Chapter 987: Why are they showing so much respect to Zhang Ye?
Translator: Legge Editor: Legge
Zhang Ye arrived.
The Lian Family Style disciples were cursing on the inside!
Fuck!
What is this Plague God doing here!
Shit!
This is going to be bad!
They were all in a subconscious state of panic. Although they had not participated in the recent Tianshan Martial Arts Conference, how could they not have heard of Zhang Ye's notoriety!
Hou Ge, Hou Di, and the others immediately ran up to him.
"Teacher Zhang!"
"You're here?"
"They've confiscated all of our station's equipment!"
"What is this! Tell me what this is!"
Han Qi and Xiao Lu stamped their feet angrily.
Hu Fei also looked over. "Zhang'er."
Zhang Ye asked, "Is everyone alright?"
Hu Fei furrowed his brows as he looked at the martial artists. He said, "We're alright for now, but they were planning to beat us up because of the argument we had. Even the police couldn't do anything when they got here!"
Zhang Ye said, "I'll handle it."
Hu Fei said, "Be careful."
Zhang Ye nodded.
Ning Lan also came up to him.
Zhang Ye locked eyes with her. As this was their first time meeting in person, they took the opportunity to size each other up.
Ning Lan was worthy of being an A-list movie star. She was elegant and looked very pretty as well. But at present, her clothing was a bit odd. She was wearing robes in the ancient style. Her sleeve was torn apart at the shoulder, and was even smeared with mud and some "blood." This look was probably required for a scene in the movie.
Ning Lan stretched out her hand. "Teacher Zhang."
Zhang Ye shook her hand. "Sister Ning."
Ning Lan had gone through all kinds of difficulties in the industry. Even though she and the film crew were trapped here and their equipment had been taken away, she did not make a fuss. Instead, she laughed. "As per your instructions, I mentioned your name but it didn't seem to have worked."
She turned around and looked at the Lian Family Style disciples.
Zhang Ye also looked at them. "The Lian Family Style?"
Master Chen, who was the group's leader, wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, "That's us."
Zhang Ye said calmly, "I think I heard someone say that even if I came here in person, I'd still have to do something? That thought wasn't finished, so please go on and finish it."
When they heard that, the disciples immediately fell silent!
The Lian Family Style disciples were instantly dumbstruck and started sputtering!
Zhang Ye stared at them. "You don't even have that tiny ounce of respect for me, do you?"
Respect?
What respect did Zhang Ye command here?
The Lian Family Style disciples had even ignored the police, while the calls from Jiang Hanwei and other people in the industry trying clear up the misunderstanding went ignored as well!
The Beijing Television team could not understand!
The film crew could not understand either!
To them, Zhang Ye was just an A-list celebrity. But then again, Ning Lan was an A-list celebrity too. She was even much more popular than him, yet what use was that? In the martial arts community, they did not care about how famous you were as the two fields were in different domains with basically nothing in common!
However, the Lian Family Style disciples' reaction confused everyone!
There was a moment of silence from them.
Eventually, Master Chen braced himself and stepped forward. He apologized, "My deepest apologies, Master Zhang. My junior martial brothers don't know how to be polite. We didn't mean in that way."
Zhang Ye regarded him. "But it sounded to me like you really meant it that way."
Master Chen gave him a nervous fist and palm salute. "We wouldn't dare."
Ning Lan was stunned.
Hu Fei was wide-eyed and tongue-tied.
Dafei, Xiao Lu, Han Qi, and the film crew were all dumbfounded!
Damn! What was that supposed to mean? What was going on? The Lian Family Style disciples had just been furiously calling to rough them up. But when Zhang Ye arrived, why did they suddenly turn into different people? Why was their attitude toward Zhang Ye completely different from their attitude toward them?!
Zhang Ye pointed to the people behind him and said, "These are my coworkers; Ning Lan's my friend. Before I came over, I told Sister Ning that I would be arriving very soon. I told her that if there was any trouble, she could just mention my name to you. Oh, but now I've realized that I don't even command that tiny ounce of respect. And you people were even planning to beat them up after they brought up my name? Alright then." He stepped aside to vacate the area, revealing the people behind him. Then he swept his arm toward the film crews. "Make your move. Do whatever you wanted to do."
Master Chen was sweating profusely, and was truly trembling. "You must be kidding. Please don't joke around like this."
Zhang Ye solemnly replied, "I'm not kidding."
Master Chen wiped at his sweat again.
None of the Lian Family Style disciples ventured out!
Make our move?
Rough them up while you're standing right here?
Fuck, we haven't lived long enough yet!
Before Zhang Ye's arrival, they could have done anything they wanted, such as scolding or beating them up, and no one could have said anything against that. That was because the Lian Family Style had the right to do as they wished since it was the film crew who offended them first. Even the police would not be able to interfere. This was similar to how the ethnic minorities had their own rules, culture, and traditions. You couldn't just go about doing whatever you wanted and not respect their rules while in their territory. But now that Zhang Ye had come personally, they knew that they couldn't back up their bluster. With Zhang Ye's status in the martial arts community, if they did not show him this basic respect, then it would be their Lian Family Style who did not observe the rules. Of course, the crux of the matter was that even if a few dozen of them combined their strength, they still wouldn't be a fucking match for him! Beat them up? That would be as good as digging their own graves!
Zhang Ye said calmly, "I already know the issue. Whatever my friends here were in the wrong about, they've apologized and offered compensation. Or maybe you people could request something you need since they were at fault. There would be no argument against that!" Zhang Ye had always been a reasonable man. "But wouldn't beating them up be going overboard? A bunch of martial artists bullying a group of powerless people? There are even women among them! Are you not ashamed of yourselves?"
The Lian Family Style disciples were afraid to utter a word, but neither did they have an excuse!
Zhang Ye immediately said, "If you feel that their apology was not good enough, I will apologize to you all on their behalf since they are my friends." He then cupped his fists and bowed.
Master Chen went to stop him, flustered. "Please don't, please don't!"
Another Lian Family Style unarmed specialist hurriedly said, "There's no need to do that!"
"This isn't your fault," a female unarmed specialist also said hurriedly. "Master Zhang, there's really no need for you to do that!"
They could not accept Zhang Ye's apology, nor did they deserve it!
But with Zhang Ye showing his sincerity, much of their anger had dissipated. They suddenly felt that Zhang Ye was not as unreasonable as the rumors going around the martial arts community made him out to be.
All of a sudden, they heard footfalls coming from behind them.
Another person had arrived!
It was a middle-aged man who was bald. He looked very tough but had quite a tender air about him.
The Lian Family Style disciples instantly extricated themselves!
"Master!"
"Master!"
"Master!"
The man of the hour had arrived!
It was the Lian Family Style's master of the current generation!
The film crew and the Beijing Television team were subconsciously nervous. When the master arrived, they thought there would be another twist of events. If the other party decided to be unreasonable, they would still be unable to leave this place. Yet somehow, the next development made them once again unable to react!
Zhang Ye looked at him and gave him a fist and palm salute. "Master Lian."
The master of the Lian Family Style also looked at Zhang Ye. he gave a fist and palm and salute and said, "Master Zhang. A rare guest."
Zhang Ye said, "I'm here to resolve things for my friends and coworkers. They are just common folk and do not know your rules. If they did anything wrong, let me apologize on their behalf."
The master of the Lian Family Style refused to accept his apology as well and replied, "There's no need, Master Zhang. I've already been informed about the matter. The Heavenly Rock was handed down by our Lian Family Style's ancestral founder, and holds a great deal of significance to our Lian Family. But you are right; we cannot blame the ignorant. In reality, it's no big deal. Besides, how can we not show you respect, Master Zhang?"
Zhang Ye said, "Then allow me to thank you on behalf of my friends."
They could refuse to give face to Jiang Hanwei.
But they could not afford to snub Zhang Ye!
In the martial arts community, Jiang Hanwei's status was on a completely different plane from Zhang Ye's. Jiang Hanwei was a former disciple of the Huashan Sect, so even if he were an expert martial arts master, a former disciple was still a former disciple. His background was already tainted by that fact. Furthermore, some things that happened back at the Huashan Sect all those years ago had given some people in the Chinese martial arts world a bad impression of Jiang Hanwei.
But Zhang Ye was different. First, his kung fu skills were out in the open for all to see. He was someone who had previously forced a draw against a grandmaster. In the entire Chinese martial arts world, Zhang Ye was without doubt the strongest person below the grandmaster level. With his superb kung fu, even if those present today and the master of the Lian Family style were to gang up on him, the few dozen of them would still not be a match for Zhang Ye. Second, Zhang Ye's identity as the successor to the Taiji Fist that had been lost for over a hundred years was held in very high esteem within the martial arts community. It had a whole other meaning altogether. Third, Zhang Ye had recently barged into the grounds of over a dozen large sects in succession and took them all down with astounding ease. Almost all of the sects of the Chinese martial arts world that could be counted as large had their plaques smashed by him. Even the Shaolin Monastery and Huashan Sect had suffered Zhang Ye's violent wrath. Other than him, there was no one in the martial arts community with such a reputation. Even today, his legend was spreading throughout the martial arts community! However, even though there were many people denouncing him, as long as they did not have a blood feud with Zhang Ye, they would still prefer to avoid someone like him as much as possible.
Afterwards.
The master of the Lian Family Style glanced at his disciples and reprimanded, "Master Zhang is a guest, but you're all holding clubs. Is this the way we treat our guests?"
When the Lian Family Style disciples heard this, they hurriedly put down their weapons.
"We're sorry, Master."
"Uh-huh."
"Our apologies, Master Zhang."
Since they were being courteous with him, Zhang Ye also behaved politely.
Zhang Ye said, "We should be the ones apologizing instead."
An employee from the film crew was also quite enthusiastic to smooth things over. He came forward and said, "I'm sorry, Master Lian. We really didn't know the story behind the Heavenly Rock. We'll be sure to take note of it from now on. Tell us if you require anything for the training hall, or we could also fork out some money to help you renovate the place? It looks like quite a few of the structures are getting worn down."
The master of the Lian Family Style waved it off and said, "There's no need for that. Since your side has apologized, consider things resolved. There's no need to bring it up again. Besides, Master Zhang has come all the way here, so how could I ask you all for compensation?" Then he turned around and said to his disciples, "What are you doing still standing there? Return their equipment!"
"Yes!"
"Yes, Master!"
Master Lian beckoned to Zhang Ye and said, "Shall we have some tea inside, Master Zhang? This way, please."
Zhang Ye also gesticulated. "You first."
The two of them went inside to the innermost room.
They left behind a group of dumbfounded people who were unable to accept what had just happened before their very eyes!
Master Zhang?
When did Zhang Ye become a master?
What the fuck was that salutation?
In addition, why was the Lian Family Style's people willing to show this much respect to Zhang Ye?!