Chapter 260: Meeting the Master

Chapter 260 -253: Meeting the Master

“You… how long have you been with the Master?”

The Child before him looked to be seventeen or eighteen at most, but it was hard to say what his actual age was.

“Over thirty years. Not that long, really. The Master took a liking to me as soon as I joined the Sect. Thinking back on it now, I’m still not sure why.”

Chen Qingyang understood human nature well. If he wanted to learn something from someone, the first step was always flattery.

People instinctively lower their guard against pleasantries.

“To be chosen at a single glance, your talent must be far greater than mine. I had to go through countless hardships to get where I am today. I’ve also heard stories of many Children being accepted as official disciples. Junior Brother… you’ve got what it takes!”

Zeng Xiancheng couldn’t help but smile at his words. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, he couldn’t conceal the joy welling up inside him.

“Senior Brother Chen, you flatter me. I just follow the Master around, handling menial tasks each day. As for True Skills, I’ve only managed to learn a little…”

Seizing on his words, Chen Qingyang immediately asked, “Then in your eyes, Junior Brother, what kind of person is the Master?”

He had asked Ji Rang this question, and also First Senior Brother Shen Chongzhou. But they were disciples, after all. A Child’s perspective was bound to be different.

“Strict. Extremely dedicated to pursuing the Dao. He pays immense attention to certain important matters, but for things he deems unimportant, he has a completely hands-off approach. Therefore, when you’re around the Master, it’s crucial to distinguish what’s important from what’s not!”

His words sounded a bit convoluted, but they contained the Child’s genuine insight into the Master.

‘Strict. That’s something you can see on his face.’

‘Extremely dedicated to the Dao. Everyone says that, so there’s no need to dwell on it.’

‘As for the last two points, they just mean that Master Jing Yuan is very invested in things he values and couldn’t care less about things he doesn’t. In other words, he’s extremely goal-oriented.’

Chen Qingyang nodded at him. “You’re quite insightful, Junior Brother. Could you tell me more about what he considers important, and what he considers unimportant?”

The question made Zeng Xiancheng think for a moment. “For example, the Master places great importance on the Cultivation of his disciples. Almost everyone follows the most suitable path that he arranges for them. That’s why the disciples of our lineage have the highest Cultivation.”

Chen Qingyang had already experienced this firsthand. That was precisely how the Nanming Red Emperor skill came about.

“For another example, the Master is a man who upholds propriety. All disciples are forbidden from causing trouble outside the Sect and must do everything by the book. It’s like he considers the very concept of ‘rules’ to be of the utmost importance.”

On this point, however, Chen Qingyang had his doubts. The problem with anything in this world is that as soon as you start making comparisons, the issues reveal themselves.

For instance, Yun Ci’s Child would never dare to accept Elixirs from disciples, yet this Zeng Xiancheng before him seemed to think nothing of it.

“Then can you tell me what the Master considers unimportant?”

Zeng Xiancheng smiled. “There are some things I can only talk about with you, Senior Brother Chen. After all, I’m just a Child, and the other disciples aren’t necessarily willing to speak with me. But my Cultivation is much higher than the other Children, so I don’t have much to say to them either.”

His words revealed that he was stuck in a kind of limbo.

He couldn’t reach the high-brow circles but didn’t want to stoop to the low-brow ones. What could he do but feel conflicted? It was this exact mentality that had led to his initial hostility toward Chen Qingyang.

“I can understand that!”

“I believe all things in this world are a matter of Yin and Yang. Just as you can easily discern what the Master doesn’t value from the things he does. The Master values his disciples’ Cultivation and wants every disciple to follow the path he sets for them. But this inevitably leads to the disciples’ own preferences and ideas being overlooked. After all, all paths can lead to the Great Dao, and everyone has their own fate. Sometimes, what the disciples think isn’t necessarily wrong.”

Chen Qingyang was impressed that he could articulate such a view. ‘It seems those chosen by a Foundation Establishment Master at a single glance truly have a bit of cleverness to them.’

‘Someone like me, on the other hand, could only be sent off to mine at Four Golden Peaks. It was only thanks to Li Qianxue’s reputation that my Immortal Fate wasn’t cut short.’

“If you don’t understand, Senior Brother, let me tell you something that will make it clear. Back then, our Fourth Senior Brother defied the path the Master arranged for him. The Master hasn’t summoned him for an audience in a hundred years. This is a perfect example of what he values and what he doesn’t.”

From this story, Chen Qingyang was able to put a name to Master Jing Yuan’s nature—a need for control.

People like that often have a high opinion of themselves and are extremely self-confident, but of course, they are also exceptionally capable.

“That’s a sound theory, Junior Brother. Following that logic, because the Master is so focused on rules, he neglects the thoughts of the disciples. Over time, everyone only fears the Master and lacks any sense of closeness. And that closeness is precisely what the Master doesn’t value. Is that what you mean?”

Zeng Xiancheng didn’t dare to nod, nor did he shake his head. He just smiled.

There was another half to the thought that Chen Qingyang kept to himself. ‘In my view, the rules our Master values are all superficial. He’s just extremely protective of his own reputation. Otherwise, why wouldn’t he regulate his Children and allow them to brazenly accept Elixirs from disciples?’

Some things really couldn’t be examined too closely. All this time, even though Master Jing Yuan had never met with him, he had still imagined the man to be cold on the outside but warm on the inside—someone who was always paying attention to him.

Now it seemed the complexity of human nature couldn’t be summed up with just the two words “cold” and “hot.”

“I understand what you mean, Junior Brother. The Master is extremely strict and emphasizes rules, but it’s all for the good of us disciples. Certain behaviors should indeed be restrained. You really do defend the Master at every turn, Junior Brother.”