Chancellor Ba Shan wore a grey colored mink fur overcoat and walked out with a wine gourd that was half a human height in his hand. Raising his head to gulp a few mouthfuls of wine, he gave a burp and threw the wine gourd to the green bull and asked, "Who dare to steal from my vegetable garden? Pretty big guts eh."
The green bull drank a few mouthfuls of wine from the gourd and gave a drunk hiccup, burping out the smell of herbs and wine, "No idea. It's a dim-witted looking foolish boy which brought a fox along."
Chancellor Ba Shan looked like he was thinking and said, "So it's that boy from Great Ruins. He even dares to provoke my little bull bull and steal my vegetable, how wild and unbridled. I've got it. You shall stay here to look after my vegetable garden in case the vegetables get stolen again."
Qin Mu returned to the front of the mountain and touched the bruises on his face. His expression was ever varying, "This bull, I can't fight it but I can instead drug it to knock it out. Grandpa Apothecary had said, if you can't win, use poison. I just need to tie up its hooves and it won't be able to retaliate… Patriarch, how come you're here?"
In front of Qin Mu was a straw hut with two to three rooms, which was very simple. This straw hut was beside a mountain and a river which made it very elegant and calm. He could see the young patriarch sitting in the courtyard washing his bowls, which meant that he should have just been done with his meal. Beside him was a white-haired elder who was used a loofah to scrub the pot.
Qin Mu had seen this elder before and he was the Elder of Discipline for Heavenly Devil Cult.
Even though the young patriarch might be the empire's grand chancellor of Imperial College and had a distinguished position, he had no servants or servant girls to serve him and only had Elder of Discipline at his side.
The young patriarch and Elder of Discipline saw him and Hu Ling'er but they didn't rise and continued with their chores. Elder of Discipline smiled, "Patriarch lives here. Young Cult Master has never come here before?"
Qin Mu shook his head and stood outside to bow before walking in.
Elder of Discipline greeted Qin Mu and Qin Mu hurriedly returned his greeting before walking over to the basin to help the young patriarch to wash the bowls with a smile, "Patriarch being the grand chancellor, why are you living poorly?"
The young patriarch grabbed a towel to wipe his hands and said, "I'm used to idling and can't stay in tall and majestic palaces. Elder of Discipline didn't live here before. I called him over, it's just that I'm getting old, implicating him to suffer with me."
Qin Mu looked at Elder of Discipline and he gave a smile, "I also want to have some peace for a few days as well, this place is just right."
The young patriarch smiled, "Young Cult Master, after you ascend, I'll still have to borrow Elder of Discipline for a few years and let him travel around with me. When I'm dead, it would be easier for him to collect my corpse. Our sacred cult leaves no corpse behind. Death is like an extinguished lamp and only ashes are left. When that time comes, Elder of Discipline would bring my ashes back."
Qin Mu fell silent and felt a sourness in his heart.
A hero past his prime.
Even being as strong as Village Chief, as strong as the young patriarch, couldn't prevent being born, growing old, getting sick and dying. All their hot bloodedness and strong heart would always be eroded by the passing time, turning them into corpses covered by the yellow soil.
The young patriarch looked at him and said, "An old monk and a young monk have come to the bottom of the mountain."
Qin Mu nodded his head and used his Vermillion Bird Vital Qi to dry up the water on his hands after he was done with washing. Elder of Discipline hanged the wok after he was done and brought over a tea set as he planned to brew some tea. Hu Ling'er ran over to help.
"I know. I've heard that the monk below came from Great Thunderclap Monastery. I went to take a look at them and I recognized the old monk. I had seen him in Great Ruins before and heard Grandpa Ma say that he was his senior brother, and his name was Jing Ming or something."
Qin Mu thought for awhile and didn't dare to confirm if it was this name, "As of the little monk, I haven't seen him before. I think he's the Fozi of Great Thunderclap Monastery."
Hu Ling'er strenuously poured tea for them though she was a little short and not as high as the teapoy. Elder of Discipline immediately took over the teapot and placed it on the tea set. He then carried the little fox and placed her on the rattan chair at the side with a smile, "Let me do it."
The young patriarch continued to stare at him and said, "They are blocking the mountain gate of our Imperial College."
Qin Mu replied, "They have already blocked it half a day. I ran over to see the commotion and the abilities of this Fozi are indeed powerful. Rulai's Mahayana Sutras, Victorious Strife Skills, Diamond Unbreakable Body, Rulai's Stupa, Mahayana Nirvana Mudra, Eighteen Arhats Mudra. Patriarch, did I have some misunderstanding to our Imperial College?"
The young patriarch was bewildered, "What misunderstanding?"
"Are we actually very weak?"
Qin Mu was puzzled, "Why do we get beaten and why does our gate get blocked every day? Our gate has been blocked twice not long after I entered the school. if it was in my Great Ruins, we would have seized them and beat them up long ago."
The young patriarch replied angrily, "I'm not talking about this. What I meant is Fozi Fo Xin has arrived so why didn't you go to meet him but went to the rear mountain instead?"
Qin Mu smiled, "Who said I didn't go? I had gone over then came back from the mountain gate before going to the rear mountains. It was pretty bustling over at the mountain gate."
The young patriarch flew into a fury and Elder of Discipline immediately served up the tea. Patriarch drank the tea in the cup in one mouth and was ready to blow up after putting the cup down when Elder of Discipline hurriedly poured him another cup.
The young patriarch suppressed his anger and said, "The other scholars of Imperial College have already gone up to face the Fozi so why aren't you going?"
"Patriarch, I just beat the Daozi not long ago. Furthermore, I got injured."
Qin Mu lamented, "Daozi even stabbed a hole in my hand, you see… Eh, where's the scar? Anyway, I'm hurting, very serious internal injuries. Since I have fought a round, let Fozi fight whoever he likes. I'm going to heal my injuries. Look, my face is still swollen. If you didn't even stand out for your young cult master who got beaten by a bull, why should I stand out for Imperial College?"
Elder of Discipline gave a cough and reminded, "Patriarch, the tea has cooled."
"It doesn't cool this fast!"
The young patriarch slammed the table and sneered, "So what do you want? To invite Imperial Preceptor over again to impart his experience? I have already invited him once if I invite him again, where would I throw my old face to? Who else do you want me to invite? The emperor?"
Qin Mu's heart leaped slightly and tried to sound out, "Can the emperor come to Imperial College to give a lecture?"
The young patriarch raised his head to drink the tea and even ate the tea leaves to quench his anger, laughing sarcastically, "Drop your intentions, it's impossible for the emperor to come to Imperial College to give a lecture! It's fine to profess devotion only when in trouble once but to do it twice? I don't have such a big face!"
Qin Mu replied resentfully, "Patriarch, Daozi of Dao Sect and Fozi of Great Thunderclap Monastery have already come to block the gate so I'm thinking since two of the three biggest sects have arrived, should we Heavenly Saint Cult also show our face and block the gate of Imperial College as well? I as the young cult master, should go forward to block the gate of Imperial College, to strengthen our cult's might…"
The young patriarch slammed the table and suddenly rose up. The teapoy swayed from getting slammed while Elder of Discipline quickly blocked him and pacified, "Patriarch calm down, calm down! Young Cult Master is still a kid and there's no need to be angry at him! Calm down!"
The young patriarch laughed from extreme anger, "Rascal, do you think there's no one in Imperial College who can defeat Fozi other than you?"
Qin Mu smiled, "There should be, but that was in the past. Now, these people have all graduated from Imperial College and no longer students of Imperial College. If Patriarch wants the paths and skills to flourish, you will have to invite the people who have left Imperial College to become high officials back and ask them to teach. You will also need to invite the first ranking high officials of the imperial court over, asking them to teach their paths, skills and divine arts."
The young patriarch gave a sigh and shook his head, "The current first ranking officials are mostly existences like cult masters, sect leaders. Other than that the rest are masters of their own aristocratic families so how would they teach the secrets of their learning to all the people in the world? I understand what you mean but I'm about to retire and have no mood to revitalize Imperial College. This will have to be handled by the next grand chancellor. It's just that I have no idea whom the emperor and Imperial Preceptor would arrange to be this grand chancellor. Are you really not going to fight Fozi? Do you think you aren't a match for him?"
Qin Mu shook his head and was rather conceited, "I'm the Overlord Body, there's no difference between beating Daozi and Fozi to me."
"Overlord Body?"
The young patriarch was bewildered and slightly at a loss, "There's still something called Overlord Body in this world?"
Elder of Discipline shook his head, "I've not heard it before."
Qin Mu was overflowing with confidence and even the young patriarch was shocked seeing this kind of invincible conviction. With a tone that held disdain for the world, he said, "Village Chief had personally said I was the one and only Overlord Body and only I could cultivate Overlord Body Three Elixir Technique."
"So it was that old fellow. He is still the more knowledgeable one."
The young patriarch shoot him a glance and asked, "Are you really not going? Even if you don't go, I'll still have people who can force Fozi to retreat!"
Qin Mu blinked his eyes innocently and sounded out, "Patriarch plans to disguise yourself as a youth to go forward?"
The young patriarch lifted his tea up and shouted, "Quickly drink your tea and scram!"
Qin Mu drank his tea and brought Hu Ling'er to leave. However, he gave some thought and moved back again to ask, "Patriarch, we can't keep getting our gate blocked by others, why not we go and block other people's gates?"
"Are you going to do it?"
"Is the emperor coming to give a lecture?"
"Scram!"
"Understood."
…
"This rascal, he won't even help out when there's no benefit."
The young patriarch shook his head while Elder of Discipline smiled, "Young Cult Master doesn't have much feelings to Imperial College, therefore, he wouldn't exert himself easily. Furthermore, ain't Patriarch feeling very happy as well?"
Patriarch laughed out loud and said, "This brat loves to amuse me. As expected of the one that was taught by those old fellows. The old man of Disabled Elderly Village is indeed extraordinary, I didn't even know there's such thing as an Overlord Body in this world and he could even recognize it. When I retire from being the grand chancellor, let's go and find him to have a chat. However, Young Cult Master is right, it isn't the way to keep getting blocked by others so we might as well block other people's gates. Don't they want to rebel? We'll smack their faces off first and make them have no face to rebel!"
Elder of Discipline reminded him, "Patriarch, you still have two months before you retire."
The young patriarch sighed and replied, "I can only let other people to handle this matter. The emperor is already looking for the next grand chancellor. Who do you think will take up the post?"
Elder of Discipline shook his head and said, "How would I know? However, I feel that the emperor would choose someone from the lower first ranking high officials. Even though the empire's grand chancellor is only a third-ranking official, this position is too important and needs to be administered by the emperor's trusted aide."
In the imperial palace, Emperor Yanfeng was reading through the memorials when a eunuch suddenly reported in a fine voice, "Your Majesty, Lord Gu has arrived."
"Let him in." Emperor Yanfeng didn't even lift his head.
"I, your servant Gu Linuan, pay my respects to Your Majesty!"
Emperor Yanfeng raised his head and look at Gu Linuan who was bowing in the hall. Placing his brush down, he said, "Lord Gu, you had been missing dozens of years ago and was rescued by Little General Qin. Logically speaking, I should have assigned an official position to you. But it is not a minor guilt being missing for so many years and even losing the sword of the imperial court. You can not get away with it. Even if I want to select you for promotion, I will feel even more pressure. However, I have still decided to stand my ground against the opinion of the masses and put you in an important position."
Gu Linuan was surprised and delighted.
"The empire's Grand Chancellor of Imperial College is a position of utmost importance. Grand Chancellor will be retiring and I have asked him to leave office two months later so that I can look for talents. I have found you and I hope you won't disappoint me!"
"I will definitely offer my life in sacrifice and spare no effort in the performance of my duty till my dying day!"
Emperor Yanfeng raised his brush and continued to read through the memorials, "You don't need to offer your life in sacrifice. If you disappointed me, I would behead you. You may withdraw."
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