Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 669 Where Did the White Deer Go?

Xu Xuan repeatedly rubbed the dragon scale mark on his wrist; the golden patterns gleamed strangely in the sunlight.

He tried to infuse spiritual power, chant incantations, and even gently touch the mark with the Shengxie Sword, but there was no response.

"Strange." Xu Xuan frowned. "A big shot of this level wouldn't just give a decoration, would they?"

Xiaoqing leaned closer and sniffed: "It smells so hungry, it seems to be related to dragons."

That's obvious. The Dragon Lord has laid out so much information; it must be related to dragons.

The little monster was then sent aside and had to figure it out on its own.

At the same time, I inwardly criticize this kind of frivolous, pretentious behavior—never saying it directly, always keeping it a mystery. If this trip to Dongting Lake doesn't serve its purpose, I'll build a temple to the Dragon King of the Yangtze River on Nanshan Mountain.

One bow is offered morning and evening, and two more incense sticks are burned during festivals.

And so we made our way to Xunyang.

As soon as the boat docked, Xu Xuan led Xiao Qing straight to Bailu Academy. In May, the academy was lush with greenery, and several students were reciting under the shade of locust trees. They all bowed when they saw them enter.

Mr. Xu, a prominent figure in Qiantang, has arrived again.

Shen Shanzhang greeted him in front of the library, his wide robes stained with ink, clearly having just finished grading assignments.

"Instructor Xu, how have you been?" the old man stroked his beard and smiled. "Why so abrupt? Is this a study tour or something else?"

"Just passing by." Xu Xuan handed over the new tea he brought from Zhenjiang, emphasizing that it was a specialty of the Jintian Academy where Yu Gong was located, and that it carried an air of literary elegance.

Despite Yu Gong's lack of awareness, Jintian Academy has already produced well-known products such as lotus root powder, tea, and exquisite handwritten books.

These valuable items have all been amassed through the operations of Baoantang, resulting in a considerable amount of open wealth.

"I'd like to ask you something."

Just by hearing that, you know it's definitely not something that happens on the side.

The two sat down at the stone table. Xiaoqing idly teased the koi in the pond, glancing over here every now and then.

It seemed a bit inappropriate to start by getting straight to business, so Mr. Xu began with a business-like introduction.

Then use another small incident as a prelude, such as...
He took a sip of tea and asked casually, "Speaking of which, how is the white deer in the academy doing lately? The students all liked it very much during the last study tour."

Shen Yifu stroked his beard and smiled: "The auspicious beast of the literary lineage is a great blessing to be able to see once every few decades. How can we force it? It has not appeared since you left."

The old man was very proud. He had brought the auspicious beast back to life during his tenure. What did that mean? It meant he had done a good job.

"Ahem, what if," Xu Xuan tapped his fingertips lightly on the teacup, "it appears somewhere else?"

"That is the flow of literary tradition, which is the will of Heaven." Master Shen said calmly, the Analects in his hand moving without wind, revealing the demeanor of a master. "We scholars should just go with the flow."

Xu Xuan looked on with admiration: "The headmaster is magnanimous."

No wonder they're the head of the top academy in Jiangnan; if it were me, I definitely wouldn't be able to stand it.

“However,” the old mountain chief, not one to be flattered, changed the subject, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, “if I were to actually run into him outside…” He pulled a roll of rope from his sleeve, “this ‘Binding Unicorn Rope’ has been sitting idle for quite some time.”

"Huh?" Someone almost knocked over their teacup.

“Think about it,” Headmaster Shen analyzed seriously, “when it was in the academy, it was our own auspicious beast, and we couldn’t disturb it.” He skillfully tied a knot in the rope, “but if it runs away to settle elsewhere…” The rope suddenly taut, emitting a trembling sound like a dragon’s roar, “we’ll have to ask it if it remembers how many of my sacred herbs it ate!”

I remember now, the reason why Headmaster Shen is a legendary headmaster is because the business he did before studying was quite violent.

Xu Xuan smiled and agreed, "Your Excellency is wise." Then he thought he shouldn't bother with any more build-up; Ji Ruiji would be dealt with by fate, so let him die.

Let's get right to the point.

They inquired about the details of the Jiuning Mountain and Dongting Lake incident, since Professor Shi said he was in a daze while being chased and was often unconscious.

Headmaster Shen slammed his teacup down on the stone table, gazing towards the distant Jiuning Mountain, his expression growing somber.
"Back then, Brother Ziye's matter almost caused a huge uproar."

As the song "Qingjiao" played, three dragon-head ornaments on the palace wall shattered instantly, various sacrificial vessels broke apart, and roof tiles fell to the ground. The late emperor hid under the dragon throne, thinking it was an earth dragon rising from the ground.

The next day at the court assembly, the Grand Astrologer insisted that it was Mars encroaching on Ziwei, and refused to admit that it was because the emperor was immoral and could not listen to the sage emperor's music.

So, on the surface, Shi Kuang was allowed to resign and retire, but in reality, a large number of people were secretly sent to surround and kill him.

Xu Xuan noticed that the old mountain chief's hands were bulging with veins, indicating that an unimaginable battle was about to take place.

The old man said it was indeed very tragic.

The experts cultivated with the full strength of the nation are all masters. Although they cannot be raised to the top level due to limitations in talent and training methods, their numbers are extremely large.

From Luoyang to Xiangyang, crossbowmen were hidden at every post station along the way, naval warships at the Yangtze River crossings were covered with fishing nets, and even beggars along the route hid poisoned crossbow bolts.

They chased him all the way from the north to the south.

Old Shan sighed, "Back then, my bronze halberd was shattered in three battles. It just so happened that the Spring and Autumn Blade Technique was not yet fully developed, and my righteous spirit was far inferior to what it is now."

He then rolled up his sleeve, revealing a hideous scar on his arm: "The fourth battle took place at the foot of Jiuning Mountain. All the brothers who followed me for a living were killed in battle, and in the end, we were surrounded by thirty-six experts."

That scene from my memory reappeared.

Despite being regulated weapons, crossbows appeared in large numbers among skilled civilians, with thousands of black iron arrows tearing through the sky.

Thirty-six gleaming blades flashed in a triangular pattern, slashing down and causing the ancient pine tree, as thick as a person's embrace, to collapse with a deafening roar.

The mountain path paved with jade has now become a battlefield, with blood flowing along the relief patterns, staining the relief depicting Emperor Shun's inspection tour crimson.

"Just when he was about to die a miserable death in the mountains, Brother Ziye offered his blood as a sacrifice to the heavens. A tattered, blood-red musical score flew out from his sleeve. Who would have thought that Emperor Shun's 'Song of the South Wind' could be used in this way?"

Shun played the five-stringed zither and sang "South Wind," his "virtue flowing like a spring" demonstrating his "heart to bring peace to the world."

"The voice of the Holy Emperor echoed from the summit of Mount Jiuning, the altar lit up with golden light, and instantly a fierce wind arose. The wind, carrying with it fragments of rock, formed a tornado that blew us and the assassins in different directions," Headmaster Shen's voice was deep.

Xiaoqing had squatted down beside Xu Xuan's feet at some point, her eyes wide: "And then?"

These real-life accounts from the parties involved are far more interesting than stories like "Liu Yi Delivering a Letter."

In particular, it also involves the legendary Holy Emperor.

"And then?" Shen Shanzhang sneered, "Under the vast sky, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the land, all people are subjects of the king. Dongting Lake belongs to Baling County, and the county governor directly led the troops to surround and kill them."

"The situation was even more critical then, as a thick fog dragged everyone into a vast expanse of water."

What happened next was truly amazing.

Danger lurks everywhere in this secret realm.

What emerged from the thick fog was not ordinary water vapor, but a malevolent aura condensed into arrowhead shapes. A three-headed, six-armed monster crawled out of the swamp, each decaying face adorned with a tattered bronze mask.

(End of this chapter)