Confucian and Taoist Cultivation Starting from the Equipment Slot

Chapter 159 Departure!

This is the meaning of the thought.

Chen Zhuo then clarified the arrangements for the next period of time.

As the discussion ended, the people on the viewing platform gradually left.

After Master Lu withdrew the illusory mountain image, several disciples of the Guanshan Society surrounded him to inquire about the coupling node of the two-character scripture.

Suning hurriedly returned to the painting studio with his toolbox.

The representative from the Mingfa Society, carrying a scroll of documents, walked the fastest, while the group from the Wendao Society lingered a few moments longer in front of Gu Qing'e.

The scholar who had just questioned her bowed and said "I have learned something" before turning and going down the mountain.

Chen Zhuo did not leave with the crowd.

He sat by the stone railing on the west side of the viewing platform, leaning against the rough stone pillar, his iron-slaying sword at his feet, his gaze fixed on the distant mountains in the twilight.

Guanshantai is a place for observing mountains and water.

At this moment, the setting sun dyed the entire Qingshan mountain range into layers of dark blue, and the Yi River shimmered with the last wisps of gold at the foot of the mountain.

He went over the deduction he had just made in his mind again.

The source of the heart is sought within, while the flow of energy turns outward; both ultimately converge on the goal of becoming "self-contained."

If the key to the Tanzhong node is not structure but will, then his previous attempt to conquer the Tanzhong node using the Dantian node method, from the very beginning...

They went in the wrong direction from the start.

He closed his eyes and simultaneously wrote "An Initial Explanation of the Circulation" from "A Record of Leisurely Travels in Mountains and Rivers":

This time, he did not force the literary energy and true energy to converge at the Tanzhong point.

Instead, it imitated the calligraphy of the two characters "山岳" (mountain) demonstrated by the head of the Guanshan Society.

Chen Zhuo established a temporary law node in the Tanzhong acupoint, allowing literary qi to flow to the left and true qi to flow to the right, maintaining independent operating trajectories for each within the node.

Rhythmic exchanges only occur when needed.

When the node was first established, I still felt the familiar tightness in my chest, but it was at least half as bad as before.

He calmed himself down and repeatedly replayed the scene of Gu Qing'e demonstrating the Heart Source School in his mind.

When she unleashed her "power," not a trace of literary energy was leaked out; all her power originated from the projection of her own thoughts.

Pure and steadfast.

He tried to inject this willpower into the Tanzhong acupoint, not by pushing with literary energy or pulling with true energy, but by using his own will as a bridge to let the two forces find their own balance at the intersection.

The mutual repulsion at the Tanzhong point suddenly weakened at that moment.

Although it hasn't disappeared, it has transformed from an insurmountable obstacle into a threshold that can be gradually worn away.

He slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air.

He knew he had found the right direction.

It's only a matter of time before this hurdle is completely overcome, and patience is the one thing he has in abundance.

The next morning, Chen Zhuo went to the College of Arts.

Song Zhiyuan was in his study organizing the research report from this trip to the ruins.

The table was covered with runes copied from the Upside-Down Tower altar, copies of the Transcendentalist Journal, and several diagrams of the mine tunnel structure.

Seeing Chen Zhuo enter, he put down his talisman brush, moved a stack of unfiled rubbings to the side, and gestured for him to sit down opposite him.

Chen Zhuo explained his current cultivation progress and the bottlenecks he had encountered.

This includes the Dantian node he successfully established in the mine tunnel and the Tanzhong node he just found on the Guanshantai platform, as well as his accumulation of knowledge in papers and practical experience.

Song Zhiyuan did not answer immediately after hearing this. Instead, he leaned back in his chair and looked out the window toward the back of the Academy of Arts, as if he was weighing something.

"The prefectural examination will begin in two months."

He withdrew his gaze and looked at Chen Zhuo again.

"Based on your current literary talent and practical experience, you are fully qualified to participate."

The examination for becoming a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations) tested not only literary and moral cultivation, but also character and vision.

You've honed your skills enough in Qingshan County; it's time to venture into a wider world.

Shengtian Prefecture is a place where hidden talents abound; think thrice before you act.

Besides you, several other students from Qingshan Academy are also going to take the exam this time. It would be good to travel together and look out for each other.

He stood up and took a long, thin wooden box from the bookshelf.

The wooden box was opened, revealing a talisman brush inside. The brush handle was entirely black, while the tip emitted a very faint blue light.

He handed the talisman pen along with a letter of recommendation stamped with the official seal of the Academy of Arts to Chen Zhuo.

"This pen is one I used in my early years. Although it's not a particularly valuable writing instrument, it writes steadily. The first hurdle of the prefectural examination is the written test, so I can't afford to mess up with my pen."

Looking at Song Zhiyuan's expectant gaze.

Chen Zhuo accepted the talisman brush with both hands.

The brush handle felt warm and smooth to the touch, and when literary talent was infused into it, the bluish light on the brush tip seemed to circulate on its own.

It subtly matches the way the water patterns on the iron-slicing sword move.

Over the next few days, Chen Zhuo finished handling all the tasks at hand.

On Su Ning's side, he handed over all the rubbings of the Crimson Serpent Society altar runes and the samples of the remaining mine tunnel array locks that he had brought back from the Inverted Tower.

As agreed, he gave her three Ice Ridge Eagle tail feathers, saying that this was a favor they had agreed upon on Mount Tian, ​​and that they were now even.

Su Ning took the tail feather and casually stuck it into the leather bag on the wall of the forging room, placing it together with the previous few feathers.

Without looking up, she said that everything was cleared up, and that next time there were similar special materials, she should still be the first choice to contact her.

He casually handed him a brand-new short knife that had just been quenched so he could try it out.

As for the two ancient alloy fragments that Lao Tie wanted in the secret vault, Chen Zhuo asked Su Ning, who said that Lao Tie had been spending the last few days in the forging room analyzing the composition.

I'd like to try and melt it down and mix it into the cold iron. We'll have to wait and see how it goes.

Chen Zhuo officially returned the key to the Demon Hunter Gang's stronghold to Xie Xing.

Although Xie Xing's arm had not fully healed, his spirits had fully recovered. He was sitting in the main room checking the new batch of hunting area patrol schedules with Sun Kui.

The three children have been transferred from the Demon Hunter Gang's stronghold to the Literary Academy's introductory class. Little Stone did not speak after learning that Chen Zhuo was going on a long journey.

He simply stuffed the well-worn copy of the Thousand Character Classic into his bag, saying that Uncle Chen could read it if he got bored on the road.

Xie Yun laughed and said that the child had secretly spent the whole night flipping through books to find the "most powerful character" to put in his book as a talisman after hearing that Steward Chen was going to Shengtian Prefecture to take the imperial examination.

Later, they found that the character "孤" (gu, meaning "lonely") was too difficult to write, so they replaced it with the character "安" (an, meaning "peaceful"), which they wrote crookedly on the title page.

Chen Zhuo flipped through the book "Thousand Character Classic" and sure enough, there was a crooked "安" (peace) character on the title page, with ink marks indicating it had been erased, probably to prevent him from finding it unsightly.

He put the book into the package, patted Little Stone's head, and said, "When we arrive in Shengtian Prefecture, I'll send you some roasted chestnuts from the prefecture."

On the eve of his departure, Chen Tiansheng waited for him in the martial arts training ground in the backyard.

The father and son didn't exchange any extra words; they simply drew their swords and practiced the seven basic sword techniques from beginning to end.

The autumn night was cool, and Chen Tiansheng's robes fluttered slightly in the breeze. The martial arts master's true essence circulated in his meridians on its own, and each strike of his sword was as steady as a mountain.

After dismantling the final move, Chen Tiansheng sheathed his sword, stood in the moonlight for a moment, and spoke calmly: "I have passed the Martial Grandmaster level. From now on, you will have to rely on yourself."

Chen Zhuo sheathed his sword and nodded.

Chen Tiansheng didn't say anything more, but walked to the weapon rack, placed a short knife in his hand, and told him that although this knife was not at the Life Realm.

However, the quenching process used was based on an ancient forging temperature ratio that Lao Tie had analyzed from fragments in a secret vault. This resulted in extremely high hardness, making it suitable for self-defense.

Chen Zhuo hung the short sword on the left side of his belt, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Chen Tiansheng, and turned to return to his own courtyard.

On the morning of the day of departure, Xie Yaoyin was still waiting at the door.

This time, she didn't wear those brocade robes and fancy clothes, but just a simple moon-white long dress, with her hair casually tied up in a bun.

She looked no different from an ordinary woman. The small package she handed over contained several high-grade source stone cores, along with a small...

Bone whistle.

It was milky white all over, warm to the touch, and tied with an extremely thin silver chain.

Xie Yaoyin said that she could make it sound by injecting demonic power, and only she could hear the sound. Shengtianfu was a big place, and if she offended someone she shouldn't have, at least she would have someone to call for help.

She spoke in that gentle tone, half-joking, but the silver chain was exquisitely crafted, with each link engraved with extremely fine demonic patterns; it was not something that could be easily presented.

Chen Zhuo hung the bone whistle around his neck and thanked Xie Yaoyin.

She just smiled and said, "Be careful on the road."

Gu Qing'e intercepted him at the entrance of the College of Arts.

She was carrying a cloth bag containing a letter of recommendation and several notebooks of Xinyuan School cultivation notes that she had compiled during her seclusion.

The letter of recommendation was written in the name of Shen Zhi'an, who was her classmate when she studied at Shengtianfu Academy. Now he works as a teaching assistant at the academy and might be able to help her get familiar with the environment.

She handed him the cloth bag, saying that the letter was written three months ago and the address should not have changed, and that he should go to the person first when he arrived at Shengtian Prefecture.

Chen Zhuo took the cloth bag and put it away. She rarely looked him up and down, but she said, "Be careful," before turning and walking towards the secluded room. Her blue hair ribbon swayed twice in the morning breeze before disappearing into the shadows of the porch.

Chen Zhuo carefully kept the letter of recommendation close to his body, slung his iron-slaying sword over his shoulder, and walked towards the Great Wall of Righteousness in the morning light.

Xu Yi was already waiting for him at the city gate, also carrying a bag.

The two nodded slightly and walked side by side onto the official road leading to Shengtian Prefecture.

The official road leads north from Qingshan County, passing through the edge of the desolate forest surrounding the Great Wall of Righteousness.

After bypassing several low hills, we entered a mountain valley at the border of the two counties on the afternoon of the third day.

The road narrows considerably here, and every so often along the official road you can see an abandoned post station.

Most of them are not large in scale, and were built by the government in the early years to provide rest stops for traveling merchants.

This route is no longer a major trade route. The post stations have fallen into disrepair over the years, and most of them are now just ruins, half-hidden by shrubs and withered vines.

Only candidates on their way to school and occasional hunters would stay here for the night.

Chen Zhuo and Xu Yi traveled on the official road for two whole days.

Xu Yi's temperament has become much calmer than when he was in Qingshanju. He still doesn't talk much, but he will occasionally take the initiative to talk about the direction of the prefectural examination questions.

Although the two were not close friends, they chose to work together in the face of shared interests.

The journey from Qingshan County to Shengtianfu was long, and taking the official road was relatively safe.

However, there are still many low-level monsters and roaming bandits in the remote sections of the road, so traveling in pairs is always safer than traveling alone.

Once they arrived at Shengtian Prefecture, they could look after each other.

Xu Yi's martial arts cultivation has reached the peak of the ninth-order martial artist, and his literary cultivation has also improved. Hanging at his waist is a long sword with an ancient formula quenched by Lao Tie based on the fragments of the secret archive.

As he walked, the scabbard would occasionally tap against his side, making a dull, soft sound.

Chen Zhuo could see a large abandoned post station in the valley from afar, with most of its roof collapsed.

But the four walls were still relatively intact, and the stone well platform in the courtyard gleamed with a damp light in the twilight.

He spread out his spatial perception, intending to first explore the interior of the inn for any traces of monsters or snakes, and then he and Xu Yi would rest here for the night.

Tomorrow morning, after crossing the ridge in front, it will take another two days to reach Shengtianfu.

However, as soon as his senses reached the front yard of the inn, he paused slightly.

There were fluctuations of literary energy from living people in the post station, and there was more than one.

Three streams of literary energy emanated from the front yard, cold and restrained, somewhat similar to the Red Serpent Society's literary energy he had previously sensed in the dried flowers at the Earth God Temple and the abandoned kiln.

But it is more subtle and restrained, as if someone who has been specially trained has deliberately suppressed the intensity of their literary talent.

The fourth stream of literary energy was in the dilapidated house in the backyard. It was weaker and more scattered than the first three, and it was intermittent, as if it was being suppressed by something.

Xu Yi noticed the change in his footsteps and stopped as well.

His hand was already on the hilt of the knife at his waist.

Chen Zhuo turned his head and gestured to him.

There were four people in the inn.

Xu Yi squinted at the direction of the post station and asked in a low voice whether they were remnants of the Red Serpent Society or mountain bandits.

Chen Zhuo told him to avoid the main entrance and go around to the side first, and they would check the situation first.

The two of them crouched low and made their way to the side of the post station, taking the path with the fewest fallen leaves.

Chen Zhuo pushed the Moon-character script to its limit, activating a brief state of concealment under the moonlight to minimize their presence, and then silently climbed over the half-collapsed courtyard wall.

The scene inside the courtyard gradually became clear through spatial perception.

Beside the well in the front yard, three men dressed in dark brown shorts were talking quietly around a campfire.

They all wore the standard waist badges of the Shengtian Prefecture Criminal Investigation Division.

Although they were deliberately suppressing their spiritual energy fluctuations, their underlying cold and sinister nature could still be discerned upon close inspection, a trace left by long-term practice of some forbidden technique.

In the dilapidated house in the backyard, a middle-aged scholar tied to a pillar was breathing heavily.

A trace of dried blood clung to the corner of his mouth, and his robes were covered in dust and torn.

He trembled slightly when he heard the conversation coming from the front yard.

"Mr. Meng, think about it again. Where exactly did you hide that list?"

The leader of the three hidden agents poked at the fire with a tree branch, speaking as if he were chatting with an old friend.

"Tell us, and we'll give you a quick answer. If you don't, we'll have to try them one by one, starting with your fingers, then your toes, and then your knees. Don't worry, we've all been trained; we won't let you faint halfway through."

The middle-aged scholar raised his head and spat a mouthful of blood towards the campfire.

Then came silence, and the crackling sound of the hidden stakes continuing to tinker with the fire.

Chen Zhuo and Xu Yi exchanged a glance. They had wanted to avoid trouble.

With the prefectural examination just around the corner, it's better to avoid trouble.

But the word "roster" mentioned by the undercover agent made Chen Zhuo stop in his tracks.

Then the middle-aged scholar spoke, his voice hoarse and weak, yet carrying a calm that came from being driven to the brink of desperation. He said that people already knew about his investigation into the list of those who took the exams for others.

Even if we silenced him, it would be too late.

Before he left, he had already distributed the clues to several people.