Chapter 39: The Brush of Destiny

In truth, his sense of guilt was better described as a sense of responsibility, for his blood ran with the lineage of the Shen family. If he were cold-hearted, unfeeling, and without loyalty, blood ties would not be a binding force. But he was not heartless or disloyal, and thus this worldly bond could not be severed.

He understood the purpose behind Qingxuan establishing the Upper Court: it was to provide an opportunity for accomplished senior practitioners and mentors. If one could not sever these worldly ties, those connected to them could follow the path of cultivation. However, if they failed to reach the stage of the Golden Core, they would eventually turn to dust.

Moreover, those with cultivation beyond the Golden Core could not take apprentices, preventing Qingxuan from becoming the private domain of one family or a select few.

After all, although external elixirs or immortal pills could also help one reach the Golden Core, success was never guaranteed, and such items were exceedingly rare and difficult to obtain.

This system was far from perfect and was open to exploitation, yet over the ten thousand years since Qingxuan's founding, opportunistic families had gradually faded away with the passage of time.

These thoughts flickered through Shen Lian’s mind like lightning as he softly said, “Your hands are stained with ink; wash them.”

Nearby stood a basin. Shen Lian tossed a talisman into it, and in an instant, the basin filled with clear water.

Xiao Ruoxi was unfazed. Shen Lian helped her push up her sleeves, and she obediently dipped her small hands into the water, carefully wiping away the ink stains.

The clear water gradually took on a faint tint of ink. She instinctively carried the basin outside, ready to pour out the water.

In the past, she never even touched the basin herself, and servants would help her wash her hands. But Shen Lian was not one to pamper her.

At first, she felt wronged, but now she had grown accustomed to it.

As she splashed the water outside, a rough yet sharp voice suddenly cried out.

Then came the scolding: “You little brat, can’t you see where you’re going?”

Following that was the crack of a whip slicing through the air.

Before the whip could land on Xiao Ruoxi, it was intercepted in the hand of a young man.

That young man was naturally Shen Lian. He stepped beside Xiao Ruoxi, who was unafraid, her eyes wide as she stared at the villain poised to strike her.

The man with pale skin and no beard sat astride a horse, his boots stained with mud.

Beside him was another horse, ridden by a handsome young man.

The pale, beardless man continued in a sharp voice, “Is this ill-mannered little girl yours?”

“Children don’t understand things. She dirtied your boots, but why get so angry?” Shen Lian looked at the man calmly. The man still held the whip, but Shen Lian pinched its tip between two fingers.

No matter how hard the pale man tried, he couldn’t pull the whip free from Shen Lian’s grasp. He wanted to let go, but the whip felt like iron searing his hand, welded in place.

Sweat as large as soybeans rolled down his forehead. He couldn’t utter a word.

The handsome young man saw the situation and realized they had met a formidable figure. He cupped his hands and said, “Brother, my man was a bit overzealous just now. I apologize. Let’s just forget this happened, shall we?”

Shen Lian cast a glance at the pale man, then at the handsome youth, smiling faintly before releasing his grip.

The young man looked at Shen Lian’s clinic and said with a smile, “Brother, you run a clinic? ‘Living Dead’ — that’s an intriguing name.”

Shen Lian had named his clinic “Living Dead,” a bold title, with a couplet on either side: “Medicine cures incurable illnesses, only saving those fated to live.”

However, the capital city was filled with attention-seekers, and he was young, with many other clinics nearby. Until now, no one had come to seek treatment.

That wasn’t entirely true—one or two neighbors, with minor headaches or colds, wanted to help care for the siblings by having him prescribe some medicine. But Shen Lian refused to treat trivial ailments.

Naturally, this raised doubts about his medical skill.

Word of mouth dried up, and curiosity faded away.

Moreover, his clinic’s location was somewhat remote, so it was easy to overlook it as a medical establishment.

Shen Lian paid no heed and led Xiao Ruoxi inside.

The young man was not angry. Turning to his attendant, he said, “Let’s go.”

The attendant, who had just been slightly reprimanded by Shen Lian, was catching his breath. He wasn’t inexperienced and knew Shen Lian was no ordinary person. Since his master didn’t wish to pursue the matter, he took the hint and refrained from causing trouble.

As they walked away, the young man chuckled, “The capital truly is a land of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.”

“Master, isn’t it precisely such extraordinary talents we need? That boy is indeed capable. Even the disciples of the emperor’s favored monk, Master Ku Hui, couldn’t so easily toy with his men. Perhaps we should investigate his background and consider recruiting him to aid us,” the fair-faced attendant suggested.

“Da Zhuang, it pleases me to hear you put aside prejudice and speak so candidly. But we’ve just arrived in the capital and must remain low-key. Otherwise, do you think the Crown Prince’s welcoming banquet tonight was anything but a warning?” The young man’s voice carried a faint sneer.

*****

Shen Lian looked at Xiao Ruoxi before him. “You weren’t scared just now. It seems your nature has strengthened these days.”

Xiao Ruoxi looked up. “With my brother here, I’m not afraid of anything.”

Shen Lian touched her forehead, thinking, “I can’t keep you by my side forever.” He kept these words to himself, not wanting to upset the little girl.

He had some knowledge of feng shui and physiognomy and sensed a noble aura of purple energy emanating from the young man they had just encountered. Yet he also appeared to be a hidden dragon lying in wait.

Within the capital, the Empress’s dragon energy was at its zenith, yet carried a hint of gloom. If left unresolved, this would surely lead to decline after peak prosperity.

Shen Lian studied these matters in hopes of gaining insight before fully comprehending the grand divine strategy. He sought to draw analogies and understand the principles involved.

The capital was naturally the imperial city, the center of a vast feng shui formation spanning thousands of miles.

The entire land energy of the Great Zhou Empire converged at this capital’s feng shui array, where it was meticulously organized.

This was a marvel of destiny, and most frighteningly, was crafted deliberately.

Shen Lian guessed that whoever had the power to manipulate mountains and rivers in this way must be a celestial or immortal being.

He hoped to glean some meaning from this, perhaps inspiring him to harmonize the eight energies within the body, resolving conflicts and establishing order.

This was his primary goal upon arriving in the capital. He also knew the current Empress was a devout Buddhist, and Master Ku Hui was a prominent figure in the city.

He said, “Starting tomorrow, I’ll teach you to cultivate your qi. Though I cannot pass on the 108 Qingxuan methods to you, by the time you reach the true path of immortality, I’ll likely have returned to the mountains. For now, laying a good foundation will suffice.”

There was a hint of self-encouragement in his words, though Xiao Ruoxi could not understand.

————

Thanks to Xun Feng Xun Yun for the 20,000 reward. Congratulations on becoming the chapter leader and climbing to sixth place on the fan leaderboard.

Also thanks to September for the 588 reward, Betraying Teammates for 300, as well as Feitian Feixiang, Imaginary Heart, N, Oh Hehehe Haha, Lei Luo Tian Tian, Wild Carp, Daoist Yang, Black Sea Mysterious, Lord of Fate, One Page of the Land, and Leng Yan for their generous support.