Chapter 143: Chancellor Ba Shan
Translator: Ninetales Editor: Fish_Creek
The entire Imperial College broke out in a commotion and a directorate muttered, "Could it be the scholar who had defeated Daozi made a move again?"
Qin Mu's heart slightly shook. Old Monk Jing Ming brought Fo Xin forward and they had the same aim as Dan Yangzi from Dao Sect, to block the gate for three days, to cut down Imperial College's might and to kill the hearts of the Eternal Peace Empire's people who were supportive.
Yet now that three days wasn't up and Jing Ming had brought Fo Xin to leave, there was only one possibility left which meant Fozi Fo Xin was defeated!
"I was clearly paralyzing the green bull in the rear mountain and couldn't have run to the mountain gate to defeat Fozi Fo Xin…"
Qin Mu was at a loss. If it wasn't him who had defeated Fozi Fo Xin then who was it?
He remembered what Patriarch had said when he had met him at the straw hut. Back then there was a hidden meaning in Patriarch's words which meant that other than him, there were also others who had the abilities in Imperial College to defeat Fo Xin.
If Qin Mu wasn't going to do it, Patriarch would make that person do it.
Furthermore, this scholar that had defeated Fozi Fo Xin had actually maintained a low profile like Qin Mu. When Qin Mu had defeated Daozi Lin Xuan, he didn't mention it to any outsiders after that. This person actually took the chance when all the scholars and chancellors were paralyzed by Lost Fragrance to go down the mountain alone and defeat Fo Xin during this interval.
At that time, other than Fo Xin and Old Monk Jing Ming, there was only that dragon qilin in front of the mountain gate.
Even though dragon qilin could open his mouth to speak, he was a beast of few words and no information could be dug out from him so he could forget about drawing facts out of him. Unless he could get Chancellor Ba Shan's mount for him to eat, only then could he be able to ask him who was that person.
However, it would be difficult if he wanted to paralyze that green bull now.
"It's a good thing for Imperial College to have an expert that's on par with me."
Qin Mu gave a slight smile and didn't bother to find out who it was, bringing Hu Ling'er back to Scholar's Residence. Many people in Scholar's Residence had already known that the imperial physicians had gotten the prescription from him which ended up knocking out almost all the scholars in Imperial College thus they were all slightly fearful when they saw him.
Suddenly a timid voice sounded out softly, "Senior Brother Qin, is it you who have defeated that Fozi Fo Xin?"
Qin Mu looked towards the source of the voice and saw the person who spoke was Si Yunxiang, the gentle and quiet girl who had managed to enter Imperial College along with him. This girl was always shy and Qin Mu had even teased her a few times, making her face turned bright red and at a loss to know what to do.
Qin Mu shook his head, "Of course it isn't me. When that person defeated Fozi Fo Xin, I was caught by Grand Chancellor for a scolding. Sister Xiang, did you see that person who has defeated Fozi?"
Si Yunxiang shook her head, "I was paralyzed by a fragrance just now and didn't know what had happened. Now I'm still feeling slightly giddy. I saw senior brother looking energetic and wasn't poisoned so I had thought it was senior brother who had chased Fozi Fo Xin away."
Qin Mu's gaze flickered and he smiled, "It really wasn't me. I would also like to know who was the one who had defeated Fozi."
Si Yunxiang saw someone looking over and immediately returned to her courtyard, closing her door.
Qin Mu took the chance to peek into her courtyard but before he could clearly see anything, the door had already closed and Qin Mu could only return to his own residence.
"There a huge problem with this Si Yunxiang."
He composed himself and said softly, "She didn't suffer from Lost Fragrance at all, the state of those who have suffered from Lost Fragrance wouldn't be like her. Lost Fragrance is a kind of anesthetic and those who suffered from this anesthetic would still feel out of sorts for the next four to six hours after waking up. She wasn't feeling out of sorts just now."
Hu Ling'er replied, "Young master, Si Yunxiang wasn't among the scholars that were paralyzed in front of Hall of Supreme Healing."
Qin Mu's heart slightly moved.
After the young patriarch's scolding, he had wanted him to stay back to help look after these scholars and directorates. Qin Mu and the little fox both stayed there to help out but the little fox began scampering around, planning to plunder the 'spoils of war'; however, she was stopped by him.
At that time, Hu Ling'er had seen all the faces of the people that were paralyzed. If she said Si Yunxiang wasn't among them, she really wasn't among them.
"She is indeed lying."
Qin Mu blinked his eyes and said, "There no reason for her to purposely run out from her residence to lie to me. In that case, she is actually trying to show off. She talking to me regarding Fozi's defeat means that she was trying to flaunt about this incident. The one who had defeated Fozi was her."
Qin Mu suddenly recalled, why was the young patriarch so sure that there was someone in Imperial College who could defeat Fozi?
Could he have known long ago that Si Yunxiang has this capability?
How did the young patriarch know Si Yunxiang, a girl who had only become an imperial scholar recently so well?
It was important to know that even Qin Mu, this young cult master had to be tested numerous times by the young patriarch before his power and capability was affirmed.
This meant that the young patriarch understood Si Yunxiang extremely well and even far more than he understood Qin Mu.
Meanwhile, this girl had the surname Si and on top of that, having the bad habit of liking to show off…
"Granny sure knows how to have fun!"
Qin Mu said resentfully, "I'll not expose her for now, let's see what she's planning to do."
He was about to close the door when Chancellor Ba Shan's voice sounded out, "Bull bull, carry my luggage over."
"Yes, old master."
Chancellor Ba Shan pushed open the door and walked into the residence. Behind him followed a sturdy bull which was carrying a huge luggage. This green bull had yet transformed completely. He was walking like a human yet he still had the shape of a bull. He was the green bull that Qin Mu had paralyzed.
"Which room am I staying in?" Chancellor Ba Shan asked Qin Mu.
Qin Mu was stunned. Chancellor Ba Shan made himself at home instead as he laughed, "In that case, I'll take the west room. Woah, that's a lot of money! Scholar Qin, you're quite rich! Bull bull, we have money now. Let's grab a bunch and go down the mountain to get some wine!"
"Is there wine to drink?"
Hu Ling'er cheered and hopped over. She jumped and squatted on the bull's head with a smile, "I'll go with you!"
The green bull brought her out and asked, "You also drink? Do you know how to play the drinking game?"
Chancellor Ba Shan placed his luggage down and tidied the room. After he was done with making the bed, he shot a glance at Qin Mu who was still outside and laughed, "Grand Chancellor asked me to stick to you like a shadow so I naturally have to stay with you to prevent you from causing trouble everywhere. Did you write the words on the door?"
Qin Mu nodded his head.
Chancellor Ba Shan gave a forceful slap and praised, "Well written! You got a good handwriting which is atmospheric. You're much better than those guys from Art Saint Pavilion. I still don't understand what's the use of our Imperial College's Art Saint Pavilion. How can those guys have the impudence to collect their salaries from the imperial court! Oh, by the way, do you snore?"
Qin Mu shook his head.
"I snore."
Chancellor Ba Shan continued, "There are many directorates in our Imperial College that snore, especially Abbess Yi Qiu that old nun, her snore is world-shaking. Keke, she can even vibrate a bull to death from three miles away. Luckily this old nun doesn't sleep often and only meditate while sitting. If she sleeps, all of you scholars can forget about sleeping…"
Qin Mu was getting slightly impatient. This Chancellor Ba Shan seemed to have many words to say and was even more talkative than Wei Yong.
Chancellor Ba Shan talked for over an hour and Qin Mu basically got to know a natural disposition, style of work and family properties of all the directorates of Imperial College's pavilions and halls of sword, fist, spell, three yang, supreme healing, art saint and et cetera. Especially those secretaries from Floor of Heavenly Records, Chancellor Ba Shan had disclosed all their secrets, like having an illegitimate child and the old nun having a tryst with her lover. This chancellor would say all kinds of trivial things out.
The green bull and Hu Ling'er returned from the city drunkenly. The bull and the fox had gotten themselves quite high, calling each other brother and sister. They were so close as if they had come from the same womb and this green bull had totally forgotten how Qin Mu had brought this fox to drug him.
Chancellor Ba Shan immediately grabbed the wine jar and drank a few mouthfuls. With his head turning dizzy, he said, "When I came back from outside a few days ago, I seemed to have seen my master. You didn't expect it right? I may be a chancellor but I didn't graduate from Imperial College. I'm from the battle techniques school and I have a master. I was invited over here by Imperial Preceptor to teach the scholars battle techniques. I had originally thought that he had died but I didn't expect him to be alive."
Chancellor Ba Shan drank a mouthful of wine and stared blankly, "His legs are missing but he could run very fast. I exerted all my power to chase him yet I wasn't able to catch up. After that, I met a blind man who gave me a beating and asked me why was I following him. He was very unreasonable. He even wanted to have a poetry match with me but I couldn't win him and master had disappeared…"
Qin Mu was stunned for a slight moment. A strong practitioner of the battle technique school without legs and a blind man who loved to have poetry matches?
"It seems like they are Grandpa Butcher and Grandpa Blind. When did they leave Great Ruins?"
Chancellor Ba Shan was dead drunk and began to spout nonsense. Qin Mu hesitated as it would definitely seem out of the blue if he inquired about it.
"Green bull, did you see the appearance of that blind man clearly?" Qin Mu asked the green bull beside him.
This green bull looked at Qin Mu somewhat sheepishly. It was evident that he still remembered how Qin Mu had paralyzed him.
Qin Mu smiled, "You're still bearing a grudge? You had given me a beating yet I only paralyzed you and didn't beat you, so what grudge are you bearing? Have you ever seen such a good person that as magnanimous as me?"
Chancellor Ba Shan gave a drunk burp and had a weird expression. This youth from Great Ruins seemed to have some misunderstanding to the term good person. He said, "Scholar Qin, not only did you paralyze him, you even wanted to eat him. It's natural for him to be wary."
"He still wanted to eat me?"
The green bull cried out in astonishment, "Old master, you didn't mention this to me! You only said he had paralyzed me and didn't say he wanted to eat me!"
Hu Ling'er stood on top of the bull's horns while hugging a wine jar and said in a clear and loud voice, "Brother Bull, haven't you heard before 'don't fight, won't make friends'?"
The green bull retorted angrily, "I've heard before 'don't fight, won't make friends' but I have never heard before 'don't eat, won't make friends'!"
Chancellor Ba Shan's expression became even weirder. It was also obvious that this fox demon from Great Ruins had a misunderstanding to the phrase, don't fight, won't make friends.
"Who was the one who had trained this youth. He really is a scoundrel."
Qin Mu didn't know what he was thinking about. Chancellor Ba Shan was drinking with the little fox and the green bull; however, he didn't like to drink so he was cultivating on one side.
Chancellor Ba Shan's pupils suddenly contracted and couldn't keep his eyes off the knife skills Qin Mu was executing.
When Qin Mu had finished executing Pig Slaughtering Knife Skills, Chancellor Ba Shan suddenly threw his wine gourd aside and pulled out his knives with open arms. Swing his knives in the courtyard, his voice carrying a great emotion, "The golden knife adorned in white jade, with rays piercing into the night through the window. Man of fifty years yet nothing made, carrying knife in eight wilderness all alone!"
Carrying Knife In Eight Wilderness All Alone, this was the sixth form of Pig Slaughtering Knife Skills!
His knives and Qin Mu's knives collided and a series of sparks burst forth.
As both their knife skills clashed, Chancellor Ba Shan laughed out loudly, "For over four to five decades, wind and rain cloud the sky to see nothing. As transient as a fleeting cloud, every cloud has a silver lining!"
Qin Mu executed Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining to clash with his knives and recited, "Stop thinking of wanting to boast, after the crisis comes the people's hope. Looking around the sky and sea, the whole journey taken would all be smoke!"
Both of them pulled back their knives with their backs facing each other, sheathing both the knives on their hands back on their backs.
"Junior brother!" Chancellor Ba Shan turned around to greet.
Qin Mu bowed, "Senior brother."