bookbashuk Chapter 3 Reunion with Zuo Ruotong
Chapter 3 Reunion with Zuo Ruotong
One night.
In the dimly lit room.
The four men in the lower house sat cross-legged on their respective beds and began their usual late-night conversation.
Although they didn't know each other beforehand, all four of them were at an age where they couldn't stay idle. It was fine during the day when they had to work, but at night they naturally had to chat.
"Brother Li, what are you thinking?"
"It's fine if you go to bed early normally, but today the senior disciples were watching from the doorway, and you were just sitting there so brazenly."
Liu Deshui looked at Li Cunzhen with a puzzled expression.
Joining the Sanyi Sect is an opportunity that many people would kill for. Is Li Cunzhen really going to give it up like this?
He didn't know the specifics of the San Yi Sect's assessment, but since it was an assessment, it couldn't be passed as easily and comfortably as Li Cunzhen's.
"Brother Liu, what are you saying?"
Before Li Cunzhen could speak, Li Muxuan took the initiative to speak.
"The lower academy assessment doesn't require you to carry a certain amount of water or chop a certain amount of firewood, so you can do as much as you want. What does it have to do with whether your senior brother is here or not?"
Li Muxuan spoke up not to stand up for Li Cunzhen.
Liu Deshui meant no harm; he saw things clearly, and his precocious older brother had most likely also seen through the essence of the assessment, only his choice differed from Liu's.
However, whether out of kindness or to show off, Li Muxuan wanted to give Liu Deshui a hint.
That makes sense.
Li Cunzhen was unwilling to lie, nor did he want to get involved in other people's karma, so he simply nodded.
"That's right." Li Muxuan smiled, then looked at Liu Deshui and asked, "Brother Liu, let me ask you, do you want to become a disciple of the Three Ones?"
"Of course I want to! I dream about it!"
Liu Deshui nodded without hesitation.
"Then you'll have to learn from Xiao Lu." Li Muxuan's smile widened. "Look at him, he only chops a few bundles of firewood a day, but fills a whole vat with water."
After saying that, he looked at Lu Jin, who had remained silent.
"Brother Lu, what are you thinking?"
Lu Jin was clearly taken aback when he was suddenly called out, and then revealed his true thoughts.
"What's there to think about? All I can do is chop a few bundles of firewood and carry a vat of water," he said matter-of-factly. "Just do your best; overexertion will hurt your health."
Liu Deshui felt somewhat embarrassed when he saw that no one agreed with his opinion.
"Xiao Lu is physically weak and shouldn't be forced to do this," he said with difficulty. "But what I excel at is strength and perseverance, so I can't afford to cheat or slack off in this test."
As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Deshui realized that his words were somewhat inappropriate and quickly tried to correct them.
"I didn't mean the three brothers were being lazy or cunning," Liu Deshui said nervously. "I was talking about myself..."
"It's alright, Brother Liu, we understand what you mean." Seeing that his hints were useless, Li Muxuan waved his hand to interrupt Liu Deshui: "Since you've thought it through, that's fine."
Then, Li Muxuan's eyes darted around.
"By the way, you two, you said that since you came here, the mountain has never set any rules for you, right?"
"yes."
Liu Deshui and Lu Jin answered in unison.
Then, the house gradually fell silent.
The group, exhausted from a long day, quickly drifted off to sleep.
............
The next day, dawn broke in the east.
Li Cunzhen woke up from his dream and happened to see Li Muxuan, who had also woken up beside him.
Li Muxuan instinctively wanted to speak, but Li Cunzhen covered his mouth and pointed to Liu Deshui and Lu Jin, who were still fast asleep.
Helpless, Li Muxuan and Li Cunzhen carefully got out of bed. They didn't speak until they were dressed, washed up, and went outside.
"Are you going up too?"
In Li Muxuan's view, Li Cunzhen must have gotten up so early to visit the Sanyi Gate on the mountain.
After all, he had just asked last night whether the Trinity had set any rules for the lower house.
Since there are no rules, going up the mountain or even entering the Sanyi Gate is naturally tacitly permitted.
If he could think of it himself, Li Cunzhen certainly could too.
The Sanyi Sect is the orthodox sect of Xuanmen, and this morning best embodies the spirit of a sect.
This elder brother, who is so devoted to seeking the Dao, would definitely want to go up and take a look.
"No, I'm going down." Li Cunzhen chuckled, and seeing Li Muxuan's stunned expression, he added, "I've already gone up, there's nothing to see. I only do so little work all day, I'm quite idle."
Li Muxuan's face immediately darkened.
He considered himself intelligent, seeing things more clearly than adults, and was often pleased with himself for it.
But when he meets this older brother, he is always a step behind, making him feel like he is being overshadowed.
It was like this at home before, and it's still like this now that I'm at Sanyimen.
If it were only this, it would be fine. But if he was always being outdone, Li Muxuan might eventually give in.
But Li Cunzhen was an introverted person and unwilling to show off.
As a result, Li Muxuan was unsure whether Li Cunzhen was hiding his abilities or genuinely hadn't noticed many things.
In addition, Li Cunzhen had a habit of telling the truth regardless of the occasion.
This left Li Muxuan in a state of mixed submission and dissatisfaction with Li Cunzhen, or in short, half-submission.
This only made him want to compete with his older brother even more.
"Once I join the Trinity Sect, I will definitely cultivate faster than you."
Li Muxuan thought to himself.
Open at the same time.
"Okay, you've already been there, so I'll go by myself today."
With that, he walked out of the courtyard without looking back.
Watching Li Muxuan's retreating figure, Li Cunzhen shook his head helplessly.
He saw through his younger brother's thoughts perfectly, but firstly, Li Cunzhen himself had no competitive spirit, and secondly, he didn't think there was anything wrong with Li Muxuan's competitive nature, so he let it be.
Perhaps, under his influence, Li Muxuan could even reach a higher level.
With these thoughts in mind, Li Cunzhen also walked out of the lower courtyard gate.
"The king summoned me to patrol the mountain..."
"I'll take a stroll through this world..."
Humming a little tune, Li Cunzhen arrived at a cliff not far from the lower courtyard.
Li Cunzhen wiped a piece of bluestone on the edge of the cliff with his sleeve, then sat up straight with his bare feet and hands clasped together.
Thus, until all worldly concerns were let go and the mind returned to a state of undifferentiated chaos, Li Cunzhen concentrated his mind and breath, pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth, and stirred up saliva.
This is a foundation-building method he learned in his previous life when he was seeking immortality.
I persisted for several months, but I felt nothing.
However, when he visited the Sanyi Sect a few days ago, he discovered that many members of the Sanyi Sect would meditate and cultivate themselves every morning.
Li Cunzhen then added this matter to his itinerary.
Although there is no mental cultivation method to match it.
But at dawn, amidst the purple aura, the body and spirit merged.
There are still many benefits.
Before long, Li Cunzhen broke out in a cold sweat.
After repeating this five times, the sun had fully risen above the horizon, and only then did he open his eyes.
An unexpected figure appeared in front of me.
He had an air of otherworldly grace, dressed in white with white hair.
Zuo Ruotong, the Great Immortal.
Li Cunzhen was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening and quickly stood up to bow.
"Greetings, Master Zuo."
Zuo Ruotong's eyes held a hint of amusement as she spoke to herself:
"I heard from Shuiyun that among the four members of this year's House of Commons, there is one who is particularly interesting."
"He can't even manage half a vat of water or two bundles of firewood a day; he deserves to be called a cheat and sly."
"Yet such a person, without having obtained the cultivation method, can sit upright on the cliff for two hours every morning by simply imitating the actions of the disciples inside the sect, and is more diligent than the disciples who have already entered the sect."
"Li Cunzhen, what do you have to say about this?"