How did I, who just ascended to heaven, become an evil spirit?

"No, you can drink it!"

A strong will to survive erupted in Li Hu's heart. He tried his best to control his hands and used the true energy he had managed to muster to forcefully resist the force that wanted to make him drink the medicine.

In the midst of the crisis, Li Hu's potential was fully unleashed, and he was able to fight this evil power to a standstill.

He first deliberately twisted his mouth to one side, then suddenly relaxed his strength. With a splash, the milky white medicine smeared all over his face and spilled out.

Although it was quite a mess, at least I don't have to drink it for now.

The superintendent was slightly surprised by this scene, clearly having never seen a student so defiant. His gaze sharpened, and his eyes gradually filled with displeasure as he looked at Li Hu.

"It's okay, we have plenty more."

He waved his hand again, and a young girl brought up another bowl. He then tapped the board, and the other scholars around him suddenly stood up in confusion.

"Come, you serve him, and let him know whether studying is more difficult or medicine is more difficult."

The supervisor stroked his beard, his face bearing a dignified and awe-inspiring expression.

Seven or eight scholars rushed up from all around. They had a clear division of labor: four of them lifted Li Hu up, making it difficult for him to put weight on the ground; two others held his arms tightly; and the last one pinched Li Hu's cheeks and gulped down a full bowl of soup.

hum-

An inexplicable drowsiness suddenly appeared in Li Hu's mind. He felt dizzy and his consciousness went slumber, instantly plunging into boundless darkness. At the same time, he was completely disconnected from his body, as if he had fallen asleep.

Meanwhile, Li Hu's body outside remained staring blankly at the ceiling.

His fellow students put him down. His face was blank, his facial twitching had stopped, and his limbs were obedient.

"You spend your days eating and drinking, doing nothing, and are inherently unruly. Someone like you, who has come to my Xiazhu Academy and still doesn't humbly seek knowledge, when will you ever pass the imperial examinations, and how will you ever achieve great things?" the supervisor scolded angrily, his face full of displeasure.

"You, go sit in the last row!"

Upon hearing this, Li Hu lifted his dazed face, tidied up the messy desk, and sat down in the last row with his books.

The superintendent then ceremoniously tapped a few students who had fallen asleep in the afternoon, and then walked around the classroom for a while with his hands behind his back.

"Continue your studies. The teacher will come later to give an evening lesson and discuss the texts." The supervisor smoothed his sleeves, left these words, and turned to leave.

Li Hu recited the classic texts in front of him with a blank expression, ignoring the chaotic things around him, as if he were truly engrossed in the books of sages. None of the other scholars around him who were also reciting could speak louder than him.

As the sun set, evening soon followed.

It was time for fresh air, and the scholars walked out of the lecture hall and came to the spacious courtyard of the academy to read as they walked.

According to Confucius, prolonged sitting is harmful to health, so it is very important to take a few steps in the courtyard before dinner in order to study for longer periods of time.

Li Hu, also holding a book, mingled in the crowd, reciting classical texts while swaying his head.

Just then, a commotion suddenly arose outside the academy gate.

"You! You bookworms, where have you hidden my Tiger Lord?!" Yuan Sou stood in front of the gate of Xiazhu Academy and shouted at the top of his lungs.

He was confronted by several supervisors, servants, and other men; the two sides were on the verge of a fight.

Yuan Sou returned from shopping in Qingzhou City and waited all day until it was almost dark, but Li Hu still hadn't come out, so he came here to look for him.

But after asking around for a long time, no one here said they had seen anyone named Li Hu.

The two sides disagreed, and Yuan Sou immediately sensed that something was wrong. He then led Huang Daxian, Qi Yuehong, and others to the entrance of the academy to block them again.

"Gentlemen, please calm down. Everyone who has visited here remembers their name; there has never been a visitor named Li Hu," said the supervisor who had previously forced Li Hu to drink the soup, stepping forward and bowing.

"If you refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit, don't blame me for kicking you out."

"Bullshit! I saw my brother walk in with my own eyes!" Chi Yue bared his teeth, and everyone else's faces turned red, the tension palpable.

Just as they were about to have a big argument, it was the sharp-eyed Qi Yuehong who first noticed Li Hu strolling and reading in the courtyard, and exclaimed in surprise, "Hey! Brother Li is right there!"

Following the direction he pointed, everyone immediately located Li Hu's position. He always wore a brocade robe, making him stand out even in a crowd.

"Is that Li Hu you were talking about?"

The Master then stepped forward, looking around suspiciously, and said, "Then let's call him over for a confrontation."

The teacher spoke, and the supervisor immediately stepped forward, pulling Li Hu to the door, where they confronted each other.

"Tiger, why are you still here? We were worried about you."

Old Yuan stepped forward with a smile, trying to pull Li Hu's arm, but found that he couldn't budge it no matter what he did.

Even Li Hu, who had come to the door, was engrossed in studying the classics in his hands, and paid no attention to the people or things around him.

He glanced at Yuan Sou suspiciously, then ignored him, shook his head, and turned his gaze back to the book in front of him.

"Hey? Tiger, it's me, Old Man Yuan."

Yuan Sou waved his hand in front of Li Hu's eyes, but found that he couldn't disturb Li Hu at all, nor could he get Li Hu to look at them.

"Something's not right! What kind of bewitching potion did you give my brother?!" Chi Yue sensed something was wrong, took two steps forward, and swiftly drew the dagger from her hand.

"This is a sacred place; how dare you act so presumptuously here!"

The supervisor shouted sternly, raising the pair of rulers in his hand and threatening him.

"Ahem, ahem, ahem, alright, alright." The Master stroked his long beard and smoothed things over, saying, "You say this is Li Hu, your friend, then ask him if he recognizes you."

The Master patted Li Hu on the back and said, "Feng Cong, look up. Do you recognize these people?"

"They call you Tiger, so they must be servants or something in your household," the teacher added.

Upon hearing this, Li Hu shifted his attention from the book, squinted at Huang Daxian, Chi Yue, and the others, and then frowned in confusion.

"In reply to you, Master, I do not know these people."

"Don't you recognize me?" Chi Yue exclaimed anxiously, "What are you doing?"

"Shut up!" Li Hu frowned. "The academy is a quiet place, so please refrain from making a lot of noise. If you have nothing else, I will return."

Li Hu cupped his hands in greeting, then immediately averted his gaze and demeanor, refocusing his attention on the book in front of him, completely oblivious to his surroundings.

As he walked back, he swayed his head and recited the Analects.

Confucius said, “Is it not delightful to have friends coming from afar? Is it not the mark of a gentleman to remain unperturbed when others do not recognize his merits?”

"It seems this is not your Tiger Lord," the Master said with a smile. "You have mistaken him for someone else. Perhaps the Tiger Lord is in Qingzhou City. You might as well go back and check, lest you miss the chance to meet him again."

"Zilu, see the guest out." With that, the Master left with his hands behind his back.

The supervisor, named Zilu, put away the ruler, tucked it into his waistband, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to the crowd, saying:

"Excuse my rudeness, everyone please leave."

He gestured for them to enter, then led a group of servants and pageboys back inside. As they left, the door creaked shut behind them.

The crowd stood silently outside, looking at each other with suspicion, wondering what was going on.

"Hiss... Do you think Brother Li might be faking it?" Wong Tai Sin frowned, speculating, "It doesn't make sense. What would he be doing here at the academy pretending to be a scholar?"

"If he wants something, he can just go and get it. Why bother with all this?" Qi Yuehong frowned.

"Impossible. I suspect that Big Brother has been given some kind of bewitching potion, which is why he can't recognize us," Chi Yue strongly objected.

Only Chi Yue persisted in her opinion, but she had no basis for it, so she could only repeat her thoughts verbally, trying to gain an advantage among the group.

"Alas, how could that be?" Old Yuan shook his head. "Leaving aside whether these bookworms have the ability to bewitch Tiger, what would their purpose be in bewitching him?"

"Could it be that they want Tiger Lord, this immortal, to transform into a spirit and stay in this academy to study hard and pass the imperial examinations in the future? I really can't figure out their motives," Old Yuan said, scratching his head and spreading his hands.

"But, but..."

Chi Yue wanted to argue, but Yuan Sou interrupted her, saying, "No buts, Tiger Lord is protected by immortals, nothing will go wrong."

"Let's wait until he's had enough fun before we hit the road."

Old Yuan shook his head, mimicking Li Hu's earlier posture of reading with his hands behind his back, and said as he walked,

Confucius said, “Is it not delightful to have friends coming from afar? Is it not the mark of a gentleman to remain unperturbed when others do not recognize his merits?”

Outdoor exercise time is over.

After Li Hu and the other scholars had lunch, the sound of the gong rang out, and they returned to the lecture hall to study diligently once again.

This gong is like a school bell, and every scholar, supervisor, and servant here acts according to its rhythm.

The evening's schedule consisted of the Master giving a lecture, followed by an hour of recitation and an hour of writing exercises.

The Master sat upright in the lecture hall, his face kind and gentle, displaying the refined character of a scholar.

"In this lesson, we will talk about the word 'righteousness'."

The Master stroked his beard and recited, "You are all well-read scholars who have spent long hours studying by the window; you probably have little opportunity to draw your swords and face death."

"My question today will put you in an unjust position."

"I asked you, if you were to sacrifice your life for righteousness, to save the people and the nation, what would you do?"

When the Master asked the question, the scholars in the lecture hall all looked troubled, as if they were stumped by the question. On one hand, there was their own precious life, and on the other hand, there was the greater good of the world.

The question may be cliché, but it is indeed the most difficult choice.

Under the control of the strange power within the academy, the scholars below the stage were forced to confront their truest thoughts and could no longer deceive themselves.

The moment the Master posed the question, it was as if everyone was truly facing a difficult choice, rather than just a simple question. Some blushed, some turned pale, and some turned ashen; all their inner thoughts were written on their faces.

"Ziyou, I'll give you a chance to sit in front of me. You can answer now," the teacher said, tapping the table lightly.

"Yes, Master."

Ziyou's face turned pale. He stood up, bowed, and said, "The way of Heaven is constant; it does not exist for Yao, nor does it perish for Jie."

"In my opinion, the ancients would not give up even a hair's breadth to benefit the world, nor would they accept the whole world's wealth for their own benefit. If everyone refrained from giving up even a hair's breadth and did not seek to benefit the world, the world would be at peace."

"So, you're going to ignore it and just focus on doing your own thing?" The Master frowned slightly.

"Yes, Master, the world should be as it is. Heaven has never said that it cannot be changed, nor has the earth ever been unable to be renewed," Ziyou sighed.

"Indeed, this matter is of great importance, and it is understandable that nothing could be accomplished."

The Master smiled and said, "Then you may sit in the fifth row."

"Thank you, Master." Ziyou bowed and accepted the order.

The teacher walked around the lecture hall, observing everyone's expressions, and only continued calling roll after Ziyou sat down in her seat.

"Tang Yao, let your teacher see what you have to say?" The master once again called on the scholar named Tang Yao.

"Master, I don't know... I really don't know!"

Tang Yao sat in front of Li Hu, but his face remained flushed, showing that he was in turmoil under the interrogation.

He beat his chest and stamped his feet, shouting, "If the world is about to die, and I must sacrifice myself, what should I do?"

"I... I really can't choose! I..."

Tang Yao became more and more agitated as he spoke, seemingly regretting his own incompetence and placing the hypothetical disaster right before his eyes, as if a large number of ordinary people had died in front of him.

He cried out in pain, suddenly grabbed the books on the table, and began to tear them apart.

"What should I do? What should I do? What should I do?!"

He tore the book to shreds, seemingly unable to vent his pain, and then kicked over the inkstone, spilling ink everywhere.

He collapsed to the ground in agony, his face flushed red and his lips turning purple; he looked as if he were in unbearable pain.

"I have studied diligently for many years, but it has all been in vain. Please, Master, save me!"

"Alright, alright, Tang Yao, stop thinking about it."

The Master remained calm and waved his hand. “These are all hypothetical scenarios, intended to strike at the heart. If you are truly tormented, then stop thinking about them. If Heaven has the virtue of cherishing life, it would not allow ordinary people to bear such a great responsibility.”

"Yes, Master."

With the teacher's comfort, Tang Yao quickly recovered. He sat up, wiped the snot and tears from his face, and sighed, "I am incompetent and have failed to save the people. I voluntarily sit at the bottom of the table to reflect on my actions."

This rather strange scene didn't startle the scholars present; they simply continued to ponder the issue of the father and son.

The Master frowned and stroked his beard, his gaze sweeping around before settling on Li Hu.

"Feng Cong, the topic you asked today is quite grand, and all the scholars present have lost their composure. However, I observe that you alone remain calm and composed, truly showing no signs of panic in the face of danger. If you have any thoughts, you may share them with us."

"Yes, Master."

Li Hu remained calm, rose, bowed, and said, "Although I am not talented, as a mere commoner, I have already killed those who should be killed and saved those who should be saved."

"If I live, the world will not perish."