Waking from Sleep in a Solitary Courtyard, as Though a Dream Had Shattered

Behind the guard, another person turned and went through the side gate to inform the gatekeeper. The gatekeeper peeked out, then quickly withdrew his neck and hurriedly went into the courtyard, seemingly to inform the master of the house.

The whole process was extremely fast, and the division of labor and cooperation showed that the team was well-trained, quite different from the families Qiu Yan had seen before.

"Lord Qiu, you've arrived." At this moment, the guards who came to greet him also arrived.

This distance allowed Qiu Yan to sense the aura more clearly, catching a glimpse of the subtle shifts in reality from the guards, and a sense of familiarity arose in his heart.

After a moment's thought, Qiu Yan recalled the figures of the Void-Driving Dao members, and then remembered the battle between the Void-Driving Dao members and Chen Yun in Eastern Capital.

"The Chen Household is hiding a significant secret, and there may be a story behind it."

Sighing inwardly, Qiu Yan greeted the guard and then inquired about something.

The guard replied, "Knowing that you were coming, everyone in the Chen Residence saw your portrait, so they recognized you at a glance."

These words surprised Qiu Yan slightly; he hadn't expected the Chen Residence to make such a fuss.

With a creak, the red-lacquered main gate opened, and a dignified middle-aged man led several people out to greet them. Chen Jing and Chen Yun were among them, but both of them had stern faces, except for a slight change in their eyes when they saw Qiu Yan.

The middle-aged man approached Qiu Yan and bowed respectfully. "My name is Chen Bozheng, greetings to Mr. Qiu."

"Chen Bozheng?"

This name was both unfamiliar and familiar to Qiu Yan. Unfamiliar because he had no connection with the owner of this name, but familiar because this person was the head of the Chen Household family, a household name in the streets and alleys!

The Chen Household was a powerful and influential Aristocratic Clan, with its main branch located in the Imperial City. Its members were scattered throughout the Great Rui, each with their own roles: some were officials, some were merchants, and some were farmers. The head of the family held the greatest power, presiding over ancestral worship ceremonies in the ancestral hall. He could add or remove names from the family genealogy, and regardless of the status, power, or wealth of other clan members, they would ultimately be subject to his control.

Putting aside other matters, let's take Qiu Yan's good friend Zhang Zhen as an example. His Zhang Family, the Zhang family, started out with Zu Meng and now mainly engages in commerce. However, the selection of the family head is still a matter of open and covert struggle. Even Qi Jiulian from Prosperity Capital was brought in as an external ally, which is how Qiu Yan and Zhang Zhen became acquainted.

This demonstrates the power and authority of the head of the household.

But now, the patriarch of such a powerful family as the Chen Household actually came out to greet them personally, and even addressed them as "Sir." This immediately stunned the passersby on the roadside, and even the guards were equally shocked, even more so than the passersby.

Although the guards had been notified of a distinguished guest's arrival, they did not expect the head of the household to personally greet him, and that his demeanor was so respectful and courteous, a stark contrast to his usual image!

"Mr. Qiu, this way please."

Amidst the astonishment of passersby and guards, Chen Bozheng led Qiu Yan through the main gate and into the Chen Residence.

Once everyone had entered the gate, several passersby came to their senses and began asking each other who this person, personally greeted by Chen Bozheng, was.

"Chen Bozheng calls him Mr. Qiu, so this person's surname must be Qiu."

"This person is too young. Why would Chen Bozheng treat him like this? If I remember correctly, the head of the Chen Residence family hasn't made a public appearance for quite some time."

"I remember now! He's the top scholar this year! Qiu Yan!"

"I see. So it's not unreasonable to call him Mr. Qiu. That top scholar is a reincarnation of a celestial being!"

Most of the passersby were ordinary people who didn't know much about the political situation. They used their own knowledge to guess the thoughts of the Aristocratic Clan families. In their eyes, the top scholar was an extraordinary figure, so they naturally felt that the top scholar was also of great significance to the Aristocratic Clan families and needed to be welcomed with generous gifts.

However, the guards, who were familiar with the affairs of the Chen Residence, knew that something was unusual and looked at each other in bewilderment.

Meanwhile, Qiu Yan entered the Chen Residence and was led by Chen Bozheng through the Inner Courtyard corridor, walking without stopping, all the way towards the back house.

Chen Bozheng didn't explain, and Qiu Yan didn't ask any questions. They simply continued walking until they reached the depths of the Chen Residence, where a secluded courtyard came into view. Chen Bozheng stopped and turned back, saying, "Except for Jing'er and Yun'er, everyone else, please leave."

"Yes." The group acknowledged the order and left.

Chen Bozheng then looked at Qiu Yan and said, "Mr. Qiu, my grandfather invited you here this time, so you must already know a little about it. Please come in."

He said "please," but he didn't move.

Qiu Yan didn't waste any time and stepped into the courtyard.

In terms of layout, the location of this courtyard in the mansion is quite strange. It is located deep in the courtyard, but it is not the rear building. It seems to be deliberately separated to distinguish it from other places.

There was nothing special about the courtyard; it looked like an ordinary family's yard, with two broken wooden chairs placed in the corner.

At this moment, Chen Jing's voice came from behind. "Brother Qiu, I had imagined what it would be like to see you again, but I never expected it to be like this."

He and Chen Yun also entered the courtyard, but Chen Bozheng turned and left.

"I never expected to run into Brother Chen here again," Qiu Yan, turning around to look at the two of them.

He wasn't close to Chen Jing. They met when Chen Jing and Lin Jue accompanied Zhen Zhizuo to Sichuan to welcome Qiu Yan, but it was just a casual acquaintance. It wasn't until later, when Chen Jing invited Qiu Yan to the Underground Sage Worthies Hall, where they each got what they needed and joined the Scholar Forest, that they became more familiar with each other.

However, in Scholar Forest, the two also had their own experiences. Qiu Yan eventually stepped into the Yin Side of the Scholar Forest and no longer knew about Chen Jing's experiences, let alone how the other party had returned from Scholar Forest.

In addition, after Qiu Yan returned from the Scholar Forest, he was attacked by the Void-Driving Dao and parted ways with Chen Jing's physical body. In the end, he saved Chen Yun by a twist of fate and left him to farm and study outside the Eastern Capital.

Because of this, Qiu Yan and Chen Yun's friendship actually deepened.

"Brother Qiu, it hasn't been long since we last met, yet you've changed so much." Chen Yun came over to greet him, and the two exchanged a few words, discussing topics such as the Imperial Examinations, top scholars, and unusual phenomena.

During the conversation, Qiu Yan noticed that Chen Yun's complexion was rosy and his spirits were high, so he congratulated him, saying, "Brother Chen, you have recovered your cultivation so quickly. Moreover, without breaking through, there can be no establishing; the day of further progress is not far off."

Chen Yun said embarrassedly, "This is all thanks to Brother Qiu. After you shone brightly in the Imperial Examinations, my Lineage knew that I was acquainted with you, so they provided me with pills and resources to help me recover my cultivation."

Chen Yun was not a direct descendant of the Chen Household family. In the battle against Void-Driving Dao, he used a method that overdraws his cultivation to protect Chen Jing and Tao Ying, which caused his cultivation to regress. Given his status, it would have been difficult for him to recover, but now, due to his relationship with Qiu Yan, he has gained an unexpected benefit.

Chen Yun added, "That's not all. This courtyard is a forbidden area of the house. If it weren't for Brother Qiu's connections, we would never have been able to get in."

Chen Jing nodded. "That's right. Before Zu Mian woke up, the patriarch arranged for the two of us to keep Brother Qiu company. I hope you won't blame the Chen Household for not being hospitable enough."

Qiu Yan shook his head and said, "Since I arrived in Prosperity Capital, the Chen Household has been the most courteous to me."

"Such a thing is true? Others are truly blind to the greatness of a man." Chen Jing sighed, a smile appearing on his face. "By the way, there's something you should be careful about, Brother Qiu. This matter has nothing to do with you directly, but the Master of Nine-Rhyme Studio sent someone to inquire about it, and he..." As he was speaking, Qiu Yan was also interested in listening, but his heartstrings were suddenly plucked, and then his mind stirred, and he looked towards the small house in the courtyard.

Immediately afterwards, a gentle breeze blew by, and the figures of Chen Jing and Chen Yun suddenly lengthened before disappearing. The surrounding ground and walls twisted and changed rapidly, but Qiu Yan focused his mind, and the twisting disappeared abruptly, as if a dream had shattered. Only the surrounding scenery changed, and he was no longer standing in the courtyard, but in a dark, enclosed room.

The room was simply furnished, but it was complete with tables and chairs. There was also a wooden bed, and a person slowly got up from the bed. It was the Household Ancestor Chen whom I had met once before. Several Outer Demon were flying around him without any attempt to hide it.

Qiu Yan's pupils dilated suddenly, then contracted as they adjusted to the dim light in the room. He then spoke, "Senior, we meet again. However, there is something that puzzles me, and I hope you can enlighten me."

The Household Ancestor Chen sat down and smiled, "Do you want to ask me why I can use my Divine Ability in Xingjing Imperial City?"

"Good."

"When you reach that point, you'll naturally understand. Or perhaps you can stay in Prosperity Capital for a few more years and learn the underlying principles. Divine Ability are merely using one's own strength to interfere with the world. Sometimes, it's better to set aside Divine Ability powers and focus solely on people's hearts." As the Household Ancestor Chen spoke, he opened his palm, and the several Outer Demon gathered in his hand, then stretched out like a curtain, revealing a scene of a plain, where several armies were engaged in a chaotic battle!

Seeing this, Qiu Yan narrowed his eyes and nodded, saying, "Senior has indeed discovered the Outer Demon in everyone's hearts, but since you took the Military Miscellany with you, why leave the Outer Demon in our hearts?"

"This Outer Demon is both a demon and fortuitous opportunity."

The Household Ancestor Chen inhaled deeply, the curtain melting upon entering his mouth. He continued, "Taking away the Military Miscellany was due to its immense importance, something you were powerless to protect. It wasn't to cut off someone else's fortuitous opportunity; cutting off someone's fortuitous opportunity Karma too great a karmic burden. I dare not accept it. Putting aside everything else, just take you, boy. These past few days, you've stirred up trouble in Prosperity Capital, causing one strange phenomenon after another, even alarming the gods. If I were to cut off your fortuitous opportunity and become connected to these events, following in your footsteps, you'd likely have nowhere to turn for help in the end. How could you possibly achieve immortality then?"

"Hmm?" Qiu Yan's heartstrings twitched, sensing a deeper meaning in the man's words. Just as he was about to ponder them, the Household Ancestor Chen suddenly said, "You brat, you're no pushover in the Military World either. Not only are you observing cities, but now you're setting traps to wipe out several major enemies in one fell swoop. However, don't just focus on the traps of the Military World and neglect the traps of the present world."

Even after Imperial Examinations, Qiu Yan still dreamt of conquering in the Military World every night. In recent days, he had even laid out a grand plan to annihilate the enemy in one fell swoop, but the old man saw through his plan.

Qiu Yan was not surprised. Instead, he asked, "Senior, are you referring to the discussion on Dao that Master of Nine-Rhyme Studio mentioned?"

"Hmm? So you've already discovered it!" The Household Ancestor Chen nodded, acknowledging it.

Upon seeing this, Qiu Yan's eyes flashed with a cold light, and he laughed, "Since someone has set up this stage for me, how can I miss it?"

ps:

Thank you to "" and "" for the monthly votes!

The fourth update will be between 8 and 9 PM! Please give me some monthly tickets!

Finally, I'd like to recommend a great book by a friend: <God-Level Sect Leader>, written by "Da Guazi".