The Grand Tutor Whose Lifelong Reputation Was in Peril

The Celestial Mirror said:

"You've already witnessed my abilities. I can silently capture the target's Primordial Spirit, manipulate the physical body through the Primordial Spirit, and turn the target into a puppet."

"The great king relied on me to subdue many great demons in the past. But now, I can only take away the celestial soul and let the physical body die slowly."

"Yes, even if the target is an ordinary being or someone with extremely shallow cultivation, I can still manipulate them. It's not necessary to be face-to-face to steal their soul; you can even forcibly manipulate them from tens of thousands of miles away."

Forcibly controlling someone from thousands of miles away is as perverse as taking someone's virginity from thousands of miles away. Xu Qi'an couldn't hide his astonishment, feeling that it was somewhat unreasonable.

The Celestial Mirror added:

"The greater the distance, the weaker the control. Tens of thousands of miles away, one can usually only control beings with little intelligence. Now that I am crippled, I can no longer use this ability."

"The downside is that the puppet state I control cannot be concealed; it can be recognized at a glance by those with high cultivation levels or experts proficient in the Primordial Spirit realm."

The distance is too great; even ordinary people can't control it.

Xu Qi'an suddenly realized.

"My second ability is to illuminate the entire land, regardless of distance. However, there are some special places I cannot see, such as the Buddhist School mountain, Aranya."

The Celestial Mirror sighed, "I am already in a damaged state and cannot illuminate the entire Nine Provinces. But I think it can still illuminate a radius of two thousand miles."

"How do I use you? By Blood-Drip Recognition?" Xu Qi'an asked.

The Celestial Mirror sneered:

"Don't compare me to those low-level Law Artifact. As long as I acknowledge you and am willing to cooperate with you, you can use me. If I'm not willing, even if you Blood-Drip Recognition, it won't make a difference."

The fragment of the Earth Book was imbued with meaning. Xu Qi'an said "Oh," and suddenly wondered why, as incomplete Law Treasure, the fragment of the Earth Book lacked self-awareness.

Within a radius of only two thousand li, the situation in Yunzhou becomes invisible. "Hmm, I'll try it first, "Xu Qi'an immediately said.

"Can the light reach the capital of the Great Feng Dynasty?"

The Celestial Mirror hesitated and said, "There is a first-rank martial artist and a first-rank Warlock in the capital of the Great Feng Dynasty. I cannot see them."

"It's alright. That martial artist has been dead for hundreds of years. A first-rank Warlock shouldn't bother with you."

Xu Qi'an patted the mirror, signaling it to hurry up and get moving.

It seemed unaware of the secret that those who possess great fortune cannot live forever. As Xu Qi'an pondered this, the bronze mirror changed; the bronze material disappeared, and it became as clear as a glass mirror.

A magnificent city was reflected in the glass mirror.

Having looked down upon the capital city several times, Xu Qi'an immediately recognized it as the capital.

I feel like someone is spying on me.

The Heavenly Mirror transmitted its thoughts.

"Is he the supervisor?" Xu Qi'an nodded. "Don't worry about him, he's just a grumpy old man."

He silently added to himself, hoping the supervisor wouldn't hear him.

The Celestial Mirror ignored him and said smugly, "Now you know how powerful I am."

The capital city is no more than two thousand li away from here.

"Locate the capital city. Move it seventy zhang north, then another ten zhang. Okay, can it penetrate the house?"

Through communication, the mirror revealed the scene inside the bedroom of Lin'an in the Shaoyin Palace.

She is not in Shaoyin Palace; I don't know where she went.

"Can you provide location tracking? Yes, so next time I can just see this place directly, without needing to give you directions again."

"You seem to doubt my abilities."

The Celestial Mirror conveyed its displeasure, then said, "Do you need me to help you position the bathtub? I know males enjoy watching females emerge from the bath."

"I'll come back tonight." Xu Qi'an said in a deep voice, "Nonsense, I'm different from the males you know."

The Celestial Mirror asked in surprise, "You like watching males emerge from the bath?"

Are you fucking the straight man?! Xu Qi'an had the Hun Tian Divine Mirror locate the Xu Residence again, and this time, it thoughtfully locked onto the bathtub.

"Isn't this my second uncle and aunt's room?" Xu Qi'an was almost stunned, and said angrily.

"No, there's no need for a positioning bathtub here. Are you really a legitimate Law Treasure?"

"You really do prefer males!" Hun Tian Shen Jing suddenly realized.

Xu Qi'an was too lazy to explain to a mental patient, so he set the location in the inner hall of the Xu Residence.

"Huh, Lingyin is going out? To school?"

In the scene, he saw Xu Lingyin carrying a "schoolbag" made of a small cloth bag, with her hair tied in a child's bun, reluctantly being led out by Xu Erlang.

My aunt was standing nearby, giving me instructions and saying something.

The Hun Tian Shen Jing (a magical mirror) has no voice function; it can only display images.

"Auntie still hasn't given up on Lingyin's studies. What a great mother's love! Even after countless moments of despair and setbacks, Auntie has never given up on her wish for her daughter to succeed."

Xu Qi'an made a joke, and after locating the Xu Residence, he then had the mirror locate the Lingbao Temple.

The scene shifts to a grand Daoist temple, then shifts to a quiet courtyard. In the courtyard, above a pond, sits a stunningly beautiful woman dressed in feathered robes and wearing a lotus crown.

Sit in meditation with your eyes closed.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes and looked at Xu Qi'an.

The next moment, the image shattered, and the Heavenly Mirror screamed in agony:

"I'm blind! I'm blind! That woman is a celestial being!"

It suffered a backlash.

The Imperial Preceptor is one step closer to transcending the tribulation! Even the Celestial Mirror considers her a first-grade terrestrial immortal. Xu Qi'an was both happy and worried.

What's delightful is that her cultivation has advanced further, and she is on the verge of becoming a terrestrial immortal.

The worry is that this shark is completely uncontrollable. Even if he recovers his cultivation, how can a third-rank martial artist control a first-rank one?

The fish in the pond will never have a chance to rise above their circumstances.

Beijing!

Xu Erlang returned to the mansion for a meal today because he was coming back to fetch Xu Lingyin to study in the palace.

Here's what happened: After finalizing the donation, Emperor Yongxing summoned Xu Erlang to his study, praised him highly, and expressed his intention to promote him.

He encouraged Xu Erlang to work hard and not disappoint the court's expectations.

At the end of the conversation, Emperor Yongxing, whether intentionally or unintentionally, said:

"I've heard that Minister Xu's younger sister is just reaching the age for formal education. She's about the same age as the princes and princesses in the palace. Why don't we send her to the palace to study, where she can be personally taught by the Grand Tutor?"

Xu Erlang immediately realized that Emperor Yongxing was expressing goodwill and trying to win him over.

It was a great honor for the children of officials to enter the palace as tutors. Usually, only princesses and heirs of the imperial family, as well as the children of some meritorious nobles and important officials, had this qualification.

But Xu Erlang did not want such a "favor" and quickly refused.

Emperor Yongxing was somewhat displeased and, ignoring Xu Erlang's refusal, forcefully issued the order.

How could a subject refuse the emperor's offer of favors and favors? Besides, it's obvious to everyone who he's actually courting, even though he's outwardly courting Xu Erlang. So he doesn't care about Xu Erlang's opinion at all.

Unable to disobey the imperial decree, Xu Erlang had no choice but to comply.

When I got home and told my mother, my aunt was overjoyed, thinking to herself, "Has my silly daughter finally had a stroke of good luck?"

This Grand Tutor is someone who teaches princes and princesses; surely he can teach Lingyin to read and write without any problem.

Last time, because Lingyin hit the Crown Prince, she was expelled from the palace, a regret that her aunt still feels to this day.

Inside the carriage, Xu Erlang glanced at his younger sister, who was sitting obediently on the long bench, and said:

"Once you're in the palace, no matter what the tutor or other teachers ask you, you must say that you've never been to school and know nothing. Do you understand?"

Xu Lingyin nodded vigorously:

"Um!

"I will study hard and achieve top marks in the imperial examinations, just like my second brother."

"No, I only beg you to spare the Grand Tutor's life," Xu Erlang muttered to himself.

After thinking for a moment, he patted Xu Lingyin's head and said:

"If anyone bullies you, just beat them up. If anything happens, your older brother will take responsibility for you."

He paused, then quickly added, "Be careful not to hit anyone with all your might."

Someone will die.

"Oh!"

The little boy nodded with a slightly goofy look.

Xu Erlang was immediately relieved. Under normal circumstances, Lingyin was quite obedient and had a good temper, rarely getting angry unless her food was taken away.

Soon, the carriage entered the imperial city and was stopped outside the palace gates.

After Xu Erlang explained the situation, the Imperial Guards went to the palace to inform them. A moment later, a eunuch came out, bowed to Xu Erlang, and led Xu Lingyin into the palace.

The place where princes and princesses, as well as princesses and their sons, studied was called the "Imperial Study Room".

Xu Lingyin looked around in surprise. Although she had been to the palace once before, one visit was clearly not enough to satisfy the children's boundless curiosity.

As she walked, she suddenly saw a woman in an elegant long dress approaching from a distance.

"Sister, sister"

The little one was overjoyed and started shouting loudly without any manners, waving at the elegant long dress.

Huaiqing looked over upon hearing the sound and was slightly taken aback when she saw the chubby little girl. She greeted her with a gentle smile.

Do you still remember me?

"You came to my house when I died," Xu Lingyin said loudly.

Something about that sounded off. Huaiqing smiled and nodded.

What brings you to the palace?

Xu Lingyin looked somewhat bewildered. "What is a kidney transplant?"

"What are you doing here?" Huaiqing changed his approach.

"I've come to study, my mother told me to come to study."

The little one answered every question with an innocent expression.

Huaiqing glanced at the eunuch, who said:

"His Majesty has granted special permission for Miss Xu Household to enter the palace to study."

Huaiqing then said, "I'll take her to the study."

The eunuch dared not refuse and bowed as he withdrew.

"Let's go!" Huaiqing looked at the little boy with gentle eyes.

She didn't have much interaction with the Xu Household's daughter; she only met her once at Xu Qi'an's funeral and didn't pay much attention to her afterwards.

After all, no matter how good his relationship with Xu Qi'an was, or how much he appreciated Xu Erlang, it was impossible for him to pay attention to a six or seven-year-old child in his family.

She didn't even know that Lina had taken Xu Lingyin as her apprentice, let alone how formidable the little bean sprout was.

Number One has always been aloof and not very sociable; no member of the Heaven and Earth Society would talk to her about these everyday trivia.

"Sister, you're so beautiful."

The little boy followed Huaiqing and looked up to say something.

Huaiqing smiled.

"Sister, you're so beautiful."

After a while, she said something else.

Huaiqing lowered his head and saw a fawning look in the girl's big eyes.

What are you trying to say?

Huaiqing squinted, easily seeing through her little scheme.

Can I come to your house for some pastries?

The little one's true intentions were revealed at the last minute.

Huaiqing laughed, "Okay."

She has always admired intelligent people, including intelligent children. In addition, this child is not only clever but also very brave.

Before long, the little boy followed Huaiqing to the study.

In the spacious hall, twelve tables were set up, and twelve children sat obediently behind them, their eyes focused on listening to the old tutor's lecture in front of them.

The Grand Tutor, nearing eighty years old, is a veteran of three reigns. He was the second-highest scorer in the imperial examinations during the Zhen De era, taught Emperor Yuan Jing, taught Emperor Huai Qing and Emperor Lin'an, and now he is to teach the new generation of the royal family.

When Emperor Yuanjing neglected his duties due to his pursuit of Daoism, the Grand Tutor stormed into the palace and angrily denounced the incompetent emperor outside the imperial study.

Disheartened, he then went into seclusion in the capital.

After Yuan Jing's death, he was one of the few people who knew the secret, so he resolved his inner conflict, picked up his beloved work again, and continued to contribute his remaining energy.

"Grand Tutor!"

Huaiqing led the little boy across the threshold and bowed.

"Greetings, Princess."

The Grand Tutor bowed in return.

"Greetings, Princess."

More than a dozen princes, princesses, and noblemen rose to pay their respects.

Huaiqing nodded slightly and looked at Xu Lingyin:

"This child is a troublesome one for the Grand Tutor; she is Xu Qi'an's younger sister. None of you are allowed to bully her."

She brought Xu Lingyin here mainly to warn the younger generation of the royal family, lest this simple-minded child be bullied here.

The Grand Tutor laughed and said, "Princess, there's no need to worry. This child is very capable."

He recounted Xu Lingyin's heroic feat from last time.

Huaiqing glanced at the plump and adorable little girl with surprise, and laughed:

"I'm overthinking it."

The Grand Tutor said meaningfully:

"Your Highness is too detached from matters of the palace."

Huaiqing smiled, said nothing more, and took his leave.

The Grand Tutor beckoned Xu Lingyin to come forward and asked:

"I didn't even have a chance to test you last time before you left the palace. Before coming here, where did you receive your early education? Who was your teacher?"

The little boy tilted his head, thought for a moment, and answered honestly:

"I forgot."

The Grand Tutor was taken aback. He had forgotten his first teacher, or perhaps this child hadn't even received his first education yet?

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Can you recite the Three Character Classic?"

"Yes, yes."

Xu Lingyin nodded excitedly.

The Grand Tutor's expression softened, and he nodded with a smile, "Recite it for this old man."

After leaving the palace, Huaiqing went to the Hanlin Academy and relayed the matter that Xu Qi'an had entrusted to him to Xu Erlang.

Emperor Yongxing was extremely wary of her and her elder brother, the Fourth Prince, so this matter had to be addressed by Xu Erlang.

If Emperor Yongxing were to find out that Xu Qi'an was in close contact with her in private, he would inevitably become suspicious again.

With a new emperor ascending the throne, it was a highly sensitive time, and Huaiqing did not want to cause trouble.

"Alas, a three-foot layer of ice doesn't form in a single day."

Xu Xinnian was filled with mixed emotions.

"Governing a country is like cooking a small fish; it requires a gradual approach. But what if the country is terminally ill? Neither His Majesty, nor Chief Minister Wang, nor any of the officials in the court have similar experience," Huaiqing said calmly.

"Lord Xu, do you still remember the bet we made during our game of chess that day?"

Xu Xinnian looked serious, hesitated for a few seconds, and then said, "Of course I remember."

Huaiqing nodded. "We'll wait and see."

She paused for a moment, then changed the subject. "The sacrificial ceremony to Heaven is in three days. His Majesty will be appealing for donations then. How much silver do you plan to donate, Lord Xu?"

Xu Xinnian knew she was reminding him, and said:

"Your Highness, rest assured, I have already discussed this matter with my elder brother."

"I will donate three months' salary, and my elder brother will donate five thousand taels of silver."

"In this way, I won't be impeached for donating too much, nor will anyone accuse me of promoting donations while being stingy with my own money."

A mere junior scholar donating five thousand taels of silver is bound to cause trouble.

But if they don't donate, they'll be met with a torrent of criticism.

That's good.

Huaiqing was immediately relieved and then said, "I saw Lord Xu's sister in the palace on my way here."

Upon hearing this, Xu Erlang's face was filled with worry, and he sighed:

"If Your Highness is free today, could you please stay in the Imperial Study and keep an eye on things?"

Huaiqing smiled and said, "Is Lord Xu afraid that she will be bullied?"

"I'm thinking of the Grand Tutor's safety." Xu Erlang sighed again, recounting the little boy's glorious deeds one by one, and said helplessly:

"I have already politely declined Your Majesty's offer, but Your Majesty is determined to go ahead. Alas."

Everyone in Huaiqing who heard this was stunned.

She angered all the gentlemen of Clear Cloud Mountain to the point that they avoided her, infuriated Li Miaozhen to the point of gritting her teeth, made Chu Yuanzhen's face turn ashen, and even made the renowned Wang Simu burst into tears.

"Your sister is just pretending to be stupid; she probably doesn't like studying," Huaiqing said.

"If she had pretended to be stupid, the academy's teachers, Master Li, Brother Chu, and Si Mu wouldn't have been so frustrated and discouraged, or even cried because of their defeat."

Xu Xinnian smiled wryly.

It is precisely because they truly cannot learn that they feel like failures and unworthy of being teachers.

This leads to intense self-doubt and self-denial.

If Lingyin were to feign ignorance, they would simply laugh it off and wouldn't get worked up at all.

Huaiqing was skeptical, but he returned to the palace. He had barely stepped inside when he received the news:

The Grand Tutor has suddenly fallen ill and is bedridden!

Huaiqing was taken aback, thinking to himself, "The Grand Tutor was perfectly fine just now, how could he suddenly fall ill?"

She recalled Xu Erlang's words and her heart sank. She immediately went to visit him.

Huaiqing lifted her skirt and rushed to the Imperial Study, where she saw the Grand Tutor lying on a small couch, with several imperial physicians examining him.

"Your Highness, the Eldest Princess."

The imperial physicians all bowed in respect.

Huaiqing waved his hand, his usually aloof and beautiful face now filled with seriousness:

"How is the Grand Tutor's health?"

A royal physician said, "Princess, please don't worry. The Grand Tutor is fine; he's just experiencing a sudden headache and dizziness. He'll be fine after a few days of bed rest."

Another imperial physician added, "But he must not be subjected to any further stimulation during this period; he needs to rest."

To explain in simpler terms:

The Grand Tutor is fine; he just has a spike in blood pressure!

Huaiqing walked to the bedside, looked at the Grand Tutor whose breath was weakening, and softly asked, "Grand Tutor, what's wrong? What happened?"

The Grand Tutor said weakly:

"Help me up. I'm still capable. I don't believe there's such a fool in the world."

"I must teach her to recite the Three Character Classic today, otherwise she will have wasted her whole life studying the classics."

Huaiqing was slightly moved and grasped the Grand Tutor's withered hand. "Grand Tutor, this is too much trouble for you."

The Grand Tutor said excitedly:

"No, even if I die, I will teach her to recite the Three Character Classic."

"I have taught the late Emperor and Your Highnesses; I cannot allow my reputation to be tarnished in my later years."

"No, no, that wouldn't be necessary. It would be too pointless for you to die like that." Huaiqing didn't know how to comfort him for a moment.

At that moment, the Grand Tutor's eyelids rolled back, and he fainted.

Xiangzhou!

Dongfang Wanrong rode in a large palanquin, parading through the city, followed by dozens of disciples of the East Sea Dragon Palace.

Sitting next to her was Dongfang Wanqing, who looked exactly like her but had a cool and aloof demeanor.

"Master, we have collected eight dragon energy hosts. Should we send them back to Jingshan City?"

Dongfang Wanrong asked.

"No need!"

Nalan Tianlu's voice echoed in her mind, speaking gently:

"Dragon energy has the property of attracting each other. The more scattered dragon energy we collect, the more we can attract other dragon energy hosts."

"If we send them back to Jingshan City, we'll be missing a crucial magnet in our search for something as easy as finding a needle in a haystack."

Dongfang Wanrong nodded, then asked:

"Why don't you just occupy the body of a dragon energy host? They're all lucky ones, blessed with great fortune."

Nalan Tianlu laughed:

"What kind of good fortune do they have? In the eyes of a powerful being at the Transcendent Realm, they've only gotten a few benefits by chance. The person I'm going to possess has to be at least at the Transcendent Realm."

"If all else fails, even a peak fourth-grade cultivator will do, just like you."

Dongfang Wanrong chuckled and said, "This disciple is willing to sacrifice myself for Master."

Nalan Tianlu shook his head. "Glib-tongued."

While peak fourth-grade disciples are rare, they are not hard to find, so there's no need to possess a disciple's body.

Besides, this disciple is a girl, and Nalan Tianlu is unwilling to be resurrected as a woman.

Dongfang Wanrong thought for a moment, then asked curiously, "What if one could possess Xu Qi'an's body? That would truly be a blessing."

Nalan Tianlu shook his head and chuckled.

"This child is burdened with karma; I would rather exist as a wandering ghost than possess him."

He paused, then continued:

"Of all the lands in the world, only the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons can use its own spiritual essence to create a perfect physical body."

"If I can make a deal with her, I won't need to possess her body."

The aftereffects of possession are severe; the physical body and the Primordial Spirit will repel each other and cannot be reconciled for hundreds of years.

In other words, his cultivation level could hardly improve for hundreds of years.

Dongfang Wanrong pondered for a moment and said:

"We are collecting dragon energy hosts, the Buddhist School is also collecting dragon energy hosts, and so is that Xu Qi'an."

"Master, do you think that our various factions might meet at a certain time and place, amidst a series of events?"

Nalan Tianlu gave an affirmative answer:

Yes, it will be amazing.

"At that time, I will lend you a hand."

"Wei Yuan captured Jingshan City and killed my son. So I killed his trusted junior to settle this score."

PS: New month, please vote with monthly tickets!!!!