Scripture of Days Past

On Jade Face Mountain, all of the trainees had received their marked tests, while Yi Shuang stood on the stage, going through everyone’s mistakes.

”How many times have I spoken about the dangers of the Elixir of Undying? Right now, the Immortal Dao is the most influential cult of all, so you’re definitely going to have to deal with them in the future. How are some of you still getting this question wrong? Everyone who got this question wrong, stand up! Clearly, none of you listened during the past lessons, so I’ll have you stand at the front today.”

Zhang Haizhu looked down at his own test, and he was very relieved to see that he had answered that question correctly.

All of a sudden, someone yelled, ”Lecturer Yi, Chu Qiguang is absent!”

Zhang Haizhu turned to see who it was, and sure enough, it was Jiang Longyu.

”Chu Qiguang is busy today, so he won’t be coming,” Yi Shuang explained.

The other trainees seemed rather disgruntled to hear this, so Yi Shuang continued, ”You can think whatever you want, but the fact remains that Chu Qiguang scored full marks on his test, so he has earned the right to skip this lesson.”

As he spoke, he picked up a test paper and passed it to the nearest trainee. ”This is Chu Qiguang’s test paper. All of you should take a good look at it and learn from him. If any of you had scored full marks like him, I would’ve given you permission to skip this lesson as well.”

Jiang Longyu was furious to hear this.

Didn’t he say he screwed up the test?

Li Chu heaved an inward sigh as he began looking over Chu Qiguang’s test paper.

Brother Chu was clearly just fooling around with us when he said he underperformed in the test. I suppose that’s only to be expected, given his eidetic memory.

As Zhang Haizhu examined Chu Qiguang’s answers, he thought, I was just a bit too careless. Otherwise, I could’ve scored full marks as well.

However, his eyes widened in shock when he saw Chu Qiguang’s answer to the final question, the one concerning the death of the porcelain artisan and his clan.

A flood dragon instructed a cult, who instructed a yaksha, who instructed a fish fiend to murder the entire clan? How did he even come up with this?!

***

During the afternoon martial arts lesson, when it was time for Yang Ling to instruct Jiang Longyu, the latter asked, ”Instructor Yang, do you think I have aptitude in any areas of martial arts other than saber techniques?”

Yang Ling was rather taken aback by this question.

”We all know that you have a very sharp eye for talent, Instructor Yang,” Jiang Longyu continued. ”Can you recommend a suitable cultivation art for me as well? For example, would I also be suited to cultivating the Primordial High Zenith Qigong?”

Yang Ling immediately began sweating profusely.

If I advise you to abandon saber technique and start cultivating the Primordial High Zenith Qigong instead, the martial gods of the Seven Kill Faction will tear me to shreds!

Thus, he hurriedly replied, ”You’re not suited to cultivating the Primordial High Zenith Qigong. For now, just focus on your saber techniques and advancing your cultivation base. Those should be your top priorities.”

”I see,” Jiang Longyu replied with an earnest nod.

After Jiang Longyu left, Yang Ling was approached by Li He.

”Instructor Yang, do you think I’m more suited to cultivating fist techniques or spear techniques?” Li He asked.

How the hell am I supposed to know? Yang Ling thought.

Despite his exasperation, Yang Ling put on a serious expression and gave an ambiguous reply, ”You should follow your heart.”

Li He’s eyes instantly lit up, as if he had been enlightened.

”I understand now. Thank you, Instructor Yang.”

You understand? What the hell do you understand?! I only said that to get you off my back!

After Li He came Zhang Haizhu.

”What do you want?” Yang Ling asked in exasperation.

”Instructor Yang, can you teach me the Primordial High Zenith Qigong?” Zhang Haizhu requested.

”Piss off!” Yang Ling snapped. ”Stop getting all these funny ideas! You should be focusing on your fist techniques!”

”Yes, Instructor Yang!” Zhang Haizhu replied earnestly.

***

While the trainees on the mountain were busy studying and cultivating, Chu Qiguang and Chen Gang had made their way into the wilderness where the Sumeru King Scripture was hidden.

”The winter here is far too cold, Brother Chu!” Chen Gang complained. ”I didn’t bring enough clothes, and I nearly froze to death during the first few days. The relay station is practically abandoned too, with only an old man looking after it. Thankfully, he took me in, and in exchange, I do some odd jobs for him every day. I don’t think I would’ve survived until you got here otherwise.”

”You’ve done well to survive, Chen Gang,” Chu Qiguang said. ”I’ll make sure to compensate you for your efforts once we return to Azure Sun County.”

Chen Gang was ecstatic to hear this, and he asked, ”How have things been for you on the mountain over the past month, Brother Chu?”

”I haven’t had an easy time, either,” Chu Qiguang said. ”In order to hone my physical constitution, I had to strip off my clothes in the freezing cold every day and repeatedly throw myself against a boulder until my skin peeled off. I also had to study and read countless books.

”I had to pretend to be interested in the books while constantly remaining vigilant so that I wouldn’t undergo demonification from absorbing too much knowledge. To make matters worse, the other trainees kept trying to bully me. Thankfully, I was able to reason with them, and we’re on much better terms now.”

It sounds like Brother Chu has had a much harder time than I have over the past month, Chen Gang lamented inwardly.

”Has there been any news from Azure Sun County?” Chu Qiguang asked.

Chen Gang had been stationed at the foot of the mountain this entire time, and one of his duties was to receive updates delivered by the Chongming Birds every three days.

”Overall, everything’s been going quite well in Azure Sun County,” Chen Gang replied. ”However...”

”What is it?” Chu Qiguang asked.

”Wang Cailiang says that Wu Wei and the abbot of the Azure Sun Daoist Temple have been constantly undermining him,” Chen Gang said. ”They keep planting their own people in the trade association, and some of them have already begun embezzling funds. However, Wang Cailiang is powerless to do anything about it.”

”I knew this would happen,” Chu Qiguang said with a cold snort. ”Those greedy, short-sighted bastards were bound to start embezzling funds sooner or later. Tell Wang Cailiang to keep records of everyone’s transgressions. I’ll teach them a lesson when I return. Is there any other news? How’re things going in Hidden Fiend Village?”

”The number of planters has been steadily increasing, and all the water channels and water wheels are ready,” Chen Gang reported. ”Master Qiao says there will be a major drought next year, but with these water channels, we won’t have anything to worry about. The wheat is growing well, and once it’s harvested around the middle of next year, the village will easily be able to support more than a thousand fiends.

“Recently, some fiends from the neighboring Yong Province have come to the village. A few of them are quite capable, and they’ve become unofficial leaders in your absence. Master Qiao also says that while you’ve been away, the wolf fiends from the northern grasslands have been secretly bribing the cat and dog fiends to try and win them over.”

”That’s no surprise,” Chu Qiguang said. ”They’re trying to undermine my authority and seize power while I’m away. I’ll take care of that as well when I return.”

Before long, the two of them arrived at the spot where the Sumeru King Scripture had been buried.

Chu Qiguang dug up the scripture. The moment he laid eyes on it, the temperature within a ten-meter radius suddenly soared.

All the snow and ice melted in the blink of an eye, and Chu Qiguang was forced to stumble back in the face of the scorching heatwave.