Chapter 715: Sooner rather than later
He practiced in seclusion in Tianping Mountain and did not go out on weekdays. Only King Shicheng would occasionally visit him and talk to him about the affairs of the human world.
Gong Mengbi asked, "You are a highly accomplished Taoist, have made great achievements in the Heavenly Fox Academy, and are the pillar of the Su family. If you just throw your hands up and don't care about anything, no one will stop you?"
Su Shangxian said, "I'm tired of their petty calculations, their petty intrigues, their contemplation of this and that, so I'm hiding here for some peace and quiet. They're reluctant to let me go, but they don't dare lose their temper with me. They bring up their clan's reputation to criticize me, and they're afraid I'll get angry. You see, the more they calculate, the smaller their minds become, the less courageous they become, and even their brains aren't as bright."
"I've been a doctoral student at the Sky Fox Academy for a few years and taught several students. They were all cut from the same cloth. They didn't focus on cultivation, but instead spent all their time scheming for personal gain. What's the point of trying to curry favor with me? Can I really help them cultivate?"
"Careless words are often scrutinized, while serious advice is treated as clichés and nonsense. If I speak harshly, they think I'm suppressing them, and if I ignore them, they think I'm being indulgent."
Su Shangxian scratched his hair and commented, "It's like he's having hysteria."
"I was too lazy to argue with them, so I just walked away. At first I went home to visit, but then I realized that once I went back, I would be treated as family property, used as a tool for negotiations, marriage alliances, and coercion. It really turned me off, so I never went back."
Su Shangxian was very angry and complained to Gong Mengbi.
Hearing this, Gong Mengbi smiled endlessly and clinked glasses with him repeatedly, saying, "Brother Su's words are sharp, they can be used as a tea accompaniment."
Su Shangxian said, "You are doing so well in the Heavenly Fox Court, how can you treat it as a joke?"
Gong Mengbi said, "You haven't been back to Tianhuyuan for too long. If it weren't for the headmaster's appreciation of me, I wouldn't be doing well in Tianhuyuan. I'm afraid there are many people in Tianhuyuan who want to skin me alive and tear my tendons apart."
Su Shangxian became interested instead and said, "Tell me quickly, what have you done that has angered heaven and man?"
Gong Mengbi talked about some things about educating wild foxes, and Su Shangxian was surprised when he heard it.
Su Shangxian gave him a thumbs-up and said, "You are this. It's better for you to be a fox master outside now. When you return to the Heavenly Fox Court, I'm afraid you will be in trouble every day."
Gong Mengbi said, "It's not certain who will burn whose butt."
Su Shangxian laughed heartily and said, "That's right. With your ability to stir up trouble, you can get along well with them."
Gong Mengbi glanced at him and asked, "You are also from a noble family. Don't you think I'm going too far?"
Su Shangxian pursed his lips and said, "What kind of aristocratic family is this? A fourth-grade fox can be appointed as the chief priest of the Heavenly Fox Academy. Even in the human world, it can't be called a major sect. Calling yourself a noble family in the Heavenly Fox Academy, what are you after leaving the academy?"
Gong Mengbi clinked his glasses with him and said, "Who says it's not?"
Su Shangxian laughed and said, "You can make trouble, but I just feel annoyed. I don't care if he is a wild fox from an aristocratic family. If he can be educated, I will educate him. If he can't be educated, then I will educate him. He brought it upon himself."
Gong Mengbi said slowly, "Your Majesty is in charge of all foxes in the world, so someone has to do it. If you let wild foxes run rampant, it will tarnish your reputation."
Su Shangxian said, "Your Highness, why would you care about this? The laws of nature are vague, life and death, honor and disgrace, are all fleeting. Who cares about this?"
Gong Mengbi rested his chin on one hand, fiddling with the teacup with the other. He held it up to his eyes, the light illuminating the jade cup. The tea inside was hazy and misty, just like his voice. He said, "Who knows? Heaven's laws are vague, and the Empress certainly doesn't care, but there are probably people who do."
Su Shangxian shrugged and said, "As long as you don't feel annoyed."
Gong Mengbi laughed and said, "If I feel annoyed, I won't do it. It's actually quite interesting and won't interfere with my cultivation."
Su Shangxian heard the key words and said, "Won't so many trivial matters hinder your cultivation?"
Gong Mengbi gave him a strange look and said, "Doesn't cultivation also test good deeds? If you want to become an immortal, you can't ascend without enough good deeds, right?"
Su Shangxian seemed to understand something, but then felt annoyed. "Why do I have to be tested on good deeds? Why can't I ascend to immortality through pure cultivation? I've been stuck at the fourth level for so long. Could it be that I can't reach the third level because I don't have enough good deeds?"
Gong Mengbi waved his hand and said, "If you don't want to take the test for good deeds, then cultivate to become a super-grade celestial being. You can ascend to immortality without good deeds. Also, reaching the third grade has nothing to do with good deeds. Only those who reach the third grade need to take the test for good deeds if they want to ascend to immortality."
Su Shangxian drooped his eyelids, leaned his head back on the cloud throne, and cried out, "Troublesome! Troublesome! Troublesome!"
Gong Mengbi just found it funny, put down the teacup, and said, "You take your time to think about it. I'll go to Yue Mansion first."
He pulled out one of the lamps in Su Shangxian's room, and when Su Shangxian said, "Don't touch my lamp!", he held up the lamp and blew gently. The bright flame turned into a dark green fox fire, and a ray of darkness emerged from the bright Taoist temple. In an instant, it illuminated the Yin and Yang worlds, and then disappeared in the Taoist temple.
Seeing that there was an empty lamp on the table, Su Shangxian felt even more upset. "You are very good at reading people's expressions, why are you so rude to me?"
Holding a lantern, Gong Mengbi entered the Yue Mansion and went to find Liu Dapan, explaining the matter of the Ghost Concubine, Madam Chen. Liu Dapan's eyes lit up, and he asked, "Does she have such courage?"
Gong Mengbi said: "After all, she is also a ghost concubine."
Liu Dapan said: "Although she intends to surrender herself, the devil is now the heir of Prince Wu, so we can't act rashly. Let's see what Wei Dapan says."
The two met with Wei Dapan, who was the right-hand man of the Lord of the Mansion. The Yin and Yang Department had direct access to the Yue Mansion, and he was the only one who could make decisions on behalf of the Lord of the Mansion.
Wei Dapan pondered for a moment and said, "I remember Mingfu once recorded the death records of that devil in the Yin Palace?"
Gong Mengbi nodded and said, "I allowed him to see the moon phase under the pretext of refining the moon phase ritual, and I did record his death in the Yin Palace. However, he is a living person and has someone to look after him, so I'm afraid there's nothing I can do."
Judge Wei blinked and said, "It's just a look."
Wei Dapan retrieved the death register and found the one about the devils. He read it carefully and then had an idea in his mind.
He turned to a blank page in the death register, picked up a small seal from the table and was about to stamp it, but was stopped by Gong Mengbi.
Gong Mengbi said: "Grand Judge, Prince Linchuan..."
"Hush!" Judge Wei glanced around, seeing no one else around, and whispered, "What King of Linchuan? This is a dead person in the underworld. He has escaped the netherworld in a human form, violating the laws of the underworld. He should be sent back as soon as possible to restore order."
Gong Mengbi lowered his voice and said, "Is there going to be any problem?"
Wei Dapan had already knocked the red mud onto the death register and stuffed it into Liu Dapan's hands, saying, "The sooner rather than later we capture the guilty soul, the better."
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