SFS Chapter 82 When Falsehood is Taken for Truth, Falsehood Becomes Truth
Chapter 82 When Falsehood is Taken for Truth, Falsehood Becomes Truth
On the morning of the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month, Sun Wenyuan, the last teacher to remain at the academy, left Qingyun Mountain and returned to the county town to celebrate the New Year.
Zhong Xiu, Xu Ping, and Fang Xue, who were also teachers at the academy, had some free time. Having learned the truth from Zhao Shoucheng, the three decided to go up the mountain to pay their respects to their grandmaster.
Xu Ping and Fang Xue were actually quite uneasy on their journey. They didn't know what kind of temperament their grandmaster was, nor did they know what their grandmaster thought of them for staying on the mountain.
But a hint of expectation lingered in Zhong Xiu's eyes. She was the only one who knew the truth, and now she had to pretend to be just like everyone else, feeling both apprehensive and delighted.
As they reached the mountainside, a blue rainbow descended from the sky, and Shen Qing appeared in the form of Mo Wentian.
The three immediately knelt down to pay their respects, with Zhong Xiu kneeling to one side with her head bowed, concealing the smile in her eyes.
Get up.
Shen Qing's gaze swept over the three of them, finally settling on Zhong Xiu's composed expression. He calmly instructed, "Follow me."
Shen Qing led the three to the pavilion in the backyard and pushed open the door: "This place has an excellent layout and can be converted into a new ancestral hall. The three of you should clean and tidy this place today, and on an auspicious day, bring back the old ancestral tablets and hold a grand ceremony to re-establish them."
Xu Ping peeked inside, scratched his head, and said, "Grandmaster Uncle, this place is so big, how long will it take the three of us to clean? Won't we be late?"
Fang Xue gently pushed him from behind: "If you say less, you'll be a bit faster."
Zhong Xiu had already rolled up her sleeves and silently began wiping the window frames and cleaning the dust.
As she passed by Shen Qing, her shoulder twitched slightly—a habitual little gesture she made when she was trying to suppress a laugh. Shen Qing noticed it, her heart stirred slightly, but she remained outwardly calm and called out, "Zhong Xiu."
Zhong Xiu stopped, turned around, and bowed his head in greeting: "What are your instructions, Grandmaster Uncle?"
"The academy will continue to offer classes after the New Year. You are familiar with the academy's affairs. In a few days, come with me to see Mr. Sun to discuss the start of the school year."
"Yes." Zhong Xiu responded, lowered her head and continued working. The moment she turned her back, a smile curved her lips.
On the morning of the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month, more than 30 Qingyun disciples returned to the mountain one after another.
Some people climbed the mountain before dawn, some traveled through the night, and some were panting heavily with their backpacks on.
Zhao Shoucheng, who was the first to return, checked the roster at the mountain gate. With each name he crossed out, he felt a little more relieved.
By noon, forty-seven people had gathered on the mountain.
Holding the roster, Zhao Shoucheng reported to Shen Qingbing: "Grandmaster, two disciples have already started families and sent word that they do not wish to rejoin the sect. There are also seven disciples who were with the merchant guild delivering goods and have not been able to return."
Shen Qing nodded slightly, without being harsh.
He spread his divine sense and took in all the movements of the people on the mountain. Wang Shouzhou and Su Shoujing were tidying up the room. One of them carried a bucket and swept the floor, while the other folded the quilt and made the bed. As they talked in hushed tones, the tips of their ears turned red.
Chen Shouxin stood guard in front of the ancestral hall, wiping the shrine with gentle and meticulous movements, for fear of disturbing the ancestors.
The scattered disciples busied themselves, tidying up the courtyard and organizing the rooms. The loneliness of being separated in the past was completely replaced by the warmth of returning home.
A smile appeared on Shen Qing's lips.
As dusk fell, he summoned all his disciples to the ancestral hall: "On the auspicious day of the New Year, I will rebuild the Qingyun Sect."
More than fifty disciples knelt down in unison, tears welling in their eyes, their emotions suppressed for more than two months bursting forth at this moment.
Late that night, in an ordinary house in Qinghe County, Uncle Zhou added firewood to the stove, and the rice porridge in the pot bubbled.
He looked at the stove fire and remembered Shen Qing's instructions before he left: to keep the land deed of Qingyun Mountain safe, hide in the city, and wait for the right opportunity to act.
Today, when Zhou Bo heard that the Huang family father and son had been executed, the entire clan had been relocated, and the Qingyun disciples had returned to the mountain, he finally understood that the child he had watched grow up had not broken his promise.
His martial arts realm had stagnated for a long time, and he thought there was no possibility of further progress in his life. But today, upon hearing this great news, his long-suppressed true essence suddenly flowed through him, and he broke through his realm in one fell swoop, stepping into the Divine Realm, which is comparable to the Foundation Establishment cultivator.
As a servant of the Taoist priest of Fushan, Zhou Bo had guarded Qingyun Sect his whole life, tending the fire, chopping wood, and taking care of the disciples. He never imagined he would have such a day.
This time, he also wants to do his part for the sect.
On the morning of the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhou Bo quietly climbed the mountain along the back path without disturbing anyone, and quietly arrived at the burial place of the ancestors of Qingyun.
Shen Qing had been waiting here for a long time. He had kept his divine sense open for the past few days in preparation for Zhou Bo's return.
Previously, Shen Qing had already sensed the completely different aura within his body.
"Uncle Zhou," Shen Qing stood up to greet him.
Zhou Bo stood at the mouth of the rift, his gaze fixed on the face of "Mo Wentian": "You are not Mo Wentian."
Shen Qing was taken aback.
"Although Mo Wentian also calls me 'Uncle Zhou,' I have watched that child grow up since he was a child. He is arrogant and disdainful of others. He would never do the thing of personally welcoming disciples at the mountain gate, let alone take the trouble to settle these younger generations."
Although Uncle Zhou's tone was calm, every word hit the nail on the head: "But you're different. You're meticulous and soft-hearted. You even personally oversee the homework of the children at the foot of the mountain. No matter how many disciples you have or how trivial the matters are, you never find it troublesome. How could I possibly hide such actions from you?"
Shen Qing remained silent for a moment, then finally smiled.
Then, the deliberately feigned sharpness on his face faded, revealing his original gentle and upright nature.
Shen Qing activated the Illusionary Transformation Technique. His bones cracked slightly, and his outline shifted. In just a few breaths, he regained his original appearance.
"Master Zhou has a discerning eye; your disciple did not intend to deceive you."
"I know you know how to do things properly."
Zhou Bo seemed to have anticipated Shen Qing's rejuvenation and showed no surprise. He sat down on the bluestone and said, "Tell me, what do you need this old body of mine for?"
Shen Qing was moved. He took out a jade slip, engraved the Illusionary Transformation Technique on it, and handed it over: "This disciple would like to ask Uncle Zhou to impersonate me."
Seeing Zhou Bo's puzzled expression, he explained the plan in detail: "The identity of Mo Wentian has already accomplished revenge, intimidated the Huang family, and welcomed back the disciples, allowing Qingyun to regain its foothold in Qinghe."
"But Shen Qing cannot 'die' forever, and Mo Wentian cannot stay in Qingyun forever. The grand ceremony to re-establish the sect on New Year's Day will be the perfect opportunity for Shen Qing to 'come back from the dead and return from his seclusion to build his foundation.'"
"Uncle Zhou, I cannot appear in two identities at the same time. Therefore, I need you to impersonate Shen Qing, appear at the ceremony, and take over as the sect leader. Before that, I will be in charge of the sect under the identity of Mo Wentian."
Zhou Bo took the jade slip, thought for a moment, and nodded in agreement: "I understand. But if I were to impersonate you, I'm afraid I would give myself away."
"It's alright. Shen Qing, whose lifespan is nearing its end, has returned from seclusion after a lucky breakthrough. It's perfectly reasonable that his appearance and demeanor have changed slightly. At the grand ceremony tomorrow, you only need to be quiet and composed, make a brief appearance and say a few words. I will handle the rest."
Shen Qing smiled and said, "I will teach you the Illusionary Form Technique here for the next two days, adjusting your bone structure and aura to ensure everything goes perfectly."
That afternoon, Shen Qing used his spiritual power to guide Zhou Bo's martial arts essence and activate the Illusionary Form Technique.
Zhou Bo's face gradually changed, his brow bone softened, and his wrinkles smoothed out, eventually resembling Shen Qing by seven or eight points. With the help of the light and shadow of dawn and dusk, he was enough to fool people into thinking he was the real Shen Qing.
"It still lacks a bit of spirit. On the day of the ceremony, just sit quietly and say little."
Shen Qing handed over the bronze mirror and instructed, "You should stay in this valley for the next two days to practice in seclusion. When you hear the bell at the mountain gate on New Year's Day, that will be the time for you to emerge from seclusion."
Zhou Bo nodded in agreement and focused on practicing the Illusionary Transformation Technique.