In the small living room.
Perfected Qing Yun sat in front of a tea set as he slowly spoke to Lu Changsheng, "Changsheng, drink more tea instead of liquor. Tea matches you better."
"Does it make a difference?" Lu Changsheng sat down and asked Perfected Qing Yun.
For other people, Perfected Qing Yun might look extremely awe-inspiring and stately, however, Lu Changsheng had always behaved very casually in front of his master.
When they first met, Lu Changsheng's master seemed to be… quite special.
Perhaps the thousands of years of cultivation made him slightly weird, Perfected Qing Yun was a young spirit who dismissed rules and traditions. The way he spoke to Lu Changsheng was always very casual, not pressuring him in any way.
Perfected Qing Yun quickly cast a glance at Lu Changsheng.
Indeed, no matter what Lu Changsheng drank, the elegant manner he displayed was incomparable.
Whenever he was tasting liquor, his demeanor was even more intoxicating than the alcohol itself.
When he was tasting tea, he was as gentle and placid as a humble scholar.
Perfected Qing Yun couldn't help but show the restrained smile on his face after thinking of the fact that such a young man like Lu Changsheng was his student.
"Changsheng, everything's ready. Ten days later, the grand meeting of Zenith Heaven will be held, when that happens you'll officially become the Eldest Senior Brother in Zenith Heaven. Make sure you'll impress everyone," Perfected Qing Yun said.
Lu Changsheng was a bit surprised upon hearing his master's words.
"The Eldest Senior Brother…" Lu Changsheng shook his head, looking very worried. "I'm afraid that I'm going to disappoint you, Master. I'm… I'm not a genius at all."
Lu Changsheng didn't want to hide this secret anymore, this is why he directly confessed.
Hiding the truth would only bring him bigger troubles in the future.
Of course, Lu Changsheng knew the possible consequences that may result in his confession.
However, to his surprise, Perfected Qing Yun didn't look disappointed at all. Instead, he nodded calmly and said, "I know."
Lu Changsheng was speechless.
He thought that the story would unfold itself like this; his master would be so astonished and disappointed that he would be kicked out of the sect. Then somehow, he would awaken some new cheat code when he roamed the streets, making his master feel extremely regretful for kicking him out.
But, it seemed that his master had known the truth for a long time already.
"Master… I…"
Lu Changsheng was curious. While staring at Perfected Qing Yun, his eyes were filled with confusion.
Perfected Qing Yun picked up the tea cup in front of him and took a sip. He then asked, "Changsheng, let me ask you—where did we meet three years ago?"
The question asked by Perfected Qing Yun seemed to be totally unrelated to their current conversation.
However, Lu Changsheng still answered back,
"The State of Yan."
"That's right. The State of Yan. Then, how many people are there in the State of Yan?" Perfected Qing Yun asked further.
"About a hundred million," Before answering, Lu Changsheng had to think to himself.
Perfected Qing Yun nodded and continued, "The State of Yan is located in the District of Li, and in the District of Li, there are at least thirty thousand states like the State of Yan. In Middle-Earth, the District of Li is only one of the seventy-two similar districts. Outside of Middle-Earth, there are also the wastelands in the east, flowing hills in the south, high mountains in the north, and the boundless desert in the west.
"In this world, there are billions of human beings. Mortals get married when they are sixteen and give birth when they are twenty. Then in just forty years later, another generation would be born. Mortals usually have an average lifespan of a hundred of fifty years, however, they just keep reproducing before it ends.
"Then Changsheng, let me ask you this—are geniuses rare in this world?"
Perfected Qing Yun's words slightly stunned Lu Changsheng.
After carefully thinking, Lu Changsheng shook his head and said, "No."
Perfected Qing Yun stood up and looked into the distance through the open door. "Yes, this world is filled with geniuses. Just in Zenith Heaven alone, even the lowest-level disciples who are responsible for the miscellaneous work in the sect are outstanding people in the mundane world. An ordinary outer sect disciple here can very likely be a noble in the imperial family. As for our inner sect disciples, without a doubt, they will be the most valued geniuses in any of the states if they decide to go to the mundane world.
"The core disciples in the sect, if they want, can easily establish their own sects in the states and become monarchs.
"All of the immediate disciples in the sect are well-known in the world of cultivation, they are born with matchless wisdom, incredible talent, and they can even perceive the ultimate form of Dao.
"I'm not showing off, but I was also a peerless genius when I was young. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to take charge of the entire sect and finally become the Sect Master. Your Grandmaster and I have seen countless geniuses, however, I have never seen anyone like you."
Perfected Qing Yun's words totally shocked Lu Changsheng.
"There's no one like me?"
Lu Changsheng didn't quite understand what he was saying.
"That's true. There's no one in this world like you."
"How?"
Lu Changsheng couldn't help but get more curious now.
"This is because you're special. Among all the great geniuses I've seen, nobody ever looked like one from the very beginning. You couldn't tell from their appearance that they were in fact, geniuses. They would still need to work hard, make many breakthroughs, destroy records, and then finally, they would be regarded as geniuses. However, you're completely different from them.
"You can simply just stand still and do nothing, but in the people's eyes, you're a true genius, a matchless one.
"Others would need to work hard first to be recognized, but you didn't. This is what makes you completely different from them. It doesn't matter if you're really a genius or not, but what matters is if others believe you are one.
"In the past thousands of years, there's never been an Eldest Senior in Zenith Heaven. It wasn't because no one was qualified. But instead, it was because no matter who became the Eldest Senior Brother, there were always people who wouldn't believe in them and doubt their capabilities. However, when you become the Eldest Senior Brother, the other disciples wouldn't have any problems with it. Even if someone doubts you, you wouldn't even have to explain or prove it yourself. Your supporters will help you unconditionally, for example, Zi Yun.
"Ever since she met you for the first time, Zi Yun has confirmed that you're the only right man for her. Zi Yun is very possibly the reincarnation of a celestial ancestor in the Dao sect, she is someone who is too proud to show enough respect to anyone, however, she admires you. Do you see how special you are?
"Therefore, it doesn't matter at all if you're a true genius or not, it's fine as long as other people believe that you are one. Do you understand now?"
Perfected Qing Yun conducted a lecture, it sounded so reasonable that Lu Changsheng was almost convinced.
"But… appearances can't last forever, right?" Lu Changsheng hurriedly asked.
This was the world of cultivation, they believed in the law of the jungle. Power was the foundation of everything; Without power, everything was just empty talk.
"No, no." Perfected Qing Yun shook his head. "People in this world only believe their own eyes, and thus, they're fooled by appearances all the time. They can't see the truth, and also don't want to. The most important thing is that your Grandmaster told me a famous dictum once. I've been benefiting from it ever since the first day your Grandmaster told it to me. Now that I'm sharing this with you, you should think about it seriously."
"I'm listening carefully, Master." Lu Changsheng kept up his spirit.
With his hands folding behind his back, Perfected Qing Yun stood in front of the door and remained silent for a while, contemplating the famous dictum left by his Master. After a while, he finally opened his mouth, "If you look handsome, then you're always lucky."
Lu Changsheng was truly speechless.