Chapter 147: Moving Forward and Taking Stock

This was a name Song Mu had accidentally come across in a book at the Inquiring Snow Studio in Jizhou Prefecture.

In a comprehensive commentary on statecraft essays, the very first sentence of the author's preface read:

"Among the statecraft essays of the world, if practical action is considered paramount, Huangfu should take the lead; if exquisite refinement is paramount, Lanxian should take the lead. Superior strategy defeats the enemy's plans, yet the pure and elegant gentleman remains foremost."

At the time, upon reading this sentence, he had kept wondering who this Huangfu actually was. Hearing it now, he experienced a sudden flash of enlightenment.

This person was none other than his own teacher, Tao Fengming.

He turned out to be a hidden powerhouse of the world.

Yet... why had he never shown it? Even back at the prefectural academy, he only taught one or two martial arts classes and solely instructed him in the methods of opening different realms.

Besides, shouldn't his name be Tao Fengming?

Song Mu was utterly baffled. Raising his head at that moment, he looked at Shen Long, his expression turning somewhat composed.

"Where did you hear this news?"

Shen Long raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, tilted his head to look at Song Mu, and said with a somewhat intriguing tone:

"What? Could it be that you and Huangfu Fengming share some connection?"

"He is my teacher."

"My master."

Song Mu said indifferently. Hearing this, Shen Long suddenly blinked hard, then tilted his head in puzzlement to look at Song Mu, took a deep breath, and asked in astonishment:

"You are his disciple?"

"Huangfu Fengming has actually taken on a disciple?"

Song Mu remained silent. Shen Long stood up, staring blankly at Song Mu for a long time, the expression on his face incomparably vivid.

"He once said that the strong never die and have no need for descendants. Yet now, he has actually taken a disciple?"

Shen Long chuckled blankly and looked at Song Mu once more, his gaze carrying a hint of scrutiny. Song Mu looked back at him with a serious expression, saying nothing for the moment.

After a short while, Shen Long seemed to have fallen silent as well. He waved his hand dismissively. Right then, several auras suddenly appeared in the distant sky, seemingly scholars coming to reinforce them.

"Forget it, forget it. Song Mu, then I wish you the best in riding the wind with your sword and soaring straight up to the heights from now on."

With a cupped-hand salute and these words, Shen Long directly vanished into thin air.

Song Mu raised his head, watching him depart. His heart was filled with confusion and excitement, but above all, a steadfast determination.

Even if his teacher possessed an extraordinary past, so what? He was his teacher now, and as a disciple, following him was only right.

Taking a powerhouse as one's master meant striving to become an even greater powerhouse.

Song Mu encouraged himself inwardly. At that moment, a figure fluttered down lightly beside him. Song Mu looked over and saw it was none other than Tao Fengming. With his hands behind his back, he had resumed his usual slovenly appearance, gazing off into the distance.

"Master."

Song Mu hurriedly spoke up. Tao Fengming did not reply, but after a moment, he suddenly started walking, leading Song Mu down the city wall.

"Go gather everyone back. We are setting off now."

"Setting off? Where to?"

Hearing this, Song Mu asked rather curiously. Tao Fengming simply continued walking forward.

"The hunt continues. We are heading further south."

Song Mu fell silent. Pausing in his tracks at that moment, he looked at Tao Fengming's departing figure and felt, more than ever before, that this figure was brimming with strength.

...

"Brother Jingzhao, I've never seen a scene like that before. My brain simply stopped obeying me, which is why I did such a thing."

Along the mountain path, Song Mu was still carrying his supplies, while many scholars and provincial graduates were walking with their sleeves rolled up, each looking somewhat disheveled.

Beside Song Mu, Xue Kaiwen was speaking with a trace of embarrassment, his face plastered with apologies and his shifting gaze filled with awkwardness.

Song Mu did not reply, simply burying his head and pressing forward.

Xue Kaiwen's desertion at the city wall earlier had made Song Mu gnash his teeth in anger, hating his lack of backbone, and leaving Song Mu with a rather foul taste in his mouth.

"I couldn't just die like that under the city wall. You know I still have to look after my mother..."

Xue Kaiwen still wanted to offer a few words of justification, his tone laden with a pitiful plea. Song Mu let out a heavy sigh before turning his head to look at him.

The moment their eyes met, Xue Kaiwen instantly lowered his head and fell silent. Song Mu gave him a careful, sweeping glance and then spoke.

"Brother Ziyan, you need not blame yourself. It is only human nature."

"Th-that's good then."

Hearing this, Xue Kaiwen immediately broke into a smile, letting out a deep sigh of relief as he added with a hint of manufactured intimacy:

"Brother Jingzhao, you're carrying so many things. Let me help you with some of them."

Seeing this, Song Mu shook his head, his expression very calm. He simply cupped his fists, quickened his pace, and caught up with Tao Fengming ahead.

Leaving Xue Kaiwen standing frozen in place with a dumbfounded look, his face turning somewhat ashen.

"Men are not sages; who can be without fault? A gentleman should be open and untroubled."

Seeing Song Mu catch up to him, Tao Fengming said softly, as if he had long since noticed Xue Kaiwen's fawning behavior along the way.

Song Mu said nothing. In truth, he held no real disdain or contempt in his heart. Instead, he reached into his pack, pulled out a bundle of jerky, and handed it to Tao Fengming along with his water flask.

Tao Fengming reached out, took the jerky, and familiarly popped it into his mouth. Although he had just been through a fierce battle not long ago, he seemed completely unfazed by it.

At this moment, he had reverted to his usual stern teacher persona.

Song Mu finished packing away the supplies, then raised his head to look at him. His lips parted, and deep down, he desperately wanted to ask Tao Fengming about his identity.

Shen Long's words were still echoing in his ears, especially regarding whether Tao Fengming was truly Huangfu Fengming. Song Mu could not help wanting to inquire about his past.

After all, a master is like a father. In this world, apart from his second uncle's family and his good friend Kong Zong, Tao Fengming was the one person he could rely on the most.

"Master," Song Mu called out.

Tao Fengming turned his head, still chewing on the jerky, his jaws moving while maintaining an indifferent expression.

Song Mu opened his mouth, but for a moment he had no idea where to begin. The words hovering on his lips were swallowed back down, forcing him to lower his head.

Seeing Song Mu's hesitant expression, Tao Fengming lowered his gaze slightly, letting it linger on Song Mu for a moment before looking away, continuing to walk forward while chewing his jerky.

"Tell everyone to pick up the pace. We had better find a place to stay for the night and replenish our rations."

Tao Fengming said indifferently, his figure pressing onward. Song Mu hurriedly acknowledged the order and passed it along to a provincial graduate supervisor. Dragging their exhausted bodies, the group trudged forward.

Every now and then, members of the group whispered among themselves, wondering why they weren't staying another night in Shaozhou Prefecture, especially since everyone was utterly exhausted after the battle.

Yet they only dared to discuss it in private; no one dared to defy Tao Fengming's orders.

Everyone was acutely aware of what had happened in the skies above Shaozhou Prefecture earlier that day. The fierce battle in the clouds, the desperate turn of the tide amidst the bloody mist—Tao Fengming had made monumental contributions to it all.

His formidable strength had shaken everyone to the core.

What they were also discussing were the Confucian masterpieces unfurled on both sides of the city wall, as well as the *Scroll of a Hundred Flowers Destroyed*.

Song Mu was also marching with the troop, but right now, he was carefully checking the ancient book within his mind.

Although the past two days had been brief, he had accomplished an immense amount. Over the course of two battles, Song Mu had recited several dozen poems.

This was something Song Mu had never anticipated. He had not expected to unleash so many poems in such a short span of time. Counting them up carefully now, his heart swelled with immense joy.

Most of the martial poems were either the six pieces from *Matching Imperial Commissioner Zhang's Ballads of the Frontier Fortress* that he had composed beforehand, or *Song of the Sword Child* from the *Spring Office Rectification* which he had hastily copied and completed later on.

Aside from those, there were the numerous poems he had composed in Shaozhou Prefecture, a large portion of which were Qingming poems that practically emptied out the repertoire of Wang Wei, the Poet Buddha.

And finally, the three poems on chrysanthemums composed at the very end were now imprinted in the book as well.

Composing poetry to slay demons—the ancient book would brand these poems into its pages. Looking at the now significantly thickened pages, Song Mu's heart surged with excitement.