âHahaha, our School of Names relies on understanding the essence of things through reasoning. Isnât that exactly what you mentioned?â Zi Xu said proudly. The School of Names had long been absorbed and diluted by other prominent schools of thought and the aristocracy, but calling himself a member of the School of Names wasnât entirely false.
âThe School of NamesâŠâ Jia Xu slightly furrowed his brow. He was still quite suspicious of Zi Xu. Although this person was indeed capable, Jia Xu had never heard of him before. As for Zi Xuâs claim that he had been studying the classics of the School of Names in seclusion in the mountains, this only made Jia Xu even more skeptical.
âOh, is that so? Iâm quite interested in the abilities of Xun Wenruo, Xi Zhicai, Cheng Zhongde, and Xun Gongda,â Liu Ye said, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. Understanding the abilities of these four would make dealing with them easier in the future.
Zi Xu inwardly smiled bitterly. He realized he was getting too deeply involved. His original plan was to blend in with Liu Beiâs group, offer some advice, resolve a few issues, and then leave. But now, thanks to Liu Ye and Jia Xuâs constant probing, he was getting pulled deeper and deeper.
To speak or not to speak, that was the question. If he spoke, the consequences could become entangled. Both Cao Cao and Liu Beiâs current situations were too precarious for immortals to interfere. But if he didnât speak, could he really fool Jia Xu, who was clearly no ordinary person? Liu Ye might be manageable, but Jia Xuâs occasional deep thoughts made Zi Xu extremely wary. Especially since Jia Xu was a person whose depths he couldnât fully gauge; the future was shrouded in mist, making Zi Xu even more apprehensive.
âUm, I havenât had any direct contact with those four, so how would I know?â Zi Xu hesitated for a moment and decided it was best not to say anything. Liu Bei was a good man, but there was no need to get himself too deeply involved.
âIs that so?â Jia Xu said, staring intently at Zi Xu. âIn that case, letâs forget about them. Instead, tell me accurately about Zichuanâs spiritual talent. Donât tell me you havenât had any contact with him. Youâve mentioned him before, and Iâm very interested in our Chen Houâs spiritual abilities.â
Zi Xu froze. Had he mentioned Chen Xi? Seeing Jia Xuâs calm expression and hearing Liu Yeâs instigating remarks, Zi Xu thought for a moment. Maybe he had mentioned it inadvertently. After all, Chen Xiâs spiritual talent was quite famous among the âimmortalâ community.
âWell, Iâve heard of Chen Hou, but unfortunately, Iâve never had the chance to meet him,â Zi Xu said cautiously, trying to avoid making any more mistakes. He was careful not to dig himself in deeper, aware that both Jia Xu and Liu Ye seemed to be probing for more information.
âSo, you donât know about Zichuanâs abilities either?â Liu Ye said, somewhat disappointed. They had already made some educated guesses about Chen Xiâs spiritual talent based on what he had previously revealed, but they were hoping for a more professional evaluation.
âHaha, thatâs not entirely true,â Zi Xu said with a smile. He didnât feel too pressured discussing Chen Xiâs spiritual talent since it was something that was already close to being publicly known.
âLetâs hear it then. Iâm quite interested in this as well,â Liu Bei, who had been talking with an elder in the front about the local situation, turned around with a curious expression.
Liu Bei was genuinely intrigued by Chen Xiâs spiritual talent. He had heard about the talents of many of his other strategists, but no one had ever mentioned Chen Xiâs in detail. And the idea that Chen Xi might not have any spiritual talent was something Liu Bei couldnât believe. After all, the transcendence of intellect and spirit was a hallmark of top strategists. How could Chen Xi not have it?
âIf Lord Xuande is interested, allow me to explain,â Zi Xu said with a smile. He then proceeded to explain the conclusions that many immortals had reached about Chen Xiâs spiritual talent.
What Zi Xu described wasnât much different from what Zuo Ci had previously mentioned, with the addition of an estimate of Chen Xiâs ability to gather residual spiritual energy. Overall, the evaluation of Chen Xiâs talent had been upgraded from ânot badâ to âtop-tier.â After all, if the speed of gathering residual spiritual energy were mediocre, then the effectiveness of the talent, no matter how impressive, would only be temporary. It could even become a burden for the person with the talent.
âIs this really true?â Liu Bei asked excitedly.
âItâs indeed true. Chen Houâs spiritual talent deserves to be ranked among the very best, and it will only strengthen as Lord Xuandeâs territories expand and as prosperity increases under your rule,â Zi Xu said with admiration.
Back when Chen Xi only governed Taishan, if not for the favorable conditions of that year and his rapid accumulation of spiritual energy, his domain might have fallen into turmoil before he could gather enough power. But after surviving that critical period, the residual spiritual energy began to snowball. Now, with the gradual unification of the world, it was almost impossible for Chen Xi to experience the fatigue or prolonged sleep that he had initially encountered.
âHahaha! Zichuan truly is my lucky star!â Liu Bei laughed heartily. To have such a powerful spiritual talent explained why his territories had consistently enjoyed favorable conditions. This meant that as long as he governed well, he could create a positive cycle of prosperity.
Liu Bei had no doubts about Zi Xuâs explanation. The reason was simple: when Zi Xu mentioned Chen Xiâs spiritual talent, both Jia Xu and Liu Ye showed expressions of realization. This meant that they had already suspected as much, and since they didnât refute Zi Xuâs words, it indicated that he was telling the truth.
âLord Xuande, itâs best not to spread this information yourself. Others will naturally spread it for you in due time. Chen Hou is aware of his spiritual talent, but he prefers to keep it private,â Zi Xu said with a smile, thinking he had successfully navigated the situation. While he held Liu Bei in high regard, he didnât want to get too deeply entangled, as he prided himself on maintaining a clean record.
Zi Xu was also quite impressed with Liu Beiâs demeanor. Despite learning about Chen Xiâs exceptional talent, Liu Bei showed no signs of jealousy or discomfort, which further increased Zi Xuâs respect for him.
Not long after, Lu Suâs dispatch finally reached the county seat of Beihai, Juxian. However, as Chen Xi had predicted, Fa Zheng had taken his father on an inspection tour of the countryside, or rather, he had gone to showcase his abilities to his father.
As for Liu Bei and his entourage, no one knew where they were. All that was known was that Liu Bei had taken Jia Xu, Xu Chu, and a few others on a private tour to observe the local conditions. But their exact location was a mystery, leaving the weary messenger in an awkward position.
The entire county seat had no one in charge. Apart from a few junior officials guarding the gates and a few local officials handling routine matters, no one knew where Fa Zheng was. After all, Fa Zheng had sent everyone out on inspections, reasoning that only by seeing things firsthand could they truly understand the needs of the people. And so, everyone was sent out, willingly or not. However, Fa Zhengâs reasoning wasnât entirely wrong...
Given the situation, the messenger was at a loss. All he could do was wait in the county seat as the junior officials searched for Liu Bei. If they couldnât find him, there wasnât much else they could do.