This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

However, his explanation clearly did not satisfy the sage. Lan Beitang looked at him with great interest, his eyes seeming to say, "Make it up, make it up again."

In this atmosphere, Xiao Xingchen also felt somewhat discouraged. He knew that without a reasonable explanation, this matter would likely not be resolved, because the Martial Emperor would also inquire. He could escape for a while, but he couldn't escape the Martial Emperor's questioning.

After shrinking back as much as he could, he had no choice but to explain again.

"Well, it's a long story. I have a good friend in my hometown. Before the late Empress was officially appointed, she saved his life, and he's always been grateful to her. Now that I'm about to leave my seclusion, he asked me to bow three times to her if I see her in person."

"Where are you from, and what are your friends' names?"

"I come from the Great Tang Dynasty in the East, and my friend is Ultraman..."

Xiao Xingchen activated his masterful deception mode, glancing sideways at the screen. "If anyone wants to verify this," he thought, "they're in for a world of trouble."

"The Great Tang Dynasty of the East? What kind of place is that? Why have I never heard of it before?"

The Saint frowned, recalling carefully.

"We live in a small, remote mountain village. It's normal that the teacher hasn't heard of it. Really, it's just a small mountain village nestled among the mountains. We jokingly call it the 'Eastern Tang Dynasty',"

"Is that right?"

"Yes, yes, I swear, if it weren't for me, may I be struck by lightning!"

Seeing Xiao Xingchen's reassured expression, the Sub-Saint also showed a thoughtful look, perhaps thinking of finding someone to verify it, or perhaps wondering how much truth there was in those words.

The Second Saint acknowledged Xiao Xingchen's literary talent, but the boy was somewhat cunning and never spoke the truth, making it difficult for him to judge him.

However, Lan Beitang, who was unnoticed by anyone, frowned, lost in deep confusion, and then spoke.

"Brother Xingchen, are you really from the Great Tang Dynasty in the East?"

"How could it be fake? Wait, what do you mean?"

Xiao Xingchen blurted out, then immediately realized something was off; Lan Beitang's question seemed to have a hidden meaning.

"Lan Beitang, do you know this place?" The Second Saint also cast a questioning glance his way.

Lan Beitang shook his head uncertainly.

"I'm very familiar with this name; I'm sure I've seen it somewhere before, but I can't quite remember where."

"What? You've seen it before?"

This startled Xiao Xingchen so much that he jumped three feet high. He was here desperately making up stories, yet you claimed to have seen it—that was a rather unsettling thought.

“Sage, do you still remember the first master of our study?”

Suddenly, Lan Beitang asked,

"I have heard that Blue City Academy was founded three hundred years ago. At that time, the academy's master was unparalleled in literary talent and even proposed the saying 'Be the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures.' This is the foundation upon which Blue City Academy stands. Since then, every generation of academy disciples has kept this precept in mind, which is why even a small academy has produced so many sword immortals. In the end, this noble principle has made Blue City Academy what it is today."

The demigod replied slowly, but Xiao Xingchen's heart sank. Good heavens, it seemed his few fabricated words had unearthed another senior.

The person who could utter the phrase "worry about the world's troubles before anyone else" must be his ex-girlfriend, whom he never met. She's probably lying in her grave in Cangshan right now.

Three hundred years ago—the exact timeframe is hard to pinpoint, and he wasn't sure if it was one of his predecessors from previous transmigrators—but it served as a reminder. Although each transmigrator ultimately died, they left behind numerous traces in this world. If he dug deeper, he was certain he could uncover all eight of his predecessors.

Furthermore, one should be careful. Everyone knows the Three Hundred Tang Poems; it would be embarrassing if one recited the same poem twice.

“What the Sage said is true. The first master of the Blue City Study was a mortal who founded it and made a grand vow. The calligraphy he left behind is highly valued in the study and is still preserved in the library. I think I saw the records of the Great Tang Dynasty in the East there. But you actually came from there, so I find it hard to believe.”

"Huh? No way?" Xiao Xingchen was speechless. This was a case of mistaken identity; it turned out the previous generations had already started using the "Eastern Tang Dynasty" excuse to fool the locals.

"I remember the records about the Great Tang Dynasty in the East. It wasn't some remote mountain village. It was a very powerful country where all nations paid tribute. The study once sent people to search for this country, but to no avail. Only the first master of the study knew its location. I never expected that I would be so fortunate as to meet someone from the Great Tang Dynasty today. If the master of the study knew, he would be so happy that he wouldn't be able to sleep all night."

"Is that so? The Confucian Temple doesn't even have a single record of it. If such a powerful nation existed, there should be more than enough information about it," the Second Sage said with an inquisitive look, clearly showing that the existence of the Tang Dynasty had piqued his interest greatly.

However, none of them noticed that Daji, who had been staying in the corner, was staring at Xiao Xingchen again with a strange expression. It seemed that she knew something about the Tang Dynasty, but she did not talk to Xiao Xingchen. She was thinking to herself about which of their words were true and which were false.

“Yes, we don’t believe there is such a country in the world either, but the first master of the temple is said to have come from the Tang Dynasty. Only the Tang Dynasty could produce such a great figure as the master, and only the people there could utter the wise saying, ‘Be the first to worry about the troubles of the world.’ And seeing Brother Xingchen today, I am even more certain that the Tang Dynasty must exist. It is very similar to our master.”

A glint appeared in Lan Beitang's eyes as he looked at Xiao Xingchen, which startled Xiao Xingchen. For a man to be interested in him was clearly not a good sign.

He immediately offered an explanation, displaying an awkwardness akin to needing countless lies to cover up one lie.

"Teacher, Brother Beitang, perhaps you're mistaken. The Great Tang is truly a tiny place. If I really came from such a powerful country, there would be no need to hide it. After all, compared to the Great Tang you described, the Great Qian is nothing."

Even so, Xiao Xingchen silently added in his heart, "In front of the Tang Dynasty, the Great Qian Dynasty is truly nothing but a fart."

"But you speak eloquently, and even though you only recited two poems, I could already feel the atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty. Brother Xingchen, where exactly is the Tang Dynasty? Why have we searched everywhere but found nothing? Is this country really as powerful as the Master of the Studio described?" Lan Beitang's face was full of longing, and his curiosity about the Tang Dynasty could no longer be concealed.

"Disciple, if you know anything, feel free to speak. Don't hold back. With me here, it won't have any other impact on you."

The Saint also offered his assurances, explaining that when someone doesn't want to reveal their origins, it's simply to avoid trouble, and the Saint could resolve any such issues for them.

"You really want to know about the Tang Dynasty?"

Xiao Xingchen's mind started working again. "This isn't me trying to fool you; you all practically begged me to say it."

"Speak quickly, speak quickly! The master's calligraphy is filled with longing for the Tang Dynasty. We can feel that our patriarch missed the Tang Dynasty until his death. Since our patriarch never returned in his life, we disciples naturally must fulfill his wish in his lifetime."

Lan Beitang was getting a little anxious, which made Xiao Xingchen, who was about to continue his deception, fall silent for a moment, because he learned from Lan Beitang that his ancestor came from the Tang Dynasty.