"If the student wishes to continue following the teacher in cultivation, would the teacher still be willing to accept?"
Xu Qing raised an eyebrow, looking at Wang Liang with some surprise.
The other party's eyes were filled with expectation, his sincere demeanor of seeking a teacher seemingly unchanged from his youth.
Xu Qing gently smiled and said, "Over twenty years ago, there was no fate between us as teacher and student. As for now..."
"Even if I were to agree with you, would you truly be willing to give up everything to follow me in cultivation?"
"..."
Wang Liang's expression froze. He wanted to say something, but the words got stuck in his throat.
After hesitating like this several times, when he wanted to speak again, he found that the teacher had already turned away.
"Your heart is entangled with family and country, with too many concerns, even if I agree to take you on, how can you calm your mind? Moreover, if you were sincere in becoming my disciple, you wouldn't have hesitated when I asked you."
Wang Liang was left speechless. After Xu Qing saw through his thoughts, he immediately lowered his head, full of shame.
He couldn't let go of fame and wealth, nor could he let go of loyalty to his sovereign and country, yet he was still greedy, wanting to learn Immortal Techniques and Divine Techniques to fulfill his long-standing pursuit of power.
Xu Qing didn't mind. If Wang Liang were not now the marshal leading three armies, without numerous wives, concubines, and children, he might have agreed to him. After all, this young man's talent back then was indeed outstanding.
But now…
If he agreed to Wang Liang, once the other calmed down, the first thing would likely be to drag him onto Dayan's ship, having him follow Zhu Huai'an to sacrifice everything for Dayan's future.
More than twenty years of military service had already permeated most of Wang Liang's life, forming an indelible mark, just like the visible changes when Zhu Huai'an saw him.
Between them, there was already a thick barrier.
"Then would the teacher go to the Capital City to assist Your Majesty?"
"..."
Xu Qing knew this was the beginning of negotiating the price of twenty years of national fortune, and as a Dayan Army general, Wang Liang must have come with Zhu Huai'an's instructions.
Zhu Huai'an was eager to recruit him for his own use.
"I will not forget the favor of Your Majesty's aid. Once matters here are settled, I will seek out Your Majesty to repay this kindness, as for the assistance..."
"In this world, relationships and exchanges do not just have one choice, in short, please convey to the marshal that for today's grace, Xu Qing will definitely repay it someday."
Xu Qing smiled faintly, cupping his hands towards Wang Liang, then turned to leave with the black-clad girl beside him.
Wang Liang, who reciprocated the gesture, frowned. Watching Xu Qing leave, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration and called out to the Divination Master not far behind him.
"Does the marshal have any requests?"
Bai Qiuyu turned around, halted, and curiously looked at the golden-armored marshal standing on the high ground.
Wang Liang quickly stepped forward. When Xu Qing was a bit farther away, he asked:
"I would like to ask the Divination Master to divine something for me."
Bai Qiuyu blinked, feeling pleased, as divining for the marshal would surely earn her five large coins.
"What does the marshal wish to divine?"
"I want to know how many more years of national prosperity Dayan can enjoy, and if my fate with the teacher can be renewed someday?"
"..."
Bai Qiuyu took a deep breath. The former she could indeed deduce, but the latter...
The marshal was perhaps overestimating her. She did not even know how far her fate with the Sect Leader could go, let alone divining for Wang Liang!
"Concerning fate, forgive me but I cannot divine. If someday the marshal passes away, and your family seeks Xu in Jin Sect for burial, that would be fate, no?"
"It's impossible to calculate!"
Bai Qiuyu refused decisively, saying that when it comes to anything related to the Sect Leader or the abnormalities of Jin Sect, she wouldn't divine!
Even the Primordial Spirit True Man of the coffin shop would occasionally get struck by lightning when calculating once, and she didn't want to take that risk.
"Then about our Dayan's national prosperity..."
Bai Qiuyu was just about to calculate, but suddenly remembered the Sect Leader borrowed Dayan's twenty-year national luck and hadn't returned it yet. Calculating this would also be taboo, wouldn't it?
"..."
Bai Qiuyu looked up at the Dayan marshal still waiting for results.
If she claimed it couldn't be calculated, it would be a blow to her reputation, and more importantly, a slight to the Sect Leader's good standing, which would not do.
Fortunately, as a Divination Master, Bai Qiuyu was best at making things up.
She dusted off her sleeve with a smile, without mentioning the length of Dayan's national prosperity, and instead turned away, singing the Immortal song passed down by the Sect Leader as she pursued Xu Qing, her actions unintentionally revealing a Zen aura and celestial grace.
"People all know the Immortal is good, only fame and fortune are hard to abandon!
Where are the ancient generals and ministers now? Nothing but a mound of forgotten graves.
The world knows immortality is good, yet cannot forget gold and silver!
Every day mourning the wealth that is never enough, but when there's plenty, the eyes are closed forever.
The world knows immortality is good, yet cannot forget a lovely wife!
While alive, the husband speaks of love day by day, but once dead, she follows another...
Wang Liang stared in the direction where Bai Qiuyu had left, unable to regain his senses for a long time.
Even though the Divination Master did not give a specific answer, the cruel truth revealed in those words left him more lost than any specific answer could have.
Has there ever been an eternal dynasty in the world, from ancient to present?
Throughout the ages, which rulers and ministers have met a good end?
...
Two hundred miles outside Quyang Prefecture City, Huangjun Mountain.
A humble and respectful middle-aged scholar was persuading the Mountain Monarch who intended to plunder for blood food.
"If evil intentions arise, one becomes a demon; if benevolence dwells in the heart, one becomes a man.
If you could protect moths with a lantern of silk, show compassion to all beings, how could you end up among demons?"
The scholar wore a broad robe, and though his stature appeared tall and slender, his elegant face and genteel demeanor made it easy to mistake him for a scholar incapable of violence.
"Look to the way of heaven and earth, a thousand days doing good is not enough; one day doing evil and evil is in surplus. Harm one person and create grudges for ten generations; save one life, and blessings will be endless. This is the righteous path..."
As the scholar quoted classics, attempting to educate the blocking Tiger Monarch, merchants, wandering monks in the caravan, scholars en route to exams, and seasoned martial arts practitioners trembled.
The reason was none other than the fact that the blocking Mountain Monarch had already made a name for himself, not only with a frame like a pavilion but with dozens or hundreds of ghostly followers behind him.
This Tiger Monarch is surely a great demon of Huangjun Mountain!
"Righteous path? Being a demon is the righteous path!"
The Tiger Monarch sneered, leaping to the middle-aged scholar, circling around him while sniffing: "Scholars' flesh is the most tender. Once I've feasted on you, I shall make you my strategist, the leader of my ghostly ranks."
The middle-aged scholar faced the close Tiger Monarch with no fear, smiling he tucked his folding fan into his waist and said:
"Since reasoning has failed, we scholars do not mind using martial strength to subdue evil!"
The Mountain Monarch started to speak, only to watch as the scholar removed his Confucian robe, revealing a rippling physique with muscles knotted like cords.
On his body were tattoos of a Cyan Dragon over the shoulder, a fierce tiger descending the mountain, truly a man with the face of a beast!
In the caravan, a Martial Master with a wolf-head tattoo on his hand subconsciously pulled his sleeve down to cover his own tattoo.
The Tiger Monarch was stunned, but what shocked him even more was yet to come. The scholar, reciting poetry, stepped forward, his energy and blood like a furnace, equivalent to a Martial Arts Grandmaster of the mundane world.
The scholar laughed heartily, while his fists and kicks fell upon it like a torrential rain.
The Tiger Monarch felt pain, the force not less than a thousand pounds?
It tried to escape, but the man vaulted onto its back, grabbing the nape of its neck. In its ear, the sound of dragons roaring and tigers howling was incessant!
The Tiger Monarch bled from its seven orifices as if drunk, staggering, and not long after, with bulging eyes, fell to the ground, still unable to comprehend how a mere scholar could wield such brutal power.
The scholar brought his fists to a halt, stood up, donned his Confucian robe again, and turned to the people saying: "I was out of line, I hope none of you will mind."
"..."
Who would dare utter a negative word, each one of them nodding and thanking profusely.
"Hero... uh, may I ask your honorable surname, where are you headed?"
"My surname is Lu, with just one given name, Xiu, as for my destination this time..."
Lu Xiu smiled: "Huangjun Mountain is precisely where I am headed."
"My journey is specifically for this demon."
Upon hearing this, everyone felt even more respect for Lu Xiu.
The caravan steward stepped forward to pay respect, wishing to invite Lu Xiu to the manor as a guest.
"Gentleman, not far from here is Nan'e County, outside which my master's manor stands. My master greatly respects heroes and scholars. If you do not disdain, you could stay in the manor for a few days, allowing us to repay the life-saving grace."
Lu Xiu smiled slightly, just about to respond, when he noticed coming from where the Tiger Monarch's corpse lay were a middle-aged man, a young girl, and a Divination Master walking together.
When the young girl reached the Tiger Monarch, she tilted her head, sizing it up back and forth, comparing sizes with her hands as if.
Lu Xiu's eyes lit up, disregarding the response to the caravan steward, he quickly approached the Tiger Monarch's corpse, and respectfully saluted the middle-aged man:
"Student Lu Xiu, pays respects to the gentleman!"