The sun had not yet climbed halfway across the sky, but the day was bright and clear. In the study, Wei Yuan and Zhang Sheng had already spent an hour going over their lessons. The low table in front of Wei Yuan had long since been replaced with a proper desk, and the two walls' bookshelves, once empty, were now filled with neatly bound books. The two masters and disciples had written every book on those shelves themselves: one shelf belonged to Zhang Sheng, the other to Wei Yuan.
When Zhang Sheng had been rescued, all he had left was the clothes on his back, and the Wei Residence barely had any books at all—just a few almanacs and account books. So Zhang Sheng had written all the books they used for Wei Yuan's early lessons himself. Most of the books on Wei Yuan's shelf were copies of Zhang Sheng's works, made both to memorize the classics and to practice calligraphy. But a few were truly his own thoughts and ideas. Those books, however, were not on his shelf. They lay in front of Zhang Sheng.
Zhang Sheng was rereading the essays Wei Yuan had written. The room was silent, with only the sunlight falling inside, seeming to stir a faint, almost imperceptible hum.
Wei Yuan's essays were naturally still immature, but it was already clear that their author had ideas of his own and refused to follow convention. More remarkable still, he could make his arguments hold together. Yet the essays were beginning to show an edge, and it was hard to say whether that was good or bad.
While Zhang Sheng read, Wei Yuan sat motionless, as still and composed as a statue.
After a while, Zhang Sheng came back to himself and looked carefully once more at the disciple who had been by his side morning and night for three years. "I've taught you all three thousand affairs of the human world. As for the affairs of the immortals, you'll naturally learn them once you enter a sect and begin cultivating. For the past three years, we've studied five hours every day, without fail, rain or shine. I've already given you the essential core of everything I've learned in my life. All that remains is to polish the finer details."
Zhang Sheng paused, then said solemnly, "But there's one thing you must remember. In the affairs of the human world, it's hard to judge right and wrong. The path of choosing what to keep and what to give up lies within your own heart. I've only taught you how to look at every angle, how to weigh the gains and losses. The final decision must always be yours. I can't teach you that, and neither can the sages."
Wei Yuan nodded.
Zhang Sheng looked at him, then suddenly smiled. "Stand up and let your master have a look at you!"
Wei Yuan rose at once, standing straight as a pine.
Wei Yuan had just turned six, yet he was already taller than most children from farming families who were ten or more. His features had matured a little, much of his childishness fading, and a hint of youthful spirit emerging. He had always been quiet and reserved, though whenever he discussed current affairs and principles with Zhang Sheng, he could talk endlessly.
Zhang Sheng looked him up and down several times, then sighed. "When I first met you, you didn't even reach my waist. Now you're already taller than my shoulder. Time really does fly."
Wei Yuan suddenly bowed deeply. "Teacher, I will remember your kindness forever!"
Zhang Sheng chuckled and reached out to pat Wei Yuan's head. Wei Yuan was naturally reserved and quiet; it was rare for him to speak so plainly. But that was precisely what showed the words came from deep within him—he had to say them, or they would remain unexpressed.
By now, however, Wei Yuan was quite tall, and patting his head was no longer very convenient.
Zhang Sheng sighed. "You're cold on the outside but warm on the inside, blessed with a fine appearance and a mind of your own. There's nothing else I fear for you, except that one day you'll suffer for that thing called love. Ah, why am I telling you this? If I hadn't stopped to think, I'd almost have forgotten you're only six."
"That was the final lesson. These three years as master and disciple have come to a satisfying end. The Immortal Sect Unified Examination is next month, and it comes only once every five years. You mustn't miss it. I'll go with you to the commandery seat to take the exam. For the next couple of days, I need to sort through the writings and insights I've gathered over the past three years. You can go play and enjoy yourself."
Wei Yuan finally said, "...I'll help you sort them."
Zhang Sheng smiled. "All right."
Outside the window, Wei Youcai let out a long breath. Bent at the waist, he quietly left with the bald man and the steward.
Once they had gone a little farther, Wei Youcai slapped his thigh and exhaled. "At last, we don't have to squat under the wall anymore! Three years! My legs have turned to iron rods from squatting all this time. You two have been squatting here for three years too. Did you learn anything?"
Old Six rubbed his bald head. "After listening to all those human affairs, I finally understand that what I used to think was right. What justice is there in this world? It all comes down to one word: fight! Win, and you're an emperor or a minister. Lose, and you're a bandit or a pile of bones. It's that simple!"
Wei Youcai sighed, then turned to the steward. "And you?"
The steward replied with a knowing air, "I've gained new insight into the Immortal Art of War I learned as a child. Troops have no fixed formation, just as water has no constant shape! If those refugees ever show up again, why would we need to defend the residence? Brother Six and I could take a dozen men and shadow the refugee masses. We'd raise smoke by day, set fires by night, and shoot arrows whenever we felt like it. If they dared chase us, we'd draw them out and cut them down. No matter how many thousands there were, they'd be exhausted within days and scatter on their own."
The bald man snorted, unconvinced. "You really learned the Immortal Art of War? How come you can't even recognize a few more characters?"
The steward flushed red and protested, "My teacher taught me orally! He said the teachings shouldn't reach the ears of a third person: they went out of his mouth and into my ears. I didn't need to know how to read!"
The bald man sneered. "Your bargain-basement teacher probably couldn't read either."
After bickering for a while, the two finally remembered that Wei Youcai had been silent beside them for some time. When they looked over, they saw him gazing up at the sky, lost in thought.
The steward and the bald man exchanged a glance. "Big Brother, is something on your mind?"
Wei Youcai didn't lower his head. He only blinked hard and said, "It's nothing. I was just thinking that once Yuan'er enters the Immortal Sect, who knows when we'll see him again."
The steward and the bald man looked at each other. Neither could smile anymore.
The steward tried to comfort him. "I hear that cultivation greatly increases one's lifespan. They say a day in heaven is like—"
The steward was quick with his tongue. By the time he realized what was wrong, he had already said half of it.
"It's all right. I'm just a little tired and want to go lie down. You two go about your business." Wei Youcai waved them off and returned to his bedroom.
Three days later, at first light, Zhang Sheng and Wei Yuan set out for the commandery city. Besides their mounts, they had two pack mules carrying their luggage.
Wei Youcai accompanied them for thirty li before finally turning back. He had silently walked alongside them the whole way, hardly saying a word. When it was time to part, he merely waved, then turned and left.
By afternoon, Wei Yuan and Zhang Sheng had finally left the rugged mountain paths behind and reached the road leading to the commandery city.
The so-called main road was really just a packed-earth track, wide enough for two mule carts side by side. Its surface was pitted, with four deep wheel ruts running down the middle—a clear sign it had gone unrepaired for years. Still, it was the best road Wei Yuan had ever seen. The mountain paths in Ye County were too steep and rough for carts; people could only ride mules, while wealthy households might own a donkey or two.
The mules were small and slow, no faster than an ordinary person walking. Their advantage was their stamina: they could carry heavy loads and eat coarse fodder, so they were common in mountainous areas.
Zhang Sheng wanted Wei Yuan to see more of the world beyond the mountains, so they traveled at an unhurried pace.
Gazing down the road ahead, Zhang Sheng suddenly grew wistful. "Twenty years ago, I went to take the Immortal Sect Unified Examination just as you are now. Your grandmaster took one look at me among more than twenty people and chose me. I didn't disappoint him. I outshone all the others, becoming not only the best in this commandery but unmatched across all of Yun Province. Later, once I had made progress in cultivation, I entered the world to gain experience. I thought I could accomplish great things, just like the seniors before me, but I suffered setback after setback. After all these years, I've achieved nothing."
At this, Zhang Sheng glanced at Wei Yuan and smiled. "But now I have you, so these years haven't been wasted after all. Since you're my disciple, the Immortal Sect Unified Examination will be a piece of cake. If you don't leave the second-place candidate a hundred and eight thousand li behind, it'll tarnish my reputation as Zhang Sheng. For now, let me tell you about the lineage of our tradition. It's a little irregular, but no great matter."
After a pause, an air of pride surged around Zhang Sheng. "Your master hails from Azure Hall of Taichu Palace. After you pass the examination, that will be where you cultivate too."
Though Wei Yuan was usually composed, he was startled. "Taichu Palace? One of the Four Great Immortal Sects?"
"The foremost of the Four Great Immortal Sects: Taichu Palace," Zhang Sheng corrected him.
Wei Yuan regarded Zhang Sheng with some suspicion. "You told me that in our remote little commandery, apart from the local Crimson Tide Sect, only one or two third-tier sects come to recruit disciples in an ordinary year. Taichu Palace stands high above the world. Why would it come here?"
Zhang Sheng had already explained the basic rules of the Immortal Sect Unified Examination. The countless sects that took part in recruiting disciples were divided into four tiers. Fourth-tier sects could recruit only within their own commandery, as the Crimson Tide Sect did. Third-tier sects were called Blessed Lands and could recruit across an entire province; they occasionally recruited in other provinces too, but were subject to strict quotas. Second-tier sects were called Grotto Heavens and could recruit within their own kingdom.
At the top were the Four Great Immortal Sects, which could recruit throughout the Great Tang. But the Four Great Immortal Sects stood high above the world, and each had very few places to offer. In the past fifty years, they had come to Fengyuan Commandery only three times, offering a total of five places.
That was why Wei Yuan had asked.
But Zhang Sheng smiled and said calmly, "Don't worry. I can't say whether the other sects will come, but Taichu Palace certainly will. Still, there's no need to get hung up on that. You've already received my true teachings. Someone else would have to possess outstanding talent and work incredibly hard just to reach seventy percent of your level."
After studying hard with Zhang Sheng for three years, Wei Yuan had learned one thing: never blindly believe anyone, Zhang Sheng included.
Still doubtful, he pressed on. "But I still don't understand. Why would Taichu Palace give our commandery a place?"
At last, Zhang Sheng got the question he had been waiting for. He answered casually, "Your grandmaster is True Person Fen Hai, one of the three True Persons of Azure Hall at Taichu Palace. Your grandmaster's grandmaster is True Monarch Xuan Yue, who was the hall master of Azure Hall two hundred years ago. The various grandmasters value the passing down of the tradition above all else. Once you enter Azure Hall, you'll naturally receive plenty of benefits. But that old man cares about face, so you must show everything you've learned at this examination and sweep away every other candidate. Otherwise, you'll bring shame upon him."
Wei Yuan listened, half believing and half doubting. His teacher really came from such an important lineage? And from Zhang Sheng's meaning, Taichu Palace had made an exception and offered a place because he had taken a disciple in Fengyuan Commandery.
Wei Yuan didn't know exactly how things worked inside Taichu Palace, but it seemed to him that Zhang Sheng, as the disciple of a hall master's disciple, probably couldn't pull off something this big.
He also wondered how many disciples and grand-disciples True Monarch Xuan Yue had. The histories said that before Northern Qi, there had been a prince who loved recruiting talented people and took all sorts of shady characters into his household. In the end, he had three thousand retainers. Cultivators lived long lives. If True Monarch Xuan Yue also liked filling the world with disciples, he might have more than three thousand descendants in his lineage.
Zhang Sheng had no idea Wei Yuan was secretly making fun of him in his head. He was gazing into the distance, his thoughts already flying toward the commandery seat. Just as he was feeling carefree and exhilarated, a sudden burst of rapid hoofbeats sounded behind them. Several riders came galloping up from the rear.
The riders sat astride enormous, dark green warhorses, each a zhang tall. Their iron hooves thundered against the ground, and their momentum was overwhelming. They seemed to be in a hurry and were riding at full speed. Like the wind, they swept past Zhang Sheng and Wei Yuan. The horses' hooves, as wide as drumheads, struck the road and kicked up great sprays of gravel and dust, which came pouring down over Zhang Sheng and Wei Yuan!
The road was narrow, and Zhang Sheng couldn't dodge. His Dao Power had also been sealed, so he took the full blast. All that immortal grace and carefree composure he had worn was buried beneath a blanket of dirt.
Looking at Zhang Sheng's dust-covered face, Wei Yuan suddenly felt that even if Taichu Palace really had offered Fengyuan Commandery a place this time, it probably had nothing to do with Zhang Sheng.
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