Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 651 The Five Poisons Launch an Attack
On the Qiantang River, the painted boats were already prepared.

The dragon boat is carved with a dragon-head ornament and a chiwen ornament at the stern. The hull is covered with scales and armor, which shine like gold in the sunlight.

The rowers, all dressed in crimson robes and with realgar smeared on their foreheads, shouted like thunder. Crowds gathered on both banks. A Wu woman threw rice dumplings into the middle of the river. The dumplings were wrapped in holly leaves and contained red beans and dried meat. They sank upon entering the water, supposedly to feed the dragons and prevent them from devouring Qu Yuan.

These large-scale folk events are always packed with people.

Sanqi is currently stationed here.

As disciples of Master Xu, the three of them, whose experience and combat strength were both extremely extraordinary, could not roam around as before. Instead, they stayed here early to ensure the safety of the event.

"The Xie family has really gone all out this year." Ning Caichen stood by the stone lion at the dock, listening to the discussions around him. Some people said that the luminous pearl on the dragon's head alone was worth ten years' worth of food for an ordinary family.

Zao stood to one side, his blue robe fluttering in the river wind: "Dragon boat racing is an old custom of Wu and Yue. It is quite common for the Xie family to use this to show off their status." His gaze swept across the river, and suddenly he stopped. "There is something strange about the Wu girl on that small boat."

Ji Rui, who had been staring intently at the vendor selling water chestnuts on the shore, immediately perked up upon hearing this: "Where is she? Oh, the one in the apricot-red shirt?" He squinted his eyes, "Waist and legs, she does look somewhat familiar."

Young Master Yu, who rarely comes during the day, felt somewhat unfamiliar with the place. Everyone was dressed rather conservatively, making it difficult to recognize each other. Now, he finally found some familiar elements.

"The three of you certainly have a refined taste."

A clear laugh came from behind. The three outstanding scholars of the academy arrived together. Xie Yu was dressed in a moon-white robe, gently waving a folding fan in his hand; Qian Zhongyu wore a brand-new royal blue robe, with a jade pendant jingling at his waist; Qiao Feng, however, was much more plain, except that he was holding the hand of a bright-eyed and white-toothed young lady.

Ji Rui pouted: "Why are you guys everywhere?"

Then he looked at Qiao Feng with a strange and complicated expression.

We wouldn't even bother with someone surnamed Xie or Qian, but this guy surnamed Qiao is something else.

They actually got married. There's no comparison, no way to talk about it, and you definitely can't spew poison in front of someone else's wife.

It is said that this was the matchmaker for Xu Shi's swift rescue of Qianlibao; the implications of this cannot be explained openly.

Xie Yu knew there was nothing to say to Ji Bailu, since Ji Bailu had given everyone tremendous benefits when they were in Jiujiang.

So he smiled and said, "Master Xu was lecturing on the Chu Ci the other day, saying, 'Each person has their own joys, but I alone love self-cultivation as a constant practice.' How could I not come to this grand Dragon Boat Festival?"

They are all well-known members of the academy. Although the three heroes don't have much screen time now, Xu Xuan has never given up on training them.

On the contrary, the intensity has increased even more as the autumn harvest approaches.

If he initially established his reputation through unconventional methods, after making rapid progress in his spiritual realm, Xu Xuan has become a valuable teacher to them, even in terms of academic knowledge alone.

They had scanned the entire library of the three academies, and their knowledge far exceeded that of the average person.

Ordinary practitioners rarely learn this kind of thing; only those who cultivate the path of the soul have the ability to build a database.

What sets Xu Xuan apart is that, in addition to recording, he also has the auxiliary buff of deep learning.

The students of Chongqi provide a wealth of intellectual insights every day, helping someone to understand contemporary mainstream knowledge as well as other miscellaneous disciplines. This is the kind of cross-disciplinary breakthrough that practitioners make.

Add to that someone's forte—the art of pretense—and they can unleash ten times the power from a single skill. Ten times the skill, unleashing a hundred times the power.

Naturally, they will be successful in everything they do.

These are all exceptional individuals, and the resources they can leverage are enormous.

Especially as time goes on, if their families don't fall from grace, they are very likely to be promoted to high positions.

Xu Xuan's influence in the mortal world can continue to spread.

This means we must grasp both aspects firmly.

For example, the dragon boat race that is about to start is organized by the Xie family, which can be regarded as a way for the Xie family of Dongshan to accumulate reputation.

The Qian family provided a lot of convenience and support, and were also the organizers of the Dragon Boat Festival poetry gathering.

Qiao Feng came with his wife, they were incredibly happy, so let's not talk about it.

When the three extraordinary individuals and three outstanding talents gather, conflict is inevitable. After all, two of them are irreconcilable enemies.

Qian Zhongyu was somewhat curious as to why Ji Rui, given his personality, would not charter a pleasure boat to enjoy the scenery on the river.

Zao frankly expressed that he had received orders from Teacher Xu that someone might cause trouble during the Dragon Boat Festival.

The three heroes' expressions turned solemn. Master Xu was an extraordinary person, and his words were always accurate; something truly bad might happen today. Qiao Feng even considered sending his wife home.

"Is there anything we can do?" Xie Yu, as the leader of the three heroes and a member of the Xie family with considerable influence, carried considerable weight in his words.

Ji Rui said that ordinary people like you shouldn't get involved. Of course, that's not what he said, but the meaning was conveyed very well.

He was still very proud of his identity as the White Deer Scholar.

I, Young Master Ji, am no ordinary person~~~ (voice rises).
Qian Zhongyu glared at him, about to launch into a tirade, but Qiao Feng quickly stopped him, saying that business was more important.

Xie Yu smiled without saying a word. In fact, he was also hoping that Qian Zhongyu would say something, after all, the Three Wonders were quite arrogant.

Ning Caichen did not participate in the argument; his gaze was drawn to a woman in the middle of the river, her figure swaying and her face flushed.

"That Wu girl"

Following his gaze, Zao Tongxue knew that Ning Caichen was aloof and unapproachable, so what had caught his attention must not be his appearance.

Upon closer inspection, it seems like they've been poisoned? Several people on the outer boats simultaneously foamed at the mouth and collapsed, causing a minor disturbance.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai were at Leifeng Pagoda.

Liang Shanbo came here to fulfill a vow and pray for blessings. After all, Lingyin Temple had moved away, and the nearby temples were not very popular, unlike this very mysterious pagoda.

I have three thoughts on coming here today.

One is to pray for my mother's good health and long life.

After experiencing so many things unrelated to love, his transformation from initially disdainful of gods and Buddhas to now being indifferent to believing in them was quite rapid.

They also frequently burn paper money for the dead, as if ghosts and spirits are nearby.

One reason is to put an end to one's own romantic relationship.

We can't keep indulging in fantasies forever, because Brother Zhu is a man! A man! A man!

His cousin was already engaged, and he could no longer indulge in her, nor could he be influenced by the current social trends.

It is said that Buddhism has a sword of wisdom that can sever emotional ties; I hope to borrow such wisdom.

The last one is that the autumn imperial examinations are just around the corner.

The Dragon Gate to glory for our family has appeared. If only we could leap over it ahead of time and fulfill our family's mission sooner.

How delightful that would be!
Just as I was getting close, I suddenly felt panicked. Why was the sky shrouded in black mist?
But then several yellow-green venomous snakes emerged from the cracks in the stone steps, hissing and flicking their tongues.

"Brother Liang, be careful!" Zhu Yingtai drew her longsword with a clang. As the sword flashed, the venomous snake was severed in two, and the foul-smelling black blood splattered on the stone steps, even emitting wisps of white smoke.

Even more terrifying was that the surroundings had become teeming with venomous creatures: scorpions emerged from the cracks in the bricks, centipedes spun webs on the eaves, geckos scurried across the prayer pillars, and countless toads jumped out of the release pond.

Liang Shanbo's face turned pale: "This...this is..."

Zhu Yingtai stood protectively in front of Liang Shanbo.

Brother Liang, don't panic.

The same figure, the illusion and the reality overlapped once again, and Liang Shanbo panicked even more, for he had not yet borrowed the sword of wisdom.

At this moment, five invisible malevolent energies soared into the sky, intertwining in the air to form the phantoms of snakes, scorpions, centipedes, toads, and geckos.

(End of this chapter)