Chapter 725: 302. Celestial Patrolling Magical Treasure, Great Celestial Mirror (Combined Chapter 4)

The young man interrupted him. "Mistakes? What mistakes? It was he who falsely accused my maternal grandfather’s family of treason, leading to their home being raided and my mother dying of grief. Since then, he has considered me a thorn in his side!

He craved the family’s reputation, forced me to stay indoors and study, yet forbade me from beginning my cultivation of qi comprehension. When I practiced martial arts, he broke my legs, destroyed my physical qi and blood, completely blocking my path to advancement, and also prohibited me from exploring other cultivation methods.

All he wanted was to cripple me while avoiding giving others ammunition to criticize him!"

The middle-aged scholar’s smile vanished, his expression turning stern. "Nie Fang, you are becoming increasingly disrespectful. Remember, one should never find fault with one’s parents.

To criticize one’s father is a grave impiety!

Let’s not even speak of how your very body, down to your hair and skin, was bestowed by Elder Dong. Even your food, clothing, and expenses over all these years—were they not all provided by him?"

Nie Fang sneered. "When my mother died, I left home, only for him to capture me and bring me back. Was it because of his deep parental love?

He just didn’t want people to use me as an excuse to gossip about him.

He only cared about his own reputation."

The middle-aged scholar said, "Elder Dong did it for your own good; you are simply too ignorant to understand. Now, you’ve finally fallen onto the Heretical Path, learning those trivial, perverse techniques typical of demonic ways and profane worship, bringing shame to the Nie Family."

Nie Fang said coldly, "I admit, my aptitude for scholarship and qi comprehension is mediocre. Even if he had allowed me to follow the path of a scholar, I likely wouldn’t have achieved greatness. Yet, he refused me even the slightest chance to excel.

I could have achieved something in martial arts, but he destroyed my physical foundation. Whenever I made some progress in cultivating the Tao, he would try to destroy my Spiritual Soul.

He wouldn’t kill me, yet he kept me suppressed, wanting to keep me confined and raised like livestock.

Why? Because he doesn’t want others to say he has a guilty conscience! If I were to gain prominence, it would only lead people to constantly rehash the despicable things he did back then!"

The middle-aged scholar raised his hand, his brush moving swiftly as numerous ink characters flew towards Nie Fang, declaring, "If you understand, why continue to err and make things difficult for Elder Dong? He has worked so painstakingly, all with good intentions, to prevent the family scandal from becoming public.

If you had any filial piety, you would try to understand Elder Dong and help preserve his reputation. Elder Dong never stinted on your daily needs.

Yet you, Nie Fang, harbor resentment and act with such outrageous irreverence, completely disregarding filial piety and fraternal duty! Alas, as the Nie Manor’s Tutor, I have failed to educate you properly. I have truly failed the trust Elder Dong placed in me."

The ink characters assaulted Nie Fang.

A faint glow enveloped Nie Fang’s body as he narrowly dodged.

But the rain of ink characters was dense and relentless.

The middle-aged scholar wrote faster and faster, more ink characters flying toward Nie Fang as he continued, "Fortunately, I still have a chance to rectify this mistake by capturing you and bringing you back to Elder Dong. Since you remain obstinately deluded, I will have to be firm and teach you a harsh lesson. This is a consequence you have brought upon yourself."

The glow around Nie Fang’s body transformed into flowing wind and drifting clouds, lifting him skyward. However, he was immediately pressed down by the ink that permeated the area, unable to break free.

"Nie Fang, do you think that by learning some unorthodox, profane practices from the wilderness, you can overturn the heavens?"

The middle-aged scholar declared, "Never mind that Elder Dong is your father—and the principle of ’father as the son’s guide’ means you can never defy him in this lifetime. Even between us, the bond of mentor and student exists. The principle of ’mentor as the student’s guide’ means you cannot defy me either! Even if you have strayed onto a deviant path, do not forget that the scholarship of us literati is the only true learning!"

...You all are increasingly becoming unbearable.

Lei Jun watched silently.

Previously, whether it was Lei Jun himself, Fang Yue, Master Faming, or even Ye Yan and Chu Xiuyuan, their confrontations with Heavenly Order Cultivators had always been external disputes.

Today, for the first time, Lei Jun witnessed an internal clash among people from the Heavenly Principle itself.

Without the middle-aged scholar needing to say anything, Lei Jun could discern certain aspects just by observing.

Although the young man named Nie Fang cultivated according to the Taoist way, he was indeed restricted at every turn.

The mentor-student relationship itself was like shackles binding him.

The middle-aged scholar, on the other hand, wielded his brush with effortless ease.

The disparity in realm and strength between Lei Jun and Nie Fang was immense. Thus, even without seeing Nie Fang fight anyone else, Lei Jun could presently discern that when facing the middle-aged scholar, Nie Fang’s offensive and defensive capabilities were substantially diminished from his normal level.

Conversely, when the middle-aged scholar attacked Nie Fang, he could not only disregard most of Nie Fang’s attacks, but his ink characters were also so formidable that Nie Fang dared not let them touch him.

If they did, the injuries would be far more severe than normal.

If not for their mentor-student relationship, even if Nie Fang were outmatched in realm and strength, the battle would not have become so perilous for him so quickly.

Furthermore, Lei Jun could sense a confrontation occurring even between their Spiritual Souls.

The middle-aged scholar’s thoughts and intentions seemed to be invisibly influencing Nie Fang’s mind.

Had Nie Fang’s willpower not been sufficiently firm, he might have been so overwhelmed by the middle-aged scholar’s pressure that he would have lost all thought of resistance.

As it was, even though he could still persist, it was like carrying an additional, heavy burden.

However, Nie Fang was not a Confucian Rationalist Cultivator.

That so-called Tutor of Nie Manor had never truly taught him the Confucian Sect’s cultivation methods; he had merely made him read and memorize books like an ordinary person.

But since the rites of discipleship had been performed and the mentor-student relationship formally established long ago, Nie Fang found himself constrained in every action when facing him.

Lei Jun could perceive that neither Nie Manor nor this middle-aged scholar had directly tampered with Nie Fang.

If any such measures had been taken, it wasn’t by them.

Rather, it stemmed from the entire cultivation system of Confucian Rationalism within the Heavenly Principle itself.

Indeed, the ability of those Scholarly Cultivators there to bear the fate of the land and nation, cultivating in unison with the country, stemmed from this entire Taoist Heritage.

To call it a group or an entity might not be entirely accurate.

In Lei Jun’s understanding, it was more precise to describe it as an already consolidated system.