Li Du Assists Me

Yulin Academy.

Xiang Yuan sat cross-legged by the corridor window, a saber in his arms, his mind working on three things at once.

Before him was an open space, beyond which lay a bamboo forest with a pavilion. The wind blew, rustling the bamboo, but his mind remained still.

In his ears was the sound of Wang Wenxu's lecture, covering the Daoist, Confucian, and Buddhist schools. The three philosophies blended into one, balanced and unbiased—a path for self-cultivation and also for governing the world.

It was understandable to have Daoism and Buddhism, but Confucianism was no exception. Ever since Que Xin had crossed realms to kill Lingguang, Xiang Yuan knew there were heavens beyond heavens and that different realms could interact. He could now encounter familiar things with a calm mind.

After listening for a while, Xiang Yuan couldn't help but squint, his eyes half-open, nodding along like a sponge absorbing all of Wang Wenxu's earnest teachings.

He's a good teacher. It's a shame about Xiao He.

His third heart gathered Qi and circulated it through the Ren Meridian, continuing his cultivation from last night. Using the momentum of Lone Star Chasing Moon, he had opened another acupoint.

Qi reached the Xuanji point. Of the twenty-four acupoints on the Ren Meridian, only Tiantu, Lianquan, and Chenjiang remained, and he was on the verge of great success. In layman's terms, he was half a step away from Great Perfection in the Qi Refining Stage, able to reach the peak at any moment.

A look of joy appeared on his face. He stopped circulating his Qi, consolidating his three hearts into one, and his gaze fell upon the long swords displayed on the shelf.

"Good sword."

It was noon when Wang Wenxu announced the end of class. Two figures, with the speed of lightning and the force of thunder, left their seats in the back row and then dashed out the back door, flanking Xiang Yuan and dragging him towards the academy's mess hall.

Students could bring their own lunchboxes or pay to eat at the mess hall, but the academy had a rule: no eating in classrooms. Everyone had to eat at the mess hall.

Xiang Yuan never refused a meal. He ordered enough for three people, claiming he was still growing and needed to eat a lot at his age.

Where there are people, there is a Jianghu. Where there is a Jianghu, there are factions. Yulin Academy didn't have many students, divided into two main factions.

One faction was Xiao He and Xu Jixian. The other... was everyone else.

Xiang Yuan, along with the two clowns, occupied a table by themselves. As he saw students walking over, chatting and laughing, his gaze was immediately drawn to a female student.

The woman wore no makeup, yet she was beautiful and poised, elegant and graceful, with an outstanding aura. The other students, regardless of age, were like green leaves setting off a beautiful flower, making her stand out from the crowd.

She wasn't old, perhaps twenty, or even younger.

Xiang Yuan wasn't concerned with the female student's appearance. Observing the lightness and fluidity of her movements, a blend of gentleness and strength, he guessed her martial arts skills were extraordinary.

If he guessed correctly, she was the owner of that sword.

A good horse deserves a good saddle. Not bad!

Xiang Yuan was still thinking about the sword.

Xiao He followed Xiang Yuan's gaze and saw a student sitting nearby. He also noticed the female student and said, "Sima Qingyan, the daughter of County Magistrate Sima Changhui. This woman has some skill, and she's always been at odds with me here at the academy. It's because of her that the others don't hang out with me."

Could it be that you're just annoying?

Xiang Yuan sighed, then suddenly thought of something and looked intently at the two lechers beside him, a look of confusion on his face.

This shouldn't be. You two should be fawning over her. Why are you keeping your distance? Did you get beaten up after trying to flirt with her before?

Seemingly understanding Xiang Yuan's gaze, Xiao He said proudly, "Little Yuan Brother, you don't understand. Don't be fooled by her cold shoulder towards this brother. Anyone can see her intentions. The Sima Clan calculated that I would come to Fengxian County to study, so they sent her to the academy two years early to deliberately create a chance encounter so she could climb into the Xiao family. I don't need to pursue her; she'll come to me herself. Why wouldn't I be happy about that!"

Her cold shoulder is a facade, a tactic to use contrast and hook someone like me, a royal descendant who has seen it all.

What a Sima Clan's intentions are known to all. May I ask if the current head of the Sima Clan is Sima Zhao?

Xiang Yuan's forehead was covered in black lines. He had never seen anyone so shameless. He thought for a moment and recalled a similarly formidable individual. He turned to look at Xu Jixian, hoping to hear his insightful opinion.

Let's just treat it like listening to a crosstalk show.

As expected, Xu Jixian did not disappoint Xiang Yuan, his opening words making one burst into laughter.

"Brother Xiao, your words are mistaken. She's not trying to hook you, but me. My Xu family's fortune is long-lasting; everyone in Dezhou knows it. Though we've fallen to rock bottom for a time, there will surely be a reversal of a trapped dragon rising to the heavens. Lord Sima recognizes my future potential and arranged for Qingyan to study with me. Childhood sweethearts, to form a romantic bond, mutual affection, and become husband and wife."

Xiang Yuan didn't see mutual affection, but he did see mutual attraction between two birds.

The two shameless men's voices were not low. The students on the other side heard them clearly. If Sima Qingyan hadn't stopped them, several young men would have already come over to demand an explanation.

Feeling the gazes of those who saw them as scum, Xiang Yuan buried his head in his food, crying out in injustice. It was Xiao He and Xu Jixian who spoke; he hadn't said anything.

On the first day of school, I'm already being isolated by my classmates. They won't even invite me to parties in the future. What should I do?

After lunch, Xiao He led Xiang Yuan to the pavilion to rest. As they passed, everyone fled in panic, showing no intention of aligning themselves with King Zhao or the Grand Secretariat.

How annoying must they be!

Xiang Yuan gave up. He knew that in the eyes of his classmates, he was no different from Xiao He and Xu Jixian. Even a swift severance wouldn't help.

So be it. Anyway, I'm here to study. It's better to have some peace.

On the other side, Xu Jixian kept his promise and went to kneel before Wang Wenxu. If he refused, he would roll around; if he still refused, he would cry and hang himself.

He was shameless, attracting a crowd of students. It was Wang Wenxu who lost face.

In the time it took for one incense stick to burn, Xu Jixian returned triumphantly, head held high, like a triumphant black rooster.

"Brother Xu, did it work?"

"With this brother taking action, how dare the teacher not comply."

Xu Jixian was extremely pleased. Just as Xiang Yuan was happy and about to praise him insincerely, the topic shifted: "But the teacher said the rules cannot be broken. If this precedent is set, there will be endless trouble. In the afternoon class, the teacher will test Little Yuan Brother under the guise of doing problems. Success or failure hinges on this."

"Is that how you handle things?"

Xiao He was furious. "Little Yuan Brother hasn't studied for many years, and he barely speaks. How can you expect him to do problems? He's more useless than the two of us!"

Who are you looking down on!

The veins on Xiang Yuan's forehead throbbed. He hadn't read many books in this life, barely able to read and write. But his previous life was different. Even though he'd forgotten most of what he learned after graduation, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse.

For example...

Well, in short, Xiao and Xu are illiterate; he is not.

Time flew to the afternoon classes. Xiang Yuan followed the two clowns into the lecture hall. The pair were thoughtful, leaving the middle seats in the back row for him, one on his left and one on his right.

Wang Wenxu walked into the classroom, his gaze sweeping across the entire class before settling on Xiang Yuan. Due to the recommender, there was a hint of disdain in his eyes.

After all, birds of a feather flock together. Xiao He and Xu Jixian couldn't make proper friends.

"This lecture is about agriculture..."

"Agriculture is the foundation of the state, the sustenance of the people. The people consider food their heaven, and where does food come from? It cannot be obtained without cultivation..."

"Those who do not labor with their four limbs and cannot distinguish the five grains, you all distance yourselves from the fields and do not engage in farming, unaware of its hardships. Although the academy has agricultural lessons, often asking you to work in the fields, it is only for a short while, for a single day, and you still do not understand the seasons, cannot distinguish between spring plowing and summer weeding, nor discern autumn harvest and winter storage..."

"Today, standing on this three-foot podium, I urge you to encourage farming and sericulture, to pursue both farming and study. I sincerely hope you understand the hardships of farming, experience the toil of the farmers, so that you may know the difficulty of planting and harvesting, and comprehend the root of people's livelihood. Cultivating oneself, regulating the family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world – this is the aspiration of us literati. I wish to encourage all students together."

Wang Wenxu set the tone for today's lesson and then used himself as a textbook, recounting his farming experiences. His tone was calm, without boasting, merely speaking of the farmers' hard work and the difficulty of cultivation.

After the first half of the class, he distributed test papers, asking the students to compose a poem with agriculture as the theme.

Instantly, Xiang Yuan, Xiao, and Xu's mouths twitched in unison, their tacit understanding as if rehearsed.

Xiao and Xu were unlearned, so there was nothing more to say. Xiang Yuan, staring at the blank paper with them, was struggling because he had encountered a vast number of poems in his previous life and was debating whether to copy one.

He definitely couldn't compose a poem; he didn't have the ability.

If he didn't copy, he wouldn't pass this test and would be seen as illiterate by everyone, which would be very embarrassing.

If he copied, he had a sense of shame; he felt it was unethical and he didn't have the thick skin for it.

Besides, poems are naturally formed, created by skilled hands. If in his previous life someone had already 'copied' it, wouldn't he be even more embarrassed if he were exposed on the spot?

What should he do? Copy or not copy?

As Xiang Yuan hesitated, Xiao Xu, whose face was as solemn as if attending a funeral, simultaneously lifted his brush and began to write with divine inspiration, his pen dancing across the paper.

They can both churn out a poem, I have to write one.

I'll just copy.

Just this once.

Xiang Yuan picked up his brush, murmured under his breath, Student is shameless, please help me, Li Du.