Watching the Mountain

Xu Ran looked at Wang Xiaohu with a complicated expression, momentarily at a loss for words.

"Is that what he said?" Qing Xuan True Monarch asked impassively after hearing his account.

"Yes," Xu Ran nodded.

"What do you think?"

Xu Ran was silent for a moment before answering truthfully, "I believe he can be considered a person with good intentions and a sense of justice."

Qing Xuan True Monarch nodded slightly and let out a soft sigh. "He does have some good intentions, but he is not the one I am looking for."

Seeing this, Xu Ran could only sigh helplessly. ’It truly is difficult to find a suitable person for Teacher Qing Xuan’s Dao.’

As the two of them fell silent, a disciple entered to announce that someone was requesting an audience with Qing Xuan True Monarch.

After Qing Xuan True Monarch gave his consent, a middle-aged man with a mustache walked in. His head was lowered, and he approached with trepidation.

Xu Ran was quite surprised when he saw the visitor, for it was none other than Chen Minghe, the Purple Mansion Stage team leader who had led the group during the inter-sect competition.

The last time he’d met the man was at the Internal Affairs Bureau on Spirit Stream Peak. Back then, Chen Minghe had told him to report a higher number of Foundation Establishment Pills, saying he would take care of the accounts, but Xu Ran had refused.

Upon seeing Qing Xuan True Monarch, Chen Minghe’s body trembled as he knelt to the ground.

"I hear you’ve requested an audience with me to report some of the crimes of the Internal Affairs Hall?"

Chen Minghe shuddered and nodded. "Yes. I am among those I am reporting, so I have also come to accept my punishment."

Qing Xuan True Monarch gave him a surprised look and asked curiously, "Why would you do this?"

Chen Minghe glanced at Xu Ran, who was standing to the side, and continued, "Some time ago, I tried to persuade Elder Xu to embezzle Foundation Establishment Pills, but he refused. I never forgot about that, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Over the years, as I watched the young disciples of the Sect grow up one by one, I finally understood."

"The reason I’ve been stuck in the Purple Mansion Stage for so long is perhaps because I cared about too many things, and wanted too much."

"I don’t have much of my lifespan left. So, in these last few decades, I want to try letting go of everything and focusing on seeking the Dao, to see if I can achieve Core Formation."

Xu Ran looked at Chen Minghe in surprise. He never expected that, after not seeing him for several decades, Chen Minghe would reappear before him in such a manner.

’A time-server, a bit of a snob, pragmatic, greedy for petty advantages, but also with some sense of responsibility.’ This was Xu Ran’s impression of Chen Minghe.

Qing Xuan True Monarch stared at Chen Minghe for a long time before speaking slowly. "I have reviewed the things you have done. While not grave errors, they still warrant punishment."

"You are hereby stripped of your position as a Steward of the Internal Affairs Hall. You will go to the Chores Courtyard to lecture for thirty years, during which you will receive no stipend. Do you accept this punishment?"

"I accept," Chen Minghe nodded without hesitation.

Xu Ran was even more astonished. ’If I remember correctly, based on the lifespan of a Purple Mansion Stage cultivator, he should only have thirty or forty years left in total.’

’Such firm resolve?’

Before leaving, Chen Minghe looked up at Xu Ran, paused for a moment, and called out, "Junior Brother Xu."

After he said it, a smile of relief spread across his face.

Back during the inter-sect competition, he had needed a favor from Xu Ran and had called him "Junior Brother." Later, when he realized he no longer needed the favor, he switched back to "Steward Xu." And later still, he discovered the man was actually Elder Xu.

Now, decades later, he had let go of everything. This "Junior Brother Xu" came from the heart, with no strings attached.

Xu Ran was taken aback for a moment. He then raised his hand to perform a sealing technique and called back, "Congratulations on breaking through your mental barriers, Senior Brother Chen. I shall await the news of you attaining the Golden Core Dao."

"I accept your blessing." With that, Chen Minghe raised his head and departed, his steps firm, the trembling gone.

After Chen Minghe left, Xu Ran was suddenly stunned to find that Teacher Qing Xuan, standing beside him, had completely changed his appearance.

His hair was white and his frame withered and thin, but his eyes were exceptionally bright.

Seeing Xu Ran’s reaction, he smiled faintly. "What you saw before was merely an illusory form I deliberately created. But it’s no longer necessary."

As he spoke, he looked up with a light laugh and sighed reflectively, "Every day, people turn to wickedness. Likewise, every day, people turn to goodness. Perhaps more turn to wickedness, but as long as there are still those who choose to be good, then kindness and justice will endure, timeless and unfading."