https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-58-Bodily-Martial-Arts-The-Great-Sun-Golden-Bell-Cloak/12532712/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-60-Meng-Chong-s-Enlightenment-of-the-Great-Sun-Golden-Bell-Shield/12532714/
Chapter 59: Xu Yan's Journey to the Imperial Palace to Temper His State of Mind
Chapter 59: Xu Yan's Journey to the Imperial Palace to Temper His State of Mind
Upon hearing this, the Yunshan Magistrate nodded and said, "Alright, mobilize all the followers and have them search for the precious elixir. However, we should keep some for ourselves. This elixir might prove useful for martial arts cultivation."
The elderly man in the hemp robe nodded in agreement.
Shi Er continued, "Also, the exalted one wishes to meet the Heavenly Mother."
"Then pass on the message to the Heavenly Mother and let her make the decision herself," the elderly man in the hemp robe decided.
"Additionally," the Yunshan Magistrate said in a low voice, "the news of the exalted one's presence in Yunshan County must not be leaked. Otherwise, people from the prefecture city, or even the capital, will come and disturb the exalted one's peace."
The group of experts from the Heavenly Mother Cult nodded in unison.
With opportunity knocking at their door, it was up to them to seize it.
They even kept this information from people like Kou Ruozhi in the prefecture city.
Yunshan County wasn't big, and after strolling around for half an hour, Li Xuan returned to his residence.
Outside the courtyard gate stood a figure, bowing respectfully while holding a box in his hands.
"Yunshan Magistrate?" Li Xuan asked in surprise.
These guys usually scurried away like mice before a cat at the sight of him, but now they were taking the initiative to pay him a visit?
"Dare not, dare not! Senior, you can just call me Xiao Shan," the Yunshan Magistrate said, bowing and scraping.
"I heard that Senior is accepting disciples, so I came to offer my congratulations and a small token of my respect. I hope Senior will not reject it," the Yunshan Magistrate said, holding up the box in his hands.
"You're too kind, too kind!" Li Xuan took the box and said.
"I accept your gift, and if there's nothing else..."
"Your junior takes his leave!" The Yunshan Magistrate bowed and backed away.
Li Xuan nodded; this guy knew how to read the room.
Once inside the courtyard, Li Xuan opened the box and found a mountain ginseng inside.
"This isn't just ordinary thousand-year-old ginseng. The Heavenly Mother Cult has quite a collection of precious elixirs. My disciples won't lack the resources they need for their cultivation now," Li Xuan was very pleased.
Just as he put down the ginseng, another visitor arrived.
Li Xuan remained seated in his chair and asked Meng Chong to open the door.
It was the elderly man in the hemp robe, also bearing gifts of precious elixirs.
Li Xuan accepted them without hesitation.
"To think that there are so many precious elixirs hidden within the Infinite Great Mountains. There must be something extraordinary about this place," Li Xuan mused.
His suspicions were further confirmed, although he couldn't be sure of the specifics just yet.
One after another, the experts from the Heavenly Mother Cult came to pay their respects and offer gifts, and Li Xuan accepted them all.
He was willing to accept their gifts, but if the Heavenly Mother Cult dared to cause trouble in his name, he wouldn't hold back!
These elixirs were like payment for their lives, as far as he was concerned.
Meng Chong was in the courtyard, meditating on the Great Sun Golden Bell Cover technique, but he hadn't made any progress yet, which Li Xuan didn't mind.
In the evening, Shi Er arrived with a chicken in hand.
However, he was sensible enough not to look for Li Xuan. Instead, he handed the chicken to Meng Chong and said with a smile, "Brother Meng, here's the chicken you wanted!"
"Mm!" Meng Chong took the chicken and turned to prepare a chicken soup.
Shi Er bowed to Li Xuan, who was sitting in the chair, and then left.
"Interesting, he's quite a clever one," Li Xuan murmured as he watched Shi Er carefully close the courtyard gate before leaving.
It was nice to have someone to run errands for him.
He would keep an eye on Shi Er for now.
If he proved to be quick-witted and capable, Li Xuan might consider taking him on as a servant.
After all, he couldn't have his disciples doing everything; they needed to focus on their cultivation.
How could they improve their strength if they weren't diligent in their training?
In the capital of Qi Country.
The shockwaves from Xu Yan's demonstration were still reverberating.
However, many of the second generations of noble officials, accompanied by their guards and servants, had left the capital to search for exalted masters in the great mountains.
The royal family had even mobilized all their intelligence resources and hidden spies to seek out these exalted masters.
The first prince intended to personally venture out to meet these masters.
He had suffered the most during this upheaval.
The crown prince position, which had seemed within his grasp, was now slipping away.
Ministers who had previously supported him were now keeping their distance, as if avoiding a plague.
If there was anyone in the capital feeling frustrated, it was undoubtedly the Qi Emperor.
The harem was a place where no man, except the Qi Emperor himself and his underage sons, was allowed to set foot. Yet, Xu Yan went there during the day and even at night!
If Xu Yan was there to sleep with the concubines or princesses, the Qi Emperor would feel slightly better. At least, there would be a way to appease Xu Yan—offering concubines or princesses would be a small matter.
But!
Xu Yan's reason for entering the harem was to temper his state of mind!
According to him, he was at an age where he was most susceptible to the allure of women. By remaining unmoved by beauty and keeping his mind calm, his martial heart would become more steadfast. He would not be disturbed by external influences and could better comprehend the martial techniques. The harem was filled with the most beautiful women in the land, providing the perfect environment for his training.
If that was the only issue, the Qi Emperor could have tolerated it. However, Xu Yan did not keep his visits to the harem a secret.
How would outsiders perceive this?
To the public, Xu Yan was said to be tempering his state of mind in the palace, but if he wasn't sleeping with the concubines or princesses, who would believe that? The ministers now looked at the Qi Emperor with strange expressions.
It was as if they thought he was wearing a green hat on his head instead of a crown!
If he had actually worn a green hat, it wouldn't have been so bad, but the fact that he wasn't and was still being misunderstood and wronged made him feel extremely uncomfortable.
The Qi Emperor felt aggrieved.
On the other hand, Xu Yan thought that the Qi Emperor was quite a decent person. He didn't get angry about his visits to the harem and even had the concubines dance to help him temper his state of mind. "The Qi Emperor is a good person. Why did he think of confiscating my family's property? Could it be that the county magistrate is overstepping his bounds?"
Xu Yan left the harem with a calm mind, feeling that his state of mind of "having no women in his heart" had greatly improved.
His martial heart was firm, and he would not be distracted by external influences.
"As Master said, 'having no women in one's heart, cultivation improves miraculously.' This state of mind is indeed profound and mystical.
"At my age, I am most susceptible to the allure of women. If I can remain unmoved by women, my mind will be clear, and my comprehension of martial techniques will not be disturbed by external influences.
"I will be able to devote myself fully to comprehending the techniques."
The more Xu Yan thought about it, the more he felt that his master's teaching of "having no women in one's heart, cultivation improves miraculously" was indeed extremely profound.
Moreover, he was at the age where he was most easily tempted by women. Women were the biggest external distraction for him, and if he could overcome this, no external influence could disturb his state of mind.
Xu Yan felt that he had achieved this.
He was unmoved by the beauties of the Qi Emperor's harem. "I have vaguely comprehended the innate realm technique..."
Xu Yan was delighted as he left the harem and walked through the imperial palace. Coincidentally, the court had just ended, and the ministers were on their way out.
When they saw Xu Yan, their expressions became strange.
Had he come from the harem again?
The ministers sneaked glances at Guo Rongshan, wondering if the Grand Chancellor had also visited the harem. The thought of it was stimulating! When would they have the opportunity to enter the harem and admire the beauties?
Xu Yan nodded to the Qi Emperor as a greeting, his mind occupied with thoughts of the innate realm technique, and he didn't notice the strange expressions on the ministers' faces. He left the palace directly.
The Qi Emperor sent him off with a smile on his face. After Xu Yan left, the Qi Emperor took a deep breath and his expression turned solemn. He gestured for Guo Yunkai to come closer.
He issued an imperial decree: "Guo, my dear subject, the ministers are leaving the court without any decorum, which is a disgrace to the court's etiquette. Have them all punished with twenty boards each to serve as a warning to others!"
Guo Yunkai was startled and silently nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty. I will carry out your order."
His nephew was really something. Why did he have to be so blatant about visiting the harem? His Majesty still had his reputation to consider.
Only he could carry out the task of punishing the ministers.
That day, the ministers collectively received their punishment outside the palace, their faces darkened with anger as they cursed the dog emperor in their hearts.
(End of Chapter)
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