Giving a Courtesy Name Before Departure, A Sudden Stir of the Heart's Blood
"Young Master Qiu, this is a gift from my princess, wishing you success in the Dao Examination and that you will come out on top."
When Song Nu saw Qiu Yan, he walked over, followed by a man carrying a tray. The tray was filled with writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. The brush handles were smooth, and the inkstones were carved with reliefs, clearly indicating that they were not ordinary items.
Qiu Yan didn't even glance at it, and with a flick of his sleeve, he walked around it.
"Since Young Master Qiu doesn't want it, then so be it. But please remember my princess's good intentions. I know this Dao Examination won't be too difficult for you, but don't be careless, or you might end up getting caught off guard." Song Nu said with a smile, not annoyed at all, as if she was used to it.
In fact, similar incidents have occurred multiple times in the past two years.
Qiu Yan pushed open the courtyard gate, went inside, and then immediately closed the gate.
Upon seeing this, Song Nu shook his head.
"Having gained some skill, you've become arrogant. Do you really think the princess would be interested in you? Let's not even talk about others. Just that Marshfolk prince who recently visited the king is a hundred times better than this Qiu Yan. Even the king says he has the potential to unify the Five Marshes and become a hegemon. Compared to someone like that, what is this poor scholar Qiu Yan? Even if he passed the Xiucai examination, he wouldn't amount to anything. You should know that the Marshfolk prince studied at the Imperial Academy in the Imperial City of Great Rui!"
With a cold laugh, Song Nu led her men away.
"Throughout Qingchang, undercurrents are surging..."
Back in his study, Qiu Yan sighed, glanced at the ginseng that was slowly wriggling on his desk, and shook his head.
"I also need to prepare myself, to end this period of reflection and bring to fruition the knowledge I've accumulated over the past two years. It's a pity; if I had a few more years to fully internalize what I've learned, I'm sure I could have achieved even greater things..."
Thinking this, he suddenly had a thought, and his face showed surprise. He then took out a book from his pocket, with the words "New World Observations" written on the cover.
This book was obtained from Yan Yongjie. Although Qiu Yan tried to return it many times, Yan Yongjie refused. A year ago, after receiving a letter from someone from his hometown, Yan Yongjie took his leave, leaving the book behind.
Turning to the last page of the travelogue, that strange picture appeared.
There are springs, clouds and mist, and pavilions suspended in mid-air.
Compared to two years ago, this picture is almost unchanged; the only difference is that the subtle fluctuations in People's Wishes surrounding it have become much stronger.
"This painting, capable of attracting the Votive Thoughts of the people, must hold a significant secret. Over the past two years, my People's Prestige has increased, and I receive some of the People's Wishes every day. By carrying it on my person, I've unknowingly gathered quite a few of their Votive Thoughts as well. Just now, another inexplicable change occurred..."
Placing his hand on the book, Qiu Yan could vaguely sense a connection between the book and himself, a connection that grew clearer as more and more People's Wishes gathered on the map.
"It's unknown when this connection will become clear, or how much People's Wishes will accumulate, and what changes will follow."
After sensing the situation for a while, Qiu Yan turned to look out the window. Seeing that it was getting late, he put his mind at ease, took out a long sword wrapped in cloth from the corner of the study, and went out the door.
Two hours later, he returned, raised his hand, and a Breath-Concealing Talisman appeared out of thin air, returning to his hand. Suddenly, the scene in the courtyard distorted, and several wild beasts appeared!
These wild beasts remained motionless, seemingly unconscious.
Qiu Yan quickly skinned and removed the tendons, wrapped the flesh in oil paper and lotus leaves, and placed it in the kitchen. The remaining bloody skin, fur, and bones were piled up in the yard, with blood flowing all over the ground.
As soon as Qiu Yan came out of the kitchen, without pausing, he raised his hand and pointed, and flames shot out, scorching the scattered fur and bones.
Strangely enough, the pile of fur and bones, which was as tall as a person, shrank rapidly when burned by the flames, like a deflated balloon.
The flames spread, engulfing even the blood flowing on the ground. In the blink of an eye, a pile of skin and bones disappeared without a trace, leaving not a drop of blood on the ground.
Then the flames subsided, and Qiu Yan waved his hand, and a drop of scarlet, crystalline blood flew over, which he collected into a porcelain bottle.
"My appetite has been increasing lately. If this continues, even hunting won't be enough to satisfy it. This is also a sign that my Life Cultivation is gradually becoming more solid. If I want to make progress in Life Cultivation, I must keep up with my nutrition."
After tidying up a bit, Qiu Yan picked up two bags of meat and blood, pushed open the door, and headed to the Liu Household's courtyard to have dinner.
Half an hour later, Qiu Yan returned.
When he got home, he didn't go to the main room, but instead went into the study. He sat down in a chair, picked up a book, and began to read aloud softly. On the table, the ginseng that had been limp immediately perked up and trembled slightly upon hearing the reading.
Qiu Yan read until midnight, then put down the book, calculated the time, calmed his mind and held his breath, Living Soul leaped out from the top of his head.
As soon as the Living Soul emerged, the entire room was filled with illusory shadows.
Compared to two years ago, Qiu Yan's Living Soul has not changed much, but it is more concentrated. The soul sits cross-legged inside, as immovable as a mountain. However, the entire study has changed with the appearance of the Living Soul. On the rows of simple bookshelves, faint shadows appear, with books stacked up, like a dream!
These illusory figures seemed to be drawn to Qiu Yan's Living Soul, trying to gather around him, but they couldn't break free from the constraints of the bookshelf and the book itself, and for a time they could only remain in a stalemate in the air.
Qiu Yan ignored this and let his Living Soul drift for a while before the sound of reading came from outside the window.
Then, the ginseng on the table trembled repeatedly, and a phantom appeared, with a white belly, grinning at Qiu Yan's Living Soul and making a "giggle" sound.
What a big, chubby baby!
Seeing this, the soul shook his head. "Ginseng boy, cherish this moment while you can, because in two more days, we won't hear this reading anymore."
The thought was quickly understood by the Ginseng Doll, who immediately put on a mournful face.
Three days later, Azure Prosperity City, Dong Qiu led a group of people from the Yamen to escort them all the way. Judging from their manner, they seemed determined to send Ma Yang and the others straight to Eastern Capital.
After crossing a hillside, Ma Yang waved his hand and said to Dong Qiu, "Alright, you've done your part. Go back now." Then, ignoring the embarrassed county magistrate, he said a few words to Qiu Yan beside him.
"For the remaining few days, stay at my courtyard. I've already spoken to the two guards; they should take good care of the place. After your exams, they can leave," Ma Yang said, then suddenly brought up another matter, "By the way, you don't have your calligraphy yet, do you?"
Qiu Yan nodded and said, "That's right, he should have come of age at twenty, but due to an accident, my father passed away, and I was unable to receive a courtesy name."
"In that case, let me give you a courtesy name, what do you think?"
Qiu Yan was taken aback for a moment, then said, "I couldn't be happier."
Hearing this, Ma Yang nodded and then said, "Confucianism emphasizes being cautious in solitude and thinking deeply before making decisions; perhaps we should call it 'Shen Zhi'."
"Shen Zhi, Qiu Shen Zhi..."
Qiu Yan pondered the word, gleaning a subtle meaning from it. He glanced at Ma Yang, then clasped his hands in thanks. Judging from Ma Yang's reaction, this was by no means a casual gesture; there was a deeper purpose behind it.
After expressing his gratitude and bidding each other farewell, Qiu Yan felt a jolt in his Living Soul, a sense of foreboding.
In the distance, at the end of the farewell procession, several scholars in blue robes looked indignant upon seeing this scene.
"Qiu Yan doesn't even have the title of Xiucai who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations). Why is he favored by the old prime minister? We are all Xiucai, and we have visited many times but have not been allowed to enter. Yet Qiu Yan can come and go as he pleases every few days. What is the reason for this?" The speaker was a scholar of about twenty years old, with a handsome face, and he was quite well-known in the county town. His name was Zhang Jue.
"He only got this position because of the Prime Minister's favor. Let's see how he does in this Dao Examination." The one who said this was a slightly short scholar named Liu Kuang.
"That's right, no matter how good your flattery is, it's all for nothing if you don't have True Edition!"
These scholars, all of whom held the title of Xiucai a degree in the imperial examination system), couldn't stand Qiu Yan. As they talked, they suddenly felt a chill in their hearts. Turning their heads, they discovered that Qiu Yan, who had just seen Ma Yang off, was looking in their direction. They immediately lowered their heads and fell silent.
"My heart skipped a beat just now, like the sudden impulse described in books. Although these people harbor ill intentions towards me, they pose little threat. This..."
Qiu Yan withdrew his gaze, and as he was thinking, his expression suddenly changed.
"Hmm? Something has happened on my side!"