Chapter 110: Ancient Language Translation

It was clear that the Third Elder held the Daoist Buyu in high esteem; perhaps it was a universal truth that a man envied most what he himself lacked.

Having taken his leave of the Third Elder, Lu Yang made his way to the Peak of the Gentleman.

This was the domain of the Fourth Elder, a place of refined elegance and refreshing coolness, where an eternal summer reigned. Everywhere one looked, there were pavilions and winding brooks, and the bamboo stalks grew straight and emerald-green. It was instantly recognizable as a sanctuary where scholars and poets would linger to compose their verses; indeed, Lu Yang would not have been in the least surprised if one of the stalks suddenly opened its mouth to recite the words of the sages.

Having witnessed all manner of bizarre and eccentric wonders within the Seeking Dao Sect, Lu Yang’s mental fortitude had been forged to an exceptionally formidable degree.

He even spotted black-and-white iron-eating beasts rolling lazily through the mountains, while senior disciples drank and made merry, unleashing the ink and brush from their souls. They splashed ink onto parchment to create paintings, and then promptly slipped into the canvases themselves to sport with the painted figures, completely free and unconstrained.

An iron-eating beast nudged Lu Yang, nearly sending him tumbling head over heels. It was merely playing, but Lu Yang had business to attend to. After much cajoling and gentle pleading, the creature finally allowed him to leave, presenting him with a half-gnawed stalk of bamboo as a parting gift.

"Greetings, Senior Brother. Might I ask where the Fourth Elder can be found?" Lu Yang asked respectfully, standing before a painting with the half-eaten bamboo in hand. This senior brother's mastery of the Dao of Painting was terrifyingly profound, reaching a realm that almost blurred the line between illusion and reality.

Hearing Lu Yang’s call, the artist disciple leaned halfway out of the canvas. "Who are you?"

"I am Lu Yang."

Upon hearing the name, the artist disciple gasped in sudden realization. "Ah, I know you. The newcomer, Lu Yang—Yun Zhi’s disciple."

"...It was Eldest Senior Sister who accepted me on our master's behalf. I am the disciple of the Daoist Buyu," Lu Yang corrected earnestly.

"My name is Ji Hongwen. I entered the Seeking Dao Sect in the same generation as the Eldest Senior Sister, and I am the Fourth Elder’s eldest disciple." This senior brother bore no air of arrogance, showing no disdain for Lu Yang’s low cultivation level.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Ji," Lu Yang said, pleasantly surprised. He had not expected Ji Hongwen to belong to the same generation as the Eldest Senior Sister.

He only knew that Dai Bufan belonged to that generation—the most senior among all the disciples, whose cultivation was scarcely inferior to that of the elders themselves. Dai Bufan handled affairs so reliably that the Grand Elder was completely at ease, and he held immense prestige among the disciples. To think he would encounter another such figure here.

By extension, this Senior Brother Ji’s cultivation could not possibly be weak.

These grand figures, who would be nowhere to be found across entire cities and prefectures in the outside world, were common sights within the Seeking Dao Sect.

"You wish to see Master? Come, he should be instructing his students at this moment." Ji Hongwen floated entirely out of the painting, and with a crook of his finger, another figure materialized within the frame.

Only then did Lu Yang notice that Ji Hongwen had not been alone in the painting; there was also an exquisitely beautiful woman.

She looked like a lady stepping out of a water town south of the Yangtze River, her cheeks brushed with a faint crimson blush. She was gentle, elegant, her smile like a blooming flower, her eyes conveying deep affection. Her countenance could truly be called peerless, and her attire was daringly revealing—enough to make an innocent young boy like Lu Yang blush.

"Haha, is she beautiful? I painted her myself. Shall I paint one for you as well? She can keep you company when you sleep at night," Ji Hongwen teased. Hearing this, Lu Yang shook his head repeatedly.

He needed to preserve his vital essence.

The beautiful woman clung to Ji Hongwen’s arm, gazing at him with eyes full of tender devotion.

What Lu Yang did not know was that more people desired to learn this particular technique of Ji Hongwen's than those who wished to learn the Third Elder's "Six Forms of Heaven-Shaking."

Led by Ji Hongwen, Lu Yang arrived deep within the bamboo grove, where a private schoolhouse unexpectedly stood. Inside the schoolhouse was the Fourth Elder, acting as a model teacher; Mangu, who resembled a piece of rotten wood that defied carving; and various ordinary passersby listening intently to the lecture.

The Fourth Elder was currently explaining the commentary of an ancient text: "...Looking southwest from the pool, the stream twists like the Dipper and moves like a crawling serpent, now visible, now hidden. Its banks are jagged like dog's teeth, and its source cannot be known... Come, Mangu, translate this. What is the meaning of 'Its banks are jagged like dog's teeth, and its source cannot be known'?"

Mangu lowered his head, thought seriously for a long moment, and said in a tone of absolute certainty: "There are two dogs fighting by the riverbank, and nobody knows why."

The Fourth Elder silently closed the ancient book, rolled up his sleeves, and produced a ferule.

Just as he was about to strike the back of Mangu's hand, he recalled the earnest teachings of the sages—to teach without discrimination, and to instruct according to the student's ability.

He had witnessed Mangu’s diligent efforts to learn; the boy was fundamentally a good child. This translation must have been an anomaly. He would ask a simpler question; if the boy answered correctly, there would be no need to strike him, providing a graceful way out.

"What is the meaning of the phrase, 'Are kings, dukes, generals, and ministers destined by birth'?"

According to historical records, when the Great Yu Dynasty collapsed a hundred thousand years ago, the nobility of Great Yu stood up and raised their banners high, vowing to reunite the world and restore the dynasty's rule.

The people believed implicitly in the concept of bloodlines, holding that the lineage of the Great Yu Dynasty was inherently noble. The nobility’s rhetoric won over a vast portion of the populace.

However, the ancestor of the Xia Emperor, having suffered deeply under the poison of the nobility, knew exactly how rotten they were to their core. High and mighty, coveting pleasure, they knew nothing of the hardships of the common folk, nor the difficulties of cultivation. Each had been nurtured on heavenly materials and earthly treasures since childhood, their cultivations soaring until they themselves were practically walking treasures. If such people were to establish a new Great Yu Dynasty, it would soon rot away.

As a man of vision, the ancestor of the Xia Emperor raised his arms and cried out to the masses: "Are kings, dukes, generals, and ministers destined by birth?" It became a famous quote through the ages, passed down for eternity.

Even Mangu, who hailed from the Barbarian Tribe, had heard this phrase, and he felt the utmost admiration for the courage of the Xia Emperor’s ancestor.

"The meaning of this sentence is: Kings, dukes, generals, and ministers, do you have the guts?"

The room erupted into a roar of laughter.

The Fourth Elder hesitated no longer. He raised the ruler and struck the back of the hand, causing Mangu to grimace in pain.

Mangu genuinely could not understand where he had gone wrong. For the ancestor of the Xia Emperor to provoke the nobility to their faces required immense courage.

Could the phrase not mean that?

Standing at the doorway, Lu Yang listened to the lesson in silence, mourning for Mangu for three seconds.

Seeing this scene, Ji Hongwen shook his head and laughed softly. "I truly do not know what Junior Brother Mangu is thinking. As a member of the Ancient Barbarian Tribe, instead of learning the Third Elder's ultimate techniques, he chose to study under Master. He has taken no small number of beatings this past year."

"However, I noticed that since he returned from this recent mission, his mind seems sharper than before. Do you know why?"

Lu Yang shook his head; how could he possibly know.

"By the way, the way the Fourth Elder strikes the back of the hand seems to contain a specific rhythm. Is it just my imagination?" Sensing Senior Brother Ji’s suspicious gaze, Lu Yang quickly changed the subject.

Senior Brother Ji looked at Lu Yang with a hint of surprise. "You did not misinterpret it. This is actually a method to stimulate the bloodline, but it is so agonizingly painful that few can endure it. Master is using this method to activate the Ancient Barbarian bloodline within Junior Brother Mangu. By the way, do not mention this to him."

Lu Yang nodded.

"Once Master finishes his class, you may approach him."

With that, Senior Brother Ji took the beautiful woman by the hand and departed.

Time spent in a classroom always stretched on endlessly. Lu Yang listened from the doorway; though the Fourth Elder spoke for only fifteen minutes, to Lu Yang, it felt as though several hours had passed.

Finally, the Fourth Elder concluded his lesson and encountered the inquisitive Lu Yang.

"You are asking what kind of person the unprincipled, trouble-making, utterly wicked Ninth Brother is?"

Lu Yang: "..."

Thank you, I believe I already know exactly what kind of person my master is.