northernbook Chapter 246 The Holy Path
Chapter 246 The Holy Path
Chapter 246 The Holy Path
Grand Scholar Su turned his head to look into the distance, causing everyone to follow his gaze.
A young man dressed in black walked towards them from a distance. He had a tattoo on his chest, and anyone with discerning eyes could tell that he was a student of the novice level.
"coming."
Yu Mengyang said with a smile.
"The student is late, please forgive me."
Ye Ru walked over from a distance, his eyes unusually bright, as deep as black holes.
"Chief Ye, you're late. You'll have to have a few more drinks later."
Yu Mengyang and the others laughed, but they didn't look down on Ye Ru at all. After the events in the Five Tones Realm, everyone knew about Ye Ru's talent.
However, the teachers and outstanding students of Yuzhang Academy looked rather grim, because their purpose in coming here was simple: to kick someone when they were down, but given the current situation, they were completely helpless.
"The students definitely will."
Ye Ru walked over and looked around. He found that students from various academies, such as Yuzhang Academy and Qinghua Academy, were all there. Some of them looked at him with hostility.
Scholars have always been prone to belittling each other, and Ye Ru knew this. Therefore, he coughed lightly and looked at Scholar Su.
"Come, Ye, take your seat. You have made great contributions to our Yingtian Academy. You are the rightful head of the class."
Knowing Ye Ru's thoughts, Grand Scholar Su stretched out his hand and pointed directly to the main seat.
"I am humbled. I am merely a student of Yingtian Academy and should only show the proper etiquette of a student. I would never dare to accept such a title from the head of the class."
Ye Ru bowed, understanding what Grand Scholar Su meant, and immediately pretended to be anxious and uneasy.
"He is talented, possesses the manners of a gentleman, and is able to step forward in times of crisis. He is truly a worthy student of Yingtian Academy and has the spirit of Yingtian."
Scholar Su nodded, and the two spoke in unison, with the former extending his hand:
"Then you can sit here."
Ye Ru sat down, and everyone began to toast each other. Suddenly, one of them said:
"Master Ye, my name is Gu Junxian, a student of Yuzhang Academy. It is an honor to meet you today. You truly live up to your reputation. I would like to ask you about your talents. What do you think?"
While everyone was praising Ye Ru, some students from Yuzhang Academy looked rather grim. One of the scholars stood up, raised his wine cup, and said to Ye Ru.
This person had a furrowed brow, like a dark cloud, and thin lips, as if he were a sharp-tongued and mean-spirited person.
This scene silenced many people slightly, and they looked at Ye Ru with a mixture of schadenfreude and murmurs:
"I didn't expect it to be Gu Junxian. It seems he's going to dampen Ye Ru's spirit."
"I heard that Gu Junxian's painting skills are very famous in Yuzhang Academy. Ye Ru is going to be caught off guard and suffer a setback."
"If you walk by the river often, you're bound to get your shoes wet. Yuzhang Academy has certainly played its cards right. They're using their strengths to attack Ye Ru's weaknesses. They probably already know all about Ye Ru's background, which is why they were so confident. Today, Ye Ru is in trouble."
"Oh?"
The whispers around him reached Ye Ru's ears, causing him to frown. He then looked at the other person's smug expression, knowing that things couldn't be that simple. He picked up his wine glass and said again:
"Every literary contest has its prizes; I wonder what you have to offer in comparison?"
"Could it be that Brother Ye is afraid? Today is the literary gathering of Yingtian Academy. I don't want to offend Grand Scholar Su and the other gentlemen, so I'm just making this request. If Brother Ye doesn't have the guts, I won't say more. But I'm afraid it will be difficult to convince the public in the future."
Gu Junxian smiled slightly, his smile full of sarcasm.
The people from Yuzhang Academy did not object. After all, this was a way to build a road using stones, and it was also the best way for Yuzhang Academy to enhance its literary reputation. If Ye Ru accepted it, that would be good. By using their strengths to attack the enemy's weaknesses, they would surely win. If he did not accept it, they could go back and spread rumors that Ye Ru did not have real talent and learning, which would be justifiable. In any case, Yuzhang Academy would be the one to benefit.
"The world is bustling with activity, all for profit. We have no past grudges, no present enmity, and we seem to know each other. You want to fight me? That's asking too much, isn't it? If I refuse, there's nothing to say. At most, I'll be insulted by you. That would be far less of a literary reputation than if you defeated me, wouldn't it?"
Ye Ru remained unmoved, which made the teachers of Yuzhang Academy look rather unpleasant. They hadn't expected the young man in front of them to act so unpredictably, making them feel like they were punching cotton.
Meanwhile, the teachers of Yingtian Academy were secretly laughing, finding a strange sense of pleasure in embarrassing Yuzhang Academy in this way.
"Ahem, Chief Ye is right. Whether he accepts it or not is entirely up to him. As for such matters that damage one's literary reputation, we will not concern ourselves with them."
Scholar Su coughed lightly and said with a smile.
“Alright, since that’s the case, then I’ll offer one of my literary treasures as a prize.”
Gu Junxian gritted his teeth and took out a paintbrush with a dragon head on it, which was quite peculiar.
What grade?
Ye Ru raised his eyelids and said.
"Second grade."
"A second-grade literary treasure? It's not enough to compare with me."
Ye Ru shrugged and said.
"Even a second-rank official isn't enough to compare to you? You're quite arrogant—"
Before Gu Junxian could finish his sarcastic remarks, Ye Ru lazily waved his sleeve, and five beams of light flashed out. Upon closer inspection, they were all literary treasures of grade three or higher.
"Are you trying to say I have several literary treasures of various grades? These are just a part of them, or should I show them all to you?"
Ye Ru smirked, yawned, and said impatiently:
"If you can't offer a literary treasure of rank four or above as a prize, I think we should just drink instead, so as not to damage the harmony between the two academies. But don't blame me for not giving you a chance."
The gazes of Grand Scholar Su, Yu Mengyang, and the others toward Ye Ru held a mixture of shock and a wry smile.
In this way, even if Ye Ru does not accept this literary contest, it will not affect Ye Ru's literary reputation. On the contrary, it will enhance Ye Ru's literary reputation.
"you!"
Gu Junxian's face turned ashen. He opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. Instead, a teacher from Yuzhang Academy stood up and said with a smile:
"I have long heard of your exceptional talent, Master Ye. I am but a humble student. However, I believe that pursuing knowledge and seeking enlightenment is essential for any scholar, so as to maximize one's strengths and minimize one's weaknesses. Since you wish to offer a prize, I can contribute a spot in a secret realm as such."
"Oh?"
These words piqued Ye Ru's interest, and he raised his head to say:
"What secret realm?"
The teacher from Yuzhang Academy pondered for a moment and said:
“In one of the places in my Yuzhang Academy, there is a sacred road. This sacred road is the place where Zeng Xi, one of the seventy-two sages of Confucius, once lived.”
"There's a story behind this sacred path, which comes from a line in the Analects of Confucius. It contains several sacred pages, as well as longevity fruits and other rare treasures. I wonder if this could be used as a prize for a bet?"