King of Chen

Without hesitation, Lü Yuan, who came from the countryside, also disliked that approach, so he directly followed the True Lord's instructions and stepped forward.

She sat down beside him.

Then she turned her head to observe him more directly.

There's not much to say, really. He's still just ordinary, but it's unclear if that's his true appearance.

However, there was one unusual thing that confirmed Lü Yuan's suspicion that the person before him was not pretending.

Lü Yuan looked at his brows, where it seemed never to ease, as if an unyielding sorrow had always kept him in that state.

"Why do we do all this?" The True Lord's gaze remained fixed on the rice stalks before him, but that didn't stop him from asking Lü Yuan a question.

"I don't understand what you mean—" Lü Yuan was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected the person in front of him to ask the question first, let alone ask this particular question.

Last night, he thought that this True Lord was making him wait until morning because he was going to take him to see Liu Bang at that time.

It turns out he actually intended to have a talk with him, and hadn't Liu Bang already confirmed what he wanted to confirm?

"All of them—" the man before Lü Yuan said softly, "Liu Bang told me how you saved those people in that wasteland."

"You didn't ask for anything in return, and you knew you wouldn't get any praise or reward, but you did it anyway."

For the first time, he turned his head, his gaze calm, and looked at Lü Yuan, who was still a child.

"Why?"

"Because I want to, I want to do that." Now it was Lü Yuan who was staring at the rice stalks in front of him.

He couldn't really give any lofty reasons, nor did he feel there was anything to hide, so he simply said whatever came to mind.

But why would this True Lord ask such a question?

Is it curiosity, confusion, or a test? If it's a test, what is it testing?

"That's it?" the person next to him asked.

"That's it," Lü Yuan replied.

"I see..." The True Lord didn't react in any particular way, he just nodded slightly.

"No wonder 'Southern Dipper' likes you and bestows divine favor upon you. Besides your background, perhaps he sees a reflection of his former self in you."

Clearly, compared to the slightly respectful tone Liu Bang used when mentioning that "First Manifest Under Heaven," the person before him was much more indifferent.

And then there's that phrase, "the way she used to be"...

Lü Yuan felt that the person in front of him was either extremely skilled in cultivation or had extremely high seniority, and he personally leaned towards the latter.

Because Liu Bang had previously spoken of the True Lord of Great Marsh Mountain to him without any concern.

"Can I ask you a question?" Because he had too many questions, Lü Yuan took the initiative to speak.

"Speak." The person beside him turned around and looked back at the field.

Lü Yuan didn't stand on ceremony, his gaze fixed on the still expressionless profile of the man.

"You said he mentioned me to you, but where is he now, and when will he be back?"

"Your father is busy verifying the Immortal Method that 'Southern Dipper' gave you. As for when he will return, I don't know, but it shouldn't be too long."

He gave the answer softly, and then continued, "He entrusted me to take care of you during this time."

Lü Yuan felt that Liu Bang was worrying too much about him. "Although I am not old, I can still take care of myself."

"So... if you have other things to do, you don't need to worry about me."

Upon hearing this, the unfamiliar True Lord also turned his head, and this time, his eyes met those of Lü Yuan.

Calmness met calmness; nothing could be discerned. They were both the same.

"Yeah?"

He began, "Liu Bang told me that you only have the most basic understanding of the Dao of Immortality—other than that, you know almost nothing."

"Even your understanding of the world was recently taught to you by him."

"Therefore, he specifically asked me to, if possible, help you fix these deficiencies in the next few days."

What do you think?

"If that's the case, then I'll trouble you..."

Lü Yuan didn't feel embarrassed at all; on the contrary, he felt a sense of joy because these were things he had always lacked and wanted to know.

Unfortunately, Liu Bang always hesitated and stammered.

So that's why he brought me to Great Marsh Mountain?

Why bother someone else? Can't he teach me?

The person in front of him noticed Lü Yuan's confusion, and then, for the first time, Lü Yuan detected an emotion in his words, which seemed to be regret.

Don't blame your father.

He said, "Although he can be considered to have come from the [Three Enclosures] lineage, for some reason, he himself has not received formal esoteric education."

"Later, he was too busy, too overwhelmed, and didn't have time to make up for it."

"That's why, in order to avoid affecting your understanding of the Dao of Immortality, he asked me to give you this lesson."

"Bringing those refugees to Great Marsh Mountain was just a side trip; otherwise, dealing with their problems on the spot wouldn't have required much of his effort."

The words of this True Lord left Lü Yuan speechless. He could only sigh that Liu Bang had been too good to him, far too good.

She spoils herself even more than she perceives yin and yang.

Lü Yuan was speechless, so he could only ask, "Then, teacher, when will you begin teaching me?"

He has already started calling him "teacher".

But the person in front of me simply shook their head. "No rush, I have another question to ask you, and as for calling you 'teacher'... you can call me that after you've answered."

Was a test still necessary?

However, Lü Yuan was not apprehensive; he simply said, "I would like to hear the details."

"Do you know how to farm?" he heard the True Lord beside him ask.

It was yet another seemingly random question, but for Lü Yuan, just like the previous one, he could answer without hesitation.

"Yes—but I've never grown rice before. I've only ever grown wheat, and some fruits and vegetables, in that small village I stayed in before."

Lü Yuan was raised with the help of his neighbors, so he naturally couldn't be a freeloader. Once he reached an age where he had the strength, he began to help out at various households.

Although its effect may be negligible.

"It doesn't matter what you plant..." The True Lord reached out and gently touched the rice stalks in front of him.

"In that case, tell me, after embarking on the path of immortality—"

"Do you think farming is more difficult, or spiritual practice?"

The True Lord before him always managed to ask questions that caught Lü Yuan off guard, questions that he himself hadn't even considered.

Is farming harder, or is spiritual practice harder?

In other words, the question is essentially: is it harder to be a farmer or to be a cultivator?

Although the answer seems obvious, it is actually a very difficult question to answer.

Lü Yuan was momentarily at a loss for words.

Because he had farmed and lived in a small rural village, he naturally knew the hardships farmers faced.

But are cultivators really having it easy?

Each has its own difficulties, but from each other's perspective, it's hard to empathize with each other's struggles.

After pondering for a long time, Lü Yuan finally gave what he believed to be the correct answer.

He said, "It should be just as difficult."

"Because each suffers in its own way, and since suffering is inherently difficult, it cannot be compared. Therefore, I believe they are roughly equally difficult."

He didn't know if the answer was right or wrong; he only knew that the person in front of him nodded knowingly.

"A so-so answer..."

"But at least you didn't resort to sophistry, so I suppose that's not bad."

"Come with me—" he said, then stood up. "I know how to teach you."

However, Lü Yuan did not rush to get up, but instead asked a completely unnecessary question.

May I know your name?

"They don't ask where I'm going, what I'm doing, who I am, or where I came from—but instead they ask my name?"

This True Lord seemed to find Lü Yuan's question quite amusing.

"Reason?"

Lü Yuan said very frankly, "Because I want to thank you for your help, both before and after."

So I want to know your name, just your name...

"May I?"

The person before him fell silent for a moment, their gaze becoming complicated, because Lü Yuan was not lying.

At least he can't tell.

"A name?"

After an unknown amount of time, Lü Yuan heard him speak softly, his tone filled with a mixture of sorrow and longing.

"The Swan Heaven soars high in the sky, gazing upon the Nine Provinces; Great Marsh Mountain, old sorrows arise."

"Once, I followed the phoenix and ruled with equality; now, I'll transform into King of Chen and test my mettle for a season."

The names of the past have turned to dust, need not be mentioned; as for the present—

He said, "Call me Chen Sheng."