Quanyou's Past, a Beginning in the Woods

Spring and Autumn Academy, Book Pavilion.

The entire Book Pavilion remained dark and gloomy, with rows of tall bookshelves blocking out the last bit of light, making the light that could penetrate deep into the Library Pavilion negligible.

However, at this moment, light was shining from deep within the Book Pavilion.

The source of this light, however, was two people.

"Book Elder, are you really going to let Qiu Yan help you? You even gave him a brocade pouch?"

Mr. Zheng, who had once guided Qiu Yan, was now standing in front of his desk, speaking in a low voice.

Behind the table sat an elderly, frail Book Elder.

At this moment, the old man was not engrossed in reading. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, looking weak and listless. His whole body emitted a faint yellow light.

After listening to Mr. Zheng's words, the Book Elder nodded. "Rather than taking a desperate gamble, it would be better to let Qiu Sheng help. This man has a past with Yang'er, and the Literary Heart he has cultivated is not something Evil Dao, but rather a righteous and upright one. Only such a person can be trusted. Otherwise, even if I went in person, I might still be affected and reduced to ashes."

Mr. Zheng frowned and said, "That's true, but he might not agree, so we still need to make other preparations."

"Indeed, it's always good to be prepared. You don't need to stop what you've arranged," the Book Elder nodded, a glint of light flashing in his cloudy old eyes. "However, Qiu Sheng is Literary Completion, One Heart and has his own Fortune. He should be able to obtain that thing. This is a matter of Fortune, knowledge, and mind. Having more people doesn't necessarily make a difference."

At this point, the old man looked up and smiled, "Moreover, Qiu Yan's assistance will also benefit the academy. If he can gain Scholar Forest scholarly world through the Sage Worthies Hall of my Spring and Autumn Academy and broaden his understanding of Literary Dao, he will surely leave behind a masterpiece that can enrich the spirit of the Spring and Autumn Hall and solidify the foundation of its heritage!"

Seeing that Mr. Zheng was still frowning, he continued, "Don't underestimate the accumulation of small things. Even if the academy has a solid foundation, it's all thanks to the efforts of our predecessors. Today's students may not be able to achieve anything themselves, and in the long run, it will inevitably decline. However, the Historical River flows for thousands of years. Nothing is permanent. The academy is like a small boat on the river, and it will certainly rise and fall. But as the helmsman, one must plan ahead and leave room for future generations to make mistakes and correct them, so that it won't be overthrown by a single wave."

"I understand this matter," Mr. Zheng nodded. "Back then Quanyou Academy was at its peak, leading the way in Confucianism and being inclusive and tolerant, truly unparalleled for its time. Unfortunately, it became too arrogant. After one debate, all the elites were lost, and the younger generation of students lacked outstanding figures, leading to its decline. Even now, it still faces a talent shortage."

The Book Elder nodded. "That makes sense. But Wu Xi, the headmaster of the Quanyou Academy at that time, was also farsighted. He befriended Lin Zhengyang. In this way, even though he suffered losses in the Scholar Forest, Lin Zhengyang's words of deterrence allowed Quanyou Academy to survive. Although it was severely damaged, it did not collapse."

Upon hearing the name "Lin Zhengyang," his eyelids twitched, and a hint of fear flashed in his eyes. He quickly changed the subject, saying, "There's another matter. Recently, several people have come to persuade students from the academy to go out and serve as advisors, participating in this era of great strife. Are you still unwilling to offer your guidance on this?"

The Book Elder didn't spell it out, but simply said, "Guidance? How can the guidance of others compare to one's own experience? If you want to see the simplicity and purity of nature, you must eventually step out of the books and then come back. Only then will you know the vastness of the world within them."

With that, he waved his hand, and Mr. Zheng, understanding his meaning, took his leave.

After the person left, the entire Book Pavilion returned to silence, with only a faint yellow light flickering in the depths. The Book Elder looked down at the books in front of him.

Sudden!

A blinding golden light burst forth from his arm, and then the light on his entire body quickly dimmed.

The Book Elder then sighed.

"It seems Qiu Yan has no intention of using the Spring and Autumn Annals and Autumn Annals as his gatekeeper. What a pity, what a pity..."

Just as the Book Elder was sighing, Chen Jing, after talking with Qiu Yan for a while, also got up to take his leave.

"In that case, I, Chen, will go back and prepare. Brother Qiu, you don't need to rush to give an answer. After all, words are not enough, and hearing is unreliable; only seeing is believing."

When he left, he didn't go through the main gate, but instead jumped out of the window and scaled the walls, clearly not wanting anyone to know that he had come to visit.

"However, this could just be a statement. Even if someone can scale walls and rooftops, a person with Divine Ability can still find their tracks if they pay attention."

After closing the window, Qiu Yan shook his head, a thoughtful look on his face. He said nothing more, walked back to the table, opened a book, and began to read.

Over the remaining days, everything returned to normal. After accepting the invitation from the Han Residence and resolving the misunderstanding with the Ma Residence, Qiu Yan once again returned to her state of staying at home and studying.

This continued for five days, and as the year drew to a close, the weather in the Eastern Capital gradually turned cold.

"Brother, what do you think the young master has been doing these past five days?" Dai Guo asked in a low voice while they were eating in the main hall.

Hu Qi put a piece of meat in his mouth and replied vaguely, "How would I know? Perhaps he's preparing for the exam. Soon, we should also set off for Prosperity Capital to accompany you to the exam!"

Although he said that, he had doubts in his heart. In the past five days, Qiu Yan had not left the house, but even his meals had to be brought in. Moreover, there had been some changes in the aura around him. How could these details escape the eyes of a cultivator of Life Cultivation?

However, since Qiu Yan didn't say anything, Hu Qi didn't feel comfortable asking. After spending so much time together, he had a general idea of Qiu Yan's personality. Qiu Yan was happy to explain things to them, and sometimes she would even teach them some "little tricks".

This "little trick" was Qiu Yan's explanation, but Hu Qi and Dai Guo immediately saw its value, recognizing it as a skill that could earn a living. If passed on to ordinary craftsmen, it would be a family heirloom.

But sometimes, if Qiu Yan doesn't take the initiative to speak, then asking is useless.

Dai Guo hadn't quite figured this out yet. As he ate, he muttered to himself, "I don't think it's that simple. It shouldn't be exam preparation. In the past five days, I haven't seen the young master many times, but every time I have, I feel that he has gained an aura. At first, it wasn't obvious, but just now when he brought me food, I was a little closer, and I was affected by that aura. I felt uneasy. If we were to fight, I would lose my composure before the fight even started."

"Why are you fighting with the young master all of a sudden?" Hu Qi interrupted his brother, "Eat your food, don't think about it too much."

"I was just using an analogy. Young Master, your martial arts are superb, and you're also cunning. How stupid would I, Old Dai, have to be to fight with you?" Dai Guo said, taking a bite. He still remembered General Zhao, who had been rendered speechless by Qiu Yan in Xuankou Town, and had a deep memory of Qiu Yan's "cunning schemes."

"Don't talk nonsense!" Hu Qi quickly tapped him with his chopsticks. "You can't say things like that. We're currently registered under the Qiu Family. Saying things like that would be considered spreading rumors about our master's family behind their backs, which is against the law."

"Good heavens, then we'd better be careful, we can't break the law!" Dai Guo's expression changed drastically, clearly he had a deep understanding of the "law". This was thanks to "Qiu Yan's verbal battle with General Zhao". That day, Qiu Yan focused on the word "law" and made the officer who held a heavy army speechless.

At this moment, Hu Qi's expression suddenly changed, and he looked behind Dai Guo.

Dai Guo immediately snapped out of his daze, turned around, and saw Qiu Yan walking downstairs.

"Oh no!" Dai Guo thought to himself. He knew that with Qiu Yan's Life Cultivation level, he could clearly hear what he had just said at this distance.

Qiu Yan approached, glanced at Dai Guo, said nothing, and then said to Hu Qi, "I have to go out on some business. I'm entrusting these luggage and horses to you. Take good care of them."

"Don't worry, young master." Hu Qi stood up and replied, then asked, "But how many days will it take?" He sensed a hidden meaning in Qiu Yan's words.

Qiu Yan replied, "It's hard to say. I might be right back, or it might take several days. My travel expenses are with you. If you need anything, you can take out one or two pieces of calligraphy or painting from my package and sell them."

Hu Qi repeatedly said he dared not.

Shaking his head and giving a few more instructions, Qiu Yan walked out of the inn. Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes and sensed that his senses extended towards a street corner, where he spotted two furtive figures. Then, without making a sound, he stepped into the crowd on the street.

Watching Qiu Yan's departing figure, Hu Qi raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. "Young Master's aura has indeed changed. It seems he is brewing something. Just standing in front of him gives one a feeling of oppression and suffocation. A few simple words have made one feel heavy-hearted."

On the street, Qiu Yan's collar moved slightly, and a Ginseng Baby emerged from it.

He raised his hand and pressed it back down, Qiu Yan walked away slowly.

"The Ginseng Baby insisted on sticking to it, probably because it heard Chen Jing's words. The Li Trigram also indicates this, so carrying it will bring good fortune."

He thought to himself, occasionally stopping to watch the roadside performances and street performers, just like an ordinary pedestrian, but as he walked, he got closer and closer to the city gate.

Finally, after turning a corner, Qiu Yan arrived outside the Eastern Capital.

People were coming and going by the city gate. Qiu Yan looked around and saw a familiar figure not far away. It was Chen Jing. When Chen Jing saw Qiu Yan, he bowed from a distance, then turned and walked into the woods behind him.

Qiu Yan smiled slightly and walked in that direction, entering the woods.

After walking through the Lin Zhong for a while, he suddenly realized that he had passed through a cold membrane. Instantly, the atmosphere and scenery before him changed drastically, and several figures appeared.

"Brother Qiu, you've arrived." Chen Jing was among them, and he came forward to greet you. "Let me introduce you to these gentlemen..."

Besides Chen Jing, there were three others. One of them sized up Qiu Yan and, before Chen Jing could finish speaking, said with some doubt, "Is this the person? Can he compare to Bai Zhaoyuan? He doesn't seem like it!"

ps:

Thank you "xmcf" for the donation! Thank you "Heaven's Fireworks" for the review vote!

The two photos from tomorrow should also be released tonight.