Vol 1 Chapter 4 (1/2)
Volume 1, Chapter 4 – Explaining Dao Manuals at Thousand Rocks Pavilion (Part 1)
A group of five people gathered around the small rock platform on Thousand Rock Pavilion. Bian Qiao was sitting alone on the stone bench in the middle.
With an age roughly in his early 40s, he wore an expensive and luxurious robe, a nine folded male’s turban on his head, and a pair of high shoes. He had a white and round facial shape. As he held a purple clay teapot, he sipped his tea slowly and looked like he was some kind of monarch rather than a servant.
Many eyes were looking at Thousand Rock Pavilion; some even pointed their fingers at his location, but he didn’t care about it. The surrounding servants’ guards wore tight short opened clothing which revealed their belly and chest as their arrogant looks were completely drawn on their faces.
Zhao Ying stood at a distance as she was looking at them. She cursed Zhang Yan’s ignorance and ungrateful response, although she was somewhat regretful inside. Bian Qiao had always been sinister and cruel, as coping with a trivial novice disciple was a cinch for him. If this young thief was killed here, her older brother would scold and blame her. And if his Qi’s problem breaks out again, what could she do?
She was raised by Zhao Yuan since small. If not for her, Zhao Yuan would have already entered the temple and studied here. He would not have been delayed by ten years. Therefore, she usually had no heart to disobey Zhao Yuan. When she discovered that Zhao Yuan was vomiting blood, it made her restless and anxious.
Zhao Ying didn’t know that Bian Qiao may perhaps look rampant but actually knew how and when to act and retreat.
On one hand, he never offended the people he should never offend, to a certain extent. Even if he had some conflicts, others would give some face to Hu Shengyu, not because of him. On the other hand, he usually bullied and suppressed disciples with no backgrounds, resulting in the elevation of his reputation as the most ominous and famous steward.
“Manager Bian, Zhang Yan has come.”
A timid voice from the Profound Virtue Temple’s errand boy was heard as he pointed his finger at the tall figure that was seen walking toward the platform.
Bian Qian had been waiting for so long, he started to feel impatient. When he heard the errand boy’s voice, he lifted his head and looked at the direction pointed by him. As he carefully looked at the figure, the hand of which he used to hold the teapot instantly stiffened, and spoke in a surprised tone, “That’s Zhang Yan?”
He thought Zhang Yan was just a poor scholar and pedantic disciple who didn’t understand the customs. However, his appearance differed greatly from his antic.i.p.ation.
Today, Zhang Yan put on a wide sleeved robe that he had gotten from Min Lou. His appearance was perhaps not particularly handsome; however, he was tall and had a well proportioned body. He was taller than your average person, with an imposing charisma that exuded from his eyes. Even his steps when walking, gave off a magnificent and heroic imposing aura.
Bian Qian was even more shocked as he saw a faint layer of crystal clear jade on his face. He had been following Hu Shengyu for many years, so he naturally understood that Zhang Yan unexpectedly was not only in the Primordial Qi Condensation realm, he is almost at the Primordial Qi Establishment realm.
Bian Qian’s complexion turned grim as he was secretly annoyed, and cursed the person who gave him the information. A disciple with such a level of cultivation, how could he be a novice disciple?
Actually, the previous Zhang Yan’s character was dreary – he studied here for three years only to understand hard penance. He immersed himself thoroughly in researching the Eclipse Canon, and never made any friends among the disciples. It could be said that he was humble and had nothing that was worth to look at.
According to Bian Qian’s original plan, if this Zhang Yan didn’t have a noteworthy background, he would naturally cripple him and send him down the mountain.
In his eyes, a novice disciple was nothing. The only thing that obstructed him from directly acting was that Zhang Yan was listed as a Profound Virtue Temple disciple. However, he could order some people to manage him and wouldn’t need to personally act. But the imposing appearance of Zhang Yan made him restless as he thought that Zhang Yan was not that simple.
In addition, Zhang Yan was proficient in the Eclipse Canon…
Generally, this kind of person, if he was not listed as a true disciple, he must have come from a prominent family.
As he thought to this point, Zhang Yan’s figure in his eyes became profound and mysterious. He didn’t dare to move recklessly.
However, he could only rely on his master’s name and use Hu Shengyu’s reputation. Since the situation had already unfolded like this, it was impossible to back off in the presence of so many disciples. If he flinched from this matter, it would only make him lose face.
He forced out a difficult, but somewhat smiling expression as he greeted Zhang Yan by cupping his hands before his chest, “This one is Ethics Academic Temple’s outer disciple, Bian Qiao, a steward under Hu Shengyu. Is this Junior Brother Zhang Yan?
Zhang Yan stopped walking as he calmly looked straight at Bian Qiao, “Yes.”
Bian Qian carefully observed Zhang Yan’s complexion, to see if his face would change after he heard the name of Hu Shengyu. He saw that there was no ripples or even a startled expression from Zhang Yan. This made his heart become even more certain of his previous judgement. His next words became gentler as he probed more, “I don’t know if Junior Brother Zhang Yan has some connections with the Profound Virtue Temple’s senior disciples?”
The senior disciple that Bian Qian mentioned here was naturally a reference to the inner and true disciples under the Profound Virtue Temple.
Zhang Yan was certainly aware about his thoughts as he faintly smiled, “Naturally this one is inferior to the closeness between Brother Bian and Senior Brother Hu.”
Bian Qian’s complexion greatly changed, these words faintly satirized his servant’s status. It was the most hated thing to hear people mention his family’s background. Anger surged up from his heart as his smiling face became somewhat stiff.
He used to be aloof and placed himself above many people. His eyes turned cold and stared at Zhang Yan. His tone immediately became rough as he said, “I came to ask you, I heard you gave the interpretation of a Dao manual by using the Eclipse code for my Ethics Academic Temple’s disciples? Has this really happened?”
Zhang Yan calmly replied, “Yes”
Bian Qian sneered, “I also know that you only studied for about three years now, how you could not know the customs of the Three Great Schools disciples? Interpreting the Dao manual is the job of certain specialists. I don’t want to embarra.s.s you today, so you must swear an oath here and now, that in the future you will no longer interpret the manuals of the Three Great Schools’ disciples. I will then put you under a certain true disciple, and let bygones be bygone, what do you think?”
Zhang Yan lightly laughed, “Since Manager Bian has spoken, from henceforward, I will not interpret Dao manuals for the Ethics Academics’ disciples anymore.”