This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 29 Mass Grave

At 1:00 pm, classes at the academy ended.

As soon as the get out of class was over, Xiao He and Xu Ji dragged Xiang Yuan away and went straight to Wang Wenxu's study. They knew that the only qualified test paper today was written by Xiang Yuan. They were secretly shocked but still refused to accept it.

"The old man's work is really flawless. He pretends to be doing the test, but in fact he is recruiting students. No one can find fault with him."

"It's better to cry for your brother. Sir, you are so annoyed that you have to do this."

The two funny guys each said a few words and immediately took all the credit for themselves.

Xiang Yuan opened his mouth to explain, but when he thought about how copying poems wasn't something to be proud of, he simply kept silent and let the two men take the credit.

When he becomes low-key, the two funny guys become more high-profile.

"Brother Xiao, you were kicked out of the lecture hall, and you didn't see Brother Xiaoyuan's poem. I was close to it and saw it clearly. To be fair, it is far worse than my 'Night Farmer'."

Xu Jixian hummed twice, and said in a rhythmic manner: "It's noon when the field is being ploughed, but who knows what will happen in the plate? It's simple and straightforward, which shows that Brother Xiaoyuan really hasn't had many years of education, and his level is far inferior to you and me."

It's 'who knows what's on the plate', not what comes out of the plate, how come any good thing tastes like driving a car when it enters your mouth.

Xiang Yuan showed disdain on his face and said, "If you are not educated, don't say anything, lest you reveal your true identity as soon as you open your mouth."

"Of course. You and I brothers have studied poetry and literature very hard. If Brother Xiaoyuan comes and surpasses us, all those years of studying would have been in vain!" Xiao He groaned.

Xu Jixian's face straightened, and he saluted and said, "I'd like to ask, what is Brother Xiao's masterpiece?"

"I wrote a poem called 'Idle Farmer' to express my feelings. It is just to comfort myself, but it cannot be called a masterpiece." Xiao He bowed in return, put one hand behind his back, and read out his work aloud.

Xu Jixian tasted it three times and exclaimed: "I don't think so. It is obviously of the best quality. Let's listen to my "Night Farming". It is an elegant and leisurely article that is not worthy of being in a high-class hall. Please don't laugh at me when I tell you about it, brother Xiao."

When he finished reading, Xiao He was dumbfounded and sighed: "Brother Xu has great literary talent. I lost this time."

"No, no, it's obvious that Brother Xiao won."

"Ask, accept, accept."

The two idiots were flattering each other and were getting more and more addicted to the talk. Xiang Yuan couldn't stand it anymore and was about to curse them for being nonsense and disrespectful to society when his attention was attracted by the couplets on the left and right of the study.

If you learn to talk at the age of two, you will learn to shut up for the rest of your life;

Three autumns to learn writing, a hundred years to train one’s character.

What a good way to learn to keep your mouth shut, what a good way to train your character for a hundred years, Xiang Yuan felt like he had found a treasure and no longer wanted to argue with Xiao He and Xu Jixian.

Don't argue with idiots, just let them be.

The three of them entered the study. Wang Wenxu had not returned home since the exam was announced, so Xiang Yuan did not dare to sit down. He looked at the calligraphy and paintings on the walls and was impressed by Wang Wenxu's talent.

The writing is as beautiful as brocade, the painting is as sweet as gentle rain, the writing is vivid and every word is like a pearl. Reading it feels like a spring breeze blowing gently on your face and the water flowing under the small bridge is gurgling. It is so fascinating that you can eat three baskets of steamed buns.

Xiao Xu was not the same. He was rummaging through the bookshelf, looking for the "strange book" that was confiscated by his teacher during class.

They are all banned books and are rarely circulated in the market. It took me a lot of effort to get them.

"How could there not be?"

"The old man must have hidden himself away. He must have read it every night, alone, and diligently."

"Using power for personal gain is truly despicable."

A cough, not too loud or too light, was heard outside the study. Xiao Xu immediately restrained himself and flashed to Xiang Yuan's side, sandwiching him between the left and right.

"My dear teacher, you are here. What a coincidence! The three of us were just praising your painting!" Xiao He flattered him with a smug look on his face.

"Yeah, look at this, and this...right, really good!" Xu Jixian took a few photos.

Wang Wenxu's face was as black as charcoal as he strode into the study. Xiang Yuan was amazed at the old gentleman's strong body and must have been skilled in martial arts. If he were an ordinary teacher, he would have been angered to death by Xiao He and Xu Jixian.

Xiang Yuan bowed and Wang Wenxu waved his hand, motioning him to sit down at the desk. He simply ignored Xiao Xu, pretending that the two of them did not exist.

"Your name is Xiang Yuan, right?"

"Sir, it is Xiang Yuan."

"Reading your article, I know your thoughts. It is not affected or deliberately crafted. It is sincere and genuine, and pure and kind like water..." Wang Wenxu praised it highly, and was very happy with Xiang Yuan who wrote it.

Xiang Yuan blushed when he heard this. He could not suppress his shame and gritted his teeth and said, "Sir, these are poems copied by my students."

"Yes, then it is. No, then it is not. The hardships you went through in your youth have made you mature, which is a good thing, but it also lacks sharpness. A young man like you should dare to compete with others!"

Wang Wenxu taught students in accordance with their aptitude. He advised people like Xiao He to be restrained, but he did the exact opposite to Xiang Yuan. "I have learned your lesson." Xiang Yuan could not explain any further.

"Since you call yourself a student, I will be your teacher for once. You can come to the academy to listen to my lectures in the future. Study hard every day and don't slack off."

"Student Xiang Yuan greets the teacher." Xiang Yuan bowed respectfully.

"Don't worry. I have one condition. There is a serious rat infestation around you. If this continues, you will be harmed. I can't bear to see you fall into depravity, so I am willing to sponsor your studies. How about it?" Wang Wenxu asked.

This is to let Xiang Yuan and Xiao Xu cut off at the speed of light and not play with poor students.

"Sir, where did the rat infestation come from? Brother Xiao and I are both innocent people."

"Yes, wise teacher, don't forget that my father gave you money to build the academy, so you can't burn your bridges after crossing the river!"

Xiao Xu's face changed drastically and he kept refusing to obey.

Xiang Yuan was also stunned for a moment, and sighed at Li Shen's power. He won over Wang Wenxu with a poem "Song of Pity the Peasants" and brought him a bright future.

By keeping in touch with Wang Wenxu, he would be able to establish a relationship with King Zhao Xiao Yan in the future, and his relationship might even be better than that of the unpopular Xiao He. It would be right to cut ties with him now.

"Thank you for your kindness, sir. However, I have been taken care of by your parents while they were infested with rats. I have received your kindness and now I know the difference between cold and warmth. If I abandon this for the sake of my future, what is the use of learning the virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and trustworthiness in the books?" Xiang Yuan made his feelings clear.

It’s not that I like Xiao He so much, this is a matter of principle. This is what I feel, so that’s how it is.

Wang Wenxu stroked his long beard with a smile: "Very good, very good, you are kind and righteous, and you have outstanding moral character. You are worthy of the saying 'every grain of rice is hard-earned'. From today on, you can come to the academy to study, and you pay for your own expenses. Don't break the rules."

Xiang Yuan was stunned. Was the temptation just now a test?

That’s not right. It’s just reading a book, is it necessary to be so strict?
"That's great. Congratulations, Brother Xiaoyuan, for becoming a disciple of a wise teacher. From now on, we will be classmates."

"It's the three of us."

"And you two rats!"

Wang Wenxu was friendly to Xiang Yuan, but he was not friendly to Xiao Xu: "It's fine if you are uneducated, but if you lead Xiang Yuan astray, I have plenty of ways to deal with you."

After saying that, he waved his hand and told the two idiots to get out of here.

The two dared not disobey and dragged Xiang Yuan out of the study.

In Xiao He's words, since Xiang Yuan had entered the academy, Wang Wenxu would take care of the textbooks and Xu Jixian would pay for the tuition. All Xiang Yuan had to do was show up.

Now that get out of class is over, the right thing to do is to play.

Xiang Yuan received a salary from the government office, and his main job was to accompany Xiao He in eating, drinking and having fun. He never refused, and focused on listening to crosstalk, practicing cultivation, and doing nothing else.

In the eyes of all the students, Xiang Yuan, who should have been a good student, was taken into a carriage by two poor students. The wheels rolled and they never looked back.

In the carriage, Xiao He counted on his fingers: "Brother Xu, how are you going to spend your time tonight?"

Xiang Yuan frowned, fearing that the two men would take him to red-light districts and even pay out of their own pockets to let him see what blood and gore are all about.

"I'm afraid it won't work tonight. I'll go back home and prepare to go to the south of the city to sweep the graves and add some candles and paper money to the ancestors at home." Xu Jixian said helplessly.

Although the Xu family was impoverished, they were once a wealthy family. Although Xu Jixian was hopeless, he did not dare to forget to worship his ancestors. The Xu mansion was deserted except for the ancestral temple, which was clean and tidy.

"Grave sweeping..."

Xiao He's eyes lit up: "Okay, I'll go with you. My treasure trove of magic weapons hasn't been replenished recently, and when I passed by the mass grave, I just happened to add two Yin weapons and sharp blades."

Xiang Yuan didn't understand, and only understood after Xu Ji explained it to him.

The so-called magic weapons are wooden sticks and branches that are shaped like weapons. Xiao He was fond of fun, so he collected a large number of magic weapons and put them into his treasury. The wooden sticks he picked up in the mass grave were the Yin soldiers.

"Brother Xiaoyuan, you haven't seen my treasure trove yet. When you go back tonight, you can pick three by yourself... I will give you one. They are all treasures. I can't have more." Xiao He said with pain.

How grown up!

Xiang Yuan was speechless. He coveted real good weapons, like the sharp sword in Sima Qingyan's hand, wooden sticks, branches, etc. He gave up using them when he was eighteen.

However, the mass grave...

Xiang Yuan raised his eyebrows, he was about to get the idea, he could use the formless seal method to simulate the 'Three Yin Book of Life and Death' and go to the mass grave to check it out, maybe it would come in handy when he was practicing.

For example, the Thirteen Changes of Yin Wind and Ghost Fog, the top-level physical skills in the awakening period, require the support of Yin Qi to be vivid and lifelike, so that the flaws cannot be discovered by experts.

(End of this chapter)