From Under One Person: Sincere Journey Through the Heavens

Hong Guniang and Zhuge Yu, who already knew Jiang Liuxiu had gained insight, simply followed along.

Although the others were puzzled, they did not ask any further questions. They followed Lu Jin, Hong Guniang, and Zhuge Yu out of the conference room and downstairs. There they saw a middle-aged Taoist priest with a shawl, embroidered clothes, a kind face, and not a single white beard standing outside the door.

Beside this Taoist priest were three young Taoist priests, two men and one woman.

All four were cultivators. The middle-aged Taoist leading them had a steady aura and clear eyes with a hidden spiritual light. However, he seemed to have some lingering resentment and strong obsessions, which made it difficult for him to truly enter the realm of inner spiritual clarity, even though he had witnessed countless hardships in the mortal world.

"He is Zhang Enpu!"

The young woman quietly leaned close to Jiang Liu's ear and revealed the identity of the beardless Taoist priest.

Zhang Enpu was highly skilled and had excellent hearing, so he naturally heard the Red Girl's voice transmission. However, he didn't care. He just stared at Jiang Liu for a while before sighing, "President Jiang of the Confucian Association is truly extraordinary. At such a young age, his cultivation has already reached a state of perfection. Even I can hardly see through his skills."

only--

Those who practice spiritual cultivation should diligently cultivate themselves; why should they cause chaos in the world?

"you!"

He Anxia was furious and was about to make a move when Jiang Liu reached out and stopped him.

"So, the previous Celestial Master is coming here to subdue demons and monsters?"

He didn't answer, but just smiled and asked in return, "But as a Taoist, instead of focusing on cultivation on the mountain and transcending worldly affairs, why would you join the Guo faction and associate with that Jiang fellow?"

Implication:

The Confucian Association only cooperates with the Gong faction, seeking only to the best of its ability for national peace and prosperity.

And you, the former Celestial Master, instead of cultivating in the mountains, disregard the consequences of Ruiyuan's betrayal back then, and still associate with him, only seeking the "legitimacy of the Celestial Master's Mansion"—

How absurd!

"you!"

Before Zhang Enpu could speak, the Taoist behind him glared angrily and questioned Jiang Liu: "You, who was raised by the Quanxing demons, what right do you have to question my master?"

In an instant.

The entire Confucian Society was furious.

Upon hearing this, shop owners and vendors near the Confucian Association stopped what they were doing, grabbed knives or sticks, and gathered around.

Those who were far from the Confucian Association, seeing the commotion, temporarily suspended their business, roused themselves, and spontaneously gathered around Zhang Enpu and his three disciples, making it impossible for them to get through.

And what about Jiang Liu, the protagonist?

He remained calm in the face of ridicule.

Let's look at Zhang Enpu's three disciples—

They had lost their previous arrogance and were now all trembling with fear.

In terms of cultivation and martial arts, they were young and arrogant, believing themselves to be no less than anyone else present. However, faced with such a large group surrounding them, perhaps only their master could escape, but it would be extremely difficult for him to take them with him.

"Gentlemen, please disperse. This is just a small matter. There's no need to make such a fuss. Business is more important."

With just one sentence, the crowd dispersed, but the shop owners and vendors nearby still kept their attention on Zhang Enpu.

The 63rd Celestial Master?

Some people naturally recognize them.

But so what?

How can someone who insults another's background be considered a spiritual practitioner?

Moreover, the river is their faith!

Indeed.

Once you embark on the path of spiritual practice, you should naturally abandon any idolatrous views.

However, there is a difference between theory and reality.

They are cultivators who practice Qi cultivation. It is evident that even with such profound cultivation as Jiang Liu, they remain approachable and can chat with each other about anything from astronomy and geography to trivial matters. They are completely unpretentious and have even established a safe haven for them in this chaotic world. How can we not respect them?

Insulting Jiang Liu is no different from insulting them.

Let alone the previous Celestial Masters, even the current 64th Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain, Zhang Jingqing, is not strict with his followers and speaks rudely. They would still have to take a piece of his flesh!

"Yunxian, you mustn't be rude."

Zhang Enpu reprimanded the Taoist priest and bowed to Jiang Liu, saying, "My disciple is young and impetuous, I hope Chairman Jiang will not take it to heart."

"Children are proud and arrogant, why would I take them to heart?"

After saying that, Jiang Liu made a "please" gesture and instructed the others, including Lu Jin, to go about their own business, leaving only Miss Hong and himself at the Confucian Association to make tea for the four of them.

When Zhang Yunxian heard Jiang Liu call him "little kid," he was arrogant and resentful. He wanted to retort, "You don't look that old either," but after being glared at by Zhang Enpu, he immediately lowered his head, suppressed his anger, and dared not lash out.

The other man and woman stepped forward to offer a few words of comfort, and then followed Zhang Enpu into the Confucian Association's main hall and into the living room.

"Among the teas from Yuhang, the most famous is undoubtedly West Lake Longjing."

Jiang Liu brewed some tea and poured it for Zhang Enpu.

"It's really good."

Zhang Enpu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and exclaimed, "West Lake Longjing tea has flat and straight leaves, a tender green and glossy color, a fresh and delicate aroma, a refreshing and mellow taste, and tender leaves that resemble buds. Tasting it is like tasting the way of nature."

"You flatter me. It's not the finest Longjing tea, just the kind you get in ordinary teahouses, good enough to quench your thirst."

These words startled Zhang Enpu.

Jiang Liu and Hong Guniang, however, did not care. They picked up their teacups, blew on them slightly, took a small sip, and then leisurely put the teacups down.

Jiang Liu continued, “Tea doesn’t involve so many complicated rituals. It was originally just to relieve the fatigue of guests who had come from afar. It gradually developed into a ritual, and later, it became a way for many ‘literati’ throughout history to distinguish between the noble and the lowly.”

Just like drinking at the dinner table—

What was supposed to be a pursuit of joy has instead become a bargaining chip in negotiations for profit.

Tsk~

If we don't get back to the root of the problem, we'll be finished sooner or later!

Having lived all these years, how could Zhang Enpu not know that Jiang Liu was targeting him?

He just doesn't accept the reasoning behind it.

Returning to the source?

Then why did the Heavenly Master's Decree, which originally belonged to his family, end up being passed on to Zhang Jingqing?

Furthermore.

Having lived at the foot of the mountain for so many years, he has come to realize a truth: the world is changing, and the great principles passed down by his master, who is also his father, are no longer applicable in this era of advanced guns and cannons.

The Heavenly Master's Mansion on Mount Longhu—

Clinging to those outdated dogmas is the only way to go downhill!

Only by supporting the Dragon Court can the orthodox tradition of Taoism be continued!

"President Jiang is right."

Therefore.

Zhang Enpu first affirmed Jiang Liu's words, then offered his own perspective: "But in this chaotic world, trying to preserve one's foundation by helping a group of bandits and fighting against the imperial court to the end is not a wise choice..."

# Chapter 954 Zhang Enpu's "Visit" (Part 2)

"So the Celestial Master came to persuade us to surrender?"

Jiang Liu smiled.

Hong Guniang was speechless, unsure whether to call Zhang Enpu naive or the former Celestial Master sincere.

Why not?

Zhang Enpu asserted with certainty, "That Ruiyuan had the countenance of an emperor. Since the Han Dynasty, the Celestial Masters of the Celestial Masters' Mansion have maintained good relations with the emperors of successive dynasties."

Those who dared to oppose the imperial court, whether Taoist priests or Buddhist monks, all met with a bad end.

I advised Chairman Jiang not to jeopardize the future of the Confucian Association.

“ε=('ο｀*))) Sigh!”

But Jiang Liu sighed and said leisurely, "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny? How can you be so sure that the Gong faction are bandits and that the man surnamed Jiang is the emperor?"

"People generally believe that the only three special abilities of my Celestial Master's Mansion are the Golden Light Mantra, Thunder Magic, and various talismans. But little do they know that such sorcerer's methods are nothing but child's play in the eyes of us Taoist masters. It's just that most Taoists are unwilling to waste time calculating other people's fates, lest they suffer the consequences themselves."

I also understand some principles of divination and can observe celestial phenomena to discern auspicious omens indicating a great future.

Let alone the methods of sorcerers, even Zhang Enpu said that Taoism possesses 99% of the world's methods. Jiang Liu remained calm, but after hearing his words, he understood why this former Celestial Master had difficulty truly entering the realm of divine inner restraint.

Driven by sheer willpower, I descended Longhu Mountain—

This is refusing to accept one's fate.

Now he claims to understand the principles of the I Ching, be able to observe qi (vital energy), and even be able to read the face of an emperor—

This is another belief in fate.

What kind of fortune telling is this?

These kinds of people are hard to persuade verbally, so Jiang Liu didn't waste his breath. After all, he had already given the advice he needed to give. He simply said, "Then please go back and tell that person not to cause trouble for the Confucian Association and not to issue orders indiscriminately, causing chaos in Yuhang and the surrounding area. Then we can live in peace."

otherwise--

Tell him to find himself a nice coffin beforehand.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Enpu's eyes widened. He couldn't believe that Jiang Liu would have the idea of ​​assassinating the "Emperor." He could only argue with reason, saying, "You know, killing Jiang Ruiyuan won't solve the problem. The Guo faction will just have another person take over."

"So what? I think that guy surnamed Jiang would definitely not want the leader of the Guo faction to change his surname, don't you think? Former Celestial Master?" Jiang Liu asked with a smile, and subtly revealed a trace of Qi, which directly intimidated his mind.

"There's one more thing."

"That means the emperor is a thing of the past."

In an instant.

Zhang Enpu's face turned deathly pale. When he looked at Jiang Liu again, it was as if he had seen a living demon god. The Jiang Liu was imposing, with hands supporting the sky and feet treading the earth. There seemed to be a vast thunderous sound in the darkness, shaking his mind and making him pale with fright. Every cell in his body trembled uncontrollably. He could no longer care about his face. He hurriedly picked up one disciple with each hand, ignoring the female disciple, and led the two male disciples to run out of the Confucian Association.