After reprimanding Tieniu, Zhang Teng soon found Lin Bei.
"Master, your disciple has something to report."
"What is it?"
With a smile on his face, Lin Bei looked at Zhang Teng, finding his disciple quite pleasing to the eye as he made his report.
"Tieniu said he encountered someone from the Martial Arts Headquarters when he went to Qingyun Town."
Zhang Teng said quickly, "She called herself Mu Qingyue. She asked Tieniu to pass along a message: the Martial Arts Headquarters will send someone to visit in seven days."
At this point, Zhang Teng spoke with some displeasure.
"Master, I believe the Martial Arts Headquarters must have mistaken us for a new school, so they want to recruit us. But we at the Martial Arts Grounds are immortal cultivators. Why should we join a martial hall faction?"
"When they arrive, we should just handle them perfunctorily. We shouldn't let the Martial Arts Headquarters disturb our secluded cultivation."
Seeing Zhang Teng's utterly serious expression, Lin Bei thought for a moment, then sighed.
"Teng, conceit is what cultivators of the Dao must guard against most."
Lin Bei began lecturing him with a stern manner that belied his uncertainty.
"Your words show considerable disdain for martial arts. Such a mindset is unacceptable!"
"Martial arts are also part of the Dao. We immortal cultivators are cultivators of the Dao as well. Remember: listening to all sides brings clarity."
At this point, Lin Bei changed tack.
"I know you believe immortal cultivators stand aloof from the mortal world, but immortal cultivation also calls for entering the world to cultivate."
"If that weren't so, how could you have ever seen my Martial Arts Grounds?"
"Since we have already entered the world, we should follow its natural course. Only through firsthand experience can we cultivate."
Understanding dawned on Zhang Teng's face.
"Entering the world is also cultivation."
Zhang Teng murmured to himself, "Master, I understand. The problem lay in my own disposition."
Seeing that Zhang Teng recognized his mistake, Lin Bei nodded in satisfaction.
"The establishment of the Martial Arts Grounds would have been impossible without the villagers' generous support. Refusing the Azure Cloud Headquarters' recruitment is no great matter, but have you considered whether joining a martial hall faction would benefit the village's development? Whether it could let them live better lives too?"
Zhang Teng froze.
Lin Bei continued.
"Immortal cultivators pay heed to cause and effect. The villagers have shown our Martial Arts Grounds kindness. Since joining the Central Hall's faction offers every benefit and no harm, why cling to an empty reputation?"
Zhang Teng suddenly understood.
"You are absolutely right, Master. Our Martial Arts Grounds have only just entered the world, and most of our disciples come from the village. We should naturally consider the villagers' livelihoods."
Lin Bei nodded in satisfaction.
"Teng, you should also understand that no one has yet knocked upon the gate of immortality since the Martial Arts Grounds were established. So the villagers, including many of our disciples, have no concept of immortal cultivators. That is why the Central Hall's recruitment makes them happy...
"Teng, I hope you will cultivate diligently and set an example for your junior brothers. Show them what an immortal cultivator is. Only then will they truly recognize the difference between the Martial Arts Grounds and a martial hall."
Lin Bei added another word of advice.
"Your disciple obeys." A sense of mission welled up within Zhang Teng.
Time slowly passed.
Lin Bei began body refining inside his room.
Three days later.
Lin Bei slowly opened his eyes. He had completed his second round of body refining.
This time, Lin Bei could clearly feel that his tempered body had become twice as strong!
What did that mean?
With just one more round of body tempering, his physical strength would rival that of Zhang Teng, who possessed indestructible vajra!
Aside from his physical strength.
Lin Bei also vaguely sensed that his resonance with the Heaven-and-Earth Spiritual Power seemed to have advanced another step.
"As expected, after body refining comes Dao-method wielding. My line of thinking is sound."
Although his line of thinking was sound, he still had no idea how to control this Heaven-and-Earth Spiritual Power.
But Lin Bei was not worried in the slightest.
As long as he grasped the general direction, he could leave the rest to his disciple with heaven-defying comprehension.
Just as Lin Bei was concentrating fully on body refining.
An urgent voice rang out.
"Master... are you there?"
"Tieniu?"
Lin Bei recognized the voice outside the door.
"Come in and speak."
Tieniu pushed open the door and entered.
"Master, I am deeply ashamed to disturb your cultivation," Tieniu said hurriedly. "But something has happened, and we need you to decide what to do."
"What is it?"
Lin Bei could sense that Tieniu seemed somewhat uneasy.
"Here's what happened. While we were practicing martial arts, we heard a noise outside the Martial Arts Grounds."
As he spoke, Tieniu took out a letter and handed it to Lin Bei.
"When we went to investigate, we found this..."
Without wasting words, Lin Bei opened the envelope.
When he saw the contents of the letter, he was inwardly shocked.
The message was simple. It read as follows.
"The matter concerning Zhang Teng has been exposed. Despite his injuries, Hall Master Cheng has already set out for Nanyang Commandery to report it.-A martial artist of the Six Harmonies Martial Hall."
"Who else knows what this letter says besides you?" Although Lin Bei appeared composed, a flicker of unease passed through his heart.
"No one else," Tieniu said.
"What about Zhang Teng?"
"The letter concerns him, so I didn't tell him," Tieniu replied guilelessly.
Lin Bei nodded. "That was thoughtful of you."
"Go bring Zhang Teng here."
"Yes!"
Soon.
Zhang Teng came before Lin Bei, looking puzzled.
"Master, you wanted to see me?"
After speaking, he sensed that something seemed off about the atmosphere.
Although Lin Bei's expression was calm, Zhang Teng had the strange feeling that he had been seen through.
"How is your cultivation progressing?" Lin Bei asked.
"The Breath-Absorbing Art is extraordinarily profound. After three days of contemplation, I've made great progress. I should not be far from perfection."
Zhang Teng answered truthfully.
Lin Bei nodded, then casually tossed the letter in his hand to Zhang Teng.
At first, Zhang Teng was puzzled. Then he opened the letter.
When he read its contents, his expression changed drastically. He could barely remain standing and swayed slightly.
"Senior Brother Zhang, are you all right?"
Tieniu steadied Zhang Teng and asked with concern written all over his face.
"I'm fine." Zhang Teng took a deep breath, then shook his head at Tieniu before turning to Lin Bei with a heart weighed down by worries.
"Master, your disciple has caused you concern."
Lin Bei said calmly, "Tell me. What happened?"
Zhang Teng fell silent for a while, seemingly lost in his memories.
"The Nanyang Zhou Clan was a martial artist lineage. Later, because they were powerful and controlled many territories, most of them in Nanyang, the Nanyang Zhou Clan proclaimed princely rule. The Zhou clan head thus became the Nanyang Commandery Prince."
Lin Bei listened quietly.
"Once, the Nanyang Commandery Prince held a banquet, and our Zhang Clan was invited. During the banquet, someone drugged my wine."
As Zhang Teng reached this point, he clenched his fists.
"When I woke up, I was lying in the same bed as the Nanyang Commandery Prince's cherished daughter."
"Because the gap between the Zhang Clan and the Nanyang Zhou Clan was too great, my lineage held me accountable, destroyed my dantian, and expelled me from the Zhang household."
Zhang Teng spoke bitterly.
"I originally thought that would be the end of it, and that the Zhang household had given the Nanyang Commandery Prince a satisfactory explanation."
"Who could have imagined that shortly after I left my lineage, I would hear that the Nanyang Commandery Prince still refused to let me go? Left with no choice, I could only flee Nanyang."
Zhang Teng lowered his head. "Later, I came to the Martial Arts Grounds."
Finally, he seemed to make up his mind.
"Master, I should leave the Martial Arts Grounds... I can't bring trouble upon them."
Before you continue