Chapter 773: Greeting of Outer Disciples

Zu An, standing nearby, was utterly bewildered. Jiang Luofu was also a disciple of the Grand Libationer? He had never heard her mention it before. He recalled how deeply impressed he had been by her power back in Brightmoon City. To think that someone of her caliber was only the eighth-ranked disciple of the Grand Libationer, it truly spoke volumes about the Grand Libationer's unfathomable depth.

Only then did Jiang Luofu seem to snap out of a daze, smiling at Zu An. "Oh, I haven't told you before?" Zu An was speechless. Jiang Luofu looked a bit embarrassed, giving an awkward smile. "Well, mainly, you never asked. It would have seemed like I was showing off my status if I brought it up myself."

The short, stout man's eyes lit up. "Eighth Senior Sister, your words truly capture the essence of my School of Names! Why don't you join us? I could even yield my position to you, becoming the second-ranked disciple. Of course, if you're willing, we could also become husband and wife and lead the School of Names together." Jiang Luofu's reply was equally blunt: "Get lost!"

Yin Shi, the short, stout man, showed no anger. Instead, he grinned and said, "Eighth Senior Sister, your statement isn't very precise. In which direction exactly should I 'get lost'?" "Go back to wherever you came from." Jiang Luofu's eyelid twitched rapidly, a clear sign that her irritation was rapidly boiling over.

"From where I came, back to where I came from... Hmm, Eighth Senior Sister truly has a deep understanding; indeed, she has a connection with our School of Names!" Yin Shi exclaimed, full of emotion.

Zu An couldn't help but chuckle. "Now I finally understand why you wanted to run earlier." This guy had a knack for contrarian arguments and clung on like sticky candy. Who could possibly stand him?

Only then did Yin Shi notice Zu An. "Oh, who's this guy?" His gaze then landed on their clasped hands, and his handlebar mustache nearly shot up to his eyes. "Well, well, Eighth Senior Sister has found herself a sweetheart! For years, everyone thought you were uninterested in men, never showing them any warmth, even thinking you might be a 'stone woman.' Now, your fellow disciples can finally rest easy."

Jiang Luofu's face darkened, and she couldn't help but crack her knuckles loudly. "You dead fatty, are you looking for a beating?" Yin Shi quickly waved his hands. "A gentleman uses his words, not his fists. Fighting is quite uncivilized." Jiang Luofu scoffed. "I am a woman, not a gentleman."

"Fighting is strictly forbidden in the academy, especially for people of our status," Yin Shi said. "If we actually fought, the commotion would be too great, and we'd inevitably be confined by the teachers. My temperament simply can't stand those dull, silent isolation rooms." Jiang Luofu's expression subtly changed; she clearly had some lingering apprehension about the isolation rooms as well.

"How about this," Yin Shi said with a grin, "I've been puzzling over a question recently. If Eighth Senior Sister can answer it, I'll gracefully 'get lost' back to where I came from and stop bothering you." Jiang Luofu's eyelid twitched. "Compared to debating with you, I think the isolation room sounds more bearable."

"It's not that dramatic! Maybe you'll solve my conundrum very quickly," Yin Shi said hurriedly, afraid she would refuse. "I've recently been diligently researching a theory: 'The shadow of a flying bird never truly moves.' Eighth Senior Sister, do you think there's any merit to my research?"

Jiang Luofu's face was ashen. "There's no damn merit! Of course, a flying bird's shadow moves. Wherever the bird flies, its shadow naturally follows." Zu An stifled a laugh. It seemed Jiang Luofu was truly exasperated by this guy; normally, she wouldn't use such vulgar language.

"Not so, not so!" Yin Shi said, shaking his head smugly. "The bird's shadow doesn't move. The bird and its shadow are always at a certain point. New bird shadows are continuously generated, and old ones continuously disappear. This is what's called the illusion of a moving shadow."

Jiang Luofu's eyebrow twitched. She desperately wanted to curse him with something like "What nonsense!" However, she knew that engaging in a verbal sparring match with this guy would only put her at a disadvantage in the end. So, she took a deep breath to calm herself. "Alright, what you said makes a lot of sense, and this research is very valuable. We'll be going now." With that, she pulled Zu An, ready to leave, but Yin Shi blocked their way. "Eighth Senior Sister, don't rush off! Tell me, where does it make sense? What's valuable about it? I haven't even figured out how to apply this theory practically yet!" Jiang Luofu was utterly baffled.

Seeing her on the verge of erupting like a volcano, Zu An quickly stepped in to stop her. He smiled at the short, stout man. "Sir, I also have a similar question I'd like to ask you." Yin Shi's eyes lit up, and his spirits immediately lifted. "Please, young brother, do tell." Jiang Luofu frowned, secretly transmitting a message to Zu An: "Don't debate with this guy; you won't win against him." Zu An gave her a reassuring look before continuing, "When you walk by a lake at night, with the bright moon overhead, you'll notice the moon's reflection in the lake follows you. Are there countless reflections in the lake, or is there only one moon reflection that moves with you?"

Yin Shi replied, "Of course, there's only one moon reflection. According to my theory just now, the moon reflection doesn't even move." Zu An chuckled. "If there's only one, then wouldn't someone far away on the other side of the lake be unable to see a reflection? From their perspective, that moon reflection must also be following them, and its position would clearly be different from the moon reflection you see."

"Oh? Interesting," Yin Shi said, stroking his handlebar mustache thoughtfully. "So, are there countless ones?" "If there are countless ones, then why can you only see one?" Zu An asked. "This..." Yin Shi was momentarily stumped.

The surrounding students immediately widened their eyes, and even Jiang Luofu looked incredulous. This was the first time in years she had seen Yin Shi stumped. Seeing him deep in thought, Zu An smiled faintly and pulled Jiang Luofu away to the side. Jiang Luofu's face flushed. This young man was truly presumptuous. She had only grabbed his hand earlier because the situation was critical; why was he still holding her hand while they walked normally now?

Yin Shi scratched his head and ears. Seeing the two about to walk away, he couldn't hold back any longer and quickly ran in front of Zu An. "Hey, kid, how many moon reflections are there, exactly? If you can't tell me, then you're deliberately toying with me, and I won't let you off easily!"

Jiang Luofu stepped forward, subtly shielding Zu An behind her. "Dead fatty, who are you trying to scare?" Yin Shi immediately showed a trace of a smile. "Eighth Senior Sister, please don't take offense. It's just that I am genuinely very curious. I hope this young brother beside you can give me the answer, otherwise, my heart will feel like it's being clawed by a cat."

Zu An patted Jiang Luofu's hand, signaling her to relax. Only then did he step forward and say, "According to Quantum Bayesianism, whether a reflection exists or not depends on whether someone is there to observe it. If you're the only one, there's one reflection. If there are multiple people, there are multiple reflections."

Yin Shi looked utterly bewildered. "Who is Quantum Bayesian?" Zu An explained, "He's a great master in the field of quantum theory. In the universe, certainty and uncertainty inherently coexist simultaneously. As for which state manifests, it depends on the observer..."

He then roughly explained some quantum theories he had seen online in his previous life. Yin Shi initially listened with a furrowed brow, but soon, a brilliant light gleamed in his eyes. He mumbled to himself, "So that's it, so that's it! Many long-standing doubts I had now seem to have a direction..."

He cast aside his usual playful grin and respectfully bowed to Zu An as a disciple would. "If I ever manage to comprehend the Great Dao, it will surely be due to your enlightenment today, Master. Please accept my three bows." With that, he respectfully performed three bows.

The students who had been watching the commotion nearby almost had their eyeballs pop out. What was happening? Teacher Yin Shi was a direct disciple of the Grand Libationer, holding an extraordinary status in the academy, yet he was bowing to this young man as a disciple?

A group of students began to whisper among themselves:"Where did this guy come from?""No idea, just that he came with Teacher Jiang.""Could he be Teacher Jiang's newly accepted disciple?""Impossible! Even Teacher Jiang can't out-debate Teacher Yin, so how could her disciple?""True. So, could he be Teacher Jiang's lover?""Look, their hands are still clasped! I can't believe Teacher Jiang has a taste for young 'fresh meat.' An old cow eating tender grass, huh?""Sigh, I wish I were that tender grass she'd eat too."

The surrounding whispers gradually reached Jiang Luofu's ears. However, she was too shocked to be angry; instead, she stared at Yin Shi. "Are you mad? You're bowing to someone so much younger than you as a disciple?"

Yin Shi said calmly, "On the path of seeking truth, the knowledgeable come first. Why should one be bound by age?" Then, he looked at Zu An with eager anticipation. "May I ask for your esteemed name, Master? I hope to have many more opportunities to seek your guidance in the future."