Chapter 237 Disrespecting the Master's Orders: Superficial Compliance
"You read that right, I did do something that others wouldn't dare to do," Yuanshi frankly admitted. "Don't talk nonsense in the future, understand?"
"You and Chang Hao are in love?" The Tongtian Qingping Sword appeared in his hand. Even the second brother could not bully Chang Hao.
"Of course it's mutual affection." Yuan Shi said firmly, always believing that Chang Hao was different to him, even if not now, he would be in the future.
"We've been intimate with you in front of you several times, you're just slow to notice." Yuanshi avoided the main issue, but what he said was also true.
“Liar… Chang Hao isn’t blind… how could he possibly want it…” Tongtian muttered to himself, his words unclear. He was too shocked; he hadn’t expected this at all.
"What did you say?" Yuanshi was suspicious. Tongtian's babbling didn't sound like anything good.
But Tongtian was in a daze and didn't respond to Yuanshi.
Yuanshi raised his hand and placed it on Tongtian's shoulder. Considering that Tongtian might be agitated, he thoughtfully took Tongtian back to Kunlun with him.
He couldn't even remember the three junior disciples left behind in Heaven, and Tongtian, whose soul had left his body and hadn't returned yet, couldn't take care of the three younger ones for the time being.
Yuanshi was in a good mood, and he led the dazed Tongtian along the mountain path. He was a good older brother and very considerate to Tongtian. After they finished walking along the Wenxin Mountain Path, Tongtian should accept reality.
"Greetings, Second Martial Uncle; greetings, Third Martial Uncle." Xuan Du was caught off guard when he saw his Second and Third Martial Uncles strolling back on the mountain path. His actions were faster than his thoughts, and he immediately bowed. It wouldn't be surprising if his Second Martial Uncle paid more respects.
“It’s Xuandu,” Yuanshi gave Xuandu a rare good look. Seeing that Xuandu was still trying to understand Laozi’s Supreme Principle of Forgetfulness while walking on the Path of Inquiry, he was even more pleased. “Come up the mountain with Second Uncle. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”
"Yes, thank you, Second Martial Uncle." Xuan Du was flattered. If he remembered correctly, this was the first time his Second Martial Uncle had ever given him a kind look.
Xuandu followed Yuanshi Tongtian with trepidation the whole way. Thinking that he couldn't just reach the top of the mountain in silence, he mustered up his courage and asked a question that had been troubling him but had never been answered by his master.
"Second Uncle, Master said that the law is natural and everything should follow its own course. However, Xuandu has a question: if one knows where one is headed, should one strive for it, or should one let nature take its course and not strive for it at all?"
Xuan Du was genuinely puzzled. This confusion kept him circling on the path of Wenxin Mountain. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so unlucky as to run into his second and third uncles, who were returning home together.
"What did your master say?" Yuanshi was still quite pleased with himself, and Xuandu wasn't so hopeless after all.
"Master smiled without saying a word. Xuan Du is foolish and does not understand the true meaning behind it." Xuan Du was very frustrated. How could he know what his master's smile meant?
Yuanshi smiled and said, "Go with the flow. You can examine your own heart and do as you please, but you must not overstep the bounds." With Xuandu's level of attainment, it is impossible for him to achieve his elder brother's tranquility, non-action, and natural way of doing things right now. It is impossible for him to forget himself and achieve the highest level of detachment.
Xuandu still only had a vague understanding and didn't understand why.
However, Yuan Shi's good mood ended after he reached the summit...
A jarring sound of string and wind instruments drifted over, and Yuanshi's expression changed drastically. "Who dares to be so insolent in this sacred Taoist place?"
"Hmm, that's too presumptuous..." Tongtian stared straight ahead, trying to figure out his second brother's thoughts from beginning to end, and was clearly still deep in thought.
Xuan Du suddenly stood still, hands clasped at his sides, not daring to speak. His third uncle not only failed to calm his second uncle down, but instead added fuel to the fire…
Oh no! Second Uncle left Jade Void Palace but returned ahead of schedule. Merlin and the others were still running wild, and they've caught them red-handed.
Yuan Shi strode toward the source of the faint, dense sound of string and wind instruments. The further he walked, the more gloomy his face became. Standing outside the plum grove, he saw that some people were pretentious and elegant, while others were drunk and confused, behaving improperly and quite dissolutely...
It's hard to believe that the disciples who are so humble and polite in front of him, and so eager to pursue the Dao, are like this in private.
"Tell your master, what are you doing?" The voice was soft, yet it carried the suppressed tension of an impending storm, like a thunderclap in one's ear.
Donghua, his eyes blurry with drunkenness, glanced up and was so frightened that he immediately knelt down and refused to get up. He shouldn't have been so greedy for alcohol; now, his second uncle would surely punish his disciple, and he would have a share in the punishment.
Playing the zither, blowing the flute, dancing with swords, drinking contests, and treasure duels... Yuanshi walked up to his disciples, who knelt down in fear, crying out in their hearts: Help! Who will save them?
Oh no, am I going to be kicked out?
Heaven knows, they were just trying to relax because their master was too strict, and they took advantage of his regular outings to do so. There was nothing else to it!
"What did I ask you to do before I left the mountain?" Yuanshi was already humiliated by these disciples in the Heavenly Court. After returning to the mountain and seeing how incompetent they were, and with Xuandu, though lazy, being devoted to the Dao, as a contrast, he was so angry that he almost blew smoke from his seven orifices.
"Master, Master instructed me to cultivate my mind and comprehend the Dao." Chi Jingzi boldly replied, for he couldn't ignore his master's words.
"Very well, since you all know this, what is the punishment for disobeying your master's orders and outwardly complying while inwardly resisting?" Yuanshi directly judged their behavior.
"Master, please spare us! We know we were wrong, and we will never do it again." Taiyi and the others knelt down and kowtowed. Disobeying their master's orders and being outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant was a crime second only to betraying their master and ancestors.
Next time? Yuanshi sneered, flipping his hand as if to lock them up under Qilin Cliff. Such people who deceive their superiors and disobey their master's orders should go to Qilin Cliff to reflect on their mistakes.
"Second Uncle, please have mercy..." Xuandu was so frightened that his soul almost left his body. He knelt down in front of everyone with a 'plop,' thinking that Yuanshi was going to send them to reincarnation.
Xuandu was desperate. He repeatedly warned them not to fall into the hands of his second master, but these junior brothers just wouldn't learn their lesson.
The surging killing intent startled Tongtian, who was lost in thought. Tongtian intercepted Yuanshi's furious palm strike and said with lingering fear, "Second Brother, what are you doing?" No matter how angry he was, he couldn't kill his disciple.
Eleven people collapsed to the ground; they were just a hair's breadth away from turning to ashes.
Yuanshi's eyes were filled with coldness. "My disciple is unfilial. What, even if I punish him, my third brother has to interfere?"
Tongtian quietly withdrew his hand. The tone was so cold that he wanted to shiver. It was a misunderstanding, so what? Punishment was punishment, why was he being so murderous?
This won't do... Tongtian thought it would be best if someone came at this moment to give both sides a way out.
Tongtian secretly concealed his right hand behind his back, and hooked his index finger...
Huang Long, who was having a friendly meeting with Guang Chengzi, felt something catch his eye and in the blink of an eye, he found himself standing outside the plum grove.
Huang Long immediately realized that whoever had brought him here definitely needed him. He hurriedly straightened his clothes and composed himself, especially since his magnificent attire showed signs of disarray.
"Huang Long greets Master and Uncle-Master." Huang Long, dressed in magnificent attire, stood out awkwardly in the elegant plum grove, ignoring the disheveled group of people, and bowed without looking to the side.
This is terrible. What a bad start! Seeing my junior brothers in such a sorry state, how will I be able to integrate with them in the future? This is a huge question.
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