Chapter Fifteen

"Back then, when the Grand Tutor was being elected by the Imperial Academy, both Lin Niang and Grand Tutor Mo were candidates. The outcome... was quite obvious."

"Just because you weren't selected, you're leaving the divination academy?" Si Yanmo asked, puzzled.

“Lin Niang is a strong-willed woman. She fought with Grand Tutor Mo her whole life. She was unwilling to accept defeat and decided to leave the Bu Courtyard and open her own restaurant.”

The two chatted back and forth, and after a while, they finally saw Lin Niang come in carrying two food boxes, one large and one small.

When Zhou Yanqing talked to her about becoming Si Yanmo's mentor, Lin Niang immediately realized what was going on.

"You two are planning to take something from me to bribe that old man, but you also want me to get myself involved? You've got a good plan!"

Seeing this, Si Yanmo reacted even faster than Zhou Yanqing, and quickly tugged at Lin Niang's sleeve and pleaded, "Lin Niang~ Sister Lin~ please, I really want to be a shaman."

When such a woman, soft and gentle as jade, acts coquettishly towards you, no one can resist her charm.

"Alright, alright!" Lin Niang poked her head with a helpless yet affectionate tone. "You little rascal, you always know how to be charming right away. No wonder you're married to him!"

As she spoke, she gave Zhou Yanqing a reproachful look.

In the end, Lin Niang agreed.

She handed the food boxes to the two of them, specifically instructing them that the larger one was for Si Yanmo and not to be shared with the "old man." Zhou Yanqing thanked her and repeatedly assured her that she would never switch the food, before Lin Niang released her.

The two went downstairs. At this time, Yun Jian Xuan was no longer as noisy as when they arrived. Everyone was sitting at the table, but their eyes were all looking up.

Si Yanmo also curiously followed the gaze of the crowd and discovered that what they were staring at was an exquisitely crafted screen.

Unaware of the intricacies of the situation, she craned her neck, trying to see what rare treasures were behind the screen that had captured everyone's attention, but she didn't notice the steps beneath her feet and accidentally missed a step.

"careful!"

Zhou Yanqing quickly reached out and grabbed the person.

"Can't you watch where you're going?" he said helplessly, but his hand unconsciously went to protect the woman behind her to prevent her from falling again.

As the two boarded the carriage, melodious zither music drifted from the Cloud Pavilion behind them.

The carriage traveled westward for about half an hour before reaching its destination.

The astrology institute is located in the western mountains on the outskirts of the city. Firstly, astrology requires a rooftop terrace built at a high altitude, and secondly, it is far from human habitation, making it relatively quiet and undisturbed.

The guards at the gate saw that it was the Prince of Qin who got out of the carriage, so they quickly bowed and opened the gate. They also heard Zhou Yanqing say that he was going to find Grand Tutor Mo, so they led the two of them towards the back mountain.

The group climbed the stone steps, the trees on both sides of which were bare, having not yet sprouted new buds.

At the end of the stone steps was a pavilion, where an old man with gray hair and dressed in a plain moon-white robe sat on a stone chair with a chessboard in front of him.

A gentle breeze blew by, and a few withered leaves fell from the trees. The old man was thin and frail, and sitting alone in the desolate forest, he seemed rather lonely.

"Grand Tutor, Prince Qin, and Princess Qin have arrived." The guard led the two to their destination, then turned and bowed before leaving.

Seeing that the other party ignored him, Zhou Yanqing said, "Old man, still playing chess! I've come back from Nandu, why aren't you welcoming me?"

"You've messed things up for me, how can I welcome you?"

Hearing this, Zhou Yanqing knew that the old man was still angry about the incident of killing Wu Bu on the battlefield in Sak.

Although the leader is the most powerful on the battlefield, he is still a local shaman. He can kill people whenever he wants. Not to mention that the shaman's office will demand an explanation, finding a replacement would be a headache.

Originally, the divination and shaman assessment was only held once every ten years, but now, less than three years after the last assessment, a new selection process is required.

"Oh, old man, why are you so angry!" Zhou Yanqing chuckled and led Si Yanmo to sit opposite him. "I just brought you someone to consider!"

Upon hearing this, Mo Wenzhong gripped the black chess piece in his hand and looked up at Si Yanmo beside him. This glance caused a hint of panic in her eyes; she didn't know how to face such a high-ranking Grand Tutor.

He shook his head and placed the black piece in the middle of the board, creating another dead end.

"Even His Highness the King of Qin cannot interfere with the divination and selection process."

Zhou Yanqing smiled slightly and said, "I know, that's why she will start as an ordinary fortune teller."

Si Yanmo understood Zhou Yanqing's meaning and quickly added, "Grand Tutor Mo, rest assured, I will participate in the assessment according to the rules."

"You just randomly shove someone into my hands. If everyone were like you, what would the Imperial Academy become?" Mo Wenzhong said coldly as he put the chess pieces back in their places on the board.

Zhou Yanqing sighed softly. It seemed she had no choice but to use her trump card!

He placed the small food box that Lin Niang had given him on the table. "If that's the case, then I can only..."

He didn't finish his sentence; instead, he deliberately opened the lid and waved it in front of the old man's eyes.

Mo Wenzhong's gaze was immediately drawn to it, and he almost drooled. Seeing that the other party was about to look away, he quickly reached out to stop him.

"Hey, hey, hey! Put it down!" Having successfully stopped the food box, Mo Wenzhong clicked his tongue. "You little rascal, all you know is how to tempt me with this!"

“But this academy isn’t one that just anyone can get into. At the very least, you need to show me whether she has the ability.”

He turned to Si Yanmo and asked, "Which of these are you skilled in: Gu magic, divination, stargazing, or witchcraft?"

"Divination".

"Yeah?"

This was the first time Mo Wenzhong had heard someone claim to be skilled in divination in front of her. After all, he was the most proficient divination expert in the entire Qin region.

In the past, no one who wanted to enter the Divination Academy would dare to say that they were good at divination in front of him. This girl is quite bold and fearless.

"Let me take a look then," Mo Wenzhong said. "Is there anything I need to prepare?"

"No need." The other person remained calm, completely different from their previous cautious demeanor.

Zhou Yanqing, who was standing to the side, secretly took out a pear cake from the food box and took a bite with a look of amusement.

Mo Wenzhong, naturally unaware of Si Yanmo's abilities, calmly sat in his chair and said, "Then why don't you show this old man your abilities?"

Upon hearing this, Si Yanmo confidently counted on her fingers and slowly said, "Grand Tutor Mo, you are forty-six years old this year. You entered the Divination Academy at the age of twelve, took charge of the divination arts at the age of eighteen, became a shaman at the age of twenty, and only became a Grand Tutor at the age of thirty-eight."

“I think this kid next to me can tell you these things.” He remained expressionless.

"Then the marriage section of your divination says that in the sixth month of the Renxu year, there was an event at the Digu Temple with the former Qin king at Yushan Pass on the Liao River. Surely this wasn't told to me by His Highness the King of Qin?"

Upon hearing the words "marriage, the former Qin king," Mo Wenzhong's expression changed drastically, and even his breathing became erratic.

Zhou Yanqing, who was standing next to him, also looked shocked.

He quickly stood up, moved closer to Si Yanmo, tugged at her sleeve, and whispered, "Really?"

"Why would I lie at a time like this?" Si Yanmo replied in a low voice.

The two stood to the side, both wanting to gossip and somewhat embarrassed. After a long while, they saw Mo Wenzhong slowly exhale, his voice slightly hoarse: "A promising young man! Who is your master?"

"I have no master."

“Talent,” Zhou Yanqing added smugly, as if he were the one who was truly remarkable.

Mo Wenzhong frowned in disbelief, and after a long while, he spoke again: "In that case, you've passed the test with me."

"Really!" Si Yanmo excitedly jumped into the arms of the person next to her and hugged them tightly.

This caught Zhou Yanqing off guard. He hesitated for a moment, then reached out and gently placed a hand on her back. No one noticed that his ears turned bright red in that instant.

"However..." Before the two could even celebrate for a few seconds, Mo Wenzhong continued, "Entering the Divination Academy also requires an examination. You'll need to memorize the sacrificial rituals, and there will be a specialist to assess you. If you want to become a shamanic diviner, you also need to be proficient in astrology, shamanic medicine, and martial arts. How are you in those areas?"

Upon hearing this, Si Yanmo let go of Zhou Yanqing's arms and turned around with a hint of embarrassment, saying, "I know nothing about this."

...

Zhou Yanqing interjected: "So that's why she came to ask you to be her teacher? And she has a special talent—photographic memory!"

Mo Wenzhong shook his head, feeling a headache coming on. "You little brat, do you think I'm bored?"

"Oh, old man!" Zhou Yanqing leaned closer to him, "She's my wife. Don't you care about me? Don't you even consider my master..."

"Stop! Don't mention your master!" Mo Wenzhong glared at him. No wonder this guy was so dedicated. "Fine, I'll lend you a hand."

Mo Wenzhong ordered someone to bring over a book on basic sacrificial rites, and first gave Si Yanmo a trial lesson.

To his surprise, Si Yanmo did indeed have a photographic memory, just as Zhou Yanqing had said. This made things much easier for him.

And so, one person taught, one person listened to the lecture, and one person... sneaked a bite to eat, and before they knew it, the sun had dimmed a little from east to west.

Seeing that Si Yanmo had already memorized quite a bit, Mo Wenzhong also decided to let her rest for a while.

He glanced back and saw a boy with his legs crossed and propped up on the stone table, leaning lazily against the chair and already asleep. There was only half a pear cake left next to him, lying forlornly on the plate.

"Zhou Yanqing!" Mo Wenzhong angrily grabbed a fan from the side and smacked him on the forehead. "Where's the pear cake you promised me?"

Startled awake by his knock, Zhou Yanqing sat up straight and chuckled awkwardly, "Oh dear, so stingy! I'll bring you some next time, next time!"

Seeing that Mo Wenzhong was still angry, he scratched his nose and moved next to Si Yanmo. "Um... you've learned enough, right? Then we'll go back first. I'll definitely bring you some next time!"

As he spoke, he tugged at the girl's sleeve, signaling her to run away quickly.

Watching the two figures descend the mountain, Mo Wenzhong chuckled and took a small bite of the half-eaten pear pastry.

The aroma of pear and camellia bursts forth on the lips and teeth, just like the one I ate when I was young, only this time there were no more people around.

He suddenly smiled, but the corners of his eyes were red.

The wind blew again, carrying a touch of desolation.

He murmured softly, "Zixiu, your apprentice has grown up and is married..."

As the sunlight grew thinner, Si Yanmo and Zhou Yanqing quickly returned to the Prince of Qin's residence in their carriage. Zhou Yanqing alighted from the carriage and walked alone into the backyard.

The man's back view carried a hint of loneliness, which made Si Yanmo feel that something was wrong, so she secretly followed him.