Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 86 Instructor Xu: A Beast in Human Form

This area belongs to the Taihu Lake basin water network zone, with two water systems within its borders: the Shangtang River and the Grand Canal. Plains make up the majority of the land, with a small portion consisting of hills, and the terrain is long and narrow.

Due to its topography and climate, the area has a large permanent population.

It was truly remarkable that Shi, a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, was able to obtain this official position.

The two were recognized as soon as they arrived at the city gate.

“But Mr. Xu, Miss Qing is right in front of me.”

"My name is Zhang Long, and I am the county magistrate of this county. Magistrate Shi sent me to the city gate to greet you."

A tall, robust man with fair skin and round eyes, dressed in official robes, looked like he had been waiting for a long time.

Xu Xuan was amused.

"Do you have a brother named Zhao Hu who works in Qiantang, the county seat?"

"That's right, my sworn brother is the county magistrate of Qiantang."

You two brothers are truly remarkable.

With Zhao Hu's connection, the two sides got along very well, exchanging a few business words before heading into the city.

Upon entering, I discovered that even between two neighboring counties, the differences were vast.

Yanguan is only slightly better than Jinning. Looking around, its fortune is average, but the absence of bloodthirsty aura indicates that its public security is relatively good.

Upon arriving at the Shi family residence, they saw that the county magistrate had already come out to greet them.

"Oh dear, Instructor Xu, Miss Qing, it's been so long!"

The old man did not flaunt his official position and instead adopted an even more humble attitude.

Once he entered officialdom, he had more opportunities to be manipulated and understood Chongqi's importance even more.

After arriving here and exchanging views with the magistrates of several other counties, they learned that this instructor was a person with extraordinary connections and influence.

Song Youde of Qiantang, who was universally acknowledged as an incompetent man, is now praised by the local officials as a capable and benevolent minister.

The intricacies of this matter have been uncovered by those who are envious.

Upon seeing Instructor Xu again, the atmosphere was naturally even more warm and friendly.

Xiaoqing disliked this kind of convoluted conversation, so she simply went to the back courtyard to find Liancheng to play. She had never actually seen what a wedding was like before.

In her boudoir, Liancheng was staring at her wedding dress, chuckling to herself, when she turned and saw Xiaoqing carefree leaping in.

"Little Qing, you've finally arrived."

Liancheng was particularly interested in this heroine who was said to have smashed the door of the medical clinic.

This girl looks petite and her arms are quite slender and thin, so how does she have such strength?

The answer is that he was born with superhuman strength.

The calamity of Liancheng has passed; let's not meddle in these supernatural matters.

In short, according to the identity fabricated by Xu Xuan, Xiao Qing is a martial arts master with superhuman strength.

Cracking stone tablets and splitting rocks, crossing rivers on a single reed, even falling flowers and plucking leaves can all cause injury.

This is the kind of person that unmarried young ladies envy.

Although the two people are different in terms of lifestyle, personality, and even race, it did not affect their ability to have a very pleasant conversation.

What is it like to get married?

"Qiao Lang and I have been through too many hardships, and there is no need to express whether we love each other or not. If you ask me what it feels like to get married, I would say it's a sense of fulfillment."

As Liancheng recalled everything that happened in Jinning, he felt a pang of sorrow and lingering fear, as well as the joy of overcoming hardship.

It was quite amusing to see Xiaoqing's bewildered expression as she wiped away her tears.

"Miss Qing, do you also have this idea when you follow Young Master Xu?"

“I asked him, and he said he didn’t want to marry me.”

ha?
Liancheng sensed the gossip; I knew there was a story to tell!

Otherwise, how could a female knight-errant possibly follow a man around like that!
I've even conjured up a melodramatic yet touching story in my mind.

This kind of young lady who rarely goes out loves these exciting stories, especially those based on real events.

He even kicked me away.

ha? !

Liancheng was shocked, sensing that something was wrong with the way the story was unfolding.

This isn't tender affection; it's downright insane!
That young master Xu looks so refined, but I never expected him to be such a beast and scoundrel. He even dared to lay a hand on someone as cute and petite as Miss Qing!

You must tell Qiao Lang and expose this scumbag's true colors!
Perhaps it was because Liancheng's facial expression management was so poor that Xiaoqing realized that what she said might not be very accurate.

"Um...we're all martial arts practitioners, that's called, it's called, sparring, yes, sparring!"

"I see. Miss Qing must have frightened him."

Liancheng sat back down, thinking that this young lady Qing might be highly skilled in martial arts, but she was far too concise in her speech.

"It's alright, no man could resist a beautiful girl like you."

"No, my sister is much prettier than me. Xu Xuan and she get along very well."

Sister! We get along well!

Liancheng felt that he could still enjoy this melon (a Chinese idiom for gossip/melon).

I can no longer look at Young Master Xu the same way.

Xu Xuan had no idea that a certain young lady in the inner quarters was secretly plotting against him.

He was accompanying Scholar Shi to appraise treasures.

"I didn't have a chance to thank you for saving my daughter and the Shi family when I was in Jinning. Today, I must accept this small gift to make me feel better."

Upon opening the box, a bead the size of a longan lay quietly in the center of the silk cloth.

A wisp of steam rose from the wall, and tiny water droplets seeped out from the corner.

Xu Xuan didn't care at first, but then wisps of demonic energy appeared on the bead.

"this is?"

Yanguan County has abundant waterways and a large fisherman population.

In a fishing village, a fisherman named Chen Hua discovered one day that his wife had disappeared. He received a revelation in a dream that she had been abducted by a catfish.

After reporting to the authorities, I initially ignored such nonsense, but thinking of the past in Jinning, I kindly sent Zhang Long with his constables to capture the demon.

After waiting by the water for three days and nights, they finally discovered traces of the water monster.

They were caught with fishing nets, and then killed while the guests were staying.

It wasn't until dawn that they could see clearly that it was a catfish that was ten feet long.

After cutting it open, you'll find this bead; it should be considered a rare treasure.

Chen Hua's wife never reappeared.

"It shouldn't be."

Judging from its behavior, the catfish must have just become a spirit and was far from transforming into human form; otherwise, all the yamen runners in Yanguan County would have been swallowed up.

But can a demon core really be condensed without taking physical form?
I'll ask Teacher Bai when I get back to Qiantang.

Although this item is very valuable, it is useless to me, but it can be used to nourish Xiao Qing, who is also a water element.

So he accepted it without hesitation.

The other party definitely wanted to repay part of Jinning's kindness by using the treasure, and Xu Xuan was willing to let them handle it that way.

Regardless, it's not a good thing for this bead, imbued with demonic energy, to remain in the hands of ordinary people. It could bring about their deaths.

As for myself, I'm not afraid. Regardless of my abilities, I really have connections in higher places this time.

In the blink of an eye, we are worlds apart, but my senior brother is my source of strength.

"Magistrate Shi, are there many cases of water monsters?"

"After I arrived, I checked the county annals. There have been a few such cases in recent years. However, when it comes to these kinds of headless cases, we usually handle them expediently to avoid difficulties in explaining them to the inspectors. So I'm not sure if there are any more in the records left by the previous magistrate."

Xu Xuan understood somewhat; Jiangnan has many waterways, so there must be quite a few similar cases.

Although Qiantang is a place where many talents reside, only I and my senior brother would handle matters involving evil practices that harm people.

At this moment, I gained a new understanding of the changes in the world's dynamics.

After another round of pleasantries, Xu Xuan and Xiao Qing took their leave.

They should have gone to the Qiao family first, but they were directly welcomed to the Shi residence by the county magistrate, which was something they couldn't help.

Looking at the small courtyard on the edge of Yanguan County, Xu Xuan felt a strange sense of familiarity, and then chuckled.

“Scholar-monk, this is quite similar to your home.”

"It's quite similar."

It's a secluded courtyard house with a dilapidated door and an artistic roof. Most importantly, it's located in a remote area.

Indeed, poor people always look alike.

"But it's so lively!"

Push open the door, and the interior will have nothing to do with shabbyness.

The two young masters from the Xie family of Dongshan and the Qian family of Yuhang, along with a group of servants, were decorating this small courtyard.

It somehow managed to create the impression of something outwardly rotten but inwardly exquisite.

This house with its soft furnishings is truly understated.

The courtyard was completely filled with bridal sedan chairs, flags, gongs, umbrellas, fans, mahogany boxes, and other items, making it difficult to even find a place to stand.

Qiao Feng stood blankly in the middle, accepting his friend's manipulation.

He originally intended to do something simple, but unexpectedly the gate was suddenly forced open, and his two classmates began to take over the courtyard's owner in a tacit manner, no matter how he tried to stop them.

"Marriage should not be taken lightly."

"This is a serious matter, and you cannot act willfully."

"The groom shouldn't be doing anything."

“If you don’t care, how can Miss Liancheng not care?”

Each person said one thing, making Qiao Feng unable to lift his head.

They have been known as the Three Heroes of Chongqi, and during more than a month of hellish training, they became teammates and faced challenges together, forging a deep friendship.

Furthermore, befriending an outstanding talent is also an essential task for scions of prominent families.

So it's only natural for them to come and help.

Qiao Feng could only be moved and dared not move.

Just as preparations were in full swing, Xu Xuan arrived with Xiao Qing.

"Master Xu." *3
Then the other two people were a little unsure how to address Xiaoqing, and they had never heard of Master Xu having a confidante.

Qiao Feng knows him, but it's hard to say whether the way he addresses him will change.

“I’m half a student, you can call him Miss Qing.”

"Green Girl" *3
They were very respectful when they were unsure of the approach, after all, Master Xu was quite magnanimous.

Qiao Feng was about to face even more torment, because two more people had joined in the fun.

They waited until dawn the next day.

Dressed in all red, Qiao Feng mounted the Xie family's tall horse and excitedly headed straight for the Shi family.

The procession following behind carried flags, banged gongs, held umbrellas, waved fans, and carried a large bridal sedan chair, making a lively and festive spectacle.

When the historian arrived, he was utterly astonished.

Those watching the spectacle only knew that the new magistrate's beloved daughter had married a poor young man; they were all there to see the joke.

Who would have thought that this poor boy was so poor?

The sedan chair made of camphor wood was already extraordinary, and it was also decorated with carvings of the Two Immortals of Harmony and Union by a famous artist, which was incredibly exquisite.

The ceremonial guard behind him was also of the highest standard, with no flaws whatsoever.

This demeanor made the bridal procession go very smoothly, and Scholar Shi happily escorted the bride out.

This son-in-law is powerful.

Lift the sedan chair!!!

Before long, he returned to that small, remote courtyard, leaving the onlookers even more confused about the poor young man's intentions.

Of course, because the courtyard is small, not just anyone can enter; those who come and go are all important figures from Yanguan County.

Xu Xuan's simple attire and his nonchalant attitude as he stood aside drew criticism from some people.

But that girl is really pretty.

Somehow, a wealthy man came over.

"This young lady."

Xu Xuan interrupted the flirting directly, not out of jealousy, but because the young lady clenched her fist.

It's bad luck to see blood at a wedding.

"Don't be impulsive, and reason with people."

Xiaoqing thought for a moment and nodded in understanding.

Then, looking at the wealthy man, she spoke with a mouth as sweet as honey.

"roll!"

It is concise and to the point, making full use of the connotation and artistic conception of the words.

The official was struck dumb. How could such a young lady speak so filthyly? His face turned ashen and he stormed off, determined to teach them a lesson once he found out their backgrounds.

It was just a minor incident, and the two of them didn't take it seriously at all.

One person was wondering when the wedding banquet would be held in ancient times, while the other was already starting to feel bored.

Marriage doesn't seem like a fun thing, no wonder Xu Xuan didn't agree to it.

Of course, most people in the room still focused their attention on the two young masters from top aristocratic families.

Everyone tried to curry favor with them, but almost all of them were ignored or brushed off.

Qian Zhongyu's face clearly conveyed the message: "Who dares to approach me regardless of their status?" and he even had a rather sassy expression.

Having grown accustomed to everyone's unassuming nature at the academy, it's only now, out in the outside world, that I've discovered these two are truly extraordinary.

The two then approached Xu Xuan and bowed.

"Master Xu" *2
Step back half a body length and stand behind the teacher.

Wow, this is even more prestigious than the position of a teacher at Chongqi Academy. Everyone now knows how formidable this person is.

The official suddenly fell ill and crawled out.

(End of this chapter)