Walking by the Abyss on Thin Ice

Chapter 69 – Youthful heroism

Others didn't know who donated the Ten Embroidered Picture, but Qiu Shuijing knew. He also knew that the person who donated it was not some kind of senior expert. That person was just like him, a teenager at the time, and he didn't die.

"At that time, Songyan and I were young and ignorant, and we forcibly entered the Ghost Market in Tianmen of Tian Shi Yuan, and went deep into the Ghost Market for more than ten miles. Songyan was eager to win, and he made a bet with me. He took over a spiritual weapon of an ancient great saint and entrusted it to him."

Qiu Shuijing recalled the past. At that time, they were young students, full of energy, pointing the country and waving their hands, with a passion, which was completely different from now, without sharpness and ambition.

At that time, both Songyan and he took over the trust of ancient sages. Songyan got the spiritual weapon of the great saint, the Ten Embroidered Picture!

After receiving the trust, they each tried to complete it, otherwise they would face the pursuit of the spirits of the ancient sages. If they could not complete the trust, they would naturally face a dead end.

Qiu Shuijing completed the trust of the ancient sages, but he never expected that Songyan would also complete it and become the new owner of the Ten Embroidered Picture.

But what Qiu Shuijing never expected was that Songyan donated the Ten Embroidered Picture to the government of Shuofang!

Songyan had a natural chivalrous spirit, which was so strong that Qiu Shuijing thought that his classmate was somewhat naive.

For Songyan at that time, the importance of the Ten Embroidered Picture, a spiritual weapon of the great saint, can be imagined, but he said that Emperor Yuan reformed education and established official schools, which was good, but there needed to be a fair and just entrance examination for poor scholars. The Ten Embroidered Picture was undoubtedly the best examination room.

So, he donated the Ten Embroidered Picture to the government.

Moreover, he also fabricated an old senior, and in the name of this senior who did not want to reveal his name, donated the spiritual weapon of the great saint, the Ten Embroidered Picture, to the government.

At the same time, Songyan also informed the servants of the three major official schools in Shuofang, Moxia, and Jiuyuan at that time, so that the government dared not covet the Ten Embroidered Picture.

Later, whenever the government of Shuofang and the servants of the three major schools mentioned the old senior, they were respectful, and he was secretly happy.

After that, Shuofang City had a relatively fair entrance examination for scholars.

Qiu Shuijing knew the reason behind this.

Songyan came from a poor family and knew how difficult it was for a poor family to raise a scholar. He also knew the various injustices that poor scholars had to face in the previous entrance examinations, so he was determined to give up treasures like the Ten Embroidered Picture.

It was also for this reason that he returned to Shuofang after studying abroad and established the fourth official school, the Wenchang Academy, using his own connections.

But now...

Qiu Shuijing reached out and held down Songyan, who wanted to stand up, and whispered, "Songyan, you should be able to see it! Someone is using a human-demon layout to force out the person in Shuofang City who threatens him. If you jump out and say that you are the owner of the Ten Embroidered Picture, you will be in danger!"

Songyan hesitated for a moment and silently pushed away his hand: "Twenty scholars will die because of this, and my life is no more precious than theirs."Qiu Shuijing's forehead bulged with veins as he lowered his voice, "That person can release a demon who knows not how many years it has lived to wreak havoc on the world. His strength is certainly not to be underestimated. If he comes after you, can you dodge both the obvious and the hidden attacks?"

Zuo Songyan stood up firmly, his gaze unwavering.

Just then, Qiu Shuijing suddenly stood up and spoke loudly, "To be honest, everyone, the Ten Embroidered Silk Map was something I handed over to the government back then."

As soon as he said this, everyone's gaze involuntarily shifted to him, and they all looked surprised.

Zuo Songyan also looked at him incredulously and said, "Shuijing..."

Qiu Shuijing raised his hand to stop him and said calmly, "I am Qiu Shuijing. Fifty years ago, I was a scholar in Shuofang and later passed the exam to enter the Tian Dao Academy. While in Shuofang, I obtained the Ten Embroidered Silk Map, but I felt that without the strength to protect it, it would only gather dust, so I donated it to the government to support education. I can control the Ten Embroidered Silk Map to suppress the demon, preventing it from successfully completing the third blood sacrifice and resurrecting."

Zuo Songyan opened his mouth, but didn't say anything.

Tong Qingyun stood up, puzzled, and asked, "You say you're the senior who donated the map. What proof do you have?"

Qiu Shuijing glanced at him and said lightly, "I am the former emperor's teacher at the Tian Dao Academy, Qiu Shuijing. There's no need to lie. Zuo Songyan was my classmate back then and can vouch for me. And if Tong Pushe still doesn't believe me, he can ask the old immortals of the Tong family in the capital. Even if they meet me, they must respectfully call me 'teacher,' and even the emperor must call me 'teacher.' Who are you to dare question me?"

Tong Qingyun hurriedly bowed, "Senior, this is a matter of great importance. I must act cautiously to avoid releasing the demon."

He straightened up, "Since Senior Shuijing has appeared, please suppress the demon in the map."

Qiu Shuijing walked outside, "Tian Wuji is my old friend, Zuo Songyan is my classmate. I need them to protect me. Everyone else, stay back and don't approach."

Tian Wuji was stunned but followed him with a stiff expression.

Zuo Songyan also followed.

The three of them arrived at the Tianlin Shangjing Map, and Qiu Shuijing looked at Zuo Songyan and smiled, "Do you still remember the game we played when we were kids, where we had a main cart and a secondary cart?"

Zuo Songyan nodded.

Qiu Shuijing smiled, "Then please protect me together with Tian Wuji. My life and death are in your hands."

Qiu Shuijing sat cross-legged on the Tianlin Shangjing Map, his spiritual energy emerging as he cast his spell. Suddenly, a bright mirror appeared in the sky, several acres in size, transparent from top to bottom, with the light of the sun, moon, and stars converging on it, and a mysterious light shining from below, illuminating the Tianlin Shangjing Map.This scene allowed everyone in Shuofang City to see it clearly. It was a magnificent and breathtaking celestial phenomenon that shook the hearts of people!

"My technique connects with the sun, moon, stars, and constellations. At night, when the sun disappears, it is when my strength is at its weakest." Su Yun said to the two men.

Qiu Shuijing closed his eyes and said loudly, "Please remember this point when you protect me."

"Why did Mr. Shuijing also mention the flaws of his technique?" Tian Wuji restrained his doubts and nodded with Zuo Songyan.

Qiu Shuijing said in a deep voice, "I am going to merge ten beautiful pictures!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the other nine beautiful pictures immediately rose into the air and flew towards them from between the other buildings.

The ten beautiful pictures represented ten huge lands, each containing a spiritual realm. When they flew over, it was truly dazzling.

The ten beautiful pictures merged one after another, and soon, the ten pictures, ten lands, and ten spiritual realms merged into one!

As the sun set, the sunlight shone on the snow in Shuofang City, shining brightly.

Around Shenxianju, Tong Qingyun, Wen Lifang, and other teachers from various academies looked at Qiu Shuijing with anxiety.

Tong Qingyun asked Wen Lifang, "What do you think of this senior Shuijing?"

Wen Lifang whispered, "I think something is suspicious. This senior Shuijing has always lived in Shenxianju and has been in close contact with Tian Wuji. I heard that he has been in Shuofang for a year now, but why hasn't he visited Zuo Songyan, his classmate?"

Tong Qingyun said, "I know this former imperial teacher Qiu Shuijing. My family's old immortal in Dongdu told me that he is a radical, and he failed in the struggle in the Dongdu court and was demoted. The old immortal told me to be careful of him and not to let him cause any trouble."

"Trouble?" Wen Lifang frowned and suddenly shuddered. "Is it possible that he created the demons?"

Tong Qingyun's pupils shrank.

Wen Lifang said, "Think about it. If he left the ten beautiful pictures sixty years ago and released the demons at this critical moment, he could control the ten beautiful pictures to let the demons be born smoothly, causing harm to the world. Who can stop him? Tong Qingyun, please invite the sage to come and sit here!"

Tong Qingyun's eyes twitched violently.

At the same time, the ten beautiful pictures were merged.

Su Yun looked around in surprise. He saw that the sun, moon, stars, and geography around them were changing rapidly!

A patch of sandalwood forest appeared by the lake, with trees like green clouds. A long bridge appeared on the lake, dividing the water like yin and yang.

The island in the lake grew white walls and red tiles, forming a square palace with deep courtyards.Clouds gather and disperse in the sky, rolling and unfolding like dragons coiling around mountains in the distance. High towers stand on mountaintops shrouded in clouds, connected to a long bridge stretching from the lake, which extends for many miles and links to the towers in the clouds. Colorful lanterns hang on both sides of the bridge, swaying in the mist.

Faintly visible among the mountains and forests are pastoral landscapes, with a tall Wu Tong tree standing outside the fields, bearing a huge bird's nest that houses a palace. In the sky, connected to the Phoenix Nest Palace, is a mirage of a desert with a faint crescent moon hanging above it.

The Ten Splendid Pictures blend into one, the colors becoming incredibly rich, like a real world where one cannot distinguish between what is real and what is not!

In the Fangyuan Villa in the lake, a woman and a young man appear at opposite ends of the palace, looking out into the distance.

In the Sandalwood Forest, a shrewd and capable young scholar walks out of the woods, holding a wooden sword carved from sandalwood. Another scholar in the forest performs the Crocodile Dragon Song, pulling up a sandalwood tree by the roots and the crown, carrying it over his shoulder.

On the bridge, in the clouds, on the Dragon Coiling Mountain, in the Heavenly Tower, in the pastoral fields, on the Wu Tong tree branches, and even in the mirage of the desert in the sky, the figures of scholars appear one after another.

The twenty strongest scholars selected from the thirty thousand scholars have all appeared!