Daoist Master of Qing Xuan

If it were not so, both the Qing Xuan disciples would have made their move.

Because Chen Jinchan did not conceal his vital force, the three who were arguing could sense him.

Chen Jinchan then walked over, and the two disciples greeted him, “We’ve met you, Senior Apprentice-Brother Chen.”

Chen Jinchan nodded in response. He was the successor of headmaster, so his status was an honorable one. Therefore most of the people in and out of Qing Xuan knew him.

One of the disciples asked, “Senior-Apprentice Brother Chen, this person is imitating a member of the Demonic Order, even asking to meet headmaster. We are not sure of the idea, what do you think should be done?”

That disciple was not convinced of Chen Jinchan’s instant success, and simply took advantage of the situation to leave the stranger in Chen Jinchan’s hands. If the stranger was merely an ordinary Qi cultivator, the both of them would have long shooed him off. But the visitor has not converged his Qi dynamic, and Mana in the two guardian disciples slowly increased. In addition, even though the visitor was intent on meeting headmaster, but there was no posture that required them to make a move. That was why the two disciples held the visitor off by arguing with him.

Chen Jinchan smiled, and soon afterwards spoke to the visitor, “I am Chen Jinchan. Zhenren Shen is our teacher. My friend, you say you are a member of the Demonic Sect, waiting upon the Demon Master’s life and bearing a gift for our teacher. Do you have any proof?”

The two disciples that had just been holding the visitor back laughed. Chen Jinchan believed this kind of nonsense?

The visitor smiled, “Yu Zhongjie, at your service. I am the person sent by the Demonic Order. I come bearing a gift. My friend, since you are Zhenren Shen’s disciple, may I trouble you to inform him? As Zhenren Shen has the Monitoring Technique, he should know that I am telling the truth.”

Chen Jinchan muttered, “It is not that we don’t believe you, but our teacher has not been meeting outsiders as of late. And you my friend, have noble Qi in your body, completely inconsistent with that of a member from the Demonic Sect. By any chance if this is a game, and you are purposely trying to trick us, we bear no responsibility should our teacher be offended.

Yu Zhongjie nodded, “It appears the Demon Master was right, the successor to Qing Xuan and Zhenren Shen, is an ordinary person.”

How arrogant were those words that the two Qing Xuan disciples could not take it anymore. The Mana inside their body boiled that instant, and they wished to give Yu Zhongjie a show. They just only started the ideomotor reflex and a surge of Noble Qi was already pressuring each of their orifices, stifling them in their steps.

Having seen this, Chen Jinchan frowned. He took a step forward and all the Noble Qi was absorbed into his body. At this point the Mana flowed out, going so far as to have them refined.

Yu Zhongjie accordingly was startled, he cultivated the Confucian Sect’s Noble Qi, but when faced with the disciples it will never be in his favour. Today he gave up his move, and still could not see though the means by which Chen Jinchan employed.

Chen Jinchan was also confused as it was just his subconscious thought. He never imagined it would be this miraculous. Furthermore the Noble Qi that was refined became a clear spring, which gushed into his brain and entered his bier, and at that moment became a line. His bier lit up vigorously, his heart was filled with countless knowledge, and suddenly his bier was full, as if the sea was thrashing against him, giving him a sense of fulfilment and suffering.

At this time, a sound brushed through his bier, and the scene started to calm down. He heard Shen Lian’s voice, “Bring him to me.”

Chen Jinchan immediately came to his present senses, he did not know that the righteousness of the Confucian Sect was accumulated from learning, bearing fundamental differences to the cultivations practiced by the usual Daoist Qi cultivators. When Yu Zhongjie’s Noble Qi entered Chen Jinchan’s body, it sparked a reaction with the knowledge present in the latter’s heart, akin to a spark that came into contact with boiling oil, desiring the said knowledge.

If it were not for Shen Lian’s interference and the situation was left to develop further, Chen Jinchan would immediately be unable to bear the sudden explosion of knowledge. All his orifices would bleed, and it would be hard to predict whether he could stay alive or die.

Just that strand of righteousness could spread its roots in his bier, if it went to the point of blossoming and bearing fruit, it could see Chen Jinchan’s birth.

Neither Yu Zhongjie nor Chen Jinchan understood anything, but Shen Lian knew all too well. Yanxu would not simply send over anyone, it could even be deliberate.

Shen Lian could guess Yanxu’s motives. It was not to see whether Chen Jinchan was qualified. Yanxu was afraid of the lonely future and deliberately nurtured a worthy opponent. This winning confidence, he also did not omit from showing Shen Lian. It was considered a response towards that night when Zhao Xiaoyu wounded Yanxu.

The decisive battle would take place on the third of March, but clashes were everywhere.

Shen Lian sat quietly in the main hall of Qing Xuan, and meditated on all this. He increasingly looked forward to having the ‘Bier Discourse of Dao’ with Yanxu. To be battling a person of such terror and intelligence, it was even more possible that his potential powers could be stimulated, and that a higher level of state can be pursued.

After a while, Yu Zhongjie, led by Chen Jinchan, reached the main hall of Qing Xuan. When he reached within thirty-three steps of Shen Lian, he stopped. He greeted Shen Lian by raising one hand to his chest then bowed to the hand. After that, he got to his knees and ceremoniously bowed four times. Each nod was accompanied with carefulness, precise as though it was measured with a ruler.

Chen Jinchan saw such respectable greetings and could not help but be solemnly silent in his heart.

After four rounds of kowtow, he intended to get up, but found that he had no way of moving. Shen Lian was looking intensely at him from the top of the stone couch, “One more bow.”

Yu Zhengjie lifted his head and looked at the Qing Xuan headmaster. But it was as if he saw a mighty mountain, a clear sky, an endless sea. His heart profoundly admired this attainment that could not be measured, and said, “Zhenren Shen, why do you say so?”

Shen Lian plainly said, “You inherited the teachings of Confucianism, you should know solemn worship is only feudatory manners, it is not respectable manners. In times of now, he and I are all respected. Ordinarily when you meet him, do you only give him the solemn worship?”

Yu Zhengjie replied, “When I meet Demon Master, of course I give him the solemn worship. When Zhenren and Demon Master engage in the ‘Bier Discourse of Dao’, demonstrably it would be on equal footing, and indeed your humble servant will kowtow one time less.”

He abruptly kowtowed, striking the floor of the hall. Sparks flew. The flesh and blood of his head were indistinct. But he simply did not pay any attention to it, and slowly got up, calm and unruffled.

Shen Lian told him plainly, “This sort of loss of dignity and integrity, even if you acquired Noble Qi, it could be that you cannot train to the highest.”

Yu Zhongjie replied, “Your humble servant learned Confucianism for practical use, not to be a loyal and filial son. Moreover, what Zhenren said is the plain truth, and your humble servant is naturally obedient.”

“There is a bit of meaning. Take out the Yanxu’s gift. I would like to see what big present he has for me.” Shen Lian slowly said.

Yu Zhongjie heard these words and opened his flocket, and in the hall there appeared a withered poplar, with leaves and branches that were already falling.

Shen Lian saw this and sighed, “The tree loses its leaves, the meaning of life ends.”

Yu Zhongjie said, “Demon Master let me tell this to Zhenren, that when this tree is planted in front of Taiwei Pavilion and is watered daily with Water from the River of Spirits, then vitality would be high.”

Shen Lian softly said, “Tell him that I will do so. Go back and report the completion of your mission to him.”

With a wave of his flocket, Yu Zhongjie immediately and autonomously flew up, and when his feet touched the ground, he was already out of Mount Qing Xuan. He was actually shocked and amazed. Eventually, his Noble Qi became a cloud, and he went back to report the completion of his mission to Demon Master.

Inside the Qing Xuan main hall, Chen Jinchan asked, “Master, Demon Master is crafty. The gift he sent, why should it be kept?”

Shen Lian smiled, “On suspicion that scourge may occur, the Sky Demon Technique is used to combat this. My heart bears no doubt that no matter how mighty his Demon Technique is, it cannot endure me. Jinchan, you must remember, an honest heart is not insight, insight is not undisturbed, and having reached this step, any being can enter celestial state. The heart must not have terror, and whatever trials may come, all of them can be faced much more leisurely.”