Tang Bai Li

Volume 3 Chapter 31 Where is the Inner Sect

"Most likely a fake," a young Taoist with a handsome face remarked, clicking his tongue in doubt.

"Daoist Liu Ru himself is only at the peak of the third stage. He was promoted to elder merely because he read too much, and his strength is quite weak. What kind of legendary masterpiece could he write that would even make Zuo Mingqiu want to copy and cultivate it?"

Another young man nodded in agreement, "Hmm, that's very possible. But he is an elder after all, we still need to show some respect."

"Let's cheer loudly and scramble for it. Otherwise, if we get singled out, we won't be able to get by in Tianshi Mountain later."

After their discussion, the few men looked up, their expressions instantly turning incredibly excited, their eyes shining as they stared at Daoist Liu Ru, their bodies trembling with eagerness, as if they truly desired that Six Realms True Scripture.

Most of the others were the same.

Seeing this, Xu Mu's eyes held a hint of strangeness that was imperceptible.

As the ancestral court of Taoism, Tianshi Mountain's atmosphere of cultivation seemed different from what he had imagined.

It wasn't like a place of cultivation, but rather like a court of intrigue and deceit, a political arena, except the people here weren't as clever, and their conversations could be overheard by others...

Zou Jing asked calmly,

"Are you sure we still need to be here."

Xu Mu clicked his tongue, gazing at the stage and sighing, "Let's listen to what he has to say first. Perhaps these people have genuinely misunderstood him."

"Very unlikely," Zou Jing replied, then fell silent.

As the fatigue of their act set in, the crowd's enthusiasm gradually waned. Daoist Liu Ru opened the scripture with the blue cover and began to read aloud:

"The Great Dao has fifty principles, of which Heaven's evolution yields forty-nine; man's destiny is to escape one. This means that among the principles governing the operation and development of things in the universe, there are fifty in total, but only forty-nine can be derived. The one that escapes is the Heavenly Secret."

"In real life, Heavenly Secrets are actually all around us, but they appear infrequently and are difficult for people to notice, which makes us feel that Heavenly Secrets are hard to find. Therefore, everyone, if you ever feel lost in your cultivation journey, or encounter insurmountable difficulties, never give up. Perhaps that strand of obscured Great Dao is right beside you..."

Listening to Daoist Liu Ru's eloquent discourse, many disciples in the hall, including Xu Mu, were frozen in place.

"Isn't this from the Book of Changes? Why did he put it in his own book and talk about it with such relish?"

"I don't know. This might just be the preface. The main topic should come later. Let's keep listening."

So, the crowd patiently listened for the duration of an incense stick. The sentences he elucidated one after another were all from the major classic Taoist scriptures.

Not a single word was original.

"Perhaps this is called 'summarizing and compiling'?" Xu Mu shook his head, exchanged a glance with Zou Jing, then stood up and said with a wry smile, "You were right, we've wasted a lot of time."

Zou Jing took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to rush forward and beat the Daoist, and turned to say,

"Let's go quickly."

"Mmm."

They left as soon as they decided. Zou Jing led the way, pushing aside one cultivator after another, and Xu Mu followed closely behind, naturally squeezing out of the crowd.

In the entire hall, although everyone could no longer bear to listen, no one left. They knew Daoist Liu Ru was an elder, and offending him would lead to dire consequences on Tianshi Mountain, let alone cultivating with a clear mind. Therefore, no matter how poorly he lectured, no one left.

Either, don't come.

Or, once you come, don't leave.

To leave after coming was essentially tantamount to spitting in the elder's face and calling him incompetent.

This was absolutely not permissible.

But Xu Mu and Zou Jing had done just that.

Many young disciples turned their heads, watching the retreating figures of Xu Mu and Zou Jing, their eyes filled with complex emotions, a mixture of admiration and ridicule.

Yao Song, who was also standing in the crowd, silently enduring the boredom, noticed the commotion from within the crowd. He turned his head and saw Xu Mu and Zou Jing leaving, his face immediately turning grim.

He had promised Daoist Liu Ru that he would find him enough disciples to listen to his teachings. In return, Daoist Liu Ru would provide him with a certain amount of rare elixirs based on the number of disciples who stayed.

For someone like him, whose strength was not high and who rarely went to the Merit Hall to claim missions, these rare elixirs were his primary source of income. Therefore, there could be no mistakes.

Yao Song knew that he absolutely could not let Xu Mu and Zou Jing leave like this, because if they left, others would follow.

But Zou Jing was in the Fourth Realm, and he couldn't stop him.

So, he could only stop Xu Mu.

"Young people nowadays are too restless. They enjoy listening to lewd songs and frivolous tunes, but find listening to scriptures truly beneficial to body and mind to be tiresome, leaving early. It truly pains this Daoist heart,"

Yao Song exchanged a look with Daoist Liu Ru, then cleared his throat and, in a loud, clear voice, taunted,

Zou Jing, who had just squeezed out of the crowd and was about to leave down the mountain path, frowned slightly upon hearing this, clenching his fist. A faint killing intent emanated from him, exerting a strong pressure.

"Let him speak. It won't cost us anything," Xu Mu stepped forward, his expression calm. "Don't forget what True Person Taiwu said. You don't need to be expelled from Tianshi Mountain for someone like him."

Hearing this, Zou Jing slowly relaxed his hand.

Xu Mu breathed a sigh of relief, said nothing, and continued walking down the mountain path.

Seeing this, Yao Song immediately continued his taunt:

"Some people only blindly follow, without considering the difference between themselves and others."

"Perhaps some people can skip this class. For example, Zuo Mingqiu, who has already been honored as the Dao Child, or Yan Yu from Baiyun Taoist Temple, or even those geniuses living at the peak of Tianguang Peak. They have better teachers and more important matters to attend to, so their absence can be understood."

"But some people, who spent an entire day just to enter the mountain, are covered in dirt and grime, and barely managed to secure a position as an outer disciple, are unwilling to even listen to the first lecture."

"They have the disease of being a genius, but not the fate of a genius."

"Such a lazy and idle person, lacking in spirit, I advise you to quickly descend the mountain yourself, lest you embarrass yourself in the monthly exam and end up losing a limb or two. That would be far too costly!"

As Yao Song spoke, his sarcasm grew stronger, his words sharp, almost pointing fingers and cursing Xu Mu by name.

Many disciples around also heard these words and revealed expressions of onlookers, their gazes fixed on Xu Mu's back.

They wanted to know how this newly admitted disciple would respond to the ridicule.

However, to their surprise, Xu Mu acted as if he hadn't heard a word. His steps were steady and light as he followed Zou Jing, nearing the end of the mountain path and about to disappear around a bend.

Could someone truly be this thick-skinned?

Yao Song's face turned ashen. He directly pointed at Xu Mu's retreating back and shouted,

"You stop right there!"

"Who am I talking about? Don't you know in your heart!"

Xu Mu halted and turned around, calmly asking, "I don't know. Who are you referring to?"

Seeing Xu Mu finally turn back, Yao Song's face immediately showed a mocking expression as he said,

"Of course, I'm talking about you!"

"Zou Jing is already a renowned genius. Although he wasted several years of cultivation, he is now a Lord in the Fourth Realm. It's understandable that he doesn't need to listen to this lecture. But on what grounds do you, a new disciple with such poor talent, refuse?"

"Why are you so thick-skinned!"

Xu Mu looked at Yao Song and said calmly, "My skin might be a bit thick, but it's certainly not as thick as yours."

"Who was it that knelt on the steps earlier, so scared they peed themselves, and kowtowed until their head bled? And now you have the audacity to accuse others of not having a firm Dao heart? Isn't that thick-skinned?"

Upon hearing this, Yao Song's face instantly turned pale.

Many disciples who were unaware cast curious glances, whispering among themselves, and soon learned of what had happened in front of the Law Enforcement Hall earlier.

Daoist Liu Ru also frowned.

Yao Song's face shifted from pale to a furious red, and he pointed at Xu Mu, shouting,

"That has nothing to do with you!"

"I'm asking you, are you listening to this lecture or not!"

Xu Mu: "No."

Yao Song: "Why not!"

Xu Mu: "Because I don't want to."

Yao Song: "Why don't you want to?"

Xu Mu, hearing this, looked at Yao Song, then at Daoist Liu Ru, and suddenly chuckled, asking,

"You want to provoke me into saying something unfavorable about Daoist Liu Ru this way, and then have him punish me, right?"

"But unfortunately, your plan has failed."

"The Dao I cultivate is called 'Following My Heart'."

"If I don't want to listen, I don't want to listen. There's no reason. If there were, I wouldn't explain it to you, because you're just a guide."

Upon hearing this, Yao Song trembled with rage but had no way to refute.

His trick had been seen through by Xu Mu, and he had no way to trouble Xu Mu further. He couldn't act directly either, because Zou Jing was still by his side.

Xu Mu turned around, about to leave.

At this moment, Daoist Liu Ru, who had been silent for a long time on the stage, finally spoke:

"Stop."

Xu Mu paused and turned around again.

The two faced each other.

Daoist Liu Ru's calm face held a hint of anger. He stared at Xu Mu and said,

"I'm not letting you leave."

"As an elder of Biyun Peak, and one of the instructors for outer disciples, I believe I have the right to force you to listen to the lecture here."

"Not only that, but you must listen with sincerity and diligence, because I might test you at any moment. If you fail to answer, you will be punished."

Daoist Liu Ru said, looking at Xu Mu,

"Please tell me, what is the meaning of the thirteenth sentence I just uttered: 'The masses value profit, the upright scholar values reputation, the virtuous scholar cherishes aspiration, and the sage esteems essence'?"

At this, the entire hall fell silent.

Many disciples looked at Xu Mu with schadenfreude, while Yao Song let out a mocking laugh, seemingly certain that Xu Mu would not be able to answer the question.

Even if he answered, there would be a second question.

"I don't know," Xu Mu said calmly.

Daoist Liu Ru looked at Xu Mu, his expression becoming subtle, and said mockingly, "Then do you know what the punishment is for not answering?"

Xu Mu calmly shook his head, "No."

Daoist Liu Ru: "Guess."

Xu Mu: "I won't guess."

"If you stopped me to have these utterly boring conversations, then I'm sorry, I have to leave."

Yao Song shouted,

"Leave? Where are you going!"

"Kid, you must be punished, unless you directly roll off Tianshi Mountain!"

Daoist Liu Ru also nodded, holding the scripture in his hand, and said, "Yes."

"If you don't want to leave the mountain, then copy the Daoist scripture in my hand one hundred times, and then be confined for one hundred days in the back mountain."

"This will be your punishment."

The disciples present shivered simultaneously, their gazes towards Xu Mu turning sympathetic.

"Sigh, thankfully I didn't run, otherwise I would be the one being punished."

"Yes, yes. Copying a hundred times, when will that ever end? And a hundred days of confinement, this is pushing someone to their death!"

Xu Mu was silent for a moment, looked at Daoist Liu Ru, and then asked, "You just said, which elder are you, and what is your duty?"

Daoist Liu Ru narrowed his eyes, unsure of what Xu Mu was planning, but still replied,

"It seems you are delirious. I am an elder of Biyun Peak, responsible for imparting knowledge and resolving doubts to the newly admitted outer disciples."

"Oh," Xu Mu nodded, then calmly asked, "Then tell me, where is the elder responsible for imparting knowledge and resolving doubts to inner disciples?"

Daoist Liu Ru frowned:

"What, you want to report me?"

"To tell you the truth, I'm not afraid even if you report this to the Heavenly Master, because educating an unlearned and disrespectful outer disciple like you is only right and proper!"

"Don't speak too soon."

Xu Mu said, taking out the inner disciple waist token that True Person Taiwu had given him from his robe and casually placing it in front of himself.

Looking at this familiar yet unfamiliar token, Daoist Liu Ru, Yao Song, and all the disciples who were watching with amusement froze.

This is... an inner disciple's waist token?

He's an inner disciple?!

Xu Mu looked at Daoist Liu Ru and smiled, asking,

"Elder Liu Ru of Biyun Peak's outer sect."

"May I know if I can know where the inner sect is now?"

...