Chapter 709
Xiao Qing seemed to sense something and quickly explained, "I... I've never been outside the Jiu Shan Realm, so I'm a bit curious."
Seeing her anxious expression and sincere eyes, Shi Nandang realized he might have misjudged her. He reined in his anger and asked, "You've never been outside the Jiu Shan Realm?"
"No," Xiao Qing stood at the bow of the boat, gazing around. "This is my first time seeing the sky of the Xuan Wei Realm."
"Weren't there tasks that allowed you to leave the Jiu Shan Realm before?"
During his time in the Jiu Shan Realm, Shi Nandang had learned quite a bit about its rules.
"There were, but I didn't apply."
"Why not?"
"You might have heard of it, but I'm the temple keeper for the Lord of Thunder, no, the sect leader..."
Shi Nandang had vaguely heard of this, which made him treat Xiao Qing, a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator, with a bit more courtesy.
"Later, when the Lord knocked down the statue, I wanted to learn how to build flying boats, so I joined the Jiu Shan Sect."
A hint of bitterness crept into Xiao Qing's smile.
"But I'm not very bright, and my grades aren't good. The teachers said I started learning too late, and some of my ideas are hard to change... It's tough to be under the Lord's tutelage."
"I thought if I worked harder, I might catch up, so I rarely took on tasks that would take me away from the Jiu Shan Realm."
"But... I really can't learn."
Shi Nandang understood. He knew that the Jiu Shan Sect placed great emphasis on mathematics.
In fact, he was currently trying to catch up himself... Otherwise, he wouldn't understand anything about machine tools or industrial transformation.
Hearing this, he felt a sense of shared struggle.
"So you gave up?"
Xiao Qing pouted and nodded, looking a bit dejected. "This time, I'm here to explain the various policies of the Jiu Shan Sect to the people of the Bai Xian Alliance."
"The sect leader said that we former temple keepers are the most suitable for this."
"So I signed up."
Shi Nandang thought about it and realized that this Zheng sect leader really could find a use for anyone...
Seeing Xiao Qing's downcast expression, he felt a pang of sympathy. "You don't have to feel that way."
"Huh?"
Shi Nandang thought for a moment and explained, "I observe that Sect Leader Zheng has actually left two paths for disciples like you."
"Two paths?"
"One path is, of course, like you thought before: if you have talent and intelligence in mathematics or other subjects, you can seek out various mentors."
Xiao Qing hung her head and murmured, "But I'm too slow."
"The other path is actually about good deeds." After observing for a while, especially comparing the systems of Haori Mountain and the Jiu Shan Sect, Shi Nandang had figured out a few things. "I see that good deeds are meant for disciples who may not have talent in learning."
Xiao Qing paused, seemingly taken aback by this perspective.
Shi Nandang summarized, "To stand out in the Jiu Shan Sect, you either need intelligence or perseverance; having either one is enough."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Qing nodded repeatedly, her earlier dejection lifting. "Thank you, Shi Zhenren, for your guidance!"
Shi Nandang chuckled softly. This Xiao Qing, having never left the Jiu Shan Realm, didn't quite grasp the uniqueness of this system.
In contrast, he, as an outsider, had a deeper understanding.
Zheng Fa... had left a path for the disciples of the Jiu Shan Sect that was much broader than that of other sects, almost suggesting that as long as you had some strengths, you could find your place in the Jiu Shan Sect.
...
"Shi Zhenren," Xiao Qing seemed to find him likable and became a bit more lively. "I heard you're a Transformation Stage master?"
Shi Nandang nodded.
"Then your talent must far exceed that of others!" Xiao Qing said enviously.
Shi Nandang chuckled lightly and shook his head. "Talent is one thing, but reaching the Transformation Stage isn't solely based on talent."
"Really?"
Shi Nandang glanced at her and smiled. "Character is much more important than talent."
Xiao Qing looked puzzled at his words, her eyes fixed on Shi Nandang with a serious, attentive expression.
Seeing her like this, Shi Nandang felt a bit like a teacher:
"I've been on this path for over thirty thousand years."
"Thirty thousand?" Xiao Qing gasped softly.
"Did you know, I also came from humble beginnings? I was fortunate to enter... the sect because I had a single spiritual root and some talent in artifact crafting." He thought for a moment and swallowed the words "Haori Mountain."
Xiao Qing listened intently, not noticing his hesitation.
"When I first joined, I faced a lot of hardships." Shi Nandang fell into reminiscence and continued, "In the sect, the three clans were held in high regard. As an outsider with no background, I naturally couldn't compete with others."
"Ah? But aren't you talented, Shi Zhenren?"
Shi Nandang shook his head, finding Xiao Qing's naivety endearing.
"Later, I befriended the disciples of the Lu clan, relying on them, working hard to earn spirit stones for them, hoping to find a backing."
"On the other hand, I diligently practiced and studied the art of artifact crafting."
"After several hundred years, I finally caught the attention of my master during the Golden Core stage, and my cultivation became smoother from then on."
There was a hint of pride in Shi Nandang's tone. After hearing this, Xiao Qing patted her chest, looking relieved for him.
Seeing her like this, Shi Nandang smiled, his gaze softening. He continued, "Because my master was a direct descendant of the Lu clan, my status naturally changed. I also had some minor talent, which earned me the Lu clan's favor."
"If it weren't for that..." Shi Nandang paused, "I might have become a direct descendant of one of the three clans."
There was a hint of regret in his tone.
Xiao Qing nodded vigorously, seemingly understanding, though her expression was still a bit confused.
"What's wrong?"
"Zhenren, you're really impressive, with great talent and hard work," Xiao Qing said slowly, her brow furrowing deeper. "But... why the Lu clan?"
Shi Nandang was taken aback.
"As you said, whether relying on talent or hard work, in the Jiu Shan Realm, you could definitely cultivate smoothly," Xiao Qing said bluntly. "But why rely on the Lu clan?"
"To do their bidding?"
"...Why them?"
Shi Nandang was momentarily speechless. Why? He had many reasons:
For instance, the founder of Haori Mountain was surnamed Lu.
Or, this was simply the rule of Haori Mountain for several epochs.
But looking at Xiao Qing's face, he suddenly felt as if he saw his own naive self from when he first entered the sect.
Back then, he had spent many sleepless nights, tossing and turning, repeatedly asking himself the same question: Why?
But later... he never asked again.
Xiao Qing suddenly lowered her voice and glanced at the other disciples. "I finally understand why the sect leader wants to suppress the families."
Shi Nandang felt increasingly uncomfortable.
He realized that Xiao Qing was naive, unable to see the complexities of the Jiu Shan Sect, but he hadn't expected that he was also part of this complexity, even though he had always seen it clearly but was unwilling to confront it.
He had grown accustomed to certain things, almost merging with them, even taking pride in it.
Yet Zheng Fa, or rather the Jiu Shan Sect, had always been asking...
Why?
(End of this chapter)
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Chapter 490: Hidden in the Shadows, Establishing Schools
Along the way, Shi Nandang and Xiao Qing had a lively conversation, feeling a sense of camaraderie despite the age difference.
When it was time to part ways, Xiao Qing's expression was particularly reluctant.
Seeing this, Shi Nandang shook his head and smiled, unable to resist offering another piece of advice: "Remember, your task this time is very important for the Jiu Shan Sect and the sect leader. Put some thought into it, and in the future, as you gain experience, your prospects will be no less than those who excel in mathematics."
Xiao Qing blinked, clearly confused.
"The sect leader needs the power of incense to capture those rebellious cultivators, but that's just a short-term strategy. In the long run, we still need the common people from the Bai Xian Alliance."
Xiao Qing nodded, but her face still showed confusion.
Shi Nandang's insights weren't just hearsay; they were based on his observations.
As the great master Li Shangxian of the Taishang Dao said, the difficulty of cultivating the Cave Heaven method lies in finding the Cave Heaven itself, and the method isn't a secret to the four sects.
Feeling awkward in his position within the Jiu Shan Realm, he naturally paid close attention to Zheng Fa's actions and learned a lot.
Capturing the Bai Xian rebels was, of course, to address the labor shortage in the Jiu Shan Sect, especially since many newly established production lines didn't require any artifact crafting skills—just a qualified spirit.
Once the production of magical tools ramped up, the disciples of the Jiu Shan Sect would naturally receive various elixirs from the Taishang Dao for their cultivation.
As their cultivation improved, they would, in turn, support Zheng Fa's cultivation of the Cave Heaven method.
However, the number of rebels was only in the thousands, which could only serve as a temporary fix.
Thus, what Xiao Qing and the others needed to do was a long-term strategy.
Shi Nandang elaborated, "Your task is to win the hearts of the common people in the Bai Xian Alliance, even establishing schools to select talent."
Xiao Qing nodded earnestly.
Shi Nandang knew that there were still some things Xiao Qing probably didn't understand:
Although the population of the Jiu Shan Realm was growing, it still couldn't match that of the Bai Xian Alliance in the short term, let alone the richness of resources.
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