Chapter 353

Chapter 353: The Confucian Nation

In the Great Virtue Kingdom, at Heavenly Gate Mountain!

“The heavenly gate interrupts the flow of the Chu River, the blue water winds eastward until it curves here. The green mountains on both banks rise in contrast, and a lone sail comes from the edge of the sun,” the old man rowing the boat recited thoughtfully. “Young masters, ahead is Heavenly Gate Mountain. Hahaha, you must hold on tight; the river ahead has a swift current. Seeing you young travelers reminds me of my youthful days.”

“Old man, what a good verse!” Li Hui stood at the bow, gazing at the verdant mountains on both sides.

“I dare not take credit; that was written by Li Zui Xian, who lives in the cottage ahead and enjoys drinking and composing poetry,” the old man replied, clearly in high spirits as he continued to paddle. “Don’t you see, the Yellow River’s waters come from the sky, rushing to the sea, never to return? Do you not see, the bright mirror in the high hall lamenting white hair, morning like black silk, evening turned into snow…”

“Let’s go visit Li Zui Xian!” Li Hui laughed heartily, shaking off his scholar hat.

As the saying goes, when in rome, do as the Romans do. Yuan Xiao zhuo and the other women wore men’s clothing, pointing at the distant mountains and enjoying the scenery. They had been traveling from Dazhe Kingdom for five days and had a wonderful time exploring the mountains and waters.

“Speaking of which, the atmosphere in the Great Virtue Kingdom is truly good: doors remain unbarred at night, and lost items are not picked up. Even if there are pretentious gentlemen, they still act like gentlemen!” Song Zining had a disdainful thought about the pretentious gentlemen, inevitably speaking with a hint of sarcasm. He was a true scoundrel from the pirate life, ready to poison others and stab them in the back like it was an everyday affair.

Such a person could not help but harbor dark thoughts and twist the good atmosphere of the Great Virtue Kingdom into something negative.

“Hehe, little brother, your heart does not match your words; you are speaking in riddles!” The experienced old boatman recognized that Song Zining was mocking the gentlemen of the Great Virtue Kingdom!

Li Hui calmly stated, “The demeanor of a gentleman is open and upright. They possess righteousness in their hearts and transmit that righteousness everywhere. Even village folk are influenced by the surroundings and might act the part, which is still good. Our Dalong Kingdom has been plagued by years of war, and the people struggle to live; they dream of becoming like this. This is an ideal nation, imperfect yet still so unreachable!”

“Master has great integrity!” The old man praised, “Good, good, good! Righteousness knows no size! There’s no need to pay for the boat; I’ll take you to Taibai’s Elegant Pavilion. I feel delighted…”

Yuan Xiao zhuo giggled, “Here we go again! Brother looks so handsome; how many advantages has he gained from entering the Great Virtue Kingdom? He saved a lot on travel fees and now the boat fare too. I understand now, righteousness is all about having a good appearance, which naturally allows one to traverse the world.”

Everyone laughed, and when the boat reached the shore, Li Hui left behind a jar of spiritual wine and waved goodbye.

Before long, they spotted a thatched hut, with a crooked wooden fence, where a wild boar rummaged in the yard, searching for food.

The front door of the thatched hut displayed a rough wooden sign with the words “Taibai’s Elegant Pavilion” written beautifully, as if the letters could flutter away in the wind, carrying a proud spirit with an elegant touch.

“Guests bring good wine and request accommodation!” Li Hui laughed heartily, pulling out a jar of thousand-year-old rare brew.

Laughter erupted from the thatched hut: “Hahaha, a rare guest arrives! Just as I was worried about what to do with the animals outside, the heavens send me dozens of cultivators to relieve my troubles. How fortunate!”

As the sun set behind the western mountains, everyone settled in for the night.

One of the most enjoyable things about being with Li Hui was eating!

Luxurious attire and delicious food—he loved it!

Whenever he arrived at a place, he always gathered ingredients and tailored garments. The scholar’s robes everyone wore now all came from his daily collection. He had so many similar outfits that they could fill several large carts. For Yuan Xiao zhuo and the other women, their biggest daily joy was trying on different garments.

Carrying a chef with them was a luxury indeed, allowing them to dine wherever they went.

Li Zui Xian was initially a bit reserved, but when the food and wine were served, he could no longer contain his excitement and exclaimed, “What great joy! Today, let us drink together, in delight!”

Li Hui loved drinking, watching the thirty-something man raise his cup.

This man was carefree, just as handsome and elegant, exchanging cups freely, enjoying the moment with laughter and song. Since they shared the same last name, they became even closer, discussing ancient and modern topics and referring to each other as elder brother and virtuous younger brother.

At this moment, Li Hui felt a strange intuition, sensing something was off. He suddenly said, “Brother Taibai, with the moon high above, how about we go to the Moon Palace to celebrate together?”

“Oh? I was just wanting to see what you can do, Virtuous Younger Brother.”

“Use my spirit talismans to set up outside,” Li Hui instructed, and Song Zining quickly stood up, receiving the secret communication. He understood that trouble would arise tonight; enemies had actually pursued them to the Great Virtue Kingdom, showing they were not ready to give up on the young master.

Not long later, a thick fog rose outside the window, as if a giant spiritual turtle was exhaling auspiciousness, along with immortal cranes soaring upward, accompanied by bright crane cries. The thatched hut seemed to lift off the ground, entering a delicate and radiant realm.

The small thatched hut transformed into a palace. Li Hui clasped his hands and said, “The path of talismans’ illusionary minor technique is not worth a smile; may it bring a laugh to Brother Taibai! Remember how we watched Senior Sister Yue dance, her movements so graceful and exquisite? Today, based on that memory, I’ll invite Moon Fairy to perform for all of you!”

“Cheers!” Everyone felt slightly more at ease as they raised their cups in a toast.

After replenishing supplies in Daliang Kingdom and Dazhe Kingdom, Li Hui discovered that his talisman techniques had grown increasingly extraordinary. In the depths of fate, it seemed that the traditions of the Jade Symbol Sect were safeguarding him, resulting in a remarkably rapid increase in his success rate for creating talismans.

This change began with the addition of Wuchun, Sanxiang, Ma Chunlan, and Deng Shuqing, as if receiving a reward, his skill in the path of talismans surged dramatically.

As the Moon Fairy appeared, she was breathtakingly beautiful!

Even if Li Hui couldn’t replicate the essence of Qian Qiu Yue’s dance, it still broadened the horizons of his fellow brothers and sisters. Li Zui Xian laughed heartily and enthusiastically painted with great joy.

At that moment, a chilling wind roared outside the thatched hut; as it swept through, the ground cracked open with a loud boom, sending rocks flying.

“Li Yingjun, we finally found you!” Five enormous Ghost Foxes approached, their eyes as large as lanterns, and the surrounding mountains suddenly turned black, with an overwhelming demonic energy appearing, and Demons and Specters manifesting.

“We know you have Morning Rooster Dao Soldiers, and we specially brought the Black Mountain Old Demon. Hahaha, next year on this day will be your sacrifice day. However, your soul won’t easily disperse; it needs to be sent to the ghostly treasures to suffer the punishments of three winds and nine fires.”

One of the Ghost Foxes said, “No, I want to avenge my wife! I will make him taste the pain of the gale tearing his body apart, the agony of five horses pulling him apart, the torture of cauldron-burning and scalding, and let the Demonic Ants gnaw at him, extracting his soul, and he shall be whipped for a hundred years to alleviate the hatred in our hearts!”

Before Li Hui could respond, someone on the nearby mountain shouted, “Halt! Who dares to stir chaos in our Great Virtue Kingdom? And to come before Brother Taibai’s door, showing such lack of respect? Witness my righteous song!”

“The heavens and earth possess righteousness, flowing and variable. Below, it forms rivers and mountains; above, the stars of the sun. In humanity, it is vast and unyielding, overwhelming the blue sky…”

“Boom…” Suddenly, brilliant characters rose into the sky, illuminating the heavens and earth with their brilliance, signifying justice, grandiosity, and depth!

“Who is it?” The Ghost Fox was taken aback.

From within the thatched hut came laughter: “Hahaha, it turns out to be my brother Wenshan! Come down quickly for some wine; these sneaky, evil spirits are not worth mentioning!”