A Bold Stroke Writes the Heroic Soul

Zhang Zhen straightened his face and said sternly, "Third brother, this is a guest I invited. Show some respect!"

He and Qiu Yan rushed over without stopping, but before they could even enter the house, Zhang Yu stopped them. To Zhang Zhen's surprise, his third brother, who was usually quite reserved, suddenly became tough and refused to let Qiu Yan step into the house!

Faced with the reprimand, Zhang Yu stood firm, saying fiercely, "Brother, it's understandable that you want to see Father, but to say that Qiu Yan can ward off evil with calligraphy is utterly ridiculous. I believed in this before and spent a considerable amount of money to invite the young calligraphy master, only to fail at the last moment. This shows that the idea of warding off evil with calligraphy is mostly wrong! At this time, you bring people here, saying you want to exorcise evil for Father. It's really hard to convince anyone!"

"Oh? The person you hired failed?" Zhang Zhen narrowed his eyes. On the way here, he had learned what had happened from Zhang An.

Qi Jiulian's calligraphy was awe-inspiring, and his movements and demeanor while writing were even more impressive. At first, it did suppress the Evil Qi, but the effect quickly disappeared, causing many gentlemen who came to the Zhang Residence to fall down, their old ailments to relapse, or even worsen!

Having learned all this, Zhang Zhen, to be honest, also had doubts about the claim of using words to ward off evil. However, firstly, Qiu Yan was his friend and had been invited by him, and secondly, he had heard from Zhang An that Master Zhang's condition was critical after his relapse, and at such a moment, no hope could be lost.

Thinking of this, Zhang Zhen straightened his body, said no more, stepped forward and said sternly, "Get out of the way!" His words were already laced with a tough tone, after all, he was the eldest son of the Zhang Family.

Zhang Yu sneered as if he had expected this, "Finally couldn't hold back?"

"What do you mean?" Zhang Zhen sensed something ominous in the other person's tone.

"What do you mean?" Zhang Yu stared at Zhang Zhen. "This time, Father and the others fell ill, and renowned doctors and physicians were helpless. Then you brought a few pieces of broken calligraphy, and they suddenly recovered. You solemnly claimed that the calligraphy could ward off evil spirits, but now even the young calligraphy master has failed to suppress the so-called Evil Qi. I can't help but wonder if Father and the others' recovery was due to those few pieces of broken calligraphy, or something else!"

Having said all that, how could Zhang Zhen not understand what the other party was implying?

You doubt me?

"I wouldn't dare, but I certainly wouldn't dare let a swindler into the mansion. In terms of status, Qiu Yan is just a Xiucai; in terms of calligraphy, his writing lacks even the spirit of the subject. How can he compare to Qi Jiulian? As for character, I heard that he got his top score by virtue of his relationship with the prefect; he probably wouldn't even dare to participate in the Autumn Examinations a month from now! If someone like that were to enter the Zhang Residence, we would be a laughingstock!" Zhang Yu said he wouldn't dare, but every word he uttered was laced with sarcasm.

"You!" Zhang Zhen's eyes widened in anger.

The servant Zhang An couldn't stand it any longer and spoke up, "Third Young Master, I just witnessed Young Master Qiu's skill with my own eyes. The characters he wrote..."

Zhang Yu's expression changed. He said coldly, "A mere servant dares to interrupt!"

Startled, Zhang An immediately shut his mouth.

Several members of the Zhang Family's collateral branches walked up behind Zhang Yu, looking at Zhang Zhen with equally ill intent.

Underground, Hunyi's mind gleamed with joy. "Good! As expected, once the pillar of the family moves, the wealthy will begin to vie for power and infighting. In the end, all they want is money. Wealth stirs up people's hearts and breeds corrupt Human Thoughts!"

As these thoughts shifted, people within the Zhang Residence were divided. The various branches of the main family, collateral branches, direct descendants, and illegitimate children who had gathered there because of the serious illness of the Zhang Family patriarch all had their own ideas.

Impure thoughts gradually filled the mansion and seeped into the ground.

Not only at the Zhang Residence, but also in the mansions of several wealthy merchants in Yuanning City, similar things were happening. In addition, a faint smell of filth permeated the residences of officials and brothels, slowly seeping into the ground.

The Zhang Residence, in front of the gate.

Qiu Yan, who had been silent, looked at Zhang Yu, who was becoming increasingly arrogant, and suddenly spoke up, "Your aura is mixed with fear, excitement, and a desperate gamble, like someone who has placed a bet and is anxiously awaiting the result. You must be treating today's events as an opportunity to fight for something. There's no reasoning with you."

"Huh?" Zhang Yu was startled by what he heard.

When Qiu Yan returned to the Zhang Residence, he seemed to be in a daze, his gaze wandering, which gave Zhang Yu the wrong impression that Qiu Yan was guilty and dared not meet his eyes. However, he did not expect that the words Qiu Yan spoke would be like a sharp arrow, hitting his mind.

But he quickly calmed down and sneered, "You, a Xiucai, dare to lecture me?" As the head of a local business, he spoke with an imposing air.

Qiu Yan replied, "I earned my Xiucai through hard work, relying on my own knowledge. On the other hand, you are able to wear fine clothes because of your good deeds in your past life and being born into a wealthy family. If you were in a different situation, I wonder what kind of Human Path story you would have told? Would you have been as brilliant as you are today?"

Zhang Yu's expression changed drastically. "Eloquent tongue, full of mystification! All you've said is nonsense!"

Because he was born out of wedlock, he did not receive the attention of Master Zhang, so he was most afraid of having his identity mentioned.

"That's right, I shouldn't waste my breath on you. If you were truly filial, you wouldn't let go of even the smallest opportunity when your father was ill. Why would you obstruct him? It's clear that greed has clouded your judgment, extinguished blood ties, and created such a mess!" With that, Qiu Yan's body swayed, and he appeared in front of Zhang Yu!

Qiu Yan's move was too fast and sudden. By the time Zhang Yu reacted, he could only see a pair of pitch-black eyes, with two deep, swirling vortexes within them.

"Hmm!"

The next moment, Zhang Yu groaned, swayed, and then collapsed.

"This..."

The two servants beside Zhang Yu cried out in alarm and quickly helped the unconscious Zhang Yu up, then looked at Qiu Yan with wary expressions.

Even Zhang Zhen was stunned when he saw his third brother fall to the ground. Then, when Qiu Yan turned around, he said, "Don't worry, he'll wake up soon," and stepped into the room.

The Zhang Family courtyard was in complete chaos. In addition to the servants of the other masters, several guards, led by other collateral relatives and illegitimate sons, rushed over after hearing the news of Zhang Yu's collapse. They looked fierce and menacing, as if they were about to take Qiu Yan down.

But these guards were at most at the Foundation Establishment Realm; how could they possibly be a match for Qiu Yan, who had refined Four Souls?

The tall and imposing guards rushed towards Qiu Yan. Just as they were about to make a move, the relatively thin Qiu Yan pinned them to the ground with one hand each.

"Good heavens! Who is this guy? A scholar or a martial arts master? The guards of the Zhang Residence are all skilled martial artists; any one of them could easily take down seven or eight burly men, yet this scholar can't even withstand a single move!"

As Qiu Yan walked, more and more people noticed him and couldn't help but be surprised.

Soon, an elderly man with white hair, not young at all, emerged, supported by several people. "Young master, you attacked my Zhang Family members and trespassed on private property. If you stop here and surrender..."

Qiu Yan interrupted him directly, saying as he walked away, "You're not young anymore, yet instead of cherishing and guiding the younger generation and enjoying your retirement, you exude a sinister aura of power struggles. I'm here at the request of a friend, and I have no interest in playing any palace intrigue or family feuds. Step aside, or you'll accumulate too much ghostly, Evil Qi, and foul energy and end up in your coffin prematurely!"

"You!" The old man's face turned red with anger upon hearing the word "coffin," but his imposing aura, though intimidating to the younger generation, had no effect on Qiu Yan.

Upon arriving at the door, Qiu Yan straightened his clothes and then stepped into the lobby.

Compared to the chaos outside the door, the main hall was relatively quiet. The people who were sitting in the chairs had long since left, and only Qi Jiulian stood in the center of the hall. In front of him was a table with paper on it and words on it.

"Qiu Yan! Trespassing into the main hall is far too arrogant!"

Behind them, the old man and a group of the Zhang Family members followed, but having learned from the previous incident involving the guards, they naturally wouldn't take the risk themselves, but simply followed from a distance.

The old man was somewhat experienced; he ordered someone to summon the servants of the various masters and also sent someone to the government office.

Qiu Yan shook his head and walked up to Qi Jiulian.

"You are Qiu Yan?" Qi Jiulian looked at the person in front of him and said, "I have seen your calligraphy. Although it is not bad, it lacks spirit. It is just a strange method to attach thoughts, Spiritual Qi and soul power to the paper."

Qiu Yan was also sizing up Qi Jiulian, marveling at his youth, before saying, "You're that young calligraphy master? May I ask your name?"

Qi Jiulian was somewhat surprised. "You also practice calligraphy, yet you don't know my name? You're truly ignorant..." He shook his head.

Qiu Yan smiled, ignoring it, and looked down at the paper on the table. The paper was yellowed, but the handwriting was still clear. "It seems your handwriting has also been damaged by the foul air."

"Indeed, the person who made this move is no ordinary individual. They seem to have the People's Wishes the entire city at their fingertips, even able to suppress the essence of my calligraphy," Qi Jiulian glanced at Qiu Yan, "You wouldn't be so presumptuous as to think you can use your calligraphy, imbued with Spiritual Qi, to dispel the evil spirits, would you? It's useless, even I..."

Before he could finish speaking, Qiu Yan interrupted him, "Your calligraphy is exceptionally ethereal, with the lingering charm of the previous dynasty, yet it also possesses a Transcendence. The intention precedes the brushstroke, and the characters reside in the heart; you are following the path of expressing the landscape through your writing." Qiu Yan picked up a piece of withered yellow paper and observed the characters on it.

"Hmm? You've got some knowledge." Qi Jiulian slightly surprised, then a hint of pride appeared on his face. "My calligraphy, it's a combination of..."

But before he could finish speaking, Qiu Yan shook his head. "The High Antiquity sages comprehended the universe, but they did not separate themselves from Human Path. They used objects to symbolize people. Your calligraphy has too much of an ethereal quality, which makes it somewhat detached from Human Path. After all, calligraphy is written for people to see! However, it still has its merits, which I can learn from and use for my own purposes!"

"Hmm? What a big mouth!" Qi Jiulian's face turned ugly after being belittled and even subtly reprimanded. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Qiu Yan reach out and pull out a piece of paper, grasp the wolf-hair brush on the table, dip it in ink, and then write a stroke on the paper!

Heroic Soul are moved!

Call!

Suddenly, the sunlight streaming into the hall seemed to be absorbed into his body, and the surroundings suddenly darkened, while the ink on the paper exuded a masculine and vigorous Blood Qi!

"This house is filled with Yin Qi and filth, blinded by greed and lacking in intelligence. It needs a thorough cleansing with yang Qi and Blood!" (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m. qidian. com to read.)

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