National Division

Chapter 17 Xue Zhihua: She certainly knows how to talk.

Qingyang Temple

Crane Guardian shook his head, seemingly unwilling to hear any more, and said, "Then this humble Taoist does not know."

Xue Zhihua looked intently at Daoist He Shou and said, "I would be grateful if you could guide me, senior."

Crane Guardian picked up the teacup beside him and said, "The Taiqing lineage does not concern itself with cause and effect, nor does it bear any burdens. Miss Xue, you should refrain from speaking."

The intention was already clear: to serve tea and see the guest off.

Xue Zhihua remained silent for a moment.

The Taiqing lineage has always been like this: indifferent to the common people, going its own way.

Just then, Daoist He Shou picked up a piece of yellow paper from the side, which was the homework of the students in Qingyang Temple yesterday.

Xue Zhihua lingered, picking up her teacup, wondering how she could persuade Daoist He Shou.

At that moment, Crane Guardian was casually appreciating the poem when he suddenly exclaimed, "Eh!"

It was after reading Shen Xian's poem that I came across.

[Having cultivated a form resembling a crane, beneath a thousand pines lie two volumes of scriptures. I come to inquire about the Dao, but there is nothing more to say; clouds drift in the blue sky, water flows in the bottle.]

Crane Guardian frowned, then couldn't help but chuckle.

The line "Clouds in the blue sky, water in the bottle" resonated with him deeply.

Xue Zhihua asked in surprise, "What is this, Senior?"

"The poem written by the student is perfectly natural in its imagery, and it even has a touch of Taoist charm. Take a look," said Crane Guardian Taoist.

In fact, this poem may be insignificant among the vast sea of ​​poems from past lives, or even not ranked at all, but it is an excellent work among Taoist poems.

Otherwise, Emperor Feiyuan and Emperor Wanshou wouldn't have kept muttering about it.

The character "crane" seems to have been created specifically for the Taoist Crane Guardian.

While the Taoist He Shou did not accomplish much in his life, he emulated the sages by widely teaching Taoist doctrines, and his students filled the garden with disciples, which was his proudest achievement.

During his ten years in Anzhou, he transformed Qingyang Academy into a first-class private Taoist academy, which ultimately made him somewhat arrogant.

Xue Zhihua had amazing eyesight. Without even using her divine sense, she had already taken everything in. Beneath her delicate eyebrows, her bright eyes smiled and shone with a clear, gentle charm. She teased, "This student named Shen Xian is quite the talker."

"Among all the students in Qingyang Temple, this boy is one of the most unruly, but it seems he has changed his ways," said Crane Guardian Daoist softly.

As he spoke, he flipped through a few more articles, all of which were quite conventional.

Crane Guardian said, "It's getting late. If Miss Xue has nothing else to do, I need to go into seclusion to do my studies."

Xue Zhihua put down the blue and white porcelain teacup in her hand, her originally cold gaze becoming more serious, and said, "I heard that the seventy-first on the Earth Ranking is the Daoist Crane Guardian, whose chess skills are amazing and his technique is close to the Dao. He has been praised by the Chess Saint. I also like chess very much."

Crane Guardian Daoist, whose eyes had been drooping, slowly opened them, looked Xue Zhihua up and down, and said, "You want to play chess with me?"

The young man before him was actually playing chess with him?
It was only a minor third realm, and it had just broken through to the third realm. The glow was faint and clearly had not yet solidified.

Xue Zhihua bowed respectfully and said, "I came here to learn from you, senior. If I am fortunate enough to win even a move or two, could you please help Princess Qing and her daughter? If I am truly no match for you, I can return and apologize to His Highness."

The Taiqing lineage judges Heaven's will by its own heart, cultivating the Dao of Nature, which is ruthless.

He's clearly completely unyielding!
If it were anyone else, having received a favor from His Highness in the past and owing him a debt of gratitude, they would at least show him some respect. But the Taoist priest in front of him acted as if nothing had happened.

Unless she produces the token of the eldest princess.

Crane Guardian picked up his teacup, took a sip, and seemed to be pondering, perhaps weighing the weight of the Great Jing Princess.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "These are two separate matters and should not be confused. However, I can make an exception for you today."

"I will not take advantage of your youth. I will play chess with you with my cultivation level of just entering the third realm. Do not say to the princess that I am heartless." Crane Guardian Daoist's voice was deep and resonant, like the clash of gold and jade, carrying indifference and arrogance.

As they spoke, Crane Guardian Daoist's cultivation level dropped rapidly. Before long, it was equal to Xue Zhihua's cultivation level, having just entered the third realm.

Xue Zhihua thought to herself that even if they were both at the third realm, based on their perspectives and understanding of the Dao, she would most likely not be a match for Daoist He Shou. However, if she could spar with him, it would be beneficial for consolidating her third realm.

If all else fails, she will take out the jade token that His Highness bestowed upon her before his departure.

It's fine for her to travel around here for a while, but she can't really stay in Guhe County forever, far away from the central government.

Xue Zhihua didn't say much. She picked up a chess piece and placed it on the chessboard. In an instant, clouds swirled and floated over the entire chessboard.

Crane Guardian Daoist also picked up a black chess piece and placed it in a corner of the apricot-yellow chessboard. Instantly, the pure energy surged and drove away all the white energy.

Xue Zhihua raised her eyebrows, picked up a white chess piece, and placed it on the chessboard.

The two players took turns placing pieces, and before long, the black and white pieces gradually filled the chessboard.

The clear air and the white air were equally matched.

Crane Guardian picked up a chess piece in one hand and stroked his beard with the other, seemingly deep in thought, before laboriously placing a chess piece down.

The pure air suddenly billowed out, encroaching upon the white air.

Xue Zhihua smiled slightly, and placed the chess piece in her hand again, causing the white aura to intensify by three points.

On the chessboard, two large dragons, like interlocking canine teeth, fought relentlessly.

The tea had gone cold, no longer steaming, but no one came to refill it.

Because, at this moment, Crane Guardian Daoist was clearly at a slight disadvantage.

Crane Guardian was, after all, a senior, and he fought to a standstill with a junior.

Just then, a Taoist priest entered the hall and said, "Master, this is Shen Xian, the son of the county magistrate of Guhe. Young Master Shen has come to request an audience with you."

Crane Guardian was racking his brains for a way to break the deadlock when he saw this. He frowned, looked at the Taoist priest, and asked, "It's not class time today, what is he doing here?"

Xue Zhihua had already picked up her teacup and said, "Senior, you can take care of the trivial matters first."

Just as His Highness said, in terms of talent, she is actually above some of the top experts on the Earth Ranking.

The Taoist priest said, "Reporting to the abbot, that young master Shen said he has urgent business to discuss with you."

Upon hearing this, Daoist He Shou raised his eyes to look at Xue Zhihua and said, "Miss Xue, even if I lose today, what do you say?"

Xue Zhihua didn't dwell on the word "even if," and said, "Since the abbot has matters to attend to, he might as well deal with them first."

Although their doctrines differ and they cannot work together, the three religions share a common origin, so it is acceptable for her to use them to verify her own learning.

Upon seeing this, Crane Guardian nodded and sighed inwardly.

He is truly a promising young man. If he were his age, he would not have the same profound understanding of Taoism as the woman before him.

The game between the two just now, seemingly a game of chess pieces, actually represented the two paths of Yin and Yang, containing insights into the Taoist scriptures. The changes were not only a contest of chess skills, but also a quest for Taoist enlightenment.

"Miss Xue, I'm afraid you'll climb several places on the list of successful candidates," said Daoist He Shou.

The so-called divine retribution encompasses all living beings across the four seas, nine provinces, and eight wastelands, selecting the essence of immortality and recording their names on the three lists. The duel between these two today will soon be reflected in the changes in their rankings on the Human Ranking.

Xue Zhihua quickly stood up, cupped her hands and said, "I dare not accept such kindness from you, senior."

On the list of 365 people, perhaps she can break into the top 100 this time?

When she gets back, Her Highness the Princess will probably reward her with something, right?

Crane Guardian gave Xue Zhihua a deep look, put down the chess piece, and without offering any further explanation, walked towards the side hall.

Xue Zhihua sat quietly for a while, and as her master left, the black chess pieces, lacking the blessing of Dao, gradually turned into dust.

Xue Zhihua composed herself, got up, and decided to go see what was going on.

(End of this chapter)