Chapter 289: Three Scholars

Shoutian County, Guhuai Town, abandoned temple.

In the southern part of Jizhou, heavy rain poured down. The green grassland was already a muddy mess, and the vibrant green leaves stood vertically in the rain, looking lifeless as they were washed clean.

The sky was gloomy, oppressive, making it hard to breathe, as if darkness could descend at any moment.

A scholar, clad in a straw cape and hat, hurried along, clutching cloth-wrapped books to his chest, running frantically through the downpour.

He spotted the abandoned temple not far away, his eyes lit up, and he clutched his books tighter, quickening his pace as he rushed over.

Huff, huff—

The scholar, breathless, closed the doors and windows tightly. Though the temple was old, it fortunately didn't let in wind or rain, which was a blessing in disguise.

He opened his package to check if his books were wet. Perhaps because they were well-protected, they were still dry.

The scholar lit an oil lamp and, by its dim light, began to read softly.

A graceful figure suddenly appeared behind the scholar. The figure, with an enchanting smile on her lips, patted the scholar's back.

Upon seeing the figure, the scholar seemed enchanted, smiling involuntarily.

After the heavy rain, the weary scholar left the abandoned temple.

Three figures dressed as scholars trudged through the muddy ground, stumbling with each step, looking rather disheveled.

"Why is this path so difficult to walk?" one of the scholarly figures complained.

Another rolled his eyes, "Just bear with it. Don't be ungrateful. Isn't this much better than when we were in the dense forest?"

"You're right."

The third figure explained, "I heard it rained heavily yesterday, a downpour not seen in ten years, soaking Guhuai Town completely. The river even overflowed its banks. I heard it might rain again tonight."

"Tsk, I don't think that's a good sign."

Lu Yang pointed at the temple and chuckled, "Perfect, there's a temple ahead. Though it's a bit dilapidated, the Buddha statue should still be there. You can go and pay your respects while we spend the night."

"Let's reorganize our plan. Based on current intelligence, the target is very vigilant and won't appear easily. Also, she's a ghost, highly skilled in evasion, making her difficult to catch."

"The female ghost's strength should be at the Foundation Establishment stage, but her specific realm is unknown."

"If the female ghost appears, we must wait until we're certain she can't escape before moving to apprehend her!"

"Our current identities are scholars heading to Imperial City to seek fame. We'll stay here for a night and use this opportunity to lure the female ghost out!"

"So far, we haven't received any news of the female ghost killing anyone, so don't be lethal when capturing her."

"I used to lack experience when traveling. Ever since I saw my master imprisoned, I understood the importance of using pseudonyms in the outside world. That way, if we embarrass ourselves, we won't disgrace the Wen Dao Sect. Let's double-check our names again. I am Lu Yiyang."

"I am Long Jingzhou."

"I am Li Hao."

The three discussed their plan and, finding no issues, concealed their aura to the extreme, disguising themselves as mortals, and entered the temple.

"This temple is so clean!" Meng Jingzhou exclaimed in surprise. He had expected it to be covered in dust with cobwebs in every corner.

The interior of the temple far exceeded his expectations; it was as clean as if someone had tidied it.

The only regret was that the upper half of the Buddha statue in the center was missing, preventing them from paying respects.

Li Haoran found some dry firewood behind the Buddha statue, likely left by previous temporary residents.

He stacked the firewood, found some dry grass, took out a flint from his bag, and using the grass as kindling, lit the pile.

Li Haoran warmed his hands by the fire, displaying an extremely comfortable expression: "Hoo—I'm alive again."

Lu Yang took out several steamed buns from his bag, skewered them with a wooden stick, and roasted them over the fire.

Once the buns' crust turned slightly yellow, Lu Yang broke one open. The aroma, mixed with warmth, wafted towards them.

Meng Jingzhou walked around the dilapidated temple and returned to the main hall. "Besides the main hall, there are two other rooms. When we sleep later, each of us can have a room."

"Good."

The three sat around the fire, eating steamed buns and pickles, lamenting the difficult journey ahead.

Lu Yang was filled with worry, even the bun in his hand no longer seemed fragrant. "I wonder if this journey to the Imperial City will be smooth. I heard that cultivators are everywhere in the Imperial City; it will be incredibly difficult for us mortals to make a name for ourselves there."

Meng Jingzhou waved his hand. "The number of cultivators in the Imperial City isn't as exaggerated as you think. It's good if one in twenty people is a cultivator. Becoming a cultivator is incredibly difficult; just the spiritual root alone screens out ninety-nine percent of people."

One cultivator in twenty people—this ratio was already extremely alarming. No major city in the Central Continent could achieve such a proportion.

"Although we don't have spiritual roots, we are knowledgeable. We can effortlessly compose various essays and have unique insights into current affairs. Leaving Shoutian County tomorrow to take the imperial examination in the capital, achieving fame, gaining the emperor's appreciation, and securing an official position is not impossible."

Not all officials with ranks in the Great Xia Dynasty were cultivators; some were mortals.

Meng Jingzhou pointed at Li Haoran with a bun and said, "For example, Brother Li, he recited 'A Thousand Character Classic' at five, wrote poetry at seven, ci verse at eight, and essays at ten. His talent is outstanding, and his essays are exquisite, as if naturally formed. Our teacher praised him endlessly, calling him the best student he ever taught."

Li Haoran smiled modestly, "Brother Long flatters me. It was merely our teacher trying to encourage me. On the contrary, Brother Long, you choose not to inherit your family business but instead wish to seek a future in the Imperial City. This confidence, and the underlying conviction from which it stems, is something Brother Lu and I cannot match."

The three praised each other, then began to read the classics with great relish, finding the ancient sages' writings truly excellent, worthy of being passed down through the ages. They felt that if they could write even one such article, they would die without regret.

Meng Jingzhou yawned, mercilessly shattering Lu Yang's dream. "Alright, stop dreaming. Let's sleep. We have to wake up early tomorrow."

The three went into their respective rooms as they had decided while eating buns.

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou went to sleep in the rooms on either side, while Li Haoran stayed in the main hall, sleeping in front of the half-statue of the Great Buddha.

In the darkness, three graceful figures stared at Lu Yang and the other two, their eyes emitting a faint green glow.

"Three more people have arrived, and their Yang energy is strong. I wonder what they taste like..." The figure in green chuckled softly.

"Indeed, indeed. It's been a long time since I've seen scholars with such potent Yang energy. Although scholars who read extensively cultivate a profound upright energy, those like these three are rarely seen," the figure in red licked her lips, full of temptation.

The figure in white, being younger, quickly said, "Elder sisters, please be careful not to drain all their Yang energy. We must look at this with a sustainable perspective."

"If they feel comfortable once, they'll come a second time. Back and forth, we'll absorb more Yang energy than if we drained it all at once."

"Understood, understood. Little Seven, you're young but the most verbose. We know our limits; we won't overdo it. If we overdo it and attract righteous cultivators' investigation, we'll be the ones in trouble. We understand that principle."

"Let's split up. The two of us will go to the two side rooms, and Little Seven, you stay here to attend to this one named Li."