The Unruly Immortals

After listening to the other party, Zhuge Yuan was stunned for a while before reacting. He quickly replied, "The elder is too modest. I've only gained some insight under the tutelage of my master, nothing worth mentioning."

From the elder's words, it seemed he wasn't too angry, perhaps there was still a chance for mediation.

He didn't mind for himself, but he didn't want Li Jinshu to be punished for helping him, after all, he was the one who sought Li's help.

The other party helped without asking for anything in return. If Li were punished because of it, he would really feel guilty.

"This insight is not ordinary, common folk don't have such insight." The elder, with his hands behind his back, began circling Zhuge Yuan, "Tell me, who are you, and where do you come from?"

"Master, he was the one before—" Before Li Jinshu could finish, the elder waved his broad sleeve over Li's mouth. "Did I ask you? Is this young one mute?"

Hearing this, Zhuge Yuan quickly summarized the events, explaining them in brief.

"You say it was you who asked Li Jinshu to bring you here? And you know there's a way for you to enter the Bright Wheel Hall?" The elder asked, with a stern face, to confirm again.

Zhuge Yuan glanced at the elder and nodded repeatedly, "Yes."

The elder nodded, raised his long sleeve slowly, and placed Li Jinshu's mouth, which was near the cuff, close to his ear, listening quietly to something.

When the elder lowered his sleeve, a sardonic smile appeared on his face, making Zhuge Yuan's heart skip a beat.

"Boy, do you think this little trick can fool me? Rest assured, his punishment is inevitable, and so is yours."

With furrowed brows, Zhuge Yuan immediately stepped forward, folded his hands, and bowed. "Esteemed elder, I take full responsibility for this matter. A man takes responsibility for his actions; I'll take all the punishment!"

"Can you handle it? You don't even know what the punishment is, and you dare to boast?"

Zhuge Yuan answered without hesitation. "No matter what the punishment is, I'll take it!"

"Great~!" The elder gave Zhuge Yuan a thumbs-up, "Kid, if you have the guts, follow me!"

Seeing the elder wave his sleeve and leave, Zhuge Yuan glanced at Li Jinshu, who was gesturing at him frantically, and hurriedly followed.

Li Jinshu was about to chase after them when several hands pressed him firmly to the ground.

With a heart full of trepidation, Zhuge Yuan followed the elder, winding through the courtyard.

As he pondered where he was being taken, a dark cellar suddenly appeared before Zhuge Yuan.

The pungent smell of blood and the miserable screams emanating from inside made Zhuge Yuan's face turn pale; it was clear this place was not benevolent.

"Boy, where's the bravery you showed just now? Go in."

The elder crossed his arms, sneering as he watched. "Tell me, who really wants to enter here? Just tell the truth, and someone else can take your place."

A trace of struggle and hesitation flickered in Zhuge Yuan's eyes, but he steeled himself at the thought that he probably wouldn't die.

"It's me!" Zhuge Yuan said and immediately, without any hesitation, walked into the cellar.

As he got closer, the screams intensified, and Zhuge Yuan could even see half a peeled human skin.

Just as he was about to step into the cellar, a wrinkled old hand reached from behind, gently lifted the edge of the cellar, and the screams and the bloody smell were swept away like a painting.

"No, that torture chamber is just a painting!" Zhuge Liang suddenly realized and turned his head.

The elder stood there, nodding in agreement at Zhuge Yuan before leaving without a word.

As Zhuge Yuan stood there puzzled, the elder uttered two cold words, "Follow me."

Ready for whatever severe punishment awaited him, Zhuge Yuan was shocked when he found himself standing in a very simple study room.

"Kneel there and read the book." The elder casually pointed to a low table with an old book of a dark yellow color placed neatly on it.

Since he was already here and wasn't afraid of the torture chamber, he wouldn't be afraid of this either. Zhuge Yuan immediately sat cross-legged and started reading.

"Disciple rules, sage instruction, first filial piety, then cautious fidelity..."

Surprised by the content, Zhuge Yuan looked up at the elder.

"Keep reading, aloud!"

Unfazed by severe punishment, Zhuge Yuan wouldn't fret over reading a disciple's rule book and began reciting loudly.

"...When one speaks kindly, the listener is blessed, one learns more, elevating oneself, exposing the wrong in anger is in itself a wrong, intense disgust will cause calamity, there is no need to ask about vile deeds..."

Zhuge Yuan continued reciting. Initially, his voice was loud, but as he read on, things changed.

It was no longer a person reading a book, but the book reading the person. Each word he recited imprinted onto his mind like searing hot iron.

It wasn't simply rote memorization; the book's content was replacing the thoughts in his mind.

A wave of fear surged in Zhuge Yuan's heart, as he realized if he continued reading, his future principles would not stem from his own will but would follow the book's recordings.

"No! I don't want this; I don't!" Zhuge Yuan desperately struggled, summoning all his strength to close his eyes.

"Everyone should love, heaven encompasses, earth carries...we are all humans, some are not of like kin, customs are common, the virtuous are rare!"

With a loud "thud," Zhuge Yuan's forehead slammed heavily onto the wooden table, and the recitation finally stopped.

Blood dripped from Zhuge Yuan's forehead, the scarlet liquid slowly soaking the pages.

Despite his ragged breathing, Zhuge Yuan had no time to care about this but looked up towards the elder not far away, "Elder, why is this?"

"Why what? Didn't you want to enter the Bright Wheel Hall? I see you have potential, so I'm admitting you exceptionally."

"But just now...that feeling..." Zhuge Yuan asked, a bit shaken.

"Anyone entering the Bright Wheel Hall must learn the disciple's rules. These good old ways, left by the sages, will cleanse and transform you."

"No...that's not right, this isn't right!" Shaking his head continuously, Zhuge Yuan stood up.

"Hmm?" The elder's brows furrowed, "What? Do you think the disciple's rules are wrong?"

"No, Master taught me the disciple's rules; what's written is correct, but this is not how one should be taught." Zhuge Yuan's eyes became very determined. "Master said that learning must be self-motivated to be genuine, force-feeding is useless!"

"Hmph! Your master? And who is your master to dare question the centuries-old rules of the Bright Wheel Hall?" The elder now seemed to command respect naturally.

"Elder, are the rules of the Bright Wheel Hall infallible? Is it not allowed to even question them a little?"

"What if the rules are wrong? How does the Bright Wheel Hall correct them then?"

"Insolent!" The elder immediately grabbed Zhuge Yuan by his collar and lifted him up.

"I've seen many of you young punks, always thinking you're smarter than your forebears, attempting to challenge their rules; it's truly ignorant!"

"When an elder teaches you, just listen obediently! When you reach my age, you'll understand naturally!"

As a hand stretched from the elder's left palm, grabbing the disciple's rules on the low stool, ready to slam it onto Zhuge Yuan's face.

"I don't want to enter the Bright Wheel Hall anymore!" Zhuge Yuan desperately shielded his face with his hands.

"Hmph! That's not up to you." When Zhuge Yuan came around, he found his arms appearing at the elder's sleeve's mouth.

And the disciple's rules in the elder's hand were now pressing onto his face like a mighty mountain.