In an ordinary residence in Chaoge City.
Grand Tutor Wen and Zhao Gongming sat facing each other.
On the square table between them sat a teapot and two teacups. The tea was pale green and gave off a delicate fragrance.
Zhao Gongming refilled Wen Zhong's cup, then topped up his own. He picked up his tea and took a sip before looking at Wen Zhong. "Fellow Daoist Wen, I truly don't understand. For that King Zhou, did you really have to go begging like this?"
Wen Zhong sighed and gave a bitter smile. "I have served Yin Shang for twenty-six years. The late king trusted me greatly and entrusted his son to my care before he passed. I watched the Great King grow up, little by little. But this time, I deceived him. Seeing the look on his face then made my heart ache, so I came to you, fellow Daoist. If this puts you in a difficult position, just pretend I never came."
As he spoke, Wen Zhong slowly rose and cupped his hands toward Zhao Gongming.
Zhao Gongming reached out to stop him. "Ah... Fellow Daoist Wen, there's no need for that. At least let me finish what I was saying! I asked about Di Xin's aptitude for cultivation just now, and you said it yourself: his aptitude is extremely poor, and he couldn't make much progress. You're willing to waste such a precious Spirit Pill on him? You still have two disciples, after all!"
Wen Zhong stood there in silence.
Zhao Gongming rose as well and shook his head with a sigh. "In the past, I owed Golden Spirit Mother a favor. But she's the sect leader's direct disciple, while I'm only an ordinary member of the sect. My cultivation is nowhere near hers, so naturally she has no use for me. Today, I'll give this Spirit Pill to you, Fellow Daoist Wen, to repay the favor I owe her. As for how to use it, you can decide for yourself."
At that, a smile appeared on Wen Zhong's face. He bowed to Zhao Gongming. "Today, I owe you a favor, Fellow Daoist Zhao."
"Heh, you're still the same as ever!"
Zhao Gongming pointed at Wen Zhong a few times before smiling. "Now, Fellow Daoist Wen, are you still in such a hurry to leave? Won't you sit and chat a while longer?"
Wen Zhong sat back down as he was asked. He refilled Zhao Gongming's tea, then lifted his own cup and took a sip. "The Spiritual Tea from Mount Emei really is exceptional!"
"If you like it, Fellow Daoist Wen, I have some more here."
As he spoke, he flicked his hand, and a jade bottle and a jade jar appeared on the table.
Wen Zhong didn't stand on ceremony. He opened them both to take a look, and his smile grew even brighter. "In that case, many thanks, Fellow Daoist Zhao. By the way, is there any news about the Dragon Binding Rope?"
At the mention of it, Zhao Gongming immediately felt that even the Spiritual Tea had lost its flavor. "My three younger sisters and I have been secretly investigating around the city. Yang Jian and the two disciples of Goddess Nuwa have been busy as well, and True Person Taiyi sent his disciple, Golden Cloud Boy, to Chaoge to investigate in secret. But none of us have made any progress. Yesterday, we did find that a Yin Shang court official, Huang Feihu, had met with a White-Haired Old Man. He wanted the old man to examine Di Xin's aptitude for cultivation. My younger sister Qiong Xiao suspected he was a Daoist Sect cultivator with Magic Power, so she had him followed closely. We still have no results."
Wen Zhong nodded at that. "The Great King has already issued a royal decree seeking extraordinary and unusual talents from across the land. It's only natural that there are Daoist Sect cultivators in Chaoge..."
As the two were talking, a young Daoist nun pushed open the door and entered.
"Ah, Fellow Daoist Qiong Xiao..."
Wen Zhong hurriedly rose to greet Lady Qiongxiao.
After exchanging a few polite words with Wen Zhong, Qiong Xiao turned to Zhao Gongming. "Elder Brother, we've confirmed that Celestial Master Zhang isn't a member of the Daoist Sect. He was a con artist from the martial world, hired by Huang Feihu and the other court officials to use his words to declare that Di Xin had no aptitude for cultivation, hoping to force him to give up on it. That swindler heard Di Xin say that if he had the aptitude, he'd reward him with ten thousand gold coins. So, in front of all the court officials, he insisted that Di Xin had the aptitude to cultivate. That sent me on quite a detour. I stopped him outside the city and forced the truth out of him. That lead has gone cold, too!"
When she finished, Qiong Xiao sighed softly, her face full of worry.
She then looked at Wen Zhong. "Fellow Daoist Wen, did you come here because you discovered some clue?"
Wen Zhong looked embarrassed. He glanced at Zhao Gongming before explaining, "I've been keeping an eye on the matter too, but haven't found anything. This time, I came to see Fellow Daoist Zhao to ask him for a Spirit Pill for my Great King."
"Di Xin? A Spirit Pill for him?"
Qiong Xiao looked astonished.
Wen Zhong nodded but said no more. He then took his leave of the two.
At nightfall, Wen Zhong entered the Royal Palace and headed straight for the Ancestral Temple.
His status was special and his position exalted. He was one of the few people in the Royal Palace who could go wherever he pleased without announcing himself.
But he rarely used that privilege. He always followed the proper procedure, announcing himself when required and waiting when required.
Since he knew Di Xin would surely be in the Ancestral Temple, he avoided making too much of a commotion in the Royal Palace at night.
"Great King... Wen Zhong requests an audience!"
He called softly from outside the room.
The door soon opened, and Di Xin stepped out, holding the white silk that he had worked until it had grown rather dark.
"Grand Tutor, you've come at just the right time. There are a few things I don't understand that I'd like to ask you about. Come in!"
Seeing the shoddy cultivation manual meant to fool the Great King, then seeing Di Xin like this, Grand Tutor Wen felt his conscience ache several times over.
Once inside, Di Xin invited the Grand Tutor to sit. He set down the silk and began asking questions about the cultivation manual.
He didn't even look at it. He recited the manual from memory, smoothly and fluently. It was clear he had put in a great deal of hard work to learn it so thoroughly.
Wen Zhong felt his conscience ache even more.
Moreover, Di Xin's questions weren't just superficial ones anymore—not questions about acupoints or definitions of terms.
They were questions that could only come up after mastering the techniques to a certain degree. They showed just how much effort the Great King had put into them.
Even in such a short time, he had learned the techniques so well that it was easy to guess how much effort he'd poured into them.
Wen Zhong sighed to himself, feeling his conscience ache for the third time.
He began answering Di Xin's questions one by one. As he listened, Di Xin also casually asked several follow-up questions.
The two went back and forth, and before they knew it, more than an hour had passed.
Only after Di Xin had asked all his questions did he excitedly rise and say to Wen Zhong, "Grand Tutor, I feel I've learned so much today. You've held nothing back from me and concealed not a trace of your knowledge. I don't even know how I could repay you. If there's anything you need, just tell me. I'll do my best to meet your request."
At that, Di Xin's conscience ached for the fourth time.
But hearing Di Xin say this, Wen Zhong took him at his word. After a brief pause, he said, "I do have something to ask Your Majesty's permission for."
"Go ahead. Ask for whatever you want. I'll grant the Grand Tutor anything!"
Di Xin agreed without hesitation.
Grand Tutor Wen stared at Di Xin and said, one word at a time, "I ask that Your Majesty execute You Hun!"
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