Taoist Master

The Grand Final 2

It hardly felt as if a whole year had gone by because being back on the stage behind the blue curtain and trying not to allow her belly to knot over itself, Bai Qian once again felt the same agonizing fear she had felt back then and it didn't help that one of her neighbours fidgeting about on his seat, she could actually feel his unsettled energy while Mo Yuan was several placements away.  And being pregnant didn't help matters either because the seats were uncomfortable.  But she remained quiet, calm and unmoving while the noise around her began to slowly die down as the judges once again entered the hall.

Mo Yuan had most generously prepared her well for this final, so she really didn't need to worry too much, all she had to do was remain focused on each of the questions and answers.  Actually, he had told her that by the third or fourth stage, she would have an idea as to which voices would be her most formidable adversaries, and so far she already had two and Mo Yuan wasn't one of them.  Though as yet she couldn't place them, though she knew they were both male.  

In fact, there was only one female voice so far that had elicited some excitement from her and the crowd beyond the curtain, but like the two men, she didn't think she knew her either.  But what she felt strongly, was that woman was highly educated and possibly in Taoism, so the excitement was definitely high for the next round.

Bai Qians own voice however, was actually recognizable to almost everyone, because most had attended the debates throughout the year.  What he had taught her to do, was not only affect a desired response from her rivals depending on the situation and how much pressure she wanted to put them under, she could also speak in a tone of voice that none other than Mo Yuan recognized which meant her rivals could not gang up and single her out.

And before she knew it,  what thoughts she had on everyone else was quickly put aside as her mind delved inwards to focus on her answer.

"What life changing lessons could a beginning Taoist expect to learn from a Taoism?"

That was the opening question for round two and with sixty five contestants to get through,  each contestant was given thirty seconds to contemplate on an answer and thirty seconds to deliver it.  So no time was wasted in calling out the numbers.  And as with the first round, ten more would go home at the end of it, but calmly listening as each one took turns at answering a question that initially stumped even Ci Hang.

It was not a usual question having attended many of these debates, but after a moment of deliberation, he realized the judges were aiming to cull the numbers as quickly as possible because this question would definitely prove difficult for those who were not as experienced or well versed in the Tao.

Liu Fei on the other hand felt no such pressure even though the random selection of numbers was rather deceiving because her  number was 29 which falsely gave the impression she had time to think.  Instead she was the third to be called so her answer was quickly churning in her head.  It may have been a difficult question to answer for most there, but years of experience merely had her focusing on the question rather than an answer.  It was a hypothetical question that put the judge in the scenario which she had to imagine in order to answer it.  Like all of her students, she had taught them all that to be a good Taoist, one did not think about being a Taoist.

"Flexibility and adaptability are the two main requisites for happiness and fulfillment."

Her answer was short but to the point and to Zhe Yan who was also listening just as keenly, the womans answer was actually very clever because it encompassed every possible answer.  But having been given just as little time to prepare, he too focused on the scenario before allowing the vision in his mind to lead him.

"Appreciation for every experience teaches patience for the unchangeable and flexibility to navigate the changeable."

Quietly nodding his head in agreement, the Demon Overlord Pei Fang drew in a slow breath.  He instinctively knew without being told, that the woman who had just answered was not the Lady Grand Master.  He really couldn't put his finger on why he knew, but he did feel she would have given a more comprehensive answer, something a little tasty that he could get his teeth into, and though he thought Liu Feis answer was technically correct, it did not excite him.