[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-dragon-lies-hidden":3,"chapter-the-dragon-lies-hidden-the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-4":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Dragon Lies Hidden",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2289302,4477,"Chapter 4: Worldly Affairs, Immortal Affairs (Part 1)","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-4",4,"\u003Cp>Before the red sun reached the midpoint of the sky, the heavens were bright and clear; in the study, Xiang Weiyuan and Zhang Sheng had already spent an hour discussing cultivation lessons. The desk before Xiang Weiyuan had been replaced from a low table to a normal-sized writing desk; the bookshelves along both walls, once empty, now brimmed with bound volumes. The books on the shelves were all written by the two master and disciple— one shelf held Zhang Sheng’s works, the other Xiang Weiyuan’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Zhang Sheng rescued him, Xiang Weiyuan owned nothing but the clothes he wore; the Zhang residence held barely any books, only a few almanacs and account ledgers. Thus, the earliest texts used for his early education were written by Zhang Sheng himself. Most of the books on Xiang Weiyuan’s shelf were copied from Zhang Sheng’s works—first to memorize the classics, second to practice calligraphy—but a few contained his own original thoughts. Yet those few books were not on the shelf now; they lay before Zhang Sheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Zhang Sheng reread Xiang Weiyuan’s writings, the room fell silent, save for sunlight falling within, as if stirring a faint, almost imperceptible hum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Weiyuan’s writings were naturally immature, yet one could already discern the author’s original ideas, unbound by convention; especially rare was his ability to make his arguments internally consistent. But now the texts began to reveal sharp edges—whether for good or ill, it remained uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Zhang Sheng read, Xiang Weiyuan sat motionless, as still as a statue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment, Zhang Sheng came back to himself and carefully studied the disciple he had lived with for three years. “I have taught you all three thousand worldly matters. The ways of the immortals—you will learn them naturally once you enter a sect. Over these past three years, five hours daily, rain or shine, I have given you the very essence of all I know. What remains is merely polishing the minor details.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Sheng paused, then spoke solemnly: “But remember this one thing: in the human world, right and wrong are hard to judge. The path of choice lies within your heart. I have taught you only how to see all sides clearly, how to weigh gains and losses—but the final decision must always be yours. This I cannot teach you. Even the sages cannot teach you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Weiyuan nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Sheng looked at him, then suddenly smiled. “Stand up and let your master see you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Weiyuan rose at once, standing straight as a pine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Weiyuan had just turned six, yet he was already taller than most ten-year-old farm boys. His features had matured, shedding much of his childishness, gradually revealing the vigor of youth. Yet since childhood he had been quiet and reserved, speaking freely only when debating matters with Zhang Sheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Sheng studied him several times over, sighing: “When I first saw you, you barely reached my waist. Now you’ve surpassed my shoulders. Time truly flies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Weiyuan suddenly bowed deeply. “Master’s kindness, I shall forever remember!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Sheng laughed. He reached out and patted Xiang Weiyuan’s head. Xiang Weiyuan was naturally reserved and calm; for him to speak so directly was rare. Yet precisely because of that, it proved the sentiment came from within—only by saying it could he express it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now Xiang Weiyuan was quite tall; patting his head was no longer easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Sheng sighed. “You’re cold outside but warm within, with an excellent appearance and strong will. I fear nothing else—only that you’ll suffer in matters of emotion. Ah, why am I telling you this? If I didn’t think, I’d almost forget you’re only six.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That was the final lesson. These three years between master and disciple have been complete. Next month is the Sect Universal Examination, held once every five years—you must not miss it. I will accompany you to the Juncheng to take the exam. For the next two days, I must gather my writings and insights from these three years; you may enjoy yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Weiyuan finally spoke: “...I’ll help you pack.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Sheng smiled. “Very well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the window, Wei Youcai exhaled deeply, bent over, and quietly left with the bald man and the steward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After walking a few paces away, Wei Youcai slapped his thigh and exhaled. “Finally no more crouching by the wall! Three years—I’ve turned my legs into iron rods. You two crouched for three years—what did you learn?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bald man rubbed his head. “After hearing so many worldly matters, I finally realized my old thoughts were right. There’s no justice in this world—just one word: fight! Win, and you’re emperor or general; lose, and you’re just bandit bones. Simple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Youcai sighed and turned to the steward. “And you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The steward spoke calmly: “I’ve gained new insight into the immortal military tactics I learned as a child. Armies have no fixed form; water has no constant shape! If I meet refugees again, why guard the estate? I’d take ten men with Six Brother, follow the refugee column, light smoke by day, set fires by night, shoot arrows at leisure, and if they chase, draw them far and cut them down. No matter how many, they’ll collapse within days from exhaustion and scatter themselves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bald man snorted. “You actually studied immortal military tactics? Then why can’t you even read more characters?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The steward flushed. “My teacher taught orally. The method is not passed to six ears—spoken by him, heard by me. No need to read!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bald man sneered. “Your cheap teacher probably couldn’t read either.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few more bickering remarks, they remembered Wei Youcai had been silent for a long while. When they looked, they saw him gazing upward, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The steward and the bald man exchanged glances. “Big Brother, something on your mind?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Youcai did not lower his head, only blinked hard. “Nothing. I was just thinking—when Yuan’er enters the immortal sect, when will I ever see him again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The steward and the bald man looked at each other, their smiles gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The steward tried to comfort: “They say cultivation extends lifespan greatly—what’s a day in heaven compared to...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The steward spoke too fast; he realized his mistake halfway through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s nothing. I’m just tired. I’ll go rest. You two mind your own business.” Wei Youcai waved them off and returned to his room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three days later, as dawn broke, Zhang Sheng and Xiang Weiyuan set out for the Juncheng. Besides their mounts, two dingshe donkeys carried their luggage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Youcai saw them off for thirty li before turning back. He walked silently beside them, saying little; at parting, he merely waved and turned away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the afternoon, Xiang Weiyuan and Zhang Sheng finally left the mountain trails and joined the main road to the Juncheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The so-called main road was merely packed earth, wide enough for two donkey carts, pitted and uneven, with four deep ruts clearly showing years of neglect. Yet this road was already better than anything Xiang Weiyuan had ever seen; the paths in Ye County’s mountains were too rough for carts—only dingshe could be ridden, and even wealthy families owned few donkeys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dingshe were short and slow, barely faster than a walking human, but they had great endurance, carried heavy loads, and could eat coarse fodder, making them widespread in mountainous regions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Sheng deliberately walked slowly so Xiang Weiyuan could see more of the world beyond the mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gazing ahead along the road, Zhang Sheng suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia. “Twenty years ago, I traveled this same path to take the Sect Universal Examination. Your grandmaster spotted me among twenty others at a glance. And I did not disappoint—I outshone all others, not just the top in my county, but unmatched across all Yunzhou. Later, after I cultivated successfully and entered the world to test myself, I thought I might achieve great deeds like the elders before me. But I kept failing. Years passed, and I accomplished nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, Zhang Sheng glanced at Xiang Weiyuan and smiled. “But now I have you—these years haven’t been wasted. Since you’re my disciple, the Sect Universal Examination is child’s play. If you don’t leave second place ten thousand li behind, I’ll damage my reputation as Zhang Sheng. First, let me tell you about our lineage’s transmission. It’s slightly against protocol, but not a big deal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, then a proud aura rose from him. “I come from the Tianqing Hall of the Tai Chu Palace. After you pass the examination, that will be your cultivation home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Weiyuan, usually calm, was greatly startled. “The Tai Chu Palace? One of the Four Great Immortal Sects?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The foremost of the Four Great Immortal Sects,” Zhang Sheng corrected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Weiyuan looked at Zhang Sheng skeptically. “You said our remote county, besides the local Chi Chao Sect, only ever saw one or two third-rank sects come to recruit. The Tai Chu Palace is so lofty—how could it come here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Sheng had already explained the basics of the Sect Universal Examination to Xiang Weiyuan. The countless sects participating were divided into four ranks: fourth-rank sects could recruit only within their county, like Chi Chao Sect; third-rank sects, called Fudi, could recruit across one province, occasionally venturing into others, with strict quotas; second-rank sects, called Dongtian, could recruit within the entire nation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the top were the Four Great Immortal Sects, able to recruit across the entire Da Tang. But they were aloof, with extremely limited recruitment slots; in the past fifty years, they had come to Feng Yuanjun only three times, granting five slots total.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hence Xiang Weiyuan’s question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Sheng merely smiled. “Don’t worry. Whether other sects come or not, Tai Chu Palace will definitely come. But don’t fixate on it—you’ve received my true transmission. Others, even if exceptionally gifted and diligent, might reach only seven-tenths of your level.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After three years of studying with Zhang Sheng, Xiang Weiyuan had learned one thing: never blindly believe, even Zhang Sheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still had doubts. “But I still don’t understand—why would Tai Chu Palace give our county a slot?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Sheng finally waited for him to ask. He answered casually: “Your grandmaster’s Dao name is True Person Fenhai—he’s one of the three True Person of Tai Chu Palace’s Tianqing Hall. Your great-grandmaster, Zhenjun Xuan Yue, was the hall’s master two hundred years ago. Our ancestors valued lineage above all. Once you enter Tianqing Hall, you’ll receive your due. But he’s proud of his reputation, so during this examination, you must display all your skill and sweep away all rivals—don’t disgrace him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Weiyuan listened, half-skeptical. Was his teacher really so influential? And from Zhang Sheng’s tone, it seemed Tai Chu Palace was granting the slot because he’d taken a student in Feng Yuanjun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiang Weiyuan didn’t know the inner workings of Tai Chu Palace, but he felt that even as a grand-disciple of a hall master, Zhang Sheng couldn’t possibly arrange such a thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wondered how many disciples and grand-disciples Xuan Yue Zhenjun had. History said that before the Northern Qi, imperial princes loved gathering talent—any rogue or thief they’d take in, ending up with three thousand guests. Cultivators lived long. If Xuan Yue Zhenjun also loved gathering disciples, perhaps he had more than three thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Sheng naturally didn’t know Xiang Weiyuan was silently mocking him. He gazed far ahead, his thoughts already flying to the distant Juncheng. Just as he felt serene, a sudden thunder of hooves came from behind—several riders galloped toward them at full speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each rider sat atop a one-zhang-tall, dark-blue warhorse; iron hooves pounded the ground like thunder, radiating overwhelming might. They seemed urgent, racing full tilt, sweeping past Zhang Sheng and Xiang Weiyuan like wind. The hooves, as large as drumheads, kicked up great clouds of dust and gravel with every step, drenching Zhang Sheng and Xiang Weiyuan head to toe!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The road was narrow; Zhang Sheng couldn’t dodge, and his spiritual power was sealed—he was thoroughly coated in dirt. His once ethereal, serene aura was now completely buried under dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at Zhang Sheng’s dusty, grimy face, Xiang Weiyuan suddenly thought: even if Tai Chu Palace really did grant Feng Yuanjun a slot this time, it had nothing to do with Zhang Sheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2055,"2026-06-20T03:38:27.933Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","9012586629eb35e5787560c51b9695bac3d1e3e6f59be1a5f9e9861387e55aa4","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-5","the-dragon-lies-hidden-chapter-3",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-dragon-lies-hidden-cover.jpg"]