In Huangting Country, there was a small county town called Sui'an—Sui as in "wish fulfilled," An as in "peace." It belonged to Yanzhou Prefecture, itself a fertile land of culture and education that produced the most Top Scholars and Jinshi in Huangting Country. Though the county was not connected to any major postal route, it had many scholarly households. Before Chen Ping'an entered the county town, he could already see a Wenchang Tower standing atop a small hill.
Since ancient times, places with flourishing literary traditions were often like this: before one saw the town, one saw the Wenchang Tower.
Qing Tong spread out her divine sense and surveyed the county town. No matter how she looked at it, it did not seem like... If this was a case of "the water need not be deep; with a dragon, it gains spirit," then given Qing Tong's realm and discernment, she ought to have spotted some clues. Yet the rivers and streams around the county did not even have a river matron. The spiritual energy within the county was exceedingly thin, while its martial fortune was so bleak it could be ignored altogether. There were faint traces of literary fortune, but they had not formed into anything substantial. Most came from a continuing inheritance under Ancestral Blessing Protection, from certain imperially commissioned Memorial Arch Towers and ancestral hall plaques bearing the words "Jinshi Degree Achieved." There were even some in poor households tucked away in shabby lanes. Qing Tong grew ever more puzzled. Could it be that her eyes had failed her? Was some mountain peak great cultivator, or perhaps a Merit Sage, living in seclusion here and deliberately concealing heavenly secrets?
Qing Tong could not help asking, "Who are we looking for on this trip?"
Chen Ping'an smiled. "No one.