# 261. Guessing Topics
"Master, everything has been packed," said Susu in a sweet voice. She wore a white, intricately layered dress, her makeup flawless, looking as stunning as ever.
Li Miaozhen nodded slightly, opening the sachet tied to her waist. A whirlpool-like suction emerged, pulling in the dozen or so ghosts inside the tent.
"It's such a pity that you still haven't broken through to the fourth rank," Susu sighed and continued, "Otherwise, with the skills of a disciple from the Human Sect, no one would be your match."
"The Nascent Soul isn’t so easily attained," Li Miaozhen replied with a helpless sigh.
She had been stuck at the Golden Core stage for two full years.
The bandit problem in Yunzhou had been dealt with, thanks to Li Miaozhen working alongside the local army and two Gold Gongs to raze the largest bandit camps and eliminate dozens of smaller ones.
Of course, banditry in Yunzhou was like a parasite that had infested this land for hundreds of years. It couldn’t be wiped out entirely. In a few years, the remnants would likely revive, sprouting new roots.
But the current outcome was the best the local army could achieve. Yunzhou would enjoy a few years of peace, and Li Miaozhen was satisfied with that.
Now, she had to move on to her own mission—the struggle between Haven and Man!
Every sixty years, the Heaven Sect and Human Sect held a great debate. Before the main event, the outstanding young disciples of both sects would engage in confrontations to set the stage for the contest.
Li Miaozhen was one of the most exceptional disciples of the Heaven Sect in her generation. Another was her senior brother, also a member of the Heaven and Earth Society, who held the Number Seven fragment of the Earth Book.
However, that guy was currently in the northeast, and had whored his way off the radar.
"It's a shame that annoying bastard is dead, or he could’ve helped me investigate the Su family's massacre," Susu suddenly said.
Li Miaozhen looked at the charming demon who had grown up with her, feeling a slight pang. In truth, Susu’s family was not in the capital, and even if that man had wanted to investigate, he couldn’t have left the capital to track down such an old case from so far away.
Susu understood this too, but she often brought it up. It wasn’t really about the massacre; she was lamenting the loss of that shameless man.
_That’s why one must detach from emotions…_ Li Miaozhen sighed internally.
When loved ones pass, grief is overwhelming. When lovers’ hearts change, resentment lingers... The seven emotions and six desires of the human world are like a raging fire. No wonder they say deep affection leads to short lives.
Only by being emotionless can one last forever.
Leaving the tent with Susu, Li Miaozhen saw the four hundred soldiers of the Flying Swallow Army assembled in the square, waiting quietly.
All four hundred soldiers were removing their armor.
Li Miaozhen slowly surveyed them. Some were changing into casual clothes, others into coarse cloth outfits, some looked like wealthy merchants, while others appeared as ragged as beggars... this was their true, original appearance.
The Flying Swallow Army was a ragtag group, its members from all walks of life—beggars, wandering martial artists, and chivalrous thieves who robbed from the rich and gave to the poor.
They had all gathered in Yunzhou for one reason: the heroine, Lady Flying Swallow.
Now that Li Miaozhen was leaving, this army would naturally disband as well.
After the bandit suppression, Yang Chuannan had privately approached Li Miaozhen, hoping to incorporate the Flying Swallow Army into the regular forces and turn it into Yunzhou’s elite troops. He asked her to convince them to stay.
But not a single one wanted to remain.
“For over a year, we fought side by side, rooting out hundreds of bandit camps and killing thousands of bandits. Wherever we went, the common people could live in peace, without fear. Wherever we went, merchants could trade and provide for their families. Wherever we went, the light of justice shone...
“I, Li Miaozhen, am deeply grateful to all of you brothers for sticking by my side. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end. The journey in Yunzhou is over, and I will continue forward, while you should return home to reunite with your families and friends.
"Life’s path is long, filled with ups and downs, joys and sorrows. I hope you all remember our time in Yunzhou and never forget why we set out on this journey."
At this, Li Miaozhen looked at the four hundred soldiers and clasped her fists, her voice strong and clear: "Do good, don’t worry about the future."
The four hundred soldiers returned the gesture, their voices rising like a tidal wave:
"Do good, don’t worry about the future."
This was the Lady Flying Swallow they were willing to follow and serve.
...
In the southern marches.
The shaman “Gu tribe” clans, often called barbarians, was not so named because they ate raw meat or drank blood, but because they lived in harmony with *Gu* insects, with their cultivation system and lifestyle revolving around these creatures.
Only through such a bond could they raise and nurture Gu, becoming one with them.
In more precise terms, the shaman clans followed a "Gu-centric" way of life, which is why their level of civilization lagged behind the "human-centric" Great Feng, the Western Regions, and the north-eastern kingdoms.
The gap was visible in all aspects, most notably in culture and architecture.
The shaman clans still used ancient hieroglyphs and lived in mud and thatched houses. Their vases and crafts were made from pottery rather than precious stones.
However, their clothing was not much different from that of the people of the Great Feng. The shaman clans was skilled at cultivating silkworms, producing silk that was several times higher in quality than that up north's.
But they weren’t good at weaving, so merchants from the Great Feng often bought their high-quality silk at low prices or traded it for ready-made cloth.
High mountains stretched for hundreds of li, their riches plenty.
The mountains were filled with wild game and herbs, and the plains below were fertile, crisscrossed with rivers. The main settlement of the Strength Gu Tribe was here.
The Strength Gu Tribe cultivated thousands of acres of land on these plains. Some tribe members farmed, while others hunted, bartering their goods and living in prosperity.
Mosang returned from a hunt with a team of young men, carrying a horned bow. Some bore heavy wild boars weighing hundreds of pounds, while others carried brightly coloured pheasants. They were returning triumphantly.
As he approached the fields at the foot of the mountain, Mosang spotted his sister Lina, picking vegetables with the women.
Lina wore a simple cloth dress, her long, slender legs exposed. The southern border’s hot climate made the Great Feng’s long skirts and sleeves impractical here, so the shaman clans had adapted their clothing by cutting and modifying it.
The hem of her skirt barely reached her knees, and her sleeves were shortened to her elbows.
"Lina!" Mosang called out. When his sister looked up, he continued, "The Heaven Gu Grandma sent a message yesterday by snowhawk, asking you to visit her today. Why are you still dawdling here?"
Lina froze for a moment, then slapped her forehead, "Oh no, I forgot! Mosang, why didn’t you remind me earlier?"
The men behind Mosang burst into laughter, and the women in the fields joined in.
The air was filled with joyous laughter, but Mosang felt a bit embarrassed. He turned and scolded the men, "What are you laughing at?"
Meanwhile, Lina, wearing soft cloth shoes, washed her hands by the stream and prepared to head to the Heaven Gu tribe, a hundred miles away.
Seeing her leave, Mosang called out, "The Heaven Gu tribe's dam has a breach. Make sure you help fix it."
"Got it!" Lina responded brightly as she ran off.
…
Compared to the Strength Gu tribe, the Heaven Gu tribe resembled more like a county seat from the Great Feng. Although somewhat simple, they had moved beyond grass huts, building mostly with yellow clay and tile houses.
The Heaven Gu tribe was situated at the foot of Mount Luoxia, with terraced fields rising in layers from the foot to the mountainside. There was a dam on the mountain, which suddenly burst yesterday, washing away the terraces.
Having often played in various tribes during her youth, Lina climbed Mount Luoxia with ease. After trekking for a while, she saw the collapsed dam.
She also saw dozens of members of the Heaven Gu tribe standing at the edge of the reservoir, led by the white-haired Heaven Gu Grandma.
Lina’s gaze swept past them toward the reservoir, where the body of a strange creature floated on the water. The monster was over a hundred feet long, its body covered in black scales, with a pointed head, a thin, long neck, and webbed claws.
The Heaven Gu Grandma noticed Lina and waved her over.
Lina lightly leaped between the rocks and approached the Heaven Gu Grandma, speaking in a sweet voice, “Granny, what kind of monster is that?”
“A wyrm!”
The Heaven Gu Grandma smiled kindly. “I don’t know where it came from, but it destroyed the dam, and the rice seedlings we just planted have all been washed away.”
“Oh.”
It was Lina’s first time seeing a wyrm, though she had heard of them before. These monsters lived in the densely intertwined waterways of Southern marches, frequently traveling along underground rivers.
It was said that one of Lina’s uncles was eaten by a wyrm while swimming.
“Help gather some stones, so we can patch the breach as soon as possible,” the Heaven Gu Grandma said.
“Got it!”
Lina was best at hard labour. She immediately ran off, and within less than a moment, the others heard a dull thudding sound. Following the sound, they saw a “stone mountain” slowly moving.
This stone mountain stood over sixty metres tall, enough to cause towering waves if thrown into the reservoir.
The mountain wasn’t moving on its own but was being carried by Lina, who looked as small as an ant in comparison.
The people of the Heaven Gu tribe remained unfazed, as if used to such a sight.
Among the seven tribes of the shaman clans, the Strength Gu tribe was renowned for their immense strength. Lina’s father, Longtu, was the real mountain mover. During the war with the Great Feng years ago, he once threw a mountain at the enemy army, crushing thousands.
The giant rock slowly made its way to the dam, and with a loud boom, Lina set it down.
The onlookers atop the dam looked down and saw Lina steady herself, sinking into a horse stance. After a few moments of preparation, she suddenly let out a shout and punched the surface of the massive rock.
With a cracking sound, spiderweb-like cracks spread across the surface of the rock, quickly expanding. In an instant, it shattered into smaller pieces.
Now, there was plenty of material to repair the dam. The tribe members no longer needed to collect stones, saving a lot of time and effort.
Leaving the tribe members to repair the dam, the Heaven Gu Grandma led Lina down the mountain, returning to her residence, a four-sided courtyard with a skywell in the center.
Grandma’s daughter-in-law was in the courtyard, drying the corpses of Gu insects for use as medicine. Her son was in the backyard raising Gu.
The Heaven Gu Grandma took Lina straight into the house, retrieving a wooden box from a cabinet. With a “click,” the box opened, revealing a jade-like insect resembling a scorpion, with six segmented legs and two black eyes on its head, giving it a somewhat cute appearance.
“This is the Sevenfold Gu granny’s husband refined. Before he passed, it was only half-complete. Granny has spent twenty years finishing it,” she said, pushing the box toward Lina. “Now, I’ll entrust it to you.”
“For me?” Lina was surprised.
“Not for you, but for you to keep safe. One day, you’ll give it to someone destined to have it.”
A series of question marks flashed through Lina’s mind.
She didn’t understand how things had taken this turn, where she was suddenly given the Sevenfold Gu and tasked with passing it on to some “fated” person.
The Heaven Gu Grandma closed the box and said, “Do you remember the story I told you about those two thieves?”
Lina nodded vigorously. “I remember.”
She also thought of Number Three. Speaking of which, Number Three hadn’t sent any messages in a long time, and the Earth Book chat group had returned to its previous quiet state.
“There’s a legend in the Heaven Gu tribe,” the Heaven Gu Grandma continued. “On the day the Gu God awakens, all of the Southern Marches, even the rest of Jiuzhou, will be turned into a world of Gu. Although our shaman clans survive by raising and refining Gu, Gu are just tools. We are still human.”
Her eyes reflected a complex emotion. “This isn’t just a legend; it’s the result of generations of prophecy from the Heaven Gu tribe. Many of our predecessors suffered heavenly backlash trying to glimpse this future.
“To prevent the Gu God from ever awakening, your grandpa came up with an idea twenty years ago. He set off to steal something that could suppress the Gu God, ensuring it would stay asleep for eternity.
“So, he left the Southern Marches and was never heard from again. Not long after, the life Gu he left behind with the tribe withered, and I knew he had died.”
“What was he trying to steal?” Lina asked, holding the wooden box, her ocean-blue eyes sparkling with curiosity.
The Heaven Gu Grandma shook her head and patted Lina’s hand gently. “Granny’s too old to withstand the backlash of revealing heavenly secrets.”
That’s why they say the workings of heaven cannot be divulged.
“Last night, I glimpsed a change in fate. That item is about to resurface, and Lina, you are connected to it,” the Heaven Gu Grandma said, her gaze intense.
“Me?”
Lina blinked her blue eyes, unable to comprehend how a child as ordinary as herself could be part of Granny’s “story.”
“Go to the capital. Your cultivation is strong enough, but you lack experience. This is the perfect opportunity to journey into the world of men,” the Heaven Gu Grandma said, adding, “I’ve discussed this with your father. He agrees.”
*Go to the capital…* Lina looked down at the wooden box in her hands, realizing she wasn’t too opposed to the idea. The first people who came to her mind were Number Three, Number One, and Daoist Jinlian.
…
Noon. Warm sunlight bathed the sky, and the Xu Residence was filled with laughter and joy.
Tables of banquet food were set up in the courtyard. To the left sat the Xu family members, while to the right were Xu Pingzhi and Xu Qi'an’s colleagues and old friends.
Among the guests were the county magistrate of Changle County, the bailiffs of the constabulary, and of course, the head constable, Lyu Qing.
Unfortunately, Li Yuchun, Song Tingfeng, and the others were stationed in Yunzhou and could not attend the banquet.
Xu Pingzhi and Xu Qi'an moved from table to table, offering toasts. Xu Qi'an had intended to just go through the motions, but hearing everyone congratulating him and calling him “Viscount,” he suddenly found himself enjoying the attention.
At the magistrate Zhu's table, the portly official lamented, “I have a niece, eighteen years of age, and quite the beauty. I was planning to match her with Ningyan, but it seems that’s no longer possible.”
Magistrate Zhu’s daughter was already married, or else she might have been a suitable match for Xu Qi'an. As for the niece, her status simply wasn’t high enough.
Head Constable Wang laughed and chimed in, “Now that Ningyan is a viscount, only a lady from a prominent family or the daughter of a wealthy household would be a fitting match.”
Everyone laughed heartily.
Sitting at the neighboring table, Lyu Qing overheard this conversation and couldn’t help but feel dejected.
Initially, with her position as the head constable of the county office, she would have been more than qualified to marry a Nightwatcher. After all, they were in the same profession—what a perfect match. But now that Xu Qi'an had been enfeoffed, entering the ranks of the nobility, it would no longer be proper for him to take a female constable as his wife—it would be a violation of protocol.
The banquet continued until around 1:30 p.m., when the guests finally began to leave. Xu Qi'an and Second Uncle Xu helped see the guests off, while Auntie directed the servants in cleaning up the aftermath.
By the 3:45 in the afternoon, Xu Erlang returned home with the servants and maids.
Auntie, being the attentive mother she was, instructed the cook to heat up some leftovers for her second son.
“Eat well and get plenty of rest, Erlang. You need to be up early tomorrow for the exams,” Auntie said, diligently placing more food on his plate.
Though it wasn’t quite time for dinner yet, Xu Erlang had to eat early and rest up, as a lack of sleep could affect his performance in the exams the following day.
Xu Qi'an, sitting nearby and sipping tea, suddenly spoke up, “Erlang, what topics will they test in the exams?”
Between bites of food, Xu Erlang answered simply, “Policy questions, classical texts, and poetry.”
After a pause, he added, “Since the time of the late emperor, poetry was removed from the civil service exams. But in the eleventh year of Yuanjing’s reign, thanks to Wang Zhenwen’s push after entering the cabinet, poetry was reinstated.”
During the two hundred years of the Confucian orthodox debates, poetry had declined to the point of being considered for removal from the syllabus.
“If you were to take the exams, big brother, there’s no doubt you’d revive the poetry scene,” Xu Erlang remarked with admiration as he sipped some wine. Then, turning to his father, he added wistfully, “Ever since the end of last year, as big brother’s fame in poetry circles has soared, father, your name has also become more well-known.”
Xu Pingzhi, who was playing with his daughter Xu Lingyin on his lap, froze for a moment before his face lit up with joy. He burst into laughter, saying, “Actually, it’s all because of Dalang’s innate talent. I didn’t teach him much at all. Scholars just love to exaggerate things. So, how exactly are they praising me?”
Xu Erlang’s lips curled slightly, “They’re saying you are ‘unworthy as a father.’”
“???”
Xu Pingzhi slammed the table in anger. “Outrageous! What gives them the right to say that?”
Xu Erlang glanced at his older brother, then chuckled, “The more poems big brother writes, the worse your reputation grows. Who knows, maybe your name will be passed down in the histories.”
That night, Xu Pingzhi couldn’t sleep, troubled by the thought.
Auntie scolded him, “You’re still alive, and you’re already worrying about your reputation hundreds of years from now. You’re worrying over nothing.”
“You’re being short-sighted,” Xu Pingzhi huffed, still uneasy. “Erlang has the potential to become prime minister, and Dalang will likely leave his mark on history too. But when it comes to me, history will only remember four words: ‘unworthy as a father.’”
Auntie mumbled, “At least it’s still making a name in history… By the way, what if Erlang gets posted somewhere far away? Can’t you think of a way to keep him in the capital?”
“Don’t even think about it. He’s a student of the Cloud Deer Academy, and external appointments are inevitable. Let’s just hope it’s not too far away,” Xu Pingzhi replied helplessly.
Students from Cloud Deer Academy typically had no hope of entering the political center of the capital. Most were assigned to provincial or regional posts, and even those who stayed in the capital were given minor, insignificant roles.
“How about you ask Ningyan for help? He’s a Nightwatcher and even knows princesses. Surely he could figure something out,” Auntie suggested, curling her legs as she sat on the bed, her brows knitted in concern.
“This is a matter for the Ministry of Personnel. What does it have to do with the Nightwatchers?” Xu Pingzhi whispered. “The Nightwatchers oversee government officials, which makes them disliked by the civil bureaucracy. Ningyan getting involved would only make things worse.”
Auntie flopped onto the bed, clutching a pillow, still looking troubled.
…...
“Knock, knock, knock…”
Wearing a white inner robe and about to go to bed, Xu Erlang heard a knock at his door. Opening it, he found Xu Qi'an standing outside.
“Big brother, what brings you here?”
Xu Qi'an eyed his younger brother, who was handsome and refined, and grinned, “I came to help you guess exam topics.”