Chapter 283 - 115: The Momentum Is Set. Will I Be a Victim, Too? The Future Lord of Great Xia.

Yangchun City, the Qi Mansion.

In a remote yet tranquil courtyard, Qi Qingxuan followed his usual routine. He recited the Society and Country Scripture several times before 7:00 AM, then went to the kitchens to collect his daily breakfast.

"Duke Wei, I have to go to Jiyun Temple with the Old Madam and the others in a bit. The Old Madam is generous and never stingy with her rewards. I was hoping to take this chance to borrow the Tai Sui Book from her to read."

"The Temple Master of Jiyun Temple holds me in high regard."

He spoke while chewing on a steamed bun, addressing Duke Wei in the courtyard. The old man’s eyes were narrowed, as if he were breathing in the dawn’s glow.

Duke Wei was beardless, with the ruddy complexion of a youth but the white hair of an old man. He wore a robe that had been washed until it was faded white, and he was a head shorter than the average person.

"Rest assured, Third Master. This old servant will protect you from the shadows," he said upon hearing this.

That wasn’t what Qi Qingxuan meant.

He hadn’t encountered any real danger in all these years; it was just that every time he traveled far from home, he was required to inform Duke Wei beforehand.

"There’s no need to go to such trouble, Duke Wei. Jiyun Temple isn’t far from Yangchun City. It’s only a few hours’ journey at most," Qi Qingxuan replied.

Hearing this, Duke Wei simply shook his head without a word, continuing to breathe in the dawn’s glow.

Qi Qingxuan glanced at him and said no more.

This was Duke Wei’s habit.

For years now, he had done this every morning—breathing in the dawn’s glow. In his own words, it was the best method of cultivation.

After settling overnight, the clear qi would rise and the turbid qi would sink with each new morning. That first wisp of the dawn’s glow was the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi closest to Innate Qi. Breathing it in year-round was beneficial for one’s cultivation.

Whenever he heard this, Qi Qingxuan couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy.

He had often heard talk of cultivation, but he had never experienced it himself. He had always been fascinated by these cultivators who could fly through the sky and tunnel through the earth.

Most of the younger generation in the Qi Family had some level of cultivation. At a certain age, their innate talent would be tested. If it was outstanding, the family would bestow upon them Cultivation Techniques, Spirit Stones, and various other cultivation resources.

But because of his poor aptitude and mediocre talent, he was afforded no such treatment.

This was precisely why Qi Qingxuan harbored a desire for great change—he wanted to alter the destiny of every Cold Sect Disciple.

The world was not without its late bloomers. There were plenty of people who were born slow or had mediocre aptitude but then achieved sudden enlightenment overnight.

’To decide a person’s entire life based solely on their initial aptitude would be far too arbitrary.’

’Unfortunately, there were far too few institutions that truly considered the good of the country and its people, unwilling to waste even a few extra resources.’

After finishing his breakfast, Qi Qingxuan began to groom himself. He changed into a fresh brocade robe, making sure there wasn’t a single crease on its lapels.

After all, he was traveling with the Qi Family’s Old Madam. If his appearance wasn’t impeccable, he would easily incur her displeasure.

And right now, he was planning to borrow the Tai Sui Book from her.

It was said to have been written in his later years by a cultivator named Layman Taixu. The book chronicled his many hardships as a youth, as well as the broad-minded, accepting perspective he later developed, carrying a sense of returning to the mortal world and embracing simplicity.

That cultivator had also started with mediocre aptitude and no particular talent for cultivation. He wasted the first half of his life until, by a stroke of fate in his forties, he finally set foot on the path of cultivation.

Many stories about him still circulated among cultivators.

Qi Qingxuan found this deeply inspiring.

Outside the main gates of the Qi Mansion, carriages and attendants were already waiting. Adorned in red and green and covered in glittering jewels, the Qi Family’s Old Madam made her way to the leading carriage, supported by several maids.

The other young members of the Qi Family’s Direct Lineage followed behind, either in carriages of their own or mounted on fine steeds and Exotic Beasts.

When Qi Qingxuan arrived, not many people paid him any mind.

A guard brought him a dark-haired steed, and he joined the rear of the procession as it moved grandly out of the city.

Such a scene was not an unusual sight in Yangchun City. The Qi Family’s Old Madam was a great patron of Daoism, and on the fifteenth of every month, she would take the young members of the Direct Lineage to Jiyun Temple to offer incense.

The Royal Family of Great Xia also held Daoism in high esteem.

It was rumored that the National Master had once cultivated a True Technique at an orthodox Daoist School within an Immortal Sect, and that he could ennoble and enlighten mountain spirits and wild demons.

"The Old Madam brought that guy along again. All he can do is read a few books. Last time, he even had the nerve to show off in front of the Temple Master of Jiyun Temple, stealing the spotlight..."

"What’s the use of being well-read? The family values cultivation now and looks down on the Confucian Dao. If Qi Qingxuan isn’t content with his lot and tries to cultivate the Confucian Dao, he’ll probably be kicked out of the Qi Family altogether."

"Everyone knows the current Prime Minister is deliberately suppressing the Confucian Dao. The family doesn’t want to get mixed up in that mess."

A few of the young Qi Family members of the Direct Lineage, riding on Exotic Beasts up ahead, noticed Qi Qingxuan trailing behind them.

One of them couldn’t help but sneer, his eyes filled with disgust.

Although Qi Qingxuan was the Qi Family’s Third Master, and by seniority, they ought to call him Clan Brother, few of them paid any mind to such things.

Instead, because of these incense offerings at Jiyun Temple, Qi Qingxuan was held in high regard by the Old Madam, which, in the eyes of many, meant he was stealing their thunder.

However, the Qi Family’s rules were strict, so no one would dare bully Qi Qingxuan openly. But by the same token, no one respected him either.

Qi Qingxuan was long used to this and remained unperturbed.

The ride on horseback was quite bumpy. Without any cultivation, his body grew uncomfortable after sitting for so long, so he took out a book to pass the time.

But after reading for a while, he found he couldn’t quiet his mind as he usually did.

The words Shang Mingyu had spoken in the small courtyard that day had been echoing in his mind for the past few days, leaving him tossing and turning, unable to sleep.