Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 7 Supernatural powers arise spontaneously

Three days later.

A bullock cart came to a stop, swaying precariously, on a dirt road outside Qiantang County.

A scholar in a blue robe, carrying a book box on his back, jumped down and stretched.

Having little money left to hire a carriage, Xu Xuan ultimately chose to hitch a ride.

"Master Xu, this is where I'll take you. Chongqi Academy is not far into the mountains."

"Thank you very much, sir. This is..."

"Sigh...Master Xu is really slapping this old man in the face. Everyone in Qiantang knows that Master Xu killed that dog Zhang San with one slap for the sake of us."

The old man refused to accept the money, saying that if he took money from a hero like Young Master Xu, he wouldn't be able to make a living in the county anymore.

When did I become a hero? And kill Zhang San with a single slap?
Xu Xuan had given up on making excuses and accepted the other party's kindness.

The old man was quite satisfied, knowing he could brag about it to others later.

Do you know Master Xu from Qiantang in Tiezhang Town? He rode in our car before.

The two parted ways, and Xu Xuan, carrying his schoolbag, embarked on a new path.

An hour later.

I was careless.
Looking at the endless dirt road in front of me and the weeds that were taller than a person all around, as well as the snakes, insects and rodents that occasionally jumped out, I felt that I had made the mistake of relying on past experience.

In my memory, Chongqi Academy was located in the Nanshan Mountains outside Qiantang County, not far as the crow flies.

However, in ancient times, the distance to travel had to take into full account the road conditions and terrain.

The conflict between memory and senses reminded him once again that this was an unknown dynasty.

The winding mountain road was very difficult to walk on, so he had no choice but to break off a tree branch and continue climbing.

Fortunately, I had a steady stream of energy, so the journey wasn't too difficult.

Several horse-drawn carriages were heading into the mountains, but none of them were willing to ride with this poor, penniless scholar who didn't even have a carriage frame.

Today is the day Chongqi Academy is recruiting teachers, and all those who come are confident in their talents and eager to get a job.

If it weren't for the sudden return of the two senior professors from the academy to their hometown, these younger generations wouldn't have had the chance to compete for this opportunity to become acting instructors.

Although all three came from families with a long tradition of scholarship, Chongqi Academy, as one of the three great academies in Jiangnan, had a unique advantage.

Many of them were classmates in the imperial court, and some even had direct access to the emperor's ears.

In today's era of the imperial examination system, academic cliques are gradually beginning to catch up with the powerful clans.

The fact that these scions of prominent families came here is also a roundabout way of achieving their goals.

Of course, I wouldn't help a competitor, even if they seem harmless.

Some even pulled back the carriage curtain and let out a few sneers.

"It's true that anyone dares to come and teach."

Then he planned to leave.

Xu Xuan, do you guys know that this kind of sudden mockery is very villainous? Only a passerby who has been slapped in the face would show such a face.

Besides, I'm no longer Xu Xuan, the scholar from Qiantang County.

So naturally I gave the middle finger. Whether I understood it or not, the other person would definitely be unhappy, and that made me happy.

The person in the carriage didn't understand, and knew it was definitely not a blessing.

"Hmph, such despicable behavior! Get out of here!"

The person in the carriage, not wanting to lose face, urged the carriage to go faster, as if saying another word would be an offense.

Xu Xuan, however, didn't seem to care and continued climbing the mountain.

Teaching at Chongqi Academy was just one of my backup plans to have a legitimate reason to leave Qiantang County; if I didn't get the job, there were other options.

I remember having a relative who ran a pharmacy in Suzhou whom I could rely on, so I wasn't too concerned about gains or losses.

As we walked, a damp mountain breeze suddenly blew by, and the surrounding grass and trees rustled.

这 是
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, all together.

That's the sound of raindrops falling on the leaves. Well, it's raining.

Is this what they call "when it rains, it pours"? No, at this moment, one must simply let life take its course amidst the rain and mist.

It's a pity I wasn't wearing a raincoat; it lacked a certain something.

However, even without a raincoat, we have an oil-paper umbrella, which is also quite picturesque.

After leaving Qiantang County, Xu Xiangong's thinking became increasingly unconventional.

The scholar, who had just pulled an oil-paper umbrella from his book box and was about to continue on his way, suddenly froze in place.

Staring blankly at the white mist rising from the mountains, I was somewhat dazed. This was a mountain forest rain scene that I hadn't seen in the modern city for a long time.

The fresh, moist scent, with hints of earth and plants, fills the nostrils, creating a unique and refreshing sensory experience.

From an unseen perspective, the trees and forests, nourished by the rain, are rapidly releasing their vital energy, which surges toward the human figure.

An invisible wave began to unconsciously emanate from Xu Xuan, his spirit interacting with nature.

Xu Xuan, living in Qiantang County, had too many concerns about gains and losses. He felt lost because he had traveled through time, feared being discovered, and felt an extreme sense of loneliness, as if he had been cut off from the world.

It was only after getting away from familiar people and complicated interpersonal relationships that he was able to relax.

It felt like a true rebirth, and now it was my own life to live.

They took big strides, even humming a song.

Life's journey is long, like a beautiful dream. Along the way, trials and tribulations come, each one biting and drying in its wake.

In this mortal world, how many directions can a beautiful dream take?

"Searching for the beloved in my dreamlike heart, the road stretches endlessly ahead."

As Xu Xuan hummed a song, his eyes were lively and ethereal, and his steps were light as if he were walking on the wind.

What he didn't know was that after extracting the essence and blood of the day-traveling cultivator that night, his own body had also reached the threshold of transcendence.

When the mind has a thought, supernatural powers will naturally arise.

Supernatural powers refer to the ability to understand one's own thoughts clearly without being attached to or moved by them, and to observe the thoughts of others without being tainted by them.

In the drizzle, a figure in a blue robe hummed a song and walked faster and faster, leaping over the muddy road and the tangled branches.

The *Liezi* (Chapter 1, "Huangdi") records: "Riding through the air is like walking on solid ground; sleeping in emptiness is like being in bed. Clouds and mist do not obstruct one's vision, thunder and lightning do not disturb one's hearing, beauty and ugliness do not sway one's heart, and mountains and valleys do not hinder one's steps; one moves simply by divine will."

When the mind roams freely, the body follows suit.

Like a gentle breeze in the mountains, it headed towards the academy halfway up the mountain.

The people in the carriage ahead only saw a blue figure flash by before disappearing without a trace, leaving only a faint echo of a strange song.

"This! This is... the Mountain Spirit?"

"The mountain spirit sings?"

"It didn't say that teaching at Chongqi Academy was this dangerous."

Some people who saw it by chance were horrified and even had second thoughts.

Xu Xuan continued forward, completely unaware that he had acquired such extraordinary abilities.

"A wisp of dreamlike wind and rain, the road ahead stretches endlessly before us..."

When he came to his senses, the rain had stopped and the sky had cleared, and he had arrived at the mountain gate of Chongqi Academy.

He folded up the paper umbrella and began to examine what was in front of him.

A mountain gate, a stone tablet.

The inscription above the mountain gate reads: Chongqi Academy.

The name of the person who wrote the inscription is Yin Shidan in the lower right corner.

The stone tablet records the reason for establishing the academy in this deep mountain, as well as a simple poem encouraging learning.

It is clear that the person who wrote the inscription was not good at poetry, but was very learned.

(End of this chapter)