Chapter 127: Chapter 93: Jie Yuan_1
Translator: 549690339
Despite deciding to focus on all three tasks at once, adopting the identity of “Shi Jian” to cultivate techniques and command Underworld Ghosts on the mountain, there were still many tasks to attend to below the mountain that were not urgent to the moment.
Xu Yang removed his disguise, restored his original appearance, and left Mount Jilei for the county town of North City.
“Flatbreads, freshly baked flatbreads!”
“Crisp pears, freshly picked crisp pears!”
“Make way, make way, don’t block the road!”
“Selling plasters, hereditary good plasters, I guarantee they’ll cure your headaches and fevers in a day!”
Within the county town, upon the streets, there were bustling crowds everywhere.
There were also carriages and horses like dragons, flowing endlessly, all radiating a sense of prosperity and vitality.
This was North City county town, North City of today.
At this moment, a young scholar who had just returned from studying abroad entered the town.
“Li Jieyuan?”
“Truly, it is Li Jieyuan!”
“Sword Minister sir, you’ve returned?”
“Brother Li, we haven’t seen you for days, where have you been?”
“Could it be that you’ve been out on a scholarly journey? Such a refined matter, and you didn’t inform any of us!”
“It’s Officier Li indeed, I was just saying this morning I felt a twitch in my eyelids, turns out I was about to meet a VIP!”
“Sword Minister sir, when will there be new editions of ‘Records of Great Zhou Martial Ancestor’ and ‘The Record of Martial of Tang’?”
“Go on, all that fighting and killing, what’s there to see? Better to write more about ‘Dream of the Red Chamber,’ ‘Seven Fairies,’ and ‘Bai Suzhen.’ Young Master Liuxian, why don’t you write another storybook like those? All of us sisters are eagerly waiting.”
“Li Jieyuan, Li Jieyuan, just draw me a picture, or write a few words if you can’t. My girl hasn’t eaten or drank for days, she says if she can’t see the calligraphy and paintings of Master Li, she might starve herself to death…”
“You wish, who doesn’t know that Li Jieyuan’s poetry and painting are unparalleled, his talent towers above all, and a single piece of his calligraphy is worth a fortune. Every day outside Li Mansion there are countless people waiting to pick up any scrap of his brilliance, what makes you think you’re worthy of asking him to write for you?”
Upon Xu Yang’s return, people greeted him along the way, and exclamations of wonder never ceased.
As for Xu Yang, he merely nodded in response and did not pay them much attention, heading straight for his home.
Watching his receding figure, the crowd discussed him even more, each with their own attitude.
“Is that Li Jianchen, Li Liuxian?”
“Isn’t it just him!”
“Hmph, he’s conceited about his talent, yet he hasn’t even become the top scholar, and he’s already got his eyes on his forehead.”
“Conceit is not without foundation. They say that from childhood, his scholar examinations at the academy, county, and prefecture levels were always outstanding, and during the provincial exams, he seized the crown in one fell swoop, earning the title of Jie Yuan. Even Mr. Wen Yuan and the provincial examiners were full of praise for his essays, saying he had the makings of a top scholar, and might even make the history books by achieving the top spot in three consecutive exams!”
“If there’s a bushel of talent in the world, then Li Liuxian has taken eight scoops of it!”
“Not only that, but it’s said he’s also extremely skilled in the art of calligraphy and painting. Not just as a poet and painter, he’s a master calligrapher, and even excels in music theory, his skill at playing the zither is mesmerizing, turning the world upside down. In North City, Jinhua Mansion, and even throughout the Great Chen Dynasty, countless ladies are smitten by him, unable to eat or sleep!”
“It’s said he loves writing novels and storybooks. He has published many works, including ‘Records of Great Zhou Martial Ancestor,’ ‘The Record of Martial of Tang’ recounting the blood and wind of the Martial World, ‘Legend of Swordsman of Shushan,’ ‘Legend of the Sword Immortal’ describing the Cultivation World and the ways of immortals. Then there are ‘Dream of the Red Chamber,’ ‘Seven Fairies,’ ‘Bai Suzhen,’ tales of lovelorn men and women entwined in love and hate, leaving readers’ hearts wrenched, tossing and turning sleeplessly, night after night, waiting for his new releases!”
“Whether it’s young women waiting for marriage, hardworking farmers with faces to the soil and backs to the sky, or swaggering mavericks from the Martial World, even scholars engrossed in studying, they are all eagerly awaiting his next book, to start a new volume, to write a new chapter!”
“Sword Minister, you old thief, update already!”
The discussions were many and varied, mostly filled with admiration and respect.
But there were also voices of disagreement.
“Hmph, talented he may be, but he lacks the backbone of a true scholar!”
“Exactly, we scholars have read the sage’s books, we serve the emperor and the country above, and bring peace to the people below. Only such use of our learning doesn’t betray our studies, yet this man is fixated on Side-Path Left Way pursuits, truly ignorant, wasting his time!”
“That’s right, poetry is but a minor skill, and fine arts are merely a pastime. What compares to the sage’s books and the main road of righteousness? This man’s infatuation with his diverse hobbies will surely cause him to be discarded by the main path. When the time comes for the imperial exams, don’t even think about winning the top spots.”
“Don’t just talk about winning the top spots, he might even fail the exams. After all, human energy is limited, and yet he indulges in painting and calligraphy, loses himself in the zither’s melody, and enjoys writing those novels. How many heads and arms does he have? Is he an immortal, capable of the Method of Avatar, the Divinity Transformation?”
“It’s said he’s also proficient in the ways of medicine and martial arts. He’s opened a medical clinic and a pharmacy in town, named Security Hall and Baozhilin. He treats patients daily, and every day a bunch of shameless women go to him for treatment, it’s simply enviable…bah, it’s a disgrace to scholars!”
“A scandal to scholarship, a beast in scholarly robes!”
“About that… keep your voice down, he’s not only a dual talent in literature and martial arts, but his swordsmanship is also incredibly sharp. Recently, a brute tried to rob people outside the town, only to be killed by him single-handedly, leaving a complete mess. Even the constables from the county yamen knelt down and begged to become his disciples.”
“Guess why there have been so many fewer bullies in North City in recent years?”
“All because they provoked him, and then one by one they disappeared.”
“This…”
At this point, the critical voices paused for a moment.
Yet some were still indignant and refused to back down.
“Afraid, afraid of what!”
