Reading Clarifies Righteousness

Anyuan Town.

A small courtyard beside Yuanhe Street.

"Mr. Xuanming, this is my fellow disciple, Shi Yi. He admires your learning and wishes to study under you."

Zhao Cheng brought Shi Yi to the residence of Xuanming of Xiucai Tower.

It was a somewhat old thatched courtyard. Though it looked clean, it was very plain, perfectly fitting the definition of a humble dwelling.

Lou Xuanming's clothes looked somewhat old, but they had been washed spotlessly clean and were not at all messy. He himself appeared very spirited.

The refined elegance of a scholar was vividly displayed upon him.

"This student, Shi Yi, respectfully asks for your instruction."

Shi Yi said with a bow.

Beside him, he had also brought the customary tuition gift.

"Mm, come in!"

Lou Xuanming studied Shi Yi seriously. After a short while, he finally nodded and spoke.

Shi Yi and Zhao Cheng carried the tuition gift and followed behind Lou Xuanming.

"Have you read the Four Books?"

Once the three had seated themselves inside, Lou Xuanming looked at Shi Yi and asked slowly.

"Replying to you, sir, I have not. I only recognize some characters, not all of them."

Shi Yi answered truthfully.

He knew that Lou Xuanming was asking about the extent of his learning.

Within the Great Zhou Dynasty, although people also believed that reading should be cultivated from childhood, living circumstances varied, and some only began seeking an education at an older age.

Shi Yi's situation was therefore quite normal.

Lou Xuanming had already learned of Shi Yi's circumstances from Zhao Cheng. He knew that Shi Yi was already a Martial Disciple of the Blood Essence Realm, possessed exceptional Martial Path Talent, and had been accepted as a disciple by Lu Feng, the School Master of Anyang Martial Arts School.

The Imperial Examination was not a path Shi Yi would take in the future, but martial practice also required literacy.

"Mm. Tomorrow morning, I will be teaching young children their first lessons in the house. Come and attend with them!"

Lou Xuanming said with a slight nod.

The Zhao family had an old connection with him. When Zhao Cheng had approached him, he had not immediately refuse outright, merely telling Zhao Cheng to bring the person over so he could have a look.

Now, seeing that Shi Yi was handsome and spoke with refinement rather than resembling some crude martial practitioner, he agreed along with the flow of things.

He was already teaching young children their first lessons. Adding one more Shi Yi naturally posed no problem.

"Thank you, sir!"

Hearing this, Shi Yi bowed.

The two left together, silently leaving behind the tuition gift.

"Senior Brother Zhao, I think this Mr. Xuanming is no ordinary man. His achievements in the Imperial Examination should not stop at Child Scholar, should they?"

Only after Shi Yi and Zhao Cheng had left the small courtyard did Shi Yi ask.

Originally, he had thought Zhao Cheng had found him an elderly pedant, a Child Scholar who had failed all his life to become a Xiucai Scholar.

Such a person might not possess great learning, but teaching him to recognize characters would not be a problem.

Shi Yi's primary purpose in studying was actually to become literate. As long as he could read, many of his problems could be resolved.

As for scholarship and learning, those were things accumulated slowly over time.

Through his own efforts, he had mastered a great deal of knowledge on Blue Star; here in the Central Great World, he was likewise confident that he could read more books and acquire still more knowledge.

With the divine ability of Eidetic Memory, gaining more knowledge was fundamentally no problem. Given time, he was even confident of taking the Imperial Examination.

"You saw through him, Junior Brother!"

"Originally, I found a seasoned Child Scholar for you, but his health was poor. He fell ill a few days ago and has already gone to the countryside to recuperate. He will not return to Anyuan Town anytime soon."

"You were also in a hurry to find a teacher for your first lessons. My father happened to mention Mr. Xuanming to me, so I tried bringing the matter up to him. Mr. Xuanming then told me to bring you over for him to see."

"Originally, I was not entirely certain that Mr. Xuanming would let you study under him, Junior Brother, but fortunately, he agreed."

"As for Mr. Xuanming, although he currently only holds the Xiucai Scholar degree, his accumulated learning runs deep."

"My father told me that Mr. Xuanming is the person in Anyuan Town most likely to become a Recommended Scholar within the past ten years."

Zhao Cheng explained with a smile.

Seeing that Shi Yi's potential was even greater than he had expected, he had naturally put more care into finding a teacher for Shi Yi!

In his father's words, since one could see that a friend had great potential and decent character, one should help with all one's strength.

Only then could one show sincerity and deepen the relationship.

He saw it very clearly. Shi Yi's success, aside from his recommendation, also had much to do with the Scholarly Aura about him. That had been the impression Shi Yi gave him when they first met, and it was also the source of Zhao Cheng's favorable feelings toward him.

This Scholarly Aura had nothing to do with the amount of knowledge one possessed, but rather with one's state of mind.

To put it in the words of scholars, one glance was enough to tell that he was fine material for reading.

Some people, even without personally teaching them, could tell at a glance whether another possessed the talent for study.

"Reading clarifies righteousness."

"Junior Brother, if you wish to travel farther along the path of martial cultivation, merely recognizing characters is not enough. You need to read more books."

"This was also what Father told me when I was studying. Now, I pass those words on to you, Junior Brother."

Zhao Cheng looked at Shi Yi with a solemn expression.

Lou Xuanming's willingness to accept Shi Yi as a student also made Zhao Cheng value Shi Yi even more.

"This junior brother has been taught!"

Hearing this, Shi Yi bowed in thanks.

He naturally knew the importance of reading. That was why, ever since arriving in the Central Great World, he had always wanted to study and become literate.

When someone deliberately reminded you to value reading, that person was not harming you but helping you. It also proved that the person was worth befriending.

"Junior Brother previously asked me about the Path of Immortality. I do not know much about it either, only that those great figures cultivate the Dao."

"When I was young, Father took me to a Daoist temple in the county seat. They said it was to test my Dao cultivation talent. After we returned from the temple, Father had me practice martial arts."

"Although Father never said it outright, I presume I had no Dao cultivation talent. Otherwise, I should have remained in the Daoist temple to cultivate."

Zhao Cheng spoke as they walked.

Shi Yi had previously probed around about this matter, but at the time, he had yet to break through to the Blood Essence Realm. In Lu Feng's words, he could not devote too much of his attention to other matters.

Masters of Dao arts were rarely seen in town, but some did pass through.

He had once witnessed masters of Dao arts clash. Naturally, he knew such figures were far from simple.

Flying through the heavens and burrowing through the earth were divine means everyone wished to master. Naturally, he was no exception.

Shi Yi listened carefully. This was also something he had long wished to inquire about.

"If Junior Brother wishes to learn more, when you go to Ninghe County in the future, you can ask around at the Daoist temple."

"The Daoist temple in Ninghe County is very famous."

After glancing at Shi Yi, Zhao Cheng continued.

In his eyes, Shi Yi would certainly join Ninghe County's Anhe Martial Arts School in the future, and there was a great chance that his achievements would surpass Lu Feng's.

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother."

After hearing this, Shi Yi's eyes shone brightly.

He had not expected even someone of Zhao Cheng's status to know so little.

Though this was merely a small town, Zhao Cheng's father was an official no matter what.

Who said a village clerk was not an official?

"As for cultivating the Dao, Junior Brother does not actually need to pay too much attention to it. Once martial cultivation achieves success, it is also exceedingly powerful, with terrifying combat strength."

"Among the famous officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty, many are martial arts masters. On the contrary, there are not so many masters of Dao cultivation."

"So, Junior Brother, you should first raise your martial cultivation!"

Zhao Cheng said with a smile.

Dao arts cultivation was deeply mysterious, but martial cultivation, once successful, was no inferior.