This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Xiao Xingchen felt that he was incompatible with Yong'an City. Otherwise, why would he turn back and run away every time he arrived at Yong'an City?

This time, however, he wasn't trying to run away. Having chosen to stand up, it meant he had made his choice from that moment on.

Whether it's confronting the Martial Emperor head-on or uncovering the mystery of his eight comrades' deaths, he's resolute. However, he won't let the storm rage any more fiercely; he'll choose a gentler approach, adding a layer of protection for himself. This has led to his current predicament of running and being chased.

Slightly tipsy, Daji's face was flushed as she nestled in her arms. She said with some dissatisfaction,

"Why are you running away? With me here, how could I let you get caught?"

Xiao Xingchen was slightly taken aback, somewhat helpless.

"You're the one who's really just watching the show. Others are just eating sunflower seeds, but you've even been drinking. And to make matters worse, you've gotten yourself all drunk. What am I supposed to say to you?"

"If you don't know how to say it, then don't say it. Just put me down and let me deal with those people behind me."

"I know you're capable, but I also know you're heavily restricted and can't act easily. As for these things, they're minor troubles that I can handle myself."

These words seemed to bring Daji to her senses, and she shook her head with a wry smile. There were things she hadn't said, but it seemed he had already guessed.

She wasn't mute; it's just that the world wouldn't allow her to speak, let alone use extraordinary powers.

This was a prohibition imposed on her, the great emperor of the demon race, and also a sign of her helplessness.

"Don't worry, everything is going according to plan. We not only want to enter Yong'an, but we also want them to welcome us in."

The little tiger poked its head out and glanced at them, seemingly displeased with the jostling, howling a few times to vent its frustration. But Xiao Xingchen completely ignored it.

Xiao Xingchen stared ahead, already having planned his next move.

"Oh? What are you planning to do?" These words piqued Daji's interest.

"Defeat magic with magic."

Xiao Xingchen smiled and spurred his horse onward toward the ten-mile pavilion.

In reality, many things cannot be resolved solely through force. This world holds many fundamental truths, and once those truths are found, many problems will be easily solved. One such truth is power.

In Xiao Xingchen's view, "power" is the core essence of the world. Whether it's an ordinary person, a sword immortal, or any other master, they are all dust in the face of power.

Once I seize power, great Confucian scholars will debate the classics for me, and sword immortals will serve me.

Of course, he hasn't reached that level yet, but there's something else he can borrow right now.

"What is magic?" Daji asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Use someone's strength against them; do you know what weakness people have in the world?"

"what?"

"Face, everyone in the world cares about face. Whether it's Emperor Wu or the people behind us, they all care about face."

"Coincidentally, I'm shameless. I don't know if you've ever heard the saying, 'A shameless person is invincible.'"

Daji's lips twitched. Since when has shamelessness become something to brag about?

"Have you ever considered that your safest option might be not to run?"

Daji voiced her thoughts. She didn't believe this man couldn't see through her. There was a glint in his eyes, so she was very curious: why was he running away?

"Of course I know. No one would dare to harm me in public, not even the Crown Prince. After all, I only answered a question. To threaten to kill me for that would make them seem petty and lose face."

"At the very least, the eldest princess must protect me, otherwise how will she gain the trust of others in the future?"

"Then why did you run? Your running away gave them an opportunity to strike."

Do you know about the Confucian Temple?

Xiao Xingchen abruptly changed the subject and asked,

"The Temple of Literature? What's that?" Daji frowned, indicating she had never heard of it.

Xiao Xingchen nodded silently upon hearing this, gave Daji a deep look, and then explained,

"The Confucian Temple does not belong to any country. They are detached from worldly affairs, taking it as their mission to educate all people and gather scholars from all over the world. There are so-called sages and second sages in the temple, who are the spiritual leaders of the world."

"There's such a place? How come I didn't know about it?"

"This thing was established with the tacit approval of various countries a hundred years ago, so it's understandable that you don't know about it."

"Oh, no wonder, I see, but..."

Thinking of this, Daji's eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had figured something out, and then she replied meaningfully,

"You lied to me?"

Xiao Xingchen curled the corners of her lips and directly denied it.

"I didn't. I'm explaining the origin of the Confucian Temple to you,"

"Hmph, fine, since you want to know, I can tell you. I've been trapped in Cangshan for over a hundred years. Just ask me directly, why bother testing me like this?"

Daji snorted and gave him a disgruntled glare.

"You've misunderstood. If I wanted to delve into your secrets, I would have asked you already. This Confucian temple is the key to getting those people to welcome us into the city, which is why I told you about it."

"why?"

"It's still a matter of face. The reason why the Confucian Temple can stand apart from all the countries and remain detached from external affairs is primarily because it is tacitly approved by all the countries."

"I still don't understand. You humans just love to do all this nonsense; it's so hypocritical."

Xiao Xingchen chuckled. That was true; people's hearts were unpredictable, and those who manipulated people were the most terrifying. Thinking of this, he felt it necessary to give Daji a heads-up beforehand.

Although Daji appeared to have lived for many years, he could tell that her temperament hadn't matured with age. Perhaps this was related to her imprisonment, which had lasted far beyond a century—a deduction Xiao Xingchen himself had made. His earlier mention of the Confucian Temple was merely to verify this.

"This Confucian temple is a knife, a knife that confines and governs the world. This is a knife that many emperors are happy to see, so they can exist independently."

"Governing the world with a cage? That's quite novel," Daji's eyes lit up.

"Yes, this is a problem that no emperor can avoid. If all the scholars in the world are locked in the Confucian Temple, making them study Zhang Ju and spend their lives studying the classics, these people will be settled. Even if there are rebellions or disturbances, they will only be bandits. But if these scholars have nothing, they will do whatever they want, think whatever they want, and write whatever they want. This will cause great trouble for the emperor's rule. Do you understand now?"

"This is why the world reveres the Temple of Confucius. As long as the Temple of Confucius exists, scholars will yearn for it, aspiring to be remembered for generations and to attain sainthood. Who would care about the suffering of the people?"

What you said seems to make some sense, but what does it have to do with us now?

"If I remember correctly, the Poetry Immortal Gathering is about to begin. It's hosted by the Confucian Temple and is held every ten years, each time in a different location. This time, the Poetry Immortal Gathering is in the Great Qian Dynasty, which is Yong'an City. And this time, the Confucian Temple has sent a near-Sage."

"You mean... you're going to seek refuge with this sage?"

Daji seemed to have realized something.

"Of course, whether it's an emperor or a sword immortal, they can't resist the pens of scholars. These scholars may not seem like much when they're scattered around, but when they gather together, their pens can kill a person. We don't have any background, so once we enter Yong'an, we'll be at their mercy. Therefore, we need to find a talisman, and nothing is more suitable than the Confucian Temple. With this title, I can walk sideways in Yong'an. Do you believe me?"

"A bunch of intellectuals, just kill them. Aren't you being a little naive?"

"No, civil and military, civil and military, why is civil first and military second? There's a lot to it."

Daji revealed a thoughtful expression. Although she couldn't immediately understand what Xiao Xingchen was saying, a mental transformation had already begun within her.

"Then how can you be sure you can sneak into the Confucian Temple?"

Xiao Xingchen smiled mysteriously. Possessing three hundred Tang poems, he refused to believe he couldn't break into a Confucian temple.

He might not be good at fighting, but when it comes to composing poetry, these time travelers have never lost.