Upper Spirit, Xi Yun
The man with the sword wasn't moving fast, and Qiu Yan quickly followed. The two traveled together and soon arrived at a secluded corner of the city.
This place is located at a corner between city walls, and almost no one ventures here.
At this moment, the man with the sword stopped, turned around, looked directly at Qiu Yan, examined him carefully, and finally shook his head. "Your progress is too slow. At your current level, you simply cannot resist."
"Are you from the Upper Spirit Sect?" Qiu Yan could sense a faint killing intent emanating from the other party, but being in Qingchang County, he had many backup plans and didn't have too many concerns.
"I cannot casually reveal this name," the sword-wielding man nodded, surprisingly admitting it directly. "I've come here to tell you that your peaceful life of the past two years is about to end. If you cannot rapidly improve your cultivation in a short period of time, you should be prepared. If you don't want to die, you might as well stick close to Ma Yang. Otherwise, I will have no choice but to take your life myself."
At this point, he smiled and said, "However, even if you take refuge by Ma Yang's side, it's just a delaying tactic. When Ma Yang's lifespan runs out, you'll still have to face it. You'd better remember that."
Upon hearing this, Qiu Yan frowned even more deeply. "Who are you? Why are you telling me this?"
"My name is Xi Yun. As for my identity, you will find out soon. I'm telling you this as a way of thanking you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have had these two years of freedom. Besides, once you die, I won't live much longer either."
As he was speaking, his expression suddenly changed, he raised his hand to cover his head, his whole body trembled, and the sword in his hand hummed.
"Hmm?" Upon seeing this, Qiu Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, focused his mind, and tensed his entire body.
That's all I have to say. Take care of yourself!
Suddenly, the person opposite spoke again, then leaped into the air, stepping onto the city wall one foot at a time, growing taller and taller until he reached the top. With a flip, he vanished.
"Xi Yun?"
As Qiu Yan pondered the name, his tightly furrowed brows remained furrowed.
"Is this person also from the Upper Spirit Sect? But why would he come to deliver a message? The killing intent emanating from him is genuine; could it be a trap?"
Lost in thought, Qiu Yan strolled back. By this time, the soldiers outside the Ma Family compound had dispersed, but the crowd that had gathered to watch the excitement had not completely dispersed. There were still people standing in twos and threes on the streets and alleys, discussing and talking.
Qiu Yan ignored him and walked straight through the crowd into the courtyard, where he saw Shen Weisheng tidying up the incense table.
"You've come."
When Shen Weisheng saw Qiu Yan, he greeted her with a smile. Over the past two years, Qiu Yan had often come over to help Ma Yang organize and categorize books, and they had long been familiar with Shen Weisheng.
"I heard there's been an imperial edict. What's going on?" Qiu Yan didn't beat around the bush and asked directly.
Shen Weisheng replied, "It's not an imperial edict, just a verbal order. The official imperial edict will only be issued after you return to your hometown in Eastern Capital."
"The old prime minister is leaving?" Upon hearing this, Qiu Yan was initially puzzled, but then he understood. In the past two years, although Ma Yang had devoted himself to compiling historical records, it would be a lie to say that he did not want to return to the court.
Since Prime Minister Chancellor Wang, gained power in the imperial court, he has successively promulgated several New Laws, some of which have even affected Qingchang County. These laws have had both positive and negative effects, but overall, they have threatened the interests of Xiucai, officials, gentry, and wealthy households, thus causing some chaos. Ma Yang has expressed his dissatisfaction and opposition to this. Now that the emperor has issued an oral edict, how could this old prime minister possibly let this opportunity pass?
"Go to the study first, your teacher is waiting for you," Shen Weisheng urged after tidying up.
Qiu Yan nodded and walked towards the study.
He had been to this study many times before. Ever since his first visit, Ma Yang had often asked him to come and help organize books and historical records, and they would occasionally talk about the past and present.
Pushing open the book door, rows and rows of bookshelves came into view. After walking around a few shelves, Qiu Yan saw the old figure among the layers of books.
The old man's cough is much worse than it was two years ago.
After he finished coughing, he called Qiu Yan over.
"I heard the old prime minister is leaving?" Qiu Yan bowed and sat down opposite him.
"Not bad," Ma Yang nodded, glanced at Qiu Yan, "Pack your things, we're leaving in three days."
"Then I, the student, congratulate the old prime minister on his return to the court and the opportunity to realize his ambitions. In the past two years, thanks to the old prime minister's efforts, Qingchang County has become much more peaceful." Qiu Yan's words were ambiguous.
"It's just treating the symptoms, not the root cause," Ma Yang shook his head.
As the two talked, time passed unnoticed, and the sky gradually darkened. Seeing that it was getting late, Qiu Yan got up and began to organize the manuscript that Ma Yang had written. This was the purpose of his visit.
At noon, Ma Yang invited Qiu Yan to stay for lunch. After lunch, Qiu Yan busied himself for a while, finishing up his manuscript. Ma Yang nodded and said, "You'll be taking the exams in a few days. The Dao Examination is a given, and I imagine you'll also participate in this year's Autumn Examination. However, the Imperial Examinations; Metropolitan Examination can succeed if you have it. The provincial exam is manageable, but the Provincial Examination might be a bit more difficult. It's my fault for dragging you down."
As they talked, the topic naturally turned to Qiu Yan.
Qiu Yan understood the meaning behind Ma Yang's words. Currently, Prime Chancellor Wang was in power and was promoting reforms as well as his own scholarship. The subjects for the previous Special Grace Examination examinations had already been changed to include the content of the reforms. Now, with the regular imperial examinations underway, the reforms, which had been implemented for two years, would only intensify. This had led to the emergence of factionalism in the court and the rise of New and Old Parties, among the Scholar Forest.
The Black-faced Chancellor promoted reforms and was therefore a member of the New Party, while anyone who opposed them was categorized as an Old Party. Ma Yang was demoted for opposing reforms, so he was naturally a member of the Old Party.
Qiu Yan and Ma Yang became acquainted, which others perceived as a sign of leaning towards the Old Party. It was quite intriguing how the New Party members in charge of the Imperial Examinations would react if someone were to make a fuss about it.
"It's alright." Qiu Yan didn't take it to heart. He sought the Imperial Examinations not to gain a position in the court.
Ma Yang smiled and said, "Being frank and fearless is good, but in any case, I can't leave without making a commitment. I will set off in three days, and you will be in charge of the books in this room. I will send someone to collect them in three months."
"Hmm?" Qiu Yan's expression changed upon hearing this, revealing delight. Without any hesitation, he stood up and bowed, "In that case, this student thanks the old prime minister."
Ma Yang simply said, "There's no need to be so polite. You've helped me organize the books these past two years, and you've put in a lot of effort. Even without these things, I couldn't pretend I didn't see it. Matters of ghosts and gods are ethereal and inaccessible, and I can't interfere. At most, I can only guide and educate you. But the Imperial Examinations is the proper path, so a little guidance is fine. However, you still need to work hard yourself, have a righteous heart, and practice what you preach, otherwise it will all be in vain."
Qiu Yan nodded in agreement. After spending some time with him, Qiu Yan had a general understanding of the situation. This Grand Confucian had indeed never practiced cultivation and was already quite old. The reason he was able to accomplish extraordinary things was because he Qi Nurturing through reading and had thoroughly understood the Nature Dao, but instead of leaving his Spirit Projection, he combined it with the people's support.
With popular support, a single thought can trigger a myriad of actions, making one person equal to the masses. However, when facing a powerful old demon, being approached by him can also lead to danger.
When interacting with others, one should respect them over time, but become disrespectful when you get too close and resentful when you keep your distance. Qiu Yan certainly did not intend to let his own affairs affect others and create further karmic Karma.
After exchanging a few more words, Magistrate Dong Qiu arrived with his entourage to pay a visit. Upon seeing him, Qiu Yan rose to take his leave, saying, "I will come again in three days to see the old Prime Minister off."
As Qiu Yan left the Ma Family Courtyard, he vaguely sensed a strange change in the city, as if there was a growing sense of unease and restlessness.
"With the old prime minister gone, the Order in Azure Prosperity City will collapse, plunging it into another period of turmoil, and moreover..."
As Qiu Yan walked and pondered, he was almost at his own courtyard when he suddenly heard a commotion. He saw a group of people in front of the gate, led by Song Yu, the former steward of the Chen Residence and now the eldest master of the Song Household.
Of course, Qiu Yan also remembered the other person's other name--
Song Nu.
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