Chapter 19: The Eve
The elderly man Bai Li silently recited poems in his heart, closed his eyes, and fell into memories.
One hundred thousand soldiers traveled far to the extreme south. Before leaving, each of them left a farewell letter at home. They never thought they would return alive.
The battle at Zhen Ling Pass between the two sides lasted for three days and three nights. Looking from afar, the ground was covered in a river of blood and corpses.
Before the soldiers in the front line died, in order to resist the charge of the Garuda’s with their flesh and blood, they inserted blades into their own feet and fixed their bodies on the ground, becoming human shields for the soldiers behind them.
In this way, they advanced one after another and eventually drove the Garuda back to Mount Tianling.
The words “tragic” and “fierce” were not enough to describe the situation at that time. What did it mean for less than a hundred soldiers to return out of a hundred thousand?
Bai Li picked up a blank scroll with poetry written on it and couldn’t help sighing, “If we had this poem back then, so many people wouldn’t have died. Young man, what is the name of this poem?”
Qin Feng pondered for a moment and replied, “Elder, you can name the poem.”
“Alright, let’s call this poem ‘Zhen Ling Pass’!” As soon as Bai Li’s voice fell, he waved his sleeves, and the brush in Qin Feng’s hand immediately flew into the old man’s hand.
I saw the old man holding the brush and writing the vigorous words “Zhen Ling Pass” at the beginning of the scroll, which shone brightly!
At the same time, Qin Feng seemed to hear the roars and battles of the soldiers on the battlefield, with golden spears and iron horses, dominating the vast land!
The white-haired old man looked at the scroll with some regret and said, “The poem is excellent, but the calligraphy is lacking. Young man, you should practice calligraphy diligently after you return.”
“Is that all?” Qin Feng’s face stiffened, but he didn’t respond. In fact, the original owner had studied calligraphy for more than ten years, and he was quite good at it. However, after his soul crossed over, it seemed that his body did not retain the memory of those calligraphy skills.
While Bai Li shook his head and sighed, he naturally rolled up the scroll and was about to put it into his arms.
A divine poem like this, how long had it been since one appeared? This time, he could make a fortune. While the old man was thinking like this, a pure white jade hand grabbed the other end of the scroll.
“What are you doing?” The old man looked vigilant.
“This poem was written by him. Why should you take it away? Give it to me!” Qin Feng stood still in shock. This scene seemed strangely familiar.
“You girl, you already took the couplet yesterday, and now you want this poem too? No way!”
“It seems like you’ve forgotten; the dragon’s beard brush is almost used up,” the girl said.
Right, right, same formula, same recipe. Qin Feng was enjoying the show, but suddenly his face stiffened. The couplet from yesterday and today’s poem were clearly written by me. You two are arguing about it, but why don’t you ask for my opinion?
“Miss, Elder, this poem seems to be…”
“What poem?” Bai Li and Cang Feilan said in unison.
“You guys are shameless; I admit defeat.” Qin Feng backed away with folded hands.
“Young lady, how about we make a deal? As long as you give me this poem, from now on, you can come and go as you please in the Listening To Rain Pavilion,” the old man said.
Cang Feilan fell silent for a moment and unexpectedly chose to let go, which was somewhat beyond Qin Feng’s expectations.
Seeing this, Bai Li finally relaxed, then carefully put away the scroll into his arms.
With everything settled, Qin Feng couldn’t wait to enter the attic and read books to accumulate knowledge.
He had just encountered a ghost cultivator. If Cang Feilan hadn’t been there to protect him, he would undoubtedly have died.
Moreover, that ghost cultivator had clearly come for him. Although he didn’t know the other party’s purpose, who could guarantee that after escaping this time, they wouldn’t come for a second or third time?
At the moment, the most crucial thing was to enhance his own strength.
“This time, when I enter the attic, I must find a way to break through to the ninth rank of the Literature Saint. With that, I can at least use the Heavenly Mirror and have a bit of self-defense ability.” Qin Feng thought this way, and as he lifted his foot and as he was about to step into the attic.
At this moment, Bai Li suddenly said, “Young man, I see some talent in you. Do you want to enter the Grand Literature Academy in Heavenly City for further studies?”
Cang Feilan’s figure paused at Bai Li’s words.
“Grand Literature Academy?” Qin Feng raised an eyebrow. If we talk about the best place to learn in the Great Qian Dynasty, it must be the Grand Literature Academy in the capital city, Heavenly City.
It was said that the Grand Literature Academy contained many insights into the Literature Saint Dao Lineage and the supreme knowledge of the Literature Saints, making it the holy land coveted by scholars all over the world.
“Is there a way for the elder to let me enter there?”
“Naturally, there is.”
Qin Feng outwardly appeared calm, but inside, he was astonished. The fact that this old man could casually offer him entry into the coveted sacred place for scholars made Qin Feng realize the old man’s identity was probably even more terrifying than he had originally thought.
However,
“No need, I’m fine staying here,” Qin Feng said.
“You brat, do you know what the Grand Literature Academy means to scholars? You’re willing to miss such an opportunity?” Bai Li exclaimed.
“The most outstanding Literature Saints in the Great Qian Dynasty are in the Grand Literature Academy. I understand its value,” Qin Feng replied.
“Then why…” Bai Li started.
Qin Feng solemnly stated, “There are people I care about in Jinyang City. I don’t want to leave them. Besides, as long as I have the world in my heart, can’t I study anywhere?”
Of course, the more crucial reason was that the capital was a dangerous place. His father had moved the family away to protect themselves and the Qin family. Returning now would be akin to walking into a trap. Even if he wanted to enter the Grand Literature Academy, he needed to wait until his strength had improved. Otherwise, he would be like a fish on a chopping block, too passive.
“Good! A broad-minded person who considers the world his book can learn anywhere. I underestimated you,” Bai Li reclined back into his wicker chair, a faint smile playing on his lips. He said no more.
“Miss Cang, why are you standing here? Aren’t you going in?” Qin Feng said curiously as he passed by Cang Feilan.
She glanced at him lightly and stepped into the attic. However, the outline of her lips beneath her black square scarf seemed to move slightly.
Qin Feng followed closely behind, seeing rows of books again. His eyes narrowed; this time, he swore not to leave until he reached the ninth rank.
Not long after the two of them entered the Listen To Rain Pavilion, a middle-aged man in tattered clothes with a broken leg walked past, leaning on a crutch.
The burn scars on his broken leg were obvious, the flesh having rotted away completely, the wound gruesome enough to make one’s scalp tingle.
Various horrifying scars were visible on his exposed arm, making it hard to imagine what he had gone through to end up like this.
The middle-aged man handed a jug of wine to Bai Li. “Old man, your wine.”
Bai Li took the jug, opened it, and smelled it, praising, “The fragrance of your Li family’s wine is still strong. Unlike others, theirs smells like water. Here, this is your payment.”
A bunch of copper coins, thirty copper coin.
“Too much,” the middle-aged man raised an eyebrow.
“The extra is your errand fee. Remember, tomorrow at the same time, bring the wine here again.”
“Old man, are your legs not working properly? You’ve become this lazy,” the middle-aged man said, then put the copper coins into his pocket and limped away.
Bai Li watched the man’s retreating figure, then opened the jug and took a big gulp, sighing, “This wine is really damn strong.”
He held the scroll even tighter.
Night fell, and moonlight poured over Heavenly City, illuminating the courtyard of the Liu family, the Duke’s Mansion.
In the chilly courtyard, clouds obscured the moon, rendering everything silent and dark.
Faintly visible, there was a woman in white sitting there.
Beside her stood a woman in blue, holding a sword and carrying a sword sheath on her back.
“Miss, Master Liu has already spread the news about your upcoming marriage.”
“Mm.”
“Miss, are you really going to marry the eldest son of a third-class Duke in Jinyang City?” The woman in blue spoke with excitement.
“Mm.”
“Miss, your injuries might still…” The words were on the woman in blue’s lips, but she couldn’t bear to continue.
For a person in despair, any hope that seemed unattainable was cruel. Perhaps Master Liu also understood this, which was why he made the decision to let the Miss go to a remote place and live out her life peacefully.
The clouds broke, and the moon emerged, its bright light falling on the white-clad woman. Her skin was as white as snow, her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her stunning face was breathtaking, like a fairy descended to the mortal realm.
But unfortunately, her face was as cold as ice, and her eyes were as lifeless as a stagnant pond.
Lowering her gaze, it was apparent that the woman was not sitting on a stone stool but on a wheelchair.
She was Liu Jianli of the Liu family.
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