Chapter 235 - 233: Duped (2)
’It was all his fault. He was the one who had been too trusting.’
’He had oversimplified things, and that’s why he had suffered such a devastating loss!’
His Heart Spirit was in a trance. He had completely lost his sense of direction, walking forward on pure instinct.
Before he knew it, he had already reached the vicinity of the Martial Arts Academy’s imposing mountain gate.
His steps didn’t falter; he walked straight toward the outside of the Martial Arts Academy’s gate.
The very instant he stepped out...
A shout like a clap of thunder suddenly exploded by his ear. "Halt! What do you think you’re doing? Are you breaking the academy’s rules by leaving the mountain without permission?"
The thunderous shout was like a splash of cold water, instantly jolting Chen Shouheng from his dazed state.
Chen Shouheng was startled. He snapped back to his senses, only then realizing he had almost broken the rules and left the mountain without permission.
He hastily pulled back his foot and turned to look. Duan Mengjing was standing just inside the mountain gate, frowning at him with a hint of bewildered suspicion.
"Master... Master Duan?"
Chen Shouheng spoke instinctively, his voice somewhat dry and hoarse.
He was finally coming to his senses.
Duan Mengjing looked him up and down, taking in his distraught, pale appearance, and asked in a low voice, "Your Heart Spirit is unsettled, your steps are unsteady. What happened? Why do you look like this?"
Under Duan Mengjing’s concerned gaze, Chen Shouheng’s lips trembled a few times. He then told Duan Mengjing the whole story of how he had sought advice from Zhang Luyan about the Divine Intent Pass, only to be swindled out of three thousand taels of gold.
As he reached the end of his story, his voice choked with sobs, making it nearly impossible to speak, and his body trembled slightly.
Duan Mengjing’s expression gradually darkened.
After Chen Shouheng finished, he slowly shook his head. "You, ah, you’ve ultimately paid the price for your youth. In this matter, he holds the moral high ground. Even the Deans would never side with you."
He paused, then added a reminder. "For now, this is a loss you can only swallow. You have to grin and bear it. Remember, do not go looking for him to argue, and especially don’t mention this to outsiders. It will only cause more trouble."
Chen Shouheng nodded silently, the bitterness in his heart deepening.
Duan Mengjing looked at Chen Shouheng, his tone a mix of comfort and admonishment. "Staying in the Bell Tower is peaceful, and it allows you to focus on your Cultivation, but you’re putting the cart before the horse.
"This Martial Arts Academy is a microcosm of the real world. Conflict and oppression are everywhere. Hiding in the Bell Tower is like holing up in the Historical Hall to compile records. It’s peaceful, yes, but you won’t grow. In the future, you’re going to be an official. Let this be a lesson to you."
Chen Shouheng raised his head, his eyes pleading. "Master Duan, I will take your teachings to heart. But... my family has suffered a great loss this time. I must inform them immediately so they can prepare. I beg you, Master Duan, please make an exception and allow me to go down the mountain. I’ll be back in two hours."
Duan Mengjing looked at his anxious and remorseful expression and sighed. "Fine, go ahead. Go quickly and come back quickly. There can be no delays... As for the Divine Intent Pass, it’s my fault for not explaining it clearly that day. I’ll give you four more words: Refining Intent with Divinity. Whether you can comprehend it will depend on your own aptitude."
’Refining Intent with Divinity?’
Chen Shouheng was stunned. He didn’t understand it at all, but he forced himself to memorize it and bowed deeply in gratitude. "Thank you, Master Duan."
Duan Mengjing was in charge of guarding the mountain gate. With his permission, Chen Shouheng didn’t dare to delay for a second and immediately sprinted down the mountain.
Duan Mengjing watched his retreating figure and fell into deep thought. ’That old codger Zhang Luyan, why would he target him? No, wait. Could he be coming after me?’
He was startled, his brow furrowing tightly. ’It’s only been a few days of peace. Is someone already scheming again? Strange. They’ve all retired, so why are these old bastards still so keen on factional strife? What a pain! No, I have to prepare!’
His words were filled with dissatisfaction and weariness.
...
Chen Shouheng didn’t stop once, rushing down the mountain at top speed. He had only one thought in his mind: to tell his father the news as soon as possible.
Finally, in a secluded forest clearing not far from the foot of the mountain, he saw two familiar figures.
This was their designated meeting spot.
Chen Li was sitting cross-legged on a large boulder.
Liu Zongying was leaning against the root of an old tree.
"Father!"
Chen Shouheng ran up to them, panting for breath.
"Shouheng, what happened?"
Chen Li couldn’t help but frown slightly as he saw his son’s panicked and distraught state.
"Father... I..."
Before Chen Shouheng could get the words out, overwhelming guilt washed over him. His nose tingled, and his eyes instantly reddened.
He fought to control his emotions and, speaking as fast as he could, told them the entire story without holding anything back.
When he mentioned that Qian Shijin had bluntly called the Silent Extinction Finger "a thing of the past, useless," Liu Zongying’s body swayed violently, and the last trace of color instantly drained from his face.
And when Chen Shouheng recounted how Zhang Luyan had written down the four words "Merging Spirit with Will" to dismiss him, shamelessly taking the three thousand taels of gold, boundless regret and self-blame finally broke him completely.
"Father..."
Chen Shouheng dropped to his knees with a THUD. "It’s my fault for being incompetent, foolish, and too trusting! I... I let the family lose such a huge amount of gold for nothing. I deserve to die ten thousand times over! Father, please punish me!"
"Get up."
After listening to the whole story, a cold glint flashed in the depths of Chen Li’s eyes, but there was no hint of blame for his son.
But Chen Shouheng remained prostrate on the ground, his shoulders trembling violently.
"I told you to get up."
Chen Li bent down and pulled his son to his feet. "It’s only three thousand taels of gold. It’s not enough to hurt the Chen Family, and it won’t—it can’t—be allowed to break you."
These words were like a Stabilizing Needle, instantly steadying Chen Shouheng’s nearly shattered Heart Spirit.
Chen Li reached out and patted his shoulder. "This was not your fault. The world is just this treacherous. You don’t need to take all the blame upon yourself."
"Yes, Father."
Chen Shouheng looked up, his vision blurred with tears.
Chen Li waited for his eldest son’s emotions to calm down a little before asking, "This Zhang Luyan, what is his background? What is his family’s standing? And what is his Cultivation level?"
Chen Shouheng paused, trying to gather his chaotic thoughts and recall the details. "I... I’ve only heard that the old scoundrel Elder Zhang was once the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works. He only came to teach at the Martial Arts Academy after he retired.
"As for his family, I’ve never heard anything... His specific Cultivation level, I can’t see through it at all, but to be a Master at the Martial Arts Academy, he must be a Grandmaster, without a doubt."
"Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works... Grandmaster?"
Chen Li’s eyes grew thoughtful. He softly repeated these titles and nodded slightly. "Mm, I understand now."
He then comforted his son again, "You don’t need to dwell on this matter. Wealth is a worldly possession. Our family can afford to lose three thousand taels. You absolutely must not let this give rise to inner demons and throw you into disarray. Focus on your Cultivation at the Martial Arts Academy. The most important thing is to raise your own Cultivation level as quickly as possible. Go back, and act as if this never happened."
The anger, remorse, and panic in Chen Shouheng’s heart gradually subsided under his father’s reassurance.
He nodded emphatically and wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve. "Yes! I’ll obey your command and go back right now!"
After turning around, he remembered what Duan Mengjing had said and immediately relayed the four words: "Refining Intent with Divinity."
’Refining Intent with Divinity?’
Chen Li was taken aback. He felt like he had seen those four words somewhere before, but he couldn’t recall where at the moment.
He watched his son’s retreating back until it disappeared from sight before slowly retracting his gaze.
He turned to Liu Zongying, who stood beside him like a clay statue. "Master Liu San, heaven never seals off all paths. Let’s return to Mirror Mountain first and plan our next move."
"Yes, Patriarch."
Liu Zongying sighed and followed after Chen Li.