Yuan Gu of Xi'an

Traveling three hundred miles on foot would take ten days, but with the Spirit Artifact of the black and white twin horses, it would only take an hour.

Aside from a slight soreness in his buttocks, Rong Tianding was filled with excitement.

In a short period of time, they traversed an enormous distance.

This even gave him the feeling that he was a cultivator with great Divine Ability.

In the distance, a county town, roughly the size of Hibiscus City, came into view, prompting Zhang Xuezhou to put away the two demonic horse Spirit Artifact and prepare to walk into the town.

Their insignia, bearing the mark of the great Confucian scholar Yuan Gu, allowed Zhang Xuezhou Chang'an City Rong Tianding to enter Xi'an County without any problems.

"Cousin, is it really possible that Li Shaojun will come?"

The translation of the Cloud Soaring Technique is not complete. Rong Tianding likes the feeling of riding a demonic horse, but he yearns even more for the freedom of flying through the sky.

With the ability to harmonize the five elements, he may very well be able to truly soar when his cultivation advances in the future.

He even felt that no technique was more powerful than the Cloud Leap Technique. If combined with the Aging Technique, they could appear and disappear like Li Shaojun, and thus potentially get rid of many troubles.

Rong Tianding was extremely interested in the matter of cloud-riding techniques.

Although Rong Tianding believed that Zhang Xuezhou was playing hard to get, Rong Tianding was also afraid that Li Shaojun would stop there or lose sight of their goal, resulting in a lack of their help.

"The more you beg Li Shaojun, the more he'll manipulate you; the less you beg him and keep him hanging on, the more he'll haunt you until he gets everything he wants," Zhang Xuezhou said, waving his hand. "Don't worry, cousin, we'll enter the city today, and I guarantee we'll see him tomorrow, maybe even at the residence of the great scholar Yuan Gu!"

Zhang Xuezhou wasn't worried that Li Shaojun would learn a bit of the cloud-flying technique and then run away.

They need the complete Cloud Leap Technique, and Li Shaojun needs the complete Cloud Leap Technique as well.

Otherwise, the other party wouldn't have discussed it with them for so long.

The current time is enough for Li Shaojun to practice his cloud-riding technique, and it can also help the other party clear their mind, allowing them to continuously verify and advance the previous content and connect it to the subsequent parts.

It's not accurate to say that the art of cloud soaring is so rare as to be unique. At least experts like Nezha from the Immortal Court possess the ability to ride the clouds, and some even have a high level of flying skill. However, Dong Zhongshu was known for his extensive knowledge of various schools, did not know the art of cloud soaring, which does prove its scarcity.

This skill would indeed drive Li Shaojun to pursue it relentlessly, while the existence of the great Confucian scholar Yuan Gu would make it difficult for Li Shaojun to have any opportunities to play tricks.

Zhang Xuezhou's words brought a smile to Rong Tianding, who felt that his cousin's thinking was indeed insightful.

The two walked for about fifteen minutes before entering the city.

Only after asking a passerby did Zhang Xuezhou and the others realize the status of the great Confucian scholar Yuan Gu in Xi'an County and even the surrounding areas.

This is equivalent to Sima Xiangru in Liangyuan, but Yuan Gu's reputation was not one of envy or admiration, but rather one of respect and worship.

Yuan Gu was a highly representative promoter of Confucianism's philosophy of spiritual attainment, and even an innovator, which enabled many Confucian School scholars in Qi to occupy important positions within the Confucian school.

In the hearts of Confucian School scholars in Qi, Yuan Gu was the master of Confucianism.

In the hearts of the people of Xi'an County, Yuan Gu is the most powerful cultivator in Xi'an County, who can protect the peace of Xi'an County.

Stepping through the city gate, Zhang Xuezhou felt that the people of Xi'an County were extremely polite, and the spirit of the entire county was completely different from that of other cities, with even the sound of students reading aloud frequently.

This is an extremely rare sight. Learning to read and write is tedious and boring. Even in Shu County, the county governor, Wen Weng, is forcibly promoting learning by relying on welfare benefits.

Zhang Xuezhou rarely sees places where children actively learn, especially when children in a city gather in a specific area to study.

"Those must be children from wealthy families studying. Look, there are some children in tattered clothes watching outside the house," Rong Tianding said.

"That's already incredibly impressive!"

It is already extremely powerful to influence the atmosphere of a city. As for poverty and wealth, these are things that cannot be avoided in any region. Some people can afford to go to school, while some children have to do housework at a young age and even struggle to fill their stomachs.

Only by comparing it with other areas can one truly understand the developed aspects of Xi'an County.

Just as Prefect Wenweng thought, only when there are enough literate people can government orders be effectively implemented, and only in this way can the local laws be improved and the region continue to prosper.

The slums Chang'an City serve as a counterexample.

Everything in those slums is based on a very primitive survival of the fittest. People there are not going to be modest; for them, being modest and retreating means falling into an abyss. This has led everyone to climb up the social ladder by any means necessary.

After Zhang Xuezhou said a few words, Rong Tianding, who had been looking for trouble, couldn't help but nod repeatedly, and his regret was lessened.

"As long as there are interests at stake, equality for all is impossible," Zhang Xuezhou said. "It's the same for them when they're studying, and it's the same for us when we're cultivating ourselves. Only by constantly being at the forefront can we lead others to follow and improve!"

"Cousin, you're right!"

While Rong Tianding may not have gained much from reading, he clearly has gained some insights into spiritual practice.

Only if Zhang Xuezhou, the leader, does well can Rong Tianding do well. And if Rong Tianding does well, it may influence his parents and relatives, thus leading to continuous expansion and development.

Zhang Xuezhou could barely keep an eye on him, while Yuan Gu, a great Confucian scholar, could influence a whole region and guide many students in their studies. The difference in their abilities was immediately apparent, and Rong Tianding understood the power of such people.

Following the directions given by passersby, they walked through most of the county before finally seeing an ancient wooden mansion.

The mansions of wealthy families were typically painted with tung oil containing mineral pigments such as vermilion and ochre, giving them a grand and opulent appearance.

There wasn't a trace of red on the wooden pillars supporting the main beam of Yuan Gu's mansion; instead, some green leaves were growing on the pillars.

When Zhang Xuezhou arrived at the mansion, he could still see Yuan Gu leading a group of Confucian scholars to look at the green leaves on the wooden pillars, and then asking them to compose poems on the theme of rotten wood and green leaves.

This is somewhat similar to a set topic for an essay.

A group of Confucian scholars took turns composing poems. Some were calm and composed, some were confident and prepared, some blushed with embarrassment, and some were deep in thought.

When Yuan Gu's eyes inadvertently glanced at the two people outside the mansion, his face lit up with joy.

"The core of this question is 'a withered tree blossoming again.' Go home and think about it carefully, then come back and give me your feedback tomorrow!"

Yuan Gu made arrangements very quickly, and then instructed his old servant to leave the mansion to invite people.

After the Confucian scholars filed out, Zhang Xuezhou and Rong Tianding were also welcomed inside.

"I knew there were magpies chirping today; it turns out it's you two who have arrived," Yuan Gu said, bowing.

"Greetings, Master!"

Zhang Xuezhou returned the greeting with a cupped hand.

Seeing Yuan Gu's eager eyes, Zhang Xuezhou got straight to the point.

"I came here specifically to see a kind of spiritual treasure that the old master mentioned to my cousin," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"Sure, please!"

Yuan Gu's face lit up with joy as he agreed, and he no longer looked old and frail as he quickly led the way.