Guidance

The Lord Shan was ethereal and otherworldly, and soon after, he vanished without a trace.

After bidding farewell to Lord Yin Shan, Kang Dabao and the Daoist Black Shoes walked back to the Chongming Sect together.

"You've obtained the Yi Wood Green Willow Heart, yet you're still so sullen, are you still thinking about Qin Sufu's appointment to the state court?" The Daoist Black Shoes asked slowly, seeing him remain silent.

"Uncle-Master is right. Not long ago, I advised Brother Qin not to associate too closely with the forces of the Immortal Dynasty." Kang Dabao shook his head and casually recounted his experience at the Fish Mountain Treasure Fair Gathering to the Daoist Black Shoes.

"What you said back then might not have been wrong. What is Tie Liuyun? The power of the Immortal Dynasty in the cultivation world of Jingnan Prefecture is not even comparable to that of Cloud Horn Prefecture. He was bullied to a pulp by several sects, big and small."

"If Qin had truly made a mistake and tried to curry favor with them back then, let alone the Foundation Establishment Pill, he might not even have been able to save his life. Don't you see that Tie Liuyun was doing well in Jingnan, but these past few years he's been constantly coming to Cloud Horn Prefecture to compete with Huo Bing for resources?"

Kuang Liuting was the key to breaking the deadlock. If the Immortal Dynasty Earl of Nan'an n't come, the eyes of those important figures from the Celestial Dynasty wouldn't have fallen on this place, and the small Cloud Horn Prefecture Court wouldn't have been worth relying on. Moreover, the local Immortal Dynasty officials in Shannan Circuit were all mediocre talents like Huo Bing, utterly incapable of being developed.

Let alone the Two Instruments Sect, they wouldn't dare touch the Niu Household Yue Household alone. They couldn't even pay the taxes for the thirteen counties. What future could they possibly have following such people?

Kuang Liuting is different; he is a true nobleman of the Immortal Dynasty, capable of attaining the Golden Core and even aspiring to the Nascent Soul. Not to mention anything further, once he achieves his Golden Core, as long as the Star-Picking Pavilion doesn't intervene, the Two Instruments Sect might not be able to suppress him.

"Qin listened to you back then and didn't board Tie Liuyun's dilapidated ship, which is why he has the opportunity to become a disciple of the Marquis of Earl of Nan'an now. He chose the right time."

Seeing that Kang Dabao's expression hadn't improved after hearing this analysis, the Daoist Black Shoes shook his head again and said, "You're now the Pingrong County and the son-in-law of the Fei Household. In the eyes of outsiders, aren't you just like Qin Sufu, having entered the state court? What's the difference?"

"Yes." Kang Dabao paused for a moment before replying, his voice still low.

"You think that even though they're both serving as lackeys of the Immortal Dynasty, and even dragging the entire Chongming Sect into this mess, they were sold for a lower price than Qin Sufu, right?" The Daoist Black Shoes said casually, pointing out Kang Dabao's inner conflict, and glanced at the latter's increasingly unpleasant expression.

The Daoist ignored Kang Dabao's expression and continued mercilessly, "You're not good-looking, your aptitude is poor, and your comprehension isn't great either, but you have one good point: you've always been able to see yourself clearly. You also know that even with this price, Kuang Liuting actually paid a high price; your Chongming Sect is far from worth that much."

"What my uncle says is true." Kang Dabao nodded, showing no anger, but a sense of helplessness and shame welled up inside him.

The truth is harsh to begin with, let alone coming from an elder.

Instead of comforting him, the Daoist Black Shoes led him to a deep cliff. As the mountain wind blew, the Daoist began to tell another story.

"Once, your master and I traveled together to the Purple Mountain Sect in Ding Prefecture to hear Foundation Establishment True Cultivator preach the Dharma. On the way, we encountered a great demon undergoing tribulation in the mountains. The sky and earth changed color, and mountain floods raged, threatening to engulf the village."

Your master told me to go and listen to the Dharma first, while I stayed at the flood-stricken area to help the victims. I really couldn't bear to give up listening to the Dharma, so I listened to your master's words. When I was halfway there, I heard the cultivators returning ahead say that the True Cultivator didn't transmit the Dharma, but only wanted to sell cultivation manuals.

Although I was penniless, I still clung to the hope of success and continued on my way. When I arrived at the Outer Dao the Purple Mountain Sect, I found it bustling with activity, with thousands of cultivators gathered there. After finally squeezing into the crowd, I listened to profound and mysterious teachings for half a month, but I still couldn't afford a cultivation manual. In the end, I truly gained nothing.

Only then did I completely give up and turn back. On the way back, I saw that the great demon was still undergoing tribulation, the mountain torrents were still raging, and your master was still rescuing people in the swamp. That road was the only way from Cloud Horn Prefecture to the Purple Mountain Sect. Countless cultivators passed by during the lectures, but I saw only your master performing magic to save people.

Comparing the two, I felt guilty and went to help. Three or five more days passed, and the floods continued, with heavy casualties and countless families weeping. Suddenly, a severely wounded and bleeding person fell into the water from the sky, and then a one-horned dragon appeared on the horizon and followed him.

This is when things got interesting. One Foundation Establishment True Cultivator after another appeared, all of whom were there to rescue the person who had fallen into the water. However, they couldn't find him within half a day, so the Two Instruments Sect actually sent a Golden Core cultivator to appear.

Within an hour, the man who had fallen into the water was rescued, the dragon that had tried to kill him was captured, the great demon undergoing tribulation was easily killed by the Golden Core cultivator, and the flood was quelled. With that, the disaster victims were also easier to rescue. Your master and I spent half a month settling them all in."

Seeing Kang Dabao's thoughtful expression, the Daoist Black Shoes spoke again, "People are valued in the eyes of others. Those tens of thousands of mortals who suffered misfortune are not worth mentioning in the eyes of Qi Refinement cultivators, but that important figure who fell into the water even had Golden Core cultivator from the Two Instruments Sect travel thousands of miles to save his life."

Fortunately, people Huiyi be worthless. Qin Sufu, who is now highly regarded by the Lord Shan and favored by the Earl, was just an orphaned child that your master casually picked up from that flood back then.

"If it weren't for Lord Shan also coming to quell the flood and recognizing Qin Sufu's exceptional talent upon first sight, taking him from your master, he would have been the senior disciple of your generation at the Chongming Sect. If that had been the case, you probably wouldn't have become the sect leader."

The Daoist Black Shoes then joked, "That's good. Your lazy nature was something my elder brother mentioned to me years ago, and he was most worried about it. I suppose if it weren't for you being made the sect leader, you would probably have found cultivation too tedious and gone off to find a mortal's estate to start your own lineage."

Kang Dabao suddenly realized why Qin Sufu was so respectful to his master and so kind to Chongmingzong; it was because he loved Chongming Sect so much that he loved everything about him.

"Your master was willing to give up his cultivation fortuitous opportunity to save people with all his might. He was so sincere, yet he still couldn't save so many. As for that Golden Core cultivator who killed the demon, it was just a side effect of saving people. He wasn't after the suffering people all over the mountains and fields, but only the flesh Essence Blood of that great demon. He didn't have any benevolent intentions, yet he almost saved everyone."

The Daoist Black Shoes paused at this point, then turned to look directly at Kang Dabao and said in a deep voice, "We cultivators have always struggled against fate. The more we gain, the fewer things we want to do but cannot accomplish. My brother died young, leaving you to take over the family business at a young age. These years have been very difficult for you."

Therefore, you also learn the ways of a mediocre person. Being too thoughtful and cautious is not necessarily a bad thing in many cases, but if you really want to seek the great way, you need to replenish your sharpness.

In addition, remember never to be jealous of others; everyone has their own destiny. The road ahead is long and arduous, and as the saying goes, "A loss may be a blessing in disguise." Until the very end, it's hard for anyone to truly understand right and wrong, fortune and misfortune.

All I know is that on the path of spiritual practice, some people walk faster but may not go further; while others start slower but may still go a long way.

It's not wrong for you to be cautious, but you must also remember not to be afraid of competition, not to be afraid of taking risks, not to be afraid of difficulties, and not to lose your heart in seeking the truth. You must dare to take a knife and cut through the thorns on your path to cultivate your own way, and then do what you want to do.

After saying this, the Daoist Black Shoes stopped looking at Kang Dabao and instead stood on the edge of the cliff, gazing into the distance.

The sun was shining brightly, but a light rain began to fall, shrouding the mountains in mist. The verdant trees, wet with rain, shone brightly in the sunlight. The mountain breeze carried the scent of sunshine and rain, seemingly softening the weariness of a rough man and revealing a more cheerful and carefree demeanor.

The Daoist Black Shoes didn't say much. He left Kang Dabao behind and went straight back to the Chongming Sect, leaving the latter alone to stand there and ponder.

Thank you to the two gentlemen, White-Clad Statue and Book Friend 20210102214212488, for the Extended Net Moon.

Thank you to Alpaca Start, Gentle Breeze and Drizzle, and Book Friend 130217162147324 for the Extended Net Moon.

Thanks to book friends 20181026134329403, 20220826113903822, book friends 20181002232137336, and several brothers from Kouqin for their monthly votes.

Thank you for reading, subscribing, voting, and commenting.

Thank you everyone!