Chapter 267: Chapter 156: Heaven and Earth Are False, Sun and Moon Deceive (Double-Length) (Part 2)

He didn’t resemble the reclusive scholar standing at the pinnacle of knowledge as rumored, but rather sounded like a nagging elder in a common household.

Chen Kuang looked at Zhang Zhizhou with a peculiar expression.

Couldn’t he adjust the voice of this spell?

He must be able to, right...

He suspected this senior brother was intentionally tarnishing their mentor’s image, but he had no evidence.

On the other side, Su Huaiying looked even more puzzled.

So the so-called "chicken" and "toad" that Zhang Zhizhou caught to assist him were actually the Vermilion Bird and the Heaven-Swallowing Frog...

It seemed his ailment wasn’t that severe after all.

If these mythical creatures lived a little longer, they could possibly develop intelligence and become demons.

In that case, assisting them as emperors might not be impossible, right?

Zhang Zhizhou squatted down and looked seriously at the tiny figure: "It’s not stealing."

"Taking without permission is stealing. I explained my grand plans for three hours, convincing them with reason and emotion, and they willingly gave their mythical beasts to me."

The teacher: "..."

The little paper man looked around the ground for a while, found a broken twig, weighed it in his hand, then took two steps forward.

Suddenly, the little paper man jumped up and struck Zhang Zhizhou’s knee with a "pia" noise using the twig.

He reprimanded, "You’re not stealing, you’re robbing!"

Zhang Zhizhou gasped and quickly jumped away, saying, "How is this robbing? They clearly volunteered!"

The little paper man said, "Volunteered? I’ll let you voluntarily run two laps around this shabby temple right now!"

Chen Kuang watched as Zhang Zhizhou was chased and hit for two laps by a paper man smaller than his palm.

Eventually, the little paper man got too tired, panting and leaning on the twig, giving up the chase.

Zhang Zhizhou patted the back of the little paper man with his finger, trying to calm him down, chuckling:

"Teacher, you’re getting old and should get less angry. Next time, I promise I won’t steal—or rather, rob anything again."

The teacher snorted coldly, looking completely unconvinced.

Chen Kuang’s expression was subtle, finding Zhang Zhizhou’s ’crazy’ character that no persuasion can mend, making him the most problematic child ever.

Why does it have to be Freedom Mountain’s senior brother...

While the teacher rested, Zhang Zhizhou went over the situation briefly, asking, "What does the teacher think?"

The little paper man looked Chen Kuang up and down for a while before finally saying:

"Okay."

The face of the little paper man was expressionless, and Chen Kuang couldn’t figure out what attitude the teacher had towards him.

But in any case, he approved of this matter. Chen Kuang immediately performed a deep bow with utmost respect: "Thank you, teacher, for fulfilling my wish!"

This could be considered a lifesaving grace, and Chen Kuang was naturally grateful.

But then, the little paper man approached him again, saying, "You’re very good."

"I heard the poems you’ve composed before. It’s a pity that you don’t cultivate literary talent; otherwise, I would have been willing to teach you."

Chen Kuang’s pupils shrunk, he heard them?

The teacher was currently in the northernmost part of the Yang Kingdom, in Freedom Mountain.

As Chen Kuang traveled, those poems could only be heard by himself and his enemies, most of whom were already dead after hearing them.

Thus, these masterpieces had no spread until now.

But the teacher said he "heard" them!

Chen Kuang thought, could it be that this world’s all "literature" could be "heard" by the teacher?

This divine power is too ridiculous...almost akin to the Dao!

It’s not a Dao Realm, but the real principles of heaven and earth!

Although Chen Kuang didn’t know how Martial Saint’s cultivation would manifest, he believed the teacher’s cultivation was definitely higher than Martial Saint’s.

Chen Kuang mustered his courage and said, "Isn’t it not too late to teach now?"

The teacher seemed to glance at Zhang Zhizhou regretfully and said, "A gentleman doesn’t deprive another of their preference. I arrived a little late, otherwise, I might have had some predestined affinity with you."

Chen Kuang blinked, thinking that what the teacher meant must refer to Xi Mengquan.

He couldn’t help feeling a bit resentful, as this old man taught just a bit of superficial stuff, but gave Chen Kuang a label, so others automatically considered him under Xi Mengquan’s tutelage, occupying the latrine without using it!

So unscrupulous!

The teacher smiled again and said, "However, if you are inclined, after you come out of the ’Pinggu Battlefield,’ how about gifting me a poem? I would be satisfied with that."

Chen Kuang immediately nodded and agreed, "Of course!"

The learned gentleman raised his hand, stroked the nonexistent beard in the void, nodded, and then the paper figure floated down, turning back into a sheet of paper.

Zhang Zhizhou said, "Alright, since the learned gentleman has agreed, this matter is settled."

He then took out a white kerchief and handed it to Chen Kuang.

Chen Kuang accepted it, hearing Zhang Zhizhou say, "When the time comes, tie this kerchief around your wrist, it will naturally lead you to the place where the Pinggu Battlefield is located; then, you’ll have to rely on your own resourcefulness."

Chen Kuang nodded, couldn’t help but ask, "Is the learned gentleman a Saint?"

This was a question without meaning, because once you understand the power of Freedom Mountain, you naturally think the learned gentleman must be in the Daoist Shore Realm.

But Zhang Zhizhou shook his head:

"The learned gentleman has no cultivation."

Chen Kuang was surprised, "No cultivation?"

Zhang Zhizhou said, "Not a bit."

"He doesn’t leave Freedom Mountain, not because he’s reclusive, but because he has too many enemies, requiring us disciples to protect him."

Chen Kuang: "..."

"Then how does he teach you all?"

Zhang Zhizhou retorted, "Does teaching knowledge require cultivation? However, maybe when the learned gentleman comes down the mountain one day, he might suddenly have cultivation, who knows."

Chen Kuang helplessly gave up pursuing the question.

This is probably another great secret, unknown until reaching a certain level.

What he should worry about now is his own life.

Chen Kuang looked at Su Huaiying and asked, "Where do you plan to go, Your Highness?"

"Don’t worry."

Su Huaiying said briefly, "I will first return to Liang Kingdom. Now with this ’Retrospective Bell,’ I have some self-protection capability, but I still need to enhance my cultivation. Besides, Liang Kingdom’s ’Earth Official’ can aid me."

She whispered, "While the nation’s destiny is important, the dragon vein must also be safeguarded. If the dragon vein is suppressed, the entire structure of Liang Kingdom will be broken, and Spiritual Qi will inevitably be lost... which is detrimental to cultivators."

She looked at Chen Kuang and blinked her eyes, "It’s just right; now Zhou Kingdom’s focus is all on you, so I can bring forward some of my plans."

Chen Kuang smiled silently and nodded, "As long as I can help."

The Little Princess had her own plans, which was all the better.

Su Huaiying hesitated a little, then whispered, "There is something I must tell you."

Chen Kuang was taken aback, "What is it?"

Su Huaiying leaned closer to let him hear, and Chen Kuang lowered his head, hearing her say, "Before my mother left, she took away your corpse and said something to me."

Actually, at that time Chu Wen Ruo only made a few mouth shapes, but perhaps due to the mother-daughter bond, Su Huaiying immediately understood the meaning.

The Little Princess did not say anything further but instead held Chen Kuang’s hand and wrote eight characters on his palm:

"The sky is muddy, the earth is round, the sun and moon are false."

Chen Kuang was stunned, Su Huaiying had already released his hand and said, "I don’t know where my mother went, but I heard that beyond the Northern Plains, there is a land belonging to demon fiends, maybe you can find her there."

Chen Kuang took a deep breath, "Alright."

Su Huaiying stepped back two steps, Chen Kuang stood up, tied the white kerchief around his wrist, looked at Zhang Zhizhou and said:

"Before leaving, I have one more thing to do, I would like to ask Senior Brother Zhang to help me."

Zhang Zhizhou said, "Within my capability, I can."

Chen Kuang smiled and said, "It’s nothing troublesome, just ask Senior Brother Zhang to take me somewhere."

...

Chen Kuang and Zhang Zhizhou stood aloft, overlooking the mountains and rivers of Yang Kingdom below.

The winds stirred the clouds, and the gentle undulations of the mountains and the neatly arranged cities spread before them.

At this moment, the entire Yang Kingdom remained in chaos, yet still, some places were untouched by conflict.

The scene in Chen Kuang’s eyes was vastly different.

Within the mountains and rivers, vast amounts of Spiritual Qi continuously dispersed and coalesced, akin to a living creature breathing.

This was no illusion.

That Spiritual Qi nearly enveloped the entire Yang Kingdom, faintly revealing the elongated, coiled shape.

The mountains and rivers of Yang Kingdom were nurturing a true dragon.

The massive dragon-shaped Spiritual Qi’s head and tail were already visible, yet at the dragon’s head, the eyes had not yet formed, only a mist of Spiritual Qi.

And now, with the fires of war spreading across Yang Kingdom, the dragon-shaped Spiritual Qi was gradually fading.