Chapter 147 Telling the Truth

Jiang Yuan felt that he needed to keep some distance from this eccentric Zhao Gongming.

"Where does the Grand Tutor plan to go next?" Jiang Yuan asked with a smile.

"This... the main figures of this trip have already been visited, and the rest are truly some old friends of mine within the Jie School," Wen Zhong replied calmly.

Jiang Yuan always found it a bit strange that Wen Zhong, who looked so handsome and youthful, referred to himself as an old minister.

"Then the Grand Tutor can set off on your own; We already have our next destination," Jiang Yuan said with a faint smile.

"What about Senior Brother Zhao then?" Wen Zhong inquired.

They couldn't just leave such a heavyweight hanging, could they?

"Daoist Zhao will naturally accompany the Grand Tutor. We intend to go and see the Master of Heaven along with Senior Bai Ze," Jiang Yuan said as a matter of course.

"You are going to see my master?" Zhao Gongming asked.

Jiang Yuan looked calmly at Zhao Gongming and replied indifferently, "Is there a problem? We seek the assistance of the Jie School, so naturally we must pay our respects to the Master of Heaven."

"Very well, I will accompany Wen Zhong and the others to persuade our other fellow disciples," Zhao Gongming responded calmly.

Jiang Yuan did not understand the weight of these words, but Wen Zhong was well aware of it.

If Wen Zhong were to persuade others alone, relying solely on his personal connections, he could indeed summon a few friends.

However, if his Senior Brother Zhao Gongming were added to the mix, whoever was called would practically be forced to agree.

Because in Zhao Gongming's eyes, since he had personally stepped forward, a refusal would be a direct insult to his dignity.

To insult his dignity was to look down upon him, and given his stubborn and unyielding nature, anyone who looked down upon him would find it impossible to survive within the Jie School.

Therefore, Wen Zhong's journey was practically armed with an imperial decree, yet he felt that the selection of candidates still required careful consideration.

Some might agree to assist the Great Shang merely out of regard for Zhao Gongming's face, but they would certainly harbor resentment in their hearts.

They would also hold a grudge against him, and when the time came to help the Great Shang, they might not put their full effort into it, or worse, they might even cause counterproductive trouble.

That was entirely unnecessary. After pondering for a moment, Wen Zhong decided to find a way to dispatch Senior Brother Zhao elsewhere.

Senior Brother Zhao was simply too extreme and prone to causing unintended disruptions.

"In that case, let us part ways with the King and act separately," Wen Zhong said.

Shi Ji naturally had no objections; Wen Zhong's opinion was her opinion. As for Zhao Gongming, if he genuinely intended to assist the Great Shang, Wen Zhong, as the Grand Tutor of the Great Shang, likely held a higher status than him. Although it felt somewhat awkward, Zhao Gongming raised no objections.

"The Grand Tutor only needs to do his best. We only want those who are truly willing to help the Great Shang, or those who naturally harbor hostility toward the Chan School. As for all the other miscellaneous characters, forget it," Jiang Yuan instructed.

"This old minister understands," Wen Zhong nodded.

The Jie School practiced the doctrine of teaching without discrimination, encompassing virtually all sorts of monsters and spirits, with qualities running the gamut.

It was fortunate that the Master of Heaven was magnanimous; otherwise, ordinary people would truly be incapable of teaching such disciples.

Take Shi Ji, for instance, who was originally a piece of rock. Jiang Yuan had never expected that anyone would be willing to take a rock as a disciple.

Of course, the future Xuanzang of the journey to the West might be one, but when Sun Wukong leaped out from the rock, he was at least a monkey.

Jiang Yuan felt his thoughts were drifting a bit too far. He looked at Wen Zhong and smiled with confidence, "Don't worry about the Great Shang lacking powerful figures in the future. If there aren't enough, We will cultivate them."

The younger Wen Zhong had exceptionally bright eyes and nodded solemnly.

He felt a sudden wave of emotion: how had that child, who used to look at him with a hint of awe back then, suddenly transformed into an omnipotent figure?

"We trust the Grand Tutor deeply. The task of rallying the rest of the Jie School is left to you, and Senior Bai Ze and I will head to Penglai Island first," Jiang Yuan said in farewell.

Watching Jiang Yuan's departing figure, Wen Zhong turned to Zhao Gongming and said, "Senior Brother Zhao, shall we go find my master first?"

"Why?" Zhao Gongming asked, puzzled.

"After all, she is my master and will be easier to persuade. Every beginning is difficult, so let's aim for a good start," Wen Zhong smiled.

In truth, the real reason was entirely different. Our Lady of the Golden Spirit was his master, and persuading her to assist the Great Shang actually carried no pressure at all.

The reason Wen Zhong wanted to visit Our Lady of the Golden Spirit first was precisely to have his master keep Senior Brother Zhao detained.

This would prevent Zhao Gongming's eccentric temper from stirring up trouble for their subsequent endeavors.

Upon hearing this reasoning, Zhao Gongming pondered silently for a moment, then nodded in tacit agreement, barely accepting the explanation.

Although Wen Zhong addressed Zhao Gongming as a senior brother, he had merely entered apprenticeship slightly earlier than Our Lady of the Golden Spirit.

When it came to status within the Jie School, Our Lady of the Golden Spirit could be considered second only to the eldest senior brother, Duobao Daoist.

She was the female immortal with the highest status in the Jie School.

If she wished to keep Zhao Gongming behind, she could easily find a pretext to do so.

Naturally, Jiang Yuan knew nothing of their subsequent itinerary. Escorted by the semi-sage Bai Ze, the two quickly arrived at Penglai Island.

On Penglai Island stood a colossal palace, exceptionally magnificent and situated right at the center of the island.

Looking at the Biyou Palace—which looked far more imposing than his own imperial palace—Jiang Yuan couldn't help but marvel that the engineering feats accomplished by immortals were truly beyond human comparison.

Was this the legendary Biyou Palace where myriad Buddhas paid homage and ten thousand immortals gathered?

Although the immortals under the Jie School varied in caliber, it remained the largest faction in the Primordial World.

After all, their numbers were vast, and the Master of Heaven was a figure feared even by Primordial Beginning Celestial Venerable.

Had the Master of Heaven and the Supreme Lord not allied with the two Western sages to scheme against him, the Jie School would not have suffered a crushing defeat that severely crippled its orthodox lineage.

Even so, the Master of Heaven was a ruthless character. Following his defeat, he actually intended to re-forge the Primordial World and was subsequently grounded by Hongjun.

The ones who lost the most in the Gods' Conferment War were the Master of Heaven and King Zhou—one lost the Jie School, while the other lost the realm.

"Senior Bai Ze, do you think there will be danger on this trip?" Jiang Yuan asked, suspended in mid-air outside Penglai Island.

Bai Ze shook his head.

This made Jiang Yuan breathe a sigh of relief. "It's good that there's no danger."

At this moment, Bai Ze offered an explanation: "My headshake does not mean there is no danger, but rather that I do not know whether there is danger or not. After all, this is a sage's Daoist domain."

"My divine abilities have no effect here. Therefore, the Human Sovereign had better prepare yourself mentally."

Jiang Yuan felt a wave of panic as well. Among all the sages, this Master of Heaven was the most unreasonable.

Since he could even produce a disciple as eccentric as Zhao Gongming, Jiang Yuan found it hard to imagine what kind of person the Master of Heaven actually was.

"We must go in anyway. Solely by relying on Our own strength and that of the Great Shang, it will probably be difficult to contend with Primordial Beginning Celestial Venerable without a sage backing us up," Jiang Yuan said, hardening his resolve.

The Master of Heaven was the most difficult person to deal with, yet also the easiest, as long as one suited his temperament.

"Then shall we go in now?" Bai Ze asked indifferently.

"Senior Bai Ze, why are you not afraid at all?" Jiang Yuan asked in confusion.

"When facing matters, one must keep a calm and steady mind," Bai Ze replied with unperturbed composure.

"Tell the truth," Jiang Yuan said, staring at Bai Ze.

"Because being afraid is useless... I cannot even defeat the Heavenly Emperor, let alone a sage," Bai Ze stated honestly.

"Then why did you choose to follow Us?" Jiang Yuan smiled.

He was just realizing that this Bai Ze was quite an interesting person.

"Because of a promise."

"Tell the truth."

"Because I see an increasingly greater hope of ascending to the realm of a sage in the Human Sovereign."

"Hahaha, speaking with Senior Bai Ze is always interesting." The fear that had just lingered in Jiang Yuan's heart was instantly swept away.

Bai Ze fell silent.