Finally Remembered the Tower Ancestor?

Ye Tianming remained calm. For him now, staying alive came first.

The two soon arrived at the gates of Wu Province Academy. Along the way, Ye Tianming saw many students arriving to enroll. He noticed that the students of Wu Province all had a tough, vigorous bearing. No wonder Nanling Zhao had said that the people of Wu Province favored martial pursuits.

Just as they reached the academy gates, a young man came toward them.

"Lady Zhao."

The young man smiled. "Welcome. I'm Wei Ling, a student of the academy master."

Nanling Zhao said, "Hello. Please inform the academy master that the two of us wish to see him."

An apologetic look immediately appeared on Wei Ling's face. "Lady Zhao, I'm afraid you've come at an unfortunate time. The academy master isn't here."

Nanling Zhao was slightly taken aback. "He isn't at the academy?"

Wei Ling nodded. "Yes. He left earlier on business and hasn't returned yet."

Nanling Zhao looked at Wei Ling. He wore a courteous smile and conducted himself with proper manners.

How could Nanling Zhao not understand that the academy master didn't want to see her?

Nanling Zhao nodded. "Then I'll come back another day."

With that, she turned to Ye Tianming. "Let's go."

The two turned and left.

Wei Ling watched them go. Only after they disappeared into the distance did he turn back toward the academy. Before long, he entered a great hall, where an old man sat. It was Yan Sui, the governor of Wu Province.

"They've gone?"

Yan Sui asked.

Wei Ling nodded. "They've gone."

Yan Sui sighed softly. "It's a bit of a pity."

Wei Ling said, "Teacher, do you mean that young man?"

Yan Sui said, "Anyone who can make it through Guanxuan Dao is no ordinary person. Qingzhou could have brought this talent into its ranks, but because of the Xiao Family... Of course, I can understand it. Any academy in their place would choose a genius from the Xiao Family over someone from a bottom-tier family."

Wei Ling said, "Nanling Zhao is helping this young man so much. Could it be that she..."

Yan Sui said, "Since when did you become such a gossip?"

Wei Ling smiled faintly. "I'm just curious. She's neither family nor friend to that young man, yet she's helping him so much. It's really puzzling."

Yan Sui looked at Wei Ling. "Do you think she shouldn't help him?"

Wei Ling looked somewhat puzzled.

Yan Sui shook his head slightly. "Wei Ling, it's true that we in Wu Province can't take that young man in. But you should understand one thing: in this matter, the Xiao Family really is using its power to bully others, while Qingzhou Guanxuan Academy is helping a tyrant do evil. That young man has done nothing wrong. The Xiao Family is in the wrong, as is Qingzhou Academy. Even the people in the Guanxuan Realm share the blame."

Wei Ling looked at Yan Sui in some shock. Yan Sui continued, "And Lady Nanling Zhao is even less at fault. As an inspector, her duty is to investigate injustices in the world. She dared to help this young man without fearing those in power. That is admirable, and the academy should have more people like her, but..."

He shook his head slightly. "But doing such things takes tremendous courage, and one must be prepared to make sacrifices."

Wei Ling said respectfully, "Teacher, I understand all that. What I don't understand is whether doing this is worth it for her."

Yan Sui smiled. "If I were as young as she is, I really would have taken this young man in today. But now..."

A complicated look flashed through his eyes. He said nothing more and turned to leave.

Those who became academy masters were naturally no ordinary people, and they too had once had ideals. But the longer they spent in officialdom, the more they understood that, much of the time, an individual could change nothing.

For them now, it was enough to play it safe. Making no mistakes was an achievement in itself.

Nanling Zhao came outside and saw Ye Tianming again. He was cultivating once more, and a complicated look flashed through her eyes as she watched him.

Ye Tianming's talent was undoubtedly terrifying, but she knew that unless he joined a powerful academy, he would never be able to put that talent to its full use. Cultivation resources really were important.

When Ye Tianming saw Nanling Zhao, he hurriedly stopped cultivating. He stood and walked over to her, saying with some excitement, "The Spiritual Qi here is rich too. I can faintly feel that I'm about to break through, but unfortunately, I don't have enough real combat experience, so my realm isn't stable. I can only keep accumulating strength and not risk attempting a breakthrough."

Nanling Zhao smiled. "You're right to do that. More haste, less speed. That's especially true in cultivation. Breaking through too quickly is often not a good thing."

Ye Tianming nodded, then said, "Are we..."

Nanling Zhao said, "We're going to You Province."

Ye Tianming glanced at her and nodded. "All right."

The two set off for You Province at once.

A quarter of an hour later, they arrived in You Province. Its Guanxuan Academy stood atop You Mountain, which stretched for a thousand li and was shrouded in clouds and mist all year round.

Ye Tianming and Nanling Zhao arrived at the gates of You Province Guanxuan Academy. Once there, Ye Tianming was shocked to discover that the Spiritual Qi here was exceptionally rich and pure, far surpassing that of Wu Province and the other provinces they had visited.

Seeing his shocked expression, Nanling Zhao smiled. "You Province once took first place, so the Guanxuan Realm bestowed two supreme-grade immortal veins upon them. The genius who won first place received one, and You Province Academy received the other. That's why the Spiritual Qi here is so rich."

Ye Tianming said softly, "If someone cultivated here, the results would be unimaginable."

Nanling Zhao smiled. "This is nothing. If you went to the Guanxuan Academy Main Academy, that would really frighten you. Supreme-grade immortal veins don't even rank there. People outside often say that at the Main Academy, even a pig could cultivate into a great emperor."

Ye Tianming said nothing.

Nanling Zhao added, "That's why so many people want to join the Guanxuan Academy Main Academy. Getting in truly changes your destiny-not just your own, but your family's as well."

Ye Tianming said, "It must be very difficult to get into the Main Academy, right?"

Nanling Zhao nodded. "It's relatively easier for local students from the Guanxuan Realm, but for people from the provinces outside, it's incredibly difficult. Apart from peerless monsters with special physiques of various kinds, students from the outside provinces can only enter by taking part in the Myriad Provinces Grand Competition. The top ten are guaranteed a place at the Guanxuan Main Academy. Other than that, if someone performs exceptionally well at the Myriad Provinces Grand Competition and catches the eye of a mentor from the Guanxuan Realm, they also have a chance of entering the Guanxuan Academy Main Academy."

Ye Tianming nodded. "I understand."

As they spoke, they reached the academy gates. But just then, an old man suddenly appeared before them. He looked at Nanling Zhao and said, neither servile nor overbearing, "Lady Zhao, the academy master asked me to pass on a message. He said he doesn't want to fall out with Qingzhou Academy and the Xiao Family."

With that, he turned and left.

Nanling Zhao's face was expressionless. She said nothing.

Ye Tianming said nothing either.

A moment later, Nanling Zhao said, "Let's go to the next province. Come on..."

"Miss Zhao."

Ye Tianming suddenly spoke.

Nanling Zhao turned to look at him. Ye Tianming met her gaze. "How do the Myriad Provinces compare to the Sword Sect?"

Nanling Zhao said, "Naturally, they fall far short of the Sword Sect. The Sword Sect is..."

She suddenly stopped. She understood what Ye Tianming meant.

If even the Sword Sect didn't dare take him, Ye Tianming, in, how could Wan Prefecture dare?

Ye Tianming smiled. "Thank you for helping me so much, but let me walk the rest of the road on my own."

Nanling Zhao wanted to say something more, but suddenly, an old man came flying through the air. He hurried over to her and said respectfully, "Young miss, the family head wants you to return to the family immediately."

Nanling Zhao said, "I'll go back in a while..."

Thump!

The old man suddenly fell to his knees and pleaded, "Young miss, the family head said that if you don't return, this old servant needn't return either."

Nanling Zhao's gaze immediately turned cold. After a moment's silence, she turned to Ye Tianming. "Wait for me. I'll come back for you."

Ye Tianming smiled. "Miss Zhao, take care of yourself."

Nanling Zhao said earnestly, "I'll come back for you."

With that, she suddenly stepped up to Ye Tianming, took out a seal, and placed it in his hand. "This is my inspector's seal. Use it for now."

Without waiting for Ye Tianming to speak, she turned and flew through the air, vanishing at the edge of the sky. She too had realized that unless she used the connections of her entire family, no province would dare take Ye Tianming in.

She had to return and discuss it with her father.

He watched Nanling Zhao disappear at the edge of the sky, and only after a very long time did he withdraw his gaze. He gently stroked the inspector's seal in his hand. A moment later, he put it away and walked slowly down the mountain.

Along the way, new students came up the mountain from time to time, their faces full of hope for the future.

Ye Tianming walked on. With Nanling Zhao gone, he suddenly felt hollow inside and began to feel somewhat lost. Vast as heaven and earth were, there truly was no place left for him, Ye Tianming.

Faced with the injustice of this world, he too wanted to shout: "Thirty years the river flows east, thirty years it flows west. Don't bully a young man for being poor!"

But the cruel reality made him understand that he didn't have thirty years. Perhaps he didn't even have three days.

Helplessness!

Despair!

No matter how he told himself deep down not to despair and to pull himself together, those negative feelings continued to grow quietly. Faced with this cruel reality, all his efforts were in vain.

Go back?

If he went back now, he would surely implicate the Ye Family. He might already have done so.

Not go back?

Vast as heaven and earth were, where could he go?

Ye Tianming sat on the stone steps, staring somewhat blankly at the horizon. He knew that once he left this place, he might die at once. The Xiao Family would never let him go.

It didn't matter if he died, but what would happen to the Ye Family?

Big brother!

Ye Zong!

And the other Ye Family brothers...

I'm the one who dragged them into this!

He stared blankly at the sky, growing more and more lost. Then, as if remembering something, he suddenly lowered his head to look at the Little Pagoda at his waist. "Tower Ancestor," he said softly, "you once said you could be a mentor on the road of my life, and guide me when I lost my way... I'm feeling a little lost now. What should I do?"

The Little Pagoda said, "You finally remembered you still have a Tower Ancestor?"

Ye Tianming said nothing.

The Little Pagoda laughed. "It's finally my turn to show off."

Ye Tianming said nothing.

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