Chapter 526: Chapter 516: The Little Sculpture Braised with Mushrooms

Kong Ni said, “Rabbit, we don’t have much time left. We need to hurry up.

No matter what, you have to learn our Core Heart Method within a month. Otherwise, if outsiders find out that you’ve been with the Chopping Wood Sect for a month and haven’t learned anything, how could I ever show my face again, claiming I excel at teaching disciples?

Where would the face of our Chopping Wood Sect be?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Kong Ni had already brought Rabbit to the back mountain, casually tossing Rabbit onto a large stone to sit down, while Zi Zhuang had already rushed over with a pile of books.

Kong Ni pushed the books towards Yi Zheng and said, “Rabbit, those cultivation techniques are heterodox. The Chopping Wood Sect’s enduring success isn’t due to cultivation techniques, but because of this Core Heart Method!”

Yi Zheng looked excitedly at Kong Ni, “Thank you, Master, for imparting the top-level Heart Method to me!”

Yi Zheng was truly excited. He had seen Kong Ni’s strength for himself; one of the seven Great Demons, the Peng Demon King, was beaten silly like an idiot. Kong Ni’s disciple, Elder Zi, slapped the Peng Demon King half to death and dragged it away to stew in a soup.

This goes to show how formidable the core cultivation technique of the Chopping Wood Sect is.

If he could learn this kind of technique, wouldn’t he walk sideways in the future?

Yi Zheng bowed his head and picked up a book, which shockingly bore the title, “Chopping Wood Sect Core Cultivation Technique, Volume One, Poisoning!”

Yi Zheng was stupefied and flipped through it to find it full of descriptions of poisons of the world, as well as the resistance different cultivation techniques had to poisons, what poison could break what cultivation technique, what poison could kill which kind of Divine Beast, Immortal…

Even the latter half of the volume included a bonus of three thousand poisoning techniques!

Yi Zheng looked on dumbfounded and hurriedly glanced at the other books; what a catch, there were books on cheating, deceiving, a collection of weaknesses of all creatures under the heavens, a collection of inner weaknesses of masters from major sects, and so on…

This wasn’t a cultivation mental method, this was basically the plus expansion pack of that previous lesson!

The more Yi Zheng read, the more startled he became, “Master, is… is this really the Core Heart Method?”

Kong Ni lifted his head proudly and declared, “Of course! In a fight, just having brute force makes one at best a martial fighter!

We are different; we are cultured people, and cultured people naturally need to use their brains more!”

Yi Zheng gave a wry smile and said, “Master, although what you say is correct, this is… this is maybe a bit too… too…”

“Too despicable, is it?” Kong Ni asked.

Yi Zheng grimaced and nodded.

Kong Ni commanded, “Open the first volume to the first page, and see what’s written there!”

Yi Zheng opened the first page to find certainly two lines written in a majestic and powerful style!

This Heart Method may only be used against the greatest villains, aimed to punish evil and promote good.

Those who use this Heart Method for harm will be expelled from the sect, ground to dust and scattered to the winds!

Kong Ni said, “Rabbit, although our Heart Method is lowly, it is only meant for those who are even more despicable.

If they are so despicable, are you supposed to treat them with the courtesy given to gentlemen?

Some idiots like to repay grievances with kindness, but the Chopping Wood Sect doesn’t believe in that. What the Chopping Wood Sect believes in is treating gentlemen with the manners for a gentleman and dealing with scoundrels with the methods fit for scoundrels!

Actually, you shouldn’t get hung up on the methods used because that’s not important at all. What’s important is achieving your goal!”

Saying this, Kong Ni looked at Yi Zheng sternly, enunciating each word, “Rabbit, you’re still too young and have met too few people. There are many things you don’t know.

In all the myriad worlds under the heavens, to what extent can the human heart be cunning and wicked? Let alone you, even I can’t fully articulate it!

Because the evil in people’s hearts is like an abyss without bottom, there’s always someone who can dig even deeper.

So, when dealing with enemies, don’t harbor any kindness, and don’t be burdened by morals.

What you must do is to go all out, to use every trick in the book, to kill him!

Because he’s also using every trick in the book to kill you!

If you don’t want to die, you got to be more ruthless, fiercer, and more evil than your opponent!

Got it?”

Yi Zheng nodded thoughtfully, “I understand…”

“You understand nothing! Let me tell you, our good and evil, those living hypocrites have no right to judge us! Only the countless souls who have been harmed to death by those bastards have the right to judge our right and wrong!” Kong Ni slapped Yi Zheng.

Upon hearing this, Yi Zheng had an epiphany, his eyes sparkling with clarity, and in that moment, he truly understood!

Yi Zheng got up to pay his respects, “Master, this time, I really understand!”

Kong Ni laughed, “You’re not too bad, kid; not a stick in the mud. Alright, study hard. Learn as much as you can in one month… If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to ask me or ask your eldest senior brother, Elder Zi.”

Elder Zi stood beside Yi Zheng with a smile, “You read, and I’ll be right here waiting for your questions.”

Yi Zheng expressed his gratitude, “Thank you, Eldest Senior Brother.”

Then Yi Zheng asked Kong Ni, “Master, about that oath you made before…”

Kong Ni laughed, “I swore to teach you the core mental methods of our sect, not to teach you anything else. So, haven’t I just done that?”

Yi Zheng was speechless…

…

At the same time, Gold Star Taibai left the Chopping Wood Sect and went to visit his old friend.

That old friend was called Daoist Lord Dade, and the Dade Sect he founded had a significant reputation in the Underground Immortal Realm.

Seeing that Gold Star Taibai returned alone, Daoist Lord Dade frowned and said, “Star Lord, why did you come back by yourself? Weren’t you supposed to fetch that Rabbit?

Could it be that Kong Ni has become so arrogant that he doesn’t even give face to the Heavenly Court and the Queen Mother anymore?”

Gold Star Taibai shook his head, “That’s not the case…”

Then, Gold Star Taibai related his experience to Daoist Lord Dade, and after finishing, Gold Star Taibai said with a smile, “One month’s time, as long as he teaches nothing else, just some Cultivation Technique, there shouldn’t be a problem.”

However, he found Daoist Lord Dade’s expression to be extremely unsightly, and he suddenly had a bad premonition, “Daoist Fellow, is there still a problem here?”

Daoist Lord Dade said with a wry smile, “Star Lord, you’ve been living in the heavens for so long, you’re unaware of the affairs of the Underground Immortal Realm, it’s not your fault. It’s just that… you’ve been hoodwinked again!”

Gold Star Taibai asked incredulously, “How could that be? Kong Ni vowed in front of me that he would not pass on anything other than the Rabbit’s Cultivation Technique and Core Heart Method… Could it be that he dares to defy heaven, disregard his oath, and break his word?”

Daoist Lord Dade shook his head, “Although that scoundrel Kong Ni is heartless and ruthless, and doesn’t play by the rules, his reputation is still unquestionable. What he has said, he will naturally do. It’s just that…”

Gold Star Taibai grew anxious and pressed, “Just what?”

Daoist Lord Dade sighed, “It’s just that you don’t know, the mental method of the Chopping Wood Sect is actually their philosophy on how to interact with the world… Having learned the mental method, once the Rabbit comes out again, I’m afraid he might have learnt all there is to know about cheating, killing, poisoning, kidnapping, and extortion!”

Upon hearing this, Gold Star Taibai leapt up furiously, “How can that be allowed? I’ll find Kong Ni right now!”

Having said that, Gold Star Taibai turned and left.

Before long, Gold Star Taibai arrived at the gate of the Chopping Wood Sect, but despite his efforts, knocking his canes to pieces, there was not a hint of movement inside.

The Mountain Protection Array was activated, and his several attempts to break through were repelled, sending him flying out.

Gold Star Taibai cursed at the door, “Kong Ni! You… you… You cheated me because I didn’t understand your Chopping Wood Sect, you deceived me!”

“Kong Ni, if you’re a man, come out and face me!”

“Kong Ni, you are a disgrace to the name of Confucius!”

…

Inside the gate, Kong Ni sat at the entrance, listening to Gold Star Taibai cursing him outside.

Zi Zhuang and others were chuckling as they watched Kong Ni, “Big House Master, that old man outside is cursing you.”

Kong Ni laughed, “Curse? That’s called cursing?

The Heavenly Court has regressed over the years, they don’t even know how to curse anymore.

With that soft and gentle tone, let him curse for a year, and if I even get slightly angry, I would have lived these years in vain.”

Zi Zhuang said, “Big House Master, how about I go outside and curse him a bit, to show him what real cursing is?”

Zi Han chuckled and said, “Forget it, listen to that old man’s voice, it’s trembling. He’s already getting upset trying to curse us, if you go out and curse him, you might just make him cry.”

Kong Ni also laughed, “Alright, you guys enjoy his singing here, I’ll see him in a month.”

Then Kong Ni left.

Outside, Gold Star Taibai cursed for an entire day. Although he had lived long, he had rarely seen such quarrels. He had the words in his heart, but because of his status, he just couldn’t bring himself to utter them.

Thus, he ended up repeating the same few phrases that Kong Ni was not worthy of Confucius, that Kong Ni was a liar, that Kong Ni was not a man… until he got sick of it himself, angrily sitting at the gate of the Chopping Wood Sect, declaring he wouldn’t leave until he saw the Rabbit!

As a result, he heard two whispered voices from inside the gate: “Why has the old man stopped singing?”

“I don’t know, but he was quite soothing to listen to, helped me sleep! Now that he’s stopped singing, I can’t even fall asleep.”

…

Upon hearing this, Gold Star Taibai was immediately overwhelmed with frustration and cried!

He roared inwardly, “These… these bastards, they’re bullying too much!”

…

In the back mountain, Yi Zheng couldn’t hear Gold Star Taibai cursing. His entire focus was on immersing himself in the ocean of knowledge. In front of him, a thick book was opened–labeled Core Heart Method, Ten Thousand Realms Cursing Chapter!

Watching the Rabbit diligently cultivating, Elder Zi quietly walked away, and before long, he returned with a bowl of soup, “Little Junior Brother, you must be exhausted, right? Have some soup to nourish yourself.”

Yi Zheng glanced at the soup, which although called a soup, contained large chunks of meat.

The meat was evenly marbled, with the fat as clear as water and the lean as fine as silk threads, very appealing to the eye.

Most importantly, the soup was exceptionally fragrant; just by smelling it twice, Yi Zheng felt as if his internal organs were rebelling, clamoring for food.

Yi Zheng swallowed his saliva and after thanking Elder Zi, he hugged the bowl and began to drink.

Upon tasting it, Yi Zheng immediately sensed the extraordinary nature of the broth.

Not to mention the top-notch texture, the flavor itself was enough to surpass all the delicacies of mountains and seas Yi Zheng had ever tasted. But what was truly fatal was that, after a single gulp, the soup transformed into surging Spiritual Energy that filled his body, and a trace of soul essence flowed into his Sea of Consciousness, refreshing and revitalizing his mind.

Yi Zheng looked at the bowl of soup in amazement and said, “Elder Brother, what kind of soup is this? It’s too delicious, tell me how you made it. I’ll cook a big pot myself later and drink a large bowl every day.”

Elder Zi chuckled, “Little Junior Brother has ambition, if you want to learn, I’ll teach you.”

Yi Zheng was puzzled, since when did making soup count as ambition?

Elder Zi continued, “This soup is called Young Roc Stewed with Mushrooms, and it’s not so much about the cooking method. The key is the ingredients. This bowl of soup has been prepared with a hint of sophistication, using the heart meat of the Golden Winged Roc and the Eight Orifice Purple Cloud Ganoderma simmered together.”