Use Without Depletion

"The Way is empty, yet when used it never runs full. Deep! It seems the ancestor of all things. Blunt its edges, untangle its knots, soften its glare, merge with its dust. Clear! It seems barely present. I do not know whose child it is; it appears before the Ancestor of Emperors."

The old Daoist lecturing on the scriptures spoke very softly, yet every word rang clearly in the ears of all listening in the scripture hall. When he finished the last word, his brows and eyes suddenly drooped, as if he might fall asleep at any moment, the very picture of a frail elder on the edge of his years.

Jiang Wang dared not be remiss. He followed his senior brothers in respectfully performing the ritual before rising and leaving his seat.

This old man might seem unremarkable, but he was none other than the vice dean of Maple Forest City Daoist Academy, Song Qifang. More precisely, before Dong A arrived, he had been the dean proper of the academy, having put down roots in Maple Forest City for decades. Now past eighty years of age, his cultivation had always stalled at the seventh rank, unable to open the Heaven and Earth Gate. Thus, he had long lost any ambition for advancement, burying himself instead in scriptures and classics, devoting his heart wholly to teaching and passing on knowledge. For this, he was deeply beloved.

When Dong A came, he neither contended nor fought, cooperating fully and allowing Dong A to smoothly take control of Maple Forest City Daoist Academy. In return, Dong A granted him the utmost respect.

In all of Maple Forest City, no one surpassed Song Qifang in moral standing and prestige.

Even after walking out of the scripture hall's main gate, Jiang Wang's heart could not calm, still immersed in a profound sense of awe.

What is the Way? Invisible and intangible, yet omnipresent and inexhaustible. How does one recognize it, understand it, pursue it? The more one pursues, the more one understands, the more one recognizes, the more one feels one's own ignorance, one's own insignificance.

One can only sigh, "Deep!"—so profound!

Ling He walked along reciting, as if he could not chew over the words enough. Zhao Rucheng, though never one to take lessons too seriously, was also lost in thought. Only Du Yehu yawned endlessly, as if he had just caught up on sleep.

With ten inner courtyard students selected per term, in terms of basic breathing techniques alone, Du Yehu's progress was second only to Jiang Wang, who had already manifested his Dao Vein ahead of time—one had to admit he was gifted. But those so-called great Dao classics, he simply could not sit through. On the other hand, the moment classes turned to techniques, he was instantly full of life.

The inner sect was the true academy—that saying was no lie. Back in the outer sect, there were only simple martial arts taught, with inner sect senior brothers coming by periodically for unified guidance. But after entering the inner sect, there was a scripture class every five days and a technique class every ten days. The former taught classics, the latter practiced arts, both taught by seasoned Daoists. On ordinary days, if one had cultivation doubts, they could consult the teachers at any time. Those martial arts that once required contributions to exchange for in the outer sect were now freely available to inner sect disciples without restriction.

But for inner sect disciples of the academy, they held little appeal. Not that martial arts were weak, but the entire Zhuang Kingdom's cultivation world was dominated by Daoist cultivation methods. Though Maple Forest City Daoist Academy had collected some martial arts, they served only as a transitional supplement for outer sect disciples, naturally not very strong, and far inferior to the power of Dao techniques. Thus, few would go out of their way for them.

"Senior Brother Jiang, wait!" A voice sounded from behind.

Jiang Wang turned back and recognized Fang Heling, who had been selected into the inner courtyard in the same term—he was from one of Maple Forest City's three great surnames, and Fang Pengju was his cousin.

Strictly speaking, he had no qualification to be selected for the city academy's inner courtyard, but in each term's inner courtyard selection, the three great surnames were guaranteed one spot. This was nearly an unspoken rule. Fang Pengju's selection was naturally justified, but for Fang Heling, one could only wonder what price the Fang Family had paid behind the scenes.

This was reality. Though cultivation was a path to transcendence, in this world, as long as it was a path walked by men, it would never lack tangled relationships, never be pure. Even Maple Forest City Daoist Academy was no exception.

"Something?" Jiang Wang asked flatly.

"Ah, nothing much." Fang Heling, dressed in a moon-white robe, clasped his hands in a bow, putting on a somewhat elegant air. "I just wanted to apologize for Fang Pengju's wolfish ambition. He's been expelled from the family register. Our Fang Family has no such unkind and unjust person."

"He is he, you are you. You don't need to apologize for him, and what he did has nothing to do with you."

With that, Jiang Wang turned and left. He really had no mood to put on a show with this young master.

But Fang Heling clearly felt insulted. He, a proud scion of Maple Forest City's three great surnames, had personally come to apologize to Jiang Wang, a nobody from a fallen family. Shouldn't Jiang Wang be weeping with gratitude, or at least clasp his hands and share a mutual appreciation? How could he be so cold?

"What's the hurry, Senior Brother Jiang?" Fang Heling hurried a few steps, circling in front of Jiang Wang and his group, smiling. "Forgot to tell you, I just took a Vein-Opening Pill yesterday and have already manifested my Dao Vein."

He tried to restrain himself, but the smugness was still palpable.

"And then?" Jiang Wang asked.

Fang Heling paused, then said, "In this term's inner courtyard selection, only the two of us have manifested our Dao Veins early. We should get closer."

Young as he was, despite the upbringing that kept him polite, his words and tone already showed he saw no one else. The world's heroes, only you and me.

He truly didn't resent Jiang Wang for Fang Pengju's death. If Fang Pengju hadn't died, he wouldn't have this opportunity! If not for upholding the dignity of the three great surnames and securing his spot in the inner courtyard, even if his father was the implicit next family head, it would have been hard to convince the family to spend such a price for a Vein-Opening Pill.

Otherwise, he would have had to wait until next year to enter the inner sect, or maybe not even then. After all, there were only ten spots a year, and how many eyes in all of Maple Forest City were watching? If the family had other more outstanding juniors, his father couldn't be too obvious—Fang Pengju's prior claim to that spot was proof.

"Oh."

Jiang Wang said "oh," then stepped around Fang Heling and walked on his own way.

He knew well that Fang Heling was the direct heir of the next Fang Family head, a true bloodline of the three great surnames. He also knew that, at least for now, Fang Heling meant no conflict with him. To preserve the Fang Family's reputation, the man would probably even call him brother and keep things cordial.

But why? Why did someone as outstanding as Fang Pengju struggle bitterly for a single Vein-Opening Pill, growing more extreme and reckless, only to die? And just days after his death, this Fang Heling had one? Others might not know Fang Heling's true caliber, but his brothers certainly did.

If he had even a shred of real worth, why would the Fang Family have ever let Fang Pengju take the lead!

Even if Fang Pengju was ungrateful and died overnight, did this clueless young master have the right to trample on him?

Jiang Wang had not lashed out on the spot, which was already considerable restraint.

Ling He, Du Yehu, and the others hadn't even glanced at him from start to finish.

The group walked away, leaving Fang Heling standing there, his smile slowly stiffening.

He hadn't expected to be ignored.

After swallowing the Vein-Opening Pill and manifesting his Dao Vein in a single day, entering the inner sect—still ignored!

He remembered when he first entered the outer sect, meeting these leading figures outside the academy. He had eagerly approached, wanting to greet and get to know his cousin's friends.

But his cousin hadn't even seen him, walking off arm-in-arm with them.

That disappointment he had never forgotten for a moment. So the moment he stabilized after opening his vein, he came straight to Jiang Wang and the others.

He didn't know if he wanted to prove something, but at least—you people had to look at him.

Yet nothing happened.

Everything had changed, yet it was as if nothing had changed at all.

"Jiang Wang!"

Fang Heling screamed in his heart.

He tried his best to control his expression, but his face had already turned very ugly.