The Prince Can Do Divination-Chapter 189 - 153: The National Preceptor’s Past, Lord Imperial Censor of the Confucian Temple
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「Prince Jin’s Mansion.」
Lu Guangjing sat in an antique Warm Pavilion, holding a scroll woven from golden silk. Faintly visible on the scroll’s cover were the four ancient characters for *Sub-Saint Ancient Scripture*.
As he studied the *Sub-Saint Ancient Scripture*, Lu Guangjing seemed to have entered a state of being completely absorbed, forgetting both himself and the world around him.
The scholarship of the Sub-Saint, needless to say, was the continuation and development of the teachings of the Venerable Sage of Ren.
The book had been given to him by Mr. Xun. It was an original text personally written by the Sub-Saint, a priceless treasure that no amount of money could buy. Within its pages were the Sub-Saint’s views on the many affairs of the Central Plains World from his time as a student, along with the principles he explained in his annotations.
When compiled, they amounted to an entire volume.
Xun Yu, after all, had once been a successor of the Sub-Saint’s lineage and still carried many of his teachings.
Lu Guangjing had heard the story of the two of them before; it wasn’t much of a secret.
As far as he knew, when Mr. Xun was still studying at the Confucian Temple, he was a top student who never tired of learning. He was exceptional in all aspects—be it character, political strategy, perspective, or scholarship—and he deeply respected his teacher.
He was the Sub-Saint’s most favored disciple. Back then, everyone said that with Xun Yu’s talent and knowledge, he could inherit the Sub-Saint’s mantle and carry it to greater heights. Just as the Sub-Saint had inherited the mantle of Ren Sheng, Xun Yu was expected to become the third Saint of the "Ren" school of thought.
However, during a Q&A session after class, the students lined up to bow and ask their questions. When it was Xun Yu’s turn, he asked the Sub-Saint a question, but instead of an answer, he received a harsh scolding.
Even after all the other hundred or so scholars in the class had received their answers and left satisfied, even after Xun Yu waited patiently until the very end, the Sub-Saint still gave him no answer.
From then on, Xun Yu was deeply disappointed in his master.
If the matter had ended there, there would be no Grand National Preceptor Xun, the strategist of Nan Zhou—it would have just been the story of a disillusioned scholar spurned by his master.
But twenty years after that incident, the Holy Netherworld invaded. The world fell into chaos, Dynasties warred, and the Three Religions took action. The great Saints of the Confucian Temple also made their move, using their world-altering powers to intercept and kill the Divine Beings of the Demon Country.
Just before the Sub-Saint left, however, he finally gave Xun Yu the answer to his question.
It wasn’t that his master had been unwilling to answer; it was that he had needed to ponder for twenty years to come up with a suitable response.
After that, the Sub-Saint and the other Saints never returned.
Many years later, Xun Yu left the Confucian Temple.
From then on, the Confucian Temple lost a diligent young scholar, and the world gained a Master Xun who traveled among the great Dynasties. He spread his own teachings, advocating for utilitarianism and the belief that human nature is inherently evil. He attacked the Sub-Saint’s doctrines, and those who refused to follow him mostly met grim ends.
The scholars of the world gradually came to know of a school of thought called the Dragon Slaying Skill.
Regarding this Mr. Xun, some said he was insidious and cunning, others said he was ungrateful and had forgotten his roots, and still others claimed he had betrayed his master and ancestors.
But no one would ever say he was incompetent, and no scholar would claim he was all style and no substance.
In Lu Guangjing’s eyes, although this master was unscrupulous, he always adhered to one principle: he never killed anyone personally or shed blood. In the old man’s own words, ’The good can save themselves, but the wicked must suffer their own trials.’
「About a quarter of an hour later.」
The goat-bearded, cyan-robed scholar, Gongyang Hu, arrived at the room’s entrance and knocked.
"Your Highness, the message from General Qin is quite important. This subordinate believes you should look at it yourself."
Lu Guangjing’s brow furrowed slightly. He closed the *Sub-Saint Ancient Scripture*, placed it gently on the table, and said, "Come in!"
Gongyang Hu pushed the door open and entered.
"No need for formalities. Sit down and speak," Lu Guangjing said.
Gongyang Hu first presented the Communication Light Talisman, placing it on the table before Lu Guangjing, then stepped back.
After reading the contents of the Communication Jade Talisman, Lu Guangjing suddenly smiled. "This Shadow Scout is not bad after all. She’s not as weak as I imagined."
Gongyang Hu said, "The Shadow Scout is quite resourceful. She has stealthily recruited so many experts. When you face her, Your Highness, it would be wise to be careful. She has made many arrangements on the outside over the years."
Lu Guangjing nodded. "Since she wants to have a decisive battle with me outside the Capital City, I might as well grant her wish."
Gongyang Hu said coldly, "She’s overestimating her own strength. With the few assets she has, Your Highness could crush them all with a single finger."
Lu Guangjing glanced at the Communication Light Talisman again, his eyes narrowing. "However, the talisman mentions that she has recruited a new Protector for herself. The information is hidden so well that his identity can’t be revealed. This person must be very important to her."
"We can have him assassinated," Gongyang Hu said icily.
Lu Guangjing smiled. "There’s no need for you all to argue. It’s just one Protector. I have a more suitable candidate to deal with him."
"Haven’t we had two rising stars join the mansion recently? One is Fa Hai from Jinshan Temple, and the other is Wu Shangzhen from Danyang Mountain." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚
"Wu Shangzhen used Celestial and Earthly Treasures to successfully break through to the Middle Fifth Grade. Despite just entering the Eighth Realm, he was able to kill a veteran Cultivator under Lu Yunqing of Prince Chongwen’s Mansion. He is definitely not weak."
"Monk Fahai’s performance has been outstanding. Every time he acts on behalf of the Prince Mansion, he completes his mission. He recently assisted the Monks of the Vajra Department Institute in slaying many rampaging Demon Fiends in the nearby States and Counties, earning a good reputation."
Lu Guangjing gave his specific instructions to Gongyang Hu. "The Shadow Scout prides herself on having many subordinates, doesn’t she? Then we’ll eliminate all of them. Let’s see how many factions she can withstand. Arrange for her subordinates to be involved in any conflicts with the other two Princes as well."
"Rest assured, Your Highness. This subordinate will not fail his mission."
Gongyang Hu stood up, cupped his hands in a bow, and walked out of the room.
Just then, the sound of a qin, sometimes distant, sometimes near, echoed through the warm, fire-lit room.
The music was ethereal yet exceptionally pleasant, like a heavenly melody descending from the Nine Heavens to the Mortal World, lingering endlessly over the water’s surface.
The unremarkable sword-carrying man and the ugly old man with a half-blinded eye, who served as guards, both appeared in the room, looking as if they were facing a great enemy.
The sound waves from the qin formed a gust of wind that passed through the two guards and directly entered Lu Guangjing’s Sea of Heart.
Inside, the sword-carrying man and the Poisonous Elder exchanged a look.
Both were Cultivators Above the Tenth Realm, so they could naturally sense the artistic conception within the music. Though they only heard the sound, a magnificent and grand world had already materialized in their minds.
Within the sound was another world.
It could make one become lost in it, unable to break free!
They had only heard of the Divine Techniques of Buddhist Bodhisattvas and Daoist True Monarchs, capable of "a Bodhi in every leaf, a world in every flower," holding the sea in a cup and the universe in a palm.
In just an instant, the sword-carrying man and the Poisonous Elder felt as if their hearts were continuously expanding, able to contain everything in the world.
This was even more true for Lu Guangjing, who stood between them.
Beads of sweat appeared on the Poisonous Elder’s palm. He was utterly shocked. "Such powerful Spiritual Power! Creating an Illusion Realm with qin music... I wonder which esteemed master this is?"
"It must be a Confucian Great Power who has arrived. Let us go out and greet them."
Lu Guangjing appeared quite calm. He stood up and walked outside.
The Evil Dao Cultivators in Prince Jin’s Mansion had all been alerted long ago. They gathered around the center of the Prince Mansion Lake Water, staring at a small, cyan boat in the distance.
In the middle of the artificial lake, a middle-aged man in a bamboo-green long robe sat at the prow of a distant boat, playing a qin. A young man and woman stood beside him. All three had a disposition as gentle and lustrous as jade, like perfect Gentlemen.
The middle-aged man was clean-shaven, his features refined. He possessed an extraordinary scholarly elegance, the air of a Great Scholar. His large hands caressed the qin, creating a picturesque scene filled with the rhythm of the Great Dao. He was like the Wenqu Star descended to the mortal plane.
Just as Lu Guangjing and his two Tributors walked out of the pavilion, the middle-aged man’s fingers stilled. He raised his head and fixed his gaze on Lu Guangjing in the distance. His eyes were as calm as still water, yet bright and profound, like two brilliant stars.
Although he was no longer playing, the qin’s music continued to echo across the water’s surface.
The young woman beside him resembled a Female Scholar, fresh and transcendent, with an ethereal air as if she did not partake of the mortal world. The young man was dressed as a scholar, with a remarkably distinguished posture.
The middle-aged man’s figure was faint and indistinct in the vast white mist, shrouded in mystery. He spoke softly, "I have heard that the Nan Zhou National Preceptor, Xun Yu, has appeared in the Imperial Capital. Today, I have come on behalf of the Confucian Temple. I wish to ask him a question, and while I’m at it, invite him back to the Confucian Temple for a cup of tea."
Lu Guangjing knew the visitor had come for him. He stepped forward and played dumb, "Sir, if you are looking for National Preceptor Xun, what business do you have at my Prince Jin’s Mansion?"
The middle-aged man smiled faintly. "If Xun Yu were to help you become the Master of Great Yan, what do you think you could achieve?"
Hearing this question, Lu Guangjing’s eyes narrowed. He already had a good guess as to the man’s identity.
It was a Lord Imperial Censor from the Confucian Temple.
Every Imperial Censor was chosen from among the Seventy-two Saints of the temple.
The man and woman by his side must be the attendant Imperial Censors.
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