She is Jianxiu

The room, filled with seven or eight hundred people, was now so quiet you could hear a pin drop. As the instructor prepared to personally test Si Queyi, most of the students couldn't help but stand up straight, anxiously looking at Si Queyi's pen. After a moment of contemplation, she grabbed the pen and slammed it onto the paper, immediately eliciting a low gasp from all around.

They actually started writing!
For a moment, even the students sitting in the front row couldn't contain themselves, craning their necks to see how Si Queyi's first stroke would turn out.

Someone whispered, "This person is incredibly bold. Master Zhan asked her to write, and she actually did. Isn't she afraid of making a fool of herself in the classroom by writing the wrong character? This is in front of Master Zhan, and we can't allow her to put on a brave face... This is going to be quite a show."

Some students, being beginners in this script, felt they couldn't discern right from wrong, so they turned to observe the expressions of the students in front, trying to glean some insight from them.

Then, the man sitting in the first seat of the first row slightly stood up, glanced at Si Queyi's writing brush, and his face turned ashen. He said unhappily, "Hmph, she's gotten lucky."

That means you wrote it correctly!

The students had different expressions. Some, like the man before, thought that Si Queyi was just lucky to have guessed the right place for the first stroke. Others, with darker thoughts, couldn't help but wonder if Si Queyi had learned the character beforehand and was able to write it out when his teacher asked.

Otherwise, it would mean that this person is a genius in the art of character interpretation, having reached the point of complete understanding and being able to write characters fluently in just two hours.

With such talent, how could a mere Class C house possibly confine this person!

"This first transaction..."

Holding the ruler, Zhan Yan couldn't help but walk around to Si Queyi's side so that she could see every bit of ink on the paper. After looking at it for more than a dozen breaths, she stopped and nodded, saying, "Good, this first stroke is really well done. Apart from the slightly weak handwriting, everything else is impeccable."

Then, with an approving look, he said softly to Si Queyi, "The handwriting appears weak, which means you need to work harder on your cultivation of the literary lineage. Once your realm improves, your strength will naturally increase. However, you don't need to worry. The most important thing about the script is its form. As long as the form is correct, everything else will come later."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sour atmosphere in the C-class room boiled over. They had never seen Zhan Yan so kind and gentle before. He usually guided the top students in the C-class room without ever showing a smile. But now, he was praising and commending a new student.

Si Queyi was also somewhat flattered by this, and at this moment he did not dare to look up at anyone. He said humbly, "Thank you for your guidance, Master Zhan. I will definitely practice diligently when I go down."

She knew that these praises came from Zhao Chun's help. If it weren't for his timely assistance, she would have made a fool of herself today, or at least disappointed her mentor, let alone received his favor.

Si Queyi didn't want to become a genius, but what she gained from others was ultimately just a dream. If she relied on Zhao Chun to join the ranks of geniuses, how would she deceive her mentor when Zhao Chun left?

The more she had this thought, the more guilty and afraid Si Queyi felt. Faced with Zhan Yan's delighted questioning, she could only bury her head in shame and say, "This disciple's skills are not good enough. I only know this one stroke today, and I really can't write any more."

Zhan Yan nodded after hearing this, thinking to herself that even if she had only learned one stroke in such a short time, her talent would still rank among the top in the Bing class. Moreover, the characters were so neat that even she could not find a single mistake. There were truly very few people in the Bing class who could do this.

"It's alright. It's already good enough to get a sum of money. If you have any questions about your studies in the future, you can come to Wenyonglou to find me."

This granted Si Queyi the right to privately consult her; in terms of preferential treatment, nothing could compare.

"Master Zhan comes from a collateral branch of the family. When he meets someone with the same interests, wouldn't he be eager to support him? This Si Queyi is really lucky to have been chosen by Master Zhan." It's inevitable that some people would be envious and make sarcastic remarks, feeling unhappy about it.

The person next to him was also a direct descendant of the same family. Like the person who had just spoken, he didn't particularly enjoy watching these stories of geniuses from collateral branches suddenly appear. He snorted and shrugged, winking at the students around him, saying, "So what? Master Zhan has been teaching for two years. After this year, a new master will come. With Si Queyi's limited abilities, do you think she can get a master to appreciate her one after another? I don't think we need to take her seriously."

Although Zhan Yan himself graduated from the Jiazifang (甲字房) with the rank of a sixth-grade scholar, over the years, direct descendants of the main branch still account for more than 70% of those who have successfully completed their apprenticeships. Once the master teacher changes next year and a lecturer from the main branch arrives, these collateral relatives will no longer enjoy their current glory.

After saying that, the students from the same clan indeed softened their expressions and no longer took the matter too seriously.

Only Si Queyi remained somber and serious for half a day, until he returned to his room after school and finally cast a complicated glance at Zhao Chun.

She said, "I must thank Miss Zhao for her help today. But I really don't understand how you were able to do all this?"

Si Queyi dismissed the servants and sat opposite Zhao Chun. Even though there were traces of forced restraint on her face, it was not difficult to see her vigilance and fear.

Zhao Chun ignored these comments and chuckled, saying, "I cannot explain the reasons to you, Miss Sique, but I can let you know that I still had some cultivation in my original world. And the primordial spirit in my world is just like the cultural lineage of the Qianming Realm. Miss Sique, please consider that the cultural lineage within me is no less than that of your master."

As for how the Daoist traditions of the Three Thousand Worlds compare to those of this Realm, Zhao Chun probably couldn't say for sure, since she hadn't yet reached perfection in any of them and couldn't truly claim to have a complete grasp of them. But if Zhao Chun were to choose for herself, she would be more satisfied with the Xuanmen Daoist cultivation.

This is because Taoist cultivators cultivate the concept of "self." The so-called Great Dao resides within oneself; regardless of past karma or future ups and downs, it ultimately depends on the individual, and the question is whether one can break free from these constraints. In contrast, the Mind School of Qianming Realm, from the very beginning of their Taoist practice, learns the words of one person and the methods of one school. Even if there are a thousand or ten thousand Siqueshi (officials in charge of compiling) compile countless scriptures and classics, their purpose is still to interpret the Four Steles of the Sage. It can be said that the end of this lineage is the original embodiment of the Sage Danqiu.

They painstakingly exhausted their lifespan, all for the sake of a single word from a sage.

How absurd!
However, she could not criticize the shortcomings of this realm's lineage. Ultimately, it was because the Qianming Realm had taken a step that the Three Thousand Worlds had not yet taken—

Master of the Realm.

A realm that points directly to the root of the universe, an ultimate goal that is both desirable and unattainable.

Ask any cultivator in the world, who wouldn't be moved by this?

Zhao Chun lowered her gaze, avoiding Si Queyi's sudden look. She heard Si Queyi mutter to herself, repeating "That's it" or similar phrases several times. Then she became more polite and said, "If that's the case, why is Miss Zhao helping me? I'm just an eighth-rank scholar, I'm afraid I'm not worth your help."

“Whether it’s worth it or not isn’t something you can calculate like that,” Zhao Chun frowned, and decided to get straight to the point, frankly telling the other party her true intentions. “To be honest, I did come to this realm to study. However, the people here may not be willing to let me learn the knowledge I’m seeking. So I have to find a way to get into the academy and smooth things over before I can proceed.”

"And your Sique family happens to have connections directly to the Upper Academy. If I can help you enter the Upper Academy as a genius, it will also help myself."

Si Queyi suddenly realized and muttered to himself, "That's right, the geniuses in the clan who are introduced to the Lijing Academy by the ancestor can also bring two companions with them."

However, such geniuses are rare, and it's considered a lot if one appears every three to five years. The two companion spots for them are also very valuable, and they are worth fighting tooth and nail among family members.

Zhao Chun meant this, and it truly showed her high regard.

Suddenly, Si Queyi's eyes flickered, and she immediately realized that Zhao Chun wasn't looking up to her, but rather had more confidence in her own abilities. Judging from the methods Zhao Chun had displayed in the academy, even if she only learned two or three points, it would be enough for the patriarch to write a letter of recommendation to the academy.

However, just as she had feared, deception is still deception, and she couldn't have Zhao Chun by her side every moment, offering her advice and strategies.

Zhao Chun, with her keen insight, could easily see through Si Queyi's thoughts. She simply smiled and cleared the fog for her, saying, "Miss Si Queyi is so eager to learn, how could I let you pretend and deceive others? What happened just now was merely a temporary measure to please your teacher. If you want to make further progress in the future, you will naturally need to study diligently. It's just that with my guidance, I can help you avoid many detours."

Si Queyi then fully understood Zhao Chun's meaning. He thought to himself that with a good teacher to guide him, it wouldn't be difficult to make rapid progress. Moreover, he had learned all this knowledge himself, and it couldn't be confused with those who were deceitful. After thinking it over, he realized that the advantages far outweighed the disadvantages, and it was as if a great opportunity had been presented to him.

The only thing to worry about is how the people at the academy will deal with him after Zhao Chun's identity is exposed. He fears he will not escape death for the crime of colluding with foreign enemies.

She shook her head, her heart filled with conflict. Recalling all the days and nights she had spent studying diligently over the years, she gritted her teeth and said to herself, "Si Queyi, Si Queyi, since ancient times, wealth and honor have been sought amidst danger. Are you really willing to remain a seventh-rank official for the rest of your life?"

Is it sweet?

Of course, I'm unwilling to accept this. Once I lower my head, I'll never be able to stand up straight again in this lifetime. So why not take this gamble?

As if breaking free from a mental constraint, she awoke with a sense of profound clarity, clenching her hands tightly and saying, "In that case, please, Miss Zhao, help me!"

Zhao Chun nodded with a smile, not at all surprised. She knew that Si Queyi must have a strong sense of pride, and only such backbone and character could support a person to strive for progress.

But what if the Master of Ceremonies isn't that kind of person?

Then she would be even less likely to refuse Zhao Chun, and would instead feel at ease becoming a puppet on a string.

Perhaps relieved of a worry, Si Queyi's face appeared more composed. Feeling that he was no longer as unfamiliar with Zhao Chun as before, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "If Miss Zhao's literary talent is no less than Master Zhan's, then how does it compare to the ancestor of my Si Que clan?"

Zhao Chun just smiled and casually replied, "I am probably a little better, and I can barely exchange a few blows with a third-rank scholar."

The person opposite him was immediately speechless. (End of Chapter)