"He’s just being mysterious, Your Highness. Let break through that fog and force him to show himself."
A burly Evil Cultivator from the Prince Mansion, a vicious look on his face, hefted a thirty-foot spear. He was about to leap toward the lake to deal with the middle-aged man on the boat.
Lu Guangjing imdiately shot the Evil Cultivator a glare, cowing him into retreat.
Then, Lu Guangjing clasped his fists and bowed deeply to the distant Confucian Temple Imperial Censor. In a refined and courteous manner, he said, "Lu Guangjing respectfully invites you ashore, sir. It would not be too late to speak in detail then."
The Confucian Temple Imperial Censor’s voice drifted over, lodious. "There is no need for pleasantries. Simply answer my question now."
Clearly, he had no intention of coming ashore as a guest at Prince Jin’s Mansion.
Lu Guangjing appeared extrely cautious regarding the Confucian Temple Imperial Censor’s earlier question. He deliberated for a mont before saying, "Although I am not sure of your aning, sir, I must make it clear: Prince Jin’s Mansion has no connection whatsoever with National Preceptor Xun. As for the position of Master of Great Yan, I will strive for it myself."
The Confucian Temple Imperial Censor shook his head. "Everything that exists does so for a reason. Xun Yu’s connection to you is sothing I know quite well, as does the Confucian Temple. It is just that the rules were still in place before, so there was no need to act. Now that Xun Yu is breaking the rules, soone will naturally make him abide by them."
"I will give you the answer now: with Xun Yu around, you won’t get far."
In the courtyard, only a few people understood the deeper aning in the Imperial Censor’s words.
Lu Guangjing’s expression remained unchanged. He asked, "Are you here looking for National Preceptor Xun, sir, or are you here to belittle ?"
The Confucian Temple Imperial Censor chuckled lightly. "Within the Confucian Temple, there is soone who, while watching the show from behind the scenes, took an interest in you. They entrusted to co and ask you a few questions. It’s just that your answer to the first question was, it seems, not very satisfactory."
「Ti passed.」
Night fell, casting the world into darkness. Only the Confucian Temple Imperial Censor’s body emanated a bright, holy light, illuminating the lake’s surface with a dazzling, iridescent glow, like a Celestial River.
"Please ask whatever you wish, sir. I will do my best to answer," Lu Guangjing said, his gaze resolute.
"’All land under Heaven is the King’s land.’ The changing of the Celestial Mandate is an inevitable trend. It could be as soon as ten years or as long as a hundred. When that ti of conflict arrives, do you think Great Yan will disappear completely? Will Prince Jin’s Mansion lose? Will you die and your Dao vanish?" the Confucian Temple Imperial Censor asked.
This was an incredibly pointed question, causing all the Evil Cultivators at Prince Jin’s Mansion to flush with anger. If not for Lu Guangjing holding them back, they would have certainly charged forward and torn this insolent man to shreds.
"Great Yan will not disappear," Lu Guangjing stated decisively.
He understood that when the man spoke of Prince Jin’s Mansion, he was likely referring to the Infinite Faction.
He then continued, "The current Court and the Three Religions are like the sun in the sky at high noon. How could they be compared to re fireflies? However, even in the brightest places the sun shines, there will always be shadows where its light cannot reach. As long as people have emotions and desires, as long as they have selfishness and greed, Prince Jin’s Mansion will surely continue to exist."
The Confucian Temple Imperial Censor nodded, asking no more. He took out a bright yellow Scroll from his sleeve and made it hover in the air.
WHOOSH!
He extended a long, slender finger. White Literary Qi shot from its tip, landing on the Scroll and forming elegant characters of Holy Text.
The Scroll transford into a streak of white light, flew out across the water’s surface, and appeared above Lu Guangjing’s head.
BOOM!
The Evil Cultivators of Prince Jin’s Mansion were all suppressed by a powerful fluctuation of energy from the Scroll. Their legs went weak, and they collapsed to their knees.
Only now did they realize just how formidable this middle-aged man was.
The Evil Cultivators who had wanted to confront the Confucian Temple Imperial Censor were utterly terrified, their legs trembling. Cold sweat beaded on their foreheads, dripping onto the deck. DRIP. DRIP.
Even Lu Guangjing went down on one knee, reaching up with both hands to receive the Scroll, which he slowly unfurled.
Although he had already guessed the Confucian Temple Imperial Censor’s identity, he was still slightly astonished when he saw the contents of the Scroll. "Candidate-disciple of the Law Saint."
"From this mont on, Lu Guangjing, you are a candidate-disciple of the Legalist Saint from the Confucian Temple, but you are not yet a true disciple. If you wish to beco a true disciple, then you must survive this war of succession."
The ethereal voice still echoed across the water’s surface, but the Confucian Temple Imperial Censor had long since vanished. No one saw how he left.
On the water, only circles of ripples remained, continuously spreading outward.
Lu Guangjing slowly rose to his feet and let out a long breath, clenching the Scroll tightly in his hand.
"Your Highness, who in the world was that? How could he select disciples for a Saint?" one of the Evil Cultivators asked cautiously.
Everyone looked toward Lu Guangjing, equally curious.
Lu Guangjing did not answer them. He stared at the water’s surface, his bearing taking on an even more imperious air. He muttered to himself, "Truly worthy of his reputation—the renowned Sage Tantai, one of the Seventy-two Saints and Sages. One can only gaze at him from afar, but never draw near."
’Mr. Xun, if you’ve truly given up on ... then I’m afraid I can no longer afford to be so courteous.’
...
「On a street in the Great Yan Capital City.」
Tantai Ming, dressed in bamboo-leaf green, blended into the crowd, his Divine Sense covering a thousand-li radius.
A beautiful woman by his side voiced her confusion:
"Sir, why did you do that? Prince Jin is a jealous and arrogant man. Why give him the Law Saint’s Saint’s Book?"
Tantai Ming laughed heartily. "You only see the benefit Lu Guangjing has gained, but not the detrint. If you truly want to deal with Xun Yu, you have to target those around him. This probationary Saint’s Book will cause the already precarious rift between Prince Jin’s Mansion and Xun Yu to collapse completely."
User Comments
0 comments from readers