Chapter 112

First Volume, Chapter 112: Blended as One

Qin Feng, however, looked utterly baffled—he had merely wanted to make money; as a merchant, he naturally ought to be amiable, for as the saying goes, 'Harmony breeds wealth.'

How had it become some great wisdom in Lin Quqi's eyes? Sigh, Confucian Scholars really were incomprehensible…

The matter of sugarcane sugar was settled; Qin Feng no longer lingered outside, instead leading Lin Quqi back.

On the way home, Qin Feng felt something was off—people kept pointing at him.

Had he made too many enemies? Was someone planning to strike him in the dark?

Thinking of this, Qin Feng silently cursed, "Fuck me," and quickened his pace—Jing Qianying and Shu Feng weren't by his side; if he encountered bandits, him and Lin Quqi, two barely Level Three Cripples, would surely be crushed underfoot.

But after only a few steps, two men suddenly stepped out sideways, blocking their path.

Qin Feng startled, instinctively shouting loudly: "Lin Brother, hold them off—I'm retreating! Hold on until I bring reinforcements!"

As he spoke, Qin Feng prepared to make a run for it.

Though Lin Quqi had only been with Qin Feng briefly, he had long recognized Qin Feng's mastery at abandoning allies; he was both annoyed and amused, grabbing Qin Feng by the arm: "Brother Qin, don't panic—these two don't look like bandits."

Qin Feng turned his head and saw that both men were dressed as Confucian Scholars; their gaze toward him held no malice whatsoever, but instead burned with intense fervor.

One of the scholars stepped forward and bowed deeply: "I have long admired Young Master Qin's name; today, by chance, I meet you, and my emotions overwhelm me—I dared to block your path. Please forgive me. Might I trouble Young Master Qin to sign your name for me?"

Huh? Signature?

Qin Feng looked utterly baffled—he may have been handsome, but he was far from an idol; why on earth was he being asked for a signature?

The scholar pulled out a book from his chest, its cover bearing the characters "Liang Fu," then borrowed ink and brush from a nearby shopkeeper and respectfully offered them to Qin Feng.

Qin Feng flipped through "Liang Fu" idly—it was a poetry anthology; the first poem was "Leaving the Frontier," the second, "Zui Hua Yin: Thick Clouds, Thin Mist, Grief Endures the Day."

Under the gaze of the crowd, Qin Feng's expression flipped a full 180 degrees—he scowled and demanded: "Which Book Bureau printed this 'Liang Fu'? Who the hell dares infringe on my copyright? When they included these two poems, didn't they even bother to ask me? I'll sue them into bankruptcy!"

At these words, a chorus of sharp intakes of breath rose around him; everyone stared at Qin Feng with utter shock.

Lin Quqi also startled, quickly covering Qin Feng's mouth and whispering urgently: "Don't speak recklessly! When I came to Jingdu, I bought a copy of 'Liang Fu'—it was compiled by a printing house under the Ministry of Rites, and every batch printed under Ministry supervision must be listed on official records and reviewed by the Sage. In other words, 'Liang Fu' was compiled by the Sage's direct order!"

The Sage?! Even the Emperor of Liang can't infringe on this Young Master's rights! Qin Feng seethed inwardly, vowing that the next time he met that old Liang Emperor, he'd demand copyright compensation!

Moreover, Qin Feng had just begun preparing his Book Bureau when the Liang Emperor preemptively stole his idea—he strongly suspected a Jianxie had been planted beside him! He'd interrogate everyone thoroughly upon returning—start with the soft-skinned Xiao Xiangxiang, hehe…

Cough… cough…

Qin Feng cleared his throat to ease the awkwardness, pretending nothing had happened, then signed his name on the book and handed it to the scholar: "Ignorance is no crime. Forget what I just said. Besides… doesn't everyone in Jingdu know I'm mentally unstable? A Madman's words aren't to be taken seriously."

The Chiguo crowd shifted from shock to admiration, then burst into praise.

"In shamelessness, even if you tied together every rogue in Jingdu, they wouldn't match Young Master Qin by one ten-thousandth."

"Hahaha, if anyone else said that, their head would already be off—but Young Master Qin? A Madman's ramblings—no need to take it seriously."

Though everyone smiled, their backs were drenched in cold sweat; everyone in Jingdu knew Qin Feng's madness was an act. If he were truly mad, how could he have written "Leaving the Frontier"? How could he have earned the Sage's favor? But no one dared to pierce this veil.

Moreover, for the Common People of Jingdu, protecting Qin Feng was urgent—such a nobleman who blended as one with the Common People was a rarity in a thousand generations…

"Young Master Qin, sign my name too!"

"And mine!"

Soon, more and more Confucian Scholars and literati crowded in, surrounding Qin Feng completely.

Qin Feng, for his part, thoroughly enjoyed being an idol—he signed for everyone without refusal.

The more amiable Qin Feng became, the more the literati loosened up, shouting all at once.

"Young Master Qin, they say you verbally defeated the Great Confucian Cheng Yin in the Imperial Court, driving Cheng Yin into such a rage he was carried out of the Palace Gate—is that true?"

"Confucian Scholars from all corners of the land came to advise, yet Young Master Qin alone held them back—I truly admire you!"

"Young Master Qin is the pride of Jingdu's literati!"

These scholars and literati, when banded together, were formidable; compared to the northern Di war, they cared far more about Qin Feng driving Cheng Yin away—Jingdu's literati circle had long been in decline, with no outstanding talents emerging for years. Even within the literati circle, there was a hierarchy, and Jingdu's scholars sat at its lowest tier; through this Imperial Court debate, they had finally vented their Hatred.

At that moment, an elderly figure appeared in the crowd, waving and calling out: "Young Master Qin, you haven't visited the Academy in ages—the Headmaster constantly speaks of you."

Qin Feng pretended not to hear.

School?! What nonsense!

Previously, he'd just been occupying a spot at Shenglin Academy for Qin Tianhu's reputation; now that he had the Golden Sash, whether he attended Shenglin Academy or not didn't matter at all. Besides, why waste time in school when he could be earning more money?

More and more literati came, drawn by his fame.

At first, it was just signatures, but with so many flatterers, Qin Feng began to swell with pride, standing tall and boasting to the scholars about how he had humiliated Cheng Yin in the Imperial Court.

Every time he reached a high point, the crowd erupted in cheers.

The scholars felt vindicated and thoroughly entertained.

Qin Feng, basking in admiration, also enjoyed himself so much that… he completely forgot the time.

Only when the sky was utterly dark did Qin Xiaofu push through the crowd shouting: "Master, hurry home! If you don't return soon, Master Qin will come himself to drag you back!"

"Everyone, disperse! My master is returning home!"

"If you want signatures, come back tomorrow!"

Qin Xiaofu practically dragged and pulled Qin Feng out of the crowd.