Chapter 56: Chapter 55: Uncle Fu is nervous, Taoist Xuanqingzi!
"Young... Young Master."
Uncle Fu’s voice trembled unconsciously as he spoke:
"All these years, whose teachings have you been following?"
Even with just a simple hobby, you’ve managed to condense two Lifebound Sword Seals. How terrifying must your scholarly pursuits have reached?
"Not a master, just a failed Scholar."
A simply restored Su Changqing, still a bit pale, replied with a smile:
"But the teacher was very kind to me, and my senior brother is quite good too."
A failed Scholar?
Uncle Fu’s mouth twitched slightly. For Su Changqing’s cultivation, Su Nandu did not hesitate to establish the Little Immortal Sect. How could his enlightenment teacher be just a mere scholar?
He knew it was not his place to ask more, but his curiosity got the better of him:
"Didn’t your teacher teach you some skills like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting? Ordinary scholars usually have a lineage of mentorship."
"Indeed, he taught me."
Su Changqing chuckled, "Fish Dragon Dance, Painting of the Immortal, all grand names, yet utterly useless to me."
"In two years, I haven’t gleaned even a hint of Haoran Qi."
Su Changqing shook his head regretfully. He quite liked studying, but sadly he lacked talent in that area.
"Fish Dragon Dance... Why does it sound so familiar?"
Uncle Fu furrowed his brows in thought but suddenly seemed to remember something, his eyes widening with shock as he turned to look at Su Changqing beside him.
Fish Dragon Dance!
The Azure Dragon Roars in the Central Plains, all scholars bow their heads!
A contemporary Immortal of Confucianism, quasi-emperor Li Qingchen’s powerful killing technique, Immortal Seal: Fish Dragon Dance!
"En... Enlightenment teacher, could be the leader of the literary world, Li Qingchen!"
Uncle Fu stared blankly, feeling chaotic in the wind.
He knew that given Su Changqing’s status, his first teacher certainly wasn’t ordinary, but he never imagined the origin would be so significant!
That’s an Immortal of Confucianism!
The leader of the literary world, the current foremost figure in Confucian Dao, actually willing to be an enlightenment teacher.
Moreover, he passed on his foremost technique among the four arts of the Immortal family, Fish Dragon Dance!
"Indeed, two years ago, there was news from the Central Plains that the Immortal of Confucianism took the last disciple, named Zhi Yu!"
"Couldn’t have imagined it would be this young man..."
Initially, Uncle Fu was somewhat dissatisfied with becoming Su Changqing’s Guardian.
Although he said nothing, he considered it beneath his worth to be involved with Su Changqing.
But now it seems, he was correct about the high ambition, only he was the one aiming higher.
The offspring of a Domain Master, disciple of the Immortal of Confucianism, gifted prodigy... all these qualities combined made Uncle Fu instantly nervous.
"The Guardian role, I must not let it go!"
"Whoever dares to compete, I shall fight them!"
The Guardian serves to protect during the early stage, but if the chosen individual grows, it’s a great favor indeed!
If Su Changqing turns out underwhelming, the favor owed would be insignificant, just a personal favor from Su Nan.
But such favors are one-time; once utilized, they’re gone.
Yet should the one he guards grow into prominence, it’s akin to half a teacher!
A talent-prodigy half-master? Impossible to find with a lantern everywhere in the world!
"Uncle Fu, it’s getting late, let me lead the horse, and we’ll find a place to stay for the night."
With those words, Su Changqing was about to lead the horse when Uncle Fu, snapped back to reality, quickly spoke:
"Such a small task doesn’t need the young master to do it; let this old man do it instead."
Having said this, Uncle Fu immediately jogged to lead the horse, his attitude a world apart from before.
Seeing this, Su Changqing chuckled, surprised at the change brought by his two sword strokes?
But not just Uncle Fu, even Su Changqing found it quite unexpected.
"This Swordsmanship has bizarre power; a Heart Technique would be great."
"Judging by the bandit’s appearance, Brother Er Niu must have found quite the formidable Sword Technique."
Su Changqing regretfully shook his head.
Later, he also explored the cave, but found nothing.
"Fragments remain fragments; once I reach the sect, I’ll learn the complete secret technique!"
Su Changqing’s eyes revealed anticipation, eager to see what the secret techniques enhanced by a Heart Technique would be like.
For now, as night fell, they first needed to find a place to stay, starting their journey the next day.
Not long after, Uncle Fu brought the carriage, and they proceeded slowly along the official road ahead.
As for the dead bandits, officials would take them away the next day.
...
"Uncle Fu, did you notice any place suitable for staying when you came?"
On the road, Su Changqing asked aloud.
Cyan Mountain Village was remote, and the path taken this time differed from that walked by the teacher and others initially.
Now already far from the village, yet still surrounded by mountains and dense forests.
If they didn’t find a place to stay for the night, it would be dangerous in such an environment.
"Almost there; not far ahead is a rundown temple." Uncle Fu replied with a smile.
Initially, he had flown over with the carriage, paying no attention to nearby residences.
But it wasn’t much of a problem; a simple Divine Sense scan made the surroundings clear as day.
However, what made Uncle Fu furrow his brow slightly was a small Daoist heading straight toward them, ten miles away as his Divine Sense had perceived.
"A Daoist?"
Uncle Fu was puzzled, thinking, isn’t it too many Daoists appeared in the southern region.
It seemed like a large number of Daoists had come to the southern region from two years ago, searching for something.
And not long ago, Buddhism, those monks seemed even more frantic, with powerful individuals appearing one after another.
Together with the recent establishment of the Little Immortal Sect, turbulence within major forces made this southern region quite chaotic.
"Well, it doesn’t concern the young master anyway. Hopefully, this little Daoist is just passing by."
Yet, no sooner had Uncle Fu thought this than the little Daoist appeared on the road ahead.
"Boundless Heaven’s Venerable, little Daoist ’Xuan Qing Zi’ greets the two of you."
The little Daoist, with red lips and white teeth and amiable and gentle demeanor, exuded an ethereal grace.
He arrived before Su Changqing and Uncle Fu, smilingly offering a courtesy, then turned his gaze onto Su Changqing.
"As revealed in the hexagram, is my benefactor in the southern region this gentleman?"
Xuan Qing Zi’s curiosity reflected on Su Changqing, puzzled as to how a mundane man could be his benefactor.
Two years ago, a vision of the Daoist patriarch caused unusual movement, with heavenly auspiciousness descending, leading to great Daoist prowess divining that someone who could make Daoism prosper appeared.
As a result, numerous Daoist sects dispatched disciples to the southern region, searching for that destined one.
Yet upon their arrival in the southern region, whether through deduction or divination, none found even a hint.
Xuan Qing Zi was one of them.
But differently, Xuan Qing Zi’s Path of Divination... was very strong, including a technique capable of reversing cause and effect.
Unable to deduce the ’cause,’ he settled on divining the ’effect’ first.
He reversed the hexagram, divining his greatest benefactor in the southern region.
The result came to reveal that today, two years later, the first person encountered on the Cyan Mountain Official Road.
Which was this seemingly mundane Su Changqing before him.
"Master, in this wilderness, with far-off roads, may I join your journey?"
Xuan Qing Zi asked softly and kindly, smiling.
Uncle Fu frowned, about to speak when Su Changqing’s eyes brightened:
"Was the promise of granting me opportunity from you?"
Su Changqing remembered it clearly. At the time, Shu Han Senior Brother mentioned, upon leaving the village, he’d meet someone who’d bring him an opportunity.
Could it be that the opportunity had arrived?