Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 92 We, the scholars, should slay demons and save the people!
"Boom--!"

As rolling, leaden clouds pressed down on the city, and a thunderclap cleaved the sky, a torrential downpour of black rain, surging from the direction of Taihu Lake, engulfed Jiangzhou Prefecture.

The blue brick floor of the Duke Xue's mansion was flooded up to ankle-deep.

Hundreds of servants and household guards ran wildly through the corridors, carrying heavy bags of sand.

The elderly butler stood barefoot in the courtyard, his cloudy eyes reflecting the rising waterline, which was at least two feet high!

He had never seen such a terrifying flood in his life!

This is no longer a natural disaster; it is clearly a great demon stirring up the great rivers and lakes!

"Block the gate to prevent the floodwaters from entering!"

The old butler's roar was drowned out by the rain.

In the distance came the muffled sound of the wall collapsing, mixed with the cries of the people.

This sudden storm caused the entire city of Jiangzhou to be flooded to a depth of several feet.

Jiangzhou Prefecture is located in a low-lying area.

The sudden downpour nearly wiped out a year's worth of rainfall. The city's drains couldn't keep up with the flow.

The entire Jiangzhoufu Street groaned in the torrential rain.

The century-old brand "Renyitang" had its gold-painted signboard overturned by the hurricane and crashed to the ground, splashing mud and water onto frightened pedestrians.

In the distance, the bamboo awnings of the teahouse soared into the sky like kites, their thick poles twisted into pretzel shapes by the fierce wind.

The abacus beads of the pawnshop on the street were tumbling with the turbid current, making a crackling sound like an uncountable debt of sin.

The study in the backyard of the Duke of Xue's mansion.

"Thump—thump—!"

The bronze bell of Jiangzhou Academy pierced through the rain, sounding exceptionally clear and melodious amidst the raging storm, and resounded throughout Jiangzhou Prefecture.

"Brother Jiang, listen to this bell—"

Cao An suddenly grabbed a straw hat, raindrops dripping from its cloak onto the ground. "It's an urgent summons from the prefectural school! Any mishap could indicate a disturbance or chaos. Assemble immediately!"

"The tolling of the palace bell must be related to this demonic scourge!"

"Let's go, we'll go to the academy right away!"

Jiang Xingzhou's face sank like water.

The eight boys placed their numerous study materials and books in the high attic of the study, and then put on straw hats and raincoats.

Ignoring the torrential rain, the eight people in straw raincoats formed a line in the rain and headed towards Jiangzhou Academy.

along the way,

Seeing the dilapidated tea shed collapsed in the torrential rain, with half of a cloth banner reading "New Tea in Grain Rain" still hanging from the broken bamboo frame.

Collapsed houses are everywhere, with half of an earthen wall collapsing to reveal a stove still smoking inside.

They were all deeply moved and filled with anger.

"Damn that great demon, why did it have to send out such a huge storm! It's ruined the lives of the people in the five counties of Jiangzhou!"

"The fertile fields and grain crops in one prefecture and five counties have probably been completely destroyed! If this torrential rain continues for another three days, the autumn harvest will likely be a total loss!"

Gu Zhimian continued to hurl insults throughout the journey.

The Jiangzhou Academy is situated on higher ground, nestled against a low hill. Although the blue brick floor was not flooded, it was permeated with a damp, cold, and fishy smell.

Jiang Xingzhou, Han Yugui, and others rushed to Jiangzhou Academy.

Inside the academy, numerous instructors, along with two or three hundred scholars and over a thousand students, had gathered, and curses echoed everywhere.

As Jiang Xingzhou stepped into the courtyard, he heard an instructor slam his fist on the table and shout angrily: "How dare these mere dragon demons establish a demon court in Taihu Lake! Have they forgotten the painful lesson of being wiped out a hundred years ago!"

He pounded the ruler in his hand on the "Commentary on the Waterways Classic," venting his anger.

"A hundred years ago, during the war against the demons, my great-grandfather even accompanied the army and slew a catfish demon soldier!" a scholar with thick eyebrows shouted, revealing half of a short knife quenched with chicken blood from his sleeve. "Now, this scholar will slay one of them."

"I heard from Lord Zhou that the evil dragon demon has led a large group of demon soldiers and generals to reopen the Taihu Demon Court in the eight-hundred-mile Taihu Lake."

"Judging by the imposing presence of these dark clouds overhead, it's definitely true!"

"Our Jiangzhou Prefecture has not experienced such a great demonic calamity for nearly a hundred years!"

“Since the governor of Jiangnan Circuit personally led the elite troops of ten prefectures to quell the demonic threat in Taihu Lake a hundred years ago, our Jiangzhou Prefecture has enjoyed peace for a hundred years and has never seen such a rampant demon causing trouble.”

"I don't know where this great demon got the courage to cause trouble in Taihu Lake again!"

"Fortunately, this great demon has just gathered its demon army, its foundation in Taihu Lake is not yet stable, and its power is not yet strong enough to pose a threat. Now is the perfect opportunity to eliminate this demon!!"

Jiang Xingzhou coldly swept his gaze across the crowd. In a corner of the academy, another small group of scholars were whispering among themselves, their faces flushed.

These scholars rubbed the leather pouches at their waists, from which came the light clinking of porcelain bottles, indicating that containers for collecting demon-capturing pills were already prepared.

"I heard that the other day a woodcutter found a demon general's scale by the lake and sold it for fifty taels of silver!"
This sudden demonic calamity presents a perfect opportunity to reap rich rewards!
"Killing just one demon soldier will earn us enough silver to keep us happy for a long time!"

A tall, thin scholar lowered his voice, his eyes gleaming.

The pouch at his waist was bulging, and one could vaguely see that it was filled with cinnabar-inscribed talismans and a specially made demon-capturing jade bottle.

The round-faced scholar next to him licked his lips and said, "If we could hunt down a demon general," he subconsciously touched the blade in his pocket, "the demon core and blood alone would be enough to buy a fine house in Jiangzhou City."

It can both rid the people of harm and make a fortune!
It's worth the risk!

Killing a demon soldier yields a demon core that condenses one's cultivation, and seizing its cultivation is highly beneficial. If sold for money, it can be equivalent to nearly half a year's income.

If one were to kill a demon general, and collect its demon core, blood, and bones, all of which could be used to refine elixirs and miraculous medicines, the harvest would be even more substantial, equivalent to several decades of their income.

Zhao Mansion.

A series of hurried footsteps came from outside the high wall of the backyard.

"Brother Zilu!"

More than ten young scholars from noble families, dressed in brocade robes, gathered under the wall. The one in the lead said loudly, "The academy master is summoning the students of the academy and is going to lead them to Taihu Lake to slay the demon."

The people of the counties along the way are suffering greatly from the demonic calamity and are waiting for us to come to their rescue with our swords.

You are one of the top scholars among the candidates from the five counties of Jiangzhou Prefecture, possessing exceptional strength. Would you be willing to join us in slaying this demon?

In the study of the Zhao family mansion,
"I won't go!" Zhao Zilu sat cross-legged, holding a book of sages, his gaze as cold as ice, and his voice suddenly boomed: "If you want to go, then go!"

Don't drag me into this mess of suicide!

I will bury myself in my studies and not step out of the Zhao residence once before the Jiangzhou Prefecture Examination!

Outside the walls of the Zhao residence, the leading scholar, Shen Zhiyun, was stunned upon hearing this. His expression changed drastically, and anger surged within him.

"Zhao Zilu!"

He shouted sternly at the wall, "Have you wasted all your time studying the classics?!"
Now that Jiangzhou Prefecture is in turmoil and its people are suffering, killing the demon and saving the people is the most urgent task!
What's the use of reading books if we scholars can't wield swords to slay demons and bring peace to the world?!
His anger burned even brighter, and he sneered, "I thought I would still pity you after your tragic end at Zuixianlou, where you fought with Jiang Xingzhou."

"Now it seems we really only have ourselves to blame!"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly tore off a corner of his sleeve and threw it hard to the ground—"From this day forward, I, Shen Zhiyun, sever all ties with you and we shall have no further connection!"

"Not bad!"

The young students roared in unison, their eyes burning with rage.

When is it not good to read?
With demonic calamity looming, countless lives are lost!

"The most urgent task is to take up arms to slay the demons and save the people from their suffering!"

"How can we cling to outdated books and sit idly by while the people suffer?!"

Before the words were even finished, the students angrily swung their sleeves, and with several sharp "rips," the cloth tore. Segments of their robes fluttered to the ground, like blades severing ties, resolute and ruthless.

"Let's go—we'll go ourselves!"

Shen Zhiyun gave a cold shout, and the students left without looking back, leaving only tattered cloth scattered on the ground, disheveled in the wind and rain outside the Zhao residence.

The gloomy sky reflected Zhao Zilu's gloomy profile.

He dipped his brush in ink, the brush rustling as he copied the book onto the Xuan paper, oblivious to the noise outside the courtyard.

"Humph!

So what!

The Jiangzhou Prefecture examination tests literary talent; who cares how many demons you've slain or how many lives you've saved?

He paused, then looked out the window, his eyes full of mockery: "The prefectural examination consists of three parts, three essays—fame and fortune lie solely in the ink and brush, not in blood and sweat!"

While you waste this half-month of your studies and fail the prefectural examination...

You will eventually understand that today's passion will only lead to tomorrow's regret!

Not long after,

"Second Young Master"

The old butler brought in a gilded brazier, but the incense burning inside couldn't mask the faint, fishy smell emanating from the study.
"The young master of the Zhou family in the prefectural city has sent another invitation, saying that he will hold a banquet at Zuixianlou to send off the students of the prefectural academy who are about to depart."

Zhao Zilu slammed the book shut, angrily saying, "Tell them I caught a cold. Everything outside has nothing to do with me!"

Jiangzhou Academy.

Upon hearing the urgent summons, the instructors, teachers, thousands of students, and hundreds of scholars gathered in ever-growing numbers.

The instructor in crimson robes stood with his hand on his sword, while the instructor in blue robes held his scroll solemnly. Thousands of students stood in formation like clouds, and hundreds of scholars stood with their hands on their swords, awaiting orders.

An aura of chilling solemnity soared straight to the heavens.

Standing alone on the high platform, Zhou Yuanjun was dressed in white, pure as snow, untouched by any dust. The scholar's sword at his waist gleamed with a faint blue light, making his features appear as if covered in frost.

He stood with his hands behind his back, looking coldly at the students.

A gust of wind swept through the courtyard, whipping up his unbound black hair and causing his wide-sleeved white robe to flutter wildly, like a battle flag waving.

"Students!"

Zhou Yuanjun let out a clear and melodious dragon's roar, like the clash of gold and jade, instantly suppressing the noise in the arena.

Thousands of scholars fell silent, gazing at the academy's leader.

"The great demon of Taihu Lake is causing chaos. Although it is not under the jurisdiction of Jiangzhou Prefecture, the demonic aura is rampant, and the demonic storms and rains have affected many prefectures and counties around Taihu Lake."

Where the demon soldiers passed, houses were reduced to ruins, and people were displaced!

We scholars have an unshirkable duty to vanquish evil, save the people, and uphold the nation!

"We scholars are willing to follow the academy's leader to vanquish the demons and save the people!"

The students and scholars responded excitedly in unison, their swords clanging like thunder.

"it is good!"

With a flick of his sleeve, Zhou Yuanjun unleashed a sword that pointed to the sky, its sound like thunder echoing across the mansion and the long street.

"All students, listen to my command!"
Those who are scholars above the rank of Xiucai (秀才) or those with top-tier combat skills among the Tongsheng (童生) will be warriors! They will be on the front lines, dedicated to eliminating demon soldiers.

Those with weaker combat capabilities will serve as auxiliary troops! They will be stationed behind the front lines, providing medical care, assisting disaster victims, rescuing the wounded, and supplying provisions.

Gentlemen—follow me on my expedition to Taihu Lake!

With a flick of his sleeve, Zhou Yuanjun's Qingfeng Sword transformed into a three-zhang-long azure rainbow that hovered in front of him.

He lightly touched the ground with his toes, stepped onto his sword, and rose into the air, his robes fluttering like clouds hanging from the sky.

"Follow—"

With a single stroke of Zhou Shan's longsword technique, a blue rainbow pierced the sky, tearing through the twilight and leaving a trail of light hundreds of feet long in the heavens.

Hundreds of scholars simultaneously performed literary exercises, their jade pendants from the prefectural academy gleaming, and wisps of blue clouds rising beneath their feet.

Thousands of students used cloud and wind magic to transform into flowing clouds and lift their bodies.

In an instant——!
A streak of azure sword light served as the guide, followed by a thousand clouds!

The vast array of literary cultivators surged like a reversed Milky Way, sweeping past the city walls of Jiangzhou and flying towards Taihu Lake, a thousand miles away.

"Students of the academy, we're going to slay a demon!"

The hundreds of thousands of people in Jiangzhou City looked up and saw the colorful clouds in the sky, as bright as day, tearing through the dark clouds. They were so excited that they prostrated themselves in worship.

(End of this chapter)