After the wine-tasting incident when she crashed into his embrace, Feng Zhiwei avoided Gu Nanyi for quite a while. Gu Nanyi himself seemed completely oblivious, still sleeping without removing his veil, still requiring exactly eight pieces of meat, treating the one zhang three cun space before him as his entire world, neither noisy nor quarrelsome nor competitive, but also not allowing anyone to make noise or quarrel in his presence.

Apart from Brother Yu Diao’s existence being somewhat dampening to her mood, Feng Zhiwei’s recent days had been quite pleasant. She was naturally intelligent and perceptive, taught since childhood by Lady Feng, with solid learning and decent coursework. Being humble and courteous in manner, she won the favor of the instructors. Moreover, Chunyu Meng had formed a “cheat sheet brotherhood” with her, often bringing people to climb over the Military Academy’s wall to drink with Feng Zhiwei under the pear trees—though that pig-slaughtering voice of his never rang out again.

The cheerful Chunyu Meng not only dared not raise his voice, but from then on, every time he saw Gu Nanyi, he would gaze up at him with eyes conveying the infinite meaning of “you’re not human, how can you be so… so… that…” Looking at him as if he weren’t of this mortal world, wishing he could shrink himself into dust. That gaze made Feng Zhiwei’s hair stand on end every time, making her wonder if he really was a living, beautiful corpse.

Everything was harmonious now, except for the occasional trouble from that domineering younger brother among the Lin family brothers, who liked to cause Feng Zhiwei difficulties. Unfortunately, each time she deflected them with minimal effort. She wasn’t afraid of troublesome little fools, but felt somewhat uneasy about that gentle elder brother Lin Ji. That young man always looked at her with very strange eyes, yet she couldn’t discern what his gaze truly meant.

In the blink of an eye, over a month had passed. Chunyu Meng was about to assume his position as Captain of the Changying Guard, Yan Huaishi had become acquainted with everyone in the academy and made no fewer than fifty “close friends,” Gu Nanyi’s thin brocade robe had been replaced with an extremely thin silk robe, and Feng Zhiwei worried daily about how to wash the clothes clean without rubbing them to pieces.

This day, she went to eat with this worry on her mind. At the dining hall entrance, she once again encountered the colorful hurricane. Watching the fragrant wind whirl away, she wore an expression of being long accustomed to such strangeness.

Academy Director Xin’s wife was a native of rural Linjiang. She had six younger sisters below her, and the seven sisters were known as the “Seven Golden Flowers.” The Golden Flowers were famous for being fierce, violent, and jealous, often wielding common household weapons like cleavers, cutting boards, and rolling pins, pursuing the honorable Director around the prestigious First Academy. Wherever they passed, chickens flew and dogs jumped, vegetable leaves flew together with eggs, embroidered shoes kept company with bricks.

This scene played out almost daily, and everyone was accustomed to it. It was said that Xin Ziyan himself had murderously declared countless times that he would divorce his wife, each time speaking with such conviction that people felt the next moment he would produce a divorce letter already prepared long ago. Yet after many years of such declarations, he still hadn’t produced one.

As the foremost scholar in the realm, a pure-minded academician greatly valued by the current dynasty, Xin Ziyan’s position as Director of Qingming Academy could be said to be that of an honored commoner prime minister. That such a person would willingly endure his crude, foolish wife’s temper year after year, month after month, with the Seven Golden Flowers parading through the streets while the Academy Director became a laughingstock—this was truly a puzzling matter.

Feng Zhiwei stood at the dining hall entrance, watching the elusive Xin Ziyan flee in embarrassment each time, the Seven Golden Flowers pursuing ferociously behind with bared fangs and claws. She couldn’t help but smile.

In this world, where there is effect, there must be cause. Not understanding simply meant not knowing the cause and effect involved.

Just as she sat down in the dining hall, Chunyu Meng cheerfully came over with his rice bowl, greeting her: “Brother, are you prepared?”

Feng Zhiwei was startled. Beside her, Yan Huaishi had already leaned his head over, saying: “Three days from now is the Qingming Academy examination. The Political History section compares literary skills, the Military section compares martial prowess. Important court officials will come, and perhaps even imperial family members will attend. Although this examination is conducted internally by the academy, it always selects several outstanding individuals to be directly recruited by the Cabinet and Six Ministries. Those who do well can achieve rapid advancement from then on—this is the real reason everyone fights desperately to get in.”

“Oh…” Feng Zhiwei smiled. “As you know, my studies are only passable. This glory of plucking the laurel from the Moon Palace won’t fall on my head.”

Both were somewhat disappointed, making sounds of acknowledgment. Indeed, Feng Zhiwei’s coursework was good, but only good—there were many people in the academy whose studies surpassed hers. To stand out seemed quite impossible.

Chunyu Meng departed glumly. Just as he left, someone came over with a rice bowl and sat down beside Feng Zhiwei without greeting her.

Feng Zhiwei turned her head slightly and met a pair of provocative eyes—it was Lin Shao, who had been at odds with her lately. His eyes slanted upward with a sharp gaze. “Three days from now, do you dare compete with me?”

Feng Zhiwei raised her eyelashes and smiled. “I dare not.”

Lin Shao had just revealed a triumphant smile when he heard Feng Zhiwei say with a light laugh: “If I won against you, I’m afraid someone wouldn’t just kill a horse, but would kill a person.”

“Pfft.”

A light laugh sounded. Lin Ji walked over, looked at Feng Zhiwei seriously, and was about to say something when suddenly someone else said sternly: “Wei Zhi, what kind of thing are you, daring to speak to the Young… Young Master like that! Be careful or I’ll report to the Director and have you expelled from the academy!”

Voice and person arrived together—a large group walked over, seven or eight people in all, each wearing luxurious clothing. Feng Zhiwei’s eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze suddenly contracting.

Familiar faces, very familiar.

These were precisely the group of young masters who had instigated Feng Hao to visit prostitutes that day, leading to the brick-throwing incident.

Feng Zhiwei sneered inwardly. Before she could speak, Lin Shao suddenly widened his eyes and raised his eyebrows, ungraciously shouting: “Who asked you to meddle? All of you get lost!”

This rebuke left everyone speechless, unable to save face for a moment. The foremost young man tried to recover, raising his arm to point menacingly at Feng Zhiwei’s nose, saying sternly: “Boy, if you’ve got guts, you just wait…”

“Snap.”

Before he finished speaking, a fingertip fell to the ground.

The bloody fingertip hit the floor and twitched, causing countless gazes in the dining hall to twitch as well.

Everyone’s somewhat stunned gazes slowly moved up from that fingertip, and they saw a pair of chopsticks being withdrawn unhurriedly from midair.

The hand holding the chopsticks had snow-white, slender fingers, mostly concealed by sleeves.

Gu Nanyi—at the moment that person’s finger pointed at Feng Zhiwei’s nose, using a pair of chopsticks, he had snipped off the man’s finger.

“Ahhh!”

The scream was so shrill it seemed it could shatter porcelain bowls. Gu Nanyi found it too noisy and, quite displeased, flicked his fingers. The two chopsticks flew past both sides of the young man’s ears, carrying away countless hairs from his temples.

Those who didn’t understand martial arts couldn’t comprehend this move, but Feng Zhiwei, after spending time with that wide-robed guest, understood—chopsticks were such blunt, round objects, yet they could cut fine hair like a sharp weapon. Just thinking about it made one’s hair stand on end.

This lesson was sufficient. Feng Zhiwei, quite satisfied, prepared to pull Gu Nanyi away. Suddenly she heard the young man behind them rolling on the ground, squealing like a slaughtered pig: “You dare hurt me, dare hurt me—I’ll destroy you all—”

Feng Zhiwei sighed, thinking why were these words always the same routine every time?

The person being held by her hand suddenly moved his sleeve, soundlessly slipping from between Feng Zhiwei’s fingers. Gu Nanyi turned around, walked straight to the young man who was shouting about revenge, stood calmly, and raised his foot.

“Crack.”

He stomped flat the other intact hand that the man had slapped on the ground.

Then he said with complete evenness: “Too noisy.”

The dining hall immediately fell silent.

One scholar desperately held in the abdominal gas that was about to burst forth from eating too many beans…

One scholar swallowed a piece of crispy rice whole without chewing…

Yet a hoarse voice suddenly rang out: “Who dares to injure people and cause trouble at Qingming Academy?”

The dining hall suddenly stirred. At some point, a middle-aged man in brocade robes had appeared at the entrance—it was the Political History Academy’s proctor, known as “Iron-Faced King of Hell.”

Behind him followed a group of capable-looking men, the academy’s special guards.

When the students saw this person, they were even more nervous than when they saw Gu Nanyi. Yan Huaishi quickly slipped away, not approaching him directly but quietly sidling up to an attendant behind him, whispering a few words.

Then Feng Zhiwei saw that attendant’s sleeve move as something was tucked inside.

The proctor stood with his back to them the entire time, not turning his head, iron balls spinning chaotically in his hand. After listening to the injured young man explain what happened, he said “oh” and didn’t speak for a long while.

That group of official families’ sons looked back at Feng Zhiwei triumphantly, their eyes conveying “boy, you’re dead,” while Feng Zhiwei showed them a sweet smile, inwardly thinking that she must find out whether that Young Master Wu who got hit with a brick back then had died or not. If he hadn’t died yet, she definitely needed to arrange for Young Master Gu to have an encounter with him someday.

The proctor, who bore great authority in handling matters, remained silent for a long time. The atmosphere in the dining hall grew more oppressive and tense, with everyone’s expressions complex—some gloating, some worried and sympathetic.

Only after Yan Huaishi and the attendant finished their sleeve transaction did the proctor clear his throat and say slowly: “Young Master Yao, the academy has clear rules against provocation and troublemaking. You are also too… thoughtless.”

Everyone was in an uproar—what was wrong with the proctor today? Clearly someone had just said a few words before having their finger snipped off, yet he didn’t question the assailant but first blamed the victim?

The dining hall became chaotic with noise. That group of young men all turned pale with anger, shouting: “Proctor Li! You’re showing favoritism!”

“Look at my hand! Look at my hand!” The injured young man thrust his flattened hand directly under the proctor’s eyes, crying out in grief and indignation, “Can you turn a blind eye to this?!”

“Nonsense!” Proctor Li’s expression darkened. He lifted his eyelids and said icily: “Fighting and injuring people naturally also violates academy rules. The one who injured others, come forward! Apologize to Young Master Yao. Medical expenses and such will be your responsibility!”

Though he spoke with stern color and voice, anyone could hear the favoritism in his meaning. They all regarded Feng Zhiwei with strange looks, speculating on what relationship this boy had with the proctor. But Feng Zhiwei inwardly cried out in alarm.

Young Master Gu would definitely explode!

Without time to think, she quickly made eye signals to Yan Huaishi, indicating he should block the proctor’s front so she could pull Gu Nanyi away. Yan Huaishi cried out “ai-yo” and stumbled down smoothly and gracefully. At the same time, Feng Zhiwei also cried out “ai-yo” and tripped toward Gu Nanyi. While falling straight toward his feet, she lamented what bad luck she had, offering up her face to be stepped on…

If she remembered correctly, Young Master Gu seemed unwilling to let her be touched. Hopefully this stumble would divert this single-minded person’s attention, making him forget what was just said…

Gu Nanyi’s shoulder just moved.

She fell downward.

Gu Nanyi immediately turned his head.

Feng Zhiwei secretly rejoiced.

Lin Shao beside them suddenly reached out and caught Feng Zhiwei!

“Hey, what’s wrong with you!” This young man who had always been at odds with Feng Zhiwei, at the worst possible moment, suddenly had his conscience awakened and caught Feng Zhiwei’s body as it plummeted viciously downward. “Idiot! You can even trip on flat ground…”

“Bang!”

A human figure went spinning away—it was the well-intentioned but ill-timed Lin Shao. In an instant, he crashed into Proctor Li, who was bending down to look at Yan Huaishi, knocking him along with the attendants behind him onto the long dining table. With clattering crashes, soup and water splashed everywhere. A pile of rice bowls flew up high, falling down into the crowd and arousing cries of alarm.

Almost simultaneously with Lin Shao being hurled away by Gu Nanyi, several figures leaped up like lightning, rushing straight at Gu Nanyi.

Gu Nanyi woodenly faced Lin Shao’s guards. As his white gauze hat swirled, a whirlwind of celestial water blue rose from the level ground.

The dining hall instantly descended into chaos. Bowls, chopsticks, and food shattered to powder, mixed together with students scrambling in all directions. Feng Zhiwei opened her eyes wide but couldn’t see clearly how severe the battle situation actually was. She only knew that from today on, this dining hall would probably become history.

In the confusion, she vaguely heard Lin Shao’s guards shout: “…capture him, he struck the Prin…” and then call out: “Show the Changying token, request aid from the Pala…”

Someone rushed over and grabbed Feng Zhiwei’s arm in a twist. Feng Zhiwei smiled bitterly and didn’t struggle.

In the midst of the melee, Gu Nanyi suddenly turned his head and saw this scene. Then the celestial water blue flashed brilliantly, and with a thunderous sound, a long, narrow, deep groove split open in the ground, positioned precisely between him and Feng Zhiwei. His figure had already swept over like startled lightning.

In the chaotic confusion, someone shouted sternly: “Report to the Director for severe punishment!”