Ao Laizi

**Ao Laizi** (傲崃子, Ào Láizi) is the leader of the Mount Tai Sect.

## Appearance

Ao Laizi is an old man with a long goatee and long eyebrows, his hair, including facial, is entirely grey in colour. Ao Laizi wears the colours of the Mount Tai Sect, which is dark blue with light blue undertones, he is distinguished by his dark scarf instead of light like his disciples.

## Personality

Hard-headed and loyal to his word, Ao Laizi goes through many grievances and risk the lives of his disciples in order to keep a promise. He is determined and ready to face many people even if he was weaker than them. Ao Laizi places duty above all, and believes firmly that duty makes life and death trivial matters.

While Ao Laizi is capable of maintaining civility, he does not submit to social pressure, and was willing to face whatever Shen Shen will do when he refused the invitation back to the Sanbai Manor.

## History

### Lu Taichong's Last Wish

The master of the Dan Yang Sect, Lu Taichong, had long lost his trust in his brothers of the Five Lakes Alliance. On his deathbed, he referred to Ao Laizi, who was a close ally of the Dan Yang Sect, and personally entrusted his both his disciples and his own piece of the Liuli Armour to Ao Laizi, and made him promise that he will not hand either the disciples or the Liuli Armour piece to any brother of the Five Lakes Alliance.

### Pursuit of the Dan Yang Disciples

> Silly child, Shen Shen is chasing after you relentlessly to steal the Glazed Armor that your master left.
>
> Ao Laizi to Lu Taichong's disciple

Once the news of Lu Taichong's death spread out, the fourth brother of the Alliance, Shen Shen, started to chase Ao Laizi down to reclaim the disciples of the Dan Yang Sect and the Liuli Armour piece, as Shen Shen says that it originally belongs to the Five Lakes Alliance. Shen Shen chased Ao Laizi and his disciples relentlessly, and almost had caught them if it wasn't for the massacre of the Jing Hu Sect.

Scouting ahead, Ao Laizi tries to encourage his disciples to keep being on the move, so they wouldn't be caught. Feeling guilty, the two disciples of the Dan Yang Sect suggested that Ao Laizi should simply turn them over, but Ao Laizi refused, and insisted on keeping his word to Lu Taichong and protect the two disciples from the Alliance.

The next day, Ao Laizi was chased and cornered by Tao Hongpo‏‎ and Lu Liuweng, who were seeking out the Liuli Armour piece from the disciples. They tried to convince Ao Laizi to not involve himself with the affairs of the Alliance, claiming that Lu Taichong did not mind causing Ao Laizi trouble. Ao Laizi still stood his ground and defended himself and the disciples against the pair. The commotion is interrupted by Shen Shen's arrival, and by Ao Laizi's tense attitude towards Shen Shen, Tao Hongpo deduces that Shen Shen was chasing Mount Tai, and comments that if people were to know, the reputation of the Alliance would be tarnished. This causes Shen Shen and the Begger Sect's pair to engage in a duel, while Ao Laizi attempts to silently retreat.

The fight ends with the pair's escape and Shen Shen being injured. He attempts to beckon the Dan Yang Sect's disciples to his side, and when they tell him of Lu Taichong's wishes to stay with the Mount Tai Sect, Shen Shen becomes aggravated and calls their master delirious, and threatens Ao Laizi. Ao Laizi in response, asks him if he truly wanted the disciples, or just the Liuli Armour piece. Before a fight can break out, Zhao Jing arrives with the company of other sects, and in order to save face, both of Shen Shen and Ao Laizi pretend to be at peace, with Ao Laizi comforting Qing Hua that Shen Shen is an "ally".

> Chevalier Zhao, what if I say no?
>
> Ao Laizi to Zhao Jing

Out of courtesy, Zhao Jing invites Ao Laizi back to the Sanbai Manor, claiming that he must be tired from being so far away from home. Unexpectedly, Ao Laizi refuses, and eyes Shen Shen while doing so, waiting for Shen Shen's reaction. Shen Shen at Zhao Jing's tone, decided to let this encounter peacefully go, but before doing so, he makes one last attempt to take the Dan Yang disciples by peace, and when that fails, Shen Shen whispers to Ao Laizi that what he is committing is theft, and that he will not be capable of fending off himself with the two disciples in his possession.

## References

1. ↑ Web-Series, Episode 03
2. ↑ Web-Series, Episode 04