Fang Yun sensed something was amiss. He put down his chopsticks and walked out, but the gatekeeper rushed out first to open the door.

Feng Yuanjun’s attendant was overjoyed, saying, “Our master has sent a message to the Academy of Literature, and the people at the academy passed the news to our house. The master specifically asked me to come and thank you. He will be back tomorrow.”

“Has Master Feng become a Hanlin Scholar?” Fang Yun knew that Feng Yuanjun was an Imperial Scholar, and the next step would be to become a Hanlin Scholar. The best way to become a Hanlin Scholar was to study at the Holy Academy. If one did not study at the Holy Academy, it would take at least thirty to forty years for an Imperial Scholar to become a Hanlin Scholar, and some people would never be able to become Hanlin Scholars in their lifetime.

The attendant said, “It’s even better than becoming a Hanlin Scholar! The master sat by the River of Enlightenment for three days and three nights, and his Courage to Write broke through, officially reaching the first realm of being as resilient as plants and trees. Even a Hanlin Scholar might not be able to achieve this.”

Feng Yuanjun had been to the Holy Academy, so it was not surprising that he had now broken through to become a Hanlin Scholar. But now that he had refined his Courage to Write to the first realm, he would definitely become a Hanlin Scholar within five years, and then he would enter the second realm of the Courage to Write. Once he entered the second realm of the Courage to Write, it meant that his chances of becoming a Grand Academician were several times that of others.

Fang Yun felt helpless and could only say, “It must be Master Feng’s hard work and perseverance that led to his achievements.”

However, the attendant said, “No! Our master said that he had no feeling before, but ever since he read your poem ‘The lotus leaves stretch to the sky in endless green, the lotus flowers reflect the sun in a different red’, he felt both the grandeur and the bright beauty at the same time, and with the power of the River of Enlightenment, he was able to reach the first realm.”

“Master Feng is too kind, I dare not take credit.” Fang Yun felt even more helpless.

“Our master said that when he comes back, he will definitely hold a big banquet to celebrate, and he wants you to sit at the head of the table to thank you for your selflessness in telling him the secret of the River of Enlightenment.”

“I will definitely attend the banquet.” Fang Yun thought to himself, if the River of Enlightenment was useful, there would have been many geniuses in Ji County over the years. But in the past hundreds of years, only he, who was not originally from Ji County, had emerged from Ji County.

“Thank you, Master Fang! I have a favor to ask.” The attendant held and released his hands, looking at Fang Yun with great embarrassment.

Fang Yun asked, “What is it?”

“Now everyone in Jing Kingdom says that you are the God of Literature incarnate. I am just a servant. I dare not ask for your calligraphy. Can I take a flower from your flower bed? Even a blade of grass would do, so that my son can carry it with him and bless him to become a Child Scholar.”

Fang Yun felt baffled. He wanted to say that this was feudal superstition, but he felt embarrassed to refuse such a small request.

“Master Fang! I know my request is too much, but for the sake of our master, please let me pick a blade of grass, just one! The size of a fingernail will do.” The forty-something attendant was almost in tears.

Fang Yun helplessly said, “You misunderstood. It’s not that I don’t want to give it to you. Go ahead, there are flowers in the flower bed, you can pick one if you want.”

“Thank you, Master Fang! Thank you, Master Fang! You are the best scholar in the world!” The attendant immediately laughed, fearing that Fang Yun would change his mind. He rushed into the flower bed in two or three steps, picked a flower, treated it like a treasure, and carefully put it in his pocket.

“I’ll take my leave!” He walked quickly out of the gate, then bowed ninety degrees to Fang Yun three times. Finally, he left happily.

“After the River of Enlightenment, will the flowers and plants in my house also suffer?” Fang Yun looked helplessly at the flower bed in his house.

Fang Yun noticed that the atmosphere in the courtyard was not right. He scanned the courtyard and found that the gatekeeper, Fang Da Niu, the maid, and Jiang Popo were all staring at the flowers in the flower bed.

Fang Yun rolled his eyes, shook his head, and continued to eat.

After finishing his meal, Fang Yun continued to read. Before lunchtime, Nunu suddenly entered the room.

“Ying ying ying ying……”

Fang Yun heard the little fox’s voice, which was somewhat anxious and angry. He put down the book and turned around to look.

Nunu jumped into Fang Yun’s arms with a wronged face, then pointed at the courtyard with her little paw, ying ying non-stop.

“What’s wrong?” Fang Yun held Nunu and walked outside. He stepped out of the door and scanned the courtyard.

“There’s nothing… Eh…” Fang Yun’s gaze stopped on the flower bed in the courtyard.

There were twenty flowers in the flower bed this morning, but now there were only nine left. It was too obvious. Some leaves had also been picked, and the weeds had been cleaned up for the first time.

Fang Yun looked at the others, but they all lowered their heads and busied themselves with their own things.

Nunu pointed at these people one by one with her little paw, ying ying, as if she was complaining: Look at them! They’ve picked all the flowers!

Fang Yun was both amused and helpless, but it was not easy to reprimand them for such a small matter. So he said, “Da Niu, don’t listen to others’ nonsense. I’m not the God of Literature incarnate. These flowers and plants are useless.”

However, Fang Da Niu said, “That’s not necessarily true! You are now a role model for scholars. If you are not the God of Literature incarnate, then what are you? We dare not take your calligraphy. That thing is precious, it’s better to burn it than to spread it out. These flowers and plants are nourished by your talent, they must be beneficial to scholars! Ever since I became your attendant, I feel smarter than before!”

The others nodded in agreement, fully agreeing with Fang Da Niu’s words.

Fang Yun thought to himself that he was completely defeated by these people. What did they mean by being smarter than before? Were they advertising?

Fang Yun casually said, “It’s just a few flowers. If they’re picked, they’re picked. Just don’t spread it around.”

Fang Da Niu suddenly showed a sycophantic smile and asked, “Young Master, if someone wants to buy the flowers and plants from our house, can we sell them?”

“You’re thinking too much.” Fang Yun didn’t care about this, and went back to the room with Nunu, thinking that it couldn’t be such a coincidence. There was no way anyone would buy them. Could their own flowers and plants form an industrial chain?

Fang Da Niu looked at the gatekeeper, then at Jiang Popo, and winked at Jiang Popo. Jiang Popo nodded and looked at Yang Yuhuan’s room, indicating that she would tell the mistress.

Fang Yun returned to the room, put Nunu aside, picked up “The Art of War by Wu” and started reading aloud.

Wu Qi was a military Semi-Saint who was as famous as Sun Tzu. He was a disciple of Zixia, who was a direct disciple of Confucius. Therefore, Wu Qi could be considered a direct descendant of Confucius. His status in the Holy Temple was slightly lower than Sun Tzu, but much higher than Sun Bin, and he was recognized as the second person in the military strategists.

Nunu jumped onto the table, walked to the manuscript of “The Legend of the White Snake”, flipped through the pages with her little paw, and then tidied up the manuscript. She sat on the table, looking at Fang Yun with a resentful expression.

These days, Fang Yun had been writing a bit of “The Legend of the White Snake” every day. He planned to write a super-long version, a reinterpretation based on “The New Legend of the White Lady”. He had made quite a bit of money from this version of “The Legend of the White Snake” during his time in the Book Mountain illusion.

Ever since Nunu saw Fang Yun writing “The Legend of the White Snake”, she often came to his study to check it out. Each time she saw no new manuscript, she would look at Fang Yun resentfully.

After reading “Wu Zi’s Art of War”, Fang Yun stood up to go for a walk in the courtyard. He saw Nunu looking at him with resentful eyes again, and she even patted the manuscript of “The Legend of the White Snake” with her little paw.

Fang Yun had no choice but to find ten pieces of paper. He dipped his brush in ink and wrote quickly using the technique of rapid writing. Using this technique too much was particularly draining, so Fang Yun slowed down, reducing his speed from four sentences per breath to one sentence per breath. This way, he wouldn’t feel any fatigue, and he could still write fast enough.

Nunu immediately stood up straight, clapped her front paws to express her gratitude, and then happily watched Fang Yun’s manuscript, engrossed in it, her fluffy tail sweeping back and forth.

Fang Yun quickly finished the ten pages, then went for a walk in the courtyard. Nunu, however, wasn’t done after reading it once, so she read it again.

After half an hour, Fang Yun was about to return to his room when Nunu ran out, looking pitifully at him.

“Alright, I’ll finish writing ‘The Legend of the White Snake’ in the next few days!” Fang Yun said.

“Ying Ying! Ying Ying!” Nunu jumped around excitedly.

In addition to writing “The Legend of the White Snake”, Fang Yun had also been writing “Yaoqin Teaching”.

He went into the room and finished the remaining part of “Yaoqin Teaching”, then gave it to Yang Yuhuan. Once she finished studying this book, she would be able to touch the threshold of the first realm of the qin. As long as he wrote a few more qin songs that didn’t exist in the Holy Origin Mainland for her, allowing her to be the first to play them, her qin skills would surely improve step by step.

The next day, Feng Yuanjun’s servant sent an invitation, inviting Fang Yun to a banquet.

Fang Yun really didn’t want to go, and Feng Yuanjun knew it, so he specifically mentioned in the invitation that if Fang Yun didn’t go, he would move the banquet to his doorstep.

Feng Yuanjun’s mansion was brightly lit and filled with music at night. There were many carriages in front of the door, including Li Wenying’s six-dragon horse carriage.

Before, Feng Yuanjun didn’t have the qualifications to invite Li Wenying. Although Li Wenying would come if he was invited, there was still a gap in their literary ranks. Now that Feng Yuanjun had fully achieved the first realm of The Courage to Write, he was on the verge of becoming a Hanlin Scholar, and even had a great chance of becoming a Grand Academician. Naturally, he had the qualifications to invite Li Wenying.

The six dragon horses looked arrogant, and no one or horse dared to approach them. But when they saw Fang Yun, they all lowered their heads to greet him.

Feng Yuanjun’s attendant had been watching the door. When he saw Fang Yun come in, he shouted at the top of his lungs, “Fang Yun, the Semi-Minister, is here!”

Feng Yuanjun walked out of the living room of his mansion with many people, leading the way.

“Fang Yun! Thank you! Thank you so much! Thanks to your advice to practice by the river of enlightenment, otherwise, there’s no way I could have fully achieved the first realm of The Courage to Write!”

Fang Yun really wanted to roll his eyes at Feng Yuanjun, but he held back in the end, because he had never advised Feng Yuanjun to go to the river of enlightenment.

Fang Yun immediately said, “Lord Feng, you’re too kind. Your achievements today are all due to your own efforts. I have absolutely no credit for it. Please don’t thank me.”

Feng Yuanjun didn’t care about this kind of talk. He grabbed Fang Yun’s wrist and strode towards the main hall, saying as he walked, “Today, you must sit in the top seat. Even Grand Academician Li has agreed.”

“Lord Feng, please don’t kill me with flattery!” Fang Yun really didn’t want to stand out. The example set by scholars was too shocking. At this moment, he just wanted to be a quiet scholar.

Li Wenying was fanning the flames with a smile on his side, “As a Semi-Minister, Fang Yun certainly deserves to sit in the top seat.”

“Yes, yes, yes, Semi-Minister Fang must sit in the top seat.”

The crowd of scholars, all of whom were at least Presented Scholars, didn’t show any jealousy or dissatisfaction. Instead, they all looked envious.

(To be continued.)