The Academic Failure Won't Pursue Literary Cultivation

Li Qingxian said with a laugh that was half tears, "My literary cultivation was interrupted. If I cultivate it again, I can only start from scratch. The Confucian School requires studying the Four Books and Five Classics—one book per year! Only after a full nine years would I qualify to open my Middle Dantian, and even then, I might not succeed. I really can't do it. When it comes to literary cultivation scriptures, I'm completely in the dark."

"The current Grand Chancellor, Zhao Yishan, resumed literary cultivation at twelve. He studied bitterly for twenty years before finally opening his Middle Dantian. After that, he rose straight into the blue skies, splitting bamboo with unstoppable force. Last year, he reached First Rank, his name renowned throughout the realm."

"Can I compare myself to a freak like Zhao Yishan? You really think too highly of me. If I remember correctly, when he passed as the top scholar, you were on the same examination list?"

"Indeed," Zhou Chunfeng said.

Li Qingxian said, "Uncle Zhou, it's not that I mean to criticize you. When Zhao Yishan became the top scholar, he was already over fifty, but he was the top scholar while you were the third-place scholar. You were both successful examination candidates, so the gap wasn't large. Why, after all these years, are you only Fourth Rank while he has risen to First Rank? Literary cultivation is like rowing against the current—if you do not advance, you retreat!"

"Believe it or not, I'll beat you out the door." Zhou Chunfeng pointed his Bull Bone Fan at Li Qingxian as he laughed and scolded.

"Look, even you can't compare with him. Am I supposed to risk my life competing with Zhao Yishan?"

Li Qingxian felt helpless inside.

A few days ago, he really had considered literary cultivation, but back on Blue Star, he had only been a terrible student.

Never mind those profound Confucian classics—even ancient poems and lyrics, he had not memorized any since high school. He had long forgotten seventy or eighty percent of them and could only recall a few stray lines and words.

The key was that literary cultivators could only advance in rank by comprehending the scriptures and pursuing the ultimate truths of the Confucian School. No matter how many poems one knew, they could not increase one's literary qi in the slightest.

With his meager poetic attainments, at best he could act like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse. If he encountered poems similar to those from his past life, he could help people revise their Battle Poetry and serve as a poetry tutor.

But the literary qi earned by a poetry tutor could not be used to advance in rank. It could only nourish the Righteousness Sword.

Besides, he held the Heaven's Mandate Instrument. Spending so many years on literary cultivation, with its future uncertain, rather than using that time to cultivate Fate Arts, was simply putting the cart before the horse.

Seeing that the two had fallen silent, Zhou Hen could not help asking, "Then how did you discover that Divine Firmament Thunder Seed?"

Zhou Chunfeng also looked toward Li Qingxian.

Li Qingxian gave a light cough and said, "I told you, I discovered it by chance through Fate Arts. At the time, I didn't know whether it was real or not. I was only trying it out, but unexpectedly, it worked."

Zhou Hen asked, "Those talisman papers, chicken blood, and coin sword of yours—were they real or fake?"

Li Qingxian smiled. "Of course they were fake. Destiny Arts Masters use sheep blood, not chicken blood."

"What exactly is the Divine Firmament Thunder Seed?" Zhou Hen was truly curious.

Li Qingxian spread his hands. "Honestly, I don't know either. But Sister You Fei said it was a treasure bestowed by the Heavenly Emperor. Uncle Zhou, do you know?"

Zhou Chunfeng shook his head. "It must be an ancient divine relic. Those with merit may possess it. Since you obtained it, it means Heaven favors you. However, it must not be spread abroad. I have already issued gag orders to the remaining Night Guards and Sky Firmament Sect members."

"The few Night Guards and Sky Firmament Sect members struck dead by heavenly lightning had suspicious origins, didn't they?" Li Qingxian asked.

Zhou Chunfeng said, "Our investigation afterward confirmed that the Demon Sect Third Rank disguised as a Night Guard had died long ago. Of the two Night Guards struck dead by heavenly lightning, one was a Demon Cultivator and one a Heretical Cultivator. The two Sky Firmament Sect disciples were both Demon Cultivators."

"Uncle Zhou, this time I helped the Night Guard eliminate five Demon Sect Third Ranks, countless small fry, and four spies. You should calculate the credit for that." Li Qingxian leaned back in his chair with a beaming smile.

Zhou Chunfeng shook his head. "If that credit goes to you, what will Ye Han do?"

Li Qingxian suddenly understood. "I think you should promote Ye Han, so the Demon Sect becomes even more certain that it was him."

Zhou Chunfeng nodded, then said, "Yesterday, when I learned that you had advanced to Tenth Rank, I went to the Chief Guard Envoy to prepare to promote you as the captain of Jia-Nine Office. Who knew I would be one step too late? The Chief Guard Envoy had other arrangements."

"Hm?" Li Qingxian sensed something wrong in Zhou Chunfeng's tone.

"I argued on reasonable grounds, and in the end, the Chief Guard Envoy had no choice but to give up on his choice for captain. But the vice-captain must be appointed by him. That vice-captain is one of Wei Yong's men from the Night Guard Finance Office," Zhou Chunfeng said.

Li Qingxian's expression darkened. Pang Mingjing, the head accountant from the Finance Office who had harmed him on Ministry of Revenue Street, was Wei Yong's trusted subordinate. Over the past few days, he had been secretly gathering information about the Finance Office and its people.

"You can't refuse?"

"Wei Yong played this move well. He knew I could not possibly let his man serve as captain, and that I would certainly confront the Chief Guard Envoy. I could confront him once, but not twice. Otherwise, where would the Chief Guard Envoy's dignity be? How could we work together afterward? So sending a vice-captain to mix sand into the grain was his true purpose. I could not foresee the future. I only understood after the Chief Guard Envoy proposed the vice-captain candidate, but by then it was too late," Zhou Chunfeng said.

Li Qingxian said helplessly, "You officials are all full of twists and turns. Wei Yong must have promised the Coward King some benefit."

"It's only a small matter." Zhou Chunfeng smiled.

"You're not angry?"

"Only a small matter." Zhou Chunfeng seemed utterly unconcerned that Wei Yong had mixed sand into the Divine Capital Office.

Li Qingxian could not understand. He looked toward Zhou Hen, but Zhou Hen wore an expression that said, Don't ask me about things that require using your brain.

After finishing his tea with a smile, Zhou Chunfeng said, "Tomorrow is the Directors' Assembly Hall. Now that you have entered rank, you may attend your first assembly. I'll take you there to meet some people. The Divine Capital Office can directly appoint Subordinate Tenth Rank. Tonight, I'll have someone deliver your rank-determination document and Subordinate Tenth Rank official uniform."

"Then when I advance from Subordinate Tenth Rank to Principal Tenth Rank, do I need to take the Azure Cloud Rank-Determination Examination like other rank advancements?"

"Principal Tenth Rank does not require it. As long as you can exchange a hundred moves with a Subordinate Ninth Rank, the Chief Guard Envoy can issue a rank-determination document. For others advancing from Subordinate Ninth Rank to Principal Ninth Rank, they must wait for the annual Azure Cloud Examination. Night Guards only need to pass an internal assessment. But beginning at Principal Eighth Rank, one must take the nationally unified Azure Cloud Examination, whether one cultivates Confucianism, the Dao, martial arts, demons, heresy, or puppetry. Of course, some Rogue Cultivators not serving in the imperial court may, after recommendation and testing, avoid taking the examination at every rank. For example, You Fei only takes the Fourth Rank Azure Cloud Examination."

The two chatted for a while. Zhou Chunfeng gave him many instructions before Li Qingxian finally left, carrying a tray of pastries beneath the helpless gazes of Zhou Chunfeng and Zhou Hen.

After leaving Chunfeng Residence, Li Qingxian headed straight for the medical hall. Learning that Zheng Hui and Yu Ping had both left, he went to Jia-Nine Office.

Before he even entered, he heard Han Anbo sighing repeatedly.

"Brother Zheng may be finished this time. A man so dark-skinned, over fifty years old without a single white hair on his head—and after just one day, nearly half his hair has turned white..."

Li Qingxian entered. Han Anbo and Yu Ping looked over at him, their gazes complicated.

Perhaps the window paper was too thick, because the room was somewhat dim.

"What happened to Captain Zheng?" Li Qingxian asked.

The plump, fair-skinned Yu Ping forced out an ugly fake smile. Without the slightest courtesy, he took the pastries, gave Han Anbo a piece of osmanthus cake, and held the rest as he silently ate.

Han Anbo pinched the osmanthus cake and looked at Li Qingxian. "Captain Zheng went home to recover. Without his cultivation, he could have remained an ordinary Night Guard. But he is too proud. He won't come back."

"You didn't try to persuade him? At least as a Night Guard, he would still have that uniform protecting him," Li Qingxian said.

Han Anbo shook his head. "I tried. How could he listen? He was injured in the line of duty. Even without the Tenth Rank salary, as long as he commits no wrongdoing, he still retains his Night Guard status and receives an ordinary Night Guard's salary."

Li Qingxian did not know what to say. He merely sat to one side.

Yu Ping swallowed a water chestnut cake and said softly, "Everyone in the yamen is saying you've entered rank and are going to take over as captain of Jia-Nine Office?"