Chapter 10

Niu Youdao said he didn't understand, so Niu Youdao pretended not to understand either, otherwise, it would be a bit far-fetched for a village boy to understand these things.

After some casual chat, Niu Youdao returned to the courtyard.

Wandering around the courtyard, he entered the 'Peach Blossom Hall,' sat on a mat, and casually pulled over a small basket containing miscellaneous items. Inside were needles, thread, scissors, and two bronze mirrors. They seemed to be everyday items with nothing particularly unusual, but one of the bronze mirrors was the one he had brought.

The item entrusted to him by Dongguo Haoran was so important, yet he stored it so casually. The most dangerous place is the safest place; if it were hidden too securely, it might arouse suspicion if someone found it.

Fiddling with the bronze mirror, he was puzzled about what to do with it.

Dongguo Haoran's instructions were clearly extraordinary. Someone had entrusted him with a matter of life and death, and in his previous life, he had a sense of righteousness from his experience in the martial world. However, Tang Mu was dead, and Dongguo Haoran had sternly warned that the item could only be given to Tang Mu and no one else. This put him in a difficult position.

He hesitated about whether to hand the item over to the Shangqing Sect. His hesitation stemmed not only from Dongguo Haoran's instructions but also from the fact that the Shangqing Sect had been treating him poorly, keeping him under house arrest. So, he decided to examine the bronze mirror carefully to see if he could uncover its secrets and then decide whether to hand it over to the Shangqing Sect.

However, so far, he had tried various methods—burning, soaking, shining light, and tapping to listen—but none of them revealed any clues. The bronze mirror seemed to be a solid piece, and the sound of tapping indicated no hidden mechanisms.

He now suspected that the bronze mirror might be some kind of token.

After examining it thoroughly, he found nothing new and, with a grimace, tossed it back into the small basket.

He then did some daily physical exercises, such as weighted splits and hanging from a rope, not to build brute strength but to improve his flexibility. Based on his martial world experience, he knew that unlocking more body techniques and self-defense angles could be crucial for survival. Whether in Xiaomiao Village or in the Shangqing Sect, the news he heard indicated that the world was in turmoil. Regardless of the future, he wanted to be prepared.

Cultivation involved both literary and martial aspects. Besides practicing cultivation techniques and physical training, he also took out the ink, brush, and paper from the house to practice the small seal script, which was commonly used in this world. He copied from books. As a 'veteran archaeologist,' recognizing the small seal script was no problem for him, and his calligraphy was already good. However, he had never seriously written the small seal script with a brush, so he needed to practice the different brush strokes.

Fortunately, his original calligraphy skills were solid, and after a month, his writing had improved significantly.

A charcoal brazier was placed next to his desk, and he burned his calligraphy after finishing.

The Shangqing Sect provided him with all the materials he needed for his calligraphy, which was a benefit of pleasing Song Yanqing.

Under house arrest, he had no choice but to make the most of his days...

The next day, a brand new reclining chair, still emitting a wooden scent, was placed under the peach tree.

Chen Guishuo pointed to the reclining chair and winked at Niu Youdao, "Little Junior Brother, the reclining chair you wanted is here."

Niu Youdao was surprised by his efficiency, guessing that Chen Guishuo had probably gotten it for himself. He bowed and smiled, "Thank you, Senior Brother Chen."

Song Yanqing, who hadn't been seen for a while, also came this time, looking quite pleased. He smiled at Niu Youdao, his amusement evident, and patted Niu Youdao's shoulder, asking, "Little Junior Brother, how are you settling in here?"

Niu Youdao replied, "It's fine, the food is much better than in the village, but being confined here is a bit boring."

Song Yanqing chuckled, "You've only been here for a short time. Calm your mind first. How can you cultivate if your mind isn't calm? Don't worry, you'll have your freedom eventually." He then walked to the cliff edge, gazing at the opposite Shangqing Temple, his face showing a mix of pleasant thoughts and frowns, and finally sighed, "Too bad it's not in the capital!"

Niu Youdao approached, curious, "Senior Brother Song, what's wrong with the capital?"

Song Yanqing sighed, "In the mountains, there's no comparison to the capital's poetry and literature!"

Niu Youdao was puzzled. Poetry and literature? Why was a cultivator sighing over poetry and literature?

Chen Guishuo's lips curled, finding it amusing. He and Xu Yitian were basically Song Yanqing's followers and knew exactly what was going on. Song Yanqing had liked Tang Yi for years, and Tang Yi loved poetry and literature. To please her, Song Yanqing would have good poems from the capital sent to him, which he would then present to Tang Yi. This time, something must have gone wrong. The capital hadn't sent any good poems for a while, and Song Yanqing, feeling itchy, wrote one himself. He asked Chen Guishuo and Xu Yitian how it was, and they, of course, said it was good. Song Yanqing then eagerly presented it to Tang Yi. The details were unknown, but when he returned, he looked unhappy and scolded Chen Guishuo and Xu Yitian to vent his frustration. It was easy to guess what had happened.

So, Chen Guishuo understood Song Yanqing's mood. If he were in the capital, with the Song family's influence, finding someone to write good poems to please Tang Yi would be easy. Here, it was difficult, and he had embarrassed himself in front of Tang Yi.

Song Yanqing, regaining his composure, didn't want to talk about it further and turned to leave, checking around the courtyard.

He was responsible for watching over Niu Youdao and couldn't just leave him unattended. Checking in occasionally to prevent any trouble was reasonable.

Niu Youdao, still outside, asked Chen Guishuo, "Why is Senior Brother Song so interested in poetry and literature?"

Chen Guishuo, feeling the urge to speak, whispered, "Our sect once had a brilliant figure, not only powerful in cultivation but also talented in poetry and literature. Tang Senior Sister grew up around him and was influenced by his elegance, developing a love for poetry and literature!"

Niu Youdao was enlightened, understanding that Song Yanqing was trying to win Tang Yi's favor. He was also curious about the person Chen Guishuo mentioned, "Which senior did Tang Senior Sister follow?"

Mentioning this senior, Chen Guishuo paused, a wary look in his eyes, as if realizing he shouldn't say more. He glared at Niu Youdao, warning him not to ask unnecessary questions, and quickly followed Song Yanqing into the courtyard.

Niu Youdao, eyes twinkling, also followed quickly.

After a round of inspection, Song Yanqing gave Chen Guishuo a few instructions and was about to leave. Niu Youdao hurriedly caught up, calling out, "Senior Brother Song, when I was in the village, my teacher often wrote poetry. I remember some of it, but I don't know how good it is. Could you help me appreciate it?"

Song Yanqing didn't even turn around, his steps continuing, and he replied, "A poor scholar from the mountains, what good could he write?" He chuckled, his tone full of disdain.

A poor scholar from the mountains? Niu Youdao was startled. It seemed the Shangqing Sect had already investigated his background, including the fact that he had a poor scholar as a teacher, which he had learned from the villagers in Xiaomiao Village.

But why had he gone through so much trouble to come here? It was for Dongguo Haoran's formidable skills, not to be confined and waste time. He wanted to obtain the Shangqing Sect's cultivation techniques. After being under house arrest, he had found no opportunity to act. Now, he couldn't let this chance slip by, so he said, "My teacher said he had traveled in the capital and written some love poems that won the hearts of many women."

Hearing this, Song Yanqing slowly stopped at the courtyard gate and turned around.

Chen Guishuo quickly glanced at Niu Youdao, his eyes showing surprise. Niu Youdao was clearly following up on his earlier hint, and this kid seemed more cunning than he appeared!

"Really? What poems did your teacher write? Let's hear them," Song Yanqing said, now interested.

Niu Youdao immediately returned to the 'Peach Blossom Hall,' knelt by the desk, and began to write in small seal script after grinding ink and laying out paper.

"Quite a good hand for someone who has read and written," Song Yanqing, standing by the desk, praised slightly, then read slowly, "The clouds are delicate, the stars convey sorrow, the Milky Way stretches far and wide. When the golden wind and jade dew meet, it surpasses countless earthly encounters..." His eyes lit up as he read, and he could appreciate good poetry, even if he couldn't write it himself.

When Niu Youdao finished, Song Yanqing couldn't wait to remove the paperweights, hold the paper, and read again, "Tender feelings flow like water, the meeting is like a dream, how can one bear to look back at the magpie bridge? If two hearts are truly in love, why should they care about being together every day and night... If two hearts are truly in love, why should they care about being together every day and night..." He repeated the last line, finally sighing with admiration, "What a beautiful poem! What a beautiful poem!"

Niu Youdao smiled inwardly, put down his brush, and stood up, feigning ignorance, "Is it a good poem?"

Song Yanqing nodded, his eyes scanning the words, then looked at Niu Youdao with a puzzled expression, "What is the magpie bridge? Where is this bridge?"

"Uh..." Niu Youdao was speechless. It seemed there was no story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl here, so he said, "My teacher wrote it, I don't know where the magpie bridge is."

Song Yanqing thought for a moment, then nodded, gesturing to Chen Guishuo to leave.

With no one else around, Song Yanqing smiled at Niu Youdao, "You said your teacher often wrote such poems?"

Niu Youdao thought, I have a lot in my head, and I can give you as many as you want. He nodded, "Yes, that's right."