Confucian and Taoist Cultivation Starting from the Equipment Slot

Halfway through the banquet, Magistrate Wang stood up and announced that they would take a short break, allowing the guests to stroll in the courtyard to digest their food and enjoy the moonlight.

The servants served fruits, tea, and snacks, placing them on a long table under the eaves for people to help themselves.

The guests dispersed in twos and threes.

Some people went to the veranda to drink tea, some went for a walk in the garden, and some gathered together to talk in hushed tones.

The sounds of clinking glasses in the banquet hall were gradually replaced by the chirping of insects in the courtyard.

Chen Zhuo noticed that Xie Anshi gave Xie Zhiwei a wink, and the father and daughter walked one after the other into the depths of the garden.

Xie Anshi walked briskly, with Xie Zhiwei following behind, always lagging half a step behind, like a kite being pulled backward by a string.

"Instructor Chen, I'm going over there for some fresh air."

Chen Tiansheng suddenly stood up, his gaze following the backs of the Xie father and daughter.

Chen Zhuo grabbed his sleeve: "Sit down."

"But……"

Chen Zhuo sighed silently, wondering why his adoptive father still hadn't figured out the current situation.

"What can you do if you go there now?"

He lowered his voice and said, "Patriarch Xie is already furious. Seeing you will only make things worse. If you want to help Miss Xie, you should first learn to keep your temper in check."

Chen Tiansheng clenched his fists, but ultimately sat back down.

"So what should I do?"

"Wait here." Chen Zhuo stood up, straightened his clothes, and said, "I'll go take a look first."

He picked up a pot of freshly brewed tea and, pretending to stroll casually, slowly walked along the stone path in the garden.

The county government's garden wasn't large, but it was decorated quite elegantly.

The rockery is arranged in a staggered and orderly manner, and several old plum trees lean against the corner of the wall. Although it is not the flowering season, their branches are still vigorous and powerful.

Chen Zhuo walked around the artificial hill and heard a sound behind a dense clump of hibiscus flowers.

It was Xie Anshi, his tone anxious as if he were being roasted by fire:

"Zhiwei, why didn't you take the initiative just now? Although Dean Song declined, if you had said a few more words, perhaps he would have changed his mind."

His face was full of disappointment and frustration.

"Look at you, you only said that one sentence the whole time, and you just stood there like a log."

"Father."

Xie Zhiwei's voice was cold and aloof.

"Dean Song has already refused. He kept looking at his daughter while he was speaking, and his eyes showed no sign of wavering. Do you think that if I say a few more words, I can change his mind?"

"Then you should give it a try! Do you understand?"

Xie Anshi's voice suddenly lowered, becoming somewhat hoarse: "Do you know that the Wang family has issued an ultimatum? If they can't reach an agreement this month, they will forcibly acquire the Xie family's mines."

That mine was your grandfather's life's work, the lifeblood of the Xie family. The price the Wang family offered wasn't even a tenth of the mine's value. This isn't an acquisition, it's outright robbery!

Xie Zhiwei remained silent for a moment.

"So you want to hand me over to Dean Song in exchange for his protection?"

"It's not a 'gift,' but for your future! Song Zhiyuan is a talented scholar from Shengtian Prefecture. He became the head of an academy at a young age. Although he already has a daughter, according to reliable sources, his first wife has already passed away."

If you go with him, not only will the Xie family be saved, but you yourself will also have a good future—”

"Father."

Xie Zhiwei interrupted him, "You know that my daughter already has someone she loves."

A brief silence fell over the air.

Then Xie Anshi's voice suddenly rose, filled with long-suppressed anger:

"You're still thinking about that Chen family brat? Chen Tiansheng! A discarded son kicked out of his family! He can't even support himself, how can he marry you? How can he protect you?"

At this point, his tone became more tactful.

"Zhiwei, don't let romantic feelings cloud your judgment! In this world, without power, emotions are the most useless thing!"

"At least he won't use me as a bargaining chip."

Xie Zhiwei spoke these words very softly, yet they were like a whispered bow, silent yet breaking down defenses.

Behind the hibiscus bushes, Xie Anshi remained silent.

Xie Zhiwei didn't say anything more. Only the chirping of insects and the rustling of leaves in the wind filled the garden.

Chen Zhuo, holding the teapot, quietly took a few steps back, then turned and walked back.

He had developed a greater respect for Xie Zhiwei.

Back in the corridor, Chen Tiansheng immediately approached, his eyes anxious: "How did it go? What did she say?"

Chen Zhuo glanced at him, carefully considering his words:

"Miss Xie is very opinionated; she hasn't backed down on this matter with you."

Chen Tiansheng was stunned for a moment, then his expression became extremely complicated.

There was joy, there was heartache, but mostly there was anger—anger at one's own inability to change the situation.

He took a deep breath and then pulled Chen Zhuo behind the pillar.

"Instructor Chen, I believe you for daring to challenge the Wang family at the restaurant, but there's something I must tell you."

His eyes became serious and resolute.

"Zhiwei and I have already pledged our lives to each other."

Chen Zhuo had already overheard this from under the wall, but at this moment he could only feign surprise: "When did this happen?"

Chen Tiansheng leaned against a pillar, gazing at the moonlight overhead.

"That was three months ago. After I left Shengtian Prefecture, I wandered all the way to Qingshan County, penniless. She saw me when she was distributing porridge outside the city and gave me a bowl of porridge."

"Wait a minute!" Chen Zhuo suddenly realized a blind spot.

"Hasn't she been staying in the backyard for years?"

Chen Tiansheng glanced at him and said, "You're not allowed to leave the backyard unless you enter the main hall of the family."

He then continued, "Later, I found a job as a deliveryman, occasionally delivering things to the Xie residence, and that's how I saw her again."

"After a while... she said she didn't look down on me, whether I was kicked out of my family or was penniless, she didn't care."

He looked at his hands, rough and strong, yet they weren't even qualified to hold the hand of his beloved.

"Do you know what that feels like? Someone doesn't want anything from you, just you as a person."

Chen Zhuo remained silent.

After a moment, Chen Tiansheng raised his head and sighed:

"The Xie family is now desperate and has secretly made contact with the demon race."

Chen Zhuo frowned: "Demon race? How did you know?"

"I have my own channels for this. The Xie family controls a mineral vein that can neutralize the negative effects of domineering cultivation techniques. The Wang family has their eye on this and is constantly putting pressure on them, while the demon race has also taken the opportunity to contact the Xie family..."

"Once this is exposed, the Xie family will be the enemy of the human race," Chen Zhuo said in a deep voice.

"I know, that's why Zhiwei was brought to the banquet by her father tonight. Xie Anshi wanted to take a gamble, hoping that Dean Song would accept Zhiwei and give the Xie family a way out, but he lost the gamble."

"Fortunately, he lost his bet."

"Yes!" He suddenly grabbed Chen Zhuo's wrist.

"Instructor Chen, if that day really comes, if something truly happens to the Xie family, please, you must protect Zhiwei. I've seen your skills; you're stronger than me. I..."

He choked up as he said this.

Chen Zhuo looked at him and thought of his father, who was taciturn and always had a stern face, ten years later.

Ten years later, Chen Tiansheng never mentioned the past in front of him, and never talked about how he and his mother got together.

It turned out to be the case.

He finally understood why Song Zhiyuan had accepted Xie Yaoyin; it turned out that this was all part of his plan.

"And what about yourself?" Chen Zhuo asked. "You're from the Chen family of Shengtian Prefecture."

"They're just expendable pawns! Besides, the Chen family is far away in Shengtian Prefecture, and they can't quench our immediate thirst. By the time news of the Chen family reaches Qingshan County, the Xie family will be long gone."

Chen Zhuo remained silent for a long time, then nodded: "I understand."

But he didn't make any further promises, mainly because he himself was unsure of the specifics of what to do.

Chen Tiansheng ignored all of that, released his wrist, took a step back, and bowed deeply to him.

He turned and strode into the depths of the garden.

Chen Zhuo watched his retreating figure, unsure of what to say.

He picked up the now-cold tea, took a sip, and the bitter taste spread across his tongue.

A very light footstep came from behind the pillars.

Chen Zhuo turned around and saw Zhou Wenyuan walking over with a smile, carrying two glasses of wine.

"Instructor Chen, I didn't have the chance to formally meet you at the banquet earlier. My name is Zhou Wenyuan, a lowly clerk in the county government. This cup of wine is for Instructor Chen."

He handed over a glass of wine, adopting a very humble posture.

Chen Zhuo took the wine glass, but didn't drink it; he just held it in his hand and swirled it around.

"You're too kind, Clerk Zhou. You've served the magistrate for many years; you're the real veteran."

"Hey, what seniority? He's just a gofer."

Zhou Wenyuan smiled and waved his hand, then lowered his voice:

"I have heard a little about what Instructor Chen did at Ju Restaurant today. He is so young yet has such courage. He even dared to confront the steward of the Wang family. It is truly admirable."

"You flatter me, Clerk Zhou. I was just young and impetuous at the time, and I'm a little scared now that I think about it."

"Whether you're scared or not, there are always few people who dare to stand up. In Qingshan County, there aren't many people like Instructor Chen."

As Zhou Wenyuan spoke, his gaze swept over Wang Zhongting in the distance, his tone carrying a deeper meaning.

"Most people are either lackeys of the Wang family or pretend to be deaf and dumb. As for a nobody like Zhou, he can only live his life with his neck hunched over."

Chen Zhuo did not respond.

Zhou Wenyuan smiled again, as if saying casually:

"However, even minor characters have their uses. For example, there are some rumors in the county government that the big shots might not care about, but minor characters can hear about them."

"If Instructor Chen has anything he needs to inquire about, he may come to the county office and sit with me, Mr. Zhou. I may not be able to help with anything else, but I can at least say a few words."

He raised his glass in a toast, then turned and left to continue serving wine to other guests.

His back was still bent, and his steps were still unhurried, as if what he had just said was just a casual greeting.

Chen Zhuo watched his retreating figure and downed the wine in his cup in one gulp.

Old fox.

It was no accident that Zhou Wenyuan became a county magistrate ten years later.

He's already making plans and investing.

He keeps in mind everyone who could potentially become a variable, and then appears at the most opportune moment to offer the most appropriate help, asking for nothing in return but only a favor.

And this favor will have to be repaid in the future.

Chen Zhuo placed the empty cup on the pillar and was about to return to the banquet hall when he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye.

Song Zhiyuan stood alone in the southeast corner of the courtyard.

It was a stone platform three feet above the ground, with an old pine tree growing on it and a stone table under the pine.

Song Zhiyuan stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the moon in the sky, his figure appearing somewhat lonely in the moonlight.

As Chen Zhuo approached, he saw that Song Zhiyuan was still holding the rubbing of the character "噬" in his hand.

His fingers were slowly tracing the strokes of the ancient character, as if touching some distant memory.

"Mr. Song."

Song Zhiyuan did not turn around, but simply nodded slightly.

He didn't seem surprised that Chen Zhuo would come to him.

"Young friend Chen, your expression changed when Wang Zhongting took out this rubbing at the banquet just now."

He turned around, placed the rubbing on the stone table, and looked at Chen Zhuo with a calm gaze. "Young friend, do you recognize this character?"

Chen Zhuo felt a chill run down his spine.

He forgot that Song Zhiyuan was also a seasoned veteran.

Which of the scholars who have struggled and risen through the ranks in Shengtian Prefecture over the years isn't a shrewd and cunning individual?

Others might not have noticed his momentary loss of composure, but Song Zhiyuan certainly did.

He paused for a moment, but still chose to answer truthfully: "I've seen similar things elsewhere before."

Song Zhiyuan nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

Chen Zhuo took the rubbing and carefully examined it.

A wonderful feeling welled up inside me, but it vanished in an instant.

In that instant, he seemed to discover several other advanced uses of the "devour" script.

I want to catch it, but I can't.

"It seems that only by reading the original text can one truly grasp its mysteries."

"What's wrong with you?"

Song Zhiyuan's voice pulled him back from his shock.

Chen Zhuo released his grip, and the rubbing fell back onto the stone table.

"It's nothing." He took a deep breath, calming the surging literary energy within him.

"I just feel that this character... is very special, and the more I look at it, the more I feel that there is a lot hidden in it."

Song Zhiyuan glanced at him but didn't ask any further questions.

"The things that the Wang family can bring out are not simple to begin with."

"I've only seen this kind of engraving once before, in Shengtian Prefecture. It was on an ancient artifact fragment unearthed from a site, and the inscription on it was exactly the same as this one."

"The ancestors of the Wang family may have entered the ruins, or at least found one of the entrances to the ruins."

Upon hearing the words "legacy," Chen Zhuo's heart was filled with turbulent emotions.

Did the ruins of Qingshan actually show signs of being there long ago?

And this mysterious stone carving was actually produced in the Qingshan Ruins.

So why did it end up in Song Zhiyuan's hands and eventually end up with him among that batch of goods?

In that instant, Chen Zhuo seemed to have discovered the key to this storm.

That's the stone carving!

This mysterious "devour" character in calligraphy.

If that's the case, Chen Zhuo's thoughts continued to wander.

The Wang family has mastered the "devour" script, but there is a price to pay for using this script.

Then we need to find a way to eliminate the cost, just like when we obtained the literary skill.

Since the Wang family is targeting the Xie family so aggressively, the answer is obvious.

The Xie family controls an Originium mine!

Ten years later, the Wang family declined, the Xie family disappeared, Song Zhiyuan remained at the Academy, and Zhou Wenyuan became the county magistrate.

What happened next?

Chen Zhuo didn't continue thinking about it.

Because Magistrate Wang's voice came from the banquet hall: "Gentlemen, the second half of the banquet is about to begin. Please return to your seats."

The guests made their way from various parts of the courtyard to the banquet hall.

Song Zhiyuan patted Chen Zhuo on the shoulder: "Let's go, we'll talk about the rest when we get back."

He took the lead and walked towards the banquet hall.

Chen Zhuo followed behind, looking down at his hands.

The fleeting aura from just moments ago seemed to linger there.

The second half of the banquet has begun in the banquet hall.

Amidst the clinking of glasses, the atmosphere was subtly more tense than in the first half.

Wang Zhongting frequently raised his cup with a broad smile, but every time his gaze swept over Xie Anshi, a hint of coldness would flash in his eyes.

Xie Anshi buried his head in his wine, occasionally glancing up with a look of utter despair in his eyes.

Xie Zhiwei kept her head down, like a quiet sculpture.

Chen Tiansheng did not return to his seat.

Chen Zhuo searched through the crowd and found him standing behind a pillar, facing Xie Zhiwei across half a hall.

Their eyes met for a moment in the candlelight, then looked away.

In that one glance, there seemed to be too many unspoken words.

Chen Zhuo sat back down and noticed that Gu Qing'e next to him was poking at a piece of pastry on a plate with her chopsticks, leaving it riddled with holes.

"What's wrong?" he asked in a low voice.

"Boring." Gu Qing'e pouted. "Everything they say is so boring. They're all thinking different things, but they're saying the same polite things."

Chen Zhuo couldn't help but smile: "You seem to understand things quite well."

"Of course." Gu Qing'e raised her head, her gaze so clear that it was hard to look directly at her.

"For example, Wang Zhongting, his eyes never move when he smiles, it's obviously a fake smile. And that Xie family head, he keeps drinking, but his lips are trembling. And that pretty lady is even stranger, she is clearly very sad, but she keeps smiling."

She paused, then suddenly asked, "Instructor Chen, was that pretty lady presented as a gift by her father?"

Chen Zhuo's smile faltered slightly.

"More or less."

Just then, Wang Zhongting suddenly stood up.

Gentlemen

He walked to the center of the room with a big smile on his face, holding a full glass of wine in his hand.

"Dean Song has come from afar today, and the Wang family has nothing to offer in return. It just so happens that we recently received a batch of excellent tea, produced deep in the green mountains outside the city, nourished by clouds and mist, and picked before the Qingming Festival."

Mr. Wang thought to himself, "Tomorrow I'll invite Dean Song to the Wang family's teahouse for a chat, to sample this Qingshan Yunwu tea, and also to have Dean Song examine some of the antiques in the Wang family's collection. Dean Song is a connoisseur; perhaps he can help the Wang family determine the provenance of those items."

As he said this, his gaze shifted from Song Zhiyuan to Xie Anshi, and then slowly returned to his own.

"Perfect timing! Patriarch Xie is here too. He's quite knowledgeable about tea ceremony, why don't we go together?"

Xie Anshi's hand holding the wine cup trembled violently.

The wine spilled out, leaving a small, dark stain on the table.

Wang Zhongting's offer of tea was hardly a polite gesture.

This is the final ultimatum.

Xie Anshi opened his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down several times, before finally squeezing out a single word:

"it is good."

Wang Zhongting smiled with satisfaction, raised his glass, and drank it all in one gulp.

Chen Zhuo watched this scene in silence.

Tomorrow. Wang Zhongting was referring to tomorrow.

After tonight, the Xie family will have less than twelve hours left.

The banquet ended close to midnight.

The guests gradually left.

Wang Zhongting walked out of the county government office surrounded by several wealthy merchants, laughing heartily.

Magistrate Wang personally escorted Song Zhiyuan to the door, and they exchanged pleasantries once more.

Xie Anshi hurriedly left with Xie Zhiwei, his figure hunched over.

Chen Tiansheng followed behind, watching Xie Zhiwei's carriage disappear into the night from a distance of one street.

Chen Zhuo and Gu Qing'e accompanied Song Zhiyuan back.

The night wind blew across the main street in front of the county government office, causing the lanterns along the roadside to sway.

There were hardly any people left on the street; only the footsteps of three people echoed on the stone pavement.

A dog barked twice in the distance, sounding particularly abrupt in the quiet night.

"Young friend Chen," Song Zhiyuan suddenly spoke, "what do you think of Wang Zhongting?"

Chen Zhuo thought for a moment: "A smiling tiger. Every word he says at the banquet has a purpose, and every smile is measured. This kind of person is the most difficult to deal with because you never know when he will turn on you."

"Anything else?"

"And another thing," Chen Zhuo paused, "He seemed to be testing you all night, but his real target isn't you; it's the Xie family."

"You are merely a scale he uses to measure the Xie family's worth. By making Xie Anshi witness your rejection of the Xie family's overtures, he aimed to extinguish the Xie family's last hope."

Song Zhiyuan nodded slightly and said nothing more.

After returning to the College of Arts, Song Zhiyuan first went to settle Gu Qing'e in.

When the little girl reached the door, she suddenly turned around, glanced at Chen Zhuo, and moved her lips as if she wanted to say something.

But in the end, he only said "Goodnight, Instructor Chen" and closed the door.

Chen Zhuo stood in the courtyard and went through everything that had happened at the banquet from beginning to end.

The Wang family has a rubbing of the character "噬" carved on a stone, but they lack the source stone, so they cannot cultivate it extensively.

The Xie family owns source stone mines, but lacks power and influence, so they are powerless to fight against the Wang family, and they don't even know why the Wang family has targeted them.

The Wang family wanted to devour the Xie family, and the Xie family wanted to protect themselves, when coincidentally, the demon race came looking for them.

He was pondering what he could gain from this turmoil.

This is an unknowable domain, and the probability of physical objects being brought out is not high. The key is information and knowledge.

Take, for example, the empty character script he just mastered.