Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 739 What Master Xu Said
Should I go down there?
"Oh~ going to the underworld again!" Xiaoqing drawled.

She was somewhat tempted; her current mission to conquer Dongting Lake was boring and easy, and she was keeping the overall progress under control.

Seven of the eight demon kings have died, and only the Stone King of Lishui is still organizing the demon race to resist.

Now everyone is engaged in a fierce battle at Ruanshuikou. With so many ruthless fighters from Baoantang joining the fray, the enemy is being pushed back step by step.

It is estimated that the first waterway will be completed in another week.

Although he was called the "commander-in-chief," his actual job was to read the battle reports written by the giant turtle every day and occasionally teach a few ignorant little demons a lesson.

It was clearly agreed that the leader would make decisions independently, but since there was no leader to guide the process, the ability to make decisions independently could not be demonstrated.

It was a complete rout; I sat in the central command tent like a mascot.

There was no chance to show off, no chance to recite poetry, but the logistics were handled by Master Bai Gui and Master Da Mao, and the vanguard was led by Li Yingqi and the new Shushan swordsmen.

It's so painful.

Compared to Xu Xuan's upcoming itinerary, it's really not exciting enough, so it would be great if I could go down with him and kill a couple more ghost kings.

Although Xiaoqing isn't a particularly powerful figure, she's capable of assisting and providing cover.

More importantly, I have wisdom.

Xiaoqing has a very accurate understanding of her own position.

Xu Xuan...

He stroked his chin, his gaze lingering on Xiaoqing for a moment. Although this little demon was usually boisterous, she was surprisingly reliable, especially when it came to swindling, cheating, and setting traps—she was practically gifted at it.

Last time, their scheme in the underworld was perfectly coordinated, managing to trick dozens of ghost kings into falling into the trap and being wiped out in one fell swoop.

What if there's a similar opportunity this time?

Xu Xuan was making plans in his mind.

Those old ghosts in the underworld are all the type who won't act until they see a clear benefit. If we can trick another batch, maybe we can get some good stuff in return.

At worst, he could still boost his achievements in the Pure Land School, which would bring him one step closer to becoming the abbot.

As for the battle situation in Dongting Lake... to be honest, whether or not Xiaoqing is in charge doesn't really have much impact.

With Yan Chixia and the new Shushan swordsmen in charge, any Shi Wang who dares to go out will face a fierce siege.

He was greeted by a sky full of poisonous sand, smoke, and fire, followed by a sword formation attack and a bombardment of divine thunder.

The sheer variety of their methods truly opened the eyes of the monsters. They wondered what kind of genius came up with such tactics; it was utterly immoral.

The relentless attacks caused Stone King to howl in pain, cursing, "Despicable! Shameless! Let's fight one-on-one!"

Singled out?

Xu Xuan scoffed upon seeing the battle report.

Go dream!

What kind of chivalrous code is there in the world of cultivation? If you can gang up on someone, you'll never fight one-on-one; if you can ambush someone, you'll never fight head-on.

As for whether Yun Zhongjun would escape from Yunmengze... it doesn't seem to matter much whether Xiaoqing is there or not.

It's not that I look down on her.

Okay, I just look down on her.

If someone of Yun Zhongjun's caliber were to really unleash their fury, let alone Xiao Qing, even Xu Xuan himself would have to think twice about whether he should run away first.

The little monster's presence would at most mean taking another bolt of lightning and turning into a charred snake.

Then Bai Suzhen flew into a rage and tore Yun Zhongjun apart with her bare hands, ending the Dongting episode ahead of schedule.

Thinking about it that way, it doesn't seem like there's any harm in bringing her along.

"Alright, then take it with you." Xu Xuan finally nodded, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness, yet also a subtle trace of indulgence.

This trip to the dungeon won't last long; he still needs to return to the human world to study.

When the idea first came to him, he himself found it somewhat absurd.

It's like going out with a watermelon knife before the college entrance exam, casually killing a few thugs, and then returning to the exam hall to do the questions as if nothing happened.

Is it abstract? Yes, it is.

But is it necessary? Absolutely.

So he nodded, agreeing to gather intelligence at Baoan Hall and devise some plans before setting off immediately. Back at the academy, Xu Xuan immediately began resolving some minor issues.

First, call Zhu Yingtai over and ask her what happened in Tian Jiazhong that made their relationship so harmonious.

After all, the academician's wife had instructed her to keep a close eye on the Zhu family's young lady and prevent her from overstepping any boundaries.

Xu Xuan felt that there was something unknown hidden behind this sudden harmonious change, which needed to be investigated.

Zhu Yingtai was straightforward, simply shrugging her shoulders and saying, "I don't know."

Xu Xuan: "...?"

"It just suddenly became normal." Zhu Yingtai said calmly. "I originally wanted to give him a bamboo scroll."

Xu Xuan paused for two seconds, then slowly asked, "Why...did you want to stab Liang Shanbo?"

Zhu Yingtai's swordsmanship was like a mountain collapsing; every stroke was a sword strike, and ordinary people really couldn't withstand it.

"Didn't you say that in class, Professor Xu?"

Xu Xuan: "...?"

When did I ever teach you to chop up your deskmate? Don't slander me!

Zhu Yingtai declared emphatically: "To err and not correct it is truly to err!"

Yes, that's what I said.

The source is the Analects of Confucius, Book 14, "Wei Ling Gong," which emphasizes that mistakes must be corrected promptly, otherwise the error will become a permanent consequence.

But... what does this have to do with cutting up your deskmate?!
Zhu Yingtai added, "You also said—'Use punishment to eliminate punishment, even severe punishment is acceptable!'"

Ok? !

This...this is what I said too, but...this is Legalist thought.

Legalists believed that severe punishments could deter crime and achieve the goal of "stopping crime with punishment".

Good heavens, are you trying to blend all sorts of ideas here?!

Confucianism on the outside, Legalism on the inside—the way of the sage king?
Xu Xuan rubbed his temples, suddenly feeling mentally exhausted.

Even when integrating disciplines, you should learn the essence before implementing it. Your approach is quite direct and explicit.

No wonder you caught Li Yingqi's eye and even learned the unique Yue Maiden Sword Technique of Bao'an Hall.

Starting with Xiaoqing, this lineage has very similar characteristics.

One word is chaos, and one word is recklessness; that's enough.

Tell Zhu Yingtai to go back and study hard, and to copy the Analects of Confucius to deepen her understanding.

Then they summoned Liang Shanbo.

It seems the problem lies with this kid—he can't just go for a walk in the fields and suddenly have a sudden enlightenment, can he?
"Tell me, what happened?" Xu Xuan picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip.

Liang Shanbo stood there, his ears slightly red, stammering for a long time, but he couldn't utter a complete sentence.

"Master Xu, I..."

"Ok?"

"...Don't worry!" He suddenly looked up, his eyes as firm as tempered iron. "I will definitely study hard!"

Xu Xuan: "..."

This realization... it has a tragic, heroic feel to it, like a warrior cutting off his own arm.

Cut it off?

Or did he also comprehend the Iron Will?

However, since his attitude was so firm, Xu Xuan didn't bother to investigate further.

As long as things are moving in a positive direction, who cares what happens in between?
It's a pity... the story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai is probably going to end here.

There are no more "eighteen farewell ceremonies" or "butterflies flying together," only two model students from the academy who study hard and strive for excellence every day.

Tsk, the world has lost a tragic love story, but gained a pair of adorable lovers.

(End of this chapter)