Chapter 139: The Mountain Chief Turns Out to Be Myself
The scholars all gasped in shock! They could hardly believe their ears! The young man before them was none other than the infamous and all-powerful Duke Jin Fan Li? The very man bold enough to make the emperor call him "father"!?
At first, everyone was skeptical, but seeing the deputy headmaster still kneeling and the powerful female cultivator standing silently behind Fan Li, they had no choice but to accept the truth!
Mr. Yi Chuan’s face turned pale with fright! He had intended to humiliate Fan Li, but instead lost the contest and found himself utterly outmatched in both ability and background!
“This Great Chu… I can no longer survive here,” Yi Chuan thought miserably.
His disciple, Zhu Ziyang, shared the same sentiment.
“I was blind to please this old scholar Yi Chuan, only to offend Duke Jin Fan Li? There’s no future for me in Chu; I’d better seek prospects in a neighboring country.”
The master and disciple were united in their resolve to flee at any moment.
With Fan Li’s status, he couldn’t be bothered quarreling with such lowly figures.
Curious, he asked the deputy headmaster, “Who is the headmaster of Luming Academy? Such a commotion has erupted, yet he has not appeared. If he dares to neglect his duties, report him to me directly. I will punish him severely!”
The Four Swords of Immortal Slaughter—what a terrifying spectacle! Yet the headmaster of the academy was nowhere to be seen. The more Fan Li thought about it, the angrier he became.
In all of Great Chu, which was under his control, how could such a slothful, shirking official exist? It was utterly detestable!
Just as Fan Li prepared to mete out stern justice, he noticed the deputy headmaster’s gaze turning strange.
“Sir…”
“Speak freely! I have always been upright and impartial. No matter how powerful his backing, I will convict him of dereliction of duty!”
Fan Li assumed the man had a formidable background that the deputy headmaster feared to cross.
Background?
In all of Great Chu—from the emperor to commoners—was there anyone with greater backing than Fan Li?
He scoffed coldly.
If necessary, he would fight evil with evil!
Fan Li had never minded his notorious reputation before, but these scholars of the academy were, after all, diligent students—the future blossoms of Chu.
He wanted to set an example for them!
“Sir, have you forgotten something?” Deputy Headmaster Zhang Qiuming cautiously probed.
“Forgot what?” Fan Li was puzzled.
Could it be that Luming Academy’s headmaster was on extended leave or mourning? He had a photographic memory and couldn’t recall such a thing.
Zhang Qiuming pointed at Fan Li carefully and said, “Aren’t you the headmaster of this academy?”
Fan Li was stunned for a few seconds, then suddenly realized!
Luming Academy was founded by Fan Li’s ancestor, Fan Zeng, and successive headmasters had always been from the Fan clan.
In Fan Li’s generation, only he and Fan Chun had entered government service.
Fan Chun was a military general, so naturally couldn’t serve as the academy headmaster.
Therefore, the headmaster of Luming Academy must be Fan Li himself?
The chronic absentee shirker was none other than him?
Fan Li’s face flushed red!
“Ahem!”
“I… am… busy with state affairs and seldom visit the academy,” he stammered.
“Deputy Headmaster Zhang, you have done a great job managing the academy on my behalf. Thank you for your hard work.”
No sooner had Fan Li finished speaking than someone snickered!
Who dared be so bold!?
He glared fiercely and saw it was the recently ascended Fourth-Rank Great Ascension Realm cultivator, the Cold Moon Sovereign.
Fine, let him laugh.
“Greetings, Headmaster,” a group of scholars then stepped forward, kneeling and bowing deeply to Fan Li, helping to ease his embarrassment.
Fan Li was deeply moved in his heart.
“What fine students!”
“They are all mine.”
“No wonder Chiang Kai-shek favored Huangpu graduates so much. Now I understand.”
“What does ‘loyal faction’ mean? These scholars are my loyal faction!”
Fan Li happily mingled with the academy students, while Yi Chuan and Zhu Ziyang quietly slipped away unnoticed.
“Headmaster,” Deputy Headmaster Zhang Qiuming was a clever man. Seeing how much Fan Li enjoyed the title, he immediately changed how he addressed him.
“Oh? What is it, Qiuming?” Fan Li, hearing himself called “headmaster,” felt a fresh sense of pride and became a bit friendlier toward Zhang Qiuming.
“It’s rare to have so many students gathered here today. Please, headmaster, give us some guidance,” Zhang flattered.
Smart move.
Asking the leader to speak is always a way to flatter them.
Fan Li took a longer look at Zhang Qiuming, thinking this young man was indeed cut out for officialdom and knew how to handle things.
“Ahem!”
“Students, I will say a few words…”
Fan Li was about to launch into a speech that would last at least two hours, as leaders did in his previous life.
He noticed the Cold Moon Sovereign staring at him, causing a chill to run down his spine.
Enough!
Just a brief speech, then home.
“Students, why do you study?” Fan Li asked first.
One answered, “There are houses of gold and beauties within the books.”
Another said, “To inherit the teachings of the sages and bring everlasting peace to the world.”
Luming Academy was indeed a prestigious public school; the students’ answers were textbook perfect.
Fan Li shook his head. “Well said, but not enough.”
The students showed puzzled expressions.
One scholar mustered courage and said, “Please, headmaster, enlighten us.”
The others bowed as well, “Please, headmaster, enlighten us!”
Fan Li felt immense satisfaction, nearly laughing out loud.
Years later, when all the officials in the court were his students, this feeling… no matter how many emperors Great Chu changed, they’d all have to call him ‘father’!
“Ahem!”
“Listen carefully!”
Fan Li fixed a stern look and pronounced each word clearly: “You study for the rise of Great Chu.”
…
…
At Ghost Valley on Yunmeng Mountain, resided the greatest scholar of the era.
In fame, he was second only to Lü Chunqiu.
But Ghost Valley Master was more mysterious and even more revered.
The world believed his lesser fame compared to Lü Chunqiu was only because he took too few disciples, unlike Lü whose students were everywhere.
The saying “Seven-tenths of the great scholars come from Lü City, three-tenths from Ghost Valley,” meant just that.
Outside Luming Academy.
“Teacher, wait for me!” Zhu Ziyang shouted.
Mr. Yi Chuan glared at him gloomily and asked, “Why not stay at the academy? Why follow me?”
He had suffered a crushing defeat today and offended the powerful Duke Jin of Chu, and felt too ashamed to stay.
“I am your disciple, so naturally I must follow you,” Zhu Ziyang forced a smile.
In truth, like Yi Chuan, he had no face left to remain at the academy.
Better to leave voluntarily than be expelled, preserving some dignity.
Clinging to Yi Chuan’s protection was far better than drifting alone in the world.
“Hmph, at least you have a bit of filial piety,” Yi Chuan said grimly as he hurried on.
Zhu Ziyang followed, panting.
“Teacher, where… where are we going now?”
He assumed Yi Chuan sought to find another academy to survive in, hoping to secure a student status for himself.
Secretly, he resolved that once he obtained enrollment at the new academy, he would immediately ditch the old man!
“Half a bottle that can’t hold water, you’ve doomed yourself, Master Zhu!” he cursed in his heart.
But when he heard Yi Chuan’s answer, he was instantly overjoyed.
“To Yunmeng Mountain.”
Yunmeng Mountain—the seat of Ghost Valley Master.