Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 58: The Three Treasures of the Heavenly Master

The relationships between the major holy lands of Buddhism and Daoism and the Confucian aristocratic families have always been complicated.

Due to the influence of the Tang Imperial Court, the Daoist and Buddhist holy lands generally stand in opposition to the major noble families. For example, the Tianshi Mansion and the Lin Clan of Jiangzhou are sworn enemies.

However, there are exceptions.

For instance, Fang Jian of the Fang Clan in Jingxiang entered the gates of Mount Longhu and even became a direct disciple of the Tianshi. The Chu Clan of Suzhou also had descendants join Mount Longhu, currently studying at the Tianshi Mansion, though under a different master than Lei Jun.

Given the background of the Chu Clan’s descendants, the choice of master was naturally important and always discussed in advance.

Chu Yu explained her reason for coming and introduced the young man beside her:

“This is Chu Kun, the great-grandson of my Seventh Uncle.”

The young man composed himself and politely saluted Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang:

“Greetings to you both, Daoists. I am Chu Kun.”

Chu Yu smiled at Tang Xiaotang. Though she said nothing, Tang Xiaotang seemed to understand the meaning behind that smile.

In fact, there was only one Daoist standing before Chu Kun — Lei Jun. The other one wasn’t...

Tang Xiaotang was annoyed but quickly focused on another detail:

“Wait a minute, he’s your Seventh Uncle’s... great-grandson? Then you are his...?”

Chu Yu turned to the young man beside her. The boy’s expression was serious as he bowed respectfully to her:

“Great-Aunt.”

Lei Jun flexed his jaw slightly. He had heard before that this young lady from the Chu Clan was the treasured daughter of the old clan patriarch, born late in his life and thus possessing a high rank despite her youth.

Tang Xiaotang suddenly laughed and deliberately said:

“That makes sense. You’re not that young yourself.”

Chu Yu no longer maintained the graceful demeanor she had shown during the initiation ceremony:

“Be good, Xiaotang. I was in such a hurry this time that I didn’t bring you any sweets.”

Tang Xiaotang’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Lei Jun, his expression unchanged, saluted the slightly awkward-looking Lu Zhaoqing and said:

“The front mountain is busy, Elder Lu. My Senior Sister and I can handle the guests.”

The old Daoist looked worriedly at Tang Xiaotang and Chu Yu but eventually nodded and left.

Chu Yu and Chu Kun politely bid farewell to Lu Zhaoqing, watching him leave.

Lei Jun sized up Chu Yu. Unlike her appearance last year at Mount Longhu, when she dressed as a noble lady, Chu Yu now wore hunting attire, looking valiant and confident. Her beauty and presence were unrestrained.

As Lei Jun looked at the two radiant women who were clearly at odds, a thought crossed his mind...

Could this so-called most talented woman of Jiangnan be following the Confucian paths of Exegesis or Divine Archery?

In this world, the external styles of Confucian cultivators varied greatly. Generally, Tang Confucianism had three main traditions: Exegesis, Divine Archery, and Recitation.

Ultimately, all cultivated Haoran Qi (Righteous Energy) and Wenhua Qi (Scholarly Energy), but their paths differed.

Fang Yue, for example, followed the Recitation path, embodying the scholarly image many people had of Confucians, focusing on the cultivation of the spirit.

The Exegesis and Divine Archery paths, however, were entirely different. Contrary to the stereotype of gentleness, these two paths focused more on combat.

Both had long histories. Exegesis was the mainstream of Confucianism, with the Five Great Surnames and Seven Prominent Clans all relying on it.

Confucian cultivators of the Exegesis path fought with methods similar to Daoist talisman practitioners, resembling a blend of martial and mystical arts. Their style was that of the classic elegant swordsman.

Naturally, this required both spiritual strength and a strong physique.

As for the Divine Archery path, as the name implied, they refined their bodies and enhanced their bows and arrows with Haoran Qi. Their refined scholarly spirit honed their precision and focus.

Thus, their arrows surpassed ordinary archers in range, accuracy, and penetration.

Their close-combat skills might be lacking, but their physical prowess, bolstered by Haoran Qi, was comparable to martial artists of the same level.

...Many Confucian Exegesis and Divine Archery cultivators prided themselves on being skilled in both literature and combat, often looking down on pure martial artists.

Many Tang military forces included Divine Archery Confucians as core members.

The influence of the Five Great Surnames and Seven Prominent Clans extended deeply into all aspects of society.

“This isn’t the best place to entertain guests. Senior Sister, shall we find somewhere else?” Lei Jun suggested.

Tang Xiaotang kept her gaze fixed on the woman opposite her and sat down on a nearby rock:

“I think this place is just fine. It has a natural charm.”

Chu Yu smiled and nodded at Lei Jun:

“I agree.”

Lei Jun was relieved. This way, he could skip the formalities like serving tea.

“Your father, Lord Chu, was an equal of the previous Tianshi. No wonder the current Tianshi and Junior Uncle don’t treat you as a junior. And now you want to push your luck?” Tang Xiaotang said sharply. “Bringing your grand-nephew to join my Junior Uncle’s disciples — isn’t that taking advantage?”

Chu Yu replied calmly:

“I wouldn’t dare. I’ve always admired Elder Yuan’s profound Daoist arts. If Chu Kun is lucky enough to become his disciple, he will be a Daoist first and foremost. Other than returning home for ancestral rites, all else will follow the rules of the sect.”

She turned to Chu Kun:

“If not for a hint of destiny between Chu Kun and Elder Yuan, I wouldn’t have come.”

“Destiny?” Tang Xiaotang was curious.

“We didn’t know you’d be here, so we only prepared three Jingwei Boxes. Please forgive us.”

Despite her words, Chu Yu didn’t sound apologetic. She nodded at Chu Kun, who produced three ornate boxes and handed them to Lei Jun.

Chu Yu continued:

“A small offering of goodwill — one for Elder Yuan, one for Daoist Lei, and the last to be delivered to Senior Brother Wang at Mount Longhu.”

The Jingwei Box was a Confucian treasure symbolizing the containment of the universe within. It was akin to Daoist miniature pouches and Buddhist Mustard Seed Sumeru containers, capable of holding vast amounts in a small space.

Only prestigious clans like the Five Great Surnames and Seven Prominent Clans possessed such treasures.

Lei Jun didn’t open the boxes and simply said:

“My master must decide this. As a disciple, it’s not my place to comment.”

Chu Yu smiled:

“If Chu Kun does become a disciple, I hope you and Senior Brother Wang will look out for him.”

“Of course. It’s what we do.”

“Thank you.” Chu Yu then smiled at Tang Xiaotang:

“And thank you, Daoist Tang.”

Tang Xiaotang frowned, finally turning her attention to Chu Kun.

That night, Chu Yu and Chu Kun stayed at Qingxiao Monastery, leaving the next day.

In the courtyard, Chu Kun listened obediently to his Great-Aunt’s instructions:

“Both Wang Guiyuan and Lei Jun are exceptional. Especially Lei Jun — he passed two tribulations in five years, advancing from Qi Refining to the Altar Stage. Isn’t that impressive?”

Chu Kun hesitated and then blurted:

“Great-Aunt, didn’t Fifteenth Uncle say you seem to view Lei Jun differently...?”

“Fifteenth Uncle’s judgment is poor. Lei Jun’s achievements deserve recognition,” Chu Yu replied casually.

The boy whispered:

“But you advanced even faster...”

“Fine. My elder brother once dueled Elder Yuan and lost. I also had a minor setback against Xu Yuanzhen.”

She smirked:

“Since both Yuan Mobai and Xu Yuanzhen value Lei Jun, shouldn’t we do the same?”

Sensing her dangerous tone, Chu Kun nodded vigorously:

“Yes! Absolutely!”

Chu Yu waved him off, and he scurried away.

“Besides Yuan Mobai and Xu Yuanzhen, now... should I add Tang Xiaotang too?” she mused, a smile playing on her lips.

Elsewhere, Yuan Mobai was chatting with Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang in his quiet room.

“That child had a bit of destiny with me when he was born,” he explained. “I was wandering and heard of a clue about the Tianshi Seal. In my search, I met a Chu family couple.”

“The Tianshi Seal?” Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang exchanged glances.

Everyone knew the Tianshi Mansion possessed countless treasures. But three stood out — the Tianshi Seal, the Tianshi Sword, and the Tianshi Robe — legendary artifacts of the Daoist world.

But there was just one small problem.

The greatest of the three, the Tianshi Seal, had been lost years ago.