Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 200: The Farmers' Reaction

“Master Situ, I once read a story in a travelogue.”

"Oh!"

"It looks like it's going to be an interesting story."

"What do you mean by that, Master?"

"The master was a fascinating person, and now that this story has been brought up, it must be quite interesting."

Another day passed in the blink of an eye. By the campfire, Situ Wanli and Xiu Yuan sat facing each other, chatting casually under the starry sky.

"Would the sect leader like to hear what kind of story it is?"

Situ Wanli reached out and touched the small mustache on his chin, and replied with a smile, "If Master is willing to enlighten me, then I would be happy to hear the details!"

Xiu Yuan sat to the side and said softly, "Once upon a time, there was a mountain, on the mountain was a temple, and in the temple lived a master who cultivated here with two disciples."

The boy's voice was steady. Situ Wanli sat to the side and suddenly found it a little funny. This person he called a master was, in the end, just a little kid.

While their achievements are admirable in some aspects, they still retain a degree of immaturity in other areas.

He didn't know the details of the story, but the way the other person narrated it was utterly uninteresting.

“There was a flagpole in the temple courtyard with a flag on it. When the mountain wind blew, the flag fluttered. Seeing this, one disciple said that the wind was moving, while another disciple said that the flag was moving. The two insisted on their own opinions and argued endlessly.”

The simple, straightforward words left Situ Wanli speechless. The story was simple: the wind blows the flag, but from these two perspectives...
"Does the hall master think it's the wind moving, or the flag moving?"

Situ Wanli pondered for a moment and then spoke again: "I think they are both right. If there is no wind, the flag will not move. If there is only wind and no flag, then there is no reference, and it is impossible to determine whether it moves or not."

Xiu Yuan sighed softly.

"What does the sect leader mean?"

Situ Wanli chuckled.

"The adult world is not black and white. If you ask me, it's like the wind moves the flag, they are both moving."

Xiu Yuan's lips curled into a smile.

This answer is in line with the personality of the head of the Siyue Hall: speculative and betting on both sides.

Instead of insisting on choosing one of two options, it aims for both; in other words, it wants them all.

"Master, would you like to know what that master said?"

Upon hearing this, Situ Wanli looked over.

The boy was still the same boy, and his words were still as straightforward as ever, but this time, he felt a strange sense of pressure.

He knew in his heart that the master's answer would definitely be different from his own. In a game where he had to choose between two options, he did this seemingly to control the whole situation, but in reality, he was hoping for a lucky break.

He bets on both sides, so he won't lose money no matter which side wins.

What insightful opinion did that master have?

Xiu Yuan's voice became somewhat distant as he softly said, "It's not the wind that's moving."

Situ Wanli frowned. If it wasn't the wind, then there must be another option.

Just as he was about to hear the reason, the boy's words came through again.

"Neither is it the flag that moves."

Situ Wanli's expression changed; this answer was somewhat unexpected. Neither of these two things was it?

In other words, even though he bet on both sides in a betting game, he did not win.

This situation is rare in a gambling game; only someone with exceptional gambling skills would have the opportunity to achieve such a result.

"But rather, it is the benevolent who are moved."

Situ Wanli watched the flames burning quietly in front of him and muttered to himself.

"It is not the wind that moves, nor the flag that moves, but the mind of the benevolent one that moves."

After a while, the head of the Four Mountains Hall looked up again at the young man sitting opposite him, his heart filled with surprise.

The benevolent are moved.

The four simple words impressed him greatly, though he didn't quite understand them.

It is easy to discern a person's level of cultivation, but a person's understanding of the great principles of heaven and earth is internal. It is a kind of reasoning that transcends words and logic, or rather, it transcends appearances and perspectives, pointing directly to the essence of things. Looking at the entire farming family, no one can have such a statement.

Although the boy claimed that he read the story in a book, he, being a knowledgeable farmer, had never heard of or seen the story before.

In other words, he prefers to believe that these things are the other person's insights.

Thinking of this, Situ Wanli felt even more reserved.

Would someone like that really care about the conditions offered by the farmers?
When the other person said these words, they did not show any abnormality. Their eyes were calm as water, as if they were talking about something as simple as eating and drinking.

"Master's insight is brilliant!"

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan stretched.

He casually remarked, "Whether my insights are profound or not is debatable. The current situation in the Seven Kingdoms is turbulent, with numerous schools of thought emerging. The Agricultural School, as a major force among these schools, must have its own unique strengths. Furthermore, you, as the head of a branch of the Agricultural School, must have your own way of surviving."

"This time, Hall Master Situ was ordered to come and welcome me. It's quite a coincidence that I thought I'd say a few words."

"Some things cannot be achieved through speculation. Everyone is laying out their plans for the world, and the seven kingdoms have already made their moves. In this game of chess that affects the whole world, one wrong move can lead to total defeat."

"This is true for the seven states, the hundred schools of thought, and individuals as well."

Xiu Yuan's words were not polite, and he had no need to be polite to Situ Wanli, who was not even a Grandmaster.

Recalling what would happen in another future timeline, he casually offered a couple of pointers. As for how Master Situ interpreted it, that was none of his concern.

A traitor never has a good ending; this is a fact that can be found countless times throughout history.

Upon hearing Xiu Yuan's words, Situ Wanli's gaze turned gloomy and uncertain. Although he was an opportunist, it did not mean he was a fool. He could understand the meaning behind Xiu Yuan's words.

"What does the master mean?"

Xiu Yuan glanced at the other person and spoke again.

"Pursuing the truth often requires a peaceful mind. There are always different perspectives on a matter. You need to discern who is right and who is wrong. If you cannot let go of your prejudices, the final outcome may not be so good."

A thought flashed through Situ Wanli's mind. He felt that the boy's words seemed to have another meaning, but he couldn't grasp this fleeting opportunity.

"Master Qingxu"

Just as Situ Wanli was about to ask another question, Xiu Yuan waved his hand and stopped talking. Seeing the other party's action, Situ Wanli awkwardly shut up.

Meanwhile, in Dazeshan, in Siji Town, the remaining five leaders of the six rural households gathered here.

The leader, a burly man, looked at the intelligence report in his hand and said, "Situ Wanli has already made contact with the person. What are your thoughts on that genius from the Daoist Heavenly Sect?"

Chen Sheng, the head of the Kuiwei Hall, said in a deep voice, "If the information is true, the fact that the other party has become a Grandmaster at such a young age means that this person cannot be judged by common sense."

Tian Meng, the leader of Lieshan Hall, frowned deeply. Compared to Chen Sheng, he was more meticulous.

"Xia Kui, I still think it was somewhat inappropriate to invite them here. Their performance in Daliang City of Wei has already shown that their strength is not simple. Even the elders of the Six Sages' Tomb would find the Armored Sect's leader very troublesome, yet they were able to defeat him, which shows how formidable he is."

Tian Hu, the leader of the Chi You Hall, was a bit impatient. Upon hearing Tian Meng's words, he slammed his hand on the table and said urgently, "Brother, don't boost the enemy's morale and diminish our own. No matter what, that kid is just a teenager. According to the intelligence, he came alone. With so many of us, are we afraid of just one person?"

Zhu Jia, the head of Shennong Hall, sat in his chair. Upon hearing the speeches of the first few speakers, his face instantly turned blue.

"Chief Hero, I think this kid is no ordinary person. He dared to come to my farmhouse alone, which shows his confidence. If it were me or any of you here, who would have such courage?"

One person against one family.

Upon hearing Zhu Jia's words, everyone present changed their expressions. They were all from the Farmer's Clan, and they knew the Farmer's Clan's strength and resources well. If they were asked to go to the Farmer's Clan's appointment alone, they would never come, even if they were beaten to death.

Upon hearing this, Tian Zhong, the head of the Gonggong Hall, gently shook his head.

"Chief, what the Zhu family said makes sense, but the problem is that this Master Qingxu is still a newcomer. Even if he is exceptionally talented and has a high level of skill, he can't possibly be completely clear about the affairs of the martial world, can he?"

"He probably doesn't know the extent of our family's strength, so his attendance at the meeting can't really be considered a reliable indicator!"

Upon hearing this, Tian Guang nodded slightly.

The headquarters of the Farmer's Clan has always been hidden deep in the mountains. Outsiders only know that the Farmer's Clan has a large number of disciples, but they don't know how strong they are.

The Farmer's Clan rarely takes action. In the past few decades, the six elders in the Tomb of the Six Sages have only made one move, besieging and killing Bai Qi, the Lord of Wu'an of Qin. The rest of the time, the Six Halls have been involved in Jianghu affairs.

Therefore, what the outside world knows is fragmented, but now that the farmers are gathered together, the power they exert is completely different from that of a single person gathered together.

"Chen Sheng, Tian Meng, and the Zhu family's concerns are somewhat reasonable. After all, according to our peasant family's investigation, this genius young man from the Taoist Tianzong sect is extremely skilled, and his combat strength is suspected to be that of a Grandmaster."

"The opponent once fought against Yan Wu, the patriarch of the Armored Sect, in the capital of Wei, Daliang. At that time, Yan Wu briefly reached the Grandmaster realm by using a secret technique, but was defeated by the opponent."

"Later, they made their move in Shouying, the capital of Chu, easily annihilating a thousand imperial guards, and then forced back thousands of troops with a single sword strike." "Such achievements already demonstrate that the opponent possesses incredibly terrifying combat power, and we cannot underestimate them."

At this point, the expressions of the people present also darkened. The terrifying thing about Grandmasters is that if they want to leave, almost no one can stop them, unless two or more Grandmasters take action to kill them, then there is a chance.

In other words, in Daze Mountain, a place with extremely complex terrain, it is difficult to set up an array. If the opponent wants to leave, even with the Twenty-Four Earthly Arrays, it is almost impossible to stop them.

If the enemy were to carry out a decapitation strike, those present would likely be doomed.

Of course, this is the worst-case scenario. They invited the other party here not to stifle this Taoist genius, but to make a deal with him.

"However, Tian Hu is right. Daze Mountain is our farm's territory, with nearly 100,000 disciples. In addition, there are the Twenty-Four Earthly Branches. Even if we really go to war with a Grandmaster, we are not afraid."

"We also have the elders in the Tomb of the Six Sages as our trump card, so our Farmer Clan is not afraid of any power."

Tian Guang glanced at the group, his gaze filled with a touch of emotion.

That boy was only thirteen or fourteen years old, yet he had already reached the level of a Grandmaster. He had never heard of or seen such talent before.

The youngest person present was Tian Zhong, who was already in his thirties. He hadn't even reached the Grandmaster realm yet, which meant that his farming family was facing a generational gap.

Zhu Jia seemed to remember something and said in a deep voice again, "The Taoist Heavenly Sect's techniques are quite troublesome for our Farmer's Clan, especially the 'Harmony with Light and Dust' and 'Heaven and Earth Lose Color.' In the midst of a chaotic battle, there are almost no means to restrain them. In addition, the opponent's realm is far higher than ours. Once 'Heaven and Earth Lose Color' is used, all of us will be put on the defensive."

"Like the light?"

"The world has lost its color?"

When Tian Hu heard the Zhu family mention the two cultivation techniques, he immediately became interested. At this moment, he was still young and had little contact with the Taoist Tianzong. He had only heard of these two cultivation techniques, but he had no idea about the specifics.

Tian Guang placed his hands on his legs, pondered for a moment, and then said, "From the information we have obtained so far, Qingxu has completely mastered these two techniques. Harmony with the World is the supreme mental cultivation method of the Heavenly Sect. One's body encompasses heaven and earth, and all things are one with me. One can also transform into all things, thus achieving the ultimate state of harmony between heaven and man."

"I once heard an elder in the Tomb of the Six Sages mention that a Grandmaster can fight against a hundred men and cause the sky to collapse with a wave of his hand because he is in harmony with the heavens and man. After entering the state of harmony with the heavens and man, he can use his own strength to draw upon the great power of heaven and earth, and the power of his moves will increase exponentially."

"This change is quite similar to the Twenty-Four Earthly Branches of our farming tradition. However, the Twenty-Four Earthly Branches are created by human effort, while the unity of heaven and man is the power of nature, or the power of heaven."

"As for the technique of 'the world loses its color,' it is indeed quite troublesome. Those whose cultivation is insufficient will be directly suppressed and will not be able to move even a finger within the domain released by the opponent."

"Those thousand men in Shouying City died from this move, and now the area controlled by the opponent can even cover a radius of a thousand meters."

At this point, Tian Guang gasped inwardly. Such a terrifying range and such ruthless moves had a natural advantage against ordinary disciples of the Farmer's School.

If the disciples form the Twenty-Four Earthly Branches and use the great formation, they might have a chance to put up a fight. However, if the opponent uses the "Colorless Heaven and Earth" technique first, then they will face a brutal massacre.

Everyone else who heard this felt a heavy weight in their hearts.

The real deal hasn't even arrived yet, and they're already backing down.

"Everything in the universe has its counterpart, and everything in the universe has its counter. Is there really no way to counter such a monstrous technique from the Heavenly Sect?"

In the realm of martial arts, Tian Hu possessed some knowledge and understood the principles of mutual generation and restraint.

Tian Guang nodded with some relief.

“There is indeed a way to counter it, but that technique comes from the Human Sect, which is opposed to the Heavenly Sect of Taoism. It is called ‘Rejuvenation of All Things.’ Given our relationship with Taoism, the Human Sect would not give this technique to outsiders.”

"Furthermore, even if one obtains this technique, it will take more than a day or two to learn it and be able to fight against enemies."

Zhu Jia coughed twice and said, "Chief Xia Kui, no matter what, we must first come up with a solution, otherwise our Farmer's Clan will be at a disadvantage when we meet this Master Qingxu."

After saying those two sentences at the beginning, Chen Sheng remained silent until he heard the Zhu family bring up the plan, at which point he interjected.

"I've heard that the Taoist Heavenly Sect has an unparalleled expert, I think his name is Bei Mingzi. He is highly regarded in the martial arts world, and according to my estimation, he is at least a Grandmaster."

"We need to take this uncertainty into account in this operation. According to Xia Kui, the 'Shadow of the World' is hard to guard against. If this person is determined to behead the peasants, even if we hide in the Tomb of the Six Sages, it probably won't be of any use."

Chen Sheng's words were somewhat heavy. He always thought of the worst possible outcome, which made him feel a lot more pressure. But this approach also had its advantages, at least he wouldn't be at a loss in the end.

Tian Guang clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention, and then said, "Alright, no matter how this matter ultimately develops, remember that we cannot be the first to act. As for everyone's concerns..."

When this matter was mentioned, a glint of light flashed in Tian Guang's eyes.

"Before we meet the other party, our six hall masters plan to set up the Twenty-Four Earthly Destructions in advance. If there is any abnormality, we will suppress it directly. Of course, the main purpose is not to hurt people, but to prevent Qingxu from going berserk and suddenly attacking."

Upon hearing this decision, the people present nodded in agreement.

The Twenty-Four Earthly Branches Formation is derived from the twenty-four solar terms of a year. Once the formation is set up, the combat power of those within it can be amplified. If an ordinary grandmaster-level expert were to fall into it, they would absolutely not be able to escape unscathed.

However, it might not be as effective against a Grandmaster, since the opponent is no pushover either.

The discussion lasted for a full hour. Tian Guang finally finalized several plans and even sent someone to inform the Six Sages' Tomb of Qingxu's arrival.

Inside the Lieshan Hall compound, an extremely beautiful woman was playing with a little girl in a room.

"Yan'er, be good~~"

"It's time to go to bed."

The little girl pouted slightly in dissatisfaction upon hearing this.

"Mom, let me play a little longer~~ Just a little longer~~"

Upon hearing this, the woman shook her head helplessly.

"Be good~~"

"Listen to me, an important guest is coming to Daze Mountain in the next few days, and your father will be back soon too. We have important matters to discuss later."

The little girl was about the same age as Xiaomeng. Hearing the woman's words, she asked with some doubt, "An important guest?"

The woman nodded.

"I heard he's also a teenager, probably around your age, or a few years older, but he's quite remarkable!"

The little girl tilted her head and asked another question.

"what is his name?"

The woman reached out and patted the little girl's head, then said softly, "If I remember correctly, her name is Qingxu, and she's a master of the Taoist Tianzong sect!"

The little girl blinked; she wasn't familiar with either the name or the sect.

"Taoist Heavenly Sect, what a strange name!"

The woman smiled and offered no further explanation. Hearing footsteps outside, she led the little girl slowly into the house.

Watching the woman's departing figure, the girl's innocent and lively eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a calm and inquisitive expression.

Is the Taoist Heavenly School one of the Hundred Schools of Thought?

"Judging from my mother's words, the other party is not very old, but the farming family attaches great importance to this. It seems that this person who came is not simple."

"Is it because of the other party's identity or something else?"

"If it's just because of his status, the disciples outside shouldn't have been mobilized on such a large scale. But if it's for something else, his young age makes it a bit hard to believe."

The little girl sat on the bed, muttering to herself in a voice only she could hear. No one knew that this seemingly innocent and lively little girl had such a deep understanding of things at such a young age, not even the woman in the room.

"lady."

As soon as Tian Meng entered the house, he saw his wife waiting in the lobby. His eyes darkened, and he spoke softly.

"Husband."

The woman casually took the cloak and straw hat that Tian Meng had taken off and hung them on the wall to the side.

Looking at the woman's extremely alluring figure, Tian Meng took a deep breath, but a deep sense of apprehension flashed in his eyes.

Although the person before him was beautiful and had a graceful figure, he knew in his heart that she was not an ordinary person. On several occasions, he had felt an indescribable pressure emanating from her.

Having roamed the martial arts world for many years, Tian Meng knew that this feeling was not a misperception, but rather that his bedmate was an extremely powerful master.

So over the years, he dared not overstep the bounds. Fortunately, he gradually discovered the other party's weakness, which was that little girl, the other party's daughter.

Only with this little girl would the other party obediently listen to him, but he still hadn't gotten to enjoy her company, which was making him quite impatient.

He planned to find an opportunity to force the other party to submit after this incident.

"Madam, has Yan'er been behaving herself these past few days?"

Upon hearing this, the woman tightened her grip on her hands in front of her, and a chill crept into her eyes.

She had already seen what the person in front of her was really like behind the scenes, even though he seemed upright and honest.

If it weren't for her daughter, she would have killed this man long ago.

"Fortunately, I told her to go back to her room when I heard my husband was back. But Yan'er is still a little weak. I'll go to the Zhu family's place to get some herbs later."

Tian Meng seemed to have thought of something, and his eyes narrowed.

"The Zhu family?"

(End of this chapter)