Chapter 29: A Good Minister is One Who Takes Action

  Dào Jìng spent a night with Shān, and then quietly took away the dragon. He had originally wanted to have a talk with the dragon, while also wanting to discuss the situation of Wú Cháng with Méng Mù, but Duān Mù Jiàng's life or death was still uncertain. Dào Jìng has always been poor at multitasking, and after weighing his options, he could only hurry back to Míng Shuǐ immediately.

  Mengmu followed them to the banks of the Ming Shui River, but refused to go down. He only said that this place looked different from his own destiny, and if you still want to find me, you can go to the small courtyard behind Mengjia Village in Dongyue to look for me.

  There are things of greater and lesser importance; Daojing could only let him go first, making an appointment to look for him within three days, telling him to wait.

  After Meng Mu left, Jiao Long became tense. He felt that he was too reckless and useless, afraid of offending Dao Jing, not daring to make any sudden movements, let alone speak.

  Dao Jing said calmly, "You don't have to do this. The matter of Nan Jun has nothing to do with you. You are also looking for me. I won't blame you. Go back and report to your master first. Tell him that I still have some things to take care of in Ming Shui and will return soon."

  Jiaolong was even more afraid now, Daojing accompanied him back and could still plead for himself. If he went back by himself, at that time Xuan Yi Shangxian might scold him for being useless, and in a fit of anger send him back to the Demon Realm, who knows?

  Dao Jing didn't know what was on his mind, and it was a bit strange to say. The personal attendants of the master all had names given by him, and those who were able to follow him were all named with the character "He", while the maids were all named with the character "Ming". Jiaolong, although he came later, had been there for decades, but never received a name. Perhaps this Jiaolong was not very noticeable among the many clever and capable disciples, and the master had always loved to collect rare and strange beasts, so maybe Jiaolong was picked up because he looked interesting at first.

  "Alright, you wait here for a moment, I'll go bid farewell to the master of this Clear Water Villa and then take you back together."

  Jiaolong's thousand thanks and ten thousand apologies followed as he watched Daojing enter the Ming Water.

  Du Mu Yang has woken up. After Wu Yu treated him, he said that this was an injury caused by true power, but he couldn't see which school or sect's technique it was.

  Quietly pondering, could this be the doing of the black-clad men? In that case, it shouldn't be aimed at Du Mu Yang, most likely it's aimed at myself.

  It's rare to see Duanmu Chengyan so quiet, Dao Jing sat in front of the bed and said apologetically in a warm voice: "Sorry, I've implicated you."

  Duanmu Chengyang didn't say anything, just thinking that he was unlucky, but still alive and considered himself lucky, nothing to complain about.

  Ke Xuwu was ill but didn't agree, he carefully asked about the situation at that time, and arranged several people in the room according to their positions at that time:

  The arrow fell to the ground, Duanmu Cuiyang was half-kneeling on her right side, i.e. the east side, facing west. Dao Jing was standing facing the two of them, in the north. From the direction, the real force came from the west and hit Duanmu Cuiyang's left shoulder. If the intention was to kill Dao Jing and he dodged it, the one who should have been hit would be Duanmu Cuiyang's right shoulder or head. From the angle, if Dao Jing had really been hit, it should have been at the waist position. Judging from the extent of Duanmu Cuiyang's injury, that assassin was no ordinary person and shouldn't have made such a low-level mistake.

  So this true power has been rushing towards Du Mu's revenge from the very beginning!

  Everyone was confused, and Duanmu Xiangling cried out in grievance. He himself had come out of the mountains and hadn't offended anyone since then, so why would someone want to kill him for no reason?

  However, these words were heard by Dao Jing and had a different connotation. In his heart, he had already guessed one or two parts of Duanmu Chengyang's origin. The southern border has many witchcrafts, and several immortals have gone to reform or ban them in the past. What Dao Jing knows is that there are nearby Nanyue Shengjun, Kunlun's Nanji Furen, Fengdu Beiyin Dadi, and of course, his own master. Which one was it?

  Will the attack by the man in black have something to do with his mysterious mentor?

  He thought of this, and it was nothing that he hadn't expected. This old man looked like he was about to jump up and scold him again like before!

  Duanmu Chengyang knew he was in the wrong and had already shrunk his neck, preparing to be scolded, but unexpectedly Dao Jing spoke up to stop him:

  "Your medical skills are impressive, and I'm sure your experience is even more extensive. You must know that sometimes what you see isn't necessarily true, and what you hear is even less reliable. We're all deeply saddened by Uncle Chang's situation, but everything still needs to be investigated further before we can get a real answer. Unlike me, Rong has never been through anything like this, so please bear with him for now and don't scare him."

  So soft and hard, what else can be said about nothingness? Can only humph and leave.

  Du Mu Yan was still curled up in his blanket, staring blankly and unsure of what to do.

  "What can I do?" Dao Jingxin said: "You mustn't ask me, I'm still confused myself."

  Although he thought so, the current situation is unclear. At this time, he has become the backbone of the other two, and they are all waiting for him to make a decision. Dao Jing's mind was racing with thoughts, and he decided that he should first return to Tian Tai Mountain to ask his master for guidance. Before he could speak, someone from Tong Chen Palace suddenly came over to deliver a message, saying that their palace master wanted to see Dao Jing Gongzi.

  Yu Gongzhu looks much better, I suppose her body has recovered and she's feeling refreshed.

  When he saw Dao Jing, he first asked about the situation with Hui and Shan Tianlao. Knowing that Jiaolong had been released, he was greatly relieved. As for the situation there, in fact, even if Dao Jing didn't say anything, he could have guessed seven or eight parts of it. Letting Ma Mingsheng take charge of Tianlao was like letting a school teacher run an ironwork shop - both were out of place. It seemed that the surrounding area would likely experience some unrest in the coming days.

  At present he is concerned about Dao Jing's next step and how it will be arranged.

  The Taoist said: Now that everything has been settled, it is only natural that I should return to Tiantai Mountain immediately. Duanmu Yuexing is injured and cannot move around, so please take care of him for a few days. Once his injuries have healed, whether he and Lu Jianyang stay or leave will still be up to you to decide.

  Yu Gongzhu didn't think much of it: "These two were originally taken in by me, if you don't want to bring them then there's no need to worry. However, Xuan Yi Shangxian has never been so severely injured before, and in the future he will probably need a very long time to quietly recuperate. As his only disciple, after returning you should help him share his worries."

  Dào Jìng was slightly surprised, how did this person know so much about the situation on Tiantai Mountain and care so much about his master? These were not things he should be concerned with. Perhaps this person was just kind and treated himself as a junior teaching him.

  He nodded in agreement: "The junior will certainly serve his master with all his might and fulfill his filial duty."

  Yu Gongzhu frowned upon hearing this, looking at him with dissatisfaction. His tone was severe as he spoke: "Isn't there a lack of people serving your master? He raised you to adulthood, wanting you to become a capable and responsible man who can take over his business in the future. Why do you always have such petty thoughts like a little girl?"

  "These masters have never told me." Dao Jing's eyes were also sharp and piercing as he stared at him: "How did you know?"

  Yu Gong didn't say a word, took him to the back hall, stretched out his hand and pointed to the painting on the wall, saying "Let Dao Jing take another good look."

  Dao Jing had no choice but to obey, the painting was indeed simple and straightforward, it couldn't be seen that there was any profound meaning in it. He didn't know what Yu Gong Zhu meant, and the other party wasn't willing to speak clearly, his heart gradually became anxious.

  Looking at his face, Yu Gongzhu knew what he was thinking and reminded him: "You should be familiar with this place."

  There are countless majestic peaks, spiritual springs and jade lakes under the vast sky. Dao Jing's mind was somewhat absent-minded, but he had no choice but to force himself to calm down and carefully search for any clues in the painting. The gentle clouds and mist seemed to have a flying posture, and suddenly an idea flashed through his mind - could this be...

  He looked at Yu Gongzhu with suspicion: "Isn't this Tianchi Lake of Tiantai Mountain?"

  Yu Gong nodded and said: "That's right."

  "Is this painting done by the master?"

  "It is indeed the handwriting of Xuan Yi Shang Xian."

  Dao Jing was greatly shocked in his heart, he knew that his family's master was proficient in both calligraphy and painting, but never gave away his paintings. There must be a reason for this. Xuan Yi Shang Xian was a true immortal of the Lingbao sect, with an aura that could assist the birth of all things. Wherever he walked, plants and trees would flourish, and the objects he drew with a concentrated mind would naturally possess spiritual power. Although they were just landscapes drawn with a brush, people with a certain level of cultivation could see through the paper and reach the actual place. Therefore, after Xuan Yi Shang Xian finished painting, he would often immediately destroy it, to avoid disrupting the order of the three realms.

  His paintings are rarely seen, which is why Dao Jing didn't recognize it at a glance. The painting depicts his favorite scenery in the Tiantai Mountains. It was the season when the cloud brocade azaleas were in bloom, no wonder the mountain waist showed a red glow.

  Dao Jing saw this painting, as if he was standing on the shore of Tianhu Lake, and faintly heard the sound of a flute purifying the world. His heart calmed down, and he smiled at Yu Gong Zhu.

  "What is the power of the Way?" he asked

  "Heaven gives birth to water, and though it is abundant, it remains calm." Thus replied Yu Gong.

  His face showed relief, and he calmly walked towards Dao Jing and gave a courtesy: "Subordinate He Yu has seen the young master!"

  Dao Jing took a slow step back, looking at him calmly: "Master has never mentioned you to me, and I have never seen you on Tiantai Mountain in my impression. You seem to be very comfortable here."

  He Yu also smiled lightly and replied: "I am under orders from the master to take charge of the Tong Chen Palace, this matter is not known to outsiders, so the young master has never seen me."

  "So, what's the point of you revealing your identity to me at this moment?"

  "Subordinates have heard that the young master and the black-clad man had a head-on confrontation. In fact, subordinates took the initiative to dispatch dark guards to protect the young master. According to the guard's report, those black-clad men were indeed from the same place as the assassins who previously attacked Void Constant."

  Dào Jìng yet heard different information, he asked back: "Then did your guard see who attacked Duānmù Chángyáng?"

  "I didn't see it."

  Dào Jìng continued to ask: "Where did these men in black come from?"

  He Yuyu remained unmoved as a mountain and replied: "This matter is of great importance, it belongs to the lower class and needs to be reported to the master, the young master does not need to worry for the time being."

  "No need to worry? Yu's words are quite different." Dao Jing shook his head in disagreement: "The guards you sent can examine the corpses of the black-clad men, but when we were ambushed, they didn't lift a hand to help. I'd like to ask whether it was protection or surveillance?"

  Nature will take its course, don't worry too much.

  "Protection? That's rich." Dao Jing turned his head to look at the painting on the wall, and said coldly: "Three people went out, one was seriously injured, one was frightened, and one fought fiercely with a man in black. What were the guards doing? Did they not see it or did they not want to tell me?"

  He had never met Dao Jing before and was not familiar with his temperament. He Yu had always been proud of himself, even if it were Dongyue Emperor or Xi Wangmu, he would have to show him some respect. Now being questioned by a little girl like this made him somewhat displeased.

  Waist Gang repeatedly asked: "The subordinate has contacted the master, and the master ordered the subordinate to stay with the young master. Does the young master know why?"

  Actually, Dao Jing's reaction is quite normal. After all, he grew up by the side of Xuan Yi Shangxian, who only had him as his one and only disciple. Although Xuan Yi Shangxian didn't spoil him, he never intentionally restricted him either. Looking at the entire Tian Tai Mountain, or even the entire Immortal Realm, who would dare to make things difficult for him? Therefore, right now he's just throwing a tantrum like a young master, and doesn't take He Yu's words seriously. With a calm tone, he replied: "Please speak."

  "The surroundings of Mount Tiantai, the border of Wu and Yue, had long been plagued by a monster in its early years. Although the disaster has subsided, there is again chaos after the master's serious injury. The master's illness has fluctuated before, and all matters have been handed over to the immortal officer for management. Now that the condition has improved, it is natural to take charge of rectifying the situation personally. The young master has been away from home for more than a year, and the master naturally hopes that when the young master returns, he will still see the prosperous and peaceful scene of a year ago. It's hard not to worry again. The master loves the young master, and the young master should also care about the master and share some of his burdens..."

  Dao Jing only heard his master's illness repeating, and didn't listen to the rest. His eyes stared at the painting on the wall without blinking. Taking advantage of He Yu's chatter, he snapped his fingers and transformed into a stream of light that instantly entered the painting!

  "…obstinate and unrepentant!"

  He Yongqi was furious and thought that this child was so disobedient. He immediately turned his five fingers into claws and grabbed Dao Jing back!

  Poor Daojing had just seen the clouds above Tianhu, when he was caught and thrown down heavily. He fell in a daze, and by the time he came to his senses, he found himself still standing in the same courtyard of Tongchen Palace as before.

  Only the courtyard above and around were surrounded by dense curses, and Yu Xiang stood outside with a pale face, coldly saying: "Good words to advise you not to listen, very well! I originally wanted to let you go back, just reminding you to take responsibility for yourself. However, even if you have no great ambitions, it doesn't matter, I only care about your filial piety towards the master, and I won't do anything to you. I have shrunk the Tong Chen Palace's curse seal to the surroundings of this courtyard, if you have the ability to get out, then go ahead. If not, go and stare at the white wall in the house, think carefully about what loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness mean!"