Watching Fortune with the Eyes, an Ambush in the Woods [Mid-Autumn Festival Bonus]
Ta-da-ta-da...
Amidst the sound of hooves, a cavalry caravan came to a stop ahead. At a glance, there were about twenty men, all full of vigor and spirit. The horses were all tall and magnificent, without a single blemish on their coats.
The moment this group of men stood there, an aura of fierceness and dominance immediately emanated from them.
Qiu Yan lifted the curtain of the carriage window and looked at the group of people. He released his senses and quickly discovered that the people sitting on the horses were all close to the Foundation Establishment Peak stage. The leader was slightly thin, but his spirit and energy were well contained and his Qi and Blood did not leak. He was clearly a person in the Second Realm Life Cultivation.
"These are all servants of the Meng Clan, here to welcome you, the compiler." Meng Wei also saw the formation and introduced the man who called himself Meng Ting.
"Servants of the Meng Clan family?" Qiu Yan nodded, already understanding.
In many people's minds, servants are just people who cut flowers and sweep floors. But in reality, in many Aristocratic Clan families, servants have a high status. Their combat strength may be comparable to guards or courtyard guards, but their affiliation is on the clan register. They are servants and subordinates, enjoying many benefits, which can be considered as exploiting a loophole in the policy.
The dynasty had regulations that, although wealthy families could organize a certain amount of armed forces, there were strict limits on the number of people they could organize, and they also had to report to the authorities and were constantly monitored. In comparison, servants and retainers were much freer. Therefore, many servants, though called servants, were actually the private armed forces of their clans.
This situation is not unique to the Aristocratic Clan families; military generals are even more adept at it, especially those on the frontier. Almost every one of them maintains a considerable number of private guards, some numbering in the hundreds or even thousands. In terms of equipment, treatment, and food, some of these private guards are several levels above the actual soldiers, attracting many soldiers to willingly join their private armies.
Meng Ting and his men were clearly the Meng Clan's armed private army. The Meng Clan family was located on the border and secretly conducted business with the Grasslands. Without military support, given the ruthless nature of the Grasslands people, their business would not last long.
After introducing himself to Qiu Yan, Meng Wei dismounted from the carriage and walked towards the horse team. He stood down on Meng Ting's horse and said with a smile, "Why did the patriarch send my elder brother? This is competing with me for credit! I've finally managed to lead the esteemed scholar through mountains and rivers all the way here, and we were almost there when my elder brother stopped us."
His words seemed like a complaint, but were actually just playful banter between brothers and friends. Meng Ting naturally wasn't angry; instead, he chuckled and said, "This area has been rather unsettled lately. A group of foolish thieves have been robbing merchants passing through. Several caravans from our Meng Residence that crossed the border have all been robbed. The head of the family was worried that something might happen to you when you cross the border, so he sent me here to protect you."
"A thief robbed us?" Meng Wei was somewhat surprised to hear this. He hadn't heard of this before leaving the Meng Clan. "They even dared to intercept our Meng Clan's goods. Where did this stupid thief come from?"
Meng Ting replied, "They came from Hebei Circuit. We've kept track of and appeased the local bandits, and they've long been interdependent with the Meng Clan. Only these outsiders would be so blind."
"They came from Hebei Circuit?" Meng Wei had just returned from Hebei Circuit and still had a deep impression of it. "In that case, they are very likely composed of refugees, forced by circumstances..."
"The patriarch has also considered this matter and has made some arrangements, but we cannot tolerate it," Meng Ting nodded, then changed the subject, "Let's not talk about this for now. Take me to see the Compiler. These past few days at home, I've read the military strategy he wrote when he took the provincial Provincial Examination in Jiannan Circuit, and it has greatly inspired me. It's a pity I didn't get the questions for the Metropolitan Examination and Palace Examinations, but isn't it much better to have a great scholar in front of me than to ask someone for his writings?"
"Do you think I don't know what you're thinking?" Meng Wei laughed upon hearing this. "You must also want a piece of calligraphy, don't you? Although the Compiler is now revered as a 'Confucian General,' his original reputation was for being Peerless in Calligraphy and Painting."
"Nothing can be hidden from you, my dear brother. As you know, I am very fond of calligraphy. How could I let such an opportunity pass me by?" As he spoke, Meng Ting dismounted and walked with Meng Wei toward the carriage.
The titles they mentioned about Qiu Yan were actually just folk names. This is what the common people usually talk about most. They like to give titles to those who have a good reputation, similar to nicknames in the martial arts world, which are easy to remember.
Moreover, the storytellers in taverns and teahouses often directly adapted the deeds of certain people in the current dynasty into stories, naturally with some deletions, additions, and modifications. Over time, many of these stories became widely known.
The title of "Peerless in Calligraphy and Painting" actually spread after Qiu Yan became the top scholar in the imperial examination. The top scholar was already known as a Literary Star genius descended to earth, and his calligraphy and painting skills were said to be amazing. As the story spread, it became more and more miraculous, and in the end, he was given the title of "Master of Peerless in Calligraphy and Painting and painting".
Such a reputation actually attracted a lot of jealousy. Some people might think that their knowledge was not as good as Qiu Yan's, but they might not think that their calligraphy and painting skills were not as good as his. However, not long after, news of Qiu Yan on the Grasslands spread, and the title of "Confucian General" gradually became popular, which overshadowed his Peerless in Calligraphy and Painting, and thus quelled the potential threat.
Only...
"Confucian General?"
Hearing Meng Ting, who had come to pay his respects, utter such a name, a Spiritual Light struck Qiu Yan. The Li Trigram trembled, and he sensed a slight shift in Fortune.
"It seems someone is orchestrating this. The title 'Confucian General' contains the word 'Confucian,' but the key is 'General.' This is an attempt to sever me from the Confucianism, isolate me from Human Path, and confine me to the realm of Military School."
Human Path is divided into Hundred Schools of thought, but for Great Rui, Confucianism is the dominant school. If one wants to understand the mysteries of Human Path, one must have a place in Confucianism. However, the title of "Confucian General" inadvertently separates him from the mainstream of Confucianism.
However, despite these thoughts, Qiu Yan did not show them. He responded to Meng Ting's respect, but when Meng Ting saw Qiu Yan, he seemed to be seeing his idol, and was not as free and easy as Original Edition. He couldn't even say the words of asking for the calligraphy, and turned around to mount his horse and escort the caravan forward.
Meng Wei sighed inwardly, but he also knew that it was not good to overstep his bounds in this matter, otherwise he would offend both of them at once. After all, Qiu Yan's calligraphy skills had spread throughout Great Rui. His brushstrokes had a divine charm, which could only be achieved by a master calligrapher. Asking such a person for his calligraphy without asking in person would be considered impolite.
And so the convoy continued on, emerging from the border mountains and about to enter the plains. However, they still needed to pass through a forest. Before entering the forest, Meng Ting specifically instructed the armed guards and the accompanying guards to be a little careful, as this forest was always the best place for ambushes and ambushes, and they must be on guard.
However, just as they were about to enter the forest, Qiu Yan called out to them.
Qiu Yan stepped out of the carriage and looked up at the nearby forest. His eyes flickered with light and shadow as he noticed a trace of Sha Qi within the Lin Zhong. He understood the situation immediately. However, within that Sha Qi, there was also a familiar aura that vaguely connected to his own Fortune. In addition, he made other discoveries.
With a thought, Qiu Yan felt the Li Trigram vibrate, and he understood the relationship and the reason behind it. Only then did he call Meng Ting and the others to a stop.
"What are your orders, Your Excellency?" Meng Ting asked respectfully. Most of the people Qiu Yan encountered since returning from the Grasslands had this attitude, a stark contrast to before.
"It's nothing, I just suddenly remembered that I have an appointment with a friend in this Lin Zhong, so I need to go there for a while. Please wait here." After saying this, he moved his feet and in a flash, he was already several feet away. With another movement, he entered the Lin Zhong.
Watching Qiu Yan leave so gracefully, Meng Ting and Meng Wei were both taken aback, then seemed to be deep in thought.
"It seems the rumors weren't unfounded. The compiler is True Person..." After a long pause, Meng Ting finally uttered these words.
Swish, swish, swish!
Although it was a small forest, in this era, such wilderness was rarely visited by officials and soldiers, except for merchant caravans. Therefore, after several turns and deviating from the Lin Zhong, Qiu Yan could feel the wild atmosphere even more.
This scent can awaken the instincts of flesh and blood creatures, making them fearful and hesitant in the unknown, but it can also stimulate their wildness and ferocity, and subtly evoke a sense of excitement.
As people moved through the Lin Zhong, the branches and leaves swayed, and the sound of the wind was like arrows piercing the air, growing ever sharper.
Qiu Yan transformed into a shadow, sprinting forward without the slightest hesitation or wavering, clearly having chosen a certain direction.
Sudden!
Whoosh!
A sharp whooshing sound came from the side, accompanied by a slender shadow—a long arrow flying at high speed!
The arrow, gleaming coldly, was aimed directly at Qiu Yan's face! It moved with incredible speed!
Qiu Yan's eyes flickered slightly. He raised his hand, grabbed the arrow shaft, and with a flick of his fingers, threw the arrow back. The speed was even faster, and with a "whoosh," a scream echoed from the Lin Zhong.
Splash!
Suddenly, the surrounding bushes shook violently, and a series of agile figures burst through the forest, rushing towards Qiu Yan amidst the swirling leaves!
Their hands gleamed with a cold light.
"Don't use an ambush of this magnitude." Shaking his head, Qiu Yan rapidly extended and retracted his hands, his hand speed as fast as lightning. After swinging, he seemed to be a butterfly flitting among flowers, creating a series of afterimages in front of him.
Ping ping bang bang!
Amidst a series of sounds, the figures that had surrounded them were sent flying one after another, swirling in the air. Only one person was captured by Qiu Yan, held in his hand, and fell from the sky with him.
Then, Qiu Yan's gaze fell upon a dense, dark patch of grass.
Clap clap clap!
The sound of clapping and applause came from the bushes.
ps:
Thank you to "Never Vote" for casting your monthly vote!
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!
Because I went to buy paint today and had limited time, some of this was typed out on the side, so there may be omissions. Please forgive me. Goodnight everyone!