Chapter 7, the greatest fear is to deceive oneself

How could Ren Cong possibly be willing to miss the opportunity to become a disciple under a great master? As he racked his brain thinking about what he could use to impress "Master Zhang," the incessant chatter of his subordinate Ren Quan echoed in his ears, "Moreover, young master, even if one is a subordinate, to kill two wolves, one must use a weapon. Yet that Master Zhang killed the wolves with just a bundle. The strength in his arms, I fear, cannot be matched by anyone in the entire Ren family estate!"

"Young Master, I have protected you while traveling far and wide for so many years, and my eyes have never been mistaken about anything!" Ren Quan, blushing, loudly reminded Ren Cong, dissatisfied with his doubts about his abilities.

Ren Wu, Ren Liu, and others with headscarves also gathered around, chattering and offering suggestions to Ren Cong.

Thus, after recovering his spirits from the blow of being turned away, the wealthy young master Ren Cong strode swiftly to catch up with Zhang Qian. He left his mounts, Ren Wu and Ren Liu, to take care of themselves, fearing that riding a horse would make him appear aloof and provoke the displeasure of the esteemed.

Do not talk nonsense, that is called sincerity leading to success!

Indeed, young sir, good women are afraid of persistent rascals

Fearing that his own young master might not understand, he used one hand while pinching together the thumb and index finger of the other hand to gesture the shape of a "golden nail"

He appears quite mature on the surface, yet in reality, he is only a little over eighteen years old (according to the ancient practice of counting age). Therefore, when he was initially turned away, it was inevitable that he would feel disheartened. However, the housekeeper Ren Quan is an old hand; seeing the young master so upset, he immediately took care to comfort him, "It's different; he refused to visit the manor, but he did not refuse to accompany you. Young master, let us follow him without mentioning the visit again; we will consider it a coincidence and adapt accordingly." According to my observations, although Master Zhang's identity is mysterious, he is not a difficult person to deal with, and he seems somewhat inexperienced in social interactions. If my judgment is correct, he is likely leaving the mountain gate for the first time. In such a situation, if the young master could take the initiative to offer him some assistance, it would be like sending charcoal in the snow for him!"

However, most of his efforts were in vain. The wealthy young man, Ren Cong, did not realize at all how rare the perfectly aligned gold nails, each the size of an ant, were. Instead, he focused entirely on his first question, "That package is really undamaged, are you sure you can see it clearly?"

Nonsense! Ren Cong, filled with pent-up frustration, immediately found a target for his outburst. Coldly turning his head away, he growled in a low voice, "Of course this fellow is strange, do you need to tell me? Those who have lost their way, how can they be so lost that they don't even know the year? This fellow is clearly testing me, clearly mocking me! This fellow, he really doesn't know what's good for him! Ren Quan, you go after him and give him a good lesson first! No matter if he's a master or not, today I, Ren, am determined not to seek a mentor or learn any skills, but I must first vent this anger!" This fellow is clearly testing me, clearly mocking me! This fellow, he really doesn't know what's good for him! Ren Quan, you go after him and give him a good lesson first! No matter if he's a master or not, today I, Ren, am determined not to seek a mentor or learn any skills, but I must first vent this anger!

So what? If he wants to avoid being eaten by the wolf, he must find something hard to stuff into the package! Not understanding what Ren Quan is really up to, Ren Cong rolled his eyes at him and responded angrily.

The wolf was crushed to death, two heads. However, the skin was intact. The books inside seemed to be undamaged as well. The observation skills of the family guard Ren Quan were far superior to those of the wealthy young master Ren Cong. He continued to patiently remind in a low voice, "Just now, when the master was pouring stones on the ground, I secretly took a glance at his package. There are many compartments inside, and each compartment's opening is sealed with rows of golden nails, each of which is only the size of an ant, perfectly aligned with each other"

Master... Ren Cong was both angry and anxious, standing in place and stamping his feet repeatedly

Invite Master Xiao Zhang back; even if he is not a master, clarifying the origins of his attire and personal belongings would be a significant achievement for the Ren family! If we can find a craftsman to replicate them, the family's business is sure to reach a new level!" Looking at the devout figure of his young master Ren Cong, the family steward Ren Quan let out a long sigh, his face filled with satisfaction. "Perhaps the estate owner, considering my hard work and contributions, will immediately relieve me of my arduous duties and assign me to be a manager in Chang'an!" If we can find a craftsman to replicate them, the family's business is sure to reach a new level!" Looking at the devout figure of his young master Ren Cong, the family steward Ren Quan let out a long sigh, his face filled with satisfaction. "Perhaps the estate owner, considering my hard work and contributions, will immediately relieve me of my arduous duties and assign me to be a manager in Chang'an!"

In the past, the masters he invited home, although it was proven that they were all frauds and had never taught him any real skills, at least made an effort to please him for the sake of money and good food. However, today, this Master Zhang was quite different; he didn't even bother to test his mood, asking a few nonsensical questions before leaving abruptly

Caw caw, caw caw, caw caw... A few crows, returning from foraging, flew over the heads of the crowd. While calling, they dropped several clumps of bird droppings!

"Young Master Shao, please allow me to finish my words!" Fearing that Ren Cong might cause trouble, the family guard, Ren Quan, forcefully shook the hand that was holding his arm and quickly added, "The item in his hand is not a unique weapon; it is merely a package wrapped with straps. Originally, it should have contained a book, but it was hastily stuffed with broken stones!"

The greatest fear for a person is to deceive oneself. Many phone and internet scams in the twenty-first century are not particularly sophisticated. However, some individuals actively fill in all the gaps for the scammers, making it impossible to stop them

This... was scolded to the point of blushing, hesitated for a moment, and then mustered the courage to add, "But, my lord, you did not mention the matter of apprenticeship just now! I believe that the master may not be disdainful of testing you, but rather disdainful of associating with us!"

Apart from the three characters "Master Zhang", Zhang Qian could not understand any of his other words. He turned back, smiled, clasped his fists, and continued to stride towards Jixiang Temple.

Isn't it all the same? Ren Cong stamped his foot, feeling wronged with tears welling in his eyes

After accompanying Ren Cong in search of extraordinary individuals for so many years, he has long been weary and fatigued. Ren Wu, Ren Liu, Ren Qi, and others feel the same way

If Master Zhang had been extravagant since childhood, it is understandable that he would look down upon Ren Cong's meager "sincerity". After all, the Ren family, located near Chang'an, can only be considered well-off. Although they possess both estates and operate a business, they have neither produced any notable scholars nor held any high official positions.

"Young Master, this Master Zhang is truly extraordinary!" Just as Ren Cong hesitated whether to mount his steed and chase after him, first to vent his anger by giving Master Zhang a good beating, his family retainer Ren Quan suddenly lowered his head and whispered a reminder in his ear

At this point, Master Zhang's earlier refusal of his invitation and his subsequent departure can no longer be considered an offense. As the saying goes, a phoenix does not perch on a tree that is not a parasol tree. He, Ren Cong, could not invite the master and could only blame himself for lacking sincerity, as his own estate was not worthy of the master's attention

Young Master! Ren Quan was both amused and exasperated, yet he could not deny the validity of his Young Master's words. Gritting his teeth, he took the initiative to express his true meaning, "Even if those golden nails are not made of pure gold, to be crafted to the size of an ant, with each one perfectly aligned, is indeed quite rare. Moreover, the package sewn with several rows of golden nails was only used by the Master to hold books and smash wolf heads. What kind of extravagant life does the Master usually lead! It would not be an exaggeration to say he spends money like dirt. Furthermore, even if the Master does not consume meat, the pelts of those two wolves, once stripped and treated, could be exchanged for hundreds of coins. Yet, the package sewn with several rows of golden nails was only used to hold books and smash wolf heads. What kind of extravagant life does the Master usually lead! It would not be an exaggeration to say he spends money like dirt. Additionally, even if the Master does not consume meat, the pelts of those two wolves, once stripped and treated, could be exchanged for hundreds of coins. However, the Master did not even take a glance and simply tossed it into the wilderness!

Nonsense, how could a normal person be so rude? Upon hearing the shouts, Ren rushed over to help, yet he was repeatedly mocked by the other party! Ren Cong's face was still flushed with anger, but the shouting had diminished significantly, and he did not take any further action.

Master Zhang, are you leaving just like that?! I was still waiting for Zhang Qian to continue testing himself, but unexpectedly, the other party left without hesitation. Ren Cong was unable to stop him and was so furious that he jumped up high.

Kuo Shao Ren Cong, however, completely ignored his embarrassment, clapped his hands, and laughed heartily as he said: "I understand now, that package is a treasure! On the surface, it is used to conceal items and mislead others, but in reality, it is a rare and extraordinary weapon!"

I have said that the package is a treasure! Ren Cong was anxiously pondering how to find a master to learn from, and impatiently retorted, "What use is what you are saying? The master has left, and he didn't even deem it worthy to give me a chance to prove myself!"

Those legendary figures are seldom inclined to associate with ordinary people. Moreover, the greater their abilities, the higher their perspective.

Nonsense, how could someone who uses gold nails to make a bag clasp possibly be interested in two wolf skins? In an instant, the anger within Ren Cong dissipated, and he turned to look at Zhang Qian's gradually receding figure, quickly calculating in his mind.

"Young Master, Young Master, please calm down! Calm down!" As Ren Cong's increasingly nonsensical words continued, the family retainer Ren Quan quickly reached out to grasp his arm, "What I mean is that he is extraordinary, not that he has lost track of time, nor that he is intentionally neglecting the Young Master. What I mean is that not only is his attire and appearance unusual, but his behavior is also unlike that of ordinary people."

... ...

In the Tang Dynasty of the 8th century, the principle remains the same. Zhang Qian's behavior and words are far from those of a wise person. However, Ren Cong's eagerness to seek guidance from a sage cannot be diminished, and the attire and belongings he possesses are all things that Ren Cong has never seen before