Chapter 12: Used Yet Never Exhausted

“The Dao is empty, yet when used, it is never filled. How deep! It seems to be the ancestor of all things. Blunt its sharpness, untangle its confusion, soften its light, become one with its dust. How clear and still! It seems as though it exists. I do not know whose child it is; it appears to come before the Heavenly Emperor.”

The old Daoist lecturing on the scripture spoke in an extremely soft voice, yet it entered clearly into the ears of every listener in the scripture hall. When he finished the last word, his brows and eyes suddenly drooped, as if he might fall asleep in the next moment, looking every bit like an old man nearing the end of his days.

Jiang Wang did not dare be negligent. He followed the senior brothers and bowed respectfully before rising from his seat.

Though this old man looked unremarkable, he was actually the vice academy master of Maple Forest City Dao Academy, Song Qifang. More accurately, before Dong A arrived, he had been the true academy master of Maple Forest City Dao Academy and had taken root in Maple Forest City for several decades. It was just that he was now over eighty years old, while his cultivation had always remained stuck at the seventh-grade realm, never able to open the Gate of Heaven and Earth. As a result, he had long since lost the will to advance and had instead buried himself in scriptures, devoting all his heart to teaching and passing on knowledge. Because of this, he was greatly loved and respected.

After Dong A arrived, he did not fight or compete, but fully cooperated, allowing Dong A to smoothly take control of Maple Forest City Dao Academy. In return, Dong A also gave him extremely high respect.

In all of Maple Forest City, when it came to virtue and prestige, no one surpassed Song Qifang.

…

Even after walking out of the scripture hall gates, Jiang Wang’s heart still could not calm down. He remained immersed in a vast sense of emotion.

What was the Dao? It could not be seen or touched, yet it was everywhere, infinite and endless. How should one recognize it, understand it, pursue it? The more one pursued, the more one understood, the more one recognized, the more one felt ignorant and small.

All one could do was sigh, “How deep!”

So profound!

Ling He walked while reciting, wishing he could chew over the words again and again. Although Zhao Rucheng had never cared much about lessons, he also seemed thoughtful. Only Du Yehu kept yawning, looking as though he had just caught up on sleep.

Each inner academy selection had ten people. Judging only by the basic breathing technique, Du Yehu’s progress was second only to Jiang Wang, who had manifested his dao meridian early. One had to admit that his talent was extraordinary. But he truly could not listen to those so-called Great Dao classics. In contrast, the moment there was a class on techniques and spells, he immediately became full of life.

It was not false to say that only the inner academy was the true Dao Academy. Back in the outer academy, only some simple martial skills were taught, and every so often, inner academy senior brothers would come to provide unified guidance. But after entering the inner academy, there was a scripture class every five days and a technique class every ten days. The former taught scriptures, while the latter taught arts. Both were taught by experienced Daoists. On ordinary days, if one had any cultivation difficulties, one could ask the teachers at any time. Those martial skills that had required contribution points to exchange for in the outer academy were also opened without restriction to inner academy disciples.

They simply did not hold much attraction for inner academy disciples.

It was not that martial arts were weak, but the entire cultivation world of Zhuang Country mainly followed Daoist cultivation methods. Even though Maple Forest City Dao Academy had collected some martial skills, they were only a transitional supplement for disciples during their time in the outer academy. Naturally, they were not especially powerful, and they were far inferior to the might of dao techniques, so no one would abandon the near road for the far one.

…

“Senior Brother Jiang, please wait!”

A voice sounded from behind.

Jiang Wang turned back and recognized him as Fang Heling, who had been selected into the inner academy in the same batch. This person came from one of Maple Forest City’s three great surnames, and Fang Pengju was his cousin.

Strictly speaking, he originally had no qualification to be selected into the city Dao Academy’s inner academy. But in every inner academy selection, the three great surnames had to occupy one spot. This had practically become an unspoken rule. Fang Pengju’s selection had naturally been justified and proper, but as for Fang Heling, no one knew what price the Fang family had secretly paid.

This was very realistic. Cultivation was indeed a transcendent path, but in this world, as long as it was a path walked by people, there would always be complicated relationships. It would never be so pure. Even Maple Forest City Dao Academy was no exception.

“What is it?” Jiang Wang asked flatly.

“Ah, nothing much.” Fang Heling wore a moon-white robe and cupped his hands, appearing somewhat elegant and graceful. “I merely wanted to apologize to you for Fang Pengju’s wolfish ambition. He has already been removed from the family register. My Fang family has no such heartless and unrighteous person.”

“He is him, and you are you. There is no need for you to apologize for him. What he did has nothing to do with you.”

After saying this, Jiang Wang turned to leave. He truly had no mood to accompany this kind of young master in putting on a show.

But Fang Heling clearly felt insulted. Thinking of his dignified background as a member of one of Maple Forest City’s three great surnames, he had personally apologized to Jiang Wang, someone born from a ruined household. Even if Jiang Wang did not become tearfully grateful, he should at least have held his hands and looked at him with mutual appreciation, shouldn’t he? Why did he have such a cold attitude?

“Senior Brother Jiang, why are you in such a hurry?”

Fang Heling quickly caught up and circled around to stand before Jiang Wang and the others, smiling as he said, “I forgot to tell Senior Brother Jiang that this unworthy one took a Meridian Opening Pill yesterday and has already manifested his dao meridian.”

He tried his best to restrain himself, but that pride still seemed ready to burst out.

“And then?” Jiang Wang asked.

Fang Heling froze for a moment before saying, “Among this batch of inner academy selections, only the two of us manifested our dao meridians ahead of time. We should naturally become closer.”

In the end, he was still young. Although the education he had received since childhood allowed him to maintain etiquette, between his words, he already looked down on everyone else. It was as if the so-called heroes under heaven were only the two of them.

He truly did not resent Jiang Wang for Fang Pengju’s death. If Fang Pengju had not died, he would not have the opportunity he had now! If not for preserving the dignity of one of the three great surnames and keeping the Fang family’s inner academy selection spot at Maple Forest City Dao Academy, even with his father faintly being the next clan head of the Fang family, it would have been very difficult to persuade the clan to spend such a huge price to buy a Meridian Opening Pill.

If that were the case, he would have had to wait until next year to enter the inner academy, or perhaps he might not have entered even next year. After all, there were only ten spots a year, and countless pairs of eyes in Maple Forest City were watching. If the clan had other descendants more outstanding than him, his father could not act too obviously either. The fact that Fang Pengju had reserved that position in advance before was clear proof.

“Oh.”

Jiang Wang only said “oh,” then walked around Fang Heling and continued forward on his own.

Of course he knew Fang Heling was the legitimate son of the next Fang clan head, a direct descendant of one of the three great surnames. He also knew that Fang Heling currently had no intention of creating any conflict with him. In fact, to maintain the Fang family’s reputation, this person would probably even call him brother and act harmonious with him.

But why?

Why was it that someone as outstanding as Fang Pengju had desperately begged for a Meridian Opening Pill and could not obtain one, until he became more and more extreme and reckless? Yet only a few days after his death, this Fang Heling already had one?

Others might not know what Fang Heling was like, but how could the brothers not know?

If he had even a little ability, how would the Fang family have ever needed Fang Pengju to stand out back then?

Even if Fang Pengju had betrayed kindness and died overnight, was this clueless young master before them qualified to trample him?

The fact that Jiang Wang had not erupted on the spot was already considerable restraint.

As for Ling He, Du Yehu, and the others, they had not looked at him once from beginning to end.

The group walked away, leaving only Fang Heling standing in place, the smile on his face slowly stiffening.

He had not expected that he would actually be ignored.

After swallowing the Meridian Opening Pill, after manifesting his dao meridian overnight and directly entering the inner academy, he was still ignored!

He remembered when he had first entered the outer academy and met these prominent outer academy figures outside the Dao Academy. Full of enthusiasm, he had stepped forward to greet his cousin’s friends and get to know them.

But his cousin had not even seen him and had walked away with these people, arms around shoulders.

He had never forgotten the disappointment from that time for even a moment. So at the first opportunity after stabilizing his opened meridian, he had come before Jiang Wang and the others.

He did not know whether he wanted to prove something, but at the very least, you people had to look at me.

Yet there was nothing.

Clearly everything had changed, yet it was still as if nothing had changed at all.

“Jiang Wang!”

Fang Heling shouted in his heart.

He tried his utmost to control his expression, but his face had already become extremely ugly.

[End of Chapter]