Chapter 963: Is the Imperial Tutor Still Alive?

Pan Yun turned to look at him: "You want to learn?"

Pan Yu nodded vigorously: "Who wouldn't want to learn voice transmission over a thousand li? There are plenty in the army who want this! Little sister, can you let me cut in line?"

Pan Yun agreed at once: "Fine!"

Learning this isn't difficult—you just need a radio. She happened to have one, the original prototype used for testing.

She had improved its generator.

Pan Yu wanted to pick Pan Yun up and spin her three times around the training ground—he was ecstatic. Since he couldn't hug her in public, he just ran around the training ground yelling wildly.

Pan Yue watched him vanish in a blur, then turned and said: "Don't spoil him too much."

Pan Yun: "He's learning a skill, not directly asking me for high rank and rich rewards."

She turned and smiled: "If you want to learn something too, I'll teach you."

Pan Yue's gaze flickered: "What if I wanted to cultivate the Dao?"

Pan Yun: "Why not?"

Pan Yue pondered: "Before, you said our bone structure wasn't suitable, that cultivation would yield little. So the rumors are true?"

Pan Yun: "What rumors?"

"Some in the Imperial Academy have been whispering that the new Zhang Zhang Tian Shi of the Zhang Zhang Tian Shi's Mansion has created a technique—simple and easy to learn, even ordinary people can grasp it—and…" Pan Yue glanced at Pan Yun before continuing: "Now, the trend of cultivation is growing; many want to enter the Daoist path."

"But if everyone fled into Buddhism or Daoism and stopped producing, the state would collapse. So I heard the Zhang Zhang Tian Shi's Mansion plans to spread the technique widely, allowing non-Daoist disciples to practice daily without needing to renounce the world."

Pan Yue stared at her: "Is this rumor true?"

Pan Yun smiled, didn't answer, but asked instead: "If there were a technique you could practice to cultivate, would you still want to renounce the world?"

Pan Yue said: "Even without an external technique, I wouldn't abandon my official career to enter the Daoist path. I can study Daoist learning just like Xue Shao—during my free time."

Pan Yun nodded: "That's it. Those with firm will know what they want."

Pan Yue: "But most people in this world follow the crowd and can't resist temptation."

"That's why the Zhang Zhang Tian Shi's Mansion wants to spread the technique—those with perseverance can achieve something, those without can still strengthen their bodies," Pan Yun paused, then added: "Just like Tai Chi. Warriors use it to defeat enemies; ordinary people use it to strengthen tendons and bones. There's no harm in it."

Pan Yue: "Huh?"

Pan Yun waved at him: "Forget it. Just replace Tai Chi with Baduanjin and Wuqinxi."

At this time, Tai Chi was still only spread narrowly, mostly among martial artists, but Baduanjin and Wuqinxi were disseminated nationwide.

This still owed thanks to the Zhu family ancestors—after Han people suffered greatly under the Yuan, the Hongwu Emperor couldn't bear his people's weakness, so he constantly promoted Wuqinxi. Thus, even rural folk often knew this practice.

Once replaced, Pan Yue instantly understood: "So ordinary people practice it just like Wuqinxi?"

Pan Yun: "Something like that. We can't expect people who train three days and skip two to cultivate Qi. And it's probably worse—maybe they train one day and skip two years."

? ￠o

After all, in the 26th century, many techniques were public, but except for ancestors who worked desperately to survive, by her generation, they simply learned whatever the schools taught, with little pursuit of cultivation.

Many wanted immortality.

But when asked at ages fifteen to twenty, they'd say: "I just want to live to a hundred. Beyond that's too old."

Yet in the 26th century, the human average lifespan was one hundred and forty years. Cultivation requires cultivating both mind and body; self-discipline is the first rule.

But how many people in this world are truly self-disciplined?

Still, they always hoped the people would grow stronger, and stronger still.

So after deliberation, Zhang Liuzhen submitted a memorial to the imperial court, proposing to promote his newly created technique.

Oh, after further refinement, his new technique was divided into three parts: the first emphasized breathing, slowed cultivation speed, and greatly reduced the chance of qi deviation;

the second combined body movements with enhanced breathing to accelerate cultivation;

the third gave specific methods for circulating Qi, the speed of absorbing spiritual energy and transforming essence;

but because the first two parts served as preparation, cultivators could already control themselves, lowering the chance of qi deviation.

The Zhang Zhang Tian Shi's Mansion decided to release only the first and second parts for now. If someone mastered both parts and passed the Dao Dao Lu Si's examination, they could receive the third part from the Dao Dao Lu Si.

For this, they also planned to use Daoist magic to embed arrays in every copy of the third part—only those who passed the Dao Dao Lu Si's exam could see the technique recorded in the book.

But this was still under discussion; if fast, it might be announced by year's end, but with official speed, no one could guarantee anything.

Only…

Pan Yun looked at Pan Yue: "The matter isn't settled yet—how did your Imperial Academy get the news so fast?"

Pan Yue smiled: "Little sister, don't you know who's in the Imperial Academy?"

He swept his finger through the air: "Imperial officials' sons, sons of fifth-rank or higher local officials, students from every region, even imperial relatives—all of them. If you have ability, you can get any news."

Pan Yun's gaze flickered: "What about the Emperor's news?"

Pan Yue lowered his eyes and whispered: "Even what time the Qing Palace lights were extinguished last night can be found here."

Pan Yun was speechless for a long while.

Pan Yue lifted his eyelids, smiling at her, voice barely audible: "That's how I get all the news about you—when you return to the capital, when you leave again, the family relies entirely on information from here."

Pan Yun's pupils contracted slightly: "You're spying on me?"

Pan Yue shook his head: "I never actively sought your news. But after your first departure from the capital, someone came to me voluntarily asking why you left and where you went. I casually answered a few sentences. Since then, whenever your movements change, someone always reports it to me."

Pan Yun: … Her brother was kind of amazing—he got information for free.

Pan Yue's eyes glinted with cunning as he whispered: "That's also why I've learned many court secrets."

No one in the palace dared gossip to her face—her information mostly came from Pan Xiaohei.

Pan Yun's curiosity prickled. She leaned closer and whispered: "What secrets?"

Behind them, Seeing Miao Zhen and the other two strained to listen.

Pan Yue lowered his voice even further: "For example, Shi Heng asks every morning, 'Is the Imperial Tutor still alive?'"

Pan Yun: …

She looked ahead and said: "I see Shi Heng."