Chapter 184

Yin Song gave no clear answer, only saying: "Disciple, work harder."

Everyone was studying the Dao, so they understood implicitly—this remark was no different from a direct instruction.

Pan Yun's face lit up with a smile.

Seeing Miao Zhen asked: "Master, what about me?"

Seeing Miao He also asked: "Uncle, what about me?"

Yin Song: "Both of you still need to work harder."

Seeing Miao Zhen: "Is just working hard enough?"

Yin Song smiled: "With your talents, working hard alone will get you there."

Both girls exchanged excited glances—they knew their efforts had truly paid off.

Pan Yun watched them, suddenly understanding: people all needed encouragement. No wonder, in her past life, her teachers' praise made her so happy—even staying up all night doing experiments felt willing and joyful.

Seeing Miao Zhen and Seeing Miao He hadn't seen Yin Song in a long time; both missed him dearly and chattered away about many things.

Pan Yun rarely saw Seeing Miao Zhen so lively.

She realized that, compared to Wang Cong and Tao Yanbai, her unseen second nephew and Seeing Miao Zhen were Yin Song's true disciples.

Although Seeing Miao Zhen was now being taught alternately by Wang Feiyin and Master Xuanmiao, that was only because what she was learning now was all foundational—Wang Feiyin and Master Xuanmiao could teach it well, and the Academy could fully make up any gaps, while Yin Song would guide her remotely through letters.

In truth, Seeing Miao Zhen had already been ahead of many of her peers from the very start.

Yin Song had also planned ahead for Seeing Miao Zhen's future: "I didn't expect you to enter the Academy so early, so I'm giving you the practice workbook I wrote for you ahead of time. I also need to talk with you about your future cultivation and studies."

People of Mount Sanqing always acted with order: they planned ahead for everything they would do, allowing for changes, but keeping the broad direction fixed—only speeding up or slowing down.

Wang Feiyin seemed careless, yet he was the same kind of person; Yin Song and Tao Ji had both been raised by him, so they naturally inherited the same way.

Even Pan Yun, deep down, was the same kind—so Wang Feiyin often said Pan Yun was born to be of Mount Sanqing.

The Dao has no name, but the Dao has order.

For mortals, the lie that the Dao can be reached through effort is the kindest lie.

Without this affirmation, human effort would be meaningless.

Yin Song stayed at the Academy; his fight with Zhang Ziming was left unresolved.

For two days straight, he taught Seeing Miao Zhen, so she skipped all her classes.

Pan Yun and Seeing Miao He, feeling lazy, didn't want to attend classes either; Yin Song didn't mind—he taught one, he taught two.

So at night, he took all three up to the rooftops to observe the stars.

Pan Yun filled her head with constellations, then returned to her room with a pile of assignments.

Seeing Miao Zhen's assignments were both more numerous and harder than theirs; she also pulled out a notebook and asked one by one about the questions she'd accumulated.

Yin Song answered them all.

If she'd held onto these questions until now, it meant she truly hadn't found the answers.

Yin Song taught not in the evening but at night; the daytime was for their assignments.

Learning how Seeing Miao Zhen had spent these two days, Pan Yun and Seeing Miao He fell silent; the next morning, they quietly rose early to attend class.

Forget it—private tutoring wasn't for them; night-owl schedules weren't for them either. Better to attend the Academy's classes.

Yin Song smiled and said to Seeing Miao Zhen: "Nothing in the world is hard—if you're willing to give up. Your little aunt and little cousin are doing fine: they know their limits, and give up in time, never forcing themselves."

Seeing Miao Zhen: "Master, do I have any areas I'm not good at?"

Yin Song tapped her forehead and laughed: "Though your talents are decent in every area, you should still be humble. Know it in your heart, don't say it aloud—lest you invite envy."

Seeing Miao Zhen nodded.

Yin Song said: "I can't stay here long. Once the imperial court's letter arrives, I must leave. If you have questions you can't solve, and can't reach me, write to your second elder brother."

Seeing Miao Zhen replied: "Master, when you return, why doesn't my second elder brother come back?"

Yin Song sighed: "He's too lazy. He rarely takes initiative to enter seclusion, so I didn't call him."

"Oh, so my second elder brother is still this lazy? Will my eldest brother be dragged into slacking off when he goes to Jingcheng for the exam?"

Yin Song hadn't worried about this before, but now that Seeing Miao Zhen mentioned it, he began to worry.

Wang Cong was always diligent—but if Yin Qingjun led him astray…

He wasn't sure anymore.

The most important matter at Mount Sanqing right now was Wang Cong's examination for his ordination certificate. Yin Song said: "I'll write to Yin Qingjun immediately and warn him—not a single moment of slacking off for Cong'er."

He also grew anxious, eager to finish his business and return to Jingcheng quickly—perhaps he could catch Wang Cong by the tail and force him to cram last-minute at Mount Sanqing. Yin Song couldn't sit still; he kept pressing Jingcheng: will you send him alone to Luchuan now, or take Mo Ru from the Zhang Zhang Tian Shi's Mansion? Give me a definite answer!

As Yin Song pressed Jingcheng, he couldn't help silently grumbling about the Zhang Zhang Tian Shi's Mansion: "This kind of matter should be handled jointly by the Zhang Zhang Tian Shi's Mansion and the Ministry of Justice or the Embroidered Uniform Guard—the Zhang Zhang Tian Shi's Mansion should hold at least half the authority. Yet Master Zhang ignores affairs, so we Daoist Priests are publicly ordered by the Zhang Zhang Tian Shi's Mansion and the Ministry of Rites, but secretly obey the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The Ministry of Rites barely manages us, leaving us, as outsiders to court, constantly humiliated."

Pan Yun: "Since we are outsiders, those within the court naturally don't want to work with us—our perceptions differ, our methods differ. You should be grateful we share the same ethnicity, raised since childhood on Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist influences, so our core thoughts have common ground. Otherwise, they wouldn't just reject us—they'd see us as enemies."

Yin Song stared at her in surprise: "You—you have such insight?"

Because she came from the 26th century, when Qi had revived.

Historical records showed that when the disasters first began, some had proposed theories about Qi revival and future national fortune.

But few believed them; instead, they were arrested as feudal superstitious fanatics—or outright labeled insane.

If the disasters hadn't later expanded in scope and tangible supernatural talents had appeared—visible, undeniable changes—no one knew what the world would have become.

The Chinese people's long-held beliefs were overturned; everything had to start anew.

Fortunately, esoteric practices had always had deep roots among the people, so everyone accepted the changes without hesitation.

!.

Other countries fared worse.

Their old beliefs were constantly overturned and rebuilt; some accepted gladly, some reluctantly, others stubbornly insisted everything was false.

Before the natural disasters even arrived, human disasters came first.

So she knew better than anyone: the catastrophic devastation caused by differences in core thought.

Yin Song pondered silently, his heart gaining new insights.

No wonder Master Xiao's cultivation advanced soon after she joined—the girl truly has remarkable insight.

News from the imperial court arrived swiftly, accompanied by a squad of Brocade Uniform Guards.

It was clear the young Emperor placed great importance on the Luchuan campaign; even a mere suspicion prompted him to send someone he trusted.

Upon hearing the Brocade Uniform Guards had arrived, Pan Yun, who had enthusiastically escorted them down the mountain, found an excuse to slip away.

Yin Song helped cover for her, telling Seeing Miao Zhen to go with her to buy medicinal herbs: "Buy plenty—everything counts as mine. If I miss this chance, I won't know when I'll have to pay again."

Pan Yun and the two others agreed and hurried off.

Zhang Ziwang and Lin Jingle, who had come down the mountain with Yin Song, did not suspect a thing.

The two were here on behalf of the Academy to liaise with the Brocade Uniform Guards.

The Brocade Uniform Guards intended to take Mo Ru away, and they still needed to investigate how Mo Ru was discovered and captured.

Seeing the full squad of Brocade Uniform Guards, Yin Song inwardly regretted it—he should never have mentioned this to the court. He could have gone straight to the Zhang Zhang Tian Shi's Mansion to demand Mo Ru's handover. Bringing these people here might unleash all sorts of trouble.

What troubled him more was that Mo Ru's discovery and capture were inextricably tied to Pan Yun.

Yin Song lowered his gaze and subtly quickened his pace, stepping half a pace ahead of Zhang Ziwang and Lin Jingle.

Zhang Ziwang and Lin Jingle didn't notice at first, but the Brocade Uniform Guards waiting there, seeing Yin Song leading the way, all turned their eyes to him and bowed directly: "It's Master Yin."

Yin Song smiled warmly and returned the bow. "I didn't expect Commander Cao himself would lead this mission—now I'm much more at ease."

He introduced them proactively: "This is Commander Cao Ye of the Brocade Uniform Guards. Commander Cao, these are the two Zhang Yuanzhu of the Academy. The Academy played a major role in capturing Mo Ru."

"Oh?"

Yin Song mentioned casually: "Mo Ru intended to use Academy students as fertilizer to cultivate Yuan-Draining Worms. Fortunately, several Daoists from Da Shangqing Palace were performing evening rites that day and descended promptly to assist. They also summoned the Academy's Zhang Yuanzhu to act, which led to Mo Ru's capture and saved the abducted students."

Cao Ye nodded to Zhang Ziwang and Lin Jingle and asked: "How was Mo Ru captured? Is the case dossier still available?"

"The Academy's case records aren't as clean as the magistrate's—they're overly detailed and messy. You'd need a full day to read them. Has His Majesty set a deadline for your return to the capital?"

Cao Ye replied immediately: "Yes. We must resolve this within half a month."

Yin Song frowned and muttered under his breath: "That's too rushed—we've only just arrived in Luchuan!"

Isn't that true?

But Cao Ye dared not say it aloud; he merely glanced at Yin Song and whispered: "Master Yin, do you have any good suggestions?"

Yin Song whispered back: "Before coming down the mountain, I cast a divination. The matter is difficult, but the outcome is favorable."

Cao Ye's expression relaxed. Externally, he pretended not to believe in such occult arts, but as a Brocade Uniform Guard, he'd handled too many cases to deny that spirits and supernatural forces truly existed.

So inwardly, he believed deeply. Moreover, he had sought Yin Song's help three times—and each time, Yin Song resolved his problems. Even if he wanted to disbelieve, his heart refused.

Seeing Yin Song walk toward the Zhang Zhang Tian Shi's Mansion as he spoke, Cao Ye unconsciously followed and asked: "Where should we begin?"

"Start by tracing the origin of Mo Ru's Yuan-Draining Worm eggs. Commander Cao, let me first tell you about Mo Ru."

(End of Chapter)