ning'er recruited 163 people in Hanzhong Prefecture, plus the 75 people each recruited by your Uncle Cheng and Uncle Feng, for a total of 455 people."

Linghu Chong was speechless.

He thought that Jiangning wouldn't have filled all the positions, and that the extra recruits on his side would fill the vacancies. But it turns out that both sides have expanded their recruitment by so much.

"This...Master...Disciple..."

Linghu Chong wanted to argue, but Yue Buqun had already spoken.

"Although we recruited more than a hundred people this time, most of them are children under the age of majority. We will settle them at the foot of Mount Hua. Apart from the parents who came with their children, the rest of the children will be cared for by the villagers at the foot of Mount Hua. Once they reach the required age, they can undergo the initiation ceremony."

Yue Buqun had no intention of pursuing the matter. In reality, recruiting the extra hundred or so wouldn't have a significant impact on the Huashan Sect, although it would increase subsequent expenses considerably. However, the Huashan Sect wasn't short of money at the moment.

"Yes, Master."

Linghu Chong breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said.

Feng Buping and Cheng Buyou looked at each other in bewilderment.

If they had known it wouldn't be a problem, they would have hired an extra one or two hundred people.

"Alright, this is the only batch of disciples we'll be recruiting this year. I'll take care of their arrangements from now on; you two don't need to worry about it."

Yue Buqun said to Jiang Ning and Linghu Chong.

Jiang Ning and Linghu Chong replied, "Yes, Master."

Yue Buqun then looked at Feng Buping and Cheng Buyou: "Junior Brother Feng, Junior Brother Cheng, we will need your help to teach the daily lessons of the newly initiated disciples. My junior sister and I will also help."

Feng Buping and Cheng Buyou stood up and bowed.

"Yes, Sect Leader."

After giving their instructions, Jiang Ning and Linghu Chong were about to leave when Yue Buqun stopped them.

"Ning'er, Chong'er."

Yue Buqun said to the two of them, "July is the day of Dayou's wedding. There are still more than two months left. It's time to start preparing. Chong'er, in a few days, you will take a few junior brothers to Emei to prepare the betrothal gifts. You will be responsible for preparing the wedding ceremony with other junior brothers on Huashan. Later, I will send out wedding invitations to invite the three sects of Hengshan, Taishan and Hengshan to come and drink the wedding wine."

Last year, after the Emei Sect announced the Five Sects Alliance, they also finalized the wedding date for Lu Dayou and Emei disciple Qin Xiaohan, which is this July. Yue Buqun is now starting to make preparations.

"Yes, Master."

Upon hearing this news, Linghu Chong and Jiang Ning were also very happy, rejoicing that Lu Dayou and his lover had finally become a couple.

However, Linghu Chong's joy was short-lived; he soon began to look forward to his marriage with Yue Lingshan.

Although Yue Buqun hasn't said when he and Yue Lingshan will get married yet, he has personally admitted that he will betroth Yue Lingshan to him, so Linghu Chong isn't in a hurry.

Jiang Ning, however, was thinking about something else.

July is Lu Dayou's wedding month, and October is Yue Buqun's 60th birthday. Huashan will be busy for a while, and Linghu Chong doesn't know when he will marry Yue Lingshan, but it probably won't be long. If Jiang Ning wants to leave the mountain, the earliest he can do so is next year.

"Alright, you guys go ahead and get busy."

Yue Buqun waved his hand and said.

Jiang Ning and Linghu Chong bowed and left.

Jiang Ning prepared to go down the mountain to check on Liu Lie's condition.

After leaving the main hall, Linghu Chong first went back to his room, and then tiptoed out towards Jade Maiden Peak.

Linghu Chong seemed to be carrying something in his arms. He looked around nervously the whole way, like a thief. When he arrived at the foot of Jade Maiden Peak, he ran towards the Cliff of Contemplation without stopping for a moment.

Finally returning to the place he hadn't been to in so long, and seeing everything so familiar again, Linghu Chong felt a sense of warmth.

Carefully putting down what he was holding, he realized that Linghu Chong was carrying a jar of wine.

Linghu Chong shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Grand Uncle, Grand Uncle."

He had only called out twice when a familiar figure appeared before Linghu Chong.

"What do you want?"

Linghu Chong chuckled and said, "It's been a while since I've seen you, so I came up to see you."

"What's so interesting about an old man like me?"

As Feng Qingyang walked, his gaze fell upon the wine jars on the ground.

"You even brought alcohol up here?"

Linghu Chong winked at Feng Qingyang: "This is a fine wine that my grand-disciple specially brought back from Xi'an Prefecture, just for you to drink."

Feng Qingyang sat down.

"You're very thoughtful."

Linghu Chong took out two bowls and placed them in front of Feng Qingyang and himself. While pouring wine, he said, "Today we won't leave until we're drunk, Grand Uncle."

Feng Qingyang smiled and said, "You think you can drink until you drop with just this one jar of wine? You underestimate your grand-uncle's drinking capacity."

Linghu Chong waved his hand.

"Don't worry, Grandmaster Uncle. There are several more jars in the cave if there isn't enough here. They were left by your grand-disciple when he went down the mountain last time. There will definitely be enough for him."

Upon hearing this, Feng Qingyang revealed a mysterious smile, but said nothing.

"Grand Uncle, come here."

Linghu Chong raised his glass.

"You didn't just come here today to have a drink with me, did you?"

After downing a glass of wine, Feng Qingyang said.

Linghu Chong said, "My grand-disciple will be going down the mountain to Emei in a few days."

Feng Qingyang asked in surprise, "You were down the mountain for so long last time, what are you doing down here again this time?"

Linghu Chong then told him about Lu Dayou's marriage to an Emei disciple.

Feng Qingyang listened silently without saying anything, only saying one sentence after Linghu Chong finished speaking.

"It seems your Huashan Sect is quite busy these days."

Linghu Chong corrected him with a serious expression: "Grandmaster Uncle, it is our Huashan Sect."

Feng Qingyang was taken aback for a moment, but did not refute it; he simply smiled.

Linghu Chong continued, "We're quite busy right now. My fellow disciples and I just returned from our respective residences. This time, we were in charge of recruiting disciples, and we recruited a total of over 450 people."

Although he was very busy, Linghu Chong did not find it troublesome at all, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Once Da You's happy occasion is over, there won't be anything else to do, and then we can have a good rest."

Feng Qingyang suddenly said, "October 20th is your master's 60th birthday. You'll be quite busy then."

"My master's sixtieth birthday?"

Linghu Chong was taken aback, then slapped his forehead.

"How could I have forgotten about that?"

Feng Qingyang shook his head, picked up the bowl, and took another sip.

Linghu Chong suddenly realized something and looked at Feng Qingyang in surprise.

"Grand Uncle, how do you remember my master's birthday?"

Feng Qingyang did not answer Linghu Chong's question, but pointed to the wine jar.

"The wine is almost gone."

Upon seeing this, Linghu Chong stood up and said.

"It's alright, Grand Uncle, there are still some in the cave."

Linghu Chong hurriedly entered the cave.

Not long after.

A shocked, incredulous voice rang out.