People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 129, He Guanzi's Graduation Ceremony: Life Will Eventually Part Ways
After Nian Duan left Zhang Kaidi's residence with Duanmu Rong, Xu Qing gave Zhang Liang a few more instructions and then left with the bamboo slips.

After changing into casual clothes at home, Xu Qing went to the teahouse.

Pushing open the door to the room, Xu Qing called out as usual.
"teacher"

Before she could finish speaking, Xu Qing discovered that the room was empty, with no sign of He Guanzi.

"Huh? Why isn't the teacher here today?"

He Guanzi should usually be waiting for him in the room by this time. Xu Qing looked around the room suspiciously and finally saw a piece of cloth on the table.

Sitting down at the table, Xu Qing unfolded the cloth, revealing several words.

“My disciple Xu Qingwu: By the time you read this letter, your master will have already passed away. Please do not worry about me.”

"I came to Xinzheng to take you as my disciple and guide you into my Heavenly Sect. Now that you have achieved academic success and opened up a new path, I am gratified. However..."

As Xu Qing looked at the words on the bamboo slips, the smile on her face gradually disappeared. She lowered her head slightly to look at the letter, as if she could not believe its contents.

Xu Qing's face was covered by shadows, making it impossible to see his expression. His shoulders trembled slightly, revealing his unsettled inner world.

"Old Deng! You're leaving me here, but at least leave me my inheritance! You just left without a word, where am I supposed to inherit it?!"

Xu Qing looked indignant, her eyes filled with resentment.

Despite her resentment, Xu Qing continued reading.

"I promised to teach you the Heavenly Sect's techniques, and I will not go back on my word. There is a wooden box in the room containing three books of techniques, two volumes of cultivation methods, and several Taoist scriptures annotated by me."

"Your foundation is shallow, so you must not be greedy; this is only natural."

Xu Qing looked around and quickly found the wooden box left by He Guanzi. He took the letter and walked quickly to the box.

After opening the box, one's eyes are immediately drawn to the neatly arranged bamboo slips, with the names of the cultivation techniques written on the top five scrolls.

"A thousand rivers flow eastward, fish swim in the Northern Sea, and countless flowers fly in the air."

"The Thousand Rivers Flowing East and the Myriad Flowers Flying Down should be the techniques of the Autumn Waters of Ten Thousand Rivers and the Still Heart. The Fish in the Northern Sea is one of the supreme sword techniques of the Heavenly Sect, with immense power."

Xu Qing put down the three bamboo scrolls and looked at the two mental cultivation manuals. After seeing the names of the manuals, he was shocked.

"The world loses its color and all things return to spring? Teacher, you're not joking, are you?"

Xu Qing rubbed his eyes hard, staring at the two supreme cultivation methods of the Heavenly Sect and the Human Sect, his eyes filled with shock.

"What on earth is going on? Why did they leave me with both of these cultivation manuals?" Xu Qing looked at the two supreme cultivation manuals with a headache.

Although he longed for the martial arts techniques of Taoism, he also knew the principle of gradual progress. These two supreme techniques were not something he could learn at his current level.

Moreover, this "Rejuvenation of All Things" is the supreme mental cultivation method of the Human Sect. How did he, a former sect leader of the Heavenly Sect, obtain it?
"Hmm, it seems that my teacher is the only one who has combined the two major schools of Heaven and Man into one, creating the Heaven and Man School. Since he has taken away the humanistic doctrines, it doesn't seem that the cultivation methods are any difficult thing." Xu Qing thought to himself.

Although the Heavenly Sect and the Human Sect have supposedly separated, both are actually located on Mount Taiyi, and they are even adjacent to each other, making their relationship complex and intertwined.

Looking at the cloth in his hand, Xu Qing finally understood why He Guanzi had left him these two mental cultivation techniques.

"The Tai Chi you created, although it has a domain, is still imperfect. My Heavenly Sect's loss of color in the heavens and earth and the Human Sect's rejuvenation of all things are mutually reinforcing and restraining, just like Yin and Yang. I hope you can take its essence and perfect yourself."

"There are my annotations inside the bamboo slips; you can study them on your own."

"You must be careful and cautious when you serve as an official in the court. If you really get into trouble, take the token left by your master and go to your senior brother. He will handle everything for you."

Xu Qing took out the token from the box. The token was made entirely of bronze and had the character "Pang" on it. It was obviously the military token of his senior brother, the Zhao State general whom he had never met.

"What's this? If something really happens, don't mention my name. Just go find your senior brother."

Xu Qing chuckled helplessly, her eyes slightly reddening as she looked at the graduation gift that He Guanzi had meticulously prepared for her.

Although the two did not spend much time together, He Guanzi taught him everything without reservation, not only instructing him in classics and martial arts, but also imparting various experiences to him.

Now that the other party has left without a word, Xu Qing still feels somewhat sad.

"Hey, Lao Deng, you'd better go back to Xinzheng before you die, otherwise you won't even have anyone to collect your body and mourn you."

Xu Qing held the cloth in one hand and looked at the token in the other, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

After taking a deep breath, Xu Qing continued to look at the fabric.

"Besides these, there's a box inside the trunk containing what you want."

"What do I want?"

Xu Qing rummaged through the box and finally found the box that He Guanzi had mentioned. With a nervous heart, he opened the box, and Xu Qing's eyes were filled with astonishment.

Inside the box were several jade and silver needles, which he had lost during his fierce battle with the elders of the Yin-Yang family. Beneath the needles was a mask.

Upon seeing the bronze bird beak, Xu Qing immediately recognized it as the mask worn by the vulture.

"Old Deng, what am I supposed to say?"

Xu Qing chuckled, his heart filled with emotion. Now he understood everything. The first-class opportunity he had sought at Zilan Pavilion was thanks to He Guanzi. When Chu Nan Gong suddenly appeared, it wasn't that he was lucky enough to escape, but rather that He Guanzi had scared him away.

As for the vulture, it may have escaped to its safe haven, but the pheasant-crowned king followed closely and disposed of the man.

But in order to make him feel a sense of crisis and study harder, they deliberately destroyed the corpse so that he would think the vulture was still alive.

His teacher was truly dedicated and impeccable, and wholeheartedly devoted to him.

As Xu Qing continued to look at the cloth in his hand, he seemed to see He Guanzi himself standing in front of him, saying goodbye.

"I don't know when we will meet again, so please don't worry. You have your own path to walk, and I have my own mission to fulfill."

"Let me tell you something. The problem with your Shenque acupoint is not due to a flaw in the technique, but rather a lie I told you. In reality, it's just the injury from your hard-hitting the skull blood handprint."

"You'll definitely start cursing when you see this, but it's alright, after all, I lied to you first."

"After this parting, I don't know if we will ever meet again. If anything happens that I cannot do, I will seek out my senior brother."

"Pang Nuan is powerless, so he returns to Mount Taiyi. Take care in this life. May your path be smooth and free from all taboos."

"Teacher, this is a note from He Guanzi."

Looking at the cloth in her hand, Xu Qing did not show the anger and frustration that He Guanzi had expected upon learning that she had been deceived. Instead, she wore a helpless smile, her eyes were red, and her nose twitched.

Xu Qing placed the cloth on top of the box and knelt down respectfully before it, as if the box itself were the pheasant crown.

"Even at the end, you didn't forget to give me a lesson. I've learned a lot from this lesson!"

"Take care on your journey, sir. If you feel weary, please come back to me so that I can fulfill my filial duty."

Xu Qing kowtowed to the wooden box and remained there for a long time, his shoulders trembling slightly.

This box of gifts contained everything from cultivation techniques to scriptures, as well as a backup plan for him—everything imaginable.

Having such a mentor, Xu Qing felt that this was the greatest blessing of her life.

At this time, in the mountains and forests dozens of miles outside Xinzheng City.

He Guanzi moved swiftly through the mountains and forests as if he were an immortal riding on clouds. Suddenly, as if sensing something, he turned around and looked in the direction of Xinzheng City.

"This kid, is he moved to tears?"

"Alright, alright, let's hurry up and leave. What if this brat recovers and tries to betray his master and ancestors?"

He Guanzi shook his head slightly, a hint of sadness flashing in his eyes, and then turned and continued walking.

Although he had only spent a short time with Xu Qing, Xu Qing was his favorite disciple, not only because of Xu Qing's talent, but also because Xu Qing exuded a carefree and easygoing nature.

He doesn't have to be overly cautious and careful in serving someone just because they are a teacher, nor does he overstep or offend them; this is something that can only be done with respect that comes from within.

He originally planned to teach Xu Qing for a longer period of time, but Xu Qing had already found his own path, and his presence as a teacher was only an obstacle, so he decisively left.

Moreover, he also had his own things to do, to deal with the unresolved issues from back then, and to help Xu Qing resolve some of her worries.

It wasn't just him who could see Xu Qing's identity; many people in the world could as well, which inevitably led some to harbor ill intentions towards him.

She reached out and touched the pheasant feathers on her headdress, and the pheasant-crowned pheasant sang a loud song as her figure gradually disappeared into the woods.

Inside the teahouse, Xu Qing reinserted the jade silver needles into her waistband; of the original twenty-four needles, only twenty-three remained.

"The missing one must have been taken away by that Yin Yang family elder. If we want to get it back, we'll have to reach the level of our own teacher and conquer the Nine Palaces Divine Capital Mountain," Xu Qing thought.

However, once you truly reach that level, these silver needles become dispensable.

"The teacher left in such a hurry that I didn't even get to ask him the real reason why we attacked Jiugong Shendu Mountain. What a pity, I missed such good gossip."

Xu Qing looked regretful. For someone who enjoys entertainment, such secret stories were exactly what he wanted to hear.

However, He Guanzi has already left. If he has the chance to meet him again in the future, he can ask him then.

Looking around the room again, a touch of sadness appeared in Xu Qing's eyes.

The scenes of his meeting with He Guanzi, becoming his disciple, and learning from him in the past flashed before his eyes, as if it were just yesterday, but in the blink of an eye, it was all over.

"Life is full of encounters, and all gatherings must eventually come to an end. If a disciple cannot leave his teacher, he will find it difficult to make any progress in this life. The important thing is to face everything on his own."

After sighing, Xu Qing carefully checked the room and, finding nothing left behind, picked up the suitcase and headed outside.

After settling the bill with the teahouse owner, Xu Qing left the teahouse.

Looking at the sunset on the horizon, Xu Qing understood that from today onwards, he would embark on a new path.

Despite the countless difficulties and obstacles ahead, he could only continue on his path, so as not to let himself down or to betray the careful guidance he had received from He Guanzi.

(End of this chapter)