Chapter 33: Xie Family Young Lady, Emperor Enters Zhongnan

【Liu Jinyu originally intended to detain the Eighth Imperial Prince, aiming to host a vegetarian feast at the ancient temple on Mount Zhongnan to show his respect.】

【Zhou Cheng refused. After returning the courtesy, he descended the mountain, leaving behind a single sentence: "Lu Shaobao, when we meet again, I will openly and honestly invite you to leave Zhongnan."】

【Liu Jinyu understood Zhou Cheng's intent well, knowing that the several imperial princes who had visited previously had all done so in private.】

【Only on a day of openness and honesty would His Majesty himself arrive in person.】

【The heart of the Prince of Jing can be seen from this glimpse.】

【Lu Yu wanted to persuade his uncle to stay on Mount Zhongnan for a few more days, but his uncle was too busy with official duties to remain for long.】

【Lu Yu could not help but sigh: "I fear the days I get to see my uncle in the future will become increasingly rare."】

【You gently pat Lu Yu on the shoulder and comfort him: "Everyone has their own aspirations; settling down and establishing a career is the natural course of life."】

【Liu Jinyu asks you: "Shenzhou, I saw that the Eighth Imperial Prince's words were earnest. You have always been good at judging people; in your view, how much of his sincerity is real?"】

【Possessing the talent for discerning people, you smile slightly: "His words are a mix of truth and falsehood; they appear sincere, yet they also harbor hypocrisy."】

【"However, I am but a lowly Daoist priest of the Three Truths Sect, far removed from his status as an imperial prince. To me, these truths and falsehoods make no difference."】

【Hearing this, Liu Jinyu cannot help but heave a long sigh in his heart.】

【"Shenzhou, you have been like this since you were small, focused on Daoist cultivation and martial arts, with no taste for these worldly affairs."】

【"In that case, the future leadership of our Three Truths Sect can likely only be entrusted to You'an."】

【He had originally thought that Lu Chen's reputation and personality were best suited to inherit the heavy responsibilities of the Three Truths Sect.】

【Lu Yu's talent for Daoist cultivation was truly astonishing, yet his personality was too free-spirited and difficult to restrain; only Lu Chen could keep him in check.】

【With Lu Chen handling external affairs and Lu Yu handling internal ones, the two working in tandem, why worry that the Three Truths would not flourish?】

【Lu Yu also shows a troubled expression, lamenting: "The incense at this Mount Zhongnan is truly too overwhelming. Brother, I am far too busy to handle it alone. Why don't you lend me a hand?"】

【You merely smile and offer no reply.】

【Seeing this, Liu Jinyu laughs: "I actually have a solution. Why not take on a few disciples and let them help you share the burden?"】

【"Your cultivation is already that of a true supreme Grandmaster of the Jianghu; taking on a few disciples is not difficult."】

【"It is only natural for disciples to share the burden for their master."】

【As soon as these words were spoken, a glimmer of light flashed in Lu Yu's eyes; he had never considered taking on disciples, but now it seemed like a brilliant plan.】

【He turns to you, his eyes full of inquiry.】

【Looking at his excited expression, you have already made your decision in your heart.】

【And so, you decide to...】

1. Agree, let Lu Yu take on disciples.

2. Disagree, do not let Lu Yu take on disciples.

3. Participate personally. (1/3)

Yu Ke does not hesitate at all and chooses 1: Agree, let Lu Yu take on disciples.

If Lu Yu has disciples, they would be your grand-disciples, all belonging to your own foundation.

For some reason, a warm current surges in your heart, and the familiar sights and sounds of Lu Yu appear in your mind.

In this simulation, whether studying the Dao or joining the army.

Lu Yu has always accompanied you; no matter what you do, he supports you unconditionally.

Now that Lu Yu has disciples, he must be happy.

Lu Yu cannot help but raise the corners of his mouth.

【Hearing your agreement, Lu Yu's face is immediately wreathed in smiles.】

【Your master Liu Jinyu solemnly informs you that this visit by the Emperor to the mountain to pray for blessings is not as simple as a standard ritual.】

【In reality, this is a grand feast, gathering talents from all four directions.】

【Nobles, civil and military officials from the imperial court, and even the Great Princess from the North and the Northern Wind delegation will arrive. It is rumored that the other three kingdoms—Qianyuan, Han, and Chu—have also dispatched delegations.】

【He urges you to attend, as the matter is of great importance.】

【You know the deep meaning behind this; the private visits of the imperial princes were acts of avoiding suspicion, but if the current Son of Heaven himself comes to Mount Zhongnan to pray for the people, the significance is entirely different.】

【You sigh lightly, knowing that this time, there is no avoiding it.】

【However, for you, Daoist cultivation is the true pursuit.】

【At this moment, you remember.】

【There is also a letter your mother entrusted to your uncle for you.】

【You open the letter; the ink on the paper is like your mother's warmth, leaping before your eyes, filled with nothing but concern, as your mother worries about you two brothers.】

【Spring comes and summer goes, autumn harvests and winter stores; as the weather turns cold, be sure to add more clothing and take care of yourselves.】

【She also comforts you not to worry about your father and mother; the house in the capital and the servants are attentive, and they have found a Northern cook so the food is to their liking. It's just that your old man has recently fallen in love with fishing and often doesn't come home for dinner, no matter how they try to persuade him.】

【Lu Yu laughs: "Father certainly has refined tastes."】

【At the end of the letter, a matter is mentioned.】

【Even you are somewhat surprised!】

【It turns out that before you joined the Three Truths Sect, your mother had arranged a marriage for you, but later you went into the mountains to cultivate, and the Northern Wind army marched south, so the matter was left unsettled.】

【That woman's surname is Xie, and she comes from a humble family in the North.】

【However, after moving south from the North, she came to the capital with her father. Because her father was exceptionally talented, the family's fortunes were restored, and he gained the appreciation of the Emperor, rising four ranks in succession to a Second Rank position of high power, making the Zhao family suddenly become a prominent household in the capital.】

【According to your mother, this Miss Xie is not only beautiful but also proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and is sensible, gentle, and virtuous.】

【Before the Lu Family Army became famous, the Lu family could not even be considered a humble family. Facing marriage proposals from many nobles in the capital, Miss Xie politely declined them one by one, stating she already had a betrothal, fully displaying the demeanor of a virtuous and decorous lady.】

【When the Lu family later became world-renowned, the Xie family also frankly came to call and dissolved the engagement.】

【The Xie family is a true family of scholars, not following the crowd, nor clinging to the powerful.】

【Your mother urges: "Next spring, if you happen to meet Miss Xie on Mount Zhongnan, you must be polite to her; she is a good girl."】

【Lu Yu cannot help but laugh: "Never thought I almost had another sister-in-law."】

【You are also learning of this for the first time, and your heart remains calm.】

【You look up out the window; the green mountains and clear waters of Mount Zhongnan, the vast horizon, your thoughts drift far away.】

【From the day you were born, you have held a firm belief in your heart: you must embark on the martial path and pursue the way of Daoist cultivation.】

【There is still more than half a month until the New Year festival.】

【You enter the ancient tomb of Mount Zhongnan once more to continue your cultivation.】

【Cultivation is like rowing a boat against the current; if you do not advance, you retreat.】

【Morning exercises, evening exercises—you never neglect them; even when in the army, you practiced often.】

【However, because your talent is truly not high, you are now thirty-one years old, and your skills are still at the second-rate level of the Jianghu.】

【Although you and Lu Yu are from the same sect, you chose different techniques. He cultivates the "Primordial Technique," which has very high requirements for the practitioner, needing to start from the Primordial Qi, but once entered, progress is rapid.】

【Lu Yu was able to reach the Grandmaster realm at the age of twenty-four; besides his own innate talent, the "Primordial Technique" he cultivated also played a crucial role.】

【A curiosity arises in your heart, full of questions about the Primordial Qi mentioned in the "Primordial Technique."】

【What exactly is it, and what connection does it have to the spiritual energy Lu Yu mentioned?】

(End of Chapter)