How can one cultivate immortality without learning modern knowledge?

Read the full text of Chapter 99, "Old Qi Returns to His Position," for free. Link:

"Watch!" Bai Luoshui breathed a soft sigh of relief. "There should be an introduction!"

Sure enough, images appeared in the teacup...

Constable Zhang Yun rushed over.

The lady rushed over.

Xu'er tried to rush over, but her foot slipped and she fell...

The yamen runners all rushed into the backyard.

The study was in a state of disrepair. Zhou Liangsheng took a deep breath and bowed deeply: "Thank you so much, Master, for saving my life!"

"I wouldn't dare!" The monk, who called himself Miaokong, clasped his hands together. "Lord Zhou is the living Buddha of Qishan County. The 300,000 people live and work in peace because of you. How can I, a humble monk, watch you be plotted against by a villain? How can I let the 300,000 people of Qishan County go to hell again?"

"Which temple does the master come from?" Zhou Liangsheng asked.

"My humble Buddhist temple, once nestled deep in the clouds, is now situated in the mortal world. If you, sir, do not despise me, I will, from this moment forward, return to secular life and become your protector. What do you say?"

"Return to secular life?" Zhou Liangsheng was slightly taken aback.

"Indeed, my secular surname is Zeng, sir, you may call me 'Old Zeng'!"

"Master, your sincerity is beyond words. However, if this action were to hinder your cultivation, wouldn't that be..." Zhou Liangsheng hesitated slightly.

"Your Excellency is mistaken. If one has Buddha in one's heart, where is not a sacred mountain? To protect Your Excellency and to help all living beings under heaven—is this not precisely the compassion of Buddha?"

"Good, good, good! Well said!" Zhou Liangsheng smiled broadly.

Old Zeng also laughed: "My lord, this humble monk... oh, no, this old man also has a method called 'Buddhist Truth-Revealing' that can find out where this person came from. Now let him tell us who sent him to assassinate you, my lord."

On the Biyan Tower, the three of them suddenly stood up, their expressions changing.

The Buddhist method of revealing one's true nature?

Can it make people speak the truth?

Similar to the ultimate method above literature and Taoism: Cleansing the Heart through Literature and Taoism?

Things are in trouble!

This person was assigned by the Prince of Rulan's Mansion.

Once the truth is uncovered, how could Zhou Liangsheng possibly let it go?

The Prince of Rulan crossed the line in officialdom by sending assassins to kill court officials. What a taboo this was!

Sending such a Flower-level expert into Qishan would theoretically allow them to run rampant and kill the Zhou family father and son with ease, since no one in the entire Qishan could defeat a Flower-level expert.

However, a monk with unfathomable cultivation suddenly appeared and easily crushed the Flower-level expert with a single hand.

Even more terrifying is that he was also proficient in the Buddhist practice of "revealing the truth"...

Who would have thought of that?

A perfectly planned assassination has suddenly become their biggest problem...

The interrogation ended amidst their lingering fear.

The old man Zeng simply stood before the assassin, and the assassin spoke, uttering the crucial three words: "King of Rulan"...

Everything was recorded on the spot and entered into the official seal!

A strange fluctuation passed by, and the teacup in front of Bai Luoshui shattered, severing the communication between the two sides...

The Biyan Tower was deathly silent.

"No need to worry!" Bai Luoshui breathed a sigh of relief. "Zhou Liangsheng's memorial won't reach His Majesty!"

The two chief officials of the Ministry of Justice felt a jolt in their hearts at the same time.

The memorials never even reach His Majesty's hands. Does this mean that the Secretariat and the Prime Minister... are also on our side?

"However!" Bai Luoshui's gaze fell on Huo Qiuhe: "This kind of situation can no longer be effective; let's stop for now!"

Huo Qiuhe nodded slowly.

Stop!

Of course, we had no choice but to stop!

The highest level of cultivation master kept in the Rulan Prince's Mansion is the Dao Flower realm.

What can you do if you don't stop?

The monk left the monastic life and stayed by Zhou Liangsheng's side from then on.

With his cultivation level, he could crush a Dao Flower with a wave of his hand. As long as he was in Qishan, any Dao Flower who entered Qishan would be nothing more than a lamb to the slaughter.

Each dish has consequences; for example, it might be exchanged for a memorial to the throne submitted by Zhou Liangsheng.

The Prime Minister can use his privileges to keep this impeachment memorial out of His Majesty's sight.

But this kind of thing is troublesome; if it blows up, even the prime minister will be in a difficult position...

How could this happen?

Why do one unexpected event or another always occur when the Zhou family is about to succeed?

This, perhaps, is the source of the Crown Prince of Rulan's melancholy.

"Mr. Bai, what... should we do next?" Huo Qiuhe looked up, a sense of confusion on his face for the first time in his life...

Bai Luoshui smiled gently: "Zhou Liangsheng is ultimately just a demoted county magistrate. Even if he doesn't die, what kind of waves can he stir up? His current predicament is ultimately due to his son, Zhou Wenju. Zhou Wenju will be going to the capital next year!"

He seemed to be simply stating an objective fact.

But how could Huo Qiuhe not understand the meaning?

Zhou Liangsheng is not important; don't worry about him anymore.

The important person is Zhou Wenju!

He, a master of ci poetry, was the only hope for a change in the fate of the Zhou family.

We need to nip it in the bud.

The starting point for the assassination was his long journey to Beijing...

His eyes regained their sparkle.

"My journey to Jiangnan has been quite lengthy, and His Highness the Crown Prince has repeatedly inquired about my itinerary. It's time to return to the capital!" Bai Luoshui smiled slightly. "Before I depart, how about I ask Prince Huo for a gift?"

"Mr. Bai, please feel free to speak!" Huo Qiuhe bowed.

"This Miss Lin is quite suitable for adding fragrance to one's study! I wonder if the young master would be willing to part with her?"

Huo Qiuhe understood and laughed heartily: "Mr. Bai is in such high spirits, how could I dare refuse? Miss Lin, from now on you will follow Mr. Bai. Congratulations, Miss!"

Lin Shuiyao trembled all over and bowed deeply: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. Farewell!"

"Let's go!" Bai Luoshui moved her feet, and as if a chessboard had been created, a chessboard rose into the air, carrying Lin Shuiyao back to the capital.

Qishan County.

Zhou Liangsheng turned and walked into the study where one wall had collapsed.

The newly recruited Lao Zeng followed him in.

Zhou Liangsheng walked to the desk, gently brushed away the dust, and slowly looked up.

Old Zeng spoke up: "Master, the demon clan communication talisman they were carrying is broken. This place is soundproof, so you can speak freely!"

His voice was quite different from Lao Qi's usual voice, but it still carried a bit of his old accent, perhaps a deliberate revelation of his old hometown accent.

Zhou Liangsheng didn't speak, but reached out and grabbed Lao Zeng's right hand.

The warmth from my hand is real.

The texture feels real to the touch.

The skin color I saw was exactly the same as a real person's, except for one thing: there wasn't a single hair on it...

"I can't see anything wrong with this arm," Zhou Liangsheng sighed.

"The Mohist master chosen by the Second Young Master is truly astonishing in his mastery of weaponry," Old Zeng said. "He didn't just use a fake; he directly reattached two real limbs to this old man."

"So, this rebellious son... this rebellious son does have some tricks up his sleeve?" Zhou Liangsheng sighed.

Old Zeng laughed: "Master, from now on, you really can no longer call him a rebellious son. Although the Second Young Master acts extremely recklessly, every act of recklessness is followed by a backup plan. He truly acts with great method and leaves no room for error. I have seen countless outstanding people, but I have never seen such a young generation. He is truly a force to be reckoned with!"

"You should praise him less and spur him on more!" Zhou Liangsheng said. "This rebellious son is truly shameless; give him a little leeway, and he'll take advantage of you!"

Haha ...

Old Zeng laughed heartily: "Sir, shouldn't you look at your face? You're cursing him while you can't help but smile smugly..."

Zhou Liangsheng couldn't hold back any longer, wiped his face, and tried to hide it.

"My lord, I will go and lock up that foolish thug. You can then take this opportunity to write your memorial."

In short, the smile on Zhou Liangsheng's face completely vanished.

"What's the point of writing memorials? I've written so many like this over the years. What good are they except for making more enemies and adding to my frustration? Forget it, go wash up and go to bed!" Zhou Liangsheng turned and left the study, returning to his bedroom.

He did not write a memorial.

He had no doubt that the memorial would reach His Majesty.

He simply saw through the true nature of the imperial court.

The Prince of Rulan is a powerful and influential figure; how could a mere county magistrate like him possibly impeach him?

Even with irrefutable evidence, the Prince of Rulan still has a defense. Even if His Majesty believes that the Prince of Rulan did this, so what?

To avenge him, should we take down the Prince of Rulan?

How is that possible?

Would the Prince of Rulan, whose fame resounded throughout the court and whose power dominated Jiangnan, be taken down over such a trivial matter?

His Majesty will only choose to appease the situation.

There has been enough turmoil in Qishan County recently, and His Majesty has only just shown leniency by bestowing such a generous favor upon the Zhou family. If they were to push their luck and create further problems for His Majesty, that would be considered tactless!

Why bother?

Therefore, washing up and going to bed is the best option.

While he was asleep, construction began overnight in the backyard.

The newly delivered cement came in handy, used to repair the master's study.

When Zhou Liangsheng woke up the next morning, he was very satisfied with the study that had been repaired with cement. He was even more pleased to see that Old Zeng had changed out of his monk's robes and put on his constable's uniform.

Just then, Constable Zhang Yun came in and told him something: "Sir, this morning, when people went to the cement plant to pick up cement from the river, the newly appointed cement plant manager, Xu Hai, refused to pay. He said that the young master wrote the 'Cement Plant Management Regulations' yesterday, and according to the regulations, money must be paid, one tael of silver per bag of cement."

Zhou Liangsheng's brief moment of good mood vanished instantly, replaced by a raging fire: "That unfilial son! Yesterday I praised him for serving the people and sharing the burdens of the court, and today he's only interested in making money, daring to profit from the people's livelihood? He's gone too far... Old Zeng!"

"Here!" Old Zeng bowed.

"Go to that unfilial son's courtyard and bring him here to me!" Zhou Liangsheng ordered.

Old Zeng strode away, leaving the constables looking at each other in bewilderment.

This old Zeng has begun to replace the former old Qi...

Zhou Wenju had just gotten up and was basking in the rising sun in the Red Pavilion, sipping the tea that Hong'er had just brewed.

Zhang San leaned close to his ear and whispered something.

Zhou Wenju turned around.

I turned around and saw Lao Zeng.

Today, Old Zeng is dressed in the uniform of a constable, with a hat on his head, and no longer has any characteristics of a monk.

"And this is...?"

"I am the newly appointed head constable, my surname is Zeng. You may call me Old Zeng, young master," said Old Zeng.

"Oh, Old Zeng!" Zhou Wenju nodded. "What is it?"

"The master has ordered me to bring the young master into the county government office."

"Carry?"

"Yes, those are the master's exact words."

"Damn it! What did I do to offend this old shaman... He actually dragged me into the yamen? Fine, fine, I'll skip it. He may be shameless, but I still have some self-respect... Let's go!"

Zhou Wenju and Lao Zeng entered the county government office side by side.

In the backyard of the county government office, Zhou Liangsheng's face was gloomy. Upon seeing Zhou Wenju, he immediately exploded: "You unfilial son! Cement is related to the Donghe River embankment and the livelihood of the people of Qishan. How dare you expect to profit from it and enrich yourself in this matter of people's livelihood?"

"Father... just because of this matter of proper status, you specially sent Old Zeng to drag me away?" Zhou Wenju was a little surprised.

"A legitimate title? The sages say, a gentleman values ​​righteousness, a petty person values ​​profit!" Zhou Liangsheng's beard flew wildly. "You've plunged headlong into the mire of profit, prioritizing personal gain over public justice. Is this the behavior of a true gentleman? Today, I must tell you what the glorious path of sages is, one that does not tolerate your rampant selfishness!"

"Father, what can I say to you? No wonder you've made such a mess of Qishan County; you truly don't understand governance..."

Zhou Liangsheng was furious. He took a step out, and the whole courtyard was filled with wind.

Zhou's mother had just come out of her room, and upon hearing this, she became anxious: "Wen'er, talk to your father properly..."

"Alright, alright, Dad, can't we talk this over calmly?" Zhou Wenju said helplessly.

"Speak!" Zhou Liangsheng took a deep breath to calm himself down.

Zhou Wenju said, "I know that Father believes that gentlemen value righteousness and petty men value profit, but Father, you can't be biased. You can't think that as long as there is profit to be made, one should be labeled a 'petty man'! This is the rule of business! Governing people's livelihood cannot be based solely on sentiment. Everything in the world has its own rules. Take this cement factory for example. If there is no profit to be made, how will the cement factory workers make a living? Who will dig stones, clear land, and prepare materials? Who will have the passion to do it for a long time? This is just the cement factory. What about the merchants in the city? If Father calls on all the merchants in the city to give up profits and only focus on contributing, I ask you, in Qishan County, who will be willing to invest? When the commercial chain is completely rigid, how can people's livelihood be guaranteed? The government is not just about robbing the rich to help the poor. What the government should do is regulate the order and ensure that merchants can make money so that commerce can drive agriculture and ultimately create a situation where all industries prosper."

A very long passage.

Confident and self-assured.

The reasoning is clear.

Old Zeng was convinced...

The old man...

Zhou Liangsheng rolled his eyes: "You really have a whole set of reasons. I'm talking about you, not the merchant! You are the son of this official, so you cannot seek personal gain."

"Today we're discussing whether the cement factory should charge us. Don't treat me like your son; just think of me as the cement factory owner."

"The traitor..." Zhou Liangsheng was angered again.

"Alright, alright, Dad, I'll just ask you one question: do you want the cement factory to keep operating? If you do, then you have to follow market rules and pay for the goods! If you're going to rely on your position as county magistrate and abuse your power, then fine, I declare that the cement factory can't continue operating in Qishan County. I'll pack my bags and leave, and open a factory in the neighboring Heishan County. There, I won't be the magistrate's son, I won't be bound by the sage's notion of 'righteousness and profit,' I'll be free and easy..."

"You dare!" Zhou Liangsheng's face was filled with dark energy.

Zhou Wenju was truly exasperated: "What? You even want to control where I open a factory? You're more domineering than the former magistrate. At least the former magistrate had to find a pretext to exploit private property, but you can't even be bothered to find one. The day I arrive in the capital, I'll report you to His Majesty..."

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