In the Great Zhou Country, besides the Observatory, a few other institutions stood on equal footing, one of which was the Academy.

The Academy was a vital hub for the Great Zhou Country, gathering its most talented young scholars.

Every year, the Observatory held examinations, and so did the Scholars.

The path of the Scholar was a special one, based on the written word, capable of shaking the world with one’s name.

The members of the Academy were masters of literature and philosophy, presiding over all the Scholars of the world.

Many Scholars had two aspirations. The first was to enter the service of the Great Zhou Country and maintain peace in a region.

The second was to enter the Academy and become one of its disciples.

At times, Scholars even coveted a place in the Academy more than a position as a local official.

What Shen Bai couldn’t understand, however, was why the Dean of the Academy had taken a liking to Qin Shuang. After all, she wasn’t a Scholar; she cultivated the Artifact Dao.

After hearing Shen Bai’s question, a troubled expression crossed Qin Shuang’s face. "I’ve been studying the Artifact Dao for some time, but my progress hasn’t actually been that fast. It’s only because my master has given me extra attention that I seem a little ahead of my peers. The effort I’ve put in isn’t something one can speak of to outsiders."

"This time when I went to Xuanjing City to study, I happened to run into the Dean of the Academy. He actually said I have an extraordinary talent for scholarship and told me to abandon the Artifact Dao and switch to the path of the Scholar."

Shen Bai stirred the congee in his bowl with a spoon. "But that would set you back a whole Grand Realm."

Switching cultivation paths wasn’t unheard of, but it always came at a great cost.

Take someone like Qin Shuang, for instance. If she were to abandon the Artifact Dao and switch to the path of the Scholar, she would likely drop an entire Grand Realm immediately.

It would take a massive amount of time to cultivate her way back to her current level.

Besides, mastering a new path from scratch takes an incredible amount of effort.

Qin Shuang said in frustration, "The Dean said he has a way to prevent me from losing my realm. He also said that with my talent, I could surpass those who came before me. It might not even take long before I could step into the Unity Realm... but I really don’t want to leave Fenglin State."

At this, Qin Shuang’s spirits seemed to fall.

She was from Fenglin State and was Liu Wufeng’s direct disciple. Now, she was being told to take another person as her master. Even though the Dean of the Academy was one of the most powerful people in the Great Zhou Country, she was still reluctant.

If Liu Wufeng hadn’t given her a harsh scolding when she returned, she probably wouldn’t even be considering going back to Xuanjing City at all.

Shen Bai noticed her low spirits. He smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "It’s not all bad, you know."

Qin Shuang asked, confused, "What’s good about it? I just want to stay in Fenglin State, not wander all over the place."

Shen Bai pointed at Qin Shuang, then gestured in the direction of the Observatory. "The Dean’s intention isn’t to sever your master-disciple bond with Lord Liu. When you achieve great things in the future, your prospects will far exceed Lord Liu’s. Perhaps then, you’ll even be able to help him."

Hearing this, Qin Shuang’s mood brightened a little. "I understand what you’re saying. I’m reluctant, but my master said the same thing. I can’t very well argue with him or go against his wishes."

Of course, she understood the reasoning behind Shen Bai’s words.

If she could achieve success on the path of the Scholar, she might be able to help Liu Wufeng resolve many of his problems in the future.

Liu Wufeng treated her like his own daughter, and she wanted to be able to help him in return someday.

"Alright, stop looking so down. Have some more to eat. If you ask me, you just haven’t been eating enough." Shen Bai pulled his hand back, then patted Qin Shuang’s head as he spoke.

Qin Shuang immediately covered the top of her head. "The Dean once said you can’t pat a Scholar on the head!"

SMACK!

Shen Bai smacked her head again. "See? I’m patting it."

Qin Shuang pouted and, looking thoroughly wronged, lowered her head to sip her congee.

Shen Bai remembered something and asked, "By the way, you must have access to news from Xuanjing City. Have you heard anything about Marquis Fengjiang?"

Shen Bai had heard a fair bit recently, but it was all just superficial information.

Zhou Qing, his sworn brother, was currently part of the force besieging Marquis Fengjiang, and he had sent the occasional letter.

But with the army’s strict discipline, there were some things Zhou Qing didn’t dare mention.

Since Qin Shuang had just returned from Xuanjing City, Shen Bai figured the news there would be more detailed, so he decided to ask her about it.

Now that they were on to serious matters, Qin Shuang stopped messing around. She tapped her pale forehead with a finger, thought for a moment to organize her words, and then spoke.

"Marquis Fengjiang is at the end of his rope—out of supplies and reinforcements. It seems he’s been surrounded and can’t make a move. But he’s using the lives of an entire city’s population as leverage, trying to prolong his inevitable doom. His Majesty seems to have made a move, but I don’t know the specifics. Still, I reckon Marquis Fengjiang doesn’t have much longer to live."

’The lives of an entire city’s population?’

Shen Bai’s eyes narrowed. "The man is ruthless."

Qin Shuang nodded. "Even though His Majesty is plagued by a chronic illness, he’s still doing everything in his power to protect the people. It’s just that his reach exceeds his grasp. That’s why Marquis Fengjiang is targeting His Majesty’s soft spot."

"But His Majesty’s intentions are clear: Marquis Fengjiang must die. So no matter what, this is just a delay. And by the way, Marquis Fengjiang won’t be the only one going down this time."

"Who else?" Shen Bai asked.

Qin Shuang explained, "The Wild Taoist Sect and the Wild Buddha Sect. They’ve joined forces with Marquis Fengjiang. Those two Demonic Forces have always kept themselves well hidden, but they made too big of a move this time, so the Observatory’s Yin General Department found some clues."

"They’ve already suffered a major blow, and their strength has been cut by at least half. Yin General Department is furious. The entire staff of the Observatory in that city was wiped out—killed in action."