Chapter 342: The Celestial Book Institute Head Teacher Ascends to Heaven
“What happened?”
“It seems like… the earth dragon turned over—”
“?”
Under the dim night, officials from the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) stationed in Zhongzhou rushed in on horseback, entering the square white jade building.
Before long, all the Masters-in-charge who had gone home to rest were summoned back.
Kuang Cheng, who had just returned to the capital, also followed. His residence had been destroyed in the great battle in Linxian Realm, and he was currently staying at his friend Mu Qing’s home.
The six Masters-in-charge entered the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) together and saw Surveillance Commissioner He Jingyuan and Deputy Surveillance Commissioner Peng Dongyang in the deliberation hall.
An earth dragon had turned over in the Northwest of Zhongzhou, causing strong tremors. Dongxia Commandery was the most severely affected, and they needed to arrange for personnel from the department to go for disaster relief.
After some discussion, the Master-in-charge of the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) was urgently appointed to take on the heavy responsibility of going to the disaster area.
A group of people, under the cover of night, rode out of the city on fast horses, galloping towards the source of the strong aftershocks.
At this time in Dongxia Commandery, the ground in the very center had cracked open into a long, dark chasm, stretching endlessly and unfathomably deep. Several isolated peaks of the Chunming Mountains, which originally stood north of the commandery city, had all collapsed.
The water level of the Nu River, which flowed through the area, instantly surged, and after the river burst its banks, the water rushed furiously towards both sides.
The Northwest of Zhongzhou has a complex terrain, separated from the fertile heartland by a massive Qiling Mountains.
Most of the people living in this half of the great province were farmers who lived by cultivation.
The tide of Yao Race people that had attacked had not truly ventured here, but this time, the turning of the earth dragon directly caused countless commoners to die under the collapsed mountains and houses.
The Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) of the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) traveled day and night, taking more than two days and nights. When they arrived, they saw countless ruins and wails of sorrow everywhere.
“Sir—”
“Teams one, two, and three, gather local officials and yamen runners to rescue commoners. Team four, survey outwards from the center, record the disaster situation.
This earth dragon disaster is more severe than we imagined. We need to immediately compile the case files and send them back to the department.”
“Yes!”
The facts were as Mu Qing had said: this natural disaster in the Northwest of Zhongzhou was more severe than they had estimated when they arrived, and its impact was also extremely widespread.
It even extended to Qing Province and Yun Province, with collapses spanning thousands of miles.
The Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) immediately took action, each performing their duties as they began the earthquake relief process.
Their manpower was insufficient, and they felt somewhat powerless in the face of such a vast disaster area.
For this, the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) even specifically sought help from the Centennial Sect Wan Family, which was not far from the area.
However, all the Sects in Zhongzhou were currently vying for the inheritance left behind after the Li Family's demise, and they did not respond to the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department)'s request.
But even so, what needed to be done still had to be done.
Thus, the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) spent four days and nights transmitting a survey document back to Shengjing, detailing the disaster situation and the number of casualties already investigated, requesting disaster relief funds and additional manpower from Great Xia.
However, for several consecutive days, no news was returned from Shengjing.
Aftershocks continued, and refugees fled.
Mu Qing was restless, not understanding why the department, which was usually quick to respond, had not sent back a single word this time.
So, in his anxiety, he left the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) personnel to continue their work, while he himself galloped towards Shengjing. After entering the city, he passed his home without entering, heading directly to the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department).
Peng Dongyang was in the department, hunched over his desk and yawning, his dark circles indicating he hadn't slept all night.
Seeing Mu Qing return, Peng Dongyang couldn't help but look up, his eyes bloodshot.
“Deputy Surveillance Commissioner!”
“Mu Qing, you’re back.”
Mu Qing looked at him with some impatience: “Why has it been so long since the disaster relief proposal was submitted? Let alone disaster relief funds and manpower, my Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) hasn’t even received a single message.”
Peng Dongyang stood up, a helpless expression appearing on his pale face: “It’s not that there’s no response; something even bigger has happened.”
“Something bigger? What could be even bigger?”
“Plague.”
“?”
Peng Dongyang looked at him: “We just received news the day before yesterday that a plague has appeared in the Southwest of You Province and the North of Qing Province. It spreads rapidly, and infected people will cough blood and die within seven days. Kuang Cheng has already led people there.”
Upon hearing this, Mu Qing’s eyes instantly narrowed.
This earth dragon turning over indeed caused countless deaths and injuries, with many people still trapped under the ruins, making disaster relief an urgent matter.
However, a contagious plague truly takes precedence over other disasters.
Because if such a disaster is not handled in time, no one can imagine the consequences it will bring.
Mu Qing suddenly understood why the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) had been so slow to react to the earthquake relief effort, and he couldn't help but clench his fists.
At the same time, Kuang Cheng had already led a large number of people to the official road between You Province and Qing Province.
From a distance, one could see countless figures lying in the farmlands.
At this moment, a group of refugees, dragging their families, were walking along the official road, staying outside the drainage ditch on the east side of the road.
Even in their escape, they still remembered that this official road was built by Immortal Lords and dared not step on it.
Before they even met, the cloth-clad man walking at the front suddenly fell straight to the ground, instantly spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.
In an instant, the entire fleeing group fell into chaos, and countless people began to run in terror.
“Teams one and two, stop the refugees from spreading out. Team three, dig trenches and burn the bodies. The rest of you, follow me and continue forward.”
“Yes!”
At Kuang Cheng's command, the people from teams one and two immediately pulled on their reins, changed direction, and blocked the entire official road, shouting at the refugees to stop immediately.
Kuang Cheng, meanwhile, led his people further in, seeing more and more people lying down.
Their skin was red, they were incredibly weak, and only half a breath remained in their gasps.
And as they approached Qibao Commandery, where the incident occurred, they saw more and more people, almost densely packed, lying within the city.
“There are signs of high fever, it’s an external evil entering the body. It can kill within seven days, truly the most severe of severe illnesses.”
The several doctors who came with the team looked pale at the sight of the hellish scene in the city.
Kuang Cheng frowned: “Go to the prefectural yamen, clear out the cells, find some people whose symptoms are not too severe and bring them over. Observe their condition and have them take the medicine we brought, especially that Medicinal Pill refined by the Dan Sect’s direct Legacy.”
“Yes, Sir.”
All departments of the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) were well-trained and worked very efficiently.
The Qibao Commandery prefectural yamen was quickly cleared out. The Mortals detained there were moved to another location, replaced by some infected individuals whose symptoms were not too severe.
According to their symptoms, they were given different existing medicines for the plague.
Among them, the Medicinal Pill from the Dan Sect’s direct Legacy was given to five people.
This was the Medicinal Pill given to the group of refugees where Qingwa was located after the Qiling incident. Yuan Chen later improved the Pill Formula and left it behind.
Although the Medicinal Pills imitated by the Jianchachu (Surveillance Department) were not as immediately effective as those refined by Yuan Chen, they were still the best medicine for treating external evils entering the body.
However, what they didn't expect was that no matter which Medicinal Pill the people took, they all eventually coughed blood and died.
It was useless.
It was not the same plague as the one suffered by the people who fled from Qiling back then.
The doctors who came with them looked terrified: “Sir, what should we do?”
“As previously arranged, prevent refugees from spreading out, clear a separate area for containment, burn all bodies of the deceased on the spot, continue to try other medicines, and figure out the source of infection.”
“Understood.”
“Be careful with protection—”
News of the earth dragon turning over had long been known to the people in Shengjing, but everyone's reaction was not particularly strong.
However, when the news of the virulent plague arrived, it caused an uproar throughout the city.
In teahouses and taverns, there was widespread discussion, recalling that after the Qiling incident, a plague also appeared, which could even infect cultivators. They wondered if it was the same kind.
For several consecutive days, the price of medicinal materials in Shengjing soared rapidly.
However, because no cases had appeared in Shengjing itself, people's activities of chatting and meeting friends did not decrease.
Amidst the clamor, a customer sitting in a teahouse began to feel a dry mouth and realized that no tea had been served despite waiting for a long time.
“Waiter, waiter!”
“Coming—coming, honored guest.”
“Where’s the tea? Is this one tael of silver just the price for sitting here?”
“I’ll go urge them for you right away, honored guest!”
The flustered waiter hurriedly ran downstairs and saw that the shopkeeper was no longer at the counter. In desperation, he could only lift the curtain and go to the tea workshop behind the building.
What surprised the waiter was that the shopkeeper, who wasn't at the counter, was now in the backyard, and there were other tea shop assistants in the backyard, all looking terrified and anxious.
“What—what on earth happened?”
“I don’t know, it’s been like this since morning.”
“Quick, quick, go to the water shop and tell them to send water immediately.”
“Already went, but it’s the same at the water shop.”
The waiter originally wanted to mention that the customer was getting impatient, but as he walked closer to the shopkeeper, his eyes suddenly narrowed.
He saw that the wooden bucket just drawn from the well was full of water, but the water was an eerie blood-red, and it also emitted a fishy, evil smell.
And when he walked to the well and looked down, he saw the entire well filled with dark red.
The teahouse shopkeeper immediately informed the owner, and the owner's response was to keep the matter secret, declare that the water quality was contaminated, return the money, and ask the customers to leave.
But the matter was not kept secret, because besides the Nu River, Mist River, and other large surface rivers, and various streams, almost all water wells in Qingyun World showed an unknown dark red color.
And most critically, it wasn't long before water officials submitted a case file to Great Xia, which instantly shook Shengjing.
Because according to their observations, the water levels of those rivers were continuously dropping. At this rate, they would be close to drying up in less than half a year.
Before panic could even ferment, more perplexing events continued to occur.
Seven days after the water turned red, a heavy, swirling snow visited Qingyun.
The sudden, chilling cold rapidly spread across Qingyun's surface, causing rivers to freeze and the ground to be covered in frost.
Crucially, Qingyun had just entered autumn, and the summer heat had not yet receded, making such a sight difficult to comprehend.
And most critically, the virulent plague, water depletion, and pervasive cold — any one of these, if allowed to continue, would be a devastating disaster.
Inside Tianshu Academy, in Jixiang Hall.
Snow fell on the eaves, melted by the sun, then frozen into icicles by the cold, hanging from the tile eaves.
You Yingqiu turned her head to look at the freezing weather outside the hall and the swirling snow, unable to help but look up at the sky.
In principle, the higher one's cultivation, the closer one would be to the Heavenly Dao. Besides Linxian Realm, Perfection in the Upper Five Realms was the closest to the Heavenly Dao. At this moment, she could feel a chaotic and weak state, on the verge of collapse.
After watching for a long time, she withdrew her gaze back to the main hall.
Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu had fallen into a deep sleep on the tea mat due to a spell, while the Head Teacher was continuously using Immortal Light to open up Ji You’s Meridians.
His recovery speed far exceeded expectations; he had opened his eyes for a moment during that period, but quickly fell into a coma again.
Meanwhile, his Master was already showing signs of aging all over his body. Especially on the day of the earth dragon's upheaval, he even coughed up blood, as if severely injured.
Since then, the vitality in his body had dwindled.
After a long while, the treatment concluded. The old Head Teacher sat on a wooden stool beside the bed, breathing slightly, his body filled with weakness.
You Yingqiu brought him a warm towel and wiped his sweat.
Zuoqiuyang then also came to Jixiang Hall, reporting on the interrogation of the demon and the issues of Qingyun's water turning red and fishy, and the continuous spread of the virulent plague.
However, the old Head Teacher did not seem surprised; he merely took out a jade token from his in arms.
"There isn't much time left. There are some things I need to explain."
"Master—"
The old Head Teacher raised his hand to stop them from speaking: "You should also be aware that I don't have much time left. After I return to the Heavens, the position of Celestial Book Institute Head Teacher will be taken by Yingqiu."
You Yingqiu's eyes instantly trembled: "Master, I am not yet qualified."
"I can no longer wait. You must properly shoulder this responsibility."
"All Senior Brothers are more qualified than I am."
The old Head Teacher shook his head: "The Tianshu Academy's duty since ancient times has been to uphold the Heavenly Dao. It doesn't look at cultivation, but at the Heavenly Pivot Art. This matter cannot be done by anyone but you."
After hearing this, You Yingqiu turned her head to look at Ji You, who was lying on the bed: "What about Ji You?"
"What's wrong with Ji You?"
"Isn't he a Night Watcher?"
Zuoqiuyang spoke after hearing You Yingqiu's words: "Master, the art Ji You cultivates is the Legacy of the Night Watcher. I have already told Junior Sister You about this. We have searched many ancient texts and learned that according to Tianshu Academy tradition, the next Head Teacher must have experienced Night Watch."
The old Head Teacher turned to look at Ji You: "He is not a Night Watcher."
You Yingqiu and Zuoqiuyang exchanged glances, a hint of confusion flashing in their eyes: "Not?"
"He did indeed receive my Junior Brother's Legacy, but the Night Watcher lineage has been severed for a hundred years. A Night Watcher appearing again is no longer a Night Watcher."
"Why is that?"
The old Head Teacher stroked his long beard: "It's like a prison. The prisoner has already escaped, so why would a new Night Watcher be needed to guard an empty prison?"
You Yingqiu looked at her Master: "But he can control the Celestial Book."
"He is indeed a very special existence, so Yingqiu, when you act in the future, you must look more at his decisions and firmly believe that everything he does is correct. Even if he is wrong, you must follow him to the end."
"Master saying this makes me feel like Junior Sister isn't taking over the Tianshu Academy, but rather the Master-in-charge Pavilion."
Zuoqiuyang couldn't help but blurt out, wanting to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
The old Head Teacher chuckled softly, then reached out and stroked You Yingqiu's hair: "Zuoqiu is right. In fact, I have been a very unqualified Master. All four of you Senior and Junior Brothers and Sisters were personally taught by me, but only Yingqiu was not."
You Yingqiu looked at her Master and shook her head: "Master not managing Sect affairs all these years must have his own reasons."
"You are a good child."
"When will Master return to the Heavens?"
The old Head Teacher looked straight out at the heavy snow: "Rather than choosing a day, it's better to pick today. This old man likes snowy scenery."
Zuoqiuyang stood up upon hearing this: "I will go call all the Senior and Junior Brothers and Sisters to come."
"Go."
"Yes."
Zuoqiuyang turned and hurried out of the hall.
You Yingqiu watched him leave, then looked up at her Master: "Yingqiu still has one matter she doesn't understand. I have asked many times before, but Master has always refused to answer, citing that Heavenly Pivot cannot be leaked. Today, Yingqiu wishes to ask in a different way, please enlighten me, Master."
The old Head Teacher looked at her: "Speak."
"After the matter of the ruins, did the night dissipate?"
"Do you think families like the Chu family and the Li family are the 'night' from the legends of past generations?"
You Yingqiu hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
After discussing with Zuoqiuyang about Ji You being this generation's Night Watcher, they, like Ji You, continuously pondered what the 'night' was and why it needed to be guarded for generations.
Observing Ji You's movements, they found that he had been investigating the matter of someone using the ruins to incarnate Evil Seeds, so they assumed that was the 'night'.
Now that the ruins had been drained by the demons and the Dao fruits plundered, in her opinion, the 'night' should have dissipated.
The old Head Teacher remained silent for a while after hearing this: "Whether it's the Chu family or the Li family, they are merely insignificant interludes under the night. Therefore, your generation as Head Teacher will be the most difficult."
You Yingqiu looked up, her eyes trembling: "Just an interlude—"
"When you cultivate the Heavenly Pivot Art to the next Realm, you will be able to vaguely see it. The reason I haven't told you is because you have not yet broken through the Heavenly Pivot. Once you know of its existence, you will be influenced by it."
"This Disciple will remember."
You Yingqiu did not ask further, her face merely a little pale.
To be influenced once known means it could be omnipresent. What exactly is it? The old Head Teacher now rose from the bed, then took out a ring from his embrace. He walked to the unconscious Ji You, placed it on his index finger, and then looked at the snow-filled sky.
As the Celestial Book Institute Head Teacher, he had lived countless years, outliving many old friends, and due to Karma, he dared not leave a Bloodline. In truth, he had no great attachment.
Moreover, this departure, he would not truly leave this world.
At the same time, Zuoqiuyang had already called out Fei She, Chai Hu, and Lu Fengchuan, relaying the conversation from the hall to them.
Upon hearing that their Master, the Head Teacher, was about to return to the Heavens today, and You Yingqiu would take over the position of Head Teacher, all three fell silent.
This news came very suddenly, but they, as Senior and Junior Brothers, were not entirely unprepared.
Because in these past days, the Master's uncontrollable aging had long foretold this day.
However, what they didn't expect was that by the time they arrived at Jixiang Hall, Immortal Light was already scattering across the sky outside the hall, turning into countless ripples amidst a roaring sound.
And their Master had already bowed his head on the bamboo bed in Jixiang Hall.
Lu Fengchuan walked over in a daze, looking at You Yingqiu: "Why? Why was there no Immortal Light guidance?"
You Yingqiu looked at her Master and spoke softly: "I don't know either."
"Could it be that Master did not Ascend?"
"Master's Lifespan is long, he controls countless Heavenly Pivots, and his cultivation is profound. Perhaps he used a method we are unaware of."
Fei She, standing behind, looked at the lifeless old man and couldn't help but murmur softly.
Then, the five of them fell silent for a while, staying in the grand hall for a long time.
The Celestial Book Institute Head Teacher departed silently and without fanfare. The news had not yet spread, and what people focused on was that the increasingly cold weather began to gradually warm up, and the flying snow of September gradually stopped.
Even more miraculously, the old shopkeeper of the Shengjing Teahouse discovered that the originally crimson well water began to gradually clear, and the fishy smell quietly dissipated.
Thus, the teahouse reopened, offering half-price for several consecutive days, bringing its old customers back.
During this process, various departments of the Great Xia were extremely busy.
They were busy with disaster relief, busy with epidemic prevention, and also busy with water level monitoring.
Not long after, the letter from the Nu River Water Conservancy Official was sent again from the basin to Shengjing, and presented to the Great Xia Emperor by the Si Xianjian, stating that the Nu River's water level had returned to its original position.
As for the restless earth dragons, they also began to gradually calm down, with residual tremors fading.
Most importantly, good news came from the epidemic area, stating that a severely ill patient had spontaneously recovered.
At this moment, in the distant sky, a shattered figure crossed Dongxia Commandery, crossed Qibao Commandery, crossed the Nu River, and finally hovered above the Void Realm, smelling the aroma of wine, gazing at the sky, and staring for a long time.
"So, in these fleeting hundred years, you shared half your life with the Heavenly Dao, allowing it to sustain itself until now. No wonder you didn't meddle in Sect affairs and dared not touch anyone's Karma."
"However, in terms of being able to drink wine, you were much smarter than me."
.
The sudden natural disaster ended just as suddenly, and the news of the Celestial Book Institute Head Teacher's return to the Heavens slowly began to spread.
This indeed caused quite a stir at the time, leading to widespread discussion across the land.
He was a peerless expert who had governed the Tianshu Academy for over three hundred years, looked up to by countless people for ages. For many, his sudden Ascension was too abrupt.
Aside from the old Head Teacher's Ascension, the succession of power in the Tianshu Academy naturally became the focus of attention across the land, as it was well-known that the Tianshu Academy had no direct Disciples. Many people were curious who the next Head Teacher would be.
Until a bright morning after autumn began, the news of You Yingqiu's succession as Celestial Book Institute Head Teacher spread far and wide, shaking the entire land.
Correspondingly, the You family of Liang Province instantly became famous, and even the process of dividing the inheritance of the annihilated Sects was affected.
Subsequently, Qingyun finally settled down somewhat. Although the Sect struggles and Immortal Sect internal conflicts still continued, for the common people, there was finally some opportunity to recuperate.
They knew very little about the truth of this world. Many people still didn't know what was going on with the surging corpse tide, what was going on with the sudden darkness, or what was going on with the thunderous explosions everywhere. They just wanted stable lives.
But such a major event happened to the Human Race, and countless important figures passed away one after another, which would not only cause internal strife.
At the Northern Border City Wall, a general who was guarding the city, warming himself with strong liquor, suddenly widened his eyes, seeing countless figures pouring out from the Ten Thousand Mountains.
All were as tall and strong as mountains, riding fierce beasts, roaring as they came.
In fact, this scene was one that the Zhenbei Army had witnessed countless times, so there was no need for excessive surprise.
But the problem was that besides the Ten Thousand Mountains, countless people were also surging towards the North in the vast Snow Region.
In an instant, this city-guarding general blew the horn, directly awakening the long night.
Countless soldiers of the Zhenbei Army immediately donned their armor and gripped their blades, ascending the city wall, their faces turning pale as they looked at the rapidly gathering armies of the two races.
The Yao Race and the Barbarian Race had allied to attack.
The scale of their numbers far exceeded any battle in the past thousand years, causing their hearts to chill.
However, with the protection of the Northern Border Great Array, they still had some confidence.
But when they surveyed the entire Great Array, their faces turned even paler.
Because in their line of sight, in the westernmost part, the Mystic Light of the Great Array had not risen.
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