Chapter 395
Entering the World to Support the Dragon, Leaving the World to Observe the Stars
Inside the thatched cottage, the air was filled with the fragrance of medicinal herbs.
Zhou Sheng took the Chinese medicine handed to him by the old man from Niushan and drank it all in one gulp. He felt a sense of righteousness and peace quietly growing within him, like a spring breeze and rain, nourishing things silently.
Whether it was an illusion or not, the few strands of white hair at his temples seemed to have faded a bit in the bronze mirror.
This herbal soup can actually extend lifespan!
Zhou Sheng had realized how many precious medicinal herbs were contained in this seemingly ordinary bowl of soup, and he was even more amazed by the other party's medical skills.
"Mountain medicine, physiognomy, and divination are the five arts of Taoism. This old beggar is not talented, but having followed my master for many years, I have learned some skills. However, compared to my master, I am like a grain of rice compared to the bright moon, or a nag compared to a unicorn..."
After a pause, a hint of hope appeared in the old man's voice.
"Have you thought it over? Do you want to become my apprentice? As long as you become my junior brother, not only will Old Beggar help you wholeheartedly in the future, but we will also impart all the knowledge and skills of our lineage to you!"
A master strategist with unparalleled wisdom and expertise in alchemy, array formations, and talismans, coupled with the legacy of the imperial tutor Liu Bowen—such a combination would be hard to resist for anyone in the world.
Zhou Sheng's expression only showed a slight ripple, but his voice remained calm.
"May I ask, senior, what do I need to give in return if I become your disciple?"
He always believed that there is no such thing as a free lunch, and that a person as intelligent as Old Man Niushan would never do something that would lose money.
Such generous benefits did not cloud his judgment; on the contrary, they made him even more vigilant.
"responsibility."
The old man from Niushan put away his smile, his voice becoming more somber: "There are suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of my master. If you become his disciple, you cannot leave this grudge unavenged, nor can you fulfill my master's last wish."
Zhou Sheng stared at him for a long time.
“Okay, I’m willing to become your apprentice.”
Old Man Niu Shan suddenly laughed and said, "You cunning fellow, you actually plan to become my disciple first, and then go back in time to choose not to become my disciple after I have taught you everything I know?"
Zhou Sheng coughed, feeling embarrassed that his scheme had been exposed, but he didn't feel awkward at all. He just smiled bitterly and said, "It's really because you didn't explain things clearly, senior. I was afraid there was a trap."
The old man from Niushan shook his head and sighed, saying, "If you were to truly act shamelessly after cultivating the Great Dao of Time, who in this world could stop you?"
"Very well, I, the old beggar, will now tell you the secrets of our sect. As for whether or not you will become my disciple... that's entirely up to you."
If Zhou Sheng had not comprehended the profound and unpredictable Dao of Time, given Old Man Niushan's temperament, even if he were a powerful figure like Zhang Sanfeng at the Eight Tribulations stage, he would not have chosen to reveal the secret he had kept hidden for three hundred years without reservation.
But the path he comprehended was precisely that supreme time.
With the wisdom of the old man from Niushan, he immediately realized that simply binding a genius like Zhou Sheng with interests would not work; he needed to give his true heart.
"Thank you, senior."
Zhou Sheng's voice softened almost imperceptibly.
“Our lineage originated from Master Yin Xi of Louguan Dao, and has continued for thirty-five generations. Each generation has only one or two successors who travel the world, either entering the world to help the dragon or leaving the world to observe the stars.”
“Such as Guiguzi from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, Huang Shigong from the Qin Dynasty, Zhang Liang from the early Han Dynasty, Zhuge Liang from the Three Kingdoms period, Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng from the Tang Dynasty, all of whom were the old beggar’s senior disciples.”
Even Zhou Sheng was shocked to hear these famous and well-known names.
There's no need to mention Master Yin Xi, the founder of Louguan Taoism. When Lao Tzu went west out of Hangu Pass, it was he who ordered people to stop him, which led to the creation of the five thousand-word "Tao Te Ching".
In Taoism, he is revered as the Supreme True Man and the Jade Purity Prime Minister, and is often worshipped alongside Laozi.
Figures like Guiguzi, Huang Shigong, Zhang Liang, Zhuge Liang, Yuan Tiangang, and Li Chunfeng were either legendary reclusive masters or heroes whose names have been etched in history. They entered the world to support powerful figures and withdrew to observe the stars.
At that moment, Zhou Sheng suddenly had a clearer understanding of those eight words.
"The predecessors of our sect throughout the ages were all geniuses with profound wisdom. They would hide in times of prosperity and emerge in times of chaos. However, in the thousands of years of inheritance, they have always been unable to break a curse."
"What curse?"
Zhou Sheng was somewhat surprised. So many renowned figures, all skilled in wisdom, couldn't solve the problem.
Old Man Niu Shan didn't speak immediately, but paused slightly, as if the words in his throat were particularly heavy.
Why can't the world establish a peaceful and prosperous era that lasts forever?
Zhou Sheng paused, then immediately understood what the curse was.
The historical cycle!
No matter how glorious and brilliant a feudal dynasty may be, even if it produces a great ruler like Emperor Taizong of Tang, it will eventually decay and decline.
"In chaotic times, human life is as worthless as grass. Have you ever seen roadsides for thousands of miles piled with bones?"
Old man Niu Shan shook his head and smiled bitterly, a complex emotion in his eyes, his face etched with deep wrinkles.
"I have seen."
“I was young at the time. I followed my master to help the dragon. From Youzhou to Jiangzhou, thousands of miles away, the fields were covered with bones and nine out of ten houses were empty. The few living people we saw had already been used as military rations.”
"I asked my master, 'Will the people be able to survive once we successfully support the emperor?'"
"But Master said no."
"When he looked at the pile of white bones and the countless naked female corpses that had been hanged, he suddenly stopped and stood there for seven days and seven nights, deep in thought. Finally, he said, 'It's meaningless.'"
"No fun?"
"Yes, it's boring."
The old man from Niushan recalled: "My master said that even if we successfully helped the real dragon, what then? In another two or three hundred years, the world will still be in chaos, and the roadsides will still be littered with bones. This cycle will continue endlessly. When will it ever end?"
“Master said he no longer wants to support the dragon; he wants to… slay the dragon.”
Zhou Sheng was slightly shocked. It turned out that the reason why the Imperial Tutor Liu Bowen wanted to cut off the dragon vein was not because of the order of the Great Xuan Emperor, but because of his own ambition.
This explains why Liu Bowen, knowing that the dragon vein of Changbai Mountain was blessed by Heaven, still went to great lengths to sever it.
"Supporting a dragon is merely fighting against people, but slaying a dragon is fighting against the heavens."
"From that moment on, Master made up his mind to exhaust all his knowledge and, no matter what, to create an eternal golden age, a world where dynasties would never change!"
"This path was very dangerous, but Master did it without hesitation. He first found the true dragon of that time, the Great Xuan Ancestor Li Qingxuan, and helped him to conquer the world. Then he cut off ninety-nine dragon veins and abandoned everything to sever the last Changbai Mountain dragon vein, dividing it into nine."
"From now on, if the nine dragon veins are not gathered together, it will be impossible to change dynasties, and the Great Xuan will become the last dynasty in the world."
"My master succeeded, but he also failed."
The old man from Niushan's beard trembled slightly, his eyes were slightly red, and even his voice trembled imperceptibly.
"After his death, even his own corpse was plotted against, becoming the successive 'Masters' of the Xuanqiong Division."
"That was a terrestrial immortal who had survived eight heavenly tribulations. He was loyal in life, but even in death he could not find peace. Over the years, my master's body fought for the Li family in the south and north, eliminating countless powerful enemies, but it also suffered hidden injuries and depleted magic power. Now, it is riddled with holes."
"What's even more tragic is that my master gave everything, only to be left with a chaotic world that barely survives but will never end."
"This path is wrong!" (End of Chapter)