Chapter 777: The Spare Tire's Anger

Jiang Luofu frowned slightly. "What kind of look is that?"

"A look of admiration, haha," Zu An smiled sheepishly.

"Hmph, if we weren't on relatively good terms, I wouldn't have been so polite if you had looked at me like that just now," Jiang Luofu said coldly.

Zu An felt a little frustrated. "Sister, those students gossiped about you on the road and you didn't get angry. Why are you angry at me now instead?"

Jiang Luofu glared at him. "Those people were simply appreciating beauty and enjoying a moment of verbal indulgence. You, on the other hand, want to put it into practice."

Zu An: "..."

"You could tell that?"

"Your gaze was wrong." Jiang Luofu snorted and walked on ahead.

Zu An gave a wry smile and quickly followed her.

As they ascended the mountain, Zu An couldn't help but marvel at the increasingly serene scenery around them. "The Grand Master truly has exquisite taste. Every blade of grass and every tree here seems to subtly follow a pattern, yet upon closer inspection, it appears completely natural, leaving no trace of artificial design."

Jiang Luofu's expression softened slightly. "This place is called Dong'e Fish Peak. It's the highest peak of Yuquan Mountain and was personally chosen by the Grand Master as his place of secluded cultivation back then. Every plant and tree here was arranged by him in his youth, and it resonates with the academy's protective array..."

They chatted along the way and before they knew it, they had reached the summit.

Zu An also noticed the beautiful lotus pond and couldn't help but lean closer for a better look. The vibrant green lotus leaves in the pond were refreshing to the mind, and the fatigue from climbing instantly vanished. The colorful lotus flowers floating on top were the finishing touch, making one instinctively want to pluck a bloom and play with it in their hand.

"I advise you not to think about picking any flowers," Jiang Luofu seemed to have noticed something and quickly warned. "Many years ago, Eleventh Junior Brother plucked a lotus flower and was whipped by our teacher all the way from the mountain top to the foot, his wails echoing throughout the entire academy."

Zu An inwardly flinched and quickly withdrew his hand. "Am I someone who would spoil such a beautiful scene? I was just feeling a sense of enlightenment from looking at these lotuses."

"What enlightenment?" Jiang Luofu was not so easily fooled and immediately asked.

"Born from the mud, yet unstained; washed by clear ripples, yet unpretentious." Zu An thought to himself, 'Good thing I went through nine years of compulsory education, otherwise this woman would have really stumped me.'

At this moment, in the courtyard nestled in the distant pine forest, an old man let out a soft 'Eh?'.

The noble woman sitting opposite him was slightly surprised. "What's wrong, Grand Master?"

The old man smiled. "It's nothing much. It's just been a long time since I heard such touching words."

These two were, naturally, Grand Master Chen Si and Crown Princess Bi Linglong.

Seeing that he had no intention of elaborating, the Crown Princess wisely did not press further, but continued their previous conversation. "Regarding the upcoming Grand Examination for the Crown Prince, does the Grand Master have any advice for us?"

The Grand Master said indifferently, "The Crown Princess should be aware that I have always refrained from involving myself in court struggles."

Her face was filled with sorrow. "The Crown Prince was harmed by villains since childhood, which has impaired his mind now. This kind of grand examination is unfair from the start, that's why I shamelessly came to ask for the Grand Master's guidance."

"Harmed by villains..." the Grand Master said with a smile. "The Crown Princess need not worry too much. Though the Crown Prince may appear a little dull-witted now, he is blessed with deep good fortune and will naturally turn misfortunes into blessings."

The Crown Princess was naturally not satisfied with such an ambiguous statement. She had heard such words countless times in the Eastern Palace.

Unfortunately, no matter how she inquired further, the Grand Master merely smiled without speaking. She sighed inwardly, knowing that he was unwilling to interfere in the conflict between the Emperor and Prince Qi, and could only reluctantly take her leave.

Meanwhile, by the lotus pond, Jiang Luofu, hearing Zu An's two lines of poetry, couldn't help but show a hint of surprise in her eyes. "I didn't expect you to have some literary talent. If Third Senior Brother were to meet you, he would definitely consider you a kindred spirit."

"Isn't Third Senior Brother the 'Wine Sword Immortal'? Why would he consider me a kindred spirit?" Zu An was a little curious. Though he could drink, he didn't have a particular fondness for it. As for swords, he could wield one, but the man was known as a Sword Immortal, so his own swordsmanship might not impress him. However, when it came to playing dirty, he doubted anyone could surpass him.

Jiang Luofu explained, "Third Senior Brother has a peculiar habit. He calls himself the 'Triple Master of Poetry, Wine, and Sword,' with poetry first, wine second, and swordsmanship third. But those of us who know him well know that the poems he writes are merely doggerel, yet he's incredibly proud of them. In our opinion, his swordsmanship should be first, wine second, and his poetry... unrefined. But his favorite is poetry. So, after you meet him, just with those two lines you quoted, he will consider you a kindred spirit."

"He sounds interesting, the way you describe him," Zu An, however, was pondering. 'Each of the Grand Master's direct disciples seems to be a problematic child. Tsk, tsk, I wonder how he managed to teach them.'

"Let's go, come with me to see our teacher." Jiang Luofu beckoned to him and then walked directly towards the tranquil pine forest.

On the way, Zu An couldn't help but ask, "Oh, by the way, the climate on this high mountain is cold, which isn't suitable for lotus growth, is it?"

Jiang Luofu nodded. "Our teacher personally intervened back then, setting up an array nearby, forcibly altering the climate of that area. Only then was he able to cultivate such a beautiful pond of lotuses."

As she spoke, her voice was filled with admiration, clearly considering such a feat to be truly miraculous.

Zu An asked curiously, "Then why would he spend so much time and effort cultivating lotuses in a place unsuitable for their growth? Could it be to show off his immense power?"

"Of course not," Jiang Luofu frowned. "Our teacher is not someone who values empty fame. This act was certainly not for showing off. We're very close to our teacher's residence now, so you should be careful with your words, lest you offend him."

Zu An glanced at the dimly visible courtyard in the pine forest and smiled slightly. "What kind of person is the Grand Master? How could he bother himself with a trivial matter involving a young man like me? You just said the Grand Master isn't the type to show off his abilities, so for him to go to such great lengths to create this lotus pond, he must be commemorating someone from the past, an old friend perhaps."

Inside the wooden house, the Crown Princess, seeing that the Grand Master had closed his eyes to rest, sighed inwardly and respectfully bowed. "Linglong will not disturb the Grand Master any further. I shall take my leave now."

"Take care, Crown Princess." The Grand Master still did not open his eyes.

Her brow was furrowed with worry, completely unsure of what to do about the upcoming Crown Prince's examination. Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly noticed the Grand Master's body, not far away, tremble slightly, and then he opened his eyes.

A surge of joy rose in her heart, thinking the Grand Master had changed his mind and had something to tell her.

However, the Grand Master still showed no intention of speaking. His gaze was no longer the ethereal, indifferent look he usually held, as if observing the mundane world from above, but carried a different meaning.

He slowly stood up and stared blankly at a painting on the wall.

The Crown Princess was greatly puzzled. What was wrong with the Grand Master? He seemed to be losing his composure.

She quickly widened her eyes, wanting to see what was depicted in the painting, but no matter how hard she tried, she could only see mist swirling around the portrait and could not discern what was actually painted on it.

Just then, a faint, familiar voice reached her ears. She couldn't help but turn her head to look out the window, a mix of surprise and joy on her face. "Zu An?"

She truly hadn't expected to see him here. Hadn't she told him to rest at home? He was injured, yet still running around.

And who was the woman beside him?

Seeing Jiang Luofu's attire, her delicate brows furrowed. How could she dress so provocatively? Was she specifically out to seduce men?

Then, a flash of insight struck her. The woman's distinctive attire reminded her of someone. Could it be that eldest daughter of the Jiang family?

She had heard that originally, she was the first choice for Crown Princess. But because she ran away from the marriage and disappeared without a trace, the imperial family was forced to reluctantly choose someone else, which was how they settled on her, from the Yu family.

Although she had no strong feelings for the Crown Prince, as a woman, the thought of being someone else's 'backup option' filled her with immense dissatisfaction.

This woman clearly didn't want to be the Crown Princess, so why did she come back to the capital now? And dressed like that, going around seducing other women's men!

Zu An wasn't much better. He already had Miss Chu, yet he fell for it the moment she made a move.

Rage points from Bi Linglong: 233233233...