People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 78, Becoming an Apprentice of He Guanzi, the Secret of Liezi's Relics
Xu Qing, who was leisurely drinking tea and reading bamboo slips in the teahouse, had no idea what he was about to face. At this moment, he was already immersed in the bamboo slips.

The sound of the door being pushed open rang out, and Xu Qing put down the bamboo slips to look at them.

The waiter led the man in a pheasant-feathered hat into the teahouse.

"Imperial Physician, your guest has arrived," the waiter said with a smile.

Xu Qing quickly got up and went forward, and the waiter tactfully closed the door and left.

He Guanzi stroked his beard and looked at Xu Qing with a smile. Just as he had predicted, once Xu Qing knew who he was, he would definitely come to become his disciple.

"Disciple Xu Qing greets Master!"

Xu Qing immediately performed the formal master-disciple ceremony, kneeling before He Guanzi.

Seeing Xu Qing suddenly kneel down, He Guanzi was first taken aback, then his face lit up with a smile.

As expected of the disciple he chose, every move he makes is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people, and he follows his heart so well, not caring about worldly etiquette. He is very suitable for their Taoist Heavenly Sect.

"My good disciple."

He Guanzi stepped forward and helped Xu Qing up. The two exchanged a smile.

Their purpose was very clear, and neither of them cared about worldly etiquette. One asked to become the disciple, and the other agreed, and the master-disciple relationship was thus established.

"Please sit down, teacher. I was blind before and could not recognize your true appearance. I almost mistook you for a charlatan. Please do not take offense."

Xu Qing made no attempt to conceal his opinion and directly stated his previous views, then presented a cup of hot tea to He Guanzi.

Seeing Xu Qing's sincerity, He Guanzi looked at Xu Qing with increasing satisfaction. In the cultivation of the Heavenly Sect, having a sincere heart is of paramount importance.

"You can't be blamed for this. You're in the imperial court, so you have to be careful and think things through before acting. If your senior brother had been six-tenths as cautious as you when he was young, he wouldn't have gone astray and accomplished nothing."

He Guanzi seemed to be thinking of some past events, and his words were inevitably tinged with sadness.

"Senior brother?" Xu Qing asked in confusion.

“Your senior brother was a disciple I took in when I was young. I had hoped that he would inherit my mantle, but alas…” He Guanzi shook his head slightly.

"And what about Senior Brother now?" Xu Qing asked curiously.

Seeing He Guanzi's expression, he felt that his senior brother's fate was somewhat unsatisfactory.

“He is now a general of the Zhao state,” He Guanzi said with a look of regret.

“General Pang Nuan of Zhao is my senior brother!?” Xu Qing stared wide-eyed at He Guanzi.

No, he twice controlled the Zhao army, and after returning to power at the age of eighty, he first destroyed the Yan general Ju Xin, and then united five states to attack Qin, reaching Zuicheng outside Xianyang. So you say that your people went astray and accomplished nothing?
Seeing the regret and pity on He Guanzi's face, Xu Qing suddenly felt like he had been shown up in front of everyone.

However, he also realized that his teacher was not the rigid, sage type, and his nervousness gradually dissipated.

“That’s right, he’s also your only senior brother,” He Guanzi nodded and said.

Looking at He Guanzi, who seemed "humble" but was actually "showing off," Xu Qing felt that he had made the right choice in becoming his apprentice. Now he had another way out.
Currently, among the three Jin states, Zhao is the most powerful, while Han is the least powerful. If he were to encounter any trouble, his senior brother, the great general of Zhao, could surely protect him.

"Teacher, you..." Xu Qing didn't know how to reply for a moment.

He Guanzi changed the subject, his expression returning to normal as he spoke.
"Let's talk about your problem."

Xu Qing straightened up and waited attentively for He Guanzi to speak.

“I was living in seclusion in the State of Chu. On a whim, I observed the celestial phenomena at night and, after calculation, discovered that you have an inextricable connection with my Taoist Heavenly Sect.”

"Later, when I came to Xinzheng, I never expected that you would receive the inheritance of the ancient sage Liezi."

"Now that you have received the teachings of Liezi, I will guide you into the Heavenly Sect and pass on its teachings to you, so as to make up for your deficiency of focusing on skills rather than the Dao."

He Guanzi also explained why he had taken Xu Qing in as a disciple. Since Xu Qing was open and honest with him, he naturally wouldn't hold back either.

However, there are some things that Xu Qing is not qualified to know right now. Otherwise, given Xu Qing's current strength, he would be in grave danger once he leaves Xu Qing.

Xu Qing nodded, and with He Guanzi's words, he was completely at ease.

He believed that a highly accomplished person like He Guanzi would not stoop to deceiving him.

"Thank you, teacher. How can I resolve the flaws in my cultivation technique?" Xu Qing asked.

“You will be working at the Imperial Medical Academy on weekdays. After you finish your work each day, come to the teahouse and I will give you a lecture,” He Guanzi said.

"Okay." Xu Qing nodded and continued.

"I have one more question for you, Master."

"What is it?" He Guanzi looked at Xu Qing with suspicion, wondering if Xu Qing had discovered the truth about the Shenque acupoint problem.
Xu Qing took out a box from his medicine chest, opened it to reveal the six rubies among Liezi's relics.

"This is what I obtained when I helped the Grand Master of the Mohist School heal his injuries. It is a relic of Liezi that the Mohist School seized from the Yin-Yang School. I have studied it for many days, but I have been unable to decipher its mysteries."

Xu Qing presented the gemstone to He Guanzi, having already become He Guanzi's disciple, thus making him a member of the Heavenly Sect.

It's only right to bring out this thing that originally belonged to the Heavenly Sect, since he himself couldn't fathom its mysteries anyway.

He Guanzi held the gemstone in his hand and examined it carefully. His face showed a thoughtful expression, and he nodded repeatedly.

"So that's what it is. No wonder the Yin-Yang School sent five elders. It makes sense."

"Does the teacher know what this is?" Xu Qing asked.

"Do you know that Liezi once lived in seclusion in the state of Zheng for decades, and only after attaining the Dao of Noble Emptiness did he emerge to spread his teachings?" He Guanzi asked.

"Yes, I have heard of it," Xu Qing nodded. "When Liezi lived in seclusion in the state of Zheng, he was already struggling to survive, let alone spread his teachings."

"Fortunately, he had a good friend, the physician Bian Que (Qin Yueren), who obtained a sum of money from Zheng Gong by treating him."

Hearing He Guanzi's words, Xu Qing suddenly realized that he had seen this matter at the beginning of Changqing Gong. In order to obtain this wealth, Bian Que gave Changqing Gong to Zheng Gong.

"And this gemstone was the most valuable item in this fortune. Liezi, grateful for Bian Que's friendship, regarded this gemstone as a token of the Guixu School's legacy."

"Although the Guixu School has declined, there are still some successors, and there are also classic relics unique to the Guixu School on Mount Taiyi."

"Whoever obtains this gemstone will have received the inheritance of the Noble Void teachings."

With He Guanzi's explanation, Xu Qing finally understood the cause and effect, and also knew why the Yin Yang School risked their lives to retrieve Liezi's relics.

"Therefore, the Yin-Yang School's goal is the classic relics of the Guixu School on Mount Taiyi."

The Yin-Yang School coveted classic relics of the philosophy of valuing emptiness, but dared not go to Mount Taiyi to steal them.

They had no choice but to find another way, planning to use this gem to create a successor to Liezi, and in doing so, demand the classics.

The fact that Liezi's disciples belonged to the Yin-Yang school rather than the Heavenly School indicates that the study of emptiness and the Heavenly School were not related.

This reason might not work for other sects, but the people of the Heavenly Sect who cultivate immortality and seek the Dao really fall for it.

“Do you have any other questions? If not, I will begin to expound the scriptures for you,” said He Guanzi.

"Is it really that urgent, teacher?" Xu Qing asked.

“A strong wind doesn’t last all morning, nor does a sudden rain last all day. I won’t be staying in Xinzheng for long. You just need to be diligent,” He Guanzi said.

He doesn't have much time left, and he can't afford to waste a single moment.

Xu Qing's fate was unusual, and he couldn't see through it, but he knew that this kid would inevitably have to deal with various schools of thought.

Xu Qing once studied Confucianism, is now a physician, and has close ties with the Mohist school. It's only because these three schools haven't recognized Xu Qing's value that they've tried so hard to recruit him into their own sects.

He must strike first to lay a Taoist foundation for Xu Qing. By the time other sects realize what's happening, Xu Qing will already be a part of their Taoist Heavenly Sect.

"it is good."

His teacher was so dedicated and responsible, so he, as a disciple, had no complaints, especially since it was all to solve the shortcomings of his cultivation method.

He Guanzi took out two bamboo scrolls from his wide sleeves and placed them in front of Xu Qing.

"Today, your teacher will tell you about the Qi of Heaven and Earth."

"With one comes spirit, with spirit comes intention, with intention comes plan, with plan comes name, with name comes form, with form comes event, with event comes agreement. When agreement is made, seasons arise, when seasons are established, things come into being."

As He Guanzi explained, Xu Qing listened attentively and gradually became immersed in it, vaguely sensing that something within her had changed.

Half an hour later, He Guanzi stopped explaining.

"Do you still have any questions?" He Guanzi asked, looking at Xu Qing who was deep in thought.

He had taken in Xu Qing's expression as he listened to the lecture. He was very pleased that Xu Qing could immerse himself in such profound classics and even draw inferences from one instance to another.

After pondering for a moment, Xu Qing spoke.

"Teacher, what you're talking about doesn't seem to be the way of valuing emptiness, does it?"

Before he could finish speaking, He Guanzi tapped Xu Qing on the head, looking at him with exasperation.

"The great paths may differ, but they all lead to the same destination, and all things can be understood by analogy. The Way of Noble Emptiness is wondrous beyond words. I will first lay a foundation for you, so that you may make achievements in the Way of Noble Emptiness."

"Is that right?"

Xu Qing looked at He Guanzi with a puzzled expression. He felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

He always felt that the Dao spoken of by He Guanzi was somewhat different from the Dao of Valuing Emptiness spoken of by Liezi.

"Would I lie to you?" He Guanzi asked.

"It is because I have misunderstood, and I beg you to punish me, Master," Xu Qing said.

He also believed that He Guanzi would not lie to him. He Guanzi was the previous leader of the Heavenly Sect, while he was just a novice who had not even learned the basics. He must have misunderstood.

"Take a look at the bamboo slips yourself and review my explanation just now."

"Yes."

He Guanzi got up and left the room. As he closed the door, he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Xu Qing start looking at the bamboo slips he had taken out.

"Fortunately, he didn't give himself away. This kid's comprehension is truly remarkable. He actually managed to get the basics of the Dao of Noble Emptiness through self-study."

What he told Xu Qing was not the Dao of Noble Emptiness, but his own concept of the unity of heaven and man and the Huang-Lao legal and disciplinary methods.

He was looking for a successor for himself, not cultivating a leader for the Guixu school of thought.

Besides, he himself doesn't even know the doctrine of Guixu, so how can he teach Xu Qing?

"Luckily, I managed to fool him. Young people these days are so hard to fool. Pang Nuan is much more lovable; he was easily fooled."

He Guanzi was filled with mixed emotions, but he was also worried that Xu Qing might actually turn into a traitor and beat him up after learning the truth, since Pang Nuan almost did that back then.

"Never mind, by the time this kid realizes what's going on, the Dao root will already belong to my faction. Whether I'll still be alive then is another matter."

(End of this chapter)