A Tree That Stands Out in the Forest Is Bound to Draw Trouble

"Excuse me, is this the residence of Qiu Xiuzhuan?"

The door opened, and standing outside were three energetic young men. The one in the lead had a beard that was clearly well-groomed.

"Indeed, this is the Qiu Residence. May I ask what brings you here?" Qiu Yan glanced at the three men, sensing a strong aura of Literary Thought talent, as gentle as mountains and water, close to nature.

The leader bowed and said, "The three of us are disciples of the Nine Rhyme Study. My name is Lin Jianzhang. We have come to deliver a letter to Lord Qiu."

They looked at Qiu Yan and noticed something extraordinary about him, but they didn't expect the owner of the mansion to come and open the door himself, hence their question.

"Nine Rhyme Study? I've heard of that name before. I've heard that the master of the study is a sage. But why would he send a letter to me, Qiu?" Qiu Yan's words surprised the three people opposite him.

"You... you are Lord Qiu?"

A person's name, a tree's shadow.

Leaving aside the intentions and thoughts of the three, Qiu Yan's reputation has soared recently. Several extraordinary phenomena have boosted his prestige to a certain level, and his equal discussion with Bai Zhaoyuan has further enhanced Bai Zhaoyuan's reputation, making him even more famous!

Now, seeing Qiu Yan personally open the door and casually inquire, what was originally just a routine action, combined with his reputation, immediately made Lin Jianzhang and the others feel that there was a hidden meaning behind it, making him quite unfathomable.

Although their Qi Nurturing had allowed them to maintain a calm exterior, these changes in their thoughts were clearly reflected in their eyes and were seen by Qiu Yan. This deepened Qiu Yan's understanding of Human Path and People's Prestige, but he did not expose them and turned to invite the three into the house.

"We just moved in and are still unpacking. But the side room is now available, so please make yourselves at the table..." Qiu Yan said with a smile.

Lin Jianzhang immediately declined politely. "We came here only to deliver a message, and we don't want to bother you. We can only offer our congratulations on your housewarming. If you have any questions, you can come to the study in the next couple of days." After saying this, he hurriedly left, as if avoiding a plague.

Qiu Yan frowned slightly as he watched the three figures disappear into the distance.

"This kind of housewarming celebration is rather insincere. Are you here to deliver a letter?" Qiu Yan opened the envelope, glanced at the contents, and his eyes gradually narrowed.

"This Master of Nine-Rhyme Studio is certainly in high spirits, wanting to hold a debate on the Dao, and even linking this matter to my return gifts to the Void Academy, Senior Chen, and others. He is well-versed in the art of leveraging influence; it seems that several unusual phenomena have attracted the attention of Grand Confucian. That makes sense, since unusual phenomena originate from the Human Path, it would be strange if Confucian Confucianism didn't pay attention. However, using a debate on the Dao as a pretext, with words implying belittling, is quite unusual. Nevertheless, a debate with Grand Confucian scholars might be an opportunity, perhaps allowing my Divine Spirit Body to find a turning point."

After reading the letter, he put it away and went into the yard to continue tidying up.

"Experiencing the Human Path of officialdom will be a long process. Even if it can improve the Humanistic Divine Path, it can't solve the immediate problem. The decline in incense offerings is not yet significant, but it already shows signs of crisis. That Starlight Barrier can even block Spirit-Strike Method. It is seriously shaking the faith. If it is not stopped, it will soon spread like a plague."

His consciousness manipulated his Fleshly Body to maintain order, and he also attempted to control his Divine Spirit Body.

"If the religious rites of the believers collapse, the source of divine power will be cut off, and even the Divine Grade may be lost, leaving no chance of escape. Therefore, in the short term, a sufficiently pure and abundant supply of incense offerings and People's Wishes is needed to maintain order..."

Lost in thought, Qiu Yan was interrupted by another knock on the door. He went to open it, and there stood Chen Bi, the steward of the Chen Residence. He brought some fruit to congratulate Qiu Yan on his housewarming and explained his purpose, "My master has prepared a banquet and would like to invite Lord Qiu to grace us with his presence today."

"Since your esteemed household has extended such a sincere invitation, I, Qiu, have no reason to refuse." Qiu Yan pondered for a moment before giving his reply, which satisfied Chen Bi as he departed.

Having only recently established himself in the Imperial City, Qiu Yan had some reputation, but had not yet built up a network of connections. This move was rather deserted, with no one else coming except for Lin Jianzhang and Chen Bi.

However, after lunch, two Daoist priests came to the door; they were none other than the Golden Crow Elders.

The two men, whose cultivation had been sealed by Qiu Yan, had initially stayed by his side but later disappeared. This time, however, they arrived with large and small packages. As soon as they entered the courtyard, they placed their bundles on the ground and coldly said, "Everything you wanted is inside."

"Thank you both for your trouble." Qiu Yan nodded, then called Hu Qi and Dai Guo. The three of them packed their bags and moved them into a room.

Qiu Yan planned to use this room as a study.

When Dai Guo untied the bundle and saw what was inside, he couldn't help but let out a soft exclamation. Inside the bundle were books, at least dozens at a glance, and judging from the titles on the covers, most of them were books on Daoism Daoist Sect.

Upon seeing this, Dai Guo asked, puzzled, "Young master, you sent those two old Daoist priests away to collect these books?"

Qiu Yan flipped through the book in his hand and replied with a smile, "These weren't collected, but copied down personally by the two Daoist priests. In the past few days, the two of them must have visited several Daoist temples inside and outside the city."

"What?" Dai Guo exclaimed in surprise. "Young Master, you actually let these two old Daoist priests go to the Daoist temple to copy books on their own? Isn't that too dangerous? What if they run away?"

"Hmph, fool," one of the Golden Crow Elders sneered before Qiu Yan could reply, "Our lifelines have been seized and our cultivation True Essence sealed. We can't leave so easily. This Qiu Yan's methods are quite insidious. If it weren't for his occasional remote interventions to ease the blockage in our flesh, given our current physique and strength, we would probably die from blood loss!"

"So that's how it is! Young Master is indeed a master strategist!" Dai Guo was relieved to hear this, but then remembered something else, "However, sending them to the Daoist Daoist Sect around Prosperity Capital also has many hidden dangers. There are quite a few cultivators in those Daoist Sect, what if..."

This time, it was Hu Qi who interrupted him, "Prosperity Capital is suppressing extraordinary beings. Even if the surrounding cultivators are willing, they can't rashly make a move. After all, their Daoist temples are rooted here. They can't abandon their foundation and leave their hometown just for a momentary action."

"I see, I really didn't expect that," Dai Guo thought for a moment and felt that there was some truth to it. "However, since Prosperity Capital is so dangerous, why bother opening a Daoist temple here?"

Of the Golden Crow Elders, the one who called himself Golden Left sneered, "The capital city of the country, a place where tigers crouch and dragons coil, its Fortune and Karma are unmatched by any other place. Swallowing clouds and exhaling mist here is more conducive to the growth of cultivation than in other places, and may even be comparable to some Grotto-Heaven."

The other Golden Right looked at Qiu Yan, remaining silent as if waiting for something.

Beside him, Hu Qi flipped through several books, then frowned. "<The Record of Prolonging Life>, <The Collection of Transmitting the Dao>, <The Dao Pivot>, <The Treatise on Awakening to Truth>..." He recited the titles of the books at hand one by one, his brows furrowing more and more tightly.

Finally, Hu Qi looked at Qiu Yan with a worried tone. "Young Master, you are now an official of the imperial court, and the court is very wary of those who have left the secular world. If people find out that you keep these Daoist books in your study, there may be hidden dangers."

Golden Left chimed in, "Young Qiu, don't blame me for not reminding you. You sent the two of us to the Daoist temple to copy books, and we've done it. However, these books don't contain any Divine Ability or techniques. Those kinds of Cultivation Method manuals are all secret texts passed down through generations. Even within the same Daoist Sect, they're not easily seen. Some Daoist temples even pass them down orally, let alone copy them for outsiders to see."

Qiu Yan waved his hand and said, "I naturally know these things, there's no need to say more."

"That's good," Golden Left said, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Since you know all this, that's for the best. But can you still keep your promise?"

"Of course," Qiu Yan nodded. "As you said that day, you can leave at any time after you copy the book and compile the summary I have made." I will remove the restriction and will not stop you.

"What?" Upon hearing this, Hu Qi and Dai Guo were both startled, with the latter almost jumping up on the spot, clearly surprised.

Even the Golden Crow Elders were slightly surprised by Qiu Yan's straightforward answer. Although they had made a prior agreement, they believed there must be something fishy about it. So they exchanged a glance, understanding each other without saying a word.

Upon seeing this, Qiu Yan shook his head and said, "You need not be confused. The Golden Crow Dao's lineage must have some history. Even if I kill the two of you, there will definitely be others seeking revenge. Unless the hatred between us is resolved, or unless your sect is completely wiped out, the matter will never be settled. In that case, what benefit would I gain from killing you?"

"Exterminate the Golden Crow? What arrogance!" Golden Left sneered in a low voice. "As for resolving the feud, that's even more impossible. Don't you even know your own place..."

"You're bringing up my past status again," Qiu Yan continued, shaking his head. "When I first came into contact with Golden Crow, I was still a commoner. Later, I passed the imperial examination and am now an official appointed by the court. How can you judge me by past standards?"

The Golden Crow Elders remained silent, but a look of apprehension flashed in their eyes.

Qiu Yan then said, "A gentleman respects the virtuous and is tolerant of the masses. Even if you are not well-educated, you should know this principle. It is impossible for people to be without conflicts. The nature of Human Path Order also includes mutual tolerance. Extinction is the last resort. You should think it over carefully." After saying this, Qiu Yan tidied up and left the room.

Hu Qi was still worried, feeling that visiting the Daoist books in the study was too risky.

Qiu Yan then comforted him, saying, "When you have power, you can get away with anything even if you're guilty. But when you lose power, you can fall into a trap even if you're innocent. If it really comes to that, even if there are no Daoist books in your study, you still won't be able to escape. Why should you give up eating because of a choking?"

After saying this, he gave a few more instructions, glanced at the sky, and then went out to attend the banquet at the Chen Residence.

Given the Chen Residence's reputation among the people of Prosperity Capital, it was easy to find the place by asking a few people.

Turning a corner, Qiu Yan saw a red-lacquered gate with four guards standing in front of it. Even from a distance, he could feel the strong and capable aura emanating from the four men, like four pillars firmly planted in front of the gate.

With Qiu Yan's keen eyesight, even without getting close, he could detect traces of the interconnected energy in the four people's postures.

"As expected of a prominent family in the Imperial City, these four are all masters of Hidden Force, and would be considered top-notch fighters in the martial arts world. But here, they can only serve as gatekeepers and guards!"

Upon seeing Qiu Yan approach, the guards immediately became alert, but upon recognizing his face, they adopted a respectful demeanor, and one of them stepped forward.

ps:

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