Cultivation: Fortune by Lots-Chapter 397 - 228. The Third Rank May Expand Opportunities, Balance of Motion and Stillness (Combined Chapter)

Chapter 397: 228. The Third Rank May Expand Opportunities, Balance of Motion and Stillness (Combined Chapter)

At last, another best lot arrived—Lei Jun was delighted.

But the way the lot’s fortune was described piqued his curiosity.

*At the moment, even though his mind wandered with curiosity, Lei Jun kept his face perfectly calm, merely reminding his fellow sect brother, Chu Kun,* "This visit from the Crown Prince to the mountain, though its timing is delicate, shouldn’t bring any major trouble."

Chu Kun pondered the words, "Her Majesty the Empress currently has neither reason nor need to harm her own nephew—true enough. Even if she intended to act against the Crown Prince, she wouldn’t pick this moment. But what about other people?"

Lei Jun said, "If the Crown Prince and the Emperor weren’t on the same side, anyone trying to touch the Crown Prince would first have to deal with the Qingzhou Ye Clan.

If the Crown Prince and the Emperor were united, then the noble families and houses wouldn’t act right now, they’d pick another time instead."

Chu Kun said, "Are we guarding against the Tang Imperial Court trying to draw the snakes from the cave?"

Lei Jun replied, "Nothing too big should happen, but smaller schemes—no way to get inside our sect’s Ancestral Courtyard, so more likely they’d plot somewhere outside the mountain. Hell, maybe they’d shout ’stop thief’ just to cover their own tracks."

Chu Kun sighed, "These troubled times are a real headache—the unrest in the Southern Wildernes and the South hasn’t settled yet."

*Though he complained, he understood that, more often than not, fresh turmoil arose precisely because the last storm hadn’t passed, giving trouble-makers their chance to stir things up.*

*If everyone truly rested, gathering their strength and setting their defenses, there’d be far fewer attacks.*

*So in the end, it was often all quiet until—when something did happen—it came down like a thunderous chain reaction.*

*Chu Kun, careful as he was, still hadn’t attained the legendary composure of Senior Brother Wang Guiyuan at his peak.*

*Hearing Lei Jun’s sensible remarks, Chu Kun opted to remain on the mountain, setting aside the idea of wandering, and continued to focus on his own tasks.*

*Either way, if true disaster ever struck, whether on the mountain or elsewhere, he always had another Pure Land waiting as refuge...*

*Lei Jun likewise found peace in his own cultivation, his heart undisturbed by outside affairs.*

About half a month later, the Crown Prince of Great Tang, Zhang Hui, formally ascended Dragon Tiger Mountain.

The Crown Prince’s journey from the Capital City was high-profile in and of itself. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Yet, on the whole, his party traveled with minimal fanfare—few attendants, simple procession.

Of course, for safety’s sake, several top tier masters accompanied the group.

Shangguan Ning personally welcomed them, as was only fitting. Zhang Hui’s previous stop had been the Mount Shu Sect, with elders of the Upper Three Heavens from the Taoist Sect escorting him to the outskirts of Dragon Tiger Mountain; after meeting with Shangguan Ning, they returned to Mount Shu.

Within the Prince’s party, there were Tang Imperial Court experts in tow as well.

"Master Lei, I’ve heard your name for years." A refined, elegantly dressed middle-aged man greeted Lei Jun.

Lei Jun gave a formal Taoist salute, "Your Highness, you honor me."

The man was a member of the imperial family, named Zhang Mu, hereditary Prince Xun’an, a Great Scholar in the Seventh Layer of Heaven Realm who cultivated the Confucian path.

Over the years, the Tang Imperial Court had arranged companions of similar age to study and cultivate alongside the Crown Prince Zhang Hui.

Among them was Prince Xun’an Zhang Mu’s son, Zhang Ziye.

Besides Zhang Ziye, the members of the entourage intrigued him.

There were people from the Qingzhou Ye Clan, and from the Shangguan Clan as well.

No need to examine the Crown Prince’s retinue reports—even just looking at the Crown Prince’s personal reader group revealed so much about how... ’well’ things were in the Eastern Palace of Great Tang.

The Crown Prince Zhang Hui himself, though, seemed radiant and poised, graceful in bearing, warm and charismatic, talent shining through.

Having reached Dragon Tiger Mountain, of course he must pay respects to the Current Celestial Master.

*For such face-giving occasions, Celestial Master Tang always delighted in hosting.*

*Yet spending too long on social niceties wasn’t her favorite pastime nor her forte.*

*So after making a brief appearance, she delegated the responsibility of entertaining His Highness to Shangguan Ning and the other elders.*

*Celestial Master Tang went right back to contemplating her Pure Yang Immortal Thunder and Pure Yang True Fire.*

*With Yuan Mobai still in seclusion, only Shangguan Ning and Yao Yuan remained as high merit elders on Dragon Tiger Mountain; the affairs were too many to leave all to Yao Yuan alone.*

*Thus, although Shangguan Ning bore the main duty of hosting, it was impossible for her to keep the Eastern Palace retinue company at all hours.*

*When Shangguan Ning was absent, the other elders accompanied Crown Prince Zhang Hui as he toured the mountain’s scenic spots.*

Lin Shan was still in the Capital City.

Zhang Jingzhen was in seclusion.

Lei Jun, as chief elder and steward of the Edict Hall, usually had a relaxed schedule; so, even without actively vying for the job, this role fell into his lap.

"This place is called Ganoderma Terrace. It was in ruins for many years, but thanks to the recent surges of global Spiritual Qi and the changes in the earth veins, about twenty years ago it at last began to revive, and in the past few years has returned to its former grandeur."

Acting as guide was Shangguan Hong, who, like Lei Jun, had entered the Celestial Master Mansion through the Transcension Ritual in the same year.

Due to his family background and the lineage of his master, he’d also been assigned to accompany the Eastern Palace group.

For the moment, he did the explaining, while Crown Prince Zhang Hui and his band of companions followed with eager curiosity.

Lei Jun, along with Prince Xun’an Zhang Mu and the scholars, guests, and officials of the Eastern Palace, tagged along at a leisurely pace, all wearing polite smiles.

"Ganoderma Terrace revived, and the Celestial Master Mansion flourished anew," Prince Xun’an Zhang Mu said with a gentle smile, "It would seem all this was predestined, foreshadowed long ago."

"Besides the surges in global Spiritual Qi, we owe much to the protection of several Great Tang emperors over multiple generations," Lei Jun added, gazing at Ganoderma Terrace.

Back then, not long after first entering the Celestial Master Mansion, he was just a Tao Boy listening in at the Tao Boy Court.

At the time of Ganoderma Terrace’s transformation, radiant Gold Ganoderma and Purple-Gold Ganoderma appeared. By coincidence, Lei Jun obtained the latter, so that with his then-average root bone, he began to truly embark on rapid cultivation.

*To think, nearly twenty years had passed already since then.*

Zhang Mu remarked, "The Taoist masters of Dragon Tiger Mountain have contributed much to the nation—Imperial Court fully acknowledges that."

"Great Tang’s destiny lies with the heavens—those of us who walk the Tao must act accordingly," Lei Jun replied casually, chatting with no psychological burden whatsoever.