Chapter 556: Meritorious Teaching, Extraordinary Phenomenon in the Literary Palace [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
The most bewildered people present were neither Qi Shan and the young scholar, nor even Shen Tang, who was still unaware of what was happening, but rather the common people standing outside the hall, witnessing the auspicious spectacle yet unable to utter a sound. Beneath the sky, auspicious clouds and mist billowed, creating a magnificent spectacle.
It was a truly magnificent sight!
However, this scene did not last long.
It gradually dissipated after three to five breaths.
The onlookers were on high alert and dared not act recklessly again.
I wonder who started it...
Some people in the crowd knelt down, and then the rest of the crowd followed suit, kneeling down in unison like wheat, leaving Shen Tang completely bewildered. Although she had appeared dashing, heroic, and charming today, this was hardly necessary.
The existence of supernatural forces in this world naturally leads people to believe more in divine will. This magnificent scene that unfolded after Shen Tang's judgment inevitably connects the two. Even Heaven itself agrees that Shen Jun's judgment was correct, so the only ones at fault must be the old woman's family!
In fact, this is indeed related to Shen Tang.
But the person involved was still kept in the dark.
All she saw was the common people looking up at the sky.
What does that mean?
Shen Tang looked at Gu Chi.
Huh?
Where is Wangchao?
Upon closer inspection, Ning Yan was also gone.
A quick glance revealed that the two had somehow lost their composure and had slipped outside, joining the ranks of those looking up.
The two men had different expressions, but both looked equally eerie and unsettling to Shen Tang: "Wait, what are you guys doing?"
Shen Tang also wanted to join in the fun.
But by the time she arrived, the strange phenomenon had disappeared.
Are there airplanes in the sky?
He shielded the view with his hands: "Did a UFO fly by?"
She looked at it from all angles but couldn't figure it out. She just felt that the sky was exceptionally clear, the clouds were gone, and the sun was shining brightly.
At this moment, the unfamiliar young scholar beside Qi Shan lowered his head, looked at her in surprise, and said, "Didn't you feel anything just now, Lord Shen?"
Shen Tang had noticed him and Qi Shan earlier.
The two were tugging at each other, and judging from their behavior, they seemed to be friends, so I politely asked, "How did it feel? Did anything happen just now?"
Seeing that Shen Tang's expression didn't seem fake, the young scholar's expression grew even stranger, his face changing repeatedly, making one suspect he had learned the art of face-changing. Shen Tang couldn't help but glance at Qi Shan out of the corner of his eye, thinking to himself—is your friend's facial nerve damaged?
Gu Chi pressed his fist to his lips, barely managing to suppress a laugh.
"Just now, there was a strange movement in the heavens and earth."
Although it lasted for a very short time, it was indeed an auspicious omen.
"Strange activity?" Shen Tang's almond-shaped eyes widened. "What does it look like?"
She didn't see anything, isn't that a huge loss?
“Shen Jun, that must have been caused by you.”
The young man's expression was complicated.
Does it matter what an auspicious omen looks like?
The important thing is who caused it.
Shen Tang pointed to himself: "Me?"
He nodded: "Your teachings have been effective, and Heaven and Earth will respond."
Shen Tang: "...???"
In this world, auspicious omens are never a rare commodity, but they're not as common as cabbages on the street either. In layman's terms, it means that what Heaven likes and approves of will be blessed with auspicious omens as a form of affirmation. Auspicious omens also come in different kinds.
Shen Tang is an "auspicious omen for moral education".
Having traveled all over the country for so many years, the young scholar had heard of two such incidents, but this was the only one he had actually witnessed in person.
Scholars and warriors bathed in auspicious light will all benefit, whether it be nourishing their limbs and bones, strengthening their literary mind and martial courage, breaking through bottlenecks, or suddenly realizing the way of the scholar. Some will even be promoted beyond their usual level.
Warriors with martial prowess are promoted, while scholars with literary talent are elevated in rank.
Of course, those are one in a million lucky ones.
Even ordinary people who cannot cultivate, and who cannot feel the nourishment of the auspicious aura, can still gain some benefits—as if their acupoints, which had been obscured by filth, have been opened up. However, this effect is not permanent and will disappear over time.
A clear mind and calm spirit bring peace of mind and tranquility.
Shen Tang scratched his head, trying to recall what he had said: "Merit in educating others? When? Is it that saying, 'A kind word warms the heart for three winter months, while a harsh word chills the heart for six summer months'? There's nothing special about that saying..."
Before he could finish speaking, his head suddenly felt heavy.
"Holy crap—"
That familiar feeling is back!
Shen Tang closed her eyes and fell forward.
Qi Shan and Gu Chi were used to this; their lord was loose-lipped and had misused incantations more than once, and they would get used to it eventually. But this time, they exchanged a glance and both saw a fleeting look of surprise in each other's eyes.
Why didn't you remove their literary flair?
Gu Chi handed Shen Tang over to Ning Yan, who had never experienced anything like this before and looked worried: "What's wrong with my lord?"
"She's asleep."
Gu Chi took Shen Tang's pulse.
He had expected his meridians to be empty, but they were actually filled with a solid interplay of literary and martial energy. His slightest attempt to probe them was met with a gentle but firm repulsion from both. He added, "This is strange. My lord's meridians are full, and his dantian shows no signs of depletion..."
It looks like a good thing no matter how you look at it.
He was used to being used as a portable power bank by his lord, so he was a little unaccustomed to not being of any use this time...
Qi Shan said, "Quickly summon Wu Hui and the others back."
Gu Chi: "Mm."
The old woman's family's affairs were left to Ning Yan to handle—the lord's silence was still uncertain and needed to be lifted to avoid causing panic—Qi Shan was responsible for protecting Shen Tang, tacitly allowing the young scholar to follow, and Gu Chi sent a message to all his subordinates via Qingniao.
Upon receiving the message, Chu Yao dared not delay for even a moment.
"How is our lord?"
As soon as Dr. Dong came out of the room, he said, “Mr. Shen’s pulse is steady and strong, and there is nothing abnormal. You can all rest assured.”
Xun Zhen arrived at this moment.
"Where is our lord?"
Kang Shi said, "He's asleep inside."
The scholars, with their keen senses, could hear Shen Tang's soft snoring and occasional murmurs and teeth grinding even through the door. If Gu Chi hadn't sent the message, they wouldn't have believed their lord had fainted again for no apparent reason. Having come all this way, they waited patiently outside.
This wait lasted for a full six hours!
Forced to listen to Shen Tang's incoherent and fragmented ramblings in his sleep.
There seemed to be no major problems, so everyone was relieved and had time to pay attention to the unfamiliar faces among the acquaintances.
The young scholar lied with a smile: "I have long admired Mr. Shen. I received a message from Yuanliang a while ago and came here."
Those who knew Qi Shan's true nature on social media were speechless.
Qi Shan: "..."
He's not, he didn't do it, he's innocent!
Seeing Qi Shan's pained expression, the young scholar felt a surge of relief: "What's wrong? Yuanliang actually dislikes me?"
Qi Shan: "..."
No, he thought the lord would find it distasteful.
At this moment, Shen Tang, fast asleep, seemed to sense something, shuddered, mumbled a few words, buried her face in the blanket, turned over, and continued sleeping. Her body was relatively well-behaved, but her dreams were not so pleasant. The instant she was forcibly shut down, her consciousness was subjected to a powerful suction, uncontrollably plummeting towards the ground, countless blurry scenes flashing past her...
I panicked a little at first, but after seven or eight minutes it was still not over, so I calmed down, crossed my arms and changed to a more comfortable position.
Just as I was about to yawn, I found myself hanging from the tree.
"We've arrived?" Shen Tang had already realized this was a dream, so she remained calm and easily jumped down from the strange tree with its canopy blocking out the sky and its thick trunk seemingly capable of supporting the heavens and the earth. As soon as she landed, she smelled a faint, exotic fragrance, as rare and precious herbs cleared a path for her.
"Wow, it even has flowers blooming with every step? The special effects are pretty cool."
After taking a few steps, Shen Tang discovered that strange flowers were blooming wherever she had walked, each with a different posture and exuding charm.
Out of curiosity, I jogged back and forth, sometimes forming an "S" shape, sometimes a "B" shape...
They only continued walking forward after they got tired of playing.
【bite--】
She passed through countless wonders until she stopped in front of a screen covered in thick fog. As she was wondering where to go, she heard a soft sound in her ear.
【jingle--】
The dense fog gradually thinned.
A blurry figure appeared.
The brocade robe and hood obscured the person's face, so Shen Tang couldn't see their features. She could only make out the person's elaborately patterned clothing and the gracefully extended wooden staff in their hand. Judging from the totem patterns, they seemed to belong to some reclusive tribe.
Each time the wooden staff landed, it made a crisp "ding-a-ling" sound, and the thick fog would dissipate a bit, revealing a path.
"Is this young man here to show us the way?"
Shen Tang was familiar with this routine.
The other person didn't speak, but simply bowed slightly and walked straight ahead. Chen Tang shrugged and strode after them. Even so, she couldn't stay still, picking a flower at random and humming random tunes, so time flew by.
Seeing the mysterious man stop, he asked, "Why are you not moving?"
The other person remained silent, simply stepping aside to make way.
"Alright, if you don't say anything, I'll assume you can't speak. Thanks for showing me the way, this is for you." Shen Tang didn't press the matter, casually pinning a small red flower to the other person's wooden cane, and walked straight ahead, passing through the narrow path, where the view suddenly opened up.
Only then did she realize that she was on a mountain peak shrouded in mist and clouds. In the distance, thousands of peaks vied for attention, and countless rays of light danced wildly.
Some peaks were surrounded by flowing light, with dense pine and bamboo groves, and the faint sounds of phoenixes and cranes could be heard; others were still shrouded in thick clouds and mist, half-hidden, yet beneath the tranquility lay a vibrant life. Shen Tang shielded the view with his hand and saw a palace standing atop the mountain peak.
"This looks... a bit like the Sacred Land of Mountains and Seas?"
Ever since Lin Feng gathered his literary mind that year and claimed to have seen strange phenomena, Shen Tang had carefully studied some of the historical documents. The scene before her was somewhat similar to the legendary sacred land of mountains and seas, yet different. She looked at it for a long time but still couldn't figure it out.
Just then, footsteps sounded behind me.
You don't even need to turn around to know who it is.
When will this dream end?
Just when she thought the man was truly mute, he gave an irrelevant answer: "This area is your literary palace."
"Wen Gong? This is what he looks like?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt a strong sense of weightlessness beneath his feet.
Once the feeling subsided, the surrounding scenery changed again.
She felt as if her soul was about to detach from this heavy body, transforming into a wisp of wind and flying to the ends of the earth. Before she could fully savor this feeling, her feet touched solid ground. Looking up again, a magnificent palace towering into the clouds appeared before her.
Above the palace, on the plaque, is written—
[Holy Land]
It's not quite the same as Lin Feng's description back then.
"Can I go in and take a look?"
Just look, don't do anything.
Turning around, the mysterious figure was nowhere to be seen.
Shen Tang didn't pursue the matter. With a thought, he moved to the front of the palace, raised his hand and gently touched the door, and the door opened.
Behind the door were hundreds of orbs of light.
Each ball of light contained a different word.
Confucianism, military strategy, Legalism, Mohism, Taoism, Yin and Yang...
Upon closer inspection, the clusters of light were actually formed from countless luminous particles of text, each cluster a starry sea of brilliant characters. They remained silent within the palace…
ヾ(ω`)o
I didn't want to experience writer's block, so I delayed the update. This chapter should be a bit longer.
P.S.: It's normal that you can't see the chapter comments yet. You can see them in the backend of the Xianggu app. Once the sensitive period is over, the chapter comments will be available again.
(End of this chapter)
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