This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 344 Passing by the Master's Gate Three Times Without Entering

Royal palace, royal garden.

Emperor Wu was in a terrible mood today. He looked at everyone with a stern face and was furious. The palace maids and eunuchs were trembling with fear and dared not even breathe loudly.

That's how emperors are; there are 365 days a year when they're in a bad mood.

Soon, Empress Jiang Wang arrived upon hearing the news. Seeing Liu Che sitting alone, sulking, she waved away the servants and, like coaxing a child, pulled him into her arms: "Your Majesty, why are you upset? Did you get into trouble with that senior brother from the Benxin Dao sect?"

Jiang Wang's words carried a hint of disdain. He had already told him that Benxindao was the best at messing with people's minds, but he wouldn't listen and insisted on going along with it. Now look what happened, he's made himself unhappy.

The couple had a very good relationship. Liu Che nestled in Jiang Wang's arms and said in a muffled voice, "I wished to appoint him as my general, but he refused."

"Your Majesty, this is a good thing!" Jiang Wang asked, puzzled.

"..."

Looking only at Yuan Benxindao's background, the fact that his political background has major flaws is indeed a good thing.

But if Northern Qi didn't use it, and Western Chu took it and used it, and even said while using it, "Your Northern Qi cultivators are really useful, Your Majesty's senior brother is really useful," then that's a different story.

There are cows in here!

Liu Che felt he had been outmaneuvered and admitted that Jiang Wang was right, thinking to himself that he was indeed adept at manipulating people's mentality.

His conversation with Xiang Yuan, in short, can be summarized as follows:

"Isn't my senior brother amazing!"

"sharp."

"Want it?"

"want to."

"It's no use thinking about it, you're the son-in-law of your mortal enemy."

"..."

Then, Xiang Yuan gave him a bad idea: if Liu Che was short of a suitable candidate for general, he could ask the empress if she had a younger brother who raised horses for others.

If so, ask if they have a nephew who is reckless, fast, and never gets lost.

If you have both, don't worry about anything else; these two dowry items are incredibly useful.

Empress Jiang Wang came from the Jiang clan of Bozhou, a first-rate and prestigious family. How could she possibly have a younger brother who was a servant who tended horses? Considering Xiang Yuan's drunken words at the dinner table, Liu Che did not take it seriously and did not question Jiang Wang further.

Getting back to the main point, after listening to Liu Che's complaints, Jiang Wang smiled slightly and whispered in his ear, "Your Majesty, do this and that, and you will achieve great success."

"Honey trap?"

Liu Che raised an eyebrow in slight suspicion, looking at Jiang Wang with puzzlement. Why was the usually intelligent empress so dim-witted today?

The honey trap can be very effective if used well, but Liu Che believed that this plan would not succeed. It had nothing to do with whether Xiang Yuan liked beautiful women or not. As for his intelligence, even if he was temporarily infatuated with beautiful women, he would immediately sober up after pulling up his pants. Could he really bring Xiang Yuan back to marry him?

This plan is flawed!

"Your Majesty, it is not the senior brother who plotted against the Path of the Original Mind, but the Xiao family of the Divine Capital."

"..."

Liu Che was slightly taken aback, but then smiled. So that's how it is. It wasn't a honey trap, but a scheme to sow discord.

If I can't use it, you can't use it either!

"Does the Empress have any suitable candidates to recommend?"

"Does Your Majesty still remember that the Jiang family had a princess who received a title, named Yingjun? She was proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and was renowned far and wide, with no shortage of suitors," Jiang Wang said with a smile.

"If the Empress dislikes my senior brother, why does she recommend her own younger sister?"

“It’s alright. Yingjun is proud. To win her heart, only the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting can impress her. Your Majesty’s senior brother, Benxin Dao, is strong and powerful. Yingjun will not fall for him.” Jiang Wang’s smile widened.

Selling her own sister was definitely out of the question. She had met Xiang Yuan and learned his foul mouth firsthand. She wouldn't push her little sister into a fire pit. But if it was just a formality, Jiang Yingjun was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate.

"Hahaha, with the Empress here, I can rest easy!"

Liu Che was overjoyed and said he would go inside to try out the high pillow.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Xiang Yuan stayed in Tai'an Prefecture, the capital, for almost half a month, eating and drinking his way through all the local delicacies before bidding farewell to Liu Che and searching for his destined companions, the Great Sword Alliance and the Shaolin Temple.

Originally, he planned to stay for two days and then leave. However, considering that the fool had lived in the palace for a year and had predicted his return, he figured he might have buried some treasure somewhere. So, he started construction and searched everywhere.

Believe it or not, they actually dug out a box as tall as a person from under the crooked tree in his backyard.

When opened, it contained a box about half a person's height.

Open it again, and it's still a box.

Xiang Yuan opened nine boxes in a row, until he was numb from opening them all. In the end, he got a note with a line of small writing on it.

[If you have received the letter, then come to the Path of the Original Mind to see your master; if not, then so be it.]

Damn it, look how idle you are! Now look what you've done, you didn't find any opportunity, but you've dug up a disaster.

Upon seeing the note, Xiang Yuan was so angry that his nose almost twisted. The next day, he resigned from his post under Emperor Wu of Han, stating frankly that some scoundrel was plotting against him and that he could not stay in the capital for long.

Liu Che did not try to stop him, but asked Xiang Yuan for a favor: on his way back to Western Chu, he would pass through the capital and ask him to help escort a younger sister of the Empress's family to Ba Shang Lou, the capital of Western Chu.

Xiang Yuan was feeling down and didn't listen carefully. After translating, he got the keywords 'idol' and 'concert tour'.

At first, Xiang Yuan refused, thinking it was a waste of time. However, Liu Che brought up the old matter again, refusing to let go of the misunderstanding that Xiang Yuan had fraternized with the Northern Qi emperor.

What was clearly a close interaction between fellow disciples was portrayed by Liu Che as an assassin sent by the Xiao clan of the capital to assassinate the emperor of Northern Qi, nearly succeeding in killing the monarch and leading to a war between the two countries.

Xiang Yuan reluctantly agreed, and the two parties agreed that Xiang Yuan would act as a bodyguard for the idol for a few days, and the two parties would settle their accounts. Liu Che would not mention the misunderstanding of regicide again.

Don't mention flirting with the Empress anymore; it's all just mindless scheming.

After leaving Tai'an Prefecture, the capital, Xiang Yuan took out a map of Northern Qi, used spatial teleportation, and headed straight for the headquarters of the Great Sword Alliance.

The headquarters of the Great Sword Alliance is located in Quanzhou, Northern Qi, a place renowned for its beautiful scenery and famous as the "Hometown of a Hundred Wines." The local springs produce fine wines that are fragrant, long-lasting, and have an unforgettable aftertaste, attracting countless literati, scholars, and chivalrous heroes.

The Great Sword Alliance is similar in character to the Hundred Rivers Alliance, having grown up by banding together for mutual support. Because the Great Sword Alliance is based in Northern Qi, they keep a low profile and do not possess the indispensable divine artifact of the Water-Suppressing Iron Sword, thus enjoying an excellent reputation and rarely making a fuss outside.

A group of rough, honest men who always smiled at everyone they met, and who wouldn't dare cause trouble even if they drank too much on their own turf.

I won't go into the reasons behind it; it's all too painful to talk about.

In short, because of his good reputation, Xiang Yuan didn't attack everyone he saw as he did with the Hundred Rivers Alliance. He simply pinched a face, used the Daoist principle of naturalness to conceal his aura, and silently sneaked into the Drunken Immortal Cliff, thirty miles west of the city.

Surrounded by mountains, waterfalls cascade down, water vapor rises, and pavilions and terraces can be vaguely seen scattered among the peaks.

Ascending the stone steps, two bronze sword figurines, each three zhang tall, stand at the mountain gate. Upon entering the gate, a massive black iron sword, requiring ten people to encircle, is thrust diagonally into the ground. The blade is covered with fine holes, and when the mountain wind blows, the whistling sound is like the resounding of a thousand swords.

Tall and imposing, unrestrained and bold, very much in the style of the Northern Qi Dynasty.

When Xiang Yuan was in Quanzhou, he borrowed a waist token from an inner disciple. The big man was very easy to talk to. As soon as he heard that Xiang Yuan wanted to enter the Hidden Knife Pavilion to look at the secret manuals, he took the waist token for entering the mountain and handed it over without saying a word.

They even proactively told Xiang Yuan which shortcut would save time and how to avoid the restrictions.

They were so enthusiastic, offering to lead the way and guard the gate of the Hidden Knife Pavilion so that Xiang Yuan wouldn't be disturbed while he was looking through the manuals.

"Who says local gangs are the most rude? The Great Sword Alliance is!"

Xiang Yuan successfully infiltrated the Hidden Knife Pavilion and began studying the manuals from beginning to end, memorizing each knife technique. He then urged Palu to get moving, discarding the dross and retaining the essence, to see if there was any possibility of learning from and adapting them for his own use.

Yes, but not much.

Having inherited the Heavenly Blade Sect's legacy, Xiang Yuan possessed exceptionally high standards. In the entire world, there were only a handful of sword techniques that could truly move him.

Compared to Yan Xuanhe, the ancestor of the Heavenly Blade Sect, everyone else in the world is just a bunch of scoundrels. The Great Blade Alliance is a group that sticks together for warmth. It was initially created out of love. How could it possibly compare to the sword techniques left behind by Yan Xuanhe? Looking at the way, only three or two moves are decent. The rest are all mediocre.

"His foundation is too weak. He's at the Grandmaster level, which is his limit. His cultivation and strength should be about the same as the Hundred Rivers Alliance..."

Xiang Yuan made an assessment, his primordial spirit sensed the passage, avoiding the restrictions, finding the hidden compartment of the mechanism, and carefully cracking it. Without making the slightest noise, it took him half an hour to crack the mechanism, successfully open the hidden compartment, and open the treasure chest.

I didn't mean anything by it, I was just curious. Hidden so well, it's probably stolen goods. The chest was opened, and it was completely empty.

It's not that there was nothing at all. The moment Xiang Yuan opened the box, a thunderous roar was released, echoing from the Hidden Knife Pavilion and exploding in the sky above Drunken Immortal Cliff.

A sudden clap of thunder could shake the ground beneath one's feet, even for a deaf person.

Xiang Yuan: (⊙⊙)
What's going on? Why did opening the box produce a loud bang? Is this the latest anti-theft measure?
After a moment's thought, Xiang Yuan was speechless. He cursed the liar and obediently put the box back in its place.

Wow!
On the top floor of the Hidden Knife Pavilion, the four carved wooden windows suddenly shattered, and amidst the flying debris, dozens of swordsmen burst through the windows. Each was bare-chested, their bronze muscles etched with ferocious sword patterns. The swords they wielded varied in length and design, all gleaming with a chilling light.

Almost simultaneously, the main gate was cleaved into dust by the violent blade energy, and eight burly men carrying nine-ringed broadswords rushed in, stepping on the wood chips, the sound of the sword rings clashing like thunder rolling on the ground.

The man at the head of the group strode quickly to the top floor. He was tall and straight, with a resolute face. Although his steps were fast, each one was steady and powerful. His eyes were sharp and piercing, exuding an aura of authority without anger.

The current leader of the Great Sword Alliance is Pang Wanjun.

Outside the pavilion, on the open ground, hundreds of swordsmen formed the "Ten Directions Absolute Blade Formation," their blades pointing diagonally to the sky, the light of their blades reflecting off the heavens and weaving a silver net in the sky.

Further away, the massive black iron sword, which would take ten people to encircle, rang powerfully. Its soaring sword intent merged into the silver net, manifesting a vast array of materialized sword shadows. The blades pointed diagonally at the ground, completely surrounding the Hidden Sword Pavilion.

"Which fearless rat dares to come to my Great Sword Alliance..."

Pang Wanjun went up to the top floor, and halfway through his sentence, he saw Xiang Yuan dressed in a Taoist robe. His heart skipped a beat, and his angry eyes cleared up considerably.

Xiang Yuan looked on with heartache, raised his hand and dusted off his Taoist robe: "This humble Taoist is Tongming, and I am practicing at Shaolin Temple. Greetings to all the benefactors of the Great Sword Alliance."

Upon hearing this, the dozens of swordsmen on the top floor all took a step back, their faces showing surprise. They were unsure whether to advance or retreat, and hesitated as they looked at their leader.

Leader, say something!

A bunch of cowards. When it's your turn to shine, let the big brother do it. What use are you to the big brother?

Pang Wanjun cursed under his breath. He became hesitant and timid whenever he saw a Taoist priest claiming to be from Shaolin Temple. What if, what if, he really was a Taoist priest from Shaolin Temple?
Thinking of this, Pang Wanjun snorted coldly and said with a straight face, "So you are a Taoist priest from Shaolin Temple. You are too kind to greet me. May I ask what your intentions are in trespassing on the important territory of my Great Sword Alliance today?"

We've already come to the Hidden Sword Pavilion, what else could we possibly want? To look through your secret manuals, of course!
Xiang Yuan exclaimed that it was outrageous. The reputation of Benxindao was indeed effective in Northern Qi, so effective that even the Taoists from Shaolin Temple across the border dared not expose it to their faces.

What to do? The other side isn't having an easy time either. It would be too much to continue bullying them.

But if we stop bullying them and talk to them nicely, it doesn't seem like the way we're supposed to be. If they get bold and swarm us, we'll all get beaten up.

Xiang Yuan sighed inwardly. If he continued to be tough, the Great Sword Alliance would definitely lose face today. If he spoke politely, the Great Sword Alliance would suffer a heavy beating and lose even more face.

For the sake of the Great Sword Alliance, we have no choice but to take a hard line today!

"I have been cultivating in seclusion at Shaolin Temple for a long time. I have heard that the Great Sword Alliance has superb sword skills and is as famous as the Western Chu Heavenly Sword Sect. They are the two great sword masters in the world. I happen to be fond of swordsmanship, so I have come to the Hidden Sword Pavilion to ask for alms today."

With one hand behind his back, Xiang Yuan said in a serious tone, "When I entered the Hidden Knife Pavilion just now, I found the defenses to be lax. I was worried that thieves might break in in the future, so I let out a thunderous lion's roar to remind everyone."

"..."xN
This is outrageous! You're a thief, fine, but to lure the host out and humiliate them like this is unacceptable! Do you really think the Great Sword Alliance is a pushover?! xN
"Brother, this is the taste! It's the original essence!"

"Brother, Benxindao is notoriously unapproachable. Even the dog emperor chickened out. It's not shameful for us to back down."

"Brother, think about it. What secret manuals hasn't the Benxin Dao seen? Our Great Sword Alliance's swordsmanship has attracted them here. If word gets out, it will bring us prestige!"

"Yeah, brother, it's not easy for us brothers to make a living. I advise you not to be ungrateful!"

Shut up, all of you!

Pang Wanjun's ears were ringing as he received a barrage of voice messages, all of them admitting defeat. A few even threatened to replace him as the leader, which annoyed him so much that he left the group on the spot.

I know I can't afford to offend you, so why would I need you to teach me?

Pang Wanjun snorted coldly, but remained polite and humble, cupping his hands in a fist and saying, "Daoist Master, you have put in a lot of effort. If it weren't for your reminder, there would surely be those who would sneak into the Hidden Knife Pavilion without our knowledge. The inheritance of the secret manual is of great importance. The Great Knife Alliance will remember your kindness, Daoist Master. If there is anything we can do to help you in the future, the Great Knife Alliance will not hesitate to help you."

Wow, they actually caught that! The living conditions in Northern Qi must have been terrible!

Xiang Yuan's eyes lit up. Although, the feeling of being on the path of one's true nature was really not bad!
He nodded in satisfaction: "I wouldn't call it a great favor. Just a casual reminder. It's you all who are so murderous. You've clearly misunderstood my good deed and regard me as a thief."

"What are you doing with those knives? According to the rules of the sect, no one is allowed to carry knives in the Hidden Knife Pavilion. Put them away!" Pang Wanjun roared, chasing away a group of good-for-nothing henchmen.

Seeing that their leader was angry, the group of swordsmen scattered like birds and beasts, and the sword formation outside the pavilion also broke up in a panic.

"..."

Pang Wanjun was speechless. He had only told them to sheathe their swords, not to get lost. They ran away really fast.

Looking around, he saw that none of his loyal underlings were there. Then he looked at Benxindao ahead, who had a half-smile on his face. He remained silent. Without a single brother who valued loyalty, the Great Sword Alliance was doomed sooner or later.

No, this is a trick by the Original Heart Path to manipulate people's hearts. We can't believe it, or the Great Sword Alliance will be finished!
The scene shifts to Xiang Yuan leisurely leaving Zuixian Cliff, accompanied by Pang Wanjun's long farewell.

Both sides are furious!
Pang Wanjun was reluctant to leave. He stood there for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, making sure Xiang Yuan was really gone, before turning back. He was glad that he had handled things properly today and avoided a disaster.

When Xiang Yuan first tried the Benxindao method, he felt that even the most evil and crooked paths were nothing special. The peace and tranquility within the Northern Qi territory was largely due to the unhealthy influence of the Benxindao.

In fact, this isn't the first time Xiang Yuan has introduced himself.

During his time at Kenshinsai, he tested his skills against the invincible Menfeng Sword Master, thus avoiding the tragedy of the sword becoming a family heirloom.

This shows that the reputation of Benxindao is also effective in Western Chu. It's just that ordinary people can't access it, which makes Benxindao seem like a nobody, just an ordinary orthodox sect.

"Kindness like mine clashes with the style of Benxindao's paintings. Suddenly I feel so much pressure. I've ruined the sect's heritage. Will I be kicked out?"

He moved through space to travel, complaining as he went, repeatedly jumping around in the territory of Mingzhou in Northern Qi, but refusing to go in.

The Great Sword Alliance's trip indicates that there must be an ambush in the Sutra Pavilion of Shaolin Temple. Going to Benxindao first might, perhaps, or should, remove the ambush.

In ancient times, there was Yu the Great who passed by his home three times without entering; in modern times, there was Xiang Yuan who passed by his teacher's door three times without entering.

Yu the Great was busy, showing a sense of responsibility and dedication; Xiang Yuan was panicked, knowing there would definitely be pitfalls on his journey.

If he had a choice, he would rather become the sect's treasure at Jianxinzhai than step into the bottomless pit of Benxindao.

"If I had known that coming to Northern Qi wouldn't have saved me from this calamity, I wouldn't have been a good person..." Xiang Yuan hesitated for a long time before moving slightly towards Mingzhou.

Minnesota.

Ming is Yang, perhaps because the name was not chosen well, because Yin cannot grow alone and Yang cannot be born alone, which is why there is a Yin sect called Benxindao.

Xiang Yuan had never been to Benxindao, but he inquired about some information in Mingzhou City.

Unlike other top-tier sects that like to exploit others, Benxin Dao has almost no outer disciples and does not sell pills to outsiders. Instead, it relies on doing business to accumulate the resources needed for inner disciples' cultivation.

Therefore, those in the martial arts world who do not understand the true path will have the misconception that they are self-sufficient and lack ambition.

The Original Heart Path doesn't need its outer disciples to be exploited. When they lack cultivation resources, they can simply go and mooch off other top-tier forces.

In this respect, Xiang Yuan is undoubtedly a qualified successor of the Original Mind Dao, always finding fault wherever he goes and always trying to get close to everyone.

The idea of ​​Benxindao (本心道) enclosing its own territory is completely out of the question. They never planned their own sphere of influence. It was the other first-class forces in Northern Qi that competed to leave, making room for them.

People hate it, heaven despises it, and even dogs despise it, yet they can't beat it.

Now let's talk about the mountain gate of Benxindao. Xiang Yuan carefully walked in and saw a thatched hut on the east side and a thatched cottage on the west side among the mountains, representing a hermit who is not bound by worldly affairs.

Bah, shameless!
Xiang Yuan knew that the thatched cottage had a folding space inside, and it was quite large!
Since Benxindao lacked a protective formation, they feared others wouldn't dare attack. In the early years, they could fool a few people who had joined the Seventy Circles, but later no one believed them anymore.

Following the overgrown stone steps uphill, past a low walled gate, a map showing the distribution of power on the mountain peaks comes into view.

He glanced around and quickly found the mountain where his mentor was located. Feeling that he could never repay his master's kindness, he obediently climbed the stone steps and reached the top of the mountain with a solemn expression as if he were at a grave.

Call it a pilgrimage or whatever, they all have a serious expression on their faces.

Inside the courtyard, a crooked, ancient tree can be seen in the distance.

look familiar!

This tree is in my uncle's memory.

Back then, Master Hard Drive was still an ambitious young man who liked to refine elixirs in the courtyard, with a heartless boy standing on a tree and urinating against the wind right above him.

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Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

10,000 words, please vote for me at the end of the month!

(End of this chapter)