Six Dragon Horses

At the mouth of an alley in Old Stone Alley, a group of students spoke so animatedly that spit flew everywhere.

Jing Kingdom had not produced a Nation-Quelling poem or essay in decades. Yet not only had two appeared in succession, but one had been born right before their eyes. Every one of them was stirred to the core.

Even the scions of great clans lavishly praised Fang Yun. Before a Nation-Quelling work, the divide between Cold Gate and aristocratic families vanished, leaving only scholars' reverence for the Literary Way.

"This man's talent can only be called earth-shattering and shocking to the world. He truly has a belly full of classics."

"Luckily, he wrote it here. If he had written it by the sea, that line, 'The water need not be deep; with a dragon, it becomes sacred,' would surely have alarmed the Dragon Palace. Whether that would bring fortune or disaster would be hard to say."

"Those dragons differ from ordinary members of the Demon Race. They adore talent and fame most of all. Back then, Lord Swordbrow injured a dragon grandson, yet that dragon grandson was not angry at all. It even praised Lord Swordbrow as it fled, saying they should compete again someday."

"If the spirits of Zhuge Liang, Yang Xiong, and Confucius—the three sages in Inscription of the Humble Abode—knew that a descendant like this had appeared, they would surely be greatly comforted."

"We scholars have saints in our hearts and hide a thousand armies in our bellies. Wherever we live, how could it be humble? That Yan Yue truly has a pair of dog eyes!"

"Ambition is the root of writing. This boy used a humble abode to declare his ambition, standing shoulder to shoulder with the three sages. His grand design unfurled, and he was like a tiger given wings. His Literary Qi and Literary Palace will likely put down roots deep and firm."

"Even Sage Kong endured years of tempering before achieving anything. Fang Yun came from humble circumstances and studied bitterly for many years. Now that Inscription of the Humble Abode had appeared, he naturally slipped into the bag like Mao Sui, his awl piercing through and ringing out to the world."

"My Jing Kingdom... How dare they! Who is racing a carriage through the city?"

"Shh. Didn't you see? That is a carriage from the Prefectural Criminal Office."

"Th-then they still cannot drive so fast in the city. What if they hurt someone?" That person's momentum immediately weakened by ninety percent.

"There should be some great figure inside, at least a Provincial Graduate. They probably would not let the carriage hurt anyone. Eh? Why is there another fast carriage behind it? It seems to belong to the Office of Supervision? Great figures from both the Criminal Office and Office of Supervision have come. With just the Legal Office missing, all three would be here. Could some official have gotten into trouble, forcing the three offices out together?"

"This is bad! There is also a City Guard carriage on the other side. Why does it look like they are closing in on us? They are not here to arrest us, are they?"

"If I could be surrounded and arrested by so many great figures, I would not have died in vain."

"That seems to be the prefect's carriage."

All the Academy Students and scholars stopped discussing Inscription of the Humble Abode. Though many had done nothing at all, they still felt guilty. This display was too frightening; even the capture of demons entering the city was nothing compared to this.

The speeding carriages drew nearer and nearer. Suddenly, six extraordinarily shrill and resounding horse cries came from the east. Every horse began trembling, and a few even dropped to their knees.

The racing carriages immediately slowed to a stop. All the horses ignored their drivers' control, pressing themselves against the walls in terror and clearing a path.

A carriage drawn by six silver-white horses appeared. Each horse stood a head taller than an ordinary steed and was three feet longer in body. The six great horses held their heads high and strutted proudly, disdaining even to glance at the other horses.

Unlike ordinary horses, these six were not covered in hair, but in thick silver-white scales.

"Jiangzhou's only six-horse Dragon Horse carriage! Why has Lord Swordbrow come as well?" an Academy Student whispered.

The people in the carriages began cursing.

"Academy Head, what impressive grandeur. Anyone who knows better would think you are a Grand Academician; anyone who does not would think a Saint has arrived!"

"Li Wenying! Do you still have any regard for your former comrades?"

"Hmph. If Lord Swordbrow is shameless enough to contend with a mere Metropolitan Graduate like me for a page of writing, then I will certainly yield."

One high-ranking official after another stepped down from their carriages. Every official of real authority in Dayuan Prefecture had gathered here.

The Fourth-Rank Director of the Prefectural Criminal Office, the Fifth-Rank Prefect of Dayuan Prefecture, the Subordinate Fifth-Rank Academy Head of the Prefectural Academy, the Subordinate Fifth-Rank general of the Prefectural Army, the Sixth-Rank deputy commander of the City Guard, and many others were all present.

The Academy Students present were dumbfounded. Were these still the officials who normally appeared harmonious on the surface? Why was every one of them bristling with drawn swords and bent bows, their faces full of resentment toward Li Wenying?

At this moment, they had completely cast aside their identities as officials. They had all appeared as scholars.

Dragon Horses could frighten ordinary horses, but they could not frighten these Provincial Graduates and Metropolitan Graduates.

The six Dragon Horses had no choice but to stop. They snorted repeatedly, their hooves shifting restlessly as they itched to spring into action. Every Dragon Horse could fight an Academy Student alone, and aside from Li Wenying, they acknowledged no one.

Li Wenying, whose face looked barely over thirty, lifted the carriage curtain and stepped out. He swept his eyes over the crowd and smiled faintly, making his twin sword-like brows seem even more valiant.

"How are you all? My Dragon Horses have violent tempers, so you must bear with them." Li Wenying smiled.

Having received praise, the six Dragon Horses immediately neighed loudly and raised their heads high.

Prefect Sun said with perfect confidence, "I heard that you seized an original manuscript of The Pillow Chronicle from Registrar Zhou, and also obtained the right to annotate the Three Character Classic. You have gained both fame and profit. Why are you still not satisfied?"

A Fifth-Rank official questioning a Third-Rank high official like this would have been unimaginable before the Sacred Academy rose to prominence. Yet now everyone found it entirely ordinary, believing Prefect Sun possessed a scholar's integrity.

Li Wenying said openly, "A Nation-Quelling essay that tempers one's courage appears only once in a century. I am the foremost figure of a prefecture's Literary Academy, the teacher and leader of tens of millions, and I hold the rank of Grand Academician. It is only right that I do not yield. If this Inscription of the Humble Abode can help me become a Great Scholar, then all will rejoice."

"That is not right. Who does not know of Lord Swordbrow's great talent? Sage Chen once said that you would certainly become a Great Scholar within twenty years. Why contend with Metropolitan Graduates like us over this one essay?"

Director Zhu of the Office of Supervision, who was nearly sixty, suddenly said, "I came from the ranks of Provincial Graduates. Does that mean I cannot contend for it?"

"A slip of the tongue, a slip of the tongue. Director Zhu, please do not misunderstand. Do not fall into Li Wenying's scheme. I have always admired your iron-faced impartiality. If I obtain Inscription of the Humble Abode, I will certainly let you read it first." Prefect Sun said.

"What do you mean, if you obtain Inscription of the Humble Abode? Our lord sent me a letter from Jade Sea City saying that he was determined to obtain it!" said the Sixth-Rank deputy commander.

Jiangzhou's prefectural government and Literary Academy were both located in Dayuan Prefecture, but the Prefectural Army was stationed in Jade Sea City, mainly to guard against Sea Demons.

"Everyone, stop arguing. Let us join forces to deal with Lord Swordbrow first. If he gets to see Fang Yun, we truly will not have the slightest chance," another person said.

The infighting ceased, and everyone looked toward Li Wenying.

"This essay is of great use to me. I absolutely cannot yield it to you!" Li Wenying stood atop the carriage shaft in his official robes, his tone resolute.

"How about Lord Li gives up the original manuscript of The Pillow Chronicle and the annotations to the Three Character Classic, and we will leave at once? You have eaten the meat; you must at least give us some soup."

Li Wenying said, "Hmph. Every one of you put together lacks the ability to annotate the Three Character Classic. As for The Pillow Chronicle, has anyone ever forced me, Li Wenying, to spit out something I swallowed? Enough nonsense. Inscription of the Humble Abode belongs to Fang Yun, and he will decide whom to give it to. I, Li Wenying, am not one to seize things through trickery or force. Before coming here, I specifically prepared something to exchange with him."

As he spoke, Li Wenying took something from the pouch in his sleeve.

It was an ink stick two fingers thick and half a foot long. Unlike an ordinary ink stick, its surface was covered in dense red veins of blood, like jade and fire, seeming to flow. A dragon head was carved at its top, Vivid as Life.

"Dragonblood Ink Stick!" an Academy Student cried softly in envy.

Director Sun said, "Your Dragonblood Ink Stick contains only the blood of a Demon King's dragon grandson. It is far inferior to the blood of a Great Demon's dragon son, let alone Dragon Sage Blood. The first original manuscript of Inscription of the Humble Abode is enough to have its fragrance endure for generations. It may be of no great use to Fang Yun himself, but it is enough to give Jing Kingdom several more Hanlin Academicians. A lower-grade Dragonblood Ink Stick naturally cannot buy it. If you bring out that Dragon Bone Whisker Brush, we will no longer contend with you."

Li Wenying snorted coldly, deeply displeased. He had exhausted every stratagem to obtain those dragon bones and whiskers from a Demon King's dragon grandson. They were far more precious than the Dragonblood Ink Stick, and if refined into a Literary Treasure, would possess even greater power. He could not bear to give them away.

"Your Dragonblood Ink Stick may strengthen War Poetry by twenty or thirty percent, but it will ultimately become unusable after only a few years. I have a Provincial Graduate Literary Treasure that I can use to exchange with Fang Double-A."

Li Wenying said, "A mere Provincial Graduate Literary Treasure. I have a Metropolitan Graduate Literary Treasure at home, the Demon-Slaying Brush. Though it can only kill demons and cannot harm people, it can still enhance the power of War Poetry by ten percent."

Everyone fell silent. Their positions were all far from low, but compared to Li Wenying, they were still greatly inferior. It was impossible for them to produce a Metropolitan Graduate Literary Treasure for the exchange.

Prefect Sun said unwillingly, "Fang Yun is only a Licentiate. He must at least become a Provincial Graduate before he can use a Metropolitan Graduate Literary Treasure. Giving it to him now would be of no use."

"How far away will the day he becomes a Provincial Graduate be? One year, or two?" Li Wenying asked in return.

Prefect Sun could not answer. The possibility of Fang Yun passing the provincial examination in a short time was simply too great.

At that moment, Academy Head Wei of the Prefectural Academy suddenly said, "Since this essay is so important, and Fang Yun has no use for keeping it, why not donate it to the court and preserve it in Jing Kingdom Academy? Following the Sacred Academy's example and allowing meritorious officials to read it would not that be best of both worlds?"

Many people looked at Academy Head Wei with disgust. Though he was in the Literary Academy, he was the Left Prime Minister's lapdog. His words clearly came from selfish motives; he did not want Fang Yun to gain any benefit.

Li Wenying's face darkened. "That belongs to Fang Yun. If he wishes to donate it, then he may donate it. If he does not, no one can force him. From Academy Head Wei's tone, it seems you wish to exchange something with Fang Yun? What does the Prefectural Academy possess that is worth bringing out?"

Academy Head Wei puffed out his chest. "This object is of tremendous importance to Jing Kingdom. Since Fang Yun is a scholar of Jing Kingdom, donating it to the court is only right and proper."

Prefect Sun mocked, "Academy Head Wei's family has hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, tens of thousands of mu of fertile land, and countless treasures. They are also of tremendous importance to Jing Kingdom. You too are a scholar of Jing Kingdom, so donate them to the court. As long as you can do that, I will immediately persuade Fang Yun to donate Inscription of the Humble Abode as well."

"You... you are twisting reason and making trouble!" Academy Head Wei said angrily.

Li Wenying's sword brows twitched. His gaze turned icy as he said slowly, "Before I get angry, you had best get as far away as possible. Tell that old dog, the Left Prime Minister, that if he dares touch Fang Yun, I will slaughter his entire household!"

The surroundings fell deathly silent. This was Lord Swordbrow. He would tolerate arguments grounded in reason and evidence, but toward someone like Academy Head Wei, who fanned the flames and schemed against Jing Kingdom's talents, he had never been polite.

The Academy Students and scholars hurriedly lowered their heads in fright, thinking, As expected of Lord Swordbrow, who nearly slaughtered a dragon. He is too terrifying—even the foremost minister of the current court dares to threaten.

The officials, on the other hand, were rather calm. Li Wenying's official rank was lower than the Left Prime Minister's, but his ambitions lay in slaying demons rather than court politics. Both were Grand Academicians. The Left Prime Minister might possess somewhat more Literary Qi, but if they fought to the death, Li Wenying's chances of victory would be greater.

With the Wind-and-Rain Sword Poem, Li Wenying had the strength to threaten the Left Prime Minister.

Academy Head Wei had not expected to violate Li Wenying's taboo. Terrified, he slunk away without even taking his carriage, though his right fist remained tightly clenched.