Chapter 28: The Younger Brother's Inspection

Chapter 28: The Younger Brother's Inspection

"That old man just now must not be an ordinary person."

Although Shuhan didn't see the outcome of the cultivator, he had a pretty good guess.

However, he was a bit curious as to why his teacher chose to teach disciples in this small village. The villagers here were also too simple and honest; they not only showed no suspicion towards him, a stranger, but also greeted him with smiles.

"They can't all be experts like that old man, right?"

Shuhan laughed, shaking his head to dismiss the ridiculous thought, and continued on his way to the book house at the foot of Green Mountain.

At the door, Shuhan straightened his clothes and gently knocked.

"Is it my senior brother?"

As a voice filled with anticipation sounded, the door slowly opened.

Shuhan looked up to see a tall and slender youth standing before him.

The youth wore simple clothes, his black hair casually tied back, and his handsome face wore a calming and serene smile.

Most striking were his bright eyes, which seemed to sparkle like stars, containing vast starry rivers, as if they could see through the world.

Seeing the youth, Shuhan's eyes showed a moment of daze.

He looks like him!

So much like him!

He vaguely remembered that when he first met his teacher at the age of six, the youth before him now was no different.

That likeness wasn't in appearance but in a very special aura.

The aura of a Confucian scholar who had achieved great success!

"Shuhan, come in."

Just as Shuhan was in a daze, Li Qingchen's voice sounded from inside.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about some old memories."

Shuhan came to his senses, smiled bitterly, and hurriedly entered the house.

"Teacher, I've come."

Seeing Li Qingchen, Shuhan's expression turned serious, and he bowed deeply.

"There's no need for such formality between master and disciple."

Li Qingchen waved his hand, smiling.

He knew very well why Shuhan had been in a daze.

Apart from lacking cultivation, Su Changqing had already inherited seventy percent of his Confucian achievements.

And with the presence of the Great Righteousness Body, the aura Su Changqing emitted was like a firefly in the night, particularly striking to scholars.

Without further ado, Li Qingchen looked at Su Changqing, who was standing to the side, and introduced him simply:

"This is your third senior brother, Chen Yili, also known as Shuhan."

"His studies are just average, the least talented among your senior brothers."

Shuhan smiled awkwardly upon hearing this.

His two senior brothers were no ordinary people, and indeed, from the perspective of the sect, he was the least talented.

"Su Changqing, meet your senior brother."

Su Changqing, meeting for the first time, bowed earnestly.

"Your younger brother, Su Changqing, also known as Zhiyu. As for his studies..."

Li Qingchen sipped his tea, a half-smile on his face, "they are about as bad as yours, the worst possible."

The purpose of Li Qingchen asking Shuhan to come was simple: to humble Su Changqing and prevent him from becoming too confident.

He had only this one chance to suppress Su Changqing, because before long, no one would be able to match him in Confucian studies.

Su Changqing, hearing this, awkwardly scratched his nose.

To be evaluated like this by the teacher on his first meeting with his senior brother, didn't he have any dignity?

"I'll have to challenge my senior brother later to see if I'm really that bad. It feels like everyone is targeting me..."

Su Changqing muttered to himself, but Shuhan's expression became serious.

"Bad to the extreme?"

"Even when the teacher was most critical, he never said such things about us disciples."

"Could it be that this younger brother is so hopeless that the teacher couldn't help but scold him?"

Thinking of the teacher traveling a great distance to ask him to impart his experience, and now hearing such a harsh evaluation, Shuhan's face turned serious.

He turned to Su Changqing, about to say something, when his expression suddenly changed.

"Younger brother, you haven't read out the Great Righteousness yet?"

Shuhan's face showed disbelief.

The younger brother has been with the teacher for a year!

In a year, even a pig following a Scholar Immortal could read out the Great Righteousness. How could the younger brother not have done so at all?

"This isn't just bad; it's the worst possible!"

Shuhan sighed deeply, understanding the teacher's frustration even more.

Li Qingchen, noticing Shuhan's thoughts, said nothing but smiled even more broadly.

"Senior brother, have you read out the Great Righteousness?"

Su Changqing asked cautiously.

"Of course, I—"

"Cough."

Shuhan was about to speak when he heard the teacher's cough and immediately understood. He sighed and said helplessly:

"Of course, I haven't."

Su Changqing let out a sigh of relief. At least he wasn't an exception.

"Teacher."

Shuhan looked at Li Qingchen with some urgency, "Little Brother is going to compete in a literary contest with Miss Lingsi soon. With his current situation, how can he possibly win?"

While the Aura of Righteousness wasn't the only measure of Confucian achievement, it was the most direct and obvious.

The more principles one understood and the higher one's scholarship, the more Aura of Righteousness they would naturally possess.

Now, Little Brother had not a trace of the Aura of Righteousness. How could he possibly compete? It would be a certain defeat.

"Poetry contest? What poetry contest?" Su Changqing was taken aback; no one had told him about this.

"It's not a big deal."

Li Qingchen sipped his tea and said with a relaxed smile, "It's the disciple of an old scholar."

"I have a bit of a grudge with him. You just need to go through the motions and write a few pieces."

Poetry contest?

From the beginning, Li Qingchen hadn't cared much about this.

If he were to compete with Master Wei, he would take it more seriously, but compared to Lingsi—well, these two were on entirely different levels.

"Teacher, are you just going to give up?"

Shuhan said with a hint of reluctance.

If the teacher's hard-earned reputation were to be tarnished by a disciple's failure, it would be truly regrettable.

Li Qingchen smiled but didn't say anything.

Instead, it was Su Changqing who spoke up hesitantly, "Big Brother, if it's just a poetry contest, I think I can manage."

Shuhan looked at Su Changqing, hesitated, and then sighed.

Master Wei wasn't just any old scholar; he was a great Confucian master, and Lingsi was a prodigy, already approaching the third realm.

Little Brother was just a mortal. How could he possibly compete?

"Cough, since you young people can get along, I'll go for a walk."

Li Qingchen smiled and, as he left, glanced at Shuhan and whispered, "Remember my words. No matter what you see, keep a calm face. Make sure to discipline your little brother properly."

With that, Li Qingchen, barely able to contain his smile, turned and left the room.

"Discipline? Of course, I'll discipline him. I wonder how he's been studying this year to end up like this!"

Shuhan sat at the desk, looking at Su Changqing with a serious expression.

Although he knew the chances of winning the upcoming contest were slim, he had to give it his all.

For Little Brother's sake, and for the last chance at victory, he would do his best!

With that in mind, he looked at Su Changqing and said solemnly, "Little Brother, I'll be teaching you from now on. It might be a bit strict, so be prepared!"

Seeing Shuhan's serious demeanor, Su Changqing felt a bit nervous.

He sat up straight at the desk and nodded earnestly, "Don't worry, Big Brother. I'll study hard!"

Seeing Su Changqing's serious attitude, Shuhan's expression softened slightly.

He took out a sheet of plain paper and placed it in front of Su Changqing, saying, "The four arts of Confucianism, with calligraphy being the first. Write something, so I can see how far you've come."

"Write well. I've brought some of my past works and ancient texts. I'll tailor the course based on your level!"

As he spoke, Shuhan looked at Su Changqing seriously, pondering to himself, "Form, technique, meaning, and Dao. I wonder which level Little Brother has reached?"

"Has he mastered 'technique'? Or is he still at the 'form' level? If he hasn't even mastered 'form,' that would be a bit troublesome."

Shuhan was already worrying about the level of instruction he would need to provide.

Meanwhile, Su Changqing, meeting his big brother for the first time, wanted to make a good impression.

After a moment of contemplation, he took up his brush with great care.

The brush strokes fell like clouds and smoke, each character elegant and graceful, flowing with a lively rhythm, slowly appearing on the paper.

In no time, a poem was completed.

Su Changqing nodded in satisfaction and then presented the paper to Shuhan, "Please, Big Brother, take a look."

Shuhan nodded solemnly, took the paper, and looked down.

Instantly, a sense of indomitable spirit seemed to leap off the page, almost breaking through the paper!

Then he looked at the characters!

Each one was a masterpiece, graceful and fluid, the strokes connected seamlessly.

Upon closer inspection, it was as if a school of carp were transforming into dragons, ascending to the heavens, dancing and twisting on the paper, fish and dragons intertwined in a majestic display!

Clang!

Shuhan, who had been so serious a moment ago, suddenly stood up, his face filled with shock and astonishment, "Perfect 'meaning'! Immortal Script: Fish and Dragon Dance?"

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(End of Chapter)

Chapter end