By the Iron Talisman River, several venerable scholars in tall crowns and flowing sleeves led the way, followed by young men and women in Confucian robes, clearly disciples of the Confucian school.

The procession resembled a winding azure serpent, each member loudly reciting “An Exhortation to Learning.”

The river babbled, and the voices echoed, creating a harmonious melody.

Among the ranks, a young woman in crimson attire carried a silver gourd filled with clear water at her waist, and a small green bamboo book case on her back. After passing Red Candle Town and Chess Mound Mountain, she had privately told the master of Mao Shan she wished to return to Dragon Spring County alone, so she could decide her own pace. But the old scholar had refused, saying that traversing mountains and rivers was not like studying in a library; one must travel as a group.

During their journey, they passed the Iron Talisman River Water God Temple. Yang Hua, the highest-ranked River Water God of Great Li, a deity who almost never appeared, made an unprecedented appearance before these students from both the Great Sui and Great Li, holding a golden-eared long sword, and watched the promising scholars. In theory, now that Cliff Mountain Academy had lost its title as one of the Seventy-Two Academies, Yang Hua, as one of the most prominent Mountain and Water deities of Great Li, had no need to show such courtesy.

But Cliff Mountain Academy, now relocated to East Flower Mountain in the Great Sui capital, had once been a sacred place in the hearts of all Great Li scholars, and its headmaster, Mao Xiaodong, still had countless disciples throughout Great Li, especially in the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War, where he was highly respected.

Moreover, when Yang Hua was still a sword-bearing maidservant by the side of the palace concubine, she had long admired Cliff Mountain Academy while it was still in the Great Li capital. She had even accompanied the concubine to the academy and had met the tall, imposing old scholar Mao. That was why she appeared today.

At the waterfall where the Iron Talisman River and the Dragon Whisker River converged, people had been waiting for a long time.

Several headmasters of the Cloud-Veiling Mountain Grove Academy, along with Wu Yuan, the prefect of Dragon Spring County, Magistrate Yuan, and Supervisor Cao, were among them.

There was also an elderly man named Li, the head of the Li family of Fortune Luck Street, the grandfather of Li Xisheng, Li Baozhen, and Li Baoping. The old man, with a cultivation at the Nascent Soul stage, was now a top-tier enshrined expert of Great Li, though this fact had not been publicly announced.

The Great Li Song family had bestowed secret favors upon the Four Surnames and Ten Clans, who controlled the vast majority of the Dragon Kilns. The Song family had signed a secret pact with a Sage, allowing each family to “retain” one to three disciples of the Dao for crafting lifebound porcelain. Under the watch of the Sages who had sat here for generations, exceptions were made for them to cultivate, and they were able to ignore the suppression of the Grand Li Pearl Grotto Heaven’s Heavenly Daos and secret methods. However, after cultivation, they were essentially confined within the Grotto-Heaven’s borders, forbidden from leaving without permission. But the Great Li Song family had three fixed slots every century to secretly take people out of the Grotto-Heaven. As for why the Li family head had not been taken away by the Great Li Song family despite reaching the Golden Core Earth Immortal stage, the matter was likely entangled in a web of secrets.

As a Nascent Soul Earth Immortal, the elderly Mr. Li spotted his beloved granddaughter from afar, and his face lit up with a smile he couldn’t conceal.

But for some reason, he felt that his granddaughter was still as aloof as she had been, always walking her own path. But she also seemed different. The old man suddenly felt both gratified and a little wistful.

Little Baoping had grown up secretly. She hadn’t even said hello to her grandfather, who doted on her so much. She had just grown up quietly.

Grandparental love was most evident in the Li family, especially the old man’s affection for his youngest granddaughter, Li Baoping, which seemed to exceed his love for his two grandsons combined. Even though there was a subtle tension between the eldest grandson, Li Xisheng, and the second grandson, Li Baozhen, due to their mother’s obvious favoritism, both of them doted on their younger sister without reservation.

Carrying her old, small bamboo case, Li Baoping walked alone along the Dragon Whisker River, where the water was shallow, but the sound was louder than the river itself.

In fact, not far from the group, Li Huai, with his two friends, and Lin Shouyi, conversing with a scholar from the academy, also carried similar bamboo cases.

All three bamboo cases were made by the same person. It would be strange if they weren’t similar. However, Li Baoping’s was the earliest and made of the most ordinary green bamboo. Lin Shouyi’s and Li Huai’s were made of Wei Bo’s Courageous Bamboo after they passed Chess Mound Mountain by Chen Ping An. After all these years, they remained a vibrant green.

As for Yu Lu and Xie Xie, who had only met Chen Ping An for the first time at the Great Li pass, they did not have the same privilege.

Wei Bo, the Righteous God of Great Li’s Northern Mountain, did not appear, nor did the Sage Ruan Qiong show his face.

The deputy headmaster of Cliff Mountain Academy, who had once slammed the table at Mao Xiaodong and then had a heart-to-heart with Cui Dongshan, frowned slightly. Great Li’s actions were reasonable, but lacked consideration.

The two most important figures had completely ignored Cliff Mountain Academy.

The key was that neither Grove Academy, nor the Prefect of Dragon Spring County, Wu Yuan, seemed inclined to offer an explanation.

The deputy headmaster, from a noble Sui family, couldn’t help but sigh. In the end, it was the result of the changing balance of power between the two countries. He recalled how many Great Li scholars had once come to admire the Great Sui and the Lu Dynasty, vying for the opportunity to exchange poetry with the eminent figures of both nations.

The procession halted, and the academy’s old scholars exchanged polite greetings with the people from Great Li.

Li Baoping saw her grandfather and suddenly resembled her childhood self, gently swaying her bamboo case and the silver gourd at her waist as she dashed over.

The old man chuckled and called out, “Little Baoping, slow down!”

Li Baoping skidded to a halt in front of the old man, smiling brightly, and called out to her grandfather in a loud voice.

The old man grumbled insincerely, “You’re a young lady now. Behave yourself!”

Not far away, Ma Lian, from a wealthy family in the Great Sui, saw the girl’s smiling face and breathed a sigh of relief, his mood lifting as well.

Liu Guan shook his head at the sight. Ma Lian, that blockhead, was beyond help. He was the same at the academy; he would become listless if he didn’t see her for a few days, but he never dared to say hello when he occasionally ran into her. Liu Guan couldn’t understand how Ma Lian, a scion of a top-tier Great Sui family, couldn’t even dare to confess to a girl.

Li Huai knew the inside story. Earlier, the academy had received a letter from Chen Ping An from Dragon Spring County, and Li Baoping had intended to ask for leave to return home. But the academy scholars hadn’t agreed. Just as Li Baoping was about to sneak out over the wall, suddenly…
News had spread that the head of Maoshan, in person, would lead a contingent of academy disciples to the Píyún Mountains of Great Li. Their journey would be a form of scholarly pilgrimage, culminating in an academic exchange with the students of the Linlu Academy. More than that, they would have the rare opportunity to witness a grand “Night Tour of the Mountains,” where thousands of spirits would jointly visit the mountain peaks.

It was all Li Baoping’s doing. She’d wanted to give her little martial uncle a surprise, to hold off on telling Fallen Mountain that they could return home.

But somewhere along the way, Li Baoping had gotten news – perhaps a letter arrived, or perhaps something else. Ever since, her spirit had flagged. She grew increasingly taciturn, reverting to the withdrawn demeanor she had exhibited during her earlier years at the academy. These days, at Cliffside Academy, as Li Baoping read more and more, faster and faster, the number of questions she asked of others dwindled. The instructors, once stumped by her constant inquiries, now felt a pang of loneliness. They missed her persistent, if peculiar, questioning, and longed for the return of the earnest little girl in the red-padded coat who used to pose such bizarre puzzles.

The Cliffside Academy students were scheduled to first arrive at the Linlu Academy in the Píyún Mountains. They would then have two days of free time before reconvening at Linlu Academy to observe the grand “Night Tour of the Mountains” hosted by the Great Li Northern Peak.

The group passed through the small town in a long, impressive line.

Old Man Li chose not to visit the ancestral home on Fortune Street. Instead, he planned to enter the mountains with little Baoping. Of course, as a Yuanying cultivator and a first-class Great Li court advisor, deeply versed in Confucianism, the old man would not stay close to Li Baoping. That would only make his granddaughter more distant from her Great Sui classmates.

Just as the Great Sui academy students left the small town and passed the Pearl Mountain, a girl with sun-darkened skin, carrying a walking stick and wearing a mismatched arrangement of sword and saber at her waist, came running with a swift yellow dog at her heels. Too short to see the flash of red in the marching column, she ran to her own master’s mountain, where she finally spotted the familiar figure. Waving her arms enthusiastically, she shouted in a voice brimming with youthful energy, “Sister Baoping! Over here, over here!”

Li Baoping whirled around and saw Pei Qian’s bounding figure. She quickly left the group and ran towards the small mountain.

Li Huai chuckled and stopped walking at the rear, then loudly yelled, “Pei Qian! What about me, what about me?”

Pei Qian rolled her eyes and ignored him.

Liu Guan and Ma Lian grinned at each other in amusement.

Over the years, Pei Qian had occasionally written letters to the Great Sui academy, sometimes mentioning Ma Lian and Liu Guan – the two she saw as her advance guards. After all, they had an agreement to travel the world with Li Huai, finding treasures and splitting the spoils five-five. But what was a treasure hunt without a few lackeys to wave the banners? Ma Lian was a bit slow, but incredibly loyal. Liu Guan was sharp-witted, perfect as a strategist.

Li Baoping raced towards Pearl Mountain, and Pei Qian ran down the hillside. They met at the foot of the mountain.

Li Baoping placed a hand on Pei Qian’s head, comparing their heights. “Pei Qian, why aren’t you growing?” she asked.

Pei Qian looked as if she’d been struck by lightning. Her face fell.

*Sister Baoping, you have no tact! Why do you have to aim straight for the heart?*

Li Baoping suddenly said, “It’s alright. Great ambitions aren’t measured in height.”

Pei Qian’s spirits lifted slightly. “That’s right, that’s right! My ambition soars! Everyone on Fallen Mountain knows it, even Master acknowledges it.”

As she spoke, Pei Qian glanced sideways at the scruffy dog lying a short distance away.

The dog drooped its head, avoiding eye contact with the walking-stick-wielding terror.

Speaking of her master, Pei Qian comforted, “Sister Baoping, don’t be sad. My master didn’t know you were coming. That’s why he went off into the world on his own. Don’t be sad! The next time I see Master, I’ll scold him for you… well, say a few words… one word will do.”

Li Baoping, who was nearly a head taller than Pei Qian, smiled and asked, “What are you doing here in town? Shouldn’t you be on Fallen Mountain practicing your ‘Mad Demon Swordplay’?”

Pei Qian puffed out her chest and stood on tiptoe. “Sister Baoping, you don’t know! I’m managing two of Master’s shops in town! Two very, very big shops!”

Li Baoping looked surprised. “You’re already that capable?”

Pei Qian nodded vigorously. “Sister Baoping, if you don’t believe me, I can take you to Riding Dragon Lane right now! I personally put up all the Spring Festival couplets, door gods, and lucky characters.”

Li Baoping hummed in acknowledgement. “Not bad. Short, but already able to share your little martial uncle’s burdens.”

Pei Qian beamed. Sister Baoping didn’t offer praise lightly.

Li Baoping glanced back at her group. “I need to go to the Linlu Academy in the Píyún Mountains. After I settle in, I’ll come down the mountain and visit you.”

Pei Qian looked at the tall, thin-faced Sister Baoping, and something seemed to strike her. The joyous little girl suddenly burst into tears. Lowering her head, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, sobbing. “Sister Baoping, Master came home this time, and he’s so thin! Thinner than you! So thin, I almost didn’t recognize him! Master didn’t say anything, but I know that those five years by Book Brief Lake weren’t good at all. Sister Baoping, you’re well-read, capable, and brave. Master likes you so much, and you haven’t even gone to see him these past years! If Master saw you, he’d be happier than seeing me… maybe he wouldn’t feel so tired.”

Li Baoping smiled, turned, and gazed southward, squinting her narrow eyes. Her round face was gone, replaced by an oval face with a slightly pointed chin.

She bent down, helped Pei Qian wipe away her tears, and said softly, “Alright, alright. It’s my fault, it’s my fault.”

After her outburst of tears, Pei Qian looked a bit sheepish. “Sorry, Sister Baoping. I was talking nonsense.”

Li Baoping patted Pei Qian on the shoulder and smiled. “See you later.”

Pei Qian nodded, watching Li Baoping turn and leave.

*Sister Baoping, carrying that small bamboo box, still wearing her familiar red clothes…* But as Pei Qian watched the receding figure, she couldn’t help but worry that the next time she saw Sister Baoping, tomorrow or the day after, she would be even taller, even more different. Did her master feel this way when he entered the Cliffside Academy? Was that why she used to drag them along to do those things on the Academy lake that Pei Qian thought were so fun? Was it because her master had already foreseen today? Because, while it might seem like fun, growing up was actually a very unfun thing?
Pei Qian scratched her head and stamped her foot, full of regret. How could she, a third manager of two shops, be so forgetful? She pulled out two skewers of candied hawthorns wrapped in oil paper from her sleeve. She had forgotten to give one to Sister Baoping!

She sighed, put one skewer back into her sleeve, and started munching on the other. It tasted really good. As for the money for the candied hawthorns, it was given by Shi Rou. She was so kind. Pei Qian had only mentioned a few words about the candied hawthorns and asked Shi Rou if she had heard the vendors hawking them in the alleys. Before she knew it, Shi Rou had proactively stuffed a handful of copper coins into her hand, saying it was her treat and she didn’t need to repay it. How embarrassing! She, Pei Qian, wasn’t some greedy child. She just stared intently at the copper coins in Shi Rou’s palm and shook her head, waving her hand, saying no, no. But in the end, she still accepted them, overwhelmed by the kindness.

After finishing the candied hawthorn, she would keep the skewer in her sleeve. After all, Shi Rou had paid for it, so she would give it back to her. As for Sister Baoping’s share, she would pay for it herself tomorrow.

That’s how chivalrous people of the Jianghu act!

Pei Qian brandished her “Traveling Mountain Staff,” glimpsed the stray dog that was keeping its distance, glared at it, and the dog immediately tucked its tail between its legs and lay down beside her.

Pei Qian squatted down, grabbed its muzzle, and scolded, “Little brother, what’s wrong with you? Why are you so short? Are you a dwarf? Aren’t you ashamed? Huh? Speak up!”

The dog had inexplicably received a great blessing. In truth, it had already become a spirit, and it should have been running wild in the mountains west of Longquan County, like a dog chasing after the mountains. But now, it remained motionless, its eyes filled with grievance and lament.

It had already awakened its intellect and gained spiritual awareness. Its backer was the Dragon Spring Sword Sect, so it could be considered a mountain spirit that no one would provoke in the western mountains. However, it was still some distance away from speaking human language and transforming into human form.

Pei Qian held the dog’s muzzle tightly and didn’t let go. She widened her eyes. “You won’t talk? So you’re not convinced? Who gave you the courage, you cur?!”

It didn’t dare to move.

Pei Qian twisted her wrist, and the dog’s head followed, turning around. The dog immediately whimpered. Pei Qian said angrily, “Tell me, have you been secretly bullying the big white geese in town again? Otherwise, why do they run away whenever I bring you along? Do you know what ‘never flaunt your strength’ means?! You’re infuriating me! You’ve been following me in the Jianghu for so long, and you haven’t learned anything good.”

That stray dog probably wished it were dead.

Who was it that used to ride a big white goose and run wild in the alleys?

Pei Qian finally let the dog go, released her hand, stood up, patted her hands, and suddenly blinked hard, rubbing her eyes.

Ever since she ate the bead that Master gave her in Riding Dragon Lane, she had been experiencing this often – her eyes felt sore, but it wasn’t painful, just a little irritating. It had caused her to miswrite strokes and make them crooked several times while copying books. She had to rewrite them, as that was one of Master’s few rules, and she had always followed it, even though no one was supervising her copying now.

Moreover, she occasionally looked at the paper filled with words and felt that some of the words were moving. But when she focused her attention, everything was normal, and the words were lying neatly on the paper.

Pei Qian planned to take the opportunity to ask the old chef Zhu, who lazed around the mountain all day, when she took Sister Baoping to Fallen Phoenix Mountain later. He seemed to know everything. If that didn’t work, she would ask Mountain Deity Lord Wei Bo. If that still didn’t work, alas, she would have to go to the Dragon Pool and Tiger Den on the second floor of the bamboo building and ask the old gentleman who would teach her fist techniques at the slightest disagreement. That old gentleman was just relying on his age and having a little more strength than Master. What did he know about fist techniques? Could he be as knowledgeable as her Master? The old coot didn’t know squat!

Pei Qian began to swagger toward the town, raising her head and not looking at the road, puffing out her chest and shouting loudly, “Walking arrogantly, frightening the enemies! If you are friends, slaughter the dog, I’ll eat the meat and you drink the soup!”

The stray dog tucked its tail between its legs and obediently followed behind the Great Heroine Pei.

The town was becoming increasingly lively because many students from the Great Sui Academy, speaking the elegant language of a continent, had arrived.

Li Huai took Liu Guan and Ma Lian to his house, which was dilapidated. Liu Guan was alright, as he was born into poverty, but Ma Lian was dumbfounded. He had seen poor people, but he had never seen such a bare home. Li Huai didn’t care, took out the key to open the door, and led them to fetch water and clean the house. The town naturally had more than one well, and there were some nearby, but none of them were as sweet as the water from the Iron Lock Well. Li Huai’s mother would only go to that well to fetch water when something good happened at home, or when she heard about something bad happening to someone else. She would go there to spar with a group of women including Old Woman Ma from Apricot Blossom Lane and the widow Gu from Mud Bottle Lane.

Liu Guan was lazy and didn’t want to move. He said he would be in charge of lighting the fire and cooking. Li Huai took Ma Lian to fetch water, but Ma Lian’s delicate shoulders suffered greatly, causing the women by the well to laugh. Ma Lian, who had delicate features, blushed with embarrassment.

Li Baoping returned to her home in the town first, and her mother’s tears didn’t stop. Li Baoping couldn’t help but cry as well.

Li Baoping left Prosperity Street and went to Riding Dragon Lane. She was very familiar with it. The two shops that had now become Junior Uncle’s were originally the ancestral property of that girl with pigtails. Li Baoping had gone there often when she was little. Moreover, Li Baoping had run all over the town since she was a child. She could walk through the streets and alleys with her eyes closed. But this time, she walked slowly, no longer hurried. Sure enough, she saw Pei Qian sitting on a bench, waiting anxiously for her, near the New Year’s Shop. Li Baoping quickened her pace, stayed in the shop for a while, and then went to Mud Bottle Lane with Pei Qian. She found that Junior Uncle’s ancestral home was clean and tidy and didn’t need cleaning. So, Li Baoping took Pei Qian back to Prosperity Street.

Pei Qian squatted beside the small pond, widening her eyes to look at the pebbles, to look at the golden crucian carp that had supposedly been raised there for many years, which Junior Uncle had given her, and to look at the even older golden crab, which Sister Baoping had caught herself. In fact, the truth of the matter, to be precise, was that the little girl in the red cotton-padded jacket had pinched her finger that year and ran home crying, asking her older brother Li Xisheng to pry open the crab’s pincers.

Pei Qian looked for a long time, but those two little fellows were not very cooperative and hid, refusing to show themselves.

The small pond was built by Li Baoping when she was very young. The pebbles were all personally collected by her from the stream…
Having been picked up from the river, choosing only the colorful and attractive ones, he moved them bit by bit, with great effort, first piling them up in the corner, forming a small mountain, which later became this pool. Now, most of the pebbles that served as “founding heroes” have faded, losing their luster and strange appearances, but there are still many pebbles of varying sizes, still crystal clear, reflecting the sunlight, with flowing brilliance and rich spiritual energy.

Lin Shouyi went to the Kiln Affairs Supervisory Office, revisiting the place where he often played as a child.

The Lin family was a large family in the town, but not among the four major surnames and ten major families, and the Lin family members were also very unknown, not very fond of interacting with neighbors. Like Lin Shouyi’s father, he was only a low-ranking official in the Supervisory Office, and when he was serving in the only yamen in the town, before moving away from Lizhu Grotto-Heaven, he successively assisted three kiln affairs supervisors, but it seemed that none of them wanted to promote him.

The Lin family moved to the capital of Great Li, but the old house was still there, not sold, but only a few old servants remained.

Lin Shouyi had no great thoughts about the family since he became sensible.

The family seemed to feel the same about him.

Mutual dislike.

Even now that Lin Shouyi’s deeds in the academy have gradually spread to Great Li, the family seems to remain indifferent.

Lin Shouyi didn’t find it strange. His father had always been like this. As long as it was something his father believed in, the words and deeds of others, as long as they didn’t conform to his wishes, were all wrong. And his mother, between father and son, would always stand on her husband’s side, and the way she looked at her son was always cold and indifferent, as if looking at someone who was only helping her stay in the Lin family, not an outsider, nor a relative, not like a mother treating her own flesh and blood, polite, hiding distance.

Lin Shouyi recognized those former colleagues of his father in the yamen, and took the initiative to visit them, but didn’t chat much, there was really nothing to talk about, and being warm and friendly with people had never been Lin Shouyi’s forte.

It is said that the current supervisor went out for a stroll again today. According to the yamen clerks, there is no doubt that Lord Cao went to drink.

Lin Shouyi couldn’t help but feel a little strange. It seemed that whether officials or clerks, when talking about the supervisor who they should be careful with, everyone had a heartfelt smile and spoke casually.

Just then, Yu Lu and Xie Xie went to the Cao family’s ancestral house. After Yu Lu and Xie Xie’s identities were exposed that year, they were both taken there, together with a handsome young man named Cui Ci, to serve as servants for the young-looking national preceptor, Cui Chan.

The direct grandson of the Great Li Upper Pillar Kingdom Cao family, who is now the Cao Supervisor of Longquan County, lives here now.

Today, after drinking too much, Lord Cao simply didn’t go to the yamen. He was the highest official there, why bother with the formalities? He carried an empty wine pot, reeking of alcohol, staggering back to his ancestral home, intending to take a nap. He met people on the way, greeted them, and the greetings were all proper. He was familiar with everyone, regardless of gender or age. Seeing a little kid wearing open-crotch pants, he lightly kicked him. The child was not afraid of him, the high-ranking official, and chased after him, spitting wildly. Lord Cao ran and dodged, and the women on the street were used to it, looking at the young official with smiles.

This Lord Cao finally got rid of the entanglement of that little rascal and happened to meet Yu Lu and Xie Xie on the way. Whether he recognized or guessed their identities, the suave and tipsy Lord Cao asked Yu Lu if he wanted to drink. Yu Lu said he could drink a little. Lord Cao shook the empty wine pot, threw the key to Yu Lu, and ran towards the wine shop. Yu Lu was helpless. Xie Xie asked, “Can such a person really be the future head of the Cao family?”

Yu Lu smiled and said, “That’s how it can be, right.”

Xie Xie snorted coldly.

Compared with the gentle and diligent Magistrate Yuan, Supervisor Cao was a well-known playboy. He only glanced at the major dragon kilns and never went there again.

Instead, he often ran between the town and the county seat, liked to buy wine, invite people to drink, and even more liked to chat nonsense with people. Almost every time he showed up, he carried a wine pot in his hand. The only difference was whether there was wine in the pot or not. The men in the town liked to drink and chat with this official from the capital. Every time Lord Cao showed up, a large group of idle men who loved to drink would immediately gather around, listening to Lord Cao talk about the interesting things in the capital, whether true or false, who cared, wasn’t it just for fun? Besides, as long as he got drunk, Lord Cao would often say, “I’ll cover the wine bill today!”

Women and young ladies all liked this charming and smiling young official.

His popularity among the women in the town was no less than that of the young Taoist who set up a fortune-telling stall back then.

On Piercing Cloud Mountain.

Mao Xiaodong spoke to Linlu Academy, and the instructors from the Great Sui Dynasty finally met the prince Gao Xuan who was studying here.

Otherwise, no one would dare to open this mouth. It’s not that they were afraid of getting into trouble themselves. Which of those who could become teachers at Cliffside Academy didn’t have this bit of responsibility and scholarly spirit? They were worried that they would implicate Gao Xuan, who was in a foreign land, the Geyang descendant of the Great Sui Dynasty who asked to replace his brother as a hostage!

Mao Xiaodong left after the two sides met.

The eleventh-realm Geyang Gao family ancestor did not appear.

Gao Xuan looked at those old scholars of the Great Sui Dynasty, who bowed to him one by one, with tears streaming down their faces. The young man, who originally didn’t feel that there was any great grievance in coming here, also had some moisture in his eyes.

Gao Xuan, as a junior Confucian scholar, respectfully bowed to the seniors among those gray-haired scholars of the Great Sui Dynasty in return.

The old teachers straightened their clothes one by one, stood solemnly, and accepted this bow.

At the “Haoran Pavilion” observation point of Linlu Academy, the Geyang Gao family ancestor who accompanied Gao Xuan to Great Li was standing next to Mao Xiaodong and Old Flood Dragon Cheng Shuidong.

The Gao family ancestor left after a few casual chats.

He did not serve as the deputy dean of Linlu Academy, but instead hid his name and worked as an ordinary teacher. The academy students liked his lectures because the old man would talk about things outside of books and learning, unheard of, such as the strange and bizarre things of the novelists and the White Paper Blessed Land. However, the Great Li local instructors of Linlu Academy didn’t like this “unprincipled” old Mr. Gao very much, feeling that he was not strict enough in imparting knowledge and teaching students.