This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 535 Xiang Yuan: I am the timely rain that brings water.
Two days later.

Just as Xiang Yuan was about to release Lin Chong to watch him beat up Lu Qian and Fu An, Gao Qiu suddenly sent someone to summon him to his study.

Xiang Yuan was afraid that Lin Chong would act too quickly. After he finished talking with Gao Qiu, Lu Qian and Fu An had already been buried, so he did not rush to release Lin Chong and went to the study with the servants.

The study is located in the eastern corner of the mansion, with green bamboos covering the windows and a path leading to the misty clouds, creating a serene and distant atmosphere.

Upon entering, one is greeted by a subtle fragrance and a quiet, serene atmosphere.

Inside the study, shelves were filled with books, layer upon layer, the air thick with the scent of ink. On one wall hung a piece of Su Shi's running script, its strokes vigorous and powerful.

In the center is an ebony table, large and heavy, with a brush washer, inkstone, paperweight, and wolf hair brush, all exquisitely crafted and full of antique charm.

On both sides are antique display shelves, with antique jade, blue and white porcelain, and bronze incense boxes arranged in a staggered manner. Each piece seems to have a history, which not only pleases the eye of the visitors, but also reveals the owner's elegant taste.

There is another soft couch against the wall, with a low table and a tea set always on hand. One can lie on the couch to relax, or sit and discuss philosophy with a close friend, enjoying a harmonious atmosphere.

Paired with a bronze incense burner emitting wisps of sandalwood smoke, the moment the smoke rises, the class and style instantly elevate the entire ambiance.

One can cultivate oneself to manage one's family well, and remain unmoved by wind and rain.

Regardless of whether it was a vanity project or not, Gao Qiu put a lot of effort into setting up his study.

Incidentally, the calligraphy of Dongpo Pork Hermit is an authentic work. Gao Qiu served as his personal secretary. Dongpo Pork Hermit was an indispensable part of Gao Qiu's current wealth and status, and can be considered a great benefactor.

Pshaw, bad students have too many stationery items!
Xiang Yuan entered the study with disdain and saw Gao Qiu, the Grand Commandant of the court, behind the desk.

Gao Qiu was dressed in casual clothes, with a rather dignified face, a nose that was clearly defined, and eyes that were clearly defined. Although he was a demon, he gave off the air of a refined and elegant scholar.

A face that signifies peace and prosperity—if the emperor uses it, the world will enjoy favorable weather and abundant harvests.

For some reason, Xiang Yuan subconsciously believed that Gao Qiu had the face of Sima Yi, and firmly believed that Gao Qiu should look like that, so he had no sense of identification with the face in front of him.

Xiang Yuan took another look, but it still didn't work. There was zero sense of immersion; it was quite mediocre.

There are three major villains in Water Margin: Cai Jing, Tong Guan, and Gao Qiu.

All three shared a common trait: they all possessed excellent calligraphy skills and high artistic attainments. Cai Jing, in particular, was one of the four great calligraphers of the Northern Song Dynasty, known as "Su, Huang, Mi, and Cai."

Because of his bad reputation, he was replaced.

As a famous prime minister in history, Cai Jing, as depicted in Water Margin, held immense power in the court and ruthlessly exploited the people for his own enjoyment, causing widespread resentment among the populace.

The birthday gifts were Cai Jing's birthday presents.

The scope of the novel is smaller; it shows how much money one can make by exploiting the people. In the official history, Cai Jing used various pretexts to first eliminate dissidents on a large scale, and then use political means to collect taxes and line his own pockets, leaving the imperial treasury empty.

The second major villain, Tong Guan, was a famous eunuch in history. He colluded with Cai Jing to scheme and disrupt the government, and together they seized control of military and political power, leaving the court without anyone to rely on and the country's strength gradually declining.

As a eunuch, Tong Guan held military power for more than 20 years, enjoying immense prestige and ranking among the top ten in the eunuch circle.

With some effort, we might still make it into the top five.

Forget about the top three; Zhao Gao, the Deer-Headed Man; Zheng He, the Pirate King; and Wei Zhongxian, the Nine Thousand Years Old Man—these three mountains weighed down on the heads of all the eunuchs, allowing no eunuch to provoke them.

Especially Zhao Gao, who firmly held the top position, was the first eunuch in history to have overwhelming power, the Qin Shi Huang of the eunuch world, a grand eunuch, and all those who came after him could only be considered minor eunuchs.

However, Tong Guan also had something to be proud of: he had a beard.

Zhao Gao: I call a deer a horse, and I can cover up the sky with one hand!
Tong Guan: I have a beard.

Zheng He: I made seven voyages to the Western Ocean, which enhanced the prestige of our great nation!

Tong Guan: I have a beard.

Wei Zhongxian: I wield immense power and can turn the tide of events!

Tong Guan: I have a beard.

Cai Jing and Tong Guan, one a scholar and the other a military commander, joined forces to control the government. At that time, a folk song circulated: "Beat the bucket (Tong Guan), splash the vegetables (Cai Jing), and the world will be a better place."

The third major villain, Gao Qiu, is not famous at all in history, but he has become so popular because of the Water Margin.

To place Gao Qiu, one of the three major villains, on the same level as Cai Jing and Tong Guan is to give Gao Qiu too much credit and to wrong Cai Jing and Tong Guan.

Cai Jing and Tong Guan: What level are you at? You're sitting at the same table as us.

Cai Jing and Tong Guan were undoubtedly powerful ministers, capable and ruthless, and were a great scourge to the country and its people. As for Gao Qiu...

Jester!

He's very good at football, and the emperor likes him a lot.

Perhaps because Gao Qiu's personal abilities were limited, he had done many small things like digging holes in the wall and destroying stoves, but he was too embarrassed to do big things that would bring disaster to the country and the people. Therefore, the official history praised him as "having no major faults" and then there was no further description.

Grand Commandant Gao is too mediocre.

Gao Qiu's ability to squeeze into the circle of notorious traitors, and to maintain a high level of influence and a prominent position in the industry, is mainly due to the embellishment of later literary works.

It's not just Water Margin; many works are targeting him.

Upon closer examination, the reason was that this guy easily rose to power through playing football and flattery, and even died a peaceful death. How could the literati who couldn't tolerate even the slightest imperfection allow themselves to be so tolerant? They all wrote books to portray him in a negative light.

"I heard you've been hiding in your room all day these past few days, unable to eat or drink, and haven't even slept well?" Gao Qiu said slowly, his tone quite gentle.

Xiang Yuan had already abstained from grains and hadn't left the house for the past two days. When he did go out, no one knew, leading to the misunderstanding that he forgot to eat during the day and neglected to sleep at night.

Anyone who didn't know better would think that Lady Lin was lovesick and had developed a case of craving for food!
"Father, I have recently become so engrossed in calligraphy and painting that I have lost track of time."

Xiang Yuan spoke without hesitation, showing no resentment at being addressed as "father." Those in the know understand; Xiao Yan, who was both his father-in-law and godfather, was entitled to be addressed as such. If it were anyone else…

If Xiang Yuan shouts a couple more times, he'll be able to eat at the banquet and collect money at the same time.

"You also know about calligraphy and painting?"

Gao Qiu glanced at Xiang Yuan, but for the sake of his son, he decided not to expose the truth about Gao Yanei's incompetence. He continued, "I have already asked around about the reason why you have not been able to eat or drink these past few days. The Zhang family girl is of ordinary background and has been married once before. Her husband has just passed away, so it is not advisable for her to have any major affairs. It will be fine to take her as a concubine."

"???"

A string of question marks flashed across Xiang Yuan's mind. It took him a while to realize that Zhang's daughter referred to Lin Niangzi.

Good heavens, no wonder he's a treacherous minister; he's already arranged things for that couple so quickly.

“Although Lin Chong is just an instructor, his martial arts skills are truly remarkable. Since you have offended him, you cannot let him off the hook. Otherwise, you will be in trouble when he rises to power one day,” Gao Qiu said matter-of-factly.

"Father, is it possible that if Lin Chong is left alone, nothing will happen, but instead, what doesn't kill him will only make him stronger?" Xiang Yuan shrugged.

"Oh, what are your thoughts?" Gao Qiu asked with interest.

“Lin Chong has a family to support, so he can be easily controlled. If he were alone and had no one to restrain him, he would be in danger,” Xiang Yuan said truthfully.

"Though the words are a bit blunt, they are indeed true. I am very pleased that you can say such a thing."

Gao Qiu nodded in satisfaction: "In that case, what brilliant plan do you have to bring the Zhang family girl into your household?"

“Father, you misunderstand. I have my eye on Lin Chong, not Lady Lin.”

"..."

Gao Qiu remained silent for a long while before saying, "You're my only son. Are you sure you've taken a liking to Lin Chong, and not his wife?"

"..."

Now it was Xiang Yuan's turn to fall silent. As expected of the upper class, the path they walked was so difficult and fraught with danger, full of hidden reefs and treacherous shoals.

After a moment, Gao Qiu seemed to realize something and casually asked, "You've taken a liking to Lin Chong's skills, haven't you?"

"Father has a keen eye; he guessed it right away. I knew I hadn't been fooled after all," Xiang Yuan exclaimed.

"You harassed Lin Chong's wife first, which has already alienated him. How can you expect to recruit him for your own purposes?"

Gao Qiu shook his head slightly. It was good to know how to control people's hearts, but there was no need to go to such lengths. With power and influence, why worry about not having people's hearts to rely on? Gao Yanei might not have power or influence, but that didn't matter. Grand Commandant Gao did, and not only did he have it, but he had a great deal of it.

Even without uttering a single word, countless people flock to him.

“Such popular support is convenient, but it lacks loyalty. What I want is not just a dog that wags its tail and bites, but one that knows how to protect its master in life and death!” Xiang Yuan replied fluently.

"I thought you were just starting to understand, but I didn't expect you to really get it."

Gao Qiu was greatly pleased. With a wave of his hand, he told Xiang Yuan to demonstrate his skills. He told him to just do it, and even if he failed, it wouldn't matter, as he had the power to back him up.

……

"What do you mean by 'just do it'? That sounds nice, but if I really let go and do it, you won't be able to sleep at night."

He left the study and went straight to the courtyard. He had no time for any operations; he was focused on figuring out how to separate the Reincarnation Relic and the Demon Star. If Lin Chong hadn't come to him, he wouldn't have bothered to go looking for him!
"That's true, but since he's already here, why don't I just do it?"

Xiang Yuan raised an eyebrow. He had used the identity of Gao Yanei because it was useful in Kaifeng Prefecture, and now it seemed that it was indeed very useful.

At least in the official circles, Grand Commandant Gao still has a lot of influence.

"And what about the underworld... Song Jiang, the Timely Rain?"

Xiang Yuan raised his hand to stroke his chin, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes. It really was time to meet this "Timely Rain" and "Righteous Protector." He'd almost forgotten that Song Jiang was the true leader of the 108 Demon Stars, and there was a high possibility that he, Hua Zizai Tian, ​​was impersonating him.

But first, we need to finish the storyline involving Lin Chong.

Xiang Yuan returned to the courtyard, sat down on the veranda, released the spatial restriction, and released Lin Chong.

Lu Zhishen didn't release Xiang Yuan, not because he wanted to keep the semi-trailer truck locked up, but because Master Lu sat down in his spatial restriction and suddenly entered a meditative state.

Let's leave it for now. When Lin Chong remembers that he has another senior brother, he will come and move him away.

Meanwhile, Lin Chong, ever since he learned that Lu Qian was a wolf in sheep's clothing and a heartless scoundrel, wished he could skin him alive. However, the Grand Commandant's mansion's defenses were impregnable, and no matter how he tried to break through, he could not find a way out.

Lin Chong was initially worried that his intrusion into the Grand Commandant's mansion at night would be exposed, implicating his entire family, and he was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Unexpectedly, he seemed to have become invisible, and after entering the great formation, no one paid him a second glance.

Not only was he forgotten, but the entire formation was forgotten, and not a single person came to inspect it.

If he wasn't discovered, he wouldn't be exposed, and if he wasn't exposed, his whole family wouldn't be implicated, so Lin Chong wasn't in such a hurry at the beginning.

How could that be? The two-day deadline has passed, and his wife is about to take down the bastard. He's even more anxious now!

Especially when 'Gao Yanei' was summoned to the study by the servants and left Lin Chong's sight, he was on the verge of collapse. He frantically tried to break through the barrier, knowing full well that he couldn't break through the transparent wall in front of him, but he still tried again and again...

Bang!
Lin Chong was completely dumbfounded when he crashed to the ground, only to find that he could actually break through.

He took a step and landed right in the bushes where he had climbed over the high wall of the Grand Commandant's mansion that night. With his heart set on his wife and fearing that the patrolling soldiers and guards would hear the commotion, he strode quickly toward his home.

Lu Zhishen and the like were not on Lin Chong's mind for the time being. He was like a human cannonball passing by in the wind, and soon returned to Zhang's mansion.

These past two days, the Zhang family has been in complete chaos because Lin Chong has suddenly disappeared and can't be found anywhere. Instructor Zhang is cursing and swearing, saying that his son-in-law is unreliable, that he caused trouble, and that he abandoned his family and ran away.

Madam Lin couldn't bear to hear any of this and had a fight with her father. She didn't make a big fuss about it, but secretly sent someone to find out where Lin Chong had gone. She learned that Lin Chong was last seen in the vegetable garden at Suanzao Gate, and that Lu Zhishen had also disappeared along with him. Her heart sank immediately.

If I'm not mistaken, Lin Chong must have teamed up with Lu Zhishen to break into the Grand Commandant's mansion at night.

There was no news for two whole days and nights. The person was either dead or arrested, but there was no movement from the Grand Commandant's office, which was quite suspicious.

Lin Niangzi, with her quick wit, soon figured out the reason.

Lin Chong and Lu Zhishen failed to break into the Grand Commandant's mansion late at night and were both captured. After being tortured, Lu Zhishen betrayed his brother and explained why the two had broken into the mansion, which attracted Gao Yanei. Seeing that he had the hostage, Gao Yanei waited calmly for Lin Chong's wife to come to him and beg for her release.

Gao Yanei: My lady, you don't want Lin Chong to cause your whole family to be executed because of his crime, do you?

Thinking of this, Madam Lin pouted and got up early to start dressing up.

To put it bluntly, Gao Yanei, that scoundrel whose body has been ruined by wine and women, is not even worthy of carrying Lin Chong's shoes. Today, she can easily subdue him with a mere lift of her leg.

At that time, not only will Lin Chong be exonerated, but he will also be able to take a big step forward in his official career.

Bang!

As the door opened, Lin Chong saw his wife getting ready, and the weight lifted from his shoulders.

Thankfully, we weren't too late!
But soon, Lin Chong became dissatisfied. He stayed away from home for two nights and nights. Not only did his wife not cry her eyes out, but she also had the mind to put on makeup and dress up so beautifully.

What's the meaning behind wearing all white?
When Madam Lin saw Lin Chong return unharmed, she was initially overjoyed, but then became dissatisfied.

Why did you come back? Why don't you stay locked up? If you're not locked up, how can I find the culprit? And if I don't get the culprit under my control, how will you advance in your career?

The two stared at each other, Lin Chong too angry to speak. His eyes, which were locked in a golden ring, were bloodshot and round. Heat emanated from his body, demonic energy surged, and his terrifying aura could stop a child from crying.

General effect.

Madam Lin wasn't buying it at all. As if remembering something, her expression changed slightly as she asked, "You...you escaped from the Grand Commandant's mansion, didn't you?"

Before Lin Chong could answer, she spoke quickly, "You just escaped, you didn't kill anyone, right? Don't tell me you hurt anyone!"

"It doesn't matter if it gets damaged. I'll go to the Grand Commandant's mansion right now. Once we take down Gao Yanei, I'll say one thing and he won't have time to think about two. What you've done isn't a big deal."

"..."

Lin Chong was choked by the billowing green smoke, his eyes rolling back in his head. He didn't know whether to be angry or moved.

“Say something! You’ve been gone for two days and two nights, and when you came back you gave me the cold shoulder. You have no idea how worried I was about you.” As Lin Niangzi spoke, tears welled up in her eyes and quickly soaked her makeup.

Lin Chong was heartbroken and quickly helped the man up, comforting him repeatedly and explaining that he had not been captured.

Having been trapped in a forgotten corner for two days, and having made it clear that Lu Qian had malicious intentions, we must not let this go easily today.

Upon hearing that Lin Chong had escaped danger, Lin Niangzi was instinctively happy for him. After a moment's thought, she blurted out, "This Lu Qian is truly your good brother. He wants to improve himself, and he doesn't forget to give you a hand."

"My lady, do you want to listen to what you're saying?" Lin Chong was starting to lose his composure.

"Lu Qian certainly had ill intentions; he betrayed you, his brother of many years, in order to please Gao Yanei."

Madam Lin rolled her eyes at Lin Chong: "But this is exactly what I wanted. If you do it properly, it can save you thirty years of wasted time."

At this point, she sighed and explained that with Lin Chong's abilities, he shouldn't have been just a minor instructor. It was all her Zhang family's fault for being incompetent and unable to establish connections, which prevented Lin Chong from rising to prominence.

The title of "Instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards" sounds impressive, but in reality, he was just a low-ranking officer who trained martial arts, two ranks lower than Lu Qian's Yuhou rank.

What kind of place is Kaifeng? It's right under the emperor's nose. If a brick falls from the sky and hits a dog, it's still the prime minister's dog.

Lin Chong was clearly very capable, but he was never given an important position or promoted. Lin's wife saw this and was very anxious and aggrieved.

After listening to his wife's complaints, Lin Chong was speechless. He couldn't utter a single harsh word. He gritted his teeth and decided to forgive her.

As the two were snuggling together, lamenting the hardships of life, a maid suddenly came to report that Lu Qianhou had come to visit and wanted to invite Lin Chong to his home for a drink.

"Very well, very well, I'll offer you a bowl of wine today!"

Lin Chong stormed out of the house, but a moment later he turned back and locked the door to Lin Niangzi's room.

I didn't mean anything by it. It's not that I'm afraid my wife might suddenly get lost and end up at the Grand Commandant's mansion. It's just that I feel that even unnecessary risks are still risks, and risks should be avoided.

In the courtyard of Zhang's mansion, Lu Qian, who looked respectable, saw Lin Chong approaching and a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes. "Such a beautiful woman, yet you don't use her to get promoted and make money. No wonder you're not favored by your superiors."

Hey buddy, you don't need your sister-in-law to get promoted and make a fortune, but your brother will!
"Brother, please come to my house for a meal..."

"Eat my punch!"

boom!
A punch that came straight at him knocked Lu Qian to the ground. The punch was so powerful that it covered his face in blood and knocked him unconscious.

The two sides were not evenly matched in terms of fighting ability, and Lu Qian was careless and was knocked down by Lin Chong in a fit of rage with a single punch.

Looking at Lu Qian lying on the ground, convulsing, Lin Chong fell silent again. It wasn't that he lacked the courage to kill Lu Qian. It's just that anyone who frequently kills knows that killing is easy, but disposing of the body is difficult. The key issue is how to make someone disappear without a trace and avoid suspicion.

"If I were single, I would not have let you off so easily today."

Lin Chong was filled with resentment and helplessness. He felt that he was incredibly cowardly. Just as he was feeling annoyed, a loud shout came from outside the courtyard.

"Oh no, Madam Lin! Instructor Lin was just drinking at Lu Qianhou's house. He'd only had a few cups when he suddenly collapsed...no..."

Fu An's loud shouts gradually subsided. Looking at Lu Qian lying on the ground, and then at Lin Chong with an expressionless face, he swallowed hard and retreated repeatedly: "Instructor Lin, it has nothing to do with me. I was just following orders from Lu Qian."

"You offered your advice to Gao Yanei, also at Lu Qian's behest?"

Lin Chong sneered repeatedly, took a step forward, opened his large hand and grabbed Fu An, and before Fu An could beg for mercy, he punched him so hard that his face was bruised and battered.

If we can't deal with Gao Yanei, we can at least deal with you all!
Lin Chong threw Lu Qian and Fu An out of the Zhang residence, one in each hand, and went back to his room to comfort his wife, telling her not to worry.

It's not so much about appeasing her, but mainly about keeping a close eye on his wife so that he doesn't wake up one day to find out he's suddenly been promoted.

Who can bear this?
Many people might be happy to accept it, but Lin Chong couldn't stand it.

Lin Chong wasn't particularly good with words; he couldn't win over his superiors or amuse his wife. However, he was a practical man with exceptional operational skills. He quickly charmed his wife so much that she no longer cared about her career.

I don't want to think about it today, at least not today!
Having settled things with his wife, Lin Chong stood in the courtyard with a gloomy expression, gazing up at the dark clouds filling the sky. He felt that the heavens, like the world, were shrouded in darkness, unable to see even a glimmer of light.

"bright……"

Lin Chong muttered something to himself, his heart skipped a beat, and he knew he was in trouble. He headed straight for the Grand Commandant's mansion.

He was so preoccupied with his wife that he forgot about his good brother.

The sky was overcast, with the looming threat of thunder and rain. Lin Chong arrived at the familiar thicket, evaded the patrolling guards on either side, and once again easily sneaked into the Grand Commandant's mansion.

Once you've been there, you'll feel at home; once you've been there a second time, it'll feel just like being at home.

Lin Chong hesitated for three to five seconds in front of Gao Yanei's courtyard. He had been trapped here last time, and he didn't know what the future held if he came here again.

Gritting his teeth, he finally forced his way in.

The result was very favorable. The baffling formation seemed to have been completely destroyed by him. Not only did he easily find Lu Zhishen, but the formation's gates were also wide open on all sides, allowing him to leave at any time.

Lin Chong stood in the middle of the formation, snorted coldly at 'Gao Yanei', knowing that the other party could not see him, and patted Lu Zhishen on the shoulder: "Senior brother, stop sitting there, is that trick you mentioned still working?"

"Amitabha!"

Lu Zhishen woke up at the sound of the voice and, seeing Lin Chong coming and going as he pleased, asked slowly, "Did anything happen at home while you were here?"

"Never."

Lin Chong shook his head: "Now is not the time to talk about these things. We should not stay here any longer. Senior brother, please come with me first."

“We can stay here for a while. This young master Gao has been here the whole time and hasn’t gone anywhere else,” Lu Zhishen said, clasping his hands together.

Upon hearing this, Lin Chong let out a soft exclamation and looked in surprise at 'Gao Yanei' who was resting with his eyes closed in the corridor. What happened to the plan? Why wasn't it carried out? Did he know that it had been exposed?
That's not right either. If they were exposed, why didn't they stop Lu Qian and Fu An instead of letting them get beaten up for no reason?

"I am Zhishen. May I ask, sir, is it possible for you to see me?"

Lu Zhishen asked Xiang Yuan, but seeing that he didn't move and seemed not to hear anything, he continued, "May I ask your honorable name, benefactor?"

"Senior brother, isn't he Gao Yanei?" Lin Chong frowned. After Lu Zhishen's reminder, his encounters these past two days had indeed been rather strange.

"As expected of Master Lu, he hit the nail on the head right away."

Under Lin Chong's astonished gaze, 'Gao Yanei,' who should have been unable to hear anything, slowly walked out of the corridor, put one hand behind his back, and said: "I am somewhat famous in the Jianghu, known as 'Timely Rain,' the one who delivers water."

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.

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(End of this chapter)