Chapter 132: Drafty

Under the porridge shed.

Wang Daosheng was distributing porridge to disaster victims. Zhang Zhuo took a clay bowl and boldly and casually stretched it out in front of Wang Daosheng.

Wang Daosheng calmly glanced at him and silently used a wooden spoon to fill the clay bowl to the brim.

Zhang Zhuo tilted his head back and gulped the thin porridge into his mouth, then wiped his mustache with the sleeve of his red official robe. He casually threw the clay bowl onto the blue brick stove platform and curiously asked, "Didn't you take my daughter to Luhun Mountain Villa for a study tour? How did you end up at this porridge shed? I heard that this time the people from the two great Taoist courts, Huangshan and Laojunshan, as well as the eminent monks from Yuanjue Temple and Tuoluo Temple, have all arrived. There are wonderful scripture debates every day. Why did you bring them here to waste time?"

Wang Daosheng responded casually while distributing porridge to the disaster victims, "Life is the best scripture! Originally, the principles in the scriptures written by ancient sages were all learned from life. Rather than following ancient sages to learn principles from books, it's better to learn directly from life, which is a more direct path to the original intent."

Zhang Zhuo stroked his beard, "If you talked less of these unconventional and rebellious words, Hu Ge Lao wouldn't always scold you. People, ah, should know when to hide their brilliance. As students, we shouldn't always contradict our teacher."

Wang Daosheng responded lightly, "You've come to teach me instead."

Zhang Zhuo chuckled and pointed his chin towards Chen Ji, "What do you think of that boy?"

Wang Daosheng calmly said, "Why are you asking this?"

Zhang Zhuo raised an eyebrow, "Can't I ask?"

Wang Daosheng said casually, "Actually, you already have the answer in your heart. Asking me is just to verify the answer in your heart. But what I say might not match your intention."

Zhang Zhuo impatiently said, "Then tell me."

Wang Daosheng glanced at Chen Ji, then turned to Zhang Zhuo and said, "This child has a killing aura about him."

Zhang Zhuo was startled and carefully scrutinized Wang Daosheng, "People who have led soldiers are a bit different, ah. You can see even that?"

Wang Daosheng scooped out a spoonful of rice porridge and filled the clay bowl in the disaster victim's hand, "He's been in school for two days and was late twice. When I asked him why he was late, he wasn't willing to say. But I see that every time he comes, he carries a killing aura. He doesn't look like he's coming to school, but more like the foot soldiers under my command who just killed Japanese pirates, still stained with blood."

Zhang Zhuo shook his head, "He may not be a foot soldier. A thousand troops are easy to get, but one general is hard to find. If you work with him, you'll understand that he's a talent for a general."

"You have a high evaluation of him." Wang Daosheng thought for a moment, "So, the person who delayed the disaster victims outside the West City Gate the day before yesterday was him?"

Zhang Zhuo quickly said, "No."

Wang Daosheng laughed, "Working with you, and that day he was just late in the morning for school, and you value him so much, who else could it be but him?"

Zhang Zhuo said alertly, "You might not have any ideas about him."

Wang Daosheng said helplessly, "What ideas can I have about him? Just collect his tuition and teach him principles, that's all."

Zhang Zhuo suddenly asked, "Has your mourning period ended?"

Wang Daosheng nodded, "Yesterday."

Zhang Zhuo asked again, "What official position did Hu Ge Lao arrange for you?"

Wang Daosheng said casually, "Teacher hopes I return to the capital to serve as the Shangshu of the Ministry of War and concurrently a Scholar of the Hanlin Academy."

"What?" Zhang Zhuo raised his voice. Seeing that some disaster victims were looking over, he quickly lowered his voice again, "How can you be consecutively promoted two levels to Shangshu of the Ministry of War? The next step isn't entering the cabinet?"

Wang Daosheng didn't answer this question, just looked at Chen Ji in the distance and suddenly said, "He is a warm-hearted person."

Zhang Zhuo also looked at Chen Ji and sighed a moment later, "This time he's a bit overly warm-hearted. He's not usually like this."

At this time, Chen Ji was scooping porridge for the disaster victims one by one. In just half an hour, the originally cherry-red furnace fire in his body had gradually turned light red. A wisp of yellow flame, thin as a silk thread, seemed to be nurtured within the fire. Chen Ji felt the surging vitality, as if reborn. Even the air he breathed seemed to flow with fire.

He suddenly realized. The Mountain Lord swallowed the dragon; the ice flow in the officials' bodies is concrete dragon qi, and the hearts of the common people hide the root of dragon qi, which is the essence of the country. No wonder after cultivating the Mountain Lord's path, the old man Yao, who was already an imperial physician, would experience the same change in his body's furnace fire when treating illnesses and saving people.

But why didn't Master tell him about this? Could it be that he didn't want him to discover this secret? No, there must be another reason.

The large pot in front of Chen Ji was already empty. It would take another two incense sticks' time to re-cook the porridge. He looked at the long line of disaster victims in front, holding new clay bowls one by one. He went over to Baili and said, "You go rest for a while, I'll help you."

Baili was surprised, "Ah... really?" After saying that, she looked at the others, "But everyone else is still busy, it's not appropriate for me to rest alone."

Chen Ji smiled, "It doesn't matter, you can stand beside and secretly rest."

Baili moved aside a bit and hesitated before asking, "Why don't you go help my brother?"

Chen Ji explained, "World Son is stronger, he can hold on for now. When he can't persist any longer, I'll go help him."

Baili drew out a sound of "Oh."

Chen Ji picked up the wooden spoon and straightforwardly scooped rice porridge to the disaster victims one spoonful after another. That wisp of yellow flame became more and more obvious, as if a golden dragon was swimming in the red fire power.

After the big pot on Princess Baili's side was finished distributing, he ran over to World Son to help again. World Son rubbed his arm and immediately gave a thumbs-up, "Jianghu children, righteous!"

After the porridge in World Son's pot was also distributed, Chen Ji leisurely came to Chen Wenxiao's side. Chen Wenxiao had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Seeing him coming, he immediately handed over the wooden spoon. Chen Ji raised an eyebrow, "Why are you giving me the spoon? Do your own things."

Chen Wenxiao was puzzled, "Aren't you coming to help?"

Chen Ji shook his head, "No, I'm just watching."

Chen Wenxiao: "?"

Chen Ji stood to the side. Every time Chen Wenxiao distributed a spoonful of porridge, the disaster victims kept thanking him. He would then quickly smile and say, "No need to be polite."

After saying this several times, Chen Wenxiao couldn't help but ask, "I'm distributing the porridge here, what are you pretending to be a good person?"

But Chen Ji didn't pay attention to Chen Wenxiao. He had already confirmed that even if he didn't distribute the porridge, as long as the disaster victims sincerely believed that he had a share in this good deed, the furnace fire would transform a bit. However, there was still a condition for the transformation, which was that the recipient must know his identity.

Chen Ji took a deep breath. The essence of the Mountain Lord's path was far more profound than he had imagined. It was just that, what was the use of the transformed furnace fire? This matter probably needed to be asked of Xuanyuan.

Just as he was thinking, Zhang Zhuo led the officials over and happily said, "Hard work everyone. We have already registered the disaster victims and made a list. Next, we will distribute the porridge."

Wang Daosheng handed the spoon to an official and patiently instructed, "We must not allow things like forced prostitution or exchanging children for food to happen."

Zhang Zhuo smiled and responded, "Rest assured." After saying that, he seemed to sigh, "If only I could also let go of worldly matters and go with you all. In my youth, listening to scripture debates was like nectar. If I heard where there was a scripture debate, I would rush to listen even without eating or drinking. Now I can't free myself."

"You can't have your cake and eat it too. What you are doing now is more important." Wang Daosheng waved his hand to his disciples, "Go."

Chen Ji was still not satisfied, but there was no better reason to stay, so he reluctantly left. As he passed by Chen Wenzong, the other suddenly cupped his hands and bowed to him, "Third Brother, when distributing porridge today, I saw you were not afraid of hardship and treated the disaster victims with kindness. This is when I realized I had misunderstood you greatly in the past. In the coming days, the three of us brothers, under the same master, Mister Wang, must support each other more. If there are scriptures you don't understand, you can all come and ask me. Although you missed this imperial examination, in three years, it will be your time to shine."

Chen Ji looked at him strangely and perfunctorily said, "Okay!"

This time, everyone walked behind the ox cart. Even Chen Wenzong and Chen Wenxiao didn't sit on the ox cart. On the ox cart, only Jing Wang was left with his hat brim lowered, driving the ox cart alone with his back to the crowd.

After walking several hundred steps, Baili suddenly said with bright eyes, "Since we are walking to Luhun Mountain Villa, why don't we let the ox cart and the driver return to Luo City? There's no need to go with us."

But then they saw Jing Wang's action of waving the whip suddenly stiffen, then he fiercely whipped the ox cart and pretended not to hear anything. Baili continued to say to Mister Wang, "Mister, they all say that reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles."

Before she could finish her words, Jing Wang, who was not even driving the ox, stood up and jumped off the ox cart. He swung his whip towards Baili. Baili quickly hid behind Chen Ji and World Son, pulling the two people's arms and revealing half of her small face from the gap, "The driver is hitting people."

Jing Wang gritted his teeth, "You little leaky cotton jacket, ah."

World Son saw the face under the hat brim clearly and exclaimed, "Dad?"

Jing Wang heard World Son's call and immediately became enraged, chasing the other all over the ground, "Just because you've grown up, is it? I can't control you, is it?"

World Son angrily said, "Baili harmed me."

Chen Ji and Zhang Xia looked on in astonishment. Zhang Xia looked at Chen Ji, "Does Jing Wang, World Son, and the Princess get along like this every day?"

Chen Ji hesitated, "World Son and the Princess don't make trouble every day."

Wang Daosheng smiled bitterly and blocked Jing Wang, "You really are something. You even hid from me. If you met bad people, how would I explain it to Wang Manor and the court?"

Jing Wang panted and stopped, sighing, "In the end, I'm old, ah. Can't even beat my own son."

Baili carefully approached, "Dad, I truly didn't want you to patrol in disguise. Yesterday you caught a cold and fainted without waking up. Imperial Physician Yao hurried into Wang Manor to guard you for three hours. Now you're going out, if something happens again, and Imperial Physician Yao isn't by your side, what will you do?"

Jing Wang raised his hand to stop her, "See, Dad is fine now? Yesterday I was just taking a nap. Your mother made a fuss."

Baili doubtfully sized him up. At this moment, Jing Wang's face was indeed ruddy, not at all like someone who had just been sick. She looked to Chen Ji for help.

Chen Ji didn't say a word. He was thinking about a problem. If Jing Wang was really just taking a nap, how could his master possibly stay in Wang Manor for three hours without coming out? So, it was certainly true that Jing Wang was sick. But since Jing Wang was sick, why did he still insist on patrolling in disguise? Unless there was a reason he had to come.

Wang Daosheng thought for a moment and said, "Get on the cart. Since we are already out, there is no reason to turn back halfway. You must not mention Wang Ye's identity to outsiders. Just treat him as a driver."