NOVPUB"Yes, a strange ability that just came to me out of nowhere. Very odd, one day while reading a book, I suddenly realized I could perceive the quality of other people. After researching many ancient texts, I eventually concluded it’s the result of an essential sublimation," the old man said with a smile.
"Hmm, it should be so," Chen Xi nodded, "it comes naturally."
"Sort of, but not quite comparable to the likes of you. You are still very young," the old man said with a laugh. "Kong Wenju sent a letter asking me to visit Mount Tai, and on my way here, I encountered many with extraordinary talents. However, there are only a few who could compare with you three." 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘱𝘶𝑏.𝑐𝘰𝑚
"Indeed, they are remarkable geniuses, unparalleled and favored by heaven, one of a kind!" Chen Xi declared emphatically. He himself possessed the legacy of a millennium, and the two people behind him were rare talents, so it was only to be expected.
"Indeed, this is your era. Before coming here, I went to Chenliu to see a man, one who, in our time, was called a ’fully accomplished individual,’ whose glory overshadowed that era," the old man said, his face showing a trace of nostalgia. "Now, he is but an old man, no longer possessing the brilliance of his youth. Let me tell you some good news: he is very optimistic about Liu Xuande!"
"The Xun Clan’s Eight Dragons, unrivaled beneath the Heavens’ Benevolence," Chen Xi muttered through clenched teeth. In the previous era, the only one who could be called fully accomplished and whose glory overshadowed that entire age was Xun Shuang, a person who surpassed the intellect and vision of his time.
"Yes, that’s him. Back then, he wasn’t at your level. He only awoke his Spiritual Talent after he was over thirty," the old man said with a chuckle. "Your talents are even more frightening."
Chen Xi didn’t speak, but he was already guessing the identity of this person. The fact that Xun Shuang wasn’t dead was unexpected and, ultimately, because Dong Zhuo hadn’t managed to summon him successfully in this life. However, if Hua Tuo hadn’t escaped over the border, Xun Shuang probably didn’t have many years left to live either.
"Marquis Chen need not mind an old fogey like me. Although I have a slight reputation, I harbor no ill will towards Liu Xuande. On the contrary, I greatly admire his great vows. Whether he can fulfill them or not, the mere fact that he dared to say ’children should be taught’ in front of all under heaven is enough to earn my respect," said the old man, a man of high intelligence himself, having clearly seen through what Chen Xi was thinking without any attempt to hide his expressions.
"Then I wonder if the elder has any advice to share," Chen Xi said calmly. "To know Minister Xun and be so well-acquainted, you must also have been an outstanding figure in that era, and now, there must be very few who could be guests of Minister Xun. If the elder claims to be just an ordinary man, I would find it hard to believe~"
"Marquis Chen need not doubt my intentions. I have no plans to enter officialdom, only to find a place to teach, and I will bring all my students suited for teaching, leaving behind everything I have learned to lend support to Lord Xuande. I really want to see what it will be like when the world is well-governed, with enough food to eat, clothes to wear, and books to read," the old man said with firm conviction.
"Given this, I won’t trouble the elder any further," Chen Xi nodded, saying he would check the man’s background later on anyway.
"Elder Xun’s health is failing. If he were well now, he would come too; he also wants to see what this era where everyone is as a dragon looks like. It’s a pity, all those who wanted to come are now old and unable to make the journey," the old man said with a hint of pride, for his own health was good. "Time spares no one."
"Nothing can be done about that," Chen Xi said calmly. "I’d like to know why Minister Xun suddenly looks favorably upon Lord Xuande. If I remember correctly, as far as I know, Minister Xun wasn’t optimistic about us before."
"Hey, that Ci Ming guy is just stubborn with his words. He really wasn’t optimistic about you guys at first, but as the founder of Yingchuan Academy, do you think he didn’t want to do what you’re doing now?" the old man laughed heartily. "He wanted to, but he couldn’t! Just Yingchuan Academy alone cost Ci Ming nearly half of his savings! Let alone a whole county or state, or even the entire world!"
By the end of his speech, the old man’s voice clearly contained a hint of fanaticism, and without a doubt, this guy would be a fervent supporter of Liu Xuande in the future.
"Normal, with his inefficient teaching methods, it’s already good enough that he didn’t bankrupt the Xun Family," Chen Xi said calmly.
"Yes, there wasn’t even a library to speak of, and it was only because Ci Ming swallowed his pride and borrowed thousands of volumes that there was a basic collection to start with. Later, with your Chen Family’s partnership, the academy was finally able to open," said the old man with a smile. "Money and grain, books, these are the biggest problems, and you’ve solved them. Ci Ming is very happy; he said he’ll try to live long enough to see that day come."
"As long as his Xun Family joins us, we can save a lot of effort," Chen Xi commented with a twisted smile. "You tell him, just trick Xun Wenruo and Xun Gongda back home, call back the old teacher Cheng Zhongde from Yingchuan Academy, then give an order to that auditor, Xi Zhicai. After that, knock them all out, stuff them in sacks, and ship them over to us, and I guarantee we’ll soon see a prosperous age."
"Hahaha, indeed a good plan. I can talk to Ci Ming about it!" laughed the old man, his expression showing no ridicule but rather one of complete agreement. "Your Spiritual Talent is one of the main reasons we have faith in Liu Xuande. We don’t hope for an eternal golden age, just fifty years, to witness the era that everyone dreams of, where each person is like a dragon, the era our predecessors yearned for!"
"Can you tell me who informed Minister Xun about my Spiritual Talent?" Chen Xi asked, slightly surprised, as he didn’t remember telling others about his own Spiritual Talent, and as far as he was concerned, people like Fa Zheng were very tight-lipped.
"Xun Wenruo told Ci Ming, but don’t worry about it. He won’t assassinate you. Let’s put it this way, for Xun Wenruo, Liu Xuande isn’t as important as you are. Your Spiritual Talent ensures that no one will scheme against you unless it’s absolutely necessary, and besides, knowledgeable people around the world will naturally protect you," the old man said with a grave expression.
"That’s a bit of an exaggeration, isn’t it?" Chen Xi said, tugging at his mouth, then he couldn’t help but recall his previous hypersensitivity, [Could it really be true!]
"The reality is just so. I’ve been following you since the first time I saw you, and do you think Zuo Yuanfang is just idling away at Jingling Palace of Mount Tai for nothing? He’s actually guarding your ancestral home for you." No sooner had Chen Xi spoken than a Daoist suddenly appeared, "Nobody can die except for you, that’s no joke."
"Who are you!" Chen Xi immediately became wary, and so did Fa Zheng, Zhuge Liang, and the elderly man sitting on the stage, all looking guardedly at this suddenly appearing, ageless man.
"The one who protects you, ensuring you won’t be killed in this lifetime," the man said calmly, but a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes, then he waved his horsetail whisk, "And you, come out as well."
The man in Black Clothes waved his horsetail whisk, and suddenly a burly man appeared on the rooftop, who warily watched the ageless Daoist man. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to vote for us, monthly, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read at m.qidian.com.)
