Chapter 281: Essential Techniques for the Common People [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
"Pfft—the way of the scholar?"
When Shen Tang received the bluebird, she had a mouthful of warm water in her mouth. Upon seeing the contents, she nearly spat it all out. She coughed twice and leaned closer to examine each word carefully. After several attempts, she was certain she hadn't misread it.
Lin Feng is very likely awakening the way of the scholar.
Shen Tang: "..."
Even with her limited common sense, she knew that the way of the scholar generally only emerges after one's literary heart has been condensed; she had almost never heard of anyone possessing the way of the scholar before obtaining a literary heart. Lin Feng's exception was truly an unknown omen, whether good or bad.
Ptooey!
It's definitely good!
Shen Tang's face was grim, but her heart was pounding.
Acquiring the Way of the Scholar is a good thing, but Shen Tang also has her own concerns. The ability to acquire the Way of the Scholar is related to the qualities of a scholar, the path they pursue, and what they most desire in their heart. Lin Feng is so young; does she really know what she wants to pursue in her life? In Shen Tang's opinion, it would be better to wait until her values mature before acquiring the Way of the Scholar.
But—
Since we're already here, we can't just abruptly end it.
Looking at Lin Feng, who was surrounded by almost viscous energy, Shen Tang worriedly rested her chin on her hand—if only Wu Hui were here at this moment, he would be more experienced than her and could deal with and salvage any unexpected events that might occur.
If Lin Feng were to suffer a loss of talent as a result and live with regret for the rest of his life, how could Shen Tang feel good about it?
ε=(ο｀*))) Sigh
She was so worried she was practically making memes.
Knock knock knock.
Bai Su stood outside the door and only entered the house after being granted permission. The first thing she saw was Lin Feng, who was meditating with his eyes closed, his expression peaceful and serene. Although she could not sense the presence of the energy of heaven and earth, as a martial artist, her five senses were much more acute than those of ordinary people. She vaguely felt that the atmosphere inside was more comfortable than outside, as if all the pores on her body were comfortably open, making her feel lazy and comfortable.
"Master Shen, what's wrong with Lady Lin?"
Bai Su didn't know what was wrong with Lin Feng, but her martial arts intuition made her carefully avoid him, afraid of disturbing him.
Shen Tang said, "Lin Feng has had an epiphany."
Bai Su asked curiously, "Sudden enlightenment?"
The word "white" is not unfamiliar to me.
However, this seems particularly contradictory when applied to the young Lin Feng. So-called enlightenment is a sudden realization—a realization that comes in an instant after countless lifetimes of delusion—it is also the understanding of one's true nature. Lin Feng is young, inexperienced, and lacks worldly wisdom; how could he possibly have such profound enlightenment?
But since this was what Shen Tang said, Bai Su wisely kept quiet and simply watched Lin Feng, who remained motionless, along with Shen Tang…
I don't know if it's just my imagination.
Lin Feng hadn't changed at all, but Bai Su always felt that his face was more vibrant and lively than before, with a unique temperament.
Bai Su rubbed her eyes, about to take a closer look, when she heard a casual remark that struck her like a thunderbolt. The speaker was Shen Tang.
"Yes, Wu Hui said that Lin Feng may have had an epiphany and is about to awaken the Way of the Scholar. Even if he doesn't awaken it this time, it's still equivalent to taking the most crucial step... He will eventually obtain the Way of the Scholar."
“Oh, the way of the scholar, I am listening…” Bai Su nodded subconsciously in agreement, but as soon as her mind processed what she had said and heard, she immediately stopped, her eyes widened, and her usually cold face showed an unusual loss of control, “Miss Lin, she’s not…it turns out to be Young Master Lin?”
Because her mentor died at the hands of a martial arts master, Bai Su felt deeply that heaven was unfair. Her mentor was a master of martial arts, and could be called a martial arts master of the time. However, as a woman, she could not obtain martial arts skills, but was driven to a dead end by a third-class maid who was mediocre in martial arts and only knew how to use brute force. She even went to learn about the literati and the martial arts master, and also dabbled in the so-called "way of the literati".
The possibility of acquiring the way of the scholar implies possessing literary talent, being a scholar with a literary heart, and also being male...
Bai Su was well aware of the "wickedness of the world." In this day and age, you can no longer tell the gender by looking at your face. Even God was biased to the point of favoring Lin Feng. Why did He give Lin Feng the talent of a scholar and give him a face that was even more delicate than a girl's?
Shen Tang: "..."
Hearing the transition from "Lady Lin" to "Young Master Lin," she inexplicably recalled the years when her gender was misunderstood.
Shen Tang coughed twice: "Cough cough, no."
Bai Su did not understand the meaning of the word "not".
What does "not" mean?
Shen Tang said, "Lin Feng is a woman."
Bai Su: "???"
She looked incredulous, thinking that Shen Tang was teasing her.
Shen Tang said, "Lin Feng is indeed a woman, genuine and honest, just like you and me, not a man."
Bai Su: "..."
She became increasingly certain that Shen Tang was teasing her.
His face clearly said, "I don't believe it."
Shen Tang: "..."
(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
Stereotypes and fixed mindsets are deadly.
However, Shen Tang didn't press for an explanation; time would tell. She stared intently at Lin Feng, then gulped down two more pots of water. Bai Su, also curious about the "Way of the Scholar," stayed behind, as opportunities to witness awakening firsthand were rare. They waited and waited, but instead of Lin Feng waking up, they were greeted by an "uninvited guest."
Gu Chi asked with dissatisfaction, "What do you mean by 'uninvited guest'?"
"An uninvited guest is an uninvited guest, and I wasn't wrong." When it comes to arguing, Shen Tang is practically a walking, talking ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) machine, and Gu Chi can't gain any advantage in this regard. "Let's not talk about that for now. Since you're here, can you help me see if Lin Feng will be alright after maintaining this state for almost three hours?"
Gu Chi merely glanced at it.
He said, "No problem."
Shen Tang hesitated: "Are you sure there's no problem?"
Gu Chi: "Everyone awakens the Way of the Scholar in a different way, but without exception, before awakening, they will all trigger a high resonance with the Qi of Heaven and Earth in a small area. The longer the resonance lasts, the stronger the ability of the Way of the Scholar they acquire..."
"Like Lin Feng... three hours?"
Gu Chi said, "I have six hours."
After getting extremely drunk, he woke up with a hangover and found his head was about to explode, with all sorts of random noises flooding his brain.
Shen Tang: "..."
In just six hours, he awakened a scholar's way of "mind reading"... Shen Tang had reservations about Gu Chi's statement that "the longer the resonance time, the stronger the scholar's way ability is obtained."
Gu Chi: "...I heard everything."
Shen Tang awkwardly and guiltily looked away. Gu Chi continued, "However, as a woman, Lin Feng is one of only two female scholars in the world, so the situation might be different. Does my lord remember what your situation was like before?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Tang could only roll her eyes.
Isn't Gu Chi asking a question he already knows the answer to?
She remembered nothing. She only learned about the coffin waking up and being forced into marriage by the Shen family along with Gu Chi. She knew nothing about when literary spirit and mind emerged, when the way of the literati came into being, or when the way of the literati evolved into the way of the feudal lords.
Naturally, it is not a reliable reference.
Gu Chi listened to this part of his heartfelt words and sighed.
He took out several items from his sleeve.
A small booklet and a small calligraphy brush.
He picked up his pen and said to Shen Tang, "May I borrow some water to dip it in?"
Shen Tang: "..."
Gu Chi picked up his brush and, with a few quick strokes, produced perfectly standard small regular script, truthfully recording Lin Feng's situation.
This is valuable material; I'll use it as a reference later.
Shen Tang craned her neck to see what he had written down, while Gu Chi was busy swiping through his notes. Both of them ignored Bai Su Niangzi on the side.
until--
The pair of long-tasseled swords fell from their hands and clattered to the ground. Only then did Shen Tang and the other person turn to look.
Bai Su murmured, "Lin Feng... young lady?"
Gu Chi said, "That's right."
Bai Su: "!!!"
Gu Chi knew Bai Su wouldn't be able to accept it immediately; he had experience with this, so he didn't mock her. The facts were there; she had no choice but to believe them. Unless Lin Feng awakened the Way of the Scholar and conveniently changed his gender as well—
Bai Su stared blankly at her own palms.
He murmured in a daze, "But, but she is a woman..."
But now we must awaken the way of the scholar?
Professional terms related to "literary mind and scholar" or "martial courage and warrior" have never been associated with women. Bai Su accepted her fate in the face of reality, because she was a woman.
Now they're telling her that women can actually have a literary heart, and can even awaken the way of the scholar that most literary scholars don't have... right in front of her, just three steps away!
Bai Su's expression was completely blank at this moment.
Her mind was a jumbled mess, completely unsure where to begin untangling her myriad thoughts—her inner turmoil was so chaotic that Gu Chi subconsciously frowned.
They appear indifferent, but are actually on guard.
If Bai Su were to take any extreme actions and attempt to sabotage Lin Feng's awakening of the scholar's path, he would immediately take action to nip it in the bud.
Bai Su felt dazed and confused, and inexplicably felt thirsty. She reached out to pour herself some water, but her hands were already shaking like leaves.
finally--
Clang!
The teapot slipped from her hand, spilling tea onto the low table, wetting her clothes and scalding her skin. It was this scalding heat that snapped her out of her daze. Her breathing quickened, and she asked the question she most wanted to know at that moment.
Why?
After asking the question, Bai Su's eyes reddened slightly, and her chest pounded wildly, so loudly that her eardrums could barely hear anything else.
For a moment, she didn't know whether to feel jealous first or to burst into tears first—her mentor, who possessed superb martial arts skills and had given her a second chance at life, had died at the hands of a third-rate warrior, not because he was less skilled, but simply because he lacked the courage to fight...
Was it because my mentor wasn't talented enough?
Or is it because...
Bai Su could not control herself at all. Countless chaotic thoughts rushed in at this moment, like the forked tongue of a venomous snake, the cold light flashing in its eyes, the flickering flames of the campfire... stirring her emotions and shaking her beliefs.
Bai Su's thoughts were no secret to Gu Chi, and he knew exactly how to answer to get the greatest reward.
"Because only our Lord has acknowledged the woman."
Those reddened, affectionate eyes gazed at Gu Chi.
I don't understand what that means.
Gu Chi didn't keep them in suspense, and asked in return, "Looking back over the past two hundred years, have you ever seen a general pass the position to his daughter?"
The imperial seal, a symbol of power, has been passed down only among male heirs for over two hundred years, and even longer. Therefore, there have been no female scholars or writers—it's that simple. Before knowing the truth, Gu Chi hadn't realized this was the answer.
Bai Su: "..."
However, she didn't have time to think about anything else, because Lin Feng's actions temporarily attracted the full attention of the three of them.
The almost viscous energy of heaven and earth surrounding Lin Feng gradually seeped into her skin with each breath, flowing through her meridians and nourishing every corner of her body, finally converging in one place—this was the undeveloped Dan Palace!
The energy of heaven and earth gradually gathers from the small puddle into a clear pool. Just looking at it makes one feel cool all over and clear-headed.
In a daze, Lin Feng felt herself transform into a gentle breeze, blowing across thousands of miles of golden wheat fields, then into rain, quietly watching the fish and shrimp swimming in the vast expanse of blue water. Then, she found herself sitting amidst soft clouds, beneath which lay a land of peace and prosperity!
The more I looked at her, the more I longed for her.
I want to get closer to see it more clearly...
She kept trying to catch up, but before she knew it, she had fallen headfirst into the lake, plummeting straight down from the clouds into the vast expanse of blue water, where countless currents engulfed her... Lin Feng was caught off guard and choked on a mouthful of water before suddenly remembering that he was not a good swimmer!
Her heart skipped a beat.
Suddenly I opened my eyes—
Where are there drowning incidents?
There wasn't a single wet spot on my clothes.
The first person Lin Feng saw when he opened his eyes was Shen Tang. Before his brain could even process what was happening, his body had already lunged at her for any comfort. Shen Tang looked at the frightened Lin Feng, raised her eyes suspiciously, and asked Gu Chi with her gaze.
Is this normal?
Gu Chi did not answer.
Once Lin Feng had calmed down, he asked in a rare gentle tone, "Lin Feng, do you know what your path as a scholar is?"
Except in special circumstances, once a scholar has successfully awakened, he will know the true nature of his scholarly path.
Lin Feng was stumped by the question.
"Literature, the way of the scholar?"
She doesn't even have literary talent, so how could she be a scholar...? Just as this thought arose in Lin Feng's mind, an extremely natural yet slightly incongruous thought welled up in his heart.
After hearing it clearly, she was stunned.
Gu Chi did not force him.
He has had similar experiences and knows that such emotions need time to buffer and process: "Don't rush, think about it slowly."
Lin Feng raised his hand to cover his forehead.
I frowned as I tried to sort out the sudden influx of information.
After a long pause, he finally said, "It seems...there is..."
Gu Chi: "What is it?"
Lin Feng hesitated and said, "Is it... the Essential Techniques for the Common People?"
She hadn't even successfully opened her Dantian, let alone condensed her literary heart. As for the Way of the Scholar, it was "a legendary existence." She didn't even know if what she had was the Way of the Scholar, as it was slightly different from the examples her teacher had mentioned before.
Therefore, they hesitated.
Gu Chi: "The common people need techniques?"
Lin Feng nodded, saying uncertainly, "They said something like... everything has its time, every place has its advantage, and that you shouldn't go against the farming season, but follow the natural order and take advantage of the land to achieve more with less effort... I don't really understand..."
Gu Chi knew: "This is an agricultural book."
It seems that Chu Yao's plan has succeeded.
The incantations on the Thief Star are countless, and even after more than two hundred years, many mysteries remain unsolved. Because the Imperial Seal is scattered, the incantations on it are also quite fragmented. Gu Chi had only occasionally seen two incomplete chapters of this "Essential Techniques for the Common People."
However, it had little effect.
Gu Chi said, “The common people have no hidden treasures. The common people are the ordinary people. It is indeed an agricultural book that enables the common people to obtain the skills to ‘make a living’. However, the words are scattered and disordered. If your way of being a scholar is related to this agricultural book, then there will be some trouble.”
Uェ*U
It's almost the end of the month, please vote with your monthly tickets!
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
