Chapter 502: Learning Prosody

Ever since the news of the battle at Taian City spread, anyone with a sharp mind and broad perspective could see that the Central Plains were about to enter an era of great contention, perhaps even repeating the chaotic wars of the Spring and Autumn period.

Compared to the turbulent world outside, the Academy was like a pure land on earth; hearing no sounds of horses' hooves or clashing weapons, it remained a place where teachers gave lectures and students listened.

The Jixia teacher currently lecturing inside the room was none other than Master Yu, one of the most popular masters at the Academy in recent years.

Every time she lectured on the study of phonology and prosody, the room would be packed to overflowing. Sometimes, when there were no seats left inside, students even had to stand outside the windows.

This Master Yu wore a stone-blue robe wrapped in pale red brocade, her slender waist cinched by a jade belt, making her posture appear all the more graceful. Her voice was cool and elegant, like a pot of clear, cold mountain spring water slowly pouring forth.

Beside her sat a small incense burner, burning eagle-pear steamed agarwood, filling the room with swirling mists that were refreshing to the spirit. Amidst the mist, this Jixia teacher appeared even more ethereal, as if descending from the clouds, looking for all the world like a Goddess.

Master Yu's scholarship went without saying, but the fact that her lectures were always packed also had much to do with her appearance, which was like that of a celestial consort; among the students who came to listen, there were no shortage of those whose intentions were not on the wine.

It was rumored that Master Yu's mother was a sword attendant to the late emperor of Western Chu, and Master Yu had also inherited the true essence of her mother's sword dance. Added to that, this voluptuous figure—tsk, tsk...

Some even said that if one could watch Master Yu dance with a sword for a moment, it would be worth losing ten years of life.

However, unlike in the past when everyone would focus intently on Master Yu or lower their heads to take notes, many people were clearly distracted, looking out the window. Some men occasionally revealed expressions of indignation, most of them with bruised noses and swollen faces. There were also women who looked completely infatuated.

Outside the window, besides the ordinary Jixia Xueshi, a stunning figure with the bearing of a dragon and the grace of a phoenix was even more eye-catching.

Not to mention a face that no pen or ink could describe, just that air of extraordinary elegance, as if he held the sun and moon in his embrace, was something no one else in the Academy could compare to.

At this moment, the setting sun cast a faint red glow directly onto his face, as if his entire person had been rendered with a layer of warm light. His eyes, deep as the starry sky, were calm and peaceful, yet it seemed as if starlight were flickering within them. Combined with that appearance and demeanor, the charm this person radiated at this moment made the heartbeat of anyone watching this scene skip a beat.

"Meow meow!"

In the black-clad man's arms was a bloated, large white cat that seemed to have just woken up, stretching and yawning.

This large white cat was just as well-known as its owner, Master Yu; it appeared simple and adorable, but was actually clever and cunning, having caused quite a few incidents in the Academy.

Moreover, it was extremely vigilant; except for Master Yu and the little girl with pigtails nicknamed "Little Wooden Fish," it was not easy for ordinary people to hold it, and one might even end up covered in scratches.

"Be good, don't make a fuss, it will be over soon, and tonight I'll take you to the lake to eat fish."

The young man in black said very gently to the large white cat named "Wumeiniang." The large white cat had wanted to jump down, but then obediently nestled back into the man's arms.

"That's a good girl. Look at how fat you are; if you get lost, be careful not to get caught and turned into a roast suckling pig."

The large white cat seemed to understand human speech; its fat body trembled, and it rubbed against the young man in black even more ingratiatingly.

This young man in black by the window had also become extremely famous in the Jixia Academy recently; after all, some had seen him and Master Yu as a pair, and he even stayed at Master Yu's Qinyun Cottage at night.

Master Yu was the most popular woman in the Academy, and everyone's thoughts were very similar: even if they couldn't have her themselves, this piece of meat should rot within the Academy and not be cheapened by an outsider.

As a result, an unknown person had broken into the Academy and easily plucked this flower away. Everyone was, of course, heartbroken, yet there was nothing they could do.

Of course, there was no lack of hot-headed youths in the Academy who wanted to find trouble with the young man in black, challenging him to competitions of zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, literature, and martial arts.

The young man in black agreed to compete, but only in one thing.

Fists.

Whoever had the bigger fist had the final say.

And so, there were many students in the Jixia Academy with bruised noses and swollen faces.

Qi Shence, one of the brightest stars of the younger generation in the Academy, also made a move.

This Young Master Qi carried the famous sword "Linglong" and was also a fellow with great ability among the younger generation; it wasn't just empty talk.

This matter caused quite a stir, and on the day of the duel, most of the students in the Academy cheered for Qi Shence.

According to everyone's expectations, the two sides would at least exchange dozens of moves before a winner was decided.

However, the result left everyone dumbfounded.

The match had only just begun, and before Qi Shence's "Linglong" could even be drawn, he was kicked by the fellow named Yu Liancheng, landing face-first in the dirt and getting a mouthful of mud.

Just as he stood up, wanting to fight for his life, the other party kicked him again.

After being kicked a dozen times in this repetitive fashion, the handsome Young Master Qi had almost gnawed away a layer of topsoil before finally surrendering and admitting defeat.

Afterwards, some said that this Young Master Yu's leg technique was peerless under heaven, and it was not impossible that he was a First-Rank Expert, leading to much speculation.

Regardless, from then on, no one dared to come and find trouble with Yu Liancheng.

And this simple and crude approach actually won him quite a few supporters.

Especially some female students and female teachers; upon seeing Yu Liancheng, they would either smile shyly or cast flirtatious glances, and very few gave him a sour face.

It was truly strange.

However, once one saw that face, all doubts were resolved.

The lecture ended, and whether they were sitting in the room or standing outside the window, the Jixia Scholars, along with Yu Liancheng, all bowed respectfully.

Master Yu also lowered her head slightly to return the salute.

Then, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Yu Liancheng climbed through the window into the room, took Master Yu's slender jade hand, and walked out the door, chatting and laughing all the way.

At this moment, Master Yu no longer had that indifferent and distant temperament; her beautiful face flushed, and she smiled repeatedly, leaving many young men staring in a daze, yet secretly heartbroken.

"How about we go to the lake tonight?"

"Alright."

The little girl with pigtails chased after them: "It was agreed that you would take me along to play, Sister Yu, Yu Liancheng, you are not allowed to go back on your word."

"Call me what?"

"Brother... Brother Yu."

"That's a good girl."

"Ah, ah, ah, stop, don't always mess up my hair, Sister Yu, look at him."

The bright moon hung in the sky, and the night grew deep.

Swoosh!

A falcon-like bird cut through the night sky, flying over the vast Chunshen Lake, flapping its wings, covering a distance of one or two zhang in a single beat; it was clearly no ordinary creature.

The falcon slowed its speed and descended toward a large boat on Chunshen Lake.

Yu Liancheng raised his arm, letting the falcon land on it.

He took the letter tube from the eagle's claw and unfolded it to read; it was information regarding Liu Songtao.

That decaying old man who came down from Lantuo Mountain had turned into a young man after reaching the Central Plains, killing wantonly along the way, regardless of good or evil.

Li Dangxin in white went to stop him, but did not succeed.

Subsequently, several more titans of the martial arts world went to subdue this Demon, but instead ended up buried at the hands of this Demon.

And Liu Songtao was heading east; looking at the route, it was clearly Huishan.

"This dead bald donkey, I told him to wait until the Qingming Festival to go, yet he insists on acting crazy."

Yu Liancheng shook his head, pondered for a moment, returned to the room to write a letter, stuffed it back into the letter tube, and released the falcon.

"Yu Liancheng, Yu Liancheng, the wine is already warmed, Sister Yu wants you to come over." A moment later, the little girl with pigtails came running over, *teng teng teng*.

Yu Liancheng went to tug at her pigtails; the little girl had anticipated this, shaking her head to dodge, but was still easily caught: "No manners, what should you call me?"

The little girl did not resist, just pouted and reluctantly called out twice: "Brother Yu, Brother Yu."

"That's more like it." Yu Liancheng let go of her pigtails.

The little girl with pigtails immediately ran away, shouting as she ran: "Sister Yu, Sister Yu, Yu Liancheng is bullying me again, he's bullying me."

Yu Liancheng chuckled and stepped into the boat cabin.

First, he saw Yu Youwei sitting on a mat; she was wearing a snow-white fox fur, the fluffy collar framing that stunningly beautiful face, making her appear all the more charming. This former top beauty of the four prefectures of Beiliang could wear no matter how luxurious a garment without it ever appearing excessive; instead, it set her off as increasingly graceful and gorgeous, beyond compare.

Especially the fullness about to burst from her chest, which was a stunning allure that could not be hidden no matter what.

The little girl with pigtails was in Yu Youwei's arms, and the two sisters were whispering about something, occasionally emitting a string of giggles like silver bells.

Seeing Yu Liancheng enter, Yu Youwei smiled slightly, while the little girl made a face.

Yu Liancheng also smiled and sat down; the beauty was like jade, the red stove warming the wine. The bright moon hung in the sky, the lake water was vast, truly a fine atmosphere.

The noise and schemes of the mortal world were all cast to the back of his mind.

In this scene and at this moment, it was enough to gladden the heart.

Yu Youwei smiled as she poured a cup of wine for Yu Liancheng: "Knowing you like good wine, this is a pot of 'Thousand Year Drunk' I specifically begged from Scholar Zhang; a great dream of a thousand autumns, one drunk for a thousand years. Although it cannot compare to your 'Peach Blossom', it has a unique charm of its own."

Yu Liancheng took a shallow sip, savored it carefully, and smiled: "It is indeed good wine; what you said is also true, if one were to get drunk after a single cup of 'Peach Blossom', it would not be as beautiful."

The little girl in Yu Youwei's arms asked: "What is 'Peach Blossom', a type of wine?"

"That is the wine your Brother Yu brews; although not strong, it is very easy to get drunk on," Yu Youwei said with a smile.

"I want to drink, I want to drink."

The little girl raised her hand, quite excited.

Since ancient times, scholars and poets have had an inseparable relationship with wine, hence wine is also known as a "fishing hook for poetry" or a "broom for sweeping away worries." Since her parents were both scholars, the little girl was naturally accustomed to drinking from a young age.

"Go ask your Brother Yu for some," Yu Youwei laughed.

"Brother Yu, I want to drink."

The little girl with pigtails looked at Yu Liancheng with a pitiful expression.

Yu Liancheng chuckled; he also wanted to get this little girl drunk so she wouldn't be underfoot here, so he took the unfinished "Peach Blossom" from his Storage Space and poured a cup for the girl.

Who would have thought that after the little girl drank it in one gulp, she just felt dazed for a moment, then smacked her lips and said: "What is this, you lied to me, it's very bland."

Yu Liancheng and Yu Youwei exchanged a glance, and he poured another cup.

The little girl drank it, still without much sign of drunkenness.

"It was my miscalculation, though it would be a strange thing indeed if she were drunk," Yu Liancheng said with a dry laugh.

"How so?" Yu Youwei blinked her beautiful eyes and asked curiously.

Yu Liancheng also poured himself a cup of "Peach Blossom," a look of infatuation suddenly appearing in his eyes; after a long while, he said slowly: "Think about the origin of the name 'Peach Blossom'?"

"Last year today within this door, human face and peach blossoms reflected red. The human face knows not where it has gone, peach blossoms still smile in the spring breeze."

After finishing this poem, Yu Youwei revealed a look of sudden realization.

The little girl was but a blank sheet of paper, carefree and happy.

How could she remember the peach blossoms of last year, and naturally, there was no way to smile in the spring breeze.

"Sister Yu, what are you talking about? It's like a riddle," the little girl pouted.

Yu Youwei said in a teasing tone: "Little Woodfish, you drank the 'Peach Blossom', did you see anyone's face in a daze?"

"I think I saw my parents, but they were a bit blurry, and there was one other person who was a little clearer..." the little girl with pigtails, nicknamed "Little Woodfish", recalled.

"Oh, and who is that person?" A smile played on the corners of Yu Youwei's mouth; at such a young age, she seemed to already have a crush, truly precocious.

Little Woodfish pointed at Yu Liancheng, looking indignant: "Him, it's this annoying guy."

Yu Liancheng had just taken a sip of "Thousand Year Drunk" and coughed repeatedly, nearly choking on the wine.

Yu Youwei cast a reproachful glance at Yu Liancheng.

Yu Liancheng shrugged, his face showing an innocent expression.

Is it my fault for being handsome?

Besides, what one sees is not necessarily the person one longs for.

After this little interlude, the atmosphere became even more lively; drinking wine and admiring the moon, talking freely about the past and present, all the usual worries dissipated without one knowing it.

Under the instigation and encouragement of Yu Liancheng and the little girl, Yu Youwei changed into a gorgeous dress and held a Sword.

A dance of the sword moved in all directions, truly stunning and peerless.

The little girl with pigtails clapped until her palms were red, while Yu Liancheng locked his gaze on that unhideable allure, which rose and fell with every movement of the sword, about to burst forth; it was truly a breathtaking sight.

After another half hour of commotion, the little girl was young after all and felt sleepy; in the end, it was Yu Youwei who carried the little girl back to her room to rest.

When Yu Youwei returned, she clearly felt a burning gaze.

Even though in some respects the two could already be considered an old married couple, Yu Youwei could not help but have her cheeks flush with shyness, and lowering her head, she said: "I, I will tidy up here first, you have also had quite a bit of wine, go and rest... ah."

Before she could finish speaking, she let out a soft cry.

Yu Liancheng wrapped one arm around Yu Youwei, lifted her soft, delicate body, sat her on his lap, and whispered in her ear: "Teacher Yu, this student still has some questions about phonology that I do not understand and would like to ask Teacher."

Yu Youwei's delicate face was like fire, her body burning hot: "What question?"

"It's nothing, just some questions regarding pronunciation; I would like to ask Teacher Yu to demonstrate for the student personally," Yu Liancheng said with a low laugh.

And so, very quickly, a series of "yi-ya" teaching sounds rang out.

……

This north-south flowing great river is named Qingdu River; the river water is boiling, and the surface is twenty zhang wide. Legend has it that an ancient immortal of the Daoist Canon once rode a single green reed here to ferry people across the river.

The young mad monk's straight-line journey eastward allowed the martial arts world to figure out his route. A crowd of onlookers had been waiting there for a long time. Originally standing scattered, they later gathered together involuntarily, truly fearing the monk's ruthless methods and terrified of being slaughtered innocently.

When a group of people huddle together, the chances of survival are bound to be slightly higher. Even if one were truly unlucky enough to step onto that straight line, if everyone huddled together to die, they would at least have company on the road to the Yellow Springs.

Thus, fifty or sixty people huddled together, a mixed bag of people: there were greenwood heroes hiding their heads and showing their tails, long-famous martial arts masters, as well as nobodies, young swordswomen...

It must be said that these people were truly bold. Whether to satisfy their curiosity or to have something to brag about, they risked their lives without hesitation, not even caring about their own small lives.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Amidst the sound of the ground trembling.

A young monk came from afar. This young monk, who had carved out a monstrously fierce reputation in the Central Plains martial arts world, was not as the rumors described—that one could stand on his fist or ride a horse on his shoulders. He was eight feet tall and eight feet around the waist. Instead, he appeared somewhat quiet, though the look in his eyes when he stared at people was somewhat fierce, and lacked spirit, appearing muddled and confused.

The crowd of onlookers was swept by the young monk's gaze, and their hearts trembled instantly, fearing that the monk would crush their nest of ants just as one would step on ants.

Fortunately, the young monk only glanced at them once. With one step, he covered half the distance of the river, but the remaining half-step could not be crossed no matter what.

Someone was blocking the river.

Whoosh!

The river water parted to both sides, as if it were about to be cut off from the middle.

And the one capable of parting this surging Qingdu River was a sword, a sword that once held great fame in Taian City. Although the woman who wielded the sword often only used three moves, she almost always defeated her enemy in a single move.

At this moment, this sword was as heavy as a mountain, imbued with boundless, vast power. Although it was not wielded with enough familiarity, the sword momentum was too astonishing, and the young monk had to shake his sleeves, raising monstrous waves to intercept this astonishing sword.

After the sword passed, the young monk drifted back to the bank, his figure staggering like a drunkard, stepping backward repeatedly. Every step he took, the ground beneath his feet inevitably cracked and shattered into pieces.

And the surging river water had already resumed its flow. Above the river, a woman held a sword, wearing a wooden hairpin and plain clothes, looking like a fairy walking on waves.

The young monk with the tattered monk's robe launched his second river crossing without hesitation, his momentum like thunder.

And the fairy walking on waves also swung her sword again, instantly unleashing a thousand brilliant sword lights, while she herself disappeared into the sword light.

After the sword light dissipated, the young monk was forced back again, while the fairy walking on waves had a slightly pale complexion.

The crowd of martial arts people watching the excitement couldn't help but roar with applause.

Some also recognized the identity of this fairy walking on waves; it was Chen Yu, who was known in the Capital as "the beauty is like jade, the sword is like a rainbow."

"Good sword technique, but how many more swords can you use to block me?"

The mad monk's eyes were no longer turbid, but clear as a spring. With his hands behind his back, the previous ignorance and confusion were swept away, replaced by a majestic aura that looked down upon the world.

He was, after all, Liu Songtao, the ninth Demon Sect Leader.

A mere two swords, how could they do anything to him?

Moreover, although those two swords were powerful, when used by such a little girl, their power would be greatly diminished. If the opponent was at her wit's end and used the previous sword techniques repeatedly, he was confident he could break them.

Of course, if the opponent still had stunning sword techniques, then what would it matter if he, Liu Songtao, retreated a few more times?

"One sword."

Chen Yu's tone was calm. The Qi in her body was already in chaos, and her True Qi was more than half exhausted, yet she remained composed: "A sword that can kill a Heavenly Phenomenon."

The last sword's power was terrifying, as if it were a sword that had condensed the curses of the nine heavens and ten earths. Since she started her career, she had only used it a few times, all in life-and-death crises, forced by necessity.

And following Yu Liancheng's guidance recently, her strength had improved suddenly; it was already a sword that could kill anything under heaven.

Of course, after using this sword, she would also suffer severe damage to her vitality.

"A sword that can kill a Heavenly Phenomenon." Liu Songtao's expression changed slightly; he could hear that this woman was not lying.

And in his current state, if he really received such a sword, he feared he would not get any benefit, and it would definitely not be as easy as the previous two swords.

"Hey, baldy." A crisp and pleasant voice rang out, and another peerless woman in white appeared in everyone's line of sight: "Are you going to Huishan?"

"That is correct."

"Was it a guy wearing black clothes, who is very full of himself, who told you?" the woman in white asked again.

Liu Songtao frowned: "You know him?"

"That guy who is very full of himself is my younger brother." Murong Wuzhu put her hands on her slender waist, her pretty face sinking slightly: "Didn't he tell you very clearly? He told you to go during the Qingming Festival, so what are you in such a rush for now? He isn't even at Huishan; he is busy flirting with Beauty Yu, so how could he care about a baldy like you?"

As the words reached the end, for some reason, it always gave people a sour and angry feeling.

"Is that so? What if I really want to go to Huishan?" As the Demon Sect Leader who had killed countless experts, how could Liu Songtao be so easily intimidated?

"Then I'll beat you up and suppress you under this river, and only let you out before Qingming?" Murong Wuzhu raised her fist, her pretty face full of seriousness.

"Hehe, you might as well try."

Liu Songtao stepped out step by step.

The third river crossing.

……

PS: Eight thousand completed, begging for monthly tickets.