Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 192 Tutor.jpg
"Is this a reward for passing a test?" Lu Xingzhou smiled. "I don't think it's very meaningful. If you think I'm still worth helping, then teach me some alchemy knowledge. This is the topic we should be discussing, but it's the topic we talk about the least."

Ye Tinglan was taken aback, not expecting Lu Xingzhou to have this attitude.

I thought he would be overjoyed because revenge was on the horizon... He was indeed different from ordinary people; he looked gentle, but he was actually very arrogant.

Lu Xingzhou was indeed dissatisfied because they had genuinely recognized each other as mentor and disciple, and Madam Ye had also explicitly stated that he was her student.

At least at the moment she was instructing him on the method of bone opening, Lu Xingzhou was genuinely respectful.

But what was ultimately shown was either for the sake of the underworld or to test one's character, to see if one would disregard everything for revenge, to see how one would view the emperor's actions, and so on... but there was hardly any guidance or care from the teacher to the student.

It's normal to test someone before accepting them as an apprentice. But to test someone after they've already been accepted reveals the falseness and distrust in the so-called apprenticeship process.

Lu Xingzhou could understand, after all, this gentleman had just learned that even Yama had been led astray by him.

But understanding doesn't mean support: "If you don't trust me, you don't have to take on any disciples. I'm not forcing you, so why force it? If taking on disciples is just for close control and surveillance, then I will ask the Dan Academy to change instructors."

Ye Tinglan stared at him for a long time, then suddenly smiled: "Not very old, but quite temperamental."

Lu Xingzhou kept a straight face and didn't say anything.

"Alright." Ye Tinglan stood up and gently straightened his collar. "I admit I was wrong, okay?"

Lu Xingzhou was taken aback. He had seen this gentleman's aloof and high-heeled demeanor many times before, but this seemed to be the first time he had seen her with such a gentle and elder-like manner. This moment of her neighborly older sister-like demeanor was truly rare.

They even apologized...

Ye Tinglan said, "As for the intention to monitor, it existed before, but it doesn't now. As for the intention to control, that's not the case, and you're not someone who can be controlled. Rather than control or monitoring, it's more accurate to say that we're getting to know each other better."

Lu Xingzhou did not answer.

“You have too many things to go through in your past. If you don’t examine yourself with any caution, it’s irresponsible to both yourself and others… I believe you feel the same way from my perspective. We are both the kind of people who have a lot of concerns and find it difficult to open up to anyone easily.” Ye Tinglan paused here, then suddenly laughed: “At least my caution is on the surface. If it were you, you would be on guard without showing any emotion, yet you would still have to make people think how kind you are to others.”

Lu Xingzhou: “…”

You're not wrong to say that.

"If that's the case..." Lu Xingzhou felt her warm fragrance so close to his mouth and slowly said, "My dissatisfaction is also on the surface, but I don't flatter you to make you think I'm being honest while actually holding a grudge in my heart."

"Ha..." Ye Tinglan laughed, "So you and I are both honest?"

"At least so far, I have not deceived you in any way. I have answered whatever you asked, and I believe I have done what a disciple should do."

They were still criticizing her for being an unqualified teacher... Ye Tinglan smiled slightly and said leisurely, "Wanting to drink my water is something a disciple should do?"

Lu Xingzhou was dumbfounded. You actually dared to reveal such a thing?
"Your own arrogance hasn't earned me much respect. You know how aggressive your gaze can be." Ye Tinglan looked him up and down, then laughed, "You treat Yama the same way?"

Having even used the term "aggressive gaze," Lu Xingzhou became much more obedient. Especially since he mentioned Yan Jun... if he wanted to say that's why he was kicked out, then that might be the truth.

"Are you still blaming me for being wary of you? Shouldn't I be wary of you?"

"..."

"Being your Yu official can actually be interpreted in many ways. You are a guide in the art of alchemy, yet you are not a true master and disciple. How can you not be considered a Yu official?" Ye Tinglan sat back down in her chair and said leisurely, "I have received your dissatisfaction. From today onwards, I will do what a teacher should do."

Lu Xingzhou was at a loss for words. He had just said with a straight face that he could change his tutor, and now saying something like "thank you, sir" would be too obsequious. He couldn't let go of his pride.

Older women tend to have thicker skin.

"Besides what you obtained from Fenxiang Tower, you must have acquired powerful alchemy notes on your own, surpassing those of Fenxiang Tower. Yet, you have no one to explain them to you, making self-study relatively difficult, is that right?"

"Ah."

"If it's inconvenient for me to see the entire inheritance, you can extract the difficult and confusing points, and I will explain them to you."

"Now?"

"Of course, since I have time today."

Lu Xingzhou stopped dwelling on those trivial matters; learning was always the most important thing. He glanced at the paper and pen on the table, then picked up the pen, dipped it in ink, and quickly wrote down several difficult questions.

Ye Tinglan crossed her right leg over her left and leaned back in her chair, admiring Lu Xingzhou as he wrote.

It must be admitted that this strategist is indeed quite handsome. Just standing and writing gives off an air of elegance and masterful strokes. No wonder that shameless Sheng Yuanyao openly added her own comment to the new talent list: "A gentleman as jade on the road, unparalleled in the world." When the new talent list was first released, this guy was still in a wheelchair, and this comment was ridiculed quite a bit. No one dared to laugh at Sheng Yuanyao's infatuation out of respect for Sheng Qingfeng. But Ye Tinglan thinks that once Lu Xingzhou stands up, this comment will gradually become less laughable, and everyone who has seen him will think he is worthy of it.

His little temper today was quite cute... To be honest, I was a bit too harsh on him. Who told you to lead my sister astray?

However, Elder Xu is right. Blaming a low-class disabled person who offered advice seems a bit unfair; Yuan Muyu wasn't exactly an honest person to begin with. It's like a cunning strategist encountering a femme fatale…

But now the Yama Palace is really troublesome... it's almost become a major problem.

Ye Tinglan sighed softly, her thoughts wandering elsewhere.

"Sir, sir?" Ye Tinglan came to her senses and saw Lu Xingzhou standing in front of her with a strange expression, holding a piece of paper.

Was he thinking that I was staring at him absentmindedly when I was just spacing out?

Ye Tinglan remained expressionless, reached out and took the paper, and Lu Xingzhou stood beside her, pointing and asking.

"The Gate of Three and Five is only the sun and moon, clearly distinguishing the east and west as the beginning. What does this Gate of Three and Five refer to? What I know is the military conscription system of selecting three out of five men..."

"There are many interpretations of the 'Gate of Three and Five'. One is that the fifteenth of each month is the point of fullness and emptiness. Another is that it refers to a small change at thirty years old and a major change at five hundred years old. Yet another is that it refers to the three cardinal directions and the five elements, and that the way of heaven is not far away, and that it returns to its original state at three and five." Ye Tinglan said leisurely, "In fact, this sentence only refers to the fifteenth of each month."

"...Then why did he write 'the gate of three or five'? Why didn't he just write 'fifteen'? Why pretend to be cultured in his own notes?"

"Because of their rich cultural background, they can easily find classical allusions in their notes, so it's not necessarily intentional. These are their own notes, not meant for uncultured people to read in the future."

"What does it mean that '卯酉坐为初' means?"

"The hours of Mao and You are the positions of longevity. They are where Yang energy is born and Yin energy resides. This sentence emphasizes the time for alchemy, the fifteenth day, the hours of Mao and You." Ye Tinglan said, "Some special pills require special times to refine, and even some cultivation techniques and the time for meditation also have similar requirements."

"That's not scientific at all."

"what?"

"It's nothing. So how do you determine which pills are needed at which times? Is there a fixed form?"

"Since you've reached the stage of customizing pills for each individual, you should naturally know that anything fixed is inferior. You need to understand and master what kind of pill corresponds to what kind of time... Therefore, alchemy has always been the profession that requires the most experience. Although you can refine third-grade pills, if we were to rank them, you wouldn't be considered a third-grade alchemist; you're too unbalanced."

"So, for the third-grade alchemist assessment, even timing is taken into account?"

"That's right. Even the time it takes to refine a single pill is predetermined by time. The days when you could finish refining a pill ahead of others will never happen again."

Lu Xingzhou: "Then this line, 'Having encountered the Three Flowers, now I sip the Elixir again; through nine cycles, I can complete the work of time,' refers to the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top? Essence, Qi, and Spirit? But who doesn't need Essence, Qi, and Spirit when refining elixirs? Why would you specifically record this? Could it be that you want to capture a Three Flowers Goddess to refine?"

"...referring to fire."

Lu Xingzhou: “?”

All he wants now is to drag out Maha, who's hiding somewhere, and beat him up.

You're making yourself famous by writing notes? What's the big deal? Besides, what's the point of recording something about making alchemy famous? Isn't that just plain crazy?

“Of course, this fire is not an ordinary fire; it doesn’t mean that just having a fire is enough,” Ye Tinglan said. “Or, to put it another way, it’s called Samadhi Fire.”

Lu Xingzhou's expression finally turned serious.

I misunderstood you, Maha.

If it is the Samadhi True Fire, then of course it is worth recording. It's just that everyone has a different name for it, and it's their freedom to choose to record it as the Three Flowers.

Ye Tinglan's expression was equally serious: "Where did you get these notes? This person is already attempting to refine the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir. This level is extraordinary. He's trying to ascend to immortality..."

Lu Xingzhou chuckled: "He probably failed to ascend, which is why he left me with this advantage."

"He's a superior-grade cultivator," Ye Tinglan said with certainty. "He's already begun seeking knowledge of the Samadhi True Fire, something beyond the reach of a first-grade cultivator. This statement is quite valuable to me; this person believes that the Samadhi True Fire is essential for refining the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir. Perhaps I can..."

I was about to say that I could do the experiment, but then I realized that saying so would reveal too much of my abilities. With my current status as a "first-grade alchemist," I wasn't qualified to wield the Samadhi True Fire. So I continued, "Perhaps I could also seek that direction..."

In reality, Lu Xingzhou's mind wasn't on this at all. He hadn't even noticed whether she was changing her tune or not. The feeling of finally resolving some long-standing questions was incredibly satisfying, like finally having a bowel movement after being constipated for a long time: "Then, sir, what about this sentence..."

Ah Nuo sat to one side, resting her chin on her hand, watching the two of them getting closer and closer to each other as they read together, and thought the scene was quite beautiful.

(End of this chapter)