"Follow this path up the mountain, and you will reach the summit," Master Yichuan instructed, his face flushed red, avoiding eye contact with Crown Prince Wanli.
As per the rules of the Guigu lineage, disciples were forbidden from going beyond the mountain's midsection. His role as a guide had come to an end.
"Hmph!" Wanli scoffed as he passed by Yichuan.
With the possibility of recruiting Guiguzi still within reach, Wanli chose to overlook Yichuan's earlier transgressions, giving him face out of respect for Guiguzi.
"Be careful, Duke Jin," Yan Yuan cautioned. "The secret formation at the summit is likely formidable."
"Indeed," Fan Li replied with a noncommittal nod.
He was more intrigued by Guiguzi's earlier behavior than the upcoming challenge. As he ascended the mountain, he pondered the reasons behind Guiguzi's eagerness.
Why was this reclusive expert suddenly so keen on worldly affairs? Had he had a change of heart and decided to re-enter society?
“Hey! What are you thinking about?” Lu Fubao, who had been intently observing Fan Li throughout the journey, couldn't resist asking when she noticed his contemplative expression.
“Is it possible...” Fan Li lowered his voice, “...that Guiguzi is desperate to leave Mount Yunmeng?”
“Impossible,” Lu Fubao immediately dismissed the idea. “He is a hermit, above worldly desires. Why would he care about power?”
“But he seemed quite eager earlier, didn't he?”
Lu Fubao fell silent, considering Fan Li's words.
“Well…”
“Perhaps…”
“Maybe…???”
“No!” she suddenly exclaimed, remembering something.
“Mount Yunmeng is Guiguzi's sacred ground, not a prison. If he wanted to leave, he could simply walk out. Why would he bother sitting at the summit and putting on airs? With the Guigu lineage's prestige in the Confucian world, which dynasty wouldn't want to recruit him?”
Lu Fubao looked at Fan Li triumphantly, expecting him to concede.
However, Fan Li's expression turned strange. “Repeat what you just said.”
“Ah?” Lu Fubao felt a pang of guilt. “Did I say something wrong? Don't be angry.”
“I'm not angry, but you mentioned a ‘prison’?” Fan Li was a little excited and tried to suppress his voice.
“Is it possible that Mount Yunmeng is Guiguzi's prison? He wants to leave, but he can't do it on his own?”
Lu Fubao remained unconvinced. “That's impossible. Everyone knows Mount Yunmeng is Guiguzi's magical treasure and sacred ground. How could someone be trapped by their own treasure?”
To her, Fan Li's speculation defied logic.
Fan Li knew she had a point, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. He felt like he was getting closer to the truth...
They continued their ascent in silence, their minds preoccupied with their own thoughts.
Suddenly, Fan Li stopped and looked up. "I've heard that ever since the first Guiguzi rejected the recruitment offers from the founding emperors of the Three Kingdoms and was forced to ascend to the immortal realm, his successors have remained on Mount Yunmeng. Even when they take on disciples, they never leave the mountain, is that right?"
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"Yes," Lu Fubao replied with a smile. "That's why everyone says Guiguzi is the most mysterious Confucian cultivator in the world."
Fan Li's expression changed several times.
Mysterious because he remained hidden from the world for so long. The Guigu lineage had existed for over a thousand years, but what if, during that entire time, Guiguzi had never left Mount Yunmeng? Or perhaps, he couldn't even leave the summit?
Fan Li quickened his pace and approached Zhuge Liang. "May I ask, which generation of Guiguzi is the current one?" he inquired softly.
Zhuge Liang was momentarily taken aback, then shook his head. "I apologize, Duke Jin. Master only taught us his knowledge, never discussing personal matters with his disciples."
"Ah?!"
Sensing Fan Li's disbelief, Zhuge Liang continued to explain.
"Master's methods of accepting disciples were quite peculiar. As you know, the Guigu lineage is renowned for its mastery of various schools of thought, but he only taught us Confucianism.
Master once said, 'When Confucianism flourishes, Confucian cultivators should be the first to enter the imperial court.'
Furthermore, Master instructed us to leave Mount Yunmeng and seek employment in a dynasty as soon as our Confucian cultivation reached a certain level.
According to Master, he wanted to use his disciples to spread the name of Guigu throughout the world."
Disciples spreading their master's fame?
Fan Li grew increasingly confused.
Guiguzi was a hermit, yet he desired fame? But what was the purpose of fame?
From what Fan Li had observed, the result of Guiguzi's actions was that the five kingdoms of Chu, Ming, Wei, Han, and Wu, along with the Brahma Sound Pure Land, had all come to Mount Yunmeng seeking to recruit him.
Could it be that all of this was part of Guiguzi's plan?
Fan Li smiled wryly. As a transmigrator, his understanding of hermits like Guiguzi was limited. He couldn't see through the mystery, nor could he comprehend it.
Perhaps, he thought, only after meeting Guiguzi would he find the answers he sought.
The lower slopes of Mount Yunmeng were covered in lush greenery and dense forests. However, as they approached the summit, the scenery changed dramatically.
"Are we still on Mount Yunmeng?" Lu Fubao couldn't help but ask.
The verdant forests had vanished, replaced by barren rocks devoid of vegetation. Even the sweet scent of flowers and the chirping of birds were absent. She looked up towards the peak, only to see bare rocks and not even a single blade of grass.
"Hehe? Scared? Then turn back!" Crown Prince Wanli sneered. He was in a terrible mood after his failure at the Flaming Mountain and was eager to regain his lost face.
"Teacher," he said to Zhang Juzheng, "This time, we must be the first to break through the formation, no matter what. I want to be the first to meet Guiguzi and invite him to the Great Ming!"
Zhang Juzheng nodded silently, his hand reaching into his sleeve and touching a particular object.
"Rest assured, Your Highness. The Great Ming is the strongest nation in the world. The unification of the land belongs to us. From what I heard in Guiguzi's transmission, he clearly intends to re-enter society. The Great Ming is his best choice."
Finally, they reached the end of the mountain path, but they hadn't yet reached the summit of Mount Yunmeng. A barrier, a swirling mix of three colors, separated them from the peak.
The distance between them and the summit was only about a hundred meters. Through the barrier, Fan Li could vaguely make out a figure in black robes sitting alone in a pavilion at the peak. The figure wore a ghost mask, concealing their face, but everyone knew it was Guiguzi.
"Your disciples greet you, Master. May you enjoy boundless longevity!" Zhuge Liang, Zhou Yu, and Guo Jia suddenly knelt down and kowtowed three times.
Their actions further confirmed the identity of the ghost-masked figure.
Crown Prince Wanli felt a pang of envy. This was a perfect opportunity to establish a connection with Guiguzi. How he wished Zhang Juzheng could kowtow a few times on his behalf!
Unfortunately, without a formal introduction or a legitimate reason, kneeling and kowtowing would only result in losing face.
"Teacher, do you have a way to break through?" Wanli whispered.
"Please be patient, Your Highness."
As Zhang Juzheng spoke, he adjusted his robes and straightened his attire. His actions caught Fan Li's attention.
'This guy is up to something,' Fan Li thought to himself.
As expected, Zhang Juzheng retrieved an object from his sleeve – a scroll made of yellow silk.
An imperial edict?!
Fan Li's heart sank. He had a bad feeling about this.
Zhang Juzheng unfurled the edict, and a surge of dragon energy shot up into the sky, accompanied by a resounding dragon's roar.
"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees," Zhang Juzheng read aloud.
"We have heard that within Mount Yunmeng resides the great sage Guigu, whose knowledge encompasses all of heaven and earth. He enjoys imparting his teachings and has disciples throughout the land, earning him great merit and praise for his contributions to education and culture.
Therefore, with this edict, we invite the sage to join our court.
We bestow upon him the title of Grand Tutor and Grand Secretary of the Jianji Palace, concurrently holding the position of Minister of Rites and entering the Grand Secretariat, holding the rank of first-grade official..."
Fan Li's eyelids twitched.
This was a power move! Zhang Juzheng had played his trump card – a personal imperial edict from the Jiajing Emperor!