Chapter 161 – Chicken Soup Is Poisonous! (1/2)
Chapter 161: Chicken soup is poisonous!
第一百六十一章、雞湯有毒！
Li Muyang envied Teacher Xiahou's soup-making skill, because even the breath he exhaled was intoxicating.
Perhaps it was because of drinking a big bowl of chicken soup, that even when Xiahou Qianbai spoke, a strong aroma of chicken broth lingered on his breath.
“Life pa.s.ses quickly like a white colt's shadow across a crevice; enjoy life while young or you'll be sorry at old age. This is a phrase from 'Leisurely Excursion' by the great sage Zhuang Zi. But what is enjoying the present?”
“It's—” Li Muyang hesitated. “Do what one wishes without restraint, do the things one wants to do.”
“Not bad.” Xiahou Qianbai nodded in agreement as he said: “Tea tasting and arranging flowers are joyful, wine-making and meditation are also joyful. Laying down drunk in a brothel and fighting on the battlefield are also joyful. Seek virtue and acquire it, that is is the greatest pleasure in the world.”
As though Li Muyang suddenly understood, he nodded vigorously, saying: “Teacher Xiahou's words are right, I have become enlightened immediately. I will follow my true self, follow my heart's desire.”
“You don't understand.” Xiahou Qianbai mercilessly tore apart Li Muyang's lie without giving him any face. “Indulgence is the simplest and easiest thing – it's what makes people addicted. Whether it's tea tasting, flower arrangement or lying drunk in a brothel, there's no need to deliberately control or moderate yourself. Because it's joyful, it's enjoyable, it's dictated by the character. The same with soup making. I'm willing to make soup every day but if I do that, I would become the top chef in the world and would not be a Starry Sky teacher——”
“Everyone has a fierce tiger living in their heart, which loves comfort and ease and detests toil. It will devour your hardworking nature, swallow your efforts and devour your future and everything you may have——For us cultivators who practice martial arts to break the realms, what is most important?”
“It's hard work and effort.” Li Muyang immediately answered. He thought this answer seemed reasonable and can't be wrong, right?
“No, it's talent.” Xiahou Qianbai said.
“——”
If he wasn't one hundred percent confident that he couldn't win against him, Li Muyang would long have given Xiahou Qianbai a beating already. It this because I did not major in your Taoism, right? Do you have to torture me to death? You drank chicken soup while I ate chicken meat – although Mt Gong's multi-coloured chicken did tast pretty good. But do you always have to find faults in my words. I'm also a person, okay? I also have dignity too, okay?
“You disagree?”
“I mean——” A forced smile tugged at the corners of Li Muyang's mouth; he felt like he was far too amazing to be able to still smile at such time. In order to find a master to help him build his foundation, not only did he throw away his principles, he would also be willing to throw away his underwear. In a tone that made it seemed like he only wanted to discuss the topic: “Even a gifted person also needs hard work, right? I've heard the story 'Wounded Zhongyong'. It's about a child named Fang Zhongyong who can recite poems at the age of five and is known as a genius in his town. Later, because he was greedy of small gains, he went traveling and sold his poems. A few years later, his talent suddenly disappeared and he was no different to ordinary people. Does this story not tell us that talent is very important but the ability to learn and work hard is just as important?”
Sitting on a stone bench in his cottage, Xiahou Qianbai shot a very dismissive glance at Li Muyang. “A story is ultimately a story, it's there to lecture the people who has no talent to work hard. Then again, that child called Fang Zhongyong cannot be called a true genius; real talents will make it clear what they want and stick to their dream no matter what. Moreover, Fang Zhongyong has an idiotic father, everything he did was controlled by his idiotic father. It's not strange at all that a person like him would eventually disappear.”
Li Muyang nodded repeatedly. “Teacher Xiahou is right.”
“Real talent——is difficult to describe, only the truly talented will understand.” Xiahou Qianbai said.
“——”
“Until now you still have not built your foundation; you can be said to be a clueless layman in martial arts.”
“——”
“Some people are able to write a good words with three months of practice in calligraphy. You have painstakingly practiced for ten years, yet your handwriting is still unsightly. Some people can sing touching songs when they open their mouth, while you can cause a flood the moment you open your mouth. Some understand the true meaning of the Tao overnight while you still do not know the essence of the Tao despite holding onto three thousand Taoist scriptures all your life——Does hardwork matters? Is effort really that important?”
“Not important.” Li Muyang replied, shaking his head. You can say whatever you want, as long as you're willing to help me build my foundation.
“No. It's important.” Xiahou Qianbai said with absolute certainty. “For you untalented, ordinary people, besides hard work, what else can you rely on? You already do not have inherent talent, if you don't work hard, what opportunities will there be in life?”
“Teacher Xiahou——” Li Muyang's face grew dark, suppressing his urge to beat him up. “What are you trying to say?”
“You entered Starry Sky with the best results of West Wind Kingdom. You could have taken an easier and much simpler path. You could have gone to the most famous schools in West Wind Kingdom such as West Wind University, where you could have study economics and politics, and later became an outstanding official. Or you could have study literature and become a literature expert. You could have even study music or painting, or develop your writing. Calligrapher is a very respectable occupation——Unfortunately, you chose Starry Sky, chose Dragon Slayer and chose Taoism.”