281: Chapter 280 The Secret of Tongxuan 281: Chapter 280 The Secret of Tongxuan “Sit.”
You Sunzhi certainly would not adopt an overly humble demeanor either.
Cultivator minds are all crafty—the pretentious routines are meaningless.
Giving others a chance to look down on you without need is unnecessary.
The path of cultivation is a long race of endurance.
Brilliant trees in the forest are rarely anything good; the future presents too many checkpoints, and who can clearly predict how far one might reach?
He had seen far too many young and excellent disciples, but where were they now?
Only he alone resided in the Natural Realm near the cusp of the Golden Core.
How many of those once heralded as prodigies still remained above him?
“Thank you, Marshal You.”
You Sunzhi nodded, “You reported to Mu Shuai Manor as soon as you entered the city, that’s good; disagreements aside, no one can deny them, but under one roof, certain limits must be observed.”
Hou Niao understood his implication.
This was appreciation for not rushing to the Capital Commandant’s estate upon entering the city.
Had that been the case, he might not have had the chance to meet alone with the leader of the three houses of Da Feng Plain today.
He bore no ill feelings towards You Sunzhi, the same old saying still held—ideologies remain ideologies, but the bond of brotherhood must not break; the first time he met this marshal, he had slain someone’s personal servant and had offended in many ways afterward.
Yet, to this point, the man had not truly created many obstacles for him, except for restricting his resources, which were still within the limits of the sect rules.
This showed that the marshal indeed had principles and understood the bigger picture, capable of ruling with distinction, something that demanded respect.
In my actions, I should first consider the sect and then others.
I had caused some trouble for my senior brother before and hadn’t had the chance to express my gratitude for your forgiveness of past misconduct.
I take this opportunity to extend my thanks.”
You Sunzhi slightly smiled, “Your wrongs were punished as they deserved; there was no favoritism.
As for the future, it will be the same.
I will not show favoritism; everything is up to you.”
“For instance, your fifteen-year penalty salary could be calculated based on a disciple’s pay, potentially ending with another year deducted.
But it might also be calculated according to the Tongxuan Realm’s pay, which is within my authority.”
His statement was very direct, crude even in a sense.
This wasn’t the demeanor of a superior, but for him, having dealt countless times with Quanzhen Sect’s demon-inclined sword cultivators, this was the most effective means of communication.
No need for too many beating around the bush or oblique hints; directness often solves problems more efficiently and doesn’t waste time.
Sure enough, Hou Niao responded with a smile, “I’m not sure which punishment method I’ll choose, it will depend on the situation.”
You Sunzhi was not disappointed, he naturally would not think he could easily win over Hou Niao.
For cultivators, ideology is their path, how could it be easily changed?
As long as he didn’t completely lean toward the Capital Commandant’s office and prioritized the Quanzhen Sect in times of need, that was enough for him.
Inside the Quanzhen Sect, the truly radical demon-inclined factions were, after all, a minority.
His task was to prevent them from growing too strong and expanding, not to eradicate them.
He couldn’t eradicate them anyway.
He took out a Jade Scroll, “This is some insight I had after advancing to the Upper Realm about the direction of cultivation and choice of skills.
Some choices now seem inappropriate, and some were impulsive at that moment.
Only after experiencing these shortcomings do you realize their bitterness.
You don’t need to thank me.
I provide each Upper Realm disciple a piece of advice.
To speak or not is up to me, to listen or not is up to you, but at the least, you are someone who came from Da Feng Plain, placing you in mundane officialdom, it’s like having a mentor.”
Hou Niao, of course, wouldn’t refuse.
How low must one’s emotional intelligence be to make such a foolish move?
The key point was that these matters were important for him, a disciple who had just climbed up from the Lower Realm.
Their understanding of the Tongtian three realms was undoubtedly superficial, and their insight would not quickly change from the narrow view of minor cultivators in selecting skills.
Once stepping into the Sword Storage Tower, faced with a dazzling array of skills, it’s hard not to make impulsive choices—aiming too high and unrealistic, but only after several years or decades would one realize they had wasted much effort and walked many detours, practicing many skills that proved to be of little practical use, simply because some skills sounded grand.
Normally, the scriptures wouldn’t teach you this; because everyone’s actual situation, interests, and paths differ, there isn’t a so-called correct answer.
This matter is best learnt through a mentor or an elder’s teaching, second only to personal insights like You Sunzhi’s provided; such dissemination isn’t randomly done—covering personal skill secrets, it’s definitely not as he said, available for every individual.
There likely are many versions of content.
Being generous with this promising star was essential; otherwise, if too simplistic, better not given at all.
Otherwise, when Hou Niao grew in stature, he would easily see through today’s trick, and then, gradual distance would be the only outcome—an error someone of You Sunzhi’s stature would not make.
Leaving Mu Shuai Manor and contemplating where to carefully examine the insights from You Sunzhi, he had not expected that just around a street corner, Mao Pang suddenly appeared before him,
“Sorry, younger brother.
Do I seem a bit too eager?
I just spoke with Colonel High about your successful advancement, and right away, he wanted me to invite you to meet at his manor immediately.
You don’t know Colonel High’s temper—when he wants something done, he can’t wait a moment…”
Hou Niao was somewhat speechless.
He had deliberately kept a low profile upon returning to the city to avoid such troubles, yet he seemed unable to escape requests from any of the three houses; since he had already visited Marshal You, why should he care about visiting Colonel High’s place?
“Brother, no need to feel troubled, since Colonel High asks, I will follow you; I planned to settle down first, but isn’t it a bit abrupt to do this in the middle of the night?”
Under Mao Pang’s lead, before long, Hou Niao found himself inside Xuanwu Hall, and he could foresee that after leaving here, he would likely find himself visiting White Tiger Hall too!
Since when had he, usually avoided by gods and despised by ghosts, become such a sought-after figure?
He, of course, did not know that Jin City’s three houses were not only the Capital Commandant’s with sharp eyes and keen minds; the other two houses also had extensive information channels, though they mostly concentrated on those above Tongxuan layer.
There was less attention to those below because most of them wouldn’t reach Tongxuan and thus held little value for investment and alliance.
Hou Niao’s actions during his disciple period had been spectacular, perhaps not so much within the entire Quanzhen Sect in Shan Country, but in Da Feng Plain, he had long been a target of focus for various powers.
Everyone’s inaction was merely waiting to see whether he could cross the Tongxuan threshold.
Within a few years, having crossed it, he now held substantial investment value.
If it took him too long to cross, he would gradually vanish from the radar of these powers.
This was the harsh reality every outstanding disciple had to endure.
Hou Niao had made it through, hence, he was now considered valuable.