Chapter 16: Grasping One Basic Point and Two Cores

Ascending the Jade Palace

Off to the side, Gao Jian—oblivious to the three people concealed by Wang Xianmao's spell—was still passionately cracking his whip.

Beneath the spell's concealment, Yulou was already drenched in sweat.

Teaching by example. Wang Xianmao was clearly in the mood to educate the younger generation of the family, though his methods were rather unique.

He opened with an incredibly loaded question, his goal simple: to test the brothers' temperaments, or perhaps their understanding.

After all, the Patriarch didn't know these two juniors very well. He needed to understand them first before he could determine how to guide them.

Faced with this difficult question, Yulou remained silent and immediately looked at Yu'an.

His meaning was self-evident.

'My dear little brother, you go up and take the hit first. Buy your older brother some time to charge his skills.'

Yu'an didn't realize Wang Xianmao was trying to test them, but he wasn't stupid either.

The fact that Yulou remained silent and was secretly signaling him to go first meant this was no simple matter.

So, he took a page out of Yulou's book.

Hanging around Yulou and constantly seeing him act like a good boy in front of their elders, Yu'an had learned a thing or two.

He avoided Yulou's gaze, lowered his head, cast his eyes downward, and replicated his brother's usual routine.

'Heh, my dear older brother. Since the Patriarch has a question, it's only natural that you, the eldest, go first. As your little brother, I won't steal your thunder.'

"Haha, Yulou, you go first."

Wang Xianmao was amused by the two brothers. Were they putting on an act for him?

Truthfully, he was quite fond of the pair. It looked like they were throwing each other under the bus, but it actually showed how incredibly close they were.

Unity and brotherly love were good things. How could Wang Xianmao not like that?

"Patriarch, this matter is actually quite simple, yet also not so simple.

"From Gao Jian's perspective, driving away these rogue cultivators who refuse to pay lodging fees is actually not wrong. One could even say he is doing an excellent job.

"In terms of his position, he has to be responsible for the public order of Clear Stream Market. These impoverished rogue cultivators don't have much to their names, yet they linger in Clear Stream Market, making them a potential risk factor.

"In terms of his status, he has to consider his master, Jiang Baobian. With the Red Lantern Illumination Sect's Merit Hall branch settling in Clear Stream Market, a Purple Palace Grand Cultivator will be escorting them. There are many things he must handle well on behalf of his master.

"A person must be responsible for their own standing, and even more so for the source of their authority. We are all just cultivators, not immortals. Gao Jian is simply playing his role with loyalty."

Yulou's answer was excellent, and Wang Xianmao was highly satisfied.

Yu'an, however, was starting to get a little nervous.

'Hold on, bro?'

'Are you really going this hard?'

'How am I supposed to answer after that?'

'Can I just say "me too" and muddle my way through this?'

"You said your previous answer was an analysis from Gao Jian's perspective. What about from our Wang Clan's perspective?"

Wang Xianmao asked with a smile.

He wanted to see just how deep Yulou's thoughts really went.

"The Wang Clan... Patriarch, the rogue cultivators are reluctant to pay for lodging, yet they refuse to leave. This shows they actually have spirit stones; they just want to save them to spend after the Red Lantern Illumination Sect's Merit Hall arrives.

"The Ghost Market Auction organized by you, Senior Jiang, and the other seniors was handled brilliantly. The timing was chosen perfectly. I learned a great deal from it.

"The Qi Induction realm grants a lifespan of one hundred and twenty years, while the Qi Refining stage grants one hundred and eighty. The cultivation journey for every cultivator is long. We will encounter many opportunities in our lives, but these opportunities won't just fall into our laps out of thin air.

"We need the courage and drive to execute our plans, to explore, and to break the mold. At the same time, we must gather friends and companions to ensure stability."

Yulou's answer was primarily focused on flattery, with answering the question as a secondary objective. Wang Xianmao nodded repeatedly as he listened.

Could one say Yulou's answer was off-topic?

No. Being off-topic didn't matter. What mattered was that this answer was a perfect score—an unquestionable perfect score!

Off to the side, Yu'an was breaking out in a heavy sweat.

'My dear brother. Yulou, you're my own flesh and blood.'

'So why aren't you leaving me any way out?'

Yulou's answer was akin to a university group project where everyone else was slacking off, but he had secretly ground out a thirty-page PowerPoint, a thesis, and a fully edited video.

Yu'an was completely exasperated by his overachieving!

"Good. Then let me test you again. If you were the Town Guardian Cultivator, Jiang Baobian, how would you deal with the large number of rogue cultivators flooding into Clear Stream Market recently?"

Yulou pondered for a moment before answering.

"First, we must clarify our stance by grasping one basic point and two cores. The basic point is the development and prosperity of Clear Stream Market. The cores are demonstrating the grand spirit of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect and helping the Merit Hall branch earn more achievements.

"The former is one's duty as the Town Guardian Cultivator. Only by completing the basic work well can one be considered competent.

"The latter corresponds to tasks outside the foundational work, but it's actually even more important.

"Resources in the Wunan Cultivation World are limited; otherwise, the Ten Sects wouldn't have spent thousands of years endlessly pioneering the West Sea.

"Bringing it back to our Wang Clan, after you arrived these past few days, Uncle Nianqiu has rarely stopped running around to serve you.

"Resources are limited. Those in higher positions control the key resources, so those in lower positions must understand where to direct their efforts."

Yulou's answer far exceeded Wang Xianmao's highest expectations, and his expression shifted from a faint smile to one of solemnity.

"Yulou, cultivation is a personal matter. For us cultivators, great power belongs to oneself.

"Doesn't blindly hoping for external support make one's heart appear weak?"

Yulou froze for a moment, then replied.

"We aren't immortals yet, are we?"

If you aren't an immortal yet, there are plenty of people stronger than you. What great power do you actually have?

Everyone is arduously climbing higher, so why pretend to be carefree?

If you want to transcend the material world and escape the constraints of heaven and earth, you must first become an immortal to earn that qualification!

Wang Xianmao was initially stunned, but then burst into hearty laughter.

"Hahaha! Good, good!"

The Patriarch didn't say anything more, instead turning to look at Yu'an.

"Yu'an, tell me your thoughts."

What thoughts could Yu'an possibly have?

Right now, his legs were like jelly and his mind was a mushy mess.

The look in his eyes as he stared at Yulou was filled with even more complex emotions.

There was confusion.

'Bro, we both eat the Wang Clan's food, and we both went to the Wang Clan's school together. How did you end up growing a brain like that?'

There was resentment.

'Bro, every aspect of your answer was incredibly brilliant. You didn't leave me an ounce of room to show off!'

There was relief.

'Bro, if I ever compare myself to you again, I'm a complete idiot!'

There was regret.

'Bro, I should have just answered straight away. Then it wouldn't be as awkward as it is now!'

Yu'an closed his eyes, refusing to think about it anymore, and spoke with reckless abandon.

"Patriarch, Yulou is right. We need to grasp our opportunities, hold more Ghost Market Auctions, and earn more spirit stones!"

Yulou shook his head helplessly. Yu'an had clearly given up the struggle.

He was throwing in the towel right there and embracing a life of mediocrity.

"You, ah... Make sure you learn more from your older brother in the future."

Wang Xianmao said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

He looked back at Yulou, growing increasingly satisfied the more he looked. He immediately pulled a talisman out from his robes.

"Yulou, you are cultivating outside, and your cultivation base is still low. It won't do to not have any life-saving measures.

"Here, take this Hundred-Li Wanderer Escape Talisman and keep it safe. If you ever run into a situation where someone wants to harm you, activate it.

"It allows you to flee a hundred li at the full flight speed of a mid-Foundation Establishment stage cultivator. An ordinary early Foundation Establishment stage cultivator won't be able to catch up to you."

This was a rare Foundation Establishment realm escape talisman. It was crafted from silver demonic beast hide, and the drawn strokes flickered with an azure light. It looked incredibly extraordinary.

Naturally, Yulou wanted it, but he glanced at the talisman, then at the Patriarch, and finally at Yu'an.

At first, Yu'an didn't react.

But soon after, he looked at his dear Patriarch with a face full of disbelief.

'Lord Patriarch, you wouldn't, would you?'

'You can't be this biased, right?'

'You can't just do this!'

'Compared to my brother, I, Wang Yu'an, might be a little lacking, but you can't just leave me out, right?'

'I'm only thirteen years old this year. If you do this, my fragile little heart will be deeply wounded!'

Yulou's response was akin to everyone slacking off on a group project, only for him to secretly overachieve by producing a thirty-page presentation, an essay, and a fully edited video.

Yu'an was completely exasperated by his overachieving!

"Good. Let me test you once more. If you were the Town Guardian Cultivator, Jiang Baobian, how would you deal with the massive influx of rogue cultivators recently flooding into Clear Stream Market?"

Yulou pondered for a moment before replying.

"First, one must clarify their stance and grasp one basic point and two cores. The basic point is the development and prosperity of Clear Stream Market. The core is to display the imposing presence of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect and help the Merit Hall branch earn better results.

"The former is the duty of a Town Guardian Cultivator. Only by completing these basic tasks can one be considered competent.

"The latter involves matters outside of that basic work, but it is actually far more important than simply doing the job well.

"The resources in the Wunan Cultivation World are limited. Otherwise, the Ten Sects wouldn't have spent thousands of years endlessly pioneering the West Sea.

"Even substituting this into our Wang Clan—since you arrived these past few days, Uncle Nianqiu has been uncharacteristically running around to serve you.

"Resources are limited. The superiors control the crucial resources, so the subordinates must understand where to direct their efforts."

Yulou's answer far exceeded Wang Xianmao's highest expectations. His expression shifted from a faint smile to one of solemnity.

"Yulou, cultivation is a personal matter. For us cultivators, mighty power belongs to oneself.

"Blindly hoping to gain support from the outside—does this not make one's inner self weak?"

Yulou was stunned for a moment before replying.

"But we aren't immortals yet, are we?"

'We aren't immortals yet, and there are countless people stronger than you, so what mighty power do you really have?'

'Everyone is struggling to climb upward, so what's the point of pretending to be detached?'

'If you want to be detached from worldly affairs and break free from the constraints of heaven and earth, you have to become an immortal first to even earn that right!'

Wang Xianmao was startled at first, but then he burst into loud laughter.

"Hahaha, good, good!"

The Patriarch didn't say much else, looking toward Yu'an instead.

"Yu'an, tell me your thoughts."

What thoughts could Yu'an possibly have?

His legs were currently like jelly, and his mind was pure mush.

The emotion in his eyes as he looked at Yulou was incredibly complex.

There was confusion.

'Bro, we both ate the Wang Clan's food and attended the Wang Clan's academy together. How did you grow a brain like that?'

There was resentment.

'Bro, every aspect of your answer was incredibly brilliant. You didn't leave me any room to shine at all!'

There was relief.

'Bro, if I ever try to compare myself to you again, I'd be an absolute idiot!'

There was regret.

'Bro, I should have just answered directly earlier. Then it wouldn't be as awkward as it is now!'

Yu'an closed his eyes. Giving up on thinking entirely, he spoke candidly.

"Patriarch, Yulou is right. We need to seize opportunities, hold more Ghost Market Auctions, and earn more spirit stones!"

Yulou shook his head helplessly. Yu'an had clearly given up the struggle.

He was just laying flat on the spot, ready to enjoy a useless life.

"You... you need to learn more from your brother from now on," Wang Xianmao said, caught between tears and laughter.

He looked at Yulou again, growing more satisfied the longer he looked, and pulled a talisman from his robes.

"Yulou, since you're cultivating outside and your cultivation base is still low, it won't do to not have any life-saving measures.

"Here, keep this Hundred-Li Wanderer Escape Talisman safe. If you ever encounter a situation where someone wants to harm you, activate it.

"It will let you fly a hundred li at the full speed of a mid-Foundation Establishment stage cultivator. An ordinary early Foundation Establishment stage cultivator won't be able to catch up to you."

This was a rare Foundation Establishment stage escape talisman. Made from silver demonic beast hide, the drawn strokes still flickered with a green light. It looked incredibly extraordinary.

Yulou naturally wanted it, but he looked at the talisman, then at the Patriarch, and finally at Yu'an.

Yu'an didn't react at first.

However, he soon looked at his dear Patriarch with a face full of disbelief.

'Lord Patriarch, you wouldn't, right?'

'You wouldn't be this biased, would you?'

'You can't treat me like this!'

'Compared to my brother, I, Wang Yu'an, might fall a bit short, but you can't do this!'

'I'm only thirteen years old this year. If you do this, my fragile little heart will be traumatized!'