From the Carp that Brings Children to the Celestial Officials

Chapter 178 Beneath Yuanling Mountain
"Ah... How dare he! How dare he!"

Lady Zhaoyun was trembling all over, muttering to herself, her heart filled with extreme anger.

At this moment, her head was completely bald, revealing dark blue stubble, with only a ring of hair on the sides and front and back, making her look exactly like a bald man.

She is a spirit without a physical body, so in theory she could recover in the blink of an eye.

However, You Ming's strike contained a pure power capable of destroying everything, which could not be removed unless your cultivation level was higher than his.

But let alone her at this moment, even when she was alive, her strength was only at the Xuan Guang level, so she wouldn't have had this ability.

You Ming's strike completely terrified her.

Just when you think everyone is playing dirty tricks within the rules, this guy suddenly has the ability to flip the table.

She now suspects that if the City God hadn't intervened, this strike would have severed her divine body, plunging her into a long recovery period.

Although gods are immortal, this feeling of being half-dead is not pleasant.

"This is not over!"

"This is not over between us!"

The woman clenched her fists, feeling the chill on her head, her heart filled with a mixture of fear and anger.

But her most pressing issue right now is her hair. If she has to live with this bald patch every day, she might as well just get killed.

……

Boats passed over the Feng River, and horse-drawn carriages rumbled by.

There were a few minor incidents along the way, but they didn't dampen anyone's spirits.

The group finally arrived at the foot of Yuanling Mountain, only to find that, from afar, Yuanling Mountain appeared dreamlike and ethereal, its divine aura so profound that one dared not approach it lightly. But now, standing close to the foot of the mountain, they felt a sense of warmth and intimacy.

At the foot of the mountain, the Feng River flows quietly, making a gentle murmur.

On the opposite bank of the river, rows of schools had been built, with green tiles and white walls, and the courtyards were quiet and orderly. Children carrying small book baskets lined up to enter, and the sound of reading aloud could be heard from inside. All the scholars who saw this were moved.

For these scholars, the highest ideal was nothing more than for the people to live in peace and happiness, and for everyone to read and understand principles.

“Excellent, this is the way to educate the local people.”

Everyone was deeply moved, never expecting that Yuanling Mountain was not only a place of beautiful scenery, but also a place of cultural education.

However, what puzzled them was that, in addition to the children, there were also some older women coming and going in the school.

If there were only one or two, one might assume they were cooks, but there seem to be hundreds. Surely this school doesn't need that many cooks.

"Ma'am, what are you doing?"

As more women filed out of the side gate of the school, a scholar, out of curiosity, couldn't help but ask.

"You can't laugh at us, we're here to learn."

The woman was actually a little embarrassed when she said this.

"What's there to be ashamed of? What we're doing is saving lives."

“We are all midwives from this area. The goddess said that our previous delivery methods were passed down from master to apprentice, and we tend to be too proud of them, which can delay the delivery.”

"So they specially compiled the knowledge of midwifery and are teaching it to us for free..."

Some people in the crowd had a fiery temper and started shouting loudly.

Everyone understood that the school also served as a training center for midwives in childbirth.

“A place for reading is a gathering place of literary talent. How can it be tainted by vulgarity? It is truly... truly an insult to literature.”

Some students showed changes in their expressions.

"The midwifery profession is not merely a minor skill, but the very foundation of human life."

"We study the classics and talk about life and death, but can we find out whether life and death are safe and sound only in books? If we regard literature as superior and skills as inferior, and consider the help given to an infant at birth as a trivial matter, then we do not understand the big picture." Yan Yuanbai spoke slowly and calmly, his words clear and cold yet penetrating.

The scholar, who had been slightly embarrassed, hesitated before finally bowing and saying, "Brother Yan is absolutely right... I spoke presumptuously, please forgive me."

Most of the people were young, and although Yan Yuanbai's words were quite different from the traditions of the time, everyone could accept them.

This somewhat unconventional thinking is actually quite popular among young people.

"As expected of the talented Jinglin, he has the demeanor of a master. He will likely become a great scholar of classical studies in the future."

Although You Ming was standing on the mountaintop, he could still hear the voices of the crowd discussing the matter.

Although he had little contact with Yan Yuanbai, his remarks in the county town and at the foot of Yuanling Mountain were quite to You Ming's liking.

"Please, all students, enter the mountains to participate in the literary gathering."

"Wu Mo, please entertain them for me. You can also choose some treasures to give to the top three winners of this literary gathering."

After speaking, You Ming disappeared into the underworld.

Wu Mo bowed respectfully and stepped out of the temple.

……

"I am not familiar with this place either, but an old friend of mine lives here."

"It was thanks to my friend that we were able to hold the Shangsi Literary Gathering at Yuanling Mountain this time."

Yan Yuan, Bai Yu, and the others walked along the mountain path, talking to each other while their hands, hidden in their sleeves, caressed a broken jade pendant.

"To be able to live in such a beautiful and serene place, your friend must be a refined and reclusive person. Please introduce him to us when the time comes."

Upon hearing this, everyone became quite interested in Yan Yuanbai's friend.

Yan Yuanbai was extremely famous, but he had very few people who could truly be called his friends.

The group walked up the mountain path. Although the path was long, the scenery changed dramatically with each step, each with its own unique beauty.

Before I knew it, I had walked for quite a while.

As we continued on, we suddenly saw a small path that had been cleared off the side of the forest road. The grass was very green and the wind was very gentle.

After walking a few steps into the woods, the view suddenly opens up to a flat stone platform. Exotic flowers bloom all around, arranged like a mat, and a literary gathering has already been set up on it.

A jade-colored stone table, a long wooden desk, a sunken stone inkstone...

Several maids lit sandalwood incense on the table, and then arranged some melons and fruits.

Upon seeing the arrival of the group, one of the maids turned around and bowed, saying, "Master knew you were coming, and all preparations for the literary gathering are complete."

The scholars, witnessing this scene, were somewhat dazed, as if they were in a fairyland or a dream.

But at the invitation of the maids, they took their seats.

Yan Yuanbai originally wanted to find a seat, but the maids led him to the main seat. He could not refuse and had to sit down.

"We have participated in many literary gatherings, but this is the first time we have ever seen such a scene."

"Brother Yan, could your old friend be an immortal from this Yuanling Mountain?"

Everyone felt dazed, and after a short while, they joked with Yan Yuanbai.

At the same time, there was also a hint of wanting to find out more; to be able to set up such a scene in such a scenic spot was no ordinary person.

"Let's just pretend he's a god, and experience what it's like to be a god today."

Yan Yuanbai smiled and shook his head. He looked around but did not see Wu Mo. He felt a little lost.

(End of this chapter)