Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

“Today is a big gathering of Tianwu Academy. They have one like this every week, so it’s not strange. Besides, you’ll have a hard time seeing anyone running around the courtyard.” Wen Chong ignored Li Xiuchen’s displeasure and continued to answer his questions.

"A large gathering? You can..." Li Xiuchen was about to ask his question after hearing Wen Chong's words, but he stopped halfway through, waving his hand to show that he didn't want to ask any more questions. Wen Chong, who was next to Li Xiuchen, glanced at him silently and then remained silent.

"Holy Buddha, Holy Buddha, are you there? Are you there? Come out quickly, I have something to ask you." Li Xiuchen glanced at Wen Chong and then ignored him. He felt that if he continued talking to Wen Chong like this, he might suffer internal injuries from holding it in. Therefore, Li Xiuchen decided to find out what was going on from the Holy Buddha.

"Alright, I'm here. You don't need to call me like I'm dying." After a while, the Holy Buddha spoke, his voice sounding very lazy.

"Holy Buddha, I think..."

"Alright, you don't need to think about it anymore. I know what you're going to ask. I'm not deaf or blind." Before Li Xiuchen could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the Holy Buddha in a somewhat impatient tone.

"I know you want to ask about the current situation, right? Don't worry, everything's fine, you're safe, don't fret. As for the gathering at Tianwu that Wen Chong mentioned, it's a weekly gathering held by Tianwu. It mainly allows some of the academy's top experts to answer questions from Tianwu students about martial arts, cultivation, techniques, and so on."

"The reason for this scene of everyone crowding the streets is quite simple. If you were in this situation, and an old demon were to be your teacher, would you go to listen or watch? So this phenomenon is quite common, nothing surprising. Alright, that's all, goodbye." Before Li Xiuchen could react, the Holy Buddha had already disappeared.

"Hey, Holy Buddha!" ​​By the time Li Xiuchen came to his senses, it was too late to call out to the Holy Buddha. Li Xiuchen could only shake his head helplessly.

“Before we go find that person, let’s go to that gathering first. It’ll be a good opportunity for me to broaden my horizons,” Li Xiuchen suggested to Wen Chong after he understood the situation.

“Okay, then let’s go this way.” Wen Chong didn’t hesitate at all, but there was no expression on his face. He wasn’t cold-faced, but rather calm and indifferent.

Seeing Wen Chong's expression, Li Xiuchen couldn't help but roll his eyes silently. He had an urge to stop walking with him, but his legs still followed Wen Chong obediently. Otherwise, losing such a large academy like Tianwu Academy wouldn't be good.

The two walked in silence for a while. After some time, Li Xiuchen was starting to lose his bearings, when finally Wen Chong stopped. Li Xiuchen, who had been following behind Wen Chong, looking left and right, didn't react in time and almost bumped into Wen Chong's back. Just as Li Xiuchen was about to ask Wen Chong what was going on, he suddenly heard a faint voice in his ear.

"That's a very good question, little student. If you want to add something else to your cultivation journey..."

After listening intently for a while, Li Xiuchen suddenly seemed a little dazed. He looked blankly at Wen Chong in front of him, then pointed to the direction from which the sound came, and asked in a daze,

"Is this... the one...?"

Wen Chong turned his head to look at Li Xiuchen's face, smiled and nodded, then reached out and pressed down Li Xiuchen's outstretched hand that was pointing forward, and said calmly,

"Don't point your finger at people randomly at Tianwu Academy, or you'll likely get beaten up. Although some of the academy's big shots don't care about this, it's quite common among the students."

"You can't point at people? What kind of ridiculous rule is that?" Li Xiuchen suddenly felt that the students of Tianwu Academy were a bit unreasonable after hearing Wen Chong's words. Pointing at someone is nothing, does it mean they have to duel or something? Although he said that, Li Xiuchen quickly tucked his hand back into his sleeve.

Unexpectedly, although Li Xiuchen's actions were very discreet, Wen Chong still saw them. Wen Chong couldn't help but chuckle softly, and Li Xiuchen turned his head away somewhat awkwardly.

“Actually, pointing fingers at someone at Tianwu Academy isn’t really a big deal, but considering you don’t know anything right now, I think you should still go and risk it.”

"Ah~ Is that so? I was just saying that pointing your finger at someone at Tianwu Academy is a big deal, although it's certainly not very polite," Li Xiuchen said awkwardly.

"Alright, let's go in." Wen Chong ignored Li Xiuchen's words and nodded casually.

Li Xiuchen roused himself, nodded, and walked forward with Wen Chong. Soon, they reached the entrance of the large hall. Li Xiuchen looked ahead; the crowd stretched as far as the eye could see. Just as they were about to move forward, a voice suddenly came from behind them.

"Li Xiuchen! Is that you?" When Li Xiuchen heard someone call his name, he subconsciously stopped and was about to turn around to answer. But suddenly, Li Xiuchen realized that he was still wearing a human skin mask and that he was not called Li Xiuchen. So Li Xiuchen just swayed slightly and then continued to walk forward with Wen Chong, who looked puzzled.

That voice was so familiar to Li Xiuchen; it was none other than Weiwei, his nominal younger sister whom he had longed for and worried about day and night. Although Li Xiuchen was thrilled to hear that voice, his current circumstances and status meant he was destined never to see Weiwei.

So no matter how much inner turmoil, regret, and pain Li Xiuchen felt, he could only pretend not to know her and continue walking forward. Deep down, Li Xiuchen hoped that Weiwei wouldn't run up to him and claim kinship, that she would stop on her own and stop calling his name.

But things didn't go as planned. Li Xiuchen still heard the footsteps behind him, which grew closer and closer until finally, a hand blocked Li Xiuchen and Wen Chong's path. Li Xiuchen inwardly cursed, but his expression still showed a hint of confusion as he slowly asked...

"Miss, what's wrong...?"

"Li Xiuchen, is that you? Since you've come to Tianwu Academy, why didn't you come to find me?" It was Weiwei who stopped Li Xiuchen and Wen Chong, her face filled with resentment. Ever since she saw that figure at the gates of Tianwu City, Weiwei had been thinking about that figure for a long time.

When Weiwei was dragged up to this meeting by her senior, although she wasn't very willing, she knew her senior didn't want her to stay cooped up in her room anymore, so she still accompanied her. But she never expected to see the person she had been longing for so long again here.

“Miss, I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else. My name isn’t Li Xiuchen, it’s Li Xiu. This is my older brother, Li Long. We don’t seem to know each other before, have we ever met?” Although Li Xiuchen really wanted to tell Weiwei that it was him, he couldn’t. He couldn’t meet Weiwei right now, and things were getting more and more complicated.

"No, I know you are Li Xiuchen, don't lie to me anymore," Weiwei said stubbornly. Li Xiuchen was a little at a loss, so he subconsciously glanced at Weiwei's senior sister, the black-robed woman who had taken Weiwei away from him before.

"Alright, Weiwei, he's not the Li Xiuchen you're talking about. Let's go. I'm sorry, young master, my sister has been longing for him ever since she met him last time." The woman in black smiled apologetically and pulled Weiwei aside.

Chapter 1258 Apologize

"No, I know you are Li Xiuchen, don't lie to me anymore," Weiwei said stubbornly. Li Xiuchen was a little at a loss, so he subconsciously glanced at Weiwei's senior sister, the black-robed woman who had taken Weiwei away from him before.

"Alright, Weiwei, he's not the Li Xiuchen you're talking about. Let's go. I'm sorry, young master, my sister has been longing for him ever since she met him last time." The woman in black smiled apologetically and pulled Weiwei aside.

Li Xiuchen also wore an apologetic smile, but it was a smile reserved only for strangers, as he couldn't show any other emotion on his face. Although he knew that Wen Chong beside him had noticed Weiwei and the change in his attitude, Li Xiuchen knew that Wen Chong would definitely make a move soon, just because Weiwei called him by name.

With a smile and a hint of apology on her face, Tian Qin turned around and nodded to Li Xiuchen and Wen Chong. When she looked at Li Xiuchen, a fleeting glint appeared in her eyes. Although it was very brief and subtle, Li Xiuchen, who had been keeping a close eye on Tian Qin and Weiwei's movements, still noticed it.

Li Xiuchen's lips twitched slightly. He pretended to scratch his head and subtly made a "two" gesture with his finger towards Tian Qin. Then, he and Wen Chong politely nodded in response to Tian Qin before turning around and preparing to continue walking into the venue with Wen Chong.

"Wait a minute!" But just as Li Xiuchen and Wen Chong lifted their feet to leave, Weiwei's voice suddenly rang out again. Li Xiuchen's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease, fearing that Weiwei would come up to him again and insist that he acknowledge her.

"What's wrong, beautiful? Is there anything else you'd like to ask?" Li Xiuchen immediately turned around, looking at Weiwei's face with a smile. Wen Chong also turned around, looking back and forth between Li Xiuchen and Weiwei with great interest.

"Ah! No, no, I just wanted to apologize to you, young master. I've been thinking about that person these past two days, and seeing your back view made me think so much of him, so for a moment... I couldn't control my emotions. I'm sorry, young master, for causing you trouble." Weiwei looked at the extremely familiar figure in front of her, yet the face was also extremely unfamiliar, and she seemed a little flustered for a moment.

Although Weiwei had just been pulled away by her senior sister Tian Qin and overheard her conversation with Li Xiuchen, which cleared her mind and made her understand a little, it was clear that she still couldn't let go of the past. That's why Weiwei's words seemed half true and half false, containing both deep apology and genuine longing for Li Xiuchen.

"Ah~ It's alright, it's alright. It's my honor to resemble the person in your heart, Miss, so there's no need for you to feel this way. But now that you've mentioned it, I'm a little curious about the person in your heart. I wonder if it would be convenient for you to tell us a little about it." As the person involved, Li Xiuchen naturally understood what Weiwei meant. Although his heart ached, he had to continue acting.

"Him? The last time I saw him was in a forest. I was injured in the forest and couldn't get out for a while. I ran into him as I was slowly making my way out. It's all thanks to him that I've recovered so well. Otherwise, I really don't know if I could have gotten through that time..." Weiwei lowered her head after hearing Li Xiuchen's words, as if she was lost in deep memories.

"Ah! I'm so sorry, young master, I'm so sorry to have taken up your time. There's a master giving a lecture inside, and judging from your appearance, you two went in to listen. I'm really sorry to have kept you so long. I'll take my leave now, please go ahead, I'm so sorry." Suddenly, as if she had remembered something, Weiwei quickly stopped her reminiscing, and somewhat flusteredly bowed repeatedly to Li Xiuchen and Wen Chong, saying sorry over and over again.

Although Li Xiuchen was smiling and saying it was alright, he felt a pang of guilt seeing how hard Weiwei was trying to cooperate with him. So he took two steps forward and lightly supported Weiwei, indicating that she shouldn't blame herself and that it was okay. Wen Chong, who had been standing beside Li Xiuchen, also took two steps forward and continued to tell Li Xiuchen that it was alright, gesturing for Weiwei to stand up.

"Thank you, gentlemen. I'll be going now." Weiwei nodded apologetically to Li Xiuchen and Wen Chong, then turned and left, walking towards her senior sister Tian Qin. She and her senior sister Tian Qin then walked away into the distance.

Li Xiuchen and Wen Chong didn't leave in a hurry. Instead, they stood there watching Weiwei and Tian Qin walk away. After a while, once Weiwei and Tian Qin had disappeared from their sight, Wen Chong came back to his senses and looked at Li Xiuchen standing to the side, casually asking a question.

"Who is this? Do you know him? Judging from his words, it seems like you've done him a favor?" Wen Chong's words were very calm, as if an old friend were asking about something very ordinary. Of course, Li Xiuchen couldn't possibly tell Wen Chong what his true relationship with Weiwei was.

“This woman does look very familiar. Now that I hear what he said… it seems like something happened to me. But it’s been so long, my memory is a bit hazy.” Li Xiuchen’s heart stirred upon hearing Wen Chong’s words, but he still pretended to be deep in thought.

"Hey, never mind him, it's just a little episode. We'll see what happens if fate allows. Who knows, we might meet again in the future, and maybe even have a little romance." After a while, Li Xiuchen chuckled self-deprecatingly, regained his composure, and said jokingly to Wen Chong beside him.

Looking at Li Xiuchen's expression, Wen Chong couldn't help but smile, but he still glanced back at the direction where Weiwei and Tian Qin had left.

"Alright, we've wasted so much time, and I don't know how many exciting things we've missed. Should we still go in and take a look and listen to something?" Li Xiuchen shrugged helplessly and turned to look at the large hall not far from him.

"Hmm... I think we should go see that person first. We need to go find them, otherwise it will be really awkward. I haven't been here many times." Wen Chong looked up at the sun overhead, hesitated for a moment, and then said to Li Xiuchen with a slightly embarrassed expression.

"Alright then, what a pity. I won't have the chance to hear it this time. I'll definitely come back to listen next time I have the chance. Who knows, it might be of great benefit to someone of my low rank." Li Xiuchen looked a little regretful, but he didn't refute Wen Chong's words. He just glanced at the huge venue with feigned reluctance before leaving with Wen Chong.

"Your Highness, we are still halfway to Linghai City. If those people behind us continue to follow us, I think it will be very inconvenient for us to get things done once we reach Linghai City," Han Hu said softly to Wen Long, who was sitting in the carriage, as he turned his head slightly to look at the dense forest behind him.

"Yes, that is indeed a problem, and we really need to find a way to solve it. However, if we let them go back like this, the old patriarch will definitely become suspicious." After hearing Han Hu's words, Wen Long couldn't help but turn his head slightly and glance behind him as if by accident. After thinking for a while, he answered.

"Forget it, let's not worry about them for now. We'll deal with them when we get to Linghai City. There's still some time, halfway there. I think we'll come up with a plan. It's alright." After a moment of silence, Wen Long decided it was best not to alert them.

Although Wen Long understood that the reason his patriarch Wen Mou had sent his assassins was partly for his safety, the Wen family, while outwardly harmonious, was actually rife with undercurrents and unpredictable events. Therefore, he couldn't rule out the possibility that Wen Mou had sent the assassins to monitor him, but Wen Mou hadn't shown it yet, so Wen Long couldn't say for sure.

Han Hu nodded thoughtfully after hearing Wen Long's words, but did not reply. He simply waved the reins and continued on his way.

"Boss, we've been following the young master all this way, but you still haven't told us brothers what we're here for." One of the young men in the group of assassins who had been following Wen Long looked at Wen Long's carriage speeding ahead and turned to his boss beside him, asking with some confusion. Although they had indeed come out with Wen Long this time, they still didn't know what they were doing after following him for so long.

"We came out this time because of the patriarch's request. There are some things we can only obey and can't ask too many questions, as you know. So, let's not talk about you; I'm not very clear either." The leader glanced indifferently in the direction Wen Long's carriage had left and spoke softly to the young man beside him.

"No way, boss, even you don't know what the mission is this time?" The young man next to his boss clearly looked surprised and astonished after hearing his words.

"Yes, the patriarch really didn't tell me the specific reason why he brought you out this time. He only said that he trusts me and told me to handle things on my own when I encounter problems." The leader also seemed helpless, clearly confused by the patriarch's order.

"But... this... we're following the young master, what kind of problems could we possibly need you to handle on your own, boss? The young master and Young Master Han's cultivation isn't just for show, it seems like we're not much of a help when things happen." The young man beside him seemed a bit confused after hearing his boss's words.

"I don't know, but we have to listen to the patriarch, so we can't let him down. Let's do our best, there's still a long way to go." The leader sighed and shook his head gently.

"Well... Boss, you've been following the patriarch for so long now. So, do you think you can guess why the patriarch sent us out to follow the young master this time?" The young man next to the boss paused for a moment, then suddenly became curious.

"If you ask me, the purpose of our trip here this time, if nothing unexpected happens, is nothing more than two things: one is to follow the young master and ensure his safety, and the other is, if the young master makes any moves... to kill him." After thinking quietly for a while, the leader shared his understanding based on his experience.

"What! Kill the young master!" Upon hearing his boss's words, the young man beside him was visibly agitated. He was genuinely struggling to accept and process this information.

"Young Master...isn't Young Master the person the Patriarch values ​​most? How could the Patriarch...how could he ask us to kill Young Master?" The young man looked shocked, clearly unable to accept this news for the time being.

"I can't believe it's true either, but... you know, there are many things we can't say for sure. The Wen family now is not the same as the Wen family of the past." The leader seemed to have anticipated the young man's reaction, so he didn't show much surprise. He just gave a faint bitter smile and then let out a long sigh.

As one of the elders of the Wen family who had served Wen Mou for a long time, even he was somewhat confused about the current situation of the Wen family. The Wen family had really changed a lot compared to before. The successive changes that had occurred in the past two years had made the Wen family seem even more fragmented.

"I think you've seen what's happening in the Wen family right now. A lot has happened, and the situation is getting out of control. You're still young, and there are many things you don't understand yet. I can only tell you that in just ten short years, the major changes that have occurred in the Wen family are already astonishing." The boss seemed to value the young man beside him highly, always answering his questions and guiding him.

“I’ve learned a bit about what’s happened in the last two years, though not a lot, but I don’t think it should have led to the current state of disarray in the Wen family. Although there have been many events and changes, the Wen family has such a solid foundation, such high prestige in the martial arts world, and the patriarch is still alive. No matter what, nothing major should happen.” The young man still didn’t quite understand what his leader was saying.

"Didn't I tell you? You're still young, and there are many things you don't see clearly. I'm sure you know that a major upheaval happened to our Wen family ten years ago, but do you know that before that upheaval happened, our Uncle Huang was already murdered in a city that was least likely to resist the Wen family?"

"Boss, you wouldn't say... that Uncle Huang was killed in Linghai City..."

"Yes, that's right, it's Linghai City, the place we're heading to now. Uncle Huang was murdered here ten years ago. Besides, before that incident ten years ago, the most promising direct descendant of the Wen family defected, and that's the now-famous Shanren (Mountain Man) in the martial arts world. He's a member of the Wen family. Also, the patriarch once colluded with the martial arts world to lead a project, and Young Master Wen Chong was the victim of that experiment. There are just too many things like that." As he spoke, the leader couldn't help but let out another long sigh.

"Then now Lord Wenxiang has defected from the Wen family with Young Master Wenchong. Lord Wenxiang's family has been purged. Although no order to kill them all was given, everyone will be sent away. Moreover, some people who were on good terms with Lord Wenxiang are still sitting in their positions without any problems. The one who orchestrated this is Young Master Wenlong."

"So, the patriarch is worried that Young Master Wenlong might also... that's why he sent us to follow Young Master Wenlong closely, not only to protect him... but also to kill Young Master Wenlong if anything goes wrong." The leader didn't continue, but the young man from the other side of the divine shore finished his sentence and said the rest of the leader's words.

"Yes, that's right, that's exactly it." The boss nodded after hearing what the young man next to him said, shook his head helplessly, and sighed softly.

"Alright, that's all. Now we need to keep following up. Remember, don't tell anyone about this, understand? If things really get to that point... I'll tell the brothers myself. Although I don't want it to actually happen..." The leader took a deep breath to rouse himself and instructed the young man beside him.

"Yes, I understand, boss. I've got it." The young man looked into his boss's eyes and nodded solemnly, sincerely agreeing to his boss's request.

"Alright, go tell the brothers, it's time to get going." The leader gently patted the young man on the shoulder. The young man nodded in agreement and turned to go call his brothers.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Just as the young man was about to leave, the boss suddenly turned around and called out to him. The young man instinctively turned to look at his boss, his face full of confusion.

The leader hesitated for a long time, his eyes and expression changing repeatedly, before finally looking into the young man's eyes and slowly saying something.

"Remember, you're still young, and you have plenty of opportunities. If... if anything happens, you must think carefully and learn to choose sides, understand?"

When the young man heard his leader say those words, he was stunned. He had been raised with the concept of loyalty—that he could die, but the patriarch could not. Now, his very leader, the one who had instilled these principles in him, was telling him to choose sides. How could he not be shocked?

However, the young man had lived with his boss since childhood and knew him very well. So, although he was shocked, he seemed to understand something when he saw the look in his boss's eyes. He slowly lowered his head, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded gently.