Honor Stratagems Over Rites, Techniques Over Learning

"Soul Entry into the Scholar Forest? Eternally condemned?"

Hearing this explanation, Qiu Yan became even more suspicious.

"The term 'Scholar Forest' refers to all Confucian scholars and intellectuals, mostly students, scholars, and Grand Confucian without official positions; it's a general term. How come in this person's mouth it seems to have become a local term? Prince Yan seize Literary Thought and knowledge to suppress himself?"

A variety of questions swirled in Qiu Yan's mind.

Zong Heng seemed to see through Qiu Yan's question and continued, "I have never been to the Scholar Forest, so I am not very clear about the specifics. However, the Apricot Altar Dao Discourse and Soul Entry into the Scholar Forest Academy' is not a secret among academies throughout the land. Young Master Qiu is learned and talented, and must be a top student of some academy. Why would you not know about the Scholar Forest?"

"Is this something known to all the academies in the land? Does it mean that everyone who participates in the Apricot Altar Dao Discourse steals the Literary Thought of others to suppress themselves? This is utterly outrageous! The truth will out. If this were true, those academies would have been condemned by thousands long ago. How could they possibly have been remembered for eternity?"

After a moment's hesitation, Qiu Yan did not respond to Zong Heng's question, but instead said in a deep voice, "Judging from your words, you are also a scholar. You should know the loneliness of studying in the cold winter. No one's knowledge and learning come from thin air. Even those who are born with knowledge still need to read and write, and develop their own understanding. How could you possibly aid and abet evil and ruin the lives of others?"

As Qiu Yan spoke, she raised her voice, each word like a nail driven into Zong Heng's heart.

Zong Heng looked ashamed and sighed, saying, "Now that I have joined the Prince's staff and been promised to Great Prosperity mathematics in the future, I must repay the favor and be loyal to my post."

"I see! I think I understand now. However, although I have never met Prince Yan, judging from your current appearance, you are clearly not valued. That Divine Soul Cultivator's status is definitely above yours, but in my opinion, that Divine Soul Cultivator can only fight a few people, while your abilities can be passed down to future generations."

Qiu Yan glanced around and sneered, "Prince Yan, as a prince, engages in these cunning and underhanded schemes, prioritizing strategy over propriety. He is not destined for greatness. He has talented people on the border, yet he appoints recluses to lead them, valuing tactics over learning. His poor judgment in recognizing talent and his unauthorized recruitment of cultivators with Divine Ability clearly indicate ulterior motives. Following such a person offers no future; once they are no longer of use, they will become discarded pawns. His Great Prosperity of mathematics is nothing but a mirage."

Zong Heng looked surprised. He hadn't expected Qiu Yan to give him such an evaluation, and Qiu Yan's evaluation of Prince Yan also surprised him. It was incredibly insightful!

Zong Heng has been subdued by Prince Yan for some time now.

On the surface, Prince Yan appeared to be a man who valued and respected talent, always eager to recruit capable individuals. However, he had a tendency to tire of the old and crave the new. Before the arrival of the Crow Daoist, Zong Heng held a certain position among Prince Yan's advisors and was occasionally consulted by the Prince Yan. But after the Crow Daoist arrived, Prince Yan began to associate with a Daoist Sect and became increasingly distant from Zong Heng, no longer mentioning his promise to Great Prosperity mathematics.

As he was thinking, Qiu Yan said another sentence, "You have inherited the Zhuishu and can calculate things with numbers, but you can never calculate the human heart or human nature."

"Human nature, human heart..." Zong Heng pondered these two words, then suddenly, a strong wind howled in front of him, and Qiu Yan struck out with his palm!

Normally, Zong Heng could deduce the trajectory of Qiu Yan's palm strike and dodge it simply by observing Qiu Yan's movements and sensing the airflow. However, now that he was locked onto by the energy and his mind was in a daze, he was unable to react in time and was struck on the forehead by a palm strike!

Swish!

Strands of soul power seeped through, carrying the meaning of scriptures and a trace of divine power, trapping and restraining the Living Soul within Zong Heng's orifice.

Instantly, Zong Heng felt a heaviness all over his body. His mind, which had been clear and bright since his Aperture Opening, was now vaguely clouded. He realized that his supernatural Divine Ability had been sealed by Qiu Yan.

Qiu Yan glanced at Zong Heng and said indifferently, "Without these Divine Ability, would Prince Yan still value you and be willing to help you Great Prosperity mathematics? You scholar, without your Divine Ability, all you have left is knowledge. I wonder how Prince Yan will use your knowledge."

Zong Heng's face immediately turned extremely ugly.

"Alright, one last question." Qiu Yan seemed oblivious to the other's unpleasant expression, flicking his sleeve to reveal a White Jade Paperweight in his hand. "Is there Zigui the Literary Thought and memories suppressed and sedimented by this object?"

Upon seeing the White Jade Paperweight, Zong Heng's expression changed again, his eyes filled with shock. "Even the Literary Ancestor Paperweight has fallen into your hands?"

Qiu Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, looking somewhat surprised. "This thing is called the Literary Ancestor Paperweight? Wenzong? That's too much of an accusation; he's just a thief!" As soon as he finished speaking, the Paperweight began to vibrate, as if in dissatisfaction and protest. "However, this thing is quite spiritual; I wonder what its secrets are. Is it Law Treasure?"

"This is a second-class Law Treasure," Zong Heng's answer confirmed Qiu Yan's guess. "This Literary Ancestor Paperweight has a mysterious origin and is a treasure of the Prince Yan. It can suppress memories, but if you want to reverse them, the owner of the Law Treasure must personally recite the spell!"

"A second-class Law Treasure?"

Upon hearing this name, Qiu Yan's heart stirred, and he thought of the short sword, bracelet, and Stove Mountain on his original body's side, as well as the Chaotic World Copper Furnace.

"I wonder what class those items are, and what criteria are used to classify them?"

Although he had doubts, Qiu Yan did not press the matter. He simply asked, "Is the owner of this Law Treasure Prince Yan? As a prince, how dare he collect and refine Law Treasure? Isn't he afraid of causing chaos in the three flames?"

The royal family enjoys the empire and the nation, which can be said to be the pinnacle of human fortune. However, there are gains and losses. Following the example of the past, there will inevitably be other losses. Therefore, emperors often have short lifespans. Moreover, one should not go to extremes. If one is born with great fortune but still tries to cultivate oneself to prolong life and does not give up wealth and honor, then one will go against the great way of heaven and earth and bring boundless misfortune upon oneself.

Qiu Yan is a god, so he knows this. How could Prince Yan, as a prince, not know this?

"These are things I cannot know..." Zong Heng said, coughing twice more. When he looked up again, Qiu Yan was no longer there.

He couldn't help but smile bitterly, " With my Living Soul sealed and my Divine Ability gone, I'm essentially a mortal. I can't even tell when Qiu Yan left. Maybe what just happened was all a dream, and he's already gone..."

As he pondered, his gaze fell upon the book "The Zhuishu," and his brows furrowed.

On the paper beside the book, a line of bold, vigorous characters was written—

Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you!

"Come! You two brave warriors, please drink this cup to the brim!"

In the back hall, Prince Yan held a grand banquet, filling the table to capacity, yet only three people sat there. Prince Yan was raising his wine cup, speaking to Hu Qi and Dai Guo, striking a very sophisticated pose.

Hu Qi and Dai Guo repeatedly declined, but two or three maids stood beside them, carrying porridge, soup, and water, feeding them from time to time.

When have Hu Qi and Dai Guo ever received such treatment?

The banquet had just begun when the drinks were poured to eight-tenths full. The dishes were served cold first, then hot, followed by whole chicken, whole duck, and whole fish, dozens of dishes in total. The etiquette was impeccable!

"Speaking of which, my chef was recently hired from Jiannan Circuit. He has a secret recipe; the same dish, when prepared by him, is always superior to that of others. What do you two gentlemen think?"

"Good! Good! Good!" Dai Guo praised repeatedly.

Hu Qi and Dai Guo were beaming. Although they were rough men, they knew the art of dining was one of the essences of the Central Plains. Great Rui was a land of etiquette, and everyone there was well-versed in the etiquette of banquets and meals. Naturally, they could see the sincerity of Prince Yan.

During the banquet, Prince Yan frequently offered toasts, showing no signs of being a prince.

After a few rounds of drinks, Dai Guo began to eat heartily. Hu Qi was still preoccupied with other matters and wanted to remind Prince Yan to call Qiu Yan over, but just as he was about to speak, Prince Yan stopped him and told him to pick up some food.

Suppressing his unease, Hu Qi dared not disobey Prince Yan's wishes.

Sudden!

"Huh?" He and Dai Guo stopped eating at the same time and turned to look at the door.

"What? What's wrong with you two...?" Prince Yan looked surprised and was about to ask when a gust of wind suddenly rushed in from outside the door!

The violent air currents whipped at Prince Yan's hair, blinding him and piercing his bones, as if blowing into his heart and soul! The thought of being devoured sent chills down the spine of this nobleman, stirring a deep-seated terror within him!

Drip, drip, drip!

A few drops of cold air appeared on his face, as if blood had dripped down. Prince Yan was greatly alarmed and cried out, "Assassin! Assassin! Liu Lian! Zhang Yong! True Person Crow! Quickly, protect me!"

"Your Highness, please don't be alarmed!"

As soon as the words fell, two powerful voices came from outside, followed by a tremor in the ground. Two imposing figures rushed in from outside the door, their Blood Qi surging and their blood boiling. Their masculine Qi and Blood was like a pillar of air, instantly breaking through the gale.

"Good heavens, these two have incredibly high cultivation levels! They're even a notch above my second brother and me!"

Upon seeing the two figures, Hu Qi and Dai Guo were startled, and the elation they felt from the prince's flattery vanished instantly.

Drip, drip, drip!

As soon as the two experts in Life Cultivation entered the room, they felt a refreshing Qingliang on their faces. They left immediately, and then their gazes sharpened as they vaguely saw a phantom in the strong wind.

"He's a cultivator specializing in Divine Soul! Relying on his Divine Ability, he dares to attack the prince! Isn't he afraid of the Dragon Court's Fortune reversing and his soul being corrupted by Karmic Sin?"

Just as the two were scolding each other, a clump of black feathers surged in through the window, circling and hovering, enveloping the Divine Soul that was controlling the gale, and condensing into a birdcage.

Seeing this, Prince Yan was relieved, knowing that it was the Crow Daoist Soul Dao cultivator he had recruited, who had made the move.

"Your Highness need not worry, this cultivator is no match for me." Black feathers drifted down, transforming into a soul shadow, which was none other than the Crow Daoist. He raised his hand and made a hand seal, and the birdcage immediately exploded, the Divine Soul inside shattered into pieces and vanished into nothingness.

Prince Yan breathed a sigh of relief and bowed to the Divine Soul of the sorcerer, saying, "Thanks to you, True Person, otherwise we would have been in serious trouble. Do True Person know the origin of this spirit?"

The Crow Divine Soul said, "I don't know either. I'll have to ask my sect. Your Highness is blessed with great fortune; even if I don't intervene, nothing will happen."

After speaking, Divine Soul looked at Hu Qi and Dai Guo.

Hu Qi and Dai Guo were both surprised.

Prince Yan chuckled and stepped forward, saying, "You two need not be alarmed. This is my guest, the Crow True Person." As he spoke, he thought of something else, "Now that the True Person has arrived, the matter over there must be finished. In that case, please invite Young Master Qiu to come and drink with us. I can also learn from his teachings." As he said the last sentence, Prince Yan couldn't help but chuckle.

ps:

Thanks to "g12" for the monthly vote!