At the gathering, the number of men and women, together with Zhao Rong and his entourage, was roughly equal, not counting the maidens serving as maids.
Zhao Rong held his sleeves, his gaze sweeping across the area, when suddenly, near the creek, his attention was caught by a woman.
This woman wore a yi qing green pleated skirt and had her hair casually done up in a dangling cloud bun, with a butterfly step-shaking adorning her head. She was buxom and had a beautiful, delicate appearance, standing out among the women present.
Like his own Su Xiaoxiao, she had enticing fox-like eyes, but while Xiaoxiao’s charm was clear and enchanting, this woman’s allure was of a soft and seductive kind.
However, what truly captured Zhao Rong’s interest was not these qualities; in terms of beauty, according to his refined taste, he still found his own wives to be superior, especially regarding the allure of women. He believed Su Xiaoxiao’s subtle charm, hidden deep within her bones, to be indescribable--something that one needed to patiently uncover, like during those quiet nights on their travels when, alone in their room, the beauty below would gently lift her gaze, casting entrancing looks...
Therefore, what really caught Zhao Rong’s eye was a lively object continuously orbiting the woman’s body.
It was a fiery red carp, no, a dragon carp, for Zhao Rong saw several ethereal dragon whiskers floating in the air.
However, oddly enough, this dragon carp seemed not to be a real entity, as no detailed scales or specific eyes could be seen; its entire form emitted a hazy red halo, like a splash of red ink on paper, glowing in the darkness.
The fiery red dragon carp appeared as if it had swum out from an immortal’s ink painting, a stroke rich in artistic charm, lively as though alive, circling around the woman. It hovered in the air, gently moving its tail, swimming as if in water, miraculously unsupported.
Zhao Rong watched curiously, feeling quite enlightened, yet it also evoked a sense of familiarity...
Next to Zhao Rong stood an academy senior who was quite familiar to him. Seeing him fixated on the fairy, unable to take his eyes off her, the senior lightly sighed and nudged Zhao Rong, whispering, "Little junior brother, don’t stare inappropriately; our eldest senior brother has said, we must maintain propriety."
Zhao Rong redirected his gaze and responded softly.
Seeing this, the academy senior thought a bit and then decided to explain,
"That lady is from the Taiyi Mansion, Fairy Liu Kongyi. I’ve heard her constitution is special, deeply connected to the path of cultivation, and she is a natural cultivation gem, ranked just behind those few sword immortal seeds from Tranquility Mansion."
The senior sighed softly and added,
"Unlike other reclusive fairies of the Taiching Prefecture, she frequents the poetic gatherings between the Taiching Prefecture and the Academy. She is quite renowned among our academy scholars. Many a senior brother has expressed a desire to know her better, but such romantic pursuits are best left unexplored. It’s better to heed our eldest senior brother’s advice, focus on our studies, and cultivate a tranquil mind."
He himself couldn’t help but glance twice, "And it seems, recently, that Senior Du has been quite close to Fairy Liu Kongyi."
Zhao Rong nodded calmly, not particularly interested.
At the front of the crowd, Ye Ruoxi, the organizer of this gathering, was appropriately introducing both parties. However, for the academy side, she only briefly introduced some people, starting surely with Li Jinsu and Du Yifu, the team-leading seniors, followed by several scholars with cultivation levels reaching Vast Realm or even Heavenly Will Realm and a few other deeply learned and experienced scholars who, however, possessed little cultivation.
Because Linlu Academy, unlike the Taiching Four Mansions, was closer to the ruthless Dao of the mountain immortals, purely determining one’s status within the mansions through cultivation and inherent talent.
Linlu Academy places greater emphasis on the tradition of Confucianism, advocating a pure heart in pursuit of the Dao. While the academy values cultivation for Confucian scholars, it regards their learning and virtues even more highly. For instance, Zhao Rong had heard that some teachers within the academy hadn’t even reached the Vast Realm in their cultivation but still commanded immense respect from the entire body of scholars.
What defines a ’Teacher’?
Those who excel lead, and those who teach embody this.
Of course, having both an aptitude for enlightenment and a talent for cultivation would be ideal; otherwise, how could a mere mortal with a lifetime spanning only sixty years hope to discover the supreme Great Dao?
Zhao Rong stood mostly at the back, quietly waiting and pondering.
At one moment, his gaze swept across everyone present.
The distinguished individuals from Taiching Prefecture, various scholars from the Academy, plus the lightly stepping maidens weaving through the gathering like carps.
Currently, as a student of the Academy and a provisional member of the academy scholars stationed in You City, Zhao Rong could say he was positioned atop the mountain. Although, strictly speaking, his cultivation hadn’t reached the Vast Realm yet, classifying him as only halfway a mountain-dweller.
However, currently, nearly all his acquaintances were mountain cultivators, like those present.
Zhao Rong exhaled softly, his gaze slightly focused.
From his observations during these days, he noted that while all these mountain cultivators were indeed cultivating, there were distinctions among them, broadly falling into several categories.
There are cultivators from various schools—for instance, the big three of Confucianism, Moism, and Daoism—focused solely on the Dao, with longevity being a mere means to an end, since most often, the path and cultivation mutually enhance each other.
On the other hand, many other mountain cultivators seek longevity foremost, the exact opposite of the scholars, with the Dao becoming a process and means to an end. Currently, these cultivators are the mainstream in the mountain cultivation world.
Beyond these, there are also some cultivators who pursue their own Dao or cultivate for specific responsibilities and missions, pursuing their path and striving for resources to cultivate. Similar to the scholars of various schools, they also differ, for they must grow stronger. Indeed, the ancient founders of these diverse schools were originally such cultivators.