A Genius's Troubles

If someone comes over in the afternoon, you naturally have to invite them to stay for dinner.

Basic etiquette.

Therefore, Liang Qu specially asked Aunt Zhang to prepare a sumptuous meal to entertain the master and apprentice.

The aroma is so enticing, it's truly tempting to eat.

Of all the dishes, Guan Congjian especially loves boiled sliced pork.

I don't know how the chef made it.

The oil is glossy and red, the meat slices are tender and crisp, and the surface is covered with a thin layer of chili flakes. The cabbage underneath is fresh, fragrant, and spicy.

It's so appetizing to eat with rice! Eating it in a rice bowl isn't enough, after two bowls I immediately switched to a thick, white porcelain bowl for soup! All thoughts of seniority were thrown to the winds.

It would be perfect to have a Master Secretary.

Come often in the future. Can an elder beat a younger one? Let Li Chan come again another day to learn the craft and take it back with her.

Guan Congjian ate heartily, sweat beading on his forehead.

He Liannianci had a rough appearance, but he was not as uninhibited as his apprentice. He opened and closed his chopsticks, focused his eyes, and only picked up a few dishes in front of him.

The dinner was so expensive it was almost frightening.

Needless to say, the Old Monk were both unexpected and perfectly reasonable.

He Liannianci, a peak-level Great Martial Master Hunting Tiger, is by no means weak within the Hanging Temple's Mountain Gate; he is of a very high seniority.

Among his lay disciples, only those who called him "senior brother" were called "junior brother," and it was rare for anyone to call him "junior brother."

He had assumed that Liang Qu was at most his peer, and that the two should address each other as fellow disciples.

Unexpectedly, upon paying my respects, I was greeted by the Venerable Adamantine Bright King, the Celestial Grandmaster and man!

I have to call Liang Qu my Uncle-Master!

Adamantine Bright King is a special case; he rarely visits the Mountain Gate and very few people have ever seen him in person.

If He Liannianci hadn't had a good memory and had carefully studied the portrait of the patriarch in the temple before descending the mountain, he might not have recognized it.

Furthermore, the image of Adamantine Bright King differs significantly from that in portraits.

Old, thin.

He looked far less well than in the portrait, as if he were injured.

With her renowned grandmaster in front of her, He Liannianci would definitely be too nervous.

and...

He glanced furtively at the white-haired, white-bearded old man at the top right of the long table.

Isn't this Su Guishan, the Great Grandmaster Water River Governor of the River Conservancy Office...?

Why are we all having dinner at the Liang Residence?

Judging by his practiced way of serving rice, this is definitely not his first time! One dining table, two Grandmaster.

At this moment, He Liannianci really wished she had a strong heart like her disciple.

"Master, eat up! There are so many dishes, they're delicious!" Guan Congjian kept eating with his chopsticks.

"Okay, okay."

"Your bowl is empty, are you just eating vegetables? Shall I get you some rice?"

"No, no, I'll do it myself, I'll do it myself."

He Liannianci waved her hands repeatedly and hugged the rice bucket that Guan Congjian handed her.

We ate until the second half of the meal.

Many people did not leave out of courtesy.

Guan Congjian looked around, asked around to make sure no one was eating, then poured all the leftovers into his own bowl and finished it off completely.

He Liannianci felt embarrassed and wanted to say something to make amends for her disciple.

"It's alright." Su Guishan raised his hand to interrupt, and said with a smile, "Being able to eat is a blessing. It's good for young people to eat more, as it increases their strength quickly and gives them more motivation to cultivate. I am also very satisfied with the dishes that Liang boy has researched."

"Lord Su sit under the open sky and on the ground," He Liannianci said respectfully.

"Are you a lay disciple of the Hanging Temple?"

"Lord Su discerning eyes."

"How many checkpoints did you pass before you descended the mountain?"

"Wooden Dummy Alley and Bronze Dummy Formation two checkpoints," He Liannianci said. "Therefore, I can pass on the Dharma to my disciples. This year or next year, I plan to send Cong Jian to the Hanging Temple to try his luck and continue the transmission of the Dharma."

"Continue the transmission of the Dharma?" Liang Qu asked, puzzled.

"Lay disciples can only pass on the Dharma to one generation," He Liannianci replied. "If one wants to pass it on to a grand-disciple, the disciple must pass two trials and cultivate on the mountain for three months. Usually, Wolf Smoke is heard, one can attempt to pass the trials."

Liang Qu understood.

The Hanging Temple serves as a means to cultivate relationships and prevent the misuse of its Cultivation Method.

You can send it if you want.

Come back first to leave a trace, to prevent feelings from growing distant.

"Is the Hanging Temple in Datong Prefecture? How far is it from Huang Province?"

"Huang Province is not too far to the north."

"Cong Jian 're going this year, then we can travel together."

He Liannianci was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

Liang Qu briefly recounted what had happened. "If you are interested, you can travel together so that you can look out for each other."

When traveling, it's always a good thing to have someone you know accompany you.

Besides, the journey from Pingyang Prefecture to Huang Province is long. With two top-level Great Martial Master traveling together, who would dare to provoke them? He Liannianci pondered for a moment, "Let me go back and think about it."

After dinner.

I ate two pieces of melon.

The master and apprentice took their leave.

Liang Qu took the opportunity to see him off.

Cross the threshold.

"Master Helian."

"I dare not accept the title of Master," He Liannianci immediately interrupted, "Does Uncle-Master have something to say?"

"There are some things I'd like to ask."

"Uncle-Master, please ask."

Liang Qu didn't dwell too much on the title.

A well that has been cleaned three times yields sweet water; a person who has studied martial arts under three masters becomes highly skilled.

Now he can indeed be said to have one Master and two masters.

The Old Monk taught him the Dragon Tiger Golden Body; surely he wouldn't refuse to acknowledge his status as a teacher.

"I would like to inquire about the past deeds of the master. I have never been to the Hanging Temple, and it would be awkward to ask my elders in person. Today is a rare opportunity, so I would like to take this chance to ask for your guidance... Nephew."

"It's alright." He Liannianci didn't think anything of it; it was only human nature. "However, I don't know much about it either."

Liang Qu stepped aside half a step, indicating that he would like to speak.

Guan Congjian leaned closer, full of curiosity about the Master Secretary's Master.

"I do not know the master's real name, nor is his Dharma name clear. I only know some of his past experiences from the words of his elders. For example, the master was Former Dynasty Graduate. When the world was in chaos, he entered Louguan Platform to cultivate and became a Daoist priest. After that, he entered the Hanging Temple."

Liang Qu was somewhat confused.

"After entering Louguan Platform, can you then enter the Hanging Temple?"

Would Louguan Platform release it? Would the Hanging Temple accept it? "It happened several decades ago, and I don't know the specific reasons," He Liannianci admitted. "I heard that when he went down the mountain, he made a vow to never pass on the sect's secret Oath of the Dao Heart to outsiders."

I've also heard that the practitioners at Louguan Platform didn't delve too deeply into the higher levels; they were merely outer disciples, so switching paths was no problem.

Liang Qu nodded secretly.

To be fair, the master did indeed have a good relationship with Louguan Platform.

When I first arrived in Huaiyin Prefecture, it was because the Daoist priest from Louguan Platform helped me with the divination.

The master is truly adept at navigating social situations.

"And then what?"

"After that, I only knew that the master traveled around all year round and occasionally returned to the temple to study. The Hanging Temple never restricted him. Moreover, on the Founding Ancestor Wall, the master's ranking was quite high. He had the nickname Adamantine Bright King and his strength was extremely formidable."

Especially in the practice of Golden Body Cultivation, it is said that there have been innovations and advancements. When my Master introduced it, he highly praised it, often saying that Adamantine Bright King has the potential to become a Martial Saint.

There is an opportunity to become the Martial Saint of Jin...

Upon hearing this, Liang Qu's eyes flickered, and he seemed to understand the Old Monk's predicament.

The strong always have more privileges.

Not to mention the strong, there are also many geniuses whose privileges have yet to be realized.

Throughout history, when a genius emerges, what's the first step? It's like finding a husband for them! First, snatch them up and make it a fait accompli!

If even top-scoring liberal arts students behave this way, imagine what martial arts geniuses are like—arranging marriages, taking on disciples, and becoming godparents...

First, gather talented people around you, bring them into your group, build relationships and factions, and strengthen your own power.

Once they've been trained, we'll launch a fierce attack on the opposing forces, eliminate them, and then take a bigger slice of the pie.

If there are any requests during this period, they should be reasonable and we should try our best to meet them.

If the Old Monk truly possessed the potential to Martial Saint, and Liang Qu were the Daoist priest of Louguan Platform and the abbot of the Hanging Temple, he would undoubtedly have acted expediently and handled matters on a special basis.

The master has a very rich and varied background.

Watching Helian and his disciples depart in their carriage, Liang Qu stood under the eaves, his thoughts drifting.

But then I thought about it again.

I am no less capable.

He was a direct disciple of Yang Dongxiong, Registered Disciple of the founder of the Hanging Temple, Registered Disciple of the King of Yue, and a subordinate of the grandson of the Duke Xu.

The troubles of geniuses, perhaps.

Why.

understand.