Li Tan’s clothes were somewhat tattered, or rather dirty. His hair was tied into a bun carelessly fixed with a wooden stick. Except for his demeanor, he looked nothing like someone from a prestigious family from head to toe. Instead, he resembled a wandering swordsman or a solitary cultivator. How could he possibly have offended Xu Jie?
Wang Boqiu was quite puzzled but didn’t say a word because he was a clever man. Unless he could first figure out why Cheng Xuan, who obviously came from a noble family, was so close to him, he wouldn’t risk speaking out and becoming a laughingstock.
“Master,” Cheng Xuan anxiously tugged at Li Tan’s sleeve. After he hummed in response and turned his head, she bit her lip and said, “That Xu Jie’s father is the current Zhongzheng. You might not fear him, but…” Cheng Xuan hesitated, though her meaning was already very clear. Influenced by her father, she understood better than most what it meant to hold one of the Nine Ministerial Positions.
Wang Boqiu immediately gave him a look of approval, then nodded slightly and turned to Li Tan, “What Miss Cheng said makes sense. As the saying goes, better offend a gentleman than a villain. Xu Jie is capable of anything. He doesn’t care about reputation. He might really be waiting at the gate. Usually, people from the academy won’t interfere, which isn’t that important. Brother, you probably have ways to deal with this. However, there’s still some time before the official start of the recruitment. I’m just afraid that Xu Jie might use his father’s influence to make some shady deals with the chief examiner of the recruitment.”
“Shady dealings?” Cheng Xuan frowned, seemingly thinking of something, and disbelievingly interrupted, “The academy has always been fair and just. How could it possibly accept bribes?” The word “bribes” was spoken softly, stirring her heart. It was something she was very unwilling to believe. The academy might be the last pure and noble sanctuary in her heart.
“The academy naturally doesn’t take bribes.”
Wang Boqiu remained expressionless, “But the people in the academy are different. They usually don’t accept bribes.”
Cheng Xuan looked puzzled, tilting her head in confusion as she asked, “Usually? For example?”
Wang Boqiu smiled slightly, his gaze seemingly penetrating the essence of something, carrying three parts mockery and seven parts helplessness: “Usually refers to small amounts of money, so ‘unusually’ means large amounts. Although the academy is a place for cultivation, it’s not that sacred. My elder brother has been studying at the academy for a long time and once mentioned seeing some ordinary people there who don’t have much talent for cultivation.” “How could there be ordinary people!”
Cheng Xuan exclaimed in surprise. This was different from what she had read in books and heard from her maids. The academy didn’t seem so pure and noble anymore.
“The academy naturally doesn’t take bribes,” said Wang Boqiu without changing his expression, “but the people in the academy are different. They usually don’t accept bribes.”
Cheng Xuan looked confused, tilting her head slightly as she asked, “Usually? Like what?”
Wang Boqiu smiled faintly, his gaze seemingly seeing through the essence of something, filled with three parts mockery and seven parts helplessness: “Usually means small amounts of money, so ‘unusually’ means large amounts. Although the academy is a place for cultivation, it’s not that sacred. My elder brother has been studying at the academy for a long time and once mentioned seeing some ordinary people there who don’t have much talent for cultivation.” “How could there be ordinary people!”
Cheng Xuan exclaimed, which was different from what she had read in books and heard from her maids. The academy didn’t seem so pure and noble anymore.
Li Tan looked at the exquisite pavilions and terraces with a slightly mocking expression, his lips curling slightly as he completed what Wang Boqiu had left unsaid: “If you give a thousand gold coins, those pedantic scholars won’t even look at you. If you give ten thousand, they’ll give you a proper glance. If you give a hundred thousand, they’ll welcome you warmly. Loosely speaking, there’s practically nothing in the world that can’t be bought. What’s a mere academy admission worth?
Besides, not everyone in the academy studies together under the same instructors.”
Cheng Xuan looked as if she understood but wasn’t quite sure. However, after hearing it repeated many times, she realized the meaning after a bit of thinking. She was quite clever after all.
Where in this world is truly spotless?
Wherever people exist, no matter what, some dirt will inevitably accumulate. Even the most powerful cultivators in the world might give in to temptation and turn against their companions.
“Why did you think of him?”
Li Tan muttered softly, sighing with slight helplessness, clenching his fist before immediately loosening it again. He was thinking of You Kuang.
Perhaps noticing Li Tan’s slight displeasure, neither Wang Boqiu nor Cheng Xuan continued the topic. Cheng Xuan inexplicably seemed somewhat downcast, looking listless and unwell. Wang Boqiu then pointed to a spacious building directly ahead and said, “That’s the Xichen Pavilion. All new students will bathe there, symbolizing the washing away of worldly impurities and entering a new realm. This new realm is the cultivation world. There’s another meaning as well: washing away all worldly ties, including parting from loved ones. As the saying goes, once you enter the immortal gate, the mortal and the immortal worlds are forever separated. Even if you attain immortality, you still have a lifespan of three hundred years. Time flies, and everything changes.”
“Cultivation,” Cheng Xuan whispered, as if recalling the moment three years ago that should have determined the course of her life. The vast academy was hidden in the slightly desolate autumn air. The autumn wind was merciless, sweeping away the last remaining withered leaves from the peach trees, locust trees, and pear trees.
Although the academy was open to ordinary people, this openness was quite limited. The accessible areas were restricted to a few buildings and courtyards near the main gate. The paths leading deeper into the academy seemed to be watched by invisible eyes. Even though there were no signs prohibiting entry, Wang Boqiu and Cheng Xuan still instinctively changed their direction due to a slight unease in their hearts. An hour passed quickly, and the three of them didn’t dare to linger and left the academy on time.
During this time, Li Tan was reminded of his past life by the sights around him, and the pressure in his heart increased. Cheng Xuan seemed somewhat disappointed. The academy wasn’t as holy as she had imagined, nor were there sword-wielding knights flying around. There were only the occasional passing professors with white hair.
Before long, they reached the gate. The man dressed simply was still diligently sweeping the endless stream of falling leaves. Outside, the bare peach orchards continued to shed leaves, which was already somewhat unrefined. Now, because of someone’s presence, they didn’t even want to pass by.
There were three people over there: a hypocrite pretending to be virtuous, and two tall bodyguards.
Wang Boqiu helplessly spread his hands, “Sure enough, they are there. Brother Li, what do you plan to do?”
He wasn’t too worried because Li Tan himself had always been indifferent. Now he was more concerned about how Li Tan intended to handle this situation.
“What to do?” Cheng Xuan looked at the man who had once made her love so deeply, feeling some resentment and fear.
“Just walk.”
Li Tan led by example, without any serious analysis, just walked straight out.
Wang Boqiu and Cheng Xuan exchanged confused glances and quickly followed. They didn’t notice that the man sweeping leaves at the academy gate slightly lifted his head, his gaze full of icy wisdom.
“Hmph, Li Tan, you finally came out. I thought you had run away by climbing over the wall.”
Before they got close, Xu Jie’s mocking voice came through the autumn wind along with the falling leaves.
Li Tan walked unhurriedly, calmly saying, “The academy’s gate is big. It’s convenient to walk through the gate.”
Meaning that even if you pass through the gate, you can’t do anything to me. Xu Jie, who only snapped out of it after being reminded by his guard, angrily retorted, “You still dare to act so insolent at this point? Hmph, I want to see just how much real capability backs up your arrogance. Wang Boqiu, step aside—this matter has nothing to do with you. And Cheng Xuan, if you kneel and beg for mercy with loud kowtows later, perhaps I’ll show leniency and spare your husband.”
“Husband?”
Wang Boqiu was surprised and looked at Cheng Xuan and Li Tan with great astonishment. However, he didn’t have time to voice his confusion before an extremely sharp, small gray shadow shot through the bleak autumn wind with thunderous speed, piercing through an accidentally falling withered leaf, and rushed straight toward Li Tan’s face.
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