A scholar with temples frosted with age led a young man in a blue robe away from the village school and to the foot of the memorial archway. This Mr. Qi, the most learned teacher in the small town, looked somewhat weary. He pointed to a plaque above their heads, asking, “What is the meaning of ‘当仁不让’ (dāng rén bù ràng – ‘When it comes to benevolence, do not yield’)?”

Zhao Yao, a student of the school and also the teacher’s page, followed his gaze and looked up. Without hesitation, he replied, “Our Confucian school is founded on the principle of benevolence. These four characters are taken from ‘当仁，不让于师’ (dāng rén, bù ràng yú shī – ‘When it comes to benevolence, do not yield even to your teacher’). It means that we scholars should respect our teachers and value the Dao, but when it comes to matters of benevolence and righteousness, there is no need for humility.”

Mr. Qi asked, “No need for humility? What if we changed it to ‘不可’ (bù kě – ‘must not’)? How would that be?”

The young man in the blue robe possessed a refined appearance, and compared to Song Jixin’s aggressive and ostentatious demeanor, his temperament was more gentle and restrained, like a newly opened lotus, naturally endearing. When the teacher posed this question, which held hidden depths, the young man did not dare to be careless. He carefully weighed his words, believing that the teacher was testing his knowledge. How could he be so casual? The middle-aged scholar smiled knowingly at his disciple’s cautious demeanor, as if facing a great enemy. He patted the young man’s shoulder and said, “It was just a casual question; there’s no need to be so tense. It seems that I have been too restrictive of your nature, over-carving you, making you live like a statue displayed in the Wenchang Pavilion, stern-faced, adhering to rules in everything, speaking of reason in everything, aren’t you tired… But as it seems now, it’s actually a good thing.”

The young man was somewhat puzzled, but the teacher had already led him to the other side, still looking up at the four-character plaque. The scholar’s expression relaxed, and for some reason, the usually stern-faced teacher began to talk about many interesting anecdotes and cases, patiently explaining them to his disciple: “The person who wrote the four characters ‘当仁不让’ on this plaque was once the foremost calligrapher of his time, sparking much debate, such as disputes over the structure and spiritual essence, and praise and criticism of ‘ancient simplicity’ and ‘modern beauty,’ which remain unresolved to this day. In terms of rhythm, method, intention, and form, the four essences of calligraphy, this person has won double first place for thousands of years, simply leaving no room for his peer masters to survive. As for the ‘希言自然’ (xī yán zì rán – ‘Speak little and accord with nature’) at this moment, it’s quite amusing. If you look closely, you should be able to discover that although the brushstrokes, structure, and spiritual essence of the four characters are similar, they were actually written separately by four Grand Masters of the Taoist Patriarchal Temples. Back then, two old immortals even exchanged letters, arguing over wanting to write the profound ‘希’ (xī – ‘rare’) character and not wanting to write the vulgar ‘言’ (yán – ‘speak’) character…”

Then, the scholar led the young man to “莫向外求” (mò xiàng wài qiú – ‘Do not seek outwards’). He looked around, his gaze deep and melancholic. “The village school where you studied will soon be closed down, because it has lost its teacher. Several prominent families will either shut it down or simply tear it down to build a small Taoist temple or erect a Buddhist statue for worshippers to burn incense. A Taoist or monk will preside over it year after year, until the completion of the cycle. During that time, they might ‘change people’ two or three times to avoid arousing suspicion among the townspeople. But in reality, it will just be a crude illusion. However, completing a sesame seed-sized art and magic here would probably be equivalent to the majestic momentum of a god beating a big drum or spring thunder shaking the heavens outside…”

Towards the end, the teacher’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, so faint that even Zhao Yao, the student, had to strain his ears to hear clearly.

Mr. Qi sighed, his tone filled with helplessness and fatigue. “Many things are supposed to be heavenly secrets that cannot be revealed, but now it increasingly doesn’t matter anymore. But we are, after all, scholars; we still need to think about our reputation. What’s more, if I, Qi Jingchun, take the lead in breaking the rules, it would be tantamount to being a thief guarding his own vault, which is really unsightly.”

Zhao Yao suddenly mustered his courage and said, “Teacher, I know you are no ordinary person, and this town is no ordinary place.”

The scholar smiled curiously, “Oh? Tell me about it.”

Zhao Yao pointed to the majestic twelve-legged memorial archway. “This place, along with the iron-locked well in Xinghua Lane, the covered bridge rumored to have two iron swords hanging under it, the old locust tree, the peach trees in Taoye Lane, and the valley rain posters and Double Ninth Festival posters pasted every year on Fortune and Prosperity Street where my Zhao family is located… they are all very strange.”

The scholar interrupted the young man, “Strange? How are they strange? You have grown up here since you were a child and have never gone out at all. Have you seen the scenery outside the town? Without comparison, how can you say this?”

Zhao Yao’s voice deepened slightly. “I have long memorized the contents of your books. The peach blossoms in Taoye Lane are very different from the descriptions in the poems in the books. Furthermore, why do you only teach us the three books for beginners, focusing on literacy? After that, what books should we read? And what are we doing with reading? What is ‘imperial examination’ in the books? What does it mean to be ‘a farmer in the morning and sitting in the emperor’s hall in the evening’? What does ‘the emperor values heroes and teaches you writing’ mean? Although the two previous officials in charge of the kiln never talked about the imperial court, the capital, and the affairs of the world…”

The scholar smiled with satisfaction, “Alright, enough. It’s useless to say more.”

Zhao Yao immediately stopped talking.

The scholar, who called himself Qi Jingchun, said in a low voice, “Zhao Yao, from now on, you need to be careful with your words and actions, and remember that disaster comes from the mouth. That’s why most Confucian sages are tight-lipped. Gentlemen above the sages emphasize being cautious when alone, cultivating themselves as if they were flawless jade, fearing any blemish. As for the saints, such as the mountain masters of the seventy-two academies… These people, ah, can be like the Taoist Grand Masters and the Buddhist golden-bodied Arhats, making their words come true and their words followed by the law. After reaching this realm, these people, along with the masters of the various schools of thought, are generally referred to as terrestrial immortals, as if they’ve stepped one foot across the threshold. However, these figures are all like dragons. Some are high above, like the statues in Taoist temples, unreachable. Some appear and disappear unpredictably, and ordinary people simply cannot find them.”

Zhao Yao listened in a daze, as if falling into clouds and mist.

Zhao Yao couldn’t help but ask, “Teacher, why are you saying all this today?”

The scholar’s face brightened, and he smiled, “You have a teacher, and naturally, I also have a teacher. And my teacher… it’s better not to say. In short, I originally thought I could drag on for a few more decades, but I suddenly discovered that some behind-the-scenes people are unwilling to wait even that long. So, this time I can’t take you away from the town; you need to walk out on your own. Some harmless truths should also be revealed to you. Just treat it as listening to a story. I just hope you understand a principle: there is a heaven beyond the heavens, and there are people above people. No matter how ‘favored by heaven and blessed with good fortune’ you, Zhao Yao, are, you must not be complacent and become lazy.”

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The lowering of the well water and the detachment of the locust leaves are all portents.

The scholar named Qi Jingchun reminded him: “Zhao Yao, do you remember that locust leaf I asked you to keep?”

The young scholar nodded vigorously, “It’s put away with the seal you gave me.”

“How can there be such a lush, fresh, and tender leaf when it leaves the branch? Among the thousands of people in the town, only a handful of people have this ‘blessing’. That locust leaf can be played with often, and it may bring you a chance in the future.”

The scholar’s eyes were deep and profound, “In addition, over the years, I have always asked you to do good deeds and make good connections in the town, treating everyone with courtesy and sincerity. You will slowly understand the mysteries behind this in the future. Those seemingly inconspicuous trivial matters, like water dripping through stone, may eventually yield more benefits than holding a ‘Local County Chronicle’.”

The young man noticed a yellow bird perched on the stone beam, occasionally hopping around and chirping.

The scholar stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the yellow bird, his expression solemn.

The young man couldn’t see anything unusual.

The scholar Qi Jingchun suddenly looked towards Mud Bottle Lane, his brow furrowing even more.

The scholar sighed softly, “The hibernating insects are gradually hearing the sound of spring, breaking out of the earth. However, as guests, sneaking around under the noses of the hosts, engaging in such ghostly tricks, isn’t that a bit too presumptuous? Do you really think you can do whatever you want here with just a small half bowl of water that you took upon yourself to provide?”

Zhao Yao asked anxiously, “Teacher?”

The scholar waved his hand, indicating that the matter was unrelated to the young man, and led him to the last plaque.

The young Zhao Yao suddenly stopped in his tracks as if he were an insect awakened by the rumble of spring thunder, his eyes staring blankly.

Not far away, a girl in black with a veiled hat stood under the “气冲斗牛” (qì chōng dǒu niú – “Spirits reaching the Dipper and Ox constellations”) plaque. The thin veil obscured her face. Her figure was well-proportioned, neither slender nor plump. She wore a long sword with a snow-white scabbard and a narrow knife with a green scabbard at her waist. She crossed her arms and raised her head.

The scholar found it amusing and coughed gently.

The young man was just petrified, not understanding his teacher’s reminder of “do not look at what is improper”.

The scholar smiled knowingly, not bothering to cough again and spoil the scene, allowing the young man beside him to gaze at the girl in a daze.

The girl seemed to be unaware of the young man’s gaze.

She seemed to particularly appreciate the four large characters “气冲斗牛.” In contrast to the solemn and dignified standard script of the other three plaques, the large characters of this plaque were written solely in running script, and the charm within was almost wantonly arbitrary.

She liked it!

The young man suddenly woke up, realizing that his teacher had tapped him on the shoulder, smiling and saying, “Zhao Yao, you should go back to the school to pack your things and go home.”

The young man blushed and lowered his head, following his teacher back to the school.

Only then did the girl slowly release her fingers that were gripping the hilt of the knife.

In the distance, the scholar teased, “Zhao Yao, ah, Zhao Yao, I just saved your life.”

The young man said in shock, “Teacher?”

The scholar hesitated for a moment, his expression serious, “From now on, when you see her, you must go around her.”

The gentle and refined scholar in the blue robe was a little surprised and a little disappointed, “Teacher, why is that?”

Qi Jingchun thought for a while and said a conclusive statement, “She is incomparably sharp, destined to be a sword without a scabbard.”

The young man wanted to say something but stopped.

The middle-aged scholar smiled, “Of course, if it’s just secretly liking someone, even the Taoist ancestor and Buddha can’t stop it. Even we scholars, with our most numerous rules, only caution ‘do not speak, see, hear, or move improperly’. It doesn’t say not to think improperly.”

At that moment, the young man suddenly seemed to be possessed, blurting out loudly, “She smells so good!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the young man was stunned.

The scholar had a headache, not because he was angry, but because the situation was tricky. He said in a deep voice, “Zhao Yao, turn around!”

The young man subconsciously turned around, facing away from his teacher.

Under the memorial archway, the girl turned her head, filled with murderous intent.

She first lowered her hands, pressing her thumbs on the sword hilt and knife hilt, respectively.

Then she began to jog, and after about four or five steps, she suddenly exerted force in her hands and feet. The three-foot-long sword in the snow-white scabbard and the slender knife in the green scabbard were the first to leave their sheaths, tilting upwards and forwards. At the same time, she jumped off the ground, quickly gripping the knife and sword with both hands, and without saying a word, slashed downwards!

Between the girl in black and the teacher and student from the small town, two not-so-sturdy arms stretched and erupted into two dazzling crescent moons.

It was neither a supernatural power nor a magic art.

It was purely speed!

The scholar looked relaxed, with no intention of dodging. He just lightly stomped his foot.

A ripple rippled out.

The next moment, the girl’s body tensed, and her killing intent intensified.

Not only did the unstoppable knife and sword completely miss their target, but she was standing in the same place where the knife and sword were drawn.

The scholar smiled slightly, “Not bad, a lion uses all its strength to catch a rabbit. But having said that, my disciple has indeed offended you, but it’s not a crime worthy of death, right?”

The girl deliberately made her voice sound mature and deep, slowly putting the sword back into its scabbard, changing to a single-handed grip on the knife, and pointing the tip of the knife directly at the scholar, “How you ‘feel’ is your business, I don’t care.”

The girl took a step forward, “What I do is my business. Of course, you can… try to stop me!”

She charged forward swiftly.

The ground where her front and back feet landed suddenly caved in, creating two small pits.

The scholar put one hand behind his back and made a fist with the other, placing it in front of his abdomen, smiling and saying, “In military strategy, speed is the only thing that cannot be broken. It’s just a pity that in this world, even though it’s about to fall apart, as long as it’s before that time, even ten terrestrial immortals joining hands to break the formation would be like ants trying to shake a big tree. What more you?”

The girl reappeared inexplicably about a dozen steps away to the left of the scholar.

She thought for a moment and closed her eyes.

The scholar shook his head and smiled, “It’s not the illusion you think it is. This world is like what Buddhists call a small chiliocosm. Here, I am…”

“Eh?”

He suddenly exclaimed in surprise and stopped talking. He instantly appeared next to the girl to find out what was going on, gently holding the tip of the knife with two fingers.

He asked, “Who taught you the knife and swordsmanship?”

The girl didn’t open her eyes. Her left hand grabbed the hilt of the newly sheathed sword, and a cold light swept across the scholar’s waist, trying to cut him in half.

The scholar, pinching the tip of the knife with two fingers, shouted softly, “Retreat!”

A rustling sound rang out on the ground, and dust flew up. After a moment, the figure of the girl with the veiled hat appeared, her feet standing one in front of the other. Under her feet, to the front of the scholar, there was a gully, as if it had been plowed out.

The girl’s hands were covered in blood.

The knife was out of its sheath, and the sword was out of its sheath, but she had been reduced to the point where someone disarmed her.

Moreover, she knew very well that the enemy, in addition to the “framework” of this world, had been suppressing his strength and cultivation to the same level as hers.

This was because her skill was inferior, not because her cultivation was insufficient.

She seemed to be on the verge of going berserk.

Perhaps the girl herself did not realize that the light around her was distorted.

This scholar was, after all, the most reasonable person, thoughtfully advising, “It’s best not to compare yourself to me for the time being. It may hinder your martial arts state of mind. It is very important to climb the pinnacle of martial arts step by step.”

He looked a little strange at this time, holding the sword tip with one hand and the sword body with the other.

He suddenly laughed and imitated the girl’s tone, saying “like an old fogey”: “Whether you listen is your freedom, whether I say it is my business.”

The girl was silent for a moment, her voice low, “I accept your teaching!”

The scholar nodded with a smile. She wasn’t just a domineering and arrogant woman, which was very good. He gently threw the knife back to the girl, saying, “I’ll return the knife to you first.”

He looked down at the long sword on his fingertips, which was trembling slightly.

The young phoenix sings clearer than the old phoenix.

The scholar said regretfully, “The quality of this sword is quite good, but it is still a little short of being top-notch, which means it can only bear the weight of two characters. It’s a bit of a stretch, otherwise, with your aptitude and foundation, not to mention taking all four characters, you would definitely have more than enough with three…”

As he sighed, he casually raised his hand and shouted softly, “Decree!”

Two dazzling lights flew out from the “气冲斗牛” plaque.

The scholar waved his sleeves and patted them twice, patting them into the long sword.

On the plaque, the “气” and “牛” characters still retained their momentum.

The “冲” and “斗” characters seemed like an aging old man on his deathbed, who had finally completely lost his spirit after a final burst of energy.

The scholar carelessly shook his wrist, and the long sword instantly returned to its owner’s scabbard. Because it had already returned to its sheath, no one knew for the time being that there were two streams of energy running like dragons on the sword.

The next scene shocked even the experienced Qi Jingchun.

The girl slowly took off the sword sheath and threw it away at will, nailing it diagonally into the yellow earth. Behind the veil of the drooping hat, her eyes were firm, “This is not the sword path I seek.”

The scholar glanced at the sword abandoned by the girl and felt a long-lost sense of heaviness in his heart. He had to ask a question that was unworthy of his status: “Do you know who I am?”

The girl nodded, then shook her head, “I heard that every sixty years, a sage from the three religions is replaced here to preside over the operation of a large formation. It has been like this for thousands of years. From time to time, people come out of here with strange treasures or rapidly improved cultivation, so I wanted to come and see. When I saw you, I knew who you were, otherwise, I wouldn’t have been so straightforward when I attacked you.”

Qi Jingchun asked again, “Do you know what you just gave up?”

The girl remained silent.

In the sword sheath on the ground, the long sword trembled endlessly, like a beautiful woman lamenting and begging her lover to change his mind.

The young scholar had already secretly turned his head, cautiously watching the girl in the distance.

The scholar was undeniably knowledgeable and well-read, but he still couldn’t understand this. It was hard to force the long sword containing great luck to the girl, so he had no choice but to remind her, “Girl, it’s best to keep that sword. Next, the town will be very… uneasy. It’s always a good thing to have something more to protect yourself.”

The girl didn’t speak either, she just turned around and left.

She still didn’t want to take the sword.

Qi Jingchun was a little helpless and waved his sleeve, nailing the sword high on a memorial archway pillar. If someone forcibly pulled it out, it would inevitably disturb himself, who was sitting in the center of the formation, just as the “storyteller” had failed to escape the distant attention of the scholar when he shot twice at the girl’s shadow.

He personally escorted Zhao Yao all the way from the school to the Zhao family’s mansion on Fortune and Prosperity Street. The middle-aged scholar walked slowly, and every time he took a step, some subtle but fleeting lights would flash from some hidden places in the deep courtyards on both sides of the street.

Qi Jingchun murmured, “It’s strange, where did this little girl come from? Could she be a fairy disciple from outside this continent?”

After returning to the school, he sat at his desk, placing a jade tablet on it. It was about one foot and two inches long, with the mountains of the four towns carved in the four corners, symbolizing stability in all directions. The front was engraved with dense small seal characters, no less than a hundred words.

According to Confucian rituals, only the emperor of a country could hold the jade tablet.

This showed the great significance of this small town.

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Turning it over, only two characters were engraved on the back of the jade tablet.

The handwriting was strict in its rules and exceptionally elegant.

Its strength was extremely strong, and its spirit was extremely long.

On the desk, there was also a secret letter that had just arrived.

The scholar with frosted temples and a reddened eye socket said, “Teacher, I am incompetent and can only watch you be humiliated to this point…”

The scholar looked out the window, without much joy or sorrow, only a lonely expression, “Qi Jingchun is ashamed of his teacher and has lived a long life, only owing him a death.”

—

When Song Jixin took out something from the inner room and placed it on the table, Fu Nanhua couldn’t hide the ecstasy on his face, no matter how hard he tried.

It was an unremarkable little pot with the inscription “山魈” (shān xiāo – “mountain demon”) on the bottom.

Song Jixin put his hands together on the table, leaned forward, and asked with a smile, “How much is this pot worth?”

The young city lord of Old Dragon City finally looked away from the little pot and looked up honestly, “It’s not worth even an ounce of silver if it’s sold in the secular dynasty. But if I sell it, I can buy back a city.”

Song Jixin asked, “Tens of thousands of people?”

Fu Nanhua held out three fingers.

Song Jixin said “Oh” and pouted, “So it’s three hundred thousand.”

Fu Nanhua was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.

He originally thought Song Jixin would say thirty thousand people.

—

On Xinghua Lane, a dull man was squatting next to the iron-locked well, staring at the iron chain tied to the base of the well wheel.

He seemed to be struggling with how to move it away.

—

The black-veiled, cold-tempered girl was walking aimlessly around the town, only wearing the green-sheathed narrow knife. Her hands were only roughly bandaged with cloth strips.

As soon as she walked into an unknown alley.

With a whoosh, something broke through the air and stopped obediently behind the girl, buzzing.

The girl frowned, not turning her head, and spat out a word through her teeth, “Scram!”

With another whoosh.

The “flying sword” that had been unsheathed and swept over here was frightened and actually hid back into its scabbard.

A proud girl.

An obedient flying sword.