Yun Xuzhou was worthy of being the head who had lived for over a thousand years. He smelled a conspiracy from the talisman with side effects and became worried about her safety.
But Shen Qingmang wasn't some greenhouse-raised flower. She smiled and said, "Master, don't worry. We'll fight back if a threat comes. Even if there's a conspiracy, Qingmang is old enough to handle it on her own. She can protect not only herself but also the sect."
Yun Xuzhou was a little surprised by her direct statement. "Do you think your Senior Brother Fengchun is plotting something?"
"Master, why don't you check where he's been recently and who he's met?" Shen Qingmang said, "Master Fengchun is a bit paranoid and easily does things without considering the consequences. I had an argument with him a while ago and locked him up in the Frost Sky Wall. I don't know if he's come out yet."
She downplayed the house arrest, and Yun Xuzhou didn't doubt it. He smiled and said, "Why are you getting more and more rude to him? When we were young, the most we did when we fought was tear down other people's houses. Now, you're blocking their roads."
"There's something else I'd like to discuss with Master." Shen Qingmang's face was serious. "The Soul-Guiding Talisman was developed to address the sect's lack of spiritual energy. Master, do you have any other solutions for this problem?"
"Perhaps it's because Master Baopu's ascension consumed too much of the Taichu Sect's spiritual energy? I still feel that if we don't rush, the spiritual energy will eventually recover over time. Did you find anything when you went to the Qihuang Sect?"
"The Qihuang Sect is not affected by the thin spiritual energy. On the contrary, their spiritual energy is very rich. Disciples feel that being in the Qihuang Sect, their cultivation is twice as effective with half the effort."
"Doesn't this prove that your previous thoughts were all unnecessary? Chaohua Palace and Qihuang Sect were not affected. I guess our Taichu Sect's impact is only temporary."
"I hope so." Shen Qingmang did not insist any longer, thinking that perhaps the plot had not yet progressed to this point.
However, she followed Yun Xuzhou's words and recalled that before she joined the Qihuang Sect, the Sect Master had rarely urged her to get married, saying that being single was fine. Why did he start talking about the same old things again when they met last time? He even tricked her into revealing that she had a crush on Gu Suihan.
His lament that she was fine being single was probably based on his concern for the path to forgetfulness, right? And then he emphasized the importance of love because...
"Since you're here again, why don't you bring that kid with you?"
Just as she was thinking about it, Yun Xuzhou mentioned her love affairs.
Shen Qingmang laughed and said, "We're not here to talk about serious matters, why bring him along?"
"Are you afraid that I will swallow him? Or will I force you to break up the couple? It's really a shame to see my precious child in this state..." Yun Xuzhou looked very disappointed.
"I'll definitely do it next time, definitely next time." Shen Qingmang said perfunctorily.
"It's the same for me to go see him. It's better to do it now than today. Why not now?"
"No, no, no, Master!" She hurriedly stopped him, "I haven't told him you know about this yet! Please at least let me inform him so he can digest it and have some time to prepare. Otherwise, won't it scare the child?"
"You just wanted to avoid scaring him, but you scared me badly before."
She smiled apologetically and said, "I was wrong. If you hadn't insisted on asking, I would have taken it step by step and given you some time to prepare."
"You're becoming more and more sharp-tongued." Yun Xuzhou tapped her head with his folding fan. "Experiencing love is good, after all. I hope you can experience the full spectrum of emotions. But Qingmang, if..."
He paused for a moment before continuing, "If the path I've explored doesn't work, you should learn to let go. You're incredibly talented and destined to achieve great things. Don't give up on your ascension because of sentimental feelings."
"So that's what you're worried about. No wonder you're so conflicted." Shen Qingmang said, "Master, I don't really care whether I can ascend or not."
"Hmm? Wasn't this what you cared about most when you were young? You always pestered me to know who the Taichu Sect cultivators who ascended to heaven the fastest were, and you threatened to surpass them. You don't have such ambitions anymore?"
Shen Qingmang shook his head. "Rather than the ethereal path to immortality, I actually value the present moment more. I want to live every day of my life to the fullest, leaving no regrets or remorse. If there were too little in this world worth my entanglement, I would focus on ascending. But there are so many things in this world that are more important than ascending, and I am willing to be tied down."
Yun Xuzhou looked at her for a long moment and sighed, "I, your teacher, am not as detached as you."
"Master, have you ever thought about whether the Taichu Sect needs a leader who is bound to ascend?"
"Um?"
Shen Qingmang's eyes gleamed brightly. "You said that if the ascension fails, it will tarnish the reputation of the Taichu Sect. But in my opinion, whether the Sect Master can successfully ascend is not the most important thing for a sect. The continuation of a sect depends on unity and solidarity. When I first accepted disciples, I asked them why they cultivated immortality in the first class. Do you think many of them said they cultivated for the purpose of ascension?"
"Half?" Yunxuzhou asked.
Shen Qingmang shook his head. "There are only a few. Those children don't cultivate for some grand or far-flung goal. Many simply want to prolong their lives, or to have enough food and clothing, without having to worry about making a living. These are ordinary, simple, but heartwarming goals."
Yunxuzhou's expression was slightly moved.
"I believe that as teachers, we shouldn't instill utilitarianism in our children. We shouldn't teach them to abandon everything around them for the sake of a long-term goal, neglecting the beautiful things around them. You said before that it's fine for me not to have a family, that I have no worries. But now, seeing that my disciples all have harmonious families, don't you still hope that I can have a family too? You yourself don't care that much about utilitarian goals, do you?"
"Yes, live in the present, not in false hopes. I'm narrow-minded and have forgotten my original intention." The worry on Yunxuzhou's face disappeared completely, and he laughed heartily, "Our Qingmang has really grown up and is a good master. He can not only teach your students, but also teach me. Forget it, why should I be so obsessed with ascending?"
Shen Qingmang was pleasantly surprised and asked, "So, have you decided... not to retreat for the time being?"
"Perhaps one day in the future I will calm down and retreat, pondering the true meaning of the Dao, humanity, and love. However, I don't intend to retreat now. As the Sect Leader, I have more important responsibilities to shoulder. If I retreat and ignore worldly affairs while contemplating the so-called Dao, and if this causes a crisis for the Taichu Sect, I will truly be unforgivable, and even if I successfully ascend, it will be meaningless."
Shen Qingmang's heart skipped a beat, and he almost thought that the leader had also taken the prophet's card.
But she quickly dismissed the idea, thinking it was just an assumption.
"Very good, Master, let us live in the present moment together."
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