Chapter 151: A Visitor

I am not quite sure of Tao Fengming's current condition. I will head to the military camp right now and fetch a military physician to examine him.

Shang Zuliang paused his diagnosis for a moment, let out a deep breath, opened his eyes, and lifted his fingers from Tao Fengming's wrist. The expression on his face carried a trace of helplessness and bewilderment.

Song Mu hurried forward and immediately asked, "Instructor, is there something wrong with my teacher?"

Shang Zuliang recognized Song Mu and knew that he was Tao Fengming's disciple, so he did not show any impatience. Instead, he pondered for a moment before speaking to Song Mu.

"I cannot quite figure out your teacher's condition. His literary power is intermittent at the moment, and what is even more bizarre is that his dantian seems to be completely missing."

"Furthermore, the flesh and blood throughout his entire body appear to be endlessly consuming his literary power at every waking moment, and the meridians inside his entire body have become as fine as cow hairs."

"Alas, I have never witnessed such a condition in all my life. If not for Mr. Fengming's unique constitution, an ordinary person would have perished long ago."

Hearing this, Song Mu's expression abruptly froze.

His teacher indeed harbored a hidden affliction, and what was more astonishing was that this hidden affliction had remained completely imperceptible.

This plunged Song Mu's heart into a shroud of gloom. At that moment, he recalled the words Shen Long had spoken earlier—that his teacher had once been a half-step senior scholar.

Could it be that over the past years, Tao Fengming had indeed suffered through some ordeal?

Or was it from the recent great battle at the prefectural city of Shaozhou, where that heretic scholar had severely injured him?

Countless thoughts and ideas flashed through Song Mu's mind in the blink of an eye. However, he quickly pulled himself together and immediately went out with Shang Zuliang to find a military doctor from the camp.

Upon hearing that a senior scholar had fallen ill, the military camp quickly dispatched a military physician surnamed Cao. He immediately examined Tao Fengming and promptly reached a conclusion that left everyone dumbfounded.

Exhaustion of literary power.

Standing nearby, Song Mu wore the most rigid and stunned expression upon hearing this news, feeling that this conclusion was the most surreal.

"Sir, are you certain? My teacher is a senior scholar, and his mindfulness and literary power are exceptionally profound."

"Just a short while ago, he even engaged in a fierce battle with a heretic scholar."

Song Mu asked. Beside him, Xiao Xiong also stepped forward to salute and speak, his face likewise filled with astonishment.

"That's right, sir! Mr. Fengming just led us through a battle at the prefectural city of Shaozhou. With his own strength, he single-handedly fought a heretic scholar wielding the *Hundred Flowers Annihilation Scroll* without falling behind."

"How could it possibly be the exhaustion of literary power?"

"Indeed, sir, please examine him again."

Several prefectural students nearby chimed in, none of them willing to accept such a conclusion. Although they had not followed Tao Fengming for long, they had been deeply captivated by his various displays during this period.

Especially at the prefectural city of Shaozhou, when the earth shook and mountains quaked, everyone had developed an immense reverence for Tao Fengming.

However, the bearded military physician surnamed Cao merely shook his head, a look of helplessness on his face.

"I can understand everyone's feelings, but every word I have said is the absolute truth. This gentleman before us is surely not young, and though his physique still appears relatively robust, his dantian has long since ceased to exist."

"I am also baffled as to how he managed to hold on until now without a dantian, let alone engage in the fierce battle you mentioned."

"Most of his meridians are blocked and obstructed, and literary power flows through them with extreme difficulty."

"I can imagine the kind of agony his body must endure every single time he mobilizes his literary power."

"The literary power continuously rushes through his fractured meridians while violently battering his physical body. Alas, an ordinary person would have died long ago."

The military physician slowly stood up, saluted the surrounding people, and sighed as he shook his head.

"I will return now to prescribe a few doses of medicine. Taking them might help alleviate his condition to some extent."

"However, after this, for quite a long period at least, he must not be allowed to employ literary power again."

With those words, the old physician walked out. Witnessing this, everyone wore grim expressions and eventually cast their gazes toward Tao Fengming, who lay unconscious on the bed.

Some of the prefectural students who were unaware of the events in the prefectural city of Shaozhou listened in wonder and began to discuss the matter in low whispers.

Hearing that Tao Fengming had demonstrated divine prowess and turned the tide, only to end up in this state, they wore expressions of profound regret.

Many were now guessing what on earth had transpired when Tao Fengming confronted that heretic figure.

By this time, Song Mu no longer had any distracting thoughts in his mind. He simply stood to one side, looking at Tao Fengming with a worried expression.

Song Mu remembered what Tao Fengming had said to him when they first met.

Within twenty years, he would need Song Mu's help to accomplish a certain task.

Right now, Song Mu desperately wanted to know what that task was.

His teacher was clearly a peerless expert, yet he had now fallen right before his eyes.

Song Mu felt that Tao Fengming must have experienced unimaginable hardships in the past.

Too many thoughts swirled in Song Mu's heart, all transforming into a deep sense of anxiety as his gaze lingered on Tao Fengming's face.

Perhaps seeing his still-untidy visage filled Song Mu with a sense of guilt, so he got up to fetch water and returned to clean up his teacher's appearance.

The others had also dispersed by now, and the small room suddenly became much quieter.

After helping Tao Fengming wash his face and tie up his hair, this was the first time Song Mu could clearly see the man's features.

It was an extraordinarily handsome face, with chiseled contours that seemed weathered by the elements, and a lingering trace of sorrow between the brows.

Song Mu sighed, feeling even more that his teacher carried an unspeakable, bitter past. After painstakingly helping him take the medicine, Song Mu fetched a table and chair and sat down beside the bed.

Originally, Song Mu had no mind for studying, but at this moment, he forced himself to read. Perhaps Tao Fengming's collapse reminded Song Mu of his own promise.

Within twenty years, whatever task his teacher required him to fulfill, it was surely something that Tao Fengming, with his senior scholar's cultivation, could not resolve on his own.

If he wished to fulfill this aspiration, he could not remain merely a senior scholar twenty years from now.

Yet the path of literary power was as difficult to ascend as the blue sky; it could not be achieved through wild daydreams alone.

His current efforts were still far from enough.

As evening gradually approached, Song Mu remained on guard by the bedside. Tao Fengming was still in that unconscious state. During this time, the military physician came by once more to say that the condition was now considered stable, and everything depended on how he responded to the subsequent medication.

Upon receiving this news, a flash of joy crossed Song Mu's heart, and the heavy stone weighing upon him finally settled somewhat.

That night, Song Mu continued to watch over Tao Fengming's side. Everyone already knew that Song Mu was Tao Fengming's disciple, so they tacitly accepted his presence, and even felt that Song Mu's actions demonstrated a commendable respect for his teacher.

Since ancient times, those who imparted doctrines, propagated teachings, and resolved doubts were universally addressed as masters. A master was akin to a second father and required utmost obedience and reverence. Song Mu's actions fully embodied what a disciple ought to do.

As night fell, Song Mu did not sleep for a long time. He continued reading essays, occasionally taking out paper to write. To avoid letting the candlelight from the oil lamp irritate Tao Fengming, Song Mu even deliberately shifted his position.

He used his own body to block the lamplight from shining directly onto Tao Fengming as much as possible.

Just as Song Mu finally finished writing an essay on his reflections and was about to stretch his back, a commotion suddenly arose downstairs.

Then came the sound of hurried footsteps rapidly ascending the stairs, and three or four figures appeared at the top of the stairwell.

Song Mu immediately stood up to look. Leading the group was a stern-faced man with a square jaw, dressed in a purple official robe. His long hair was bound in a scholar's crown, and his eyes shone with a piercing brilliance. Wearing a solemn expression, he strode forward with large, swift steps.

Song Mu stood up and bowed in salute. Shang Zuliang, who was accompanying the group, walked up, pointed at Song Mu, and said to the man,

"Sir, this is Mr. Tao Fengming's disciple, Song Mu, who is this year's top provincial examinee of our Jizhou Prefecture."

"Song Mu?"

Hearing Shang Zuliang say this, the man wore a look of mild surprise, but quickly gave a simple nod of acknowledgment before casting his gaze toward Tao Fengming lying on the bed.

His gaze swept over Tao Fengming, suddenly turning deep and profound, while a flash of anger flickered between his brows.

"So you rascal had hidden yourself away here."