Hard to Tell

Zhang Xuezhou headed north, while Gongsun Hong, also from Bohai Commandery, needed to travel north back to his hometown.

The two were forcibly changed their destination and ended up in Jiangxia.

After Zhang Xuezhou regained consciousness, Zhang Xuezhou off on horseback, with Gongsun Hong following behind, and the two traveled together on the road.

"Was it Dongfang Shuo who was in charge of manipulating and improving one's fortune, or was it Ciqing who possessed such abilities?"

Standing atop Xuanhua Tower, Dong Zhongshu gazed upon the Jiangdu Imperial Palace, and also watched Zhang Xuezhou and Gongsun Hong ride away on horseback.

For most people who are not members of the royal family, magic is practically a forbidden art.

The imperial court did not shy away from the spread of such doctrines; for example, the "Tomb Classic" was widely disseminated.

Learning some temporary techniques is fine, but systematically cultivating techniques is a real hassle.

This tactic is highly likely to cause conflict with the emperor, and once it is found to be threatening, it will inevitably be targeted and suppressed.

No one could possibly announce to the outside world how high my skill level was, and from then on, I defied the heavens and rose to prominence.

Dong Zhongshu couldn't figure out Zhang Xuezhou's true strength, nor could he figure out Gongsun Hong's.

"Dongfang Shuo has been traveling back and forth for years, and he is also ill. He has never even been close to the emperor. How could he have cultivated such a magical ability?"

"Gongsun Hong entered the court as an official but was ostracized and rendered useless in the Xiong State. His grand ambitions were thwarted before they could even be realized. Even if he cultivated his magical arts, he would find it difficult to succeed!"

"The King of Jiangdu had already left Guangling City at that time, so it was impossible for him to have absorbed or transported the resources!"

"But the Crown Prince of Jiangdu is only ten years old, and his younger siblings are even younger. They couldn't possibly have the ability to cultivate their destiny, and besides, they have ordinary appearances; they couldn't possibly be a celestial being descended from heaven!"

Recalling the golden light of fortune he had witnessed during his prayers for the rising of Jiangdu, Dong Zhongshu also reflected on his investigations over the past few days, finding everything contradictory and difficult to verify.

He investigated thoroughly, taking into account everyone involved, even his own men Zhang Xuezhou and Gongsun Hong, who were also included on the list of suspects.

However, Dong Zhongshu's investigation yielded no results.

Everyone can perfectly clear themselves of suspicion.

Dong Zhongshu believed that those who absorbed the fortune of Jiangdu had already achieved their destiny. Not to mention encountering benefactors everywhere, they could at least travel freely throughout the Great Han Dynasty.

This level of popularity and fortune is almost on par with that of some feudal lords.

However, it is extremely difficult to uncover the opponent's true identity.

Dong Zhongshu wasn't necessarily looking to arrest any particular person, but rather, he was plotting to determine the fate of Jiangdu, and encountering such a hidden individual was truly a headache.

Being taken advantage of is one thing, but the key issue is that Dong Zhongshu is a little afraid that the other party has the ability to activate the Qi Battle. Once his Qi Condensation is broken, the backlash will cause Dong Zhongshu unbearable pain.

This made Dong Zhongshu feel like he was walking on thin ice.

Getting Dong Zhongshu to change locations to practice his cultivation techniques is not as simple as just moving him to a different place.

He had finally managed to get on the good side of the King of Jiangdu, and had entrusted the gifts to the King of Jiangdu to be delivered to Chang'an City. He had also agreed to Gongsun Hong's request. If Dong Zhongshu were to choose another vassal king to complete these tasks, Dong Zhongshu would not have the ability to do so in a short time.

He paced back and forth in Xuanhua Tower, then wandered around the palace area again, even going to examine the ancient willow tree where he had set up his fortune-telling spell.

After his efforts proved fruitless, Dong Zhongshu could only return home disappointed.

"Mr. Dong!"

As Dong Zhongshu approached Xuanhua Tower, he saw a scholar in a green robe leading a child of about six or seven years old on foot.

The other person's appearance was unfamiliar, but the child he was leading looked familiar to Dong Zhongshu.

Hello, both of you!

Dong Zhongshu greeted him with clasped hands.

He felt that his luck was not good. He had not yet settled down completely in Jiangdu when the Rain God came to his door to send his child to study.

At that time, Dong Zhongshu was still living under someone else's roof, and it wasn't easy for him to manage things with his family to support.

But this wasn't a matter of whether Dong Zhongshu wanted to or not; he had to carry out the deal he had agreed to with Ao Li at the Gaoyou Water Palace.

Despite the various inconveniences, Dong Zhongshu remained steadfast in his decision.

"I have no fixed abode in Jiangxia, and am currently staying at Xuanhua Tower provided by the King of Jiangdu," Dong Zhongshu said. "According to our local custom, unless I intend to seek refuge here, I can only stay for three months. After that, I will have to find another place to live. I hope you two will understand if my journey will cause any inconvenience in terms of instruction!"

"You are a person of excellent reputation in the Han Kingdom, so why do you look like a homeless wanderer?" Ao Li asked in surprise.

"Well... that's a long story!"

Dong Zhongshu looked slightly embarrassed.

Dong Zhongshu was spontaneous and unrestrained, and he didn't dwell on things much, including money.

Some people are thinking about saving money to buy houses and land, but Dong Zhongshu only buys when he has enough money and doesn't buy when he doesn't. He spends money where he needs it and never thinks about saving money.

At least for now, Dong Zhongshu is not able to buy a house in Guangling City. If his stay at Xuanhua Tower expires, he will still have to leave the building to avoid suspicion, lest he be seen as a guest minister who has sided with the King of Jiangdu.

When the King of Jiangdu returned from the sword-appreciation event in Chang'an City, it was time for Dong Zhongshu to temporarily bid farewell to the Kingdom of Jiangdu.

"I bought a private residence in Guangling today. If Mr. Dong doesn't mind the simple house, I'll give it to you," Ao Li said. "If Mr. Dong wants to stay somewhere else temporarily, you can take my son with you. My son isn't very capable, but he can find a few places to stay with some money."

"This..."

One moment Dong Zhongshu felt his luck was just average, but the next moment he felt as if his life had been turned upside down, with even houses being delivered to his doorstep.

He hasn't even started practicing his magic yet, so his luck certainly isn't that good.

If it could be said that Dong Zhongshu benefited from the good fortune of those who cultivate luck, then he hadn't encountered any skilled practitioners of luck these past few days; in fact, he would have needed to be on good terms with them to possibly benefit from their good fortune.

If Dong Zhongshu were to offer an explanation, Dong Zhongshu could only conclude that he had encountered a benefactor at that moment.

He couldn't help but ponder it for a few seconds.

The demand for a benefactor to Dong Zhongshu was extremely high, and such a benefactor could even bring continuous benefits.

Thinking of this, Dong Zhongshu's face couldn't help but become more amiable, as he felt that Ao Li might be a benefactor in his life.

"Then I thank you very much," Dong Zhongshu said, clasping his hands in thanks.

"No need to be polite, consider this my son's tuition fee," Ao Li waved his hand and said.

"Alright, then I'll accept it," Dong Zhongshu nodded.

"Then I'll leave everything to you!"

Ao Li reached out and took Ao Qing's right hand, then placed Ao Qing's right hand in Dong Zhongshu's hand, before striding away with a satisfied expression.

Although he walked like a normal person, he possessed the ability to shrink distances, disappearing from sight after weaving through the crowd several times.

"I'm entrusting everything to you?"

Dong Zhongshu was slightly doubtful.

"My father told me to follow the teacher for the next ten years," Ao Qing said. "Do you allow students to sleep while you're teaching?"

"Ten years and everything is just gone like that?" Dong Zhongshu asked doubtfully.

"Yeah, ten years isn't a long time. My dad will come to pick me up after ten years!"

Ao Qing nodded, as if he were talking about something very ordinary.

Dong Zhongshu considered Ao Li a benefactor, but this benefactorship was short-lived; after entrusting the matter to Ao Qing, he abandoned his responsibilities and ran away.

Dong Zhongshu had never met such bold and trusting parents.

What's even more troublesome is that Ao Qing is a dragon demon. Even though dragons rarely have Yao Qi when they transform, it doesn't mean that others can't tell.

Jiangdu is one thing, but once Dong Zhongshu enters Chang'an City, the chances of Ao Qing being exposed will increase dramatically.

He's not teaching students; he's acting as a babysitter.

Thinking of this, Dong Zhongshu couldn't help but feel a headache coming on, realizing it was even more troublesome than taking care of Zhang Xuezhou.

If Ao Qing reveals his demonic form and is killed, that would be a huge problem.

He felt at times that he had met a benefactor, but at other times he felt that this kind of thing would bring him high risks and endless troubles.

At this moment, he seemed to be standing on the dividing line between fortune and misfortune.