What Do You Seek?

Yan Qing's expression tightened slightly. Stroking his chin to himself, he said with a half-smile, "Could this boy be Prince Wu'an's adopted son, Xu Yan? So he really has come to Shangyin Academy to study."

Meanwhile, in the forest, Xu Yan stepped onto the "Dragon Spring," planting his foot solidly upon a spirit stone.

In an instant, wind sprang up beneath his feet. The bamboo grove around him suddenly swayed, and countless emerald leaves came whistling down like rain.

Whoosh!

Xu Yan's figure shifted. Before he could even react, he had already shrunk the earth to an inch and crossed a hundred meters into the forest.

This strange sight drew the attention of the nearby youths, who widened their eyes and stared at Xu Yan in astonishment.

"Which spirit stone did he step on just now? How did he enter the forest so far in one go?"

"Zheng Gan, Kun Nan, that is the Dragon Spring position in the imperial array." Seeing this, an oval-faced girl immediately glanced at the script of command she had just deciphered in her hand and said.

"Dragon Spring? Where is it?"

"This array changes a thousand times and ten thousand ways. Dragon Spring is a shifting script of command—it has already vanished and is no longer in its original position!" The girl furrowed her brow and bit her lip.

"Just luck. That guy will get whipped out by the bamboo soon enough." Chu Tianzhao rubbed the bamboo welt on his face, still aching.

The moment his words fell, another wave of cries rose from the crowd.

Chu Tianzhao looked inward in shock. He saw Xu Yan take three consecutive steps, his body flashing and weaving as emerald bamboo leaves danced through the grove. Riding the clear wind of the array, he darted through the forest wrapped in spirit mist.

"How is that possible!" A youth clutched his head, disbelief written across his face.

"Who... is that? His face looks so familiar."

"Isn't that Young Master Yan from Prince Wu'an's Residence? He actually came to Shangyin Academy to study too?"

"You mean Xu Yan, Huanglong City's prodigy of the Thousand Branches Script?"

"Who else could it be but Young Master Yan? In all of Huanglong City, who does not know that Young Master Yan was wise and brilliant from childhood? At ten, he could already read through the Thousand Branches Script!"

The news that Xu Yan had come to study at Shangyin Academy exploded among the youths like a thunderclap. They chattered all at once, crowding toward the entrance of the bamboo forest and craning their necks to peer inside.

That figure in blue-white scholar's robes gradually vanished into the white mist of the grove.

Passing through the mist of the bamboo forest was like arriving in another world.

It was already noon. The morning mist of Plum Mountain had long since dispersed, while winter plum blossoms blanketed the mountains and fields, competing in splendor and beauty beyond compare.

Xu Yan strolled along with great interest. After passing through a plum grove, he caught sight of Shangyin Academy, hidden within a mountain valley.

Built against the mountain, its plain halls and pavilions stood in rows. Though it was not as magnificent and lavish as Great Yin Academy, it possessed a distinctive charm of its own.

Perhaps these disciples had not expected Xu Yan to break the array so quickly, pass through the plum grove, and arrive directly at the foot of the mountain. They likely assumed he was a fellow junior disciple who simply had not worn the black robes.

Among pavilions, terraces, halls, and training grounds, many students dressed in black long robes held Daoist texts and scriptures as they chatted and exchanged thoughts in utter ease.

Xu Yan had thought that academies with such illustrious reputations would have exceedingly strict rules, but Shangyin Academy was rather relaxed.

There were not only grounds for studying literature, but also several places for martial practice, where disciples could discuss the Dao and divine abilities. Of course, there were very few people in those martial grounds. After all, this was primarily an academy for literary study, and many of the students who came here did not possess great talent on the path of cultivation.

Along the way, quite a few students examined Xu Yan with puzzled expressions.

"Junior Brother, why are you not wearing black robes? If a master sees you, you will get no fewer than two strokes of the board."

"Greetings, Senior Brother. I am Xu Yan. I have just come from the bamboo forest outside the mountain and am a new student who entered the academy this year," Xu Yan said with a cupped-fist salute.

"Huh?"

"What did you say? You are one of this year's new students? You deciphered that ancient imperial array?" Someone froze in astonishment.

"Xu Yan... could he be that little prodigy from Huanglong City?" Some of the older senior brothers exclaimed in surprise.

As soon as those words were spoken, many senior brothers and sisters gathered around, sizing Xu Yan up and whispering among themselves.

His identity alone—as Prince Wu'an's Residence's adopted son, Xu Fei's adopted son—was enough to draw attention. What was more, Xu Yan had risen to fame at the age of ten for reading through the Thousand Branches Script. Everyone in Huanglong City knew of him, and even prefectural cities thousands of li away had heard of his name.

Most of those who gathered around did so because of Prince Wu'an's Residence and wished to befriend him.

Others wanted to ask Xu Yan how he had deciphered the ancient imperial array in the bamboo forest. After all, quite a few of these older students had attempted it themselves and failed to pass.

"Disperse. What are you all crowding around here for?" A young woman's voice came from beyond the crowd.

"Greetings, Master Qiu!"

Upon hearing the voice, the older students went pale and hurriedly scattered, no longer daring to make a racket.

Qiu Yunji approached with her hands behind her back, her expression cold and stern. The surrounding students were badly frightened, each lowering their head without daring to utter a word.

This woman was Master Xun's fifth personal disciple, known as Master Qiu.

She was also one of Shangyin Academy's instructors, chiefly teaching the Daoist theories of certain human sages from the ancient era.

"Xu Yan, come with me to see Master," Qiu Yunji said.

"Please lead the way, Master." Xu Yan cupped his fists.

Without another word, Qiu Yunji flicked her black sleeve. In an instant, a clear wind rose beneath their feet, carrying the two of them soaring toward the summit of Plum Mountain.

From the mountain's foot to the cliff summit ran a staircase of green jade, carved with countless Thousand Branches Script characters. The higher one went, the more wondrous and intricate they became. Often, within a single stroke or flick, they seemed to contain mountains, rivers, and great streams, stirring longing in the heart.

At the summit of Plum Mountain stood only a Master's Hall and several training grounds.

"Student Xu Yan greets Master Xun." Xu Yan was exceedingly solemn as he bowed with cupped fists at the entrance to the main hall.

Master Xun was no ordinary scholar. Not only was he a great Confucian, his cultivation in seeking the Dao was also profound. He was one of the Red-Dust Guests of the present age.

Many of his disciples now held official posts in the imperial capital, and his influence throughout Great Yin was extraordinary. Xu Yan did not dare show the slightest disrespect.

"Young Master Yan, come in." Master Xun's voice was deep and resonant, like the tolling of bells and drums, ringing loud enough to shake one to the core.

"This student is deeply alarmed. How could I dare let Master address me as 'Young Master'?" Xu Yan said hastily, startled by the words.

"Why concern yourself overly with worldly forms of address? Just come in," Master Xun said again.

Xu Yan paused, then stepped into the hall thoughtfully.

The outside world said that Master Xun was extremely strict and rigid by nature. Yet he seemed somewhat different from the rumors.

The Master's Hall was sparse and ordinary, not even as splendid as the residence of an average merchant. Only the rich fragrance of ink filled his nose. Daoist texts and scriptures were the most abundant things in the hall, while many ink paintings by renowned masters hung upon the walls as decoration.

Before a desk sat a striking middle-aged man with his eyes closed, apparently resting his mind.

Those who reached the realm of a Red-Dust Guest could extend their lifespan and preserve their appearance. Master Xun was already over eighty, yet he looked like a man in his prime.

"Xu Yan, what do you seek by coming to my Shangyin Academy?"