Seeking Fortune And Avoiding Calamity, Starting From The Heavenly Master's Mansion Chapter 263: The Emperor's Return: Imparting Ancient Knowledge (Part 1) - Novel Cool

Chapter 263: The Emperor's Return: Imparting Ancient Knowledge (Part 1)

Chapter 263: The Emperor's Return: Imparting Ancient Knowledge (Part 1)

Seeing Meng Shaoji's trance-like state, Xiao Chunhui shook her head slightly. If the former emperor had still been alive, and the current ruler had not turned to the path of the Heavenly Mandate, this young man before her would have been the heir to her legacy.

Perhaps this was the law of affinity between people.

Although historiography has yet to establish itself as a distinct field from classical studies, those who dare to forge a new path will surely be favored by the heavens. However, such recognition does not come easily.

You hope that he, like you, will have his own epiphany and blaze a unique trail, thus further tempering his soul. But sometimes, perfectionism is not necessarily a virtue, nor is it suitable for everyone.

From this perspective, when it comes to teaching, you may not be the best teacher... Xiao Chunhui calmly criticized the current emperor in her thoughts.

That was why she had told you before that the timing was already right, and that too much hesitation could be detrimental.

Xiao Chunhui felt as if she could already foresee the emperor's fate—that the harvest would ultimately belong to someone else.

However, the Queen herself seemed rather open-minded about it.

Xiao Chunhui recalled that when she had previously asked the Queen about the ancient talismans of the Fu Lu School, she had also mentioned Meng Shaoji in passing. The Queen had shown no objection:

"It is all about affinity. It is not impossible for Meng Shaoji to have such an opportunity. Perhaps the slight regret of not having completed the task fully can be made up for by a new opportunity."

Meng Shaoji gradually came back to his senses. "Teacher, then what should I do next...?"

Xiao Chunhui replied, "The foundation of historiography, which I taught you during your time at the Academy.

You can take these notes with you as a reference, but this is still a brand-new path, and you will need to find what suits you best on your own.

You have access to the Academy's collection, and you may browse them at your leisure. However, I am not an expert in this field either, so I cannot offer you much help."

As per the Queen's previous arrangement, he did not mention that the notes came from her, Zhang Wantong.

Meng Shaoji thanked Xiao Chunhui, who continued, "As for the Pale Universe, as I said before, it is up to you to grasp it. If you have any safety concerns, feel free to come to me."

"Yes, I would like to thank you, teacher," Meng Shaoji said after a slight hesitation. "Teacher... I would like to bid farewell to the Crown Prince at the Eastern Palace."

Xiao Chunhui replied, "That depends on His Highness's wishes. However, now that you have clarified your path and wish to devote yourself to your studies, I believe His Highness will not refuse."

Contrary to the speculation of most people in the outside world, Meng Shaoji was not a representative of the Han family, forcibly placed in the Eastern Palace by the Academy.

He was personally chosen by the current Crown Prince, Zhang Hui, as his study partner.

Long before the establishment of the Academy, the two young men had met by chance and hit it off. It was only later that Meng Shaoji learned that his new friend was the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace.

It was because of his connection with Zhang Hui that Meng Shaoji came to the Queen's attention.

"His Highness is currently overseeing the country by imperial decree and has to manage all aspects of the government. It is a taxing task, and I am unable to provide any assistance. It would be inappropriate for me to remain in my position without contributing anything."

Meng Shaoji continued, "If His Highness wishes to see me, I will always be at his service, as per his command."

Although he felt uncomfortable at the Eastern Palace, his personal relationship with Zhang Hui had become even deeper.

After chatting with Xiao Chunhui a little longer about the details of delivering the spiritual object to the mysterious person later, Meng Shaoji bid farewell and left the Academy, heading towards the Eastern Palace.

At this time, Crown Prince Zhang Hui should have returned from the Ministry of Personnel at the Policy Hall.

Indeed, as soon as Meng Shaoji entered the Eastern Palace, Zhang Hui pulled him to see a new painting:

"Come, Qingyan, take a look at my new work. I drew this in my spare time these past few days. The brushstrokes are intermittent and lack authenticity. I originally intended it as a practice piece and a way to relax, but today I had some inspiration, and after finishing it, I felt that it had a unique charm."

At this moment, Zhang Hui did not seem like the mature Crown Prince but instead exuded the charm of a cultured scholar.

Meng Shaoji followed Zhang Hui to view his new painting.

"These past few days have been so busy that I've barely slept or eaten. I really can't imagine how the former emperor and Her Royal Highness the Princess-Regent managed to handle such complex state affairs in an orderly manner."

The two companions sat down for tea and chatted for a while before Zhang Hui's expression changed slightly. "Qingyan, is something on your mind?"

With only the two of them present, Meng Shaoji relaxed and frankly said, "I dare not hide it from Your Highness. I have come today with a request."

Meng Shaoji did not elaborate on other matters and only mentioned that he had recently gained some insights from his studies and wanted to focus on his studies, so he specially asked Zhang Hui for his permission to resign, hoping that Zhang Hui would understand.

Upon hearing this, Crown Prince Zhang Hui was reluctant to let him go.

However, after a moment of contemplation, he did not force Meng Shaoji to stay but instead asked, "If you devote yourself to your studies, will you return home and seclude yourself?"

"Of course not," Meng Shaoji quickly replied. "I will remain in the capital, and if Your Highness needs me, just send someone to inform me."

Zhang Hui smiled and said, "That's good!"

He sighed, "It's a pity that I can't put it down like you. Forget about you, I feel like I can't even catch my breath. I still prefer to indulge in calligraphy and painting."

"It is my incompetence that I cannot ease Your Highness's burden," Meng Shaoji said.

The Crown Prince smiled and said, "Nonsense. Next time I have a new piece, I'll call for you, and you can come quickly."

He smiled and sighed, "My time is so fragmented these days."

After chatting for a while longer, Meng Shaoji bid farewell and left.

In the painting room, a figure emerged from the back hall.

It was Ye Song, the Crown Prince Zhang Hui's cousin.

"As a decoy, he's quite suitable," Ye Song remarked.

Crown Prince Zhang Hui's expression remained unchanged as he replied, "Yes, but since he's just a decoy, we must not force it. Otherwise, if there's movement without wind, it might arouse suspicion, right? It hasn't been a waste these past few years."

Ye Song smiled and said, "Apart from Meng Shaoji, there are also companions from the Academy. His resignation will not affect the overall situation.

Zhang Hui nodded, his fingers tapping casually on the painting.

The paper immediately ignited and burned to ashes.

Ye Song spoke up, "Now that His Majesty has left for Guanzhong, Your Highness no longer needs to conceal your abilities."

Crown Prince Zhang Hui replied, "There's no rush. Let's take it one step at a time. For now, just a small step."

It had been less than three years since his first trip outside the capital, where he broke through to the Fifth Level.

But now, as the acting ruler, his cultivation had once again advanced, successfully overcoming the tribulation between the Fifth and Sixth Levels and reaching the Sixth Level.

At nineteen, he was an Eastern Palace Crown Prince at the Fourth Level.

And now, at twenty-two, he was at the Sixth Level.

Even with the blessing of the nation's fortune, these were two entirely different concepts.

...

Lei Jun temporarily left Dragon-Tiger Mountain to go to the meeting place he had arranged with Meng Shaoji.

With Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang both absent from the mountain, Yuan Mobai had to stay behind to guard the ancestral hall, so Elder Lei decided to make this trip himself.

Fortunately, his cultivation had improved, so he could travel without much worry.

Moreover, the glowing sphere in his mind was quiet for the time being.

Meng Shaoji had chosen a location near the Imperial Capital for their meeting.

If he had been given free rein, he would have naturally preferred to meet in the Imperial City of Luoyang.

But Meng Shaoji wouldn't dare to make such an impudent request.

Upon arriving at the agreed-upon location, Lei Jun did not immediately reveal himself. Instead, he concealed his appearance and used the Heaven-Penetrating, Earth-Connecting Falu as the core, supplemented by the Xuan Xu Mirror and other methods, to inspect the surroundings.

After a thorough search, Lei Jun found no signs of ambushes or covert surveillance.

Lei Jun raised his eyebrows, his spiritual power gathering the Wind Tiger and Cloud Dragon.

Although he did not cultivate this technique as his primary method, he was still well-versed in this inherited technique of the Celestial Master's Mansion.

With his innate talent, current cultivation level, and realm, his display of the Wind Tiger and Cloud Dragon technique was not particularly awe-inspiring in terms of momentum. However, his spiritual power was refined and abundant.

The dragon and tiger seemed to possess life and intelligence, exhibiting unparalleled agility.

As he was currently posing as an ancient Fulu School cultivator, and the Wind Tiger and Cloud Dragon technique was also a method from ancient times, there was no conflict with his identity.

Lei Jun's innate wisdom allowed him to effortlessly make some variations to the technique, causing the dragon and tiger to exhibit characteristics that were similar to the Celestial Master's Mansion's lineage yet distinctly different, making it seem like it originated from a Daoist Fulu School but was distinct from the current lineage of the Celestial Master's Mansion.

The cloud dragon patrolled the periphery, continuing to inspect and guard the area.

The wind tiger, on the other hand, approached the designated meeting spot.

Soon, the wind tiger unearthed the spiritual object that Meng Shaoji had hidden and brought it back to Lei Jun.

It was a tablet.

Its entire body resembled white jade.

Lei Jun examined it carefully but found no traces of mechanisms or anything out of the ordinary.

He gathered the power of the dark side of the Heavenly Tome in his palm and gently wiped it over the white jade tablet.

Still, he detected no signs of surveillance.

Lei Jun raised his eyebrows, not dwelling on it further, and decided to leave immediately.

In the Academy, Xiao Chunhui sat calmly.

Suddenly, her eyes narrowed slightly, "The item has been taken."

However, there was no additional information, and the connection was quickly severed.

"Very unique and unfamiliar means," Xiao Chunhui remarked, her expression calm.

The mark left by Meng Shaoji served only as a warning that someone had been there.

Although curious about the identity of the visitor, considering their exceptional abilities and the current tumultuous times, Xiao Chunhui refrained from further action to avoid attracting unnecessary enemies.

As there was no conflict between the two parties, it was unnecessary to disrupt the current balance by testing each other's capabilities.

As for their true identity, if there were future interactions, she would gradually uncover the truth.

"Not necessarily an ancient Fulu School cultivator," Xiao Chunhui mused. "It could also be a contemporary Daoist Fulu School disciple or someone from another Daoist lineage."

She shook her head slightly, refocusing her mind.

...

Far away from the Imperial Capital of Luoyang and the previous location, Lei Jun waited until he had left Zhongzhou before examining the white jade tablet.

Typically, tablets were used by Fulu School cultivators as ritual tools when offering prayers to the heavens, and they were also commonly seen in the Dragon-Tiger Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion.

However, they no longer served the ancient purpose of addressing specific individuals but were instead used for communicating with the natural world.

This white jade tablet, however, retained the function of the early days.

It just didn't specify a particular target.

To some extent, one could ignore the words "jade" and "tablet" and simply call it a white board.

Whether it had always been like this or had been altered by someone was unclear.

Although Meng Shaoji seemed to have good fortune and a smooth path, Lei Jun still suspected that this item had been provided to him by someone else.

With the Queen away in Guanzhong, who could it be? The Eastern Palace or the Academy? The Academy seemed more likely.

So, Xiao Chunhui?

If so, the Queen would likely also be aware of the existence of the dark side of the Heavenly Tome.

Well, that was to be expected... Lei Jun shook his head slightly, refocusing his attention on the tablet in his hand, considering what role this spiritual object could play now or in the future.

With the reopening of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, Mount Sumeru had appeared.

So, what about Kunlun?

Or Penglai?

Or Huangquan?

Lei Jun pondered these questions as he embarked on his return journey.

Somewhat unexpectedly, Luo Hu and Kang Ming also sent back news.

They certainly hadn't coordinated with Meng Shaoji, but the clues they provided pointed to another aspect, and these clues also surprised Lei Jun.

Kang Ming had found traces of Chen Yi, a disciple who had defected from the Celestial Master's Mansion, and according to him, Chen Yi seemed to possess a similar treasure related to the early Fulu School lineage.

However, Kang Ming had been unable to capture Chen Yi or determine his whereabouts.

Indications pointed to Chen Yi no longer working alone but having some connection with traitors from the Pure Yang Palace, just like him.

Unconfirmed information obtained by Kang Ming suggested that Chen Yi might have met Zhou Peng, the leader of the Pure Yang Palace rebels.

"There seems to be some evidence to support the suspicion that Chen Yi possesses a spiritual object from the early Fulu School lineage," Kang Ming mused.

Lei Jun couldn't help but speculate, "It seems that Chen Yi had already gained access to such opportunities back when he was striving to become the Celestial Master's personal disciple, hoping to enter the Upper Clarity Thunder Grotto-Heaven earlier than the usual transmission and ordination process."

It was hard to say what happened even earlier than that.

After some thought, Lei Jun decided not to return to Dragon-Tiger Mountain immediately. Instead, he sent a message to his junior martial brother, Chu Kun.

Chu Kun promptly responded, "Senior Brother?"

"Junior Brother, do you still have any of the second batch of Xianling Yuan Seeds?" Lei Jun inquired.

"No more. Those things depend entirely on luck; they're not something you can just plant and harvest when they're ripe," Chu Kun replied with a bitter smile.

He paused for a moment, then asked, "Do you need something that would aid a Sixth Heaven realm cultivator's cultivation, Senior Brother?"

"Preferably something beneficial for cultivators of our Daoist Fulu School," Lei Jun clarified.

Chu Kun confessed, "There's a spiritual flower called the Nine-Line Primordial Bloom, which I have in small reserves. I can send some to you first, and slowly replenish my stock later."

Although his current cultivation realm had not yet reached the Sixth Heaven, just like how he had prepared a Xianling Yuan Seed for himself in advance, he also had some reserves of other spiritual objects.

The Nine-Line Primordial Bloom was newly acquired this year. While its efficacy was slightly inferior to the Xianling Yuan Seed, its advantage was that this spiritual flower had several blooming opportunities. It just required some time to wait, and only one flower was immediately available for use, so Chu Kun, who didn't need it himself at the moment, decided to send it to Lei Jun.

"Do you need it urgently?" Without asking what Lei Jun needed it for, Chu Kun said, "Senior Brother, please wait a moment."

After agreeing on a meeting place, Chu Kun brought the spiritual flower down from the mountain and delivered it to Lei Jun.

When they met, Chu Kun took out the Nine-Line Primordial Bloom. Lei Jun observed that the flower had nine petals, and on each petal, a line shone with a faint glow, exuding a divine charm.

"Although I can't guarantee that it will definitely be of great use, at least the odds are better," Lei Jun said, hoping that his investment would pay off.

Chu Kun was intrigued.

Since Lei Jun had already cultivated to the Seventh Heaven realm, he naturally wouldn't need it.

And it was still too early for his junior, Zhuo Bao Jie.

Among the direct descendants of the Celestial Master's Mansion, there were Sixth Heaven cultivators who were dedicated to their cultivation.

For example, the Xianling Yuan Seed that Chu Kun had given to the Treasury for his own merit was taken by Lin Shan in exchange for his accumulated merit.

And in recent years, Ke Sichen had also been cultivating diligently, making up for the time he had lost due to his injuries in the past.

However, Chu Kun instinctively felt that his senior brother, Lei Jun, had other plans this time.

If it was for a cultivator from another Daoist Fulu School sect.

(End of Chapter)

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