Chapter 150

Chapter 150: Imparting Spear Art

“Alright. Anything will do as long as you don’t go back on your words.” Zhang Xuan chuckled and agreed.

“Zhang laoshi…”

Hearing him make such a decision, Zhao Ya and the others panicked.

Are you pulling our legs?

They had improved significantly in the last few days, but defeating a teacher in a duel is… impossible!

Agreeing so readily, isn’t it akin to admitting defeat?

“Since you’re so confident, let’s do it then. Are they going to take on me all at once or go one by one?”

Zhou Tian said with a grin.

Zhang Xuan only had five students in total. Even if he were to suppress his cultivation, they would still not be a match for him.

“Taking turns? You’re thinking too much. Given your strength, any one of my students would be able to easily defeat you!” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

“You…”

Seeing that the other party was looking down on him like that, Zhou Tian’s face darkened.

Lazy to bother with the fellow, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to Zhao Ya and the others.

Meeting his gaze, his students felt extremely anxious.

They weren’t even able to win in the Student Dueling Platform, and now they had to challenge the teacher…

“The few of you hadn’t fought previously. If I let you challenge Zhou laoshi, it truly is… bullying the weak. Zheng Yang, you will face him!” Zhang Xuan looked around and then casually pointed at Zheng Yang.

Hearing those words, the surrounding crowd almost fainted.

Brother, is it alright for you to be putting on such a big show?

Even if you really wanted to boast, it should be realistic, right?

Putting aside Zheng Yang’s abilities, he had just fought several opponents and is running low on stamina. Didn’t you witness that he could not even move his spear anymore? He might not be able to kill even a chicken now, yet you want to pit him against Zhou Tian?

Furthermore… Bullying the other party?

Bullying the heck!

Looking at the fellow’s condition, even if Zhou Tian didn’t make a move, he probably would fall by himself in no time…

Not only did the others put on confused expressions, even Zheng Yang’s mouth was twitching.

“Teacher, I…”

He was about to go insane.

Zhang laoshi, can you stop pulling such pranks?

He knows how much he is worth, and he wouldn’t even be able to fight any student who comes his way this moment, needless to say, Zhou Tian laoshi… Even if he were to suppress his cultivation to that of a Fighter 1-dan… It is still impossible for him to emerge victoriously!

Just as he was about to inform Zhang laoshi of his physical condition, before he could speak, the other person’s calm voice sounded once more, “Don’t feel happy yet, it isn’t too late to celebrate after defeating this Zhou laoshi!”

Happy?

Happy my foot!

I am on the verge of tears, can’t you tell?

Zheng Yang’s body staggered and he looked as though he would faint at any moment now.

“Courting death…”

Catching sight of this scene, Zhou Tian thought that Zhang Xuan was doing this intentionally to shame him. His mouth twitched in rage and anger gleamed in his eyes.

“Before the fight, I will teach him a new spear art. Surely Zhou laoshi will be fine with it?”

Ignoring the strange looks the others shot him, Zhang Xuan asked Zhou Tian.

“It’s a little too late for that!” Zhou Tian harrumphed.

“It doesn’t matter whether it is late or not. It would suffice as long as it is enough to defeat you!” Zhang Xuan smiled. He walked to Zheng Yang and said, “Here, teacher will teach you a spear art. Look carefully and learn!”

After which, he took the spear from the other party’s hands, and with a slight tremble of his palm, stabbed forward in a crooked trajectory.

The move appeared to have no depth to it, looking like a random movement. It didn’t bear the slightest resemblance to a spear art. It seemed like a casual, playful stab.

“This fellow… Is he joking?”

“You call that spear art? The spear art of “an aroused boar meeting a sow” would even be better than that!”

“I’ve seen people who swindle their own parents, but this is my first time seeing a teacher swindle his own student. Zheng Yang is probably done for!”

“To have met such a teacher, he is doomed matter how talented he is…”

Zhang Xuan taught Zheng Yang before everyone’s eyes, and everyone saw the move clearly. For a moment, their minds were unable to keep up with the situation.

Do you call that spear art?

Even the technique a cleaner use to sweep the floor is several times more profound than that move of yours…

“Have you grasped it yet?”

Ignoring the discussions in the crowd, Zhang Xuan looked at Zheng Yang.

“Yes…”

Zheng Yang wanted to cry.

Does such a move even need to be learned?

He first came into contact with the spear when he was six… Any random move in the books is far superior to the one his teacher just taught…

“Alright, since you have grasped it already, go and defeat Zhou laoshi!”

Zhang Xuan nodded his head, gently dusting Zheng Yang’s body.

Hearing his teacher’s instructions, Zheng Yang was about to cry when he felt Zhang laoshi’s palm on his shoulder. A surge of zhenqi flowed through his meridians.

The zhenqi was extremely dense and pure. All clots in its path fell apart immediately and he felt the shackles on his body being removed. As though having eaten a nutritious tonic, all fatigue vanished and he felt refreshed.

Fatigue is just like an illness, and it is often caused by the blockages in one’s meridians. Under Zhang Xuan’s pure zhenqi, it wasn’t difficult to clear those blockages.

“Don’t resist me. Follow the movement of my zhenqi and adjust your breathing along with it!”

He was still feeling surprised at Zhang laoshi’s actions when he heard his voice sound beside his ears.

Knowing that his teacher would never do him in, Zheng Yang focused his attention hurriedly and adjusted his breathing.

Kacha! Kacha! Kacha!

The zhenqi that gushed into his body flowed through his meridians in a unique path. In an instant, Zheng Yang felt as though he had become a spear that could pierce through the heavens.

“This is… the inner breathing method of the spear art?”

No matter how foolish Zheng Yang was, he immediately understood what was going on.

Regardless of whether it was a spear art or other battle techniques, on top of the moves, one had to know the corresponding inner breathing method.

Only when one’s inner breathing is aligned with the technique can one unleash the greatest might possible. Otherwise, it would look flashy at best when in fact there is little might behind the attack.

Even though Zheng Yang had never come across any exceptionally powerful spear art, he had been living with the spear by his side since young. The spear had already become a part of him and the moment he felt the inner breathing within his body, he understood that the technique is much more profound than any other spear arts he had learned before.

The move looked so simple that even a fool would be able to learn it. However, when paired up with this inner breathing method, it was clear that it was a drastically simplified move that was packed with profound spear theories, a truly fine piece of art!

“To think that there would be such a powerful move in the world…”

In that instant, he appeared to be in a daze. He could hardly believe what was happening.

Profound is no longer sufficient to describe the move, it is completely inconceivable that such a move could exist.

Zheng Yang was still bathing in agitation when Zhang laoshi’s voice echoed in his ear once more.

“Don’t let your thoughts wander now. Try to get accustomed to this inner breathing method and align it properly with that spear art!”

“Yes!”

Knowing that Zhang laoshi was imparting him an incredibly profound move, Zheng Yang focused his attention and tried to comprehend the inner breathing within him.

Every single battle technique has an inner breathing method unique it. To learn a battle technique, one has to slowly open up all of the clogged meridians required for it. It is an incredibly tiring and long process, requiring long hours of effort.

Using Zheng Yang as an example, he is only at Fighter 1-dan Juxi realm and there is only inner breath in his body. He hadn’t even formed zhenqi yet. It would have taken a minimum of two years’ effort for him to open up the path required for the move.

However, Zhang Xuan’s presence made all the difference.

Zhang laoshi’s zhenqi was extremely pure and wherever it flowed through, the clots would immediately be undone, thus opening up the meridians. In less than two breaths, he had already opened up a smooth passageway for Zheng Yang’s inner breathing of the technique.

“Just like that, I have… mastered it?”

Upon sensing the smooth passageway through the inner breathing, Zheng Yang instantly understood this fact. In this short moment, he had completely mastered the move, as though he had been practicing it for multiple years.

“Alright, keep this surge of zhenqi in your body. Continue feigning weak and powerless, and when the duel with Zhou Tian begins, you must strike him in full one blow!”

Zhang Xuan voice continued to sound.

Comprehending the meaning behind his words, Zheng Yang nodded his head secretly. At the same time, he was perplexed… Why is Zhang laoshi’s zhenqi able to remain in his body without creating conflicts in his body?

The attributes of one’s zhenqi would change according to the cultivation technique a fighter pursued. As such, when one’s zhenqi flows into another person’s body, putting aside the question of whether the former is able to help the latter to achieve a breakthrough, it is likely that a conflict would occur, and this would cause the receiver’s cultivation to go berserk.

Yet, Zheng Yang did not feel any discord or discomfort within when Zhang laoshi’s zhenqi entered his body. He found it inconceivable.

However, he also knew that this wasn’t the time to be thinking about such things. After ‘struggling’ to clasp his hand, he exclaimed, “Zhou laoshi, come!”

After which, he staggered up the ring.

Zheng Yang appeared as though he would fall if a strong gust were to blow at this moment. Witnessing his condition, the crowd stared at one another, flabbergasted.

The heck, are you serious?

To fight a teacher using a spear art that even pigs can execute and a body that will cave in at any moment, how do you intend to win…

Zhou Tian’s face twitched as well. A thought suddenly popped into his mind.

I fell for his trap.

This fellow had probably intended to sacrifice this student from the very start to make a fool out of him.

Imparting a move that can’t even kill a chicken to deal with him… Isn’t he implying that he couldn’t even match up to a chicken?

“Zhang Xuan, you sure are despicable!”

Thinking that the other party was intentionally humiliating him, Zhou Tian gritted his teeth and stepped into the ring as well.

“Zhou laoshi, please go easy on me…”

Portraying an extremely weak image, Zheng Yang struggled to lift his spear.

Seeing how even such a simple movement could send sweat trickling down his forehead from fatigue, everyone was speechless.

It had been long since someone challenged the Teacher Dueling Platform. One wouldn’t have imagined that the first one in years would be so eccentric.

If word were to spread out, it would surely cause an uproar.

“Teacher… Why don’t I substitute Zheng Yang!”

Zhao Ya spoke, unable to endure it anymore.

“Just watch!” Zhang Xuan didn’t explain the situation to her.

Seeing how confident her teacher was, even though Zhao Ya was perplexed, she did not dare to question any further. Instead, she turned her attention to the stage.

“Go easy on you? Blame your beloved Zhang laoshi for your plight!”

Deducing Zhang Xuan’s intentions, Zhou Tian was infuriated.

“Then… I will apologize for my discourtesy beforehand!”

Knowing that the other party would not make the first move in consideration of the disparity between their identities, he didn’t dawdle further and shot his spear straight at the other party.

The tip of the spear was shaky, as though there wasn’t any strength behind it.

It was the trash move that Zhang Xuan had just taught him.

“Hmph!”

Seeing that the other fellow had actually dared to use such a move against him, Zhou Tian felt even more furious. He suppressed his cultivation to the level of a Fighter 1-dan Juxi realm, and without using any weapon, faced Zheng Yang’s attack bare-handed.

Facing a spear bare-handed!

Even so, no one thought well of Zheng Yang. They all thought that the fellow would be in for a beating.

“Now…”

Noticing that the other party was underestimating him, facing him with bare hands, Zheng Yang’s eyes lit up. He immediately triggered the surge of zhenqi which Zhang Xuan left in his body earlier on and in an instant, his disposition changed. If he were a tame lamb a moment ago, he would be a ferocious tiger at this moment.

Boom!

The spear shot straight toward Zhou Tian’s chest.

“What?”

Zhou Tian’s eyes narrowed. He felt an overwhelming sense of danger from that attack.

Chapter 151: I Am Here to Slap Your Face

As firstly, a teacher and, secondly, a Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm expert, although Zhou Tian had never learned spearmanship, he could tell how powerful the move was.

The force behind the spear was so powerful that it compressed the air before it to the extent that a strong gust of wind was sent into the surroundings. Even if Zhou Tian had not suppressed his cultivation, he would have found it difficult to deal with such a move!

How could a Juxi-realm lad possess such incredible strength?

He felt like he was going insane.

“Zhang Xuan, you tricked me…”

At this moment, he realized that he had fallen for the other party’s deception.

No wonder that fellow was so confident. When did this Zheng Yang become so powerful?

Without much time to think, he dared not to keep his strength suppressed any longer. Zhenqi immediately gushed forth from his hands as he attempted to seal the spear’s might.

However, even Wang Chong, a Fighter 7-dan Tongxuan realm spear master was unable to stand against this Heaven’s Path Spear Art, needless to say, him.

Peng!

The pole of the spear struck Zhou Tian’s chest forcefully. He tasted a metallic tang in his mouth, and blood spurted forth from it. He flew off the Teacher Dueling Platform immediately and fell to the ground, battered.

Silence.

Complete silence.

“What?”

“Zhou Tian laoshi was defeated with a single pierce?”

“What the heck is going on?”

……

…

After a moment of astonishment, a commotion broke out.

Initially, seeing that Zhou laoshi was dealing with a student who looked as though he would fall at any moment, they thought that he would easily crush him with a single finger. But… What is going on?

With just one pierce from the student, Zhou laoshi went against the rules and released his full strength. Even so, he was sent flying.

Am I seeing things?

Can anyone tell me what the heck is going on?

Zhao Ya, Liu Yang, and the rest widened their eyes in disbelief.

This fellow had been with them every day, so they knew his strength very well. How did he suddenly become… so powerful?

Furthermore… Even if others were to train intensively, there would just be small improvements… This seems to be going way overboard!

Sending a Fighter 4-dan Pigu realm expert flying with a single strike…

Are we dreaming?

No, it’s not that we’re dreaming. It’s that spear technique!

The few of them turned at the same time to look at Zhang Xuan.

They had also realized that the reason why Zheng Yang was able to become so powerful so suddenly was because of the spear art Zhang laoshi had just imparted him.

Just that… How could that nonsense of a spear art which probably couldn’t even kill a chicken be so powerful?

Zhou Tian’s students had raised their arms to cheer their teacher on, but before they could say anything, such an outcome appeared before them. Astonishment covered every single one of their faces and they were at a loss.

“Teacher…”

Coming to their senses, the whole lot rushed forward to help Zhou Tian up.

“You…”

Standing up, Zhou Tian regulated his breathing and felt slightly better. He glared coldly at Zhang Xuan and just as he was about to speak, he saw Zheng Yang approach with his spear in hand. The latter clasped his hands together and bowed, “Zhou laoshi, thank you for going easy on me!”

Puu!

Hearing those words, Zhou Tian’s face flushed and he spurted out another mouthful of blood.

Going easy your head!

If I could, I would have beaten you to death. Who knew that you would have such a bizarre spear technique…

For a teacher to lose to a student…

He felt a stinging sensation on his face, as though he had been slapped by someone else.

“Zhou laoshi, you said earlier that if I were to win, you will give us ten Breath Forging Beads. I will have to ask you to hand it over!” Zheng Yang stepped forward excitedly.

Even though he was infuriated, he knew that he had truly embarrassed himself this time. If he were to renege on his words after losing the Teacher Dueling Platform, he would truly lose all dignity he possessed.

Gritting his teeth, he retrieved a jade bottle from his pocket and passed it over.

Accepting it hurriedly, Zheng Yang opened the cap and saw a row of Breath Forging Beads inside. Its fragrance diffused into the air and one could feel an overwhelming spiritual energy.

“Teacher…”

Zheng Yang brought the Breath Forging Beads to Zhang Xuan quickly, his face full of joy.

The reason why they spent the entire afternoon causing a ruckus at the Student Bureau was to obtain these training resources for Zhang laoshi. Even though it was tiring… they had managed to succeed in the end!

“Damn it!”

Zhou Tian’s heart was bleeding.

A teacher could only obtain a single Breath Forging Pill a month. Ten Breath Forging Pills was a huge fortune to him.

Even if he were to hand it over, he wouldn’t allow Zhang Xuan to use them.

“Hmph, Zhang Xuan, your students were the ones who won those Breath Forging Beads. You weren’t entitled to them in the first place. I don’t think that you will be so shameless as to consume something that belongs to your students!”

So what if you got those beads?

Your students went through so much trouble to obtain the pills, do you have the cheek to consume them yourself?

If you aren’t able to consume it, it is equivalent to not obtaining it!

“Consume it?” Zhang Xuan took the jade bottle and shook his head. “Who would use such trash?”

After which, he flicked his wrist.

Putong!

The jade bottle was discarded into a nearby pond.

“Ah?”

“This…”

Witnessing this scene, everyone was taken aback. Even Zhou Tian was dumbfounded.

What are you doing?

Those ten Breath Forging Beads are worth several thousands! You threw it away just like that?

Even Zheng Yang, Zhao Ya and the rest were stunned.

“There’s no need to be so shocked. Even though Breath Forging Beads can help a cultivator gather spiritual energy faster, consuming too much would make one reliant on it. It isn’t good for one’s future cultivation!” Looking at their confused expressions, Zhang Xuan whipped out another jade bottle and threw it to his students. “These are some stuff that I have prepared for you. After you have finished it, I will get more of it!”

Doubtfully, Zhao Ya and the others caught the bottle and opened it. Upon seeing what was inside, they leaped in shock.

“Breath Forging Pills?”

The pills inside were round and radiant. They exuded a fragrance that permeated right into one’s body.

To think that it would be… Breath Forging Pills!

That is a true pill that is extremely useful for cultivators. Comparing it to Breath Forging Beads is like comparing gem to dirt, the two items on totally different levels.

“Breath Forging Pills cost tens of thousands per pill in the market, and he took out two bottles at once? How many dozens of pills are inside those two bottles?”

“He gave true pills forged by official apothecaries to his students?”

The bodies of the crowd swayed. They felt as though the world had gone insane.

Given how many Breath Forging Pills there are inside, it should be worth at least hundreds of thousands of gold coins in total. Yet, he threw them so casually to his students…

Darn, do you have to be so extravagant?

No wonder the Breath Forging Beads did not catch his eyes. What a joke! Anyone who possessed so many Breath Forging Pills would not even cast a second glance at that trash.

Puu!

Zhou Tian staggered and he nearly passed out.

He only felt his cheeks growing warmer and warmer. He was nearly losing his sanity from all of the slaps on his face.

Just by teaching his student a trash move, his student was able to beat him up so easily. The Breath Forging Beads which he values so highly was discarded by the other party like trash…

Brother, aren’t you the teacher who is paid the worst in the entire school? When did you become such an incredible figure?

“Teacher… are these really for us?”

Not only did the crowd feel as though they were going mad, Zhao Ya and the others were also in a state of disbelief.

“Of course they are for you! It’s not that I want to nag, but as my students, is there really a need to vie over those little things from the academy?” Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. Then, with a flick of his wrist, a gourd appeared in his hand. “Wang Ying, the meridians in your legs are injured. This is the Body Nourishing Medicinal Solution that I have found specially for you. Pour it into a pail of water and soak your legs in it for three days. Your legs should recover entirely by then!”

“Liu Yang, you practiced the wrong battle technique and injured your hands. I got this Meridian Rejuvenation Pill for you from the Apothecary Guild. As long as you train properly after consuming it, your wounds should be able to recover quickly!”

“Yes!”

Wang Ying and Liu Yang stepped forward and received two items from Zhang Xuan.

“Body Nourishing Medicinal Solution? Could it be that Body Nourishing Medicinal Solution from the Apothecary Guild?”

“Have you heard of it?”

“Of course I have. Back then, I heard that the item could heal a person’s wounded meridians swiftly, so I had someone to look into it for me. According to him, a gourd like that costs three hundred thousand gold coins!”

“Three hundred thousand? Are you serious?”

“The Meridian Rejuvenation Pill is a true pill forged by apothecaries. It is even more expensive than the Breath Forging Pills. It is said that a single pill costs two hundred thousand gold coins. It might be cheaper to have an apothecary or apprentice apothecary buy it in your stead, but the price wouldn’t be far from that.”

“Two hundred thousand? That is to say, he spent five hundred thousand just like that?”

“Don’t forget those Breath Forging Pills as well. In total, it costs more than a million? And he gave it to the students just like that?”

“Is Zhang laoshi still accepting students? I want to come under his tutelage…”

……

…

There were quite a few knowledgeable persons in the crowd. The Body Nourishing Medicinal Solution and Meridian Rejuvenation Pill weren’t considered secret medicine and many people have heard of it. Upon hearing the prices, everyone went into a frenzy once again.

A low-level teacher in the academy is only paid a maximum of three hundred to four hundred gold coins in wages every month. In fact, even high-level teachers do not earn more than thousand a month. Yet, he just casually took out a million for his students’ cultivation…

Putting aside other teachers… Even Zhou Tian’s reward for defeating Zhang Xuan’s students was only Breath Forging Powder. Look at the other party, he casually whipped out real pills and top-quality medicinal solutions…

The heck, why is there such a huge disparity between them even though they are both teachers?

In a split second, gazes of admiration were focused on Zhao Ya and the other students while looks of disdain fell upon Zhou Tian.

Taking all of these into sight, Zhou Tian nearly vomited blood again.

Zhang Xuan, damn you!

You must have done it intentionally.

You took all of those out before me to slap my face…

I am, after all, the teacher who is in charge of resource allocation, the one who holds the most lucrative position in the academy, and yet, I became a petty person who fought with another teacher over a measly amount of resources that the other person saw as worthless…

“Let’s go!”

Being done passing the items to his students, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and led his students away. He left quietly, leaving amazement in his wake.

Isn’t it clear? Of course I did it intentionally!

Didn’t you want to slap my face? I shall return you the favor then.

To tell the truth, I came here to slap your face!

“Yes!”

Watching their teacher leave, Zheng Yang and the others quickly recovered from their shock and followed behind him in a daze. At the same time, their faces flushed in embarrassment.

Initially, they came here to vie for resources and to uphold their teacher’s prestige. Who knew that… in the end, they would realize Zhang laoshi never did care for those resources.

Of course, for someone who could whip out so many pills and medicine so easily, how would those Breath Forging Powder and Breath Forging Beads catch his attention?

“Teacher, these pills are really… too valuable…”

Upon returning to the classroom, Zhao Ya stepped forward.

She was already given a stalk of Frigid Sun Mother Grass previously. Her conscience did not allow her to receive these pills…

“Cultivate properly, it would suffice as long as you win for me in the Teacher Evaluation!” Zhang Xuan beckoned.

“Teacher, rest easy. We will definitely give it our all…”

Upon hearing those words, Zhao Ya and the others nodded their heads in unison.

Their teacher had given so much to them. If they were to lose in the Teacher Evaluation, they would be truly ashamed to meet him.

“Un!” Seeing how motivated they were, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. “Zheng Yang, come over!”

After which, he walked into the small room.

Zheng Yang knew that it would definitely be the matter with the spear art today. He had been perplexed over the issue as well. Not daring to keep Zhang laoshi waiting, he quickly followed behind him.

Chapter 152: Treating Du Miaoxuan

“Teacher, this spear technique…”

Upon walking in, Zheng Yang could no longer suppress his curiosity.

“That technique is something that I have just created. I will tell you the cultivation method now!”

Zhang Xuan recited the cultivation method to him once.

“This… This…”

Upon hearing the entire cultivation method, Zheng Yang was stunned.

The spear technique is simply too profound. All the other spear arts which he had learned previously are trash compared to it.

Previously, he thought that the skill is shaky, crooked and does not have a good form, but that isn’t true.

The emphasis on this technique isn’t its form. One can execute it either inelegantly or gracefully. Even though there is only one move to it, it still surpasses countless other spear techniques. Not only is the move flexible, containing countless variations, it holds peerless might behind it.

“Alright, I am done imparting the full technique to you. Without my permission, you are not to teach anyone else the skill!” Zhang Xuan said.

“Yes!” Zheng Yang dropped to the floor and kowtowed to Zhang Xuan.

After having immersed himself in spearmanship for countless years, he understood how precious this skill was. He also understood that if he skill were to be leaked, a bloody storm would ensue.

“Even though this spear art is simple, it is the basis of all spearmanship. There are still ten days until the Freshmen Tournament, and I hope that you can achieve a breakthrough in your spearmanship. Do not let down my efforts!”

Zhang Xuan instructed.

“Teacher, rest easy!” Zheng Yang nodded his head with resolution. Then, he lifted his head abruptly and asked, “Teacher, may I know what this spear technique is called?”

“The name of the technique? I haven’t named it. If you come up with a good name, feel free to name it so!” Zhang Xuan waved his hand casually.

Even though he had named it Heaven’s Path Spear Art, it was a collective name for the set of techniques. There should be a separate name for the move and Zhang Xuan could not be bothered to come up with it. Thus, he decided to leave the task to his student.

“Yes!” Knowing his teacher’s personality, Zheng Yang suppressed the astonishment in his mind and left the room.

After he left, Zhang Xuan rubbed between his eyebrows.

After solving Wang Ying and Liu Yang’s hidden physical traumas, their fighting prowess would definitely soar greatly. As for Yuan Tao and Zhao Ya, after their unique constitutions are awakened, their improvement would surely be greater than the rest. Of them all, only Zheng Yang was lagging behind. However, with this spear art, it was hard to tell which of his students would be the strongest in ten days.

After calling the other students in and offering each of them some pointers, Zhang Xuan left the academy.

…………………………

“You say that… Du Miaoxuan has already been kneeling at the entrance of the mansion for an entire day?”

“Even though Du Miaoxuan had lost the fight for the position of the clan head due to his illness, he is still an influential figure. For him to be kneeling at another’s door for an entire day… Could the owner of the mansion really be a master teacher?”

“If that’s true, then all of us have truly guessed wrongly before…”

……

…

In the time that Zhang Xuan left the residence, learned spear art and imparted it to Zheng Yang, the entire Tianxuan Royal City had fallen into an uproar.

Although many people continued to doubt the identity of the mansion’s owner after Ling Tianyu’s incident, Du Miaoxuan kneeling at the entrance for an entire day had caused them to waver.

As a dignified elder of one of the Four Great Clans, Du Clan, and as an ex-contender for the position of the clan head, only a master teacher held the prestige to have a person like that kneel at his doorstep.

“Let’s go over and take a look!”

“We have to see what is going on. If the other party is truly a master teacher, we must quickly make acquaintance with him!”

……

…

When word spread out, countless powers and influential clans could no longer remain uninvolved. They quickly sent their men to look into the matter. In fact, some of the powerful leaders and clan heads even came to take a look at the situation personally.

Luo Chong was one of them.

He is the guild leader of the Blacksmith Guild in Tianxuan Royal City, a true 1-star intermediate stage blacksmith.

The best blacksmith in Tianxuan Kingdom.

Even Emperor Shen Zhui has to spend massive amounts of money to buy his weapons. Countless nobles lined up to purchase his weapons, only to leave in vain. Every single weapon he crafts is sought by many and as such, prices skyrocket.

Initially, given his position and standing, even if a master teacher were to come over, there was no need for him to please him and make acquaintance with him.

After all, even though blacksmiths are not as prestigious as master teachers, they are still one of the top classes which ranks at the forefront of the Upper Nine Paths, and they have their own pride and standing.

Even so… He came.

Other people may not know, but he was aware of his own problems. Recently, he began to be unable to achieve the state of Heart of Tranquil Water in his smithing. The items that he crafted often fell apart at the very last step to become a failed good.

He had crafted the same way as he always used to, so the situation did not make much sense to him. Initially, he thought that it may be a problem with his stamina, so he specially rested for a few days before beginning to craft again. However… It made no difference at all.

For the number one blacksmith of Tianxuan Kingdom to be unable to craft weapons… If news were to spread out, not only will his standing be affected, his rivals and enemies would probably come knocking to ensure that he falls from the high pedestal he stood on previously.

Thus, upon hearing that a master teacher had appeared in the city, he couldn’t hold himself back and secretly came to see if it was true.

If it was true, no matter the price, he had to find out the problem and have it solved.

“Indeed, it is Du Miaoxuan!”

Luo Chong recognized the middle-aged man who was kneeling by the corner of the street.

He is the most famous elder in Du Clan. There is few among the upper echelons of Tianxuan City who doesn’t know him. Back then, the other party even implored him to craft a sword for him. Thus, even though there was a distance between the two, Luo Chong was still able to recognize him immediately.

“This fellow is an extremely prudent person. For him to kneel down willingly like that, the person in the mansion must be capable of solving his problems. Furthermore… It seems like he is truly impressed by the person!”

With one look, Luo Chong made a judgement on the situation.

If the person in the mansion isn’t of high standing and is unable to solve his problem, Du Miaoxuan’s actions would be equivalent to embarrassing himself. Given Luo Chong’s understanding of him, he wouldn’t do such a thing unless he was extremely certain.

Jiyaa!

Just when he was making wild guesses at the situation, the doors to the mansion opened and a plump butler emerged.

“The old master invites you in!”

Sun Qiang beckoned him over.

“Thank you Butler Sun for speaking on my behalf…” Du Miaoxuan was overjoyed. He hurriedly stood up and walked over.

“Let’s go!”

Sun Qiang didn’t bother with pleasantries and led the way. Then, the doors to the mansion shut tight once again.

“He went in!”

“Du Miaoxuan went in. In a moment’s time, we would be able to know the truth after he leaves through observing his behavior!”

“Indeed, let’s continue waiting here…”

……

…

Upon seeing Du Miaoxuan enter the mansion, the various powers of the capital were not in a hurry to leave. Rather, their eyes continued to focus on the situation with great intensity, as though a hawk.

Luo Chong was in no hurry to leave either. He sat quietly and waited with patience.

………………………………

…

“I apologize for doubting Zhang shi’s incredible abilities before, please forgive me!”

The moment he entered the room, Du Miaoxuan immediately kneeled to the floor, void of the suspicions and arrogance that he held before.

“Get up!”

Zhang Xuan gestured.

After leaving the academy, he went to a remote alley and disguised himself as ‘Yang Xuan’ once again before returning to the residence.

Noticing that this fellow’s anger and resentment had subsided in the half day that he was gone, he got Sun Qiang to bring him in.

“I beg of Yang shi to forgive me for the discourtesy that I showed you before and save me!” Du Miaoxuan continued kneeling on the floor.

“Since I have invited you in, naturally, I would help you. Get up!” Zhang Xuan said impassively.

Hearing those words, delight appeared on Du Miaoxuan’s face. He hurriedly stood up.

Du Yuan, who was standing behind his father, was perplexed.

Isn’t father’s illness a thing of the past? Could it be that this master teacher can treat the trauma which was left behind in father’s body previously by the illness?

“You know why I called you a beast, right?”

Zhang Xuan looked at him.

“I understand!” Du Miaoxuan replied.

Sun Qiang and Du Yuan were still confused.

Previously, just after taking a look, Yang shi said that Elder Du is a beast. Initially, they thought that he was insulting him, but from the looks of it, things aren’t as simple as it seems.

Just that, they were truly unable to understand what was it with Du Miaoxuan that made him not angry despite being called a beast. On the contrary, he even seemed excited about it.

However, their confusion did not last for long. At this moment, Zhang Xuan’s voice sounded in the air.

“It is a known fact that ten years ago, you fell ill and your cultivation fell tremendously. However, if I am not wrong, you… infused the blood of the Snow Wolf into your body, hoping to alter your bloodline!”

“This caused you to be poisoned by the Snow Wolf. Everyday at noon, white fur grows all over your body, and you turn into a being that can neither be considered human nor animal, just like a beast. Am I right?”

“Yes, Yang shi’s words are absolutely right!”

Du Miaoxuan nodded his head hurriedly.

Even though he knew that Yang shi had seen through his illness the moment he said that he was a beast, when Yang shi pointed it all out spot-on, he was still astonished.

As expected of a master teacher. His ability of discernment is superb. This is something that even Master Yuanyu failed to see through.

“This…”

“Blood of the Snow Wolf? A body full of white fur?”

Hearing Zhang Xuan’s words, Sun Qiang and Du Yuan came to a realization.

Especially for the latter, his body shuddered uncontrollably.

He finally understood why his father would head to the remote courtyard to drink cooling tea at noon and turn away all visitors. He thought that it was a habit of his father through the years, but to think that this would be the actual reason.

For him to grow white fur every noon… He was afraid of being seen, that’s why he went to hide in the courtyard!

For a person to grow fur all over his body… If he isn’t a beast, what else could he be?

No wonder when Yang shi said these words, not only did father not refute his words, he even kneeled outside the entrance… So this was the reason why.

“Snow Wolf, a tier-7 white fur savage beast. It possesses strength equivalent to a Fighter 7-dan Tongxuan realm expert and it is known for its speed. Its blood is one of the main ingredients in 【Tongxuan Pill】, which helps to open up one’s meridians and raise one’s cultivation. You probably read some secret manual which caused you to mistakenly believe that if you were to successfully fuse your blood with that of the Snow Wolf, your cultivation would be raised significantly!”

Ignoring the shock on everyone’s faces, Zhang Xuan continued.

“Yes!” A bitter smile appeared on Du Miaoxuan’s face as he nodded his head to confirm Yang shi’s words.

It is just like what this Yang shi said. Back then, he read a secret manual which detailed that as long as he managed to successfully swap blood with that of a Snow Wolf, he would be able to reach Tongxuan realm immediately to become a Fighter 7-dan expert.

Who knew that not only did his dream not come true, it was actually the start of a nightmare.

White fur would sprout from his body daily, making him look neither human nor animal. Even though it was just for an hour every day, the anguish he went through was unimaginable.

One had to have incredible mental fortitude to survive ten years in such a manner. Otherwise, one would have long committed suicide in despair.

“I was immature back then, and I failed to discern truth from the false, believing a manual so easily… Yang shi, I beg of you to save me!” Du Miaoxuan clasped his hands.

Thinking about it now, he must have had a screw loose back then.

Just because he coincidentally found an ancient manual, he thought that it was a precious treasure and explored desolate lands and utilized many means to kill a Snow Wolf so as to obtain its blood. He thought that his cultivation would soar rapidly and he would become the next clan head. Never did he expect to land himself in such a state.

If this isn’t a screw loose, what else could it be?

“Failed to discern the truth? That secret manual that you obtained… is real!” Zhang Xuan said.

“Is that true?” Hearing those words, Du Miaoxuan’s body jolted. “How is that possible? If it is real, how did I land myself in such a state…”

If what that was detailed in the manual was true, why would he fall into such an unsightly state for so many years?

Furthermore, why would his cultivation fall from Pixue realm to Dingli realm, and thereafter be stuck at that level?

Chapter 153: Stuffed Yourself When You Were Full (Looking For It)

“The secret manual is real, but the most important portion had been destroyed by someone else, leaving behind an incomplete version. That is the reason why you are in such a state!” After which, Zhang Xuan did not continue to linger on the topic: “Alright, I will be performing acupuncture on you to resolve the hidden problems in your body!”

“Yes!” Du Miaoxuan took a step forward hurriedly.

With a turn of Zhang Xuan’s wrist, a silver needle appeared. Then, with a flick of his finger, the needle flew straight at Du Miaoxuan.

The Library of Heaven’s Path only revealed basic information and the person’s flaws; the way to solve their problems are not written in it. However, Du Miaoxuan’s problem is similar that of Ling Tianyu’s wife, and he had blockages in his meridians. This caused the blood of the Snow Wolf to fail in achieving its original purpose.

Zhang Xuan just had to clear the blockages to settle his problem.

To Zhang Xuan, such problems are a piece of cake. The zhenqi from the Heaven’s Path Divine Art is as clear and pure as water. Any blockage would be washed away by it immediately.

Hu hu hu hu!

Dozens of needles pierced through Du Miaoxuan’s skin.

Du Miaoxuan could only feel numb and itchy sensations on his skin. That bestial instinct which he had been suppressing before, that which caused him to enter into a berserk all the time, flowed through the opened meridians as though river water, and to the rest of his body.

Geji! Geji!

The moment the blood of the Snow Wolf assimilated into his body, his zhenqi soared instantaneously. With a series of pops that was reminiscent of a live firecracker, the acupoints in his body exploded open one by one.

Pah pah pah pah!

As though he were a magnet, the spiritual energy in the atmosphere gushed into his body frenziedly. In the blink of an eye, he had broken through Dingli realm pinnacle.

Pixue realm primary stage!

Pixue realm intermediate stage…

……

…

In a short moment, he had reached Pixue realm pinnacle, but the momentum did not seem to be stopping here.

Boom!

Du Miaoxuan’s body shook. Finally, the soar in his cultivation level had come to a stop, That bestial instinct which caused him so many worries had also disappeared without a trace.

Fighter 7-dan, Tongxuan realm primary stage!

His cultivation level had actually risen from a Dingli realm pinnacle to Tongxuan realm! That was more than one entire realm!

“I…”

After sensing the changes in his body, even though Du Miaoxuan is a man with mental resilience, his eyes reddened.

For an entire decade, he had been tortured by untold pain. Every day, he would turn into a beast and white fur would sprout over his entire body. He thought that this affliction would remain with him until his deathbed. Yet, in just a short moment, it was solved by the man standing before him. Furthermore… He even achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation!

Putong!

Du Miaoxuan knelt to the floor. He was extremely grateful to Yang shi, and with no hypocrisy behind his action whatsoever, he said, “Thank you for granting me a new life…”

Not only did Yang shi solve his affliction, he even helped to raise his cultivation realm to Tongxuan realm. Du Miaoxuan saw this favor as equivalent to the noble deed of birth and had already regarded him as his parent.

The new him, upon returning home, would definitely regain his status as one of the top elders in the clan. No one would dare to underestimate him anymore.

To achieve such results, he would have been willing to kneel for even a year.

“Hurry up and take the things out!”

Calming the agitation in his heart, Du Miaoxuan signaled to his son.

“Yes!” Du Yuan hurriedly took out a stack of gold bills and passed it forward.

Initially, Du Yuan thought that his father was mad for kneeling before the mansion and taking out so much cash at once. Only now did he realize that his father was not only rational, he also had foresight.

Tongxuan realm…

So what if he had lost ten years of his life? With the current strength of his father, he would be a front-runner for the position of clan head if he were to want to vie for it now. No one would be able to stop him.

Even if he isn’t able to become the clan head, given his strength as a Tongxuan realm expert, earning a back that few million isn’t a difficult task.

“This is the capability of a master teacher…”

This is a master teacher, the most respected occupation in the entire continent, capable of determining the fate of a person, either sending him to heaven or to hell.

They were still looking at Yang shi in admiration when Sun Qiang walked forward, took over the stack of money and gestured outward, “Elder Du, Du gongzi, let’s go. The old master wants to rest!”

“Yes. I have intruded on Yang shi today. I will come by and pay my respects to you another day!”

Knowing that the other party was inviting them out, Du Miaoxuan walked out of the main hall along with Du Yuan.

Right as they were stepping out, a faint voice echoed in their ears, “As for why there were missing pages in the Snow Wolf blood secret manual, you should investigate whether it was due to malicious intentions!”

“This…” Du Miaoxuan’s body stiffened. He turned around and bowed once more, “Yang shi, thank you for your advice…”

After which, he turned around to leave.

Back then, Du Miaoxuan was a strong contender for the position of the clan head. It was too much of a coincidence that he would abruptly engage in such a dangerous cultivation technique in a vain attempt to break through to Tongxuan realm. It is hard to believe that there were no human hands behind that incident.

Thus, Zhang Xuan offered him one final piece of advice. Of course, whatever that happened afterward would not be a problem of his.

…………………………

“Ten years ago, Du Miaoxuan was afflicted with a major illness, causing his cultivation realm to plunge and resulting in him being eliminated from the race to become the clan head… The reason why he was kneeling before the door is probably to beg this master teacher to resolve this illness!”

Keeping vigil outside the mansion, Luo Chong recalled the various things that had happened to Du Miaoxuan and could not help but guess the situation.

“If Du Miaoxuan’s issue can be settled, then mine shouldn’t be a problem for him either…”

Du Miaoxuan’s illness was one that even Master Yuanyu was helpless toward. Even though Luo Chong had no idea what his condition is, he knew that he had sought many different physicians over the years and they were all helpless.

If that master teacher could easily solve such a conundrum, then the issue he has, that is to have suddenly become unable to maintain a tranquil mind during forging, should be a piece of cake for him!

He was still immersed in his thoughts when the tightly shut gates began to open slowly. Following which, Du Miaoxuan and Du Yuan emerged.

“I wonder if his problem has been solved…”

Hurriedly taking a look, Luo Chong’s eyes suddenly widened, his body stiffening immediately. “Tongxuan realm? This…. This… How is this possible?”

Just moments ago, when Du Miaoxuan entered, he saw clearly that he was Fighter 5-dan Dingli realm pinnacle. How did he… in less than ten minutes that he was inside, step into Tongxuan realm?

Most importantly, he is now in high spirits, appearing vastly different from the man that he was on the way in earlier.

What was going on?

It can’t be that it is real!

Even if a master teacher can offer guidance on breaking through cultivation realms, there has to be a limit to that…

To rise from Dingli realm pinnacle to reach Tongxuan realm in around ten minutes…

Luo Chong rubbed his eyes gently, afraid that he might have seen wrongly.

Staring intently at him once more, he realized that… he wasn’t wrong! The other party is truly Tongxuan realm, and furthermore, judging by how he is unable to control the inner breath within him, it is likely that Du Miaoxuan had just broken through. Otherwise, as long as an expert of this level hid his cultivation, it is impossible for anyone, even a person of Luo Chong’s caliber, to discern.

“Brother Sun, farewell!”

Still in shock, he saw Du Miaoxuan bid Butler Sun farewell and leave.

“I should go over and ask…”

Unable to suppress his urge any longer, he chased after Du Miaoxuan hurriedly.

“Elder Du…”

“Oh, it’s Master Luo!” Du Miaoxuan recognized the other person and hurriedly bowed.

“That mansion is…”

Diving straight into the topic, Luo Chong asked.

“That is where Yang shi lives!”

Aware of what the other party wanted to know, Du Miaoxuan nodded his head and verified the other party’s doubts.

“Is he really a master teacher?”

Luo Chong’s eyes narrowed.

“Yang shi is a man of incredible capabilities. If Master Luo Chong has any problems, you can beg for his guidance. However… Yang shi came to Tianxuan Kingdom with the intention to rest. He doesn’t really wish to be disturbed…”

Du Miaoxuan said.

“Doesn’t wish to be disturbed?” Luo Chong’s complexion turned awful.

Even though he is of considerable social standing, he does not dare to interrupt a true master teacher’s rest.

“Actually, there is no need to be frustrated. Yang shi said just now that anyone who wishes to obtain his aid has to pay three million beforehand. Regardless of whether the problem is solved or not, the sum will not be returned.”

Also recalling what Butler Sun said, Du Miaoxuan continued, “Of course, as a master teacher, Yang shi cares not for material possession. The reason why he made such a request is so as to limit the number of visitors. Otherwise, if everyone were to rush to him to plead for guidance, he wouldn’t even need to think of resting, he would probably work to death instead…”

As he said those words, he couldn’t help but be envious. To think that just the entrance fee would be three million, a master teacher is indeed a master teacher. Even their means of earning money is that incredible.

As an elder of the Du Clan, his entire fortune, both liquid and fixed assets, was only worth this amount after so many years.

“That makes sense…”

Hearing that it is a problem that can be solved with money, Luo Chong heaved a sigh of relief.

Three million may be a huge sum, but for a master blacksmith like him, it isn’t a big deal.

“Thank you for telling me this. I happen to have a matter to consult Yang shi about so I will have to take my leave!” Upon finishing his words, Luo Chong walked toward the mansion.

The mansion’s layout is in no way elegant. In fact, it even seems ordinary. If not for Du Miaoxuan ascertaining it personally, he wouldn’t have believed that a true master teacher lives here.

After paying the fee of three million upfront, Luo Chong followed Sun Qiang into a room. In there, he noticed a middle-aged man seated quietly in the middle of the room. Somehow, the person’s presence is so faint that if not for seeing him in the flesh, he would not have noticed the other party.

“Incredible!”

Luo Chong’s eyes narrowed.

Luo Chong is a Fighter 7-dan Tongxuan realm expert. There are only two possibilities when he is unable to sense a person’s cultivation realm. Firstly, the person’s level of cultivation is higher than his. Or secondly, the other party’s zhenqi is much purer than his.

Regardless of which of the two it is, it points to the fact that the person before him is a true master teacher.

Putting away his arrogance as a master blacksmith, he stepped forward and bowed, “Luo Chong pays respect to Yang shi!”

“Un, from what Xiao Qiang told me, you are a blacksmith?” Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully.

Like apothecaries, blacksmiths are also ranked highly in the Upper Nine Paths and possess exceptional social standing. He didn’t expect that such a person would have something to request of him.

“Yes!” Luo Chong replied.

“What unresolvable problem have you encountered?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“Replying Yang shi, recently, all the attempts that I make to forge equipment all end in failure and until now, I am unable to find the reason for it. I hope that you can enlighten me!” Luo Chong did not hide anything and spoke directly.

“Let me see you forge an equipment!” Zhang Xuan said.

“Yes!” With a flick of Luo Chong’s wrist, an entire set of equipment required for equipment forging appeared in the room.

As a 1-star blacksmith and the leader of the Blacksmith Guild, he carries such basic equipment with him everywhere he goes.

Starting the fire, forging the equipment, melding the metals together, refining the equipment…

His movements flowed elegantly, reminding one of drifting clouds and flowing streams.

An hour later, a longsword appeared in his hands. However, just as he was about to apply the final touches, a crisp note echoed from the sword and a crack appeared on it.

Failure!

Just like he had said, he is unable to successfully forge the weapon.

Looking at how he was unable to forge even the simplest sword, Luo Chong was depressed.

That was just an ordinary mortal-tier sword, and there are no profound techniques involved in the process whatsoever. It is truly an enigma why such a situation would occur.

Luo Chong turned to look at the master teacher before him and bowed, “Yang shi, please enlighten me!”

“You want me to enlighten you?”

Zhang Xuan stood up and approached the other party. He picked up the broken sword and lowered his gaze to take a glance. Then, he sighed, “If I’m not wrong…”

“You stuffed yourself when you were full!!”

“You stuffed yourself when you were full!!”

This is a Chinese phrase that meant to say that one deserved it. (Thus the title, Looking for it)

Chapter 154: The Use of the Golden Book?

“What?”

Luo Chong’s face darkened.

Even if you are a master teacher, you shouldn’t insult me like that!

No matter what, I am the dignified leader of the Blacksmith Guild. I am of noble standing, and you say that I stuffed myself despite being already full (looking for it)…

I came here in earnest to consult you, yet you gave me such an answer. Aren’t you are looking down on me…

Even though Sun Qiang already knew that the old master would say such shocking words, he was still unable to control his shock upon hearing those words and nearly knocked his head against the wall.

My great old master, it is really okay for you to speak to a true blacksmith like this?

Cough cough, even an ordinary person would turn all out against you if you say such words to them…

Most importantly… The reason why he came here is to seek enlightenment on why he is unable to successfully forge an equipment. Yet, the first few words you say to him is that he stuffed himself when he was full (looking for it)… Aren’t you being too arrogant?

What does stuffing oneself have to do with forging equipment? The only relationship between the two is that one would feel weak if one doesn’t eat. However, for a Tongxuan realm expert like Guild Leader Luo Chong, this shouldn’t pose a problem at all!

“There’s no need to get so agitated!”

Seeing that the other party was getting agitated, Zhang Xuan smiled, not paying the other party’s anger any heed. “You don’t need to deny my words so hurriedly. Let me ask you, have you been eating 【Dragon-scaled Prawns】 daily?”

“Indeed, is there a problem?” Luo Chong looked at Yang shi doubtfully.

The Dragon-scaled Prawn is an animal unique to Lake Hong and it made a delectable dish. It is one of the most favorite food in the upper echelons of Tianxuan Kingdom. He also used to eat it frequently, but such an anomaly had never occurred in the past. Could his failure to forge equipment really be related to this?

“If I’m not wrong, these Dragon-scaled Prawns that you ate came from one batch you bought at a single go!”

Zhang Xuan continued asking.

Luo Chong nodded his head. At the same time, a doubt arose in his mind.

How did the other party know this?

His Dragon-scaled Prawns came from the same batch he bought a few days ago. There were several thousands of it, filling two whole crates. In order to ensure its freshness, he even reared them specially in his courtyard’s pond.

He would carefully pick the living and healthy ones to eat, so it is impossible for anything to be wrong with the prawns. Furthermore, after consuming it, there weren’t any anomalies with his body, and he didn’t suffer from diarrhea or any other symptoms either. How can this be related to him being unable to successfully forge weapons?

“That’s right then!” Zhang Xuan chuckled. “Do you know when do Dragon-scaled Prawns reproduce?”

“When do they reproduce?” Luo Chong became increasingly confused. He was only interested in eating the prawns, how would he possibly know all these?

“I know…”

Just as he was about to ask Yang shi for the answer, Sun Qiang suddenly spoke.

“Speak!” Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

“Dragon-scaled Prawns usually bear their offspring near the end of summer, the start of autumn, which is around now!” Sun Qiang said.

He had worked in Tianyu Merchant Firm for numerous years. Even though he had never bought them, he often came into contact with these products and naturally, he possessed a little bit of knowledge on them.

“That’s right. It’s this season!” Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

The academy’s semester had just started not long ago, and it is currently the start of autumn, which is also the mating season for the Dragon-scaled Prawns.

Hearing those words, Luo Chong felt his head going faint. He was about to go insane from the confusion.

Yang shi, I’m here to ask you why I am unable to forge equipment, not to look into when Dragon-scaled Prawns reproduce… What matter is it of mine that they bear offsprings? It is not like the children are mine…

“There’s no need to be anxious. You being unable to forge equipment has something to do with this!” Seemingly sensing his bewilderment, Zhang Xuan continued to say. “The Dragon-scaled Prawn is considered an yin-type food. Eating too much will weaken a person’s yang energy. Of course, this weakening effect is minimal and negligible, and doesn’t affect a person’s body at all!”

“However, the Dragon-scaled Prawns after mating are different!”

“The Dragon-scaled Prawn infuses all of its essence and vitality into its offsprings, causing its own body to weaken. Furthermore, its body generates a substance that will numb a person’s nerves. With excessive consumption, one’s mind will become dull…”

At this point, Zhang Xuan paused and looked at Zhou Chong with glowing eyes. “Have you been unable to enter the state of Will of Mind 2-dan, Heart of Tranquil Water? Not only so, you find yourself getting irritated easily, causing your forging abilities to take a huge blow, resulting in you being unable to successfully forge an equipment?”

Regardless of whether one was forging pills or equipment, one’s state of mind is of absolute importance. Without a steady mind, it is impossible for one to succeed.

“Could it truly be that… I’ve eaten too many Dragon-scaled Prawns?”

Luo Chong’s entire body shuddered and he staggered two steps backward.

It is true that recently, he had been unable to focus his attention on forging equipment, and that he was unable to enter the state of Heart of Tranquil Water to achieve total serenity. He had tried all kinds of methods and means to calm himself but to no avail. To think that the problem… lies with the prawns.

It was inconceivable to him that a Dragon-scaled Prawn which had undergone the reproduction process would produce a substance that would numb one’s nerves… If not for the other party pointing it out, he would have never imagined that this would be possible. However, why haven’t he heard of it before?

“All animals have their own means of self-protection. Dragon-scaled Prawns are the same as well. They are at their weakest right after their birth, and thus, they produce such a substance to protect themselves. However… They still ended up on the plate anyway!”

Zhang Xuan shook his head.

“I know my fault now. In future, I will never eat Dragon-scaled Prawns again. Yang shi, please guide me on how I can resolve this situation!”

With a pale face, Luo Chong hesitated for a slight moment before hurriedly clasping his fist.

Even though he loves eating Dragon-scaled Prawns, forging equipment is far more important than the former.

“Er…”

Upon hearing the other party’s words, Zhang Xuan was stumped.

Actually, he didn’t know how he should resolve the problem as well.

The Library of Heaven’s Path only detailed the reasons behind why he was facing such a condition. Luo Chong’s main problem is that he had eaten too many Dragon-scaled Prawns, causing the nerve-numbing venom to accumulate in his body, thus resulting in his unstable mental state and him failing in his forging attempts.

As for how he can dispel this venom, Zhang Xuan is truly clueless.

However, even if he didn’t know, he wouldn’t let anyone else find out. There was barely a brief moment of hesitation before he placed his hands behind his back to portray the image of a supreme expert.

“First release those Dragon-scaled Prawns that you have caught. As for the solution to your problem, it will depend on your future actions. However… I can tell you this. As long as you stay away from it for a long period of time, you will recover slowly, but surely!”

He wasn’t deceiving the other party. The detoxification ability of a human body is extremely powerful, especially so for a Tongxuan realm expert. As long as he stays away from the prawns for a period of time, the venom that had accumulated in his body will be passed out quickly.

“Yang shi, thank you for your guidance!”

Knowing the cause and solution to his problem, Luo Chong heaved a sigh of relief. He hurriedly bowed to him.

At this moment, he was already completely impressed by this Yang shi.

Just by seeing him forge an equipment, he is able to tell that he likes to eat Dragon-scaled Prawns and even found the root of the problem as to why he was unable to successfully forge an equipment——He stuffed himself when he was full (Looking for it)!

As expected of a master teacher, his ability of discernment is indeed incredible.

The three million, worth it!

“Yang shi, can you offer me some pointers for equipment forging?”

Finally uncovering the reason behind his problem and knowing that time can resolve it, Luo Chong’s mind started to wander.

He had been stuck at the 1-star blacksmith intermediate stage for a very long time, being unable to break through this limit. Now that there is a master teacher before him, he was tempted to make full use of this opportunity to obtain a pointer or two so that he can break through this impasse.

“Equipment forging?”

Zhang Xuan did not expect that the other party would not leave right after his problem was solved and instead, request to learn equipment forging from him. For a moment, he was taken aback.

Honestly, he didn’t even know what one had to do for equipment forging, so how could he offer him pointers?

“Looks like I am being too impetuous…”

Upon receiving no reply from the other party, Luo Chong felt awkward.

A master teacher only teaches his own students. He is in no way related to him, so it is indeed a little inappropriate for him to have made such a request.

Zhang Xuan waved his hands, “Xiao Qiang, escort our guest out!”

“Master Luo, the old master needs to rest. This way please!”

Sun Qiang stepped forward.

“Yes!” Luo Chong nodded his head and bid farewell.

“It is indeed difficult to pass off as a master teacher…”

Seeing Luo Chong leave, Zhang Xuan rubbed between his eyebrows.

Master teachers grasped the knowledge of innumerable occupations in their minds and they possess discernment abilities unimaginable to others. At present, the reason why he had been able to achieve this much was due to the help of the Library of Heaven’s Path. The moment he stops using it, he will be exposed in an instant.

“I really do wonder how those master teachers gather and store so much knowledge in their mind…”

A person’s energy is limited. After undergoing the apothecary examination, he understood that the knowledge required in just the field is as vast and as deep as the ocean. Without the library, not only would be unable to pass the examination, he might not have been able to score even a single point.

A true master teacher can’t possibly possess such a cheating machine. It is truly a mystery to him how they are able to learn so much and pass all those examinations, given a human’s limited lifespan.

“Regardless, I have to read more books from now on. After all, the library is still an external object!”

The thought appeared in his mind.

To him, even though the library is incredible, it remains as an external tool. If he were to rely on it for everything he does while not putting in any effort to improve himself, even if he were able to pass off his disguise successfully in a remote and backward kingdom like Tianxuan Kingdom, he will definitely be exposed if he were to go somewhere more prosperous.

Thus, no matter what, his own vault of knowledge is important as well.

The thought appeared in his mind and grew so powerful that he is no longer able to flush it out. With a jolt of his mind, he looked at the Library of Heaven’s Path once more.

Reading books and learning from them in the real world is a slow process, but he is able to speed up the process multiple folds by reading the books inside the library. He had already experienced such wonders for himself previously.

Even though the books in the library are accessible to him with a single thought and he is able to freely look through it, the knowledge nevertheless can’t be said to truly belong to him.

It is just like in Baidu and Google in his previous life. Although such technology allows one to look up for solutions to their problems, the knowledge is external to its users. One is unable to utilize them easily and freely.

Only by memorizing everything in his own mind can he be truly considered as knowledgeable.

“Un? What is that?”

Upon entering the library, he noticed something that is out of place.

Unknowingly, a golden book had appeared in the depths of the densely packed bookshelves.

He is extremely certain that he had never seen this manual before.

“Come here!”

With a swipe of his hand, the golden book gently quivered and fell right into his palm.

The book is extremely thin and there doesn’t seem to be much content in it. Flipping it open casually, Zhang Xuan was dumbfounded.

There was only a single page to it and there were no content whatsoever in it. It was a blank book.

“What is the use of this book?”

Zhang Xuan was bewildered.

He doesn’t know when such a book had appeared in the Library of Heaven’s Path, nor does he know why it is completely blank.

“I should just put that aside for now and focus on gaining knowledge from the other books…”

After examining the golden book for a very long time, he remained unable to uncover its purpose. Thus, Zhang Xuan shook his head and chose to put it aside. He looked at the Library of Heaven’s Path once more. Many books had been formed in it, and he intended to look through them properly so as to assimilate the knowledge into his mind.

The moment the thought flashed through his mind, before he could even make a move, the golden book in his hand quivered and transformed into a brilliant ray of light. Under the blinding radiance, all of the contents of all the books in the library came surging into Zhang Xuan’s mind.

Before Zhang Xuan could react, everything went dark. He had fainted.

Chapter 155: 5-star Incident

The Chen Clan, due to having an official apothecary within its ranks, is an extremely prominent and distinguished clan in Tianxuan Kingdom.

Usually, in such a clan, there would be no shortage of pills, everyone would have great accomplishments and they would walk with their heads held high. Yet, at this moment, every member of the clan had put on a bitter expression. A depressing atmosphere loomed over the entire Chen Residence.

“Alright, let’s go by this rule. No one is to object or he will face being expelled from the clan!”

In the hall, Apothecary Chen Xiao surveyed the surroundings before speaking sentimentally and desperately.

He was invited as an examiner for the Pill Debate with a fellow named Zhang Xuan, but the other party declared that he would be unable to live for much longer. Feeling that his body functions are indeed starting to fail, he felt extremely dismal. Thus, he started to make preparations upon returning to the clan.

He is an apothecary and his presence brought the entire Chen Clan to prosperity. The moment he dies, those who are envious of his fortune would definitely employ every possible mean to wrestle for a share. If so, it would just be a matter of time before the clan falls.

Thus, in order to prevent such a scenario from occurring, he ordered for all clansmen to sell their assets and disappear from the capital, never to return.

“Clan head…”

After those words were spoken, wails echoed in the air.

They had been living a life of luxury, and many could not accept the fact that they have to move to a far away place so suddenly.

“Enough! What is this clan becoming, for you to be crying and wailing? Chen Cong, make the necessary preparations!” Apothecary Chen Xiao said.

Chen Cong is his son. Knowing that he doesn’t have many days left, he had already appointed him as the new clan head.

“Yes!” Chen Cong nodded his head. Just as he was about to leave, a young man walked forward and whispered something into his ears. Then, Chen Cong’s eyes lit up and he hurriedly raised his head, “Father…”

“What is it?” Apothecary Chen Xiao lifted his teacup and frowned angrily.

He always believed that his son comprehends the importance of prioritizing, so why is he so disobedient now?

Does he not know that the Clan’s prosperity is due solely to his identity as an official apothecary? Without his prestige suppressing the ambitions other clans possess, they wouldn’t be able to guard the wealth they had accumulated through pill forging throughout these years.

“Father, a master teacher has appeared in the capital. Perhaps… He can solve your problem…” Noticing the displeasure on his father’s face, Chen Cong spoke quickly, not daring to hesitate in the least.

“Master teacher? Could it be fake news?” Apothecary Chen Xiao shook his head.

If it were indeed a master teacher, how could he, a dignified 1-star apothecary, possibly have not received any news?

“I don’t know for sure, but I sent Chen Tao to investigate upon hearing the rumors yesterday. This master teacher is known as Yang Xuan and not only did he solve Ling Tianyu’s wife’s illness, even Du Miaoxuan from the Du Clan knelt before his gates. Furthermore…”

“Furthermore what?”

“Furthermore, when Du Miaoxuan emerged from his mansion less than ten minutes after entering, he had already evolved from a Dingli realm pinnacle to a Tongxuan realm expert.” Chen Cong hurriedly said. “On top of that… the guild leader of the Blacksmith Guild, Luo Chong, also entered his mansion, and when he left, he was full of praises for the person, claiming that he is a true master teacher…”

Dang lang! Before he could finish his words, the teacup in his father’s hands had fallen onto the ground and shattered into pieces. Following which, his lifeless and pitiful expression vanished and in its place was a face so flushed, it was as though his cheeks were on fire. “Where does this master teacher live? Bring me to meet him now…”

“Right now? I have to first sell the family fortune…”

Chen Cong muttered, but before he could finish his words, his father, who seemed as though he might breathe his last any moment now, had already reached the doorstep and he bellowed, “Selling your head! Hurry up…”

“…” Chen Cong.

“…” The crowd in the Chen Clan.

The wailing in the room silenced in an instant and everyone’s mouth was so wide that a chicken egg could be stuffed into it. Looking at the clan head whose attitude did an 180-degree turn all of a sudden, they became completely speechless.

…………………………

Pavilion Elder Qian does not wield actual authority in Tianxuan Kingdom, but he holds a very important position. Every fortnight, Emperor Shen Zhui would summon him to the royal palace and query him.

He is the emperor’s eyes. He gathers all news within the country and sorts them into books for the emperor to peruse.

It is only with these news that Emperor Shen Zhui is able to keep abreast of current affairs and continue making wise decisions for the country, allowing the kingdom to grow stronger steadily and not be threatened by powerful enemies.

Thus, in the kingdom, even personnel who hold true authority do not dare to offend him. They fear that he might pass on incorrect news which could cause the emperor to doubt them.

Today is yet another day to sort and compile the gathered news for reporting. Thus, he had arrived at his personal office early in the morning.

At this moment, the room is squeezed full of people, all of them embroiled in a squabble.

“Causing a ruckus like this, how inappropriate!”

Seeing that his subordinates were arguing among themselves instead of working, Pavilion Elder Qian’s face darkened.

“Yes!” Everyone immediately ran back to their positions fearfully.

“Pavilion Elder…”

A middle-aged man walked over.

“Un, are there any important incidents that happened these few days?” Pavilion Elder Qian sat in his chair and looked over.

This is his job scope. He would ask his subordinate about the incidents that had occurred in the capital and compile them before considering whether he should highlight any individual incident to the emperor.

“In these ten days, there is a total of 17 1-star incidents, 12 2-star incident, and 3 3-star incidents…” The middle-aged man hesitated before passing over a stack of paper.

Countless incidents were detailed on top and they were divided in terms of their importance so as to make it convenient for others to read through it. They were graded stars based on their respective importance.

1-star is the lowest level and it means that the incident isn’t important at all. As the number of stars increase, the more important the incident become. 5-star is the highest number of stars an incident can be given, and the severity of the matter would be equivalent to that of an enemy invasion and the downfall of the country is in sight.

Listening to the report, Pavilion Elder Qian lowered his head to take a look.

“Bai Xun xiao wangye challenged son of Prime Minister Liu Cheng and injured him, causing a huge conflict between the two great clans… Evaluation, 1-star!”

“Royal Secretary Lu Zhong brought a new concubine to his family and she is a citizen of Tianyu Kingdom. Her exact identity is unknown… Evaluation, 1-star!”

“17 people of Tianxuan Merchant Firm assaulted by bandit at Plum Snow Ridge and they were completely annihilated. Bandits likely to be the same ones who escaped from the capital several months ago… Evaluation, 1-star!”

……

…

Even though 1-star incidents are of the lowest severity within the classification, they had far-reaching impacts. Taking the first example of Bai Xun challenging the son of the Prime Minister, for example, if the matter isn’t resolved properly, it is easy for the conflict to escalate. If discord were to be sowed among two authorities of the royal court, the internal stability of the country would be affected.

However, it is clear that these people are used to dealing with such matters. They aren’t too agitated upon seeing these earth-shaking incidents.

“Un, you did well evaluating them!” Looking through the 17 1-star incidents, Pavilion Elder Qian nodded his head. Then, he flipped to the second page and what was written on it was mainly 2-star incidents.

“A calamity occurred in the Southwest Hundred Ridges and thousands of people lost their homes. Currently, they have been settled… Evaluation, 2-star!”

“Tianxuan Money Vault recently released new bills, the highest denomination is a million… Evaluation, 2-star!”

“Zhunnan Marquis reached Tongxuan realm advanced stage, becoming one of the top ten experts in the kingdom… Evaluation, 2-star!”

……

…

These matters are closely related to the politics and situation of the kingdom. The impacts these matters could possibly bring are much greater than that of 1-star incidents.

After looking through the twelve 2-star incidents, Pavilion Head Qian nodded his head once more. There is nothing wrong with the evaluations here as well.

Flipping over to the third page, 3-star incidents were detailed on it.

“The Teacher Guild stripped Elder Shang Chen of Hongtian Academy of his position as the head of Education Bureau for being not partial in his evaluation of Zhang Xuan laoshi’s Teacher Qualification Examinations… Evaluation, 3-star!”

“Zhang Xuan laoshi and Lu Xun laoshi would be competing in a Teacher Evaluation 12 days later… Evaluation, 3-star!”

……

…

“Incidents regarding the Teacher Guild and academies would automatically be promoted by a single star. Lu Xun laoshi is the individual who is most likely to become a master teacher of Tianxuan Kingdom, and as such, incidents involving him are given an additional star. These two events are indeed worth 3-star, not bad!”

After which, Pavilion Elder Qian nodded his head.

“There are no problems with these… The problem is… is…”

Hesitation shrouded the middle-aged man’s face.

“What’s wrong?” Pavilion Elder Qian’s eyebrows shot up.

“Something has happened these few days and we are unable to determine a star rating for it. That is the matter that we were discussing earlier…” The middle-aged man said.

“Oh? Tell me!” Pavilion Elder Qian glanced at him in curiosity.

“Three days ago, a person named Yang Xuan appeared in the capital. He claimed that he is a master teacher and he settled Ling Tianyu’s wife’s illness…” The middle-aged man said.

“Oh, I’ve heard of the matter. I even specially headed to the Teacher Guild to investigate the matter, but there isn’t such a name in the records of that kingdom. It is probably a gimmick of Ling Tianyu, so there’s no need to pay it much heed. Alright, classify it under 1-star incidents!” Pavilion Elder Qian said.

Master teachers are just like stars in the sky, an existence that others can only look up to. As long as a kingdom has a 1-star master teacher supporting it, its overall might would be bolstered significantly. If the other party is truly a master teacher, how could he come into the capital without anyone knowing of it?

“1-star incident?” The middle-aged man smiled bitterly. “I’m afraid that the matter isn’t as simple as that. If he only treated Ling Tianyu’s wife, 1-star would suffice. However… Yesterday, Elder Du Miaoxuan from the Four Great Clans knelt at his entrance for an entire day, and in the ten minutes that he was in the mansion, he broke through from Dingli realm pinnacle to Tongxuan realm!”

“What? Such an incredible increase in his strength?”

Pavilion Elder Qian was taken aback. A grim expression appeared on his face as he said, “If that’s the case, the matter can be classified as a 2-star incident…”

“Yesterday afternoon, the guild leader of the Blacksmith Guild, Lord Luo Chong, entered the residence and his face was glowing when he emerged. He was full of praises for the master of the mansion and claimed that he is a true master teacher…”

Ignoring the evaluation Pavilion Elder Qian made, the middle-aged man continued speaking.

“Luo Chong…”

Pavilion Head Qian abruptly stood up with completely widened eyes.

Who is Luo Chong?

The guild leader of the Blacksmith Guild, one of the top figures of the Tianxuan Kingdom!

If he thought so as well, could it be that… This Yang Xuan is truly a master teacher?

“Then… then… This incident can be classified as a 3-star incident…”

Pavilion Elder Qian was astonished.

Before he could finish his words, the middle-aged man’s voice sounded once more.

“This morning, Guild Leader Ouyang of the Apothecary Guild and Apothecary Chen Xiao visited his mansion, but they were blocked at the door by the other party’s butler. Even so, not only did they not leave, they waited patiently without a single word of complaint…”

“This… This…” Pavilion Elder Qian’s face turned completely white and he staggered backward in disbelief. “This is a… 4-star. No, it’s a 5-star incident. Hurry up and write all of these down. I have to report this to the emperor, do it as fast as you can!”

“5-star?”

“Is there no need to double confirm it?”

5-star incident… It has not appeared in Tianxuan Kingdom for several decades now.

The crowd, who were unable to determine a star rating for the incident, upon hearing Pavilion Elder Qian’s words, were flabbergasted. Then a brief moment later, chaos broke loose.

Chapter 156: Resounding throughout the Capital

“You say that even Guild Leader Luo Chong was full of praises?”

“Du Miaoxuan had knelt for an entire day, and not only was his complexion glowing when he left the mansion, his cultivation was even raised?”

“Looks like we have all guessed wrongly, this Yang Xuan is definitely a master teacher!”

“Only a true master teacher can make a person like Du Miaoxuan kneel willingly and leave Guild Leader Luo Chong impressed…”

“Hurry up and prepare my name scroll, I want to pay him a visit!”

TL: It is like a name card when you visit others, detailing one’s occupation, official rank, and everything else on it.

“What? The Yang Residence isn’t accepting any visitors? Those who truly want to meet Yang shi has to first pay three million, and the sum is not refundable?”

“That makes sense as well. Everyone wants to meet a master teacher and if he really met anyone who visited his residence, he wouldn’t be able to rest at all. Only when such standards are implemented will he be able to ward off others, especially those who had malicious intents…”

……

…

Such a situation is occurring in almost all of the powerful clans within the capital.

Everyone was taken aback.

Those who previously claimed that he is a fraud were completely silenced.

…………………………………………

After passing out for an unknown period of time, Zhang Xuan opened his eyes once more.

“This…”

Upon waking up, the first thing he realized was that countless knowledge had been assimilated into his mind. Every single book that was bathed in the golden book’s radiance had been imprinted into his head.

“This golden book can assimilate the knowledge within the library to be mine?”

Zhang Xuan was in a state of disbelief.

In the past, he had to manually browse through the books in the Library of Heaven’s Path. The corresponding knowledge did not truly belong to him then. But now, all of it is deeply imprinted in his head, becoming a part of his memory.

That is to say, the current him, even without the Library of Heaven’s Path, is a true apothecary in terms of his knowledge on pill forging.

“Where is that golden book?”

Zhang Xuan focused his attention into the library hurriedly and saw that the golden book is still there. However, the empty page within it had disappeared without a trace.

“This…”

Zhang Xuan blinked.

The disappearance of the golden page and the sudden infuse of knowledge in his head had occurred at the same time, it looks like the golden page holds such abilities.

“I wonder how this golden book is formed. It is simply too efficient to convert any book’s content into my actual knowledge in such a manner…”

Initially, even with the enhanced learning speed in the Library of Heaven’s Path, finishing hundreds of thousand of books would have taken at least two years or so. Yet, with a single glow of the golden page, everything had been converted into his knowledge. Learning has become an incomparably easy process.

“Un? I was unconscious for an entire night?”

Awaking to the delight of unexpected gains, Zhang Xuan looked outside and he was shocked. To think that he would have lost consciousness for an entire night just like that.

Stretching his back, just as he was about to look for some food, he saw his butler, Sun Qiang, walking in.

“Old master, Guild Leader Ouyang Cheng of the Apothecary Guild and Apothecary Chen Xiao are here to visit.”

“Ouyang Cheng? Apothecary Chen Xiao?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

He is currently Master Teacher Yang Xuan, not Apothecary Zhang Xuan. In this identity, he does not know the other party, so why would they suddenly come looking for him.

“Yes. Furthermore… They have already waited 4 hours outside!” Sun Qiang was at a loss for words.

The old master sure can sleep. He returned to his bedroom the moment the sun set yesterday and slept all the way until now, when the sun has already risen high up in the sky… It is truly a wonder just by thinking of it.

He did not dare to interrupt the old master’s sleep, so he could only tell the other party that the old master was resting. Who knew that the two of them would continue waiting at the entrance, camping outside for 4 straight hours… They sure are patient.

“Old master, Apothecary Chen Xiao has paid the three million. Look…”

“Have them enter!” Zhang Xuan gestured Sun Qiang to invite them in.

Sun Qiang left the room and in a moment’s time, Guild Leader Ouyang and Apothecary Chen Xiao entered.

“Paying respects to Yang shi!”

Not daring to act haughtily before a master teacher, the two of them bowed immediately upon entering the room.

Initially, Apothecary Chen Xiao wanted to come alone. But considering that his prestige may be insufficient by itself, he roped Ouyang Cheng in as well.

“There’s no need to stand on ceremony. If I’m not wrong, the reason why you two came so early to look for me should be because… this Apothecary Chen Xiao doesn’t have long to live, and he hopes to look for a solution for his problem!”

Just as he was perplexed over the two’s arrival, an inspiration flashed through his mind and Zhang Xuan recalled the matter at the Pill Debate.

This Chen Xiao had been cursed by someone else and as such, a death aura engulfed him, eating into his lifespan. Back then, during the Pill Debate, Zhang Xuan felt that he had reneged on the promises he made and that he wasn’t worth saving, so he didn’t elaborate much about the matter. This fellow probably couldn’t find a solution to his problem and upon hearing that a master teacher had arrived in town, he came knocking to try his luck.

That was fine by Zhang Xuan as well. He could make him pay a hefty sum and in this way, he could redress the grievances of the person who entrusted his final will to him.

Upon hearing Zhang Xuan’s abrupt words, Ouyang Cheng and Apothecary Chen Xiao nearly knelt down from fright and fainted.

Didn’t a master teacher require a person to first display their battle technique, pill forging, or at the very least, examine one’s body, before deducing one’s problems or illnesses?

How was he able to tell all this in a single look…

Is this still his ability of discernment? Even a seer isn’t as incredible as him!

Shocked by Yang shi’s capabilities, Apothecary Chen Xiao’s face paled further. He was worried.

For the other party to be able to see through this much with a single look, his illness must be truly serious.

Can it be that he can’t even survive to the next day?

“Where is the cauldron? Have you discarded it yet? Also, reneging on your promises without even trying to fulfill it just because the other party is dead should be an action unbefitting of your identity as an official apothecary!”

Oblivious to the two’s astounded expressions, Zhang Xuan recalled the contents of the book and continued speaking.

Noticing that there was no response, he lifted his head to take a look, only to see that Ouyang Cheng and Apothecary Chen Xiao’s face were ghastly white.

Especially for the latter, his entire body was convulsing as though he was suffering from a stroke. Unable to hold endure any further, he collapsed to the floor on his knees.

“Yang shi, save me… I beg you, please save me…”

Apothecary Chen Xiao was scared witless.

No one knew that he had obtained a cauldron from his dead friend. Even Zhang Xuan had only inferred that he had obtained a treasure from a deceased and didn’t know what it was exactly. Yet, this person, even without a close examination, was able to tell so immediately…

Are you a deity?

Or else… How would you know…

“Is what Yang shi said true?”

Even though Ouyang Cheng had no idea how Apothecary Chen Xiao got afflicted with a death aura, looking at his expression at this moment, he realized that what Yang shi had said was the truth.

He was overwhelmed with awe for the other party.

Without requiring anything but just a single glance, he is able to tell the root of a person’s illness, his symptoms, and even the cause… This is too incredible!

“Er…”

Only upon seeing the dumbfounded expression on their faces did Zhang Xuan remember that he is Master Teacher Yang Xuan currently, and he does not know the two of them. Clearing his throat to break the awkward atmosphere, he said, “It’s not difficult to save you. Firstly, you have to bury the cauldron with that old acquaintance of yours, then complete the task that he had delegated to you before his death… Finally, you just have to get some pills that are rich in spiritual energy to nourish yourself for half a year.”

Actually, the other party’s problem isn’t really serious. He was cursed by the old acquaintance of his, but as long as he fulfills his promise solemnly and stays away from the cauldron, the power of the curse will slowly weaken and as time goes by, he will recover completely.

“Yang shi, thank you for your guidance!”

Hearing that there is hope for him, Apothecary Chen Xiao hurriedly nodded his head. At this moment, he does not doubt the other party’s words in the least.

To be able to tell what his problem was with a single look, he is definitely more than capable of solving his problem.

Having learned the method to save himself, there was no longer any need for the two of them to stay. Thus, they turned around to leave.

Walking straight out of the main gates, Apothecary Chen Xiao still felt as though everything that had just happened is a dream.

The problem that left him in anguish and despair for numerous days, made him order his clan to sell their fortune and move to the rural countryside… was solved in just a few moments?

“There’s no need to think too much about it. A master teacher’s words are gold. Even though he phrased it in a very simple manner, his ability to provide a solution to settle the root of a problem is not something others can emulate!”

Upon seeing the dazed look on the other party’s face, Ouyang Cheng glanced backward with a look of admiration before commenting in awe.

…………………………

The matter of Apothecary Chen Xiao and Guild Leader Ouyang Cheng entering and leaving the mansion became another affair that the various powers in the capital were concerned over.

“These two apothecaries had barely been in for five minutes and they are already out? Could it be that their problem is not settled? Help me look into it. I want to know what kind of problem that two apothecaries of noble standing could meet with such that they require the help of a master teacher!”

“You say that… Apothecary Chen Xiao had already conducted a funeral at his residence, sold all of his fortunes here, and even wrote a will… But after meeting Yang shi, he immediately swapped the white cloth into red ones and celebrated, as though the crisis had been averted?”

TL: In funerals, the mourning attire, and sometimes the location, would be white. On the other hand, red is the color of celebration (usually used in weddings).

“He was afflicted with a severe illness that could lead to his death at any moment, but in the five minutes that he met Yang shi, was cured of his illness…”

“Looks like we were all wrong. We only know the names of 1-star master teachers. Given the capabilities of this Yang shi… Can it be that he isn’t just a mere 1-star?”

“A higher tier master teacher?”

The entire city shook when the news was spread.

Today, the name of Yang Xuan——

Resounds throughout the capital.

Chapter 157: Painting Examination

As his fame grew, ‘Master Teacher Yang Xuan’, who is a guise of Zhang Xuan, instead had more time to relax.

Even though there are many wealthy individuals in Tianxuan City, not many of them are capable of whipping out three million gold coins out of a blue. Furthermore, considering their own status, if they truly didn’t have grave problems that were beyond their own means, they would not dare to interrupt a master teacher’s rest.

After Guild Leader Ouyang and Apothecary Chen Xiao’s departure, the courtyard quietened once more.

After resting for an entire afternoon and seeing that no one came, Zhang Xuan removed his disguise and returned to the academy.

“Teacher, Huang Yu xiaojie has come to look for you and she is currently waiting in the classroom…”

Before he even reached the classroom, Yuan Tao had walked up to welcome him.

“What matter could she have for me?”

Zhang Xuan was perplexed. Knowing that it was impossible for Yuan Tao to answer this doubt of his, he returned straight back to the classroom without asking him too much about it. As expected, upon walking in, he saw Huang Yu xiaojie in the room, and she stood so quietly that the scene resembled a still painting.

The reason why she was able to become an assistant master teacher isn’t just because she is the daughter of the guild leader of the Teacher Guild. On top of that, she possessed a relaxed and soothing disposition that naturally gave others a good impression of her.

Sure enough, Zheng Yang, Yuan Tao and others’ eyes drifted toward her frequently but unwittingly, causing Zhao Ya to be so infuriated that she could murder someone.

Wang Ying and I aren’t inferior in any way, alright? Why don’t I see you peeking at us during lessons usually?

Damn it!

“Master Zhang!”

Oblivious to the thoughts of the young lady, Huang Yu’s eyes lit up upon seeing him and hurried forward.

“For Huang xiaojie to come looking for me, is there any urgent matter?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“Master Lu invites you over.” Huang Yu clasped her hands.

“Could it be that he wishes to bring me to the royal palace’s Book Collection Vault?” Zhang Xuan’s eyes sparkled.

Previously, Lu Chen had promised to bring him to the kingdom’s Book Collection Vault to look up Pixue realm secret manuals. As Emperor Shen Zhui wasn’t in the capital then, the matter had to be postponed. However, given how he had specially sent Huang Yu to find him, there must have been some progress on the matter.

“Er… That isn’t it!” Huang Yu said a little awkwardly. “Master Lu wishes to conduct an examination for me and Bai Xun and thus, he wishes to invite you over as a judge.”

“Judge?” Zhang Xuan was stunned.

Huang Yu and Bai Xun wished to obtain Master Lu Chen’s 【Ink Daylily Canvas】. Thus, Master Lu Chen declared that whoever proves to be more knowledgeable on painting would be given the painting. As a result, the two of them came looking for Zhang Xuan a few days ago to have him offer them some pointers on painting. However, how could Zhang Xuan possibly know anything about painting? Thus, he could only come up with some random statements, but who knew that the two would regard his words so highly and study them vigorously. This is probably the final examination.

“Yes, Master Lu Chen knows that you have a deep understanding of painting and thinks that you are able to come up with the most precise judgment. Hence, he tasked me to invite you over at all costs…” Huang Yu said.

Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows twitched.

He didn’t even know what kind of brushes there are, needless to say, to make a precise judgment… This Master Lu Chen sure regards him much too highly.

However, the other party had done a lot for him, and he is still hoping to enter the kingdom’s Book Collection Vault. Therefore, he wasn’t in a good position to reject the other party’s invitation.

Furthermore, Huang Yu had played a big role in helping him resolve the matter regarding the Enlightenment Will Trial.

“So as long as you don’t mind me spouting nonsense, I am fine with it. When does it begin?”

Zhang Xuan nodded his head and accepted the invitation.

“Initially, we agreed to start the test at noon, but you were not in… However, we should still be able to make it in time if we leave now.” Huang Yu said.

“Noon?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

By the time he woke up, the sun was already hanging high up in the sky. Furthermore, he had idled for quite a long time before walking out of his mansion casually. It is already going to be noon shortly… Aren’t they in too much of a hurry to conduct the examination right now?

“Un!” Huang Yu nodded her head.

“Alright then!” Realizing that the other party was clearly determined to pull him over, Zhang Xuan knew that it would be futile to try rejecting the offer. Thus, he had a word with his students before following her out of the academy.

“I know that painting is hard to learn, and it doesn’t seem like it would be easy to assess your standards!”

On the way, Zhang Xuan commented curiously.

He had never heard of a painting examination, needless to say, its rules.

After all, Master Lu Chen can’t possibly have Bai Xun and her draw at the same time and evaluate them based on it.

Huang Yu was born in the Teacher Guild and she is an assistant master teacher as well. Even though she had never specially learned painting before, it is likely that she possesses an acceptable level of skill. As for Bai Xun… It is truly difficult for a fellow who only knows about martial arts to contemplate over a person’s painting posture.

“The examination is something Master Lu Chen and Master Yuanyu came up with. Bai Xun and I hadn’t heard of it from them, so we don’t really know the details of the examination and how it would be conducted!” Huang Yu shook her head.

“Master Yuanyu?” Zhang Xuan was puzzled

Isn’t that fellow a famous physician in Tianxuan Royal City? Why is he determining the format of an examination?

“Master Yuanyu is not merely a master physician, he is also skilled in painting. In fact, even Master Lu Chen is full of praises for him. He drew the 【River Canary Painting】, of which, the river looked so lifelike that it seemed as though it was flowing. While drawing the painting on a boat, he actually attracted birds to his painting and the melodious chirping traveled far and wide. This became quite a legend in the city.”

Huang Yu’s eyes glowed with respect.

“He’s that incredible? Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

He had heard of Master Yuanyu from Wang Ying on the day that he accepted her. All along, he had thought that the other party was simply a physician. He would never have thought that the famous physician would be an accomplished painter as well.

To be able to attract real birds to his painting, his painting skills are definitely comparable to Master Lu Chen’s.

“Indeed, Master Lu Chen had invited him over as well. He said having three people serve as judges would result in a more objective evaluation.” Huang Yu said.

Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

Since there are already two true master painters, Zhang Xuan’s presence should be more of a supplement than a mandatory one. When the time comes, he just has to go with the flow. As such, he became less anxious.

The only reason why he is able to impress Master Lu back then was due to the library. Given his absolute ignorance about painting, he should avoid speaking later on so as to prevent himself from speaking anything amateurish and giving himself away.

The two of them chatted as they proceeded forward. Soon, they arrived at Master Lu Chen’s residence.

Before they could even step into the entrance, the butler Uncle Cheng walked forward to usher them in, “Master Zhang, Huang xiaojie, why did you two only arrive now? Master Yuanyu says that he has to visit someone else later on this afternoon and he is already getting a little impatient.”

“I happened to be out then, causing Huang xiaojie to wait a long time for me.” Zhang Xuan said in embarrassment.

The other party had decided to hold the examination this noon, but Zhang Xuan was often away from the academy the past few days, making it difficult to get hold of him either. As such, their arrival was delayed.

“Please enter!” Upon hearing his explanation, Uncle Cheng did not dare to nag further and immediately called for the two to enter.

After obtaining a mansion of his own, the feeling he had upon returning to this place was completely different.

Even though the design is simple and plain, the minute details are exceptionally exquisite. The mansion that he had rented pales too far in comparison to it; the two aren’t even on the same level.

Of course, if a true master teacher were to be the one who renovated the residence he rented, there was no way it would have looked like that. The sense of aesthetics of a merchant can’t compare to that of a master painter.

Following behind Uncle Cheng, they soon arrived at the lounge. Taking a rough glance at the room, he saw Master Lu Chen and an elderly seated across each other, sipping on tea. The incomparably arrogant Bai Xun hid in the corner, looking at his surroundings anxiously. Upon seeing the duo, a delighted expression appeared on his face and he hurried forward to welcome them.

“Master Zhang, you’re here…”

Zhang Xuan nodded his head and turned his attention to the renowned Master Yuanyu.

He looked around sixty to seventy year old and possessed a snow-white beard. Even though he isn’t young anymore, his eyes are extremely spirited, giving one the feeling that energy is radiating from his eyes. For him to possess such vigor despite his advanced age, he truly lives up to his reputation as a famous physician.

“Little brother, you’re here.”

Master Lu Chen stood up with a smile.

“Master Lu Chen!” Zhang Xuan clasped his hands.

“Un, come over. Let me introduce you to Master Yuanyu, he is my best buddy, as well as a master painter!” Lu Chen happily introduced the two to each other. “Yuanyu, this is Brother Zhang Xuan, the one that I have told you about. Even though he is young, his talent in painting is probably in no way inferior to yours and mine.”

“Master is truly generous. I just… casually spoke… casually learned a bit.” Zhang Xuan hurriedly said.

Even though he was able to see through the flaws in Master Lu’s painting, it was mainly due to the cheat machine he had on him. If he were to try to decipher it using his own abilities, he probably wouldn’t be able to make heads or tails of it even if he spent three years on it.

“Knowledge and skills have nothing to do with age, and only those who are truly skilled will be deemed as masters. Since you were able to analyze Lu Chen’s 【Summer-Autumn Painting】and 【Chi Xiong Howling to the Heavens】 and tell what is amiss with them, your ability of discernment is truly incredible. We really lack youngsters like you nowadays.”

Master Yuanyu said.

His voice was calm and clear, and it granted its listeners a tinge of warmth.

It seemed that he had heard of Zhang Xuan’s matter through Lu Chen’s mouth, and his pitch-black eyes evaluated Zhang Xuan with curiosity.

“I am unworthy of your praises…” Zhang Xuan clasped his hands once more.

Only now did he know the names of the two paintings.

If Lu Chen and Yuanyu were to know his thoughts, they would definitely spurt blood.

A painter would often leave their names, bookmarks or words on it so that their name would remain in the annals of history.

He had seen the names on it, but as it was written in a unique font commonly used by painters, not to mention, it was written extremely sloppily, causing Zhang Xuan to be able to recognize those characters.

For him to be unable to recognize the words discernible by apprentice painter, to the point that he didn’t even know that it was the name of the painting… To be called master with those standards of his… If he were thick-skinned enough to admit it…

Of course, back then, when he came into contact with the paintings, the Library of Heaven’s Path had recorded their names in the books compiled on them. However, as he wasn’t asked about the names then, he didn’t pay any attention to it.

The few of them traded some pleasantries.

Master Yuanyu is indeed a person who is easy to get along with. Other people might look down on Zhang Xuan due to his young age, but not only did he not do so, he even held a level of admiration for him.

“Alright, since everyone is here, let’s start!”

Master Lu Chen stroked his beard.

“Yes!”

Huang Yu and Bai Xun nodded their head simultaneously.

“There’s only one Ink Daylily Canvas, and I can only give it to one of you. Thus, I devised this examination. Firstly, I do not wish to pass on this painting to someone who is completely ignorant of painting. Secondly, I hope to temper you two so as to rid your impatience and complacency, especially for Bai Xun.”

Master Lu Chen said calmly toward the two.

Even though he loved this Ink Daylily Painting a lot, he was willing to pass it on to the later generations. The reason why he had established this examination was for the two to come into more contact with painting and learn more about it.

He had been devoted to painting his entire life, even placing his entire youth into in. Seeing that there is no one to succeed his legacy, he started to panic. At this moment, Huang Yu and Bai Xun came over to request for the painting. As such, he made use of this opportunity to lay down the rules so as to have them learn about it. Perhaps, through his actions, painting can flourish within Tianxuan Kingdom.

Using his words, everyone is too engrossed with martial arts and youngsters who are interested in painting are dwindling. If he does not do anything soon, this craft might even find itself without a successor.

Also, by doing this, it had the effect of tempering Bai Xun’s personality. This fellow was short-tempered and often liked to resolve problems through his fists. Learning about painting could help him to calm his mind, thus keeping his temper in check. Otherwise, given that impatient personality of his, how could he inherit his father’s position and guard the northern border on behalf of the royal family?

Chapter 158: It’s Your Turn

“However, it hasn’t been long since you two came into contact with painting. Not only would it be ineffective to have you paint for your examination, it would be an insult to the craft. Thus, after discussing with Yuanyu, we came up with a new examination format.”

It has just been a month since Huang Yu and Bai Xun first came into contact with painting. Even if Master Lu Chen were to have them paint, what kind of painting could they come up with? It would just be embarrassing to have that. Thus, Master Lu Chen chose to use another method to test them instead.

Speaking to this point, he chuckled and continued, “The format would be that… I, Yuanyu, and Brother Zhang Xuan will first paint, and the two of you will then appraise and rate the paintings. The person, whose review is the most accurate and precise, will be presented the Ink Daylily Canvas!”

“To paint? Hm?”

Sipping on his tea, Zhang Xuan had merely intended to show his presence for the examination. But upon hearing Master Lu Chen’s words, he staggered and nearly spat his mouthful of tea onto the elder’s face.

You must be joking! I am just here to add to your number, yet you want me to paint… Are you examining them or me?

I don’t even know how to hold a brush, what kind of painting can I draw?

“I think it’s better for me to not to paint…” Zhang Xuan said anxiously.

“Don’t reject this offer, let’s bond over literature. There are many literature gatherings that require one to come up with poems or drawing. It’s rare to have you and Brother Yuanyu here at the same time, so let’s interact through our paintings. At the same time, we can have these juniors understand the true charm of painting. Perhaps, they might even fall in love with the craft and become a master in the future.”

Master Lu Chen stroked his beard and chuckled.

Zhang Xuan was on the verge of tears.

Are you listening to my words carefully?

What I mean is that I can’t paint, and I don’t want to paint. Yet, you go on rambling about interacting through painting…

The heck that we interact through painting!

“Cough cough, there’s really no need for it. It’s enough to have you two draw. I haven’t done any preparations for this…”

Zhang Xuan could only phrase his words even clearer.

“I have already prepared the brush, paper, and ink slab. Brother Zhang Xuan, there’s no need to be so restrained, treat this as your home and draw as you please. At the same time, let them understand what true painting!” Master Lu Chen replied.

“Restrained? Understanding what true painting is?”

This isn’t what I am trying to say at all!

“Alright, Ah Cheng, go and prepare the painting tools. Xiao Yu and Bai Xun, watch carefully as we paint and learn from it!”

Lu Chen thought that Zhang Xuan was embarrassed and waved away his concerns with a smile.

“Yes!” The butler Uncle Cheng waved his hands, and a few maids carried in three sets of painting tools and placed it on the table before them.

Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows twitched furiously.

He couldn’t even draw with a pencil, and he has to do it with a brush now…

If he knew that the examination would be like this, he would never have come.

“Since we’re here to get acquainted with one another through our paintings, let’s not constrain ourselves to any topic!” Once the preparations were in place, Master Lu Chen looked at Master Yuanyu with a grin. “Brother Yuanyu, you are a guest, so it’ll be best if you go first!”

“Alright. I will be displaying my inferior skills then!”

Master Yuanyu stroked his beard with a smile and walked forward to the table. Picking up the brush, he mused for a moment before starting on his painting.

His brush flew around the paper with astonishing force and elegance. The moment he started painting, his kind face and disposition transformed. He exuded the aura of an expert painter without an equal, garnering respecting from the onlookers.

“There are four main levels to painting. They are namely ‘Reality Depiction’, ‘Spiritual Canvas’, ‘Infused Intentions’, and ‘Breathtaking Verisimilitude’. Reality Depiction means the recording of the sight one sees in reality perfectly. Even though such a drawing may be remarkably lifelike, it is the lowest level of a painting.”

As Master Yuanyu started painting, Lu Chen explained the various levels that a piece of painting can be assigned to the crowd.

“Spiritual Canvas refers to the level where the scenery and objects one draw comes alive through the infuse of spiritual energy. The entire painting will look as though it is a living scenery. For example, if one drew a fish, the spectators would feel as though the fish is alive, and that it would leap out from the canvas at any moment.”

“The third level, Infused Intentions, refers to the level in which one is able to infuse one’s intentions into a painting! One must first attain a certain state of mind before they start painting in order to produce a painting that can move and allure others. My 【Summer-Autumn Painting】and 【Chi Xiong Howling to the Heavens】 happens to reach such a level. That’s why one would feel as though the paintings are unfolding before him, as though he has been pulled into its world.”

“Brother Yuanyu and I happen to have reached this level. If we’re sufficiently lucky, there is a small possibility that we might be able to produce a level 4 painting. Breathtaking Verisimilitude refers to a painting in which characters carry a disposition of their own, to the point that even animals and savage beasts are unable to tell the difference between a painting and reality. The Ink Daylily Canvas that Xiao Yu wants and Brother Yuanyu’s River Canary Painting of such a level.”

“Oh!”

Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

He thought that whoever whose drawing was the most lifelike would be the better painter. Only after listening to the explanation did he realize that drawing a lifelike painting… was simply the lowest level.

Only when a drawing was infused with the painter’s spirit and unique artistic conception can it be considered a true masterpiece.

In the midst of the discussion, Master Yuanyu’s painting slowly began to take shape.

It is a painting of a Mountainous Jungle Sparrow. Within the tranquil forest, two sparrows are dancing around. Even though they are motionless, one can almost hear the bright chirping of the birds in the air, as though one had entered the mountainous forests, and is surrounded by the fragrance of the flowers and the melodious twitter of the birds.

“Master Lu, is this an Infused Intentions painting?

Huang Yu couldn’t resist asking.

For it to induce such a sensation, this showed that the painting contained a profound artistic conception. One couldn’t help but be absorbed into it with a single glance.

“Un!” Master Lu Chen nodded his head. “This painting has indeed reached the level of Infused Intentions. However, it barely meets the mark. As for why I say so, it is your job to analyze and appraise it. Whoever who is able to come up with the most precise answer will be the victor.”

“Yes!” Huang Yu and Bai Xun immediately focused their gazes on the painting.

In no time, Master Yuanyu placed his brush down.

He had completed the Mountainous Jungle Sparrow Painting.

“Hehe, looks like my skills have gotten rusty after resting for too long. Here is my humble painting!” Master Yuanyu smiled. “Lu Chen, it’s your turn!”

“Alright!” Master Lu Chen walked up to the table, picked up the brush, and his hands started to fly about.

Even though they are both master painters of the third level, it is clear through Lu Chen’s fluid movements that he is more adept.

In his painting, a lone boat could be seen floating on the surface of a river. There were no astonishing waves or fearsome storms, but it gave the feeling as though one was trudging ahead against all odds, that the entire world was hindering the boat’s path. Even though the person on the boat was drawn with just two mere strokes, his courage in charging ahead despite the dangers that lurked ahead induced the spectator’s hot-bloodedness.

“Looks like Brother Lu’s technique is superior to mine!”

Even before the painting was finished, Master Yuanyu couldn’t help but comment.

He is skilled in painting and is renowned in the field as well, but when compared to Lu Chen, he is still a long way off.

While the artistic conception behind his Mountainous Jungle Sparrow Painting isn’t bad, if one were to analyze the two paintings thoroughly, Lu Chen’s artistic conception would be a tier higher than his.

He had only contrasted the silence of the forest along with the liveliness of the birds, but the other party had brought out the inner struggle of a person. It is clear that the other party is much more skilled than him.

“How is it? Can you tell anything from it?”

Master Yuanyu turned his attention to Bai Xun and Huang Yu and questioned them with a smile.

“I can tell that Master Lu had used three types of painting techniques and twelve types of painting strokes in his Flowing River Painting. Also, there seems to be the shadow of the renowned painter eighty years ago, Chen Jiao, in his painting.” Huang Yu pondered for a moment before replying.

Chen Jiao was a famous female painter in Tianxuan Kingdom back then. Her strokes were delicate, and she specialized in painting mountains and rivers. In that aspect, she was said to have reached the pinnacle for river paintings, and she was honored as the number one painter in the Tianxuan Kingdom in the last three hundred years.

“I saw that too…” Bai Xun hurriedly said.

“Un, seems like you have good eyes!”

Master Yuan Yu chuckled.

“Three types of painting techniques? Twelve types of painting strokes?”

Zhang Xuan was speechless.

From his perspective, all he saw was Master Lu Chen picking up the brush and drawing randomly. He couldn’t tell anything unique about it at all.

Even though he had infused all of the knowledge from the books which he had flipped through into his head through the golden page in the golden book, they were all mainly related to cultivation techniques, battle techniques, and pill forging. There were barely any painting-related books in the teacher Compendium Pavilion, and as such, he is nearly completely ignorant on the topic.

“Haha, Brother Yuanyu, you are way too humble!”

In a moment’s time, Master Lu Chen completed the Flowing River Painting as well. Chuckling, he walked over and said, “I have been touring the Benma River these few days and accumulated several days of emotions before unleashing them all on this painting, that’s why I was able to up you one in this painting. Brother Yuanyu is normally busy going around treating others and isn’t as free as me. If you were to be like me and immerse yourself into painting, I’m afraid that I would be far from a match for you!”

“Painting is dependant on talent. It is because I find myself lacking talent that I chose to tread on the path of a physician!”

Master Yuanyu shook his head.

“Alright, we two old folks shouldn’t be praising one another here like that. Speaking of talents, Brother Zhang Xuan is truly a genius. Despite being young, he possesses a unique view and understanding of painting. I believe that his painting ability is in no way inferior ours.”

Master Lu Chen shook his head smiling and gestured Zhang Xuan forward. “We are already done painting. Brother Zhang Xuan, it’s your turn!”

Huala.

The moment he said those words, everyone’s eyes turned to look at Zhang Xuan.

Master Yuanyu also nodded his head in approval. His eyes were filled with curiosity, he was interested to see what kind of painting Zhang Xuan would come up with.

He had heard Lu Chen spoke of Zhang Xuan’s matter before. Even though he does not doubt his words, he still found it a little unbelievable that Zhang Xuan could reach such an incredible level of expertise at such a young age.

Painting is different from martial arts. It isn’t something one can succeed in just because one has talent. One needs to accumulate a multitude of experience and emotions in order to comprehend life so as to produce good paintings. Even for him, it was due to him treating innumerable patients that he gained the inspiration required for his mastery in painting to soar, reaching the current level he is at.

However, Zhang Xuan is not even twenty. Even if he was born with natural compatibility to painting, at the very most, he only has a solid foundation that allows him to reach the level of Reality Depiction. If he wants to create paintings of the level of Spiritual Canvas and Infused Intentions… He probably needs a lot more training.

Of course, he wouldn’t vocalize these thoughts. After all, it would be impolite.

At that moment, when Master Lu Chen invited him to paint, he couldn’t help but peer over to see what standards that fellow possessed.

Even Bai Xun and Huang Yu looked excited.

Zhang Xuan had performed impressively the previous time he was here, pointing out the flaws and secrets behind Master Lu Chen’s painting, even giving him pointers. They couldn’t help but admire him for that. Right now, they are truly curious to see what kind of level had this Zhang laoshi, who isn’t much older than them, had reached.

“Me?”

Sensing their eager gazes, Zhang Xuan felt his head swelling up.

He thought that the other party was just casually bringing the matter up… To think that he really needed to draw.

How can he draw when he doesn’t know a single thing at all?

He can’t possibly draw a little chick, add a halo to it, and call it Divine Phoenix.

If he really did so, he probably wouldn’t have to dream about stepping out from the residence alive. He would surely be beaten to death.

“This… this… Can I first browse through some books?”

Scratching his head, Zhang Xuan suppressed his embarrassment and asked.

Chapter 159: Fraudster?

“Browse through some books?”

Lu Chen and Yuanyu exchanged gazes. They were perplexed.

We invited you here to draw, you can feel free to draw anything you like to display your painting prowess…

Browse through some books?

What does that have to do with drawing?

Bai Xun and Huang Yu, who had prepared to be amazed by Zhang Xuan, were also stunned.

To want to browse through books when you are about to draw… Isn’t it a little too late for that!

More importantly… Brother, given your high standards, are you sure that reading books will help with your painting at all?

“Yes!”

Even though he could sense that everyone was looking at him with bizarre looks, Zhang Xuan could only suppress his awkwardness.

He truly had no other ways.

Painting?

He also wished that he is an expert who can produce a third level or fourth level painting easily and impress everyone here.

But the truth is that… He doesn’t even know how to hold or use a paintbrush… How can he paint like that?

The Library of Heaven’s Path allows him to see through all flaws and take the knowledge in books for his own usage. However, it doesn’t possess the ability to allow him to become a true master painter in an instant, unless… He read sufficient painting books to form a Heaven’s Path secret manual!

The library is able to extract the correct portions of a manual, allowing Zhang Xuan to achieve mastery in any art swiftly and easily… If this really works out, perhaps he might become a true painting expert in a moment’s time.

“What kind of books do you want to read? Could it be that… you have reached a bottleneck in painting?”

After a long moment, Master Lu Chen asked.

Similar to cultivating, one can meet with a bottleneck in painting. There are people who are able to reach the third level with just a few years of training, while there are also people who find themselves unable to reach even the first level their entire life.

He truly couldn’t fathom why Zhang Xuan would request to browse through books. After musing for a moment’s time, it suddenly struck him that perhaps he had reached a bottleneck and wanted to attempt to break through his current level.

Otherwise, why would he need to browse through books before painting?

Reading and painting are two completely unrelated matters!

“That’s not it, it’s… it’s that… I have yet to reach the state where I can reach the state of mind required for me to draw as and when I like. Before I draw, I need to read a lot of books to calm my mind, and only then will I be able to create high-quality paintings!”

After squeezing out his brain juice, Zhang Xuan finally came up with an excuse.

After all, he can’t possibly tell them that he doesn’t know how to hold a brush, and he needs to browse through some books… to learn…

If he were to truly say that out, the other party might treat him as a lunatic.

Painting is something much harder to learn than martial arts. It is impossible to reach Lu Chen and Yuanyu’s level of mastery without decades of effort, countless wasted paper, and worn-out brushes. To want to learn painting just by browsing through a few books…

Isn’t that dreaming?

Even if you wanted to lie, you should at least take the trouble to come up with something more believable…

“A good painting is related to one’s state of mind, luck, and opportunity… Given your age, it is understandable that it is difficult for you to produce a good painting without adjusting your state of mind.”

Master Yuanyu nodded his head in approval.

Master Lu Chen didn’t reject Zhang Xuan’s words as well.

Painting is an art, not a physical technique. Even if one’s physical condition isn’t good, it is unlikely for one’s strength to be impacted greatly.

However, if one were unable to get in the appropriate state of mind, no matter how well one painted, it would only be a painting with form, but devoid of a soul. It can never be considered as a masterpiece.

“It’s my habit… Hm?”

He didn’t expect the two masters to not refute his words. Halfway through his explanation, he paused abruptly in surprise.

But soon, he came to a realization.

Art is the same, no matter what world one came from.

Back then, when Wang Xi wrote the ‘Preface of the Orchid Pavilion’, he was drunk and wrote it casually. But when he woke up and tried to rewrite it, he found himself unable to surpass his previous work. This is the importance of one’s state.

It is just how even if you were to give Master Yuanyu brush and paper and have him redraw his masterpiece, River Canary Painting, he would definitely be unable to replicate it.

Everyone has their own masterpiece, and often, many factors are contained in their work. It was perfectly reasonable for him to request to browse through books to adjust his state of mind.

“Lu Chen, don’t you have quite a bit of painting secret manuals and collection in your study? Why don’t you have our little friend here go in to take a look? We can wait here while he gets into his ideal state to display his painting skills!”

Master Yuanyu said.

“My study?”

Lu Chen’s mouth twitched.

The previous time that the fellow achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation, he had wrecked his study. Until now, he remains traumatized by the event.

However, he is also curious to see what level of painting had the other party reached. Thus, he nodded his head, “Un, Ah Cheng, bring Brother Zhang Xuan over!”

“Thank you, master!”

Seeing that he had managed to muddle his way through, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief and followed butler Uncle Cheng into the study.

The previous time he was here, he was looking for Fighter 6-dan Pixue realm secret manuals. Back then, he had never thought that he would return here to read up on painting.

……

…

When Zhang Xuan stepped into the study, the atmosphere in the lounge turned bizarre.

“Adjusting one’s state of mind… Master Lu, why have I never heard of such a precedent?” Huang Yu couldn’t help but ask.

As an assistant master teacher, she had seen and experienced many different things. Honestly speaking, she had never seen such a strange action.

“The need to adjust one’s state of mind differs from person to person, so it is hard to say for certain.” Lu Chen didn’t reply, so Master Yuanyu spoke up in his place after a moment of contemplation. “Actually, this is more of a habit. In the past, there was an expert who sold firewood before he became famous…”

“I know that, is master speaking of Elder Lu Chai?” Bai Xun asked.

Elder Lu Chai’s original name was Lu Chuan, but as he used to sell firewood for a living before he became famous, people termed him as Lu Chai.

When he reached Tongxuan pinnacle, there was hardly anyone in Tianxuan Kingdom who was a match for him and as such, his name rang far and wide during that period of time.

From a lowly ordinary man who sold firewood, he became an expert whose name rattled the entire kingdom. Elder Lu Chai often spoke of his affairs to motivate the younger generation, so quite a few people knew of his background.

“Indeed, it’s that Elder Lu Chai. You know how hard he worked to raise his cultivation and how he became famous, but you aren’t aware of the fact that he chopped firewood to adjust his state of mind before battling. He would lock himself in his room and spend an entire day chopping firewood so as to get into his top form.”

“Now that Brother Yuan had said so, I recall another expert from a century ago, the Aloof Swordsman Wu Jiangping. He was known to be capable of ‘calming the seas with a single sword’. I’ve heard that before he made a name for himself, he was a bamboo weaver. Before every battle, he would adjust his state of mind through weaving bamboo, thus achieving the level of a Tongxuan eventually and becoming a figure respected by everyone!”

Master Lu Chen said.

“Indeed, there are many such examples. Our friend here seems to utilize books to adjust his state of mind. It is not really a bizarre sight, just that…”

Yuanyu’s words suddenly paused here.

“Brother Yuanyu, feel free to say anything that’s on your mind!”

Lu Chen chuckled.

“Back then, when you were painting, I took a glance at him and intentionally questioned Huang Yu and Bai Xun so as to see how he would react. However… He seems to be confused by what was going on, as though he is completely ignorant of painting and… In fact, I doubt that he was able to notice anything about your painting!”

Recalling what he had seen previously, Yuanyu shook his head, “Brother Lu, you said that he was able to discern the flaws and secrets behind your 【Summer-Autumn Painting】 and 【Chi Xiong Howling to the Heavens】, so he shouldn’t have been showing such an expression!”

As a physician, Master Yuanyu is adept at paying attention to minute details. Back then, Zhang Xuan was clearly shocked when he saw Master Lu Chen’s painting, and he had seen it clearly.

“Ignorant of painting? That shouldn’t be possible.”

Master Lu Chen isn’t as sharp and attentive as Master Yuanyu, so he found the latter’s words slightly hard to believe.

This Zhang Xuan was able to see through his layout immediately upon walking into his courtyard, and after which, he proceeded on to tear open the top layer of paper on the Summer-Autumn Painting to unveil the contents hidden within, as well as point out the errors in the Chi Xiong Howling to the Heavens…

With such discerning eyes, how can he possibly not know anything about painting?

“This is just my intuition, there is also a possibility that I might be wrong…”

Master Yuanyu shook his head.

He was truly filled with curiosity toward Zhang Xuan.

Before he even saw him, Master Lu Chen had described him in a way such that it wouldn’t be shocking even if Zhang Xuan turned out to be a heavenly being who descended to earth. This had piqued Yuanyu’s interest, but after meeting the person in question, honestly speaking, he was slightly disappointed.

Master painters had a disposition unique to them, but he did not feel any hint of it from that fellow. Furthermore, that person was filled with hesitation when it came to talking about painting. He couldn’t help but suspect whether that fellow is truly a master painter. If not for the sake of his old friend’s dignity, he would have started challenging the other party’s identity.

If the other party truly had painting capabilities that were in no way inferior to them two, he shouldn’t have been like that.

“Could it be that… he doesn’t know anything at all? He feigned it all out?”

A thought suddenly popped into Master Yuanyu’s mind and he frowned.

If it is true, then everything else makes sense.

It is precisely because he knows nothing about painting that he tried to avoid the topic and claim that he needs to browse through books to alter his state of mind.

It is precisely because he knows nothing about painting that his face reflected his confusion when he saw Lu Chen painting, and that he could not compare to even Huang Yu and Bai Xun.

But that made sense, the other party isn’t even twenty yet. Even if he were to boast a vast knowledge on painting, how high can his mastery of painting be?

He probably did an investigation on his old friend’s painting beforehand and then pointed it out, feigning knowledge, when in fact, he is a fraud.

If that is indeed true, he would have to warn his old friend so as to not fall for the other party’s deception.

“Brother Yuanyu, don’t you have to visit someone in the afternoon? Would it be inconvenient for you to wait like this?”

Just when he was pondering about how he should bring up the topic, Master Lu Chen’s voice sounded in the air.

“Oh, I heard that a master teacher named Yang Xuan had appeared in the capital. He had resolved Ling Tianyu’s wife’s illness and the problem Du Miaoxuan faced through extraordinary means. Thus, I would like to pay him a visit to learn from him!”

Master Yuanyu nodded his head.

Ling Tianyu’s wife and Du Miaoxuan were his patients. He had been searching for ways to solve the problems plaguing the two, but he wasn’t able to succeed. Yet, that master teacher named Yang Xuan managed to solve everything so quickly. As a master physician, it is natural that he would want to pay the other party a visit in hopes that the latter can offer him a pointer or two, allowing him to tread further in the way of the medicine.

“Master teacher?” Master Lu Chen uttered in disbelief.

He had always been secluded in his residence. As such, he was completely oblivious to the storm Yang Xuan had raked up in the capital.

“Indeed. Why don’t we pay him a visit together this afternoon? I know that you have been hoping to reach the fourth level of painting, but it has been eluding you. Perhaps, with the guidance of a master teacher, you might be able to do so!”

Master Yuanyu smiled.

“Alright, that’s a promise. After we’re done examining them, let’s go!” Master Lu Chen nodded his head in excitement.

…………………………

While Zhang Xuan was at Master Lu Chen’s residence to conduct an examination for Huang Yu and Bai Xun, a youngster carrying a spear on his back had arrived at the classroom. It is Zheng Yang’s childhood playmate, as well as his best buddy, Mo Xiao.

Initially, the two of them intended to acknowledge Wang Chao as their teacher, but only Mo Xiao succeeded. Zheng Yang became Zhang Xuan’s student instead.

“I have learned a new spear art recently and I came over to spar with you!”

With a jerk of his spear, Mo Xiao seemed to have melded into a single being along with his spear, and he exuded an extremely sharp aura which caused others to frown in discomfort.

“Alright!”

Zheng Yang stood proudly with his spear ready, not intending to back down from the challenge at all.