《I Became A Saint Through Reading》 Chapter 1: The Heart of Literature and Taoism
"Bold Lin Yi!" "Who allowed you to step into the government office with your left foot first?" "Catch him!" In a daze, Lin Yi seemed to hear someone scolding him, the voice was loud and clear, like the sound of a huge bell. Buzz! Lin Yi felt his head buzzing. Just as he was about to hold his head, he found that his hands seemed to be restrained by something. As soon as he opened his eyes, Lin Yi was stunned. He found that his neck was shackled and his hands were bound. He was lying in a dark, ancient-style room, feeling pain all over his body. Hiss! Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his head, as if it were stabbing him with needles, and a flood of information forcefully penetrated into his brain. Fragmented images appeared in his mind like slides. Lin Yi, a native of Anyang County, is the new temporary constable in the county government. It was his adoptive father, the poor scholar Su Huaizhi, who had spent all his savings to send him to the Anyang County Government half a month ago to become a temporary constable. But on his first day at work, he was arrested by the lawyer''s men because he stepped into the county government gate with his left foot first. "What the hell is this? I''m just a scapegoat..." Lin Yi''s mind was in a mess. The conflict and fusion of memories from the two lives gave him a splitting headache. But he soon understood the whole story. It turned out that a few days ago, several constables from the county government''s Demon-Suppressing Hall neglected their duties, and a Taoist magic spell that was sealed in the Demon- Suppressing Hall by the academy was stolen. The theft of Taoist magic is an extremely serious incident. Once someone with evil intentions practices Taoism and becomes a demon, Anyang County will be devastated. In order to shirk responsibility and protect his distant relatives who were constables, the county magistrate directly arrested Lin Yi, labeled him an accomplice of the thieves, and exiled him to the border! "Also... this is actually a world where literature and morality are respected..." Lin Yi then made a surprising discovery that this world was not the historical dynasty of the Earth, nor was it a world where martial arts were respected, but a world where literature was supreme. What is Wen Dao? Simply put, it is a method of cultivation. Different from the martial arts cultivation in novels, it is about comprehending the poems, songs and essays of ancient sages. Legend has it that Fuxi, the emperor of Shengwen Continent, created the world with one stroke. At that moment when the character "one" was born, the whole continent was ablaze with stars, thunder rumbled for thousands of miles, the sky was full of colorful clouds, purple air came from the east, and talent soared into the sky, thus giving birth to literature and Taoism. Later, Suiren took the first talent from heaven and earth and ignited the fire of literature. From then on, all living things that possessed a heart for literature and Taoism could practice it, and nine great pioneers of literature and Taoism were born. The nine realms of literature and Taoism were established: awakening of the mind, establishing one''s destiny, benevolent person, Confucian scholar, virtue, gentleman, great Confucian scholar, second- rate sage, and saint. Lin Yi''s heart was filled with excitement. He had never expected that there existed such a magical world where one could cultivate oneself by reading and writing if one had a heart for literature and Taoism.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Unfortunately... the original host Lin Yi had no literary talent. Even though he studied and learned to read and write for 16 years with his adoptive father Su Huaizhi, he was unable to develop any talent or cultivate his body. I can even fall asleep with a book in my hands. "If I had a heart for literature and Taoism, how could the Magistrate Sun dare to let me take the blame? If I have a heart for literature and Taoism, I can enter the academy to practice, and from then on I will become a superior person and I won''t have to bow to the officials!" If his hands weren''t bound by shackles, Lin Yi would have wanted to beat his chest and stamp his feet. After all, in the Dayan Dynasty where he lived, apart from the birthplace of Confucius, there were almost no historical celebrities or poems that he was familiar with. As a modern person who is familiar with the Book of Songs, Chu Ci, Han Fu, Tang poetry, and Song Ci, you can take off by just copying two sentences from them. But now he could only sigh inwardly at his bad luck: "It''s really... when it rains, it pours, and the ship is late and encounters headwinds!" As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Yi suddenly felt his heart twitch, as if being pricked by a needle. Immediately afterwards, a warm current flowed through my body, and I felt light and fluttery, with an indescribable sense of comfort. Moreover, a faint fragrance was emanating from his body at this moment. "This is......" Lin Yi was stunned at first, then his eyes widened and he said in ecstasy: "Shuxiang, this is the sign of the heart of literature and Taoism. Could it be that just because I said something casually just now... I have the heart of literature and Taoism directly?" Crash! Lin Yi remembered what his adoptive father once said to him: People who have no heart for literature and Taoism, as long as they study hard and write poetry and essays, there is a great chance that they will develop a heart for literature and Taoism. At this moment, with the heart of literature and Taoism nurtured, Lin Yi found that his thinking reactions became more agile and his memory became more amazing. Lin Yi was excited. With so many poems, songs and articles from his previous life in his head, didn''t it mean that this world was simply his stage? Lin Yi was so excited that the shackles and anklets rattled. "What are you arguing about!" At this time, a scolding sounded, and someone opened the curtain and rushed in quickly. They were two constables, one fat and one thin, wearing green constable uniforms. "If you keep making noise, I''ll send you to hell!" The fat constable held the hilt of the knife at his waist, looking fierce, and the fat on his face was shaking. The thin constable quickly grabbed the fat constable and advised, "Boss, there are people from the academy downstairs in the post station, we shouldn''t see blood!" The fat constable glanced at Lin Yi jokingly and sneered, "I just want to scare him to see if he will pee his pants. Look at him lying on the ground like a dog! Hahaha..." Lin Yi stood up suddenly and said, "Who is the dog talking about?" "The dog said you!" "No wonder you''re screaming so happily!" Lin Yi looked as if he understood what was going on. The fat constable was a bit slower to react. He finally came to his senses, his face flushed red, and he suddenly drew the sword from his waist: "I''m going to kill you!" "Boss, don''t!" The thin constable wanted to stop him, but was kicked away by the fat constable and grimaced in pain. Seeing that the fat constable seemed to really want to kill him, Lin Yi cursed inwardly and decisively stepped back two steps. Clang! The knife hit the shackles directly, breaking the chains and sending sparks flying. Lin Yi jumped up and kicked the fat constable directly in the abdomen with his legs. Bang! Lin Yi felt like he was kicked on a pig''s belly, and was shaken to the ground by the fat on the fat constable''s belly, with his buttocks burning with pain. The fat constable''s face flushed red, and he said angrily, "How dare you attack me? I''ll chop you to pieces today!" "Try it!" Lin Yi stood up straight and stared at the fat constable, and said coldly: "I am a scholar with a heart for literature and morality, try to touch me!" Swish! When the fat constable heard this, he stopped abruptly, and the fat on his body trembled. He looked at Lin Yi in surprise and doubt, his nose twitched, and his expression suddenly changed! There was a scent of books in the room. You must know that only scholars who have a heart for literature and morality can have this kind of scholarly atmosphere. "I can''t let him live. If he becomes a student of the academy, I will be the one to die..." The fat captain''s expression changed. He gritted his teeth, raised his knife and chopped at Lin Yi, saying, "Why not give it a try?" The thin constable standing by was so scared that his face turned green. The people from the academy are downstairs. If the boss really kills Lin Yi, who has a heart for literature and morality, the teacher from the academy will go to the county government office to arrest him tomorrow. There are very few scholars in Anyang County who have a heart for literature and morality, and each one of them is a treasure. "Damn, I was careless. I haven''t developed my literary talent yet and I don''t have the talent to bless me!" Lin Yi underestimated the fat constable''s desire to kill him. This guy was a distant relative of Magistrate Sun and would definitely not leave him alive. "Bold warrior!" Ka La! At this moment, accompanied by a cold and delicate cry, a white streak came and hit the fat constable''s arm directly. When~ The big knife in the fat constable''s hand was directly knocked away. His right hand hung down, blood dripped down his arm, and his face was pale. Lin Yi was startled by this sudden scene. He turned his head to look towards the door and saw a woman in a white Confucian dress walking in. I''m going to... This girl looks so cold and beautiful! Chapter 2: Talents Throughout The State The fat constable glared at the woman in white. But after seeing the other person''s attire clearly, his expression suddenly changed, and he immediately became flattering, saying: "So you are a scholar from the academy. I am a constable from the Demon Suppression Hall of Anyang County Yamen. Nice to meet you, Master!" The thin constable also bowed hastily, with a humble attitude. Lin Yi looked at the woman in white and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Just now he heard the thin constable say that there were people from the academy downstairs in the post station, which was why there was such a big commotion. The purpose is to attract the attention of people in the academy. Now he is trapped in a deadly situation, and the only thing that can save him is almost the academy. In addition, now that he has a heart for literature and Taoism, the probability of breaking out of the situation is extremely high. It is said that there was once a scholar with a heart for literature and Taoism. Because he was mistakenly arrested by the government authorities, the teacher of the academy immediately recited an article and angrily denounced the government authorities for persecuting scholars. At that time, his talent reached the sky, and the stars swayed. The entire government office was flattened to the ground by his talent. When the matter was reported to the Zhenguo Shengyuan and the imperial court, Emperor Dayan not only did not blame them, but also praised the academy. It is a blessing for Dayan to praise the academy for its uprightness and solemnity. Lin Yi knew very well that although he was not yet a disciple of the academy, as long as he casually produced a poem, the teachers in the academy would rush to accept him as a disciple. At this time.... The girl in the academy looked at the fat constable indifferently and said in a cold voice: "What crime did he commit? Why didn''t he report to the academy, but privately judged the case and persecuted the scholars of Dayan?" The fat constable was sweating all over and said, "My Lord, this man is a constable in my county yamen. He colluded with a demon to steal a book of Taoist magic, and his crime is extremely heinous..." "Fart!" Lin Yi interrupted directly, and the girl from the academy frowned slightly. Lin Yi thought that it might be inappropriate for a scholar to swear, and it would also lose his image in front of a beautiful woman. He clasped his fists and bowed to the girl from the academy, saying, "I am a scholar who knows filial piety and honor. How could I do such a petty theft? There is a great injustice here. Mr. Scholar, please help me make the decision!" Lin Yi is polite and has some of the character of a Dayan scholar. This instantly made the girl in the academy relax her brows and her impression of Lin Yi changed greatly. The girl from the academy looked at the fat constable and said sternly, "The Taoist magic in your county government''s demon- suppression hall was stolen, but you actually blamed us scholars. What a great power you have!" "Take me to your county government office!" The fat constable knew what the consequences would be if the academy intervened, and hurriedly said, "Sir, this man had no literary heart when he committed the crime. He was just an ordinary scholar, so the county magistrate did not ask the academy to make a judgment on the case. Moreover, the witnesses and evidence are all there, and he also pleaded guilty and signed. The county magistrate also did not impose the death penalty on him because he is a scholar, but only exiled him to the border..."This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. "Oh?" The girl from the academy frowned, looked at Lin Yi and said, "The heart of literature and Taoism is a gift from heaven. Almost no one can acquire it later, unless... one uses Taoism techniques!" The girl from the academy exuded a cold aura, which was not directed at the fat constable, but at Lin Yi. The fat constable seemed relieved and stared at Lin Yi with a mocking look on his face. Lin Yi was stunned for a moment, and said seriously: "Master Scholar, I am a scholar, how can I practice Taoism? My father once told me that as long as I study hard, I can write amazing poems and articles, and I can also have a heart for literature and Taoism and change my destiny!" The girl from the academy said coldly, "You mean, you awaken the heart of literature and Taoism through poetry and writing? Did your father tell you that if you awaken the heart of literature and Taoism, the poetry and writing must at least reach the level of talent that penetrates the state?" "You think you can?" She felt resentful in her heart as she was almost deceived by Lin Yi just now. It is impossible for a guy who is less than 20 years old to write poems and articles of such talent that these poems will at least be handed down for hundreds of years. Moreover, Lin Yi had just awakened the heart of literature and Taoism, but there was no strange phenomenon of heaven and earth that could span the state. So... Lin Yi relies on practicing Taoist magic. Taoism is evil magic. It is a kind of practice that can enable people to possess talent and power comparable to that of scholars, but the practice method is usually against the will of heaven. Once possessed by a demon, it is more likely that all lives will be destroyed. Therefore, those who practice evil arts are the mortal enemies of the Taoist practitioners. "Talent runs through the state..." Lin Yi searched his memory but still couldn''t figure out what this thing was. It was obvious that his adoptive father, a poor scholar, had limited knowledge. But we can also understand it literally, that is, the poems and essays are good enough and the momentum is strong enough. But he awakened his literary and moral heart, but did not write any poetry. How do you explain this? However, seeing that the iceberg beauty seemed to be on the wrong side, Lin Yi had no choice but to say, "Sir, my father didn''t tell me this, but I did use poetry to awaken Wen Xin!" The girl from the academy flicked her sleeves, her talent surged, and her writing brush, ink, paper, and ink stone flew out, landing steadily on the table. She said solemnly, "If you can really write a poem of talent that will penetrate the whole state, I, Fang Qingxue, will personally guarantee you and go with you to the county government office to confront the county magistrate in court. If you are not guilty, I will definitely clear your name and give you justice!" "Fang Qingxue!" "Your Excellency is Fang Qingxue?" When the fat and thin constables heard the girl from the academy introduce herself, their expressions were immediately changed and they exclaimed in surprise. Even Lin Yi was surprised. In the original body''s memory, the name Fang Qingxue was well-known. She was the direct disciple of the dean of Pingzhou Academy and a famous person in Jinzhou. Last year, he went to the Zhenguo Saint Academy to take part in the Saint Examination, and won first place in the Saint Examination. He was enlightened by the Saint Academy and was promoted to the seventh level of benevolence. He became the first champion in the history of Jinzhou. That day. Auspicious clouds of talent and talent appeared in the sky over Jinzhou and lasted for three days. When Fang Qingxue came back, the governor personally came to greet her and sent her back to Pingzhou Academy in a sedan chair carried by eight people. One can imagine how scary Fang Qingxue''s identity is. "Good!" Lin Yi was excited, as expected, there is always a way out. Now his heart of literature and Taoism has strengthened his memory, and many poems and articles by famous writers from his previous life are emerging in his mind. Standing in front of the table, he ground ink and picked up a brush, writing on the snow-white rice paper: There is a path to the mountain of books, and diligence is the way... Fang Qingxue''s eyes fell on Lin Yi''s pen. She wanted to see what Lin Yi could write. The fat constable sneered and mocked, "A clown!" Just at this moment. The few words written by Lin Yi suddenly burst into golden light, and the talents between heaven and earth gathered and revolved with Lin Yi as the center. It seemed as if a small sun rose in the room. "This is......" Fang Qingxue''s eyes were full of surprise, and she subconsciously raised her arm to block the dazzling golden light from the text. "How come?" The fat constable''s eyes were dull and he felt cold under his feet. The prison uniform on Lin Yi''s body rustled as it was blown by his talent. His black hair was flying, his eyebrows were sharp and his eyes were starry. He was fully immersed in writing. In his previous life, he was a calligraphy enthusiast. The personal font he created was stored in the computer Chinese character database and became popular on the Internet. Now, when he wrote this inspiring poem in his own handwriting, he actually had such a strange effect, and he felt very happy. "The sea of learning is endless and the journey is hard!" Lin Yi wrote the last word in a casual manner. The last hook was like a sword that split the sky and its energy was as sharp as a knife. Chapter 3: Poems on the Monument Fang Qingxue stared blankly at the two lines of words and murmured in a low voice: "The path to the mountain of books is made through diligence, the boat to the boundless sea of learning is made through hard work..." The words fell. Her body suddenly trembled and her whole body went numb for a moment, and then she felt a surge of talent coming out from between the lines of the paper and going deep into her brows. Warm and gentle, as if she was bathing in a sea of books. At the same time... The entire piece of rice paper was emitting rich golden light, which gathered into a column of air and soared into the sky. Fang Qingxue walked quickly to the window, opened it, and saw the pillar of talent formed by the poem explode in the air, with a long and powerful aura... "Talent runs through the state!" Fang Qingxue took two steps back, her eyes filled with surprise and disbelief. Yes! These two lines of poetry written by Lin Yishu have indeed reached the level of talent that permeates the whole state. That is to say. It was through poetry, rather than Taoism, that Lin Yi awakened the literary and Taoist heart in him, and became a true scholar. In the future, you can go to the Zhenguo Holy Academy for assessment, receive talent enlightenment, and gain blessings in the realm of literature and Taoism. This line of poetry, in particular, has reached the level of talent that can be passed down for hundreds of years. Boom! The fat constable sat down on the ground, his forehead and brows were covered with sweat, his face full of panic. Talent runs through the state! Lin Yi is such a talented guy. Now Fang Qingxue has intervened in the case of stolen Taoist magic, and they are in great danger. Lin Yi looked at the fat constable slumped on the ground and felt greatly relieved. This is the power of literature and art. "Look..." At this moment, the thin constable saw that the fourteen words written by Lin Yi on the rice paper on the table suddenly stood up from the paper. Then it turned into a row of small golden characters, like small golden flowers, floating out of the window. Fang Qingxue''s expression changed, and she said, "What a brilliant poem! This poem can be engraved on a monument!" "A brilliant writing style? A stele?" Lin Yi heard two new words, but he could roughly understand their meaning. Simply put... top notch! "Can I inscribe a monument?" The fat constable, who was slumped on the ground, got his crotch wet. He seemed to be extremely frightened, and kowtowed to Lin Yi quickly, saying: "Master Lin, I am blind and can''t recognize a true dragon. I will let you go now..." He stood up trembling, took out the key and prepared to unlock Lin Yi''s chain. Lin Yi took a half step back, lowered his head and looked down at the fat constable, and said indifferently: "Don''t bother, Chief Constable. I am a criminal. Without the pardon from the county magistrate, you released me privately. Aren''t you afraid of the county magistrate''s punishment?"If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "I will explain to the county magistrate, as long as Master Lin and Master Fang do not pursue the matter..." The fat detective could foresee the consequences if Lin Yi and Fang Qingxue pursued the matter, and he just wanted to put the matter to rest as soon as possible. But before he could finish his words, Lin Yi said in a deep voice: "Not pursuing the matter? You have wronged me, so if you let me go, you will not pursue the matter of your disregard for human life?" "Besides, my personal life and death is a minor matter, while the theft of my Taoist magic is a major matter. This matter concerns the safety of hundreds of thousands of people in Anyang County, so we must investigate it thoroughly no matter what!" Lin Yi''s words were powerful and righteous. Fang Qingxue''s beautiful eyes flashed with a strange color, and she stood up and said, "Whether Lin Yi is guilty or not, I need to confront the Anyang County Magistrate in person to find out. Let''s go!" The fat detective said: "Sir..." Fang Qingxue asked, "Do you want me to ask the teacher of the academy to come down from the mountain? To imitate the story of the teacher redressing the grievances of the scholars?" "I don''t dare!" The fat constable turned pale and lowered his head quickly. Fang Qingxue turned to Lin Yi and said, "Come with me to the county government. Scholars who are charged with crimes will never be able to enter the Holy Academy. You were able to awaken your literary heart and compose poems that are so brilliant that they can penetrate the whole state. You are a rare literary genius. Don''t let this stain ruin your life!" "Good!" Lin Yi nodded seriously and followed Fang Qingxue. He would have been doomed to die, but now, with his own efforts, he has seized this ray of hope, and he can''t wait to go back to the county government to settle accounts with them. As the saying goes, a gentleman takes revenge from morning till night. He will not let any of those who drag him out to take the blame go! At the same time... There were sounds of reading aloud and the teacher teaching in Pingzhou Academy, when suddenly the ground of the entire academy began to shake violently. The bell rang throughout the academy. "The earth shook, the bells rang, and talented poems and articles appeared!" The teachers in the academy were so excited that they ran out of the teaching courtyard in a hurry. However, another bell sounded, long and melodious. The teachers were stunned at first, and then they exclaimed one by one. "The bell rang twice. This has never happened in Pingzhou Academy in the past hundred years. It''s not just the talent that has spread throughout the state. It''s not just the talent that has spread throughout the state!" "Which gentleman, in my Jinzhou, wrote poems and articles of such talent that they have spread all over the state?" "You must pay a visit! If you can listen to Mr.''s sermon, you will definitely benefit a lot!" Some teachers'' eyes turned red. The academy''s bell has only rung twice in the past hundred years. One was caused by Chen Haoran, the eldest disciple of the academy six years ago, and the other was when Fang Qingxue won first place in the examination of the Zhenguo Shengyuan last year. But now the Wen Zhong rang twice at the same time, which is unprecedented! "All the teachers and scholars of the academy, come to the academy''s stele!" A loud voice suddenly resounded over the academy. "It''s the dean''s voice!" The teachers and scholars were so moved that they did not dare to delay and rushed to the place where the stele was located in the academy. At this time... In front of the stele at the foot of the academy, a white-haired old man in a black Confucian robe touched the stele with great excitement, as if tears were welling up in his eyes, and he kept murmuring, "A wonderful poem on the stele!" "Dean!" "Dean!" Soon, the teachers and disciples of the academy had arrived, a total of 107 people, all bowed to the white-haired old man. When the eight masters saw the verses on the stele, they were stunned at first, then their hearts trembled with excitement and their talent burst out of their bodies. "Poem for the inscription!" "My academy has a poem for the inscription? Hahahaha, my Pingzhou Academy has a poem for the inscription. We can register it in the Zhenguo Saint Academy and get support from the Saint Academy''s resources!" "Nanxiang Mansion will become one of the three major academies from now on!" The eight masters walked up to the five- meter-high stele, carefully read the poem on it, and their bodies shook violently. "The path to the mountain of books is made through diligence, and the boat to the boundless sea of learning is made through hard work..." "Excellent! Excellent!" "If you read a book a hundred times, its meaning will become clear. The word ''diligent'' is used brilliantly!" "No wonder this poem is so brilliant. The gentleman who wrote this poem is pointing out the direction for us scholars. Diligence and hard work are enough!" Several teachers touched the inscription, tears welling up in their eyes, and looked a little out of control. But scholars are usually sincere, so it is normal for them to express their true feelings when they encounter such good poems. "As a teacher, what does this look like?" The dean then started to scold. The teachers were stunned for a moment, then quickly straightened their robes and coughed gently to ease the embarrassment, their faces slightly flushed. But the next moment. The dean drove several teachers away from the inscription, waved his hand, and the four treasures of the study flew out from his sleeves. The four treasures of the study hover in the void wrapped in talent. He splashed ink and picked up a pen, copying the inscription directly in the air. He was inexplicably excited and exclaimed in a low voice: "This inscription poem with great talent and wonderful writing can actually improve my talent by copying it..." "What?" "Quick, quick, the four treasures of the study!" "Copy, copy everything..." After several teachers reacted, they immediately took out the four treasures of the study and started copying, and at the same time reminded the students in the academy to seize the opportunity to copy. Chapter 4: Confrontation at the County Court The next morning. The main hall of Anyang County Government. A middle-aged man with clothes bleached from washing was kneeling on the ground, kowtowing, and begging the middle- aged man with a goatee who was dressed as a legal advisor. "My Lord, my son Lin Yi is innocent. It''s only his first day on duty. He doesn''t even know what the county government looks like or where the Demon Suppression Hall is. How could he possibly collude with the demon to steal Taoist magic? It''s unfair... It''s unfair!" The middle-aged man was Lin Yi''s adoptive father Su Huaizhi. Ever since the county constable told him the news that Lin Yi had colluded with a demon and stole Taoist magic and was exiled to the border, he completely collapsed. He knew that Lin Yi was wrongly accused, so he rushed all the way from the countryside to the county government office to ask to see the county magistrate, hoping that Lin Yi would be released. But the county magistrate was too lazy to meet him and directly asked his legal advisor Zhang Shengcai to deal with it. Zhang Shengcai looked at Su Huaizhi with disdain and said sternly, "How do you know that Lin Yi is innocent? How do you know that he doesn''t know where the Demon Suppression Hall is? Besides, the evidence in this case is irrefutable, and Lin Yi has already signed and confessed his guilt. For the sake of being a scholar, get out!" "Grown ups!" Su Huaizhi knelt and crawled in front of Zhang Shengcai, the master of the law, and hugged Zhang Shengcai''s legs, begging: "Please let my son go, sir. I am willing to serve you like a cow or a horse... He is really innocent!" "Roll!" Zhang Shengcai kicked Su Huaizhi out, patted his trouser legs in disgrace, and said angrily: "You country bumpkin, you soiled my pants, can you afford to pay for it?" He waved his hand and said, "Come here, throw this bastard out of the county government office!" "Yes!" Several yamen runners holding water and fire sticks came over and were about to carry Su Huaizhi away when they saw several people walking in through the gate of the county government office. It was Lin Yi, Fang Qingxue, the fat captain of the police, and the thin constable. "Father?" Lin Yi merged his memories with the original host, and the emotions deep in his heart suddenly burst out. He rushed over with red eyes and shouted angrily: "What are you doing? In broad daylight, you bully ordinary people. Is there any law?" "King''s law?" Zhang Shengcai, the legal advisor, did not expect Lin Yi to come back. He did not think much about it and sneered, "In Anyang County, I am the law!" Lin Yi was furious and was about to go forward to beat him up, but he found that his adoptive father Su Huaizhi was holding him back and said in panic, "Lin Yi, don''t hit him, don''t hit him!" Su Huaizhi knew very well that Lin Yi was already a criminal, and if he was charged with assaulting his master, they would not be able to bear the consequences. When Lin Yi saw the bruises on Su Huaizhi''s face and forehead, he knew what had happened. "Bastard!"Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Lin Yi cursed inwardly, broke free from Su Huaizhi''s hand, and smashed his hands and chains directly into the face of his master Zhang Shengcai. Bang! The master probably didn''t expect Lin Yizheng to dare to attack him, and this punch directly knocked his head crooked. "Ouch!" Zhang Shengcai was knocked unconscious. He covered his cheek with his left hand, moved his tongue, and spat out a bloody tooth. His face flushed red, his goatee trembled with anger, and he said angrily: "What are you still standing there for? Beat this guy to death with a stick!!!" Su Huaizhi subconsciously stood in front of Lin Yi. "Who dares!" Lin Yi awakened his heart of literature and Taoism, and his spirit and energy from the inside out had the character of a scholar. He stared indifferently at the yamen runners who raised the water and fire sticks. "Well!" Several yamen runners were stunned at the moment and couldn''t bring themselves to hit him with the sticks. Master Zhang Shengcai angrily scolded: "What a bunch of rubbish, what are you afraid of?" He strode forward, snatched the water and fire stick from a yamen runner, and was about to smash Lin Yi to death, but out of the corner of his eye he saw Fang Qingxue walking in through the door. "Academy scholar?" Click! Zhang Shengcai was shocked and stopped the water and fire stick in his hand. He could dispose of Lin Yi and Su Huaizhi''s lives at will, even beating them to death on the spot. But in front of the academy''s disciples... he wouldn''t dare to do that even if he had ten brave hearts! Fang Qingxue entered the main hall of the county government office, followed by the fat captain and the thin constable. The two of them glanced at the water and fire stick in the hands of their master Zhang Shengcai and shook their heads secretly... with an expression that said, "You''re finished." Zhang Shengcai ignored it and guessed that Fang Qingxue came to the county government office because of the theft of Taoist magic, so he did not dare to be careless. Zhang Shengcai quickly put down his fire and water stick, bowed to Fang Qingxue, and said, "I am Zhang Shengcai, the legal advisor of the Anyang County Court. I wonder what your address is, Mr. Scholar?" ¡ªAt this time. Su Huaizhi was also attracted to Fang Qingxue''s gaze, and then he said to Lin Yi who was handcuffed with chains: "Xiao Yi, did you see that? This is a scholar with a heart for literature and morality. If I had a heart for literature and morality, I wouldn''t have let you be wronged and end up like this... It''s Dad''s incompetence!" Lin Yi comforted him, "This scholar is here to help me clear my name!" "Ah?" Su Huaizhi suspected that he had heard it wrong, and said, "Really? But you are a prisoner now, why would anyone help you?" Lin Yi said: "I am a scholar!" Su Huaizhi sighed and said, "We are called scholars, but we have no heart for literature. Who would really think we are scholars? We are just semi-illiterate people who can recognize a few words and read a few articles!" Lin Yi smiled bitterly and said, "Don''t worry!" He knew the character of his adoptive father, Su Huaizhi. He was a rather pedantic scholar who followed the rules in everything. If something did not conform to the rules, what was the reason for that... No matter how much you say, it''s better to let him watch the show. Fang Qingxue glanced at Zhang Shengcai indifferently and asked calmly, "Where is your County Magistrate Sun?" Zhang Shengcai flattered, "Your Excellency, the county magistrate is not in the county office because of something. If you have anything to say, just tell me!" "We have made good progress regarding the theft of the Taoist magic in the Demon Suppression Hall of the County Government. First, we have captured the thief''s accomplice Lin Yi. We are also investigating the whereabouts of the thief. I believe that it won''t be long before we can arrest the thief and bring the stolen Taoist magic back intact!" Fang Qingxue looked at Zhang Shengcai and said, "Isn''t County Magistrate Sun in the county government? Whose aura of a seventh-rank official is that in the county government?" As an official of Dayan, as long as he is conferred an official position, the Holy Academy of Zhenguo will bestow the official aura of literature and Taoism. As long as the scholars of literature and Taoism are admitted, they can practice literature and art. Wangqi is a kind of literature and art. "This......" Zhang Shengcai was stunned and smiled awkwardly: "Maybe the county magistrate has just returned. It is said that the scholar is so young, but he can read qi. His future is limitless!" Fang Qingxue had no feelings towards this kind of flattery, and said indifferently: "Go and inform Magistrate Sun, and tell him that Fang Qingxue from Pingzhou Academy is here to see you, and wants to know about Lin Yi''s case!" "Yes!" Zhang Shengcai nodded, but the next moment he came to his senses and his Zhang Shengcai nodded, but the next moment he came to his senses and his expression suddenly changed: "Ah? Fang... Fang Qingxue?" Buzz! Zhang Shengcai''s head went numb at that moment, and his body couldn''t help but tremble. He was actually the champion in last year''s imperial examination. He was a genius in literature and art who even the governor had to treat with courtesy. The seventh level of benevolence! Zhang Shengcai swallowed his saliva, feeling extremely panicked, and quickly ran to the backyard of the county government office, wiping the sweat off his face as he walked. Chapter 5: Banquet for County Magistrate Sun Wenyan The backyard of the county government office. The county magistrate, Sun Wenyan, was lying on a chair, with several beautiful maids beside him, rubbing his legs and pinching his shoulders. He was living a leisurely life. "Your honor" Zhang Shengcai, the lawyer, stumbled in, sweating profusely, and said, "Sir, please go to the main hall of the county government!" Sun Wenyan glanced at Zhang Shengcai and said nonchalantly, "Master, why are you so flustered? You can''t even do anything to a poor scholar?" Zhang Shengcai said in panic: "No, someone from the academy has come!" Sun Wenyan quickly stood up from the recliner, his eyes lit up, and said, "My cousin is coming down the mountain?" Zhang Shengcai hurriedly said, "It''s not Master Chen, it''s Fang Qingxue who won first place in the high school exam last year!" "The great genius Fang is here?" Magistrate Sun was stunned at first, but then he said excitedly: "Come over to help investigate the theft of Taoist magic? Good, that''s a good thing, let''s go..." He was in a good mood and opened his arms. The beautiful maid put on his official uniform for him, tied his belt, and prepared to go to the main hall of the yamen. Zhang Shengcai''s scalp tingled, and he said in a trembling voice: "No, no, she came here for Lin Yi''s case!" "Lin Yi? Hasn''t he been sentenced to exile?" "But he''s back now. He must have been intercepted by Fang Qingxue on the way. She said she wanted to learn about Lin Yi''s case. Sir...what do you think if Master Chen doesn''t come? I''m afraid it will be difficult to deal with Fang Qingxue!" Zhang Shengcai was extremely worried. Originally, a small-time figure like Lin Yi was just a guy he casually picked to take the blame for. Who could have known that this kid was so lucky to meet a scholar from the academy who was willing to take care of him. The key point is that this scholar is no ordinary person. He is a genius in literature and art who is highly regarded by the governor, and he is also the direct disciple of the dean of the academy. "Master Chen should be on his way." Magistrate Sun thought for a moment and said, "Don''t worry about this matter. Lin Yi has signed the verdict. Besides, Lin Yi''s family background is clear and he has nothing to do with the academy. Fang Qingxue''s intervention is just a little bit of kindness from a scholar!" Zhang Shengcai''s eyes lit up and he nodded, "Yes, yes, your Excellency is right. Fang Qingxue and Lin Yi have no relatives or friends, and we have evidence that Lin Yi confessed his guilt, so there is no need to worry!" "Let''s go!" Sun Wenyan straightened his official hat and walked towards the main hall of the yamen. ¡ªAt this time.... Fang Qingxue looked around the main hall of the government office and happened to see Su Huaizhi, who looked worried, so she said to Lin Yi, "Is this Uncle Lin?" Lin Yi chuckled and said, "Yes, but my father''s last name is not Lin, his name is Su Huaizhi!"If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Su Huaizhi was shocked to see that Lin Yi was actually familiar with Huiyuan Fang Qingxue, and he stammered, "Xiao Yi, the scholar...you..." Fang Qingxue clasped her fists and bowed to Su Huaizhi, saying solemnly, "Mr. Su, please accept my respect!" "Ah?" Su Huaizhi was stunned and trembled with fear at this sudden gift. Fortunately, he quickly came to his senses and quickly returned the gift: "Master Scholar, how can I be worthy of such a gift?" Lin Yi smiled. Fang Qingxue said: "Mr. Su was able to cultivate a scholar like Lin Yi. If there is a chance, I hope Mr. Su can take time to give lectures at Pingzhou Academy..." "Going to the academy to give lectures?" Su Huaizhi was completely numb. He was a poor scholar, and the students he taught were all young children in rural towns. What is a college? They are a group of scholars who have a heart for literature and Taoism, who have mastered talents and practiced literary arts. In the future, they will be able to become nobles who will be conferred titles in the Dayan Zhenguo Shengyuan. How can he be qualified to give lectures? And just at this moment. County Magistrate Sun Wenyan and his legal advisor Zhang Shengcai walked in and happened to see Fang Qingxue inviting Su Huaizhi to give lectures at the academy. Sun Wenyan''s body trembled, and Zhang Shengcai was even more confused. Can a poor scholar go to an academy to give lectures? Sun Wenyan walked quickly towards Fang Qingxue and said with a bow, "I am the Anyang County Magistrate Sun Wenyan, nice to meet you, Scholar Fang!" "No need to be so polite, sir!" Fang Qingxue returned the greeting and then got straight to the point, asking, "Does the theft of the magic arts at the Anyang County Government Demon Suppression Hall have anything to do with Lin Yi?" Sun Wenyan thought of Fang Qingxue''s attitude towards Su Huaizhi, so he said tactfully: "It is related, but I make my judgments based on evidence. Lin Yi has many suspicions, and he himself has pleaded guilty and signed, admitting that he is related to the theft of Taoist magic..." Su Huaizhi said: "Nonsense, Lin Yi is innocent, he would never do such a thing!" Sun Wenyan glanced at Su Huaizhi and said calmly: "I only talk about evidence! I will not wrongly accuse any good person, nor let any criminal go!" "I feel relieved with your words, sir!" Fang Qingxue turned to Lin Yi and said, "Lin Yi, you said you were wrongly accused, why did you plead guilty and sign the pledge?" Lin Yi stood up and recalled his original experience, saying: "At that time, the county magistrate asked me to confess my guilt... whether I stepped into the county government office with my left foot first. I admit that it was indeed the case!" "But if this is also a crime, I, Lin Yi, admit it!" "This......" Sun Wenyan''s face looked a little unhappy, and he glanced at his legal advisor Zhang Shengcai beside him. "Step into the county government office with your left foot first?" Fang Qingxue immediately understood that this was a typical case of fooling the people and accusing them of false charges. Buzz! Fang Qingxue''s emotions fluctuated violently. Scholars dedicate themselves to the country and should seek welfare for the people, cultivate literary skills and eliminate demons. However, some scholars, after becoming officials, began to exploit the people and completely forgot the words of the sages. She couldn''t help but surge with talent. She stared coldly at Sun Wenyan and said, "This is a serious crime. Magistrate Sun, I will report this to the governor. You can handle it!" Sun Wenyan was stunned for a moment, then said seriously: "Mr. Fang, this is just Lin Yi''s one-sided statement!" "Besides, according to Dayan law, the academy has no right to interfere with our county court''s case handling..." Sun Wenyan was neither humble nor arrogant at this time, and he also lowered his face. Count it up. He was also a seventh-rank official, and Fang Qingxue had no right to give him orders. The fat captain in the main hall of the yamen quickly said, "Sir, Lin Yi..." "Do you have a say?" Zhang Shengcai stopped Fatty Butou directly, and even reminded Fang Qingxue, "Mr. Fang, Master Chen from your Pingzhou Academy is the county magistrate''s cousin... It''s not good for you to interfere in the county government''s case beyond the rules, right?" "You''re right!" Fang Qingxue nodded and said, "If it was just an ordinary case, I really wouldn''t be qualified to intervene, but the county magistrate used this method to persecute the scholars of Dayan, so I have to intervene... Even if Master Chen came, he would support me!" Sun Wenyan frowned and said, "Master Fang, how can Lin Yi be considered a scholar? If being able to read and write is considered a scholar, does that mean Master Fang has to intervene?" "It just so happens that my distant cousin has also read a lot of books. He has not yet married and has no children. Should the academy arrange a marriage for him?" Sun Wenyan pointed at the fat captain, then at the thin constable, and said, "And he, he has read a lot of books, he is a scholar, right? Now he has been married for a few years, but still has no children. Does the academy want to help him have one?" "Hahaha!" "Hahaha!" Magistrate Sun''s words caused laughter in the room, and many yamen runners were laughing so hard that they couldn''t stop. Chapter 6: Righteousness "You......." Fang Qingxue''s face flushed red. After all, she didn''t quite understand the ways of the world. This scene made her anxious and angry. "Hahahaha!" Lin Yi stood up at this time, sneered, shook his head and said: "County Magistrate Sun, you still don''t understand the seriousness of the matter!" "Ms. Scholar redressed my grievances because she is a man of justice and dares to speak up for the injustices of the world. Regardless of whether I am a scholar or not, I believe that if Scholar Fang meets her, he will not stand idly by, because she is a scholar!" Fang Qingxue''s delicate body trembled slightly. She stared at Lin Yi in a daze, her eyes flickering and her heart moved. Lin Yi continued, "Mr. County Magistrate, you said that Scholar Fang is not qualified to intervene in my case because I am not a scholar?" "But you may be disappointed, I am a scholar!" Lin Yi''s heartbeat quickened. He took a sudden step forward and pulled hard with both hands. Crack! The chains were broken by Lin Yi''s brute force, and the energy flowed between his arms. "What a genius!" Sun Wenyan screamed subconsciously, his eyes suddenly filled with fear, and his head was buzzing. "How come?" Zhang Shengcai was so frightened that he sat down on the ground with an incredible look on his face. Su Huaizhi stares in amazement at the talent surging in Lin Yi. Although it was not strong, it was a sign of a literary and moral heart. He suddenly understood what Fang Qingxue said: Cultivating a scholar like Lin Yi! Awaken the heart of literature and Taoism after birth. The first in a hundred years. The fat captain looked as pale as death. He had wanted to remind the county magistrate, but the lawyer stopped him. It''s ok now! Things have come to this point, none of them are innocent. Lin Yi looked at the county magistrate Sun Wenyan and said word by word, "I, Lin Yi, swear as a scholar that I have never done anything that harms the heavens and the law. The theft of the Taoist magic in the county government has nothing to do with me, Lin Yi!" "As a scholar, the theft of my Taoist magic concerns the safety of the people of the world. I, Lin, am willing to investigate this matter personally to prove my innocence and give the people of Anyang County a place to live and work!" Lin Yi was in high spirits, and his words were full of emotion. The words fell. The talent between heaven and earth suddenly surged, and a cloud of talent condensed above the county government office. Then, a golden beam of talent light fell directly from the cloud of talent above the county government office, enveloping Lin Yi. A golden mark suddenly appeared between his eyebrows. Fang Qingxue''s expression changed: "Haoran Seal! You actually resonated with the righteous energy of heaven and earth!" Dengdeng~This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Sun Wenyan was so frightened that he stepped back repeatedly, his eyes looked like he had seen a ghost, his whole body trembled uncontrollably, and he murmured in a low voice: "Haoran Zhengqi, this kid wants to kill me..." Upright and righteous. According to legend, the most upright talent in the world was the first talent created by Emperor Fuxi when he created the world. This kind of talent is not possessed by everyone. It requires a scholar with a heart for literature and Taoism, who can move heaven and earth with some form, arouse the resonance of the great righteousness, and obtain the seal of righteousness. Then, as long as this scholar can gain recognition from the Haoran Seal in the future, the talent he cultivates from now on will be Haoran righteousness. Rather than the ordinary talent of a scholar of literature and art. This is a great opportunity! Throughout history, there are only a handful of scholars of literature and Taoism who cultivate the great and upright spirit! Lin Yi felt warm all over, and his body felt light and very comfortable. But after hearing Fang Qingxue''s words, he was stunned. "The resonance of righteousness?" Lin Yi''s heart was deeply moved, he knew very well what righteousness was. This is the talent that scholars of literature and art dream of. It represents the righteousness of heaven and earth, and has a unique advantage in dealing with evil spirits and performing literary arts. "I never thought that I could resonate with the righteous spirit and obtain the Haoran Seal?" Lin Yi felt that all this was not real. It is indeed a great opportunity. However, great opportunities also come with great risks, and he now has a special feeling. It seemed that as long as he failed to fulfill his promise just now, thoroughly investigate the case, and prove his innocence...it might cause the Haoran Seal to backfire. The inevitable consequence is that one''s literary mind will be backfired upon and one will once again lose the qualifications to be a scholar. But as long as it succeeds. His talent will transform into righteousness. "In other words... I want to thoroughly investigate the theft of the Taoist magic? But it''s a good thing. I got a lot of righteousness from a theft case, so I didn''t lose anything!" Lin Yi was not too worried. His father in his previous life was a forensic doctor, and he had learned some techniques from him. investigative He has also assisted the police in arresting criminal suspects through clues. If the Taoist magic is lost in the Demon-Suppressing Hall of the County Yamen, there must be clues left behind, because there is no perfect crime scene in the world. The next moment. The Haoran seal on Lin Yi''s forehead suddenly split into two golden lights, which were directly imprinted on the foreheads of County Magistrate Sun and his legal advisor Zhang Shengcai, and then quickly retracted. Step~ Step~ Magistrate Sun and Zhang Shengcai shuddered and took two steps back in horror, their expressions uncertain. This is also the Haoran Seal. However, this Haoran Seal is a kind of restraint. As long as Lin Yi solves the case and proves his innocence, those who have judged Lin Yi guilty will suffer the backlash of the Haoran Seal. This is what is called retribution. "Lin Yi, what do you mean? I have always been fair in judging cases. Have I ever wrongly accused a good person?" Sun Wenyan was so furious that he wished he could beat Lin Yi to death on the spot. Lin Yi said: "Whether Lord Sun has been wronged or not, we will know when the time comes!" Sun Wenyan knew that things had come to this point and there was no possibility of turning back, so he took a deep breath and said coldly: "That''s fine. If you can''t prove your innocence, you can wait for your Wen Dao Heart to be taken away!" Lin Yi said calmly: "Master Sun, don''t worry about me. The Haoran Seal was born from the righteousness of heaven and earth. It is me who has proven my innocence. Master Sun and Master Zhang should be careful!" Snort! Sun Wenyan snorted coldly and said, "I have never been afraid of any threats. I want to see how you can thoroughly investigate this case and prove your innocence in three days!" Three days is the longest time limit for the Haoran Seal to exist. If Lin Yi fails to thoroughly investigate the case of the lost Taoist magic and prove his innocence within these three days, the Haoran Seal will immediately backfire. And the theft of the Taoist magic in the Demon Suppression Hall this time was obviously not done by an ordinary thief. Sun Wenyan didn''t think Lin Yi could solve the case. Even Fang Qingxue, who was at the seventh level of benevolence, would not be able to succeed in such a short time. "Don''t worry about it, sir!" Lin Yi glanced at Sun Wenyan indifferently, turned to look at Fang Qingxue, and asked, "Can I go to the Demon Suppression Hall to investigate?" Fang Qingxue nodded and said, "Sure, you are now a Bachelor of Literature and Taoism, and you are qualified to intervene in cases related to the Demon Suppression Hall!" The Demon-Suppressing Hall has imprisoned many people who practiced Taoism, and has also sealed many Taoist techniques. Originally, it was guarded by the scholars of the academy, but there were too few students in Pingzhou Academy, and it was impossible to dispatch a scholar to guard the Demon-Suppressing Hall. Therefore, the county government has always sent people to guard it. The government office bears a great responsibility for the loss of the Taoist magic in the Demon Suppression Hall this time, and the academy must definitely recover the stolen Taoist magic as soon as possible. Otherwise there will be endless troubles. As a scholar with a heart for literature and half a bachelor of the academy, Lin Yi is certainly qualified to interfere in the affairs of the Demon Suppression Hall. Chapter 7: Master Chen From The Academy "That''s good!" With these words, Lin Yi felt much more at ease. He then had no interest in staying in the county government office, so he tore off his prison uniform and left the government office with his adoptive father Su Huaizhi. None of the bailiffs and constables at the scene dared to stop him, and a hint of admiration flashed in their eyes. Daring to challenge the seventh-rank county magistrate, this Lin Yi... is not simple! Fang Qingxue looked at Sun Wenyan and said, "The theft of the magic arts from the Demon Suppression Hall is now entirely under the jurisdiction of Lin Yi. No one from the county government is allowed to interfere!" "If there''s anything, come find me at the restaurant!" Fang Qingxue then left the county government office as well, and followed Lin Yi and Su Huaizhi as they left on the ox cart. "Lin Yi!" Fang Qingxue shouted. Lin Yi stopped the ox cart, looked at Fang Qingxue who had caught up with him, and said with a bow, "Master Fang, today''s matter is all thanks to you, thank you very much!" Fang Qingxue''s expression was gentle, and she said, "You''re welcome. You and I are both scholars. In my opinion, you don''t look like someone who can do such a thing as stealing Taoist magic. I can''t let you be wronged!" Lin also clasped his fists and bowed. I cannot thank you enough for your kindness! "By the way, since you and Haoran Zhengqi resonate with each other this time, you can only handle this case by yourself. I can''t interfere. But if you need to know something about Wendao, you can come to me at any time!" Fang Qingxue looked at Lin Yi and said seriously: "I will stay in Anyang County for a few days and wait for your good news!" "Good!" Lin Yi didn''t say much, he would remember this kindness in his heart. Finally, Fang Qingxue also bowed to Su Huaizhi, which made Su Huaizhi flattered and he quickly returned the greeting! Then Lin Yi took Su Huaizhi and left Anyang County. "The county magistrate Sun Wenyan is a seventh-rank official. I am only awakening the heart of literature and Taoism now. I cannot defeat him at all!" Lin Yi knew very well that it was too difficult to bring down Sun Wenyan and teach Zhang Shengcai a lesson. Even if he became a bachelor of the academy, it wouldn''t work. The only way. The purpose is to find out the thief who stole the Taoist magic, and then, as a scholar, accuse Sun Wenyan and Zhang Shengcai. However, Lin Yi doesn''t need to file a complaint now. All you need to do is catch the thieves who stole the Taoist magic, and after they prove their innocence, Haoran Seal will make them pay the price. Until then. Not to mention Sun Wenyan, a seventh- rank official, even sixth and fifth-rank officials would have no chance of resisting the backlash of righteous energy. This is the great righteousness. At present, there is only one Taoist monk in the entire Dayan who can resonate with the great righteousness. That is... Emperor Lin Yunhong of Dayan!Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. "Haoran Yin can only stay for three days. After settling in Su Huaizhi, we will start the investigation immediately!" Lin Yi did not take Su Huaizhi back to the countryside. He was worried that Sun Wenyan or Zhang Shengcai would secretly take action and threaten him to give up the investigation by threatening his adoptive father''s life. Just in case, Lin Yi sent Su Huaizhi to a private school jointly run by merchants in the town. Su Huaizhi spent most of his time in this private school, teaching the children of merchants how to read and write. When Lin Yi left, Su Huaizhi held Lin Yi''s hand tightly and said worriedly: "Xiao Yi, the people don''t fight the officials. You can''t beat them. Why don''t we just not provoke them and forget about it, okay?" "A tree lives on its skin, a man lives on his breath. If I hadn''t awakened the heart of Wen Dao this time, I''m afraid I would have died!" Lin Yi looked Su Huaizhi in the face and said, "Repay kindness with kindness and revenge with hatred. I can''t swallow this breath. They must pay the price for this. Otherwise, I can escape this time, but next time it''s someone else... there will be one more innocent soul in the world!" When Su Huaizhi heard this, his body shook violently. He slowly let go of Lin Yi''s hand, his eyes became more determined than ever before, and said: "Okay, okay, since you have made up your mind, Dad will not say anything more. Take care!" Su Huaizhi saw the character of a scholar in Lin Yi. He is very proud. He hadn''t taught any good students in his life, but with Lin Yi... he was very satisfied. In fact, he also knew the purpose of Lin Yi''s doing this, so he didn''t say anything along the way. Don''t become a burden to Lin Yi. "I will!" Lin Yi nodded, then left the village, drove the ox cart, and headed for the county town on the night road. Su Huaizhi stood at the entrance of the private school, looking worried, and murmured in a low voice: "How can Xiao Yi know how to solve a case? Besides, can a thief who dares to steal Taoist magic be an ordinary person?" He immediately put his hands together and said, "God bless me! May my little Yi be blessed with great fortune..." at the same time. Outside the Anyang County Government Office, an exquisite academy carriage slowly stopped and a tall and thin middle-aged man walked down. He was wearing a Confucian robe, stroking his beard with his left hand, and walking towards the county government office with his right hand behind his back, smiling. "Who?" As soon as the middle-aged man entered the county government office, he was surrounded by a group of yamen runners, but after seeing the Confucian robes at the other party, their expressions were moved. This is the attire of the teacher at Pingzhou Academy. Someone hurried in to report. The middle-aged man was not in a hurry. He looked at the Anyang County Government Office, then raised his eyebrows, unable to conceal the surprise in his eyes, and said, "There is actually a trace of righteousness in this world?" "Cousin!" Just then, the county magistrate Sun Wenyan came up quickly. He looked depressed and seemed to have suffered great injustice. Lawyer Zhang Shengcai followed closely behind, also looking as if he had lost his parents. The middle-aged man in the scholar''s robe was none other than Chen Jinbei, the cousin of Anyang County Magistrate Sun Wenyan. That is Master Chen from Pingzhou Academy. Chen Jinbei was stunned for a moment, and said, "Wen Yan, what happened that made you suffer so much injustice?" Sun Wenyan pointed at his forehead and said, "Cousin, you can tell by looking at my forehead with the Qi-gazing technique!" Chen Jinbei used his talents and used the Qi technique to look over, and immediately saw a golden mark floating up and down between Sun Wenyan''s eyebrows. "Haoran Seal!" Chen Jinbei was about to say that this was a good thing, but he soon discovered something and frowned, "No, this is a binding seal. Wen Yan, what immoral thing did you do? How could you be planted with a binding seal by Haoran Zhengqi?" Sun Wenyan looked a little unhappy, but he still said, "What immoral thing could I do? As the chief official of Anyang County, I always think about the people of the county. But it was Fang Qingxue from your Pingzhou Academy who brought a prisoner to cause trouble in the county government office. The Haoran Seal was made by that prisoner..." "Fang Qingxue? Isn''t she going to the capital to participate in this year''s Holy Academy Palace Examination?" Chen Jinbei was a little surprised. Last year, Fang Qingxue won first place in the joint examination of the Zhenguo Shengyuan and became the champion. This year, her main task is to participate in the palace examination of the Shengyuan. Once you pass the palace examination, you will directly achieve the sixth-rank Confucian scholar realm. Now that the palace examination is only ten days or half a month away, she actually still has the mind to bring people to cause trouble in the county government office? Sun Wenyan was startled at first, then his eyes lit up and he asked, "Master Fang is going to participate in this year''s palace examination?" "That''s right!" Chen Jinbei nodded, looked at Sun Wenyan and said, "Is she in the county government? If we delay any further, I''m afraid it will be too late!" Sun Wenyan said sternly, "Ms. Fang is not in the county government office. She lives in a restaurant. Cousin, you should go and persuade her not to meddle in these trivial matters. The palace examination is the most important thing!" Zhang Shengcai was very excited. What they fear most now is Fang Qingxue''s intervention. If Fang Qingxue leaves Anyang County, Lin Yi, who has lost his backing, will not be able to cause any trouble at all. So what if you are a scholar? Master Chen, one of the eight great masters of Pingzhou Academy, was in the county government office. Once Master Chen intervenes in solving the case, how can Lin Yi have any chance to solve it? By then, Lin Yi will suffer the backlash of the Haoran Seal. When the dust settles in the end, Lin Yi doesn''t even need to be exiled, he can be killed on the spot with a stick! Chapter 8: Where Are The Seniors? "Well, she really can''t waste time at this time." Chen Jinbei nodded, looked at Sun Wenyan and said, "Wenyan, you haven''t told me why she brought prisoners to cause trouble in the county government office?" Fang Qingxue''s personality is indeed one of those who likes to stand up for the weak, but the academy has its own rules, and scholars are not allowed to interfere in the government''s cases. Unless it is a matter for scholars. But scholars would never become prisoners in the yamen, because even if they committed a crime, it would be the academy''s business. "It''s all about the stolen magic!" Sun Wenyan sighed deeply and said, "The theft of the magic from the Demon Suppression Hall this time was related to a scholar. He assisted the thieves in stealing the magic. Later, he was caught by us and confessed his crime and signed a plea of quilty." "But considering that he is a scholar, I only exiled him to the border. But I don''t know why Mr. Fang listened to the prisoner and made a scene in the county government office... Oh!" Chen Jinbei frowned and said, "Scholars? Wen Yan, as a seventh-rank county magistrate, don''t you know that only the Holy Academy and the Academy can judge scholars? You..." "Cousin, please listen to me!" Sun Wenyan was not in a hurry and slowly said, "Before the prisoner was exiled, he was just a scholar without a heart for literature and Taoism. Of course, the government could deal with him, but the strange thing is... he later awakened his heart for literature and Taoism. I suspect he did it through Taoism, but Scholar Fang tried his best to protect him. What can I do?" "What''s even more terrifying is that this person can actually arouse the resonance of righteousness. This is very much like some kind of evil magic in Taoism." Sun Wenyan explained the whole story clearly. Chen Jinbei immediately understood the whole story and realized that it had nothing to do with Sun Wenyan. But Fang Qingxue went too far this time! The dignified champion of Jinzhou actually stood up for a sorcerer who used Taoist magic to awaken the heart of literature and Taoism. This is simply outrageous! She must be taught a lesson! Chen Jinbei said in a deep voice: "Wen Yan, this kind of misguided scholar is not tolerated by the academy. You should immediately send someone to arrest him. I will personally interrogate him and break his heart of literature and Taoism!" "I want him to know that there is only one way to study, that is, the path to the mountain of books is made through diligence, and the boat to the boundless sea of learning is made through hard work!" Chen Jinbei is still shocked by the poems and inscriptions on the academy''s stele. He needed to take out such poems and let this evil Taoist see them clearly. We need to let him know that going astray is a dead end, and only through hard work and diligence can one reach the other side of literature and art! "The path to the mountain of books is made through diligence, the boat to the boundless sea of learning is made through hard work... Wonderful! Wonderful..."Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Sun Wenyan was greatly moved, his breathing quickened, and he asked, "Cousin, which great scholar wrote this poem?" "I have no idea!" Chen Jinbei shook his head. He also wanted to know which senior it was. Then he said, "However, this senior should be in our Jinzhou!" In fact, he came down the mountain this time for the Taoist magic that was lost in the Anyang County Government. Secondly, it is to visit and find this predecessor who has such a brilliant pen and wrote the poem for the inscription. "How did my cousin know?" Sun Wenyan asked puzzledly. "The talent contained in this poem has reached the level of talent that permeates the whole state, and has been transformed into a poem on a stele, engraved on the stele of my Pingzhou Academy..." A smile appeared on Chen Jinbei''s face. Pingzhou Academy was included in the list of Zhenguo Shengyuan and became one of the three major academies in Nanxiang Prefecture. This predecessor made an indispensable contribution. Therefore, we must find him and invite him to give lectures at the academy and teach the classics of literature and Taoism. "What!" Sun Wenyan was greatly surprised and said, "I never thought that such a great scholar would come to Anyang County. It would be a great honor to listen to his teachings!" Chen Jinbei said: "Don''t worry about this senior''s affairs, first arrest the scholar who has gone astray!" "Good!" Sun Wenyan said to Zhang Shengcai, the legal advisor beside him: "Master, go and do it immediately and bring Lin Yi to justice!" "Yes, sir!" Zhang Shengcai bowed and retreated, with a sneer on his face, thinking to himself: "You little bastard, let me see how you die now..." Chen Jinbei glanced at the master who was walking away quickly, then looked at Sun Wenyan and said seriously: "Wenyan, I hope what you said is the truth!" "No lies at all!" Sun Wenyan vowed solemnly and looked at Chen Jinbei seriously. "Kindness!" Chen Jinbei nodded slightly and then left the county government office. -------------- A restaurant in Anyang County. "The path to the mountain of books is made through diligence, and the boat to the boundless sea of learning is made through hard work..." Fang Qingxue was writing Lin Yi''s poem in the room, and the more she wrote, the more shocked she felt. "Just copying this poem can reveal his considerable talent. Before this... he was just a half-scholar with no literary heart!" Fang Qingxue suppressed the shock in her heart and felt fortunate to have met Lin Yi. Almost. She missed the opportunity to write a poem of such great talent. Knock! Knock! Just then, someone knocked on the door. "Who?" Fang Qingxue looked towards the door and frowned slightly. "Fang Qingxue, it''s me!" Chen Jinbei''s voice rang out. "Master Chen?" Fang Qingxue was stunned for a moment, then she waved her hand gently, and the bolt popped open under the influence of her talent, and the door opened by itself. Then, Master Chen, wearing a black Confucian robe, walked in with a smile. Fang Qingxue stood up, bowed and said, "Disciple greets Master Chen!" Chen Jinbei stroked his beard and chuckled, "I walked around the city twice and saw this restaurant with great talent. I thought it must be you, so I came to take a look!" "It''s just copying poetry!" Fang Qingxue smiled bitterly. No matter how talented he was, it had nothing to do with her. Then she asked, "Master Chen, what do you want me to do?" "Hehe!" Chen Jinbei twirled his beard and chuckled, saying, "What instructions do you have? I just want to go down the mountain to investigate the theft of the Taoist magic in the Demon Suppression Hall of Anyang County Government. By the way, you said you were copying poems? What kind of poems can have such a rich collection of heaven and earth talent?" He is very curious. The talent contained in poetry is much weaker than that contained in articles and literary classics, but the talent he saw outside the restaurant just now was very extraordinary. Fang Qingxue did not hide it and said, "It is a poem of great talent!" "Oh?" Chen Jinbei''s body was shocked when he saw the rice paper on the table. There was still some residual talent flowing in him. He looked excited and hurried over. Fang Qingxue did not stop him. Scholars would have no resistance to such high-quality poems and essays. "There is a path in the mountain of books... this, this, this..." It would have been better if Chen Jinbei hadn''t read it. But once he did, his scalp went numb and he exclaimed, "You...how do you know this poem? You weren''t in the academy yesterday!" "Is it possible?" Hiss! Chen Jinbei couldn''t help but take a breath. Fang Qingxue was not in the academy, so naturally she could not see the poem on the stele. But since she knew it and was able to copy it down, it was obvious...she had witnessed it with her own eyes. Isn''t Fang Qingxue''s opportunity too good to be true? Chen Jinbei''s breathing became rapid, his eyes slightly reddened, staring at Fang Qingxue, and asked excitedly, "Do you know where this senior is?" Chapter 9: Frightened Master Chen "Senior?" Lin Yi''s figure appeared in Fang Qingxue''s mind and she smiled slightly. But then her expression changed slightly, and she looked at Chen Jinbei and said, "Master Chen, you just said... I''m not in the academy, how do you know this poem?" "Then how did Master Chen know?" Fang Qingxue vaguely thought of a possibility and couldn''t hide her shock. Although Lin Yi''s poem is full of talent, it is impossible for the academy to know what poem it is. Unless...... This poem, written with great skill, became the epitaph of Pingzhou Academy! "The poem written by this mysterious senior has become the inscription on the monument of our academy!" The fact was just as Fang Qingxue expected. Chen Jinbei was so excited that he said to her, "That''s why the teacher asked you, where is the predecessor who wrote this poem?" Fang Qingxue opened her mouth slightly. Lin Yi''s poem really became the inscription poem of Pingzhou Academy... With his own efforts, he pushed Pingzhou Academy to one of the three major academies in Nanxiang Prefecture and promoted it to the National Saint Academy. "The dean will definitely be grateful to Lin Yi..." Fang Qingxue thought so in her heart. After coming to her senses, she looked at Chen Jinbei and said, "I don''t know where he is now..." "Why!" Chen Jinbei sighed and did not doubt it. After all, how could such a great scholar reveal his whereabouts so easily? How can they see each other whenever they want? "That''s right!" Although Chen Jinbei was disappointed, he had something else to do. He looked at Fang Qingxue and said, "I went to the county government office once. Magistrate Sun said that you made a scene in the government office because of a prisoner?" "Don''t worry about this matter anymore. Leave for the capital as soon as possible to take part in the palace examination!" Fang Qingxue said sternly: "Master Chen, I am speaking up for the scholars, not making a scene in the government office!" "How can he be considered a scholar?" Chen Jinbei shook his head in disappointment and said, "Qingxue, you are too naive and don''t understand the dangers of the world!" "I also learned some information from the Magistrate Sun. That man stole Taoist techniques and used them to awaken the heart of literature and Taoism. That''s why you treated him as a scholar and intervened in this matter!" "But this kind of person can no longer be considered a scholar, but a demon!"This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Chen Jinbei was disappointed. somewhat Fang Qingxue, who was hailed as the glory of Pingzhou Academy and the first champion in the history of Jinzhou, made such a big mistake for a demon Taoist. If this gets out, it will definitely become a stain on her life. Fang Qingxue was stunned. Demon? He was just excitedly asking about Lin Yi''s whereabouts, but now he is labelling him as a demon? Fang Qingxue thought for a moment and said, "Master Chen, I know you are a Magistrate Sun''s cousin... But neither you nor I should I interfere in this matter. To be exact, neither of us is qualified to interfere!" Chen Jinbei knew that Fang Qingxue was referring to the Haoran Seal, and said, "Do you think that just because he can resonate with Haoran''s righteousness, he must be righteous? Don''t let appearances fool you!" "A demon who practices Taoism can do anything!" Chen Jinbei was very disappointed with Fang Qingxue and sigh, "I''m worried about you going to take the palace examination in this state..." The palace examination requires one to meet with the great scholars of the Zhenguo Shengyuan and His Majesty Dayan. If one''s literary mind is not stable, he will be eliminated directly. Fang Qingxue has been blinded now and actually speaks for the evil Taoist. How can she face the great scholars of the Holy Academy and His Majesty? "I''m in good condition, don''t worry, Master!" Fang Qingxue knew very well what she was doing and did not need anyone to preach to her. Instead, she reminded Chen Jinbei and said, "However, Master Chen, do you know that the demon you keep talking about is actually... the senior you are looking for!" Chen Jinbei was stunned for a moment, looked at Fang Qingxue, frowned and asked: "What...what do you mean?" Fang Qingxue said, "The poem I copied was written by Lin Yi. He did not use Taoism to awaken the heart of literature. I intervened because he is already a scholar. I believe that a scholar who can resonate with the righteous spirit will never steal Taoism." Fang Qingxue paused for a moment, looked at Chen Jinbei and said, "Master Chen, the person who brought our Pingzhou Academy into the Zhenguo Shengyuan, could he... be a demon?" Buzz! Chen Jinbei was stunned by Fang Qingxue''s words. His scalp was tingling and his whole body was shaking uncontrollably. Is it him? Was it the prisoner mentioned by Sun Wenyan who wrote this inscription poem with such brilliant talent and wonderful writing? "Sun Wenyan!" Humph! Chen Jinbei was so angry that he was shaking all over and almost gritting his teeth. Between Fang Qingxue and Sun Wenyan, he chose to believe Fang Qingxue. Because this inscription poem is right within reach! "Oh no!" Chen Jinbei''s expression suddenly changed. Fang Qingxue asked in confusion: "Master Chen, what''s wrong?" Chen Jinbei looked very unhappy and said, "I asked Sun Wenyan to send people to arrest him..." He was very upset. I had the urge to go to the county government office and strangle Sun Wenyan to death. Bang! Chen Jinbei rushed out of the door, and at the same time, a voice rang out outside the door: "Leave this matter to me, and you can go to the capital to take part in the palace examination without worry!" Fang Qingxue smiled bitterly and murmured in a low voice: "I originally wanted to stay for three days, but it seems that time is really running out..." "Lin Yi, I look forward to seeing you at Pingzhou Academy after you return from the palace examination!" ----------------------- When Lin Yi rushed to the county town from the private school in the town, it was already dawn. But as soon as he entered the city gate, he couldn''t help but frown. Because he saw several constables from the county government and the legal advisor Zhang Shengcai who was missing a front tooth, standing at the city gate, as if waiting for him. Lin Yi jumped off the ox cart. Zhang Shengcai stared at Lin Yi with a grim smile on his face and said, "You little bastard, you''ve thought it through and knew to send your old man back. Now come with us!" "Catch him!" Zhang Shengcai waved his hand and the constables rushed towards Lin Yi, some of them even took out shackles. Now that Lin Yi has awakened his heart of literature and Taoism, he is no longer an ordinary person. He is able to temper his body independently and is many times stronger than these constables. Swish! Lin Yi dodged several constables, kicked the constable holding the shackles away, and said in a deep voice: "What do you mean? Are you trying to stop me from investigating this case? It seems that the theft of the Taoist magic has a lot to do with you!" "What''s the meaning?" Zhang Shengcai sneered, "What do you think we mean? The academy no longer protects you and has determined that you are a demon who uses Taoism to awaken the heart of literature and Taoism. Master Chen ordered us to arrest you and bring you to justice, and he will personally interrogate you!" "But before that, I want to avenge this broken tooth!" Zhang Shengcai angrily yelled at the detectives, "What are you still standing there for? Five or six of us can''t catch one person? Don''t you know how to break his arms and legs? Useless, a bunch of useless people..." Chapter 10: Bring the Torture! The bailiffs exchanged uneasy glances before charging at Lin Yi. A cold smirk tugged at the corner of Lin Yi''s lips. Fighting? That¡¯s his specialty. Especially now, after awakening his Heart of Literary Dao, his physical abilities had improved in every aspect. A few low-ranking officials? They were nothing to him. Thud! A swift kick sent one bailiff flying, and a sharp hook punch knocked another to the ground. In mere moments, all the bailiffs lay sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain. Lin Yi dusted off his hands and locked eyes with Scribe Zhang Shengcai, striding toward him. ¡°W-What are you doing? Don¡¯t come any closer!¡± Zhang Shengcai stammered, his pale face retreating with every step Lin Yi took. ¡°What am I doing?¡± Lin Yi¡¯s cold gaze bore into him as he clenched his fist. Without hesitation, he swung directly at Zhang Shengcai¡¯s face. ¡°Beating the hell out of you, of course!¡± Bam! ¡°Ahhh!¡± Another tooth went flying as Zhang Shengcai hit the ground, rolling twice before coming to a stop. Humiliated and enraged, he could only seethe, feeling as though he¡¯d walked into a beating, he¡¯d sought out himself. But Lin Yi wasn¡¯t done. He approached the scribe again, and Zhang Shengcai¡¯s fear skyrocketed, his eyes brimming with terror. This guy was ruthless! Unlike other scholars who used words as weapons, Lin Yi was different. He used both words and fists! ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch me again! If you do, I¡ª¡± Crack! ¡°AAAHHH!¡± Zhang Shengcai screamed like a pig being slaughtered. Lin Yi had stomped down on his shin, breaking the bone cleanly. Towering over him, Lin Yi sneered. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t threatened me, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered. Beating scum like you only dirties my hands.¡± In the Great Yan Dynasty, scribes held no official rank. At most, they were semi-scholars. For someone scheming to kill him, Lin Yi didn¡¯t feel the least bit guilty about administering justice himself. He scoffed, ¡°You¡¯re lucky I didn¡¯t kill you outright.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Zhang Shengcai¡¯s rage burned like fire. He wanted nothing more than to tear Lin Yi apart limb by limb. ¡°The academy won¡¯t protect me?¡± Lin Yi shook his head, his expression calm. ¡°That¡¯s fine. But I¡¯d wager the academy¡¯s professors will choose to protect me.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Knowledge is power. Lin Yi firmly believed that in this world, scholars would one day revere him. This wasn¡¯t arrogance¡ªit was simply the truth. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Zhang Shengcai laughed despite his injuries, his expression twisting with pain. ¡°Protect you? Who do you think you are? Ow¡­¡± Lin Yi leaned down; his voice sharp. ¡°Remember this: don¡¯t interfere with my investigation. Next time, it won¡¯t just be your leg.¡± With that, he stepped over Zhang Shengcai¡¯s trembling body, climbed into an ox cart, and disappeared toward the city gate. Zhang Shengcai flushed with anger, unable to retort. Instead, he turned and barked at the bailiffs writhing on the ground, ¡°What are you waiting for? Call a physician! Useless, the lot of you!¡±
¡°Professor Chen thinks I used forbidden Dao techniques to awaken my Literary Dao Heart?¡± Lin Yi frowned as he mulled over the situation. What had transpired at the city gate barely registered to him. As far as he was concerned, he¡¯d done nothing wrong. In broad daylight, Zhang Shengcai had dared to offend a scholar. By law, Lin Yi could have killed him, and it wouldn¡¯t have been unreasonable. However, the scribe bore the Seal of Righteousness¡ªa marker of moral virtue. Killing him would have tainted Lin Yi¡¯s own Righteous Aura, making it harder to clear his name. ¡°One step at a time. With Fang Qingxue around, I don¡¯t have much to worry about.¡± Clearing his thoughts, Lin Yi arrived at the county magistrate¡¯s office.
Inside the courthouse, Professor Chen Jinbei stood in the main hall, his hands clasped behind his back. His imposing figure radiated authority. Next to him stood Sun Wenyuan, sporting dark circles under his eyes. Since Professor Chen¡¯s arrival late last night, he had stood silently in the same spot, his face stormy. ¡°Cousin, what¡¯s wrong? Why the sour expression?¡± Sun Wenyuan asked nervously. ¡°Did you gain new insights? Feel inspired? That¡¯s a good thing, isn¡¯t it?¡± He babbled on, his throat dries from talking, but Chen Jinbei remained silent, his face like a chiseled stone. Finally, Chen opened his eyes and cast a disdainful glance at Sun Wenyuan before closing them again. Sun Wenyuan froze, startled by the professor¡¯s sharp, sword-like gaze. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is Professor Chen looking at me like that?¡± Sun Wenyuan was baffled, retreating awkwardly to the side. ¡°Lin Yi has arrived!¡± a bailiff announced. Chen Jinbei¡¯s eyes snapped open, a trace of excitement flashing across his face. ¡°Excellent.¡± Sun Wenyuan, too, grew excited. Striking the gavel, he declared, ¡°Bring in the accused, Lin Yi!¡± ¡°Majesty!¡± ¡°Majesty!¡± The bailiffs pounded their batons on the ground in unison, filling the hall with a commanding aura. Lin Yi entered the courtroom, his eyes immediately locking onto Professor Chen. There was no need to guess; he already knew who this was. ¡°Hmm?¡± Sun Wenyuan¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Where¡¯s the scribe? Why isn¡¯t this man shackled?¡± ¡°Guards! Bring the torture instruments!¡± Thwack! Sun Wenyuan didn¡¯t wait for an explanation. Confident with Professor Chen present, he flung his command token forward. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Several bailiffs stepped forward, preparing to carry out the punishment. The first step: a vicious beating to soften him up. ¡°Who dares?¡± Lin Yi¡¯s voice boomed, enhanced by his scholarly aura. The bailiffs froze in their tracks, their courage evaporating as they turned to Sun Wenyuan for guidance. ¡°Lord Sun, are you obstructing my investigation into the theft of Dao techniques? Are you unlawfully punishing a scholar?¡± Lin Yi¡¯s gaze bore into Sun Wenyuan, then shifted slightly to observe Professor Chen¡¯s reaction. ¡°You¡¯re no scholar,¡± Sun Wenyuan sneered. ¡°You used Dao techniques to awaken your Literary Dao Heart! You¡¯re nothing but a heretic!¡± Turning to Chen Jinbei, he pressed on, ¡°Professor Chen, this man is clearly an accomplice in the theft of Dao techniques! How should we handle him?¡± Lin Yi remained calm, meeting Professor Chen¡¯s gaze. Though apprehensive about the professor¡¯s potential wrath, Chen¡¯s lack of action thus far suggested he wasn¡¯t one to act rashly. Chen Jinbei ignored Sun Wenyuan and studied Lin Yi intently. After a moment, he waved his sleeve, and a writing set¡ªbrush, ink, paper, and inkstone¡ªflew out, landing neatly on the desk before Lin Yi. ¡°???¡± Lin Yi blinked, confused. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be a heretic? What was this about? ¡°Professor Chen?¡± Sun Wenyuan stammered, his expression twisting in disbelief. This was far from the outcome he¡¯d expected. Chen Jinbei, his face expressionless, spoke at last. ¡°If you wish to prove you¡¯re not a heretic, there¡¯s only one way: write.¡± Chapter 11: The Scholars Pledge: "I Am Always at Your Service" ¡°Write?¡± Lin Yi glanced at Chen Jinbei, feeling that this academy instructor seemed... a little off. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be investigating Lin Yi for using Daoist techniques to awaken his literary spirit? So why, in the middle of an interrogation, was he suddenly asking Lin Yi to write? ¡°To awaken your literary heart through poetry or prose, the work must at least reach the ¡®Spirit-Piercing¡¯ level,¡± Chen Jinbei explained earnestly. ¡°What I need you to write is exactly that.¡± His tone was calm, but inwardly, he could hardly contain his excitement. If what Fang Qingxue said was true, he might soon witness the birth of another Spirit-Piercing masterpiece¡ªa rare gem of poetry or prose. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Fang Qingxue, the academy scholar, can vouch for me,¡± Lin Yi replied, shaking his head. He had just written a Spirit-Piercing poem yesterday. Now he was expected to produce another one? A Spirit-Piercing work could resonate for a century, a priceless treasure that would drive any scholar wild with admiration. This academy instructor wouldn¡¯t possibly... be trying to freeload off my talent, would he? The idea took root in Lin Yi¡¯s mind, and the more he considered it, the more plausible it seemed. ¡°Fang Qingxue has already left Anyang County,¡± Chen Jinbei said. ¡°She is on her way to the capital for the imperial examinations.¡± ¡°Left?¡± Lin Yi was stunned. A pang of disappointment welled up in his chest, but he quickly composed himself. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll write¡ªbut only if no one interferes with my investigation into the theft of Daoist techniques!¡± ¡°Agreed!¡± Chen Jinbei nodded. ¡°Master Chen, this is highly improper...¡± Sun Wenyin interjected, but Chen Jinbei shot him a sharp glare. ¡°Stay out of the affairs of scholars, Magistrate Sun!¡± It was a warning. Sun Wenyin¡¯s face flushed crimson. Beneath his official robes, his hands trembled. What had changed? Last night, Chen Jinbei had demanded the arrest of Lin Yi¡¯s cousin. Now, he seemed like a different person altogether. Lin Yi felt reassured. Clearly, Chen Jinbei had already met with Fang Qingxue and must know about the poem he had written. If he wants to freeload, he¡¯ll have to pay for it.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Lin Yi approached the desk, dipped his brush in ink, and confidently wrote on the open scroll: "The path of study lies through diligence; The ocean of knowledge requires hard work to sail." A surge of literary energy rippled outward, but no extraordinary phenomena accompanied it. It was as if he were merely practicing calligraphy¡ªa perfectly ordinary scene. ¡°Excellent!¡± Sun Wenyin heaved a sigh of relief. He had been bracing himself for Lin Yi to produce another Spirit-Piercing work. How could a mere impoverished scholar create such a masterpiece when even academy instructors struggle to do so? Lin Yi stepped back and handed the scroll to Chen Jinbei. ¡°Please, Master Chen, have a look.¡± Chen Jinbei approached the desk with faint disappointment. So it wasn¡¯t a new Spirit-Piercing poem after all. Still, as he examined the calligraphy, he couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°Marvelous handwriting! It has the flair of a true master!¡± His disappointment evaporated. The poem matched the one engraved on the literary stele at Pingzhou Academy¡ªa beacon of literary achievement. If Pingzhou Academy ascended to the Imperial Institute of Literature, it would be thanks to Lin Yi. But that wasn¡¯t Chen Jinbei¡¯s goal. What he truly wanted was a new Spirit-Piercing work, something that could help him break through his current literary bottleneck. ¡°Let me see that!¡± Sun Wenyin leaned over, reading aloud: "The path of study lies through diligence; The ocean of knowledge requires hard work to sail." Wait. Why did this poem seem so familiar? Hadn¡¯t Chen Jinbei just mentioned it yesterday, saying it was the key to breaking Lin Yi¡¯s literary defenses? But now Lin Yi had written it himself. Sun Wenyin turned to Chen Jinbei, confused. ¡°Master Chen, this poem¡ª¡± ¡°Is none of your concern!¡± Chen Jinbei cut him off, carefully rolling up the scroll and slipping it into his sleeve. He coughed lightly and turned to Lin Yi. ¡°This poem alone is insufficient proof. You¡¯ll have to write another.¡± Lin Yi stared at him in disbelief. If it¡¯s insufficient, why are you keeping it? Chen Jinbei¡¯s face remained unflinching. ¡°For posterity.¡± Lin Yi scoffed inwardly. This academy instructor is utterly shameless! ¡°I have no inspiration at the moment,¡± Lin Yi said firmly. ¡°If this poem isn¡¯t enough for you, why keep it at all?¡± ¡°To commemorate your talent,¡± Chen Jinbei replied. ¡°When will you have inspiration again?¡± Lin Yi glanced at Sun Wenyin. ¡°Perhaps once the case of the stolen Daoist techniques is resolved and I¡¯ve cleared my name, I¡¯ll feel more inspired.¡± Chen Jinbei nodded. ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll help you.¡± He seemed to remember something, adding, ¡°I won¡¯t interfere with your investigation¡ªbut I¡¯ll always be available to guide you in your studies.¡± Lin Yi was speechless. For a single poem, this instructor was willing to cast aside his dignity? Wasn¡¯t he a scholar? In the Grand Yan Dynasty, academy instructors were at least fifth-ranked paragons of virtue, respected literary figures. ¡°Master Chen, what¡¯s going on?¡± Sun Wenyin¡¯s head was spinning. Hadn¡¯t Lin Yi been labeled a heretic? Why was Chen Jinbei now helping him? Chen Jinbei turned to Sun Wenyin, his voice stern. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Ask yourself this: Would someone capable of creating a Spirit-Piercing work care about stealing Daoist techniques?¡± ¡°Would such a person steal from the Hall of Suppression?¡± ¡°You failed to guard the hall, allowed the theft to occur, and then falsely accused a scholar. The academy will petition the Imperial Institute for judgment. Consider your fate carefully.¡± Thud! Sun Wenyin fell to his knees, trembling and drenched in sweat. A Spirit-Piercing scholar? The author of Pingzhou Academy¡¯s literary stele was none other than Lin Yi? Realization struck like a bolt of lightning. He finally understood why Fang Qingxue had delayed her journey to the capital to defend Lin Yi. Lin Yi¡¯s mere words resonated with unyielding literary spirit. He wasn¡¯t just talented¡ªhe was a once-in-a-century prodigy. ¡°Master Chen, please don¡¯t petition the Imperial Institute!¡± Sun Wenyin begged. ¡°I¡¯ll make amends, I swear!¡± He knew the consequences if Chen Jinbei reported him. Losing his position would be the least of his worries; survival itself might become impossible. After all, he had almost cost the empire one of its greatest literary treasures. Chapter 12: A Scene Replayed? "Exhilarating!" Lin Yi''s heart surged with an indescribable satisfaction after hearing Chen Jinbei''s words and witnessing Sun Wenyuan¡¯s dismal behavior. Vindicated. The glory of the scholarly path! In that moment, he almost couldn¡¯t resist the urge to recite a poem. Chen Jinbei¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in his ear, warm and teasing: ¡°Feeling better now? Any inspiration...?¡± Lin Yi instantly regained his composure. Turning his head, he saw Chen Jinbei smiling at him. Was that a voice transmission technique just now? "Inspiration... it¡¯s faint, not quite there yet. No rush," Lin Yi said calmly. ¡°Good!¡± Chen Jinbei, though itching with curiosity, was starting to suspect that Lin Yi had more tricks up his sleeve¡ªhidden reserves, perhaps? Or was he simply unwilling to reveal them yet? "Master Sun, are you not leading the way yet?" Chen Jinbei''s voice sharpened as he addressed Sun Wenyuan. "Lin Yi, scholar of the Academy, is attuned to the spiritual energies of heaven and earth. He intends to investigate this case thoroughly. How long do you intend to delay? Or are you unwilling to atone for your errors?" Sun Wenyuan¡¯s head bobbed in panicked agreement. The aura of a seventh-ranked official was entirely absent now. He forced a miserable smile and said to Lin Yi, "Scholar Lin, please follow me!" Chen Jinbei nodded slightly, approving. That¡¯s how a sensible person should behave. Lin Yi, ever aloof, gave a faint nod and followed Sun Wenyuan toward the Demon Suppression Hall. But then¡ª ¡°My lord!¡± ¡°My lord, you must deliver justice!¡± "Lin Yi, that scoundrel, defied the law! Chen Jinbei, you must subdue him immediately!" The shrill cry came from Zhang Shengcai, the county clerk, who was carried in by several constables. His right leg was bandaged, and he lay on a stretcher, accusing Lin Yi of heinous acts. Lin Yi halted, an amused smirk playing on his lips. Defied the law? What law have I broken? He turned calmly to Sun Wenyuan. "Lord Sun, this morning, as I entered the city, Clerk Zhang brought some constables and declared they¡¯d break my limbs. "But you know how scholars are... It¡¯s hard for us to control our tempers." "Completely understandable!" Sun Wenyuan nodded earnestly. Looking at Zhang Shengcai''s pitiful state, Sun Wenyuan felt not the slightest sympathy¡ªin fact, he had an urge to kick the man himself.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Utter fools. Do they not see the current situation? Are they trying to get me killed? Sun Wenyuan¡¯s expression turned severe. "Men, seize Zhang Shengcai for attempting to harm a scholar of the Academy. Administer thirty strokes of the staff!" ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The constables promptly dragged Zhang Shengcai from his stretcher. ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m your clerk!¡± Zhang Shengcai wailed. "My lord!" "Ahh¡ªeasy! Not so hard!" Zhang Shengcai¡¯s cries echoed as the wooden staffs came down on him. Lin Yi ignored the man¡¯s pleas, instead marveling at the elevated status of literary cultivators in this world. The prestige of scholars here truly knows no bounds. Of course, that prestige hinged on being recognized as a scholar of the Academy¡ªan institution backed by the immense power of the National Sacred Hall.
The Demon Suppression Hall The hall wasn¡¯t a grandiose fortress as its name might suggest. Instead, it was an eight-story black tower located in a side yard of the county office. Constables patrolled its exterior and interior vigilantly. Lin Yi, seeing it for the first time, studied the structure with curiosity. Subtly, he could sense the dense fluctuations of literary energy emanating from the tower. ¡°First time seeing the Demon Suppression Hall?¡± Chen Jinbei asked. Lin Yi nodded. Sun Wenyuan wiped cold sweat from his pale face with a trembling sleeve. Chen Jinbei shot him a frosty glare. ¡°Well, Lord Sun, what a ¡®solid case¡¯ you¡¯ve built, blaming an innocent man for conspiring with thieves.¡± ¡°It¡ªit was Zhang Shengcai¡¯s idea...¡± Sun Wenyuan stammered, realizing further deception was pointless. Even if Lin Yi had truly stolen a technique, someone capable of crafting such extraordinary poems would have the Academy¡¯s full protection. And, more importantly, he hadn¡¯t stolen anything at all. With a deep sigh, Sun Wenyuan confessed, ¡°The night the theft occurred, my distant relatives were tasked with guarding the hall. But they went off drinking instead, leaving the tower unguarded. "When the theft was discovered, Clerk Zhang suggested finding a scapegoat. We accused Lin Yi of colluding with the thief, claiming an insider enabled the crime. "This way, we could shift blame and mitigate the Academy¡¯s wrath. As it happened, Lin Yi had just started his post that day...¡± His voice trailed off, head hanging low, unable to meet Chen Jinbei¡¯s eyes. The plan had been flawless. Lin Yi would take the fall, Chen Jinbei would recover the stolen technique, and the matter would be resolved. But no one could have foreseen Lin Yi awakening his literary heart¡ªor meeting Fang Qingxue. Even more shocking was his composition of a poem so extraordinary that it resonated with the land itself. With the powerful Pingzhou Academy now behind him, Lin Yi was untouchable. ¡°You¡¯re quite the ¡®benevolent¡¯ magistrate, aren¡¯t you?¡± Chen Jinbei sneered. Sun Wenyuan said nothing. Chen Jinbei turned to Lin Yi, his expression softening into a smile. ¡°Lin Yi, whether you can attain the Righteous Aura depends on your performance here. "If you need help, just ask. You know how rare Righteous Aura is¡ªdon¡¯t miss this chance!¡± Lin Yi clasped his hands respectfully. ¡°Thank you, Master Chen.¡± ¡°No need for formality¡ªit¡¯s my duty as a mentor,¡± Chen Jinbei replied warmly.
Lin Yi stepped into the Demon Suppression Hall. The investigation was straightforward. Assess the scene, deduce the thief¡¯s methods, and narrow down suspects. Even before arriving, Lin Yi had deduced that it was an inside job. After all, who would dare steal from the county office, let alone the Demon Suppression Hall, without inside knowledge? The empty hall was covered in a thick layer of dust, untouched for ages¡ªexcept for certain areas where fresh, chaotic footprints stood out. The scene has already been disturbed. No point investigating further. Lin Yi sighed and turned to leave. But then¡ª A beam of light descended from the tower¡¯s apex, illuminating a stone platform in the hall. Dust swirled. The next moment, Lin Yi froze as the light exploded into countless glowing fragments, which began to float around the hall. And then he saw it. An ethereal black figure emerged amidst the glowing motes, like a holographic projection. The figure darted to the platform, its slender fingers weaving seals in rapid succession, breaking a seal on the platform. It reached out, grabbed something from the stone surface, and ran¡ªstraight toward Lin Yi. Startled, Lin Yi instinctively tried to dodge, only for the figure to pass right through him. Whoosh! The glowing motes vanished in an instant. Lin Yi shivered, a sudden fatigue washing over him. He glanced back at the stone platform. The mysterious light had disappeared, leaving no trace it had ever been there. ¡°What... just happened?¡± Lin Yi murmured, shaken to his core. Chapter 13: The Magistrate’s Survival Instinct ¡°What... just happened?¡± Lin Yi couldn¡¯t explain the scene he had just witnessed. It looked like a replay of past events. The shadowy figure, undoubtedly the one who had stolen the arcane techniques from the Demon Suppression Hall, was unmistakable. But how was this scene recreated? Lin Yi stepped forward and touched the stone pedestal. Nothing changed. He looked up but could find no source for the light that had illuminated the scene. The tower was completely sealed.
Outside the Demon Suppression Hall Chen Jinbei waited quietly. ¡°If Lin Yi can¡¯t solve this case, I¡¯ll step in three days later¡­ but by then, the techniques might already be lost forever,¡± he muttered. He sincerely hoped Lin Yi would succeed. If he did, no matter what, Chen Jinbei would ensure Lin Yi joined Pingzhou Academy. Not willing? Then he¡¯d drag him there if necessary! ¡°Even if the techniques are gone, as long as Lin Yi joins the academy, losing a couple of scrolls is worth it,¡± Chen Jinbei mused, a sly smile forming on his lips. If he could bring such a prodigy to the academy, the headmaster would undoubtedly be overjoyed. ¡°Uh, Master Chen... Do you think Lin Yi will catch the thief?¡± Magistrate Sun Wenyuan asked nervously. Chen Jinbei glanced at him. ¡°Do you want him to succeed?¡± ¡°Of course¡­ I do!¡± Sun Wenyuan forced a laugh. What a joke! How could he possibly want Lin Yi to succeed? If Lin Yi retrieved the stolen techniques, the Haoran Seal¡¯s backlash would be unleashed. And who knew what might happen then? Chen Jinbei¡¯s tone turned icy. ¡°You better hope he succeeds. If the techniques remain lost, Lin Yi¡¯s righteous aura will be depleted. But your dereliction of duty? That will draw severe punishment from both the court and the Sacred Academy.¡± ¡°You might even... die.¡± Buzz! Sun Wenyuan¡¯s entire body trembled. His knees buckled, and he collapsed, clutching Chen Jinbei¡¯s legs with tears in his eyes. ¡°Cousin, save me!¡± ¡°Get off!¡± Chen Jinbei unleashed a wave of righteous energy, shaking Sun Wenyuan off him. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t gone to plead with Fang Qingxue, I might have been implicated in your mess. If you want to live, you¡¯d better pray Lin Yi retrieves the techniques.¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Panic filled Sun Wenyuan¡¯s face. He nodded furiously. ¡°He will! Scholar Lin isn¡¯t just any ordinary academic; he¡¯ll succeed for sure!¡± For the first time, he sincerely hoped Lin Yi could solve the case. Chen Jinbei¡¯s stern expression softened. At least this relative of his wasn¡¯t utterly hopeless.
¡°If what I just saw was a re-creation of the theft, then I think... I know who it is.¡± Lin Yi sighed. He had hoped to rely on his amateur detective skills to crack the case. Instead, the scene replay had handed him the answer, like retrieving surveillance footage at the crime scene. The culprit couldn¡¯t have been more conveniently exposed. ¡°Later, I should ask Master Chen how these things work. This world operates by rules far beyond what I¡¯m used to. Frankly, it¡¯s all a bit spooky.¡± Lin Yi left the Demon Suppression Hall and saw Chen Jinbei and Sun Wenyuan waiting for him. ¡°That was quick. He must have hit a dead end. I¡¯m doomed!¡± Sun Wenyuan¡¯s face turned ashen, despair etched across his features. Chen Jinbei asked, ¡°How did it go? Any leads?¡± Lin Yi nodded. ¡°I think I know who the thief is.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry if you¡ªwait, what?¡± Chen Jinbei blinked in disbelief, his eyes widening. ¡°You¡¯ve already figured it out?¡± ¡°Phew!¡± Sun Wenyuan exhaled a sigh of relief, murmuring repeatedly, ¡°He did it! Thank heavens, he did it!¡± Lin Yi glanced at Sun Wenyuan, noting how not long ago, the magistrate had been doing everything he could to impede the investigation. He turned to Chen Jinbei. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m almost certain.¡± ¡°Excellent!¡± Chen Jinbei stroked his beard, a smile lighting up his face. ¡°As expected of a prodigy from our academy. Your investigative skills are unmatched!¡± Lin Yi said nothing. Since when did I become an academy prodigy? He shook his head and continued, ¡°Summon everyone in the county office. I need everyone present, no exceptions.¡± Chen Jinbei expected Sun Wenyuan to resist, but this time, the magistrate was surprisingly proactive. ¡°Right away! I¡¯ll see to it personally!¡± Sun Wenyuan said, rushing off with unusual energy. Chen Jinbei chuckled as he watched him leave. ¡°The magistrate isn¡¯t entirely useless, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± Lin Yi smirked. ¡°He¡¯s only useful because he¡¯s terrified of you. If you weren¡¯t around, who knows how muddled he¡¯d be?¡± Chen Jinbei paused, then laughed. ¡°Terrified? That¡¯s a fitting description! The instinct to survive really brings out the best in people.¡±
County Office, Main Hall Under Sun Wenyuan¡¯s orders, all 200 officials, guards, and clerks of the county office gathered in the main hall. Whispers filled the room as people speculated about the urgent assembly. Sun Wenyuan¡¯s survival instinct was in overdrive. As long as Lin Yi retrieved the techniques, he¡¯d accept the Haoran Seal¡¯s backlash¡ªso long as he survived. Opposing Lin Yi? That was certain death. He began calling out names, each person responding in turn. ¡°Zhang Shengcai!¡± No response. ¡°Sir, Master Zhang is resting in the rear courtyard. He¡¯s badly injured,¡± a guard reported. ¡°Ridiculous! He¡¯s still alive, isn¡¯t he? Drag him here immediately!¡± Sun Wenyuan slammed the desk with his gavel. Gasps filled the room as guards hurried to fetch Zhang Shengcai. Moments later, cries of pain echoed as Zhang Shengcai was half-dragged into the hall. His leg was broken, and he had barely survived a brutal punishment of thirty lashes. He collapsed onto the ground, sobbing. ¡°Your Honor, I¡¯m innocent!¡± Tears streamed down his face, tugging at the hearts of the onlookers. ¡°Innocent? You dared to mislead me and now speak of innocence?¡± Sun Wenyuan¡¯s pent-up frustration erupted. This wretched advisor had suggested framing Lin Yi. And now, his once-promising career hung by a thread¡ªall thanks to Zhang Shengcai. Sun Wenyuan turned abruptly, approaching Lin Yi with a humble smile. ¡°Scholar Lin, as per your instructions, everyone has been gathered. What are your orders?¡± Gasps swept through the hall as jaws dropped. The magistrate, bowing and scraping to a former prisoner? What in the world is happening? Chapter 14: He Lied The sudden shift in County Magistrate Sun¡¯s demeanor left everyone in the county office utterly astonished. Just yesterday, Lin Yi had been a prisoner in shackles. Today, he had become someone the magistrate was clearly eager to please. Zhang Shengcai, the county scribe, was thoroughly baffled. His voice trembled as he stammered, ¡°M-Magistrate?¡± He noticed that Sun Wenyuan¡¯s gaze remained fixed on Lin Yi, his body slightly bowed, exuding an unexpected air of humility. Zhang Shengcai couldn¡¯t comprehend it.
Lin Yi himself hadn¡¯t anticipated Sun Wenyuan lowering his posture so publicly. Yet, he understood the reasoning behind it. Sun Wenyuan was putting on a show¡ªfor Chen Jinbei. If Lin Yi could solve the case of the stolen arcane technique, the worst that would happen to Sun Wenyuan would be backlash from the Hao Ran Binding Seal for failing in his duties. However, if the technique was not recovered, Chen Jinbei would certainly see to it that Sun met a far worse fate. Lin Yi turned to the assembled onlookers in the main hall and said calmly, ¡°Have them all step aside.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sun Wenyuan froze momentarily. Chen Jinbei cast him a meaningful glance, and Sun immediately relented. He waved his hand hurriedly, barking, ¡°Everyone, move to the sides! Quickly, now!¡± ¡°Yes, Magistrate!¡± Although the clerks and bailiffs didn¡¯t understand what was happening, they obediently stepped back, leaving Zhang Shengcai, who was still sprawled on the floor, in the center. ¡°Someone, help me up!¡± Zhang Shengcai snapped irritably. ¡°Do you expect me to crawl out of here?¡± Lin Yi stepped forward, crouching before Zhang Shengcai and extending a hand. ¡°Hand it over.¡± Chen Jinbei raised an eyebrow. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Zhang Shengcai was momentarily stunned, his face reddening as he retorted, ¡°Hand over what? What nonsense are you spouting? Just because you¡¯re a scholar, you think you can throw your weight around? Who do you think you¡¯re intimidating? I¡¯ve seen it all!¡± Slap! Lin Yi¡¯s palm landed sharply across Zhang Shengcai¡¯s face. ¡°Then you truly haven¡¯t seen what it¡¯s like to be slapped by me, have you?¡± Lin Yi remarked coldly. ¡°You¡­¡± Zhang Shengcai glared at him, humiliated and furious. Lin Yi stood, looking him square in the eye. ¡°A few nights ago, you took advantage of the constables guarding the Demon Suppression Hall being out at a brothel. You snuck in and stole the arcane technique. Am I wrong?¡± The hall erupted in murmurs.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It was Scribe Zhang who stole the arcane technique?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible! Scribe Zhang wasn¡¯t even in the county office that night.¡± Some of the bailiffs were in disbelief, citing Zhang Shengcai¡¯s alibi. Chen Jinbei, intrigued by the turn of events, muttered, ¡°Oh? And how can you be so certain?¡± He found it fascinating¡ªLin Yi had gone to the Demon Suppression Hall only briefly, yet now he had a suspect. It seemed almost supernatural. Sun Wenyuan was equally stunned. ¡°Ridiculous!¡± Zhang Shengcai suddenly burst into laughter. ¡°I, Zhang Shengcai, despise thieves and scoundrels! You accuse me of stealing the arcane technique? Show me your proof!¡± His voice turned righteous as he clasped his hands together, declaring, ¡°You may have Chen Jinbei¡¯s support, but you won¡¯t intimidate me. If you¡¯ve got the guts, arrest me right now! If not, I¡¯ll crawl my way to the prefectural office in Jinzhou and demand justice from the governor himself!¡± He was certain Lin Yi wouldn¡¯t dare act without evidence. Lin Yi glanced at Sun Wenyuan. ¡°Magistrate Sun, take him into custody.¡± ¡°???¡± Zhang Shengcai froze, instinctively trying to retract his hands. But it was too late. In one swift motion, the bailiffs clamped the cangue around his neck and shackled his wrists. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Zhang Shengcai roared, enraged. ¡°Have you all lost your minds? Release me at once!¡± The bailiffs hesitated, looking toward Sun Wenyuan for confirmation. Sun straightened and declared, ¡°At present, Scholar Lin is in charge of this case. Follow his orders!¡± He even offered Lin Yi a faint smile. Lin Yi observed silently. This world seemed to operate on a peculiar power dynamic¡ªgovernment officials were deeply fearful of scholars from the academies, or rather, the Sacred Institute. This was no ordinary bureaucracy. The Sacred Institute clearly held divine authority, akin to the mandate of heaven. No wonder a mere seventh-rank magistrate like Sun Wenyuan was so deferential. Turning back to Zhang Shengcai, Lin Yi said, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone demand to be arrested before, but your wish is granted.¡± ¡°Lin Yi!¡± Zhang Shengcai snarled, ¡°You disgrace the name of scholars with your baseless accusations! Is this how you intend to wield your influence?¡± He then appealed to Chen Jinbei. ¡°Master Chen, will the academy stand idly by while a scholar commits such an abuse of power?¡± Chen Jinbei responded calmly, ¡°Lin Yi bears the Hao Ran Seal. The academy cannot intervene. Besides, if he accuses you of theft, he must have his reasons.¡± Lin Yi didn¡¯t waste any more time. Fixing his gaze on Zhang Shengcai, he asked, ¡°Do you admit to stealing the arcane technique?¡± ¡°I did not!¡± Zhang Shengcai bellowed; his eyes bloodshot. ¡°I have an alibi! Where is your proof?¡± Lin Yi gestured to a bailiff holding a rod known as the Water and Fire Stick. ¡°Proceed.¡± The thief who had infiltrated the Demon Suppression Hall had matched Zhang Shengcai¡¯s build, gait, and the peculiar sensation he had felt when observing the culprit. There was little doubt it was him. But Lin Yi lacked concrete evidence. For now, he had to extract a confession by force. ¡°Wait!¡± Chen Jinbei¡¯s voice interrupted just as the bailiffs moved to act. Zhang Shengcai smirked darkly. ¡°See? Even Master Chen won¡¯t condone such tactics!¡± ¡°Silence!¡± Chen Jinbei cut him off sharply. He turned to Lin Yi and said, ¡°If he truly stole the arcane technique, torture won¡¯t get the truth. Theft of such magnitude carries a death sentence¡ªhe won¡¯t confess willingly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Lin Yi nodded. ¡°Is there a literary technique to compel honesty?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Chen Jinbei replied, a faint smile tugging at his lips. ¡°Though you¡¯re not skilled enough to use it yet, I can assist.¡± ¡°And the Hao Ran Seal?¡± Lin Yi asked cautiously. ¡°I¡¯ll simply observe. I won¡¯t intervene.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Lin Yi instantly grasped his meaning. He turned back to Zhang Shengcai, his voice sharp. ¡°Did you steal the arcane technique from the Demon Suppression Hall?¡± Zhang Shengcai clenched his teeth, saying nothing. ¡°Answer me!¡± Lin Yi barked. Sweat beaded on Zhang Shengcai¡¯s forehead as Lin Yi¡¯s piercing gaze bore into him. Instinctively, he blurted out, ¡°N-No!¡± Lin Yi looked to Chen Jinbei. ¡°He lied,¡± Chen Jinbei said flatly. A collective gasp swept through the room. Zhang Shengcai¡¯s face went deathly pale, his body trembling uncontrollably. Sun Wenyuan slammed the gavel on his desk, roaring, ¡°Zhang Shengcai! As the county scribe, you dared to steal an arcane technique and frame Scholar Lin? You are guilty of treason and deserve nothing less than death!¡± Even Sun had assumed Lin Yi was exploiting his connections with Chen Jinbei to settle a personal grudge. But now it was clear¡ªLin Yi had been right all along. How had he done it? Sun himself had visited the Demon Suppression Hall multiple times and found no clues. Chapter 15: The Sacred Academy – What Is Righteousness? ¡°Hand over the Dao technique!¡± Sun Wenyuan glared angrily at Zhang Shengcai. ¡°That technique¡­ it¡¯s not part of the literary arts,¡± Zhang Shengcai stammered, his face pale. Despite his fear, he stubbornly turned to Master Chen Jinbei for help. ¡°You¡¯re shielding Lin Yi!¡± Chen Jinbei¡¯s expression was cold. ¡°You seem quite knowledgeable about the realm of the literary arts¡­ But my methods are beyond your comprehension.¡± With a simple gesture of his right hand, a surge of radiant white energy burst forth. Pressing downward, it unleashed an oppressive force. Thud! Zhang Shengcai crumpled under the invisible pressure, falling to his knees. The floor beneath him cracked from the impact. Chen Jinbei¡¯s eyes glimmered with a sharp energy. He demanded, ¡°Where is the Dao technique?¡± Splat! Zhang Shengcai spat a mouthful of blood. His knees, crushed under the immense force, were mangled and bloody. His entire body trembled uncontrollably, his eyes momentarily losing focus. Raising a trembling hand, he pointed weakly at the plaque hanging in the county hall. ¡°It¡¯s there¡­ Please, don¡¯t kill me¡­¡± Whoosh! Chen Jinbei leapt gracefully toward the plaque inscribed with Justice Shines Bright. Hidden behind it, he retrieved a scroll. Lin Yi recognized it immediately. The scroll was identical to the phantom one he had seen in the Hall of Demon Suppression. It was indeed the stolen Dao technique. Gasps! The gathered crowd erupted in shock. No further explanation was needed¡ªthis was irrefutable evidence. The missing Dao technique from the Hall of Demon Suppression was stolen by none other than Zhang Shengcai, the county aide. Sun Wenyuan¡¯s face darkened as he shouted, ¡°I must have been blind to trust you as my advisor!¡± Chen Jinbei carefully tucked the Dao scroll into his sleeve and looked down at Zhang Shengcai, his tone icy. ¡°Stealing a Dao technique is a capital crime.¡± Zhang Shengcai coughed up blood, his voice barely audible. ¡°Please¡­ I haven¡¯t even practiced it yet¡­ I don¡¯t deserve to die.¡± ¡°True,¡± Chen Jinbei replied thoughtfully. ¡°But it¡¯s not up to me to decide¡­¡± Turning to Lin Yi, he gave a faint smile, signaling for him to take charge. Lin Yi nodded slightly. It was time to bring this to a close. However, a lingering doubt gnawed at him: with Chen Jinbei¡¯s intervention, would the Haoran Righteous Qi still recognize him? What a headache. Lin Yi fixed his gaze on the battered Zhang Shengcai. ¡°Zhang Shengcai, you¡¯ve been caught red-handed stealing the Dao technique. Do you have anything to say?¡± ¡°I¡­ have nothing to say.¡± ¡°Do you confess?¡± ¡°I confess.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Zhang Shengcai¡¯s spirit seemed utterly crushed. As his words fell, a golden radiance suddenly burst from the Haoran Seal imprinted on his brow. Simultaneously, Sun Wenyuan¡¯s Haoran Seal began to shine as well. Two beams of golden light shot into the air, converging above Lin Yi¡¯s head to form a brilliant pillar of light that engulfed him. ¡°What¡¯s this¡­?¡± The onlookers were stunned, their mouths agape. None of them could comprehend what was happening. ¡°Haoran Righteous Qi infusion?¡± Chen Jinbei¡¯s eyebrows shot up before he shook his head. ¡°No¡­ this is the summoning of Haoran Righteous Qi itself¡­ directly opening the Ninth Grade!¡± ¡°Two days ago, Lin Yi composed a poem that shook the province, awakening his Literary Heart. And today, he¡¯s directly entering the Ninth Grade with Haoran Righteous Qi? Such speed is unparalleled in the entire Great Yan literary domain!¡± ¡°And the Qi he¡¯s summoning¡­ it¡¯s pure Haoran Righteous Qi¡­¡± Chen Jinbei couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of envy. He clenched his fists and dug his toes into the ground, clearly struggling to maintain his composure. Haoran Righteous Qi! Aside from the Emperor himself, Lin Yi might very well become the second person in all of Great Yan to command this sacred power. No matter what, Chen Jinbei was determined to bring Lin Yi into the Pingzhou Academy. Fortunately, the other two academies in Nanxiang Prefecture hadn¡¯t caught wind of this yet. Otherwise, they would undoubtedly come to snatch him away. At that moment, Lin Yi stood bathed in the golden light of Haoran Righteous Qi, his entire being suffused with a comforting warmth.
Meanwhile, in the Imperial City of Great Yan, within the inner palace¡­ A middle-aged man in the Imperial Study suddenly raised his head, his gaze piercing toward the south. Pressing a hand to his chest, his eyes flickered with an intense light. ¡°The south¡­ Why do I sense the pulse of my bloodline stirring? Could it be¡­?¡± His breathing quickened. ¡°Long San!¡± Whoosh! A figure emerged from the shadows, kneeling on one knee. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Reinvestigate the fire in the harem eighteen years ago¡­ discreetly.¡± ¡°As you command.¡± Long San vanished back into the darkness.
At the Sacred Academy¡¯s Observatory in the capital¡­ A white-haired elder in pristine robes stood with his hands behind his back, gazing southward with a furrowed brow. ¡°Haoran Righteous Qi isn¡¯t something that just anyone can resonate with or integrate¡­¡± Extending his right hand, he pressed gently into the void before him. In an instant, boundless literary energy surged, glimmering like a starry river. The elder¡¯s voice resounded like thunder: ¡°What is righteousness?¡± His words echoed through the river of energy, rippling across the heavens.
Back in An County of Jinzou¡­ Lin Yi suddenly felt an immense pressure descend upon him, as if a colossal force was blocking the Haoran Righteous Qi from fully descending. At the same time, a solemn voice reverberated through the county hall, carrying a profound question: ¡°What is righteousness?¡± The voice spread throughout the entire county and beyond, resonating in the hearts of all literary cultivators in Jinzou. Chen Jinbei¡¯s expression shifted drastically. ¡°Lin Yi! It¡¯s a question from the Sacred Academy! They are testing you¡­ If you pass, you¡¯ll qualify to compete in next year¡¯s Sacred Assembly for the title of Saint¡¯s Disciple!¡± Even Chen Jinbei¡¯s breathing grew rapid with excitement. But¡­ the challenge was formidable. What is righteousness? The answer couldn¡¯t be a simple platitude like ¡°moral uprightness¡± or ¡°the primordial energy of heaven and earth.¡± The Sacred Academy¡¯s tests were never that straightforward. ¡°Sacred Assembly? Saint¡¯s Disciple?¡± Lin Yi had never heard of these terms before and felt little attachment to them. What concerned him more was the consequence of failing this test. ¡°What happens if I don¡¯t pass?¡± Lin Yi asked. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to fully integrate Haoran Righteous Qi or break into the Ninth Grade,¡± Chen Jinbei replied gravely. ¡°Damn it!¡± Lin Yi cursed inwardly. The Sacred Academy was meddling too much. Haoran Righteous Qi wasn¡¯t even theirs to bestow, yet they dared to interfere? Jealousy! Pure jealousy! But Lin Yi wasn¡¯t about to give up on such an extraordinary gift. Compared to ordinary literary energy, Haoran Righteous Qi was the ultimate high-tier power. Fine. Lin Yi steadied himself against the overwhelming pressure, his thoughts coalescing. With a clear voice, he began: ¡°Heaven and earth possess righteousness, which manifests in myriad forms.¡± As the words fell, the golden pillar of light surrounding him grew even more dazzling, the pressure easing significantly. This gave Lin Yi some relief. ¡°Heaven and earth possess righteousness, which manifests in myriad forms¡­¡± Chen Jinbei was shaken to his core. ¡°What a profound declaration!¡± Sun Wenyuan stood dumbfounded; his eyes wide. He silently thanked his own foresight¡ªany further delay, and he might have ended up like Zhang Shengcai. Lin Yi didn¡¯t pause. His voice grew more resolute: ¡°Descending as rivers and mountains, ascending as sun and stars¡­¡± ¡°Within humans, it is called the Vast Righteousness, filling the heavens and earth.¡± ¡°When imperial pathways are clear, harmony flows through the courts. When times grow desperate, virtue stands firm, immortalized in history!¡± The moment his words ended¡­ Boom! A deafening thunderclap rolled across the skies of An County, as if heralding the dawn of a new era. Chapter 16: Awakening to the Ninth Rank A thunderclap tore through the heavens. Not only did it shatter the oppressive aura emanating from the Holy Academy, but it also scared Zhang Shengcai to death¡ªliterally. His body lay lifeless, his spirit extinguished in an instant. Nearby, Sun Wenyuan fared only marginally better. After Lin Yi recited a passage from The Ode to Righteousness, the county magistrate coughed up a mouthful of blood. His vitality visibly drained away, leaving him pallid and broken. "Zhang Shengcai succumbed to the backlash of righteous energy, while Sun Wenyuan clings to life¡ªbut his official aura has dissipated. He¡¯s no longer fit to govern this county." Chen Jinbei surveyed the fallen men, quickly discerning their respective fates. Then he turned his gaze toward Lin Yi, eyes ablaze with admiration. Using such a passage to answer the Holy Academy¡¯s interrogation was nothing short of extraordinary. Lin Yi had exceeded all expectations. The righteous energy he summoned had not only warded off the Academy''s suppression but also evoked a thunderbolt from the heavens¡ªa testament to the verse''s power. "No wonder he could resonate with such profound righteous energy. He must have carried this moral integrity in his heart all along. Without it, composing this verse would have been impossible!" Chen Jinbei restrained himself from jubilant celebration, though his excitement was barely contained. Glancing at the still-dumbfounded officials gathered at the county office, he allowed himself a small, proud smile. This was the triumph of a scholar¡¯s spirit.
On the Star Observation Platform of the Holy Academy, an elderly man with flowing white hair stood amidst a shattered galaxy of starlight. He lingered on Lin Yi¡¯s response, a faint smile forming on his weathered face. "It¡¯s been years¡ªdecades, perhaps¡ªsince I¡¯ve encountered someone this intriguing," he murmured, his voice touched with nostalgia. "I look forward to the day you set foot in the Academy."
In Jinzhou, at Pingzhou Academy, a white-haired headmaster dressed in a black scholar''s robe turned his gaze toward Anyang County. His expression was solemn. "To compose a verse that shakes the heavens without yet being inducted into the Holy Academy¡ªthis is the mark of a true recluse." Returning to his quarters, the headmaster donned the scholarly robes of his youth. As he stepped outside, a fellow tutor, pale and beardless, could not hide his astonishment.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Headmaster, why are you wearing a scholar¡¯s robe?" The headmaster¡¯s reply was calm yet reverent: "In the presence of such a master, I am but a student." With that, he departed, leaving the tutor visibly shaken. The headmaster saddled a horse in the academy¡¯s stable. With a soft utterance, he declared, "My steed shall have eight legs!" As the words left his lips, the air shimmered. The horse, enveloped in a halo of scholarly energy, grew an additional set of legs. Neighing sharply, the magical steed galloped off with a speed that defied the wind.
Meanwhile, in the southern province of Yunzhou, the headmaster of Qingping Academy made his decision. "To summon righteous energy so potent that even the Holy Master was compelled to respond¡ªit is imperative to pay respects to this sage." Without hesitation, he set out for Anyang. At the same time, the headmaster of Junji Academy abandoned his lecture mid-session, still clad in his formal robes. Like a beacon, the lingering righteous energy in the heavens guided these scholarly luminaries toward Lin Yi.
Back at the county office, Lin Yi stood bathed in a radiant golden light, his eyes closed as he absorbed the righteous energy flowing into him. Unaware of the eminent figures racing to meet him, he reflected inwardly. "The Ode to Righteousness is truly formidable. If I had composed the full poem, its impact might have been even greater." His senses heightened. Though his eyes were closed, he could perceive every sound around him¡ªthe officials¡¯ breathing, the whispers of the wind, the skittering of insects in the corners, and even the hushed murmurs of those nearby. "According to the texts on the Path of the Scholar, this must be the Ninth Rank of Enlightenment." When Lin Yi opened his eyes, the heightened sensory perception vanished, yet his vision and hearing remained significantly sharper. Beyond that, he now felt an intimate connection to the world around him, as though a translucent filter had been lifted. The ambient scholarly energy he once found cold and lifeless now seemed warm and invigorating, resonating with him in perfect harmony. Chen Jinbei stepped forward, smiling as he clasped his hands in salute. "Congratulations, Lin Yi! You¡¯ve achieved the Ninth Rank of Enlightenment, embodying righteous energy. Your future is boundless!" "Thank you, Teacher Chen," Lin Yi replied, his mood lightened by the resolution of his ordeal. With righteous energy fortifying his path, his journey in the Way of the Scholar would undoubtedly be smoother. "Now that your name has been cleared, what are your plans for the future?" Chen Jinbei asked, his tone expectant. Lin Yi hesitated. The future? He hadn¡¯t given it much thought. "Zhang Shengcai falsely accused me of stealing a technique. Sun Wenyuan, to evade responsibility, sentenced me to exile. I¡¯ll ensure justice is served before making further plans." His path seemed clear¡ªenroll in a prestigious academy, continue his scholarly cultivation, and earn enough silver to provide for his foster father, Su Huaizhi. Lin Yi thought of Su Huaizhi¡¯s sacrifices. For over a decade, the man had raised him single-handedly, living in poverty and forgoing his own happiness. It was time to repay that kindness. "Zhang Shengcai has already paid the price for his crimes," Chen Jinbei remarked, glancing at the lifeless body. "The backlash of righteous energy terrified him to death. As for Magistrate Sun, his scholarly heart is shattered, his official aura extinguished. He¡¯s lucky to be alive." "Terrified to death?" Lin Yi repeated, startled. Looking down at Zhang Shengcai¡¯s lifeless form, he felt no pity. The scales of justice had finally tipped. Chapter 17: My Son Is Not a Criminal Lin Yi turned his gaze toward Sun Wenyuan. The once-proud county magistrate was now a shadow of his former self, hunched over with disheveled hair and a frail demeanor. The destruction of his Heart of the Literary Path had exacted a steep toll. "Quite the price to pay," Lin Yi thought, his heart calm despite the gravity of Sun Wenyuan''s plight. Meeting Lin Yi''s eyes, Sun Wenyuan felt a piercing pain in his chest. Hastily, he cupped his hands and said, ¡°Scholar Lin¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re an official of Dayan, while I¡¯m just a humble scholar who hasn¡¯t even set foot in an academy. Such a grand gesture¡ªI cannot accept it,¡± Lin Yi replied coldly. Sun Wenyuan had already paid his dues, and Lin Yi saw no reason to linger on the matter. Meanwhile, amidst the crowd of constables, a rotund captain was stealthily trying to slip away. Lin Yi instantly recognized him as the same man who had attempted to kill him multiple times during his forced exile. ¡°Stop right there!¡± Lin Yi¡¯s sharp voice cut through the murmurs. The captain froze, his body trembling, then bolted. ¡°Still have allies, do you?¡± Lin Yi muttered. Chen Jinbei frowned, his Qi of Talent flowing as he flicked a finger. A beam of refined energy struck the fleeing man, sending him tumbling to the ground. ¡°Damn it!¡± The corpulent constable slapped the ground, his hefty frame rising with surprising agility as he attempted to escape again. ¡°You dare resist?¡± Chen Jinbei¡¯s expression darkened; his initial hesitation replaced by resolve. Holding his brush aloft, he infused it with literary energy, writing the character for ¡°Kill¡± in midair. The character transformed into a gleaming sword of pure Talent Qi, which streaked through the air like a comet. With a sickening thud, the sword pierced the captain''s forehead. He screamed, collapsing as blood pooled beneath him. Lin Yi explained, ¡°This man tried to kill me multiple times at the relay station during my exile.¡± Chen Jinbei nodded. ¡°With Zhang Shengcai and Magistrate Sun punished, he knew he¡¯d be next. Running was his only option.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Lin Yi remained silent. Indeed, he had planned to settle the score himself. His code was simple: repay kindness with kindness and grudges with vengeance. Moreover, the artistry of Chen Jinbei¡¯s strike left Lin Yi in awe. To craft a word with talent and transform it into a weapon¡ªit was an extraordinary display of literary prowess. Lin Yi turned his attention to the remaining constables. They trembled, their fear evident. ¡°Am I really that terrifying?¡± Lin Yi thought, smiling wryly. He hadn¡¯t even done anything. He turned to Chen Jinbei and cupped his hands. ¡°Master Chen, the matter has been resolved, and my freedom restored. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± Chen Jinbei blinked in surprise. ¡°Where will you go? You¡¯re now a Literary Path cultivator. You should consider enrolling in an academy.¡± ¡°My father is waiting for me at the private school,¡± Lin Yi replied. ¡°He¡¯s probably worried sick, so I must return first. As for the academy, I¡¯ll decide later.¡± Lin Yi wasn¡¯t rejecting the idea of attending an academy, but he couldn¡¯t abandon Su Huaizhi, the man who had raised him alone for over a decade. For Lin Yi, principles like filial piety and loyalty were the cornerstone of his character. ¡°You can¡¯t delay this decision!¡± Chen Jinbei protested, worried. If Lin Yi left his sight, other academies might swoop in and claim him. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Lin Yi hesitated, but Chen Jinbei¡¯s determination was unwavering. Relenting, he said, ¡°Very well, but the town is small and lacks proper lodging.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t need to sleep,¡± Chen Jinbei replied confidently. With that, the two departed the county office.
At the private school in Daxing Town, chaos reigned. Su Huaizhi was thrown out of the building by a group of finely dressed merchants. His books and worn scholar¡¯s robes lay scattered on the ground. ¡°I thought you were a capable teacher, Su Huaizhi, but you raised a criminal! Get out of the school before you corrupt our children!¡± one merchant shouted. ¡°He owes us! These years of tuition weren¡¯t free. Make him pay back every copper!¡± another chimed in. ¡°Exactly! Refund us!¡± A group of rowdy students peeked from behind the school¡¯s door, snickering. ¡°Father, this teacher can¡¯t even teach. I¡¯ve studied here for so long and still can¡¯t recite a single essay!¡± one boy complained. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s wasted our time. He should pay for it!¡± added another. Su Huaizhi¡¯s face flushed with humiliation. Hearing these accusations from his students, he felt dizzy and collapsed to the ground. ¡°My son is not a criminal!¡± Su Huaizhi roared, his voice trembling. ¡°You have no right to slander him or tarnish his name!¡± One merchant sneered. ¡°Not a criminal? The county¡¯s constables came with official reports. How dare you deny it?¡± Another, a middle-aged woman, scoffed. ¡°Your son looked decent enough, but who knew he¡¯d turn out like this? I was even considering marrying my daughter to him!¡± She shuddered dramatically. ¡°Thank goodness he was arrested before that could happen!¡± The crowd grew larger, their jeers and laughter cutting through the air.
As Lin Yi and Chen Jinbei approached the school, Lin Yi spoke warmly of it. ¡°My father has taught here for years, educating the children of local merchants. They¡¯ve always treated us well. Some were even considering marrying their daughters to me.¡± Chen Jinbei smiled. ¡°For you to achieve so much with such humble beginnings is commendable. Your diligence must be extraordinary.¡± But as they neared the school, Chen Jinbei¡¯s smile faded. The sound of insults and laughter carried through the air. Lin Yi¡¯s expression darkened. Something was terribly wrong. Chapter 18: Who Do You Think You Are? The ox-cart came to a halt outside the private school. Lin Yi noticed a crowd gathered near the entrance, seemingly engaged in a heated dispute. "What¡¯s going on?" he asked. Chen Jinbei chuckled. "Why not go take a look? My guess is they¡¯re waiting for you." Lin Yi smiled, his heart warming at the thought of the neighbors rallying to his side. He had always enjoyed a good reputation in Daxing Town¡ªhelping out whenever someone was in need. Surely they believed he had been wronged. With that thought, Lin Yi approached the crowd. However, as he drew closer, his smile froze, and his fists clenched tightly. "Ruin his reputation? Lin Yi is already a convicted criminal!" a loud voice declared. "I checked¡ªit¡¯s true! He¡¯s been sentenced to exile by the county magistrate. That¡¯s just one step short of a death sentence!" The speaker, a young man holding a folding fan, strode confidently toward the center of the crowd. "It¡¯s Zhu Changyu!" someone whispered. The villagers parted to make way, their attitudes turning deferential. Lin Yi stopped short when he recognized Zhu Changyu. His brow furrowed, and his steps faltered. Zhu Changyu¡ªa self-proclaimed scholar from a family of literati¡ªwas the younger brother of Zhu Liren, a respected academic at Junji Academy. In Daxing Town, the Zhu family¡¯s influence was second to none, even the county magistrate showed them respect. Lin Yi¡¯s predecessor had once considered Zhu Changyu a close friend. This same man had lent him money and helped secure his position as a county bailiff. Yet now, Zhu Changyu stood before him, adding fuel to the flames of his disgrace. "Young Master Zhu, is it true?" a merchant asked, his voice tinged with alarm. "Has Lin Yi really committed such a serious crime?" "We can¡¯t let Su Huaizhi teach here anymore!" another merchant chimed in. "What if our children follow his example? A man who raised a criminal has no place as a teacher!"This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The crowd¡¯s anger swelled. They had pooled their funds to establish the private school, believing they were investing in their children¡¯s future. Su Huaizhi¡¯s perceived failure to instill proper values now felt like a betrayal. Zhu Changyu waved his fan theatrically. "It¡¯s true. For the sake of our town¡¯s children, I¡¯d be honored to step in as the new teacher." The merchants erupted into cheers. "Young Master Zhu, please! With your brother¡¯s connections and your talents, you¡¯re the perfect choice!" "Out with Su Huaizhi!" someone shouted. "He¡¯s a disgrace!" "Get rid of the criminal¡¯s father!" Even Zhu Changyu¡¯s lackey swaggered forward, aiming a kick at Su Huaizhi¡¯s scattered belongings. Before his foot could land, Lin Yi appeared, delivering a sharp kick to the man¡¯s shin. Thud! "Ahhh! My leg!" The lackey crumpled to the ground, clutching his leg and wailing in pain. "Who dares?" Zhu Changyu roared. The crowd turned, their expressions shifting from anger to shock as they recognized Lin Yi. "Lin Yi?!" "How is he here? Didn¡¯t he get exiled?" Ignoring the murmurs, Lin Yi bent down to gather Su Huaizhi¡¯s belongings. Helping his father to his feet, he asked gently, "Father, are you all right?" Su Huaizhi nodded, though his voice trembled. "I¡¯m fine. But¡­ Xiao Yi, you¡­ you¡¯re back?" "I¡¯m back." Lin Yi forced a reassuring smile, though his eyes burned with fury as he surveyed the crowd. Disappointment surged through him. These were people his predecessor had called neighbors and friends, people who once treated Su Huaizhi with respect. Now, their hypocrisy was laid bare. Lin Yi could hardly imagine what might have happened if he hadn¡¯t returned. Would his father have been left destitute and broken, cast aside by the very community he had served? "Lin Yi!" Zhu Changyu¡¯s voice rang out, feigning concern. "How bold of you to flee exile! Surrender now before you make things worse for yourself!" The merchants, emboldened, called out, "Seize him! Deliver him to the authorities and claim the reward!" Lin Yi¡¯s cold gaze swept over the crowd. "Try it," he said, his voice low but full of menace. Those who had been inching closer froze, unnerved by the deadly calm in Lin Yi¡¯s tone. "Let¡¯s not make trouble," Su Huaizhi whispered, tugging on Lin Yi¡¯s sleeve. "These people¡­ we can¡¯t afford to offend them." Lin Yi clenched his fists, then released them with a sigh. "Fine." He helped Su Huaizhi toward the edge of the crowd, ready to leave quietly. But Zhu Changyu stepped forward, his fan snapping shut with a sharp clack. "Stop right there!" he barked. "I have a good relationship with Magistrate Sun. He told me your case is ironclad¡ªa death sentence commuted to exile only because of my intervention. And this is how you repay me? Assaulting my man and walking away without so much as a thank-you?" Zhu Changyu shook his head, his tone dripping with mock disappointment. "Lin Yi, have you no shame?" Lin Yi stopped and turned; his gaze icy. He took a step closer, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. "Who do you think you are?" Chapter 19: Catching Them All "You think you''re something special?" Lin Yi¡¯s tone was calm, his gaze faint as he looked at Zhu Changyu. The old Lin Yi would have bowed and expressed his gratitude for Zhu Changyu¡¯s intervention. After all, Zhu had helped him pull strings and even lent money to Su Huaizhi so he could secure a job at the county office. But now? Lin Yi saw through Zhu Changyu¡¯s schemes at a glance. He suspected Zhu had orchestrated everything¡ªfrom pulling strings to lending money¡ªjust to set him up. It wasn¡¯t a coincidence that Lin Yi had been arrested to take the fall. "What did you say?" Zhu Changyu snapped his folding fan shut, his face darkening as he glared at Lin Yi. "Say that again if you dare! Believe me, I¡¯ll have your head delivered to the county office with a single letter." Lin Yi chuckled softly. "I don¡¯t believe you." "You¡­" Zhu Changyu¡¯s face twisted in rage, disbelief flashing in his eyes at Lin Yi¡¯s sudden defiance. ¡°Good, very good! You¡¯ve successfully infuriated me.¡± He signaled to the men blocking Lin Yi¡¯s path. The burly henchmen nodded and stepped forward. Their heavily muscled frames suggested they practiced crude martial arts¡ªmere physical techniques for strength and stamina, scorned by scholars of the literary path. But Lin Yi remained untroubled. As a ninth-rank scholar of the literary path, he was far beyond the realm of ordinary mortals. These men weren¡¯t even in the same league. No matter how many came, they¡¯d be no match for him. Lin Yi was about to make his move when Su Huaizhi panicked and pleaded, "Young Master Zhu, Lin Yi is just a child! Please, don¡¯t take offense. He didn¡¯t steal anything¡ªthe magistrate must have made a mistake!" "A mistake?" Zhu Changyu sneered. "There¡¯s no mistake in this case!" He strode toward Lin Yi, tapping his folded fan against his palm with a mocking, cat-and-mouse demeanor. Lin Yi stared back at him; his expression as serene as still water. Leaning close to Lin Yi¡¯s ear, Zhu Changyu whispered, "Did you know? You and your father are nothing more than pawns in my game." Lin Yi frowned. "What do you mean?" So, his suspicions were correct¡ªhis job at the county office had been orchestrated by the Zhu family. But what was their goal? Zhu Changyu smirked, his voice dripping with disdain. "Oh, you wouldn¡¯t understand even if I told you. But surely, you¡¯ve realized by now? Even driving your father away was my idea. Ha ha ha!"The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Seeing Zhu laugh, his lackeys followed suit, their laughter ringing out in chorus. Lin Yi couldn¡¯t help but laugh too. Then¡ªhis palm, charged with his literary qi, struck Zhu Changyu¡¯s face with a resounding slap. Smack! The crisp sound echoed through the air. Zhu Changyu¡¯s head snapped to the side, a tooth flying out along with a spurt of blood. His entire body was sent sprawling to the ground. Thud! Silence. The crowd froze, their laughter stuck on their faces as they stared at the scene in stunned disbelief. What just happened? "You¡¯re dead!" "How dare you strike Young Master Zhu? Break him!" "Get him!" The hulking brutes snapped out of their shock, their anger erupting as they charged at Lin Yi. Su Huaizhi was paralyzed with fear at the sight. But Lin Yi remained composed. His reflexes, enhanced by his awakened literary heart, were leagues ahead of his opponents. Their moves were laughably slow, full of openings. Even without fully harnessing his literary arts, his literary qi alone was more than enough. Bang! Bang! Sidestepping effortlessly, Lin Yi countered with two swift punches. Two of the brutes staggered back, their eyes bulging in pain. An elbow strike. A low kick. Four men flew backward, collapsing to the ground with agonized groans. "Is that all?" Lin Yi dusted off his hands, his face full of disdain. In his previous life, he¡¯d dabbled in amateur kickboxing. With the augmentation of literary qi, which felt akin to the inner energy of martial arts fiction, he was unstoppable. These gym-bro types? All brawn, no bite. "Under the literary path, all are ants." It wasn¡¯t just a saying. Su Huaizhi stared at Lin Yi in awe, unable to believe what he¡¯d just witnessed. He knew Lin Yi had awakened his literary heart, but this¡­ this was another level! Could he have reached the ninth rank already? Buzz! Su Huaizhi¡¯s face turned red with excitement, his body trembling. The merchants and onlookers, equally stunned, began to tremble as well. They recalled how they¡¯d treated Su Huaizhi earlier and feared retribution. From afar, Chen Jinbei observed the scene but chose not to intervene. This was a trivial matter, unworthy of his involvement. Still, he found himself surprised. Hadn¡¯t Lin Yi said these people treated his family well? Looks like he was finally seeing their true colors. As the saying goes: ¡°You may know a man¡¯s face, but not his heart.¡± This incident would surely teach Lin Yi a valuable lesson. Zhu Changyu, regaining his senses, glared at Lin Yi. "You¡¯re dead! Do you know who my brother is? Zhu Liren of Junji Academy, an eighth-rank scholar of the literary path! He¡¯s in town right now. Ten of you wouldn¡¯t be enough to save yourself!" Lin Yi looked down at him, smiling faintly. "Eighth rank? Impressive. You¡¯ve scared me." Then he stepped forward and pressed his foot against Zhu Changyu¡¯s chest. "Last person who threatened me like this? That would be the county office¡¯s secretary, Zhang Shengcai. His corpse isn¡¯t even cold yet." "You¡­ what?" Zhu Changyu¡¯s eyes widened in shock. "He¡¯s dead? But¡­ that Dao technique¡­!" Realizing he¡¯d said too much, Zhu clamped his mouth shut, his face turning pale. A fragrant aroma emanated from Lin Yi¡¯s body, causing Zhu Changyu¡¯s expression to shift. "You¡­ you¡¯ve awakened the literary heart?" Jealousy and fear flickered across Zhu¡¯s face. Lin Yi didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he stared coldly into Zhu¡¯s eyes. "Dao technique? So, you did conspire to frame me at the county office." Zhu Changyu¡¯s face contorted in panic. He dared not admit it. Involvement in forbidden Dao techniques was an unforgivable crime, defying the will of the Sage Academy. Even his brother Zhu Liren couldn¡¯t protect their family from annihilation if this came to light. "You won¡¯t admit it? Fine. Your Zhu family¡­ is finished." Lin Yi hoisted Zhu Changyu off the ground effortlessly. "Let me go! My brother will be here any second! Even with your literary heart, he¡¯s an eighth rank! Killing you is as easy as crushing an ant!" "Oh, really?" Lin Yi smiled, his eyes narrowing. It seemed Zhu Liren, too, was tied to the county office¡¯s forbidden Dao techniques. And if he was coming¡­ Then Lin Yi would simply catch them all in one fell swoop. Chapter 20: Do You Dare Oppose the Academy of Gathered Scholars? "Zhu Liren from the Academy of Gathered Scholars?" "A genuine prodigy," Chen Jinbei murmured, recalling the infamous name. "Before Fang Qingxue ascended to become the champion of the Imperial Examinations, his fame was unrivaled. A master of painting and calligraphy... though his progress seems to have stalled in recent years." The mention of Zhu Liren brought a vivid image to Chen Jinbei''s mind. Years ago, during a visit to Pingzhou Academy, Zhu Liren had accompanied his teacher, openly challenging the local scholars. Calling it a "visit" was a misnomer. It was a provocation. Back then, Fang Qingxue had not yet risen to prominence, and Pingzhou Academy¡¯s scholars suffered a humiliating defeat. One of the teachers was so enraged that his eyes crossed permanently¡ªa reminder of Zhu Liren''s visit. "If Zhu Liren dares to show up today, it''ll be his misfortune," Chen Jinbei chuckled. "If he thinks he can humiliate Lin Yi, he''s bound to regret it." Chen¡¯s amusement was tinged with regret. "If only one of the Academy''s senior scholars were here, I could have truly savored watching Zhu¡¯s humiliation."
Not long after Lin Yi had Zhu Changyu pinned to the ground, a figure clads in pristine white robes descended lightly from the rooftop, landing gracefully. The man stood with his back to Lin Yi, his posture exuding elegance and power, his scholar''s robes fluttering in the breeze, imbued with an unmistakable aura of cultivated superiority. "Master Zhu is here!" "Master Zhu, you''ve arrived!" The onlookers bowed deeply to Zhu Liren, their attitudes obsequious to the extreme. "Brother! Save me!" Seeing the refined figure, Zhu Changyu¡¯s despair turned to delight. He glared at Lin Yi, spitting venomously, "You bastard! Now that my brother''s here, let¡¯s see how long you last!" Crunch. Lin Yi answered by pressing his foot harder into Zhu Changyu¡¯s chest. "Aaagh!" Zhu Changyu screamed; his voice shrills with pain. Zhu Liren finally turned to face Lin Yi, his gaze sharp and commanding. "Enough!" But just as he spoke, an inky black aura swirled around Zhu Changyu¡¯s upper body.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "What¡¯s this?" Lin Yi frowned, sensing the peculiar energy radiating from the aura. It carried the distinct scent of ink and a refined energy, unmistakably tied to the discipline of literary cultivation. Chen Jinbei¡¯s eyes narrowed. "Ink Charm Protection..." Ink Charms, artifacts imbued with scholarly energy, are created from poetry or calligraphy suffused with the cultivator''s essence. They serve as shields, capable of warding off mortal danger. Only scholars at the Foundation of Life Realm¡ªthe eighth rank¡ªcould craft such artifacts. Meanwhile, Zhu Liren flicked his sleeve, summoning a brush that hovered mid-air, brimming with concentrated energy. With a flick of his wrist, the brush shot toward Lin Yi like a dagger. "So fast!" Lin Yi twisted his body, narrowly dodging the attack. "Oh?" Zhu Liren¡¯s brows raised in mild surprise. With a motion of his hand, the brush reversed course, returning to his grasp. Examining Lin Yi with an amused smile, Zhu Liren said, "You¡¯re not entirely without skill. You might even be fit to serve as my book boy." "Brother?" Zhu Changyu, still groaning on the ground, looked bewildered. Ignoring him, Zhu Liren continued, "Serve me, polish my inkstone by day, and pour my chamber pot by night. I might just let you live." The crowd erupted into murmurs. "Master Zhu is so magnanimous!" "Indeed. This scoundrel Lin Yi sought to kill Young Master Zhu, yet Master Zhu offers him a lifeline. Such generosity!" "Lin Yi, on the other hand, is narrow-minded and vengeful. The contrast couldn''t be clearer." Hearing the sycophantic crowd, Su Huaizhi trembled with rage. "How shameless can you people be? You insult the very dignity of scholarship!" The merchants sneered, their disdain for Su evident. Pandering to Zhu Liren had its benefits, and Su Huaizhi''s protests were an inconvenience at best. Lin Yi, however, laughed. Not a dry, perfunctory laugh but a genuine one that made everyone pause. Then, with calculated insolence, he spat directly at Zhu Liren''s face. The spit landed squarely, a wet stain against Zhu Liren''s composed fa?ade. The world seemed to stop. Gasps filled the air as shock rippled through the crowd. Even Chen Jinbei, a seasoned scholar, rubbed his forehead with a helpless smile. "This kid... He really doesn¡¯t behave like a scholar, does he?" Zhu Changyu was frozen, his expression a mix of disbelief and horror. Zhu Liren''s face turned crimson, his entire body shaking with unbridled fury. His scholarly aura erupted like a geyser, sending tremors through the ground. "How dare you!" he roared. "You vermin! Today, I will shred you and your father to pieces and feed you to the dogs!" The air shimmered with the pressure of Zhu Liren¡¯s literary might. With a flick of his brush, he painted a sigil mid-air. A tiger, formed of pure energy, leapt forth, its roar shaking the onlookers to their core. The merchants collapsed in fear; the tiger¡¯s sheer presence robbed them of their courage. Even Lin Yi felt the weight of the attack pressing on him. He turned to Chen Jinbei, his tone calm but urgent. "Chen Master, haven¡¯t you enjoyed the show long enough?" Chen Jinbei chuckled. "Very well." With a single step, he appeared in front of Lin Yi. Raising his hand, he drew an invisible circle in the air and gently flicked his finger. The energy tiger, mid-pounce, froze as its head met Chen Jinbei¡¯s finger. Cracks spiderwebbed across its body before it shattered into shards of dissipating light. Boom! The shockwave sent Zhu Liren staggering backward. He spat blood, clutching his chest. "You¡­" Zhu Liren gasped, recognition dawning as he stared at Chen Jinbei. "Master Chen¡­ Are you opposing the Academy of Gathered Scholars?" Chapter 21: A Frog at the Bottom of a Well Zhu Liren reacted swiftly, metaphorically pinning a large hat on Chen Jinbei''s head. "¡­" Chen Jinbei frowned, inwardly cursing the young man¡¯s sharp mind. How bold¡ªusing the prestige of Junji Academy to pressure him. But Chen Jinbei knew he couldn¡¯t completely shield Lin Yi. This was a trial of sorts, a test of Pingzhou Academy¡¯s resolve. If he faltered now, would Lin Yi still entrust his future to the academy? ¡°And if I am?¡± Chen Jinbei said calmly. ¡°Hmm?¡± Zhu Liren furrowed his brows. ¡°As a scholar of Pingzhou Academy, you not only harbor criminals but also attack me? Do you believe I wouldn¡¯t report this to the Sage Court? I could bring destruction upon your academy.¡± ¡°What a sharp-tongued youth!¡± Chen Jinbei couldn¡¯t help but laugh in frustration, impressed by Zhu Liren¡¯s ability to hit every nerve. ¡°Whether Lin Yi is a criminal or not, heaven and earth have already borne witness to his innocence. You, on the other hand, attempted to kill a student of Pingzhou Academy. How can I, as a mentor, stand idly by?¡± Chen Jinbei understood Zhu Liren¡¯s standing within Junji Academy. While he could protect Lin Yi, he couldn¡¯t afford to go too far against Zhu Liren. ¡°What? Lin Yi has become a student of Pingzhou Academy?¡± ¡°What the¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a criminal? And now he¡¯s a scholar under the protection of Pingzhou Academy?¡± A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd. Many merchants turned pale with fear, realizing they had severely underestimated Lin Yi¡¯s status. A student of Pingzhou Academy¡ªa title no less prestigious than Zhu Liren¡¯s. For Su Huaizhi, Lin Yi¡¯s foster father, this could mean a complete transformation. As the father of an academy student, continuing as a private tutor would elevate his social standing far beyond Zhu Changyu¡¯s. The merchants who had previously looked down on Su Huaizhi were now filled with regret. One, reacting quickly, approached him with a flattering smile. ¡°Get lost!¡± Su Huaizhi jabbed his finger at the merchant¡¯s nose, shouting. ¡°Scholars must be refined?¡± he scoffed. ¡°What nonsense! You¡¯re nothing but a sycophant who preys on the weak. Speaking courteously to the likes of you would only degrade refinement.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Brother Su, I was misled¡­¡± ¡°Leave!¡± Su Huaizhi¡¯s voice was firm, his tone unyielding. For once, he stood tall, unwilling to disgrace Lin Yi. Lin Yi, watching from a distance, felt a surge of comfort. His once-timid foster father was finally standing his ground. Yes, this was how it should be. A scholar must have pride. Lin Yi turned his gaze to Chen Jinbei, eager to see how Pingzhou Academy would respond. If they buckled under Zhu Liren¡¯s pressure, he would sever all ties immediately. For now, Chen Jinbei showed no signs of retreat. Still, Lin Yi couldn¡¯t ignore the disparity between Pingzhou Academy and Junji Academy. ¡°With me here, Pingzhou Academy will surpass Junji Academy sooner or later,¡± Lin Yi thought with conviction. He refocused on the confrontation between Chen Jinbei and Zhu Liren. ¡°Heaven and earth bear witness? Chen Jinbei, do you even hear yourself?¡± Zhu Liren sneered. ¡°I thought Pingzhou Academy was pathetic, but this is beyond my expectations. Shielding such trash who awakened a mere postnatal literary spirit¡ªdo you truly have no one better?¡± ¡°A frog at the bottom of a well,¡± Chen Jinbei retorted, anger flaring. He rolled up his sleeves, ready to settle matters physically. Lin Yi froze for a moment, then couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, a strange warmth filling his chest. Whether in the county court or here, Chen Jinbei had always stood by him. Pingzhou Academy¡­ Lin Yi had made up his mind. He would follow Chen Jinbei. Suddenly, Chen Jinbei barked, ¡°Lin Yi!¡± ¡°???¡± Confused, Lin Yi asked, ¡°Yes, Master?¡± Still seething, Chen Jinbei snapped, ¡°This Zhu Liren claims Pingzhou Academy has no talent. Show him what we¡¯re made of¡ªfight him!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lin Yi¡¯s earlier gratitude vanished. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Zhu Liren burst into laughter, exuding confidence. ¡°A firefly dares to compete with the moon¡¯s brilliance?¡± He was certain Chen Jinbei wouldn¡¯t dare harm him, given his standing as Junji Academy¡¯s prodigy. ¡°Firefly?¡± Chen Jinbei stroked his beard with a smirk. ¡°Lin Yi, show this frog what a true moon looks like.¡± Lin Yi instantly understood. He took a step forward and unleashed his Hao Ran Vital Energy. In an instant, an overwhelming aura radiated from him, accompanied by a golden column of literary energy piercing the sky. Bathed in resplendent light, Lin Yi seemed almost divine, a saint among mortals. ¡°My eyes!¡± ¡°What¡­ what is this?¡± The onlookers squinted against the dazzling brilliance, some collapsing under the oppressive aura, as though facing divine judgment. Zhu Changyu, lying nearby, was so overwhelmed that his pants were soaked. ¡°This¡­ this can¡¯t be!¡± Zhu Liren¡¯s smug expression crumbled into terror, his body trembling uncontrollably. ¡°Hao Ran Vital Energy? You possess Hao Ran Vital Energy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible! Only His Majesty possesses such literary energy! This is the first strand of talent blessed by the heavens¡ªit can¡¯t belong to you!¡± ¡°Hao Ran Vital Energy isn¡¯t meant for the common man. How did a nobody like you pass the Sage Court¡¯s trial?¡± As Lin Yi retracted his aura, fatigue washed over him. Draining his reserves to create that spectacle had left him hollow, but the sight of Zhu Liren¡¯s despair made it worthwhile. ¡°So, only the Emperor and I have Hao Ran Vital Energy? That¡¯s¡­ amazing,¡± Lin Yi thought, suppressing a grin. Far away, three academy heads sensed the surge of Hao Ran Vital Energy. ¡°Good, we¡¯ve pinpointed the location!¡± Pingzhou Academy¡¯s headmaster, seated atop an eight-legged horse, peered toward Daxing Town, his eyes bright. ¡°We¡¯re still a hundred miles out!¡± With a flash, he vanished, leaving his steed to collapse from exhaustion, four of its qi-formed legs dissipating. At the same time, the heads of Junji and Qingping Academies also disappeared, their mastery of the Fourth Grade Gentleman¡¯s Realm: Words Become Deeds enabling them to traverse distances instantly. Chapter 22: You Are Not Worthy ¡°Zhu Liren, you need to learn to accept defeat and face reality,¡± Chen Jinbei said with a calm voice. Though it sounded like advice, there was no mistaking the mocking undertone. After all, it was Zhu Liren himself who had once used those very words to ridicule the scholars of Pingzhou Academy. ¡°I refuse to accept this!¡± Zhu Liren¡¯s pride burned bright, his eyes red with anger. ¡°So what if he carries the Haoran Qi? He¡¯ll never overcome the Eighth Rank¡¯s Life-Sealing Trial. That¡¯s the real reality!¡± ¡°And so, I refuse to yield!¡± Ancient texts recorded that those who bore the first strand of Heaven¡¯s Primordial Qi rarely managed to pass the Life-Sealing Trial. To wield Haoran Qi required unparalleled virtue and character, a standard few could meet. In the entire Dayan Empire, only the emperor had succeeded in harmonizing with Haoran Qi, his status as the ruler of the realm granting him the necessary authority and dignity. To Zhu Liren, Lin Yi¡ªa mere son of a poor private tutor¡ªwas utterly unworthy of mastering such power. ¡°He can¡¯t pass the Eighth Rank trial?¡± Lin Yi¡¯s mind raced. He resolved to ask Chen Jinbei about it later. If his path forward was blocked, how could he hope to thrive in this world, let alone rise as one of its leading figures? ¡°This isn¡¯t something for you to worry about!¡± Chen Jinbei cut in, his tone calm but commanding. ¡°As a favor to you, Zhu Liren, as a prodigy of Junji Academy, I¡¯ve indulged this conversation long enough. Now get lost!¡± There was an unmistakable sense of satisfaction in Chen Jinbei¡¯s words, as though finally releasing years of pent-up frustration. Nearby, Zhu Changyu, bruised and battered, crawled over to his brother and pleaded, ¡°Brother, let¡¯s leave. Now!¡± ¡°What?¡± Zhu Liren glared at him, his voice dripping with disdain. ¡°Is this all the backbone you have? Are you really so cowed by some backwater academy¡¯s lecturer? At Junji Academy, even the professors defer to me! Pingzhou Academy doesn¡¯t even have a monument inscription, nor is it qualified to send anyone to the Sacred Academy!¡± ¡°Brother!¡± Zhu Changyu interrupted, his face pale. ¡°Master Zhang is dead!¡± Zhu Liren froze, his mind racing as his eyes darted to Lin Yi and Chen Jinbei. Finally, he gritted his teeth. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll leave this time. But don¡¯t think this is over. Pingzhou Academy, I¡¯ll return.¡± With a huff, he turned on his heel and stormed off, his entourage scrambling to carry the injured Zhu Changyu as they followed him.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.
¡°Chen Fuzi, you¡¯re just letting them leave like that?¡± Lin Yi asked as he helped support Su Huaizhi, who was still shaken. Chen Jinbei sighed. ¡°What else can I do? He¡¯s Junji Academy¡¯s prodigy, and it¡¯s not as if you¡¯ve come out empty-handed.¡± ¡°His brother¡¯s practically crippled after you beat him senseless. Zhu Liren himself was thrown into a rage by your spittle and my intervention, and your display of Haoran Qi has shaken his very core. That alone could disrupt his cultivation of the Dao of Literature.¡± He shook his head with mock exasperation. ¡°You should be satisfied!¡± Lin Yi rubbed his chin, considering this. ¡°When you put it that way¡­ I suppose I haven¡¯t lost out. But no, wait¡ª¡± He shook his head firmly. ¡°I¡¯ve been cheated!¡± ¡°Yi¡¯er, we¡¯re not cheated,¡± Su Huaizhi interjected, his tone unusually assertive. ¡°So, what if I was expelled from teaching at that private academy? I don¡¯t need to teach those brats anymore!¡± Chen Jinbei sighed in exasperation. ¡°What exactly did you lose out on?¡± Lin Yi¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°The Zhu family is involved with the theft of Daoist techniques from the county office. When I was falsely accused and made a scapegoat, it was all orchestrated by them. Zhu Changyu is in league with Zhang Shengcai!¡± Su Huaizhi froze. Then, as understanding dawned, he stomped his foot angrily. ¡°It all makes sense now! Zhu Changyu lending us money, smoothing things over to get you that temporary constable position¡­ I thought he was being kind. Turns out, it was all a trap to harm you!¡± ¡°Despicable!¡± Su Huaizhi spat on the ground; his fury palpable. ¡°Are you certain?¡± Chen Jinbei¡¯s expression darkened, a dangerous glint in his eyes. ¡°If this is true, even as a prodigy of Junji Academy, Zhu Liren won¡¯t escape retribution.¡± Lin Yi nodded solemnly. ¡°He all but admitted it earlier. Can¡¯t you tell if they¡¯re lying?¡± Chen Jinbei hesitated before confessing, ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Lin Yi blinked in confusion. ¡°I can¡¯t read lies,¡± Chen Jinbei admitted, his cheeks reddening. ¡°Back at the county office, I only acted on instinct. Zhang Shengcai¡¯s guilty reaction confirmed my hunch, so I acted. But Zhu Liren is different. Without solid evidence, I can¡¯t touch him. Unless¡­¡± ¡°Unless what?¡± Lin Yi pressed. Chen Jinbei stroked his beard thoughtfully. ¡°Unless he¡¯s expelled from Junji Academy. But that¡¯s nearly impossible. In the entire Nanxiang Province, we have so few talented scholars, let alone someone of Zhu Liren¡¯s caliber. Besides, the stolen Daoist techniques have already been recovered. Junji Academy will protect him and clear his name.¡± Lin Yi frowned. ¡°So, there¡¯s no other way?¡± ¡°None,¡± Chen Jinbei said with a sigh. Lin Yi clenched his fists but said nothing. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry. Revenge, after all, was best served calculated.
Meanwhile, the wealthy merchants who had expelled Su Huaizhi from their private academy now approached him with sheepish smiles. ¡°Master Su, we were wrong. Please accept our sincerest apologies¡­¡± ¡°Master Su, we acted poorly. We see that now. Please reconsider staying as our teacher. We¡¯ll double¡ªno, triple your pay!¡± ¡°Master Su, I¡¯ll even slap myself for forgiveness!¡± Su Huaizhi glanced at them; his expression cold. ¡°Get. Out.¡± The merchants stammered, some even trying to argue. ¡°Master Su, we¡¯re all neighbors. There¡¯s no need to burn bridges. Surely you can show us some face¡ª¡± Chen Jinbei chuckled disdainfully. ¡°Face? You wish to reconcile, but Master Su doesn¡¯t. Soon, he¡¯ll be teaching at Pingzhou Academy. You¡¯re not worthy of his time.¡± Turning to Su Huaizhi, Chen Jinbei bowed respectfully. ¡°Master Su, may I extend an official invitation for you to join Pingzhou Academy as a lecturer?¡± Chapter 23: The Dean Arrives in Person Su Huaizhi stood dumbfounded. First, it had been Fang Qingxue, a scholar of the academy, and now even Chen Jinbei, one of its respected tutors, extended him an invitation. What had he done to deserve such an honor? The very thought of scholars chasing after him to address him as "Tutor" made his scalp tingle. Lin Yi, amused by Su Huaizhi¡¯s hesitation, encouraged him with a smile. ¡°This is a good opportunity. You should accept it!¡± Initially, Lin Yi had been planning to leave some money behind for Su Huaizhi to settle down or find a wife. But now it seemed there was no need to stay in Daxing Town any longer. Pingzhou Academy was an excellent place to be, offering both security and growth for Su Huaizhi¡ªand for Lin Yi, it meant fewer concerns about his mentor¡¯s future as he pursued his own ambitions. After a moment of deliberation, Su Huaizhi nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Chen Jinbei clasped his hands in respect. ¡°Having someone like you join Pingzhou Academy is a blessing for the scholars there, Tutor Su!¡± A man capable of nurturing a prodigy like Lin Yi needed no further validation of his capabilities. By bringing Su Huaizhi to the academy, Chen Jinbei felt he had accomplished something extraordinary. Not only had he retrieved the stolen Daoist techniques, but he had also secured a scholar with a Heavenly Aura of Righteousness and, as a bonus, recruited the very tutor responsible for teaching such a rare talent. Threefold triumph! The merchants observing this exchange were utterly stunned. The poor scholar was now a tutor at the academy? What had they done? If only they had maintained their good relations with Su Huaizhi, they would have benefited immensely from this connection. ¡°We should go.¡± Lin Yi slung Su Huaizhi¡¯s belongings over his shoulder, ready to leave with Chen Jinbei for Pingzhou Academy. ¡°There are still a few things in the private school,¡± Su Huaizhi reminded him. ¡°Yi¡¯er, come with me to fetch them.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Yi nodded, then turned to Chen Jinbei. ¡°Chen Tutor, please wait here for a moment¡­¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Chen Jinbei smiled warmly. ¡°Just don¡¯t think about running off! Both you and Tutor Su belong to Pingzhou Academy now, and I won¡¯t let you get away.¡± Lin Yi could only chuckle in resignation and followed Su Huaizhi toward the private school. As they walked, the townsfolk instinctively parted to make way for them. ¡°Lin Yi, about my daughter¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± Lin Yi didn¡¯t even let the wealthy merchant finish his sentence before curtly dismissing him. The man, now full of regret, felt his heart sink.
Meanwhile, a robed elder materialized on a street not far from the private school. Though the street bustled with activity, no one seemed to notice the elder, as though he existed in a different reality altogether.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. This elder was none other than Zheng Zhiqiu, the Dean of Pingzhou Academy. With his current cultivation in the scholarly arts, ordinary people without a "Heart of the Scholarly Way" wouldn¡¯t perceive his presence unless he willed it. ¡°True recluse among the bustling world... This senior must be a hidden sage!¡± Zheng Zhiqiu murmured, his expression alight with excitement. But soon, his brows furrowed. ¡°Even with the guiding presence of Heavenly Aura, locating such a figure won¡¯t be easy¡­¡± The Heavenly Aura only pointed him to a general vicinity. Finding an exact individual would be near impossible unless that person actively manifested their aura again. Still, he could sense the presence of one of the academy¡¯s tutors nearby. ¡°Good. At least there¡¯s a connection here,¡± he said, looking in the direction of the private school. In a single step, Zheng Zhiqiu vanished and reappeared just outside the private school. ¡°Chen Tutor?¡± Chen Jinbei jumped in shock at the sight of the dean and quickly bowed. ¡°This humble scholar greets the Dean!¡± His surprise was evident¡ªnever in his wildest dreams did he imagine the dean would personally come to Daxing Town. Could the phenomenon caused by Lin Yi¡¯s Heavenly Aura have been so significant? This also raised another thought in Chen Jinbei¡¯s mind. Had the deans of Junji Academy and Qingping Academy felt the ripple as well? If so, would they come too? If that happened, Lin Yi might have a chance to settle his grievances once and for all. But then, Chen Jinbei noticed something unusual. ¡°Dean, why are you dressed in a scholar¡¯s robe?¡± Zheng Zhiqiu straightened; his tone serious. ¡°I came here to pay respects to a senior who has greatly benefitted our academy. Before such a figure, I can only present myself as a student.¡± Chen Jinbei¡¯s heart skipped a beat. A senior so distinguished that even a fourth-rank gentleman like the dean would consider himself a mere pupil? In such a small town? Zheng Zhiqiu interrupted his thoughts. ¡°Why are you here? Have you recovered the stolen Daoist techniques?¡± ¡°Yes, Dean.¡± Chen Jinbei retrieved the scroll from his sleeve. ¡°They¡¯ve been recovered.¡± ¡°That quickly?¡± Zheng Zhiqiu¡¯s gaze softened with approval. Accepting the scroll, he nodded. ¡°Well done. When you return to the academy, you may select a calligraphy treasure for study.¡± Chen Jinbei beamed. ¡°Thank you, Dean!¡± ¡°There¡¯s one more thing¡­¡± Before Chen Jinbei could elaborate, Zheng Zhiqiu waved him off. ¡°That can wait. First, we must locate this senior¡ªthis takes priority.¡± ¡°But Dean, I was just about to mention¡ª¡± ¡°Later.¡± Zheng Zhiqiu¡¯s focus remained unwavering. ¡°Once we¡¯ve found this senior, we¡¯ll address whatever other matters you have. Until then, everything else can wait.¡± With a resigned sigh, Chen Jinbei relented. He couldn¡¯t help but think Lin Yi¡¯s matter was no small issue either¡ªthis was a prodigy who had potentially elevated Pingzhou Academy to the Sacred Hall. ¡°Dean, do you know where this senior resides?¡± ¡°I¡¯m unsure.¡± Zheng Zhiqiu shook his head but added with conviction, ¡°This senior is undoubtedly a hidden master. If we find him, it could lead to unimaginable opportunities.¡± ¡°Do you have any clues about this senior?¡± ¡°No physical description, but he must be of great age,¡± Zheng Zhiqiu speculated. ¡°Only someone with profound experience could compose a work like Diligence Carves the Way Through the Mountains; Hard Work Navigates the Boundless Sea. That level of insight can only come with age.¡± Chen Jinbei suppressed his skepticism and offered, ¡°I¡¯ll quickly inform the others inside the private school, then we can search together¡ª¡± ¡°No need!¡± Zheng Zhiqiu interrupted. ¡°A private school doesn¡¯t warrant such delay.¡± Before he could finish his sentence, a faint ripple of energy spread through the air. Zheng Zhiqiu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I¡¯ve sensed it again! Wait here and follow later.¡± In the blink of an eye, he vanished. Chen Jinbei stood frozen, his face twitching. This was the first time he¡¯d seen the dean so impatient. ¡°Just who is this senior the dean seeks?¡±
Elsewhere in Daxing Town, the grand Zhu family manor welcomed an important guest. Clad in a black scholar¡¯s robe embroidered with the characters "Junji" on the chest, the visitor was none other than He Weijun, the Dean of Junji Academy, who had traveled from the provincial capital of Nanxiang. ¡°D-Dean?¡± Zhu Liren felt the disturbance and rushed to the entrance. Upon seeing the guest, his heart skipped a beat. What could have brought the dean here? Could it be¡­ had he been granted the opportunity to attend next year¡¯s Sacred Assembly in the imperial capital? The Zhu family wasted no time in extending their utmost hospitality to He Weijun, who entered the manor with measured steps. Yet his true intentions were elsewhere. He Weijun had arrived in Daxing Town only to find that the Heavenly Aura had already dissipated. Locating its source was now a daunting task. Using supernatural means would be disrespectful, so he had followed a faint trace of familiar literary energy¡ªto Zhu Liren¡¯s household, no less. A coincidence? Smiling faintly, He Weijun turned to Zhu Liren, but his expression quickly hardened as he noticed something. In a flash, he appeared directly before Zhu Liren. ¡°You¡¯re injured?¡± His tone brimmed with fury. ¡°Who dared to harm a disciple of Junji Academy?¡± In Nanxiang Province, anyone who injured a Junji Academy disciple was courting death. Chapter 24: What Nonsense Is This? Zhu Liren fell silent. He Weijun''s piercing gaze fixed on him, his tone sharp as he spoke again: "I asked¡ªwho hurt you? What are you afraid of? Retribution?" Clasping his hands in a respectful gesture, Zhu Liren shook his head. "This disciple finds it difficult to say..." "There¡¯s nothing difficult to say!" He Weijun interrupted, his voice rising. "No matter who the perpetrator is, or their status, if they dare harm the geniuses of Junji Academy, it¡¯s a direct insult to me as the headmaster!" True fury flashed across He Weijun¡¯s face as he continued, his voice low and dangerous: "If even the disciples of Junji Academy can¡¯t have their grievances avenged, then this academy has no reason to exist!" Zhu Liren¡¯s eyes reddened with emotion, tears pooling as he dropped to his knees before He Weijun. Choking on his words, he pleaded: "I beg the headmaster to seek justice for me and my younger brother!" Moments later, Zhu Changyu was carried in on a stretcher by attendants, his body battered and lifeless, barely clinging to life. "Outrageous!" He Weijun''s anger surged. "Those who join Junji Academy¡ªbe they disciples or family¡ªare under its protection. Who dares act with such audacity?!" Seeing Zhu Changyu¡¯s near-death state, He Weijun¡¯s emotions roiled. A surge of literary energy erupted from his body, whipping up fierce winds throughout the Zhu family estate. The display was terrifying. Internally, Zhu Changyu was ecstatic, suppressing a sneer as he thought to himself: Lin Yi, let¡¯s see how you survive this. Did you think hiding under the protection of Pingzhou Academy¡¯s tutors would let you trample on me? Ha! Zhu Liren¡¯s black hair whipped in the wind as he knelt, his voice trembling with righteous indignation: "It was Tutor Chen Jinbei of Pingzhou Academy who harmed me!" He gritted his teeth and continued: "Chen Jinbei fancied a scholar accused of stealing mystical techniques and wanted to take him as a disciple. To clear the man¡¯s name, he interfered with the county court¡¯s investigation and framed others for the crime! My younger brother, Zhu Changyu, stood up to expose the truth. But Chen Jinbei, a ninth-rank scholar of the Way of Literature, severely injured him in retaliation. If not for the inked talisman protecting my brother¡¯s body, he would already be dead!" "When I sought justice for my brother, Chen Jinbei struck me as well, brazenly declaring that he didn¡¯t care if Pingzhou Academy made enemies of Junji Academy!" Zhu Liren lowered his head, pressing it to the cold stone floor. His words were laced with grief and fury, painting Chen Jinbei and Lin Yi as villains of the highest order. Boom!This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. He Weijun''s rage erupted, an overwhelming aura of murderous intent sweeping through the skies above the Zhu estate. Dark clouds gathered ominously, the heavens echoing his fury. This display of natural phenomena, influenced by his emotions, was the mark of a fourth-rank Gentleman of Virtue¡ªa scholar recognized by the heavens. "Chen Jinbei, how dare you!" He Weijun¡¯s icy glare locked onto Zhu Liren. Grinding his teeth, he growled, "Where is he now?" "In the private school within the town," Zhu Liren replied swiftly. "This disciple will lead the way!" "Lead on!" Zhu Liren rose, turning to guide He Weijun. The moment his back was to the headmaster, a sly smile crept onto his lips. To pit Lin Yi and Chen Jinbei against He Weijun, ensuring their demise, while erasing Pingzhou Academy from Nanshang Prefecture entirely... This scheme will be the crowning achievement of my life.
Meanwhile, outside the humble private school in the town... "Tutor Chen!" Lin Yi and Su Huaizhi emerged, each carrying a worn wooden crate. The crates contained their entire worldly possessions¡ªtattered books and faded, threadbare clothes. Chen Jinbei smiled warmly at Lin Yi. "Is everything packed? But don¡¯t rush¡ªwe won¡¯t head to the academy just yet. The headmaster is visiting an elder in town. We might even gain an unexpected opportunity from this meeting!" "An opportunity?" Lin Yi was surprised. "I didn¡¯t expect such a reclusive expert to live in a place as small as Daxing Town." "It seems fortune is on our side," Chen Jinbei said with a chuckle. "The headmaster hasn¡¯t met this elder yet but is close to finding him. Let¡¯s catch up and see!" "Alright!" Lin Yi loaded the crates onto an ox cart, helping Su Huaizhi settle in before urging the cart forward to follow Chen Jinbei. But then¡ªclip-clop, clip-clop¡ªa group of men in blue uniforms appeared from all directions, surrounding them. These men exuded hostility, their expressions cold as they stared down the trio, yet made no immediate move. Chen Jinbei frowned, his voice steady but sharp: "Zhu family, how bold of you to obstruct scholars! Do you not fear the wrath of those who walk the literary path?" It was clear these men were part of the Zhu household. Only a family with a literary prodigy could afford to maintain such an entourage. "Hah! Your arrogance precedes you," came a voice, firm and resonant. He Weijun strode into view, flanked by Zhu Liren. Dressed in a black scholar¡¯s robe and wearing a ceremonial headpiece, he carried himself with an air of authority. Literary energy swirled around him, exuding an otherworldly aura. "Tutor Chen." Chen Jinbei¡¯s heart sank. He immediately recognized He Weijun and couldn¡¯t hide his shock. Why is he here? Could it be, like Headmaster Zheng, he¡¯s also seeking this elder? Nearby, Lin Yi was equally stunned. Another headmaster? And they¡¯re here for the same elder? Just how influential is this person? Lin Yi briefly entertained the idea of abandoning Chen Jinbei and seeking this elder¡¯s favor himself. "Enough!" He Weijun¡¯s voice boomed. "I will not accept your empty pleasantries. You injured my disciples¡ªwhat do you have to say for yourself?" Suppressing his anger, He Weijun maintained composure, mindful of the elder who might be watching from the shadows. Lin Yi¡¯s heart sank. This is bad. Chen was right¡ªthis headmaster really does protect his own without regard for reason. But then, remembering that Pingzhou Academy¡¯s headmaster might also intervene, Lin Yi calmed himself. "Your disciples?" Chen Jinbei¡¯s voice was firm. "The Zhu brothers ganged up on my student. Am I to stand by and do nothing?" "And this ¡®student¡¯ of yours," He Weijun retorted, pointing at Lin Yi, "is a known criminal who stole mystical techniques! Is this the caliber of student Pingzhou Academy recruits? How disgraceful!" "I intend to petition the Sacred Academy to strip Pingzhou Academy of its teaching license!" Stripping the license meant obliterating the academy itself. "Idiot," Lin Yi muttered under his breath, his patience snapping. He didn¡¯t care that He Weijun was a headmaster. If provoked, he¡¯d either fight or mock¡ªwhatever worked. What nonsense is this? Chapter 25: A Salute to the Elder ¡°Idiot?¡± Chen Jinbei turned to Lin Yi, puzzled by the unfamiliar term. He didn¡¯t understand its meaning but found it strangely satisfying to hear. How peculiar. ¡°What?¡± He Weijun¡¯s eyes narrowed. Though he didn¡¯t grasp the term¡¯s meaning either, Lin Yi¡¯s expression made it clear¡ªit was an insult. The air around He Weijun grew oppressive, a sign of the righteous energy within him surging dangerously close to spilling out. His demeanor exuded dominance. Chen Jinbei stepped in front of Lin Yi, shielding him. ¡°Leave this to me. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± ¡°Teacher Chen, I¡¯ll handle this myself.¡± Lin Yi moved out from behind him, standing tall as he faced, He Weijun, the esteemed headmaster of Junji Academy. This wasn¡¯t an act of recklessness. He needed to confront He Weijun personally. Relying on Chen Jinbei¡¯s protection would only appear as though he was guilty of the accusations. ¡°Don¡¯t be foolish,¡± Chen Jinbei cautioned. ¡°This isn¡¯t foolishness,¡± Lin Yi replied, his voice steady. ¡°He accuses me of stealing forbidden techniques¡ªshould I let that stand? He calls me the disgrace of Pingzhou Academy¡ªam I to accept that? He brands me a tainted scholar¡ªhow could I endure that?¡± Lin Yi¡¯s words carried a weight born of past pain. Once, in his previous life, he¡¯d been wrongfully accused of theft while helping catch a real thief. That false accusation had cost him his dignity, earning him ridicule and exclusion. He had suffered enough of such humiliation. This time, he vowed to clear his name and ensure those who slandered him faced justice. No delay. No retreat. He believed in one truth: Justice delayed is justice denied. ¡°Very well.¡± Chen Jinbei studied Lin Yi for a moment before nodding. ¡°I understand. Do what you must. But know this¡ªif they wish to harm you, they¡¯ll have to step over my corpse first.¡± ¡°Thank you, Teacher.¡± Lin Yi bowed deeply, then strode forward to meet He Weijun. From the sidelines, Zhu Liren watched Lin Yi, his lips curling into a sneer. This fool truly thinks he can stand against the headmaster of Junji Academy? What arrogance! He clenched his fists, hatred burning in his eyes. Lin Yi¡¯s talent and the righteous energy protecting him only fueled his resentment. To Zhu Liren, Lin Yi¡¯s very existence was an insult.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Meanwhile, He Weijun observed Lin Yi with growing intrigue. Such resolve¡­ Could someone like this really be a thief of forbidden techniques? Yet his loyalty to Junji Academy¡¯s prodigy, Zhu Liren, anchored his doubts. If Zhu Liren claimed Lin Yi was guilty, it was difficult to dismiss. ¡°So, you dare confront me?¡± He Weijun said, folding his arms. His tone was laced with derision. ¡°A mere insect challenging a mountain?¡± ¡°Not a confrontation,¡± Lin Yi replied, his voice calm but firm. ¡°A plea for clarity. Don¡¯t let petty schemers cloud your judgment.¡± As he spoke, Lin Yi summoned the last remnants of his righteous energy. Golden light gleamed in his eyes, and the surrounding atmosphere grew heavy with anticipation. He began to recite: "Though hammered and crushed deep in the mountains, Through blazing fires, I remain undaunted." A thunderclap echoed through the heavens. Pure and boundless righteous energy swirled above, forming a golden vortex that descended into Lin Yi. The depleted reserves within him surged back to life, radiating outward in a dazzling glow. The poem resonated deeply within him, aligning perfectly with his spirit. It was a reflection of his journey¡ªenduring oppression, hardship, and injustice, yet refusing to yield. Lin Yi continued: "Shattered to pieces, I fear not; For what remains is purity everlasting!" With the final words, Lin Yi stopped in place, his eyes locking onto He Weijun. ¡°Come, then!¡± he declared. The heavens answered. A pillar of golden righteous energy erupted into the sky, illuminating the entire region. It shattered into a vast arc of brilliance, a golden rainbow stretching across the land. A gentle breeze swept through, carrying with it the essence of righteousness. It was a soothing balm, a reminder of hope and virtue. Simultaneously, a melodious chime resonated throughout the region¡ªa Tianyin, the celestial music signifying the birth of a profound literary achievement. He Weijun froze, the mockery on his face replaced by sheer disbelief. His hands trembled, and his lips quivered as he stammered, ¡°T-this¡­ A seven-character quatrain that resonates across a prefecture? It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s you?¡± He staggered back, shaken to his core. For fifty years, such an extraordinary poetic feat¡ªCaiqi Mingzhou¡ªhad not been seen within Nanshang Prefecture. He had long searched for the mysterious scholar responsible for the previous phenomenon. To think¡­ this young man, whom he had dismissed as a disgrace, was that very scholar. Nearby, Chen Jinbei fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. He wept openly, unbothered by appearances. For over forty years, he had dedicated his life to the path of scholarship, yearning for a sign that the literary way was still alive and thriving. Today, he heard the heavens¡¯ reply. At that moment, two figures emerged from the void. ¡°Master!¡± It was none other than Zheng Zhiqiu, headmaster of Pingzhou Academy, and He Wancheng, headmaster of Qingping Academy. The two venerable men, both over a century old, approached swiftly. They stopped before Su Huaizhi, Lin Yi¡¯s unassuming companion. Bowing deeply, they proclaimed in unison: ¡°Zheng Zhiqiu, headmaster of Pingzhou Academy!¡± ¡°He Wancheng, headmaster of Qingping Academy!¡± ¡°We greet the esteemed elder!¡± Their humility was unshaken by Su Huaizhi¡¯s simple attire or weathered appearance. In the world of scholarship, knowledge and virtue mattered more than age or status. For them, Su Huaizhi was a true master, worthy of reverence.