Imperial Academy, east side, a quiet courtyard.

As autumn approached, the flowers and vegetables in the courtyard withered.

Nevertheless, the old man still watered the garden every day, day after day, year after year.

In fact, no one in the Imperial Academy or even in the Great Shang could say how many years the old man had lived, but one day, he disappeared from the Imperial Academy.

“Oh? Did Li Ziye really say that?”

In the courtyard, Kong Qiu heard the words of the Confucian Scholar, and a peaceful smile appeared on his aged face. He said, “It seems he’s a bit impatient.”

“Do you want to see the Confucian Scholar?”

The Confucian Scholar asked in a solemn voice.

“Not yet.”

Kong Qiu shook his head, picked up the wooden box on the stone table beside him, and casually threw it over, saying, “Give this to your disciple.”

“Yes!”

The Confucian Scholar respectfully bowed and then turned to leave.

“He’s gone, you can come out now.”

After the Confucian Scholar left, Kong Qiu looked towards the wooden house and spoke.

“Thank you, Confucian Scholar.”

Qin E’nuo walked out and said softly.

“I was planning to wait for Li Ziye to enter the Imperial Academy before giving him the Fo-Ti Root, but since he came to me on his own, I’ll give it to him in advance.”

A faint smile appeared on Kong Qiu’s aged face as he said, “Besides, exchanging a divine medicine for a year of Plum Blossom Sword Immortal’s time is worth it.”

“There’s something I don’t understand.”

Qin E’nuo said seriously, “Why does the Confucian Scholar look at Li Ziye differently?”

“He’s different.”

Kong Qiu said slowly, “Actually, the rumors in the world are true. All those rare things from the Li Family were created by Li Ziye.”

“That can only mean he’s intelligent. Although there aren’t many talented people in the world, there are still quite a few. Being intelligent alone wouldn’t make the Confucian Scholar look at him differently.” Qin E’nuo said calmly.

“You are his master. Haven’t you noticed any differences between him and the people of this world?” Kong Qiu smiled and said.

“Different from the people of this world?”

Upon hearing the Confucian Scholar’s words, Qin E’nuo’s face showed a pensive expression. What did he mean by that?

“Plum Blossom Sword Immortal, although you have opened five divine hidden techniques and reached the pinnacle of martial arts in the mortal world, your eyes are still inevitably influenced by this vast world, unable to see the true nature of heaven and earth.”

Kong Qiu looked up at the sky and said, “What do you think is above this sky?”

“Above the sky?”

Qin E’nuo frowned and glanced at the sky, saying, “Above the sky is just heaven, right?”

“What is heaven?” Kong Qiu continued to ask.

“Heaven?”

Qin E’nuo furrowed her brows. The answer to this question was too ethereal and had no definite conclusion.

“Actually, I’ve thought about these questions for a long time and still haven’t found the answers.”

Kong Qiu smiled lightly and said, “Until I saw the birth of Li Ziye.”

“Li Ziye? What does he have to do with it?” Qin E’nuo asked in confusion.

“When he was born, he broke the rules that concealed this world. At that moment, I was able to see the true heaven and earth beyond this sky.”

Kong Qiu gazed at the sky and said, “It was beautiful, although it was only a moment, it was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen in my life.”

“What do you mean, Confucian Scholar?”

Qin E’nuo was shocked by the Confucian Scholar’s words and asked, “Li Ziye is not from this world?”

“Plum Blossom Sword Immortal, indeed intelligent.”

Kong Qiu nodded and a trace of light flashed in his aged eyes as he said, “He came from another world and was born in this world. So, when he appeared, the rules that concealed this world became chaotic, allowing me to see the world beyond this realm through the dense fog.”

“I see.”

Qin E’nuo’s mind was even more shocked. All along, she had felt an inexplicable sense of disharmony from Li Ziye, but she couldn’t explain what caused this disharmony.

So, he wasn’t from this realm.

No wonder his words and actions were always astonishing, and he never cared about the rules and etiquette of this world.

If what the Confucian Scholar said was true, then all these unusual feelings could be explained.

But such a shocking thing was truly hard to believe.

“Confucian Scholar.”

Thinking of this, Qin E’nuo suppressed the waves in her heart and looked at the old man in front of her, saying, “Besides the Confucian Scholar, does anyone else know about this?”

“There shouldn’t be.”

Kong Qiu shook his head and said, “The scholar from the Divine Oracle Temple in the Western Regions might be able to see some, but at that time, his cultivation was not as strong as it is today, so he couldn’t see much.”

“The master of the Divine Oracle Temple in the Western Regions, Fu Jinglun.”

Upon hearing the term “scholar,” Qin E’nuo knew who the Confucian Scholar was referring to.

That scholar who had once studied in the Central Plains, well-versed in poetry and books.

No one had expected that the scholar would eventually go to the Western Regions and become the Temple Master of the Divine Oracle Temple.

From a scholar well-versed in literature to a charlatan full of teachings, Fu Jinglun’s choice had shocked the world.

“Speaking of which, it seems that scholar also studied at the Imperial Academy.”

Kong Qiu smiled and said, “He was truly formidable. In just over twenty years, he achieved such accomplishments. Initially, I thought he was the one who could change this world, but later I realized I was wrong. Fu Jinglun’s talent and intelligence are indeed extraordinary, but he is not the right person.”

In the end, Fu Jinglun was still a person of this world. No matter how broad his horizons were, he couldn’t escape the constraints of this realm.

“Change this world?”

Qin E’nuo furrowed her brows and asked, “What’s wrong with this world?”

“A prison.”

Kong Qiu said calmly, “Everyone in this prison is confined, unable to see the vastness of heaven and earth, their hearts narrow, only concerned with temporary gains and losses, constantly engaged in wars that have lasted for thousands of years. That’s why I have been waiting for someone who can change this world to appear.”

And there was one more thing he didn’t say, and couldn’t say.

For over a hundred years, that feeling in his heart had grown stronger and stronger, until the moment the legitimate son of the Li Family was born, he finally confirmed it.

The sky above the Nine Provinces was about to change!Night was approaching, and with it, the longest winter in history. It was clear that the chaos of the Nine Provinces was inevitable.

“Does the Confucian Scholar believe this person is Li Ziye?”

Qin E’nuo asked in confusion, “Although he is different from others, he is too weak. It’s hard for him to even protect himself, let alone change the world.”

“Force is not the only solution to problems.”

Kong Qiu picked up the watering can and watered the flowers in the garden, saying, “Before the third son of the Li Family was born, the Li Family was just an ordinary merchant family. After the birth of the third son, who invented those rare things, the wealth of the Li Family has made the Great Shang Dynasty court wary in just ten years. This is something that force cannot achieve.”

“But absolute force is ultimately the most effective way to solve problems.”

Qin E’nuo said seriously, “Even if Li Ziye is special, without strong power, he cannot truly change the world, because he will encounter countless people who obstruct him. Among them, some people are so powerful that they are almost invincible, like Fu Jinglun.”

“Indeed.”

Kong Qiu nodded and said, “The problem you mentioned does exist. Therefore, from the moment you accepted the third son of the Li Family as your disciple, I have been waiting for you.”

“Waiting for me?”

Qin E’nuo was taken aback, and after a moment, she was shocked, “Did the Confucian Scholar know that I would come to the Imperial Academy to get the thousand-year-old Fo-Ti Root?”

Could the head of the Confucian School see so far into the future?

“His eight meridians are blocked. Without the Medicine King, it would take many years to unblock them all with the power of ordinary potent medicine. You can’t wait.”

Kong Qiu said calmly, “So, you will definitely come.”

“I admire the wisdom of the Confucian Scholar!”

Qin E’nuo bowed in salute, admiration showing on her beautiful face.

At least, she couldn’t see as far as the Confucian Scholar.

Kong Qiu smiled faintly and said, “I’ve just lived longer. You should wait in the Imperial Academy for a few days. The day when the third son of the Li Family comes to the Imperial Academy is not far off.”

……

“Is the Confucian Scholar still unwilling to see me?”

In Li Garden, Li Ziye looked at Bai Wangyu, who had just returned from the Imperial Academy, and said disappointedly.

“Yes.”

Bai Wangyu nodded and said, “The head of the Law Confucian School has conveyed Brother Li’s words, but the Confucian Scholar said it’s not the time yet.”

“Not the time yet?”

Li Ziye was puzzled, “What does that mean? When will it be the time?”

Do all the wise men speak so cryptically? I don’t understand. Can’t they be more explicit?

“I don’t know either.”

Bai Wangyu looked apologetic and said, “Even the head of the Law Confucian School cannot disobey the words of the Confucian Scholar. So, Brother Li, you should wait a little longer.”

“That’s all I can do!”

Li Ziye sighed deeply, then turned around to go back to the inner courtyard.

“By the way, Brother Li, the Confucian Scholar asked me to give you this.”

At this moment, Bai Wangyu took out a wooden box from his bosom and handed it over.

Li Ziye was taken aback, took the wooden box with a puzzled look, and opened it directly.

“A thousand-year-old Fo-Ti Root!”

Seeing the twisted and ugly lump of wood in the box, Li Ziye was shocked and exclaimed.

Bai Wangyu also turned his gaze, and even his usually calm expression flashed with envy.

He knew about this thousand-year-old Fo-Ti Root. It was one of the rare treasures of the Imperial Academy, extremely precious. The Confucian Scholar actually gave it as a gift, which showed how much he valued Brother Li.

Li Ziye quickly recovered, his face showing joy, and his mood instantly improved a lot.

“Old Bai, don’t gasp when you speak in the future. If you had taken it out earlier, wouldn’t it have been better? You made me disappointed for so long.”

Li Ziye put away the wooden box, then patted the shoulder of the little red hat in front of him, and said with a serious tone.

“Brother Li’s lesson is right.”

Bai Wangyu nodded, accepting it humbly.

“Go back and rest, I’m going to find Old Zhang.”

Li Ziye was very satisfied with the little red hat’s attitude of admitting his mistake. He gave an order, then happily walked towards the inner courtyard.

“Old Zhang!”

He hadn’t taken two steps before Li Ziye shouted loudly, “Get up and work!”

Soon, in the inner courtyard, the little maids were bustling around, the large wooden barrel in the pharmacy was steaming, and a large amount of potent medicine was poured in.

Li Ziye took off his outer clothes and stepped into the medicine barrel.

“Hold on!”

In front of the medicine barrel, Slovenly Zhang said solemnly, then crushed the thousand-year-old Fo-Ti Root in his hand.

The next moment, five Divine Hidden Techniques on Slovenly Zhang’s body revived at the same time. The rumbling sound was faintly audible, the light of the Divine Hidden Techniques was as brilliant as stars, and his astonishing cultivation was undoubtedly revealed.

Sword Enthusiast made a move, his fingers forming a sword, and the sword qi was incredibly powerful. With one sword, he forcibly shattered a large meridian in Li Ziye’s body.

At the same time, Slovenly Zhang condensed his Genuine Qi again, continuously infusing the essence of the thousand-year-old Medicine King into Li Ziye’s body.

“Ah!”

Intense pain surged like a tide, Li Ziye’s body trembled violently, and blood dripped from the corners of his mouth, staining the water red.

In the west wing, Bai Wangyu felt the strong Genuine Qi fluctuations in the inner courtyard, his expression slightly condensed.

There was an extraordinary powerhouse of the Fifth Realm in the mansion.

“Boom!”

At this moment, in the pharmacy of the inner courtyard, a violent impact erupted, shattering the medicine barrel, blasting open the door, and water splashed all over the sky. A young man, soaked to the skin, was kneeling on the ground, panting heavily.

In front of the young man, the slovenly old man was also in a very embarrassing state, drenched all over, his wet hair sticking to his face randomly, without any of the demeanor of an extraordinary powerhouse.

“The second meridian!”

The young man was kneeling on the ground, his fists clenched. He was one step closer to breaking through all eight meridians.

“Huh?”

In the west wing, Bai Wangyu was about to withdraw his gaze when his expression suddenly changed, showing surprise.

Breaking through!

At this moment, the inner courtyard, which had returned to calm, suddenly had a violent surge of spiritual energy from heaven and earth. It was like a raging wave, continuously pouring into the pharmacy from all directions.