Wei Prefecture and Cang Prefecture were adjacent to each other. In the eleventh year of Tianjian, that great flood forced countless refugees along the Wei River to leave the Wei Prefecture. The place they wanted to go, the only place they could go, was Cang Prefecture.
However, even for those who traveled from Wei Prefecture to Cang Prefecture, not many refugees survived in the end.
Chen Chao was just an exception.
A story that could not be replicated.
Hence, the words spoken by Chen Chao in that hall did not hold much meaning at all. Because there would not be a second Chen Chao in this world, nor the same story.
Familiar stories were not the same stories.
Many people understood this logic.
Yet, in this world, familiar and identical stories were often taking place.
Thinking about this, the Dean quickened his pace. In less than half a day, he entered the territory of Wei Prefecture. Then, this leader of scholars in the world stood at a ferry crossing and stared for a long time. It was unknown what he was thinking.
The common people passed by him and not a single person recognized him.
Of course, nobody would ever think that they could encounter the leader of scholars in the world, the Dean of the academy, at an ordinary river crossing.
……
……
For the past six months, Tianqing County had actually been relatively peaceful. Although they lost a good warden, a new one arrived promptly. This new warden was an ordinary martial artist whose cultivation realm was not considered higher, but he was still considered pretty decent. Additionally, there were no more demons around the vicinity. So, Tianqing County was really quite peaceful.
People who sold cloth continued to do so, and those selling alcohol continued to sell alcohol. The sloppy man remained just as unkempt as ever.
Zhou Guoqi had been relatively quiet these past few months. Perhaps it was because the young man who lived across from him had really left. In the entire Peach Blossom Alley, there was no longer anyone to argue with him. His own wife was someone who did not like arguing but did not hesitate to use violence, so his days had been rather boring.
When he was bored, he would seem a little depressed. Zhou Guoqi sat on the doorstep of his house, suddenly feeling restless. Without thinking, he yelled out, "I'm going on a long journey!"
A response quickly came from inside, it was a woman's voice, "No way!"
Zhou Gouqi frowned and said irritatedly, "I haven't said what I'm going to do yet."
The woman walked out from inside, crossed the courtyard, and came to stand behind the door. She said somewhat unreasonably, "Either way, you can't go."
Over the past half-year, the woman had lost a lot of weight and was no longer as robust as before. Zhou Guoqi could even vaguely see her waist now.
Zhou Guoji did not turn around and just insisted, "I've listened to whatever you said these years. Can't you listen to me just this once?!"
Hearing this, the woman burst into tears immediately. Her voice was soft, as if afraid of being overheard by others. However, Zhou Guoqi was so near, how could he not hear her?
"What are you crying for? If you're unhappy, want to give me a beating?"
Zhou Guoqi leaned against the door frame, lost in thought.
The woman stood behind the door, choking up as she said, "Do you think I don't know? You've been accommodating me all these years just so you can leave one day without a guilty conscience. You've been looking forward to this day for a long time, haven't you?!"
Over these past few years, all the neighbors would talk about how Zhou Guoqi was spineless. But perhaps no one understood her husband better than this woman. The weakness and timidity that he feigned were to prevent others from seeing his true self.
However, when living together day in and day out, sharing the same bed, how could it not be discovered?
Zhou Guoqi furrowed his brow and said, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Tears streamed down the woman's face, and she said sadly, "You think I don't know anything, but I'm not stupid. I know, I know everything!"
The woman yelled from behind the door, her voice gradually getting louder.
"Lower your voice. Talking so loudly, do you really want everyone to hear?"
Zhou Guoqi waved his hand, but quickly realized it was futile. He turned around and looked at this woman who had been with him for more than ten years. These days, he naturally also knew that she had some thoughts in her mind. Otherwise, she would not have lost so much weight. In reality, the woman in front of him was not unattractive at all. Especially after losing weight, she had a somewhat delicate charm between her brows. Because she was born in a remote area, it gave her a more natural feeling. She looked very pleasing to the eye.
Zhou Guoqi looked at the tearful woman, wanting to say something. But in the end, he could not say anything at all and just let out a soft sigh.
The woman stared at him blankly. Then, she just asked softly, "Can you take me with you?"
"I know that after you leave, you won't come back. I know you must have a reason to leave, so I won't stop you. It would be good if you can take me with you."
The woman's eyes were filled with a pleading expression. Over these years, the man in front of her had always accommodated her, and she had become increasingly more demanding. Actually, it was a way of seeing how far he could be pushed. There were no women with inherently bad tempers, nor were there inherently cowardly men. Ultimately, she just wanted to see how much he could endure.
Zhou Gouqi looked at her in silence.
"Is that a no?"
There was some disappointment in the woman's voice, which had gradually become much softer.
"Of course not. If you're gone, who will look after the house?"
Zhou Gouqi said as a matter of course, "Who told you that I'll be going on a long journey? Can't I go over to see the lady boss who sells wine? Your Father will be back for dinner later, alright?"
The woman looked at him, still in tears.
Zhou Gouqi became somewhat irritated. He wanted to say something, but nothing came out.
However, a moment later, he saw the woman in front of him start to wipe away the tears from her eyes.
Seeing this, Zhou Gouqi was taken aback, then somewhat surprised.
"Someone's here."
The woman lowered her voice and hid inside the house.
This was a good woman. No matter how much she quarreled with her man, she still knew how to protect his dignity.
Zhou Gouqi muttered, "How is there anyone?"
In this Peach Blossom Alley, their house was already the furthest inside. When Chen Chao was still around, people would still come to the deepest part of this lane. But now, there should not be anyone.
However, when Zhou Gouqi turned around, he saw a middle-aged man slowly walking toward the depths of the lane.
Zhou Gouqi was stunned. Then, his entire person stood still, silent.
It was likely that he really could not say a word, and not because he did not want to say anything.
After some time, perhaps because the alley was too quiet or because the woman had already finished wiping away her tears, she poked her head out. Seeing that middle-aged man who was almost reaching their entrance, she found it a little strange. Although the middle-aged man appeared only slightly older than her husband, he still gave off the impression that he should be an old man with a head full of white hair.
The middle-aged man reached the door but did not pay any attention to Zhou Gouqi who was standing in front of the door in a daze. Instead, he looked at the woman and said with a smile, "I'm tired, may I rest my legs for a bit?"
The woman was taken aback and then looked at Zhou Gouqi.
But Zhou Gouqi remained motionless. After a moment, he forced a bitter smile and said, "Go and cook some rice. Take down that piece of preserved meat, and catch a chicken to stew. I'll take out the tea leaves I bought last year and brew some tea."
The woman hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright," and quickly turned to prepare the food.
The middle-aged man walked into the courtyard and sat on the long bench that the woman had brought out. He muttered to himself, "A remote little town, quite peaceful. No need for studying, no teachers to cane you, and also no cultivators around either? It means that you can talk reason when you want to, and when you don't, everyone will be forced to accept it?"
The middle-aged man's voice was rather faint, like a breeze blowing through the mountains. It was quite pleasant to the ears, but Zhou Gouqi did not think so.
The fragrance of preserved meat and chicken soup gradually wafted into the courtyard.
The middle-aged man sniffed and seemed satisfied as he said, "Your wife is pretty good, she's just a bit plump."
Zhou Gouqi remained silent, thinking that if he had come earlier, he probably would not have just said she was a bit plump.
The middle-aged man furrowed his brows and said, "You intend to spend your whole life without seeing me and not saying anything?"
Now that the conversation had reached this point, Zhou Gouqi naturally could not pretend to be deaf and mute any longer. He looked at the middle-aged man and then knelt down, saying seriously, "Greetings, Teacher."
As Zhou Gouqi knelt, the woman happened to walk out. Seeing this scene, she was shocked to the extreme and did not know what to say. She wanted to come and kneel down as well, but before she could walk over, the middle-aged man turned to her and said with a smile, "Go watch the pot, don't let the food burn."
Only then did the woman remember there was cooking to attend to. She quickly turned and returned to the kitchen.
The middle-aged man was naturally the Dean. But it was unimaginable for anyone to think that Zhou Gouqi was also one of the Dean's disciples.
The Dean only had 72 disciples. In other words, among all the scholars in the world, only 72 people had the fortune of studying under the Dean. This was quite a remarkable thing.
"This disciple heard that Teacher has finally fulfilled your wish and taken in a junior sister. Speaking of which, this disciple even met Little Junior Sister back then..."
Zhou Gouqi had just opened his mouth, but then remembered the scene from the first time he met Xie Nandu and felt a little embarrassed, so he decided not to continue.
The Dean laughed coldly, "People like you always think that everywhere outside the academy is better. Why do you run around so much? Aren't you worried about when I, your teacher, will pass away? You guys won't even be able to see me one last time!"
Zhou Gouqi smiled bitterly to no end and said weakly, "Teacher's body is probably not that weak."
Seeing this disciple with a mouth full of yellow teeth that no longer looked like a scholar, the Dean changed topics, "Are you returning to the Divine Capital with me this time?"
Zhou Gouqi scratched his head and smiled foolishly as he said, "This disciple heard that the Divine Capital is also very chaotic now. His Majesty is preparing for a Northern expedition, and there have been some issues in Cang Prefecture. Returning now would only add to Teacher's troubles."
The Dean said indifferently, "Those troubles will never be fully resolved. Adding one more won't make a difference."
Zhou Gouqi glanced at the rising smoke from the kitchen, fell silent for a moment, but still shook his head.
The Dean looked at him and suddenly asked, "What about that matter? How's the investigation going?"
……
Wei Prefecture and Cang Prefecture were adjacent to each other. In the eleventh year of Tianjian, that great flood forced countless refugees along the Wei River to leave the Wei Prefecture. The place they wanted to go, the only place they could go, was Cang Prefecture.
However, even for those who traveled from Wei Prefecture to Cang Prefecture, not many refugees survived in the end.
Chen Chao was just an exception.
A story that could not be replicated.
Hence, the words spoken by Chen Chao in that hall did not hold much meaning at all. Because there would not be a second Chen Chao in this world, nor the same story.
Familiar stories were not the same stories.
Many people understood this logic.
Yet, in this world, familiar and identical stories were often taking place.
Thinking about this, the Dean quickened his pace. In less than half a day, he entered the territory of Wei Prefecture. Then, this leader of scholars in the world stood at a ferry crossing and stared for a long time. It was unknown what he was thinking.
The common people passed by him and not a single person recognized him.
Of course, nobody would ever think that they could encounter the leader of scholars in the world, the Dean of the academy, at an ordinary river crossing.
……
……
For the past six months, Tianqing County had actually been relatively peaceful. Although they lost a good warden, a new one arrived promptly. This new warden was an ordinary martial artist whose cultivation realm was not considered higher, but he was still considered pretty decent. Additionally, there were no more demons around the vicinity. So, Tianqing County was really quite peaceful.
People who sold cloth continued to do so, and those selling alcohol continued to sell alcohol. The sloppy man remained just as unkempt as ever.
Zhou Guoqi had been relatively quiet these past few months. Perhaps it was because the young man who lived across from him had really left. In the entire Peach Blossom Alley, there was no longer anyone to argue with him. His own wife was someone who did not like arguing but did not hesitate to use violence, so his days had been rather boring.
When he was bored, he would seem a little depressed. Zhou Guoqi sat on the doorstep of his house, suddenly feeling restless. Without thinking, he yelled out, "I'm going on a long journey!"
A response quickly came from inside, it was a woman's voice, "No way!"
Zhou Gouqi frowned and said irritatedly, "I haven't said what I'm going to do yet."
The woman walked out from inside, crossed the courtyard, and came to stand behind the door. She said somewhat unreasonably, "Either way, you can't go."
Over the past half-year, the woman had lost a lot of weight and was no longer as robust as before. Zhou Guoqi could even vaguely see her waist now.
Zhou Guoji did not turn around and just insisted, "I've listened to whatever you said these years. Can't you listen to me just this once?!"
Hearing this, the woman burst into tears immediately. Her voice was soft, as if afraid of being overheard by others. However, Zhou Guoqi was so near, how could he not hear her?
"What are you crying for? If you're unhappy, want to give me a beating?"
Zhou Guoqi leaned against the door frame, lost in thought.
The woman stood behind the door, choking up as she said, "Do you think I don't know? You've been accommodating me all these years just so you can leave one day without a guilty conscience. You've been looking forward to this day for a long time, haven't you?!"
Over these past few years, all the neighbors would talk about how Zhou Guoqi was spineless. But perhaps no one understood her husband better than this woman. The weakness and timidity that he feigned were to prevent others from seeing his true self.
However, when living together day in and day out, sharing the same bed, how could it not be discovered?
Zhou Guoqi furrowed his brow and said, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
Tears streamed down the woman's face, and she said sadly, "You think I don't know anything, but I'm not stupid. I know, I know everything!"
The woman yelled from behind the door, her voice gradually getting louder.
"Lower your voice. Talking so loudly, do you really want everyone to hear?"
Zhou Guoqi waved his hand, but quickly realized it was futile. He turned around and looked at this woman who had been with him for more than ten years. These days, he naturally also knew that she had some thoughts in her mind. Otherwise, she would not have lost so much weight. In reality, the woman in front of him was not unattractive at all. Especially after losing weight, she had a somewhat delicate charm between her brows. Because she was born in a remote area, it gave her a more natural feeling. She looked very pleasing to the eye.
Zhou Guoqi looked at the tearful woman, wanting to say something. But in the end, he could not say anything at all and just let out a soft sigh.
The woman stared at him blankly. Then, she just asked softly, "Can you take me with you?"
"I know that after you leave, you won't come back. I know you must have a reason to leave, so I won't stop you. It would be good if you can take me with you."
The woman's eyes were filled with a pleading expression. Over these years, the man in front of her had always accommodated her, and she had become increasingly more demanding. Actually, it was a way of seeing how far he could be pushed. There were no women with inherently bad tempers, nor were there inherently cowardly men. Ultimately, she just wanted to see how much he could endure.
Zhou Gouqi looked at her in silence.
"Is that a no?"
There was some disappointment in the woman's voice, which had gradually become much softer.
"Of course not. If you're gone, who will look after the house?"
Zhou Gouqi said as a matter of course, "Who told you that I'll be going on a long journey? Can't I go over to see the lady boss who sells wine? Your Father will be back for dinner later, alright?"
The woman looked at him, still in tears.
Zhou Gouqi became somewhat irritated. He wanted to say something, but nothing came out.
However, a moment later, he saw the woman in front of him start to wipe away the tears from her eyes.
Seeing this, Zhou Gouqi was taken aback, then somewhat surprised.
"Someone's here."
The woman lowered her voice and hid inside the house.
This was a good woman. No matter how much she quarreled with her man, she still knew how to protect his dignity.
Zhou Gouqi muttered, "How is there anyone?"
In this Peach Blossom Alley, their house was already the furthest inside. When Chen Chao was still around, people would still come to the deepest part of this lane. But now, there should not be anyone.
However, when Zhou Gouqi turned around, he saw a middle-aged man slowly walking toward the depths of the lane.
Zhou Gouqi was stunned. Then, his entire person stood still, silent.
It was likely that he really could not say a word, and not because he did not want to say anything.
After some time, perhaps because the alley was too quiet or because the woman had already finished wiping away her tears, she poked her head out. Seeing that middle-aged man who was almost reaching their entrance, she found it a little strange. Although the middle-aged man appeared only slightly older than her husband, he still gave off the impression that he should be an old man with a head full of white hair.
The middle-aged man reached the door but did not pay any attention to Zhou Gouqi who was standing in front of the door in a daze. Instead, he looked at the woman and said with a smile, "I'm tired, may I rest my legs for a bit?"
The woman was taken aback and then looked at Zhou Gouqi.
But Zhou Gouqi remained motionless. After a moment, he forced a bitter smile and said, "Go and cook some rice. Take down that piece of preserved meat, and catch a chicken to stew. I'll take out the tea leaves I bought last year and brew some tea."
The woman hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright," and quickly turned to prepare the food.
The middle-aged man walked into the courtyard and sat on the long bench that the woman had brought out. He muttered to himself, "A remote little town, quite peaceful. No need for studying, no teachers to cane you, and also no cultivators around either? It means that you can talk reason when you want to, and when you don't, everyone will be forced to accept it?"
The middle-aged man's voice was rather faint, like a breeze blowing through the mountains. It was quite pleasant to the ears, but Zhou Gouqi did not think so.
The fragrance of preserved meat and chicken soup gradually wafted into the courtyard.
The middle-aged man sniffed and seemed satisfied as he said, "Your wife is pretty good, she's just a bit plump."
Zhou Gouqi remained silent, thinking that if he had come earlier, he probably would not have just said she was a bit plump.
The middle-aged man furrowed his brows and said, "You intend to spend your whole life without seeing me and not saying anything?"
Now that the conversation had reached this point, Zhou Gouqi naturally could not pretend to be deaf and mute any longer. He looked at the middle-aged man and then knelt down, saying seriously, "Greetings, Teacher."
As Zhou Gouqi knelt, the woman happened to walk out. Seeing this scene, she was shocked to the extreme and did not know what to say. She wanted to come and kneel down as well, but before she could walk over, the middle-aged man turned to her and said with a smile, "Go watch the pot, don't let the food burn."
Only then did the woman remember there was cooking to attend to. She quickly turned and returned to the kitchen.
The middle-aged man was naturally the Dean. But it was unimaginable for anyone to think that Zhou Gouqi was also one of the Dean's disciples.
The Dean only had 72 disciples. In other words, among all the scholars in the world, only 72 people had the fortune of studying under the Dean. This was quite a remarkable thing.
"This disciple heard that Teacher has finally fulfilled your wish and taken in a junior sister. Speaking of which, this disciple even met Little Junior Sister back then..."
Zhou Gouqi had just opened his mouth, but then remembered the scene from the first time he met Xie Nandu and felt a little embarrassed, so he decided not to continue.
The Dean laughed coldly, "People like you always think that everywhere outside the academy is better. Why do you run around so much? Aren't you worried about when I, your teacher, will pass away? You guys won't even be able to see me one last time!"
Zhou Gouqi smiled bitterly to no end and said weakly, "Teacher's body is probably not that weak."
Seeing this disciple with a mouth full of yellow teeth that no longer looked like a scholar, the Dean changed topics, "Are you returning to the Divine Capital with me this time?"
Zhou Gouqi scratched his head and smiled foolishly as he said, "This disciple heard that the Divine Capital is also very chaotic now. His Majesty is preparing for a Northern expedition, and there have been some issues in Cang Prefecture. Returning now would only add to Teacher's troubles."
The Dean said indifferently, "Those troubles will never be fully resolved. Adding one more won't make a difference."
Zhou Gouqi glanced at the rising smoke from the kitchen, fell silent for a moment, but still shook his head.
The Dean looked at him and suddenly asked, "What about that matter? How's the investigation going?"
……
