A Twist of Fate

Han Yi looked surprised, stood up, looked at Qiu Yan, and remained silent for a long time.

The two stared at each other, neither uttering a word. An oppressive atmosphere filled the space, quickly engulfing the entire study and seeping outside.

"Hmm?" Outside the door, the old servant's expression changed slightly, a fleeting look of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Compared to last time, the same study brought Qiu Yan a completely different feeling. When he came last time, as soon as he walked in, he felt heavy, his pores felt blocked, and he had the illusion of a thousand people whispering in his ears.

But this time, when he entered again, he saw through a layer of disguise; beneath this layer lurked a vast, immense, and mighty power—

Human Path Order!

Last time, Qiu Yan had only a vague feeling, and it was half guesswork. But this time, after he narrowed his eyes and relaxed his mind, he caught traces of Order from Han Yi. This Force of Order formed its own cycle and seemed to be independent of the world.

"This old Prime Minister Han must also be a figure of Literary Path Creation. There seems to be Order residing within him. Speaking of which, these Grand Confucian and Grandmaster, who do not cultivate their nature and life force, have limited lifespans. What exactly are they pursuing?"

At this moment, Han Yi, who had been silent for a long time, let out a long breath, shook his head and smiled, "Indeed, the Yangtze River surpasses the older. It hasn't been that long since we last met, and you've already changed so much. It's truly astonishing."

As he spoke, he sat down again, pointed to a chair next to him, and gestured for Qiu Yan to sit down.

Qiu Yan didn't stand on ceremony; after thanking him, she went over and sat down.

Before Qiu Yan could even sit down, Han Yi said, "I heard you were coming and was wondering why you didn't Scholar Forest. But I didn't expect you to have gone there early this morning and come out already. Judging from the Scholar Forest atmosphere you absorbed, you spent quite a while there and gained a lot! It hasn't been long, and your Literary Thought already shows signs of returning to its original simplicity..."

At this point, he shook his head. "Such comprehension, yet he chooses to cultivate Daoism, it's truly a pity. A real pity."

Qiu Yan cupped his hands and asked, "I hope the old Prime Minister can enlighten me. What is the purpose of this literary path? If one does not cultivate one's life force, one will eventually turn into a pile of bones. Wouldn't all that one has learned vanish into thin air?"

"Disappeared like smoke?" Han Yi shook his head and smiled. "What remains of a person is not just flesh and bones. We should leave the Way of Nature and Life, there's no need to discuss these things further."

Seeing that the other party was unwilling to elaborate, Qiu Yan did not press further. He rose and presented the long, slender box, saying, "This Legalist School manuscript has been of great help to me. I will remember this kindness."

Han Yi waved his hand and said, "It's nothing, but I can't lose face without a reason, so I'll shamelessly ask you for a favor."

"Please speak, Your Excellency," Qiu Yan said solemnly, without making any boastful claims.

Han Yi said, "I am getting old. Although I am still quite healthy, at this age, I know my fate and I'm afraid I don't have many years left. However, there is some unrest in my family. If you are willing, you can help me out in the future. I don't ask for wealth or fame, I just want to live a peaceful life."

"This junior will remember." Qiu Yan nodded, making no vow, but it made Han Yi smile.

"Now I'm relieved," he continued, "You were able to enter the forest ahead of time, so you must have obtained the Sage Paper and written an article that has shaken the clay sculptures. In two days, take the article to the Literary Pavilion; you should be able to gain something from it."

"Literary Pavilion?" Qiu Yan was taken aback. "I wonder what will happen there?"

"The Apricot Altar Dao Discourse is a golden age for scholars, attracting hundreds or even thousands of people. To truly open Heart Path, one needs talented individuals to sculpt the works, among whom are many masterpieces," Han Yi replied calmly, anticipating Qiu Yan's question. "Eastern Capital a large city with numerous academies and the Imperial City Literary Garden, thus gathering many excellent works. It would be perfect to appreciate them at the Literary Pavilion."

"I wonder who will be making this assessment?" Upon hearing this, Qiu Yan's heart stirred. The fire of the Li Trigram within his Divine Spirit Body seemed to sense something and trembled slightly, making him realize that this was an opportunity.

"They're all old guys. I've been invited too," Han Yi stroked his beard and laughed. "Mainly the old guys from the surrounding academies. Chen Zhengshu will also be going. I know your school of Literary Dao, which delves into the Principle Sect Learning. You should gain something from this trip. What you did at the Principle Sect Academy that day has already spread Eastern Capital. Your reputation is growing, but we haven't seen you there yet."

The Chen Zhengshu mentioned by Han Yi refers to Junior Chen from the Principle Sect Academy.

Qiu Yan was moved, not because of the spread of his own reputation, but because of the information revealed in Han Yi's words.

"If we could receive critiques and guidance from Grandmaster like Literary Dao Minister Han and Junior Chen, we could save ourselves countless years of hard work! This is a tremendous fortuitous opportunity, and judging from the implication of their words, they are just two of many others of similar stature present!"

Although Qiu Yan has Three Bodies that can corroborate each other and achieve twice the result with half the effort, this does not prevent him from seeking knowledge, learning, and exchanging ideas with others, which is actually a shortcut to learning.

"I originally intended to learn a thing or two from them, to solidify my knowledge, and then improve my Divine Spirit Body, perhaps even reaching the Third Grade. But now it seems that if I can gain something from the Literary Pavilion, I'll definitely have a better chance! I absolutely must go to the Literary Pavilion!"

In an instant, Qiu Yan made up his mind. Whether it was to increase his knowledge, to experience Human Path, or to fight against the impending disaster, he had to go to the Literary Pavilion.

At this moment, Han Yi's words brought him back to his senses.

"Alright, let's not dwell on this. Judging from your expression, you must have come here for something else besides returning the book, right?"

"Indeed," Qiu Yan nodded. "I have come here today to test my knowledge with the former Prime Minister."

"Oh? You want to have your knowledge verified by me?" Han Yi was slightly surprised.

Qiu Yan said, "I am still self-aware enough to know that what I have learned is far inferior to that of the old prime minister. Therefore, I only wish to verify some of Sage Sun's works and hope to fill in any gaps in my knowledge."

"Sage Sun ..."

Upon hearing this name, Han Yi gave Qiu Yan a deep look and nodded. "You've come to the right person. What I've learned is closely related to Sage Sun."

"Oh? You mean Qiu Yan came to the manor? And went straight to Grandpa's study?"

Just as Qiu Yan and Han Yi were verifying their recent findings, in a boudoir in the inner courtyard of the Han Residence, Han Wei'er looked puzzled after hearing a report from a maid.

"The scholar's Scholar Forest have already opened. With Qiu Yan's knowledge, why doesn't he go and give it a try? Why did he come to the Han Residence instead? Could it be...?"

Her clear, bright eyes flickered slightly, and she made a guess. "That's it. He didn't enroll in the academy, and he probably doesn't know to go to the Hall of Illuminating Ethics in the Imperial City. Without the Sage Worthies Hall and the Sage Paper, no matter how high his knowledge is, it's useless. He still can't enter the Scholar Forest. It's such a pity. However, since we've met, I can't just ignore it."

After thinking it over, Han Wei'er came up with an idea. She quickly changed into men's clothing and then, despite the maid's attempts to dissuade her, hurriedly left.

"Thank you very much for your kind guidance, esteemed Prime Minister."

Two hours later, Qiu Yan clasped his hands in farewell and left Han Yi's study. He also bid farewell to the old servant surnamed Wu before departing.

After returning the greeting, the old servant watched Qiu Yan's retreating figure with slight surprise. He had noticed a significant change in Qiu Yan's aura upon seeing him this time, knowing that his cultivation had greatly improved. However, he did not expect that Qiu Yan's aura would change again so soon after entering his master's study, becoming even more profound.

He could faintly hear Han Yi sighing in the study—

"Such a promising talent, yet he chose the path of cultivation; it's truly a loss for us all, what a pity... what a pity..."

Upon hearing this, the old servant's expression changed again. He had followed Han Yi for so long, and this was not the first time he had heard Han Yi utter such a sigh. However, the last time he sighed like this, the person he was sighing about was a literary genius who was even treated as a prime minister by the late emperor. As a result, because of one incident, the person actually hung up his official hat and became a Daoist priest, causing chaos among the entire court.

"Could this Qiu Yan be such a person?"

While the old servant was speculating, Qiu Yan had already left the Han Residence and returned along the path he had come from. However, after taking only two steps, he paused slightly, then turned his head to look at a tavern not far away, smiled, and then continued on his way.

"Qiu Yan must have discovered me!"

Sitting in the tavern, Prince Yan's heart skipped a beat. Although they were far apart, when Qiu Yan turned his head to look at him just now, he felt a sting on his face, knowing it was because of the other's gaze. The words he wanted to say were stuck in his throat.

"Brother Li, your old friend is leaving soon, shouldn't we hurry up and catch up with him?" Duolu couldn't help but speak up, but the man in the long robe just smiled and didn't say anything more.

Upon hearing this, Prince Yan shook his head. "No rush, I have already sent someone over, and he will be invited here shortly."

Although Prince Yan said he wasn't in a hurry, he was not at peace. He asked Zong Heng to summon the Golden Crow Daoist, but the man did not come. Instead, he received a message from Zong Heng, saying that the situation in the Eastern Capital was different from the past. The actions of the divine cultivators could have far-reaching consequences, so they could not act rashly in the city. They had to wait until Qiu Yan left the city.

With his enemy right before his eyes, yet unable to act, and knowing that the threat above him might flare up if he hesitated any longer, Prince Yan felt increasingly distressed.

"Forget it, we've waited so long already, a little longer won't make a difference. Let's calm State of Mind." With this thought in mind, Prince Yan forcibly suppressed his distracting thoughts, while pondering how to appease Duolu. He understood this man's mind to some extent.

Suddenly, Prince Yan was taken aback.

"No, Qiu Yan has already discovered me. Isn't this alerting him? What if he comes to kill me?" Recalling his last encounter, Prince Yan felt a stinging pain on his face and a chill run down his spine.

"No, we need to increase the number of guards in the manor! We also need to win over Yang Ying and Duolu!"

As he was thinking, Qiu Yan was stopped by several people in the distance. Upon closer inspection, he realized that they were all acquaintances of Prince Yan, including Miss Han Wei'er from the Han Residence.