When Things Defy Convention, There Must Be Something Strange Afoot

"It seems you and that old friend have quite a close relationship, Brother Li..."

The man who asked the question smiled slightly, downed the wine in his cup in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and said, "Good wine. The mortal world is indeed a wonderful place, much better than the austere days on the mountain."

The speaker was not old, appearing to be no more than thirty. He had an ordinary face, but extremely long sideburns, and an air of otherworldly elegance about him. He wore a long robe, and his every move was crisp and decisive.

The last person added, "Since Brother Li and Brother Yang have both said so, I, Duolu, naturally have no objections. The purpose of my trip to the Central Plains was to broaden my horizons. Brother Zong has already shown me so much; how could I possibly miss any other good shows?"

Compared to the other three, this person's speech and behavior were clearly different. He was tall and strong, with a rugged temperament. Although he was wearing brocade clothes from the Central Plains, his hair was disheveled, and his eyebrows and eyes were different from others, making him seem unlike a person from the Central Plains.

"Very well! Please, gentlemen!" Prince Yan laughed and rose to lead the way.

"Please!" The rest of the people stood up.

Zong Heng was originally a staff member of Prince Yan. He was only able to sit at the same table and drink with others because of his connections. Now, knowing his place, he slowed down and lagged behind the others.

Prince Yan nodded slightly, stopped, and whispered in Zong Heng's ear, "Go back to the manor and tell Gongyang Yi to invite Master Golden Crow Dao here. Tell him that I have something to ask of you."

Zong Heng cupped his hands and said, "This subordinate understands. May I ask where Your Highness has gone so that I may inform you, Chief?"

Prince Yan waved his hand. "No need to ask any more questions, just go and tell him, the Daoist will naturally know." His words were quite impatient.

Zong Heng dared not ask any further questions, and after bowing, he quickly withdrew.

"Brother Zong, where are you going?" The burly man asked casually, a glint of light flashing in his eyes as he watched Zong Heng leave.

"Zong Heng's studies are extremely demanding, and he is currently exhausted. I told him to go back and rest," Prince Yan replied. "By the way, Brother Yang and Brother Duolu, I will introduce you to a highly skilled person later." As he spoke, his face was slightly pale and his brows were slightly furrowed.

"A master? Good news, good news! My purpose in coming down the mountain this time is to meet some extraordinary people in this world; the more masters, the better." As the man in the long robe spoke, his eyes flickered, noticing the expression on the Prince Yan's face. "Brother Li, you don't look well? Are you unwell?"

"It's nothing, just an old problem." Prince Yan raised his hand and rubbed his temples, then used two fingers to press a certain technique to vibrate and activate the restriction in his head, vaguely concealing a headband.

On that day, Prince Yan attempted to seize Qiu Yan's Literary Thought, but was instead attacked by Qiu Yan. He was first severely injured, then forced to take a red pill, and finally had a headband put on him.

From then on, these two things became Prince Yan's biggest worries. Fortunately, the red pill was fine; he consulted a master of pharmacology, who treated it several times and confirmed there were no problems. In recent days, he had not experienced any health issues. With the help of medicine and dietary supplements, he had long since put his worries to rest.

But the headband was different; it seemed both real and unreal, and ordinary people couldn't see through it. However, as long as Prince Yan had even the slightest thought that was detrimental to Qiu Yan, he would suffer from a splitting headache, which was extremely painful. In severe cases, it would even force him to jump around and be in a very sorry state.

Born into a noble family, he was always a man of his word, and now he harbored even greater ambitions, only to suffer a loss. Forget revenge, he couldn't even think about it; it was an unbearable humiliation, yet he couldn't dwell on it, leaving him feeling bitter and resentful.

This situation lasted for a month before things took a turn for the better. The Crow Daoist's sect came looking for him and questioned him about his Crow Daoist. Only then did Prince Yan find a savior and invite the sect leader, Golden Crow Daoist, to come over.

This Golden Crow Daoist was exceptionally skilled. He saw through the illusion surrounding the Prince Yan, knowing that it was a mixture of his Qi and Blood, integrated into his flesh and blood, and affecting his mind. He knew that removing it would not be possible overnight; it could only be done gradually, peeling back the layers one by one.

However, although it could not be eradicated quickly, it could be suppressed. The Golden Crow Daoist placed another restriction on the headband on King Yan's head to block it, but since it was already deeply embedded in the flesh, although it provided some relief, King Yan would still feel uncomfortable when he became hostile towards Qiu Yan.

After pressing on the area a few times, the discomfort subsided, and Prince Yan returned to normal. He smiled at the two men and said, "Alright, please follow me."

The man in the long robe and the burly man didn't ask any questions, nodded, and followed. The three of them left the tavern and headed in the direction Qiu Yan had gone.

As soon as the three left, many people immediately stood up at several tables upstairs and downstairs, and then left in a flurry.

It was clear that Prince Yan was traveling incognito this time, and he did not reveal his identity in his words. However, he was, after all, of True Dragon Bloodline, and could not afford to be careless in the slightest. Therefore, many guards and experts disguised themselves and accompanied him.

"Brother Li, are you going to say hello to that old friend?" After taking a few steps, the man in the long robe noticed something amiss.

"That's exactly right." Prince Yan nodded, remaining expressionless.

The reason he was so anxious was because his resentment was too great. He had already sent people to search for Qiu Yan's whereabouts and even sent people to Jiannan Circuit to investigate.

However, even though he was a prince, he did not enter officialdom, so the officials of Jiannan Circuit naturally did not buy into it.

Having searched repeatedly to no avail, Prince Yan's resentment only grew stronger. Now that he had discovered Qiu Yan, how could he possibly tolerate it?

Furthermore, according to the Golden Crow Daoist, in order to eliminate the hidden danger above, besides peeling back the layers, there is also a quick and effective method: to kill the instigator!

"I, Duolu, cannot miss out on someone whom Brother Li values so highly; I must make good friends with him!" Upon hearing this, the burly man's eyes flashed with a shrewd light as he spoke.

"You two will know what kind of person he is once you see him." Prince Yan smiled without saying a word. The two people beside him had extraordinary backgrounds and were involved in many things. They both had considerable power behind them. If they were to fight Qiu Yan later, they would be two great helpers. Prince Yan still remembered Qiu Yan's power and knew that he was no match for him with his many guards alone. That was why he sent Zong Heng to summon the Golden Crow Daoist, while he himself followed him to prevent Qiu Yan from disappearing again.

The three walked leisurely, occasionally glancing around, but Prince Yan seemed preoccupied and walked faster and faster.

Not long after, the man in the long robe's eyes lit up, he pointed ahead and laughed, "Is that the person?"

From afar, Prince Yan had already spotted Qiu Yan, someone he would never forget even if turned to ashes. He nodded upon hearing this, then glanced to the side and saw a tavern. He called to the two men beside him, "Let's go sit there for a while, and I'll send someone to invite him over."

The burly man Duolu, followed their gazes and saw Qiu Yan. A hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes as he shook his head and said, "This person doesn't seem to be a martial artist, but rather a scholar. However, he doesn't exude much of a scholarly air about him. I suppose his knowledge is not as good as the others around Brother Li."

This Duolu was not from the Central Plains, but he admired the customs of the Central Plains. During his visit, he showed great respect to those who had achieved academic success or had a special skill. After befriending Prince Yan, he was even more respectful and courteous to many of Prince Yan's advisors. At the same time, he had exceptional eyesight and could discern the spirit of Literary Thought simply by looking at people.

However, as soon as Duolu finished speaking, the man in the long robe shook his head and said, "Brother Duolu, you have misjudged this time. This old friend of Brother Li is no ordinary person."

"Oh?" Duolu raised an eyebrow, adopting a humble and inquisitive look. "What insightful opinion does Brother Yang have?"

The man in the long robe smiled and said, "I dare not presume to offer such profound insights. However, since I came down from the mountain, I have met many scholars and made numerous comparisons. I have gained some understanding and know that when ordinary people can comprehend reason, their thoughts and Order are in harmony, drawing out a trace of aura, which is what ordinary people call Literary Thought."

"Is that so?" Duolu frowned, secretly noting it down. "If that's the case, then the lack of Literary Thought in that person means they're unlearned and incompetent?"

"No," the man in the long robe shook his head. "All people in the world have the Literary Thought. You should know that this principle is not only found in books. The ancient Sage used literature to convey the Way. They did not create principles, but rather recorded the principles of the world in books. In our daily actions, we will unconsciously align with one or two principles, and naturally, Literary Thought will arise."

"So that's how it is..." Upon hearing this, Duolu finally understood. He wasn't stupid; connecting the dots, he immediately looked surprised and turned to look in Qiu Yan's direction.

"Indeed," the man in the long robe still smiled, "There must be something fishy about this. Everyone should have Literary Thought, but there's not a trace of it in that person. Isn't that strange? How could such a person be an ordinary person?"

Upon hearing this, Duolu's eyes immediately lit up with eagerness. He was about to call out to Qiu Yan when he suddenly looked surprised!

"Hmm? That person entered Prime Minister Han's residence!"

Upon looking, he saw Qiu Yan's feet shift, and he entered a mansion with a plaque that read "Han Residence" hanging above the gate.

During his visit to the Eastern Capital, Duolu paid special attention to several places, one of which was the Han Residence. He visited it several times but was not allowed to enter. After much inquiry, he learned that there were many complicated procedures to visit the Han Residence, and that it was generally impossible to see the old prime minister. Only those who had some connection with the old prime minister could freely enter and leave.

"This person is indeed extraordinary!"

Hearing the two praising Qiu Yan, Prince Yan felt embarrassed. He had originally planned to explain to them when he was about to make his move, in case they backed out. He hadn't expected that this delay would lead to this situation.

"Very well, we'll decide what to do once Golden Crow Dao arrives. However, now that we've discovered Qiu Yan's whereabouts, we absolutely cannot let him go easily! We must keep a close eye on him!"

"That Prince Yan is truly a persistent ghost."

In the Han Residence, Qiu Yan shook his head slightly. That day, he mixed the Heart Demon Fragment into the Red Pill and integrated them into the other party's soul. He had been in control of every move of the Prince Yan, but due to the Dragon Qi, he could not interfere too much. However, if the other party did not learn from his mistakes and stirred up trouble again, that would be a different story. Now, Qiu Yan's cultivation was different from before, and if he really wanted to take action, he would have fewer concerns.

With these thoughts in mind, Qiu Yan, led by the old servant surnamed Wu, arrived at Han Yi's study again. He then straightened his clothes, identified himself, and went inside.

Han Yi was practicing calligraphy when he saw Qiu Yan enter. He put down his brush and asked, "You've come to return a book?" Then, his brow twitched. "Hmm? Your aura is a bit strange. It has a sense of returning to simplicity. Hmm? The aura of Scholar Forest?"