The next morning.
Lin Zhao personally assigned dozens of cavalrymen to help Gu Lingyu and the other scholars prepare for the reopening of the academy. The academy's furnishings, desks, as well as the pond and pavilions, all required manpower. Of course, the town was no longer short of craftsmen, and since the expenses were covered by the Mountain Peak Villa, the young men who were idle were eager for work.
Gu Lingyu personally arranged the dormitories and lecture halls. Lin Zhao assigned tasks to Chuan Zhi and Chu Yu: to compile the names and numbers of all school-aged children in the town, and to send an admission letter to each eligible child for the academy. As for the tuition fees, they were meager, only enough to cover the living expenses of the teachers. In reality, most of the costs were borne by the Mountain Peak Villa.
Everyone worked quickly, and the academy opened the next day. Gu Lingyu named it the Lotus Breeze Academy. The first batch had over 200 children enrolled, and more were expected. The lively atmosphere of Tianchi Town grew richer by the day.
...
Evening.
A figure emerged from the Mountain Peak Villa, practicing fist stances as they walked. It was Wang Yue. After becoming Chu Yu's disciple, Wang Yue trained with increasing diligence. Especially after becoming a third-realm martial artist, Wang Yue no longer saw herself as a mere woman. She practiced her punches with exceptional vigor, her hands calloused. Yet, this did not detract from her beauty. Her natural charm was already outstanding, only seeming less so due to her constant proximity to Tong Yu.
Tong Yu was a natural beauty, the most beautiful woman in the Eastern Wu Kingdom, a title not earned lightly.
Soon after, Wang Yue reached the Northern Mountain Cliff while practicing. She focused her energy in her dantian, her fist intent flowing through her entire body. Her 'Rong Ma Quan Fa' (Martial Horse Fist Style) became increasingly proficient. It could be said that within the entire Mountain Peak Villa, only Wang Yue harbored such a strong desire for power. She desperately needed greater strength; only by becoming stronger could she return to her homeland, avenge her parents, and her own past humiliations.
The Villa Master had said that once she reached the tenth realm, like her master Chu Yu, he would personally accompany her and Chuan Zhi southward to resolve matters. The Mountain Peak Villa did not believe in waiting ten years for revenge; when the time was ripe, they would strike immediately.
Therefore, Wang Yue's dream was to reach the Sea-Crossing realm within ten years.
However, it was incredibly difficult, which only made her train harder.
Under the moonlight, she moved her arms, and bursts of fist energy exploded in the air. After completing the entire set of 'Rong Ma Quan Fa', her fist intent intensified further. This brought Wang Yue considerable joy. Perhaps she would soon break through to the fourth realm.
At Nine Zhang Plain, a group of players were leveling up.
Unseen by the players, a wisp of mist swirled, concealing a figure within. It was a demon woman, slender and graceful. Her body was hidden in the clouds, slightly curled, outlining her perfect curves and form. She wore only an extremely thin silk dress and possessed a pair of dull, gray eyes.
She was a Mist Demon, originating from the depths of the Ling Hai Forest in the demon realm, a creature formed from mist. Her name was Wu Yu.
Decades ago, after obtaining a fortuitous encounter, Wu Yu finally broke through to the Upper Five Realms, becoming an eleventh-realm demon cultivator. However, her true form was merely the mist of the forest; it dispersed under the sun, scattered by the wind, and dissipated in the rain. Her cultivation was like a rootless duckweed, lacking any foundation. Thus, despite being in the Upper Five Realms, Wu Yu held a very low status among demons, with even some Star River realm demon cultivators disregarding her.
To obtain more cultivation resources, Wu Yu spared no effort. She had once ventured south to intercept human cultivators for 'Feiyu Qian' (Flying Fish Coins), assassinated mid-level demon cultivators, and even offered herself to a grotesque, uncouth eleventh-realm Great Demon for five 'Feiyu Qian'. In essence, she was like a common weed by the roadside, trampled by anyone, resorting to any extreme to seek the Dao and ascend to heaven.
At this moment, Wu Yu hid in the clouds, silently observing the woman practicing martial arts on the cliff of the Northern Mountain of Snow Domain Tianchi. Her eyes were filled with infatuation.
"A body of pure jade..."
Wu Yu's eyes held yearning. Who would have imagined that this woman at Snow Domain Tianchi possessed the extremely rare Pure Jade Physique, naturally pure and flawless? If she could seize this body and use it as a cultivation cauldron, her path to the twelfth realm would be secured!
With this thought, Wu Yu couldn't help but smile faintly, her beautiful eyes gleaming with intense light. She manipulated the surrounding clouds, causing them to spread southward, eventually reaching the foot of the Northern Mountain. However, she dared not act rashly. Snow Domain Tianchi was protected by a massive formation, the 'Ju Que San' array. If she caused too much commotion and alerted the eleventh-realm Sword Immortal woman, it would be troublesome; once the sword array was activated, she would be trapped.
Therefore, taking Wang Yue away undetected was the best strategy.
She looked at the woman, her eyes filled with ever-increasing greed.
...
At the same time, under the moonlight, a young scholar emerged from the Lotus Breeze Academy. It was Gu Lingyu, the headmaster of the Lotus Breeze Academy, a twelfth-realm Confucian scholar. He held a scroll and, with a single step, arrived at the Northern Mountain. He walked along the edge of the vast Tianchi, gazing at its expanse with a tranquil heart.
Years ago, it was here that his Uncle-Master Wen Liang fought a twelfth-realm Great Demon and they both perished. His Uncle-Master Gu Zixi, despite being a frail scholar, had also bravely fought, eventually falling to the twelfth-realm Great Demon Lu Hai. However, his sacrifice in that battle was no less glorious. Gu Lingyu sighed softly. If his Uncle-Master Gu Zixi had refused to fight that day, his own master might have been the one to perish.
He raised a pot of wine and poured it onto the Tianchi, softly saying, "Uncle-Master Wen Liang, Uncle-Master Gu Zixi, the world will not forget you. We who came after remember..."
Suddenly, Gu Lingyu seemed to sense something, his brow furrowed. He glanced at the young girl practicing martial arts on the cliff, then at a mass of mist below, and understood everything.
...
"..."
The eleventh-realm Mist Demon, Wu Yu, concealed herself within a mass of mist, stealthily approaching Snow Domain Tianchi, spreading her true form of mist as widely as possible. As soon as a wisp of mist reached the edge of the cliff and enveloped the woman's body, she could instantly be whisked away to the demon ancestral mountain. There, after three to five years of secluded cultivation, the twelfth realm would be within reach.
However, at that very moment, she suddenly found herself unable to move. her Upper Five Realm divine abilities were as if sealed. When she looked up, she saw a young, refined scholar gently place his foot on her shoulder. For a moment, Wu Yu felt her spirit waver, as if she were not being stepped on by a person, but by a mountain emitting a vast aura.
"What are you doing?"
Gu Lingyu looked down.
"..."
Wu Yu trembled, almost unable to stand. She furrowed her brow and pleaded, "Immortal Master, spare my life. I... I have no ill intentions. I am merely curious about Snow Domain Tianchi. Although I am a demon, my essence is that of a spirit. I have never harmed anyone. Please, Immortal Master, do not kill me. I have truly harmed no one..."
"You think I would believe that?"
Gu Lingyu smiled gently.
"I..."
Wu Yu gritted her teeth, feeling the pressure on her foot increase. She couldn't help but feel a hint of shame and annoyance. She said sternly, "You are a newly arrived teacher in Snow Domain Tianchi. Isn't it good to just teach? Why do you have to get involved in the grievances between Snow Domain Tianchi and the demon race? Don't you know this is meddling?"
Gu Lingyu chuckled, "We scholars are fond of meddling. Otherwise, how chaotic would this world be?"
"You're trying to teach me how to be a person?!"
Wu Yu's expression grew increasingly ferocious.
"Never thought of it,"
Gu Lingyu said calmly, "Demons are incorrigible."
"Oh, really? What about the spirit race?"
Wu Yu slowly turned her body, allowing the other to step on her shoulder. She then lay flat in the mist, facing Gu Lingyu. Her alluring body was laid bare, soft and warm. What scholar would not desire such a sight? She gently rubbed her face against the scholar's ankle and smiled, "Little Master, you are truly not considerate. Do you remember the matter of Xing Nü? If you encounter a scholar of noble character, a maiden would present herself willingly. This humble maiden is ugly; I hope Little Master will not despise me."
Gu Lingyu sighed, "It's one thing to harm others, but you still want to confuse a scholar's mind? You cannot be allowed to leave. Otherwise, if you leave Snow Domain Tianchi, you will still harm others."
"You?"
Wu Yu looked confused. Why was this person so resistant to both soft and hard tactics?
The next moment, Gu Lingyu leaped into the air, then opened his five fingers. A golden palm manifestation descended from the sky, pressing directly onto the back of Wu Yu's head and driving her forcefully towards the ground.
"Boom—"
With a soft thud, the formidable eleventh-realm Mist Demon instantly dissipated into wisps of swirling mist and smoke.
"Damn it!"
From a nearby tree, the gatekeeper Tang Guangjun slapped his thigh, "What a waste of resources! How dare you, Gu Lingyu, a scholar, be so cruel to flowers? You could have spared her life and killed her tomorrow morning. You wouldn't have lost anything. Alas, you're even more ruthless than our military strategists!"
Gu Lingyu glanced back at him and said, "You saw this spirit approaching Snow Domain Tianchi and did nothing? Just watched her attempt to harm someone? Believe it or not, I'll go report you to my Junior Uncle-Master right now."
Tang Guangjun shuddered and clasped his hands repeatedly, "Alright, alright, Mr. Gu. I was momentarily foolish and spoke without thinking. With Mr. Gu's intervention, our Villa Master will likely have fewer worries in the future. I originally thought Mr. Gu was just a bookworm who only cared about his studies and not the affairs of the mountain. Now I am relieved. Mr. Gu possesses the same dauntless spirit as Mr. Qin!"
"..."
Gu Lingyu couldn't be bothered to reply. His brow furrowed, and he felt a pang of sadness. What was he, Gu Lingyu, compared to Mr. Qin? He was the greatest scholar in this world...