Chapter 512: Fishing Characters from the Lake, Invite Them to Be Seated!

A grotesque ghostly face grinned widely, slowly rising from the tranquil lake surface.

A sting burned behind your eyes; in your mind, cicada chirps wove with ghostly wails, surging an inexplicable nausea and urge to vomit.

Just as you nearly lost your balance, a quiet energy surged from your chest, instantly spreading and sweeping away all disturbances, restoring your clarity.

(Prompt: "Quiet energy in chest" has activated.)

You gazed again at the water's surface, your mind now utterly serene.

At this moment!

Deep in the lake's depths, ink-like darkness swirled, unfurling like a scroll submerged in water; characters subtly emerged, radiating sword intent, darting through lotus leaves like water dragons, stirring ripples across the surface.

In an instant, the grotesque ghost face shattered into ash and vanished, emitting a terrified whimper that echoed beneath the water.

Standing at the prow of the boat, your gaze locked onto the waters below, watching the ink-like characters glide and gradually coalesce into three distinct forms.

"HONG"

"JING"

"YUAN"

These three characters shifted—sometimes forming dragons gliding beneath the water, sometimes dissolving back into characters—yet you felt both familiarity and shock.

The shock came because these three characters, like something divine, became three black water dragons, rolling beneath the boat and churning the waves.

What kind of divine phenomenon is this!

It was no better than a water ghost, but you had long known that cultivation existed in this world.

The familiarity came from an inexplicable sense of closeness to these three characters.

These characters seemed to resonate with the calligraphy you practiced daily, the copy given to you by Dong Shao.

Could this Master Dong have some connection to the Second Master of this academy?

The brush strokes flowed like dragons, sharp and piercing, yet free and elegant.

If dew hangs with spring light, shattered clouds seem to shed their bone-like vigor.

Suddenly, you recalled the legends of Hongjing Academy: it was said these three characters, "Hong Jing Yuan," were penned by the academy's Second Master himself.

Could this truly be his brushwork? You pondered inwardly, yet found it hard to believe. After all, over a decade had passed; time flowed on, and all things had changed.

Ten years since the calligrapher last wrote; now dragons and serpents dance in the lake.

Yet none around you seemed to notice anything unusual.

The three ink dragons seemed particularly fond of the wooden boat, lingering endlessly, circling beneath its sides.

The boatman rowing behind muttered: "Today's lake current is unusually fierce—pushing the boat feels exhausting."

Faced with this situation, you choose…

1. Fish out the three characters from the water. (Prompt: Disaster may strike immediately.)

2. Do not fish out the characters; leave them in the lake. (Prompt: You may miss an opportunity.)

3. Fish out two characters: "XIE" and "HONG." (Prompt: Disaster may strike.)

4. Fish out two characters: "XIE" and "YUAN." (Prompt: Disaster may follow.)

5. Fish out two characters: "HONG" and "YUAN." (Prompt: An opportunity may arise—or disaster.)

6. Fish out the character "XIE." (Prompt: A positive change may occur.)

7. Fish out the character "HONG." (Prompt: A positive change may occur, but a curse will remain.)

8. Fish out the character "YUAN." (Prompt: A great opportunity may arise.)

9. Participate personally. (0/3)

The options atop the great tripod slowly stabilized.

Yu Ke saw there were so many choices—eight, excluding personal participation.

He read them all, from start to finish!

Choosing three characters or two characters could be eliminated outright—all prompts warned of disaster.

Do these three characters carry different meanings?

Then!

Choosing nothing means missing an opportunity—eliminated.

Only three options remained: fishing out one character each.

Comparing the prompts, "HONG" is unacceptable.

That leaves "XIE" and "YUAN."

One choice: one offers a positive change, the other a great opportunity.

Yu Ke did not hesitate—he chose directly.

8. Fish out the character "YUAN." (Prompt: A great opportunity may arise.)

The simulation continued.

You bent down and slowly extended your hand; as your fingers touched the lake's surface, the three water dragons instantly transformed into the three characters, joyfully brushing against your fingertips.

Your heart stirred—you attempted to lift the character "YUAN," and it dissolved like ink, slowly merging into your palm.

In that moment after your choice, the remaining two characters clung to you, unwilling to depart; finally, they transformed into two water dragons and plunged into the lake's depths, vanishing without a trace.

You opened your palm—the small character "YUAN" was clearly etched upon it.

Then, it materialized within your mind.

An inexplicable urge surged in you—to pick up a brush and write a calligraphy copy. The characters from Master Dong's gift now seemed soulless, but this one felt as if it had gained true spirit.

This copy may have been an imitation of the Second Master's hand, yet you had never grasped its essence—only its form.

Seven percent resemblance? You had barely brushed the surface of its spirit.

As you pondered, the character "YUAN" slowly unfolded in your mind, becoming a radiant golden wall of script.

Upon it, one hundred lines of characters were neatly arranged—a sword art. At the top, boldly inscribed: "Zhan Gui Jian!"

You whispered involuntarily: "Zhan Gui…"

The lake's ghost just now!

Could the remaining two characters in the lake also be sword arts?

The Second Master's sword techniques were famed across the land—could these be his legacy? But why hidden in this deep lake?

A thrill stirred within you—you had never possessed a cultivation method in your small courtyard; this Zhan Gui Jian seemed to merge spiritual cultivation with martial arts.

Yet now you had no time to examine it further.

Your gaze followed the last direction where the black mist had vanished, settling on a pavilion.

Behind the pavilion's curtain, a young boy stared at you with a venomous gaze.

Beside him, an old man sat listless, blood continuously oozing from his nose and mouth, his face deathly pale, collapsed among the fruit on the table.

You also recognized two familiar faces: Gan Zhi from the Second Courtyard, a servant of Lady Zhao, and Shi Lan, Xie Renfeng's maid—both stood helplessly to the side.

You frowned slightly, pondering inwardly.

The boat drifted forward and finally came to rest at the shore.

"You stood steady, and the old boatman's hoarse yet respectful voice reached your ears: 'Young Master, please step onto the academy grounds.'"

"Thank you, old man."

The old boatman hurriedly waved his hand, humbly saying: "I cannot bear such honor from you, Young Master—it is merely my duty."

With that, a faint, almost imperceptible gleam flashed in his cloudy eyes; he glanced at you once more, then gazed deeply at the shimmering lake before rowing away.

You watched the boatman depart. Though you had faced an unexpected event aboard, you had still noticed the old boatman—he had remained calm throughout, until the ink characters appeared, when you caught the faintest flicker of shock on his face.

Such a great clan as the Xie Fu must be full of hidden dragons and tigers—never underestimate it.

You slowly ascended the Xie Hong Yuan, looking up at the plaque above the gate: "Xie Hong Yuan."

Yet those three characters lacked the spiritual aura of the ones in the lake.

You had already made up your mind and prepared to enter—

At that moment, a gentle, soft voice came from behind.

"Guan Di!"

You turned slowly to see a man and woman, followed by several attendants, approaching with measured steps.

Lu Ya stood behind Xie Ying, winking at you repeatedly.

You smiled and greeted: "Greetings, Fourth Sister!"

Xie Ying smiled warmly and said: "Guan Di, it's been a while—you've grown even more radiant. Just now on the lake boat, I nearly didn't recognize you."

"Fourth Sister, you flatter me."

"This is the Military Governor of Jiannan Province, Guan Di—you've likely never met him. Just now, I was speaking of you to him."

You did not grow arrogant; you knew the authority of a Military Governor was immense—equivalent to a regional warlord—and this one was from the Sima family, surely wielding great power.

Perhaps because this was your first encounter with a cultivator, the Military Governor of Jiannan wore simple black robes, indistinguishable from an ordinary man.

Yet nearby, eight guards clad in tight-fitting attire, hands resting on their swords, radiated surging blood qi—intense pressure emanated from them, their bodies like furnaces, as if facing a ferocious beast, sending chills through the soul.

They were like invisible blades pressed against your skin, making you instinctively tremble.

The Xie family servants all deliberately kept their distance.

Are these martial cultivators? Merely by presence, they induce dread.

As you looked up, Sima Ting's blazing gaze locked onto you—his eyes seemed filled with clashing swords and armored charges, the roar of ten thousand troops deafening, banners stained crimson fluttering under the setting sun.

Yet you met his gaze with calm eyes.

A quiet energy bloomed in your chest, calming your thoughts.

You bowed and said: "Xie Guan, greetings, General Sima."

Sima Ting's gaze held a hint of surprise; he nodded slightly and smiled, "Young Master Guan, no need for such formalities!"

Xie Ying was puzzled: "Why would you come to this Grand View Garden? Logically, given Lady Yuan's nature, she would never notice a mere bastard son like you."

"How could they have let you come here!"

Years of life in the Xie Fu had instilled in her a certain fear of this mistress.

Yet she did not press further; this Young Master Guan was a man of quiet resolve, just like his mother.

Xie Ying smiled: "Young Master Guan, why not sit inside the pavilion?"

She was pleased to see you had not lost your composure before this Military Governor of Jiannan—you remained as you always were.

After all, you were someone she had recommended; if you had committed a breach of etiquette, it would have been a stain on her own face.

You recalled the scenes by the lake, and the gan zhi and shi lan in the pavilion just now, and your heart grew a little calmer.

Sima Ting, seeing your hesitation, said: "Young Master Guan, it seems you have not yet begun cultivation."

"If you have any doubts, I could answer them for you."

Xie Ying was startled; she knew Sima Ting's nature well—he had never once responded to the requests of the senior sons of the Xie Fu when they sought his martial advice. Why would he offer to help you now?

Her beautiful eyes turned to Sima Ting; she worried he might be using Xie Guan as a pawn within the Xie Fu.

Sima Ting gently squeezed her hand, his gaze tender.

Xie Ying felt a pang of shame—how could she have doubted Ting-ge?

You smiled and said: "I, Xie Guan, am a bastard, a useless body. To be noticed by General Sima is more than I could ever have hoped for."

The three walked toward the pavilion on the eastern shore of the lake.

You gazed at Xie Ying, your same-father, different-mother fourth sister, walking ahead.

She rushed here immediately after disembarking, inviting you to the pavilion—this was silent kindness.

Was it worth using her and Sima Ting's favor to improve the position of a bastard son?

At a stone table beside a warming brazier, the three took their seats.

The charcoal in the brazier burned fiercely, radiating warmth that dispelled the chill from their bodies.

Lu Ya stood nearby, silently puzzled. She had felt utterly uneasy—like sitting on pins and needles—when Young Master Guan was absent, facing Sima Ting and the warriors.

But now that Young Master Guan had arrived, that discomfort had mysteriously lessened.

The youth rose, composed and calm, and served tea to the two. Lu Ya murmured inwardly: This Young Master Guan had never set foot in the Grand View Garden before, and had never met Sima Ting—how could he be so composed?

Sima Ting studied the youth, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes: "It's quite strange. I've met many scions of great families—they may not fear me on the surface, but they're always uneasy."

"Why are you so at ease?"

His expression hardened suddenly: "Are you looking down on me, Sima Ting?"

Sima Ting's sudden shift startled Lu Ya; she flinched, quickly bowed her head, her gaze dropping to her toes.

Sima Ting, a martial powerhouse, came from a vast and influential clan with overwhelming power—a prestigious aristocratic house. Long accustomed to his exalted position, he naturally carried the aura of a superior.

Fortunately, this was not directed at her—if it had been, she would surely have collapsed to her knees, begging for mercy.

You remained calm, speaking slowly: "Because I have had the fortune to meet men far greater than General Sima, and sat beside them, talking late into the night."

"We spoke of heaven and earth, debated past and present, discussed all things under heaven."

Sima Ting's tone took on a hint of amusement: "Oh? Who might this person be?"

Xie Ying was equally puzzled. According to rumor, Young Master Xie Guan had been blind for over half a year, spending his days listening to stories, never stepping outside the mansion.

How could he have such a close friend?

Within the Xie Fu, apart from the two senior masters who were away, no one was stronger than Sima Ting.

You smiled faintly and whispered: "Since the opening of heaven and earth, the voices of the hundred schools' sages have echoed in my ears for eight thousand years."

"Whether generals and ministers, kings and princes, merchants or laborers—even emperors of nations."

"I, Xie Guan, have invited them all to sit."

Xuanhuan divine author, returning after a six-month break with a new masterpiece.

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(End of Chapter)