Under one person: I, Zhang Zhiwei, the arrogant Zhang.

Chapter 1018 The Strongest Best Man in History

Zhang Zhiwei brought Lü Ci and Tian Jinzhong to the Lu family. Celestial Master Zhang Jingqing did not come; after all, it was just a young person getting married, and Zhang Zhiwei's presence was enough.

When Zhang Zhiwei arrived, the senior brothers of the Sanyi Sect were still asking Lu Jin if the message from Longhu Mountain had been delivered. Why hadn't the Little Celestial Master arrived yet at this hour?

Lu Jin was also quite puzzled. He had informed Zhang Zhiwei a month in advance, and he had also followed his father's advice to send a separate letter to Zhang Zhiwei. There was no question of the notification being inadequate.

Shuiyun and Changqing, senior brothers of the Sanyi Sect, thought that Zhang Zhiwei might be in seclusion and had not received the message, so they asked him to send the message again using Yin-Yang paper.

Lu Jin took out the Yin-Yang paper, but after thinking about it, she put it back.

He felt that if Senior Brother Zhang was in seclusion, he shouldn't bother him with such a small matter.

Seeing him like this, the people of the Sanyi Sect were worried for him.

Li Muxuan, on the other hand, was not in a hurry at all. He was quite worried and even advised Lu Jin that given his friendship with Zhang Zhiwei, Zhang Zhiwei would definitely come for this. The reason he hadn't come yet was because his wedding hadn't started yet. He would definitely come when it started.

Moreover, given Zhang Zhiwei's extraordinary abilities, it wouldn't be a matter of a single thought for him to come; he could even arrive at the exact moment of the wedding ceremony.

Upon hearing this, Lu Jin felt much more at ease. Although he had said that his wedding shouldn't interfere with Senior Brother Zhang's cultivation, he still really wanted Zhang Zhiwei to come.

Just then, a thunderbolt struck from the sky.

The people of Sanyi Sect were still marveling at how rare such a bolt from the blue was.

Lu Jin suddenly ran out.

Shui Yun Changqing and the others were still puzzled, but Li Muxuan had already realized that the Little Celestial Master had arrived, and he quickly went to greet him.

Throughout his life, he didn't have many people he respected, only Zuo Menzhang and Zhang Zhiwei. Even his mentor, Wang Yaozu, was only half-respected.

When the others from the Sanyi Sect saw Lu Jin and Li Muxuan running out one after another, they immediately realized that something had happened, so they followed them.

After turning a few corners, we arrived at the backyard and saw a huge charred mark on the open ground. In the center of the charred mark stood three people, one tall and two short.

Actually, the shorter ones aren't short at all; the taller ones are just a bit too tall.

The visitors were Zhang Zhiwei, Lü Ci, and Tian Jinzhong.

Lu Jin was overjoyed to see the three of them and quickly went forward to greet them.

"Old Lu, you're doing great! You've taken care of all these important life events without making a sound!" Zhang Zhiwei walked over with a smile, patted Lu Jin on the shoulder, his tone teasing but mostly sincere.

"Old Lu, congratulations!" Tian Jinzhong stepped forward, smiling and cupping his hands in a sincere tone.

Only Lü Ci crossed his arms, tilted his head, and looked Lu Jin up and down, saying sarcastically, "Oh, not bad, Young Master Lu! While we're out there fighting like madmen, you're hiding at home indulging in romance and love affairs, living a pretty comfortable life! You value women more than friends!"

In the past, Lu Jin would not tolerate Lu Ci's provocations, whether verbally or physically. But this time, Lu Ci's words made Lu Jin feel ashamed.

He was naturally aware of the recent uproar surrounding the Tiantong Steel Plant and the Zhang Mazi incident, and he even went so far as to ask Zhang Zhiwei about it using yin-yang paper.

Zhang Zhiwei didn't hide anything and told Lu Jin about it. Upon hearing that it happened so often, Lu Jin was extremely envious and wanted to participate as well, to impersonate Zhang Mazi with the Tang Clan.

Unfortunately, news travels slowly these days, and by the time he found out, Zhang Mazi's operation had already reached the final stage led by Zhang Zhiwei.

He was both envious and regretful about this. When he left, Senior Brother Zhang was practicing meditation and Lü Ci was hoeing the ground. How come they were causing trouble while he was doing something?

Most importantly, they haven't called him yet. Lu Jin felt that if they had called him, he definitely wouldn't let personal feelings interfere with this matter.

Despite various reasons, he did not go, that was a fact. Now that Lü Ci had pointed it out to him, he opened his mouth but didn't know how to refute it.

Seeing Lu Jinzhen's embarrassed expression, Zhang Zhiwei laughed and said, "Alright, Erbi, are you upset that Lao Lu didn't invite you to be his best man at his wedding, and that's why you're throwing a tantrum here?"

"What?!" Upon hearing this, Lü Ci reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, instantly bristling with anger. Pointing at Zhang Zhiwei, he exclaimed in shock, "Senior Brother Zhang, how dare you slander me out of thin air? I, Lü Ci, have absolutely no interest in being a best man. Even if he had invited me, I would not have gone."

Lu Jin was taken aback and looked at Lü Ci with some confusion, unable to tell whether Zhang Zhiwei was telling the truth or not.

Li Muxuan, standing nearby, smiled slightly and nudged Lu Jin at just the right moment, saying, "Senior Brother Lu, since Senior Brother Zhang says Brother Lü is interested, why don't you go along with it and invite him?"

Lu Jin suddenly realized what was happening and quickly smiled at Lü Ci, saying, "Hedgehog, if you really don't mind, then I'll formally invite you! We're brothers, so you'll have to help out at my wedding!"

"No way! I'm busy! Whoever wants to go can go!" Lü Ci shook his head like a rattle drum, refusing decisively, but his eyes couldn't help but glance at Zhang Zhiwei.

"Arrange it! It absolutely has to be arranged!" Zhang Zhiwei waved his hand and made the decision directly: "I think this is settled! It's Lao Lu's wedding, and as his brother, how can you not put in some effort? You can't refuse!"

“Senior Brother Zhang, you…” Lü Ci was furious, but suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he immediately chose to shift the blame, pointing at Zhang Zhiwei and saying, “Stop blaming me! If you’re going to make arrangements, make arrangements for Senior Brother Zhang too! I think he’s quite eager to be one!”

Zhang Zhiwei: "...?"

That kid, his revenge came fast.

“Senior Brother Zhang…” Lu Jin looked at Zhang Zhiwei, somewhat unsure. Although Senior Brother Zhang and he had a good relationship, was it really appropriate for someone like Senior Brother Zhang to be his best man? If he were the officiant, he certainly wouldn’t hesitate, but the officiant’s position was reserved for Master!

"Damn it, Lao Lu, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and invite him!" Li Muxuan, who was standing next to him, was getting impatient and wished he could speak up for Lu Jin.

Lu Jin took a deep breath, his face filled with a mixture of surprise and excitement, and he stammered, "Senior Brother Zhang... then... then together? Oh my, I, Lu Jin... this... how fortunate I am! How fortunate I am!"

He was so excited that he was almost incoherent; his surprise was genuine.

Seeing Lu Jin's excited expression, Zhang Zhiwei smiled and said, "Me, a groomsman? Old Lu, aren't you afraid I'll steal your thunder?"

Lu Jin blurted out, "Senior Brother Zhang, wherever you go, you steal the spotlight! How can you talk about stealing the spotlight?"

"Hey, you're even trying to flatter me now!" Lu Ci said, pursing his lips.

"Alright, enough with the formalities," Zhang Zhiwei said with a smile. "Then it's settled. By the way, where's the bride? Hasn't she been brought over yet?"

“She’s…at her own home,” Lu Jin said somewhat awkwardly.

“Oh, right, we haven’t greeted them at the door yet.” Zhang Zhiwei nodded knowingly.

As the group chatted and laughed, more and more people gathered around them. Zhang Zhiwei's "thunderbolt from a clear sky" had caused quite a commotion, already alerting various martial arts figures within the Lu family manor.

With the wedding date approaching, many guests who had traveled from afar had already arrived. Upon hearing that Zhang Zhiwei, the Little Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain, was coming in person, many people rushed over to pay their respects.

"Greetings, Little Celestial Master!"

"Greetings, Little Celestial Master!"

For a moment, greetings came one after another. Although Zhang Zhiwei disliked this scene, he couldn't refuse a smiling face, so he could only respond politely to each one.

Soon, the focus of attention here quietly shifted from the groom, Lu Jin, to him.

Despite being overshadowed, Lu Jin wasn't particularly upset. Although he was a respectable person and adept at handling such occasions, the social engagements of the past few days had indeed left him somewhat exhausted.

Now that Senior Brother Zhang has arrived and shielded him from this barrage of attacks, he's actually happy to have some peace and quiet.

Zhang Zhiwei glared at Lü Ci with a hint of annoyance and transmitted his voice, "Erbi, I told you we'd be late, but you insisted on leaving in such a hurry. Now look what happened!"

Lu Ci grinned from the side, gloating, "The capable are always given more work, Senior Brother Zhang! Who told you to have such a reputation!"

Not long after, Lu Xuan, the head of the Lu family, and Zuo Ruotong, the head of the Sanyi Sect, arrived together.

As the saying goes, "A teacher for a day is a father for life." In terms of the amount of time spent together, Zuo Ruotong and Lu Jin have even spent more time together than Lu Xuan, Lu Jin's biological father, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him half a father. Naturally, he would attend Lu Jin's wedding this time, and he would also be the officiant.

"It is an honor for the Lu family to have the young Celestial Master here!" Lu Xuan said with a beaming smile, bowing his hands in greeting.

"Patriarch Lu, you're too kind," Zhang Zhiwei said with a smile.

"Young friend Zhiwei, it's been a long time," Zuo Ruotong said gently, stroking his beard.

"Master Zuo, how have you been?" Zhang Zhiwei returned the greeting.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zuo Ruotong glanced at Zhang Zhiwei and Lü Ci, and suddenly smiled:

"I just heard that my young friend Zhiwei and the young man from the Lü family are going to be my good-for-nothing disciple's... 'best man'? This is a new Western term that I've never heard of before. But it sounds quite interesting. It's a wonderful thing to have good friends accompany you to the ceremony. Jin'er, it's your good fortune that you were able to invite the two of you, and it's also a matter of honor for our Sanyi Sect. As your master, I thank you both in advance."

As he spoke, he actually bowed slightly.

This made Lü Ci feel flattered. He felt unworthy to receive the Great Ying Immortal's bow of gratitude, so he quickly bowed back.

Actually, he didn't mind being Lu Jin's best man, but Lu Jin hadn't invited him beforehand. Even though Zhang Zhiwei had forced him to agree, he still felt a little resentful.

This slight resentment completely vanished after Zuo Ruotong bowed.

And this is exactly what Master Zuo wants. Lu Jin is not careful in his considerations, so as his master, he should at least think about things for him, right?

When Lu Xuan learned that Zhang Zhiwei was going to be his son's best man, an incredulous look appeared on his face. What kind of status did the Little Celestial Master have in the martial arts world? If this got out, the Lu family's reputation would be greatly enhanced! Although the Lu family was very principled, even the most principled family couldn't refrain from such matters! The Lu family head was extremely pleased.

"Then you'll have to prepare the best man's clothes," Zhang Zhiwei said.

Lu Jin immediately beamed with joy and quickly said, "I'm ready! I've been ready for a long time! I've prepared your size, as well as Hedgehog's and Fatty's sizes, they'll all fit perfectly!"

"Oh?" Zhang Zhiwei said, "So you had this planned all along?"

Lu Jin just chuckled without answering, his face revealing undisguised smugness and happiness.

"Where did you get our measurements from?" Zhang Zhiwei asked curiously.

"Senior Brother Zhang, have you forgotten the team uniforms we wore when we first went to Liaodong?" Lu Jin reminded him, "That's where we took our measurements!"

Zhang Zhiwei remembered. Back then, for the sake of convenience, they disguised themselves and went to a tailor shop that Lu Jin frequented, where each of them had a suit made. The sizes were the ones they had kept from that time.

"It's been so long, you still remember?" Zhang Zhiwei asked with a smile.

"That trip to Liaodong was thrilling and unforgettable," Lu Jin said with emotion, her eyes filled with reminiscence. "Thinking about it now still makes my blood boil."

“Me too,” Lu Ci exclaimed, a rare occurrence. “That experience was truly amazing. It felt dangerous at the time, but now, thinking back on it, it’s incredibly memorable.”

"What do you mean by 'unforgettable'? Hedgehog, what are you babbling about again?" Just as the words were spoken, a round figure squeezed in. The newcomer was dressed in a suit and tie; it was Wang Ai.

Seeing that the younger generation, or rather, the generation in their prime, was growing larger, Zuo Ruotong and Lu Xuan exchanged a smile and tacitly stepped aside, leaving them the space. Young people have their own topics to discuss; these old folks didn't need to get involved.

"Who is it, Fatty!" Lu Ci looked at Wang Ai and said irritably, "Why are you dressed now?"

"Try it on first, see if it fits. If it doesn't, it can be altered," Wang Ai said with a smile, straightening his tie. He had come all the way from Chongqing, a long journey, so he had set off early and arrived early as well.

“You’re quite attentive,” Lu Ci said.

"Absolutely! We've been through thick and thin together, we have to be concerned!" Wang Ai patted her chest and said, "I'll be even more concerned when you get married!"

"How's the situation in Chongqing?" Zhang Zhiwei asked.

"Everything is normal. Tiantong Steel Plant is back on track, and production is gradually increasing. It is expected to reach another level next year," Wang Ai reported.

"Where is Liu Mang?" Zhang Zhiwei asked again.

"Liu Mang is preparing for war. It seems he's gearing up for a major battle." Wang Ai's expression was slightly serious.

Zhang Zhiwei nodded and didn't ask any further questions. Today was Lu Jin's wedding, and these topics were not suitable for discussion.

But Lu Jin took the initiative to ask, having also seen the news and knowing about the joint effort to fight the Japanese pirates, he was very concerned: "When will the fighting begin?"

Zhang Zhiwei waved his hand and said, "It should still be a while. An army marches on its stomach. A major battle requires a lot of preparation. But you don't need to worry about these things. You're just a reckless man, why should you care about these things? You should think about your wife, children, and warm bed."

"Senior Brother Zhang, what are you saying..." (End of Chapter)