Meet the Gentleman

Chapter 1170: Iron Sword, Broken Zither, Old Servant, Young Man
Middle-earth is still prosperous, with numerous cities and the most powerful dynasty in the world. However, this dynasty is no longer the Great Yin Dynasty...

People are no longer the same people they once were.

In the prosperous east of the Middle-earth, there is a place called Yanyun Territory, where there used to be seven dynasties that fought against each other. But now, things have changed and people have changed. The seven dynasties have long disappeared, leaving only a dynasty called "Song".

In the south-northwest of the Song Dynasty, there is a county still called Tanxiang County. However, the once glorious academy no longer exists, only ruins remain.

However, in this overgrown ruin, the legend of that man still circulates.

From time to time, scholars come to pay their respects.

"The legendary Sandalwood Academy is here."

In front of the ruins of Sandalwood Academy, a young man dressed as a scholar pointed at the large ruins in front of him. He could still vaguely see the broken walls in the grass and said, "Alas, I never thought that such a glorious academy could not withstand the corrosion of time..."

"That's more than 5,000 years." Another scholar said, "In more than 5,000 years, even the Great Yan that unified the seven kingdoms has passed away, let alone a college?"

"It is said that Sandalwood Academy was once famous all over the world and produced many great sages. Even famous people from the Middle-earth came to study..."

"Indeed, it is recorded in ancient books."

"It's a pity that now there are only ruins left, and I can't see the elegance of the sages. I often think, if I were born in the era of 'Jianwen', how great it would be. Not only can I see the elegance of the sages of Tanxiang, but I can also appreciate the prosperity of 'Jianwen's rule'..."

Jianwen was an era name in the early days of the Great Yan Dynasty, which lasted for sixty-six years.

Many scholars nodded when they heard this.

In their view, the "Jianwen Reign" was the best era.

It was not only a prosperous era for the people, but also a glorious era for Confucian scholars. In this era, countless great Confucian scholars and sages were born...

Even famous people from Middle-earth came here to study.

"I really want to dream of returning to Dayan, to see the Sandalwood Academy, and to meet the predecessors and sages." Another scholar said, "It's a pity that even the Sandalwood Academy, alas..."

There were seven or eight carriages parked in front of the ruins, and more than a dozen young scholars in their twenties.

They just walked around a little, pointed at the ruins, and left with a sigh, feeling satisfied.

After they left, another carriage stopped here.

I don’t know when.

A figure appeared in front of the ruins of the academy, from faint to thick, from virtual to real, it was Feng Qingyan who disappeared from the Nine Provinces Heaven. He stood there, looked at this world, and had a general understanding of this world.

"Sandalwood Academy?"

His eyes fell on the ruins, and countless images flashed through his mind, finally stopping at more than 5,000 years ago...

More than five thousand years ago.

Sandalwood Academy was just a county school in Sandalwood County of the Yan Dynasty, one of the seven kingdoms at that time. Although it was quite famous in the Yan Dynasty, it was not a famous academy.

He is not well-known among the Seven Kingdoms of Yanyun.

At that time, the highest institution of learning in the Yan Dynasty was the Imperial Academy...

However, since the beginning of spring, this ordinary county school in the Yan Dynasty welcomed a student, a blind boy who carried an iron sword and a broken zither, and was accompanied by a sixty-year-old servant.

Everything began to change.

Thus, in later generations, the world-famous Sandalwood Academy came into being, and even famous people from China came to study there.

"Tian Xingjian, the gentleman continues to strengthen;

At this moment, Feng Qingyan was reciting softly. He not only looked at the blind boy, but also saw the boy standing in front of the motto of Sandalwood Academy for a long time.

I don’t know what I’m thinking about.

In front of the gate of Sandalwood Academy, there stands a huge stone with this instruction written on it.

This is the famous motto of Sandalwood College. Over the past thousands of years, it has inspired countless students to strive for self-improvement and never stop striving throughout their lives.

Perhaps it is because of this that there is Li Sheng in later generations...

In the image that flashed through his mind, Feng Qingyan looked at the blind boy, who was wearing light grey cloth, plain clothing, a very ordinary student attire.

At first glance, there is nothing remarkable about him.

But, what is surprising is that on that thin face, there is a pair of unusually clear eyes.

Extremely pure and quiet.

There wasn't even a single distracting thought.

This is a blind boy, but he has such clear eyes, which surprised Feng Qingyan.

in the screen.

The young man stood in front of the boulder for a long time, raising his head slightly.

I saw the people around him coming and going, gathering and dispersing, without moving at all, just quietly "staring" at the two lines of words on the boulder.

Feng Qingyan's gaze then fell on the boulder.

The dots of characters are like falling stones, the strokes are like summer clouds, the hooks are like bent gold, the spears are like shot crossbows, the vertical and horizontal lines have images, the highs and lows have ambitions.

It is really great to have such calligraphy in this small world.

However, what attracted the blind boy was not the profound artistic conception of calligraphy, but the thought-provoking principles and meanings it contained.

now.

Feng Qingyan smiled suddenly, a faint smile appearing on his face.

After a moment, his eyes fell on the old man behind the blind boy. He was carrying a large bookcase on his back. He looked to be in his sixties, with gray hair and an old face. His thin body was slightly hunched by the weight of the bookcase...

"This person..."

Feng Qingyan was slightly surprised.

However, after all, it was separated by time, and it was only the traces on the ruins that could not be felt too clearly. However, it can be proved that the old servant of the blind boy is not simple, because his power has exceeded this small world.

"I see."

At this time Feng Qingyan also understood.

This seemingly frail old servant is actually the blind boy's protector.

Feng Qingyan read on, learning about the blind boy's past and his study process in the academy.

Before I knew it, it was dark.

However, Feng Qingyan was still watching, and did not just flash away, but watched like an ordinary person, with a smile appearing on his face from time to time.

"Is this the legendary Sandalwood Academy?"

In another part of the ruins, a woman whispered, "Why are there only weeds? Are there really only ruins left?"

"It's been thousands of years, there must be only ruins left."

Another female voice said.

"There are only ruins left, so what are we doing here?"

“It’s a pilgrimage.”

"What kind of pilgrimage is this? It's all over the place, with no grass and not even a rubble to be seen..."

"What do you know? This is called pilgrimage, admiration, and nostalgia..." The woman seemed to roll her eyes and continued walking in the dark, but no lights were turned on. "This is Sandalwood Academy, the most powerful academy in the past. Even the great sages of the Middle Earth came here to study. Do you think it's powerful?"

"Bullshit, there's nothing here, and you're still looking up to the past and reminiscing about it..."

A woman said dissatisfiedly.

"If you don't understand, don't say it..."

"You know, tell me."

"Let me tell you, there is an elder in my clan who once followed Li Sheng..."

"Tsk, who doesn't know that? But, can you prove it's true? It's not something made up by my clan? Do you just want to take advantage of Li Sheng's fame?"

"Yeah, what do you mean?"

"Humph, it must be fake. Would Li Sheng be interested in us?"

"All beings are equal, how could Li Sheng look down on us? I heard that besides the ancestor of my clan, there is also a foul-mouthed crow..."

"Tsk, this is all made up by later generations, who would believe it?"

"I believe."

"..."

In the dark night, two girls who looked to be about 14 or 15 years old were walking in the bushes among the ruins. Although there were no lights, they could see at night...

Soon after, the two girls stopped and one of them said, "Xiao Ning, we came all the way here just for this?"

"if not?"

"If the legendary Sandalwood Academy is like this, I will never come here."

"You do not understand……"

“You know!”

"I tell you, this is the magnificent Sandalwood Academy. Even if only ruins remain, there must be treasures hidden here that you and I cannot even imagine."

"Treasure? If there really is a treasure, it would have been taken away long ago. Why are they waiting for us? Besides, who are we? We are not even human beings. Even if Li Sheng really left some treasure in the academy, it is not our turn. Don't be so wishful thinking."

"Not necessarily, not necessarily." Xiao Ning shook his head and said, "Treasures are not necessarily tangible, they can also be intangible. Moreover, the treasures I'm talking about are not the treasures you think they are."

"Invisible? What kind of treasure is that?"

"do not know."

"..."

"In fact, endless knowledge is also a treasure in my heart..."

"..."

"Xiao Ning, even if you want to study, you can go to other academies. What can you learn by coming to this ruin?"

"Alas, I've already told you, but you don't understand. I'm here to pay homage to the past..."

"Okay, then you go on your pilgrimage. I'm sleepy and I want to sleep."

"..."

Two girls were wandering in the grass of the ruins, one was excited and the other was bored.

In front of the ruins, Feng Qingyan was still watching with interest. He was no longer dressed in white, but in gray Confucian robes, and he seemed to have changed completely.

"Hey, there's someone there."

"I saw it."

"Wow, this guy is so handsome."

"He's really handsome, but don't you think he's a little weird?"

"Strange? What's strange about it?"

"In the middle of the night, a person stands there motionless, with a mysterious smile on his face from time to time. Isn't it weird?"

"Uh……"

"There's something wrong with this person..."

"Forget it, forget about him, let's continue shopping."

"You go, I won't go, I want to see the handsome guy, what do you think about me marrying him? He's so handsome..."

"You are courting death. He is a human and we are monsters."

"So what if she's a demon? Demons can't marry? Didn't you say that our ancestors once followed Li Sheng?"

"Could this be the same thing?"

"..."

"I'm telling you, once you enter the human world, you must not act recklessly. The Demon Suppression Division has slaughtered countless demons of our race. If we are discovered by the Demon Suppression Division, we will definitely be hunted down by them. Do you think we can escape with our strength?"

"Then why are you coming here for a pilgrimage?"

"These are two different things. I am not only here to make a pilgrimage, but also to learn knowledge..."

"What knowledge?"

"You will know in the future. Anyway, the ruins of the Sandalwood Academy must be extraordinary. Maybe there are treasures hidden there."

"What a precious treasure..."

"As a girl, can you be more elegant?"

"I am a demon..."

"There is no distinction between male and female demons?"

"Okay, you go and reminisce about the past, I'll stay here and look at the handsome guys."

"Xiaolu, I've heard that the Demon Suppression Bureau specifically looks for some pretty boys to lure our people out..."

"he……"

"possible."

"Then, doesn't that mean that someone from the Demon Suppression Bureau is lying in ambush nearby?" Xiaolu was startled and asked, "It's over. Have we been discovered?"

"I'm just saying it's possible."

"Scared me..."

"However, you still have to be careful and don't be seduced by him." Xiao Ning warned, "I'm telling you, you must not show up, do you understand?"

"understood."

But in the blink of an eye, the night was over.

Feng Qingyan stood there and watched all night. After smiling, he stopped watching and turned his head to look towards the east.

A red sun is about to rise from the foot of the mountain.

Feng Qingyan pondered for a moment, then faced east, straightened his clothes, and began to recite:
"Guan Guan Jiu Jiu, in the river island. A graceful lady, a gentleman likes to fight."

"The water flows around the uneven water chestnuts. The beautiful lady is sought after day and night."

After many years, Feng Qingyan once again recited aloud facing the rising sun. His pronunciation was still clear, loud and clear, and full of rich charm.

It seems to have traveled from ancient time and space.

At this moment, the words he uttered turned into pale white words, floating in the sky above the ruins of Sandalwood Academy. A faint aura of righteousness then arose from the heaven and earth, from the stream, from the grass, from the stones, and permeated the heaven and earth.

It continues to rise, gather, and diffuse, forming a light white mist.

"Yo yo, the deer roars, eating the apples of the wild."

"I have guests, harp blowing Sheng."

But in just a moment, the heaven and earth were filled with a mighty and majestic aura that gathered from all around the heaven and earth, emitting an aura of utmost strength, greatness, and righteousness.

But it did not harm any living being.

This is how demons and ghosts are.

In the bushes of the ruins, two girls were suddenly awakened by the sound of reading aloud. Xiao Ning, in particular, felt her soul beating violently, and she had an indescribable feeling in her heart. It seemed that this was what she was looking for...

Perhaps this is the treasure of Sandalwood Academy.

But soon, she had no more distracting thoughts, and was completely immersed in the recitation, as if she was immersed in the sound of the recitation and swimming in the entire Confucian classics.

The other girl was in the same state, completely infatuated.

They are indeed not human beings, but two little foxes. They are just little foxes who secretly left the fox clan, entered the world, and were bewitched by the red dust.

The sound of recitation could be heard from far away.

Like a mighty force.

However, it did not exceed the power of this world...

In the sandalwood city, dozens of miles away from the ruins of the sandalwood academy, a scholar suddenly woke up. In his dream just now, he seemed to have heard shocking words, and it seemed that a holy sound descended from the sky...

When I was wondering, I could faintly hear the sound of recitation.

The sound of the recitation was full of charm, as if it came from the vacuum of ancient time and space, causing their souls to tremble.

"Where does the sound of reading come from?"

In an elegant courtyard, a young woman's voice was heard, "The sound of reading is full of righteousness. Could it be that some great scholar is reading in the morning?"

……

……

(End of this chapter)