Nightwatcher

# 41. A Small Official’s Poetic Talent

Are the Academy's three Great Scholars fighting? Is it because they had a breakthrough while discussing the dao, and speaking gentlemanly words evolved into fighting? The eldest princess was taken aback. She had studied at the Cloud Deer Academy for a while and knew of the Scholars.

The four Great Scholars in the Academy often sat together and discussed the dao, smiling when happy and swearing without care if they were worried.

But a big fight hadn't ever happened between them.

After all, Great Scholars had honourable identities, and they had to act as an example to their students. How could they fight so easily?

Zhao Shou frowned slightly and put down his teacup, and asked, "Why are they fighting?"

The old teacher shook his head and said helplessly, "I don't know what happened. Mr. Mubai was writing something when the other two scholars appeared suddenly. Then, all of them started fighting.

After pausing, the old teacher added with a sad face, “One of them said, ‘Old ignorant man’ and the other retorts with ‘Shameless old thief’. It seems like they have some beef with each other.”

Just then, the dean, who was as calm as a mountain, was taken aback and realized that something was fishy.

Zhao Shou said in a deep voice, "Within ten feet around me, the Sage Courtyard is located."

The eldest princess suddenly felt as if she was in a daze, then she saw the sculpture of the sage holding a scroll, a burning candle, and grey smoke curling around the hall.

Outside the hall was full of commotion, and gusts of violent wind rushed into the great hall, blowing out the candles.

The dean, who was sitting opposite her had disappeared. So, the princess walked towards the entrance from where strong winds were blowing.

The strong wind caused her dress to fly backward, and the lapel to stick to her chest. Even a thick winter coat couldn't cover up her bulging figure.

In the distance, In mid-air, the three Great Scholars were floating.

From the three's bodies, vast amounts of righteous Qi rippled out. Their righteous and unyielding aura collided with each other, giving rise to a furious gale.

Zhang Shen snorted, "Li Mubai, You shameless bastard. You just tried to snatch my student back then. But you did such a despicable thing today. Has all the knowledge of the sage you read before entered a dog's stomach?"

The eldest princess's expression changed. She didn't know what great thing Master Li Mubai had done that Zhang Shen was provoked with such indignation.

Snatching students? Were the two competing for students?

Li Mubai loudly retorted, "As a teacher, What's wrong with me helping students to polish their articles and poems? It's you, an ignorant old man, being jealous of my talent."

Chen Tai, "You shut up, I can't stand it anymore."

Li Mubai gave him a slanted look," Zhang and me have a reason to be angry at each other. It doesn't have anything to do with you, Chen Tai. You can go out and leave us."

At the time, Zhang Shen took out a volume of books from his arms, and said leisurely, "It seems that it's hard to determine a winner from a contest of Righteousness."

He tore off a page from a book and set it ablaze.

The moment the paper was completely burned, a green cloud emerged out of thin air and buzzed toward Li Mubai.

It was a green beetle with ferocious mouthparts densely packed like a swarm of locusts.

"I'd travelled throughout the world a few years ago, and I had some gains." Li Mubai didn't panic and also took out a book from which he tore up two pages, both of which ignited at the same time.

One of the pages burned completely and turned into a crimson lizard, somewhere between flesh-and-blood and an illusion.

The crimson lizard puffed its cheeks and spewed out a gust of 10 foot long flames that burned the green clouds in the sky to ashes.

At the same time, another page of paper burned, conjuring up a a scantily clad young girl that looked like a siren, swimming through the air toward Zhang Shen.

As the young girl approached, Great Scholar Zhang's eyelids became heavier, and he felt drowsy.

The young girl raised the corner of her mouth slightly and approached Zhang Shen while sporting a charming smile.

At that moment, Chen Tai also burned a pager in his hand, causing a bright golden core to manifest and burst out a golden light.

"Aiyou!"

Li Mubai suddenly was stabbed in the back, and was sent staggering by the golden light. Zhang Shen, also, was burned by the golden core, bringing him out of his sleepiness. He quickly roused his righteous qi, and shook the scantily clad young girl away.

The eldest princess watched the scene silently.

Sixth Rank Confucianists could learn the unique knowledge of other systems and record them in books for later use.

What Zhang Shen used just now was the ability of Shamans, and the young girl on Li Mubai's page should have had a Warlock's ability, but the rank of said warlock was uncertain.

As for the page used by Chen Tai, She was sure that it was the Golden Core in Taoism.

The three Great Scholars were fighting like raging fires meeting in mid-air, and the students watched from below with great interest. Although they were a bit shocked and worried by the fight between the three elders, It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see Great Scholars fighting.

Upon observing that Li Mubai couldn't be taken down for a long time, Zhang Shen had an idea," Li Mubai, your trousers fell off."

Li Mubai's crotch felt cold, and he was shocked to find that his trousers had slipped down to his ankles.

"Damn it!" Li Mubai exploded, and he shouted, "Everyone's trousers have fallen off."

Underneath, countless people bent down to lift their trousers with horror.

A milky white jade pendant on the princess's waist started to emit light.

A majestic voice sounded in the ears everyone, "It's forbidden to fight each other in this place."

"Floating is forbidden here, get your arses down here!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the Righteous Qi of the three Great Scholars dissipated automatically. Newton began to rectify his embarrassment and pulled them down from midair.

Zhao Shou, dressed in sackcloth and with loose grey hair, walked up to the three of them with a sullen face. He then began carefully examining them with keen eyes, "What's going on?"

Zhang Shen and Li Mubai exchanged glances silently and reached a tacit understanding in an instant. The former snorted coldly, "It's nothing, It's just that we had a disagreement in our research and we couldn't persuade each other."

The latter continued, "So, We changed the method of persuasion."

Persuading people with reasoning was indeed in line with traditional Confucian values.

"Dean, I want to report them for deceiving you." The Great Scholar Chen Tai stabbed the two of them in the back to complete a Double Kill.

Zhang Shen and Li Mubai turned their heads together and stared at each other with anger.

Chen Tai looked in the direction of the low wall, "The dean knows of the poem 'Sending off Yang Gong to Qingzhou in Mianyang', right?

Zhao Shou looked at the low wall and stared at it for a moment before finding the small words, and he understood the crux of the matter immediately.

He knew that Zhang Jinyan and Li Chunjing were envious of Ziyang Jushi these days.

The poem on the low wall was indeed great, Not to mention the poem becoming famous after spreading, It also had a great chance of being passed to future generations. It's justified for them to quarrel for the sake of reputation, fame, etc. Dean Zhao's cheeks twitched thinking of the reason for the two to conceal the reason from him.

He was about to speak when he saw the princess coming gracefully with her long skirt dragging on the floor with the corner of his eye.

He immediately swallowed the words in his throat.

The eldest princess's clear eyes rolled and she smiled reservedly, "Which poem caused the two Great Scholars to conflict."

Zhang Shen and Li Mubai hurriedly saluted the princess, "It's just a poem to encourage learning."

The eldest princess turned her eyes to the low wall immediately, and her pupils started to bloom with surprise, "Good Poem!"

After a pause, her lips parted slightly, "Who made this poem?"

Zhang Shen bit the bullet, "It's my student. Um... "Sending YangGong to Qingzhou" was also written by him."

"That bailiff from the Changle County office?" A strange look flashed in the eyes of the princess.

"His name is Xu Qi'an." Li Mubai replied, continuing, "He is also my disciple."

The eldest princess felt a little familiar with the name. It seemed that someone had mentioned the name to her before, but she didn't commit it to her memory and she couldn't recall the incident.

It's too wasteful for such a talent to become a bailiff in the Changle County Office. Even if he only knew poetry, It would be easy to become the chief of staff in her mansion, the princess thought in her heart.

The students of the academy stood in the distance, admiring the beautiful face of the eldest princess. She was as beautiful as a solitary snow lotus, with a noble aura that made people neglect the rest of the world.

"Where is he?" The eldest princess's clear eyes swept across the crowd, looking for the subject of the discussion.

"He went to tour the Mountain." Chen Tai said.

The students who heard their conversation were shocked for a moment since they finally knew the identity of the writer of the exhortation poem.