Patriarch Chen, a Man with His Eyes Wide Open

Floating Cloud County, the Chen Residence.

The senior members had gathered in the Hall of Gathering Heroes.

Old Master Chen sat firmly in the seat of honor.

One look at the dispirited Chen Liang and his son told everyone, without any need to ask, that their attempt to secure a master had gone poorly.

But knowing both yourself and your enemy meant fighting a hundred battles without peril.

To understand the situation, they pressed for details.

Chen Liang and his son knew what mattered. Swallowing their lingering anger, they recounted what had happened.

One told the story, while the other filled in the gaps.

Together, they let the cultivators present at the Chen Residence learn the truth.

Once they sat back down, a hot-tempered Chen elder immediately slammed the table and sprang to his feet, his fury enough to lift his hair beneath his cap.

"Outrageous! A direct descendant of our Chen Residence went to seek a master, and our lineage head personally brought lavish gifts to their door. We gave the Truth-Seeking Abbey every respect, yet they rejected us like this! Does the Truth-Seeking Abbey think it stands a cut above our Chen lineage?"

"The Fifth Elder is right!

"That old ox-nosed Xuanming is merely at the third realm. If not for his special status and the many connections behind him, why would a direct descendant of our Chen Residence take him as a master?

"He dismissed our Chen lineage head and descendant with a single claim that they lacked affinity. He has gone too far in bullying us!

"In my view, though he is no longer witless, he has grown senile. Otherwise, how would he dare be so arrogant?"

"Calm down, both of you. There is no need to be impatient.

"Having Qingshu enter the Truth-Seeking Abbey and take Xuanming as his master, then using that to secure a slot and other opportunities, was never a particularly clever scheme. Everything hinged on lavish gifts and sincerity, and whether it would work was always uncertain. We were merely giving the jujube tree a few knocks to see whether any fruit would fall.

"Had it succeeded, everyone would naturally have been delighted.

"Failure was also within our expectations.

"Since we failed to move that old Daoist Xuanming, we should not exhaust ourselves here with complaints and angry curses. What we need now is another plan. Finding a way to make the Truth-Seeking Abbey give us a slot is our foremost concern."

"The Third Elder is right. It is hardly news to us what tempers those ox-nosed Daoists have.

"Though these people beyond the mountains do not speak as crudely and bluntly as martial men of the jianghu, their attitudes are just as direct. Most of the time, they do not beat around the bush and care only about satisfying their own hearts.

"They certainly do not observe courtesy, leave room for feelings, and preserve face as our lineages do. If we truly quibble over this, we will only take the lower road and make ourselves look narrow-minded. Securing a slot is the urgent matter. Everything else must be set aside."

"You cannot put it that way. It is our face that..."

Everyone voiced their opinions, and discussion filled the hall.

Some even began arguing.

Old Master Chen watched silently, saying nothing.

Only when the arguments broke out did he make a move.

Clink!

He set down his teacup. Though the sound of its base meeting the table was faint, everyone present fell silent and immediately sat upright.

Old Master Chen swept the hall with a gaze like lightning, then asked gravely, "Is our Chen lineage really so remarkable?"

"From now on, whenever someone fails to do as our Chen lineage wishes, are you all going to make this sort of racket?"

At those words, everyone fell as silent as cicadas in the cold.

"Since you went to seek a master, you should have been prepared for rejection. If you cannot even accept that, if you lack the courage to admit failure, then I see no need for any of you to cultivate."

"Go branch out the lineage and produce descendants instead. That will keep you from embarrassing yourselves outside, save you from wasting resources and squandering your years, and spare the lineage the trouble you might bring down upon it."

Once he finished, those who had been clamoring admitted their mistakes.

Those who had spoken ill of the Truth-Seeking Abbey felt ashamed.

Chen Liang and Chen Qingshu offered their apologies.

With a wave of his hand, he had everyone rise.

Old Master Chen sighed softly and continued:

"Though our Chen Family has endured for a hundred years and reigns supreme in Floating Cloud County, across Fengyang Commandery, we are merely a small lineage tucked away in a corner, barely a third-rate power. In the whole of Great Xuan, we are even less worthy of mention."

"Even here in Floating Cloud County, we cannot cover Heaven with one hand or make our every word absolute."

"Though those Daoists on the mountain stand apart from the secular world, they are not fools. Indeed, because they are untainted by worldly affairs, their minds are relatively pure and their instincts keen. In some matters, they see more clearly than those below the mountain. If you underestimate them, you will only lift a rock to smash your own feet."

"Taking old Daoist Xuanming as a master was always a gamble on good fortune, with failure more likely than success. I agreed to this plan not only in hopes of striking lucky, but also to use its failure to clear your heads and dispel some of the restlessness that has grown within the lineage over recent years."

"The universe is vast, with crouching tigers and hidden dragons everywhere. Beyond one mountain lies another green mountain, beyond one expert stands a greater expert, and beyond one Heaven stretches another Heaven. Never become frogs at the bottom of a well."

At his words, everyone lowered their heads.

Some pondered, while others felt guilty.

Some abruptly came to their senses, while others remained unconvinced.

As the lineage head, Chen Liang rose with guilt written across his face and declared, "Thank you for your instruction, Patriarch. We will engrave it in our hearts, remain vigilant, broaden our vision, open our hearts, and expand our thinking."

The others followed his lead, bowing and declaring their resolve.

Taking in everyone's reactions, Old Master Chen glanced at those who obeyed in public but defied him in private, silently noting them down.

Their temperaments were poor, and they refused discipline. Keeping them would waste resources and could easily breed trouble. They could not receive wholehearted support in the future, much less be entrusted with important duties. They could only serve as the lineage's cannon fodder, doing dirty and exhausting work, and sacrificing their lives for the lineage when necessary.

Having silently sorted everyone in the hall into categories, Old Master Chen betrayed nothing on his face as he spoke at an unhurried pace:

"Since the path of taking a master is blocked, we shall take another. As long as the two sides have not torn off all pretense of civility, there will still be a road to follow."

"Sincerity toward others will surely be repaid with sincerity. Of all the hundreds of schemes and thousands of stratagems in the world, winning hearts is best."

"In three days, I intend to go up Floating Cloud Mountain myself and speak frankly to the Daoists of the Truth-Seeking Abbey. First, I will bare my heart, then promise substantial benefits to demonstrate my sincerity."

"If they refuse to give us a slot, it will not be too late to follow courtesy with force and bring our strength to bear."

Everyone nodded, with no objections to the plan.

The somewhat fierce-looking Third Elder turned the matter over in his mind, then asked in delighted surprise, "Uncle, could it be that you have glimpsed that threshold?"

Only then could he hold those Daoists on the mountain in check.

Old Master Chen smiled and nodded.

His gaze toward the Third Elder brimmed with appreciation.

At least the Chen lineage still had someone who understood.

"After more than seventy years of arduous cultivation, I have finally managed not to squander my years or disappoint our forebears' hopes. I already have half a foot across that threshold. Within a year at most, I will enter the Qi Refining Realm."

The Third Elder was overjoyed. "Congratulations, Uncle!"

The others were also elated and offered their congratulations in unison.

Little wonder they were so excited. Besides the shelter afforded by a great tree, the standards for becoming an Aristocratic Clan required not only prosperity through nine generations, but also a Qi Refining Realm expert to stand guard.

Of those two conditions, the latter carried more weight.

When one person attained the Dao, even their chickens and dogs ascended to Heaven.

Once he broke through, the Chen lineage's resources, territory, influence, fortune, potential, and more would all multiply. Everyone's Dao Path might also advance greatly.

Once the lineage joined the ranks of the Aristocratic Clans, its strength would double again. Even in Fengyang Commandery, it would have a place and become a second-rate power.

Knowing all this, Old Master Chen watched the jubilant crowd and was swept up in the atmosphere, laughing heartily himself.

After everyone dispersed, he walked out of the Hall of Gathering Heroes and stood with his hands behind his back. Gazing toward Floating Cloud Mountain, wreathed in clouds and mist, he narrowed his eyes, a dark glint flickering within them, and said meaningfully:

"I hope you know which way the wind blows. Do not refuse the wine of courtesy only to drink the wine of punishment, making an old man like me reason with you at my age."

It would be best if those Daoists on the mountain knew their place.

Otherwise, they could not blame him for turning against them without mercy.

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