Everyone knew about Hu Zi's bad habit of addressing people randomly. Children's words carried no malice, so his old man didn't take it to heart.
The carriage soon stopped at their door. It was getting quite late, and Hu Zi had already succumbed to sleep during the ride. Upon entering the Governor's Mansion, the servants scrambled to receive the sleeping boy. Zeng Anmin bid his old man goodnight and headed toward his own room.
"YAWN."
After dismissing the serving maids, Zeng Anmin lay down directly on his bed. Despite the sleepiness washing over him, he hadn't forgotten his real business and slowly closed his eyes. With a shift of his will, he appeared within the misty Sea of Consciousness, surrounded by swirling purple energy.
"HUM."
The phantom image of the Dragon Inspection Map suspended in the Sea of Consciousness flashed with golden light. It looked exceptionally dazzling in this Sea of Consciousness enveloped by purple energy.
Zeng Anmin crossed his arms, looking at the phantom image before him with a solemn expression. The first thing he could be sure of was that thanks to Rapid Enlightenment, he had directly comprehended the True Meaning of the Dragon Inspection Map.
"I've never heard of a Body Cultivator being able to bring the phantom image of an Illustrated Catalog into their Sea of Consciousness after comprehending its true meaning..." he thought, staring at the phantom with eyes flickering in deep contemplation.
The original scroll of the Dragon Inspection Map was currently still in the Observation Department. Because it had previously gone missing, the Garrison guarding it had now been increased several times over.
"Moreover, whether it's a Body Cultivator or a Confucian Cultivator, they all practice step by step. I've never heard of anyone who could skip the earlier cultivation Realms and directly open a Purple Mansion."
It was bizarre. It was truly too bizarre. Zeng Anmin had a premonition that he seemed to have touched upon something extraordinary through his Rapid Enlightenment.
"Since I can't figure it out, I might as well stop thinking about it. Either way, this is a good thing for me. Throughout history, everyone else started their cultivation from the Entry Grade. I'm probably the only one who started halfway and cultivated backward, right?"
With his hands behind his back, Zeng Anmin's heart filled with anticipation. He eagerly looked forward to seeing just how fast his progress would be once he chose a path to cultivate.
He walked a circle around the suspended Dragon Inspection Map. The front was completely identical to the depictions on the original scroll. However, when he walked to the back, he saw a line of vigorous and powerful characters.
"With one arm I shall sever eternity; I alone shall rule Kyushu!"
Between the lines, the text brimmed with a blood-pumping dominance!
He thought, "Damn!" His heart was instantly captivated by this overwhelming aura of a supreme ruler. His emotions surged.
"Just what kind of incredible person possesses such boldness?!" Looking at that line of text, his heart pounded with excitement. Anyone who could write such words was absolutely no nobody!
"Great! The Dragon Inspection Map is mine now!
"Senior, rest in peace. I will definitely make the Dragon Inspection Map glorious once again!"
Zeng Anmin's gaze grew resolute. Deeply moved, he heroically reached out his hand and slowly wrote down a line of text:
"Where the sea ends, the sky forms the shore; at the peak of the mountain, I am the summit!!"
After finishing writing, he burst into wild laughter. His voice echoed throughout the entire Sea of Consciousness:
"To this world, Young Master Zeng has arrived!!!"
Then, he suddenly began to sing loudly and uninhibitedly:
"I stand in the fierce, howling wind!
"Wishing I could wash away this endless heartache!
"Looking at the sky, clouds moving in all directions.
"With sword in hand, I ask the world, who is the true hero!!"
Some people liked to vent their emotions by acting crazy when they were alone. Especially in an empty elevator. Or in a hallway at night. Or when home alone. They were the three eternal, unchanging scenarios for going a bit crazy.
That night, Zeng Anmin had a dream.
He dreamt of his incomparably majestic old man holding a blood-dripping sword, walking toward him step by step.
"Hu Zi calls me Grandpa, and he calls you Father. So when addressing your Ms. Lin, why does he call her 'Mother'?!
"Speak! Did you commit a treasonous and incestuous act behind my back?!"
"No, Father, I didn't! Ms. Lin and I are completely innocent!" Zeng Anmin frantically explained. Yet he still couldn't stop the sharp sword his old man suddenly thrust forward.
"I really didn't!" Zeng Anmin sat up abruptly.
"PHEW."
What a totally messed-up dream! He took a deep breath. Just as he was about to get up, he heard a knock on the door.
"Young Master, the Master is calling for you."
"Coming!"
Zeng Anmin stretched lazily. As soon as he got out of bed, he saw four exceedingly ordinary-looking maids file into the room. One had buck teeth, another had thick lips, the third had squinty eyes, and the last had a bulbous nose. His mouth twitched. According to his memories, his old man had specifically arranged this to prevent him from maturing too early.
The buck-toothed maid slowly raised her head, looking respectfully at Zeng Anmin. "Young Master, please allow this servant to help you wash up."
Finding it truly hard to accept, Zeng Anmin waved his hand dismissively. "No need. I have to go see my father."
After quickly washing up on his own, Zeng Anmin rushed non-stop toward the main hall of the Governor's Mansion. It was only the hour of Chen, which would be around seven in the morning in his previous life. As soon as he entered the door, he saw his father sitting in the main seat, drinking morning tea. Mr. Qi, covered head to toe in medicinal plasters, stood shakily beside his father.
"Whoa, Mr. Qi, you're not dead!" Zeng Anmin's eyes widened. He really thought Mr. Qi had been killed by Wang Daoyuan yesterday.
"Thanks to the Master's blessing, the doctor managed to snatch my life back." Mr. Qi's mouth twitched, but a smile of surviving a disaster still appeared on his face.
"Seniors should pay more attention to their health and not spend all day fighting and killing with the youngsters." Zeng Anmin patted Mr. Qi on the shoulder and then stepped in front of his old man. "Father, you were looking for me?"
Zeng Shilin looked indifferent. He took a light sip of his tea and looked up at Zeng Anmin. "You are already sixteen and can now Cultivate Confucianism. Shuidu Academy happens to be opening a new term, so you will go there tomorrow."
Shuidu Academy was an institution on Fengqi Road specifically dedicated to training Confucian Cultivators.
"What's the point of going to the academy? No matter how great the teachers are, would it be as practical as having you personally guide my cultivation of the Confucian Dao?" Zeng Anmin voiced the doubts in his heart. His own father was a big shot in the Third Grade Firewood Carrying Realm of the Confucian Dao. The entire Great Saint Dynasty had fewer than a handful of experts in the Firewood Carrying Realm. Since he had transmigrated to such a world, he naturally had the desire to cultivate.
"Heh." His old man only sneered coldly and didn't answer.
Mr. Qi bowed his back slightly and replied, "Young Master, the path of the Confucian Dao is like a vast ocean. Aside from cultivation, it relies even more on Enlightenment of the world. The academy is filled with profound knowledge at every turn, which is much more beneficial for your cultivation than studying behind closed doors in the mansion."
"Oh." Zeng Anmin came to a sudden realization and nodded. "All right, it's good to get out and walk around. By the way, Mr. Qi, prepare some extra silver for me."
Hearing this, Mr. Qi's face turned slightly bitter. Just as he was about to explain, he was displeasedly interrupted by the old man.
"When you go to the academy, you must not reveal to anyone that you are my son.
"As for the silver, it will all be kept by Qi Dachun for safekeeping. It will be enough for your daily expenses."
"Why?" Zeng Anmin frowned, feeling somewhat dissatisfied. He thought, "Father, I just saved your life yesterday, and today you're already throwing me under the bus?"
His old man's expression remained indifferent as he slowly stood up. "The Confucian Dao cultivates one's temperament."
After saying this, he walked outside without giving Zeng Anmin time to react, leaving behind only a speechless Zeng Anmin.