**Chapter 119: I Will Cut Off Your Head**
The entire Imperial Academy fell silent. Not a sound could be heard.
Emperor Yanfeng had clearly spoken from the heart, seizing the moment to awe his ministers and forge a sense of unity between ruler and ruled.
After a moment, the Emperor's expression softened back into a smile, and he sat down once more: "I lost my composure. Imperial Preceptor—bring me the register."
Daoist Lingyun hurried forward with the registry. Emperor Yanfeng picked up a vermillion brush and inscribed a few words beside Qin Mu's name: "Henceforth, he is an Imperial Scholar." He closed the register and handed it back.
The Emperor turned to the young Ancestor: "Grand Preceptor, the selection of scholars is your responsibility. I have overstepped by choosing for you. What are your thoughts?"
The young Ancestor smiled: "Your Majesty's wisdom is supreme. With such ambition and grand strategy, it is the fortune of the Great Ruins."
Emperor Yanfeng laughed heartily, shaking his head: "Flattery. More flattery. Very well—let the scholars continue their trials."
The Academy's Imperial Preceptors issued the order, and the scholars resumed their contests. The primary school scholars who had not yet finished their examination were gathered before the Great Hall for a unified assessment, again presided over by Daoist Lingyun.
Even if Daoist Lingyun had wanted to go easy on the children of powerful officials, he could not. Every eye present belonged to a keen-sighted powerhouse—one false move and he would be discovered.
The examination stretched on until afternoon. Some celebrated their success while others despaired. The competition among secondary school scholars was especially brutal—the odds of entering the Imperial Academy were one in a hundred.
Among the primary school scholars, only five slots remained. The children of prestigious families naturally possessed greater knowledge and resources than their common-born rivals. Of those five, only Si Yunxiang had successfully passed, earning her place as an Imperial Academy scholar.
The other four came from distinguished families and clans.
It was not that the common-born scholars lacked effort—the limitation was resources.
Both primary and secondary schools taught the same martial arts, spells, and swordsmanship. No matter how brilliantly a student mastered these, they could not break through that ceiling. The children of great families, however, possessed additional knowledge from their ancestral traditions, clan techniques, and sect transmissions. They received private instruction from powerful experts. The ratio of common-born scholars was therefore never high.
Qin Mu observed all this and thought: *If this continues, the upper echelons of the State of Yankang will eventually be dominated by noble families and sects. Common-born scholars will never rise to prominence, never occupy positions at the highest levels of court. If that happens, the nation cannot endure. Emperor Yanfeng has the will to reform—but can he change this situation?*
In such a system, the rulers would always be rulers. Social classes would become rigid, and within the ruling class, certain factions would inevitably grow larger and larger, seizing ever more resources, until they became a cancer upon the empire.
When the common-born finally rose in revolt, these tumors would seize the opportunity to cause chaos, and the empire would crumble in an instant.
After the examination concluded, the Imperial Preceptors arranged housing. Anyone who became an Imperial Academy scholar received a private residence within the Academy grounds. This area was known as the Scholar's Quarters. Each scholar was given a small courtyard compound. The scholars lived in these quarters day to day, and everything they needed was provided—servants handled cooking, laundry, and other household tasks, freeing the scholars from daily concerns.
Those of distinguished birth could bring their own servants or maids as well. Qin Mu had nothing, so none of these matters applied to him.
*I wonder if I can bring Hu Ling'er here? Once everything is settled and I've met the Ancestor, I'll go fetch her.*
Qin Mu walked through the grounds. The jade peak upon which the Imperial Academy stood was far larger than it first appeared. Mountains nested within mountains, caves within caves. Beyond Pure Yang Hall, Azure Sun Hall, and the Great Hall, over a dozen other palaces dotted the landscape, along with the Celestial Records Tower.
The Celestial Records Tower was the Academy's archive, managed by the Secretary of Archives. As the name implied, this office was charged with guarding secret texts. The Tower's collection comprised the empire's gathered scriptures from sects across the realm, all stored under the Secretary's watch.
Qin Mu stopped to observe. The Tower buzzed with activity—Imperial Academy scholars and members of the royal family came and went in a steady stream.
"Junior Cult Master, having traveled all the way here—what are your impressions?"
An aged voice came from behind him. Qin Mu turned and bowed: "Ancestor."
It was indeed the young Ancestor—though his appearance was youthful, his voice carried the weight of ages. He smiled: "No need for such formality."
Qin Mu steadied himself and said: "Having traveled here and observed the State of Yankang, I've been deeply shaken. My heart is far from calm."
The Ancestor's interest was piqued. He began to walk, and Qin Mu followed: "Oh? Tell me about it."
Qin Mu fell into step beside him: "As I traveled, I observed the State of Yankang and saw signs of great prosperity. Its magic and supernatural arts, its impact on the daily lives of the people—these advance with each passing day. Droughts bring rain, floods are drained—miracles, nearly. Ships fill the sky, carriages traverse the land, and alchemical arts have been applied to the common life. It is extraordinary. Though the State of Yankang faces some unrest, it will not last long. Afterward, this nation will become incomparably powerful."
The Ancestor led him to a lake high on the mountain, where jade willows shaded the shore. He asked curiously: "So you believe sects or the state— which has a brighter future? From what you say, you've concluded that sects cannot rival the State of Yankang?"
Qin Mu nodded: "The primary schools, secondary schools, and the Imperial Academy have already made it clear: the State of Yankang is the greatest sect under heaven. All other sects are merely its primary and secondary schools, producing scholars to feed it. How can any of those sects contend with the State of Yankang?"
The Ancestor sat down. Two fishing rods lay on the bank. He handed one to Qin Mu and baited his own hook, casting it into the water: "But the world is in chaos. Many sects have taken the opportunity to rebel, and their numbers spread like wildfire. Moreover, the State Preceptor of Yankang has been gravely injured. I observe that the State of Yankang is in dire peril—it could fall at any moment."
Qin Mu cast his own line and chuckled: "Ancestor, you're trying to deceive me, aren't you? The State Preceptor is merely using the tactic of letting the fish take the bait before reeling it in—wanting to lure all opposing forces into the open. I see through it, and surely so do you."
The Ancestor gazed at the lake, his expression calm. After a moment he said: "It is more than just letting the fish take the bait. You've left out the ruse of self-injury. The State Preceptor of Yankang was genuinely and gravely wounded. His injuries are severe. Otherwise, the sects across the realm would never have been deceived."
Qin Mu started: "The State Preceptor injured himself?"
The Ancestor shook his head: "The blow came from others. I've heard that three old monsters from my own era attacked him together, inflicting grave wounds. When he returned to the capital, I saw him—the injuries were indeed severe."
Qin Mu was stunned. He had always believed the State Preceptor was merely feigning weakness to lure his enemies into the open. He had not expected the man to be truly hurt.
"He turned their scheme against them," the Ancestor continued, speaking unhurriedly. "He intends to draw these forces out into the open. If these sects believe they can simply eliminate the State Preceptor and destroy the State of Yankang, they are in for a rude awakening. Junior Cult Master, what is your assessment of the State Preceptor of Yankang?"
Qin Mu answered with gravity: "A hero among men, broad-minded and magnanimous—a talent of the ages."
The Ancestor smiled: "When he came to me seeking guidance, I thought the same. I originally wished to take him as my disciple, but his knowledge was so vast and his talent so boundless that he was already beginning to surpass me. I abandoned the idea so as not to hold back his future. Now then—if the State of Yankang sits above all sects and factions, beyond the reach of force, and if the State Preceptor is such an extraordinary talent, how should our Holy Cult position itself?"
His words carried the tone of a test.
In truth, from the very first words he'd spoken upon meeting Qin Mu, the Ancestor had begun testing him.
Qin Mu's entry into the Academy and his becoming an Imperial Scholar was merely the first test—of his strength. Now came the test of his wisdom: whether he possessed the judgment to lead the Heavenly Demon Cult, whether he had the makings of a Cult Master.
Qin Mu considered for a moment: "Our Holy Cult has two paths. The first is to transform the cult into a nation—to establish the Holy Cult as a state. If we do so, we must distance ourselves from Yankang. The State of Yankang grows more prosperous by the day. Once the State Preceptor pacifies the internal unrest, he will turn his military outward. Within Yankang, we cannot compete. Too close, and we still cannot compete. But if we move far from Yankang, our foundation is severed—decades may pass before we see any progress."
The Ancestor nodded: "The first path is impossibly difficult. Our Holy Cult is rooted among the common people. Leave Yankang, and our foundation is destroyed. This path is not viable. And the second?"
"The second path is to attach ourselves."
Qin Mu said: "The Holy Cult attaches itself to the State of Yankang."
The Ancestor's expression shifted. He laughed coldly: "You would become Cult Master just to see our Holy Cult destroyed? What audacity—I will cut off your head!"
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*Note: The Secretary of Archives (秘书监) is not a borrowed term but an ancient official position. The office was established during the Eastern Han dynasty to guard the imperial library. Similar positions existed even earlier, during the Zhou dynasty. During the Tang dynasty, Wei Zheng served as Secretary of Archives. The official-ranking system used in "Tales of the Pastoral Deity" follows the Tang dynasty's system of nine ranks and eighteen grades.*