newbobooks Chapter 444 On Mount Qingcheng, Yuzhen Debates on Scriptures (1)
Chapter 444 On Mount Qingcheng, Yuzhen Debates on Scriptures (1)
After leaving the riverbank, the masked man made a few leaps and bounds and arrived at an inconspicuous three-story building in the city.
There was no plaque or sign in front of the building, only a green lantern hanging under the eaves with the character "讯" (information) written on the lampshade.
Upon entering, the hall was brightly lit.
The walls were covered with scrolls and maps, and secret reports from various places were spread out on the long table in the center. Several men in blue robes were organizing documents. When the masked man entered, they all stood up and said, "Master."
The masked man removed his mask, revealing a handsome face. He looked to be no more than twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with gentle features, yet possessing a composed demeanor befitting someone who had long held a high position.
It was Ji Ruofeng, the head of the Hundred Knowledge Hall.
"The Southern Executioners have entered the city."
Ji Ruofeng walked to the long table, picked up a newly delivered secret report, and read, "Eighteen people, divided into three groups, have been lying in wait for three days."
A man in blue frowned: "Master, should we inform the Prince of Langya?"
“No need.” Ji Ruofeng shook his head. “Xiao Ruofeng is currently overwhelmed with work, having to reorganize the army and appease Lei Mengsha. There’s no need to bother him with such a trivial matter.”
"But what if Nan Jue's assassins infiltrate the imperial city...?"
“They can’t find the core.” Ji Ruofeng tapped the location of the Tianqi Imperial Palace on the map with his fingertip. “Jin Xuan’s five new eunuchs may not have any other skills, but they are excellent at guarding the palace. Even I can’t figure out the defenses of the inner palace, let alone the Nanjue people.”
He paused and then said:
"However, have your men keep an eye on things. If the Southern Jue assassins are only gathering intelligence, let them be—it'll give the Northern Li court a good look at the loopholes in their defenses. But if they dare to harm civilians or attempt to sabotage..."
A cold glint flashed in Ji Ruofeng's eyes: "Kill him immediately, then take the corpse to the Imperial Palace to claim the reward!"
"Yes!"
The man in blue acknowledged the order and withdrew. Ji Ruofeng walked to the window, opened it, and looked southeast, which was the direction of the Langya Prince's Mansion.
The palace was brightly lit in the night.
Figures could be vaguely seen moving around in the courtyard, as if they were discussing matters overnight.
"Xiao Ruofeng, oh Xiao Ruofeng," Ji Ruofeng murmured to herself, "what did you gain by relinquishing the throne—peace and tranquility, or... an even greater chaos?"
A breeze stirred, ruffling the stray hairs on his forehead.
The night grew deeper, and in the distance came the sound of a watchman striking his clapper: "The weather is dry, be careful with fire!"
……
Qingcheng Mountain.
Inside the Sanqing Hall, incense smoke curled upwards.
Lu Suzhen sat cross-legged on a futon, her purple robe trailing to the ground, her white beard moving without wind.
His eyes were slightly closed, his palms facing upwards, and a faint, clear energy flowed between his fingers, flickering with his breath.
Since Wang and his party returned from Tianqi, Qingcheng Mountain has remained peaceful and quiet.
The Qingcheng Sect leader was currently lecturing his two disciples on Chapter 42 of the Tao Te Ching.
"Tao begets one, two lives, two begets three, three begets all things.
"Lü Suzhen's voice, like the gentle tolling of an ancient bell, echoed throughout the hall—"
"All things carry yin and embrace yang, and achieve harmony through the interaction of these energies. This is the ultimate principle of heaven and earth; only when yin and yang complement each other can things endure."
Wang Yixing sat upright opposite him, his hands forming the Meridian Mudra, listening intently.
He just turned twenty this year and is already the number one young person in Qingcheng Mountain. His Daoist heart is pure and he ponders every word his master says.
Upon hearing this, he nodded and said, "Master, are you saying that cultivation should follow the principles of Yin and Yang, and one should not be biased towards one side?"
"Exactly." Lü Suzhen opened her eyes, her gaze gentle.
"Just like when you practice the 'Heavenly Fire Separation Technique,' if you only seek extreme yang and strength, it is easy to damage your internal organs. You need to use the 'Mysterious Water Technique' to harmonize them, so that water and fire are in balance, in order to achieve great success."
Wang Yixing suddenly realized something and was about to ask again when he noticed his junior brother Zhao Yuzhen sitting cross-legged beside him, one hand supporting his chin, the other fingertip unconsciously drawing something on the ground.
Upon closer inspection, it turns out to be a reversed Tai Chi symbol.
"Yu Zhen." Lü Suzhen noticed as well, her voice remaining calm. "What are your thoughts?"
Zhao Yuzhen raised her head, her eyes bright, almost blindingly so:
"Master, since the Dao gives birth to all things, why can't all things nourish the Dao in return? Since Yin and Yang complement each other, why can't humans define Yin and Yang themselves?"
Lu Suzhen frowned almost imperceptibly: "What do you mean by that?"
“I mean,” Zhao Yuzhen sat up straight, her tone extremely serious, “since ‘three gives birth to all things,’ why can’t ‘all things’ give birth to ‘four,’ ‘five,’ or even infinity?”
If the goal is to "achieve harmony through the interaction of vital energies," then why can't people themselves be the ones who "interact with vital energies" and change the "disharmony" in the world?
Wang Yihang gasped.
This is no longer a question, but a challenge—a challenge to the fundamental principles of Tao and the ultimate truth of heaven and earth.
Upon hearing this, Lü Suzhen was not angry; on the contrary, she was secretly amazed. After a long silence, she slowly said:
"Yuzhen, your talent is unparalleled in Qingcheng Mountain for a century. But precisely because of this, you must remember:"
The Way follows nature, conforming to the will of Heaven. To defy the Way with human effort is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot—it will ultimately fail…
"Crushed to pieces?"
Zhao Yuzhen chimed in, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Master, is it truly impossible for a mantis to stop a chariot with its bare arms? What if that mantis cultivates an indestructible body, what if it wields a divine weapon capable of cutting through iron? What if…"
"Nonsense!" Lu Suzhen's voice suddenly turned stern, causing the candlelight in the hall to flicker.
Zhao Yuzhen shrank her neck but did not lower her head.
Looking into his stubborn eyes, Lü Suzhen finally sighed and softened her tone:
"So be it... You've always been like this, it's normal for you to have some thoughts."
However, you must diligently practice the 'Boundless Sword Technique' I recently taught you. Sword techniques, like Taoist arts, have their own rules. Although your foundation is solid, you must not blindly seek novelty and change.
"Yes, Master," Zhao Yuzhen replied obediently, but her fingers began to draw on the ground again—this time a broken Tai Chi diagram, with the yin and yang fish splitting in the middle, giving birth to many new small yin and yang fish...
Wang Yixing was alarmed. After the sermon ended and Lü Suzhen got up to go to the back hall, he pulled his junior brother aside:
"Yuzhen, what's wrong with you today? You didn't listen to a word your master said."
Zhao Yuzhen blinked: "I listened. The Tao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, Three gives birth to all things—and then what?"
"And then?" Wang Yixing was taken aback. "Then all things carry yin and embrace yang, and the interaction of these energies brings harmony."
"What happens next?"
"Then... those who cultivate the Tao should follow the Way of Heaven and not act recklessly."
Zhao Yuzhen shook her head: "No. Then, it should be 'Since all things have come into being, they should live out their own way.'"
Senior brother, why do you think peaches only bear fruit in summer and autumn?
Why is it that by fully integrating the warmest and most yang energy of the Fire God Sword Embryo, I can make it grow even in winter?
Wang Yixing smiled bitterly: "This... the cycle of the four seasons is the way of heaven. You can only change the peach trees on Qingcheng Mountain by using the supreme yang energy of the Fire God Sword, but you can't change the peach trees in the world!"
“Then I’ll change the date.” Zhao Yuzhen said matter-of-factly, taking the peach wood sword off her back.
The sword blade glowed with a faint red light, a result of the day he incorporated the Xuan Yang Sword Embryo.
He gently stroked the sword and whispered, "Senior brother, I've been having a lot of dreams lately."
"What did you dream about?" Wang Yihang asked, quite curious.
"I dreamt that someone was waiting for me at the foot of the mountain." Zhao Yuzhen raised her head and looked at the misty mountain path outside the palace, her eyes somewhat unfocused. "I've been waiting for a long time."
Wang Yixing's heart stirred, recalling what his master had once said about "destiny"—if Zhao Yuzhen were to descend the mountain in this life, she would surely suffer a calamity.
He lowered his voice and leaned down to ask, "Who is it? Is it your former foster parents? Or..."
“It’s a girl.” Zhao Yuzhen suddenly smiled, a clean smile. “But she’s still young, probably… half a head taller than me?”
I couldn't see her clearly in my dream, but I always felt she was waiting for me, waiting anxiously.
Wang Yihang was taken aback.
An eleven-year-old junior apprentice dreamt of a girl waiting for him to come down the mountain? What on earth is going on?
……