Chapter 204 – Wang Po of Tianliang (2/2)
“Senior Xun Mei’s most well-known trait is that his willpower for cultivation is extremely firm and persistent. When he was seven, he stood outside Mr. Yunshan’s door in the snow for three days and three nights. Only after that was he taken in as a disciple.”
Tang Thirty-Six said, “This was where the four words, Snow-treading Xun Mei, came from.”
Chen Changsheng asked, “Mr. Yunshan?”
“Mr. Yunshan is the teacher of principal Mao Qiuyu”
Tang Thirty-Six looked at Chen Changsheng, and said, “If you are correct, then Xun Mei is Principal Mao’s youngest junior.”
Mao Qiuyu was one of the few current day experts of the continent, so one could only imagine what kind of level his youngest junior was at. Also, his youngest junior carried a special type of meaning within the word youngest——The youngest junior was definitely the final disciple, and only people who had extremely excellent talent could be accepted as the final disciple of a sect or an academy.
For example, the legendary Junior Martial Uncle of Li Mountain or the current Qi Jian.
“Xun Mei was Heavenly Academy’s most outstanding student back then, and he held a position that was much higher in the Heavenly Academy than the current day Zhuang Huanyu. Hey, speaking of which, shouldn’t we call Zhuang Huanyu here after entering the mausoleum? Xun Mei is his great senior of the Heavenly Academy. Let’s see him kowtow to Xun Mei. It will be extremely good. Also, speaking of which, if we didn’t go to the Orthodox Academy, then wouldn’t we also have to kowtow to him? What a dangerous thing.” Tang Thirty-Six said with a great smile, but then he realized Chen Changsheng and Zhexiu were not interested in what was said. He could not help but say slightly annoyedly, “Just one person in the world who is as boring as you is enough for it to be depressing. Why must there be two? And why must the two of you meet? It really causes people to be depressed.”
Chen Changsheng ignored him and asked Zhexiu, “Why is Xun Mei afraid to leave the mausoleum?”
Before Zhexiu could say anything, Tang Thirty-Six had already started speak, “Then, it can be considered that you have asked the right person. No matter how you say it, I have stayed in the Heavenly Academy for half-a-year after all, so I understand this matter better than all of you. Back then, Xun Mei was the pride of the Heavenly Academy. His talent was very astonishing, but unfortunately, there were people who had even better talent than him in his age group and were even more outstanding.”
Tang Thirty-Six’s expression suddenly became serious, and he said, “The most unfortunate thing of Xun Mei’s whole life was that he was born in the same year as Wang Po of Tianliang. Since he was twelve, he would often meet him in various gatherings of academies and sects. They fought at least a hundred times, and every time, Xun Mei always lost. And in the Grand Gathering of Zhushi one year, Xun Mei actually lost three times in a row.
After living for one year in the capital, Chen Changsheng still possessed rather limited knowledge about the affairs of the world. However, he did know this name since this name was just too well-known.
Before Qiushan Jun, this was the most well-known name on the entire continent. Even up until now, the name was still high up on the Proclamation of Liberation.
Wang Po of the Tianliang County.
Afterwards, he discovered that when Tang Thirty-Six mentioned this name, his expression was very solemn and vigilant. What he still did not really understand was that even though Qiushan Jun was already the first on the Proclamation of Gold Distinction, he was still very far away from people like Wang Po who were in the Proclamation of Liberation and had already been famous for a long time. No matter how he looked at it, it was impossible for Tang Thirty-Six to have any problems with Wang Po.
“How could someone like Xun Mei who had extraordinary talent, unbending willpower, and the heavy hopes of the Heavenly Academy be willing to spend his whole life in the shadow of Wang Po? The reason why he had entered the mausoleum to view the tablets for thirty-seven years was to comprehend the true meaning of the heavenly Dao and then defeat Wang Po in battle. This was also why he was still unwilling to leave.
Tang Thirty-Six glanced at the outside of the hut, and said, “After thinking about it now, Wang Po of Tianliang has already become one of his obstacles in Xun Mei’s heart. For every day he did not believe he could win against Wang Po, it was another day he was unwilling to leave the mausoleum. Unwilling, afraid, or embarrassed……. They are all correct because he understands very well that the day he walks out of the mausoleum, Wang Po will definitely be outside waiting.
Chen Changsheng stood up and walked to the doorway. Under the starlight, he looked at the middle-aged man in dire straits, and his feelings became somewhat complicated.
Was he unable to leave the mausoleum because he did not have the courage to face the world or because of that person outside the mausoleum? Xun Mei did not think like this. He was once a proud teenager from the Heavenly Academy, so it was impossible for him to lack courage. At least, he would not lack courage when he would face his life’s nemesis, Wang Po. Otherwise, he would not have fought hundreds of battles before. Then, why exactly was he afraid to leave the mausoleum?
Sometimes, leaving meant forever. Xun Mei was afraid of leaving the mausoleum because he was afraid of losing the mausoleum. From his upright youth to when he was frustrated and dejected, he had never left this place in the whole thirty-seven years. The mausoleum had caused him to become stronger, and the more this occurred, the more he was afraid to leave it.
It was just like what Tang Thirty-Six had said during the day, the Mausoleum of Books was just like a jug of good wine to cultivators. The more they drank it, the drunker they became, and the drunker they became, the more they wanted to drink it. When dealing with such a good jug of wine, how much was appropriate to drink? Was it to drink until one had become so drunk that one was unwilling to be sober anymore? Or was it to only take a small sip before putting it away? It was an ordeal every person had to face. Because of Wang Po’s shadow, this choice was even harder for Xun Mei to make.
Only Xun Mei had extraordinary talents, and he had also trained hard for thirty-seven years within the mausoleum. So, indeed what level was his current strength? He was already so strong, but he still lacked confidence in defeating his opponent located outside of the mausoleum. So, indeed what level was Wang Po’s strength?
However, this was still a problem that had to be solved in the end. Tang Thirty-Six had said Wang Po would definitely be waiting outside on the day Xun Mei left the mausoleum. This did not mean that Wang Po was literally waiting for him outside the mausoleum. Rather, if he left the mausoleum, he would definitely have to go and find Wang Po. Only then could he explain his own life, as well as the thirty-seven years he spent viewing tablets.
A cool breeze blew past from the forest outside of the mausoleum. It swept up bits of grass on the ground and brushed away the verdant, tender leaves from the trees, which produced a rustling sound like rain. There was only one cool breeze, but it arose from two directions. Those bits of grass and tender leaves were swept into the center of the forest, and they began swirling together slowly like an upside-down waterfall. It cut the starry sky that the night had projected downwards into countless fragments.
Mao Qiuyu of the Two Sleeved Breeze appeared there. He looked underneath a scholartree and said with a complicated expression, “Twenty years ago, I once invited you to come to the capital to persuade him, but you didn’t come.”
A person stood underneath the scholartree. He seemed to still be very young, yet his eyes seemed a little cold. His clothes were very clean, and his black hair was tied up tightly. However, for some reason, it always gave people a wretched feeling. It was like a teenager who was once a young master, but because of a reversal in fortune, he became a cashier for a tavern for three years.
“If he doesn’t want to leave himself, then nobody will be able to persuade him.” That person said while observing the Mausoleum of Books at night.
Mao Qiuyu asked, “Then why did you come today?”
That person said, “I don’t know. I just feel that he will come looking for me tonight, so I came to wait for him.”