My Wife Is A Sword Immortal
Chapter 385 - 280: An Encounter in the Library

Chapter 385: Chapter 280: An Encounter in the Library

The next day, afternoon.

It was another Calligraphy class in Shuaixing Hall.

Like the previous classes, Zhao Rong led the students of Shuaixing Hall out of the lecture hall for another field teaching session — "joyful education."

However, this time was a bit different; under Zhao Rong’s guidance, the group went straight to Linlu Mountain, which they had visited before, without any diversions.

After arriving at the base of the mountain, they rested for a while at Zibei Pavilion, and then followed Zhao Rong up the stone steps, entering a corridor that led further up the mountain.

Winding along the corridor, Zhao Rong was reviewing a large stack of reading reflections he had recently collected while leading the way ahead.

His eyes quickly scanned through these papers, occasionally flipping back a few pages to check the student’s names on the first page.

Gradually, his brow furrowed.

Soon, Zhao Rong emphatically set down the papers in his hand, abruptly turned around, and looked back at his classmates.

After scanning their faces with a creased brow, he parted his lips slightly but then closed them again after a pause.

Zhao Rong’s brows unfurled, and his expression returned to its usual calm as he made eye contact with Yu Huaijin, who was looking at him with a probing gaze.

He shook his head slightly, without saying a word, then turned back around.

The task he had assigned a few days earlier to the students of Shuaixing Hall was to seriously write reading reflections.

Zhao Rong was not satisfied.

Except for a few individuals, the overall impression was one of perfunctory compliance.

If it was merely poor writing, that could be overlooked; after all, if they hadn’t learned to write properly, some of the blame rested with him, "Teacher Zhao."

But some people... Really thought Zhao Rong wouldn’t recognize their handwriting.

Zhao Rong shook his head.

He could almost always remember any handwriting he had seen once, and thus could identify it at a glance.

It was clear at a glance whether the names matched up correctly.

At this moment, Zhao Rong looked up, his gaze moving from the surrounding crowd and piles of books, to the summit of the high mountain with its towering, cloud-piercing nine-storied building.

Just this past morning, during a Calligraphy class in Justice Hall, he also had brought Gu Yiwu and the students of Justice Hall here to exchange reading reflections.

But now, in comparison,

the progress of his own Shuaixing Hall’s Calligraphy class was already falling behind that of Justice Hall.

Actually, what he valued most was still their attitude.

Zhao Rong squinted, pondering for a moment, then withdrew his gaze and continued on the path.

After an incense stick’s burn time,

The students from Mochi Academy arrived at the book tower on the summit of Linlu Mountain.

Although the book tower was extremely tall, it did not seem to occupy much land from the outside.

However, the orderly yet almost constant flow of people entering and exiting the doorway indicated that the interior was much larger than it appeared.

Zhao Rong knew without guessing that there was more to it than met the eye.

For now, however, he and the students behind him were there for a class, merely to deliver some items, and they wouldn’t be going inside; they would not know the specifics for the time being.

Zhao Rong turned and said to Yu Huaijin and the others who were following:

"Rest here for a bit and stay quiet. Xuanji, come help."

After speaking, he walked forward.

Ahead, outside the book tower, a few stewards were busy behind several large desks where mountains of books and manuscripts were piled up, with several people going in and out of the book tower.

Yu Huaijin arranged the students and then quickly followed.

She held her hands respectfully and matched her steps to Zhao Rong’s pace, walking a step behind him to his right.

Suddenly, Yu Huaijin said, "Teacher Zhao, could you please not use my nickname?"

Zhao Rong paused slightly, then turned, smiling, and glanced back at the woman behind him, her expression as stern as ever.

Her tone had been serious.

"Then what should I call you? Huaijin is too common, and doesn’t reflect the warm teacher-student relationship. How about... Little Fish?"

Yu Huaijin: "???"

Zhao Rong glanced at her, his lips pressed tightly together as he stopped talking, gave a smile, and handed over a few stacks of books before continuing forward.

She took them, keeping up with him.

The two reached the desks on the open ground.

Zhao Rong spoke a few words to the curious-looking stewards, explaining their purpose.

Afterward, they returned the books, handed in their reflection papers, and dealt with the stewards to process the Shuaixing Hall students’ entry permits for the tower.

Today was cloudless, with the autumn sun shining brightly.

In the afternoon, the sunlight on the mountain top was calm, and the flow of people around the book tower was not noisy but quietly coming and going.

While Zhao Rong waited for the paperwork at the desk, he enjoyed the surrounding scenery.

Tomorrow would be the long-awaited rest day, and he was in a good mood. However, soon after the rest day, there would be the mid-month exams, making Zhao Rong feel a slight rush of time, mainly due to the current progress of the Calligraphy class.

Speaking of which, he had visited Zhu Yourong a few days ago and actually made a small bet with her concerning the performance of this Calligraphy class.

Zhao Rong felt that if he lost to Teacher Zhu, he probably couldn’t hold his head high in front of her anymore.

He would have to speak more softly, no longer able to confidently instruct and point out faults. Otherwise, Zhu Yourong could catch him by his words and respond on the spot, "Teacher Zhao, is that all? Two classes of students under my instruction are better trained than your four," or something like that.

Zhao Rong, using his close friend Fan Yushu’s perspective, knew that at that time, a certain Confucian-robed woman’s expression would certainly be quite irritating.

He chuckled and shook his head.

On the side, Yu Huaijin, now ever vigilant against Zhao Rong, suddenly furrowed her brows and turned, suspiciously eyeing the strange smile on the man’s face beside her.

The next second, preferring to mistakenly kill than to let go, she spoke earnestly, "Mr. Zhao, please show some self-respect."

Zhao Rong: "......"

Is there something wrong with me, or with you?

Just as Zhao Rong was about to retort, suddenly, the ceaseless flow of people outside the book tower seemed to pause momentarily.

The next moment, the crowded throng slightly split to either side, visibly clearing a path wide enough for two persons.

At the same time, many scholars entering and exiting the book tower stopped in their tracks, all turning their heads towards the same direction inside the door.

"Brother Sima."

"Brother."

"Brother Duyi."

Within the crowd, greetings rose and fell in succession.

The sudden activity at the entrance immediately drew the attention of everyone outside the book tower.

Curious, Zhao Rong looked up; from his position, he could see many scholar brothers inside the doorway of the tower, bowing and greeting with respectful expressions.

"Ah, it’s Brother Sima!"

Just then, not far behind Zhao Rong, amongst the Shuaixing Hall students who were resting nearby, someone exclaimed in surprise.

"Really? Seriously? It’s been some days since we last saw Brother Sima, and he hasn’t been here to look for..."

Amidst the Shuaixing Hall students, a clamor arose, and those who had been resting on the ground quickly stood up, some of them trailing off in mid-sentence.

"Haha, yes, indeed, it has been quite a while."

A few students responded, then many of the male students turned their gaze towards a particular direction in the crowd.

Zhao Rong turned to look at the activity behind him, heard some puzzling words, and raised an eyebrow.

Just then! Before Zhao Rong could figure out what his classmates were talking about, from the corner of his eye, within the entrance of the book tower, a tall figure slowly emerged.

Zhao Rong’s attention was instantly drawn, and he turned to look.

He saw a young man of remarkable bearing, dressed in a slim-fitting Confucian robe of white with blue bands, simple in attire, yet Zhao Rong felt his aura was extremely unique.

What struck him most were the man’s eyes and lips.

His eyes were cold.

His lips were thin.

He had a cold countenance.

At that moment, in response to the greetings and words of the crowd, he slightly shrugged his eyelids, nodded lightly with his chin, his gaze fixed straight ahead, stepping unwaveringly through the path cleaved by the crowd, exiting the book tower.

After leaving the book tower, the cold-eyed youth scanned his surroundings, seemingly about to descend the mountain, heading toward Zhao Rong’s location.

Zhao Rong’s side, the busy stewards of the book tower, all momentarily paused their tasks to greet the cold-eyed man.

And the usually silent Yu Huaijin also took a small step forward, bowed meticulously, and said calmly, "Brother Sima."

The cold-eyed youth slowed his pace, turned his head to look at this sister from Mochi Academy, and nodded.

At that moment, caught between the book tower steward and Yu Huaijin, Zhao Rong felt a bit awkward.

Mainly because he didn’t actually know who this person was, and to greet him familiarly would be even more awkward, not to mention it was inconvenient to ask Yu Huaijin now.

However, the cold-eyed youth, very "thoughtfully," did not give Zhao Rong much time to dwell on his dilemma, nodded to Yu Huaijin, then passed Zhao Rong without a glance.

Zhao Rong blinked, watching the tall figure of this unique senior recede.

Suddenly, in his field of vision, the cold-eyed youth did not head straight down the mountain but instead turned and approached the Shuaixing Hall students, who had been instructed by Zhao Rong to rest quietly.

Upon seeing him, the students immediately forgot someone’s instructions and swarmed around him, enthusiastically calling out, "Brother Sima."

Amidst the throng, the cold-eyed youth continued to walk purposely towards someone in the crowd, finally stopping in front of two female students.

Zhao Rong’s gaze followed.

It was Xiao Hongyu and Li Xueyou.

"Brother, long time no see," Xiao Hongyu said with a smile.

"Hmm."

The cold-eyed youth responded with a grunt, but from the beginning, his gaze had continuously lingered on... Li Xueyou.

Li Xueyou tilted her small head upward, her eyes curving into a smile as she gazed up at the tall, cold-eyed man, her face beaming, "Brother Duyi."

Sima Duyi, looking down at her, his cold eyes blinked lightly, his lips curling slightly.

"Little Xueyou."

Zhao Rong finally heard him speak; contrary to what Zhao Rong had imagined, his voice was not as cold but rather deep and magnetic.

It made one feel that the distance created by those cold eyes seemed somewhat lessened.

Li Xueyou glanced at the book tower nearby, "Brother Duyi, what are you doing here?"

Sima Duyi spoke casually, "Went to the seventh floor, helping Teacher with some tasks."

The seventh floor of the book tower?

Zhao Rong’s eyelids slightly lifted, then narrowed, taking another careful look at this... Reading Seed.

In the entirety of Linlu Academy, such a scholar was estimated to be numbered on the fingers of one hand, he had only heard about them a few times from Fan Yushu, and it was his first time seeing one.

"Sima Duyi, Deputy Mountain Master’s top disciple, Linlu Academy, Reading Seed."

Yu Huaijin suddenly whispered.

Zhao Rong turned his head to look at her, nodding in acknowledgment.

At this moment, the usually reserved lady beside Zhao Rong, who usually had calm eyes, now looked at Sima Duyi with a serious expression in her eyes.