Heavenly Starlight Descends, an Old Acquaintance Seems to Arrive

"Senior brother, why would Prince Yan come all the way to Xuankou Town? He's a member of the imperial family, doesn't he care about the consequences?"

In front of the red-lacquered gate, Zhen Zhizuo, Lin Jue, and Chen Jing were waiting, each of them in a normal and unhurried manner, while Chen Jing spoke in a low voice.

The three followed Qiu Yan's footsteps northward, always just a hair's breadth away from him. But upon arriving in Xuankou Town, before they even inquired, they learned about Qiu Yan's situation.

News of Qiu Yan's reprimand of the Prince's guards at the tavern had already spread, and Zhen Zhizuo learned of it immediately and came looking for him.

After learning the names of the three men, the gatekeeper went to fetch Gongyang Yi. Gongyang Yi, upon arriving, dared not be negligent, knowing he should open the main gate to welcome them. Therefore, he asked the three to wait a moment while he returned to inform Prince Yan, ensuring that all courtesies were observed.

With the support of the Principle Sect Academy, even princes of the imperial family would not dare to underestimate the three of them, not to mention that Zhen Zhizuo had a reputation for virtue in the Eastern Capital.

After hearing Chen Jing's words, Zhen Zhizuo shook his head and said, "I don't know much about this either. I heard from passersby that it seems to be because of rebels."

When the three of them left Eastern Capital, they did not take this route. Moreover, the rebellion and anti-poetry incident had not yet become public, and the Principle Sect Academy was located outside the city. The three of them did not pay special attention and therefore would not have known about it.

Even now, this matter is still under control, and few people know about it outside of Eastern Capital.

However, the arrival of Prince Yan caused widespread panic and fear throughout the town.

Chen Jing's face showed displeasure. "There's definitely something wrong here. Is this how you investigate traitors? They're just stirring up trouble, and they're targeting students and scholars everywhere. It's not that I look down on those traveling students, but even if you gave them a knife, they probably couldn't kill a pheasant. To say they're going to the Eastern Capital to rebel is laughable!"

Zhen Zhizuo frowned. "Don't forget that you yourself are one of them. Besides, there are quite a few students who have mastered the Six Arts of a Gentleman, so how can you be so sure?"

Chen Jing curled his lip and muttered, "Judging from this, Senior Brother really thinks some scholars are planning a rebellion."

These words left Zhen Zhizuo speechless.

Just then...

Creak.

The side gate of the mansion opened, and three people walked out. The one in the lead was a scholar who looked somewhat thin, with a hole in his sleeve. However, he was full of energy and his eyes were bright, making him someone not to be underestimated.

"Huh? Why is it a scholar instead of a servant from the Prince's mansion?" Chen Jing asked, looking surprised.

Lin Jue, who had been silent, saw the appearance of the newcomer and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

Zhen Zhizuo saw the scholar, he was taken aback. He subconsciously asked, "Qiu Yan?"

Upon hearing the name, Chen Jing immediately perked up, glanced at Zhen Zhizuo, and then looked at the scholar. "Is he Qiu Yan?" The three of them had traveled all the way north to catch up with Qiu Yan.

At first, Chen Jing only thought Qiu Yan was a scholar with some talent. But along the way, wherever Qiu Yan went, he left some traces, such as the wind-blown Stove Bellows and other Mechanism Arts. Ordinary people could not see their value, but Chen Jing and his companions had a different perspective and naturally knew how much impact these things would have if they were promoted.

Having grown accustomed to always being a step behind, Chen Jing was somewhat taken aback upon suddenly seeing him in person, and he scrutinized him closely.

Unlike Chen Jing, Lin Jue appeared very calm, showing no surprise on his face, but he was also sizing up Qiu Yan.

At this moment, Zhen Zhizuo went up to Qiu Yan and exchanged some words with him, mostly polite greetings, before quickly getting to the point. "Brother Qiu, you were invited by Prince Yan. May I ask what brings you here?" They already knew that Prince Yan's "invitation" contained a coercive element, so they inquired tactfully.

Qiu Yan replied, "His Highness is simply extremely bored and wants to find someone to keep him company."

Upon hearing this, Hu Qi and Dai Guo, who were following behind, choked on their words and muttered to themselves, "Well, you just gave the prince a good beating, did he ask you to do it?" Of course, they wouldn't say these words aloud.

On the other side, Chen Jing stepped forward, bowed to Qiu Yan, introduced himself, and then said, "Those advisors of Prince Yan made us wait at the door for so long, yet they let you out, Young Master Qiu. Don't they know we came here to see you?"

Qiu Yan first greeted Chen Jing, then said, "Something has happened on the Prince's side, so I'm afraid he won't be able to come out to greet you all."

As soon as he finished speaking, two more people walked out of the side door. They were two middle-aged men, with a calm demeanor and dressed much better than ordinary servants. However, they were not dressed like Confucian scholars like Gongyang Yi, but rather exuded a mercenary air.

"I apologize to you gentlemen. My lord has suddenly fallen ill and is afraid he cannot entertain you. Please forgive him."

The two men nodded and bowed, clearly in charge or something similar. Their words surprised Zhen Zhizuo and the others slightly, and they couldn't help but glance at Qiu Yan.

Zhen Zhizuo cupped his hands and said, "Since Your Highness is ill, it is indeed inappropriate for us to disturb you. We shall take our leave now. Please convey our greetings to Your Highness and wish you a speedy recovery."

"Young master, your kindness is truly admirable. We will certainly convey your message." The two stewards thanked them repeatedly and then prepared to leave. As they were leaving, one of them cautiously glanced at Qiu Yan, his face stiffening.

This subtle movement caught Chen Jing's eye, making him thoughtful.

Then, Zhen Zhizuo said, "Judging from Brother Qiu's appearance, you must have expected us to come. I have already seen the letter you left earlier. This time, I brought two classmates with me to invite you to join my Principle Sect. I wonder what you think?"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yan was about to speak when Chen Jing interrupted him.

"Senior brother, there's no rush to talk about these things. Let's find a tavern and sit down for a proper chat." As Chen Jing spoke, he glanced at the mansion a few times. "Actually, I'm very curious about this prince's purpose. I heard that he's stationed here, ordering his constables, soldiers, and personal guards to arrest the scholar, and then releasing him. What exactly is he up to?"

Zhen Zhizuo frowned slightly, but still nodded. "Alright, let's go to a tavern in town and talk in detail. What do you think, Brother Qiu?"

"Very good."

Qiu Yan naturally wouldn't refute this. His confrontation with Zhao Pi caused quite a stir, one of the purposes of which was to let Zhen Zhizuo know.

On his journey north, he passed through two routes, experiencing the Human Path of the common people and enriching his Earthly Soul. Now, as he enters the Eastern Capital, his travel and study experience will be temporarily interrupted, and he will instead visit the Scholar Forest Academy. Only by combining these two experiences can he make comparisons and insights, and reflect on his own thoughts.

After saying a few words, Zhen Zhizuo and the others left first, while Qiu Yan, Hu Qi, and Dai Guo went to the side of the mansion to fetch the horses.

As they walked, Hu Qi whispered, "Young Master, why don't you tell the three men about Prince Yan's misdeeds? Aren't they from the Principle Sect Academy?"

Hu Qi and Dai Guo were unaware of Prince Yan's theft of Literary Thought, but after witnessing the scene just now, they knew that Prince Yan had probably done something shameful. That's why they made this statement, hoping to let more people know, share the risk, and get Qiu Yan more help.

Qiu Yan shook his head and said, "If this is exposed, it might force Prince Yan to take a risk."

Now that the White Jade Paperweight and the Jade Basin have fallen into Qiu Yan's hands, how can Prince Yan continue to seize the Literary Thought without the tools to commit evil? Qiu Yan's most urgent task is to release the Literary Thought contained in the Paperweight.

Moreover, sensing the Legalist School aura within the Earthly Soul Bookshelf, Qiu Yan had already made a guess, suspecting that the person behind it was related to Eastern Capital. The Principle Sect Academy was also located in Eastern Capital, and there were people from all walks of life in the academy, so Qiu Yan naturally had to be more cautious in his actions.

Soon, they led their horses, and the three met up with Zhen Zhizuo. They found a tavern and took their seats.

Once the dishes were almost served, Chen Jing said with some doubt, "They say they're going to arrest Confucian scholars, but there aren't many in town. Along the way, most people have been avoiding our gazes. Something's definitely fishy."

He had been walking along the road, glancing around, when he noticed High Antiquity.

Qiu Yan answered his question, "The released Confucian scholars will be escorted out of the town by soldiers, so they will not stay in the town." Qiu Yan learned this from Prince Yan through the illusion.

Scholars whose Literary Thought inspiration was taken away inevitably showed abnormalities, so they were all driven out to avoid causing trouble. This is also why Qiu Yan's scholar's robes attracted so much attention when he first arrived in town.

"Oh? I see..."

Chen Jing wanted to continue, but Zhen Zhizuo stopped him with a look. He understood, and then changed the subject, saying to Qiu Yan, "Forget it, there's no need to say more about this. We finally caught up with Brother Qiu, and I can't let this opportunity slip by. We've seen quite a lot along the way, the bellows Stove Bellows, Qiu's Rainbow Bridge, the clever plan to identify the thief... I heard they were all your doing. I wonder how Brother Qiu came up with so many ingenious ideas?"

He uttered a series of words, some of which were names of objects, and others were events. These were all things Qiu Yan had participated in while experiencing the Human Path of the common people along the way. Many of them borrowed knowledge from his previous life, and some even used logic and psychological manipulation to induce reasoning. After he passed by, they became rumors in the countryside and were known to Zhen Zhizuo and the others.

Chen Jing was very interested in these things, and he was quite outgoing. Although it was his first time meeting Qiu Yan, they acted as if they were old friends who had known each other for a long time.

In contrast, Lin Jue remained calm and composed, uttering not a word except when announcing his name.

Seeing that Chen Jing was interested, Qiu Yan was happy to talk to him and take the opportunity to learn about the Principle Sect's true abilities and scholarship. For a time, the atmosphere at the table was harmonious.

But as they were talking, Qiu Yan's expression suddenly changed slightly.

This change did not escape the notice of the other three, but they could not figure out why it happened.

At the same time.

Jiannan Circuit, Southern Border.

Suddenly, a point of eerie blue light fell from the sky, twinkling like a star, accompanied by a raging gale, and plunged into Panluo Mountain!

Call!

Air currents surged.

This mountain is a branch of the Nine Spirits Mountain and is Qiu Yan's core Domain of Law. He will sense any movement here.

The one stationed at Panluo Mountain is Huang Jue, Sixth Grade mountain god.

He was chatting idly with his clan's descendants when he suddenly sensed something. His expression changed, and without regard for anything else, he hurried away. But at the spot where the light landed, he felt a familiar fluctuation of divine power!

"This... Metropolitan City God?"

ps:

Thank you "Skywalker_Xiang" for the review vote!