Chapter 106: The Confucian Old Man

The old man, with his long beard and mustache, wearing a green robe and a scholar's headscarf, smiled and said: "I see the city of Yao Guan bustling with noise and excitement, and thought I would surely be able to sell a few things. Who would have thought that the Wu Xiu of today are all so restless and impetuous, thinking only of gathering herbs, cultivating, and slaughtering, with absolutely no interest in the joys of life or spiritual elevation. This world values martial arts over literature, ignores etiquette and law, neglects moral conduct, and fails to promote benevolence and righteousness. With rituals collapsing and music ruined, and the yin and yang in chaos, how could the world not be in turmoil?"

Li Youyi's eyes lit up, feeling the Confucian thought similar to that of Earth from the other party, and tentatively asked: "How does the old senior view the six words: wisdom, trust, sincerity, benevolence, righteousness, and loyalty?"

The old man looked Li Youyi up and down, and immediately beamed with joy: "I didn't see that the little brother actually has a certain understanding of Confucianism, which is very different from those vulgar people. Hey, but you are carrying a horse-chopping saber that is only used on the battlefield, which really spoils the scenery!"

Li Youyi was extremely excited. How could there be Confucianism in this world?

Could it be that it was transmitted from Earth?

It must be so.

Li Youyi changed his form of address: "May I ask the old gentleman, where can one learn Confucianism?"

"You are interested in Confucianism?"

The old man was in a great mood, as if he had found a soulmate: "Li Prefecture is a barbaric land of witchcraft and poison, with primitive and vulgar folk customs; where can one learn any Confucianism? If you want to learn Confucianism, you have to go to the Ten States of the Central Plains. In Qiu Prefecture, the "Zuo Zhuan" (Commentary of Zuo) printed annually by the Zuo Qiu sect is provided for everyone to learn for free. It's just a pity that the "Zuo Zhuan" is vast and complex, and there are few who can patiently read it all through. As for those who study it until their hair turns white, they are even rarer."

Cultivators in different places have different ways of dividing the twenty-eight states of Lingxiao.

Qiu Prefecture is both one of the seven states in the Southern Realm and one of the ten states in the Central Plains. The former is divided according to geography, and the latter is divided according to the sense of superiority in the hearts of cultivators in the Central Plains.

"'Zuo Zhuan'? 'Zuo's Spring and Autumn'?"

Li Youyi exclaimed, but he didn't quite believe that the "Zuo Zhuan" mentioned by the old man was the classic written by Zuo Qiuming on Earth.

The old man showed a look of confusion.

Li Youyi smiled awkwardly and stopped mentioning this matter, then came to the calligraphy and painting stall, where one painting caught his attention.

"'Zen Sea Dragon-Slaying Picture'."

What was depicted on the scroll was a scene of a fairy in red holding a sword to slay a giant dragon above the sea of clouds. The giant dragon was as large as a mountain range, its scales were green like jade, half in the sky and half in the sea of clouds, and its blood was like a waterfall hanging between heaven and earth.

The fairy in red was at the very front of the picture, occupying a very small area, but her facial contours were depicted very delicately, with beautiful hairpins, vivid and lifelike.

It was almost exactly the same as what was depicted on the tombstone of that bronze warship.

Who else could it be but Zen Sea Viewing Mist?

"How much is this painting?" Li Youyi asked.

Finally opening for business, the old man was naturally overjoyed: "Not much, not much, eight silver coins."

"With the old gentleman's painting skills, it's not expensive."

Li Youyi thought of something and asked: "Do you have a portrait of Xia Jin?"

The old man was startled and almost went to block Li Youyi's mouth: "Don't talk nonsense, this is taboo. Who dares to paint the Demon King and take it out to sell? Don't you want your life?"

"Then forget it!"

Li Youyi was just acting on a whim, preparing to buy it for Master Jar.

"Why don't you look at the calligraphy? The old man's calligraphy is a masterpiece."

The old man pulled Li Youyi to the bottom of the calligraphy works hanging on display, stroked his long beard lightly, and the more he looked, the more he felt it was indescribably beautiful.

"Rumble!"

Two giant Danling beasts, the size of houses, pulled a chariot along. The Wu Xiu on the street exclaimed constantly, retreating one after another, giving way to a wide road.

"It's the Demon King's sixth-generation grandson! It is said that it is the number one powerhouse in the Spring Gushing Realm of Tianya Ridge, and the Magic Dao Fire Ape can only rank second."

"This is an existence with the Demon King's bloodline; how can it not be powerful? Look, it also has four arms."

Above the chariot couch was a yellow canopy woven from cloud silk, swaying in the wind, releasing dazzling clouds of magic Qi.

A black ape with four arms sat on the chariot couch, hugging a stunning human beauty in each arm, touching them up and down. These two beauties were presented to it by the Sui Sect and the Three Chen Palace respectively.

Sui Sect's "Yang Yun," Three Chen Palace's "Huo Zhanbai," Tianyi Gate's "Su Yunqing," and Coffin Sea Pavilion's "Lu Dingsheng," these four Nine Springs Supreme People, representing the four major sects, followed on the left and right of the Demon King's sixth-generation grandson's chariot, doing their best to please it.

Li Youyi looked at the approaching chariot.

Why could the Sui Sect befriend the Demon King's sixth-generation grandson? Why could they invite the Magic Dao Fire Ape to do things for them?

In his mind, he thought of the children locked in the dungeon of the Long Forest Gang, who were said to be prepared to be sent as snacks for some demon species. A surge of anger gradually grew.

The calligraphy and painting stall couldn't be packed up in time and was knocked over by the giant Danling beasts pulling the cart. More than a dozen calligraphy works were crushed into the mud, and the old man wailed in grief.

Li Youyi saw that he was pitiful and honest, and he was crying so sadly that he intended to go to that group of demon cultivators to compensate, but he was pulled by the old man.

"Young man, don't be impulsive. That is the Demon King's sixth-generation grandson; we can't afford to offend it." The old man tightly grabbed Li Youyi's wrist.

Li Youyi had no choice but to give up. If he brought a fatal disaster to the old man because of his momentary anger, that would be counterproductive.

Yao Yin said coldly: "In this world, demon cultivators can pass through human territory swaggeringly, and many human forces even line the road to welcome them, offering tributes and fawning over them as if serving a master. They will regret it sooner or later. How is this similar to the Nine Li clan back then?"

The old man said: "If you want to blame someone, you can only blame the Lingxiao Palace for losing the hearts of the people. Yu Yaozi is muddled and issued some "Small Field Order," causing public grievances to boil over and the world to be in chaos. Otherwise, how would the demon race dare? The country has no constant service, and the monarch and ministers have no constant position. It's a pity that in the current world, as far as I can see, there is no one who can become a climate. The new master of the world is still lurking in the abyss, and the long night is hard to brighten."

Li Youyi had heard the Hidden Lord mention that the Luan Terrace Angel had already come to Li Prefecture. This old Confucian scholar actually dared to scold the Lingxiao Palace and Yu Yaozi on the street. Is he cowardly or brave?

After Li Youyi paid for the painting, he hurriedly left with Yao Yin and Yin Twenty-Five.

Just after walking out of the city, Yao Yin patted her fair forehead and said: "Look at my memory, I also need to buy some cultivation resources. Why don't you go back to the boat first?"

Li Youyi stared at Yin Twenty-Five: "You follow her."

Returning to the boat.

Li Youyi placed all twenty-nine jade boxes containing the Spring-Breaking Needles on the ground, suppressed the excitement in his heart, sat cross-legged, and practiced the Jade Void Breathing Technique to adjust his state.

His state of mind gradually became calm and natural, and all his perception gathered in the Divine Palace acupoint in his navel.

Only when his state reached its best did he open the jade box, take out the first Spring-Breaking Needle, and pierce it into the Divine Palace acupoint with lightning speed.

"So painful?"

The intense pain almost made Li Youyi scream, but fortunately, he endured it.

As strands of cold air from the Spring-Breaking Needle entered his body, the pain did not disappear but became even stronger. Li Youyi gritted his teeth to control it, mobilizing magic power to continuously surge out from the nine spring eyes and flow through the one hundred and eight trace veins.

All perception remained gathered in the Divine Palace acupoint.

In just a quarter of an hour, the Spring-Breaking Needle made of medicinal liquid melted away.

Li Youyi immediately used the second one.

When opening the Fifth Spring, he could withstand three Spring-Breaking Needles in a row. With his current cultivation and physical strength, the number he could withstand was naturally more.

Those Eighth Spring Wu Xiu, when impacting the Nine Springs Ancestral Field, did not all temper their trace veins into silver.

So in Li Youyi's view, to impact the Tenth Spring, it was not necessary to temper all trace veins into gold first.

"Exhausted again, the third one!"

"My physical body is indeed terrifyingly strong now, the fourth one!"

When Yao Yin returned to the boat, it was already afternoon.

"Greetings, Miss."

The two maids immediately greeted her and bowed respectfully.

Yao Yin carried a brocade bundle on her waist, in a very good mood, and asked urgently: "Where is Sima Tan?"

"Young Master Sima has been in the cabin and has not gone out."

Yao Yin ignored them, walked with happy steps, her skirt waves overlapping, and came to the outside of the cabin where Li Youyi lived. She tapped her jade fingers lightly, several times in a row, and waited for a long time before the door creaked open.

"You are... what happened to you?"

Yao Yin was frightened by his current state.

Li Youyi's face was covered in sweat, his hair and pants were soaked, his outer robe had just been put on, his legs were weak and powerless, shaking constantly, and there was not a trace of blood on his face.

He said weakly: "It's nothing... what's the matter?"

In one day, he used twelve Spring-Breaking Needles; no matter how Master Coffin and Master Spirit Tablet tried to persuade him, it was useless.

Master Jar claimed that he had created a strange and special record, unprecedented, and it would be difficult for anyone to come after him.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Yao Yin's eyes were worried. She handed the brocade bundle to him and said: "I bought all the Light Flame Pills from the Tianyi Chamber of Commerce and the Coffin Sea Chamber of Commerce, a total of seven, and have already asked them both to mobilize more from Nine Li City. I also contacted the Nine Li Divine Temple, and they should send a batch over too."

Li Youyi opened the bundle and looked at the pill bottles inside. His originally extremely exhausted expression immediately gained a lot of sharpness: "Are you stupid? Buying from the Tianyi Chamber of Commerce and the Coffin Sea Chamber of Commerce, how much money will they earn from you? When I become a Divine Hidden Person, I can directly use the Hidden Gate's resources, or ask the Hidden Lord to mobilize them from the Divine Temple!"

Yao Yin said softly: "But, I see that you really need them now!"

Li Youyi met her bright and beautiful cyan eyes, his heart filled with mixed feelings, and his tone softened: "Where did you get so much money?"

"Mortgaged a few shops."

Yao Yin's face cleared up after the rain, smiling happily, as if she didn't take it to heart at all.

Li Youyi said: "The large amount of property your mother left you was because she was afraid that after she died, you would have no foothold in the Yao Li tribe and would be bullied. Don't do such stupid things again; it's so wasteful."

"But, I have already signed some agreements with the two major chambers of commerce, using the shops to exchange for the Light Flame Pills they will send later." Yao Yin pursed her red lips, her smile pure and beautiful: "You saved me, so just consider it returning your favor. Don't act like you're holding a hot potato."

"You are young, I'm afraid the people of the Yao Li tribe will trouble me, saying I cheated a little girl."

Li Youyi noted her intention, joked like this, and then asked: "Where is Yin Twenty-Five?"

"He went to challenge the Magic Dao Fire Ape!" Yao Yin said.

Li Youyi's expression tightened instantly: "Where did he get the otherworldly coffin?"

One must have an otherworldly coffin to have the qualifications to challenge.

"He is a Nine Springs Supreme Person; you underestimate him too much. Getting an otherworldly coffin is still easy."

Yao Yin was not very worried. She had seen Yin Twenty-Five challenge Yin Nine, and his strength was very strong. Even if he was not the opponent of the Magic Dao Fire Ape, admitting defeat to save his life would definitely not be a problem.

Li Youyi knew that Yin Twenty-Five possessed ninety-one trace veins and was close to being all-silver; this strength was not comparable to ordinary Nine Springs Supreme People.

The two large flags on the ring were indeed very humiliating, and any Nine Springs Supreme Person of the Nine Li clan would have their bloodiness stimulated upon seeing them.

"Boom!"

A sound of combat collision exploded like a thunderclap on the shore not far from the Yao Flag large boat, and the ground shook violently.

Then a proud laugh resounded through the pier: "Haha, the Nine Li clan actually still has a Nine Springs Supreme Person. Your strength is not weak. Where are you fleeing? Let's fight another ten rounds. Hold on, I'll spare your life."

Yin Twenty-Five was bleeding from his mouth and nose, carrying his sword and fleeing rapidly, with a blood-colored claw print the size of a bowl on his back.

Most of his clothes were soaked in blood, and he left a bloody footprint with every step.

He never expected that he had already admitted defeat and left the ring, but the Magic Dao Fire Ape did not follow the rules at all and chased him all the way.

It was clear that the demon species of Tianya Ridge were extremely arrogant, doing whatever they wanted in Li Prefecture, killing whenever they wanted, and the rules were all set by themselves.