Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 184 Meeting Xiang Yan: A Test from the Military Strategist

"Sir, there is someone outside who wants to see you."

The next day, as the sun rose, the shop assistants came to the door.

Upon hearing the other party's words, Xiu Yuan frowned. Indeed, a lot had happened in Shouying City yesterday, but why would the other party come to him?
"who is it?"

Xiu Yuan looked at the shopkeeper in front of him and asked a question casually.

The waiter gave an awkward smile; the newcomer hadn't introduced himself, and he had no idea who the other person was.

"This"

After thinking for a moment, the man spoke again: "It was a man, extremely strong and muscular. He didn't introduce himself, only sending me to deliver his message. But in my opinion, that gentleman is probably a soldier."

The inn has an obligation to ensure the safety of its guests. Although the waiter came to run errands, he did not want to offend the young guest in front of him, so he briefly described the guest's appearance and made some guesses about his identity.

"Someone from the military?"

Xiu Yuan seemed to remember something and shook his head inwardly. Come to think of it, he was being a bit too sensitive. He had just arrived in Shouying City and didn't know anyone. Naturally, no one knew him. How could someone come looking for him so quickly? The people who came looking for him this morning were probably Xiang Quan and his group.

"It must be Xiang Quan. I'll go check what's going on."

Xiu Yuan used his Heavenly Melody to inform the two girls inside the room before turning and leaving with the waiter.

Upon hearing Xiu Yuan's words, Yan Ling Ji blinked twice, somewhat surprised.

If she wasn't mistaken, Xiang Quan was a member of the Xiang clan, whose status in the Chu state was almost that of someone second only to the emperor.

Through their conversation last night, she already knew that the two of them had only arrived in Shouying yesterday. How could they know the Xiang family in just one night? And judging from what the young man said, the silver-haired girl next to her also seemed to know the man named Xiang Quan.

"Master Xiaomeng."

Seeing Yan Lingji looking over, Xiaomeng immediately guessed what the other was thinking. After thinking for a moment, she explained, "We met on the way to Shouying. Last night, my senior brother said that we were assassinated by the Fierce Tiger Legion on the way here. At that time, we were with the Xiang Clan."

Upon hearing this, a strange look flashed across Yan Lingji's brows, as if she had missed quite a few interesting things.

"You...made your move?"

Xiaomeng nodded.

Xiu Yuan made his move as soon as the first wave of people appeared.

Seeing Xiaomeng's reaction, Yan Lingji's eyes suddenly became a little strange. The Taoist Tianzong's techniques are very distinctive, like the world losing its color. In the martial arts world, anyone with some experience can guess what's going on.

This time, the Xiang clan came knocking on their door, probably because they had already guessed their identities. Xiang Quan might not know about the Taoist Heavenly Sect, but General Xiang Yan certainly did.

"It seems they already know who you two are."

Yan Lingji sighed softly. To be honest, sometimes she envied those who had a powerful backer, like Xiu Yuan and Xiao Meng. If the two of them caused a great disaster in the martial arts world, those people in the martial arts world would give Tianzong some face, and even the major powers of various countries would give Tianzong some face.

There's no other reason than that the Taoist Heavenly Sect has a true Grandmaster in charge, and such a person is not someone that just anyone can afford to offend.

Of course, this statement may not apply to that boy now, but it works very well for the little girl next to him. After she reveals her identity as a disciple of the Taoist Heavenly Sect, the trouble may be reduced a lot.

Downstairs, a man saw Xiu Yuan, a hint of joy flashing in his eyes, and then he quickly walked up to him.

"Master, did you rest well last night?"

Upon seeing the newcomer, a knowing glint flashed in Xiu Yuan's eyes. His earlier guess was correct; the newcomer was indeed from the Xiang clan, and it was Xiang Quan himself.

Hearing what the other person said, Xiu Yuan shook his head. The entire city of Shouying was shaking violently last night; it would be a miracle if he could get a good rest.

"not too good."

Xiang Quan was taken aback, then seemed to remember something, and he awkwardly scratched his hair.

Others might not know what happened last night, but as a member of the Xiang clan, he knew it all too well.

"It was an accident. Last night was just an accident."

Xiang Quan dodged the question again, then continued with a smile, "Master, the General wants to see you. We owe you a great debt of gratitude for your help along the way; otherwise, we might not have made it back. After hearing about your deeds, the General said he would like to host a banquet to thank you!"

Should we host a banquet to express our gratitude?

Upon hearing these four words, Xiu Yuan's eyes narrowed. He didn't particularly like this kind of occasion, and the way Xiang Quan addressed him now probably meant that he already knew his identity.

"There's no need for a banquet to express my gratitude, but regarding what happened before..."

Xiang Quan didn't seem surprised by the answer, but when Xiu Yuan brought up the old story again, he nodded solemnly.

"Master, rest assured, the general has already sent people to search for those two. I expect we should have news soon. After all, this is the State of Chu, and there is no one that my Xiang clan cannot find!"

"I just don't know when you'll be free, Master. The General instructed me to thank you in person."

Xiu Yuan tapped his finger lightly. The situation in Shouying City was somewhat complicated. He still couldn't figure out what this general of Chu was planning. Meeting him at this time was neither good nor bad. From the other party's perspective, saving a few members of the Xiang clan probably didn't warrant such a banquet of gratitude. He guessed that the other party was probably after his other identity.

"Master, is there something you're worried about?"

Seemingly noticing Xiu Yuan's hesitation, Xiang Quan asked in a low voice. He had mentioned this matter when he left earlier, and at that time he thought that the Fierce Tiger Legion had already betrayed them. Bringing people back rashly without knowing the situation was not a wise choice.

However, he now knows what's going on. The three major legions stationed in Shouying have always been firmly in Xiang Yan's hands. As long as they have the army, the Xiang clan will remain the same as before.

When is General Xiang available?

"The general said that if the master wants to see him, he is available anytime."

"I have two more people here."

"It's impossible."

After a short while, Xiaomeng and Yanlingji arrived at an extremely spacious carriage. Looking at the other two people in the carriage, Xiaomeng naturally sat down next to Xiuyuan, while Yanlingji also sat down on the other side of Xiuyuan.

Looking at the person opposite her, Xiaomeng nodded as a greeting.

This person was none other than Xiang Quan, a member of the Xiang family they had met on the road.

"Master, who is this young lady?"

Xiang Quan had already met Xiao Meng. The two had been together on the way here and had a close relationship, so he was not surprised to see Xiao Meng.

But the girl who got on the bus later was someone he had never seen before, and she was so charming and beautiful that it was hard not to look at her.

In addition, considering the need for cultivation, Xiang Quan changed the subject.

"It's a friend of mine."

friend?

In this day and age, a friend is not just a simple term; it can refer to someone you are close to, or even someone you can consider a lifelong friend.

"A very good friend!!"

Just then, Yan Lingji moved closer to Xiu Yuan, her charming and alluring voice captivating.

Upon hearing the voice, Xiang Quan instinctively looked towards the person. However, when he saw that the young man did not deny it, his tiger-like eyes narrowed involuntarily.

He remembered that most Taoists were pure of heart and had few desires, and the behavior of the boy and the girl on the way to Shouying also proved this point.

So what about this incredibly alluring woman?

After thinking for a while, he still couldn't see anything wrong. So the man stopped thinking about it. Since the general had invited him, he decided to let him make the decisions.
Time passed slowly, and after about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the carriage stopped in front of the gate of an extremely solemn mansion.

Xiang Quan led the way, guiding Xiu Yuan and the other two through the main gate.

Before long, they met a man under a pavilion. The man was broad-shouldered and over nine feet tall. He was standing with his hands behind his back, staring blankly at the lake in front of him. This was not the first time Xiu Yuan had seen this man; he had seen him once before last night.

This person was none other than Xiang Yan, the great general of the State of Chu.

"General, the master has arrived."

Hearing Xiang Quan's words, Xiang Yan, who had been staring blankly at the lake, glanced slightly to the side, but did not turn around. She simply mumbled, "You're the person Xiang Quan and the others were talking about?"

Upon seeing the other party's reaction, Yan Lingji's expression changed slightly.

She had already heard Xiaomeng mention the matter of Xiang Quan and the others. If Xiu Yuan hadn't intervened, the Xiang clan members would have been seriously injured, even if they hadn't died on the way.

Is this general's treatment of his guest a sign of looking down on people?
Xiang Quan stood aside, his face also looking rather unpleasant. After all, he was the one who invited the person, and Xiang Yan's attitude had not been like this before the invitation.

But at this point, he couldn't say anything more and could only stare blankly.

Upon seeing this, Xiu Yuan narrowed his eyes. The two were only two zhang apart. He was very curious about where this general got the courage to leave his back to a strange expert.

After a moment of silence, Xiu Yuan suddenly strode forward. The two armored soldiers standing outside the pavilion exchanged a glance, about to speak, when a voice struck them to the core.

"Don't move, or you'll face the consequences!"

Then came an incomparably powerful pressure, like a mountain, which landed directly on the shoulders of the two people. Before they could even react, they were forced to the ground.

This scene unfolded too quickly. In the blink of an eye, Xiu Yuan had already crossed the two-zhang distance and arrived beside Xiang Yan. Xiang Quan's body trembled, and his hands, hanging at his sides, clenched unconsciously. He hadn't expected the meeting between these two to turn out like this. This tense atmosphere made the general, who came from a military background, feel his heart pound like a drum, and his spirits immediately tightened.

If this young man were to make a move here, regardless of the outcome, Xiang Yan's safety would be at risk.

Xiang Yan seemed oblivious to the reactions of the two people behind her, and did not utter a word of reprimand or stop them.

"The general also likes water?"

After a while, Xiu Yuan's words slowly came over.

Xiang Yan's gaze remained fixed on the lake. Upon hearing the boy's words, he nodded slightly.

"The art of war says that the form of an army is like water. Water avoids high places and flows downhill; the form of an army avoids the strong and attacks the weak. Water follows the terrain to control its flow, and an army adapts to the enemy to achieve victory. Therefore, there are no constant formations in warfare, just as there are no constant shapes in water. One who can adapt to the enemy's changes and achieve victory is called a master strategist."

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan nodded thoughtfully. He had seen these things in Korea before; they were military texts from "The Art of War: The Art of War - The Chapter on Deception and Reality".

"Observing the enemy's strengths and weaknesses, avoiding the strong and attacking the weak, and adapting to the changing situation—this method is not only a military strategy, but also a universal wisdom for dealing with complex and ever-changing environments."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing the boy's words, the general let out a soft exclamation, seemingly surprised that the boy also had such knowledge of military strategy.

"According to Xiang Quan, you have already reached the Grandmaster level at such a young age, making you a rare genius in the martial arts world. I didn't expect you to have such a deep understanding of military strategy. You really can't judge a book by its cover."

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan shook his head.

"These are just some insights! I haven't put them into practice. I've heard people say that what you learn from books is never enough; you have to put it into practice to truly understand. If it were a battle between two armies, I might not be a match for the general."

Upon hearing this, Xiang Yan's eyes immediately lit up.

"What you learn from books is never enough; you must put it into practice to truly understand." This is indeed a famous saying about governing the world, but I wonder which gentleman said it?

Xiu Yuan narrowed his eyes and then said, "An old man. I didn't ask who he was, but I think what he said makes a lot of sense."

Xiang Yan nodded, and said with some emotion, "If the Zhao state had understood this principle back then, the disaster at Changping might not have happened!"

The people behind them, upon hearing the conversation between the two, suddenly looked rather strange. Just moments ago, the situation had been tense, but now the two were getting along so harmoniously.

Suddenly, Xiu Yuan spoke again.

"General, you are wrong!"

Xiang Yan frowned, then looked to her side.

The person who came into view was a young man who was not very old, about thirteen or fourteen years old, wearing a green robe and with an extraordinary temperament.

Especially those eyes of the other person, calm as water yet extremely deep, carrying an unfathomable clarity and wisdom.

"What do you mean?"

Xiu Yuan raised his hand, and the lake water seemed to be affected by some external force. Then, a word appeared on the lake water: the word "Dao".

Seeing this, Xiang Yan narrowed his eyes. They were at least several feet away from the lake, but the young man beside him was able to disrupt the gentle water flow from a distance, causing it to condense into characters. In his opinion, this level of internal strength cultivation had reached an extremely profound realm.

"Reason is reason; it has always been there. It doesn't only exist because we say it. Even if we don't say it, it's still there."

"The Battle of Changping may seem to have been caused by simply choosing the wrong commander, sending a bookworm to the battlefield, but from another perspective, did the Zhao state really not understand that principle?"

Upon hearing this, Xiang Yan's eyes suddenly flickered.

As the great general of the Chu state, he had his own unique perspective on warfare. Choosing a commander-in-chief for a country in dealing with war is not a simple matter.

Zhao Kuo was just a newcomer. His appointment as commander-in-chief was not a decision made by one person, but rather a decision made by the civil and military officials of the Zhao state after discussion.

It's understandable if one person doesn't know this principle, but it's illogical that everyone in the Zhao court doesn't know it.

"Some people always have unrealistic fantasies, but reality will always teach them a lesson and give them a hard knock."

"The State of Zhao was not unaware of this principle, but they had other ideas. Unfortunately, the outcome was far from satisfactory. In that battle, the State of Zhao was severely weakened and lost the strength to compete with Qin for hegemony. From then on, the roles of offense and defense were reversed, and they could only passively take a beating. It was truly lamentable."

Upon hearing this, Xiang Yan suddenly fell silent.

If we follow this young man's line of thinking, it seems to make sense. Back then, the State of Zhao did have other ideas. Lian Po was good at maintaining the status quo but not good at attacking. He could remain undefeated against the State of Qin, but it would be difficult for him to win.

That's why the general was changed later. Unfortunately, in the end, the hopes of the Zhao state were dashed.

Suddenly, Xiang Yan seemed to have thought of something and subconsciously stroked his beard.

The young man seemed to be implying something else; on the surface, he was talking about the state of Zhao, but in reality, he was referring to their meeting today.

He had only intended to test this little guy, whom Xiang Quan had described as miraculous, but now it seemed that he was even more terrifying than Xiang Quan had said.

"Master, are you from the Heavenly Sect?"

After a while, Xiang Yan asked again.

Xiu Yuan withdrew his hand and nodded gently.

"Taoist Heavenly Sect - Qingxu".

Upon hearing this answer, Xiang Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Such a young man could not be found anywhere else but that place.

"May I ask which elder of the Heavenly Sect Master Qingxu studied under? My Xiang clan has many outstanding young talents. If the opportunity arises, I would like to let them give it a try."

Become a disciple of the Heavenly Sect?

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan felt a bit strange. The Xiang clan was almost completely bound to the Chu Kingdom. Would Xiang Yan really let them join the Heavenly Sect?
Taoism differs from other schools of thought in some ways. Confucianism emphasizes self-cultivation, family harmony, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world; Mohism emphasizes universal love and non-aggression; and the School of Military Strategy emphasizes using war to stop war. These different pursuits share a common characteristic: the pursuit of rule by man. Taoism, on the other hand, pursues harmony between man and nature, the pursuit of transcending emotions, and the pursuit of non-action, which is vastly different from the other schools of thought.

"My master is Bei Mingzi."

However, Xiu Yuan didn't mind that the other party had this idea, and then he slowly said.

"Bei Mingzi?"

Upon hearing this name, Xiang Yan was visibly taken aback. As a Grandmaster-level expert, he had naturally heard of this name before. As the Supreme Elder of the Daoist Heavenly Sect, his cultivation was extremely terrifying. It was rumored that he had been a Grandmaster for many years, and his true combat strength was unknown.

There were also rumors that this Taoist master, who had risen to the rank of Grandmaster, had not taken on any disciples for decades, so how did such a person suddenly appear today?

However, he did not doubt Xiu Yuan's words, because ordinary people would not even dare to dream of a Grandmaster at this age, and the skill that the other party had just displayed was also something that ordinary Grandmasters could hardly achieve.

This shows that the other party has already gone very far on the path to the Grandmaster realm, and may even have caught up with him.

"I never expected that Master Qingxu was that person's disciple. No wonder he has such amazing cultivation at such a young age."

Xiang Yan then sighed.

He had no intention of provoking any grandmasters in the martial arts world. As for becoming their disciple, he figured that was unlikely. The Taoist Heavenly Sect valued talent and fate when accepting disciples. Sometimes, even if someone had enough talent, they wouldn't be accepted if their fate wasn't right.

Standing behind the two, Xiang Quan was already in an uproar after hearing about Qingxu's lineage. The martial world is vast, and there are many martial artists whose origins and names are unknown. Even if they die one day, they will not cause much of a ripple.

But the martial arts world is small, and there are a few people whose names have been heard even by those greenhorns who have just entered the martial arts world.

Bei Mingzi of the Daoist Tianzong sect is one such example, one of those explicitly warned by his sect not to be provoked. There are several others similar, such as Donghuang Taiyi of the Yin-Yang school, Master Guigu of the Guigu school, and Xunzi of the Confucian school.
"Master Qingxu didn't come to the State of Chu simply to find Master Nan and Feng Hu Zi, did he?"

A gentle breeze blew across the lake, carrying a refreshing coolness that made everyone present feel relaxed and comfortable.

Xiang Yan asked again at the opportune moment. He had another plan when he tested the young man earlier: to find out what the young man's purpose was in coming to the State of Chu. However, the young man had disrupted his plans. Now, he simply chose to get straight to the point.

A Grandmaster, especially one from the Heavenly Sect, is a force to be reckoned with in any country. In particular, the fact that the other party's master is a Grandmaster who is not to be trifled with makes it impossible for him not to treat him with utmost caution.

"There is indeed one more thing."

After thinking it over, Xiu Yuan decided to talk to the Chu general, who was reasonably sensible and shrewd, about the Jinghu Medical Manor.

"Empress Dowager Li Huan is seriously ill, and Magistrate Li Yuan has sent people to invite martial arts forces to treat her. Jinghu Medical Manor happens to be among them. The two doctors at the manor have some connection with my junior sister and me. This time, we are in Shouying, and we would like to ask the general to take good care of them."

Xiang Yan seemed unaware of this matter. Of course, as a general, he didn't pay much attention to things that involved the martial arts world. So, after hearing Xiu Yuan's words, Xiang Yan subconsciously looked at Xiang Quan behind him.

Is this true?

Xiang Quan was also taken aback. He had been away from home and didn't know much about Shouying. In addition, Xiu Yuan had never mentioned the medical manor to him before, so he didn't investigate it after returning to Shouying. Therefore, he was now completely confused.

"I don't know."

"Go and find out what happened."

Xiang Yan waved his hand. At this moment, the two armored soldiers outside the pavilion had also stood up. Upon hearing Xiang Yan's order, the two retreated accordingly.

After the two left, Xiang Yan turned around, remained silent for a moment, and then said in a deep voice, "Regarding the Empress Dowager's matter, I still advise you, Master, it's best to mind your own business!"

As Xiang Yan finished speaking, there was a hint of warning in her tone. Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan raised an eyebrow. It seemed that his earlier guess was correct; the Empress Dowager had probably become the center of the storm in Shouying City at this moment.

Retiring gracefully and protecting himself would obviously be an excellent choice at this time, but similarly, he did not come to Shouying City to watch a show.

"General, how many men do you think can withstand my sword in Shouying City?"

(End of this chapter)