Chapter 27: Provocation
Cultivation realms in the world were divided into six levels. Cultivators standing at the top of cultivation were sufficient to be called a great hero of their generation. But, wanting to add the word sage was far from what having a powerful cultivation realm could accomplish.
The confucianism lineage merely only had three scholars who had the qualifications to be called a sage appear in the countless years of history.
As for exactly which sage set up the academy, it had been too long and no one knew anymore.
"After countless years, the academy naturally became the holy land of our confucianism lineage. From ancient times to the present, the relationship between the dynasty and foreign cultivators had always been unequal. More than 200 years have passed since our Great Liang Dynasty has been established. Our relationship has changed, but we're still weaker. Even so, our Great Liang Dynasty can also be called times of peace and prosperity that have been unprecedented for a thousand years."
Lin Yuan looked at Xie Nandu and said softly, "Different from other foreign cultivators, our confucianism lineage scholars have always been connected to the secular world from start to end; inseparable. The academy is the ironclad evidence."
"In the past countless years, our academy has produced many great cultivators and also produced many intellectuals. They have done a lot in this world. Among the present Great Liang Dynasty's civil servants, there are around 10% from the academy too."
Lin Yuan frowned slightly when he saw that the young girl in front of him did not seem very interested after he had said so much. Not that he was dissatisfied with the young girl, he was just pondering what on earth this young girl who was born in the White Deer's Xie Clan wanted to hear from him.
A moment later, Xie Nandu took the initiative to open her mouth and ask, "I heard that in these countless years, the academy has only moved once?"
The academy's location had never changed. Because wherever the academy was, that place would definitely be the capital of a dynasty without exception.
For so many years, the academy had only taken the initiative to relocate once.
That relocation was a great humiliation to the scholars of the entire confucianism lineage.
Lin Yuan took a look at the young girl in front of him and smiled bitterly. Only then, did he understand that it turns out she was thinking about this.
"Does Miss just want to ask? Or do you have other ideas?" Lin Yuan who was silent for a moment still could not resist opening his mouth to ask.
However, Xie Nandu just smiled slightly and did not answer. She looked at the fire in front of her and started thinking about the young man whom she had not seen for a few days already.
……
……
Ever since he learned that he was getting promoted to commandery, Mi Ke had been in a great mood recently. Although he still knew that he could only hand over his seal and leave after the new official came to take office in spring, he had already instructed his men to start packing up these few days. VịSit no(v)3lb/!n(.)c𝒐m for new 𝒏ov𝒆l𝒔
He was just waiting to leave right away when the time came.
It was not that he had no feelings for this county town. It was truly because he, Mi Ke, had been trapped in this position of the magistrate for far too long.
However, when someone was rejoicing, others would be worried. These few days, everyone in the county government could see with their naked eye that Registrar Zhang was depressed. The court underlings did not understand, they just treated it as that he could not bear to part with Mi Ke, this lord magistrate whom he had been together from morning to night for many years. For some time, Registrar Zhang's loyalty had already spread in the county government.
But the more that was the case, the more Mi Ke felt that leaving early was the best strategy.
Today was a rest day, Mi Ke who was idle with nothing to do went out of the county government by himself early in the morning. Taking off his official robes, he was going to take a good look at Tianqing County. But before that, he was going to make a trip to Peach Blossom Alley.
He wanted to go and see Chen Chao.
Except, when he passed through that narrow alley and arrived in front of that house in the deepest part, he was greatly disappointed again.
Because the door was tightly locked at this time.
Mi Ke knew that this young warden frequently went out these few years, his footprints spanning across the surrounding mountains and forests. Every time he went out, the duration would be different, but he would not have any dissatisfaction. Because if it were not for this young man who spared no effort to kill demons, how could Tianqing County have such peaceful times?
Turning around in disappointment, Mi Ke just happened to see the door of the opposite house being opened by someone. A man walked out by himself and sat down on the doorstep.
It was precisely Zhou Gouqi.
Zhou Gouqi looked at this local government official and was in no rush to speak.
He naturally knew this lord magistrate.
Mi Ke was not wearing official robes today and did not regard himself as the lord magistrate either. When he saw this man opposite, he just opened his mouth to ask, "Do you know when Warden Chen will be back?"
The man currently had his hand reached out to dig out the vegetable residue between the crevices of his teeth. Hearing this lord magistrate open his mouth to ask, he waved his hand impatiently and said, "How would Your Father know? That punk is often not home, who knows where he went!"
Mi Ke smiled helplessly and paid no heed to the attitude of the man in front of him.
After turning around and walking out of Peach Blossom Alley, Mi Ke slowly walked along the long street, sizing up this county town that he had not observed seriously for many years.
Actually, he had been in this county town for many years. In the first two years, Mi Ke still had ardent expectations for this place, thinking that as long as he worked hard for several years, he would definitely get an opportunity to transfer out of this place. Not that he would immediately get the authority to take charge of a commandery, but at least, he could take a small step up the ladder. But some things turned out contrary to expectations. He quickly discovered that he had no allies in court. No matter how hard he worked in office, it would be hard to get a chance for promotion. Once he figured this out, he became less hardworking with each subsequent year.
Mi Ke was somewhat rueful as he recalled how he would walk around the city virtually once a month in the beginning, hearing if any household had any grievances. All the way until once every three months, half a year, and until he stopped doing it. Walking aimlessly, he arrived in front of a shop that bought and sold antiques.
Taking a look at the shop called Treasure House, Mi Ke did not plan to go in. He was somewhat absentminded. He likely remembered stories of the past and felt somewhat emotional about how it was difficult for people to follow their own hearts in this life.
All of a sudden, he felt himself being bumped by someone and could not help returning to his senses. He heard a voice, "Get lost! Foolish thing!"
Mi Ke subconsciously furrowed his brows. So many years in Tianqing County, who dared to speak to him in this manner?
Could it be because he was not wearing official robes?
When he turned around, Mi Ke saw that four people appeared out of the blue in front of that Treasure House. They were all young men and women who were dressed elegantly, with an extraordinary temperament.
Among the four people, a pair of men and women at the side of the shop entrance took a look at Mi Ke with indifferent expressions. While the woman with an otherworldly temperament standing on the other side did not look at him at all. Only that young man who was walking by himself at the forefront and had already arrived at the shop entrance looked at Mi Ke with some amusement in his eyes.
Mi Ke had hustled in the officialdom for many years and had naturally long already cultivated a pair of keen eyes. He could tell just from these few people's attires that they were no ordinary civilians. Plus, those few people had an aura that ordinary people absolutely did not possess. He quickly judged that these few people were not locals. Without thinking for a long time, he took the initiative to apologize, "I'm the local county magistrate, Mi Ke. I accidentally bumped into you. Hope that young masters and ladies are magnanimous enough to forgive."
In this Tianqing County, there probably had never been anyone who could make this lord magistrate lower his head so readily.
However, Mi Ke's words met a certain standard too. He reported his identity to see whether or not the other party had an extraordinary background.
In the end, the young man who spoke out before just sneered as he said, "Is the lord of a county trying to overawe people by force?"
Just by listening to the natural arrogance and conceit from the other party's words, Mi Ke knew that this young man in front of him was no ordinary person.
Hence, he quickly weighed the pros and cons and apologized again. His attitude this time seemed most sincere.
But even so, the young man still asked him rather relentlessly, "Is it enough to just apologize?"
Hearing this, the other three people virtually furrowed their brows. They were naturally not worried about the life and death of Mi Ke, this ordinary magistrate. It was just that they did not quite understand why this person insisted on causing unnecessary problems here.
However, with the prior events in the mountain god temple, these three people did not speak at this time but maintained silence very tacitly.
Mi Ke also became somewhat unhappy, but he did not show it. He actually did not move at all before. If talking about bumping into people, it was also them who took the initiative to bump into him. He already made a concession by humbling himself. Even if the other party had an extraordinary background, they could not be so unrelenting either, right?
Suppressing the anger in his heart, Mi Ke looked at that young man and asked, "I wonder how Sir will be satisfied?"
The young man narrowed his eyes. There was already some killing intent in his eyes.