Chapter 232: Dwelling in the Sage’s Abode

“This walking staff…”

Before Li Shun’s eyes, countless grand and bizarre fragments of imagery seemed to flash past.

In a daze, he felt as though he had found himself surrounded by dozens of towering figures, traveling in a carriage through the vast lands of the various kingdoms.

Teaching the Dao, imparting knowledge, answering questions.

Debating matters of state, defending the righteous path, eliminating demons.

At the same time, countless impassioned recitations and chants, resonant and majestic like the tolling of great bells, thundered in his ears.

Li Shun suddenly felt a sharp pain deep between his brows. His divine soul trembled violently, and only when he heard Kong Changqing’s somewhat anxious voice calling out to him did he abruptly tear himself away from that profound state of enlightenment and return to reality.

“How do you feel?” Kong Changqing asked urgently, his eyes filled with concern.

Li Shun lowered his head and carefully examined the Sage’s walking stick in his hand, which had now been restored to life and returned to its original state. He furrowed his brows slightly and hesitated.

“I…”

“Speak freely!”

“Just now… Senior, I seemed to have somehow transformed into the Confucian Sage himself. I was leading the disciples beneath his tutelage and retracing that long journey of traveling through the various kingdoms, preaching the Dao and imparting knowledge.”

Li Shun spoke with an expression of disbelief.

“As expected…”

A terrifying gleam suddenly flashed through Kong Changqing’s murky eyes.

One had to understand that he had treasured this broken staff in his personal vault for hundreds of years. He had handled and examined it countless times, yet it had never displayed the slightest trace of anything extraordinary.

“It seems this child truly has been chosen by the will of the Confucian Sage to inherit his legacy!”

Kong Changqing drew a deep breath, suppressing the turbulent excitement surging within his chest.

Then his expression became solemn, and he spoke in a serious tone.

“As for the matter of this broken staff coming back to life today, only Heaven and Earth know, and only you and I know. Remember this well. You absolutely must not breathe a word of it to a third person! Not even your martial uncles or martial ancestors. You must keep your mouth sealed.”

Li Shun deliberately put on an astonished expression.

“Rest assured. Just follow this old man’s arrangements, and nothing will go wrong.”

“If anyone asks about it in the future, simply tell them that this walking stick was something this old man took a liking to you and personally bestowed upon you. If they have any further questions, they can come directly to me!”

Kong Changqing swept his broad sleeve outward, his face filled with pride.

Li Shun composed himself and slowly bowed.

“Thank you for your favor and protection, Senior.”

“For the next few days, stay here in my Kong Residence and rest peacefully. If there is anything you lack or require, simply have someone come and tell me. There is absolutely no need to be formal with this old man.”

Kong Changqing once again offered several warm words of advice.

At this moment, his attitude toward Li Shun had undergone a complete transformation compared with before.

If the Li Shun of the past had merely been a promising junior with decent aptitude in his eyes, then now, Kong Changqing was treating him almost as though he were one of the Kong Residence’s most core direct descendants.

The immediate change in Li Shun’s residence alone was enough to make that obvious.

Originally, Li Shun had merely been settled in a relatively secluded guest room in the outer residence.

Now, however, he had ascended straight to the heavens. He had been invited directly into the depths of the inner residence, where the defenses of the Kong Residence were at their strongest, and given an expansive and magnificent courtyard all to himself.

Rockeries rose within the courtyard, a spiritual lake lay smooth as a mirror, and exotic flowers and strange trees filled every corner. The Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi was so dense that it seemed almost ready to solidify.

Had Li Shun not deliberately declined, saying that he had always preferred peace and quiet and had no need for servants attending to him personally, Kong Changqing probably could have stuffed dozens of servants and beautiful maids into the courtyard overnight.

“You actually moved into Wen-Dao Pavilion? What kind of bewitching potion did you give the Ancestor?”

When Kong Zhao saw Li Shun again, those were the first words that came out of his mouth.

His usually composed face was filled with astonishment and disbelief.

Li Shun, however, looked completely innocent.

“How would I know? After coming down from the summit of Mount Dai, the Ancestor simply made these arrangements.”

“Oh, right. Before leaving, the Ancestor also casually rewarded me with a walking stick.”

Li Shun calmly raised his hand and, with the bottom of the staff, casually tapped the bluestone beneath his feet.

Kong Zhao’s gaze followed the motion and landed on the walking stick.

His eyes immediately widened.

“Wait. The shape of this walking staff…”

“Could it be that legendary Sage…”

Kong Zhao sucked in a sharp breath and hurriedly stepped forward, staring intently at the wooden staff.

After examining it for a moment, he seemed to suddenly recall some detail. His tense shoulders abruptly sagged, and he let out a long breath of relief.

“No. I remember that the Sage’s old staff from those ancient times was broken for some reason long ago, leaving only half of it behind. But the one in your hand is completely intact.”

Kong Zhao exhaled deeply and patted his chest.

“Thank goodness, thank goodness. Otherwise, I really would have been so envious that I couldn’t resist snatching it by force.”

Li Shun merely smiled without saying anything.

Kong Zhao looked Li Shun up and down, his expression somewhat complicated.

“The Gathering of the Hundred Schools truly was extraordinary. It’s only been a few days since we last met, yet it seems your entire person has undergone a tremendous transformation. Unfortunately, my luck was poor back then, and I missed my chance to attend. An opportunity of such heaven-defying fortune, once missed, is truly gone forever.”

“There was indeed an opportunity of immense fortune, but it was accompanied by an equally immense danger, one that nearly guaranteed death. The other two fellow disciples from our Confucian school who entered the formation both met with disaster and died inside. I merely happened to survive by luck.”

Li Shun also shook his head and sighed.

Kong Zhao understood the dangers involved and tactfully refrained from probing into what had actually happened within that illusion.

He merely nodded in agreement.

“I heard about it while I was in the Sacred Capital. The matter has already caused quite an uproar. Fortunately, the Left Chancellor appeared and barely managed to suppress it.”

“The Left Chancellor? Wasn’t it said that his lifespan…”

Li Shun’s expression shifted slightly.

Kong Zhao also lowered his voice.

“His complexion looked even worse this time when he appeared in public. However, the Left Chancellor has held the reins of Great Qian for so many years that his accumulated prestige remains. In the end, nothing too chaotic happened in the imperial court.”

“But such deterrence cannot last forever. Once the day comes when the Left Chancellor truly departs this world…”

“The situation under Heaven will become very difficult to predict.”

“Our generation of Confucians has yet to produce anyone capable of taking over the Left Chancellor’s position and turning the tide. Even our Ancestor may not be able to completely suppress all the various factions within our own Confucian school, let alone bring the other Hundred Schools to heel.”

“The Confucian and Legalist schools have jointly governed Great Qian for several hundred years. The other schools have long been watching covetously from the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to tear into this piece of fat.”

Deep worry that could not be concealed churned within Kong Zhao’s eyes.

Li Shun naturally understood the current structure of Great Qian and had nothing to say.

For a time, the room fell into complete silence.

After a long while, Li Shun finally spoke, breaking the silence.

“If the sky collapses, someone taller will be there to hold it up. Why should juniors like us worry about such things?”

“Let’s talk about your own affairs instead. Weren’t you planning to use that Chief of Reception, Zhou Shengzhe, as the first sacrifice to raise your banner? How far have you gotten with the charges you’ve been weaving against him?”