Watching the Mountain

Chapter 332: Chapter 191: Inspiration

Xu Ran shook his head, then watched him silently, waiting for his reply.

After a moment of silence, Chen Minghe said quietly, ”It’s because of you, Junior Brother. I’m very envious of you.”

”Me?” Xu Ran was surprised by this answer and looked at Chen Minghe, confused.

Seeing his reaction, Chen Minghe mulled it over for a moment before saying, ”If I’m not mistaken, Junior Brother, you must be the Sect’s legendary Shennong, aren’t you?”

Before Xu Ran could answer, he waved his hand dismissively. ”Don’t bother denying it, Junior Brother. I remember Su Yingxue from the Wangyue Sect and her attitude toward you during the inter-sect competition. And don’t forget, I’m from the Internal Affairs Hall. I know all about the treatment Honorary Elders get. The way the Sect treats you... that can’t be explained by you being a simple Honorary Elder.”

He shook his head slightly, looked at Xu Ran, and continued, ”In any case, whether you are or not doesn’t matter. The main thing is, after I became convinced of your identity, I saw something while I was out on a mission. From that moment on, I began to think, ’I can’t go on like this. I have to change.’”

”Do you know what I saw, Junior Brother?”

Looking at his expression, Xu Ran thought for a moment before replying uncertainly, ”Statues?”

Chen Minghe smiled slightly and nodded. ”That’s right. Statues, and the Merit Stele.”

He tilted his head back slightly, his expression full of emotion as he said, ”And not just one, but countless. Along the way, basically every town had one. I even took a special detour to look around, and they were everywhere.”

”When I saw those faceless statues, a thought sparked in my mind. ’It would be wonderful if, one day, someone erected a statue to commemorate me too.’”

”I suddenly realized that compared to being remembered and cherished by countless people, to leaving one’s name in the annals of history, the petty gains I used to chase were completely insignificant. They’re just material things. So what if I obtained them? They’re meant to be used up eventually anyway.”

”But once you’ve left your name in history, people in this world will still remember you, even after a very long time has passed.”

”That is true satisfaction. That is true, boundless glory. That is what a person ought to pursue.”

”So after I returned, I went to Qing Xuan Peak Master and voluntarily confessed my mistakes. I knew that only by actively cleansing myself of my past actions could I avoid leaving a stain on my future.”

After hearing Chen Minghe’s story, Xu Ran felt a complex mix of emotions. He never imagined the other man’s transformation was actually related to him.

Although Xu Ran understood that Chen Minghe was seeking fame, he still felt a certain admiration for him. Not everyone could speak so frankly about their desire for renown, and fewer still would be willing to give up their life for it.

When a person is willing to give up their life for the sake of fame, can it still be considered merely a quest for fame?

Perhaps he was the only one who believed he was merely seeking fame.

At least, that wasn’t what Xu Ran thought.

Xu Ran watched Chen Minghe with a complicated expression. Just then, Chen Minghe spoke up hesitantly:

”Junior Brother Xu, you’re in charge of the Scripture Pavilion. After I finish organizing and compiling the medical arts from the Mortal World to supplement Physician Miaomiao’s medical texts, would it be possible for me to leave my name on it?”

He looked at Xu Ran anxiously, seeming to lack confidence.

Seeing this, Xu Ran nodded, his tone calm yet firm as he replied:

”You and Miaomiao are doing the same work. Since she could leave her name, you naturally can as well.”

Hearing this, Chen Minghe let out a long sigh of relief, his face flushing slightly as he said:

”It’s just that, compared to Physician Miaomiao, I’m still lacking. Her medical texts pioneered many new techniques. I’m just...”

Xu Ran waved his hand, cutting him off. ”It’s all medicine, and it’s all used to save people. Senior Brother, you’ve been practicing medicine for so many years; surely you understand that principle, don’t you?”

Chen Minghe paused, slightly taken aback. Then, a look of relief washed over his face. He nodded and smiled. ”I’ll compile it as soon as I can, then.”

Xu Ran smiled in response. ”Thank you for your hard work, Senior Brother. I look forward to seeing the results.”

*

*

*

After parting ways with Chen Minghe and Qing Li, Xu Ran found Teacher Qing Xuan and recounted the entire affair to him.

After hearing Xu Ran’s account, Qing Xuan True Monarch lowered his gaze. After a long moment, he finally looked up and remarked with a sigh:

”Even a man who once fixated on petty gains can have a great awakening and dedicate himself to serving others.”

”This Chen Minghe... he’s a good man.”

After he finished, Qing Xuan True Monarch noticed Xu Ran staring intently at him. His expression faltered for a second, and he asked, ”What is it? Do you have a different opinion?”

Xu Ran shook his head. ”I was just wondering, Teacher, as someone who cultivates the path of righteousness, what is your view on someone like Senior Brother Chen performing good deeds for the sake of fame?”

Qing Xuan True Monarch’s tone grew wistful. ”It is precisely because I walk the path of righteousness that I understand all the more how precious goodwill is in this world.”

”If everyone in the world were willing to persistently do good deeds for the sake of fame, then I dare not imagine how beautiful this world would become.”

Qing Xuan True Monarch raised his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the distance. A glimmer of emotion rippled in his eyes, as if he were imagining the very scene he had just described.