Chapter 41
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A high-ranking official from the county government came to their house. Lu Laoshi was delighted as he bustled around busily. He called for Li Jinhua, who was still outside, to come back and cook, and hurriedly moved a few stools under the eaves.
“This… This, Chief Registrar Wang, please take a seat.”
He then turned to his son and urged: “Liangsheng, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and invite the Chief Registrar to take a seat.”
“No need to go to so much trouble.”
The old man waved his hand and looked at his student paying respects, smiling slightly: “I went out today to see the beautiful and spiritual scenery of Qixia Mountain, and also took the opportunity to come and visit Liangsheng.”
“How can that be? You are my son Liangsheng’s esteemed teacher. Now that you’re here at our home, how could we not serve you a meal?” Li Jinhua was already drawing water and rinsing rice. Women in the mountain village rarely adhered to the custom of not speaking when men were around.
Lu Liangsheng also nodded: “Teacher, please stay and have a meal.”
The old man wasn’t pedantic and didn’t mind the woman’s interruption. He smiled: “If I stay for dinner, I fear I won’t be able to return to the county tonight. I still have official business to handle tomorrow. Liangsheng, walk with me outside the village.”
“Yes.” Liangsheng stopped trying to persuade him and followed the old man out of the courtyard.
The toad resting on the windowsill let out a grunt.
“In the past, you never showed such courtesy to this old man.”
As it muttered this, a large hand reached over, picked up the Toad Daoist, and placed it on his shoulder. Sun Yingxian chuckled: “I know you want to go. This Daoist kindly offers to bring you along.”
“Who needs your kindness!” The toad glared at him and turned its face away.
After three months of living together, Sun Yingxian had come to understand the toad’s temper and didn’t mind. As he walked to the gate of the courtyard, he noticed someone watching from the other side. The Daoist paused for a moment, then quickly put on a smile.
“Oh, isn’t this the head constable…”
Zuo Zhengyang stared at his shoulder and then his gaze fell on the Daoist’s face, eyes flashing like lightning. “What are you doing here?”
“Why… why can’t this Daoist be here?”
On their first meeting, Sun Yingxian was still somewhat intimidated by the head constable’s swordsmanship. After calming himself, his tone became sharp: “The people of Lu Family Village are kind and hospitable. Seeing a down-and-out Daoist like me, it’s normal for them to provide aid for ten days or half a month.”
He glanced at the slender scabbard at his opponent’s waist and cupped his hands.
“Farewell, I’ll be taking my leave!”
Even if he was chased out, Zuo Zhengyang was still wary of the Daoist. He quickened his pace and followed behind.
Outside the village, the sunlight reflected off the blanket of snow, somewhat blinding. An old man and a young man walked along the country road, observing the surrounding fertile fields. After a while, Wang Shuhua slowly spoke.
“From what I’ve seen today, the villagers are diligent, and the fields are well cultivated. Very good, very good. However, Liangsheng, do you think it’s better to benefit the people of one region or the people of an entire nation?”
Lu Liangsheng, who was walking behind, was momentarily stunned. He looked at the figure in front that had stopped and frowned slightly.
“… Naturally, it’s better to benefit the people of the entire nation, as a nation includes all regions.”
“That’s a half-hearted answer.”
The old man wasn’t angry. He took a couple of steps, then turned his gaze to the nearby flowing river.
“That Chen Yaoke was killed by you, wasn’t he?”
The sudden words, though spoken in a gentle tone, made the hairs on Lu Liangsheng’s back stand on end. When the topic of murder was brought up, anyone would feel a bit nervous.
“Teacher…”
Before the young man could explain, Wang Shuhua turned his face, nodding: “Good kill!”
In the distance along the field path, Sun Yingxian and Zuo Zhengyang stood watching.
Here, Lu Liangsheng looked at the old man, his expression frozen. He couldn’t immediately guess what his teacher was trying to say, but he had never regretted that incident in his heart.
He slightly bowed and cupped his hands: “Teacher, it was this student who killed Chen Yaoke.”
“Good kill!”
The old man repeated, his gaze toward Lu Liangsheng now different from before. “The reason I came today was actually by order of the county magistrate. He guessed that the incident with Landlord Chen’s and the Crow’s Beak Ridge was your doing but doesn’t intend to pursue it. I just wanted to tell you, from Teacher’s viewpoint, that such esoteric techniques are nothing more than minor paths.”
“Teacher, what I practice is…”
“To kill is a small path, and that’s Teacher’s honest opinion. Liangsheng, look…”
The old man spoke calmly, raising his hand to sweep across the snowy fields and the distant mountains, “…these sceneries remain unchanged through the ages. In a hundred or a thousand years, some places might change, but not too much. Yet people can only live a few short decades. Daoists might live long lives, pursuing immortality, but in the end, it is merely selfish.”
He was advanced in age, his hair half-gray, and his words carried his own life experiences.
“Perhaps calling it selfish is a bit too harsh. Everyone has selfish desires. It is natural for Daoists to pursue longevity and the Dao. But Liangsheng… in this world, not everyone has such fortune. Many, like the people in this village, like your parents and relatives, are ordinary folks who lead a life of hardship.”
“Liangsheng understands.”
Lu Liangsheng sighed and bowed: “But this student cannot fully agree.”
“Oh?” The old man likely expected this response and smiled: “Then I am all ears.”
“Teacher, although my cultivation is shallow, I still believe that making life a little better for the people here is important. I have set up a small array in the river to gather spiritual energy, nourish the fish and shrimp, and improve the soil. I hope that in addition to ensuring they have more than enough food and clothing, it can also help them earn some extra money in the future.”
“Liangsheng has often heard that in the wilds and deep forests, there are many spirits and demons that harm people. There are also some cultivators who act with righteousness to eliminate these threats. They are not as selfish as Teacher says. Even if the pursuit of immortality is just a goal of human desire and aspiration, it’s no different from the political ambitions and struggles of officials.”
The young man spoke calmly, and his words went beyond his years. The old man opposite him frowned slightly, but there was a flash of approval in his eyes.
He turned and continued walking.
“Liangsheng, your analysis is quite good, showing that you have put effort into your studies. But there is still some rigidity in your thinking. As you said, Daoists act with righteousness and eliminate harmful demons and monsters. But how many people can they truly help? Moreover, not every cultivator is like you. Liangsheng… you treat the common people well and develop virtue here, but it is still just a small corner of the world.”
Wang Shuhua, with his hands behind his back, looked steadily at the farmers busy in the fields and the men digging a water reservoir.
“In the future, if you advance in your studies and become an official, how many of these rural areas will benefit from what you can do? Even if you cannot become an official, being a county magistrate can still help tens of thousands of people. Under such grand virtue and great cause, even the most impressive immortal arts would seem insignificant.”
Lu Liangsheng fell silent, his expression unchanged. The cold wind in the fields blew against the garments of the elderly and the young man.
After a long while, the young man finally cupped his hands and said: “This student understands.”
The elderly man, who had been walking slowly ahead, turned back when he saw his silence. He chuckled and made a dismissive gesture with his hand.
“You… I’m not telling you to give up your cultivation. I just want to remind you of what is more important. I’ve really never seen many cultivators in my lifetime. What I said earlier was merely guidance. You are talented and must not waste your potential. The child scholar examination in the spring of next year is coming. Don’t disappoint me.”
Though the words seemed peaceful, Wang Shuhua still harbored some concern about these so-called cultivators. However, in his lifetime, he had never encountered them. The idea of killing in silence and roaming the mountains while singing and drinking to his heart’s content was something that deep down, this scholarly man yearned for.
But his heart was old, older than his body.
As the cold wind grew fiercer, Lu Liangsheng, wanting to protect the old man from the chill, performed a hand gesture and waved his wide sleeves. An invisible barrier blocked the wind, which astonished Wang Shuhua greatly.
He even curiously reached out to touch it but found nothing to grasp.
Amidst his repeated expressions of amazement, the teacher and student continued to walk and chat along the narrow field path. After about half an hour, Zuo Zhengyang came over to say that it was getting late, prompting their departure.
The old man climbed into the carriage, lifted the curtain, and continued to remind: “Remember what I said earlier.”
“I will strictly follow your teachings, Teacher.”
Lu Liangsheng bowed and watched as the carriage disappeared down the road before he turned and walked back.
On the narrow path through the fields, the Toad Daoist watched the departing carriage, furious, and stood up.
“…That old fellow, pretending to be kind, looking down on Daoists. It’s driving me mad. Don’t stop me—”
With a kick of his two legs, he leaped off the ground. Sun Yingxian, quick as ever, grabbed him in mid-air. The toad’s small form slipped from his cotton-padded coat and veered off course.
Splash!
It was the sound of hitting the water.
From a distance.
Lu Liangsheng was walking back to the village, still thinking about his recent conversation with his teacher, when he suddenly heard the Daoist shouting from afar.
“Lu Liangsheng, your toad master has fallen into the pond!”
In the pond, the Toad Daoist had clumsily sunk.
“Glug, glug…”
Only a few bubbles surfaced.
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