Chapter 28: You want to freeload off me?

Outside the door, Jiang Yuan hesitated several times but ultimately couldn’t bring herself to leave, not because of the person, but because of the zither music.

“May I ask, Young Master, from its title to its Concept, this Spell for Clearing the Heart and Universal Goodness is deeply imbued with Buddhist Zen. Why was it composed by a Daoist?”

Squad Leader Ding Sui’an had just said it casually, without much thought, so he retorted, “Does Young Lady understand music?”

“Oh dear! Squad Leader Ding, you don’t know.” The quick-tongued Yi Huan preempted him, saying, “Young Miss Jiang entered our Great Wu Law Academy last year.”

“…”

Jiang Yuan turned her head, looking at Yi Huan in shock. How could Maternal Aunt’s attendant be so rude, directly calling Young Master Ding Shizhang by his full name!

“Oh?”

Ding Shizhang wasn’t angry at all; instead, he became interested. “Young Miss Jiang, I’ve heard that the Law Academy and Literature Institute are places where Cultivators of the State Religion learn their skills. Is that true?”

“Mm.”

Jiang Yuan had an ulterior motive, so she patiently explained, “The Law Academy Cultivates music; the Literature Institute studies poetry and literature.”

The upper echelons of Great Wu strictly controlled information for the lower classes. Ordinary people only knew that the State Religion had established the Literature Institute and Law Academy in Chongli Ward of Central Heaven City, and that idlers were not allowed near them. Very little of the true situation inside was ever revealed.

This was Ding Suian’s first encounter with a living person from the State Religion’s Cultivation system, so he naturally had to ask for clarification. “How does one Cultivate in the Literature Institute and Law Academy?”

Jiang Yuan answered every question. “One must first enter the Vitality Realm, and then…”

“What is the Vitality Realm?”

“…” Jiang Yuan thought carefully before explaining in simpler terms, “Young Master Ding can understand it as’scholarly Vitality.’ The Sage of the State Religion once said: ‘Only by reading ten thousand scrolls can one know the foundation of self-establishment.’”

All this time, Jiang Yuan was still standing outside the door.

The two of them were separated by a door, one speaking, one listening.

Summarizing her explanation, the Vitality Realm focuses on reading to enlighten the mind. Once the mind develops its own understanding of how the world operates and social rules, establishing higher moral standards and ideological principles, a unique temperament and spiritual demeanor will naturally emerge.

From Ding Suian’s understanding, wasn’t this just establishing one’s worldview?

Of course, the so-called higher moral standards were those within the State Religion’s theoretical system, such as the Four Dimensions of the Heavenly Dao.

“What Realm are you in now?”

“Vitality Realm.”

“What is above the Vitality Realm?”

“Above the Vitality Realm is the ‘Enlightenment’ Realm.”

“Enlightenment?”

“Communicating with the heart through poetry, forming covenants with music, gathering the Power Of Will from all spirits, forging the soul with tones and rhythms, one can apply positive and negative states. This is the Enlightenment Realm.”

Ding Suian really wanted Young Miss Jiang to speak in plain language.

After pondering it twice, he roughly understood her meaning. The Literature Institute and Law Academy establish emotional connections with readers and listeners through poetry and music, drawing Power Of Will through resonance.

Upon reaching the Enlightenment Realm, students of both institutes would initially possess Divine Abilities by virtue of their Power Of Will, allowing them to apply positive or negative statuses to allies or enemies.

Ding Suian’s heart stirred. This was the same method as gaining Protective Aura by reciting the Little Imperial Text!

If music could also achieve this effect, why shouldn’t I join the Law Academy?

“Young Miss Jiang. What are the conditions for joining the Law Academy? Do you think I still have a chance?”

Ding Suian straightened his back, trying to appear more like a literary youth.

“…”

Jiang Yuan, who had been speaking with her head down, suddenly fluttered her thick eyelashes and looked at Ding Suian with a strange expression.

After some thought, she said in a roundabout tone, “Poetry expresses ambition, words forge bones, mountains and rivers are concrete forms, this is the Yang aspect; music sings emotions, melodies rise and fall, wind and clouds flow, this is the Yin aspect.”

Your Maternal Aunt’s milk!

Ding Suian finally couldn’t take it anymore. “Young Miss Jiang, can we speak in plain language!”

Which sentence did I not speak in plain language? If you don’t understand, is it my fault!

Jiang Yuan was a little displeased, but remembering the incredibly evocative zither music from earlier, she didn’t show it on her face, only whispered, “Brother Shizhang, the Literature Institute doesn’t accept women; the Law Academy doesn’t accept men, unless… unless…”

“Unless what?”

“Unless you castrate yourself.”

“…”

Forget it, forget it. If they don’t accept, they don’t accept!

Mine is still useful.

Seeing Ding Suian fall silent, their conversation ceased.

Although Jiang Yuan’s appearance resembled Lin Hansu’s, in terms of social skills, insight into human nature, and negotiation tactics, she was miles behind her Maternal Aunt.

She clearly had a request in her heart but didn’t know how to voice it. After hesitating for a few breaths, she finally said in a rather direct manner, “Brother Shizhang, could you teach me that zither music from earlier?”

“Alright.”

Ding Suian’s ready agreement surprised Jiang Yuan. After a brief stunned, a hint of extremely restrained joy appeared on her eyebrows. “Then I’ll trouble Brother Shizhang to play the Spell for Clearing the Heart and Universal Goodness again.”

“Okay.”

Ding Suian nodded.

Jiang Yuan waited for a moment, but saw no action from him. Thinking he hadn’t heard clearly, she said again, “Please, Brother Shizhang, play the zither.”

“I can.”

“…”

“…”

The two looked at each other through the door.

“Brother Shizhang?”

“What is it?”

“Please play the zither.”

“No problem.”

“…”

“…”

After hearing Jiang Yuan explain the importance of music to Law Academy students, Ding Suian already knew the value of the zither melodies in his head. Although he couldn’t use them himself, he couldn’t just give them away for free!

Learn from your Maternal Aunt!

If you want me to teach you, you have to show some appreciation, right?

Silver, Medicinal Pills, treasured sabers…

The two looked at each other. Ding Suian waited for a long time and, seeing that she had no intention of’showing appreciation,’ finally realized that this girl wanted to freeload off him!

So young and already learning bad habits!

I can freeload off others, but others cannot freeload off me. This is Ding Suian’s bottom line as a person!

This time, it was truly his bottom line.

Ji Pavilion, late hai hour.

Lin Hansu, in a good mood tonight, drank a few more cups. Her porcelain-like cheeks and neck were flushed with a rosy hue. She lay languidly on the imperial concubine couch, her heavy bosom drooping to one side, her loose clothing outlining a breathtakingly full curve.

“Waner, what are you thinking about?”

Jiang Yuan sat alone at the desk, staring blankly at the Cangliu Zither. Hearing the question, she turned to ask her Maternal Aunt why that Squad Leader Ding was in the royal residence’s inner chambers.

But on second thought, such matters likely involved certain secrets, so she swallowed her words.

“Maternal Aunt, I’m not thinking about anything.”

Lin Hansu didn’t take her niece’s obvious dishonesty to heart. This girl had been thoughtful since she was young, often carrying a hint of melancholy in her eyes. Born into wealth but with an unsavory background, her mind was naturally more sensitive.

But precisely because of this, Jiang Yuan was extremely ambitious, having already entered the Law Academy over a year ago at the tender age of seventeen.

“Waner, what wonderful new melodies have you learned at the Law Academy recently?”

“I’ve learned some.”

Jiang Yuan paused, and the half-heard Spell for Clearing the Heart and Universal Goodness echoed in her mind. As if possessed, she said, “Waner heard half of a piece from elsewhere. I’ll play it for Maternal Aunt.”

The slightly tipsy Lin Hansu smiled lazily, simply saying, “Good.”

Jiang Yuan sat upright, gently raised her fair wrist, and her slender fingers brushed the zither strings.

The zither music began.

As the exquisite melody entered her ears, Lin Hansu immediately felt her spirit relax. The worries that had lingered in her heart for days flowed away like a river eastward, instantly vanishing into nothingness.

A speck of white light seeped out, as if searching for its master, and drifted out the window, disappearing into the night.

Next door, Diying Garden.

His plan to read all night at the Shixue Pavilion was disrupted by Jiang Yuan’s sudden appearance, and Ding Suian was quite regretful upon returning to his residence.

According to Jiang Yuan, music and poetry were to the students of the two academies what Medicinal Pills were to Martial Artists.

It was precisely because the Law Academy only accepted female Cultivators that Ding Suian felt a stifling frustration, like holding a great treasure but being unable to cash it in.

The Literature Institute’s Cultivation path was probably similar to the Little Imperial Text, but it also faced numerous problems: even if he wrote it, given Great Wu’s strict control over book printing, he had no legitimate channels for printing or selling.

Without legal sales, his method of rapidly and extensively drawing Protective Aura based on a large readership wouldn’t work.

He couldn’t just wear a military coat, run to a street overpass, and flash his chest to everyone, mysteriously asking, “Hey buddy, wanna see some adult films?”

“Hmm!?”

While deep in thought, Ding Suian suddenly felt a coolness between his brows, and a speck of white light slowly entered his glabella within his field of vision.

What’s going on?

I didn’t even talk about the Golden Lotus, so where did the white light come from?

Thanks to fellow readers: ‘Ge Niansheng’ and ‘Chahua Nongyu Xu Qinan’ for your tips!

Just found out, Guan Guan Gongzi recommended my book. Wuwuwu!