Her steps, like smoke drifting over misty mountains and watery landscapes; when seated, she was a Bodhisattva with downcast eyes.

Her Daoist robe was the snow upon the mountains, her wooden hairpin a single, horizontal branch.

“I am Qin Liang.”

Her voice was again clear and serene, like the echo of the evening wind in an empty mountain valley. Her gaze dropped slightly: “I am ashamed to serve as a perennial instructor of Jixia Academy.”

Gui Terrace was utterly silent.

The nearly thirty students present remained utterly still.

They all knew who she was; only Jiang Wang did not. But at this moment, even he had caught on. Among the four great renowned pavilions of Linzi, wasn’t the owner of the Warm Jade Waterside Pavilion called Qin Liang?

Was that Qin Liang and this Qin Liang one and the same person?

Jiang Wang naturally thought of Jiang Wuxie. The four palace masters during the former Qi Dynasty’s Dragon-Contention Bureau.

Jiang Wuqi, of course, needed no introduction.

Jiang Wuyou had founded his own Dao of Martial Arts, his aura grand and expansive.

Jiang Wuhua’s divine radiance was contained within, his depths immeasurable. Normally, he kept a low profile, but in the Lei Guifei case, he had manifested his divine presence precisely when it mattered, suppressing countless others.

Only Jiang Wuxie, the master of the Nourish Heart Palace, seemed to show almost no competitiveness. Not that the parts he displayed were not excellent, but the people he competed with were simply too dazzling. Jiang Wang’s impression of him was only of profundity, in addition to that effeminate, handsome face always surrounded by various beauties.

Of course, Jiang Wang had never underestimated Jiang Wuxie, but sometimes he couldn’t help but wonder, on what did such a Nourish Heart Palace master rely to contend with Jiang Wuhua, Jiang Wuyou, and even Jiang Wuqi? Surely it wasn’t simply that the Qi Heavenly Emperor established four palace masters just to make the number even? Even making the number even was something that a Fourteenth Prince like Jiang Wuyong racked his brains to achieve, yet had no opportunity for.

Today, seeing this ‘Qin Ji’ in person, he couldn’t help but unconsciously raise his expectations of Jiang Wuxie—how could the master of the Nourish Heart Palace, who could win the heart of such a woman, be a simple character?

On the lecture platform, Qin Liang’s voice continued to resonate: “Today, I want to speak with everyone about the .”

As long as one glanced below the platform, it was not difficult to discover her lecturing prowess. She truly spoke too well, leaving the crowd of students mesmerized… Even though she had only spoken the title.

The is a classic written by an ancient sage of the Dao gate. Besides expounding on Daoist philosophy, it also contains some ancient secret records. Of course, these ancient secrets are also included to better expound on the philosophy and records, and therefore cannot be regarded as credible history.

Sima Heng once commented on this Daoist classic, saying: “Xiang Er Ji? Xiang of course ear!” The authenticity of the ancient secrets recorded in this book can be imagined. But it is not as bad as Sima Heng described; not everything is ‘of course’. In the parts concerning ancient secrets, at least seven or eight out of ten are respectful of history. After all, the Dao gate is the most ancient source of cultivation, and no force can compare with its grasp of the long river of history.

Sima Heng’s criticism did not diminish the greatness of the . He judged this classic from a historian’s perspective, but he did not at all depreciate the cultivation realm embodied in this book or the cultivation ideas it expressed.

Since ancient times, it has always been among the forty-nine classics listed on the Wuya Stone Wall in Heavenly Capital City. It is a classic that Daoist cultivators worldwide must read. Without an extremely high level of Daoist learning, no one would dare speak on the .

Qin Liang’s cultivation could be glimpsed from this.

Beside sat an ice-mountain beauty like Li Fengyao, and on the platform sat a mountain-water Bodhisattva like Qin Liang. A faint fragrance drifted to his nose, and a pleasant voice flowed into his ears.

Jiang Wang, however, was entirely immersed in the world of Daoist learning constructed by the . He listened with extreme focus, not even having time to record the wonderful points with Ruo Meng Ling.

“In the ancient era, the Three Daoist Venerables joined hands with the Human Emperor to kill the emerging presence, construct the Myriad Demon Gate, and lacking techniques to divide the body. One named ‘Zhu You’ broke through the passage to the present world, covered Bi State and turned it into desert, raised demon tides and destroyed various worlds… this is the ‘Demon Ancestor’.”

Jiang Wang’s heart stirred. He had always heard of the demon race, had even personally entered the ancient demon cave, had come into contact with Supreme Demon Skills, and even still possessed a Blood Puppet True Demon… but this was the first time he had heard news of the Demon Ancestor.

His name was actually “Zhu You”.

He didn’t know if this was his demon name or a name given to him by the human race. Just like the sea race’s Gao Jie, the human race here mostly referred to him as Wan Tong.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but raise his hand to ask a question.

On the lecture platform, Qin Liang’s gaze lowered: “Whether Zhu You was his original name or a name he took after invading the present world, existing materials cannot verify. Or rather, credible materials are not public to the world. I tend to believe he took this name himself. Because flipping through all records, the name ‘Zhu You’ is not seen, instead there are always sporadic records of ‘Demon’. After the sudden appearance of the name Zhu You, then came the great outbreak of the demon tide.”

So-called Demon Ancestor, was he truly the source of demons, or was he a great achiever of the demon race, an existence who raised the demon race to a level of power that once swept through the present world?

, … why couldn’t those demon skills ever be eradicated? What was the root of that Blood Demon Yu Beidou dealt with in Broken Soul Gorge?

According to the , Zhu You broke the present world barrier, and then the demon tide swept through the human world. So, are the demon race an extraterrestrial race? Song Wanxi is of the water race, why can she become a demon? Yang Jiande, Jing Ye, Song Huai, all human race, why can they become demons?

Knowing some secrets, instead gave rise to more doubts. But the was ultimately a classic of Daoist learning, the key points were the path of Daoist cultivation, not historical records. Asking here was always inappropriate.

Jiang Wang slightly lowered his head: “Thank you for resolving my doubts.”

Qin Ji then skipped this matter and continued: “Demon is one, wearing hemp and ghost. The demon race is one, reversing the order! Therefore, with the Great Dao as the clear source and correct origin, one should call upon ghosts and gods to purify it, thus rectifying the chaos.”

Speaking to here, she smiled: “The says that only the Dao can eliminate demons, so from the Dao eliminating, then demons grow, the moon is full then wanes. I only agree with half of this sentence. The Dao can eliminate demons. But what can eliminate demons is not only the Dao of the Dao gate.”

“Your Dao can, my Dao can. As long as you are strong enough, military strategy, ink release, Dao, Confucianism… a hundred schools all can.”

She clenched her fist and raised it slightly, saying with great force: “Therefore, it is force that can eliminate demons!”

For a time, applause thundered. Clearly, everyone felt the “force”.

Truly, literature is like viewing a mountain. Truly, waves are like anger.

Good insight. Good knowledge.

Jiang Wang focused on listening to Qin Liang’s understanding of Daoist cultivation, which also included interpretations and applications of some signature Daoist techniques. With his current realm, many things were understood upon hearing and penetrated upon a point, truly sinking in. He could fully understand Qin Liang’s wonderful expressions and feel the strength of this Academy’s perennial instructor.

The Dao gate, as a transcendent source, naturally has its vast, sea-like foundation. The more one immerses themselves, the more one can discover their own smallness.

This kind of experience of sitting with many peers and listening to a lecture… Jiang Wang had not had for a long time. By the time the class ended, he was still somewhat dazed. Those whispers with seatmates, those moments of distraction, that long ruler, the red palm, those punishments of copying the Dao Zang… seemed never to have left.

And yet seemed never to have happened.

Besides him, who else remembered?

“Let’s go!”

Zhong Xuan Sheng poked Jiang Wang from behind. Jiang Wang came back to his senses and saw that everyone else was leaving the training ground. Sister Feng Yao had also already risen and was walking towards the outside. Although the stone platform was crowded, the person closest to her was still several body lengths away.

Li Longchuan and Yan Fu had already slipped away long before.

“Marquis Wu’an, wait a moment.” Qin Liang on the lecture platform suddenly spoke: “If you don’t mind, stay and we can discuss a few more sentences.”

Zhong Xuan Sheng pointed again on Jiang Wang’s back as a reminder, then smiled, squinted his eyes, and walked towards the outside. The crowd was still surging outside, and it seemed no one cared about this sentence. But the speed at which these students were leaving the training ground had clearly slowed down, their ears pricked up extremely high.

Li Fengyao, who had already reached the stone stairs, turned back slightly and glanced at Jiang Wang.

Jiang Wang quickly stood up.

But before he could speak, Qin Liang spoke again: “If Miss Li is interested, why not stay and discuss together?”

“No need.” Li Fengyao replied in a light voice. Her frosty gaze was withdrawn, and she walked down the stone stairs. At that moment, the ten thousand li of radiance was all behind her.

And her side profile was a second kind of absolute beauty.

“A model, ah, a model for my generation.”

Lin Jie, while walking towards the outside, muttered in his heart. Of course, he didn’t dare to mutter it out loud. Coming from a small country, he was accustomed to observing expressions. Although he hadn’t been at Jixia Academy for long, he had still vaguely heard something about the relationship between Instructor Qin and that Ninth Prince. Marquis Wu’an had the ability to cause trouble, but he might not have the ability to say that.

As for the Li Fengyao who seemed to be inside this matter, he didn’t dare think about her. The strange woman who could change her name on the Stone Gate Li clan genealogy – he had done enough homework before coming to Linzi and knew she was one of the characters he absolutely could not provoke.

Speaking of which, Marquis Wu’an’s lack of credit in Zhou Xiong’s death, giving all the merit of killing a divine presence away – after Yan Po returned and told him, although he admired it, he also felt it was something a world-class heaven’s chosen would do. It wasn’t particularly great.

But today’s class truly left him in awe. They all said Marquis Wu’an was single-mindedly focused on cultivation and had no heart for female beauty. Who knew this was a return to simplicity! Hadn’t he heard of a fishing method called “Willing one upper hook”?

Carrying boundless respect for Marquis Wu’an, his steps also lightened. Lin Xian, still pondering the , couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed. Forget about not being able to compare with Marquis Wu’an, how could he, listening to the same class, not have the same harvest as Lin Jie? Looking at Lin Jie’s appearance, he clearly had a great enlightenment!

What others thought, Jiang Wang couldn’t care less. He himself was still in a fog, not knowing what Qin Liang had kept him behind to discuss. Could it be to chat about demon skills? Seven Kill Demon Skill was not convenient to chat about, but he did have something to say about the Exterminate Emotion Absolute Desire Blood Demon Skill.

Qin Liang sat quietly on the lecture platform, with an air of immortal grace and Daoist bone, yet with the body of a seductive human world object. She set out a tea set on the stone case and brewed tea slowly and methodically.

After the tea was brewed, everyone else had left.

She used her index finger to gently push a teacup outwards, saying only: “Please.”

Jiang Wang casually took a meditation mat, placed it in front of the stone case, and sat down cross-legged. He picked up the porcelain cup and took a casual sip.

“I heard Marquis Wu’an loves tea and drank through the eight great famous teas as soon as he arrived in Linzi. Although this tea is not among the eight great, it is one that I am accustomed to drinking privately, how is it?” she asked.

Her eyes were like water light, and she was like water herself. With a slight movement, there was a ripple in the water, and the flat wave mysteriously rolled into a wave crest. Jiang Wang just thought of a sentence he had unintentionally flipped through in an idle book before, an inconspicuous sentence: “One deep gully knows burying the head late, how light is the willow waist in the palm!”

He was always diligent in his cultivation, and even that idle book was a Heavenly Capital collection version, which he didn’t look at much. But this one sentence was indeed firmly remembered. And today he finally knew its wonder! What fitting words.

The Qi Wu Emperor was truly a strange person.

Jiang Wang’s gaze fell on the water in the cup, pausing slightly in the ripples within the cup, then he said: “The tea is extremely good, it’s a pity that Jiang is one who does not understand elegance. Initially, when I tasted the eight sound teas, it was actually for researching Dao techniques, inevitably like chewing a peony… May I ask, Instructor Qin, what matter do you wish to discuss by keeping me behind?”

Qin Liang smiled: “Marquis Wu’an is truly an interesting person. No wonder Tao Niang misses you so much. A few days ago, she was still talking to me about you, saying that when you first went to the waterside pavilion, you chatted with her very well, so why did you not go later?”

Jiang Wang was momentarily stunned. Tao Niang? Who?

When Xu Xiangqian was still in Linzi, he indeed frequented the four great famous pavilions. But besides drinking tea and tasting wine to ponder Dao techniques, he truly didn’t establish any friendship with any girl. Later, Xu Xiangqian quit drinking, and Zhong Xuan Sheng also cultivated his mind and body. The old group of friends’ gatherings gradually changed to tea houses and other places, sometimes just at home. He had long forgotten about the wind and moon of Linzi.

Seeing Jiang Wang’s appearance, Qin Liang sighed.

“You men, ah, always use all means to provoke someone’s longing, yet never care about those who long for you.”

This sentence was somewhat nonsensical. But Jiang Wang suddenly remembered who Tao Niang was. It was that woman with many flaws he had met when he went to the Warm Jade Waterside Pavilion to find Jiang Wuxie.

Although he remembered, he had no desire to pursue it further. He only smiled: “Instructor Qin, I probably shouldn’t comment on matters concerning His Highness the Ninth Prince.”

Qin Liang looked at him deeply, then said: “Actually, His Highness the Ninth Prince’s goodwill towards Marquis Wu’an has always remained unchanged from the beginning. Marquis Wu’an should know this.”

“Jiang has long since said to His Highness the Ninth Prince that there is no kindness between us, nor is there enmity. That was the case then, and it is the case now.” Jiang Wang said: “I have never harbored malice towards His Highness the Ninth Prince.”

Some words are better left unsaid; saying more would be unseemly.

Qin Zuo clearly understood the propriety in this, and thus only smiled, then said: “Just now during class, I saw that Marquis Wu’an still seemed to have doubts, why not chat about them?”

“There is indeed one question.” Jiang Wang looked left and right, saying: “Where is the Gui?”

Of course, he had many questions about Daoist cultivation, and even demon-related questions, but he would only ask them in class. Class was for classwork, after class was for personal matters.

“There is no Gui.”

“Then why is it called Gui Terrace?”

Qin Liang smiled and said: “Originally it was called Gua Terrace, but later the gentlemen felt it didn’t sound good, so they changed it to Gui Terrace.”

Jiang Wang was greatly surprised: “So casual?”

Qin Liang said meaningfully: “If it’s not casual here, where is it casual?”

Jiang Wang laughed heartily: “I understand.”

He stood up casually and walked down from Gui Terrace: “Instructor Qin, farewell!”

He walked down the heavenly stairs with his green shirt fluttering, truly casual and outstanding.

This time, it was Qin Liang’s turn to watch the glow outside the painting, illuminating the person within the painting.

Please: