Chapter 48: Chapter 33 Reading Scriptures_2
Translator: 549690339
He never expected that such a person would come to visit after Sun Siwen passed the exam and became a Scholar.
Indeed, achieving status in the current society was like a magic cure, with immediate results.
“Brother Lu.”
Xu Ce returned the greeting nonchalantly , while in his heart he couldn’t help but think: ‘Sun Siwen is truly a disgrace to our scholarly class. He used to be so foolish, and now he’s even willingly demeaning himself by associating with a mere Hunter. He has lowered his own status and defied propriety.’
My father said that he had become a Scholar and was from the same hometown, so he wanted me to make friends with him.
But now it seems that after today, it’s better to keep my distance from him.
He’s like a muddy mess that can’t be cleaned up. If I stay with him for too long, I might end up tainting myself too.’
Master Xu had secretly made up his mind.
As for Sun Siwen’s description of Lu Yuan’s martial arts prowess and being a hermit, he directly ignored it.
For orthodox scholars, even in the world of martial arts, they still looked down on those so-called martial artists in the Jianghu from the bottom of their hearts.
Even repulsed by them.
After all, it’s not an empty phrase that martial artists violate the law. It is a consensus among all Scholars.
Ever since Lu Yuan arrived, Xu Ce’s conversation with Sun Siwen had become somewhat cold.
In the end, after a few hurried conversations and polite exchanges, he directly took his leave.
His disdain for Lu Yuan, the Hunter, was barely hidden, which made Sun Siwen feel very awkward.
“Brother Lu, it’s not that Brother Xu looks down on you, it’s just…”
Lu Yuan interrupted him, shaking his head with a smile: “Brother Sun need not explain, it’s normal for that self-righteous Scholar to look down on a Hunter like me. Coincidentally, I don’t think highly of those pedantic sorts either.”
At that moment, he turned his head and joked, “So, Brother Sun, you won’t look down on me, a poor fellow, after becoming a Scholar, will you?”
Hearing this, Sun Siwen immediately shook his head, declaring passionately, “Brother Lu, where is this coming from? Our friendship started in poverty and humble beginnings, and we are truly close friends. Can such a bond be obstructed by mere status?”
“Just having Sun-brother’s words is enough.”
Lu Yuan laughed heartily and then, as usual, invited the other to drink and chat.
Now that Brother Sun has achieved his status, his access to various information should have increased.
It’s an excellent opportunity to thoroughly investigate his knowledge and insights.
This time, our great seeker of immortality, Lu Yuan, came with a different purpose in mind.
In the following days, Lu Yuan and Sun Siwen drank and chatted together, quietly gathering information from his friend while listening to his confessions and insights after passing the exam.
Sometimes, in the midst of talking, Sun Siwen couldn’t help but cry.
To that, Lu Yuan could only offer a few extra cups of wine, showing his understanding.
This kind of life didn’t last long.
Because Sun Siwen was very busy.
Having passed the examination and now a Scholar, he had to make friends with his fellow exam candidates, visit other Scholars in the county, and attend various gatherings held by literati. He also needed to integrate into the Scholar’s reading circle.
Apart from that, perhaps becoming a Scholar has given Sun Siwen confidence.
He is determined to continue his efforts and take the autumn exam this year.
Yes, you heard that right, Mr. Sun plans to take the test for juren (imperial examination title).
The reason he had this idea, according to him, was because an elderly juren in the county complimented him a fortnight ago, saying that Mr. Sun had a solid foundation, enough accumulation, and could take the Imperial Examination to become a juren.
Regarding this, Lu Yuan didn’t comment.
Although in his heart, he basically believed that this was just a courteous remark from the elder juren.
But since his friend took it seriously and was so spirited, naturally, as a friend, he supported and encouraged him.
“At most, when his name falls behind in the exam, I’ll invite him for a few more drinks to console him,” thought Lu Yuan.
Sun Siwen began to make friends with literary figures, prepare for the Imperial Examination, and strive for the Scholar’s Achievement.
Lu Yuan, on the other hand, found himself with more free time.
After two months of working hard since the start of spring, he now had substantial wealth, with over 1,150 taels in savings.
Basically, as long as there were no significant expenses in the future, he wouldn’t face any financial crisis for the next ten years or so.
In this case, there was no financial crisis.
Thus, during these days, he became even more careless about hunting.
Apart from occasionally going into the mountains to practice his skills so that his hunting technique wouldn’t become rusty, his daily routine involved buying and reading poetry, anecdotes, Buddhist and Taoist Classics.
The reason for reading these was mainly due to Lu Yuan’s past experience of learning the Mental Technique.
Although the Cloud Palm was a mediocre secret book, as Lu Yuan began to study it after learning to read, he slowly found it to be more obscure and difficult.
Because he discovered that this martial art was not only written in Literary
Chinese but was also half a Taoist Classic.
Yes, a Taoist Classic.
Many core concepts and vocabulary of Cloud Palm’s Internal Cultivation Method are heavily influenced by Taoist knowledge.
There were many crucial aspects that, without understanding the relevant Taoist knowledge, it was impossible to comprehend its mysteries, let alone cultivate and practice.
As Lu Yuan continued to deepen his cultivation of the Mental Technique, he increasingly felt this situation.
For now, it was not too bad with only the first meridian, as there was less involvement with various Taoist concepts. By relying on his current knowledge, he could just barely understand them.
However, as the cultivation became deeper and reached higher levels, without a solid cultural foundation, it would be impossible to cultivate to a high-level
realm..
