Chapter 51: Storing Wood_1

Chapter 51: Storing Wood_1

Translator: 549690339

The next day, Mr. Zhuang, who rarely rose early, saw Mo Hua and waved him over, “Mo Hua, come with me.”

Mr. Zhuang brought Mo Hua to his study and asked, “How many times have you practiced the Formation of the Three Talents?”

Mo Hua held a deep gratitude for Mr. Zhuang and didn’t want to hide anything, but the affair with the Taoist Stele was somewhat mysterious, and he found it difficult to speak of it. However, he didn’t want to lie either, so he honestly said,

“Gentleman, I practiced it three or four times on paper, then another seven or eight times in my dreams.”

He told the truth, just omitted the Taoist Stele.

Mr. Zhuang was slightly stunned, “In your dreams?”

“Yes,” Mo Hua replied, “After I fall asleep, I can continue Drawing Formations in my dreams.”

Mr. Zhuang’s brows furrowed slightly as he looked at Mo Hua but found his expression sincere, his eyes so clear it seemed as if one could see their own reflection in them.

Mr. Zhuang chuckled, “I see.”

See what...

Mo Hua watched Mr. Zhuang, puzzled.

After a moment of contemplation, Mr. Zhuang turned to Mo Hua and instructed,

“Let’s keep this conversation between us. In the future, no matter who asks, you don’t need to answer, and certainly don’t mention anything about Drawing Formations in a dream.”

“What if someone probes further?”

“If they probe further, you just say as I told you before, it’s because you’ve learned Meditation Techniques, so you’ve picked up Formations quickly.”

“And what if they ask me for the spell point of the Meditation Technique?”

Mr. Zhuang replied nonchalantly, “If you can avoid giving it, then don’t. If they try to force it from you, you kill them. If you can’t kill or defeat them and can’t escape, then give them the Meditation Technique. Spell points are external things; your life is your own.”

Mo Hua thought for a moment, feeling there was sense in that, but still asked,

“But what if someone learns the Meditation Technique and discovers it doesn’t speed up learning Formations?”

“In that case...”

Mr. Zhuang thought for a bit, then said, “You can only claim you have an exceptional talent, an eidetic memory, and that you can master Formations after looking at them a few times. Remember, when you say this, you must be arrogant, adopt a scornful attitude as if you’re superior to everyone, to make them believe you’re a one-in-a-million genius.”

“A scornful attitude?”

“I’ll do it once; watch and learn from me.”

After saying that, Mr. Zhuang’s usual languid demeanor changed as if an Azure Dragon resting its head suddenly rose, expressing a proud, self-important air and a disdainful overlook as if all mountains were beneath him.

Mr. Zhuang stretched lazily, “As the tree stands out in the forest, the wind will destroy it. I didn’t understand the principle of hiding brilliance and nurturing obscurity in the past and didn’t think ahead, which is why I suffered losses.”

“So what do you plan to do? Stop teaching him?”

Mr. Zhuang lay on the bamboo chair, tapping the armrest lightly with his fingers, “I still have to teach him. Having become my disciple, even if he’s not a direct disciple, he can’t just learn so little. Otherwise, if others find out, it would damage my reputation and disgrace my Sect.”

Old Kui said, “You never used to care about such vanity.”

“As one gets older, one starts caring about face.”

Old Kui looked at the languid Mr. Zhuang, “I think it’s not necessarily so.”

Mr. Zhuang ignored Old Kui, closing his eyes as if in deep thought, or perhaps just dozing off.

Old Kui kept playing chess as always.

The night grew darker, and the evening breeze brushed through the mountains, causing the trees and shrubs to rustle.

Suddenly, Mr. Zhuang opened his eyes, gazing into the night-shrouded woods and murmured softly:

“As the tree stands out in the forest, the wind will destroy it... So if the tree does not stand out in the forest, the wind cannot destroy it.”

Old Kui glanced at him with a hint of confusion, while Mr. Zhuang’s gaze drifted with the undulating woods and said meaningfully, “Hide the tree in the forest, and it won’t stand out.”

Old Kui frowned.

Mr. Zhuang’s gaze then drifted beyond the woods and settled on the gate of the courtyard.

Every morning, the Bai siblings would come up the mountain to visit.

These two children were exceptionally gifted, truly the finest trees in the forest.

The next morning, as usual, the Bai siblings came to the mountain to visit, but unlike other days, when they arrived at the gate and paid their respects, the normally closed bamboo gate suddenly opened.

At the same time, the signboard of “Forgetful Residence” appeared in front of the gate.

Behind the gate was a courtyard with locust trees reaching into the sky, small bridges over flowing water, misty clouds enveloping the area, giving off an aura of immortality.

Bai Zisheng said in astonishment:

“Aunt Xue... the courtyard gate is open. Does that mean Mr. Zhuang is willing to see us?”

Always calm Aunt Xue also felt stirred for a moment, “It seems so.”

Then she thought to herself:

“It’s good that Mr. Zhuang is willing to see us. Even if he does not take the young master and young mistress as disciples now, they can at least start by serving by his side. With the young master’s and young mistress’s talents, Mr. Zhuang will agree sooner or later.”

Bai Zisheng looked a bit uneasy, turning to look at his sister, and noticed Bai Zixi’s delicate face was as cold as ever, devoid of any superfluous emotion.

A flicker of distress passed through Bai Zisheng’s eyes, and then he silently stepped in front of his sister, shielding her as he stepped into the yard.