Mang Shusheng's Ink Painting Practice

Chapter 169 Internal Problems
There were indeed too many suspicious points in the great change a hundred years ago. The front-line troops did not resist, allowing the enemy to march straight into the capital. The capital was not even defended, allowing the enemy to march straight into the capital and capture the emperor.

This is a bit weird no matter how you look at it.

At least the Big Xu back then didn't look so weak!

Because after the capital fell, someone was able to turn the tide and organize a resistance force. Almost half of the army, which was composed of improvised militia, was able to regroup. You can imagine...

Liang Zhongzhi pondered and said, "There were indeed many doubts back then, but why did Junior Sister go to the Three Veins Conference to find the answers... Could it be?"

He stopped talking, and Huigu didn't continue.

Zhao Yifu speculated in his heart that at least someone in the Three Clans Conference would know something.

He asked, "Will Master Hui come with us?"

Hui Gu shook her head and said, "No, going with me will only bring you trouble. Someone is targeting me."

Liang Zhongzhi said calmly, "Then we must travel together... Junior Sister Hui, you just need to know that Danqingmen will always help you without hesitation."

He turned to Zhao Yifu and said, "Light a stick of incense to pay respect to the gods and use the incense to send a message to the Sect Leader."

Zhao Yifu was quite surprised when he heard this. He didn't expect that incense could be used in this way.

But think about it, it should only be useful for Yangshen masters like Qiu Yuzi. After all, when one reaches the Yangshen realm, he will feel something when someone in the mortal world mentions his name.

This incense is like a "signal amplifier", which can enhance Qiu Yuzi's sensitivity and even directly obtain clear information.

Zhao Yifu understood what he meant and immediately took out a stick of incense from his sleeve, lit it and muttered something.

He told Qiu Yuzi everything that happened here, and told him not to get caught... Now it seems that his ability to contact the ancestor directly is very valuable.

A moment later, Qiu Yuzi's Yang Spirit had already descended into this secret realm.

The aura of the powerful Yangshen was so strong that Huigu couldn't help but squint her eyes.

But what surprised her was that even with Yang Shen in front of them, the master and disciple remained calm and showed no fear at all.

"Meet Yangshen Zhenren."

Huigu clasped her fists and bowed, showing respect to the powerful one.

Qiu Yuzi also bowed in return and said, "My nephew, you are too kind. Your master and I are close friends. Our two families shouldn't be so estranged."

Hui Gu finally breathed a sigh of relief. She said solemnly, "Hui Gu was raised by Master since she was a child. She grew up listening to his stories. Naturally, she understands the friendship between Master Qiu Yuzi and Master. However, as a junior, etiquette cannot be abandoned."

Qiu Yuzi said gently, "My nephew is so thoughtful. Now why don't you wait for a moment until my disciples from Danqing Sect arrive and then we can go up Difei Mountain together?"

Hui Gu said, "That's fine."

She actually wanted to refuse, but considering that her cultivation was not high enough and she was alone, it would be too difficult to figure out what happened back then.

Anyway, Danqingmen was also one of the parties involved back then, so they are natural allies.

Qiu Yuzi nodded with satisfaction, looked at Liang Zhongzhi and Zhao Yifu and said, "You have done a great job. Our Danqing Sect has successors."

He smiled with relief and then disappeared from the spot.

Hui Gu blinked and suddenly said playfully, "I'd also like to congratulate Senior Brother Liang."

Liang Zhongzhi was slightly surprised and asked, "Where does the joy come from?"

Hui Gu said, "Judging from what Senior Uncle Qiuyu said, he might be planning to let Senior Brother take over the leadership of Danqing Sect."

Liang Zhongzhi smiled casually upon hearing this and said, "What's my business... The Sect Master doesn't have his eye on me, but on this child, Jun Xin."

Hui Gu was slightly startled but not surprised. She said, "But if I let my nephew become the head directly, I'm afraid the other brothers won't agree, right? So Brother Liang has to take over first..."

Liang Zhongzhi chuckled and said, "Junior sister, I don't understand. They won't have any objections."

Are you kidding? The name of "Ghost-Seeing" is not undeserved.

Now some of the old and young in the sect have begun to practice martial arts and the Shouren method with tears in their eyes, and they also have to learn "The True Numbers of the Universe"... A group of people are fully loaded with courses, just waiting for the new round of transfer orders from the court to go to the local area to make the "Exquisite Edition of Fish Scale Yellow Book".

Hui Gu didn't understand the logic here, but she just thought that Zhao Yi Fu had been recognized by everyone in Danqingmen.

She praised sincerely, "Indeed, Junior Brother Zhao is a rare and extraordinary genius."

Even when he was praising, his expression remained neither humble nor arrogant and he did not show any envy or jealousy towards his peers. This mentality alone surpassed many people.

At this time, Wu Zhong had already prepared supper, and he and Li Nuer served the meals to the three people respectively.

Hui Gu took the small serving tray from Li Nu'er with both hands and placed it in front of her. Then she looked at Li Nu'er and said, "Isn't this child born like this?"

Zhao Yifu nodded and said, "She was originally a disciple of the Five Poison Cave in Prison Mountain. At that time, the entire Five Poison Cave was corrupted by the inner demon. She was the only one who escaped to me, and by the time she came to me, most of her mind had already been controlled by the inner demon."

"So, I had no choice but to cut off and seal the part of her that was devoured by her inner demon. Now she's actually in much better shape than she was at the beginning."

After hearing this, Hui Gu couldn't help but touch Li Nu'er's head with heartache and said, "What a poor child."

She was silent for a long time before asking, "Can you tell me what that inner demon is about?"

Zhao Yifu looked over curiously, then nodded and said, "Okay."

Then he told the story of the monk without eyebrows and Prison Cell Mountain.

However, after listening silently, Huigu said with great melancholy, "So that's how it is. The Eye of Mara has never left this land."

Zhao Yifu asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

Hui Gu looked at Zhao Yifu and said, "My master's death is very similar to that of Master Tianjue of Jinjue Temple."

Zhao Yifu and Liang Zhongzhi were both shocked.

Liang Zhongzhi was also present at the time and heard about the old events at Jinjue Temple. He asked, "Could it be that Master Zhenyi has also been infected by the inner demon?"

Hui Gu nodded heavily and said, "Before my master decided to pass away, knowing he couldn't escape his inner demons, he told me: 'I didn't understand why someone would frame one of their own people, but now that my inner demons have grown and I can't eradicate them, I understand.'"

Zhao Yifu raised his eyebrows after hearing this. He silently turned his head to look in the direction of Difei Mountain... Is there something wrong there?

Not necessarily. If it’s a demon in your heart, problems could arise anywhere.

Originally in his mind, Mara was a 'good guy', but now he finally understood why practitioners kept their distance from Mara.

It seems that this trip to Difei Mountain is not destined to be smooth sailing.

Before he could say anything, Liang Zhongzhi clapped his hands and said, "In that case, we, the Danqing Sect, must be more proactive in our visit to Lung Mountain this time and actively communicate with the other two sects."

Zhao Yifu asked, "Master, why is this happening? Shouldn't we be more low-key?"

Liang Zhongzhi shook his head and said, "Keeping a low profile...is not in line with our Danqing Sect's previous style. Anyone with a discerning eye will know that there is something wrong here."

Hui Gu thought for a moment and nodded, "Indeed, Master said that Danqing Sect is a worldly sect and is often not tolerated by the other two sects."

"Therefore, every time the Danqing Sect communicates, they will deliberately show it, so that people can see the Danqing Sect's progress."

"But because Danqing Sect is a cultural tradition, its path is completely different from everyone else's, so often no one responds to it."

Zhao Yifu suddenly had a picture in his mind.

Danqingmen dressed up as a scholar, and during the Three Veins Exchange Conference, he wrote poems and painted as if showing off his skills, but no one applauded...

This scene is really embarrassing.

Liang Zhongzhi also covered half of his face and said, "After hearing what you said, Junior Sister, I really feel ashamed."

Hui Gu quickly consoled him, "Brother, isn't your 'Book Sword' skill truly formidable? Using your fingers as a pen to write sword moves is something I've never heard of before."

Liang Zhongzhi said: "That is the 'Immortal Fate Book and Sword', it is..."

Zhao Yifu interrupted, "Indeed, Master can use this book and sword to test his skills against those Sword Sect masters."

Liang Zhongzhi understood without saying much. This 'Book and Sword of Immortality' was actually the manifestation of the ancestor in the map of summoning gods, which was equivalent to the ancestor directly passing on the Dharma.

Even if you want to tell this story, you have to choose a suitable time, otherwise it may cause unnecessary trouble.

He agreed, "Okay, I will be responsible for consulting with the Sword Sect's senior brothers."

"But the Chunyang Sect is ultimately based on the Dao of Alchemy..."

Upon hearing this, Hui Gu pondered and said, "I do know a little bit about alchemy. Perhaps I can use the name of Danqing Sect to contact those younger generations of Danding Veins and learn from them."

"I understand what you mean, Senior Brother. If there really is someone suffering from a demon hidden within, perhaps we can discover clues through this kind of communication."

Liang Zhongzhi shook his head after hearing this and said, "No, although we have female disciples in Danqing Sect, a female disciple who is so smart and outstanding is still too conspicuous here."

To be frank, Danqing Sect is a sect of scholars. Although they don't deliberately select female disciples, women cannot become officials, and they are destined to have few future prospects in such a sect.

Liang Zhongzhi looked at Zhao Yifu and said, "Jun Xin, I remember that you also have some good insights in the Dao of Alchemy. I wonder..."

Zhao Yifu immediately understood and realized that this was his mission.

He said, "Don't worry, Master. I will start studying the knowledge of the Dao of Alchemy right now. It should be enough for me to discuss Dao with my peers in the Dao of Alchemy."

He was being modest, after all, he could still light up his 'talent for alchemy'.

He looked at the positive and spiritual energy in his own letter seal. His good pen pal had contributed a lot to him recently... Those cat paintings were really worth it.

Although it is a bit like giving the portrait of one's own "concubine" to others for viewing, it can really earn you yang and spiritual energy.

However, Hui Gu was clearly not entirely reassured. She hesitantly asked, "Nephew, have you never studied the Dao of Alchemy before?"

Zhao Yifu scratched his head and said, "I only studied it for a while when I was practicing the Pure Yang Seeking Dao Sutra, but later on, as things got more complicated, I gradually let it go."

My goodness, in Huigu's eyes, this is simply the level of an 'amateur'.

She said helplessly, "Well, I will discuss this with you during this time."

"Also, you come from a wealthy family, right?"

Without needing him to answer, Wu Zhong said with great pride: "Zhao's Shenhe Villa is the best villa in Mozhou!"

Hui Gu nodded and said, "If that's the case, I will pretend to be your maid while we're at Difei Mountain. It's just right that I can form a pair with Li Nu'er and stand by your side."

"I'll just dress up a little and cover it up, so it won't be too awkward." Zhao Yifu quickly declined, "Isn't that a bad idea?"

Hui Gu said calmly, "Unusual times call for extraordinary measures. How can cultivators like us have such a high standard? As for you, don't let your true colors show when the time comes."

Having said that, Zhao Yifu said no more.

It's just a true-to-life performance, so what?

At this time, everyone chatted all night, and the unlucky child Xu Ada slowly woke up.

When the child woke up, he knelt down and kowtowed three times to Hui Gu, and then kowtowed to Zhao Yi Fu as well.

After he kowtowed to Zhao Yifu, he went to kowtow to Liang Zhongzhi, and then to Huigu... In short, he kept doing these movements mechanically and couldn't stop.

Seeing this, Zhao Yifu reached out and pressed his shoulder, saying, "That's enough. I already understand your intentions."

"But your enemies are all dead, so there's really no need to do this."

However, Xu Ada said with a determined look, "As long as the Liaohu people are not destroyed, I will not be able to face my dead fellow villagers."

Upon hearing this, Hui Gu sighed, "Your desire for revenge is so strong that I'm afraid you won't be able to learn the Pure Yang Alchemy Dao from me."

Liang Zhongzhi asked in surprise, "Could it be that Junior Sister still wants to accept a disciple?"

Hui Gu said, "Just now he was willing to die with me. This is fate."

Liang Zhongzhi nodded and said, "In that case... I can teach him to read and write, and take the imperial examinations to become an official and become a prominent figure in the Great Xu Dynasty."

Unexpectedly, Xu Ada said with a firm look: "No, Ada just wants revenge. Please teach me the art of revenge!"

Liang Zhongzhi shook his head helplessly and said, "It seems... Jun Xin, this child can only be left to you to take care of."

Xu Ada looked at Zhao Yifu expectantly. Indeed, in his heart, Zhao Yifu, who slaughtered all Liao Guobing, was his only real choice.

He wants revenge and must follow someone who can give him the power to take revenge.

Zhao Yifu hesitated slightly, then said, "You are so eager for revenge. This kind of mentality is not suitable for cultivation."

Xu Ada showed a look of disappointment.

But Zhao Yifu then said, "All I can do is teach you martial arts, military strategy, and battle formations."

"What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Ada opened his eyes wide, kowtowed again in surprise, and said, "Yes, Ada is willing to follow you, sir!"

Zhao Yifu patted his shoulder and said, "Get up."

Huigu wanted to say something but stopped herself.

Zhao Yifu bowed quickly and asked, "Master Hui, do you have any advice for me?"

She sighed and said, "This child is destined to be with me after all. I just want to confirm whether you can really teach him?"

I guess what she wanted to ask was whether Zhao Yifu could really teach him well?
Liang Zhongzhi spoke up for his disciple first, "Junior Sister Hui, you may not know this, but my disciple comes from a martial arts family. He is a peerless master in the martial arts world. Teaching him secular martial arts is no problem."

"He was also a student of the incoming Xiangzhou prefect, Zhou Su, and received all his military skills from him."

"As for the art of fighting on the battlefield... you probably don't know. He was recently summoned by the underworld to participate in the conquest of the underworld."

Hui Gu was stunned by what she heard. She couldn't help but mutter, "Is this... Junior Brother Zhao really a disciple of Danqing Sect?"

This silenced Liang Zhongzhi.

The apprentices he taught are like this, so we can only blame him?
Zhao Yifu asked Wu Zhong to take Xu Ada away and said, "Uncle Wu, you should take care of this child first to help him build up his foundation. Give him Dragon Bone Pills in the morning and Yiqi Pills in the evening. Make sure he gets his body in good shape first."

Wu Zhong responded enthusiastically, "Okay, young master, I'll leave this matter to this old servant."

Xu Ah Da knelt down and kowtowed again, saying, "Thank you, Master."

Zhao Yifu waved his hand and said, "You don't have to call me Master. You won't be able to learn much from me. Perhaps after you have your revenge, you can ask your heart what it wants."

Xu Ada didn't understand, but he understood that Zhao Yifu was unwilling to accept him, so he kept kowtowing.

Seeing this, Hui Gu could only advise: "Ada, it's not that Zhao Junxin is unwilling to accept you, but that you haven't met his requirements yet."

Xu Ada finally stopped and asked with a red forehead and red eyes: "Then how can Ada meet the requirements?"

"This……"

Hui Gu didn't know what to say for a moment. After all, Xu Ada was full of revenge at the moment, and he probably wouldn't listen to anything she said.

But Zhao Yifu had a solution at this time. He said, "It took me nearly ten years to get my master to recognize me. So how do you think you can get me to recognize you?"

Xu Ada finally understood what was going on and said with all his strength, "I'll start practicing now!"

Zhao Yifu waved his hand, and Wu Zhong tactfully took him away.

Seeing this, Liang Zhongzhi said helplessly, "It seems we have to expand the space in the carriage and prepare a training room for this kid."

"By the way, Junxin, do you still have the calligraphy book you used as a child with you? This child has no basic skills, so we need to teach him from the beginning... At least he needs to be able to read and write."

At this time, Liang Zhongzhi was like a kind old grandfather.

Zhao Yifu looked helplessly at his master, whose thoughts had wandered off to some unknown direction, and said, "Master, we still need to observe how this child develops."

Liang Zhongzhi said: "This child has already demonstrated his character in that situation at that time."

"The fact that he didn't abandon Junior Sister Hui and run away like the other children already proves that he is loyal and brave enough. Just this alone is enough to make him a good person."

"As for other aspects, they are secondary."

"I believe that if we treat him with sincerity, he will be able to return the favor. This will make him a qualified disciple... As a teacher, why should we force our disciples to succeed?"

These words came from the heart and were based on Liang Zhongzhi's experience in teaching and educating people over the years.

Zhao Yifu listened attentively and was deeply moved. He bowed and said, "Master, I thank you for your guidance and guidance."

As Huigu watched, her eyes began to turn red, perhaps because she was thinking of her master.

She said, "I originally only knew that Senior Brother Liang called himself the Crazy Taoist and was a talented and unconventional person. I didn't expect that after meeting him today, I realized that I had only heard it from others."

In Huigu's eyes, Liang Zhongzhi at this time was simply a great educator, thinker, and teacher. How could he be a crazy Taoist at all?
Liang Zhongzhi smiled and said, "The rumors you heard are correct, Junior Sister. I was indeed very absurd in my early years... but now is not the same as it used to be."

Zhao Yifu looked at Liang Zhongzhi with reverence. This master really fulfilled all his fantasies about a teacher.

At this moment, Liang Zhongzhi felt extremely proud, and his emotional value was completely maxed out!
I have to say that this master and disciple have a mutually beneficial relationship.

Huigu was extremely envious.

But after all, he had just experienced a tough battle, so he could only take his leave temporarily to rest and recuperate.

At this time, only the master and apprentice Zhao Yifu and Liang Zhongzhi were left by the campfire, and they could talk about other things.

"Jun Xin, this time I will be discussing the Dao of the Sword with the Sword Clan. I want you to ask me if I can take this opportunity to pass on the 'Book and Sword of Immortal Fate' to the Sword Clan?"

Zhao Yifu suddenly realized that Liang Zhongzhi was considering the favor of the sword vein when it helped him.

He said, "Okay, I'll ask..."

Before he could finish his words, he heard a voice from the Summoning God Diagram: [No need to ask for instructions. I just left a note. If your master can comprehend the sword technique from it, it is his good fortune. He can do whatever he wants with it.]

Zhao Yifu's heart moved when he heard this, and he asked, "What about the 'Fire Dragon Sword' you passed on to me?"

Grandmaster Fuyou: [I specifically taught you that sword technique. Without a solid foundation, it would be difficult to perform. Therefore, it's fine if you want to teach it to others, but you must be cautious and test their physical condition.]

Zhao Yifu immediately understood that the 'Fire Dragon Sword' was actually a 'genius sword technique', which was tailor-made for a specific group of people.

But since the master had given his permission, he raised his head and nodded to Liang Zhongzhi.

Liang Zhongzhi's brows relaxed when he saw this. He said, "Back then, the two sword sects also devoted all their efforts to protect us. This sword technique is nothing, but it can at least give something back."

Zhao Yifu also nodded worriedly.

Indeed, their Danqing Sect is too secular, and there is very little they can do to help the other two sects in terms of cultivation.

It seems that in this Three-Mainland Exchange Conference, Danqingmen will have to take a correct attitude and stand like a minion.

But the problem is, in this situation, we still have to help Zhenyidao check whether there are people in the sect who are infected with inner demons... It is really difficult.

Forget it, let the master and the others worry about this kind of things.

The master and the disciple temporarily put aside these worries and started chatting about all sorts of things by the campfire.

Two hours later, when Hui Gu finished her breathing exercises and emerged from the carriage, she was curious about what the master and disciple were talking about...

Then she heard:

Zhao Yifu: "Master, I think the ice lotus under my feet should have a few more petals. It will look better with more petals."

Liang Zhongzhi: "Too much light is useless. You have to remember to be beautiful. Have you practiced painting for so many years in vain?"

Zhao Yifu: "Master, that's true, but wouldn't it look better with more petals?"

Liang Zhongzhi: "That should also be based on the beauty of the shape."

Zhao Yifu said, "Okay, Master, what you said makes sense. Then, in our 'Ice Lotus Magical Technique', we can use the beauty of the petals as the standard for qualified practitioners, and then use the number of petals as the level of cultivation?"

Liang Zhongzhi: "Not bad, not bad..."

Hui Gu looked at the two men who seemed to be discussing some very childish topic and couldn't help but cough dryly.

The master and disciple paused in their engrossed discussion. Liang Zhongzhi asked with concern, "Junior sister, have you adjusted your breathing?"

Hui Gu nodded, then asked, "What were Senior Brother and Junior Nephew talking about just now?"

Liang Zhongzhi smiled brightly and said, "Oh, we are researching a wonderful method together. It is not yet complete. When it is completed, I can ask Junior Sister to appreciate it."

Hui Gu's expression was a little dull. She actually wanted to say "No need", but she didn't say it for the sake of the two people's face... This time she finally understood why the people from the other two factions couldn't play together with the people from Danqing Sect.

(End of this chapter)