A Plan to Improve Comprehension

Chapter 45: A Plan to Improve Comprehension

Lei Jun turned to Shangguan Hong, who was coughing. "My words were frivolous. My apologies to Junior Sister Li and that young master of the Fang Clan.

"But on Dragon Tiger Mountain, someone directly attacked and injured another person, causing such a commotion. I couldn't help imagining the worst."

Shangguan Hong coughed dryly twice more. "Fang Mingyuan... that young master already had quite a reputation in Jingxiang. Young people are thin-skinned, and acting impulsively is unavoidable."

This little Taoist was not even twenty himself, yet he spoke like an old man as he judged Fang Mingyuan. Though his words were veiled, they were hardly flattering.

Considering the relationship between the Shangguan family, imperial relatives and newly risen military nobility, and the Jingxiang Fang Clan, an age-old distinguished family steeped in Confucianism, it would only be more delicate than their relationship with the Celestial Master Mansion.

Lei Jun thought instead of the other party involved—Martial Uncle Ziyang's daughter, Li Ying.

Judging from what happened afterward, she and Fang Mingyuan were still only at the stage of first contact.

By the terms used on Blue Star before Lei Jun transmigrated, perhaps it could be called a blind date?

Though the development had caught him by surprise, in retrospect, there had been clues.

Young Celestial Master Li Zhengxuan seemed to be trying to spread the favor evenly and keep all sides balanced.

Meanwhile, Elder Ziyang's branch had grown increasingly close over the years with both Fang Jian, who had entered the Celestial Master Mansion, and the Fang Clan itself.

If the Li Clan and Fang Clan truly formed a marriage alliance, it would not be anything world-startling.

Li Ying and Fang Mingyuan were both close to the cores of their respective families, though neither was truly at the center.

What drew the most attention inside and outside the mansion was that Young Celestial Master Li Zhengxuan's marriage had yet to be settled...

Zhang Jingzhen and Fang Jian handled matters promptly, and the disturbance at the Medicine Garden did not spread widely.

Li Ying avoided suspicion by immediately entering seclusion for quiet cultivation.

It seemed the preliminary plan for a Fang-Li marriage alliance had temporarily fallen through.

With the Celestial Master Mansion deliberately keeping things under control, the matter was handled quietly.

Meanwhile, the exchange and sparring between young disciples of the two great Taoist sacred lands also reached a conclusion.

The Celestial Master Mansion's representative was an old acquaintance.

Chen Yi.

After his fiasco in the Discipline Hall early last year, his master, Elder Yao, had confined him until this year's New Year before letting him out.

He looked steadier than he had a year ago, his sharpness concealed.

Yet it was more like a sword returned to its sheath. When needed, its nature remained unchanged; once drawn, its cold gleam shone even brighter.

It was hard to say what expectations the senior members of his sect had for Chen Yi's appearance.

Lei Jun, however, suspected he had read too many novels on Blue Star before transmigrating. Watching Chen Yi step onto the field, he instinctively guessed that he would most likely win.

In the end, Junior Brother Chen did not disappoint Senior Brother Lei's expectations, indeed securing this battle for the Celestial Master Mansion.

As he held his head high and vented the frustration and accumulation of the past year, he also made an impression on the minds of the spectators from every side.

Yuan Mobai opened his furnace to refine pills, producing thirty-six in a single batch. Chen Yi alone received two. Aside from those present, who all received a share, some were also set aside, with Fang Jian instructed afterward to deliver them to Zhang Yuan and Fang Mingyuan.

So this was the Seventh Grade Opportunity mentioned in the Middle Middle Auspicious Sign... Lei Jun nodded to himself.

The favorable side had already come true. He only wondered when the other side, where fortune and misfortune went hand in hand, would reveal itself.

As for the difference in order between the Upper Middle Auspicious Sign and the Lower Middle Auspicious Sign, Lei Jun now understood that as well.

Only by going to the Great Pill Chamber first could he discover and find that strange Medicine Mortar before its spirituality withdrew inward. If he went too late and the Medicine Mortar's spirituality had already drawn inward, even the Fire Marrow Yang Fish would be difficult to discover.

Then, if he went to the Medicine Garden afterward, the little blind-date party might already have left, allowing both sides to miss one another perfectly. Nothing would happen in the Medicine Garden.

Conversely, if he went to the Medicine Garden first and then the Great Pill Chamber, not only would he miss the mysterious Medicine Mortar, he might also happen to expose Li Ying and Fang Mingyuan's secret blind date.

Different people encountering the same event could meet with different outcomes.

Lei Jun was far stronger than Zhang Yuan, so naturally Fang Mingyuan would not be able to injure him.

But that would fulfill the Sign Fortune's warning: "Expose a hidden matter and invite suspicion, burying future trouble."

Fang Mingyuan himself might not matter, but the Fang Clan behind him was unquestionably a colossal existence.

More importantly, that path of fate held only calamity and no gain whatsoever, while also causing him to miss the Sixth Grade Opportunity from the Upper Middle Auspicious Sign—the mysterious Medicine Mortar.

Now that the Medicine Mortar was in hand, Lei Jun was in no hurry. He returned to stand quietly behind his master, Yuan Mobai.

Though there had been some hidden twists and turns, the Celestial Master Mansion's new Ordination Ceremony concluded successfully overall.

The guests who had come to observe the ceremony gradually descended the mountain afterward.

Within the Chu Family's convoy, the stunning woman changed out of the attire of a noble family's lady and into fitted hunting clothes, reclining against the carriage window.

Outside the carriage, the Chu Clan Youth stood by the window. "That Chen Yi truly was impressive. After falling behind at first, he turned defeat into victory. I initially thought he was going to lose."

The woman gave an "Mm," her gaze unfocused as her mind drifted far away.

The youth outside seemed accustomed to it. "Later, I'll give the order to add that little Taoist to the list and keep a closer eye on him."

The woman gave another "Mm," then came back to herself. "Add one more—the one named Lei Jun."

The Chu Clan Youth was surprised, but respectfully acknowledged the order. "Yes, Little Aunt."

After the guests dispersed, Lei Jun and the other Celestial Master Mansion disciples were responsible for the subsequent cleanup.

Once they finished the final tasks, Lei Jun went to visit the injured Zhang Yuan and Luo Haoran, who was temporarily confined.

Zhang Yuan's injuries had stabilized. Though he still needed to rest and recuperate, there was no serious problem.

However, upon seeing Lei Jun, Zhang Yuan looked as though he wanted to cry but had no tears.

Though Luo Haoran was confined, he was likewise fine.

Both the Celestial Master Mansion and the Fang Family wished to handle the matter quietly. Luo Haoran's temporary confinement was more intended to let the matter cool down; he would not truly be punished.

He himself was quite calm, even consoling Lei Jun in turn when Lei Jun came to visit him.

"With the Fang Clan, Senior Brother Ziyang was somewhat too hasty."

Afterward, Yuan Mobai rarely made any attempt to keep all sides balanced, commenting bluntly, "But as long as Nephew Zhengxuan can hold himself in check, there will be no great issue."

Beside him, Xu Yuanzhen set brush to paper, casually sweeping out strokes.

As usual, she did not attend any of the ceremonies. Hearing Yuan Mobai's words now, she casually said, "Li Zhengxuan? He is not in a hurry, but he wavers from side to side, greedy for more and for everything."

Yuan Mobai smiled.

Meanwhile, Lei Jun fiddled with his Medicine Mortar at the side.

After studying it for a long while, he gradually made some discoveries.

Under the good fortune of Seeking Good Fortune and Avoiding Disaster, his luck this time could truly be said to have exploded further.

This newly acquired Medicine Mortar was precisely a spiritual object that harmonized yin and yang. It contained the spirituality of water and fire, and could be called the Unfinished Vessel.

Unfinished, like Both Crossing, was also one of the hexagrams, but it was exactly the opposite.

The Both Crossing Hexagram had water above and fire below; the Unfinished Hexagram had water below and fire above.

Yet not every manifestation of Unfinished was suitable for Lei Jun.

This Unfinished Vessel happened to be suitable.

Together with his master Yuan Mobai's instruction for him to go to the Great Pill Chamber, Lei Jun almost suspected that his master had arranged it himself.

But Yuan Mobai clearly had no need to do such a thing.

Sure enough, the moment he met Lei Jun's gaze, Yuan Mobai shook his head. "This is your personal fortune. Your master does not have such great ability, nor can I claim credit for Heaven's work."

Lei Jun said, "I had gone to the Great Pill Chamber before and secretly searched it, but found nothing. This Medicine Mortar should have appeared later."

Xu Yuanzhen took the Medicine Mortar from Lei Jun and examined it. "Someone secretly refined medicine but did not wish the outside world to know. This treasure was created incidentally in the course of that refinement."

Lei Jun blinked.

Xu Yuanzhen and Yuan Mobai were both highly cultivated, and Yuan Mobai was even a renowned master of pill refinement.

For the two of them to be unable to see through this Medicine Mortar's origins at a glance, there were actually only a few people on Dragon Tiger Mountain capable of creating it...

"You are quite fortunate. With this Unfinished Vessel and the Fire Marrow Yang Fish, you can now truly see some hope of improving your comprehension."

Xu Yuanzhen did not continue the previous subject, instead saying, "As long as you can find the Water Marrow Yin Fish as well."