Achieving the Dao from the Hundred Schools of Thought

Suzhou remains as bustling as ever.

Locals hawked their wares, and tourists strolled by, creating a scene of bustling prosperity.

"Ziyang, although Suzhou is located in a remote area, it is no less impressive than the cities of Lu."

Looking at the calm expressions on the tourists' faces, Zilu sighed repeatedly.

Since ancient times, the closer one gets to the heartland of the human race, the more prosperous it has become.

Although the people of Wu and Yue were also of the orthodox human race, they were located in a remote area. Yet, they were able to build such a prosperous Suzhou. Fuchai truly deserved the title of hegemon.

"Oh? Senior Brother Zilu, how do the people of Lu view us people of Wu and Yue?"

Zhuang Weiyang couldn't help but ask a question, and Zilu paused before changing the subject:

"Ziyang, where are we staying tonight?"

Zhuang Weiyang: "..."

Sometimes silence is also a form of answer, and Zhuang Weiyang probably understood that.

"Let's go, Senior Brother Zilu, I'll take you to your lodgings first."

Zhuang Weiyang did not ask any more questions, but instead led Zilu through the academy.

Since Zhuang Weiyang broke through, the courtyard in the academy has become his private property. Most of the academy students have families in Gusu, and the probability of a poor student like Zhuang Weiyang being able to set foot in such a place is extremely low. Therefore, the academy usually bestows the courtyard upon poor students who have broken through.

As Zhuang Weiyang walked through Suzhou, she pushed open the door and entered. The courtyard was already covered in dust, which kicked up a cloud of dust when she opened the door.

"Ahem, Senior Brother Zilu, let me clean up first."

Zhuang Weiyang looked apologetic, but her heart was burning with anger. A gentle breeze blew the dust in the courtyard into a pile.

"My humble abode is simple and unadorned; I hope my senior brother Zilu will be kind to me."

"What kind of language are you talking about? When I was hunting in the mountains years ago, I didn't feel anything was wrong with it."

Does Wei Yang think I'm a picky person?

Zilu laughed. Seeing this, Zhuang Weiyang stopped being polite and went into the room to take out a token.

"Senior Brother Zilu, with this token you can go to the academy to read some unimportant books. If Senior Brother Zilu is bored, you can..."

"Excellent!"

Zilu Jie accepted the token, a look of satisfaction in his eyes.

"Alright, go ahead and do what you need to do!"

Zhuang Weiyang informed him of the work-study location, bowed, and took her leave.

Within the academy, as long as one does not approach important areas such as the Palace of Sages, one can view ordinary books with a token.

After making arrangements for Zilu, Zhuang Weiyang headed to the Grand Tutor's Mansion.

Fuchai said he would send the sacrificial wine into the palace, but if Zhuang Weiyang, like a fool, actually went to deliver the things outside the palace, it was uncertain whether she would be able to get in.

When Fuchai said to send it to the palace, he meant that he wanted to see it at the banquet that evening.

Therefore, Zhuang Weiyang directly arranged for someone to take the sacrificial wine and meat to Bo Pi's door to wait.

"Be careful on your trip to Suzhou! These are turbulent times; don't let yourself be unjustly accused and sent to the Qi battlefield!"

Zhuang Weiyang arrived at the gate of the Grand Tutor's Mansion, where a servant had been waiting for a long time.

"Lord Zhuang, the Grand Chancellor instructed me that you should come in directly upon arrival without announcing yourself."

Zhuang Weiyang looked puzzled.

Could it be that Bo Pi still remembers his nephew-in-law?

"Okay, please lead the way."

Pavilions, towers, bridges, and flowing water—Bo Pi's Grand Preceptor's Mansion brought all the scenery of Wu and Yue back home.

The servant led Zhuang Weiyang through the crowd, but Zhuang Weiyang kept her eyes straight ahead, only hoping to finish quickly so she could go back and grind experience points.

But things didn't go as planned, and a sudden change occurred!

"Hiss—! Prepare to die!"

Two snake women crawled out of the lotus pond, transforming into human-headed snakes, and lunged at Zhuang Weiyang with their mouths wide open.

"Nausea."

Zhuang Weiyang frowned slightly, neither dodging nor avoiding, her heart burning with anger.

"wind!"

The two snake women were trapped in mid-air by Zhuang Weiyang's wind magic.

The snake woman's eyes turned bloodshot, and she immediately abandoned her human form, wanting to transform into a demon.

However, the power of the Five-fold Wind Technique is not something that a mere Green Serpent of the first realm can break through.

"Bang!"

With a loud bang, the snake's body exploded, and blood rained down.

"Damn it!" Zhuang Weiyang thought to herself. "They just said they wouldn't cause trouble, and they killed two snake women as soon as they walked in."

"Alas, I had completely forgotten that the Dazai Mansion also has the Green Snake Clan."

Zhuang Weiyang was having a bit of a headache. She had come to the Grand Tutor's Mansion on business and even killed the manor's pet.

If Bo Pi were to investigate further, he himself would find it difficult to explain.

"My lord, this..."

The servant was terrified, his face turned deathly pale, and he collapsed to the ground, his finger pointing at the snake woman's mangled body, trembling uncontrollably.

"Get up! I will explain this to Lord Bo Pi myself!"

The servant nodded repeatedly, braced himself with his hands, and tried several times before finally getting up.

"Are mortals truly powerless against demons?"

Zhuang Weiyang sighed inwardly, looking at the limp servant, but felt no mockery.

If he were a mortal and encountered a demon, he wouldn't fare much better.

A gentle breeze lifted the servant boy up, and he continued to lead the way, trembling with fear.

After walking for a while longer, they finally met Bo Pi, and...

Fan Li?

"Fan Li just arrived in Suzhou, and he's looking for Bo Pi... Oh right, Bo Pi is greedy, so Fan Li is most likely here to bribe him!"

Zhuang Weiyang's mind raced, and she made up her mind to leave as soon as she finished speaking, giving Fan Li and Bo Pi some private space.

"Weiyang, come here! I heard that the True Spirit of the Primordial Saint has descended upon Zuili?"

When Bo Pi saw Zhuang Weiyang, he showed no embarrassment at being caught in the act.

The servant saw Bo Pi as if he were a savior. Before Zhuang Weiyang could speak, he ran up to him and whispered something in Bo Pi's ear.

Zhuang Weiyang remained standing still, not even glancing at Fan Li beside her.

"Oh? The snake woman Xiren? Wei Yang did a good job killing her!"

Bo Pi smiled again, bringing to a conclusion regarding the snake woman incident.

"Demons and evil spirits are inherently unequal to being tamed; killing them is fine. But Weiyang, you must restrain your bloodlust. Gusu is not like Zuili; it is the capital of my Wu Kingdom. Moreover, recently, not only have people from Yue come, but the Tian family of Qi has also sent envoys to pay their respects to Your Majesty."

"If you kill someone just because you don't like them, people will laugh at you!"

"Weiyang, you must know that our King is a hero destined to conquer the Central Plains!"

Bo Pi didn't care about the lives of the two snake women at all; he only advised Zhuang Weiyang.

His tone was so sincere, like that of an elder in the family instructing a younger generation.

Zhuang Weiyang nodded repeatedly upon hearing this.

It's just unknown how much of those words were a warning and how much were genuine feelings.

"Lord Bo Pi, please forgive me! Wei Yang was careless and accidentally killed someone... This will never happen again."

Zhuang Weiyang clasped her hands in a gesture of apology to Bo Pi.

A humanoid snake woman is still quite valuable.

Next, Zhuang Weiyang handed the sacrificial wine and meat to Bo Pi and then hurriedly took her leave.

He acted as if he hadn't seen Fan Li standing to the side.

Bo Pi didn't say much, accepted the gifts, and let Zhuang Weiyang leave.

"Lord Dazai, this person is quite wary of us Yue people, is it...?"

Seeing Zhuang Weiyang leave, Fan Li spoke up at the opportune moment.

Bo Pi simply waved his hand, interrupting Fan Li.

"Ignore him. He's only at a minor cultivation level; he can't cause any real trouble!"

"I can't see through this person either. He has no interest in fame or fortune. If you say he's devoted to asceticism, he's a blockhead... but he doesn't get involved in anything and wants to stay away from Suzhou."

"Never mind, let it be! Let's continue talking about the two of us."

As he spoke, Bo Pi laughed heartily, revealing his true nature.

Flattery and favor are bestowed upon those who rise to high positions, while wealth and honor are swallowed whole.

True nature—a favored minister!

"Lord Dazai, didn't we just agree that I would give you my Yue Kingdom's ancestral second-realm treasure armor in exchange for..."

Fan Li forced a smile and whispered a reminder.

Bo Pi waved his hands repeatedly, and the essence behind him became even more solid.

"Didn't that female general just take away several Yue women? The Second Realm Armor can only do one thing!"

"If you want me to step in and protect your king, that'll come at a different price!"