Chapter 145 — Searching the Cultivator's Residence

Shen Mu's heart gave a slight jolt. The post of Imperial College Doctor—it existed precisely to solve the problem of a genius being hard to teach according to his own measure!

If the Bashan Libationer and the Young Patriarch could truly solve this, then the next time a Dao Child or a Buddha Child came blocking the gate, there would be no need to borrow the strength of the Nether Demon Cult. This time, the one who had driven off the Daoist sect's Dao Child and the Buddha Child of Datingming Temple had been, in every measure, the power of the Nether Demon Cult. Shen Mu was the Nether Demon Cult's Young Cult Master; Si Yunxiang was most likely Granny Zhu, and Granny Zhu was the Holy Maiden of the previous generation and the widow of the previous Cult Master.

The Imperial College could well be said to have suffered utter defeat. Shen Wanyun listened to the two of them going back and forth, and felt more awkward than words could say. Each time he mustered his courage to ask about the doubt gnawing at him, the words died on his lips. At last he could not hold back. "Teacher Bashan, what is this matter of senior brother and junior brother you spoke of?

" "You mean that? " The Bashan Libationer said carelessly, "He and I share the same master. He is my junior brother.

You are to call him martial uncle. " "Martial uncle.

.

. " Shen Wanyun fell silent, and after a long while said, "If my cultivation and strength were higher than his, would I still need to call him martial uncle?

" The Bashan Libationer laughed.

"What are you thinking? You are no match for him.

His skill is a notch above yours. Do you know what a notch above means? It means he stands a chopstick's height taller than you. A thread above is a hair's width; a notch is dozens of times a thread, you understand? And besides—never mind that you cannot beat him; even if you did beat him, you would still call him martial uncle. " Shen Wanyun gave a sullen snort and mumbled, "How would I know without fighting him. .

.

" "Don't fight.

You will lose.

" The Bashan Libationer said with a smile, "His ability is of the same rank as a Dao Child or a Buddha Child.

. . " Shen Mu tugged at the hem of his robe, and the Bashan Libationer hastily shut his mouth. He was the Imperial College's famous loudmouth, a man who could keep nothing in his heart; whatever came to him he blurted out in a rush.

A moment ago he had blurted out the location of the flaw in Shen Mu's cultivation art, and now he had nearly let slip the matter of Shen Mu defeating Lin Xuan the Dao Child. The Bashan Libationer looked at Shen Mu and rose to his feet. "The Grand Libationer told me to stay at your side always, and meant for you to follow me as well. But since you are my junior brother, you need not call me teacher. My way of teaching is simple: we go out and temper ourselves together. Yet when I leave, I cannot bring many people; too many makes too large a target, and I can hardly look after them all. Last time I went out, I took only Shen Wanyun. This time, since I must take you, I can bring only one more scholar.

" Shen Wanyun's face showed expectation.

The Bashan Libationer knew what he was thinking. He rose and walked out, shaking his head. "Not you this time. I need to choose several scholars of good foundation and aptitude, to let them study and cultivate under me at once, and to test whether the Doctor post the Grand Libationer proposed is workable. These few will serve as candidates for Imperial College Doctor. Junior brother, go to Tianlu Tower and choose a few scriptures to carry on the road; I will teach you as we travel. " He left the courtyard, most likely to seek out several scholars of outstanding aptitude.

Shen Mu looked at Shen Wanyun and smiled.

"Shen, my martial nephew.

. . " Shen Wanyun's face darkened slightly.

He rose and said, "So long as a single day passes without my being defeated by you, for a single day I will not call you martial uncle! " With that he walked out of Shen Mu's courtyard. Shen Mu did not mind.

He looked at the little fox and the green ox. "Pack your things.

I am going to Tianlu Tower to choose a few divine arts. " The two of them were drunk and arguing loudly about becoming sworn brothers, and there was no telling whether they had taken in a word of it.

Shen Mu took his book token and walked out of the courtyard. Several menial workers came up outside, meaning to repair his courtyard and gate. He came out of the courtyard and headed for the exit of the Scholars' Quarters. Then he saw the doors of the Scholars' Quarters' courtyards open one by one, and scholars step out from their rooms, stand in the middle of the road, and face him, each silent.

Shen Mu looked back, and saw that the doors of the courtyards behind him had opened as well, and scholars too came out from their own courtyards and stood in the middle of the road. Most of these scholars were people he had beaten. Some set their sword cases upright at their feet; others had already slung them across their backs.

Besides them, there were several he had never beaten, among them Shen Yu, who had sat the Grand Examination with him, and a few other sons of great noble houses. In all the Scholars' Quarters, perhaps only Wei Yong, Si Yunxiang, and five or six others had not come out.

"Another beating? " Shen Mu laughed and walked forward. Behind him a scholar sneered, "Cast-off, don't you dare start from the end of the lane? Are you afraid?

" Shen Mu stopped and turned to look at the scholar who had spoken—he seemed to be the only one Shen Mu had beaten three times.

The others he had beaten only twice; this one alone talked too much, calling him Cast-off every time, and Shen Mu had grabbed him and used his face to write, then planted him in the ground—which counted as a third beating. The scholar could not hide his excitement.

"Cast-off, the Bashan Libationer has already pointed out your weak point. This time we will make you lose from the end of the lane to its head! " Shen Mu turned around and said earnestly, "This senior brother, what is your name? When I lose, I would like to know into whose hands I have lost. " The scholar's face slowly broke into a smile.

"I will let you know. My surname is Yan, and my name is Qinghe. " Shen Mu said gravely, "I am willing to be the first to fall at the hands of Senior Brother Yan.

I beg Senior Brother Yan to spare no instruction. " Yan Qinghe was overjoyed. He laughed.

"Though you come from the savage lands, you do know how to advance and retreat. Very well, I will not let you lose too badly.

Draw your sword! " Boom!

Shen Mu lifted his foot and took a step. His mighty frame actually rammed the air before him into a wall made of air. In the next instant the air wall shattered, and Shen Mu all but threw out a punch.

His fist smashed through the air and burst into a round white stream of qi that scattered in all directions.

"Why do you not draw your sword. . . " Yan Qinghe had no time to control his flying sword with qi. He hurriedly raised both arms to block the punch with his forearms.

He had no time at all to wield his flying sword now; were he to draw it at this moment, he would likely be beaten to death by a single punch before the blade ever left its sheath!

Whoosh— A heavy object tore through the air. The scholars behind Yan Qinghe paled and swiftly stepped aside. Yan Qinghe's figure flew backward past Shen Mu and in an instant reached the end of the lane! At the lane's end, Wei Yong was just about to open his door when a black shadow flashed past, followed by a great thud.

A man slammed spread-eagled into the lane's end wall before his eyes, his body sinking deep into the wall.

The wall around him caved in greatly, and the shattered stones were covered in web-like cracks. Wei Yong jumped in fright. He hastily poked his head out and caught sight of the scene in the Scholars' Quarters' lane.