Chapter Nine, The Scholar in White

A laugh came from the other side of the bookshelf, the sound was very faint, yet he still heard it

Zhao Kuo's face showed embarrassment as he wanted to explain something to Zhao Rong, for he had guessed from Zhao Rong's attitude towards him over the past few days that Zhao Rong knew he had leaked information

Every time it faces Zhao Rong, there is a sense of powerlessness.

Zhao Rong cleared his throat awkwardly, shifting his gaze away. When he turned back, the pale-faced scholar was no longer in his original position

Coming to his senses, he began to select calligraphy books in the bookstore

I silently noted to buy a "popular science book" for cultivators when I returned to the immortal family's market on the mountain.

What is the Supreme Code, the "Xuan Di Law"?

On the other side of the bookshelf, standing in a position directly opposite to oneself is a young scholar with a fair complexion.

Zhao Rong is unfamiliar with the realm system of the cultivation world and cultivators on the mountain, which is why he does not have much of a feeling about being promoted to the Golden Core stage before the age of 28

... ...

What are the graduation requirements for the Four Courts of Ta Qing? Wouldn't it be too tragic if one cannot graduate? he asked curiously

A book with a deep blue cover, featuring a fox and a lady, suddenly caught his attention

Having selected several fine copies of regular script calligraphy books, I intended to turn and proceed to the checkout. However, after taking a few steps, I paused, contemplating the purchase of a few books on the various schools of thought to peruse.

An ancient token of unknown material. Left by my mother, it is inscribed with the character for "dream" in small seal script, and its purpose is unknown

It is said that there are many demon clans in this world

Thus, Zhao Rong proceeded further into the interior of the bookstore

He shook his head with a smile, returned the book to the shelf, and prepared to pay the bill and leave

Return: `` ? ? ? ''

Finally, there are some spirit stones and gold. The spirit stones were what Zhao Kuo helped him sell after disposing of some of his mother's belongings, and they were what remained after purchasing the boat ticket. The gold was prepared by him personally, as the Great Chu silver notes are not accepted in other countries; only gold serves as the hard currency in the foothills.

After Zhao Rong entered, he saw a few people reading books.

Zhao Rong glanced at the book cover in the hands of the pale-faced scholar

Zhao Rong picked up the book with a sense of curiosity and began to examine it closely, but soon found himself greatly disappointed

If it were me, I would be so anxious at night that I couldn't sleep

The next ferry from Qingfeng Pavilion is expected to arrive at Longquan Mountain dock, located over 100 miles from Qianjing, around March 15. Do not miss it

Zhao Rong expressed his deep understanding

According to Zhao Kuo, the ferry in front belongs to a medium-sized celestial force in the southern part of Wangque Island, known as Qingfeng Pavilion, while the inter-island ferry behind belongs to one of the few great celestial families on Wangque Island, namely Weishan.

He immediately lost interest in the conversation

The corners of the mouth twitched

Zhao Rong returned to the Duke of Jingnan's residence with the calligraphy practice book and writings

He was exceptionally handsome, with strikingly clear black and white eyes, a piercing gaze, and holding an open book in his hands. The hand that held the book appeared snow-white against the backdrop of the deep blue cover.

It is indeed acceptable, but I cannot understand why there are still so many so-called geniuses who cannot graduate; they are simply a bunch of useless individuals, wasting the resources of humanity, " Gui Leng said with a sneer

Zhao Rong followed the sound and looked through the gap in the bookshelf

Oh, that's good

No

Returning to the room and gazing at the empty space, Zhao Rong let out a self-deprecating smile

Hehe

It turns out that there are also tales of the strange in this world

Perhaps this is the world of the useless

Zhao Rong let out a light laugh and no longer teased Gui

However, Zhao Rong paid him no mind, merely clasped his hands and departed.

On his way back to his room, Zhao Rong encountered Zhao Lingfei's second brother—Zhao Kuo

A jade hairpin. It was given to him by his mother before her passing, who said that Zhao Lingfei had long coveted it since childhood, but she never gave it to her. She instructed that it should be presented to Zhao Lingfei after Zhao Rong's marriage.

Zhao Rong reached out to pick up the mysterious token from the Qingfeng Pavilion, gently playing with it, as memories of what Zhao Kuo had said to him when he handed over the item surfaced in his mind

... ...

Is there really someone reading this book

Who is Jiang Taiqing

I am truly all alone now

There are many books indoors, and the rows of bookshelves make the space appear somewhat crowded. The shopkeeper has opened several skylights in the interior, and since it is daytime, it does not feel dim; the lighting is ample.

Perhaps Zhao Rong had been staring for too long, when the pale-faced scholar suddenly raised his head

Impatiently, he said: "In the future, do not come to me with these simple questions. Go to the mountain market and buy a beginner's book on cultivation to read for yourself."

Why do you have so many questions? And they are all so childish

He chose to attend the meeting and selected both "Mo Bian" and "Hu Fei Zi", both of which are classic texts of the Mohist school.

He discovered Zhao Rong looking at him from behind a bookshelf, and he quickly concealed his expression, then shot Zhao Rong a fierce glare

Zhao Rong said with a serious expression: "This is just the beginning, and you are already starting to dislike me. How are we going to get through the days ahead?"

"They wouldn't want to learn another foreign language, would they?" Zhao Rong speculated. It was evident that he had suffered greatly from a certain foreign language in his past life

These items, along with the Xuanbird jade tablet and the private seal, probably constitute his entire fortune at present

In his previous life, he had wasted a few years in university, only to realize close to graduation that the requirements for obtaining a diploma were so complicated. The anxiety of possibly not graduating was something Zhao Rong could deeply empathize with

He left the calligraphy book and the writings on the desk, turned around to open an inconspicuous wardrobe in the room, and rummaged out a wooden box from the corner

After all, it was once a prodigy that equaled the fastest record of the Human Race in the Golden Core realm

Turning his head, the handsome scholar took several books to the counter to check out, yet although he was clearly dressed in a blue shirt with his hair tied back, he moved with a lightness in his step and a graceful demeanor

At this moment, he is reading a book with great enthusiasm, a slight smile curving at the corners of his mouth

Why is your focus so strange? I thought you would ask something else, why do you always go off script?

By the way, who is Jiang Taiqing

It is noteworthy that the issuer of this old travel permit is a country called Da Jin, which is likely the destination of his journey—his hometown

Two travel permits, one new and one old. The new one was arranged for him by Zhao Kuo, and it will be needed for his future travels. The old one was left by his mother, and it is covered with dense stamps; apart from the last one, which is the official seal of the Great Chu Dynasty, he does not recognize the others. However, he can appreciate the vastness of his mother's travels.

Return: `` ... ... ''

The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox

A finely crafted short sword. It was a gift from his mother. The hilt of this sword is adorned with a tassel, and it can be referred to as a "literary sword." The sword embodies the virtues of a gentleman, and a scholar wearing a sword signifies noble status and position. Moreover, upon handling it, he discovered that this literary sword is quite sharp, not merely an elegant ornament, and he intends to carry it close for self-defense.

Zhao Rong suddenly felt a wave of chill

Sword cultivators and Dao cultivators must forge their golden elixir before the age of 28, with the elixir grade not lower than grade 6, in order to be inscribed in the Ta Qing Tian Jiao Record and successfully graduate

Oh, who is Jiang Cang?

Jiang Cang. Taiqing is his courtesy name

A black token and a silver token. These are the tokens for the ferry tickets to the mountain ferry purchased by Zhao Kuo. The black token corresponds to the ferry from Da Chu to the southernmost point of Wang Que Zhou, the Li Huo Kingdom, while the silver token serves as the token for the intercontinental ferry departing from the Li Huo Kingdom.

He opened the wooden box and placed all the items inside it on the table

Hearing these names from Gui's mouth made Zhao Rong feel quite intrigued, however, what piqued his curiosity the most was... the issue of the "graduation" of the Four Offices of Taiqing

Perhaps he has his own reasons, but Zhao Rong does not wish to listen; after all, he is about to leave and does not want to have too much involvement with the Duke's residence.

This is merely a love novel cloaked in the guise of ghostly legends, still the most clichéd tale of a fox spirit and a scholar

Seeing him smiling foolishly at this moment, Zhao Rong's gaze inevitably carried a hint of affection