People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 380, The Way to Defeat Xiaoyaozi
"Junior brother, there's no need for such formalities. After receiving the letter from Xianyang yesterday, our sect leader estimated the time, and that's why I brought them here to wait."

Qing Xiaozi said with a smile, while nodding to Yan Lingji.

Looking at the stunningly beautiful Yan Lingji, who seemed like an elven fairy who had stepped out of a painting, Qing Xiaozi couldn't help but think of Hu Meiren, whom Xu Qing had previously arranged to stay at Taiyi Mountain.

Xu Qing's judgment was impeccable; it was just that her identities—a favored concubine of the King of Han and a Baiyue assassin—were quite unusual, even if the Heavenly Sect didn't care about such things.

It seems he's getting old and can't keep up with the ideas of young people anymore.

Xu Qing looked at the Heavenly Sect disciples standing in two rows behind him, and more than a dozen Heavenly Sect disciples bowed in unison and said...

"I've met Uncle Master!"

"No need for formalities. As expected of disciples of my Heavenly Sect, each and every one of you possesses extraordinary bearing and outstanding strength."

Xu Qing praised the dozen or so disciples.

"Thank you for the compliment, uncle."

A dozen or so people looked up at Xu Qing, their eyes sparkling with admiration.

News of Xu Qing's outburst at the court meeting yesterday, in which he drew his sword and rebuked Marquis Lao Ai of Changxin, has reached Mount Taiyi. The disciples of the Heavenly Sect, upon learning of their junior uncle's unwavering loyalty and courage, were naturally filled with admiration and fervor.

They were cultivators, but the passion of youth would not be extinguished by cultivation. On the contrary, because of the dull and boring life on Mount Taiyi, they longed for the legendary deeds of Xu Qing.

“Junior brother, you must be tired from your journey. Come with me up the mountain first. Your senior brothers are still waiting for you,” Qing Xiaozi said.

Xu Qing nodded slightly, a serious expression appearing on her face.

This was his first official return to the Heavenly Sect, and he also carried the heavy responsibility of the Covenant between Heaven and Man. Naturally, he would have to meet with Chisongzi and the eight elders of the Heavenly Sect.

"I brought my wife with me. I'd appreciate it if you could let me make arrangements for her and the guards who came with me," Xu Qing said.

"Houses have been prepared on Mount Taiyi. My junior brother, his wife, and the others will stay there temporarily."

Qing Xiaozi gestured for them to proceed, and Xu Qing, along with Yan Lingji, Wang Ben, and the rest of the group, embarked on the mountain path of Taiyi Mountain.

After climbing countless steps, Xu Qing and his group finally arrived at the Heavenly Sect. Although it was already evening, many Heavenly Sect disciples had gathered around to see what this junior uncle who stirred up trouble was like.

Looking at the majestic and imposing Taiyi Palace, Xu Qing's eyes flashed with surprise.

Xu Qing originally thought that the houses where the Tianzong lived should be simple and rustic, such as bamboo houses. However, it turned out that the Taoist Tianzong and Renzong, as the leading sects among the Hundred Schools of Thought, lived in places that were not much different from the Han King's Palace.

The Taiyi Palace, perched atop Mount Taiyi, stands majestically. Its blue stone halls are shrouded in mist, and in the vast square, incense smoke rises from the Xuande incense burner.

Compared to the royal palaces of Qin and Han, Taiyi Palace was not made of luxurious materials, but rather the simplest bluestone and pine wood, revealing the concept of following the natural way.

Looking at the Taiyi Palace in front of him, Xu Qing felt somewhat dazed, even thinking that he had come to the palace in the fantasy world he had seen on TV in his previous life.

However, Xu Qing and the others did not stay in Taiyi Palace, but came to a cluster of houses on the back mountain of Taiyi Mountain. After settling Yan Lingji and the others, Xu Qing followed Qing Xiaozi to see Chi Songzi.

After walking for a while, Xu Qing followed Qing Xiaozi to a tall building.

The towering pavilion appeared exceptionally mysterious and majestic under the bright moonlight. Two candles illuminated the brown door, and a gentle breeze rustled the surrounding bamboo grove.

"Xinzai?"

Xu Qing looked at the plaque on the pavilion and read out the name of the building.

"Xinzhai is the library of my Tianzong sect. All the martial arts manuals and classics of my Tianzong sect are stored there. It is one of the most important forbidden areas of my Tianzong sect. No one but a disciple of my Tianzong sect may enter."

As Qing Xiaozi stroked his beard and explained to Xu Qing, the tightly closed door suddenly opened from the inside.

"Our sect leader and the other seven senior brothers are inside. Let's go in."

Xu Qing looked at the eight figures sitting upright inside the Xinzhai, straightened his clothes, and calmly walked into the Xinzhai.

After entering the Xinzhai, Xu Qing was able to clearly see the appearances of Chisongzi and his seven other senior brothers.

Chisongzi wore a light blue robe. His old face was calm yet dignified. His white hair and beard were neatly arranged, and his eyes were bright without any cloudiness. Across his cross-legged legs lay Xueji, a Taoist heirloom.

Upon seeing Xu Qing enter, Chi Songzi and the other seven elders all turned to look at Xu Qing, sizing up their youngest junior brother.

Xu Qing felt the scrutinizing gazes of the crowd, his expression cool and his heart calm and undisturbed. The ethereal and otherworldly aura of a disciple of the Heavenly Sect was no longer concealed, giving people a sense of profound tranquility and serene composure. "Greetings, Sect Leader, and fellow disciples," Xu Qing said, bowing to Chi Songzi and the others.

Looking at Xu Qing, who was beautiful, elegant, and composed, Chi Songzi and the others showed a hint of satisfaction, and their originally serious and solemn faces became warm.

“Junior brother, there’s no need for such formalities. Uncle-Master He Guanzi was right about you. Junior brother is a natural talent for cultivation,” Chi Songzi praised, stroking his beard.

The Taoist Tianzong sect believes in fate and talent when accepting disciples. Only those with outstanding talent can enter the Tianzong sect. Xu Qing appears to have a clear mind, a dignified bearing, and an extraordinary temperament, which naturally makes him easy to win the favor of people like Chisongzi.

"Senior brother, you flatter me," Xu Qing said modestly.

“No need to be modest. We have all heard of your deeds, especially your rebuke of Marquis Changxin, Lao Ai, at Zhangtai Palace yesterday. You have greatly brought honor to our Heavenly Sect,” Chisongzi said with a smile.

“Junior brother, there’s no need to be so formal. I was delighted to learn of your actions yesterday. To serve the emperor when you enter officialdom, and to cultivate yourself when you leave the world, is what a disciple of the Heavenly Sect should do.”

“Do what you should do and don’t do what you shouldn’t do”

Although the Tianzong sect claims to be secluded from the world, it does not mean that no disciples of the Tianzong sect will enter the world and enter the imperial court. After all, the Tianzong sect also has many other schools of thought such as Huang-Lao and Guixu.

The split of Taoism into the Heavenly School and the Human School was due to different pursuits of the Tao's ideals, but it had no impact on schools such as Huang-Lao, whose disciples would descend the mountain to enter officialdom after completing their studies at Mount Taiyi.

Since He Guanzi, no Daoist has produced a prominent official, which has led to a decline in the influence of Daoist disciples among scholars in these two generations.

But now things are better. With Xu Qing as a model of a subject and a paragon of loyalty, the status of scholars from the Taoist school will also rise accordingly.

When entering the courts of various countries, Taoist scholars are more likely to be selected first, after all, what monarch would not like a loyal minister like Xu Qing?
"My fellow disciples are too kind. I was merely doing what I should do. As long as I am a member of the Heavenly Sect of Taoism, I must always demonstrate the outstanding virtues of the disciples of the Heavenly Sect and set a good example for all Taoist scholars."

"Since my teacher accepted me as his disciple, I will naturally inherit his mantle and aspirations, and develop my Taoist teachings into the foremost knowledge of governance, so that all schools of thought and all nations will understand which school of thought truly holds the principles of governing the country and ensuring its peace!"

Faced with everyone's praise, Xu Qing looked determined and said earnestly.

What was the purpose of the Hundred Schools of Thought? To use their knowledge to assist the ruler and thus bring peace to the world.

The initial conflict among the Hundred Schools of Thought stemmed from differences in their scholarship, with each believing their own approach was best suited for governing the country. Their rivalry in the martial arts world was merely an extension of this conflict over the doctrines of governance; their true core competition always took place in the imperial court.

Even the Agricultural School, which lost its classical lineage, and the Mohist School, whose debates were severed, constantly thought about returning to the imperial court and revitalizing their schools of thought.

Since Chisongzi and others were quite satisfied with his actions in the court, he naturally wanted to seize this opportunity to express his loyalty to the Daoist Tianzong sect, thereby improving his status and favorability among the people.

Anyone can brag. As for whether it can be achieved in the end, Xu Qing said it's not important. There is no first in literature, so how can there be a truly number one theory of governance in the world?
Upon hearing Xu Qing's words, Chi Songzi and the others nodded in unison. After learning that Xu Qing had entered Qin, they discussed making him the leader of the Daoist scholars so that Daoist learning could be carried forward once again.

However, because he didn't know this junior brother well, he didn't make up his mind.

Now that they know Xu Qing's ambitions, everyone feels much more at ease. As long as Xu Qing performs well in the Covenant between Heaven and Man, they can confidently entrust the Daoist scholars to him.

"Good, junior brother, you have a good ambition. The teachings of Huang-Lao in Taoism are the best for governing a country. The other schools of thought are not even qualified to be our stepping stones!"

The first elder on Chisongzi's left showed excitement, his eyes full of admiration as he looked at Xu Qing, as if he had seen a kindred spirit.

"This is my second senior brother, Wu Guanzi, who is also the leader of the Huang-Lao school of thought in the contemporary era. He used to serve as an official in the State of Qi, but was later ostracized by people from other schools of thought. In the end, he returned to Mount Taiyi to cultivate Taoism in despair."

Qing Xiaozi whispered to Xu Qing.

Seeing Qing Xiaozi whispering amongst themselves, Wu Guanzi waved his hand dismissively and said...
"There's no need to hide anything. Back then, I was simply incompetent and no match for those Confucian scholars. But with my junior brother, I believe I can definitely lead my Daoist school to become the foremost school of governance in the world."

Upon learning Wu Guanzi's identity, Xu Qing's eyes gleamed, and he looked at him with an expression of regret for not having met him sooner, saying...
"Don't worry, senior brother, I will definitely lead our Taoism to become the number one school of thought for governing the country in the world."

His main purpose in coming to Mount Taiyi, besides participating in the Covenant between Heaven and Man, was to recruit a group of talented disciples from the Daoist school into official positions. If he could gain the support of Wu Guanzi, this matter would be much simpler.

Seeing that Wu Guanzi seemed intent on talking with Xu Qing all night, Chi Songzi spoke up.

"Alright, the purpose of bringing Junior Brother to Xinzhai today is for the covenant between Heaven and Man. As for my official career and studies, we can discuss that later."

Upon hearing Chisongzi mention the covenant between heaven and man, Qingxiaozi and Wuguanzi's smiles vanished, and they looked at Xu Qing with solemn expressions.

The covenant between Heaven and Man concerns the ownership of Xueji (Snow Clearing), which is a token of Taoist lineage. Whoever possesses it is the orthodox Taoist. Compared to matters of Taoist learning, the covenant between Heaven and Man is more important.

"Senior Brother Qing Xiaozi told me before that the senior brothers asked me to return to Taiyi Mountain ahead of time because of the covenant between heaven and man. They said they had a way to give me hope of defeating Xiaoyaozi. May I ask, Senior Brother Sect Leader, what is this method?"

Xu Qing looked at Chisongzi and asked curiously.

(End of this chapter)