The Immortal Seeker: Legend of Bronze Mirror

He is after all the Abbott of the Great Zen Temple who had the most challenging ascension to his position in history, what more proof is needed?

One could say that once Xiong Chan emerges from his seclusion, he could even compete for the title of the number one master of the Great Yu Dynasty.

Of course, he still can't compare with the real body of the Black Mountain Demon.

But Xu Qing will sooner or later take back this loss of face.

Once the time is right, Xu Qing will invite peers from all over to Changbai Mountain, and he does not believe the Black Mountain Demon can pick a fight then!

He smoothly arrived at the Capital.

Currently, Xu Qing's mentor, Master Wu, holding the position of Right Assistant Imperial Censor at the Inspection Bureau, is on an inspection tour in Liao Dong and thus not in the Capital; Xu Qing thus stayed at his father-in-law's home.

This residence was also a sign of Xu Qing's filial piety, bought with his own silver.

Living in the Capital is no easy feat.

The prices of houses are very expensive.

As for the likes of Gu Daoist, the Honglu Temple naturally took care of their reception.

These matters had already been discussed with the Grand Secretary ahead of time, so there would be no problems. The current Minister of the Ministry of Rites is Shen Mo, Xu Qing's instructor during his provincial examination.

Since Xu Qing was in the Capital, he naturally wouldn't skimp on necessary courtesies.

He wasn't in a hurry to go around giving gifts but waited for his father-in-law to return home from the court.

As one of the Six Department Inspectors, Mr. Feng, aside from the other Chamberlains of the Five Divisions, usually dealt with officials like those from the Six Ministries, Assistant Ministers, or people like the Left Imperial Censor and Cabinet Ministers – the real power players.

A typical case of low rank but heavy weight, a true "minor Elder," with full authority.

But Mr. Feng knew all this was not achieved through his own efforts, so he did not put on any airs in front of his son-in-law.

Father and son-in-law hadn't seen each other for a long time, and this time, they were certainly going to have an all-night conversation.

Xu Qing asked, "Since I've come to the Capital, has the Grand Secretary said anything today?"

Although Mr. Feng was in a minor position, he felt his son-in-law was being a bit too casual and couldn't help saying, "You're just a Scholar coming to the Capital, the Prime Minister is busy, he doesn't have the leisure to chat about this with me."

Xu Qing was immediately unhappy, "I am, after all, a Martial Arts Grandmaster, don't I deserve some respect?"

Mr. Feng replied, "I know you can fight, okay. But you should still keep a low profile. There are masters in the Imperial Palace too."

"Have you ever met the legendary Martial Saints?" Xu Qing still habitually addressed his father-in-law as "Teacher" as he did in the past.

Mr. Feng shook his head, "Although I haven't seen them, I've heard of them. These two Martial Saints have been in a Turtle Breath state for the past thirty years, which has allowed them to extend their lifespans and maintain their peak conditions. However, they won't come out unless it is a matter of great importance."

Xu Qing knew that this Turtle Breath state was about lowering the life sign intensities to extremely weak levels, reducing physical wear and tear, therefore extending both lifespan and peak condition.

There is a Zen Skill within Buddhism similar to this.

It is said that some exceptional Taoist individuals can keep their bodies alive in the world, living up to one hundred and fifty years old, and it's for this reason.

What Mr. Feng mentioned was, naturally, not the Martial Saints, but the real masters within the Imperial Palace. Aside from a Eunuch Ancestor, there were three Martial Arts Grandmasters, each in the prime of their lives.

These people, each one more arrogant than the last, unlikely to show respect even to the Court officials.

However, they do not always stay in the Imperial Palace; as leaders of the Imperial Guards, they take turns serving in the Longevity Palace. Outside the palace, they also have their own residences.

Near the True Dragon Emperor, even the likes of Chaotian Temple Master would see their Dao Skills greatly diminished. Therefore, martial artists are the greatest threat to the Emperor.

That's why it's necessary to have Martial Arts Grandmasters and guards for protection.

However, another important reason why the current Emperor has lived longer than the previous two is the change of the Imperial Physician.

The current head of the Imperial Hospital is the Emperor's favorite.

The previous two Emperors, to put it bluntly, might very well have been medicated to death by the Imperial Physicians.

The current Emperor, indulging in elixirs, has lived much longer than the previous two.

Having held power for decades, the Emperor has long since spun a web of authority in the Capital, commanding absolute obedience.

Mr. Feng and Xu Qing chatted leisurely for a while before Mr. Feng added, "I used to be too naive, always thinking that Court Ministers were ineffectual, but in truth, every matter has its difficulties, and things cannot always be done as one wishes. I really did not expect that you could accomplish so many incredibly difficult tasks."

Xu Qing smiled: "If your son-in-law did not have this ability, sooner or later our family would end up at the market square."

Mr. Feng rebuked angrily, "Such things should not be said lightly."

Xu Qing did not expect Mr. Feng to become superstitious after becoming an official, and indeed, being in office can change a person. He said, "My apologies for the indiscretion. When does the Grand Secretary have time? I need to meet with him in person."

Mr. Feng replied, "I'll ask tomorrow. Now that the examination is still a few months away, what are your plans?"

He knew his son-in-law could not sit idle and wanted to see what plans he had so that he could cooperate accordingly.

Xu Qing answered, "I am planning to start a newspaper in the Capital as well. Teacher, find some more people to join us. We can band together to strengthen our presence."

"Didn't you start the Great Ming Newspaper in Yingtian Prefecture? I heard it's doing quite well in the Southern region. Why not start one in the Capital too?" Mr. Feng asked curiously.

Xu Qing, well aware of his limitations, said, "The waters of the Capital are too deep. If it's in my name, it will inevitably provoke envy and cause trouble. It's more appropriate for you Pure Stream folks to handle this, and you can also make some extra money by doing so."

"What extra money?"

"We'll pay for articles published in the newspaper, and the pay is quite generous."

"Are there any specific requirements for the content?" Mr. Feng couldn't help but be tempted. It was embarrassing to always rely on his daughter and son-in-law for support; becoming self-reliant would be ideal.

Xu Qing, surprised, said, "Teacher, are you planning to submit articles as well? I was actually thinking of having you as the chief editor to review articles, and you would get a monthly salary of a hundred silver."

Even in the Capital, a hundred silver a month was a considerable sum of money.

"A Six Department Inspector like myself, becoming the chief editor of some small newspaper, wouldn't that look bad?" Mr. Feng was tempted by the offer yet hesitated.

Xu Qing declared, "If anyone talks nonsense, I'll go to their doorstep and reason with them."

Mr. Feng nodded subconsciously, then hastily added, "Fighting and killing is always undesirable, let's discuss this matter further."

Despite his words, he felt quite pleased inside. With his son-in-law's support, Mr. Feng felt his backbone strengthen.

Xu Qing, frustrated with the lack of foresight, said, "I'm just about to stir up some trouble so that our days can go by more peacefully, and you need to cooperate."

"What do you mean by that?" Mr. Feng was understandably puzzled.

Xu Qing sighed inwardly, realizing that Mr. Feng was still not cunning enough; if it were Xie Quan, he would have understood immediately. Xu Qing explained, "I'll stir up some trouble and then ask His Majesty for leniency. This way, I can be seen as repaying His Majesty for His recognition of my services, His Majesty would have something on me and feel more at ease using me, and it also demonstrates our capabilities, deterring anyone who might think to harass me, making life a bit easier."

Mr. Feng hadn't considered this nuance and knew it was a commonly used technique of self-disparagement, but it usually wasn't something a mere Scholar like him would have to think about. However, his son-in-law's contributions were indeed significant.

Mr. Feng replied, "It's tough being so thoughtful. Have you already decided on whom to confront?"

Xu Qing replied, "That's why I need to see the Grand Secretary first, let him name a price, see who he needs me to deal with."

Mr. Feng: "..."

So, you can even turn this into a transaction!

Impressive, truly impressive!