Comprehension

The same sentence can have drastically different effects depending on who says it.

At least in Shu County, Zhang Xuezhou felt a chill run down his spine.

He was already in a terrible state; if the Venerable One were to get involved, Zhang Xuezhou felt he was doomed.

He recounted in a low voice the information he had obtained from Dong Zhongshu, which surprised Kong Ning.

"I didn't realize you were so quick to get things done," Kong Ning said.

"Absolutely!"

Zhang Xuezhou patted his chest and agreed.

He was also fortunate to have met Dong Zhongshu. Based on the Emperor's words, "If you can't do the job, then don't do it," Zhang Xuezhou felt that this was the prelude to losing his head.

The only people who don't need to be celebrated are the dead.

Zhang Xuezhou was unaware of the consequences of the Great Wilderness Creation Scripture him, and he did not want to experience those consequences.

"Are these reports accurate?" Kong Ning asked.

"That Dong Zhongshu was a close advisor to Emperor Jing; he personally met with His Emperor Jing," Zhang Xuezhou said. "If even his information can't be trusted, what can be trusted?"

"That's true," Kong Ning nodded.

"Besides," Zhang Xuezhou said, "What good would it do him to lie to me? He doesn't even know I'm a spy!"

"That's right!"

Kong Ning nodded repeatedly, her face showing visible joy, her expression far better than when she first met Zhang Xuezhou.

Kong Ning was familiar with Dong Zhongshu; she had met Dong Zhongshu during her trip to Lingnan.

The other party was by the Crown Prince's side, and was indeed very close to the royal family.

Information gleaned from such a person is highly reliable.

Regardless of whether the information was good or bad for the Venerable One, Kong Ning was happy that she had completed her mission.

She originally thought this task would accompany her for a long time and bind her for a long time, but Kong Ning did not expect the task to be completed so quickly.

Even though His Majesty believed that the current information needed further investigation, Kong Ning saw a glimmer of hope.

As long as Zhang Xuezhou stays close to Dong Zhongshu, the chances of him completing his mission are high, and she will be free from her task of acting as a messenger to deliver information.

"When you return to the Sacred Land, please pass on a message to my godfather: I have entered the True Spirit Realm. Could you please give me the Spirit-Forging Pill first, and could you also bring some Grain Avoidance Pills with you? I've been in high demand for Grain Avoidance Pills lately!"

Seeing Kong Ning turn and leave, Zhang Xuezhou quickly added his own requirements.

"If the Sacred Land 'Grain Avoidance pills are insufficient, give me money... cough, flying fast is the worst thing ever!"

Having obtained the information he needed, Kong Ning ran off at breakneck speed.

A gentle breeze blew, and Kong Ning, who was standing at the door, had vanished without a trace.

Zhang Xuezhou was extremely disgruntled, feeling that this kind of female demon was too difficult to get along with.

His current situation is rather dire; he has neither money nor medicine. If it weren't for his thick skin, Zhang Xuezhou wouldn't even have a place to stay.

Holding the wooden box containing two successfully refined Grain Avoidance pills, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but think about his precarious life.

"After living all these years, the problem that bothers me is still hunger!"

Survival had returned to square one, and Zhang Xuezhou had no choice but to accept reality.

Kong Ning ran a bit fast, but with Kong Ning acting as a messenger to report to the Emperor, Zhang Xuezhou felt that the sword hanging over his head had been temporarily lowered.

Unless there are special needs, his current espionage mission is considered to be in a semi-completed state.

This allowed Zhang Xuezhou to make arrangements for his survival with relative peace of mind.

His survival strategy was actually quite simple: as long as he ingested a sufficient amount and quality of Grain Avoidance powder, Zhang Xuezhou could definitely survive for seven days.

With the necessary Law Artifact tools and the optimal formula for the Yin-Yang School's Grain Avoidance Powder, Zhang Xuezhou found refining low-end pills relatively easy.

The only thing troubling him right now is the medicinal material he needs.

Or it can be summarized simply using another word.

money.

When the prefectural governor's support reached its maximum limit, Zhang Xuezhou could not push his luck any further and would have to purchase the goods himself from then on.

As a cultivator, Zhang Xuezhou initially thought he could make a lot of money, but he realized he was wrong.

Many of a cultivator's abilities originate from techniques, but most cultivators' techniques can only be used for combat, and Zhang Xuezhou is no exception.

If they don't act as henchmen, most cultivators' skills are unlikely to generate direct economic benefits.

But Zhang Xuezhou wasn't a qualified thug. No one could take on a guy like him who was always out of commission for days at a time, and Zhang Xuezhou hadn't heard of any high-paying job openings for thugs.

If he wanted to find other ways to make money, Zhang Xuezhou was currently at a loss.

He had no choice but to put away the Grain Avoidance powder and wait until dawn to wander around and see if there was any good way to make money easily.

In short, with the two portions of Grain Avoidance powder in his pocket, his heart was temporarily at ease, while Wang Er was still arranging the purchase of medicinal herbs, there were still seven portions of medicinal herbs that had not been used.

Zhang Xuezhou was in a tight schedule, but not so tight that he needed to earn a certain amount of money immediately the next day.

"Heaven and earth possess a vast and righteous energy, which manifests in various forms, becoming rivers and mountains below, and the sun and stars above..."

He temporarily put aside his most pressing matters, and with his energy still high, he found it difficult to fall asleep. After completing a Grain Avoidance practice that had exhausted his Law Power, Zhang Xuezhou could only recite the Vast Righteous Qi Instruction.

The practice of the Vast Righteous Qi Instruction only requires recitation and does not require the consumption of Law Power.

Zhang Xuezhou recited the Vast Righteous Qi Instruction" not many times.

According to Dong Zhongshu, the first recitation of the Vast Righteous Qi Instruction" had a profound impact, allowing one to initially experience the influence of righteous qi.

Zhang Xuezhou did feel an indescribable influence when he first recited the Vast Righteous Qi Instruction," but when asked to pinpoint where he had changed, Zhang Xuezhou found it difficult to identify.

The subsequent influence of the Vast Righteous Qi Instruction lies in its comprehension.

The word "comprehension" is rather abstract.

Zhang Xuezhou never considered himself a genius with exceptional comprehension, but this time, while reciting the Vast Righteous Qi Art," that subtle feeling resurfaced within his body.

This feeling was even stronger than when he first recited the Vast Righteous Qi Instruction".

"I grasped it so quickly?"

After reciting the Vast Righteous Qi Instruction" once, Zhang Xuezhou felt a warm sensation all over his body.

He quickly moved on to the second reading.

The more forcefully Zhang Xuezhou emphasized his voice and intonation, the stronger his subtle feelings became.

"The Vast Righteous Qi Instruction gathers the righteous energy of heaven and earth, but how can this righteous energy be gathered in the middle of the night...?"

Zhang Xuezhou refined elixirs quietly, but the ghostly cries at night were indeed disturbing.

At least Dong Zhongshu was woken up.

Hearing the noise, he thought it was just a disturbance, but when he opened the window and used the light from the lanterns hanging in the prefect's mansion, Dong Zhongshu saw a blue aura rising from Zhang Xuezhou in the darkness, and he couldn't help but fall silent.

"How did he develop righteous energy so quickly?"

"Righteousness" is a Confucian School term; when used in other ways, it is referred to as pure yang energy or pure yin energy, or primordial energy.

This kind of aura is easily triggered by those with a pure Yang or pure Yin constitution.

A body of pure Yang or pure Yin is something that only those who have never been married possess, and it is quite rare for someone of Zhang Xuezhou's age to still be unmarried.

But Dong Zhongshu truly doubted was Zhang Xuezhou's inner thoughts.

Only with an open and honest mind can one attract the supreme and powerful energy that fills the universe into the body. This energy will enhance the body's ability to defend, resist, and regenerate.

"Is his pure yang body the foundation, possessing rare cultivation talent that triggered righteous energy, or does he possess the fine virtues described by Confucian School sages, thus allowing righteous energy to descend upon him, or perhaps both?"

Those who cultivate righteousness are not many. Most Confucian scholars diligently study the Four Books and Five Classics. Only by truly understanding the principles of things can they cultivate righteousness in their hearts and resonate with the righteousness in the world.

It wasn't that Dong Zhongshu looked down on Zhang Xuezhou's character, but rather that it's indeed difficult to cultivate righteousness without systematic education and guidance.

He also planned to bind Zhang Xuezhou to his side and gradually make Zhang Xuezhou study the Four Books and Five Classics until he was transformed into an outer disciple of Confucian School.

But Zhang Xuezhou made a fuss in the middle of the night and got the job done.