Inside the Heavenly Master's Hall.
The old Heavenly Master, Zhang Yin, sat upright in his Heavenly Master chair, facing east. Even though it was windy and raining outside, the doors of the Heavenly Master's Hall were all open, as if to welcome a very important guest.
Yu Lumin sat beside the old Heavenly Master.
After the battle with Liu Yiren that afternoon, Yu Lumin was not lightly injured. Although he had taken the pills given by the old Heavenly Master, his complexion was still a bit pale, and his body felt somewhat weak.
"Master, why are the doors open when it's so windy and rainy?" Yu Lumin asked.
The doors of the Heavenly Master's Hall were usually kept closed. They were only fully opened during special ceremonies. Even during the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony, the doors were only opened at the start and closed the next day.
Now, late at night, the old Heavenly Master had uncharacteristically opened the doors, making Yu Lumin realize something was amiss.
The old Heavenly Master replied, "I am waiting for someone."
Yu Lumin asked in surprise, "What kind of guest is so important?"
"You'll know when the time comes."
The old Heavenly Master gestured to Yu Lumin, who immediately stood up to pour tea for him.
After pouring the tea, Yu Lumin intended to return to his seat, but the old Heavenly Master stopped him, "Pour one for yourself too."
Yu Lumin complied.
The old Heavenly Master drank his tea, set down the cup, and asked, "Are you confident about your match against Yan Shouyi tomorrow?"
Yu Lumin was taken aback. His hand, holding the teacup, paused midway. He finally retracted it with a sigh and said, "No."
"Giving up before you even fight. That's not like you."
"My previous smooth progress was mainly due to the skills I cultivated from fifteen years of study. However, the battle with Liu Yiren made me realize my shortcomings. Yan Shouyi has been in the martial world for many years, with skillful and varied methods. I... I don't have the confidence to defeat him."
The old Heavenly Master nodded, using his teacup lid to gently skim off the tea foam.
Yu Lumin thought the old Heavenly Master was angry and said with some guilt, "Master, if I can't defeat Yan Shouyi, he will become the next Heavenly Master."
"Are you willing to give up the position of Heavenly Master to him?" the old Heavenly Master asked.
Yu Lumin gritted his teeth, "I am not as skilled as him. I accept defeat if I lose. Moreover, Yan Shouyi has good character. If he becomes the Heavenly Master, I will be convinced."
"It seems you approve of him," the old Heavenly Master smiled. "Is it an approval from a friend?"
"Friend?"
Yu Lumin pondered, feeling that the word "friend" was very distant from him.
Now that he thought about it, he had studied at Mount Longhu for fifteen years. People around him came and went, but none stayed.
On the vast Mount Longhu, not a single person could be called Yu Lumin's friend.
But Yan Shouyi was very different.
For fifteen years, only Yan Shouyi had sat with him on the steps outside the Heavenly Master's Hall to watch the sunset.
Perhaps this was friendship?
Yu Lumin thought for a long time and finally nodded.
The old Heavenly Master smiled, a smile of deep satisfaction.
"Lumin, you are very, very close to becoming the Heavenly Master."
These few words, barely a dozen characters, felt as heavy as a thousand pounds to Yu Lumin. For a moment, the world spun, and he had to take several deep breaths to recover.
"Why?" he asked, puzzled.
The old Heavenly Master smiled enigmatically and picked up the teapot, intending to pour tea for Yu Lumin.
Yu Lumin couldn't let his master pour tea for him, so he quickly covered his teacup with his hand. But the old Heavenly Master forcefully pushed his hand away and poured him a full cup.
"Master..."
The old Heavenly Master waved his hand, signaling Yu Lumin not to interrupt.
He smiled and said, "From the first time I met you, I knew that this position of Heavenly Master was meant for you."
"The leader of all Taoist traditions cannot bear such a heavy responsibility without a pure heart. When I first met you, your eyes were pure, and you already possessed the Dao heart. You were the ideal candidate to inherit the position of Heavenly Master."
"For these fifteen years, you have studied diligently at Mount Longhu, living in your own world, never caring about others, and gradually losing the meaning of your existence. I have seen it all. The reason I said you were not qualified to inherit the position of Heavenly Master was because your heart was only focused on yourself, not on others. To become the Heavenly Master, one must shoulder great responsibility. If your heart is not connected to the world, to all living beings, how can you be the Heavenly Master?"
"But, disciple, I don't understand," Yu Lumin said, confused. "Didn't you always support Yan Shouyi becoming the Heavenly Master?"
"There are two reasons why I asked Yan Shouyi to win the position of Heavenly Master," the old Heavenly Master said slowly. "First, the world has been peaceful for a long time, but undercurrents are brewing. I know in my heart that a storm is coming, yet traditional sects are not mindful of potential dangers, always thinking of longevity, and only knowing how to refine elixirs daily! This time, by letting Yan Shouyi participate in the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony, I hoped he would lead the inheritors of folk sects to put them in their place!"
"To let them know that there are always people better than them, and that no one can afford to be complacent or feel superior!"
Yu Lumin finally understood.
Indeed, since Yan Shouyi arrived at the mountain, the traditional sects' views on them had changed daily, from initial disdain to acknowledgment, and finally, major sects asked their young disciples to befriend Yan Shouyi.
Yan Shouyi and his group were like a mudslide that surged into the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony, completely stripping away the fig leaf of the traditional sects!
"What is the second reason?" he asked.
The old Heavenly Master smiled and tapped Yu Lumin's head with his whisk, "Naturally, it's for you."
"For me?" Yu Lumin's face was full of confusion.
"You have no friends, no one you care about. Yan Shouyi, on the other hand, is surrounded by friends and cares about everyone connected to him. I knew from long ago that once you two met, you would become close friends who could talk about anything."
Yu Lumin's eyes widened in surprise.
Did his master do all this just to help him make a close friend?
Yu Lumin recalled and gradually realized that his heart had been cold in the past, only opening up to his master.
But since meeting Yan Shouyi, many people had suddenly appeared in his life.
At this moment, Yu Lumin was filled with emotion, feeling unworthy of his master's deep care.
"Although Yan Shouyi is exceptionally talented and values loyalty and righteousness, he is ultimately an inheritor of a folk sect, and his ambition lies in the martial world, not in the court. Even if I forcefully supported him to take power, he would likely be a hands-off leader."
"But you, Lumin, from beginning to end, the position of Heavenly Master has always been yours. However, only when you realize the meaning of your own existence and can embrace all living beings in your heart will you truly be qualified to inherit the position of Heavenly Master!!"
This remark enlightened him, and Yu Lumin finally understood his master's profound intentions!
He finally understood why his master's evaluation of him had changed so many times in the past few days.
The more people he held in his heart, the closer he was to the position of Heavenly Master!
Yu Lumin took a deep breath, stepped back two paces, and knelt to kowtow to the old Heavenly Master.
"Lumin."
The old Heavenly Master looked at Yu Lumin with immense affection, as if looking at his own grandson.
He stroked Yu Lumin's head and said softly, "I truly wish to see the day you succeed me as Heavenly Master."
Yu Lumin did not notice the hidden meaning in the old Heavenly Master's words. He clenched his fists and said to the old Heavenly Master:
"Master, rest assured, tomorrow disciple will go all out!"
The old Heavenly Master paused, then burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! Good! Master is watching! Get up quickly!"
Yu Lumin felt happy in his heart. However, as soon as he straightened up, his expression suddenly changed.
He looked towards the outside of the Heavenly Master's Hall.
"Master, did you hear something?" Yu Lumin whispered.
"I heard it."
The old Heavenly Master smiled slightly and said, "Isn't that the guest who is about to ascend the mountain?"
With that, the old Heavenly Master leaned back in his Heavenly Master chair, closed his eyes, and lightly tapped a rhythm on the armrest with his fingers.
He began to hum softly:
"Ulan dew, like tearful eyes... nothing to tie heartstrings, fireworks are too fragile to cut... grass like a carpet, pines like a canopy. Wind as robes, water as adornment... carriage with painted walls, waiting for sunset. Cold green candle, laboring to shine... under Xiling, wind blows rain..."