Chapter 412: Leaving the City and Climbing the Mountain

Chapter 412: Leaving the City and Climbing the Mountain

Since such a major incident had occurred at Cliffside Academy, a thorough investigation was naturally unavoidable. The source of the calamity was Zhao Shi, who had been invited to give lectures by a vice-headmaster of the academy. Therefore, Mao Xiaodong had a conversation with that vice-headmaster from the Great Sui noble clan. It ended in discord. The vice-headmaster felt that Mao Xiaodong was purging dissidents and slandering him, so he simply resigned his post, declaring that he would no longer serve as vice-headmaster but would stay in his own study. Whether the academy directly resorted to vigilante justice or Mao Xiaodong had the Great Sui court confiscate his property and exterminate his clan, he would accept it all. Finally, he shouted loudly, "Mao Xiaodong, stop spouting nonsense here!"

Mao Xiaodong was truly infuriated by that pedantic old fossil, so he indeed set his dogs on him—he sent Cui Dongshan to handle it.

Cui Dongshan was overjoyed. He hopped and skipped off to have a talk with the man. In less than half an hour, Cui Dongshan came bouncing back to Mao Xiaodong's study to take credit, saying that the vice-headmaster was clean and Zhao Shi was also clean, and it was indeed an undeserved disaster. Mao Xiaodong wasn't fully reassured; he always felt that Cui Dongshan's demeanor was like a weasel that had stolen a fat chicken. He had to remind him, "This concerns the safety of Li Baoping and the others. If you, Cui Dongshan, have the audacity to use public office for private gain and employ those underhanded tricks..." Before Mao Xiaodong could finish, Cui Dongshan patted his chest and swore he was absolutely acting impartially.

Mao Xiaodong was skeptical.

Then Cui Dongshan swaggered out of the academy, using the face skin he had just peeled off the Nascent Soul sword cultivator, plus some unusual camouflage, to boldly enter a newly established courier station in the capital—the lodgings for the Great Li envoy.

Mao Xiaodong hesitated for a moment but still went down the mountain without tailing Cui Dongshan.

He still needed to find a way through personal connections to obtain the last two rare materials for Chen Ping'an's refining of the golden literary courage.

He also had to go to the Great Sui capital's Confucian Temple.

For now, though, he had to first see the Great Sui emperor's stance. Would he deal with Cai Feng, Miao Ren, and this group specifically involved in the assassination with thunderous measures, throwing them into prison and giving Cliffside Academy an explanation? Or would he try to brush things over, minimizing the matter? Mao Xiaodong's approach was simple: if the Great Sui court prevaricated, then since the academy was already built on Donghua Mountain, Cliffside Academy would continue teaching, and Mao Xiaodong would absolutely not threaten to relocate or close the academy to pressure the Geyang Gao clan. But Mao Xiaodong was not a mud bodhisattva without temper. With the emperor looking on, he had been surrounded and killed by five assassins, and then a Nascent Soul sword cultivator had broken into the academy to commit murder. Was this capital city nothing more than a leaky straw hut, letting in wind from all sides?

Could thieves and bandits come and go as they pleased?

If so, Mao Xiaodong wouldn't hesitate to go to the Confucian Temple and other places where literary fortune gathered, using any means necessary, to thoroughly plunder. As for whether Mao Xiaodong would leave behind a note on the wall saying "Mao Xiaodong was here," that depended on his mood. After all, the Geyang Gao clan had lost face first.

Cui Dongshan didn't linger long at the courier station. He soon returned to the academy.

In Mao Xiaodong's study, Chen Ping'an was discussing matters related to refining his natal objects, especially the plan to "borrow" literary fortune from Great Sui, which needed to be re-planned. Lin Shouyi had gone to the great scholar Dong Jing to consult on cultivation difficulties. Li Baoping, Li Huai, and the other children had resumed their lessons. Pei Qian was dragged by Li Baoping to attend class, saying that the master had agreed to let Pei Qian audit. Pei Qian thanked Sister Baoping verbally, but inwardly she was miserable.

Zhu Lian continued to wander around the academy alone.

So now, only Xie Xie and Shi Rou were left in the courtyard.

When Cui Dongshan returned to the courtyard with a smile, Xie Xie and Shi Rou both knew something was wrong, feeling that disaster was imminent.

The Li Fire Flying Sword in Shi Rou's abdomen had already been stripped from the immortal remains using Cui Dongshan's secret method. Shi Rou had felt at the time like a woman giving birth—extremely difficult—and suspected Cui Dongshan had done it on purpose. But she dared not question it.

Cui Dongshan kicked off his boots, walked up the steps, and lay down on the corridor, complaining, "The capable are always busy. Hard on your young master."

Xie Xie and Shi Rou sat not far away in the corridor, not daring to breathe loudly.

Cui Dongshan sat up. "Go fetch my two jars of Colorful Cloud Seeds and the chessboard."

Xie Xie's heart tightened, her face turning pale. She went with Shi Rou to bring the chessboard and two celadon chess jars.

Cui Dongshan opened a chess jar, picked up a seed, breathed on it, and carefully wiped it. Suddenly, he widened his eyes, pinching the Colorful Cloud Seed between two fingers—one that had been refined using the "Drip" technique from the White Emperor City's Glazed Pavilion—and held it up high against the sunlight. It gleamed brilliantly. As he gently rubbed it between his fingers, mist and clouds swirled around the seed, and water vapor rose, like a veritable White Emperor City colorful cloud.

Cui Dongshan turned his head and stared at Xie Xie.

Xie Xie was terrified. Had this Colorful Cloud Seed been chipped or damaged by Li Huai or Pei Qian?

Cui Dongshan suddenly burst into laughter. "You did well this time. Brought your young master quite some face. Otherwise, with your pathetic performance manning the formation's core this time, I really would have been tempted to kick you out. I've raised you for so long—what's all this about a once-in-a-century prodigy of the Lu Dynasty, a sure thing for the Upper Five Realms, much better than Lin Shouyi? I think all so-called geniuses are just ordinary."

Xie Xie said timidly, "Young master, you don't blame me for letting Pei Qian and Li Huai treat the Colorful Cloud Seeds so recklessly?"

Cui Dongshan slapped his forehead. "You really are stupid. Lucky fool with lucky luck."

If Xie Xie had acted petty, wouldn't that reflect poorly on Cui Dongshan's teaching and guidance? In the end, who would his master blame?

Two jars of Colorful Cloud Seeds—could they compare to even a single strand of hair in the hearts of Li Baoping, Pei Qian, and Li Huai to his master?

In a good mood, Cui Dongshan casually tossed the Colorful Cloud Seed back into the chess jar. With a crisp sound, it seemed to trigger some secret technique restriction. The chess jar produced a mirage: clouds drifted above it, and the faint outline of a miniature White Emperor City could be seen, along with a rainbow spanning the sky. Tiny snow-white cranes, each the size of a grain of rice, cried out in the heavens.

Even Shi Rou was captivated. How many secrets did this Cui Dongshan hide?

For the first time, Cui Dongshan showed Xie Xie a genuine smile. "Regardless, you did well in this matter. Your young master always rewards and punishes fairly. Speak—what reward do you want? Just say it."

Xie Xie looked at the white-robed great demon, who seemed so unfamiliar, with mixed feelings.

Cui Dongshan sighed, stood up, and pointed at Xie Xie, lecturing, "Great figures—just a simple word of concern can make many people grateful and keep them in their hearts forever. Does that really work?"

Xie Xie felt as if she had fallen into an icy abyss.

Cui Dongshan walked over to Xie Xie. She was stiff in all four limbs. He reached out and patted her cheek, not hard. "It's okay. Compared to the beginning, you've made great progress. That's fine."

Cui Dongshan raised his hand, palm open. The Li Fire Flying Sword, of no small rank, slowly rotated above his palm. The completely red flying sword was surrounded by streams of pure, gleaming flames.

Cui Dongshan laughed. "This masterless natal flying sword is yours now. Cultivate well. Don't hope to refine it into a natal object—too difficult. You just need to secretly nourish it in some qi aperture. You can use it as a hidden trump card. Then, even though you're not a sword cultivator, you'll have a better chance in battle against enemies. Don't disgrace your young master. Don't think Lin Shouyi's realm is low now—that's because Dong Jing is deliberately suppressing it. If you don't put in more effort, you'll be overtaken by Lin Shouyi sooner or later."

Seeing that Cui Dongshan didn't seem to be joking, Xie Xie cautiously channeled her qi to guide the Li Fire Flying Sword to her own palm.

A Nascent Soul sword cultivator's natal flying sword.

What did that mean? It meant that almost all of that Nascent Soul sword cultivator's possessions and lifelong efforts were in this little thing.

If converted into spirit money, it would be at least a hundred Grain Rain coins upward!

During the heyday of the Lu Dynasty before its fall, what was the annual tax revenue of the entire country?

Cui Dongshan looked at Xie Xie, tears streaming down her face. With the face skin covering it, her face was ugly and dark.

Cui Dongshan stood with his feet together and jumped back, cursing, "You look so evil-warding, and now you're crying? Are you trying to scare your young master to death?!"

Xie Xie was mortified. She quickly turned her head and wiped away her tears.

Cui Dongshan tilted his body, crooked a finger at Shi Rou. "Hey, sis, come over here. Let's have a heart-to-heart. You've been protecting my master all this way—no great credit, but some hardship credit. And this time, you helped me catch a Li Fire Flying Sword. I need to reward you."

Shi Rou's hair stood on end. She shook her head violently.

Her intuition told her that going over there would be a fate worse than death.

Cui Dongshan grinned, then abruptly twisted his wrist. A flower of blood burst from Xie Xie's abdomen. He yanked a Dragon Trapping Nail out of her acupoint with brutal force. Then, with a grasping motion, he pulled Shi Rou in front of him, slapped her on the forehead, and drove the Dragon Trapping Nail—the one that had been in Du Mao's brow and Shi Rou's soul—into the dark light.

Xie Xie collapsed to the ground, clutching her abdomen. Though it was excruciatingly painful, it was ultimately a great blessing. Her expression was weak, but her heart was full of joy.

Cui Dongshan grabbed Shi Rou's head with five fingers, looking down at her soul screaming in agony but making no sound. He smiled. "How does it feel?"

Affected by Shi Rou's soul's turmoil, Du Mao's immortal remains began to tremble violently.

Cui Dongshan stared into Shi Rou's pleading eyes and asked softly, "Do I need to tell you what to do?"

Shi Rou's consciousness was fading. If Cui Dongshan continued, she might scatter into nothingness, and Shi Rou would cease to exist. That golden seed, the last spark of her lineage, would likely wither and die along with the cracking of Shi Rou's "heart field."

Cui Dongshan snorted coldly, pressed down lightly, and slammed Shi Rou onto the bamboo corridor. "If you dare speak of this, your end will be a thousand times worse."

Shi Rou's body twitched and convulsed on the corridor.

Xie Xie, beside her, didn't know what was happening but dared not investigate.

Cui Dongshan kicked Shi Rou, sending her flying in an arc into the main house. Then he turned to Xie Xie and said, "Prepare to receive a guest."

Soon after, Li Huai and an old master appeared at the courtyard gate, followed by the white deer.

It was the great scholar Zhao Shi. But this one was the genuine private academy head, a student of the Ehu Academy, part of Saint Lu's lineage in the Southern Bactria Continent.

Cui Dongshan stood barefoot on the steps, gloating. "Zhao Shi, you didn't check the almanac before this trip, did you? Not only were you knocked out and bagged, but you also lost your prized possession—the thing you used to build your reputation in the scholarly world."

Zhao Shi, whose forehead was still slightly swollen, smiled. "If I gain it, it's my fortune; if I lose it, it's my fate."

Cui Dongshan feigned surprise. "Oh? You're really willing to give this white deer to Li Huai?"

Zhao Shi nodded. "Regardless, this time someone used me as a setup for the assassination. It's my dereliction of duty. I ought to apologize anyway. Since the white deer has already taken a liking to Li Huai, both in reason and emotion, I won't keep it."

Cui Dongshan drew out a long "Oh" and laughed. "I'm very curious—where were you knocked out? How did the Great Sui authorities find you?"

One shouldn't slap the face or expose faults. Though Zhao Shi had excellent composure—otherwise, he wouldn't have become the highly esteemed private academy head of Zhu Ying Dynasty—Cui Dongshan's bringing up sore points made him somewhat uncomfortable.

Cui Dongshan laughed heartily. "Great fortune after a great disaster. Zhao Shi, you truly are a fortunate man."

Li Huai couldn't tolerate it anymore. He glared and said, "Cui Dongshan, how are you talking to Elder Zhao?! Don't you dare call him by his name! Believe it or not, I'll report you to Chen Ping'an!"

Cui Dongshan was exasperated. "Li Huai, has your conscience been eaten by a dog? Who helped you get this good fortune? And who are you closer to, anyway? Turning your elbows outward? Believe it or not, I'll have Li Baoping expel you?"

Li Huai secretly winked at Cui Dongshan, signaling that he was afraid the old master would change his mind and take the white deer away. You, Cui Dongshan, better cooperate.

"Then let's have tea, Head Zhao." Cui Dongshan walked down the steps. Xie Xie immediately brought tea things to the stone table.

Cui Dongshan looked up at the sky.

Xu Ruo should have met the mastermind by now.

If the talk went well, everything would be fine. If not, even if half the Great Sui capital survived, it would be thanks to the accumulated virtue of the Geyang Gao clan's ancestors.

But whether it went well or not didn't matter much to Cliffside Academy.

Cui Dongshan was no longer Cui Chan.

He wanted a pure land, a paradise in his heart.

—

While Cui Dongshan was drinking tea with the old master Zhao Shi.

A tall old man finished his business with someone and went to the side of that Master Fan. Together, they left the city.

Master Fan, who looked young, asked with a smile, "All settled?"

The old man nodded. "More or less settled. But some private matters were a bit unpleasant."

Master Fan asked curiously, "How so?"

The old man laughed. "An old, tangled, messy account. Not worth dirtying Master Fan's ears."

Master Fan smiled without speaking.

Dirty words?

He had been cursed at for so many years, and those cursing him were either Confucian sages or patriarchs of the various schools. If it were an ordinary person, they would have been cursed to death long ago.

The old man probably realized this and stopped hiding it. He laughed. "Master Fan, you know that Xu Ruo has always had a personal friendship with that person, right?"

Master Fan nodded. "I've heard. Xu Ruo holds that person in high regard."

The old man laughed heartily. "But I deliberately said in front of Xu Ruo, 'What's so great about A Liang? He's not as amazing as the rumors say!'"

Master Fan asked in confusion, "Why would you say that?"

The old man seemed to recall the most boast-worthy feat of his life, full of vigor and pride. "Back then, ten of us set up an ambush to kill him. I was the only one who slipped away!"

Master Fan was stunned for a moment, then said helplessly, "I have nothing to say."

—

At the foot of the mountain gate of Cliffside Academy.

A young man and woman, looking like master and servant, seemed to be hesitating about whether to enter.

He wanted to go in and have a look, wondering if it would be better than the Linlu Academy on Piyun Mountain back home. She was reluctant, saying that she disliked academies even more than village schools.

In the end, he climbed the mountain alone and entered the academy.

She stayed alone at the gate.

The academy gatekeeper, surnamed Liang, continued to doze with half-closed eyes, deliberately ignoring the two from start to finish.

Such heavy dragon qi.

It was even heavier on the woman.

Set a small goal, like 1 second to remember: https://shukeju.com mobile reading URL: