Petty Schemes at Work, Literary Contamination on the Path of Cultivation

Judging from the situation and the other party's words, Qiu Yan could roughly guess that the person in front of him was the Ma Gong mentioned by the servant, and also Han Wei'er's suitor.

Although Ma Gong was asking Qiu Yan's name, he didn't take Qiu Yan seriously at all. This wasn't contempt, but genuine indifference, like the casual glance one would cast at a kitten or puppy on the street.

"This Ma Gong must come from an extraordinary background. His surname is Ma, and judging from his appearance, he comes from a distinguished family with considerable influence in Eastern Capital. He also has connections with the Han Family. Could it be...?"

While Qiu Yan was pondering, Han Wei'er had already told the other party Qiu Yan's name. At the same time, she turned to Qiu Yan and said, "Brother Qiu, this is Ma Wan. His grandfather is none other than the current Prime Minister Ma Yang, Lord Ma, and our Han Family has been friends for generations."

"Just as I thought."

These words confirmed Qiu Yan's guess. He then stepped forward and bowed, wanting to express his gratitude for Ma Yang's help back then.

Ma Wan merely returned the greeting indifferently, his attention immediately shifting back to Han Wei'er. Qiu Yan frowned repeatedly, feeling displeased. "Since Ma Wan is the grandson of the Chancellor Ma, with such a distinguished family background, how can he be so impolite? Even if he admires the Han Family's daughter, he shouldn't be so perfunctory in his greetings; it makes him seem ill-mannered."

Thinking this through, Qiu Yan didn't continue speaking.

On the other side, Han Wei'er interrupted Ma Wan's eager words, "I know Brother Ma wants to test his knowledge with me, but I have other matters to attend to right now. I need to take Brother Qiu to meet my ancestor. Let's talk about it later."

She spoke decisively, and after saying that, Han Wei'er didn't delay. She instructed the servant to lead Ma Wan to the side room to wait, and then led Qiu Yan through the side gate into the mansion.

Watching Han Wei'er's departing figure, Ma Wan looked regretful, her eyes revealing reluctance.

At this moment, a man emerged from another side door. Dressed in a blue robe and black hat, he appeared to be a servant. Seeing Ma Wan's expression, he stepped forward and said, "Young Master Sun, why did you let Miss Han leave? You've been so preoccupied these past few days, barely eating or drinking, all just to see her."

Ma Wan snapped out of her daze, glanced around a few times to make sure no one was paying attention, then lowered her voice and said, "Keep your voice down. It won't be good if people hear."

It turned out that this young master of the Ma Family was deeply in love with the young lady of the Han Family, and rushed over as soon as he heard she had returned.

Upon hearing this, the servant's eyes darted around, and he added, "Is it because of that scholar? In the stories told by those storytellers, they all say that these pale-faced scholars are often gigolos. Rich young ladies are easily deceived by their sweet words and immediately throw themselves into their arms without any regard for right or wrong. Some even go so far as to commit illicit acts. Young master, you must be careful."

Upon hearing this, Ma Wan's expression changed slightly, revealing worry and anger, but she rebuked him, saying, "Don't say such uncivilized things. It was Prime Minister Han who wanted to see that scholar; Miss Han was merely leading the way."

The servant then said, "That scholar clearly has no official rank, why bother Han Family to lead the way? Besides, someone who catches Lord Han's eye must be extraordinary. Does the young master know this man's name?"

Ma Wan felt uneasy at this moment and subconsciously said, "It's a scholar named Qiu Yan."

"Qiu Yan?" The servant pretended to think. "That name sounds familiar. Oh, right, I remember now. When the old master was living in the Southern Border, wasn't there a scholar named Qiu Yan who came to our door seeking knowledge? I heard that the scholar, with the help of the old prime minister's teachings and connections, became the top scholar in Jiannan Circuit. Later, he was recommended to come to the Eastern Capital to study at another academy."

"Hmm? Now that you mention it, I remember too." Ma Wan's face immediately turned ugly. "If this Qiu Yan is really that Qiu Yan, then he received a great favor from my family, yet upon arriving in Eastern Capital, he didn't visit them first, but instead came to the Han Residence. Could it be that he wants to climb the social ladder? Wouldn't that be betraying his own people?"

He already harbored suspicions, and the servant's words unsettled him, fueling his anger and malice. He never expected that one of his personal attendants would know so much about these matters, even the ins and outs of them.

Enraged, Ma Wan believed he had encountered an ungrateful scholar and harbored resentment towards Qiu Yan. He vaguely felt that the other party was dishonest and had improper Mind Arts about his beloved. With these thoughts in mind, he led his servant through the door and found a side room to wait quietly.

Ma Wan's sensory changes triggered a chain of Karma, causing Qiu Yan's Divine Soul to tremble slightly, and he vaguely sensed something in his heart.

"Hmm? There's just been a hint of hostility towards me in the manor, and it's quite intense."

At this moment, he was walking with Han Wei'er through a room. There were many servants along the way, who greeted Han Wei'er with smiles, and Han Wei'er returned their greetings one by one, showing no airs whatsoever.

After walking a few steps, three people approached. The one in the lead was a middle-aged man with an extraordinary bearing. Han Wei'er stopped and bowed, calling him "Second Uncle," before introducing him to Qiu Yan: "This is my second uncle, Han Zhuo. He is a high-ranking official in the imperial court, holding the position of Vice Ministry of Works."

"So it's you, Doctor. I greet you." Qiu Yan bowed in return.

The Ministry of Works was one of the Six Ministries, in charge of construction, water conservancy, transportation, and various large-scale projects. The Director of the Ministry of Works was Principal Fifth Rank official position. In terms of salary, it was equivalent to the mayor of a prefecture-level city in Qiu Yan's previous life, and it often had real power. It was generally responsible for supervising specific construction matters. It seemed insignificant, but it was a position where it was easy to achieve political achievements and was very lucrative. It had an Innate Realm advantage in terms of promotion and wealth.

"You must be Qiu Yan?" Upon seeing Qiu Yan, Han Zhuo smiled and nodded kindly. "I've heard of you. You're the top scholar in Jiannan Circuit, with excellent calligraphy skills. The Emperor considers you a national talent and has high expectations for you. Meeting you today, you are indeed a man of exceptional talent."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Han Wei'er said, "Second Uncle, are you going to see Ma Wan?"

"Indeed, I haven't seen his father for some time. He's coming to the mansion today to offer his condolences and to introduce him to two talented individuals. By the way, Nephew Qiu, after you've met your father, if you have time, you might as well come over for a chat as well."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yan shifted his gaze to what was behind the person.

He had noticed the two people behind Han Zhuo long ago. They were two scholars, one of whom had a faint Karma connection with him, though it was not strong and was about to dissipate. With just a thought, Qiu Yan guessed the reason.

"This person must have had his Literary Thought stolen by Prince Yan, and I returned it to its rightful owner, which is why he is involved."

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, the two men stepped forward to greet him, introduced themselves to Qiu Yan, and then left with Han Zhuo.

Watching Han Zhuo's departing figure, Qiu Yan felt a pang of emotion. "Although I have the title of Jieyuan (top scholar in the provincial examination), I hold no official position. Han Zhuo, on the other hand, is a high-ranking official of the Principal Fifth Rank, holding Central Pivot, yet his manners and speech are impeccable. In comparison, Ma Wan is far inferior."

However, he knew, of course, that although Han Zhuo praised him, it was just polite talk and he didn't really take him seriously. The two were different in status, reputation, and public standing, and it would take some time before they could have an equal dialogue.

After the three had walked a distance, Han Wei'er whispered, "That Zhang Yingchao suffered a great calamity before, but was saved by a benefactor. He deeply remembers this kindness and said he would definitely repay it one day." After saying this, she smiled and looked at Qiu Yan.

Han Wei'er knew about the Paperweight and the Jade Basin, and had even monitored Prince Yan, so of course she knew the ins and outs of it and could guess some things.

Qiu Yan, however, remained expressionless and said, "Knowing and repaying kindness is the normal Order of Human Path, and it should be done this way."

Hearing Qiu Yan say this, Han Wei'er was taken aback and said no more. The two walked a few more steps and arrived at a study in the back of the Han Residence mansion.

This study is located in a secluded courtyard, where flowers and plants grow, giving it an otherworldly feel. An old servant stands in front of the door.

Han Wei'er stepped forward and said, "Grandpa Wu, I've brought the person."

The old servant looked at Han Wei'er kindly, nodded, and then said, "Master has instructed that you can go in to see him after he arrives, but you, Second Miss, cannot come along."

"I understand, Grandpa's going to put on airs again." Han Wei'er chuckled, saying something that left the old servant somewhat helpless.

Seeing this, Qiu Yan bowed and then pushed open the door to enter.

After the door closed, a glint of shrewdness flashed in the old servant's eyes as he said to Han Wei'er, "Second Miss, this man is indeed extraordinary. You'd better be careful when dealing with him."

"I know that," Han Wei'er replied with a smile, "However, Qiu Yan things in a methodical way, so he is worth befriending."

Upon entering the study, one is greeted by a two-tiered bookshelf and calligraphy and paintings on the walls, giving it a scholarly feel.

Then, Qiu Yan suddenly felt his body become heavy, and all the pores on his body felt blocked. Even the top of his head felt heavy, as if a heavy object was pressing down on his head. Under such circumstances, it would inevitably take some effort to Spirit Projection his Divine Soul from his body.

Hiss...

Suddenly, Qiu Yan's Divine Soul stirred, and he heard whispers in his ears, as if dozens or even hundreds of people were softly reciting scriptures in his ear.

"What a rich Literary Thought Aura!"

Releasing his senses, Qiu Yan immediately understood the reason for all the anomalies. The next moment, Incense Faith emanated from the Soul Aperture, enveloping his Divine Soul and disguising it as ordinary thoughts. His soul cultivation aura suddenly disappeared, and the surrounding pressure and whispers also vanished.

"A faint sense of Order resides within this room, capable of repelling external forces."

Thinking to himself, Qiu Yan looked ahead and saw a tall figure behind the desk inside.

"You're Qiu Yan? Hmm, you've got some connections."

Han Yi stood up from his seat and walked over, step by step, his footing steady, giving Qiu Yan the illusion that a high mountain was approaching.

"What an astonishing aura! Could this Prime Minister Han also be a cultivator?"

The thought flashed through Qiu Yan's mind, but the next moment, Qiu Yan sensed the waning vitality in Han Yi's body and realized that the other party was just an ordinary old man who had not engaged in cultivation.

At the same time, Han Yi's gaze swept over Qiu Yan, and he frowned. "Your Literary Thought has achieved Literary Heart? Not simple, but it's not pure enough, clearly tainted by soul cultivation."

At this point, he shook his head, a look of regret on his face. "What a pity. In this way, your pursuit of Literary Dao will no longer be pure, and you won't be able to be single-minded."

ps:

Thank you to "Observer" and "Fireworks in Heaven" for your monthly votes!

Happy Lunar New Year's Eve everyone! Thank you all for your continued support!

Tomorrow is Chinese New Year, so I'll be adding an extra chapter. The first chapter will be after midnight, and the other two will be at noon and in the evening!