Chapter 309: Carrying Thorns to Apologize

The one kneeling on the ground at the gate was precisely the scholar who fought us that day in the alley, Shen Yuan Ning. And what's even more embarrassing is that he's actually carrying… a bundle of firewood on his back.

As soon as he saw me and Pangzi, he hurriedly struggled to his feet and cupped his fists toward us: "Brother Chen, Brother Wang, I salute you."

Me: "……" Pangzi: "……" Is it necessary to greet so stiffly?

Pangzi walked straight up to him and slapped his shoulder: "I'm saying, brother, my family doesn't need firewood; what's the meaning of bringing a bundle of timber as a gift? If you're giving a gift, you should give something like shark's fin or bird's nest."

After Pangzi's slap, Shen Yuan Ning froze for a moment, then clasped his hands and shook his head: "Brother Wang, you're mistaken; I'm following the ancient virtuous custom, coming to ask forgiveness by carrying firewood." Having said that, he took a stick from the firewood on his back and handed it to Pangzi: "This humble body of mine; I hope Brother Wang will punish me."

I looked at this bespectacled scholar, laughing and crying at once; after a while I realized he was imitating Lian Po's apology by carrying firewood. This scholar is so bookish he's made even the apology method… archaic.

Pangzi took the stick from Shen Yuan Ning's hand, turned to me and asked: "Is he letting me beat him?"

I nodded; theoretically, yes.

Then, while I was still dazed, Pangzi grabbed the stick, went up to Shen Yuan Ning and gave him a fierce beating; after Pangzi finished, I still stood there, dumbfounded.

After Pangzi finished beating him, panting, he said to me: "Hai Sheng, you always used to say I'm low. I've said before, there are plenty of people lower than me—look, someone even came to the door begging for a beating. I've lived this long and still never met anyone who actually enjoys being beaten."

A crow flew over my head, black lines streaking across my brain.

"Pangzi, he's carrying firewood to ask for your forgiveness—how can you have no tolerance at all?"

Pangzi exclaimed in surprise: "What? What apology? He's just itching for a beating, isn't he?"

Me: "……" Really speechless at this clown—could it be that all the books he's read over the years have just been about girls?

"Pangzi, go home and review the article 'Alliance of Ministers'—it's something even elementary students know, yet you tell me you don't know it." I glared at him, then hurried over to help Shen Yuan Ning up and apologized.

"Sorry, Pangzi's immature and has let you suffer."

Shen Yuan Ning wiped the blood from his nose, waved at me and said: "No, no—you, not being me, cannot know my happiness."

Me: "……" To be honest, I've never seen anyone get beaten and be so happy, even claiming to be content—truly an eye-opener.

I helped Shen Yuan Ning into the Chan Yi Hall; Pangzi stayed outside, holding the stick and muttering: "How odd—does being beaten with firewood feel good?" As he spoke, he lifted the firewood in his hand and struck his own forehead hard.

The result… was naturally a miserable wail of crying for father and mother.

As soon as Shen Yuan Ning sat down, he cupped his hands toward us both and said: "I have come this time…"

"Speak plainly."

"Last time I was wrong; this time I've come to apologize to you." Shen Yuan Ning gave a shy smile and said embarrassedly.

I hadn't even waved my hand when Pangzi went up and gave Shen Yuan Ning a bear hug.

"No problem, no problem—knowing your mistake and correcting it makes you a good kid; the masses will give you a chance, and I, Qiang Ge, will give you this chance too." It gave a feeling of "no fight, no friendship," of mutual affection.

But… it seems the one most hurt in the previous incident was actually me. Damn it, Pangzi, you unreliable thing, why are you being polite to me when I haven't even spoken?

Under my contemptuous gaze, Pangzi gave a shy smile: "Well, you speak, I'll stay quiet."

I coughed, turned to Shen Yuan Ning and said: "Forget it, last time's incident isn't your fault, after all you know nothing. But I'm curious—why do you have Confucian righteousness and Daoist magical power on you?"

Shen Yuan Ning pondered for a moment: "This matter…"

"Speak plainly"—this time it was Pangzi shouting; he also couldn't stand Shen Yuan Ning's pretentious, scholarly airs.

"Cough cough, to explain would be terribly long; right now Shen Yuan Ning doesn't even know where to start." Shen Yuan Ning clasped his hands and explained.

I asked him again which Daoist sect he belonged to. After a moment's thought, he told me: "Under Patriarch Xu, 27th-generation disciple of Pure Bright Dao, with the generation characters Shang Fa and Xia Guang, his personal name is Yuan Ning."

"Oh," I said, surprised when Shen Yuan Ning revealed his lineage. He actually comes from Pure Bright Dao.

Pure Bright Dao is also called Pure Bright Loyalty and Filial Piety Dao; it was founded by the Eastern Han cultivator Xu Zhenren. Its doctrine blends Confucian teachings, differing from other Daoist sects in that upon entering the Dao one seeks to rid oneself of the six emotions and six desires. Pure Bright Dao is entered from the secular world, and its revered doctrine is the two words loyalty and filial piety. Pure Bright Dao holds that those who are disloyal to the state or unfilial to their parents, who abandon their six relatives to retreat into emptiness, are disloyal and unjust, and such people are utterly unqualified to cultivate the Dao.

A proverb circulating in Daoism says: "The teaching was first opened at Dragon Tiger, and those who can govern the world are from Pure Bright." This saying not only fixes Pure Bright Dao's status in Daoism, but also shows that Pure Bright's doctrine stands alone, unmatched.

However, although Pure Bright Dao incorporates Confucianism, I've seen many of its disciples before, and none of them, like Shen Yuan Ning, have the Confucian righteousness emanating from their very brushstrokes.

"May I ask, could you tell me your teacher's name?" No sooner had I said that than Pangzi jabbed me with his elbow.

"You're silly—did you forget the Daoist taboo of the three not‑asks?"

Only then did I realize I had overstepped, as if I'd asked something I shouldn't. In the past, Daoism had some unwritten rules. For instance, upon first meeting one would ask the taboo of the Three Pure Ones to determine whether the person was Daoist or Buddhist. Then one would ask: "Where does your fellow Daoist's three mountains bleed? What is your lineage? What are the upper and lower characters?" The other would then tell you the poems 'Clear Mountain, Clear Water, Clear Rain' that conceal the allusion to the Three Pure Ones; where the blood drips indicates which sect recorded you, and the upper and lower characters indicate your generation rank within the sect. Take Shen Yuan Ning: the upper characters are Fa and Guang, the middle is the Yuan generation; according to Pure Bright Dao's seniority ranking, he is a 27th‑generation disciple.

Second, there is another unwritten rule: the three not‑asks that Pangzi mentioned.

One does not ask about the teacher, does not ask about lifespan, does not ask about worldly affairs. Here 'not asking the teacher' does not mean not asking which Daoist school one comes from; rather, one may not casually inquire about the teacher's elders or the sect's secret classics. If even asking about the sect were forbidden, then the first rule—asking where the three mountains bleed—would not hold.

Although these rules have largely fallen into disuse with the passage of time, given Shen Yuan Ning's stubborn personality he probably still cares about these formalities, so Pangzi jabbed me with his elbow to remind me not to keep asking.

Shen Yuan Ning shook his head, clasped his hands apologetically and said: "It's not that I don't want to say; my teacher once warned me that while refining the mind in the mortal world I must not reveal his name to outsiders. So I ask Brothers Chen and Wang for your understanding—when the fate is right, I believe you two will come to know it."

"All right, all right, I'm not interested in knowing who your teacher is, but stop calling me 'Brother Chen' and 'Brother Wang' all the time. It's weird—clearly we two don't have chests, yet you keep insisting on 'xiong, xiong, xiong.' How annoying." Pangzi fiddled with his ear, impatient.

"Then how should I address you……?"

Pangzi pointed at me and then at himself, saying: "Call him Hai Sheng, call me Weiqiang—if you like, you can also call me Pangzi."

Shen Yuan Ning clasped his hands and said: "If that's the case…"

"Speak plainly……" I and Pangzi shouted in unison to cut him off.

Shen Yuan Ning shrugged his shoulders and said: "Since the misunderstanding's been cleared, Hai Sheng, you and Qiang Ge have forgiven me—then my heart is at peace."

"Mm, and then?" Pangzi asked.

"Then, nothing else."

Pangzi pressed: "Really nothing?"

Shen Yuan Ning shook his head blankly: "Nothing, right?"

Pangzi grinned: "You're really not enough of a buddy—no matter what, you have to take us to a restaurant for a proper meal. This apology—do you really think it's sincere enough?"

Pangzi's skin is thick as a city wall; he takes advantage of the situation.

I quickly went over and covered Pangzi's mouth, then gave Shen Yuan Ning a rueful smile and said: "Sorry, Pangzi's mouth is just that nasty—don't take it to heart."

Shen Yuan Ning shook his head: "I didn't bring any money. Next time, then?"

Me: "……" He actually took it seriously.

He didn't linger long before Shen Yuan Ning prepared to take his leave.

Before leaving, he turned back and said to me: "Hai Sheng, there's something I don't know whether I should say."

I said: "If you have something to say, just say it straight, stop hemming and hawing."

Shen Yuaning then nodded and solemnly warned me: "The exams are in a few days; when you go back to school, be careful."

I asked him, bewildered: "Why is that?"

"The matter between you and Yao Yirong has spread around the school; many of Yao Yirong's followers have formed an anti-'life' alliance, determined to drive you, this filthy lecher, away from Yao Yirong and never let you defile the pure goddess in their hearts." After saying that, Shen Yuaning turned around and prepared to leave.

Suddenly, he turned around again, bearing the bleak, wind-swept air of the Yi River, the desolate bearing of a warrior who never returns.

"In short, on the day of the exams, take care."

I: "……" Is it really necessary to call me such a nasty lecher? And Yao Yirong this girl… when did she ever become pure?

Pangzi hid to the side, delighting in my misfortune, laughing loudly: "You're doomed; I wonder what you'll do on exam day."

I rolled my eyes; what can I do? At worst, I just won't take this lousy exam.

Although I said that, I really wouldn't dare do that. Although I don't have to return to school often, I must take the exam; otherwise the university won't let me graduate, and then my tuition for these past years would have been wasted, fed to the dogs.

But… I never imagined how serious the situation would be, exceeding my expectations, and I also underestimated the charm of that fiery girl Yao Yirong.

On that day of the exams, as Pangzi and I strode calmly into the school, we immediately ran into trouble—we ran into big trouble.