Chapter 97: Academic Lecture

Ever since Yang Cheng returned from the prince's residence, he devoted himself to working with Maozi on the custom furniture commissioned by Zhu Wushang. At first, he hadn’t paid much attention to the order, but after interacting with Zhu Wushang, he found that while the man was something of a playboy, his sincerity was unmistakable. Since this commission had been entrusted to him in earnest, Yang Cheng felt compelled to oversee it personally.

Bai Muyun, with little else to occupy his days, spent his time in the Hall of Inquiry perusing various martial arts manuals. Though he could not cultivate and harbored no worldly ambitions, he could not relinquish his fascination with the profound mysteries of the Dao. The Bai family possessed a considerable number of martial arts techniques, most of which were created by generations of family masters, drawing from their own insights. These included not only the sword arts for which the Bai family was renowned, but also a range of techniques for blade, staff, fist, and kick. Yet, no matter how they were elaborated, all ultimately traced back to the foundational methods of the Bai family’s progenitor.

By contrast, the Yang family's Hall of Inquiry, though humble and limited in its collection, was rich in esoteric and unconventional techniques, which never failed to stir his passion for the Dao.

Liu Changqing, still unsettled that his match with Bai Muyun had never reached a conclusion, and unable to determine a victor, often joined Bai Muyun in the Hall of Inquiry after teaching his own disciples. There, he would debate and critique various techniques with Bai Muyun, each eager to prove his own understanding superior.

One day, Liu Changqing casually pulled an unnamed manual from the shelf and began to read aloud. After only a few lines, Bai Muyun interjected, “This is the ‘Illusory Yin Fist.’ While it appears soft and powerless, it induces momentary hallucinations, catching opponents off guard. If someone with weak constitution is struck, there may be no visible injury, yet internally their organs will be irreparably damaged…”

“How do you… how do you know this?” Liu Changqing asked, astonished. “I must admit, I myself am not so knowledgeable.”

“This is the Yinjia family’s secret art,” Bai Muyun replied calmly. “The Bai and Yin families have been at odds for hundreds of years and know each other’s techniques thoroughly.”

Liu Changqing was speechless. He picked up another manual and began to read: “This sword technique uses a spray of vital blood upon the blade to instantly unleash spiritual power, transforming the sword energy into hundreds, even thousands of strikes. In battle, it is as if one faces a rain of ten thousand swords, nearly impossible to withstand…”

“That is the ‘Myriad Swords Technique,’” Bai Muyun said evenly. “Its flaw is that, among the countless strikes, only one is truly lethal. If the initial blow misses, the swordsman is spent and vulnerable to whatever fate may befall him.”

“You know this one too?”

“It’s a Bai family technique,” Bai Muyun replied.

Liu Changqing was at a loss for words.

Both men glanced at Lu Baichuan, who had been silent, trying to make himself invisible during their conversation. Now, seeing their attention turn to him, he grew visibly awkward.

Liu Changqing asked, “Old Lu, how much longer did you intend to keep this from us? The Yang family is certainly not simple. When I first arrived, there were only forty or fifty manuals, but now there are one hundred and seventy or eighty.”

Lu Baichuan looked at the two of them, embarrassed. Liu Changqing was curious; Bai Muyun, serene. The three had grown close in recent times, united by mutual respect, and concealing the truth any longer seemed wrong. Seeing that the Hall of Inquiry was empty, Lu Baichuan recounted the matter in full.

When he finished, both listeners were astounded—such extraordinary matters truly existed in this world.

Lu Baichuan apologized, “I did not mean to conceal it. This concerns my disciple’s very life. Were this secret to be revealed, she would become an enemy to all under heaven. We are too few and too weak to protect her. I ask that you both keep this in confidence.”

Liu Changqing and Bai Muyun nodded in agreement. Naturally, neither would speak of it.

Liu Changqing remarked, “Who would have thought Hua Mingzhu possessed such miraculous talent? It’s as if she has been blessed by the gods—her future is limitless.”

Bai Muyun, with a meaningful glance, replied, “In my view, it is Brother Yang who truly seems divinely aided—his future knows no bounds.”

The three of them often gathered in the Hall of Inquiry to debate martial arts and the Dao. At first, Mei Yuchen, Li Tianxing, and a few others were regularly called in to listen to their discussions, broadening their own horizons.

Gradually, more and more Yang family warriors began to crowd into the Hall of Inquiry whenever they were off duty, eager to listen to the debates. They sat quietly, like students in an academy, wholly absorbed. Eventually, the numbers swelled so much that the three hosts no longer minded. Even when the room became packed, no one dared disturb the trio, and a wide space was always left clear around them. Those who could not find a seat inside clustered at the windows.

Many, like Yan Shuixian and Zhong Qiang, were stuck at bottlenecks in their cultivation. Rarely did they have the chance to hear top masters discuss martial arts—it was a tremendous benefit. Like eager students, they crowded at the windows, listening intently.

Passing by, Yang Cheng was astonished by the scene: was this not an academic lecture like in his previous life?

Now that the Yang family had over forty core warriors, the Hall of Inquiry had become too small. Inspired, Yang Cheng selected a courtyard in the rear and, following the model of a library from his former world, rebuilt it into a much larger Hall of Inquiry.

After a month of effort, a modern, minimalist library stood completed—square in shape, with clean lines.

When it was finished, Yang Cheng invited Bai Muyun, Liu Changqing, and Lu Baichuan to tour the new facility. Upon entering, they found the Hall set upon a lotus pond, connected by wooden bridges. The building itself was constructed entirely of wood, resembling two interlocked square boxes. Corridors and railings encircled the structure, and on the east side, a platform extended over the water, with four or five large oil-paper umbrellas fixed in place. Beneath each umbrella sat a table and several chairs.

Yang Cheng invited the three to sit at the waterside platform, where a maid promptly served tea. Reading, drinking tea, and watching the fish below— it was delightful.

They proceeded inside, noting the entrance counter where a maid registered visitors; Yang Cheng referred to her as the librarian. She managed book classification, handled checkouts and returns, and kept the library clean.

Bookshelves of varying heights lined all four walls, interspersed with windows in pleasing harmony. Between some shelves were rectangular benches with cushions, which Yang Cheng demonstrated could be used for sitting or reclining, reading at leisure. In the center stood many half-height shelves with nameplates for classification. Although the collection was still small, one could imagine the atmosphere once it was filled with books.

Another section was designated as a reading area, with long tables for group discussion, small tables for solitary study, and a space furnished with various sofas for reclining or sitting. This area also featured a counter—Yang Cheng called it the “bar”—with porcelain cups and containers, though only tea and water were served. While reading, staff would refill guests’ cups as needed.

Sitting there, Bai Muyun basked in streams of gentle sunlight filtering through windows of different shapes and sizes, his silver hair gleaming as if haloed in gold, to the entranced admiration of the librarian.

Yang Cheng pursed his lips at the sight—ah, to be so handsome is to glow with one’s own light.

Liu Changqing sprawled on a lounge chair, limbs fully extended, unbothered by notions of dignity, and exclaimed, “This is the life!” Yang Cheng grinned, calling it “human-centered design.”

Yang Cheng told them that after Master Luo visited, he was so taken with the place he didn’t want to leave and wished to live there. Henceforth, it would be called the Hall of Knowledge, with Master Luo appointed as its curator and given funds to expand the collection.

Three trustworthy scribes had been hired to copy bamboo-slip texts from the marketplace onto paper for preservation. Wei Xu was tasked with security, to ensure that the family’s martial arts secrets remained safe from outsiders.

Yang Cheng then led the three to the second floor, where their curiosity deepened. The space was arranged in tiers, with a central staircase and rows of benches descending toward a stage, enough to seat around two hundred people. At the front was a platform, curtained at the back, with several individual armchairs and a couple of movable blackboards—the latter familiar from their time at the mountain academy, though the chairs’ purpose was unclear.

Yang Cheng invited them to serve as guest professors. The three were puzzled by the term. Yang Cheng explained that, in the future, when they debated martial arts here, others could attend, listen, and even cheer them on.

Liu Changqing rolled his eyes—he knew perfectly well Yang Cheng was cleverly enlisting them to teach the Yang family warriors. But given their level, and fondness for such debates, which allowed them to test their own Dao and absorb others’ strengths, he did not object. He rather liked the idea of speaking from the center of such a focused space.

Bai Muyun, ever open-minded, found the prospect of lecturing on martial arts a genuine pleasure. Moreover, since he benefited so much from exposure to varied techniques, he owed the Yang family a debt in return.

Lu Baichuan, too, was happy to see the Yang family warriors’ skills improve.

After the tour, the three marveled at Yang Cheng’s boundless ingenuity.

Thus, a cultivation-world version of the academic lecture was born in this library.

The happiest of all were the Yang family warriors, who relished the new environment their leader had created. Whenever they encountered the three masters, they greeted them respectfully as professors. Though not formal disciples, they were grateful for the instruction and guidance.

As the family head put it, they were all students here.