While listening to Ou Qianxie's introduction, Ye Li looked at his two senior brothers.
Niu Qianjin is a little plump, but not bloated. He has broad ears and a simple and honest look.
Yan Fangtong is dark and thin, and looks like a farmer who has worked in the fields for a long time. The word "rustic" is written all over his face.
"Ye Li has met Senior Brother Niu and Senior Brother Yan."
After Ou Qianxie introduced the two people, Ye Li hurriedly bowed and greeted them.
The two of them also looked at Ye Li with a friendly smile. Niu Qianjin said, "Little Junior Brother, there's no need to be so polite. Since you have entered Master's sect, we are a family. Why are you still bowing and performing a formal ceremony?"
Yan Fangtong also smiled and said, "You're welcome, Junior Brother. We are all family."
Yan Fangtong didn't seem to be good at speaking, and his voice sounded very dry and stiff, but Ye Li could feel the sincerity in his heart from his simple eyes.
"Alright, you two go get ready, Ye Li wants to pay homage to the ancestor."
Ou Qianxie interrupted the conversation and ordered Niu Qianjin and Yan Fangtong to come.
The two of them responded and ran towards a wooden house near the waterfall. Ou Qianxie also greeted An Changsheng and the other two, then took Ye Li and walked in the same direction.
Everyone came to the last large wooden house in the valley. Niu Qianjin and Yan Fangtong had already opened the door of the wooden house. Ye Li took a look inside and found several rows of spirit tablets in the wooden house.
"Ye Li, our conditions are limited now, so we don't need to go through the formalities. Just follow me in and kneel down to pay homage to our ancestors and the great masters of all ages.
After burning incense and offering tea, you come out with me, and then you bow to me, and the ceremony will be complete."
Hearing how easy it was, Niu Qianjin was stunned for a moment and said, "Master, is it that simple? No need to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth or anything like that?"
Ou Qianxie waved his hand and said, "Why go through so much trouble? It's easier for me and for you. It's only a matter for the few of us to recognize a master and disciple. We can just worship our ancestors."
After hearing what their master said, Niu Qianjin and Yan Fangtong responded and hurried to prepare incense and tea.
They were all honest and simple people. To them, as long as Ou Qianxie admitted that he accepted Ye Li as his disciple, it would be enough. Even if they didn't perform other rituals, they would still call Ye Li "Junior Brother".
"Ye Li, come in with me."
Ou Qianxie called Ye Li and took him to the wooden house. An Changsheng and the other two were watching outside with smiles on their faces.
Niu Qianjin and Yan Fangtong quickly found a few teacups and incense sticks from somewhere, and then followed them into the wooden house.
After entering the house, Ou Qianxie and the others became serious.
"Ye Li, the 132 tablets placed here are for all the ancestors and elders who have made outstanding contributions to our Foundry Hall in the 937 years since its opening, as well as the masters who have passed away from generation to generation.
Before you worship me, you must first worship them, light incense and offer tea."
As he spoke, Niu Qianjin had already handed three incense sticks to Ou Qianxie, and then handed three to Ye Li, and finally he and Yan Fangtong each took three sticks.
After lighting the incense in his hand on the eternal lamp, Ou Qianxie gave some instructions and stood at the front, Ye Li stood slightly behind him on his left, while Niu Qianjin and Yan Fangtong stood at the back.
Ou Qianxie raised the incense stick to his head and said in a loud voice: "Ancestors of the Foundry Hall, the eighth generation leader Ou Qianxie will accept another closed disciple, Ye Li, today.
This child is gifted, intelligent, good-natured, diligent and studious. He has the ability to inherit and carry forward my craft of casting, so I have brought him into my family. Today, I hereby announce this to all of my ancestors."
After saying this, Ou Qianxie held a long incense stick and bowed first.
Ye Li at the back was still a little dazed. Niu Qianjin patted him on the shoulder gently and motioned him to follow him in worshipping.
Ye Li finally reacted and hurriedly followed Ou Qianxie in bowing three times.
After standing up, several people inserted long incense sticks into the incense burner, and then Niu Qianjin and Yan Fangtong stood beside them with a cup of tea and a glass of wine.
"Ye Li, go to your two senior brothers and serve them tea and wine, and then offer them in front of the spirit tablets of our ancestors."
Ou Qianxie looked at Ye Li and said.
Ye Li hurriedly took the tea and wine, and then offered them in front of the ancestral tablet.
"Okay, the simplified ceremony is over, everyone come out."
Ou Qianxie greeted him and walked out of the wooden house first.
After everyone came out, an apprentice had already brought a wooden chair and placed it on the open space next to them.
Yan Fangtong hurriedly brought out a cup of tea from the next room.
After Ou Qianxie sat on the wooden chair, he said to Ye Li: "Ye Li, come here."
Ye Li knew that the next step would be the apprenticeship ceremony, but he had never experienced this before and didn't know what he was going to do.
Hearing Ou Qianxie's call, he hurried forward.
Ou Qianxie sat on the chair and said, "Ye Li, I have just informed the ancestors of the Weapon Foundry Hall. I will now formally accept you as my disciple in front of the ancestral hall." An Changsheng and others were still standing aside, looking at them with a smile.
Ye Li was stunned, and Yan Fangtong beside him gestured for him to kneel down.
Ye Li finally reacted and quickly stood in front of Ou Qianxie, saying, "Master, please accept my disciple's greetings."
Although I have never had a master, I have heard some stories about it. The storytellers in the teahouses would occasionally tell some ancient stories about the martial arts world.
He also said the same words as the storyteller had said.
Then he kowtowed three times on the ground, which was the formal etiquette of becoming a disciple.
Afterwards, Yan Fangtong handed the teacup to Ye Li. Ye Li hurriedly knelt down, raised the teacup above his head, and handed it to Ou Qianxie.
"Master, please have some tea."
Ye Li said with his head lowered.
Ou Qianxie took the teacup with a smile, took a sip symbolically, and said, "Okay, Ye Li, this apprenticeship ceremony is over. You should get up quickly. You have become my fourth disciple now."
"Congratulations, Master. Welcome, Fourth Junior Brother."
Niu Qianjin and Yan Fangtong said in unison.
Ye Li finally reacted and quickly stood up.
He was also very happy in his heart. Although he didn't want to become a disciple at first, after going through the series of ceremonies, he also felt a sense of identity with his own identity.
Now seeing his master and fellow brothers all smiling, he naturally started to smile too.
"Qianxie, congratulations again on having a great disciple.
We are all here, and seeing that you have a new disciple, we naturally want to give you a gift of congratulations."
An Changsheng and the other two also came over. An Changsheng looked at Ye Li and Ou Qianxie and said with a smile.
Ou Qianxie nodded seriously and said, "Of course you have to give him something. When you accepted disciples, you took a lot of things from me."