Chapter 7

"Master Ai, if this matter is known by the young master, he will surely not spare my life. I beg Master Ai to save me, please." Bian Qiao bowed deeply to the young man in front of him.

The incident at Qianzhang Rock had caused a great stir, and almost no one in the Three Views Lower Academy was unaware of it. However, losing face was a minor issue for Bian Qiao; the scripture poem originally had another purpose for Hu Shengyu. On that day, he had only used it to make things difficult for Zhang Yan, but unexpectedly, Zhang Yan used it as an excuse to take it away, which was a critical blow to him.

He had intended to take it back, but unfortunately, the people around him could bully ordinary disciples, but facing a Foundation Establishment cultivator like Zhang Yan would undoubtedly bring shame upon themselves.

Fortunately, Hu Shengyu was often in seclusion, and he was also proud, with few close friends. Therefore, no one had mentioned this matter to him yet. So today, Bian Qiao specially came to ask the well-known Ai Zhongwen of the Three Views Lower Academy to mediate and reclaim the scripture poem. No matter what, he had to get through this crisis first.

Although Ai Zhongwen was just a registered disciple, he came from the Xuanmen family, the Anfeng Ai clan. He had a wide network of friends and was a fellow disciple of Zhang Yan at Shan Yuan Temple. The head of the Upper Academy, Master Shishoujing, intended to take him as a disciple, so he would eventually become a formal disciple. Therefore, most people in the Three Views were willing to give him face.

Ai Zhongwen smiled and said, "Master Bian, don't worry. Let me first inquire about Zhang Yan's background."

He waved his hand, and his attendant understood. He took out a register from the bookshelf behind him, flipped through it, and said, "Zhang Yan, from Dingyang, Donghua, came up the mountain in the 17th year of Cheng'an."

Ai Zhongwen was surprised and asked, "That's it?"

The attendant nodded.

Ai Zhongwen thought for a moment. Although there were many geniuses in the cultivation world who were skilled in deciphering esoteric texts, most of them were from Xuanmen families because they had methods to teach their descendants how to interpret Daoist books. Since Zhang Yan was skilled in deciphering esoteric texts, he must have some background, but why had he never heard of it before?

At this moment, a disdainful voice beside him said, "So it's just an unknown child. I thought he had three heads and six arms. I wonder where he got the superior method of deduction to dare to bully Brother Bian. Brother Bian, rest assured, your matter is my matter. I will help you seek justice and teach that child what rules are!"

Bian Qiao was overjoyed and immediately bowed, saying, "If Master Lin is willing to step in, I will be extremely grateful. After the matter is resolved, I will present a generous gift."

"Master Lin" was actually named Lin Tong. His clan brother, Lin Yuan, was a formal disciple of Shan Yuan Temple. He and Ai Zhongwen were always good friends. This time, he came to visit Ai Zhongwen for a drink and happened to witness this matter.

Ai Zhongwen glanced at Lin Tong and reminded him, "I heard that Zhang Yan has also achieved Foundation Establishment. Master Lin must not underestimate him."

Lin Tong laughed and said, "I have been on the mountain for nine years and received guidance from my elder brother Lin Yuan. It was only two years ago that I 'condensed essence and manifested intent.' How long has Zhang Yan been on the mountain? I think it's mostly hearsay and exaggeration!"

Bian Qiao's eyes flickered. He had seen Zhang Yan's cultivation with his own eyes that day, and it was definitely not wrong. However, it was inappropriate to say this in front of Lin Tong, and he was secretly pleased. If Lin Tong stepped in, no matter the outcome, Zhang Yan would not come out well. If he could provoke Lin Yuan, that would be even better.

Ai Zhongwen frowned and remained silent.

Lin Tong, however, didn't care much. He was always arrogant. The Lin family had been a noble family for generations in the Great Wei Dynasty, and with Lin Yuan as his support in Cangwu Mountain, he had developed a habit of looking down on others. How could he take Zhang Yan seriously? He took advantage of the alcohol and pulled Ai Zhongwen out, saying, "Master Bian, wait here for good news, ha ha."

Ai Zhongwen wasn't as optimistic as Lin Tong. Initially, when he heard that Zhang Yan could interpret three different Daoist books in one day without using bamboo chips for deduction, he was greatly surprised.

It was well known that interpreting ordinary Daoist books was one thing, but interpreting profound and complex books always took a lot of time. For example, a Daoist book with thousands of words often took seven or eight years for a dull person to understand. He himself had a book called "Xinwen," and after careful deduction, it took him five days to interpret all 3,612 characters, which was enough to make him proud among his peers, but compared to Zhang Yan, he was far behind.

He had heard that there were some geniuses in the world who could interpret esoteric texts solely based on their innate talent and insight, but he had never seen one. Could Zhang Yan be such a person?

In addition, there were two other possibilities: one was that Zhang Yan had recently been favored by a high-level cultivator and received secret methods of deduction, and the other was that Zhang Yan was hiding his background.

His reasoning was sound. As long as the method of deduction was advanced enough, even if one's insight was a bit lacking, interpreting Daoist books wouldn't be difficult. However, such methods were not easily accessible to ordinary people. Most of them were held by the major Xuanmen families, each with its unique method of interpreting esoteric texts. The more profound and long-standing the family, the more advanced the method.

He didn't know that although Zhang Yan didn't have a high-level method, his talent in interpreting esoteric texts was extremely high, and he spent ten times more time on deduction than ordinary people. Even if the method was a bit lacking, it was enough to make up for the difference.

In Ai Zhongwen's view, if Zhang Yan came from a Xuanmen family, even a declining one, his actions would not be surprising.

But what if the first assumption was true?

"A high-level cultivator in the temple..."

Ai Zhongwen's heart stirred, and a thought suddenly arose. Could it be that his teacher, who had been in seclusion, wanted to take another disciple?

Zhang Yan had been on the mountain for three years without any fame, but now he had suddenly made a name for himself. The more he thought about it, the more likely this possibility seemed.

While he was thinking, his steps lagged behind, gradually falling behind the eager Lin Tong.

Lin Tong was about to walk up the path leading to Zhang Yan's cave when he looked up and saw someone coming towards him. Impatiently, he said, "Who's blocking the way? A good dog doesn't block the path! Move aside for your Master Lin!"

The person on the opposite side let out a cold snort.

Ai Zhongwen suddenly felt a chill and quickly stopped. He saw Lin Tong lying on the ground and was shocked, exclaiming, "Fellow Daoist, please show mercy."

The person gave Ai Zhongwen a cold look, and he felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, making him shiver and his limbs stiff.

Fortunately, the person didn't say much and walked past him.

Ai Zhongwen stared at the person's back for a while, then went forward to help Lin Tong up, asking, "Is Brother Lin alright?"

Lin Tong sat up dazedly. He had felt a sudden dizziness and, when he came to, found himself lying on the mountain path. He patted his head, his eyes filled with fear, and said, "Master Ai, who was that? What high cultivation!"

Although he was arrogant, he now knew he had encountered a high-level cultivator.

Ai Zhongwen's face was serious. The person had a faint aura of clouds and mist, a phenomenon that only appeared after opening the meridians, which meant they were already in a different realm from ordinary people. Thinking about this, he was also afraid. However, he felt the person seemed familiar and thought, "Looking at this person's face, could it be Zhou Zishang of the Dingyang Zhou family?"

Last year, he had seen Zhou Zishang from a distance at the Donghua洲诸派大会 (Donghua Sects Conference) with his grandfather. The Yuxiao Sect was a major sect, not inferior to the Ming沧 Sect, but their positions were vastly different. Zhou Zishang was a direct disciple of an elder, and the Zhou family was a Xuanmen family. Although Ai Zhongwen came from the Anfeng Ai family, he was only a collateral branch and not qualified to approach Zhou Zishang.

He looked ahead, wondering why Zhou Zishang would be here. Could he be visiting Zhang Yan?

This thought startled him. What kind of background did Zhang Yan have that even Zhou Zishang would visit him?

Could it be that his previous assumptions were wrong, and Zhang Yan was hiding his true abilities?

Taking a deep breath, Ai Zhongwen made up his mind and said, "Master Lin, although this fellow Daoist didn't use much force, there might still be hidden injuries. It's best to go back and check. I will handle Master Bian's matter, how about that?"

Lin Tong hesitated. Although he had boasted in front of Bian Qiao, his life was more important. He forced a smile and said, "If so, I'll trouble you to make the trip."

Ai Zhongwen bowed and said no more, watching Lin Tong leave. Then he followed the path to Zhang Yan's residence.

Soon, he heard a deep voice ask, "Who is outside?"

Zhang Yan had been paying attention to the outside, wary of any surveillance left by Zhou Zishang. Hearing the footsteps, he recognized the steady and powerful gait and called out.

Ai Zhongwen straightened his clothes and, before he could speak, saw a figure flash, and a person walked out.

"Is this Master Zhang?" Ai Zhongwen took a step back, looked him up and down, and couldn't help but praise, "Master, you are indeed as handsome as the rumors say."

Although Zhang Yan was wearing ordinary coarse clothes, his appearance and physique were excellent, and few people Ai Zhongwen had seen could match him. Moreover, his eyes were sharp, giving off a subtle sense of pressure. If they weren't on the path, Ai Zhongwen might have taken a few more steps back.

If the Zhou family's daughter chose a husband based on destiny, appearance, and finally selected Zhang Yan from a million people, it was clear that his body was of great value.

Zhang Yan smiled slightly and said, "Master flatters me. I am Zhang Yan. May I ask how to address this Master?"

Ai Zhongwen laughed heartily and bowed, saying, "I am Ai Zhongwen."

"Oh?" Zhang Yan's expression changed slightly, carefully examining the person before him, and bowed, saying, "I have long heard of Master's reputation."

Ai Zhongwen's reputation was well-known. He was said to have a wide network of friends and would generously help other disciples with their problems, earning a good reputation on Cangwu Mountain. He and Bian Qiao were at opposite ends of the spectrum, yet they seemed to have some connection.

This person was unremarkable in appearance, of medium build, and quite strong. At first glance, he might be mistaken for an ordinary person, but his voice was deep and magnetic, making people feel good. His skin was smooth like jade, and his eyes often flashed with a bright light, clearly indicating he was at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Zhang Yan guessed Ai Zhongwen's intentions and said, "Master Ai, please come in. The cave is damp and cold, please don't mind."

Ai Zhongwen chuckled, waved his hand, and said, "We cultivators live with springs and rocks, sleeping with the sun and moon. We don't have so much pride."

He didn't hesitate and walked in. Halfway through, he turned around and said, "I heard that Master is very skilled in interpreting esoteric texts. I recently obtained a book called 'Linyao Wenfa' and would like to ask Master to take a look. If you have any insights, please share them."

He handed the book to Zhang Yan and said, "I know Master is in seclusion these days, so I don't want to force you. You can keep the book and read it when you have time."

Zhang Yan's expression changed slightly, and he smiled. Ai Zhongwen's words were polite, but he was clearly using the pretext of interpretation to give him the book. This was a way to build a relationship, but Ai Zhongwen's straightforward and generous manner didn't offend him.

Moreover, this person was worth befriending.

He didn't hesitate and took the book, said a few polite words, and gestured for Ai Zhongwen to enter.

After they sat down, they chatted for a while, and Ai Zhongwen suddenly asked, "When I came, I saw someone who looked familiar. Was he also visiting you, Junior Brother Zhang?"

Zhang Yan understood why Ai Zhongwen was so polite. However, he thought that forming a relationship with someone like Ai Zhongwen might be beneficial in the future, and without a strong background, he would be at a disadvantage. Since the Zhou family was using him, why not temporarily use their name? It would be like collecting interest.

"Master is talking about Zhou Zishang?"

"Master knows the third son of the Zhou family?" Despite his expectations, Ai Zhongwen was still surprised.

Zhang Yan's expression was calm, and he said, "How could I not know? The third son's elder sister is my wife."

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