“This…” Fang Xun hesitated.
“What, Junior Brother Fang? Can’t bear to part with him?” Zhao Cheng narrowed his eyes as he stared at him.
Fang Xun shook his head and let out a faint, self-mocking chuckle.
“My original purpose in taking on a disciple was to serve the sect. How could there be any question of reluctance? It’s only that… I still have a few concerns.”
“Speak freely.”
“You said it yourself earlier, Brother Zhao. Once inside the Imperial Mausoleum’s sealed burial grounds, one may enter, but never leave. Even if my disciple successfully makes it inside and finds Lu Tinglan’s armor, how is he supposed to send it back out?”
“And besides, while my disciple is by nature loyal and honest, sending him into a death trap like the Imperial Mausoleum’s burial grounds is inevitably…”
Zhao Cheng waved a hand dismissively.
“Rest assured, Junior Brother Fang. Since I ca to find you, I naturally made full preparations.”
“Take a look.”
As he spoke, Zhao Cheng extended his hand.
Floating above his palm was a worn, ancient bamboo slip.
The line of writing upon it had long since faded into near illegibility, yet Fang Xun recognized the words at a single glance.
“The Master guided others patiently and skillfully.”
Fang Xun examined the bamboo slip carefully. As his gaze lingered upon it, the principles within his body began to stir faintly, as though drawn into resonance. It felt as if he were standing before the legendary Sage himself, and an irrepressible urge to kneel in reverence rose within his heart.
“This is...”
Fang Xun seed to realize sothing, and his expression shifted.
“That’s right. A [Sacred Words Slip].”
“This bamboo slip was personally inscribed by one of the Sage’s disciples, and carries within it a trace of the Sage’s aura. Every stroke, every mark, is a divine art.”
“Once this ‘Patiently Imparted Guidance’ slip is activated, even a Celestial Phenona expert can be morally transford.”
“If my master hadn’t rendered extraordinary service to Great Qian in his earlier years, we would never have been able to borrow such a sacred relic.”
“With this in hand, your disciple will obey orders without question. Even if it ans sacrificing his own life, he won’t hesitate in the slightest.”
“The Sage’s aura remaining within this Sacred Words Slip is already nearly exhausted. At most, it can be used three or four more tis before it shatters completely.”
“Your disciple is rely in the Mortal Physique Realm, yet he gets to experience such a treasure. His life is already well worth living.”
Zhao Cheng’s expression was full of pride.
Fang Xun’s face shifted several tis.
In the end, he understood that this matter was no longer his to decide.
Letting out a long sigh, he said, “Very well. I’ll have soone summon him.”
A short while later, Li Shun arrived at the study.
“Greetings, Master.”
He glanced at Zhao Cheng beside him, looking slightly uncertain.
“Why haven’t you greeted your Martial Uncle Zhao?” Fang Xun said calmly.
“Greetings, Martial Uncle Zhao.”
Li Shun respectfully bowed, his deanor sowhat restrained.
“Good, good! My martial nephew truly has an impressive bearing!” Zhao Cheng laughed as he sized Li Shun up for a mont.
Then he turned toward Fang Xun.
“If I rember correctly, he only started cultivating recently? And he’s already reached upper-tier Mortal Physique?”
Fang Xun nodded.
“That’s correct. Though he only recently stepped onto the path of cultivation, he studied several of the Sage’s writings in his earlier years. You could say this is the result of long accumulation finally bearing fruit.”
“In that case…”
Zhao Cheng’s expression turned solemn.
“Today, I’ll test you. If you answer correctly, your martial uncle has a great reward waiting for you.”
Li Shun’s expression sharpened, and he listened attentively.
“What is ant by rectification of na and harmony of word?”
Li Shun answered gravely:
“A na refers to one’s proper station, rank, and righteous duty. Word refers to governance, instruction, and spoken doctrine. To occupy one’s rightful position, bear one’s proper responsibilities, and act in accordance with ritual and law, this is called proper naming. For one’s speech to be grounded in principle, for orders to be carried out without obstruction, and to accord with the hearts of all under heaven, this is called harmonious speech...”
Zhao Cheng listened, nodding slightly.
Then he asked another question.
“If the words of one’s elders conflict with the Spring and Autumn Annals, which should be taken as the standard?”
Li Shun pondered slightly before replying,
“Do not assu a teacher’s words are necessarily correct, nor treat the Spring and Autumn Annals as unquestionable truth. Where reason lies, one must seek it within one’s own heart and judge with clarity.”
Zhao Cheng’s eyes widened with surprise.
“Good! Excellent! Where reason lies, seek it within your own heart and judge with clarity!”
He turned to Fang Xun, sighing with emotion.
“Junior Brother Fang, you truly have taken in a fine disciple.”
Fang Xun said nothing, only responding with a helpless smile.
“Since you’ve answered so well, nephew, I will keep my word. I have here a Sacred Words Slip, personally inscribed by a direct disciple of the Sage. Are you willing to take a look?” Zhao Cheng asked, the smile fading from his face as his expression turned solemn.
“A Sacred Words Slip?”
Li Shun froze for a mont, then seed overjoyed.
“Disciple is willing!”
“Good. So long as you are willing.” Zhao Cheng’s voice carried an odd undertone.
Then he took out the ancient bamboo slip, worn and damaged with age.
“Nephew, watch carefully!”
Li Shun’s gaze instinctively fell upon the bamboo slip.
“The Master guided others with patient and skillful instruction.”
Boom!
Everything around him instantly dissolved into illusion, as though he had crossed through ti and space into so unknown place.
Dozens of figures sat cross-legged nearby, all in the posture of attentive listeners.
At the center of those gathered sat a towering, majestic figure.
Though its face could not be seen clearly, faint words could be heard issuing from its mouth.
Li Shun instinctively wanted to hear them clearly.
Yet when he focused his mind, what he heard instead was Zhao Cheng’s voice.
“This ti, when you enter the Imperial Mausoleum’s sealed grounds, you are to search for the armor once worn by Lu Tinglan, the fad general of the forr Xiang Kingdom...”
“Hm?”
Li Shun snapped awake at once.
But he made no effort to struggle or resist, treating the other man’s words as nothing but aningless drivel, letting them pass in one ear and out the other.
Instead, his full attention remained fixed on the scene of the Sage’s lecture before him.
He stared intently at the towering figure in the center.
The longer he looked, the more familiar it seed.
‘It resembles the Threefold Self-Reflection stone statue sowhat... but not entirely.’
‘The Confucian Sage...’
An instinctive urge arose within Li Shun to step closer.
And as soon as the thought appeared, his body truly moved.
He passed beyond the gathered listeners.
And arrived at the center.
In that instant, the dozens of surrounding figures seed to co alive.
Every single one of them turned to stare at Li Shun!
Silence descended over the space for a brief mont.
Then...
They all began trembling faintly.
And to Li Shun, they actually bowed in the formal etiquette reserved for a teacher!
For that single instant, Li Shun seed to overlap with the central Sage’s figure.
Crack!
The vision shattered abruptly.
Li Shun returned to reality.
“Hm?” Zhao Cheng looked down at the Sacred Words Slip in his hand, puzzled.
The inscription on the bamboo slip had already been faded and unclear to begin with.
Now, only the faintest traces remained, as though the characters might peel away entirely at any mont.
Even the bamboo slip itself seed to have suffered imnse depletion, appearing brittle and decayed.
‘Looks like it can only be used one final ti.’
‘What happened? Could it be the Imperial Mausoleum’s unique environnt?’
Suppressing the doubts in his heart, Zhao Cheng turned toward Li Shun.
A single Sacred Words Slip was not particularly important.
What truly mattered was whether the indoctrination had succeeded.
He looked at Li Shun coldly and asked, “Li Shun, do you understand your mission this ti?”
Li Shun’s gaze was initially sowhat vacant, but then, as though recalling sothing, his expression beca filled with fanatical fervor.
“I am to enter the Imperial Mausoleum’s sealed grounds and search for Lu Tinglan’s armor...”
Zhao Cheng nodded in satisfaction, then asked further, “Once you enter the sealed grounds, there will be no chance for you to ever leave again.”
“You will grow old and die within.”
“Do you harbor any resentnt in your heart?”
Li Shun answered without the slightest hesitation.
“To be able to serve Great Martial Uncle is this disciple’s greatest fortune!”
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