Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 6 Apprenticeship
As the sun rises, the thin mist gradually dissipates.

At the beginning of the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), Shen Yuan woke up and called out to the two little ones.

After eating a quick bite, Hu Yufen personally dressed the two little ones and tidied them up before instructing them, "Don't be naughty at the teacher's house. Have you remembered all the manners your mother taught you?"

The two nodded: "Don't worry, Mother, we've remembered."

Shen Yuan, who was standing to the side, then spoke up: "Alright, it's time to go."

The agreed time with Lu Zhiyuan was the end of Mao Shi (5-7 AM), and it's almost time now; it's time to set off.

Carrying the salted meat prepared yesterday as a gift, Shen Yuan took the two little ones and went out.

Hu Yufen personally saw the three men off at the door, watching them disappear into the alleyway.

Lu Zhiyuan prefers quiet, and his small courtyard is located outside Jinliu Village, near a stream.

Shen Yuan led his two sons along the country path and soon arrived at the small courtyard.

The road in front of the gate is paved with blue bricks, and there are two peach trees laden with fruit at the entrance.

When Shen Yuan arrived, the mute man was sweeping the fallen leaves in front of the door.

"The mute old man."

Shen Yuan cupped his hands in greeting, and the two little ones followed suit, cupping their hands slightly in greeting to the mute old man.

"Eek..."

The mute man smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, then quickly put the broom aside, straightened his clothes, and led the three into the courtyard.

Lu Zhiyuan has been living in Jinliu Village for more than five years, and Shen Yuan estimates that he is the first outsider to enter this small courtyard.

This is a two-courtyard house with white walls and black tiles. Several bamboo stalks are planted near the entrance screen, lush and verdant.

The corner archway leads to the inner courtyard. After entering, there are several orchids planted on the left side of the straight bluestone path, and the rockery against the wall and the courtyard wall are covered with vines.

An exquisite pavilion stands beside the artificial hill, cleverly creating a sense of layering.

On the right are several neatly tended vegetable plots.

"Uh~"

Leading Shen Yuan into the courtyard, the mute man pointed to Lu Zhiyuan, who was holding a book in the pavilion, indicating that they should go over there themselves.

Shen Yuan cupped his hands in greeting and then led Shi Tou and Anu toward the pavilion.

"Sir." He bowed respectfully as he approached the pavilion, and the two little ones also bowed respectfully, though somewhat reservedly.

Lu Zhiyuan put down the book in his hand, stood up, clasped his hands in greeting, and then looked at the two little ones.

Shen Yuan remained silent, simply observing the expression on his face.

"I would like to have a private talk with these two children."

After looking him over, Lu Zhiyuan spoke with a smile.

Shen Yuan was slightly taken aback, then tactfully cupped his hands in greeting and left the pavilion.

Inside the pavilion, Lu Zhiyuan looked at his eldest brother, Shen Wenxing, and asked, "Why do you want to become my disciple?"

Shen Wenxing hesitated for a moment, then respectfully cupped his hands and said, "My mother said that the tutor is a great Confucian scholar from the Imperial Academy..."

At this point in his speech, a hint of disappointment appeared on Lu Zhiyuan's face.

He then turned to Shen Wenyan and said, "Tell me, why do you want to become my disciple?"

The little guy tilted his head back and replied, "The Master is the most learned person in the world. If you become the Master's student and study hard, you can learn a lot of things."

Lu Zhiyuan asked in surprise, "What do you want to know?"

The little boy's eyes lit up at this, and he was about to speak when he whispered, "Mother said I can't be rude in front of the teacher, I..."

Lu Zhiyuan smiled, stroking his beard, and said, "Ask away."

"Really?" The little guy excitedly raised his head.

Lu Zhiyuan smiled kindly and said, "Go ahead and ask."

Upon seeing this, Shen Wenyan immediately forgot the etiquette his mother had taught him and stepped forward, asking, "Master, are there rivers, lakes, and seas in the heavens?"

Lu Zhiyuan was slightly taken aback and shook his head, saying, "No."

"Where does the rain come from?"

Lu Zhiyuan chuckled and said, "They came from the clouds."

"And where do those clouds come from?"

This question stumped Lu Zhiyuan.

Seeing his younger brother's tricky questions stump the teacher, Shen Wenxing quickly bowed and said, "Teacher, please forgive me, Anu..."

"No problem, no problem." Lu Zhiyuan chuckled. "Any other questions?"

Shen Wenyan tilted his head and said, "Rain falls and becomes water, so why does water flow to lower places?"

Lu Zhiyuan stroked his beard and said, "Water flows into all rivers, and all rivers flow into the sea, because the sea is the lowest point." Shen Wenyan asked curiously, "What is the sea?"

Anyang County is located in the western part of Dayu. The largest river he had ever seen was the Laishui River, and he had no idea what the sea was.

Lu Zhiyuan chuckled and said, "The sea is the most vast body of water, boundless and limitless."

Shen Wenyan seemed to be thinking about something, then nodded his little head and said, "Then the sea is the smartest water."

Lu Zhiyuan asked in confusion, "Why?"

"Because the sea knows to stay at the lowest point, so that all the water flows to it, it grows the largest!" Shen Wenyan grinned.

Upon hearing this answer, Lu Zhiyuan showed a hint of surprise on his face, and a ripple of emotion stirred within him.

"The ocean is vast because it embraces all rivers" is a principle he has come to understand after spending most of his life. He never expected that a child would say such a surprising thing today, expressing this principle in the simplest of words.

"Hahaha……"

Lu Zhiyuan laughed, and his laughter was very loud.

This attracted the attention of the mute man and Shen Yuan, who were tending to their vegetable garden not far away.

The two stood up and looked curiously at Lu Zhiyuan, who was laughing heartily in the pavilion.

“Go and summon your father.”

Lu Zhiyuan stopped smiling and looked at Shen Wenxing beside him.

Shen Wenxing cupped his hands and hurried to Shen Yuan's side: "Father, the teacher wants you to come over."

Shen Yuan patted the dirt off his hands and hurried to the pavilion.

"Young Brother Shen, please accept my bow."

Upon seeing Shen Yuan, Lu Zhiyuan straightened his sleeves and bowed with his hands clasped.

This scene left Shen Yuan completely bewildered. He quickly stepped aside and returned the greeting, asking, "Why is this, sir?"

Lu Zhiyuan straightened up, looked at Shen Wenyan beside him with satisfaction, and sighed, "I started my studies at the age of three, and by the age of six I was already well-versed in the classics, histories, philosophical works, and literary collections. At the age of twelve, I passed the imperial examination and entered the Imperial Academy upon reaching adulthood."

"After that, he traveled all over the world, seeking out famous scholars and great Confucianists. By the time he was in his forties, he boasted that he was well-versed in all the knowledge in the world."

"I wasted twenty years at the Imperial Academy in the prefecture, and five years ago I resigned and came here, hoping to comprehend a kind of knowledge that surpasses that of the sages, but I have never been able to find the way."

"Only by delving into the principles can one gain profound knowledge; only by observing oneself can one realize one's own insignificance."

"Alas! Life has an end and cannot be defied. All the scholars in the world are mediocre and none can meet my standards."

Lu Zhiyuan stood proudly with his hands behind his back, his voice firm and resolute.

At this moment, the image of a scholar's unyielding integrity is fully displayed.

After a moment of reflection, he composed himself, then reached out and patted Shen Wenyan's head affectionately, saying, "This boy came seeking knowledge, and his thirst for knowledge is something I greatly admire."

"I bow to you because you have brought me a prized disciple."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan was slightly taken aback, then quickly realized what was happening and looked at Shen Wenyan, saying, "Anu, why don't you kowtow and pay your respects?"

Shen Wenyan belatedly realized what was happening and hurriedly bowed his head and knelt down, performing a deep bow and saying, "This student greets the Master."

Lu Zhiyuan accepted it calmly, then chuckled and helped him up.

"Good good..."

"From this day forward, you will be my last student."

"I will impart all my knowledge to you, hoping that you will surpass me and reach heights that I have never been able to achieve."

"Go back first. You can come directly tomorrow at the beginning of the morning."

The father and his two sons bowed respectfully and then left the courtyard, personally escorted by Lu Zhiyuan.

On his way home, Shen Wenxing was feeling down.

The teacher only told his younger brother to come tomorrow, without mentioning his name at all. It was clear that he had only agreed to take his younger brother as a student and had not taken a liking to him.

Seeing this, Shen Yuan patted his head and said, "Everyone has their own path to follow."

"If studying doesn't work, we can still learn martial arts. I'll go to town tomorrow to ask."

Shen Wenxing smiled upon hearing this.

He didn't really enjoy reading and doing academic research, and when Lu Zhiyuan asked him just now, he didn't know how to answer.

He was quite excited when the topic of learning martial arts came up.

"Father, I will definitely practice martial arts hard and join the army to become a great general in the future!" Shen Wenxing's young face was full of seriousness.

Shen Yuan smiled and ruffled his hair without saying a word.

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(End of this chapter)