Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 187 Mi Fuchu's Speculation, see Nan Gong
"Brother Wang, our scouts have reported that there's some activity from the Xiang clan."

In a luxurious courtyard in Shouying City, a richly dressed man hurried in.

"That old bastard Xiang Yan?"

Sitting opposite was another man, a man with a somewhat surprised expression. Hearing what the newcomer said, his tone was filled with doubt and uncertainty.

"Ah."

The visitor nodded, then added, "According to the scouts, Li Yuan personally escorted that Immortal Physician of Mirror Lake into the palace. Xiang Liang of the Xiang clan has also set out, heading straight for the palace as soon as they left."

"Xiang Liang?"

The man was taken aback. The core of the Xiang clan of Chu was the Xiang family, headed by Xiang Yan, and Xiang Liang was Xiang Yan's son. Such a status was quite important in Shouying City.

"What exactly is that old bastard Xiang Yan trying to do? Didn't he say he wouldn't interfere in our royal family's affairs?"

In the State of Chu, no one wanted to provoke the Xiang family. The Xiang family had served in the military for generations and had an extremely deep foundation. Take Xiang Yan for example, he controlled nearly 80% of the army in the State of Chu. With such power, it would not be difficult for them to replace the King of Chu.

Upon hearing the information brought by the person in front of him, the tone of the other person present also turned cold.

“Brother, we cannot place our hopes on others, and there’s something strange about that Mirror Lake Physician.”

The newcomer was Mi Fuchu, while the person before them was Mi Hao, another member of the Chu royal family.

When Nian Duan was mentioned, Mi Fu Chu's eyes flickered. Initially, this uncle hadn't paid much attention to unorthodox methods in the martial arts world, but this person had alarmed Li Yuan and Xiang Yan, which made his situation much more significant.

"Xiang Yan has probably guessed something about the Empress Dowager."

Mi Fuchu then brought up another matter, but this time his tone was much more serious. The Xiang clan's influence in the Chu state was deeply entrenched, and their reach was even wider than that of the royal family. He did not believe that the Empress Dowager's affairs could be kept from that general.

"So what if they know? The Xiang clan has ancestral precepts. Do they really want to violate those precepts and interfere in the affairs of our royal family?"

Mi Hao disregarded Mi Fuchu's words. In his view, the Xiang clan's rise and fall were both due to their ancestral precepts. Their long-lasting prosperity in the Chu state was indeed largely due to these precepts, and no ruler would doubt that the Xiang clan harbored any disloyal intentions.

However, the Xiang clan also lost other possibilities. Just like the current General Xiang Yan, who controls nearly 80% of the Chu army and wields immense power, the possibility of them becoming too powerful due to ancestral precepts is almost zero.

The concept of the Xiang clan's loyalty to the Chu state had long been ingrained in the hearts of the Chu people. However, the people supported the Xiang clan who were loyal to the king and protected the country, not the Xiang clan who held military power and established their own independent state.

Upon hearing Mi Hao's words, a strange light flashed in Mi Fuchu's eyes. Even if they might stand on the opposite side of the Xiang clan this time, he had never doubted their loyalty to the Xiang clan.

"So we'll just let that Mirror Lake Healer save people?"

Mi Hao gave a cold laugh, his eyes icy and piercing.

"The Immortal Physician of Mirror Lake, what a prestigious title! She even dares to interfere in the affairs of our royal family. Many people have seen through the trickery involved, but in the end, they all chose to keep quiet and turn a blind eye. If she ruins our important plans, Shouying City will be her burial ground."

They had been plotting against Empress Dowager Li Huan for a long time, and now that they had succeeded, they absolutely would not allow anyone to sabotage it.

“Brother Chu, that scoundrel Mi Han is nothing but Huang Xie’s illegitimate son. Now he has stolen the sacred artifacts of our Chu state, which is a great disgrace to our royal family. I will never allow such a thing to happen.”

Mi Hao suddenly stood up, looked up at Mi Fuchu in front of him, his mind was in turmoil, and his eyes flashed with a sharp light.

"However, facing this fellow, there are also Li Yuan, Li Huan, and others. As the elder brother, I am not strong enough. I need your full help to bring down this scoundrel."

"I hope you will not refuse, brother. After we get rid of that scoundrel, I am willing to share this country with you."

A moment later, watching Mi Fuchu's departing figure, a strange light suddenly appeared in Mi Hao's eyes.

Mi Han, who is now the King of Chu, does indeed have a problem with his identity. Back then, the late king had difficulty conceiving, but Li Huan became pregnant not long after entering the palace. Some people had doubts about this, but the late king had an extremely close relationship with Lord Chunshen, Huang Xie, so no one dared to offend the late king.

Later, it is unknown what Li Yuan said to the King of Chu when he entered the palace. Huang Xie died, Li Huan became the queen, and Mi Han later became the crown prince.

The rights and wrongs of this matter can probably only be clearly explained by the late king. But now that the late king is dead, we can't just dig people out of the ground and put on a blood test to determine kinship.

Therefore, most of the court officials in the State of Chu had doubts about the legitimacy of the current king.

As for Mi Hao and Mi Fuchu, they were legitimate descendants of the former king, so there is not much doubt about that.

Therefore, most court officials turned a blind eye to these two individuals.

“Carrying fodder.”

Once Mi Fuchu's figure was completely out of sight, Mi Hao sighed softly. He didn't dislike this brother who was close to him, but as a member of the royal family, he still had to be careful about some things.

If the current King of Chu, Mi Han, were to be eliminated, then only he and Mi Fuchu would remain as heirs to the throne of Chu. If Mi Fuchu harbored any other intentions, he would be a potential threat to him, a fact he understood better than anyone else.

"My lord, are you going to send Lord Fuchu alone?"

Suddenly, a person emerged from the shadows, looked at Mi Hao who was standing there with an uncertain expression, and asked in a deep voice.

Mi Hao's eyes flickered slightly as he glanced at the other person. Then he said in a low voice, "My younger brother is not as simple as you think. If we underestimate him, we will die a terrible death."

It is said that the ups and downs of officialdom are the best test of a person's character and can also hone one's vision.

And none of the people in the royal family are simple.

Take Mi Hao and Mi Fuchu for example. They are now on the same side, but who can say that they don't have other thoughts and ideas between them?
In particular, Yan Ri had mentioned to Xiu Yuan that Mi Hao had been secretly poisoned by Mi Fu Chu, but it seems that Mi Hao is unaware of this matter.

On the other side, after leaving Mi Hao's place, Mi Fuchu got into a carriage. This time, Mi Hao did not intend to show himself, which surprised him. Mi Hao was usually very flamboyant, but this time he backed down.

"grown ups."

There was also an elderly man in the carriage, who looked somewhat surprised when he saw Mi Fuchu come out alone.

"Where is Lord Mi Hao?"

"He wasn't feeling well today, so he asked me to go see him myself."

Mi Fuchu called out to the coachman, and the carriage slowly began to move. Looking at the figures flashing on both sides of the carriage, Mi Fuchu's eyes flickered.

"Lord Lingyin is also present; if we go alone..."

The old man was silent for a moment, then offered a reminder.

The Prime Minister, also known as Li Yuan, was a relative of the emperor, but his influence in the state of Chu was considerable. If he could be easily dealt with, Mi Hao and Mi Fuchu would not need to resort to poisoning.

"There's also the Xiang clan. They never interfere in royal affairs, but this time, even Xiang Liang has mobilized. We still can't be sure what the Xiang clan's intentions are, which puts us in a somewhat passive position."

The unexpected intervention of the Xiang clan was something none of them had anticipated. If Xiang Liang were to suddenly take action, the entire Chu court would likely be thrown into turmoil.

Xiang Liang's actions this time represented not only himself, but also the person behind him, Xiang Yan, the great general of Chu.

"Sir, have you ever considered that it is precisely because of the existence of the Xiang clan that Li Yuan dares not do anything to our royal family? If it weren't for the existence of the Xiang clan, our royal family would probably have been massacred by him long ago?"

Mi Fuchu slowly raised his hand, looking at the palm lines spread out in his palm, a hint of mockery appeared on his lips.

Should he be grateful for his bloodline, or should he mock himself for being a member of the royal family yet being manipulated by a relative of the emperor and being powerless to do anything about it?
The Xiang clan can be considered a pillar of the Chu state at present. It is because of their existence that the Chu state has not completely fallen into chaos.

Not only Mi Hao and he took the existence of this great general into consideration, but Li Yuan and the Empress Dowager also did so, and even the current King of Chu did so.

No one dared to bring those conflicts to the forefront, mainly because of the existence of the Xiang clan, or rather, because none of the various forces in the court could rival the Xiang clan.

Upon hearing this, the old man gently shook his head.

Although it may be a bit embarrassing to say this, it is indeed the truth. It is precisely because of the existence of the Xiang clan that Shouying City has been able to maintain a semblance of stability, and no one is willing to go against this great general.

The king was unwilling, Li Yuan was unwilling, and Mi Hao and Mi Fuchu were also unwilling, so this struggle over legitimacy could only be kept secret.

"How's the intelligence gathering on that Mirror Lake Healer coming along?"

Mi Fuchu slowly lowered his hand, pondered for a moment, and asked again.

"The Immortal Physician of Mirror Lake is a woman named Nian Duan, the owner of Mirror Lake Medical Manor. It is said that her medical skills are extremely high. She saves lives and heals countless people in the martial arts world. Because of her compassionate heart and superb medical skills, she is known as the Immortal Physician of Mirror Lake in the martial arts world."

"He also has a disciple named Duanmu Rong, who is also a young woman. Judging from this name, this medical immortal seems to be involved with a person surnamed Duanmu, but this involves some secrets of the martial arts world, and it will be impossible to find out in a short time."

The old man briefly explained some of the information they had obtained and some of his own speculations.

Mi Fuchu lowered his eyelids. The old man beside him was no ordinary person. He was full of schemes and had helped him solve many predicaments. Since the other party had this guess, there must be some connection between them.

"Duanmu?"

After a while, Mi Fuchu muttered something softly. This surname was not common in the State of Chu, and he had never heard of anyone with the surname Duanmu.

"Can this Immortal Physician of Mirror Lake diagnose the Poison of the Broken Heart Moon?"

After hesitating for a moment, Mi Fuchu asked again.

The poison on Li Huan's body was indeed his doing. Of course, he wasn't the one who poisoned him; it was someone Mi Hao found. He was just the one who provided this extremely rare and exotic poison.

"Hard to say."

The old man shook his head. The martial world is not the imperial court. There are all sorts of people in the martial world, especially since he is a famous doctor like the other party. There must be many people who come to him for medical advice and medicine. No one can guarantee that he has not seen the Poison of Broken Heart Moon during his medical practice.

"May Heaven bless our Great Chu!"

As the carriage passed by, a sound lingered in the air and dissipated with the wind.

Meanwhile, on a street in Shouying City, a young boy stood on a stone bridge, looking at the river that flowed through the city with an old man with white hair and beard.

"To blend in with the light and dust, I never expected to see such a profound skill of the Taoist Heavenly Sect here, and to be of this caliber."

The old man stroked his beard and sighed. As the other person moved, his two long eyebrows, which almost reached his mouth, twitched slightly.

"I had long heard that there was a wise man in the State of Chu who had the ability to predict the future. I never expected that he was also a Grandmaster."

The boy stood with his hands behind his back and replied calmly.

"Grandmaster"

Upon hearing this, the old man chuckled, a strange undertone creeping into his weathered voice.

"Young friend, do you know what a Grandmaster is?"

The young man shook his head.

"I don't know."

The old man nodded, seemingly quite satisfied with the boy's answer.

"To know what you know, and to know what you don't know, that is true knowledge! There aren't many people with your level of cultivation and mindset. Standing on the mountaintop for too long makes you think you know everything, but you don't realize that the Way is boundless. For some people, it takes a lot of courage to admit that they don't know."

The old man's voice carried a hint of emotion. The young man in front of him gave people a very comfortable feeling, like a pool of water that could contain and nourish all things. In his movement and stillness, he was in harmony with the way of heaven and earth.

"Many schools of martial arts distinguish their levels of cultivation based on internal strength. Above the acquired level is the innate level, above the innate level is the grandmaster, and above the grandmaster is the great grandmaster. In reality, this method of classification has many problems."

"We Qi cultivators have never pursued such goals. Internal energy is just a minor path. If it weren't for the upheavals in the world and the gradual depletion of spiritual energy, how could there be such a ridiculous realm?"

"The Confucian school has a saying: 'If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening.' I wonder what your thoughts are on this saying, young friend?"

Suddenly, the old man changed the subject and asked about Confucianism. The young man was taken aback, but after thinking for a moment, he explained, "This sentence comes from the Analects, Li Ren chapter. Literally, it means that if one learns the truth or comprehends the Great Way in the morning, one will have no regrets even if one dies that night."

"Confucius aimed to emphasize the urgent pursuit of truth, faith, or moral ideals, whose value transcends life itself. In Confucianism, this moral ideal is called the Way of Benevolence and Righteousness. I think what Confucius wanted to express was that if one day one could comprehend the Way of Benevolence and Righteousness, one would be willing to practice it for a lifetime, even to the point of dying for it."

"I have read extensively from various schools of thought, and I came across a Confucian saying: 'Knowing it is impossible, yet still doing it,' which speaks to this kind of perseverance."

Hearing this, the old man remained unmoved.

He was about to say something when the young man continued, “We Taoists also have our own views on the Tao. In the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu mentioned, ‘The highest virtue is not virtue. Therefore, those who have virtue lose the Tao and then virtue. They lose virtue and then benevolence. They lose benevolence and then righteousness. They lose righteousness and then propriety. Propriety is the thinness of loyalty and trustworthiness, and the beginning of chaos.’”

"Modern Confucianism does not preach benevolence and righteousness, but rather propriety. The gentlemen of Xiaoshengxianzhuang cultivate propriety."

According to Lao Tzu's exploration of the laws of heaven and earth, the innate is greater than the acquired, and nature is greater than human effort. Therefore, the Tao precedes virtue, virtue precedes benevolence, benevolence precedes righteousness, and righteousness precedes propriety.

"However, as the world changes, both heaven and earth and people's hearts undergo tremendous changes in this shift of the stars. In order to pursue their own path, each school of thought has come up with many methods."

“Confucianism, on the other hand, is a different path. It begins with propriety, seeks righteousness through propriety, seeks benevolence through righteousness, seeks virtue through benevolence, and seeks the Way through virtue, going against the current.”

"This path may seem absurd, but it is more in line with the current state of the world. Confucius asked about the Way and heard about it. It is not just about benevolence, but about the Way of benevolence and righteousness. The Way is the highest pursuit of all people. When a person sees the pursuit of their life appear before their eyes, what is there to fear even if it is death!"

Hearing the boy's words, the old man's expression gradually softened, and in the end, he couldn't help but show more appreciation.

"Your insight is excellent, young friend."

"What I'm talking about is actually the same as your understanding of the Dao. Internal strength is just a medium, and Grandmasters and Great Grandmasters are just stepping stones that can help us see higher levels of scenery."

"This is similar to the Confucian path of seeking the Way: seeking righteousness through propriety, seeking benevolence through righteousness, seeking virtue through benevolence, and seeking the Way through virtue. Although the path is winding, it is still a road that can lead to a broad and prosperous future."

Upon hearing this, the boy frowned slightly; this was the first time he had ever heard such a theory!

However, he had long heard about the deeds of Qi practitioners during the pre-Qin period, but he could not be sure whether it was true or not. Now that the old man was willing to talk about it, he was naturally more than happy to do so.

"Legend has it that in ancient times, those powerful beings could fly through the sky and escape into the earth, summon wind and rain, and even move mountains and fill seas, possessing unparalleled power."

The old man's tone was full of emotion.

"Of course, these things only exist in legends, and I have never seen them myself. But I always believe one thing: there are extraordinary powers in this world. If one can comprehend them, they will surely be invincible forces."

The boy's eyes flickered, and then a voice resounded in the old man's heart.

"Is the old gentleman referring to the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon?"

The old man raised an eyebrow, revealing surprise for the first time.

"I didn't expect that you would know about this, young friend."

"Donghuang Taiyi, the leader of the Yin-Yang School, once invited me to study this matter together, but I have not yet agreed. However, in my years of wandering the world, I have unexpectedly discovered that this matter may not be as simple as I imagined."

"Your master must be Bei Mingzi, right?"

The boy nodded slightly.

"Qingxu of the Daoist Tianzong greets Senior Nan Gong."

The old man was none other than the wise man from the State of Chu, Nan Gong, also known as Chu Nan Gong.

Seeing Xiu Yuan greet him, he smiled and nodded, then continued, "Bei Mingzi has also been a Grandmaster for many years, and he knows the secrets behind it. You can ask your master sometime, and perhaps you will understand the tricks of the trade!"

"There is indeed a boundary between Grandmaster and Grandmaster, but this boundary is not clear for some people. Some people may have to go through a lot of things to break through the bottleneck of the Grandmaster realm and become a Grandmaster, while others may only need to have a meal to become a Grandmaster."

When Chu Nan Gong spoke of this matter, his tone became inexplicable.

"There are countless methods in the world that can lead to Kunlun Mountain, but most of them lead to the same destination."

Then Chu Nan Gong looked at Xiu Yuan. The current Taoism is not a single sect, but is divided into the Heavenly Sect and the Human Sect. These two sects are opposed to each other and have been in conflict for hundreds of years.

In his view, such disputes were completely unnecessary. Taoism has a broad mind that embraces all things. The Tao is boundless. The Tao of Heaven is the Tao, and the Tao of Humanity is also the Tao. They are all the same Tao, so what difference is there between them?

Right now, judging by the current situation, it's almost time for the two sects to hold their sword duel at the Guanmiao Terrace on Mount Taiyi. If the Heavenly Sect sends out this young man, the Human Sect will probably still fail.

After spending a short time together, he could sense that the other party's strength was extraordinary. Most of what he had said before was actually aimed at this young man, who was not a grandmaster but was more than a grandmaster himself.

Such people have been extinct in the martial arts world for many years, and there are many secrets about them that cannot be told to outsiders. Their internal strength cultivation alone far surpasses that of ordinary grandmasters. Even a great grandmaster would be no match for them, and the difference between them would not be that great, at most only a hair's breadth away.

"I still do not wish you to get involved in the affairs of Chu. People's hearts are like ghosts, devouring souls and hearts. Most of the people in the court have become neither human nor ghost."

"Power is a poison, an incurable poison. The immortal physician at Jinghu Medical Manor can cure diseases but not fate, nor can heal this chaotic world."

Speaking of these things, this sage from the State of Chu seemed to have become quite hunched over. In chaotic times, the human heart is the most terrifying thing.

"Actually, I don't want to get involved in the affairs of the Chu court. This well is too deep, and I'm not sure if I can come out if I jump in."

“My master once said that cultivation is a process. Only by seeing enough things can one know what one is really seeking, rather than simply summing it up with one thing.”

“Nian Duan and my junior sister have a duty to help each other, and they also have many karmic connections with me, so I don’t want anything to happen to her in Shouying City. This is my bottom line.”

Xiu Yuan's words were spoken slowly and deliberately, yet with resounding authority.

Upon hearing this, Chu Nan Gong sighed softly. The physician from Jinghu Medical Manor was now deeply embroiled in the vortex, and if nothing unexpected happened, he would likely become a victim of various forces.

"Senior Nan Gong, have you ever heard the saying, 'Man can conquer nature'?!"

(End of this chapter)