Chapter 63

"An Zhongzhi?"

The name of this亭长 (head of the village watch) was indeed impressive, daring to call himself Zhongzhi (loyal and upright). Lin Bei couldn't help but scrutinize his appearance. An Zhongzhi was about 1.7 meters tall, which was considered tall in ancient times. He had a square face, slightly yellowish, with a bit of stubble on his chin. His clothes were neatly washed, giving the impression that he was a very serious person. Lin Bei's first impression of him was not bad; at least he didn't feel any aversion.

Knowing that the great demon lord in front of him was examining him, An Zhongzhi held his breath, suddenly feeling a sense of nervousness, as if he were meeting a superior for the first time. It felt as if his future would be bleak if he didn't meet the standards.

Fortunately, Lin Bei quickly wrote, "An Zhongzhi, since you have a courtesy name, you must be literate, right?"

An Zhongzhi let out a sigh of relief and nodded, "Yes, my lord, I am literate."

"Good. Since the teacher isn't here today, I assume he entrusted you with some tasks yesterday, didn't he?"

"Yes, my lord."

"What about these hunters? Are they all..."

"My lord, these hunters are skilled carpenters from our village. They often help with building houses for the villagers. This time, the establishment of the school is a grand event for Xishan Village, and they want to contribute their share."

"What about the location for the school? Am I to choose it?"

"Yes, my lord, your discernment is surely exceptional."

"Alright, I'll help you look. By the way, Mu Tou, you stay here and keep an eye on things, in case any wild animals come in."

Mu Tou nodded in agreement.

An Zhongzhi then pointed to the ox cart, "My lord, these are the classics and documents of the teacher, and there are also some items bought for you. Should I check them for you?"

"Those are just oil and salt, right? Never mind, let's look at the school site first. Mu Tou, carefully place the bamboo slips on the wooden bed inside the house."

After giving the instructions, Lin Bei led the group out to select the location for the Nanyue Academy.

"Did the teacher have any specific requirements?" Lin Bei asked An Zhongzhi.

"The teacher said everything is up to you, my lord."

Lin Bei was speechless. This Bian Ji, to shirk such a responsibility, it's as if Lin Bei were the head of the academy.

Lin Bei carefully thought about the requirements for building a school in modern times. Building a school in modern times is quite casual; the first requirement is a large population, because a large population means a steady supply of students. This is different from ancient times. If a school were built in the mountains, even prestigious universities like Peking University or Tsinghua University wouldn't attract many students. However, in ancient times, a tranquil environment was essential.

Reading was a significant matter in ancient times, and Teacher Bian, at Lin Bei's request, accepted all students without discrimination. Therefore, the supply of students would not be a problem. Just in Xishan Village, there would likely be several hundred students. If the news spread, thousands or even tens of thousands of students would not be an issue. In this era, many students traveled great distances to study.

Fushan had a tranquil environment, but Lin Bei had to consider that the academy needed to be near a water source. Therefore, he could only look for a location near the small river. Although Lin Bei had visited the river several times, he hadn't paid much attention, as he didn't know he would be building an academy there.

As they walked and looked, they eventually reached a spot about five li from Longtan. Lin Bei stopped and looked at the surrounding terrain, "What do you think?"

Here, there were trees everywhere, but Lin Bei could imagine them being cleared. After the trees were removed, the terrain on both sides of the river was relatively flat and exceptionally wide. If they were to build houses, the area would be sufficient. Of course, cutting down the trees would be a significant task, but building an academy in the forest would be a major project anyway.

"My lord, as long as you think it's good, that's fine," An Zhongzhi said.

Lin Bei was speechless. "Brother, you're not living up to your name. Let's think about it a bit more. If we choose this location, it's quite far from the edge of Fushan. Let's see if there's a better location closer to Xishan Village."

An Zhongzhi had no objections, and the hunters, who were just hired workers, had even fewer objections. As long as they were given work, they would do it, without caring about the location.

However, surveying the terrain was a time-consuming task, and walking in the forest was extremely difficult. After a while, An Zhongzhi's clothes were torn by vines, and he was panting heavily. The hunters were in better shape but not much better. Lin Bei himself was unaffected.

"Let's rest for a moment. Do you have any provisions? Eat some to rest a bit." Lin Bei was considerate of the group.

An Zhongzhi and the hunters looked at Lin Bei, and An Zhongzhi said hesitantly, "My lord, we didn't bring any."

Lin Bei also looked at them, wondering why they hadn't brought provisions when entering the mountains.

Actually, Lin Bei didn't realize that this was mainly due to him. Every time Cui's Alán and the others entered the mountains, Lin Bei would treat them. The hunters, assuming the same, didn't bring any food.

"Then do you have any fire starters? I'll catch some game for you."

"We do have that." A hunter raised his fire starter.

"Alright, wait here." Lin Bei turned and entered the forest, catching a few wild chickens and rabbits for the hunters. When he returned, the hunters had already started the fire and were waiting for the meat.

Lin Bei threw the game to them, "Eat first, rest a bit, and I'll go look around for a better location. If you see any wild animals, shout loudly, and I'll come back quickly."

After Lin Bei left, the hunters began to prepare the game and said, "The lord is really good. He does his work and still provides us with food."

"He's also very approachable, not at all arrogant. The last time I went to Hepu, a minor official's nose was almost in the sky."

"I wonder if the lord will take retainers. If he does, that would be great. I have strong arms."

"If he takes retainers, should we call him 'Lord'? Following the lord should be quite good, at least we won't worry about food, and it will all be meat."

An Zhongzhi looked at the game and then at the direction Lin Bei had gone. As a local official, An Zhongzhi knew how significant the influence of providing food could be. Farmers were simple; as long as they were well-fed, they were content, regardless of whether the person providing the food was a demon or a human.

PS: Thank you again to the readers Yu Mao's Snake and Bei Xin Jia Tuoxie for your generous donations. It feels great to receive donations, and you are all wonderful.

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