Chapter 212: Stern Tests

Chapter 212: Stern Tests

In the small town in the Dragon Spring Prefecture, a young Daoist priest wearing a lotus flower hat was seated by himself behind a small desk in an old school building that was no longer in use. He cast his gaze toward the spot where Qi Jingchun had been standing for 60 years, and he was silent as he unconsciously traced a finger back and forth over the surface of the desk.

Upon returning to his senses, Lu Chen raised a hand, making a grabbing motion, and he was able to "scoop" He Xiaoliang straight up from the Kun ship and pull her to his side. Even for a Golden Core Tier Qi refiner like He Xiaoliang, instantly traveling over such a vast distance left her reeling from a sense of dizziness, and she stumbled momentarily before steadying herself.

A solemn look then appeared on her face, and she took a moment to compose herself and smooth down her clothes before taking three steps back and falling to her knees, then kowtowed to the ground as she declared, "Disciple He Xiaoliang pays her respects to her master."

It was nothing short of an enormous blessing for the Jade Girl of a continent's Daoist orthodoxy like her to become a direct disciple to a Branch Master of Daoism.

Lu Chen nodded in response, then gestured for He Xiaoliang to get up as he said, "There's no need to observe such trivial formalities as my disciple, it's the thought that counts. You probably don't believe what I'm saying right now, but you'll come to understand once you meet your five other senior brothers and sisters. Outside of the Great Dao, everything else is completely superfluous."

Lu Chen had been born in Majestic World, but he had actually grown up in Heavenly World, and he didn't place much bearing on the rites and formalities observed in Confucianism or even the integral rules of Daoism. Even prior to his ascension, he had always placed very little weight on social norms, and that was why he lived a very carefree and uninhibited life and why his writings were renowned for their free-flowing nature.

In contrast with his first senior brother, who was meticulous to a fault, and his second senior brother, who was very careful and prudent, even in the face of their master, Lu Chen had never been one to follow rules. He had been scolded by his first senior brother and even beaten by his second senior brother for this, but he remained true to himself. Thankfully, his master wasn't bothered by his uncouth nature.

Lu Chen could see that He Xiaoliang was feeling rather tense and apprehensive, and he smiled as he asked, "Why are you so nervous? Could it be that you're still apprehensive about what happened before? Are you thinking that I'm constantly trying to go around setting traps for you? Is that why you feel the need to meticulously ponder everything that I say and do? If that's what you're thinking, then you're wrong.

“Overcompensation is just as much of a mistake as lack of adaptation. You were able to become my direct disciple as you managed to pass three tests, the first of which is that you detected my machinations and immediately peered into your own heart, remaining true to yourself and dispelling the illusion that you and Chen Ping'an were a 'match made in heaven.'

“That allowed you to grasp the truth, which is that the two of you are only loosely tied together by fate. Only after passing this test will you be able to ensure your own survival on Complete Reed Continent. That continent is filled with swordsmen, and everything is settled by the sharpness of one's sword or the hardness of one's fists.

“You'll eventually encounter some major setbacks there, and given how smoothly everything has gone in your life thus far, your mentality will completely crumble if your mental state is affected by these setbacks. If that happens, then I'll have no choice but to give up on you."

Lu Chen smiled as he continued, "On this occasion, Xie Shi requested three people from the Great Li Empire. Setting aside Li Xisheng for now, Ma Kuxuan was the lucky child chosen by my second senior brother. There may be quite a large age gap between the two, but their personalities are very much alike, and that's why he was chosen.

“As for whether there were other hidden circumstances involved, the rules of the Daoist orthodoxy stipulate that junior and senior brothers are not to perform divination on one another, so I have no way of knowing. You are the one chosen by me as your Dao Heart and your cultivation experiences are very similar to my past experiences. The source of this content can be connected to n0v3lb!n★

“You had to see through illusions to find yourself, and the situation isn't anywhere near as complex as you imagine it to be. I didn't choose you to serve as a pawn or puppet to play a role for Daoism in the battle between the hundred schools of thought or anything like that. Instead, I simply liked the look of you, so I decided to take you as my disciple.

“Do you really think those old farts in the Confucian temples would actually let me go free without closely scrutinizing my every move? My intentions and plans are a complete open book. As for whether you'll be able to establish a firm foothold on Complete Reed Continent and survive to the very end, that will be up to you. Once I travel to Heavenly World, I won't go out of my way to look out for my disciples.

“The Confucian Sages won't intentionally try to harm you, and you have a senior brother who's roaming Middle Earth Divine Continent, as well as a senior sister who's cultivating at the Sword Qi Great Wall. If anything happens, you can turn to them for help.

“Now that you're a disciple of mine, you have certain standards to live up to, and you have to do me proud, but don't worry, I'm not like your previous master back at Divine Edict Sect, and I won't force you to engage in dual cultivation with me."

He Xiaoliang had reverted back to the same beautiful Daoist nun as before, the one who regarded everything else outside of the Great Dao as inconsequential, and she asked a question that had been on her mind for a long time: "Are there also Confucian Sages pulling strings in secret in Heavenly World that our Daoist teaching has full control over?"

Lu Chen immediately burst into laughter. "Of course! It's the same everywhere, and everyone is very busy. Surely you don't think that the likes of Ma Kuxuan, Wei Jin, and Song Changjing are the cream of the crop among the prodigies of this world?

“If you do think that, then you should really go and visit Middle Earth Divine Continent, or White Jade Capital of Heavenly World. In those places, you'll come to realize that there's always a more brilliant prodigy out there."

He Xiaoliang was seated behind a nearby desk, and she was looking directly into Lu Chen's eyes. After hearing what he had said, her brows furrowed slightly, as if she was perplexed about something.

"You must be wondering why the three teachings don't just establish an agreement to only develop their forces on their own territory instead of going to the trouble of meddling with one another, right?" Lu Chen asked with an amused expression.

He Xiaoliang nodded in response. That was exactly what she was thinking.

"That's because all of the territories are ancient battlefields that were claimed by our predecessors at the cost of their lives," Lu Chen explained. "We're also afraid that the territories that we rule over could turn on us. If we choose to willingly isolate ourselves, or our actions make those beneath us feel as if their pursuit of the Great Dao is being restricted, then the ultimate outcome can be seen in all of the current worlds."

Lu Chen casually pointed in the direction of the immortal tomb in the town as he continued, "The worlds continue to exist, but the once high-and-mighty rulers of these worlds have been reduced to nothing more than sets of remains buried in the ground."

A hint of enlightenment appeared in He Xiaoliang's eyes.

Some things were too distant and too difficult to understand, and those who knew about such things were unwilling to divulge these matters to others or write them down in recordings, so their successors naturally remained oblivious.

There were far too many theories out there, and the flames of speculation were only further fanned by the Fictionists, overtly imaginative and expressive scholars, and historians who wanted to make it appear as if they knew more than the average person.

With so much false information constantly circulating, even if some grains of truth did rise to the surface, they would be quickly drowned out again, and ultimately, reality would be twisted to the point that untruths were lauded, while the truth was condemned as fiction.

Lu Chen smiled as he continued, "But I digress. Let's get back to the main topic. Your second test is one in which I have to determine whether you'll be dependent on Heavenly Lord Xie Shi during your trip to Complete Reed Continent, or whether you'll be establishing your own sect there.

“That's why I intentionally set a trap for you, leading you to the false belief that you turned your back on both of the correct options while choosing the most incorrect one, one that'll make you miss out on any opportunity to fulfill your Great Dao. As a result, you'll be filled with remorse and begin to doubt your own judgment and Dao Heart."

"I was only able to pass the test thanks to the shred of clarity I had remaining in my mind," He Xiaoliang replied in a candid fashion.

One day, the child set off to pick medicinal herbs from the mountain as usual, carrying his basket on his back, but upon reaching the entrance of Clay Vase Alley, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. During his last outing, he was very fortunate to have picked up a few very valuable medicinal herbs, and in a rare display of prosperity, the small rice jar back home had been filled past the halfway mark, so he wasn't going to have to worry about food for at least the next ten days.

With that in mind, he looked up at the gloomy sky, seemingly telling himself that a heavy storm was coming, so even if he did set off for the mountains, he would most likely have to turn back around anyway.

Hence, the child rushed back to his house, then removed the basket from his back before digging a small clay jar out from the foot of his yard wall. He tipped several copper coins out of the small jar, then quickly rushed out of Clay Vase Alley to the tanghulu stand.

However, the closer he drew to the stand, the heavier his footsteps became, and he slowed down further and further. Finally, he stopped in his tracks while still quite far away from the stall with a conflicted look on his face, and his fist clenched harder around the copper coins.

In the end, the child took a few more steps forward, then squatted down and began staring at the bright red tanghulus with a dazed expression.

Lu Chen and He Xiaoliang were standing right beside him, and the former smiled as he asked, "If you were in his shoes, what do you think he would be thinking at this moment?"

"If only I could eat the tanghulu and not have to pay," He Xiaoliang immediately replied without any hesitation.

Lu Chen nodded in response. "Keep watching."

During a lull in business, the tanghulu stand owner seemed to have spotted the boy who was always passing by his stand, but could never afford to buy a tanghulu.

Initially, the stand owner sat on his chair in silence, but in the end, it seemed that he felt sympathetic toward the child, and he stood up as he beckoned to the boy with a smile. "I'm about to pack up for the day, and I'm not going to be able to sell these remaining tanghulus. If you want one, I can give one to you for free."

The stand owner wore a friendly smile as he spoke, and he pulled out a tanghulu before offering it to the boy. "Go on, take it."

However, the child hurriedly rose to his feet, then shook his head with a smile before running away.

He Xiaoliang was a little perplexed to see this. If this was a younger version of Chen Ping'an, then she actually wouldn't have found this decision to be strange at all.

Lu Chen pointed at the tanghulu stand owner as he said, "This man is a Naturalist from Middle Earth Divine Continent who isn't all that renowned among mortals, but in reality, he alone possesses the power to contend against the entirety of the Naturalist Lu Clan. He's a very strange and remarkable person, and even my first senior brother doesn't have a grasp on his thoughts and intentions."

He Xiaoliang became even more perplexed upon hearing this.

"Let me show you why I brought you here," Lu Chen said with a smile, then extended a hand forward and swept it through the air to conjure up a "Chen Ping'an".

The child rushed over and accepted the free tanghulu, then skipped joyfully back to Clay Vase Alley. After having the tanghulu, he was unable to forget the taste, and a few days later, he returned to the stand to receive another free tanghulu. As time passed, a hint of laziness began to arise in his heart. He would often think of the tanghulu stand, and he would pick fewer medicinal herbs during his forays into the mountains than he normally would.

This mindset was only compounded day after day, year after year, and while it wasn't necessarily the case that he had become a bad person, he was no longer the same Chen Ping'an that He Xiaoliang had first encountered on the Azure Cow Ridge.

After that, they returned to that point in time, and Lu Chen conjured up another Chen Ping'an with a sweep of his hand. This time, he didn't choose to accept the free tanghulu. Instead, he paid for it, and after that, he became even more motivated to work, becoming obsessed with earning money.

Eventually, he grew tired of tanghulus, but then developed a taste for pastries. Just like the previous scenario, the child continued to grow up year after year, and this Chen Ping'an also wasn't quite right in He Xiaoliang's eyes.

As Lu Chen raised his hand over and over again, He Xiaoliang saw one Chen Ping'an after another, all of whom made slightly different decisions, leading to a variety of different changes.

In the end, He Xiaoliang fell into deep thought.

Lu Chen smiled as he said, "Let's go back."

With that, the two of them returned to the school.

This trip through the river of time was very much like that time when Qi Jingchun had led Chen Ping'an to the old locust tree to secure a locust leaf.

Lu Chen's hands were clasped behind his back as he led the way forward and asked, "Have you figured out what I'm trying to show you?"

"Only by remaining true to oneself can one remain oneself," He Xiaoliang replied in a quiet voice.

Lu Chen nodded in response, but offered no reply.

"Could it be that I'm wrong, and I'm too short-sighted?" He Xiaoliang asked.

Lu Chen turned around with a smile as he replied, "No, no, not at all. You arrived at the correct conclusion, the only problem is that you seem to be oblivious to just how mighty your master's powers are!"

————

While Lu Chen was passing through a certain passage of time with He Xiaoliang, there was a Confucian scholar with a pair of gray sideburns sitting in a room on his own. Having just dismissed the schoolchildren for the day, the scholar was playing out a Go position on his own according to a manual.

His face was no longer blurry and indistinct, having become clearly visible, and right as Lu Chen and He Xiaoliang were passing by outside, Qi Jingchun bent down to pick up a Go stone as he smiled and mused to himself, "It's nothing much."