Soul Once Painted, Person Now Before Him

A few months ago, Qiu Yan returned to Yuan Ning from Qingchang and was invited by the Zhang Residence. He met Ji Zheng at the mansion, Zhang Family patriarch said that this person was a disciple of the Apricot Altar School without any doubt, which meant that he must have seen some kind of token.

Ji Zheng said he was entrusted by someone to give Qiu Yan an invitation with the words "Shen Yun" written on it, and then left calmly without a trace. He never expected to meet Qiu Yan again in White Jade Tower.

"Thinking about it that way, the client should be in Eastern Capital."

But...

"Didn't Qi Bai say it was his young lady hosting the banquet? How come we saw Ji Zheng?"

With these questions in mind, Qiu Yan looked over, and Ji Zheng smiled slightly, cupping his hands and saying, "Young Master, you've finally arrived. I wonder if you've gained anything along the way?"

Qiu Yan returned the greeting, saying, "I have gained a great deal. Your advice to travel among the people is indeed invaluable."

Ji Zheng nodded. "That's good. Please come inside for a chat."

"Alright!" Qiu Yan thought for a moment, nodded in agreement, and stepped inside.

Although he had his doubts, he knew that there would be no table-flipping fights or ambushes of axemen in White Jade Tower. Otherwise, the restaurant would be ruining its own reputation. A restaurant with Eastern Capital must have considerable power behind it and would not tolerate anyone causing trouble in its establishment.

Meanwhile, Qi Bai led Hu Qi and Dai Guo to other rooms.

After the three left, only Qiu Yan, Ji Zheng, and a few maids and servants remained in the room.

These maids and servants were all specially trained by White Jade Tower, and their ability to see things clearly and read people's expressions was extraordinary. At this moment, they all remained silent.

The room was spacious and bright, with latticed windows and carved mahogany. Looking through the windows, one could see a large part of the outer city. The buildings stretched endlessly, and the streets and alleys were bustling with people, a scene of extreme prosperity.

As Qiu Yan was watching, a gentle voice came from the side—

"The prosperity of the Eastern Capital is extraordinary."

"Huh?" Qiu Yan was taken aback by the sound and turned to look.

The servants and maids in the room had all been dismissed, Ji Zheng had also disappeared. In his place was a woman dressed in Confucian robes!

Although this woman was dressed as a scholar, she had a slender waist and a high, full chest. Her delicate face was free of makeup, but her skin was snow-white. Her eyes were clear and bright, her eyebrows were arched, and she had a delicate nose and cherry lips, making it obvious at a glance that she was a woman dressed as a man, without any attempt to conceal it.

Most importantly, this woman's clothing was exactly the same as Ji Zheng's, except that she was slightly shorter, but still much taller than ordinary women.

Under Qiu Yan's astonished gaze, she walked steadily towards the window and slowly said, "When General Zhu was defeated, he wanted to burn Eastern Capital to the ground. His prime minister, Feng Dao, dissuaded him, and thus the city was saved. Later, when the Grasslands cavalry besieged the city, the hermit Guo Ying went out alone to dissuade them. He was forced to serve under the Khan and calmly faced execution. Later, Zhou Xi rode alone through the pass, leading the Emperor Taizu's army to the city, and finally the siege was lifted."

At this point, she turned to look at Qiu Yan and smiled faintly, "People only say that Eastern Capital lucky and its prosperity lasts forever, but they don't know how many twists and turns lie behind this bloodless victory."

General Zhu was a warlord who seized control of the Heluo region during the collapse of the previous dynasty. He also came from a prominent Aristocratic Clan. In order to confront the Great Rui, he did not hesitate to bring the Hu troops into the pass. After his defeat, he returned to the city and committed suicide. Feng Dao was his strategist back then.

Qiu Yan had read about these things in history books, but now, looking out the window and listening to the beautiful woman beside him recount them, he couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

"Young lady, your insight is profound. Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. Only after arriving here do I realize how fleeting a century of history can be, and how fleeting a general's glory can be." After saying this, he looked directly at her. "However, I wonder what your purpose is in inviting me here, and why you have disguised yourself?"

Qiu Yan could naturally tell that Ji Zheng was actually this woman in disguise.

"A century's worth of history is but a snap of the fingers; a century's worth of generals and marshals are but a fleeting thought? This saying carries a unique flavor..."

Seeing that Qiu Yan had gotten straight to the point, the woman stopped beating around the bush and cupped her hands, saying, "I have prepared this banquet for two reasons: first, to welcome you and to express my gratitude for your help years ago. I had my reasons for not telling you this earlier, so please forgive me."

"The grace of being saved?"

Qiu Yan frowned upon hearing this. He had no recollection of the woman in front of him, so why did she claim that he had saved her?

However, looking at the person's attire, Qiu Yan couldn't help but recall the "elegant young man" he had encountered in Xuankou Town, and couldn't help but wonder, "The closer we get to the Eastern Capital, the more women we encounter dressed as men. Could this be a trend?"

Back in Xuankou Town, Qiu Yan recognized the "young master" as a woman the moment she saw him, but since it was none of her business, there was no need to ask.

At this moment, the woman opposite smiled slightly, "Young master doesn't remember, which is understandable, since we didn't meet at the time."

"No face-to-face encounter?" Qiu Yan became more and more confused. He Half-Step Fusion his Three Souls and had now established his Dao Heart. He was only one step away from condensing his Divine Soul. He could flip through the memories in his heart like turning the pages of a book. Every detail was clearly visible. However, when he compared the woman's face in front of him, there was not a single memory that matched.

The woman didn't continue with the riddle. Seeing that Qiu Yan couldn't remember, a strange light flashed in her eyes, and she asked directly, "Does young master still remember Tang Yi of the Upper Spirit Sect?"

"Tang Yi?" Upon hearing this name, Qiu Yan's expression changed, and his gaze sharpened. Instantly, the atmosphere in the entire room shifted dramatically, as if a storm was brewing.

The grudge between him and the Upper Spirit Sect was not something that could be easily resolved. Even if Qiu Yan wanted to resolve it, he had no choice. After his battle with Tang Lai, he was even more cautious, leaving no karmic Karma. Unexpectedly, here, he was exposed by a woman he didn't know at all.

Seeing this, the woman, fearing she might make things worse, quickly said, "Young master, please don't misunderstand. I have no relationship with Tang Yi. On the contrary, we are enemies. He once used Law Artifact to take my soul, almost causing my soul to break apart. It was only thanks to your intervention that the illusion was shattered and I was able to return to my body."

"Oh? You mean, your soul was once Sealing Spirit Diagram?" Qiu Yan was slightly taken aback, his sharp aura lessened, and he finally had a clue.

The woman nodded, then took a breath, her whole body trembled, Living Soul leaped out from the top of her head!

Upon seeing this, Qiu Yan's pupils shrank. He had not expected that the woman in front of him was actually a cultivator!

The surface of that Living Soul seemed to flow with scriptures, unafraid of sunlight. It spun in mid-air, emitting waves of energy, within which were fragments of memories. It was a space shrouded in mist, where two consciousnesses and soul shadows floated, suppressed within. They could hardly even think.

Time passed, and suddenly!

The entire space suddenly trembled, smoke billowed, and eight more souls fell in. But not long after, a crack appeared in the space. A scholar stepped in—it was none other than Qiu Yan!

After Qiu Yan entered, he first glanced around, pondered for a moment, then raised his hand and pointed. Wisps of green smoke rose from his fingertip, spreading out and enveloping the ten female souls, thus separating the souls from the surrounding smoke.

The first two souls immediately regained some consciousness, their thoughts flowing, taking in the surrounding situation and Karma. Finally, all ten souls transformed into light and shadow, breaking through the void and disappearing.

My memory ends here.

Then, the Living Soul returned to its body in mid-air, and the woman gasped for breath, looking exhausted.

On the other side, Qiu Yan pondered for a moment, understanding the cause and effect, and asked, "You are one of the two souls that regained consciousness? That makes sense, but repaying kindness is a matter of Human Path Correct Principle, why use the name of the Ji Clan?"

More than two years ago, Tang Yi used a Hundred Beauties Portrait to capture the Soul Seizing of women. That painting eventually fell into Qiu Yan's hands. Relying on his knowledge of the scriptures, he wanted to eliminate any future troubles, so he entered the painting at night. The memory he just experienced was a fragment of it, which was enough to prove the woman's identity.

"I am one of the two souls. After Tang Yi took my soul, it was suppressed inside, making it difficult for me to have any thoughts. If it weren't for you, young master, the consequences would have been dire. However, I am not an imposter, but a genuine member of the Ji Clan. My real name is Ji Zheng, a descendant of the Supreme Sage Confucius. The invitation I gave you, young master, was written by me on my own initiative."

"You wrote the invitation? As expected of a descendant of Sage, your calligraphy is divine. However, since you took it upon yourself to decide, it seems there will be some twists and turns in the Apricot Altar Dao Discourse." Qiu Yan first praised, then shook his head and sighed. Since he was studying and happened to be attending a grand event, he was bound to have some thoughts, and he did not hide his feelings.

As for why Ji Zheng, a descendant of Sage, was Soul Seizing by Tang Yi, Qiu Yan didn't ask further. However, he couldn't help but feel that Tang Yi was too bold, taking people without considering their importance, and suspected that he was driven by lust.

Ji Zheng shook her head and said, "Young master, there is no need to belittle yourself. Your knowledge is sufficient for Apricot Altar Dao Discourse. Now that you have achieved Literary Heart, whichever academy you enter will welcome you with open arms and let you Scholar Forest the scholarly world. You should know that Apricot Altar Dao Discourse and presenting your writings to the Sage is not just a personal matter, but also involves the survival of the academy."

"Oh? Is that so?" Qiu Yan said, intrigued. "I'd like to hear the details."

Ji Zheng didn't waste any time. With a flick of her sleeve, a slender painting box slid out from her sleeve, placed it on the table, and opened the lid.

A fragrant aroma wafts through the air.

Qiu Yan's expression changed instantly, sensing an extremely pure and vast spirit emanating from the box!

"What is this?" He looked closely and then discovered that there was a roll of paper in the box, clean and smooth, without the slightest flaw!

"This item is called Sage Paper. Apricot Altar Dao Discourse and for the Soul Entry into the Scholar Forest. There are three main items required."

Ji Zheng took the roll of paper out of the box, and raised her other hand, extending three fingers.

"Firstly, one must enter the Sage Worthies Hall."

Secondly, one must possess the Sage Paper.

Thirdly, literature can move even Sage!

With each sentence, Ji Zheng retracted a finger, finally clenching her fist, and said, word by word, "These three are indispensable! Since I wish to repay your kindness, I should lend you a helping hand!"

Meanwhile, in a remote valley in the Southern Border Jiannan Circuit.

Boom!

Suddenly, a cracking sound erupted, the ground shook violently, rocks tumbled down the mountainside, and wild animals in the Lin Zhong scattered in fright.

Then, a long roar rose from the bottom of the valley, and a burly and majestic figure flew up quickly. It was none other than the Flying Leopard Daoist with a leopard head and round eyes!

He held up Copper Furnace, his upper body bare, his muscles and bones gleaming like gold, as if he had skin of copper and bones of iron. Around him were bright red beads, crystal clear, like pearls.

"What a treasure! What a treasure! I never expected you, Brother Furnace, to possess such abilities. With the help of this Earth-Origin Elixir, I fear not even the gods! Let's go!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he moved like lightning, reaching the horizon in a moment, and then disappeared without a trace.

ps:

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