Chapter 470: Situ Kong

Boom— boom—!

The entire Gemu Sacred Mountain heard the sound of the cannon fire. Deep in the mountains, surrounded by water on three sides, even if the cannonballs could not reach the Academy, the mere echoes were terrifying enough.

"Damn it!"

"Run!"

"The cannons are firing!"

In an instant, the unfathomable and mysterious aura of Wangbei Academy was shattered.

Dean Wang Chao was furious: "What are you running for? It hasn't hit us yet! Get back, all of you, get back!"

A group of people who had already reached the square at the mountain peak looked at each other in dismay.

That's right.

It hasn't hit us yet, so what is there to panic about?

But...

"Dean, we should still go down the mountain to welcome that Prefect Liu..."

"This is the Longyan Army after all..."

"We, we are just a bunch of frail scholars..."

"Decorum, this is an insult to decorum!"

Wang Chao was even more furious.

For thousands of years, who knows how many outstanding talents have visited Wangbei Academy? Because of the Academy's transcendent status, who hasn't been respectful toward it? Although the Academy is a very secretive existence within the entire Longyan Dynasty... after all, having existed for thousands of years, the Academy has produced so many brilliant and talented people. He never expected that today, it would be bombarded by a mere Prefect...

This was something he had not foreseen.

Wang Chao sighed deeply.

This is the awkward position of the Academy. To others, this place is almost a heaven for scholars in the Southwest, and even in the entire Longyan, it is a place where hidden dragons and crouching tigers reside. However... the Academy dares not have its own defensive forces—if it did, it would immediately be purged by the imperial court; this is beyond doubt. Xie Tianyao can allow the existence of a Wangbei Academy, but he would never allow you to possess armed forces.

This is the fundamental reason why Wangbei Academy has existed for thousands of years.

However, however...

Today, they have encountered such a brute!

"Brute, brute!"

Wang Chao's pale beard could not help but tremble.

"No!"

Jie Yu was already crying her eyes out.

Liu Zheng let out an "oh," thinking this Academy really knows how to keep its cool.

He waved his hand.

Continue loading, continue aiming.

"Prefect Liu, please calm down, Prefect Liu, let us not harm our friendly relations!"

Just at this moment, people from the Academy finally arrived.

Liu Zheng smiled and looked toward the sound. Good heavens, these people from the Academy, even when coming down the mountain, didn't forget to show off. At this moment, he saw that the group was not walking down the mountain path, but moving through the air.

This entrance still caused quite a few people to exclaim in surprise.

But looking closely, true walking on air naturally did not exist. Deep in the mountains, there was actually a thick iron chain that had appeared out of nowhere; at this moment, it was crisscrossing, and the group didn't even need to walk—the chain could extend itself, and those people only needed to stand on it to be brought toward this side.

A miraculous technique that left people tongue-tied.

Qin Zhangfeng and the other "unsophisticated" fellows were already staring in dumbstruck amazement.

Jie Yu hurriedly wiped the tears from her face, put on a smug expression, and couldn't help but look at Prefect Liu.

Liu Zheng was naturally also somewhat surprised.

Good heavens.

Is this a cable car or an elevator? Or a cable car-elevator hybrid? One has to admit, to be able to create something like this in this era, it shows that this Academy is indeed not living up to its reputation in name only. At the very least, in terms of Mechanism Art, it is truly unique.

At the very least, the knowledge regarding gear transmission is already breathtaking.

He waved his hand, signaling the gunners to stop for the moment.

Leading this group was, strikingly, an old man dressed in black.

"Master Situ! Elder!"

Seeing this person, Jie Yu also stood up obediently, as well-behaved as a primary school student waiting for a teacher.

"Master Situ?"

Liu Zheng's eyes lit up when he heard this. This old man was quite famous in the Longyan Dynasty. Because he was an Elder of the Academy who engaged in the Worldly Walk, his status in the literary world was pivotal, and he often traveled everywhere to give lectures. Even in Jinghua, he had a group of fanatical followers.

Situ Kong.

This was a true master.

He just hadn't expected this old man to be an Elder of the Academy.

But surprise aside, having such a master come to welcome him could be considered giving him face. Liu Zheng chuckled and walked forward with cupped hands: "Liu Zheng greets Elder Situ!"

Situ Kong stared at Liu Zheng from afar with eyes that seemed to be able to see through people's hearts. Only when the thick iron chain delivered them in front of Liu Zheng did he stroke his beard and laugh heartily: "Prefect Liu, trust you have been well since we last met!"

Liu Zheng was startled and asked: "Could it be that Liu Zheng and the Elder have had a favorable encounter before?"

Situ Kong then stepped down calmly. The old man had an astonishing demeanor, quite a transcendent, immortal-like quality. Jie Yu, who was beside him, had already come up to greet him. Situ Kong first patted Jie Yu's head dotingly, then chuckled: "During the Battle of Mang Mountain, we did indeed have a brief encounter."

Liu Zheng was immediately shocked: "Was it the Elder who trapped the Southern Barbarian army at Mang Mountain?"

At that time, Shuzhou was in an emergency, and Agutuo led over a hundred thousand Southern Barbarian troops to reinforce Shuzhou. If the Southern Barbarian army had successfully reached Shuzhou at that time, it might have been another scene of devastation and suffering, with wails filling the land.

It was precisely at that time that the Southern Barbarian army was trapped at Mang Mountain for seven days without being able to get out.

It was this very event that completely changed the war situation in Shu.

At the time, Liu Zheng had guessed that a capable person must have stepped in to help, but he never expected it to be Situ Kong.

Situ Kong laughed heartily and said, "As one on a Worldly Walk, how could I disregard the safety of the common people? These are mere petty tricks, not worth mentioning."

Liu Zheng was immediately filled with deep respect upon hearing this.

This turn of events made him feel rather awkward; it turned out the Academy had done him such a massive favor, yet he had come to bombard the Academy with cannons, which truly made him seem extremely petty.

He could not help but cup his hands in a bow: "Liu Zheng thanks you, Elder Situ! Had I known this earlier, there would never have been today's misunderstanding."

Situ Kong was slightly surprised by this.

This Prefect Liu was truly a dragon among men, able to pick things up and put them down; just moments ago he was bombarding the Academy, appearing quite unreasonable, yet now he could lower his status and bow to him.

Such a person.

One could describe him as free-spirited, but for such a free-spirited nature to appear in a young man in his twenties was truly miraculous.

Liu Zheng was indeed a man who could pick things up and put them down.

Seeing someone come to receive him, he immediately gave the order to withdraw the Red Cannons, and then had his entourage bring out all the gifts prepared for his marriage proposal to the Academy.

And then...

A scene that left Situ Kong speechless unfolded.

As the loads of betrothal gifts, covered in red cloth and red paper, appeared, the accompanying Liangzhou Army began to beat gongs and drums, cheering and dancing with joy.

The sound of the cannons seemed to have not yet fully dissipated...

And now, the clamor of gongs and drums and an atmosphere of jubilation had emerged.

Gemu Sacred Mountain echoed with sound once again.

Huh?

This?

Situ Kong had a face full of black lines.