Chapter 58

Today, Tang Jie was still practicing his sword techniques.

In the courtyard, an old iron sword was wielded with such vigor that it seemed to be dancing in the wind, quite impressive.

After completing a series of twelve sword forms, Tang Jie smoothly sheathed his sword and stopped his practice, only to hear applause from outside the courtyard.

Turning back, he saw Shu Mingyang and Liu Hongyan walking over, accompanied by a man and a woman. The man had a face somewhat similar to Tang Jie's, but he was slightly taller and carried a sword on his back.

The woman beside him wore a light blue dress, just like Liu Hongyan, with a student's robe over her long skirt. Her hair was tied up in a bun, adorned with a green jade bamboo hairpin, and her appearance was very delicate. Compared to Liu Hongyan, she lacked a bit of heroism but had more gentleness and charm.

As they approached, Liu Hongyan clapped her hands and said, "I didn't expect Brother Tang to be such a skilled swordsman."

"Originally, I thought it was Master Shu and Miss Liu. My rural sword skills are quite crude, I hope you two won't laugh at me," Tang Jie said, putting down his sword and walking over. He then looked at the man with the sword and the woman in the blue dress, "May I ask who these two are?"

Liu Hongyan smiled and said, "We came uninvited, please forgive us. These two are also friends we met at the academy, Cai Junyang and Ping Jingyue."

"Are you the Cai Junyang and Ping Jingyue from the 'Famous Double Gentlemen' and 'Twin Flowers of Smoke and Moon'?" Tang Jie raised his eyebrows and asked.

The woman in the blue dress was surprised, "So, Master Tang has heard of our names."

The so-called "Famous Double Gentlemen" referred to Shu Mingyang and Cai Junyang, a phrase that encompassed both their names and their aspirations.

Shu Mingyang sought to govern the world, always with a book in hand, while Cai Junyang sought to be a righteous hero, always with a sword at his side.

As for the "Twin Flowers of Smoke and Moon," they referred to Liu Hongyan and Ping Jingyue.

Some students at the academy, who considered themselves stylish, often gave people various titles. These two phrases referred to the four of them, and it was unexpected that all four would come to him today.

Hearing Tang Jie's words, Liu Hongyan smiled, "You missed two lines: 'Famous Double Gentlemen, ultimately Qi Shaoming. Twin Flowers of Smoke and Moon, who knows if it's An Rumei.'"

Upon hearing this, Tang Jie opened his mouth but couldn't say anything. Ping Jingyue smiled softly, and even Shu Mingyang put down his book, sighing. Only Cai Junyang grumbled, "Qi Shaoming... I will defeat him eventually, just wait and see."

Qi Shaoming and An Rumei were probably the two most popular students in the current class at Xi Yue Academy.

Qi Shaoming was a ninth-turn Jade Gate cultivator, the most talented student of this term, and also cultivated the Shaohai Dongjin Scripture.

He entered the academy through a special exemption, without using any quota, and all fees were waived, with full support from his family.

He had talent, resources, and diligence!

He completed his first major cycle in just three days and formed his Spirit Eye in only eighteen days.

He was not only the top student in the Shaohai Dongjin Scripture but also the top among the 1,500 students.

An Rumei was an exchange student from the Thousand Emotions Sect.

After the exchange program with the Heavenly Palace, Xi Yue Academy found it beneficial and naturally approached the Thousand Emotions Sect, which sent An Rumei as an exchange student.

She was a seventh-turn Jade Gate cultivator with the Six Desires Spirit Vein, combining the strengths of both Xi Yue and Thousand Emotions Sects, and received strong support from the Thousand Emotions Sect.

She also had talent, resources, and diligence!

She completed her first cycle in six days and formed her Spirit Eye in thirty-two days.

Although it took longer, she was cultivating two methods simultaneously, which was more complex than the Shaohai Dongjin Scripture. Moreover, with her Spirit Vein, her true talent lay in the power of specific spells rather than cultivation speed.

The phrases "Famous Double Gentlemen" and "Twin Flowers of Smoke and Moon" originally highlighted Shu Mingyang and the others, but after Qi Shaoming and An Rumei gained fame, some people added the lines, "Famous Double Gentlemen, ultimately Qi Shaoming. Twin Flowers of Smoke and Moon, who knows if it's An Rumei."

The meaning behind these lines changed, which is why Cai Junyang was不服气 (unwilling to accept it).

Hearing Cai Junyang's words, Shu Mingyang said, "Brother Cai, there's no need to be不服气 (unwilling to accept it). Qi Shaoming is indeed stronger than us; we are not as good as him."

"The path to immortality is long; this is just the first step. Even if someone has extraordinary talent, what does it matter if they don't reach the end? Who knows who the winner will be?" Cai Junyang still refused to admit it.

Ping Jingyue smiled, "Brother Cai seems to have forgotten that you are also considered a genius by others."

Cai Junyang, like Shu Mingyang, was an eighth-turn Jade Gate cultivator, considered a towering genius by others. However, he was overshadowed by Qi Shaoming. Hearing Ping Jingyue's words, he realized that what he said could also apply to himself and was momentarily speechless.

Fortunately, Liu Hongyan quickly changed the subject, "Alright! We didn't come here today to discuss who is more talented or who will go further. Once we start arguing, we forget the main purpose."

Tang Jie was a bit puzzled, "Yes, I was just about to ask. Why did the four of you come to find me today?"

"It's like this," Liu Hongyan said, "We were bored today and had a sudden idea to form a club."

"Form a club?" Tang Jie was taken aback.

Tang Jie knew that there were clubs at the academy, but most of them were formed by students out of boredom, with all sorts of themes. Some studied immortal techniques, while others formed literary, painting, or poetry clubs. These groups were often not very stable, as students had the pressure of advancing, and they would only gather occasionally, often dispersing before graduation.

He didn't expect Liu Hongyan and the others to think of forming a club.

"What kind of club?" Tang Jie asked.

"A literary club, to discuss books and doctrines," Ping Jingyue answered.

"Why did you think of inviting me?"

"Who else but the top student in the literary subjects at Xi Yue Academy?" Liu Hongyan replied.

Xi Yue Academy had martial geniuses, and it also had literary geniuses.

If Qi Shaoming was the top genius in cultivation, then Tang Jie was the top genius in literature.

From the first day he entered the academy, he was a model student, always listening attentively and making diligent notes, showing a great thirst for knowledge. He was constantly striving to be a top student.

As a result, in a recent minor exam, Tang Jie scored almost full marks in all knowledge-based subjects except for the arts, becoming the undisputed first.

While the title of "mad student" Tang Jie only made students aware of his existence, his status as a top student firmly established his fame.

Of course, in an era where literary talent was less valued than martial talent, a hundred literary geniuses could not match a ninth-turn Jade Gate cultivator. However, Tang Jie was still a celebrity, and in terms of discussing books and doctrines, no one could match him.

Since Liu Hongyan and the others were forming a club and were familiar with Tang Jie, they naturally wanted to invite him.

Hearing Liu Hongyan's words, Tang Jie laughed, "I'm sorry, but I'm not very interested in this. I study literature to broaden my horizons, not to research the great doctrines of the world."

Shu Mingyang immediately became serious, "Brother Tang, that's not right. We, as scholars, should aim to serve the world and protect the people, not just to broaden our horizons or for idle conversation. We should strive to help the people and save them from suffering. This is the great doctrine of the world, how can we not understand it?"

"Brother Shu, you're exaggerating. This is an era of great peace. While there may be poor people, they are not in dire straits. As for the great doctrine of the world, it's too profound for me to understand, but I know this is a cultivation academy, and we cultivate immortality, not literature."

"Then you should read even more! Discussing books and doctrines is to understand principles. Possessing great power without understanding principles is like a thug wielding a weapon in the market, causing more harm to the people!"

"..." Tang Jie was speechless in the face of Shu Mingyang's dedication to saving the world. If he really wanted to argue, he could debate with Shu Mingyang, for example, why should he become a great person just because Shu Mingyang wanted to? One should not impose their desires on others.

However, while he couldn't be as great as Shu Mingyang, he respected such people and was willing to be lectured.

So he could only nod and say, "Brother Shu, you're right. I've learned a lot."

Unexpectedly, Shu Mingyang was very dissatisfied, "Your words are insincere, just to敷衍 (pacify) me!"

Tang Jie was very embarrassed, but Liu Hongyan laughed, "Brother Tang, don't mind him. He's usually fine, but when it comes to great principles, he becomes a bookworm."

Shu Mingyang was very dissatisfied and was about to argue, but Tang Jie quickly said, "I'll join, I'll join the club."

Hearing this, Shu Mingyang finally stopped talking.

Since he had agreed to join the club, they were now friends. Tang Jie invited the four of them into his room for a chat. Once they were inside, Tang Jie said, "My room is simple, please don't mind."

Liu Hongyan's eyes flickered as she looked around the room and smiled, "It's a bit simple, but it's clean and tidy, which is quite nice."

"I'm just a student, I don't have any other skills, just a bit of tidiness," Tang Jie said casually.

"Ah, speaking of which, Master Tang, after our club is formed, should we invite Master Wei to join?" Ping Jingyue suddenly said.

"Him?" Tang Jie thought for a moment and shook his head, "Let's not. He likes flying eagles, riding horses, and enjoying the nightlife. He's probably not interested in the great doctrines of the world. If he really came, he wouldn't read a single word, but his eyes would be glued to the Twin Flowers of Smoke and Moon."

Hearing this, everyone laughed.

After the laughter subsided, Tang Jie, while serving tea, casually said, "By the way, since we're forming a club, we should have a name, right?"

"Let's call it the Elite Club," Cai Junyang said.

"I think it should be the National Peace Club, to bring peace to the world," Shu Mingyang said.

Liu Hongyan said, "Since it's about the great doctrines of the world, let's call it the Great Doctrine Club."

Ping Jingyue said, "What about the Elite Club, National Peace Club, or Great Doctrine Club? They all sound terrible. I think we should call it the Free and Easy Club, for a free and easy life, how nice!"

Her watery eyes looked at Tang Jie.

Tang Jie thought for a moment and replied, "Since everyone has different opinions, how about this: we choose a club leader first, and let the leader decide. I suggest the person who proposed the idea should be the leader."

Everyone looked at Ping Jingyue.

Ping Jingyue was a bit surprised, looked around, and then Liu Hongyan said, "I think this is a good idea. Since the idea came from Sister Ping, she should be the leader."

Ping Jingyue thought for a moment and finally nodded, "Alright, I'll be the leader, but if so, I'll name it the Free and Easy Club."

"Let's go with the Free and Easy Club," Cai Junyang nodded. He didn't care about the name, but Shu Mingyang raised his eyebrows, wanting to object, but ultimately gave up. Liu Hongyan didn't say anything.

Then Tang Jie said, "Just the five of us, isn't that a bit too few? Should we invite more people?"

"Ask Hongyan, she has the best information," Cai Junyang replied.

"Oh? So, inviting me was also Miss Liu's idea?" Tang Jie smiled, "I should thank Miss Liu for her kindness."

Liu Hongyan quickly answered, "Just call me Hongyan. Since we're classmates and in the same club, we're like family, no need to be formal."

"Alright, then finding more people will be up to you, Sister Hongyan."

"Look at what you're saying, you should call me Sister, I'm a bit younger than you," Liu Hongyan smiled.

"Yes, I'm wrong, Sister Hongyan, nice to meet you," Tang Jie smiled.

Liu Hongyan nodded in satisfaction and began to think. After a moment, she gave a few names, and they discussed some details, including the club rules and the opening date.

After chatting for a while, it was getting late, and the four of them left.

Tang Jie personally saw them off to the main gate, watching their departing figures without saying a word, but his eyes gradually turned cold.

When he returned to his room, Xiao Yi appeared, jumping onto Tang Jie's shoulder, "Brother, brother, are they your good friends?"

"…I guess so," Tang Jie thought for a moment and replied.

"Can I meet them?"

"No."

"Why?" Xiao Yi pouted, "I've been alone for so long, it's so boring."

"Because some of them are good friends, but others… are just good friends on the surface."

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