Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 735 The frightened bird

Ao Jing sensed the emotions of the nearby demons; they were all actually looking forward to the arrival of a certain human...

He figured that after he left, the demons and monsters in the Mirror Lake area would probably be delighted to see him.

Ao Jing shook his head, then withdrew his senses and prepared to go outside the city to clear his head.

Before he could even leave the city, a person appeared across the street.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Ao Jing paused, instinctively wanting to dodge.

But it was too late; the other party's gaze had already fallen upon them.

Lu Zheng walked up to Ao Jing and said with a smile, "I didn't expect the Dragon King to be here. I thought you had returned to the East Sea."

"Ahaha... It's Fellow Daoist Lu...!"

Ao Jing maintained his smile and explained in a low voice, "I've made some acquaintances in the Northern Region over the years, and I came to say goodbye before leaving. After this trip to the East Sea, I don't know when I'll return to the Northern Region. As friends, it wouldn't be right to simply leave without saying goodbye..."

Lu Zheng nodded upon hearing this, "That's right. The East Sea is indeed quite far from the Northern Region, but the Dragon King's cultivation is profound, so the round trip won't take much time. If you miss the time in the Northern Region in the future, you can come back to visit anytime."

Ao Jing repeatedly agreed, "That's right, that's right."

Ao Jing outwardly agreed, but inwardly he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "By the next time I come, some of my old friends' graves will be overgrown with weeds..."

Oh, I'm afraid there isn't even a grave.

Once he left the Northern Region, he had no intention of coming back to get involved.

Ao Jing then asked, "Why did you come here? Has anything gone wrong at Mirror Lake?"

Lu Zhengdao: "There are no problems with Mirror Lake. I've already arranged some tasks for them. The Northern Region is so vast, and there are many places I'm not familiar with yet. I'll travel around and take a look to get a feel for the situation..."

Lu Zheng is quite powerful now and can go anywhere quickly, so he personally went to the nearby areas to conduct on-site investigations and understand the local situation.

Hearing Lu Zheng say this, Ao Jing was certain that the other party was making preparations for the future. It was likely that before long, more invitations would be sent to some nearby forces.

Lu Zheng said, "I heard that this is the territory of the Demon King Gouyang. The Dragon King should know him, right?"

Gouyang is a powerful demon in the Tongxuan Realm. His specific race is unknown. It is said that he is quite old. He was born before the previous dynasty had fallen, making him the oldest powerful demon in the surrounding area.

Upon hearing this, Ao Jing's mind raced, and he replied, "I know him... but we're only acquainted."

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "Is that so? I would like to trouble the Dragon King to take me to pay him a visit. I wonder if the Dragon King has the time?"

Ao Jing really wanted to say that he was busy, but when faced with Lu Zheng's gaze, he couldn't find a clear excuse to refuse.

Ao Jing whispered, "Really, it's just a visit?"

Ao Jing strongly suspected that Lu Zheng hadn't gone to visit, but rather...

Lu Zheng couldn't help but smile and said, "If it weren't for a visit, there would be no need for the Dragon King to come with me."

Ao Jing thought about it, hesitated for a moment, and then agreed.

"Should I inform Gou Yang first?"

Ao Jing made a hand seal, his fingertips shimmering with light, as he prepared to use magic to send a message to Gou Yang.

Lu Zhengdao said, "Thank you for your trouble, Dragon King."

Ao Jing flicked his finger, and a streak of light shot out from his fingertip and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Ao Jing led the way, saying as they walked, "Actually, you can just call me Fellow Daoist. My title of Dragon King is just for show..."

Now, facing Lu Zheng, Ao Jing really didn't have the confidence to be arrogant.

Soon, Gou Yang received the news and was taken aback to learn of Lu Zheng's visit.

Before the powerful demons he had invited to the meeting had left, Gou Yang had already informed them of the matter.

The demons were all alarmed, wondering if they had exposed something, or if Ao Jing was trying to have his cake and eat it too...

One of the demons said, "Brother Gou, since he has come to see you, you should go out and greet him, and see what he does."

Gou Yang's expression shifted between anger and uncertainty. It was easy for him to talk when he was not in the same boat. This person had killed countless Transcendent Realm beings, demons, and monsters. How could he, an old man, face such a person? He hadn't lived enough yet!

Gou Yang said quietly, "If you want to go, go together. It'll be easier to talk things over if there are more people."

You Yao couldn't help but say, "Wouldn't it be inappropriate for us to show our faces? If he sees us, he might start to speculate and make wild guesses..."

Gou Yang's face darkened, and he said indifferently, "Just tell them you're here to see Ao Jing off. What, at this point, you're afraid to show yourselves to anyone?"

Gou Yang thought to himself, "These guys were all so arrogant before, talking about how to deal with Lu Zheng, all sorts of schemes and plans. Now that he's actually here, they don't have the guts to face him."

Seeing Gou Yang's displeased expression, the demons thought that if they didn't go together, this old monster might turn against them and betray them.

Seeing this, everyone discussed and made some arrangements before going out to greet Lu Zheng and Ao Jing.

As soon as Gou Yang saw Lu Zheng, a smile spread across his aged face.

Although Lu Zheng's aura was not obvious, everyone felt a strange sensation upon seeing him.

The young man before them seemed like a vast ocean, appearing calm and without any danger, but in reality, he contained the power to destroy everything.

Gou Yang cupped his hands in greeting and said with a smile, "I have long admired Young Master Lu's name. I never expected that Young Master Lu would come to visit such a remote place as my home. It is truly an honor for me. Please come inside..."

Gou Yang quickly and warmly greeted them, explaining that they were preparing a farewell banquet for Ao Jing, and that the timing was perfect.

Lu Zheng cupped his hands and said, "I have come uninvited, and I am afraid I have disturbed your enjoyment."

Gou Yang quickly replied, "Not at all, not at all! Your presence is an honor to our humble abode. We are overjoyed..."

A burly demon stepped forward and said, “My name is Shi Hu, a half-demon. One of my ancestors came from a great dynasty! I usually enjoy reading the classics and currently live on Wohu Mountain, three thousand miles to the west. It is a sacred mountain with beautiful scenery and many rare crops.”

"I've heard that Brother Lu is skilled in farming and has supported many people through his crops. If you're interested in the crops from Wohu Mountain, you're welcome to visit me anytime!"

Gou Yang and the others glanced sideways. So this is how they address him, "Brother Lu"? This doesn't seem like a polite way of addressing him.

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng smiled and said, "Really? Then I'll definitely have to go and see."

Shi Hu grinned and said, "Then I'll take you there. I have a few children at home who don't study hard, so I'm afraid I'll need Brother Lu's guidance and instruction... A scholar as capable as you is definitely better at teaching than I am!"

The others thought to themselves, "Is this never going to end? Who would have thought that Shi Hu would be such a cunning person, trying to get close to people like this?"

Shi Hu then enthusiastically introduced Lu Zheng to the several powerful demons standing nearby.

Lu Zheng listened quietly with a smile; they were all renowned demon kings in the area.

Lu Zheng already knew something about these demon kings, so it was quite a coincidence that he was able to see them all at once.

Soon, Gou Yang led everyone to an elegant garden and invited them to enjoy the flowers and tea.

Knowing that Lu Zheng did not like luxury like other people, Gou Yang had the garden decorated very simply and was not served by anyone.

Normally, when entertaining powerful demons like Ao Jing, the scale of the banquet would be enormous, displaying extreme extravagance. Gou Yang invited Lu Zheng and the others to take their seats, and after a few polite words, he moved on to a topic of conversation.

Gou Yang said softly, "We heard that Brother Ao is going back to the East Sea and leaving the land of Mirror Lake to Young Master Lu?"

Gou Yang carefully considered his words before saying this.

Lu Zheng nodded and said, "Mirror Lake and the surrounding area have been incorporated into the Taiping Domain. Initial reconstruction is underway..."

"I plan to have Mirror Lake properly developed into a large-scale aquaculture area. With proper aquaculture, Mirror Lake can produce a large amount of aquatic products, whether it's common food or spirit fish... the profits will be considerable, making it a very good place..."

"At that time, we'll build several land and water routes connecting to other regions, so that people in the surrounding areas can buy cheap fish..."

Lu Zheng spoke eloquently, describing some of the planning schemes for Jinghu Lake.

Gou Yang and the others were slightly stunned upon hearing this. So you occupied Mirror Lake just to set up a fishing ground?

Considering that Lu Zheng wasted a wisp of saintly power in his sparring with Ao Jing, if that wisp of saintly power were given to some powerful individuals to comprehend, some would probably be willing to help Lu Zheng dig out several mirror lakes.

Shi Hu asked curiously, "You're always worrying about these things, doesn't that interfere with your cultivation?"

They found it incredible and incomprehensible that Lu Zheng, at such a young age, possessed a cultivation level comparable to theirs, despite devoting so much energy to these livelihood matters.

Lu Zheng smiled slightly upon hearing this, "The sages and wise men of the past cared for the common people and put the people first. I learn from their principles and put them into practice. This is my own cultivation. How could it delay my own progress?"

"Even if I haven't spent much time absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to improve myself, won't the power of heaven and earth come to me on its own?"

"As the sage said, the way of Heaven is to take from those who have too much and give to those who have too little..."

"I think I'm one of the lucky ones who have been blessed by heaven and earth?"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. What did they mean by the power of heaven and earth coming to them on its own?

What everyone seeks but cannot obtain in their cultivation, they would actively try to make up for Lu Zheng's shortcomings.

Such a statement was beyond their comprehension.

They felt that their understanding of cultivation was not on the same level as Lu Zheng's.

"The flowers are blooming..."

Lu Zheng suddenly changed his words and said a few words.

The others were taken aback, not understanding what Lu Zheng meant.

However, the next moment, Gou Yang and the others' expressions changed slightly.

Because they discovered that the entire garden was changing, and the flowers, plants, and trees were changing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Some tiny flower buds quickly grew and blossomed into bright flowers.

The entire garden is now a riot of colors, even more vibrant and full of life.

Ao Jing was shocked; he had no idea what methods Lu Zheng had used.

The same applies to other powerful demons.

After learning of Lu Zheng's arrival, they all became extremely vigilant, constantly on guard and highly sensitive to even the slightest fluctuations in their surroundings.

As a result, they did not notice anything unusual. Lu Zheng only said a few words, and his words did not carry any special meaning, but they caused such a big change in the entire garden.

Perhaps Lu Zheng used some methods, but they didn't realize it.

Words become law? Gou Yang was filled with doubt and surprise, but he found no trace of magical power.

Ao Jing's eyes flickered; was this a sign of his closeness to the natural order?

As a member of the East Sea Dragon Clan, he had read far more ancient texts than any other great demon.

Reflecting on what he had learned, he deduced that Lu Zheng had indeed done something just now; his words resonated naturally, without requiring any special effort...

This can no longer be called rhetoric, but rather the Way.

Ao Jing's throat moved slightly as he glanced at Lu Zheng, feeling that this young man was even more unfathomable than the elders in his clan.

Lu Zheng turned to look at Ao Jing, smiled, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Ao Jing hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help but ask, "You didn't ask the Dao, did you?"

Hearing Ao Jing say this, the others were even more surprised and couldn't help but look at Lu Zheng.

If Lu Zheng were to reach the Dao Inquiry Realm, all of them combined probably wouldn't be enough to withstand a single casual move from him.

"Asked?"

Lu Zheng chuckled softly upon hearing this, "As for seeking the Dao, I'm still far from my own path..."

Hearing Lu Zheng's words, everyone was curious, but they didn't dare to ask him what specific path he cultivated.

The path of cultivation can be subdivided, and these great demons all cultivate different paths. If we continue to ask, we will be probing Lu Zheng's true intentions.

Gou Yang couldn't help but laugh and said, "Young Master Lu, you've cultivated to such a level at such a young age. Asking the Dao is no problem for you. Come, come, have some tea. This is the first harvest of spring tea this year..."

Lu Zheng slowly sipped a cup of fragrant tea and said, "There are many places in the Northern Region that I haven't been to. I happened to have some free time, so I took a stroll around the area. After seeing all this, I feel that the Northern Region is in dire need of development and is worse off than those dynastic regions."

Gou Yang said, "Our Northern Region is a remote place, so naturally it cannot compare with those great dynasties."

To put it bluntly, the Northern Region is a land of exile. After the human dynasties unified the world, they exiled many demon races here to govern.

However, due to mismanagement, conflicts between various ethnic groups continued, and the Northern Region has remained in chaos ever since, becoming a place that no major power or dynasty wanted to conquer or annex.

Lu Zhengdao said, "As the saying goes, 'The movement of heaven is full of power. Thus a gentleman should constantly strive to make himself stronger.' The environment in the Northern Region is indeed somewhat poor, but we should not underestimate ourselves. We should work harder to make this place better."

Lu Zheng reached into his hand and pulled out several thick stacks of envelopes.

"Since everyone is here, you can take these letters and have a look."

Gou Yang and the others froze instantly. You really delivered the message here? Isn't that a bit too fast?

Ao Jing stopped holding the teacup, his mind racing as he considered whether he should get up and take his leave.

The weather is so nice today, perfect for traveling back to Donghai. He's feeling a bit homesick...

Seeing the changing expressions of these powerful demons, Lu Zheng couldn't help but smile.

"Don't be so nervous. This isn't an invitation to join the Pacific Domain; it's a proposal." (End of Chapter)