Chapter 460 The Legacy of Master Yuan
Miao Si was still dozing off.
Ouyang Rong, who was preparing to go out with his junior sister, did not disturb her.
I don't know how it developed into a habit, but when Little Ink Spirit came to Yinbingzhai, he didn't sleep on the proper bed. Instead, he specifically chose the top shelf of the wardrobe as his little nest.
Ouyang Rong shook his head, but before leaving, he still placed the Mo family sword box next to it, just in case, so that he could sense something.
Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang went out together, bidding farewell to Zhen Shuyuan who had been showing concern for their well-being, and then traveled together by carriage to the Xunyang Prince's Mansion.
"How about flipping through the book, junior sister?"
"I benefited greatly and gained a clear understanding."
Inside the carriage, facing Ouyang Rong's concerned gaze, Xie Lingjiang looked down at her palm lines and murmured:
"The distance between us and a sage is just one barrier away."
“Looks like we’ll have to look through the book again.” Ouyang Rong nodded. “Once Miaosi wakes up, let her help you again.”
"good."
Xie Lingjiang whispered, lifted the carriage curtain, and silently glanced out the window.
Ouyang Rong suddenly exclaimed "Eh!" and stuck his head in front of Xie Lingjiang to see her expression.
"What's wrong, Senior Brother?" Xie Lingjiang asked, touching his cheek.
Ouyang Rong blinked: "Why does Junior Sister seem a bit detached and indifferent, especially with that expression..."
Xie Lingjiang lowered the carriage curtain, tilted her head slightly, and asked him, "What's wrong with your expression?"
"Hmm, one word, I don't know if I should say it or not."
Speak quickly.
"His face is radiant with holiness." Ouyang Rong stroked his chin and described him in a serious tone: "Yes, his whole body is radiating holy light. He looks like a virtuous and wise man. He is truly a celestial being now."
"Wasn't it like that before?"
"When she used to have a serious expression, she looked silly. Now, she looks holy. Anyway, she's different. You can tell."
Ouyang Rong sighed.
The increasingly ethereal and noble Lady Xie couldn't help but roll her eyes at him, and lightly patted Ouyang Rong's shoulder:
"Don't talk nonsense."
Ouyang Rong smiled, then shook his head: "This sixth-rank Confucian scholar has indeed changed my state of mind."
Xie Lingjiang suddenly said:
"When you see someone virtuous, think of emulating them; when you see someone not virtuous, reflect on your own conduct."
Ouyang Rong was slightly taken aback. He turned his head and saw that his serious-looking junior sister was staring at him intently.
Someone scratched their head and thought for a moment, then said in a serious tone:
"Taking you to wash your feet... that shouldn't be considered unvirtuous, right?"
"...??" Xie Lingjiang.
...
"Why is Chief Secretary Ouyang here too?"
"I heard that Master Lu is leaving, so I came to see him off. Also, I would like to see Xiao Xuan off as well."
"oh."
At the entrance of a study in the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, where meetings were often held, Lu Ya and Ouyang Rong exchanged a few pleasantries.
Xie Lingjiang took Huang Xuan aside, saying she had a gift for her.
Ouyang Rong looked around. Li Xian and Li Dalang had already arrived, but Lu Ya showed no intention of entering the house to speak.
"Who are you waiting for?"
"Your Highness."
"good."
Ouyang Rong glanced at Lu Ya's expression.
Anyway, he just had a blank expression, and you couldn't tell what he was planning to say to the Xunyang Prince's family.
"It seems that things are progressing well, Daoist Xie."
Lu Ya suddenly spoke, which startled Ouyang Rong for a moment before he reacted.
“We’ve already ‘turned the page’ once. If we do it again, Junior Sister should be able to advance.”
Lu Ya said calmly, "It was that Miss Miao Si who helped, wasn't it?"
Ouyang Rong smiled and met his gaze: "Yes. Junior Sister and she get along quite well."
"That's good."
Lu Ya changed the subject and nodded, saying:
"Thank you for your rapid breakthrough, Fellow Daoist. I have some matters to attend to and need to leave temporarily, but I am relieved."
He chatted with Ouyang Rong for a few more minutes before Xie Lingjiang and Huang Xuan returned.
Ouyang Rong glanced at her and saw that Huang Xuan had several more books in her hand, which must have been given to her by her junior sister.
Moreover, judging from their expressions, the two women seemed somewhat reluctant to part.
Just then, the figure of a little princess with plum blossom makeup arrived late.
Apart from Huang Xuan, everyone else went inside the house.
As soon as the study door closed, Lu Ya took out a small bundle from his bosom and opened it in front of everyone.
As he bent down to open the bundle, he sighed and explained:
"This time, I returned to the mountain gate ahead of schedule, which was not in line with the plan. I was originally going to stay by the side of the Prince, the Heir Apparent, and the Princess... However, in terms of the defense of the Prince's mansion, there is Fellow Daoist Xie who is about to enter the sixth rank, not to mention Young Master Ouyang."
"However, just to be on the safe side, it's best to prepare for the worst. That's why I called everyone here today."
Li Xian asked curiously, "What's the worst-case scenario?"
Lu Ya remained silent, having already opened the bundle and taken out two items.
Unlike Li Xian, Li Dalang, and Li Guo'er, who were curiously and ignorantly observing, Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang's pupils dilated slightly after they saw one of the items.
The two siblings couldn't help but exchange a glance.
In Lu Ya's hand were a talisman with red characters on a black background and a small blue porcelain bottle.
The talisman paper was plain and unremarkable, and the blood-written symbols and talismans on it were generally obscure and difficult to understand.
However, to Ouyang Rong, who was secretly familiar with the "Zhen Gao," it was extremely familiar.
"Cough cough." Ouyang Rong covered his mouth.
Li Guo'er glanced at him.
However, Lu Ya did not notice the slight guilty conscience of the person.
With a serious expression, he held a small blue porcelain bottle in his hand, with a red and black talisman between two fingers. In front of everyone, he walked to the table and poured a cup of cold tea with one hand.
The expressionless young man glanced at Li Xian's family, Ouyang Rong, and Xie Lingjiang, then suddenly asked:
"Who's coming?"
Li Guo'er frowned slightly: "What do you mean, 'who's here'? What is this?"
Lu Ya pointed to the tea:
"Who will drink the talisman water?"
He paused, then said solemnly:
"Those who drink the talisman water can trigger a divine decree. This is a unique skill of my Shangqing School. In a critical moment, it can protect the prince and his family from harm."
Apart from Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang, whom everyone had guessed earlier, the others looked at each other in bewilderment.
Li Xian couldn't help but ask, "Are there any side effects from drinking the talisman water?"
Lu Ya remained expressionless:
"That depends on what dangers there may be. I will tell you a mantra. Those who drink the talisman water should recite it at the appropriate time to invite the gods."
Wei Mei hesitated, then said, "A séance? What if we can't handle it..."
Lu Ya rarely interrupted others: "It's better than everything going wrong."
The crowd remained silent for a while, glancing occasionally at the red and black talismans in the hands of the expressionless Taoist priest.
Ouyang Rong also took the opportunity to secretly examine and observe the living red and black talisman, searching for and memorizing something.
Lu Ya spoke first, breaking the silence:
"Your Highness and Your Highness, please rest assured, the person who drew this red and black talisman will never harm you, because..."
Facing the curious gazes of everyone in the study, he pursed his lips, a hint of sadness in his eyes as he looked at the red and black talisman in his hand:
“Because it was our late teacher,” he said.
"Mr. Yuan?"
Li Guo'er asked with a puzzled expression:
“I’ve heard of your sect’s decrees for summoning spirits, but wasn’t it said that Master Yuan has already passed away? Or is it that the ‘spirit’ you’re invoking is someone else…”
Lu Ya shook his head without explaining, but his expression showed a hint of reluctance.
However, Ouyang Rong noticed that after hearing that the talisman was made by Mr. Yuan, most of the Li family members relaxed slightly.
Clearly, they had great faith in that Master Yuan of the Shangqing Cult.
Xie Lingjiang took a step forward, rolled up her sleeves slightly, revealing her fair wrists:
"Let me do it."
Lu Ya shook his head.
"Of everyone in this room, only Fellow Daoist Xie and Young Master Ouyang are not allowed. It's not that I don't trust them, but rather that you haven't met our late master..."
He stopped short of speaking, his gaze passing over Xie Lingjiang and landing on Li Xian, Li Dalang, and the others.
Li Xian hesitated for a moment.
Just then, Li Guo'er took a step forward.
But a voice was faster than hers:
“Daoist Master, let me do it. My father is old and of noble status, and we cannot let him be neglected. As the eldest son, it should be me who does it.”
Li Dalang walked up to Lu Ya, then turned to his younger sister Li Guo'er and said earnestly:
“Guo’er, step back. Your health is not as good as mine. You already stood up for us once when we were being chased by Wei Shaoxuan and the others at Dagushan in Longcheng. We already felt very guilty that time. How can we let you go again?”
Ouyang Rong and the others all turned their heads to look.
Li Xian and Wei Mei looked ashamed: "Eldest brother..."
Li Guo'er also spoke up in dissatisfaction: "Brother, what are you showing off for..."
Li Dalang suddenly smiled at her:
"It's alright, sister, it's all the same."
Li Guo'er pursed her lips.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Li Dalang picked up his teacup and smiled at Lu Ya, saying:
"Master, what's the next step, and what's the incantation?"
Lu Ya gave the Prince of Xunyang a deep look.
Noticing his friend's resolute gaze, Ouyang Rong spoke at the opportune moment, addressing Li Xian and Li Guo'er:
"It's just a backup plan, we might not even need it. Besides, activating the divine decree won't directly threaten our lives, so let's listen to Dalang this time."
Everyone fell silent, their expressions complex.
"Alright, then it's Your Highness."
Lu Ya suddenly nodded and made a hand seal with a speed that no one had ever seen before. Then, the blue porcelain bottle in his hand popped open with a "pop," and a drop of dark black blood flew out of the bottle and landed on the red-character black talisman he was holding between his two fingers.
The talisman spontaneously combusted, and its dark red ash turned into a wisp of smoke that drifted into the teacup.
Without hesitation, Li Dalang drank the talisman water in the bowl in one gulp.
After putting down the teacup, her expression was as if she had drunk bitter medicine. She turned to Wei Mei and Li Guo'er and said, "Mother and sister, would you like some candied fruit?"
He looked miserable.
Everyone paused for a moment, then couldn't help but chuckle, and the atmosphere relaxed slightly...
After Lu Ya gave some instructions to Li Dalang, who had drunk the talisman water, the meeting in the study quickly ended.
Lu Ya and Huang Xuan prepared to leave and return to the Maoshan Ancestral Hall.
Along a long corridor, Li Xian, feeling somewhat reluctant to part, walked at the front with Lu Ya to see them off and exchange pleasantries.
Huang Xuan lagged behind, walking alongside Ouyang Rong.
She suddenly looked up:
“My benefactor, if my father and I hadn’t escaped with Senior Brother Lu that day, but instead were invited out by Madam Pei and toasted to you in public, wouldn’t you have been very disappointed?”
Ouyang Rong glanced at her, thought for a moment, and said:
"Truth or lie?"
"Tell me a lie first."
"The lie is that I am neither happy nor sad, I remain steadfast in my beliefs, continue to do good deeds, and do not ask for anything in return."
Huang Xuan was taken aback: "Then what about the truth?"
"That's the truth."
Ouyang Rong turned his head to look at the night view outside the corridor, his clear eyes reflecting the Milky Way in the sky:
"The truth is, you will feel frustrated and upset for a long time, but I will not blame you for your choices. After all, everyone wants to live a good life. You will also feel guilty. You are part of Xunyang City. As the local official of Jiangzhou, I have not been able to provide you with a better life, which is why you chose those wealthy merchants."
Huang Xuan asked, "Aren't you tired, benefactor?"
"Tired? If you're tired, just go to sleep. You'll feel refreshed after a nap."
"I mean my heart, I'm heartbroken."
"The heart? Of course, the heart of one person will get tired, but what about the hearts of millions of people?"
"What if what you're doing represents the sentiments of millions of people?"
Ouyang Rong muttered and shook his head, then suddenly took out a bronze mask that Huang Xuan recognized from his sleeve. He waved the mask at her.
"This was left by a friend in Longcheng. I may also be gone one day, just like that friend, but I will pass it on to the next person."
"Actually, when I first went to Longcheng, I didn't simply take it as my duty. I wore this mask because I had ulterior motives. It was just something I did incidentally, and I was always ready to take off the mask, resign, and run away."
Looking at Huang Xuan's surprised expression, the renowned gentleman smiled:
"Didn't you expect this? Did you always think that a virtuous person like me should have started out with a noble reason to advocate for the people? That I shouldn't have mixed in any personal desires, otherwise I wouldn't be perfect?"
"It was a little... a little unexpected."
Ouyang Rong gently rubbed her drooping head:
“I don’t think there’s anything shameful about it. I only really realized I had to do something after my friend’s sacrifice.”
"In a sense, he was influenced by my impure heart at the time, which is why he resolutely chose to freeze to death while carrying firewood for everyone."
"I...feel very guilty."
Huang Xuan silently tugged at his sleeve.
Ouyang Rong lowered his head and said to her:
"It's okay, I'm not sad. Some people are meant to live like fireworks, bursting forth in a spectacular and intense way. Any attempt to stop them from shining brightly and tragically in that moment is, in a sense, an insult and a murder against them."
"Only such magnificent fireworks can awaken some of the silent masses below... some of the same kind of people, and then one day they too will transform into a magnificent firework, illuminating the night."
"In a sense, the lifespan of this firework is definitely not just three seconds... Xiaoxuan."
He suddenly pressed down on the thin shoulder of the little girl in the red coat who was listening intently:
"This is just the beginning, I haven't even had my moment to shine yet, how could I be tired? Striving with others is endlessly enjoyable, I can't wait!"
Huang Xuan turned her head and stared blankly at the radiant smile of the Chief Secretary in front of her.
Ouyang Rong vigorously rubbed his smiling face:
"Back then, Ah Shan shone in Longcheng, which made me very envious. However, he only let the people of Longcheng see it. As for me, I want the whole world to see it and make Ah Shan envious of me."
Huang Xuan nodded vigorously: "Okay, I...I will definitely read it carefully."
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but chuckle.
After a moment, he composed himself and suddenly pointed to a stack of books in her arms:
"You thanked your sister for the gift?"
"Yes, she said I might not be able to become a talented woman in the academy, but I should still read more books."
Ouyang Rong nodded: "That's right. You can sleep less, eat less, but you can't read less, even if you become a Taoist priest."
"good."
After a short while, they finally reached the end of the corridor and stopped.
Before leaving, a little girl in a red coat looked back one last time.
The gentle-spoken benefactor who once boasted of becoming the most dazzling figure in the world has turned away to busy himself with other matters. It seems that he has been constantly busy ever since we met.
Lu Ya carried the lantern and moved forward without looking back.
"Yuan Xuanzi, do you really want to cultivate the Maoshan Shangqing Dao?"
"The Heavenly Venerable One who saves all beings," she said.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
