Chapter 46 Opening a gap to the 'Netherworld'!
The teacher invited by Imperial Master Xuanyi was named Zhou, a pedantic scholar over fifty years old, his hair and beard white. Master Zhou was a man who valued etiquette above all else, boasting that his students were well-educated and well-mannered, even if they hadn't achieved the highest level of scholarship.
He originally thought that the person the Imperial Master had asked him to teach, even if he was not a gifted young man, should at least be a well-behaved and sensible lady from a noble family.
As a result, on the first day of class, Mr. Zhou deeply realized what it meant that "life is full of surprises."
"Master Zhou, Master Zhou!" Ah Jiu sat upright on a small stool, his big eyes twinkling, full of curiosity. "You said the sky is round and the earth is flat, so is the ground beneath our feet flat? If we walk to the edge of the ground, will we fall? If we fall, where will we fall? To another place, or to the sky?"
Master Zhou stroked his beard and was about to explain the profound meaning of the "Gaitian Theory" by citing classics when Ah Jiu fired a barrage of new questions:
"Also, there are so many stars in the sky. They come out at night, but where do they go during the day? Will they bump into each other? If they do, will they fall and hit someone? If they hit me, will it hurt?"
"And that sun? It's so bright and hot, even from so far away. If we were any closer, wouldn't we all be roasted to death? When Houyi shot down the suns, why didn't he shoot down the last one as well? Leaving one behind would be so dangerous!"
Master Zhou: “…”
He felt like his brain was surrounded by a swarm of bees, buzzing. These questions… These questions, he'd been teaching for decades, and no student had ever asked! This girl's train of thought was even more twisted than the winding Yellow River!
He tried to bring the topic back to the Three Character Classic: "Miss Jiu, today we will first learn 'When a person is born, his nature is good'..."
"Master, is human nature really good at birth?" Ah Jiu interrupted immediately, his brows slightly furrowed, and he looked like he was thinking seriously. "My master said that some people are born bad, with evil hearts in their bones, and no matter how you teach them, they can't be taught well. So, is their nature still good? If goodness is their nature, then why do they become bad? Is it because they ate something bad, or because they were infected by bad people?"
Master Zhou opened his mouth and found himself speechless.
This girl...
After a morning of classes, Master Zhou not only failed to get Ah Jiu to memorize a few verses, but was also completely bewildered by her wild and bizarre questions. He almost forgot his own last name. He walked out of Ah Jiu's yard with a shaky step, and for the first time, he began to doubt his own teaching ability.
As for Ah Jiu, although she had given Master Zhou a lot of trouble, she herself found the class quite interesting. Although all the "zhihuzheya" (contextual questions) still made her feel sleepy, being able to leave Master speechless gave her a strange sense of accomplishment.
Especially when Master Zhou accidentally mentioned ancient books of strange stories such as "Classic of Mountains and Seas" and "Records of the In search of the supernatural", Jiu seemed to have opened the door to a new world. Her eyes widened and she pestered Master Zhou to tell her the stories in the books.
"Master, Master, why did the Jingwei bird want to fill the sea? Was it because the fish in the sea were not tasty, so it wanted to fill the sea to grow crops and catch field mice to eat?"
Master Zhou stroked his forehead and sighed, feeling that he was not here to teach, but to perform stand-up comedy.
"And that Xing Tian? Even with his head chopped off, he can still fight. How amazing! His eyes are in his belly button. If he eats too much, will his eyes burst?"
Imperial Master Xuan Yi was passing by the window, and upon hearing Ah Jiu's "brilliant remarks," he nearly stumbled and fell. He was now incredibly thankful that he hadn't agreed to accept Ah Jiu as his disciple, otherwise, his Imperial Master's Mansion would have been demolished by this girl's "wild ideas" sooner or later.
In the Regent's Palace, Xiao Yu's staff worked tirelessly for several days and finally deciphered more key information from those seemingly chaotic symbols and metaphors.
"Your Highness, according to the latest interpretation," an aide reported solemnly, "the 'Jingzhe Lu' mentions that their intention to sacrifice the Crown Prince isn't simply to create chaos or assassinate him. They appear to be attempting to exploit the Crown Prince's 'Purple Star Fate'. On the day of the 'Grand Prayer Ceremony,' using the power of specific astrological signs and a secret treasure known as the 'Tears of the Stars,' they will forcibly open a rift to the 'Netherworld'!"
"The Netherworld Crack?" Xiao Yu's brows knitted tightly together. "What do you mean?"
"According to records, this 'Tears of the Stars' is an unholy artifact left behind by a previous dynasty. It's said to contain powerful stellar power, but also carries an ominous curse. The 'Night Owl Alliance' appears to be hoping to combine the pure yang energy of the 'Purple Star' with the sinister yin power of the 'Tears of the Stars' through sacrifice, thereby tearing space apart and drawing the 'Aura of the Netherworld' into the mortal world. They seem to believe this will grant them some powerful power, perhaps even... subverting the entire order of the mortal world."
This speculation is too horrifying. If it is true, then the plot of the "Night Owl Alliance" is simply insane!
After receiving the latest information from Xiao Yu, the Imperial Master Xuan Yi's expression became extremely ugly.
Bringing the "ghostly energy" into the world? This has already gone beyond the scope of mundane struggle.
He immediately locked himself in his study and began frantically reading through the dusty ancient books in the Imperial Master's Mansion. Most of these books were left behind by successive Imperial Masters, and contained many unknown forbidden techniques and knowledge about astrology and sacrifices.
Sure enough, in a tattered ancient scroll bound with animal skins, the national teacher Xuan Yi found sporadic records about the "Tears of the Stars".
Ancient scrolls reveal that the "Tears of the Stars" are not a possession of Dayin, but rather a sacred ritual artifact passed down centuries ago from a fallen ancient kingdom in the Western Regions. It's said to be able to focus starlight and trigger strange phenomena in the heavens and the earth. However, if the user possesses unrighteous intentions, they could easily bring disaster upon themselves, even bringing about catastrophic destruction. The scrolls also allude to the possibility that this object is linked to the opening of a "space rift."
In another book on royal sacrifices, the imperial preceptor Xuan Yi discovered that the location and construction of the altar for the "Grand Prayer Ceremony" were in line with some ancient star formation, and seemed to have the function of gathering the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and communicating with "Heaven".
If the "Night Owl Alliance" really gets hold of the "Tears of the Stars" and takes advantage of the "Grand Prayer Ceremony" and the special fate of the Crown Prince, the consequences will be unimaginable!
The task of protecting the Crown Prince has become more urgent.
Xiao Yu personally entered the palace and informed the emperor of the seriousness of the situation. The emperor was horrified and immediately ordered the regent to take full responsibility for the crown prince's security. He also mobilized the imperial guards to protect the Eastern Palace like an iron barrel.
The Queen Mother was quite displeased when she learned that her grandson was suddenly surrounded by many "ferocious" imperial guards, and that even his daily play was restricted. She summoned Xiao Yu and the Imperial Preceptor Xuan Yi. Although she did not directly accuse them, her words hinted at the idea of "Are you making a big deal out of nothing and disturbing my grandson?"
"I know you're doing this for the good of the Emperor's grandson," the Queen Mother said, slowly fiddling with her Buddhist beads. "But Chen'er is still young, and being surrounded by the aura of war all day might frighten him. Furthermore, the palace is heavily guarded. How dare those scoundrels act so recklessly beneath the Emperor's feet?"
Xiao Yu said in a deep voice, "Queen Dowager, this is a serious matter. The Night Owl Alliance is ruthless and insane, so we must be on high alert."
Imperial Preceptor Xuan Yi also added, "Your Majesty the Queen Mother, I have divined that the Crown Prince faces a grave calamity. If we slack off even in the slightest, it could lead to a catastrophe."
The Queen Mother listened to their serious words and didn't know what to say. She just said calmly, "Forget it, you can do whatever you want. But don't be too ostentatious, or you'll cause panic in the palace."
Imperial Preceptor Xuan Yi and Xiao Yu exchanged a glance, both understanding that the Queen Mother had tacitly approved of their actions, but a sense of caution also grew in their hearts. The Queen Mother's attitude was far too unusual.
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