Debts stretch to the vast northern sea, a single flute echoes from the southern sky. ...
After the two left, Yan Huanyue continued practicing her swordsmanship in front of the Shattered Jade Waterfall.
Only when a sliver of golden light appeared in the east did she sheathe her sword and, with trembling hands, painstakingly perform a cleansing incantation to purify herself.
A few people were scattered around the dining hall. Yan Huanyue quickly finished her meal and rushed to Xinzizhai, where she found that almost everyone had arrived.
Gu Yuxiao and Han Shuangying were adding tea and snacks to the lecture hall. According to the rule of giving a lecture every six days, Elder Feng was the one who came to Xinzizhai to give a reading session today.
Yan Huanyue felt a sudden tightness in her scalp.
Before Elder Feng gave his lecture, he would randomly select someone to recite or explain what they had recently learned. As a result, Yan Huanyue would always feel so much pressure that she couldn't sleep whenever he came to Xinzizhai to give his lecture.
She quickly ground the ink and had just spread out the scriptures when someone got up. She immediately stood up as well, bowed her head, made a hand seal, and said, "Good morning, Elder Feng."
A tall, slender man in blue robes walked slowly in from outside the door. When he reached the back of the lecture hall, he made a hand gesture and said, "Good morning, everyone. Please be seated. Jiang Yan, recite the third chapter of 'Zhou You Tian'. Zhou Jiao, explain the meaning of each sentence."
Yan Huanyue secretly breathed a sigh of relief, turned to "Zhou You Tian" which talks about the soul, and followed others' recitation and interpretation, writing on her clean new book.
Everyone in the study kept their heads down, and there was not a sound except for the two people. When Zhou Jiao's explanation suddenly stopped, the study became even quieter, like a nightmare.
Yan Huanyue lowered her head again, when suddenly a cold, thunderous voice rang out, "Yan Huanyue, 'The vast northern sea stretches wide, a flute sounds from the southern sky,' what is the meaning of this?"
The book "Zhou You Tian" covers various aspects such as spiritual energy, spiritual power, spiritual sea, spiritual veins, spiritual platform, and divine soul. The whole book is profound and difficult to understand, and it is recognized as a difficult book for outer disciples.
Yan Huanyue's study of "Zhou You Tian" was insufficient, and her impression of it was not deep. Therefore, even during the three years she spent in the cellar, constantly recalling what she had learned, she could hardly remember the contents of "Zhou You Tian".
But he could only glance at Zhou Jiao, who was clutching his clothes and blushing, before forcing himself to stand up and, connecting it to the previous annotations, explain: "It means... a clear and pure mind requires condensing the essence of the spiritual sea and channeling it through the spiritual veins to cleanse it..."
With a "pfft," someone burst into laughter.
Yan Huanyue resignedly raised her head and looked at Feng Ye's indifferent expression. She suddenly felt that being able to feel this pressure again was already a blessing from heaven. Her lack of understanding and ability was only temporary, so there was nothing to be afraid of. She would definitely study hard this time.
Thinking about this, I feel somewhat at ease.
Feng Ye continued to call on people, "Mu Huage, you speak."
The young man in the first row, dressed in jade, stood up and slowly said, "Senior Sister Yan just said the exact opposite. This sentence means that when the spiritual sea is stagnant, the spiritual platform needs to be clear to guide it around."
This sentence is a warning to us not only to value the spiritual sea and spiritual veins, but also to pay attention to cultivating our own soul. Even if we are trapped in a desperate situation, the flute of Tiannan can still summon unknown, towering waves from beneath the sea.
"Jiang Yan and Mu Huage, recite the explanations. You two, take your books and stand at the back to clear your heads."
Yan Huanyue stood by the window behind her study, holding her brush and ink, and circled the line "The vast northern sea is boundless, and a flute sounds from the southern sky" in her mind, continuing to record its meaning.
They stood there listening to the lecture until the break half an hour later, when they were finally able to return to their desks to review what they had learned.
But just as he walked behind the table and sat down cross-legged, he heard someone say from afar:
"Why has Senior Sister Yan suddenly started studying so diligently? Senior Sister can just pretend to fool us, but don't fool yourself too. What if you study for a long time and don't learn anything good or bad, and then you can't accept it and start making a fuss?"
Yan Huanyue knew it was Zhou Jiao without even looking up. They had both lost face earlier, and he probably still cared about what others thought, so he wanted to start a new topic to tease her so that everyone would only laugh at her.
Who isn't laughed at behind their back? Who doesn't laugh at others behind their back?
Ultimately, only you will remember your own shameful deeds and the ridicule you receive. Others don't have the energy to keep other people's affairs in their hearts, so if you have the energy, it's best to settle things face to face.
As she added notes, she casually remarked, "Junior Brother Zhou was so flustered just now that he couldn't utter a single word, but now he's talking non-stop. If you like instructing others so much, why don't you sit at the lecture table?"
She paused, looked up at Zhou Jiao with a blink, and said with a sincere, half-smiling expression, "Oh, my bad. What kind of talk is this? If someone like you were to give a lecture, I wonder how many people you would ruin."
Yan Huanyue wasn't one to talk back easily. Zhou Jiao, who had been casually leaning against the desk as usual, suddenly stood up straight upon hearing this, pointing directly at her and angrily saying:
"You joined the sect earlier, so I called you 'Senior Sister' and joked around with you. If you can't take the joke, fine. Who do you think you are? You dare to judge me!"
Some people are like that; they care a lot about their image and their own feelings. They find it fun to poke at other people's sore spots, but they can't stand it when it's their turn.
Originally, only a few people who were close to him were smiling and watching him. But now that the commotion started, everyone in the entire temple looked over, and even those in the outer courtyard came back.
Jiang Yan, who was sitting in the second seat of the first row, advised, "Senior sisters and brothers, please don't quarrel. We are all from the same dormitory. If word gets out, people will laugh at us."
With more people around, Zhou Jiao became even more arrogant, unwilling to back down or listen to Jiang Yan's advice. He pushed aside those around him, strode to Yan Huanyue's desk, and glared at her, saying, "Apologize and admit your mistake!"
A large figure loomed over the desk, making her appear exceptionally petite as she bent over her writing.
Yan Huanyue picked up her brush, dipped it in ink, and steadily wrote words on the page. She gently comforted her, "I'm so sorry, my words just now reopened your wounds."
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, her nonchalant attitude and words nearly drove Zhou Jiao to his death with anger. He slammed his hand down, and with a loud "bang," wood chips flew from the desk and the inkstone shattered.
Her eyes were slightly cold. She threw down her pen, stood up, grabbed Zhou Jiao's collar, and slammed him into the table full of sharp wooden splinters.
The thorns on his back dug into his flesh, causing him to contort in pain and his breathing to become shallow.
Amid the cracking sound, Yan Huanyue vaguely heard someone whispering not far away, "It's just a small matter, why is Senior Sister Yan being so sarcastic?"
Yan Huanyue couldn't help but sigh. If a person always tolerates and remains silent, then everyone will assume that you should tolerate it. But as soon as you start to refute, then in everyone's eyes, you are the one who disrupts the harmony.
Han Shuangying, who was serving tea in the quiet room, rushed over upon hearing the commotion and asked, "What's going on between you two?"
Yan Huanyue stood up and brushed her clothes. "When Junior Brother Zhou saw me taking notes, he said I shouldn't be working so hard. I also said that if he were to become an instructor, he would ruin the students. Junior Brother Zhou then smashed my table. I couldn't help myself and that's why I knocked him down."
Han Shuangying asked, "Junior Brother Zhou, is that so?"
Zhou Jiao coughed a few times and got up. Enduring the pain, he gritted his teeth and looked at Yan Huanyue. With so many people in the hall, he dared not lie to Han Shuangying. He could only say, "I was joking, but Senior Sister Yan insulted me and threw me into the case room."
Han Shuangying's gaze fell on the onlookers.
A younger junior sister accidentally met her gaze and could only stammer, "It was just a little argument, who knew it would escalate into a fight? But with Senior Sister Yan's cultivation, she was just angry. How could she really hurt Junior Brother Zhou?"
There are three versions of the same story. Han Shuangying did not make a judgment on the spot, but instead asked, "This is a matter between the two of you. I'm being punished by speaking first. The one who spoke first about the fellow disciples' suppression and ridicule must hand in ten copies of the hall rules to me by this time tomorrow. Now, let's talk about a solution. What are your respective demands, and how do you want this matter resolved?"
Yan Huanyue smiled and said at the right moment, "He smashed my desk, and I want his desk back. As for how to resolve it, it's just a little argument. As long as he returns the desk and inkstone, I won't pursue the matter any further."
The most taboo thing within a sect is infighting among fellow disciples. Yan Huanyue first established herself as magnanimous and tolerant. Zhou Jiao had no idea that beneath the face of the woman who had just thrown him into the wooden splinter and then secretly pressed him down to his death, there was such a benevolent appearance.
Zhou Jiao knew perfectly well why this happened. After smashing the desk, he calmed down a bit and regretted talking to someone like her.
Once Yan Huanyue backed down, even if he wanted to make a scene, he wouldn't dare to do so in front of Han Shuangying, and he certainly wouldn't leave himself any dignity. He could only grit his teeth and follow suit, saying, "It's just a desk. I won't bother with a shallow woman."
Han Shuangying glanced at him lightly, and Zhou Jiao's heart skipped a beat. He immediately changed his words, saying, "I mean, I don't mind either."
Han Shuangying said coolly, "The Zhou family of Xiling rose to power because of a woman, and now the head of the family is also a woman. Junior Brother Zhou, as a member of a collateral branch, has benefited a lot from this. You should keep some things to yourself."
Upon recalling the current head of the Zhou family, Zhou Jiao's face instantly turned pale.
He even temporarily put aside his argument with Yan Huanyue, and said only, "Yes, Senior Sister Han, I just misspoke in a moment of anger, it was by no means my intention."
Han Shuangying instructed him to pick up all of Yan Huanyue's books and put them on his desk, and after the morning classes, to hand over the compensation for the damaged desk to the Yulu Department of Zhijing Hall.
When he went to return the book, he thought Yan Huanyue would be somewhat gloating, but he saw her calmly take the book with both hands without giving him a single glance.
With a dark expression, Zhou Jiao ordered a few people to move the smashed desk out. Then, with a clatter, he moved his writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstone, and books to the back seat and sat down with the others. He didn't say a word all morning.
Shortly after the noon bell rang, several people left with Zhou Jiao, whose face had turned pale. After a while, only Yan Huanyue and Mu Huage remained in the study.
As Yan Huanyue was silently memorizing the chapters, Mu Huage, who was not far away, stood up and asked, "Senior Sister Yan... do you still remember the broken jade hairpin you bought in the town a while ago after you went down the mountain to help the villagers with spring plowing?"
Yan Huanyue has always been frugal. Before receiving the dowry from the sect leader in her previous life, the monthly allowance from Changqing Palace was only enough for her to eat and drink within the sect and buy two or three sets of clothes each season. That was all she had.
Therefore, her jewelry box was extremely poor. Apart from the hairbands that the clothing store gave her when she bought clothes, she only had one or two hairpins that could be called hair ornaments. So she always tried to decorate her long hair with hairbands in different ways.
Mu Huage was probably asking about the jade hairpin she wore in her hair on the day she was reborn.
She nodded, looking at Mu Huage with curiosity.
Seeing her like this, Mu Huage stiffened. After a long while, he forced a smile and said, "A hairpin, along with the earrings you're wearing now, my brother paid a total of five hundred coins for you that day. You said you'd pay him back the day before yesterday..."
Yan Huanyue sighed, realizing she still owed money. She quickly said, "I'm so sorry, Junior Brother Mu, I really forgot yesterday. I'll go back and get it now."
Debt collection is always a difficult task. Mu Huage had been forced to take on this job by his older brother and had kept it on his mind for several days. Now that he had asked about it, he felt a little relieved.
"No rush, Senior Sister Yan, let's eat first. I'll give it to you when I have time this afternoon. I'm going to the dining hall now."
Mu Huage's elder brother, Mu Huaci, is a disciple of Elder Jiang Xian of Wenshitang. He usually leads the team out of the mountains for things like spring and autumn farming.
Reminded by Mu Huage, she quickly remembered that she had borrowed money to buy the hair ornament and earrings.
However, before returning to the mountain that day, she had spent several days plowing the land with her spiritual energy, and only wanted to go back to sleep as soon as possible, but Yu Zhao took her to a Jin Yu Lou.
He held up many hairpins and ornaments, comparing them to her temples, while the shopkeeper praised them to the skies. Yan Huanyue blushed and felt a sense of anticipation.
In the end, he chose a gold hairpin, saying it was a birthday gift for his mother, then said with a hint of difficulty, "I'm afraid the money I brought is only enough to buy this hairpin..."
The shop assistant immediately pointed to a hairpin that had just been tried on and recommended it: "This hairpin is made of pure silver and has a jade pendant. It would be very suitable for a young lady to wear. Yesterday, we also made a pair of small jade beads to make earrings. Since they were leftover materials, there were some cracks in the workmanship. The original price was five taels, but today we will give it to you for five hundred coins."
The shopkeeper naturally thought that even the worst person who could afford a gold hairpin wouldn't be short of five hundred coins. Five hundred coins could buy something worth at least three to five taels of silver, so the customer would consider coming to him first next time he wanted to buy a gold hairpin for his young lady.
But Yu Zhao didn't respond. The shop assistant looked at her; she was the one who had come to try on the hairpins, and she was also the one with a shy expression.
She was so embarrassed that she didn't know what to say to her companions. She immediately went to search the treasure pouch and found that she had almost used up all the money she had brought down the mountain.
Mu Huaci, who had come to find them to return to the mountain, listened to half of what they said and assumed that she wanted to buy it herself. However, since the two of them did not have enough money, he took out five hundred coins for her without saying a word. She kept refusing, but he assumed that she wanted to buy it but was too embarrassed to say so, and he forced her to buy it.
Fearing that it might cause Yu Zhao to misunderstand, she made a point of repeatedly reminding Yu Zhao in front of her: "Remember to return it when you get back. You know that your senior brother Mu lives a frugal life and has to take care of your junior brother Mu. He can only buy old tea leaves when he buys tea, and he has to brew four pots of water at a time before he can bear to throw them away."
But later, on the night Tan Guiyi barged into the bridal chamber, the gold hairpin was in her hair.
Yan Huanyue looked down at the pages of the book and couldn't help but think of the day she bought the hairpin, which was the same day she received the news that Tan Guiyi was coming to Tianyan Sect.
Yu Zhao probably did intend to buy it for her when he first took her there, but as for why...
He probably couldn't believe at that time that he was someone who could fall in love with someone else despite his own marriage contract, so he wanted to find some certainty in her.
But in the end, he couldn't resist his true feelings, and at that time, his greatest desire was naturally for Tan Guiyi.
So even his fiancée, whom he couldn't get rid of, became repulsive to him. He was even less willing to please her, and it would be best if he didn't even give her a smile to show his loyalty. But this would only make him look weak and incompetent in the face of wanting something but having no choice.
He wouldn't blame himself, he would only blame the woman.
Whether it was the golden hairpin, the wedding, or offering her as a sacrifice, in his love rivalry with Tan Guiyi, Yan Huanyue was always just an obstacle to their love.
That was really bad luck; thankfully, I kicked it.
A note from the author:
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