Chapter 138: Chapter 125: Rout

The three of them talked all night.

Feng Junyi knew that after this parting, he didn’t know when he would meet Chu Lingguang and Lin Longde again. This was especially true for Chu Lingguang, who had placed first in the South City Daoist Examination, studied under Guo Wei, and mastered the resonance point for the Unity of Man and Gun.

He was extremely optimistic about Chu Lingguang’s future.

Regarding the Day and Night Breathing Technique, aside from not being able to teach it to them, he held nothing back, explaining everything he knew. He particularly emphasized that the key to the Day and Night Breathing Technique lay in the concept of “unobstructed flow.”

Both Chu Lingguang and Lin Longde were lost in thought.

The Breathing Techniques they cultivated were different—be it the Tidal Breathing Technique, the Basic Breathing Technique, or even the one Bao Zhenhai had passed down to Lin Longde—but they all emphasized “circulation.”

The concept of “unobstructed flow.”

Chu Lingguang had only encountered this principle within Heaven and Earth.

’I wonder if the ’unobstructed flow’ of the Day and Night Breathing Technique is the same as that of Heaven and Earth,’ he thought.

「The next day.」

Chu Lingguang and Lin Longde saw Feng Junyi off.

Under the leadership of Fan Zhibian, they set off for the Qiling Governor’s Mansion with the other candidates from Jin City.

During a rest stop along the way, Fan Zhibian summoned Chu Lingguang and Lin Longde and asked, “You two chatted with Feng Junyi all last night. What did he tell you?”

“Replying to Lord Fan, Lord Feng simply instructed us not to waste time once we arrive at the academy. He said we must remember every word the Academy Masters say.”

Lin Longde replied.

Coming from a Noble Family, he was used to dealing with high-ranking officials. Fan Zhibian asked a few more questions, and Lin Longde handled them all with ease.

Finally, Fan Zhibian took out two Qi Blood Pills and said, “I am not targeting you two. I have a personal grudge with Feng Junyi. Take these Qi Blood Pills. In the future, after you pass the examinations and serve the Court, you can choose to work under me. I can help you achieve great things.”

Chu Lingguang and Lin Longde glanced at each other.

It was unwise to make enemies in official circles.

’Fan Zhibian is giving us an opportunity. Should we accept or not?’

They both knew Fan Zhibian was doing this just to spite Feng Junyi. Of course, they also knew he recognized their potential; after all, very few people were selected to go to the academy for advanced training.

Passing the examinations in the future was a sure thing.

By offering this opportunity, he could pull them into his camp early and strengthen his own faction.

But if they accepted Fan Zhibian’s Qi Blood Pills, how could they explain it to Feng Junyi?

They had traveled with Feng Junyi for five days. He had offered them sincere guidance, and his goodwill was not something they could ignore.

So, Chu Lingguang was the first to speak. “Thank you for your kind intentions, Lord Fan. I will remember it.”

Lin Longde was taken aback. Then he saw that Chu Lingguang was standing still and hadn’t moved to take the Qi Blood Pill. His words were grateful, but his actions were a refusal, giving both sides a way to back down gracefully.

He swallowed all the clever words that had been on the tip of his tongue, sighed inwardly, and mimicked, “Same here.”

“HAHAHA.”

Fan Zhibian laughed out loud. “Lord Feng was right. Once you get to the academy, you must cultivate diligently.”

“Yes.”

Chu Lingguang and Lin Longde nodded in unison, then took their leave together.

“Lin.”

“Chu.”

After they had walked some distance away, they looked at each other with an unspoken understanding, feeling that their bond had grown even stronger.

They were both well aware of the pros and cons of Fan Zhibian’s recruitment attempt and hadn’t been swayed by it.

First, they knew that Fan Zhibian already had many talented people under him. If they joined him now, not only would they be looked down upon, but they also wouldn’t be given any significant responsibilities. After all, their backgrounds and innate talents were what they were.

The candidates from Jin City were too outstanding; the two of them couldn’t compare.

Second, they had just spent the entire previous night talking with Feng Junyi. Although there was no formal pact between them, they had formed an invisible bond. If that bond were broken by a few words from Fan Zhibian, all three of them would become laughingstocks. They wouldn’t gain any favor, either from Fan Zhibian or at the academy.

Rather than switching sides at a critical moment, it was better to align themselves firmly with Feng Junyi.

In any case, they both held official ranks. Fan Zhibian was just escorting them to the academy for further training. Their dealings with him once they became officials in the Court would be another matter entirely.

As for a smooth approach that wouldn’t offend either party, both Chu Lingguang and Lin Longde knew that Fan Zhibian and Feng Junyi were no fools. With their current strength, they weren’t capable of playing both sides.

Their only choice was to side with Feng Junyi while trying not to offend Fan Zhibian on the surface.

Word of their refusal to be recruited by Fan Zhibian gradually spread within their small circle. The Jin City candidates who had sided with Fan Zhibian all kept their distance from Chu Lingguang and his companion.

Even Chen Jin, Gao Yimu, and Qi Shiwei—individuals with astonishing talent and powerful backgrounds—made a point to keep their distance from Chu Lingguang and Lin Longde in Fan Zhibian’s presence, so as not to offend him.

All three knew that Fan Zhibian was high-ranking, powerful, petty, and held grudges. It wasn’t worth getting on his bad side for the sake of Chu Lingguang and Lin Longde.

The journey from Jin City to the Qiling Governor’s Mansion was three days long.

It took Fan Zhibian four days to get everyone there.

It was long said that the Qiling Governor’s Mansion was home to numerous Noble Families and produced one talent after another. Soldiers patrolled the city day and night. A man with the rank of Captain, like Yang Shaorong, was considered part of the upper echelon in the Qiling Governor’s Mansion. Even so, he had to act with caution, trying his best to avoid conflict with the Noble Families and simply focus on fulfilling his duties.

Fan Zhibian led the group straight to the academy.

These promising new candidates were the future hope of the Great Yuan Dynasty, and the people of the Governor’s Mansion took them very seriously. The academy had already made preparations to receive them, but Yang Shaorong was not present.

Chu Lingguang and Lin Longde saw that the academy was a large compound built on an island in the water. One had to take a boat to enter. The month-long advanced training would be a closed session, with no disturbances from outsiders.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep