Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 805 Giving Him Retribution

"How was your day?" Xiaoqing asked, leaning closer with a hint of gossip, her bright eyes sparkling with cleverness.

Xu Xuan glanced at her, raised his hand and gave an "OK" sign, his tone calm but confident: "Everything is under control."

Once the Father discovers the fears and desires in people's hearts, it is too late.

Greed, cowardice, ambition... these emotions are like candlelight in the dark; a gentle blow can ignite a wildfire.

The terrifying demon king will devour everything in the most despicable and swift way.

This is the enlightenment of those who bear the burden of numerous causes and effects.

Hehehehe~~~
(The above are all random thoughts and do not represent the true thoughts of the Father.)
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Xiaoqing transformed into a streak of azure light and quietly left Shouchun City.

Heading straight for the Dongting front, his figure moved like the wind, disappearing into the horizon in an instant.

In theory, they will not return until they have completely annexed this body of water.

Although my sister said it jokingly, what if it is?

When our Little Green King first started out, he was just an ordinary green snake, but now he is the Water Lord of Taihu Lake.

Dongting Lake, Huai River, Han River, Yi River, Luo River, Yellow River.
With Xu Xuan's help, the future is promising.

As soon as the thought arose in his mind, the Dragon Gate hidden within his body emitted a slight sound.

The image of a green snake swallowing a dragon is taking shape.

At this moment, as soon as the autumn examinations ended, the students of the academy dispersed like the tide, each embarking on their own journey home.

The intense competition in the examination halls over the past few days had already exhausted their energy.

Even after resting for a whole day after leaving the exam hall, everyone was still pale with dark circles under their eyes, and they felt as if they were walking on cotton. Their energy and spirits were extremely low.

Ji Rui slumped into a chair in the inn, sighing weakly, "You guys are really asking for trouble, aren't you..."

Although Ning Caichen remained relatively calm, the fatigue between his brows was undeniable. He managed a weak smile and said, "I'll get through it if I just grit my teeth."

Zao managed to squeeze out a muffled "hmm" from his throat.

The more knowledgeable a person is, the more exhausted they become after giving it their all.

Xu Xuan shook his head as he looked at the group of dejected students, then waved his hand, and the carriage that had been arranged was waiting outside the inn.

"Don't push yourselves too hard. Follow my plan and go home to rest properly." His tone was calm, but his words left no room for argument.

"In addition—" He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, "there will be guards secretly accompanying us on the road, in case of any unforeseen circumstances."

Although things appeared calm on the surface, Xu Xuan knew very well that these students were at their weakest point.

If they were targeted by some evil demons or wicked cultivators with malicious intentions, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Ji Rui forced his head up and grinned, "Teacher Xu, this arrangement of yours... it makes us feel like prisoners being escorted?"

Xu Xuan glanced at him and said indifferently, "If you don't mind being carried away by a monster halfway, you can walk by yourself."

Ji Rui immediately shrank back, and said awkwardly, "Then forget it..."

He knew that if he was really that confident, he would definitely be captured by monsters on his way back.

Moreover, they will experience some torment before receiving some feedback.

Master Xu called it "the protagonist's tempering".

As everyone boarded their vehicles and departed, the hustle and bustle of Shouchun City seemed to gradually subside with their departure.

As for the undercurrents in Yangzhou these past few days, the open and covert struggles among various forces, and even the thunder and lightning in the mansions of certain important figures...

None of this has anything to do with Xu Xuan.

However, Baoan Hall's reputation soared even higher.

A few days later, Lu Dan arrived as promised.

He had been delayed for a few days due to the sudden fainting of the governor of Yangzhou, but now that the situation had calmed down, he immediately came to find Xu Xuan to fulfill his promise to visit Fu Tianchou together.

“Junior brother, you must relax when you visit Lord Fu today.” Lu Dan said in a low voice while straightening his clothes, “Lord Fu is a man of strong character and dislikes arguing with others. If his words are sharp, you and I should be tolerant.”

He knew that Xu Xuan was quick-witted and eloquent, and spoke with composure, but he had never truly entered officialdom and might not understand the temperament of these veteran officials.

If one were to inadvertently offend Fu Tianchou with their words, it would be disastrous.

I don't necessarily have to be completely devoted to this job.

Xu Xuan smiled slightly upon hearing this and patted Lu Dan's shoulder: "Don't worry, senior, no one understands human nature better than me."

His tone was gentle, but a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes.

That old bastard made things difficult for my student the other day; today I must give him his due punishment, otherwise I won't be able to show my power.

Lu Dan was slightly relieved to see that he looked normal.

The two walked side by side towards the Fu residence.

Let's see how this "iron-faced censor" responds to the challenge.

The gatekeeper saw the two figures from afar and hurriedly ran to greet them. Although he was used to seeing high-ranking officials and nobles, he still dared not be negligent towards these two extraordinary young men.

In particular, the young man in the blue robe had exquisite features and an air of composure that naturally made people feel good about him.

"Please wait a moment, gentlemen, I will go and inform the master immediately." The gatekeeper bowed respectfully, his eyes glancing at Xu Xuan a few more times out of the corner of his eye. Having worked in the Fu household for many years, he knew the master's temperament well: he always treated those talented and handsome young scholars with special favor, often generously offering them guidance and patiently instructing them.

These two distinguished guests today will surely be treated with courtesy.

However, today is destined to be extraordinary.

The study was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. Fu Tianchou sat upright at his desk, his faded old official robe meticulously ironed.

The moment the young man stepped into the study, the old man's sharp gaze swept over him like a knife.

If the visitor hesitates or loses courage, there is no need to say more.

If you can manage to keep up, you can chat for a bit longer.

When Yu Gong first appeared, he also used this method of witnessing, while releasing an incomparably domineering aura. The effect was such that the then somewhat famous Song Qingtian was so frightened that he almost knelt down.

Xu Xuan nodded to himself upon seeing the familiar scene—it was indeed the stereotypical image of an upright minister, only his aura wasn't strong enough, his luck was somewhat low, and there was a hint of death between his brows.

If you are not careful, death may be imminent.

As for the old man's appearance and style, they can all be described as classic.

With silver hair like frost and a gaunt face, his back was ramrod straight, and his whole body exuded an unyielding stubbornness.

What's even more remarkable is that his aura is clear and pure, clearly indicating that he is a person with a clear conscience and an open mind.

That makes things easier to handle. Let's give him a chance to return to the capital and see if he can change his fate.

All those previous talk about retribution was just a joke.

Fu Tianchou stroked his white beard, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two men. According to official etiquette, one should naturally begin by introducing the elder and more senior person.

"Lu Dan, a member of the Lu family of Jiangdong and currently serving as a Doctor of Law at the Court of Justice, pays his respects to Lord Fu." Lu Dan bowed respectfully, the xiezhi pattern embroidered on the cuffs of his official robe faintly visible in the candlelight.

"Good, good, good." Fu Tianchou said "good" three times in a row, his eyes gleaming.

Although he was upright and honest, he was not inflexible. The fact that the Court of Justice suddenly sent someone there was most likely to inquire about the progress of the old case in Suzhou.

Sending a young lawyer with a doctorate is certainly a great honor.

The old man felt somewhat relieved—this indicated that the emperor's favor had not waned and the political landscape of the court remained unchanged.

But then he thought about his fruitless investigation over the past year, and his face flushed. Those "empty and impractical" impeachments were probably going to be proven true.

No wonder he was so desperate a few days ago that he sought any treatment, even summoning a young alchemist like Ning Caichen for advice.

When his gaze turned to another visitor, Fu Tianchou's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"Xu Xuan, instructor of Chongqi Academy, greets Lord Fu."

The simple identity of a teacher at an academy set off alarm bells in the old man's mind.

Everyone in the court and among the people knows perfectly well who is behind Chongqi Academy. The fact that these two have come together today is probably not as simple as just listening to their teachings.

Is this to seek justice for Ning Caichen?

Fu Tianchou calmly picked up his teacup, the rising steam blurring his sharp eyes.

These two aren't here to listen to teachings; they're more likely here to seek advice.

The atmosphere in the room became somewhat subtle.

Lu Dan unconsciously stroked the rim of the teacup with his fingertips, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

Although he held the title of Imperial Censor and Doctor of Law, he was ultimately a junior in front of Fu Tianchou, a veteran official who had served three dynasties.

Asking directly about the progress of the Suzhou case would be far too presumptuous. Inquiring about rumors surrounding the Wenquxingjun case would be even more reckless.

You can't just start by saying "You old man" to everyone.

So he secretly cast a pleading glance at Xu Xuan.

Xu Xuan understood, calmly picked up his teacup, and gently blew away the foam: "To my shame, when I was reviewing the autumn examination essay questions the other day, I still had some confusion about the section of the Spring and Autumn Annals, 'Duke Zhuang of Zheng defeated Duan at Yan.' I have long heard that you, Master Fu, are well-versed in the principles of the Spring and Autumn Annals. I wonder if you could enlighten me?"

Fu Tianchou's white eyebrows suddenly twitched.

His previously tense shoulders relaxed at a visible speed, and his withered fingers unconsciously began to tap lightly on the table—a small gesture he couldn't help but make whenever he talked about classical texts.

"Hmph, these days the examiners," Fu Tianchou sneered, but unconsciously straightened his back, "the questions they set are getting increasingly tricky. The key to the Zheng Bo matter isn't in overcoming Duan, but in the word 'overcoming' itself."

Lu Dan stared in disbelief at the scene before him. The old minister, who had just been full of vigilance, had suddenly transformed into a wise and instructive teacher.

"Look at this place, He Xiuzhu."

"As for this year's autumn imperial examination topics, I think..."

Lu Dan was secretly amazed.

He then remembered that Fu Tianchou was not only an incorruptible censor, but also a second-class Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).

These veteran officials, who emerged from the orthodox imperial examination system, all possessed a deep-seated sense of mission to "speak on behalf of the sages." Whenever the topic of interpreting the classics came up, even the most stubborn old scholar would transform into a tireless teacher.

Even after shedding his official robes and titles, he was still, at heart, a scholar who had come from a traditional imperial examination system—not a scion of a noble family who entered officialdom through hereditary privilege, but a true talent from a humble background who had earned his place through the county and provincial examinations.

This is why he was almost obsessively committed to upholding the imperial examination system.

When the old man talked about his examination essays, the light in his eyes was even more fervent than when he discussed politics.

(End of this chapter)