Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 501 Prison Visit
To put it simply, many people don't know the names of the deans of the three major academies, but even Ning Caichen's mother knows this name.

After all, his vernacular stories were very popular among the common people; the more the imperial court tried to ban them, the more popular they became.

Moreover, strange and unusual events were attributed to him, and encounters with demons were common stories he heard.

As the story spread by word of mouth among the villagers, more and more tales were told, and naturally, the village's fame grew.

As for whether they are truly knowledgeable in astronomy and geography, Ning Caichen and his classmate Zao don't seem to have any biases.

It doesn't seem that special.

Many of the top students from the three academies have received this evaluation, and even the best students can achieve it.

Zhu Erdan, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, Lu Nan of Bailu Academy, and Xie Yu of Chongqi.

Such talents exist in every era.

Therefore, anyone who has studied at one of the three great academies would not be superstitious about such folk eccentrics.

The negative example is senior student Zhang Hua, who just made his appearance.

The Fu sisters have a father who served as the Censor-in-Chief, so why are they looking for this person?

After Fu Qingfeng explained, they realized that Zhuge Wolong was not only a folk genius, but also quite famous among the upper class.

In terms of talent and learning, if not unparalleled in his time, he was at least renowned.

In his youth, he made quite a name for himself in the capital, and even took a punch from Yu Gong.

Many princes and nobles wanted to recruit him as their advisor.

As for what happened next, it seems that he offended the Jin Emperor by writing the book.

This person was so eager to write books and establish his reputation. At first, the content that revealed his personal ambitions was fine, but as he wrote, it started to have a persuasive tone.

After suffering numerous setbacks, he was driven out of the capital and forced to wander. The latest news is that he's been imprisoned.

Many years ago, I wrote a biography for a big shot. As a result, the big shot fell from power last year, and I was also punished. I was arrested and imprisoned by the governor of Dongyang.

"Father said that Zhuge Wolong was learned but not talented, muddle-headed and arrogant, too obsessed and lacking in magnanimity, and of no benefit to the country."

Although Ning Caichen was not impressed by Zhuge Liang's life experiences, he also disliked Fu Tianchou's attitude of being useless to the country, which revealed the worldview of a great man.

"Young Master Ning, Zhuge Wolong is in the nearby prison."

"If possible, let's visit together."

Visiting extraordinary people is considered an elegant affair, and many celebrities enjoy doing so as a form of entertainment.

This has led to the emergence of many 'extraordinary people' who use their unique skills to swindle and cheat.

Especially those sorcerers, who love to come up with strange and bizarre things to attract attention.

Of course, what's more popular now is the stories of monks from the Western Regions who practice ascetic yoga, and the various shocking tales they create are on the rise.

However, wasn't Zhuge Wolong captured?
"Getting arrested will make it even easier to visit."

Fu Yuechi’s offhand remark made the two good students suddenly realize something.

So this is how powerful people operate.

Once someone is arrested, there's no need for repeated visits to their humble abode, nor for any concern about the pride of famous figures. As long as the proper arrangements are made, they can be visited however they wish.

The governor of Dongyang is really resourceful; this is a very new way to generate foreign exchange.

Zao and Ning Caichen exchanged a glance and decided to go see just how capable the so-called Zhuge Wolong really was.

If they really have the ability, they should find a way to get them out of here. How can such a talented person be wasted here?

Master Xu's Baoan Hall seems to be hiring, and Jinshan Temple is also short of monks.

As for whether it will provoke the dissatisfaction of high-ranking officials, what does that have to do with us?

I believe that Master Xu will handle this matter flawlessly.

The two students, having been influenced by a certain person for a long time, have developed their own distinctive styles of behavior.

Even the Confucian knights who cultivate righteousness do things as they please, without falling into any constraints.

"Alas, it's a pity Brother Ji isn't here. It would have been so much more interesting if he were."

Ning Caichen suddenly sighed. He felt that such an interesting thing should be shared by the three of them. It would be a bit boring without the one person who liked to come up with bad ideas.

Zao nodded at first, then shook his head. The three of us gathered together; Teacher Xu might have a headache.

Having completed their emotional journey, they made an appointment with the Fu sisters to travel together to Dongyang Shou County three days later.

And on the other side.

The prodigy of the Ji family, now the center of attention, is currently staring blankly at his ancestral grave.

Thick wisps of smoke were rising from the grave, and the eerie firelight was somewhat frightening.

Could it be that my excellence is because my ancestors were burned?
This fire cannot be explained by simple mist and smoke; it is more likely to be caused by human intervention.

Could it be a deep fatherly love?
Moved, he whispered, "Father, is this fire yours?"

Ji's father gave his son a loving tap on the head.

What the hell are you talking about, you bastard!
Even if I were crazy, I wouldn't dare set fire to my ancestral graves. This is clearly an attempt by an enemy!

This is despicable! It's already extremely vicious to use a curse to ruin my son's future, but they even went so far as to target our ancestral graves.

I was too soft-hearted back then and didn't eliminate the root of the problem, which ultimately left behind a source of trouble.

Enraged, Ji's father quickly sought help to put out the fire, but neither river water nor sand could extinguish it.

Even if the surface is covered, it will reignite after a while.

Helpless, the old father apologized and cried to his ancestors, lamenting his uselessness and how his enemies had betrayed him, causing his ancestors to be disgraced in the afterlife.

Even Ji Rui knelt here and sighed.

He tried it with his self-discipline knife and found that it could kill the fire.

This power is somewhat similar to the yin energy in Guo Beicheng; it is not a power of the human world.

But it will soon reignite, as if there is an underground source constantly spewing fire outwards.

The burial site can only be kept at peace if the source is found and blocked.

We can only use some unconventional methods to put out the fire now.

"Dad, I have a plan."

Ji's father didn't believe it, even though his son had stabbed the female ghost to death with a knife that day.
The old father still didn't understand the significance of Ji Rui's strike, nor did he grasp the concept of the suddenly appearing white deer.

That was a stroke of self-discipline and adherence to propriety, and also Ji Rui's way.

The white deer is also a Confucian auspicious beast, carrying on the cultural tradition.

No matter how bizarre or powerful the Northern Cursed Spirits are, they'll all be defeated by this combination.

There was nothing they could do but rely on the family's offerings, so they could only temporarily place their faith in it.

"Rui'er, what are you going to do?"

"Please hire someone."

Now that Ji's father was more at ease, he said, "Please, invite a few more; I have plenty of money."

He didn't believe in Ji Rui's abilities, but he did believe in his connections.

One of Rui'er's close friends was a disciple of Yu Gong, which was not a secret. Many people had seen the red-faced scholar carrying stones at the Jintian Academy.

It's no secret that another one became a disciple of the great master Shi Kuang.

His own son is nothing special; he didn't become Professor Qin's disciple or anything like that.

It's infuriating how my father looks down on me.
There's no way around it; in a parent's eyes, a child is always the same as when they were little. Let's not even mention Ji Rui when he was little.

First, he wrote a letter to tell Master Xu about the auspicious smoke rising from his ancestral graves. He wasn't embarrassed at all. It was only natural for a disciple to ask his teacher for help. At worst, he would take care of Master Xu in his old age and see him off when he died. How filial!

Next, I hurried to Jinhua to find Ning Caichen, and then invited my classmate Zao from Qiantang to join me there.

If it is evil spirits causing trouble, they will not escape the cleansing of righteous energy. Even if they hide very deep, they will not escape Cai Chen's senses.

With these three extraordinary talents combined, what problem could possibly stump them?
He rode a fast horse straight to Jinhua.

"Caichen, I've come to pick you up!"

(End of this chapter)