#367 - His name is Xu Ming

Pillars of water erupted from the sea surface.

One pillar even shot towards the flying ship of the White Deer Academy.

However, no one panicked.

Although only two relatively senior individuals were in this envoy from the White Deer Academy, the rest were all newcomers, they had all undergone training beforehand and knew the specific procedures.

As the seawater scattered, it condensed into a giant bubble, enveloping the flying ship, and then, drawn by the pillar of water, it was pulled down towards the seabed.

Lu Xiaoliu sighed, sat up from his deck chair, stowed the chair away, and walked to the bow, looking somewhat like his 'pleasant dream had been disturbed'.

Fang Yu and the others looked at this middle-aged man, their brows furrowing involuntarily.

Lu Xiaoliu's reputation wasn't very good in the Confucian Academy.

'Not very good' was already a very euphemistic way of putting it.

Lu Xiaoliu's reputation could even be described as terrible.

In the minds of most Confucian disciples, Lu Xiaoliu was just someone who赖 (lai, rely on/hang around) in the Confucian Academy, doing nothing but eating and waiting to die every day, making no progress. There were even rumors that this person sometimes peeked into the women's bathhouse.

Even more recently, a rumor had spread that this Uncle-Master Lu had actually deceived a woman's feelings, playing with her and then abandoning her.

This matter had caused a great stir within the academy.

And when this matter was being widely discussed, this Uncle-Master Lu had never bothered to defend himself.

People were already saying such things about you, and you still didn't defend yourself. What else could that be but an admission?

Furthermore, it was said that this Uncle-Master Lu's mother was a courtesan, a background that made him even more despised.

Many people didn't understand why the Dean of the White Deer Academy still allowed such a person to stay in the academy, never driving him away, and even letting him participate in the Four Seas Grand Ceremony!

Even the famous Mr. Xiao of Wu Kingdom had previously been on brotherly terms with this Uncle-Master Lu. There were even rumors that when Mr. Xiao left, he had repeatedly wanted this Senior Brother Lu to accompany him.

It was truly incomprehensible.

What was so good about this Uncle-Master Lu?

"Why are you all looking at me? Take a good look at the scenery of the seabed. I've heard the scenery of the seabed is very good," Lu Xiaoliu said with a smile, looking relaxed.

The others withdrew their gaze, no one saying another word.

Regardless, this Uncle-Master Lu was still their uncle-master, and they had to give him at least basic respect.

And when they noticed this underwater world, everyone's eyes lit up at once.

This magnificent seabed was indeed very beautiful. Schools of fish darted back and forth in the sea, all kinds of marine life appeared before everyone's eyes, and the coral reefs looked like gardens.

This was scenery never seen on land!

Before long, the group arrived at the outskirts of Dragon City.

Lord Turtle was already waiting at the entrance.

These days, Lord Turtle had actually been quite busy, having to welcome distinguished guests every day, and he had to greet them with a smile, or else people might think you were neglecting them.

"I've been waiting and waiting, and finally, I've managed to welcome you all."

Lord Turtle stepped forward and bowed.

Lord Turtle's tone was both like a sigh of relief and like it contained some complaint.

A sigh of relief, because the Confucian Academy was the last to arrive, and after receiving the Confucian Academy, he could rest peacefully for a while.

As for the specific hosting of the Four Seas Grand Ceremony, that would naturally be done by the people from the Ministry of Rites, and he didn't need to worry about it at all.

Some complaint, because the Confucian Academy always came last. Couldn't you, the Confucian Academy, come earlier?

Of course, Lord Turtle also knew that the reason why the Confucian Academy came so late was not intentional, not to give the North Sea Dragon Palace a hard time or anything. That wasn't the case.

The Confucian Academy was far away, and when the Confucian Academy set off, it also had to hold two days of ceremonies as a send-off.

After setting off, the Confucian Academy also needed to go to Mount Tai once to sacrifice to the Confucian Sage.

It could be said that the Confucian Academy not only did not despise the Four Seas Dragon Palace's Grand Ceremony, but instead, it attached great importance to it!

It was precisely because they attached so much importance to it that the North Sea Dragon Palace didn't dare say anything.

"This little girl, Zhu Cici, greets your Excellency," Zhu Cici stepped forward and bowed to Lord Turtle, "We are truly sorry to have kept Lord Turtle waiting for so long."

Looking at this graceful and elegant scholarly girl in front of him, Lord Turtle nodded: "I have long heard that Mr. Zhu's appearance is stunning, and his ink fragrance travels ten miles. Seeing you today, it is indeed well-deserved. Your Dean must be very happy to have such a closed-door disciple as Mr. Zhu."

Zhu Cici smiled slightly: "Lord Turtle is too kind. At the White Deer Academy, Cici is just the most mediocre in terms of talent and learning, and cannot bear the title of 'Mr.'"

"Mr. Zhu is truly humble." Lord Turtle smiled, making way, "We have already prepared a banquet to welcome you all and wash away the dust. Please do not be disgusted."

Zhu Cici: "Lord Turtle is too polite."

Lord Turtle: "Please, everyone."

"Lord Turtle, please."

Zhu Cici, as the chief official, walked side by side with Lord Turtle.

Lord Turtle was not surprised. Long before their arrival, he knew that the White Deer Academy Dean's closed-door disciple was the chief official of this mission.

"Truly, a hero emerges at a young age." Looking at the girl beside him, Lord Turtle couldn't help but sigh.

"Why does Lord Turtle suddenly say that?" Zhu Cici said with a smile.

"Because I remembered someone I had received before." Lord Turtle said with a smile.

"Oh?" Zhu Cici expressed curiosity.

Lord Turtle stroked his beard: "That person was also as young as you, and among the group, he was also the chief official of the mission, behaving neither arrogantly nor obsequiously, and was very polite."

"Who is this person?" Zhu Cici followed up on Lord Turtle's words.

Lord Turtle: "This person is from Wu Kingdom, named Xu Ming."

… …

… …

[Originally, I planned to write 10,000 words these two days, but as I was writing, I started playing games on my phone again.

And to be honest, writing on a phone is really not as good as writing on a computer. I feel that writing on a phone is not only slow but also has a high error rate. The phone is too small, it's too easy to click the wrong thing.

Then I look at the news here and look at the news there, and the old man in the bed next to me likes to talk to me about some news.

Recently, with the US presidential election these two days, the old man in the bed next to me has been talking eloquently, and I can only keep nodding, and then the old man becomes happier and happier as he talks… …]