Chapter 49 Kill a Fake Scholar

In the heavy rain, Mr. Liang who had entered the tavern was thrown out and fell on the muddy ground, with mud all over his body.

And he couldn’t get up immediately but struggled for a long time. He had to lie in the mud and look at the old Confucian scholar who showed up at the door of the tavern.

Such a scene made the more than ten cavalrymen who came with Mr. Liang look at one another speechlessly, and then they turned to the middle-aged leader at the same time in the end.

The middle-aged man looked solemn. They came out this time without the order of the North Military Government, and even Liang Shu didn’t get the government’s permission. It was a private action and it was no problem if Liang Shu died here. Then if the North Military Government investigated this case, they could probably put the blame on Liang Shu. While in fact, they came out mostly because Liang Shu wanted the demon core and couldn’t go out alone in secret, and he paid some money and asked this military officer in the North Military Government to choose some men to come with him. Then as long as the officer didn’t mention the money, perhaps he could handle it with the reason that Liang Shu forced them to, even if the North Military Government blamed him.

But if these cavalrymen behind him were killed or injured by that old Confucian scholar standing at the door of the tavern, it would be big trouble when the North Military Government investigated it. Maybe the news would spread to Luoyang City later and the emperor would get furious. After all, after the general Xu Wuting had been deposed for no reason, all the generals in the North Military Government were cautious and afraid that they would become the next targets of the emperor. Now something like this happened, and how could he find an excuse to explain to the North Military Government where everybody was alert?

After all, no matter how gentle that emperor looked, he was a ruler who could distinguish between right and wrong and might kill anybody if he wanted to.

The middle-aged man maintained his composure but made the horse move a few steps backward. All the cavalrymen behind him understood and retreated several steps slowly, trying to keep away from that dangerous place.

At this moment, the middle-aged man’s choice was inhuman but realistic.

The old Confucian scholar stood at the door of the tavern and looked at Liang Shu lying on the ground, asking calmly, “Which academy are you from?”

In fact, there were dozens of academies and schools in Yanling, and not every Confucian cultivator came from the Yanling Confucian Temple. Moreover, it was not far from Dayu here. As far as the old Confucian scholar knew, there were many academies in Dayu, and he had no idea which academy Liang Shu was from.

Liang Shu felt the severe pain in his internal organs, but he still gritted his teeth, “Before I came to the North Military Government, I studied in Luoshui Academy.”

To be frank, Liang Shu was quite smart. He knew that this old scholar was a Confucian cultivator, so he didn’t talk about the North Military Government but said that he studied in Luoshui Academy. If it happened that this old Confucian scholar had some connections with that academy, Liang Shu might beg for a chance of survival.

As expected, after the old Confucian scholar heard the words “Luoshui Academy”, his expression changed. He seemed to miss it or think of the old days.

Liang Shu grabbed the last life-saving straw, “Sir, do you have connections with Luoshui Academy? I was thoughtless today and did something to ruin the scholars’ reputation, and I shouldn’t have done it, but please keep me alive so that I can mend my ways sincerely.”

Hearing that, the old Confucian scholar sneered, “Since you have done something wrong, how can you escape from punishment? I am not like those pedantic scholars who know nothing but to admonish or advise others. What’s more, I do have connections with Luoshui Academy, but the connection is not good. I wanted to study at Luoshui Academy, but they closed the door on me, saying that I didn’t look like a scholar. It’s really ridiculous. Can you judge a person from his face if he looks like a scholar? It’s so funny. So I didn’t enter Luoshui Academy but travelled around Yanling for decades. However, I have walked on the road to cultivation. But I don’t have a grudge against you, so I don’t want to upset you with old stories. I just tell you. If you want to take the shopkeeper’s demon core, I won’t disagree. How can you say that to bully a woman who has an unmentionable disease? I feel ashamed for you!”

Liang Shu looked sad and asked, “Sir, won’t you spare me this time?”

The old Confucian scholar didn’t speak but crooked his finger.

Liang Shu didn’t think that he would be lucky anymore, so he didn’t pretend to be unable to get up. After he got up, this Confucian cultivator took out an ancient ink container from his pocket.

He stared at the old Confucian scholar expressionlessly, “Sir, although you are at a high stage, the Fundamental Stage, I don’t want to await my doom anyway.”

The old Confucian scholar put his hands behind his back and walked into the heavy rain from the door, letting the rain wet his body. He came to a place ten steps away from Liang Shu and then said, “Let me see what power your ink container has.”

Liang Shu sneered silently and didn’t keep him in suspense. He grabbed a piece of paper with a method in his hand, and then the ink container was hung in the midair. In an instant, the vital energy surged, and the ink container started to absorb all the rain around unexpectedly. For a moment, something unusual happened.

The ink container turned, and a black long river came out of it, overspreading to the old Confucian scholar.

In addition, as the black long river came out through the ink container, the rain around became black gradually.

It was ink rain.

In the ink rain, the old Confucian scholar looked at the black long river and asked with a smile, “The Confucian sages can turn most demons into ashes with an excellent essay, and your black long river achieves the same result by a different method, but it is really inferior. What’s more, do you think that I am a demon?”

Before he finished his words, the old Confucian scholar walked into the black long river but the ink couldn’t stain his clothes.

He remained silent and just looked at Liang Shu calmly, as if the black long river had no influence on him.

He didn’t use any magic method of the Fundamental Stage. He seemed to disdain to use it or think that it was unnecessary.

The old Confucian scholar was not the old lazy man who had been drinking in the tavern earlier.

He was in high and vigorous spirits.

He raised one hand and put the other at his back.

The whole black long river suddenly turned around.

Although Liang Shu still had connections with the ink container, he couldn’t control the black long river anymore.

The old Confucian scholar laughed, “I think you are merely a fake scholar abandoned by the academy. How do you know how to use the Confucian skills?”

“Most of the Confucian cultivators in the world walk on a broad way, no matter if they are at a high stage. Who would walk on a narrow path like you do?”

After saying that, the old Confucian scholar suddenly waved his raised hand, “If you are not affected by this black long river, I will give you a chance to stay alive. If you can’t stand it, I have to say that you deserve it.”

As the black long river changed the direction and attacked Liang Shu, he opened his eyes wide in disbelief. While the old Confucian scholar turned around without looking back, he stopped at the door and took off his shoes. After cleaning the mud under his shoes, he put them on and walked into the tavern.

As soon as he entered, the old Confucian scholar took a pot of wine from the counter and wiped away the arrows. Then he sat across from Li Fuyao and poured a bowl of wine, smiling, “Young man, can you drink more?”

Li Fuyao stayed silent for a while and then replied peacefully, “I can drink several pots.”

The old Confucian scholar clapped and laughed, “So let’s have a drink.”

Then he turned to the middle-aged woman who was in a trance from beginning to end, “Lady, record this pot of wine on my bill. When I have money someday, I will pay you.”

The middle-aged woman who finally came to her senses rubbed her forehead and looked at the old Confucian scholar, with a weird expression. In the past few days when he was in the tavern, she didn’t find anything unusual and just thought it was an old poor Confucian scholar, but now in the blink of an eye, this old guy became a master who concealed his strength, and it appeared that she probably couldn’t defeat him even at her peak. It was said that powerful people hid in the city, and it turned out that there was a big shot around her. She came back to earth and laughed, “It’s my treat.”

The old Confucian scholar burst into laughter, “Can you write off the debts on my bill?”

The middle-aged woman snorted, “Stop daydreaming!”