Holy Decree!

Not long after Qiu Yan left, Rongniang came out of the study with several sheets of paper covered in writing. She went to a corner of the courtyard, put down the stack of papers, and then left.

After she left, a figure was seen scaling the wall and entering the courtyard. This person, familiar with the place, reached the corner of the yard. This person also carried a stack of papers, but there was no ink on them.

Having identified the spot, the man picked up the paper covered in writing from the ground, put down the clean white paper in his hand, then leaped up and rolled away from the courtyard.

After a while, Rongniang returned. She wasn't surprised to see the stack of new paper. She bent down, picked it up, and took it back to the study.

This scenario has been repeating itself for some time now, and it has been happening frequently in the last two or three months.

At first, Rongniang stayed by her side, trying to figure out the reason, but she didn't get anything out of it until Qiu Yan gave her some advice, and then she gave up.

In Rongniang's opinion, the paper her cousin used for practicing calligraphy was a considerable expense. Since someone was willing to exchange new paper for the scraps filled with writing, it was a worthwhile deal. Once she understood this, she stopped pressing the matter. If she kept asking and the other party stopped coming to exchange, it would be a loss.

At the same time, in a house in the east of the city, Zhang Zhen looked at the calligraphy he had just received with a happy expression.

"Beautiful calligraphy! Beautiful calligraphy indeed!"

Looking at Zhang Zhen's beaming face, the man who had just scaled the wall to retrieve the papers looked doubtful. "Young Master, is Qiu Yan's handwriting really that good? I just glanced at it and found it just a little pleasing to the eye."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhen couldn't help but laugh and said, "Even someone like you who can't read many characters can feel soothed after seeing these few pieces of calligraphy. What do you think they would be like in the eyes of an expert?"

He was clearly in a good mood. As he spoke, he spread several pieces of calligraphy on the table, pointing to one of them and saying, "These characters, in terms of form alone, are skillful, upright, and vigorous. In terms of rhythm, they possess a grand and majestic momentum. They do not seek the unusual or the dangerous, they are neither biased nor excessive, and they are exactly what Confucianism pursues in Calligraphy Dao! Confucianism emphasizes conveying the Way through calligraphy, and it must have this kind of momentum. Qiu Yan's calligraphy two years ago could only be described as upright, but in the past two years, it has already developed quite a grand style and shows the potential of School of Names."

"Is he really that good?" The man was startled. He knew his young master's judgment very well. The School of Names calligraphers this man mentioned were all great calligraphers. He wouldn't dare say that each character was worth a thousand gold pieces, but they could at least sell for a lot of money. In the man's opinion, Qiu Yan was still young, but he didn't expect to receive such praise from his young master.

Zhang Zhen shook his head again. "Qiu Yan's calligraphy has actually developed its own unique style. If it weren't for his limited fame, confined to Qingchang County, he would probably have been touted as a master calligrapher long ago. At least those rising stars in Daofu and Central Passes, in terms of calligraphy alone, are not as good as Qiu Yan. It's a pity that their calligraphy is still hampered by their fame."

Upon hearing this, the man had a Spiritual Light realization. "So that's how it is! No wonder you asked us to collect Qiu Sheng's calligraphy practice sheets; it was for later..."

"Excellent!" Zhang Zhen nodded. "Qiu Yan is learned and talented, and has a reputation for virtue. He is almost certain to pass the provincial Dao Examination this time, and he will probably be able to pass the Autumn Examination in a few months as well. At that time, his reputation will spread, and his calligraphy will naturally improve. I can consider this a rare find."

"My dear nephew, you truly deserve to be called an elite of the Zhang Family this generation. Your insights are truly admirable."

As the two were talking, a voice suddenly came from outside the door, and a thin man walked in. The man had a mustache, and his eyes gleamed with a sharp light, giving him a shrewd look.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Zhen's expression changed slightly, but then returned to normal. He stepped forward and bowed, saying, "So Uncle Sun has already woken up. You must have had a long and tiring day yesterday; you should rest a little longer."

The thin man waved his hand. "I'm destined to be a busybody and can't sleep well. I came here to convey the prefect's regards to Qiu Sheng. It's better to pay him a visit sooner rather than later. However, I overheard you mentioning that Qiu Sheng's calligraphy is quite good. Would it be convenient for me to take a look?"

"This...this is naturally no problem." Zhang Zhen raised an eyebrow, looked at the servant by the door, and his eyes were filled with reproach.

At this moment, the thin man reached the table. He glanced at the words, his eyes immediately lighting up. Then he bent down and examined them carefully. When he looked up again, he saw Zhang Zhen's reproachful gaze towards his servant and immediately laughed, "Nephew, don't worry, I won't compete with you this time. I've been searching for that painting by Wang Daozhi from the previous dynasty for far too long, and I'm itching to get it. But now, Qiu Sheng is in the city, why should I go to such lengths? I'll just go and ask for one!"

Hearing this, Zhang Zhen breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, "Uncle Sun, you've misunderstood. I would never have such thoughts..."

Before he could finish speaking, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door, and a burly man rushed in. Upon seeing Zhang Zhen, he exclaimed, "Young Master! Something terrible has happened in the city!"

"What important matter?"

"I heard it's an imperial decree! Lots of people have rushed into the streets, eager to see it!"

"What!?"

Before Zhang Zhen could respond, the thin man next to him shouted, "Who is the imperial edict for?"

"Who else could it be?" The messenger glanced at Zhang Zhen and replied, "It's none other than the old prime minister from the north of the city."

As soon as Qiu Yan stepped outside the Ma Family compound, he saw a dense crowd on the surrounding streets.

"Huh? What's going on? The north of the city is usually quiet, so why are there so many people here so early this morning?"

With a sense of doubt, he took a few steps forward and saw that the gate of the Ma Family compound was completely surrounded by several soldiers, with several tall horses standing by the gate, and shouts coming from inside the courtyard.

After making a few inquiries, Qiu Yan understood the reason for the scene before him.

"An imperial edict? It seems that after two years, the new emperor has finally remembered the old prime minister he had abandoned. However, from now on, the peace in Qingchang County is probably coming to an end."

As Qiu Yan was still thinking, she suddenly felt a chill on the back of her neck, and a sense of alarm washed over her.

"Hmm? There's murderous intent in him!"

After two years of refinement, he had long since mastered and consolidated the Life Cultivation realm of refining two souls. As long as someone looked at him and had a thought, he would sense his aura.

Following his senses, Qiu Yan turned his head and looked over the crowd, his gaze landing on a street corner.

There stood a man, holding a long sword, exuding an aloof and cold aura, and those around him kept their distance.

Noticing Qiu Yan's gaze, the man suddenly raised one hand, drew two characters in the air, then smiled, turned around, and slowly walked away.

Qiu Yan's pupils contracted, he frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then followed.

"Who is this person? He just wrote the characters 'Upper Spirit' in mid-air. Could he be related to the Upper Spirit Sect? The Upper Spirit Sect has finally found us?"