The Taoist Sect finally shared a pot of tea with Li Guanyi. The silver-haired Taoist handed over Wang Tong’s last letter to Li Guanyi. Li Guanyi took the letter and read it quietly. Even in the end, Mr. Wang Tong’s words remained simple and strong.
He said that a master-disciple relationship is like a friendship. Li Guanyi is too sentintal, and knowing of his death, he would certainly go to the Central State City to mourn him in filial piety.
"The Academy in Central State is like a whirlpool. It was hard enough for you to leave, you shouldn’t return."
"Death is death, it doesn’t matter if one knows or not."
"Does wailing and lanting in extravagance really bring peace in death?"
"I fear it only worries one’s descendants all the more."
"A gentleman’s friendship is as plain as water; so should be that of master and disciple. eting Wang Tong for knowledge might have been your blessing, but eting you was my fortune. In winter, snow falls all over the world—do the people of this world have enough to wear and withstand the cold?"
"Guan Yi, just go, and do not dwell on it."
Li Guanyi looked at this simple and unadorned letter.
It seed he could still see the gentle teacher.
After a long ti, he couldn’t recover, couldn’t believe that at just over thirty, a Confucian scholar who hadn’t reached the Qi Cultivation state, had passed away like this. He looked at the Taoist in front of him, who said, "He entrusted to co here, knowing you would set foot here."
"Should you face life and death crisis, he wanted to help you once."
"In these turbulent tis, I can take you away from here, to beco a secluded cultivator, to inherit my teachings."
Li Guanyi closed his eyes and said, "I cannot comply with my senior’s wish."
"The path of seclusion is not my path."
The Taoist was not surprised, "Is that so?"
"Then, I bid you farewell."
"Jiang Su is my good friend. His martial skills are strong and overpowering on the battlefield. Be careful."
The silver-haired Taoist was not one to walk the world’s path; he looked upon the world with compassion, but acted fairly, not favoring anyone due to personal sentints but instead seeming indifferent.
Li Guanyi said, "Senior."
The Taoist stopped and looked back, "Yes?"
Li Guanyi said, "When the teacher passed away, what did he say?"
The handso and cool Taoist looked at Li Guanyi, clad in the crimson Qilin robe. The spring snow was drifting down today. It was not snowfall, but the accumulation of snow in the shady areas of the northwest mountains was not lting, scattering with the spring wind.
It just reminded him of that ti at the Academy in Central State, where snow was also falling heavily. The rather young Confucian scholar sat on the bed, gazing outside in a daze as friends and family inquired whether to call the disciples back. Wang Tong only looked outside and laughed:
"No."
"They are walking the world now, high-spirited, intending to change this world. Don’t let my death burden their enthusiasm. After I die, a simple burial is enough. Do not seek them out after you return."
"Do not rely on my disciples for so-called wealthy living."
"Such wealth cannot last; virtue not matching position only brings disaster. Your generation might continue to enjoy the wealth due to my favor, but the next generation will surely face great catastrophe."
"Just farm and study."
Friends and the younger generation agreed.
Wang Tong sighed, "Who doesn’t face death?"
"Don’t be a burden to parents upon coming into the world."
"When leaving, don’t be a bother to others, and that’s good enough."
The silver-haired Taoist, at that ti, witnessed yet another young talent pass away, and now faced with Li Guanyi’s inquiry, the Taoist only replied, "No, he did not."
Li Guanyi said, "...Is that so?"
The Taoist’s sleeves fluttered as he placed an item on the table, saying lightly:
"Since you won’t follow into seclusion, I leave this to you."
"Let it be my repaynt for Wang Tong’s trust."
"Let this clear the karma between us. One day, if you unify the world, I will watch from Kunlun Mountain as you face the towering red dust of the world."
Li Guanyi was dazed for a long ti, and when he ca back to his senses, the silver-haired Taoist was already far off, epheral as a shadow in the mortal world, and disappeared. On the table were two volus, one being Wang Tong’s "Wen Zhongzi Collection."
On the other volu were a few balanced and harmonious large characters.
"Imperial Pole Worldly Scripture"!
The Taoist Sect’s Absolute Skill described in the Martial Arts Legend.
Containing boundless profound truths and mystical insights beyond words.
It was also the last gesture of help exchanged by Mr. Wang Tong’s goodwill.
Li Guanyi’s expression changed with emotion, pressed his lips, swallowed the bitterness and pain, cupped his hands toward the direction of the Central State, and gave a long bow without rising for a long ti.
The situation changed, winds stirred, and Li Guanyi’s martial skills had already beco a system, gradually starting to create his own martial arts writings. For Li Guanyi now, the "Imperial Pole Worldly Scripture" of such divine skill caliber was not about learning its moves or techniques.
It was about pondering and comprehending the marvelous truths of martial arts hidden within.
Especially, what the Qilin mastered was not just Fire Essence Qi.
But also Fire, Water, and Earth three types of Qi chanisms.
The collaboration between Li Guanyi and the Qilin, was more than just [Fire Heaven Great Prosperity].
There were more transformations, more choices, moves rotating in myriad transformations, with many wondrous applications, as the situation across the world grew tenser each day, until it finally reached a peak, sparking a change.
Reinforcents from Ying Country arrived at Xiyi City.
Yet no one had seen the main general.
Only that the army’s war flag flapped fiercely, its background a deep black outlined with a roaring white tiger pattern —
Yuwen Lie!
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