Chapter 197 - A Promising Position: Curator of the Archives

Chapter 197 - A Promising Position: Curator of the Archives

"Senior brother, have you heard of the celestial phenomenon of Xianluo Surrounding the Sun?" Lei Jun asked, and Chu Kun, instead of hiding anything, decided to ask him a question in return.

Lei Jun racked his brains: "I don't think I've heard of it. Why do you ask?"

Chu Kun replied, "I vaguely remember coming across a brief mention of it in some archives in Suzhou, but I don't know the specifics. I asked Master about it before, and he mentioned that our sect's archives might have some records, but they are obscure and rarely consulted. He heard about it from Elder He, who used to be in charge of the Imperial Library, so I came here to look for it."

Elder He was a previous custodian elder of the Imperial Library. Unfortunately, he had perished in the internal strife that had occurred more than three years ago.

Since then, the position of custodian elder of the Imperial Library had been vacant, and Zhang Jingzhen and Lei Jun had taken turns filling in.

Although Lei Jun enjoyed reading in the Imperial Library, most of his energy was devoted to his cultivation.

The vast collection of ancient texts in the library was so extensive that even Yuan Mobai, let alone Lei Jun, had not read them all.

The so-called celestial phenomenon of Xianluo Surrounding the Sun seemed more like a mention in some wild historical records rather than a dedicated book title, making it difficult to search for.

Elder He, who had been in charge of the Imperial Library for many years, might have been able to provide some guidance, but now Chu Kun could only search for it himself.

On this trip, Lei Jun had taken up the position of custodian elder of the Imperial Library, and he also planned to take some time to browse through more of the library's collections.

He didn't ask Chu Kun about the reason for his search for the records of Xianluo Surrounding the Sun. Instead, he simply said, "I'll keep an eye out for it while I'm reading."

"That would be wonderful!" exclaimed Chu Kun.

Lei Jun left his junior brother Chu Kun to his search and proceeded to inspect the Imperial Library.

The Imperial Library was vast, and Lei Jun was not the only one in charge.

Every once in a while, several transmission disciples would take turns coming over to help with the duties.

Above the transmission disciples, in addition to Lei Jun as the custodian elder, there were also four ordained Taoists who assisted him.

Usually, they worked in pairs, taking turns in their duties.

Before this, Lei Jun had gone out to the mountain with Yuan Mobai and reported to the head of the house.

During his absence, the four ordained Taoists temporarily managed the affairs of the Imperial Library.

At the moment, two of them were on duty.

Lei Jun arrived at the chamber next to the main hall of the Imperial Library, and the two ordained Taoists quickly stood up to greet him: "Elder Lei."

"You've been working hard these days," Lei Jun said.

They hurriedly replied, "Elder Lei, don't say that. It's our duty, and the Imperial Library is also a relatively peaceful place."

"I'll be in charge here for the next few days, so you two can take a break," Lei Jun said.

Both ordained Taoists said, "We dare not."

After chatting for a while, Lei Jun said, "I'll take a walk and inspect the premises."

He made a round through the Imperial Library and encountered the transmission disciples on duty along the way. They quickly greeted Lei Jun.

He casually waved his hand, indicating for them to continue their work, while he continued his inspection with his hands behind his back.

Lei Jun's thoughts wandered as he mused, "So now I'm a librarian... quite a legendary job."

He shook his head and smiled to himself.

After completing his inspection of the Imperial Library and finding no abnormalities, Lei Jun returned to check on his junior brother, Chu Kun, who still had not found what he was looking for.

Seeing this, Lei Jun couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion, reminiscing about the days when he could easily search for information in the library back in Lanxing.

He stopped and helped Chu Kun browse through the archives.

Life in the Imperial Library was much more relaxed compared to the Executive Hall.

In the following days, Lei Jun continued his cultivation while perusing the library's collections.

Longhushan had enjoyed a rare period of peace over the past few years.

However, the outside world was often tumultuous, with constant upheavals. Just as one crisis seemed to be settling, another would arise elsewhere.

There was no need to elaborate on the situation in the Southern Wilderness. Jincheng Stockade was in a perilous state due to the offensive by the Blood River Sect.

The fragmented Southern Wilderness, with its various factions, could not be said to share a symbiotic relationship where one's loss would affect the other.

The rise of Wei Ancheng and the Blood River Sect had put immense pressure on the other four lineages of the Southern Wilderness Wu Clan, but it was not an easy task to unite and form an alliance against the Blood River Sect with just a few words.

The already bloody Southern Wilderness was becoming increasingly chaotic.

Although there were some storms in the Central Plains of the Great Tang, compared to the South, it was truly a picture of national peace and prosperity.

Of course, this was also related to the fact that many disputes in the Great Tang region were handled discreetly behind the scenes.

Many conflicts that determined the fate of the world were often unknown to the common people.

For example, Lei Jun had heard from his master, Yuan Mobai, that the Xiao Clan beyond the Long Mountains had undergone a shocking change due to internal strife.

According to the understanding of the world, the Xiao Clan beyond the Long Mountains had suffered heavy losses and urgently needed to unite and work together to overcome their difficulties and recuperate.

However, they had followed in the footsteps of Shushan and the Celestial Master's Mansion, engaging in a bloody and intense internal purge that appeared low-key on the surface.

The reason was none other than the new clan leader, Xiao Hang, who had shaken the foundation of the clan's long-standing traditions.

Even though the Xiao Clan was currently in a trough, the conservative elders could no longer tolerate the situation.

In their eyes, if they continued to let things slide, the Xiao Clan would have no chance of recovery.

The culprits were the controversial siblings, Xiao Chunhui and Xiao Xueting, the previously misjudged new clan leader Xiao Hang, and the Tang imperial family who supported the three siblings.

They were the ones truly undermining the Xiao Clan's foundation!

The internal strife might cause the Xiao Clan beyond the Long Mountains to decline further and even plunge into an abyss.

However, if they didn't seize the opportunity to rectify the situation, the consequences would undoubtedly be worse.

Influenced by internal and external factors, the Xiao Clan beyond the Long Mountains eventually underwent a change, with the conservatives attempting to depose Xiao Hang from his position as clan leader.

However, this attempt was ultimately quelled by the Xiao siblings.

Or, to be more precise, suppressed.

The Xiao Clan beyond the Long Mountains was on the brink of splitting.

Xiao Hang still maintained control over the clan's ancestral land.

However, some members of the Xiao Clan had left and established themselves elsewhere, away from the Long Mountains.

Just like how the Ye and Lin clans had split into two branches in the past, there were now two factions within the Xiao Clan.

Only the Xiao Clan, which was already in decline, would further deteriorate due to this internal strife and split. Both branches of the Xiao family became extremely fragile.

The once formidable power in the northwest of the Great Tang now seemed unlikely to regain its former glory.

With this, the prestige of the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes no longer lived up to its name, and it might be more appropriate to refer to them as the Four Surnames and Six Hopes from now on.

In contrast, the capital of the Great Tang was also undergoing tumultuous changes.

The newly established Academic Palace, which had sparked much discussion, encountered a calamity.

However, this calamity did not seem to target the Palace's head, Xiao Chunhui, as it had in the past.

The unfortunate victims this time were a Taoist and a Buddhist monk.

The Taoist was an elder of the Celestial Master's Mansion, named Lin Shan, who was injured in an attack by a member of the Yellow Heaven Path. Fortunately, his life was not in danger.

As for the Buddhist monk, Master Fa Shan of the Buddhist sacred site, Tianlong Temple, was not so lucky. He was attacked and killed on the spot by a master from the Great Emptiness Temple, a heretical Buddhist sect.

The return of the Great Emptiness Temple to the Central Plains was a terrifying development.

First, it was the Bodhi Temple, then the Vajra Temple, and now the Tianlong Temple. All three of the Buddhist sacred sites had suffered casualties at the hands of the heretical Buddhist sect.

The news shook the Tianlong Temple, and there were already rumors that the temple's masters would launch a large-scale campaign to eradicate the heretical demons of the Great Emptiness Temple.

Even before this incident, the Tang imperial court had issued an edict to exterminate the rebels of the Great Emptiness Temple. Now, in light of these recent events, the severity of the orders was further elevated.

Upon hearing this news from Yuan Mobai, Lei Jun's first thought was, "The doing of the Four Surnames and Six Hopes."

Whether it was the Yellow Heaven Path, the Great Emptiness Temple, or the White Lotus Sect, their continued existence to this day, despite numerous attempts at extermination, was undoubtedly due to the covert support and even direct aid from other influential forces.

It was difficult to quantify the exact extent of the Four Surnames and Six Hopes' influence over these rebellious groups, but their shadows could always be found lurking in the background of their activities.

Yuan Mobai said, "His Majesty seems to be holding on to the throne for now, but it's unclear how she will counter this move. However..."

Lei Jun looked at his master.

Yuan Mobai continued, "I suspect that the Four Surnames and Six Hopes won't simply play by the rules and counter Her Majesty move by move this time. They might strike like a series of thunderclaps."

Lei Jun nodded slightly, agreeing with his master's conjecture.

However, he looked up at the roof, deep in thought, and remained silent.

Yuan Mobai turned to Lei Jun and asked, "What is it?"

Lei Jun replied, "Nothing, I just feel that Her Majesty's actions are somewhat peculiar..."

"Oh?" Yuan Mobai fell into contemplation at Lei Jun's words.

.................

Qingzhou.

Since the split of the Ye family into two branches, the heads of the two clans rarely met.

Although the relationship was not as tense as that between the two Lin families in Youzhou and Jiangzhou, the atmosphere between the two branches of the Ye family was still delicate.

"Welcome, Big Brother, to Qingzhou. Please forgive me for not greeting you earlier," a middle-aged Confucian scholar in his fifties said as he hosted the elder from Jinzhou.

The elder smiled and said, "Chiyuan, you're too kind. I was the one who came hastily."

After they were seated, the middle-aged Confucian scholar, Ye Chi Yuan, slowly said, "I've heard about the incident in Lingxi, and I offer my condolences, Big Brother."

The elder, Ye Yan, said, "It was my negligence that led to this tragedy. I have no one else to blame."

Ye Chi Yuan asked, "Now that you've come out of Jinzhou, are you heading to the Southern Wilderness next?"

Ye Yan replied, "The Blood River will be taken care of by others. We don't need to disrupt our plans. Although the incident in Lingxi grieves me, it was ultimately an accident."

Ye Chi Yuan's fingers gently stroked the teacup as he asked, "Is there some hidden mystery regarding Wei Ancheng?"

Ye Yan nodded.

Ye Chi Yuan did not press further and instead changed the subject. "So, Big Brother, are you heading north from here?"

"Yes," Ye Yan affirmed.

Ye Chi Yuan smiled and said, "For this journey, I won't wish you a smooth and uneventful trip."

Ye Yan also smiled faintly and replied, "Each to their own."

After a cup of tea, the two of them finalized their respective decisions, and Ye Yan bid farewell to Ye Chi Yuan, leaving Qingzhou and heading north toward Youzhou.

Ye Chi Yuan remained deep in thought.

Later, a woman approached and called out, "Father."

Ye Chi Yuan nodded slightly.

The woman asked softly, "Father, are we going to support the one in Youzhou?"

Youzhou was not only home to one of the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes, the Lin family of Youzhou, but it was also the location of another influential place.

The Zhao Wang Palace.

It was the residence of the oldest and most powerful royal prince in the Great Tang imperial family.

"Yes," Ye Chi Yuan nodded gently.

The woman in front of him then said, "I've already packed my things, so I'll also set off for the capital to visit my sister."

Ye Chi Yuan smiled and corrected her, "You mean the Empress and the Crown Prince."

The woman smiled and lowered her head, "Yes."

The Ye family of Jinzhou had always kept a low profile.

In recent years, however, the Ye family of Qingzhou had risen to prominence.

Ye Yan and Ye Chi Yuan were the current heads of the Ye clans in Qingzhou and Jinzhou, respectively.

Ye Yan's eldest daughter had entered the palace and become the empress of Emperor Zhang Qilong. She had also given birth to the only heir, the crown prince.

After Emperor Zhang Qilong's passing, due to the young age of the crown prince, the empress ascended the throne herself but still maintained her nephew as the crown prince.

Ye Yan's daughter still held the title of Empress of the Great Tang.

Up to this point, neither the Ye family of Qingzhou nor Jinzhou, nor any other aristocratic family, had completely overthrown the dynasty and replaced it with their own rule.

However, the current emperor was incompetent and reckless, having lost the support of his subjects. It was only natural for the people to want to support a wise ruler to ascend the throne and bring clarity to the world, wasn't it?

Just as her brother, the late Emperor Zhang Qilong, had done...

With the crown prince coming of age, the Ye family of Qingzhou naturally leaned towards supporting him in the imperial family.

Then...

The two branches of the Ye family would not be in the same boat.

This had been an unchanging iron rule for the Ye family since their split, regardless of the dynasty or how the times changed.

The Ye family of Jinzhou would naturally choose another target.

Even during the reign of Emperor Zhang Qilong, the Ye family of Jinzhou had already been in contact with the Zhao Wang Palace in Youzhou.

Now, their interactions could become even closer.

As for Qingzhou, there was no need to even mention it.

Ye Yan's second daughter had always been close to her sister and nephew in the palace.

"Troubles arise from the smallest of things, and blessings often come from unexpected places," Ye Yan murmured to himself as he watched his second daughter leave.

.....

Outside Longhushan, the winds of change were stirring.

Within Longhushan, Lei Jun continued to focus on his cultivation.

Lin Shan was injured and did not return to Longhushan. The Empress herself inquired about his condition, and a master healer from the Medicine Capital in the capital city used his miraculous skills to stabilize Lin Shan's injuries.

Regarding Longhushan, since Yuan Mobai had already returned to the mountain, Shangguan Ning took the opportunity to rush to the capital to discuss the matter of purging the Yellow Heaven Path.

Within the ancestral hall of the mountain gate, Lei Jun devoted himself to his cultivation while also shouldering the duty of guarding the Chishu Pavilion.

His fellow disciple, Chu Kun, who was of the same master, had been frequenting the Chishu Pavilion lately, almost visiting daily.

However, with the abundance of books in the pavilion, he had not yet found what he was looking for.

On this day, after Lei Jun finished his shift at the Chishu Pavilion, he instructed the two Ordained Taoists on duty to take over for the night shift before preparing to return to his residence.

Unexpectedly, just as Lei Jun was pondering whether to return for quiet cultivation or go to the Great Dan Room to start the furnace for pill refining, the light sphere in his mind suddenly flashed again:

[Dangers often arise from trivial matters, and blessings often come from unintentional actions. Planting willows brings shade, an auspicious sign.]



Two fortune-telling signs then appeared:

[Middle-upper sign: Patrol the Chishu Pavilion at night, there is an opportunity to obtain a fourth-grade opportunity, no risk, no aftermath, auspicious.]



[Middle-middle sign: If there is no special action, there is neither gain nor loss, neutral.]



After reading the fortune-telling signs, Lei Jun raised his eyebrows slightly.

Would something unexpected happen at the Chishu Pavilion tonight?

He decided to stay vigilant and abandoned his plans to go to the Great Dan Room to start the furnace for pill refining that night.

However, Lei Jun did not immediately return to the Chishu Pavilion.

Instead, he waited until nightfall before secretly returning to the pavilion.

The middle-upper sign indicated no danger, but Lei Jun still concealed himself and observed from the shadows.

Was someone going to steal something from the Chishu Pavilion?

Or would something extraordinary be born within the pavilion?

As Lei Jun waited, various thoughts crossed his mind.

Although there were other disciples on duty patrolling the pavilion, Lei Jun remained hidden, carefully surveying his surroundings.

However, as midnight approached, nothing out of the ordinary occurred.

Lei Jun was patient and did not act rashly.

He manipulated his spiritual energy, causing it to transform into black and white qi that drifted out of his body and then dissipated into nothingness.

Although he did not project his soul to leave his body, Lei Jun's senses became increasingly sharp, covering the entire Chishu Pavilion.

After a moment, he suddenly felt a slight disturbance.

This feeling... was somewhat similar to the Water, Fire, Yin, and Yang Furnace operating.

Lei Jun was puzzled and followed his intuition to a corner of the Chishu Pavilion.

To his surprise, he saw that one of the Ordained Taoists on duty that night was actually tending to a furnace and refining pills within the Chishu Pavilion.

Such an abnormal action made Lei Jun initially suspicious.

He did not reveal himself immediately but patiently observed for a while.

Soon, he discovered that the Ordained Taoist had no malicious intentions and was genuinely engrossed in experimenting with pill refining techniques in the pavilion.

Lei Jun had also been learning pill refining techniques from Yuan Mobai recently, so he could tell that the Ordained Taoist's skills were quite proficient, and his mind was wholly focused on the task, enthusiastically trying various methods.

Seeing his dedication, Lei Jun thought that he must be someone who, like himself, liked to make good use of his time. He was obviously passionate and immersed in the art of pill refining.

However, setting up a Water, Fire, Yin, and Yang Furnace in a place like the Chishu Pavilion was indeed going too far.

As Lei Jun watched the Ordained Taoist's concentrated expression, he felt conflicted.

The fortune-telling sign had mentioned dangers arising from trivial matters, but what did it mean by blessings coming from unintentional actions?

Could it be related to preventing a fire disaster?

Lei Jun carefully sensed the other areas of the Chishu Pavilion but found nothing amiss.

As the furnace in front of him showed no signs of trouble, Lei Jun decided to wait a little longer to see if anything else would happen or if someone else would arrive.

However, nothing happened.

On the contrary, he ended up waiting for a fire hazard to occur.

The Water, Fire, Yin, and Yang Furnace suddenly became unstable, and it looked like it was about to explode.

The Chishu Pavilion lacked the proper facilities to support such a furnace, and an accident could easily occur.

The Ordained Taoist panicked, and just as it seemed he would lose control of the furnace, Lei Jun appeared and placed his hand on it.

With his spiritual energy far surpassing that of the Ordained Taoist, Lei Jun easily stabilized the unruly furnace, preventing it from acting up further.

"Elder Lei..." The Ordained Taoist breathed a sigh of relief and then paled.

Lei Jun calmly said, "It's good to make good use of your time, but bringing a private Water, Fire, Yin, and Yang Furnace into the pavilion is inappropriate. The books in this pavilion are the accumulation of our sect's knowledge over the years. Even if they are not true orthodox manuals, they are still precious ancient texts."

The Ordained Taoist lowered his head and said, "Elder, your reprimand is justified. If it weren't for your timely appearance, I would have undoubtedly made an irreparable mistake tonight."

Lei Jun said, "Acknowledging one's mistake and correcting it is commendable, but the sect's rules and disciplines cannot be disregarded. You know what you must do now, right?"

The Ordained Taoist respectfully bowed and said, "Yes, disciple will go to the Discipline Hall to receive punishment."

Lei Jun said, "There's no need to rush. Go there tomorrow morning."

While keeping an eye out for any disturbances within and around the pavilion, Lei Jun chatted with the Ordained Taoist for a while.

Surprisingly, the two of them got along quite well when discussing pill refining techniques.

The night passed without any further incidents.

Lei Jun waved his hand and said, "You may go now. Perhaps we can exchange insights on cultivation techniques and pill refining in the future."

The Ordained Taoist bowed respectfully and took his leave, heading to the Discipline Hall to report his transgression.

As the sun rose, Lei Jun turned and looked at the intact Chishu Pavilion and wondered, "So, where is my fourth-grade opportunity?"

PS: 5k chapter

(End of Chapter)

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