White Deer Academy

Inn, second floor, inside Shen Zhou's own room.

The Three Little Ones sat before a table laden with a feast, all frowning deeply.

San Mazi furrowed his brow in thought and said, "Second Brother, who do you think is looking for Boss Zhou? We just arrived at Flying Bird City, we shouldn't know anyone here, right?"

A Dai said, "No one else besides the Qin family."

San Mazi was startled. "The Qin family? What do they want with Boss Zhou? Could it be revenge?"

A Dai shook his head. "No. If they wanted revenge, they wouldn't have chosen this place, and they certainly wouldn't have laid out this spread of food and drink for us."

San Mazi thought about it and agreed. "Then what do they want?"

Just as they were speaking, Shen Zhou returned. After entering the room, he said nothing, first downing three cups of wine in a row. Only after letting out a burp did he feel his heart settle somewhat.

Seeing this display, A Dai and San Mazi exchanged a glance, realizing the matter was no simple thing.

San Mazi couldn't contain his curiosity and spoke up first, asking, "Boss, who was looking for you? Was it the Qin family?"

Shen Zhou didn't lift his head. "Yes."

San Mazi pressed on. "What did they want? To cause trouble?"

At the mention of this, Shen Zhou couldn't suppress the fire in his heart, his voice rising considerably as he said, "No. An old lady from the Qin family came, and the first thing she said was that she wanted to give me the entire Qin family, to make me their family head. Isn't that nonsense? Besides, why would I be their family head?!"

San Mazi was dumbfounded.

A Dai was also completely bewildered.

What the hell? The Qin family just handed themselves over, making Boss Zhou the family head? How could this sound so absurd?

Later, Shen Zhou recounted the general gist of the matter to the Three Little Ones.

When A Dai and San Mazi heard that Shen Zhou was the reincarnation of the White-robed Divine King 'Qin Taixuan' from a thousand years ago, they both gasped sharply.

This kind of thing couldn't even be described as absurd; it was practically a ghost story!

San Mazi said in shock, "Someone who died a thousand years ago can still be reborn?"

A Dai, however, said thoughtfully, "Actually, this kind of thing isn't impossible. I remember when I was a kid, my father told me that a thousand years ago, back in the Great Cultivator Era, warriors back then were collectively called 'Cultivators.' The powerful could overturn rivers and seas, chase the stars and the moon. All kinds of divine abilities emerged endlessly, and countless brilliant figures existed. Cultivators above the Core Formation Realm numbered in the tens of thousands. But later, because of a great catastrophe, countless powerful Cultivators fell, sect holy lands were destroyed, and many traditions were severed from then on. Now, the path of the Cultivator has vanished, and the 'Core Formation Realm' has become a chasm in martial arts, something countless people can only gaze at from afar. So, if the 'White-robed Divine King' back then was truly as formidable as the legends say, then his reincarnation isn't impossible."

Regarding the matter of 'reincarnation,' Shen Zhou had already heard about it from the Sword Spirit of the Taixuan Sword when he drew the blade earlier. However, this was his first time hearing about the Millennium Cataclysm. He inquired, "Millennium Cataclysm? What kind of great disaster was that, to kill so many people?"

A Dai shook his head. "I'm not sure. My father only told me this much; he didn't know any more either."

The atmosphere in the room fell silent for a time.

Everyone's thoughts were captivated by the mysterious 'Millennium Cataclysm.'

It was San Mazi who slowly turned back to look at Shen Zhou and asked, "So, Boss... are you really the reincarnation of the 'White-robed Divine King'?"

Shen Zhou's thoughts were yanked back immediately, and he denied it at once. "Of course I'm not."

San Mazi said, "How can you prove you're not? Just like that Old Madam Qin said, only the Divine King's reincarnation can draw the Taixuan Sword. You think you're not now, but that's because you haven't awakened your past life's memories. Once you awaken them, you might understand everything."

Shen Zhou grew agitated. "Awaken my ass! I am Shen Zhou, no one else. Where am I supposed to awaken anything from? You can say I'm a person from another world, but you can't say I'm the reincarnation of so-and-so. Don't I know who I am?!"

Seeing Shen Zhou truly worked up, San Mazi immediately shut up and stopped pressing.

A Dai also quickly urged Shen Zhou to calm down.

Once the atmosphere had eased a bit, A Dai changed the subject. "Boss, setting aside who you are for now, the Qin family wants you to be their family head. Why are you so resistant to it?"

San Mazi also found it strange. "Yeah, isn't this a good thing for anyone? Sure, the Qin family offended you before, but you beat their people up, so we didn't lose out. And the Qin family is at least a second-rate clan. If you become the family head, you'll have money, people, and heritage. You want to learn body refinement? The techniques would be right at your fingertips. Afraid of cultivating wrong? Have those elders teach you—would they dare say no?"

A Dai and San Mazi both looked at Shen Zhou with strange expressions, feeling that his thinking wasn't normal.

What normal person would push away such a good thing?

Shen Zhou was momentarily at a loss for words.

After being rattled on by the two of them like that, he himself forgot why he was so resistant to being the Qin family head.

It was Xi Mei, who had been silent all along, who suddenly interjected, "There's no medicine for regret in this world, and a good horse doesn't turn back to graze on old grass. It was the Qin family who rejected Brother Zhou first. So why should Brother Zhou forgive them just because they admit their mistake?"

Hearing this, Shen Zhou's eyes lit up. He rubbed Xi Mei's head and said, "Xi Mei is right. Why should I forgive them just because they admit their mistake? I can live perfectly well without getting involved in the Qin family's affairs. Xi Mei understands Brother Zhou the best."

Xi Mei received the praise, tilted her little face up, and gave a sweet smile.

Only A Dai and San Mazi still couldn't quite grasp this way of thinking.

Maybe that was the difference in mindset between people from two different worlds.

Once things were settled, Shen Zhou stopped being angry. His appetite returned, and he wolfed down the food and wine on the table.

When everyone had eaten their fill, San Mazi patted his belly and picked his teeth, saying, "So, boss, what's your plan now? The Qin family looks dead set on clinging to you."

Shen Zhou had already let the matter go. He burped and said, "What plan? I'll train as usual, live as usual. Let her cling if she wants. But earlier, when we were chatting upstairs, Old Madam Qin knew we'd given up on Flying Bird Academy, so she found us a suitable place to learn martial arts. She said it's called 'White Deer Academy.' They teach all sorts of things there, perfect for us."

A Dai nodded upon hearing this. "Is that so? That's good. Then we won't have to split up to find training halls."

San Mazi asked, "'White Deer Academy'? Where is this academy?"

Shen Zhou thought for a moment and said, "No worries. Someone will take us there tomorrow."

The next day, a gentle breeze blew, and the weather was clear and bright.

Shen Zhou and the Three Little Ones got up early, ready to find the 'White Deer Academy.'

When A Dai and San Mazi came downstairs and saw that the person waiting to guide them was Qin Mingyue, they both unconsciously opened their mouths wide. Then they turned to Shen Zhou in unison and said, "The guide you mentioned is her?"

Shen Zhou looked as if it were only natural. "Is there a problem?"

San Mazi was speechless. "Aren't you unwilling to be the Qin family head?"

Shen Zhou said, "Yeah, but she insists on tagging along with me no matter what. I can't help it. Maybe... this is my personal charm?"

A Dai: "..."

San Mazi: "..."

Qin Mingyue's mouth twitched, but she said nothing and simply turned to lead the way.

"Is... is this the 'White Deer Academy'?"

After several twists and turns, when Qin Mingyue had someone drive a carriage carrying Shen Zhou and the other four to a courtyard on the southern outskirts that resembled a farmhouse, the latter four stood dumbfounded in the wind.

No walls.

No gate.

And the people coming and going weren't martial artists at all—just aunties washing clothes with basins, old men carrying hoes to the fields, and little brats using sticks as swords...

If it was true that masters hid in the countryside, then this was hiding in a way that was way too down-to-earth.

San Mazi voiced his doubts and looked at Qin Mingyue. "Are you sure you didn't lead us to the wrong place?"

Qin Mingyue didn't answer. She just took the lead and walked toward the 'farmhouse.'

"Hey!"

"Ha!"

"Put some muscle into it! Didn't you eat?"

Turning past a row of farmhouses, Shen Zhou and the other four finally saw a group of people practicing martial arts on a patch of yellow dirt.

It was a group of youths, the oldest around sixteen or seventeen, the youngest only eight or nine.

Beside them, an old man holding a long-stemmed tobacco pipe, wearing a simple open-front jacket, leaned against a large willow tree at the edge of the open space. He took a puff of smoke now and then while casually correcting the boys practicing.

If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, no one would believe that such an old man was a martial arts master... Well, actually, even seeing it with their own eyes, it was hard to believe.

Shen Zhou exchanged glances with A Dai and San Mazi, all of them feeling like they'd been tricked.

Just then, Qin Mingyue came back from somewhere, leading a middle-aged man. He was thin, with a short beard, dressed in a wealthy merchant's robe, and had a shrewd smile on his face.

When he reached them, the man put on a merchant's slick demeanor and greeted them, "I am Wang Fugui, the principal of White Deer Academy. You young masters have made the right choice coming to our White Deer Academy to learn martial arts. Our White Deer Academy was founded even earlier than Flying Bird Academy. You could say we have a long history and deep foundations. But we've always kept a low profile and never sought publicity, so not many in Flying Bird City know about our academy.

For you to find your way here is fate.

So, as long as you pay a monthly fee of one hundred taels... uh, eighty taels... if that's too expensive, fifty taels will do. Pay the tuition, and whatever you want to learn, I guarantee you'll learn it all."

"..."

Shen Zhou and the other three stared, dumbfounded.

Then they all looked at Qin Mingyue at the same time, their eyes seeming to say: Are you sure you didn't bring us to the wrong place?