Good Things Are Approaching

In the blink of an eye, nearly another month passed. Niu Youdao increasingly realized he was under house arrest. Just as Song Yanqing had said, he could only move around inside and just outside his courtyard, forbidden from going down the mountain. The excuse given was that new disciples weren't allowed to wander around. He believed this was purely an excuse. If it were just a sect rule, why would there be people stationed outside to watch him in shifts?

He was certain something was amiss, but he knew too little to figure anything out or even get a clear picture of what was happening.

This was not a place where a young boy like him could act recklessly. He could only patiently take things one step at a time, waiting for this unknown mystery to be solved one day. His only recourse was self-cultivation.

The night sky twinkled with stars. Inside, no one on the couch was asleep. Instead, a person was standing on their head on the floor beside the couch.

Niu Youdao, shirtless, held a sword planted firmly on the ground, using it to support himself in a perfect handstand. His arms trembled slightly, seemingly struggling to maintain his balance. When one arm could no longer hold, he shifted his grip on the sword hilt in mid-air, wobbled significantly, and then managed to regain control. He wasn't just training his arm strength; he was training his agility, the agility needed to maintain balance. Every muscle and every part of his body had to coordinate, and there was so much to consider in this practice.

More importantly, he was training his sword intent, synchronizing his mind, body, and sword—the realm of "man and sword as one." Once this state was achieved, wielding his sword would be effortless, with every subtle movement easily controlled.

This method was a special sword-training technique from the Taiyi scripture, its core cultivation method named 'Chaos Green Lotus Intent.' Standing on his head like this would inevitably cause blood to rush to his head, making him feel muddled and confused after a while. Inverted like a lotus bud, he would bloom upon success.

The difficulty of early cultivation was considerable. However, once mastered, he could clearly sense changes in the pressure points on the sword. This would bring immeasurable benefits to his future swordplay.

To be able to hold a sword and stand on his head in just over a month might seem like nothing, but it was actually incredibly fast progress. Niu Youdao had spent over a year reaching this level during his previous cultivation. However, having gone through it once before, experience and insights were invaluable. With his current feel for it and his past experience, he knew what to do and how to practice, completely skipping the trial-and-error phase. His cultivation was now more than twice as effective.

After only half an hour, Niu Youdao was drenched in sweat, his face flushed red. Sweat dripped from the top of his head, down his holding hand, and along the sword, soaking a large patch of the ground.

Finally, his body swayed violently. Even with his cultivation experience, his arm strength had its limits, and he couldn't hold on much longer. He had to bend at the waist, place his feet on the ground, and stand still for a moment, holding the sword and taking deep breaths to recover.

He dared not make too much noise with the sword, fearing he would alert those outside. He gently sheathed it. He grabbed a towel to wipe off the sweat, put on his clothes, stretched his limbs, and then sat cross-legged on the couch, quickly entering a state of self-forgetfulness. He cast aside his physical fatigue and began to breathe according to his qi-cultivation technique…

The sky began to lighten, and dawn was breaking.

Niu Youdao, sitting cross-legged on the couch, had a breathing rhythm that was now longer and deeper than when he had started over a month ago. His inhalations were like surging rivers pouring into his organs, while his exhalations were slow and deliberate, like peeling silk, as if he were filtering something out bit by bit.

As dawn progressed, the sky brightened, and the sun, a dazzling orb, leaped above the horizon, casting brilliant golden rays as it climbed higher. The moment of awakening for all things also caused Niu Youdao to feel a slight restlessness. He knew the optimal period for self-forgetful cultivation had passed, so he slowly concluded his practice and opened his eyes.

After getting off the couch and stretching his limbs, the fatigue from the previous night's handstand had vanished, leaving him refreshed and invigorated.

It wasn't that he couldn't continue cultivating after the optimal period for self-forgetful practice had passed. It was just that the young boy's body was still growing and developing. He was at an age where he was naturally energetic and restless, and his innate tendencies were hard to change. His blood and qi were most susceptible to the influences of the natural world and the seasons. Seizing the best cultivation period was enough; there was no need to force himself. Furthermore, meals were delivered regularly, and if he remained shut away, it might arouse suspicion.

Why would a country boy understand cultivation? Coupled with his uncertainty about Shangqing Sect's attitude towards him, it was better not to reveal certain things. He had no self-protection capabilities at the moment, and it was better to avoid trouble. He would wait until he understood the situation before making any decisions.

A mountain spring had been channeled into the courtyard, flowing through it. After washing up, at the usual time, Niu Youdao opened the courtyard gate and walked out. Xu Yitian, who had guarded the night by the peach tree, turned his head upon hearing the door open and slowly stood up.

Niu Youdao walked over to pay his respects. They didn't chat much before Chen Guishuo arrived with a food box, signaling his arrival to take over guard duty.

Xu Yitian left and would return around lunchtime. Chen Guishuo would be back for the evening meal. In short, the two took turns on guard duty and delivering meals.

Shangqing Sect was paying him so much attention. If Niu Youdao still couldn't see that something was wrong, then he had truly wasted his years as a Daoist Master in the martial world.

Knowing this, Niu Youdao didn't expose it. He opened the food box and quickly ate his breakfast.

He was also diligent. After eating, he washed the bowls and chopsticks clean and returned them, placing them in the food box under the peach tree. Chen Guishuo would naturally take them away later.

"Senior Brother Chen, could you get me a lounge chair later?" Niu Youdao made a request after putting down the food box. Ever since he had visited Shangqing Palace and refused their 'excessive' demands, Song Yanqing's attitude had improved significantly. He had told Niu Youdao to ask for anything he needed, and they would grant what they could.

Chen Guishuo, who had plucked a peach blossom and was smelling it, turned around upon hearing him. "Heh," he exclaimed with a laugh, "At your age, why do you need a lounge chair? Where did you get such lazy bones?"

Niu Youdao pointed under the peach tree, "To place it there. I feel bad that senior brothers have to sit on the ground in the open."

Chen Guishuo suddenly understood. It turned out he was preparing it for them under his own name. He immediately patted Niu Youdao's shoulder, praising him, "That's thoughtful. Alright, I'll get it for you later."

Niu Youdao gave him a bright smile and looked at the beautiful mountain scenery around them. "Senior Brother, this is truly a wonderful place. Shangqing Sect must be one of the most renowned major sects in the cultivation world, right?"

He only asked these questions when Chen Guishuo was around. He had clearly sensed that Shangqing Sect was hiding something from him.

Song Yanqing didn't visit often and was somewhat unpredictable, making him difficult to deal with. Xu Yitian was tight-lipped and refused to say anything, no matter what he was asked. Only Chen Guishuo couldn't keep his mouth shut. Niu Youdao had managed to extract quite a bit of information from him recently, though it was all trivial matters. Whenever the topic touched upon anything related to him, Niu Youdao, Chen Guishuo would immediately evade the question.

"Heh heh!" Chen Guishuo chuckled and acted coy for a moment. Then, after a brief thought, he shook his head. "Never mind, it won't hurt to tell you. Our Shangqing Sect was quite glorious in its early days. It was the foremost sect in the Yan Kingdom, and its founding ancestor was the Imperial Advisor of the Yan Kingdom..."

After a lengthy self-praise, the gist of it was that after the Wu Kingdom unified the world, it collapsed, and the world devolved into a state of warring states. The descendants of the once-dominant Shang Song, after enduring many hardships, eventually established the Yan Kingdom. The ancestor of Shangqing Sect was a great contributor and was appointed as the Imperial Advisor. That was also the most prosperous period for Shangqing Sect. At its peak, Shangqing Sect had over ten thousand disciples. However, due to various reasons, it gradually declined, and now Shangqing Sect only had a few hundred disciples.

As for Shangqing Sect's current standing in the cultivation world, Chen Guishuo directly omitted it, seemingly unwilling to say. Niu Youdao figured he knew why; it was probably embarrassing to mention.

Seeing that he didn't want to elaborate, Niu Youdao changed the subject. "Oh," he exclaimed, "Senior Brother Song usually visits every few days. I haven't seen him in a while. I miss him."

Chen Guishuo chuckled, "Senior Sister Tang is known as the most beautiful woman in Ziyun Commandery. With good news on the horizon, how could Senior Brother Song not be attentive..." He seemed to realize something and spat, dismissively waving his hand, "What's the point of telling this to a little kid like you? You wouldn't understand."

Niu Youdao blinked his eyes and feigned displeasure, "How could I not understand? Is Senior Brother Song going to marry Senior Sister Tang?"

"Oh, you're wise beyond your years!" Chen Guishuo laughed heartily, patting his shoulder. "If nothing unexpected happens, Senior Sister Tang will likely be the next Sect Master. You can wait to attend the wedding banquet."

Niu Youdao was also quite curious about Song Yanqing because he noticed that Chen Guishuo and Xu Yitian's respect for Song Yanqing wasn't like that for a senior brother; it felt more like subservience. So, he probed, "Is it because Senior Brother Song is going to be the Sect Master's husband that you fear him?"

Chen Guishuo glared at him, "You little brat, what nonsense are you talking about?"

Niu Youdao: "Did I say something wrong? Or is it because he's an Inner Sect Disciple, and you and Senior Brother Xu aren't? I was wondering, you and Senior Brother Xu don't seem any less capable than Senior Brother Song, so why can he be an Inner Sect Disciple, but you and Senior Brother Xu haven't become one yet?"

Speaking of this, Chen Guishuo seemed a bit melancholic. He crouched down and sat on the gnarled roots of the peach tree. "Junior Brother, some things don't just depend on ability; background is also very important..."

His words revealed a hint of disappointment, likely hinting at Song Yanqing's background. Song Yanqing's father, Song Shu, was a personal disciple of Elder Tang Susu. More importantly, Song Yanqing's grandfather, Song Jiuming, was a confidant of Grand Secretary Tong Mo and deeply trusted by Tong Mo. He held the position of Minister of Justice, one of the Nine Ministers of the court. After Song Shu left Shangqing Sect, he had always served as a pháp sư escort by Song Jiuming's side. In this era, it was normal for court officials to have pháp sư protection.

Of course, that Minister of Justice didn't just have Song Shu as a son, nor Song Yanqing as a grandson. He also had more than one pháp sư escort. However, having his own son as his pháp sư escort naturally garnered more trust. With the current decline of Shangqing Sect, it relied entirely on Song Shu's protection through the Song family's power. Most of its cultivation resources were also supplied through the Song family's channels. If not for the Song family shielding it, Shangqing Sect would likely have been destroyed by other cultivation sects long ago. In such circumstances, even if Song Yanqing's aptitude was poor, was obtaining the status of an Inner Sect Disciple a problem?

Niu Youdao suddenly understood. The Grand Secretary was essentially the Prime Minister of a country. Song Yanqing's grandfather was a confidant of the Prime Minister, and the Minister of Justice position held the judicial power of the entire country. No wonder.

"Alas, you wouldn't understand even if I told you," Chen Guishuo said, waving his hand with a hint of self-mockery.