Chapter 154: Tao Fengming Awakens

Hearing the sound, Song Mu immediately stood up and walked toward Tao Fengming with a concerned expression.

"Master!"

Song Mu called out quickly. Tao Fengming muttered a few more words in his sleep, and a heavy sweat instantly broke out on his forehead. Song Mu hurried to his side, but Fu Zefeng held him back and spoke at once.

"I will go fetch the military physician. You stay here."

With a grateful look on his face, Song Mu nodded. He quickly stepped over to a wooden basin nearby, wrung out a towel, and gently wiped the sweat from Tao Fengming's forehead.

After uttering those few phrases and breaking into a sweat, Tao Fengming slowly regained consciousness.

The moment Tao Fengming opened his eyes, he met Song Mu's worried gaze.

"Master, how are you feeling?"

Seeing that Tao Fengming had woken up, Song Mu asked with great joy and relief. Tao Fengming did not speak at first; instead, his gaze swept around the room before he made an effort to sit up.

Song Mu hastily stopped him, saying with deep concern:

"Master, you have been unconscious for several days. How is your body holding up now?"

Tao Fengming let out a long breath, lay back down to quietly sense his condition, and then gave a slight nod.

"I am fine now. Jingzhao, you have worked hard."

Noticing Song Mu's exhausted appearance, Tao Fengming naturally understood that his disciple had kept a bedside vigil for days and endured much hardship.

Song Mu shook his head, feeling deeply moved at that moment.

"Master, why must you say such things? Knowing that your health was failing, you should not have led us out here in the first place."

Tao Fengming slowly blinked, his expression serene.

"It has nothing to do with that matter. It was merely this master who acted rashly."

Seeing this, Song Mu wanted to ask what had caused him to fall into such a state, but noting Tao Fengming's frail condition, he kept his mouth shut.

Before long, Military Physician Cao hurried over. Many students from the Jizhou Academy, having heard that Master Fengming had regained consciousness, also rushed up to the second floor.

The physician took Tao Fengming's pulse, his expression calm.

"The Master has mostly recovered. After a few more days of medicine and some light movement outside, he should be completely fine. However, remember that from now on, he must no longer recklessly mobilize literary power."

Song Mu offered profuse thanks as he saw Military Physician Cao out, then turned back to Tao Fengming.

Shang Zuliang and several of the Confucian instructors had gathered around as well, but after exchanging a few brief words, they left Tao Fengming to rest in quiet.

Once everyone had departed, leaving only the two of them, Song Mu helped Tao Fengming take another dose of medicine and then sat down nearby to read a book.

"What are you reading now?"

"A few collections of annotated policy essays," Song Mu replied.

Lying in bed, Tao Fengming nodded slightly.

"Reading such books now, I'm afraid you might still find them rather strenuous."

"A scholar of the first rank must first study the Four Books and Five Classics, then the Six Arts, followed by stereotypical essays, poetry, and finally policy essays."

Speaking slowly, Tao Fengming seemed to recall something else. He turned his head toward Song Mu and asked with a hint of surprise:

"Could it be that you intend to take the provincial examination next year?"

Hearing this, Song Mu lowered his book, looked up at Tao Fengming, and a look of sudden realization crossed his face.

Seeing this, Tao Fengming wore an expression of mild astonishment. After a moment, he seemed to let out a mental sigh, raised his head to look at the ceiling, and said softly:

"So be it. The literary power within your body is quite abundant now; going to try your hand at it is by no means a bad thing."

Hearing these words, Song Mu felt a surge of yearning.

This was indeed a decision Song Mu had arrived at only over the past two days. Perhaps Tao Fengming's condition had spurred him to strive harder to elevate his strength, and this hunting expedition had forged within him an even deeper thirst for power.

Though he was already a certified scholar, whenever he faced various trials, he still often felt a sense of strain. This instilled a lingering sense of crisis in Song Mu, driving him to seek a swifter advancement.

"Master, do you think I can succeed?"

Song Mu asked abruptly, seeking Tao Fengming's counsel. Hearing this, Tao Fengming turned his head, and the eyes of master and disciple met.

Then, seemingly deep in thought, Tao Fengming said in an airy tone:

"Tomorrow, you will join the hunt as well."

Song Mu looked up, puzzled.

"Though this world is said to be the domain of scholars, it ultimately remains a world ruled by strength."

"The way of continuous benefit moves in tandem with the times. Since you already have a goal, you should know what needs to be done."

Hearing this, Song Mu bowed his head in contemplation. But a moment later, his eyes snapped open, and he looked at Tao Fengming with a flash of excitement.

"Understood, Master. I know what to do."

Tao Fengming blinked. Seeming somewhat fatigued, he nodded, closed his eyes, and resumed his rest.

Watching Tao Fengming drift back to sleep, Song Mu put away his book and stood up to leave.

Walking down the stairs with light steps, Song Mu felt his state of mind grow much more settled. Perhaps Tao Fengming's recovery made him feel as though the heavy stone in his heart had finally fallen to the ground, clearing his mind at last to ponder other matters.

Downstairs, many students were already bustling about the village. The Jizhou Academy was situated in the southeastern corner of the village, and the building where Song Mu stayed stood on a slightly elevated hill, offering a clear view of the surrounding scenery.

The sunlight beat down directly from above, and the late autumn in Yuezhou remained quite warm. Song Mu stretched his limbs with a sense of refreshment.

At that moment, however, a faint, stale odor drifted from his clothes.

Song Mu frowned. Having tended to his master day and night without changing clothes for several days, he seemed to have grown a bit smelly.

With this thought, he decided to fetch some water to clean himself up thoroughly and perhaps boil a pot of hot water for his master afterward. No matter how disheveled his master usually was, after the events of the past few days, he would surely appreciate a good cleansing.

Thus, Song Mu stepped toward a downward slope nearby where a kitchen was located. Several students were currently carrying firewood in that direction.

Just as Song Mu walked that way, he suddenly heard voices speaking not far off.

"Do you guys think that Song Mu is just hiding inside that wooden building?"

A shrill voice rang out, and another chimed in immediately in agreement.

"Of course. Old Chu, ever since that fellow arrived at the camp, he's used his master's illness as an excuse to hide away all day. How many days has it been now? He hasn't shown his face once."

"Something must have happened today; I saw them all gathering around that large building. That fellow is definitely inside."

The shrill voice sounded once more, carrying a distinct note of mockery.

"Good. I was just fretting over where to find this bastard."

Hearing these words, Song Mu looked over toward the source and saw several figures descending the slope, heading straight for the wooden building he had just exited.

Song Mu immediately knitted his brows. Remembering that his master was currently resting, he strode forward without hesitation.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Song Mu called out from a distance as he walked. The three individuals turned to look, and Song Mu finally got a clear look at their appearances.

All three wore azure robes and tied their hair with azure silk ribbons—clearly the attire of another prefectural academy. The leader was a thin, tall fellow with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks. He turned his head and sized Song Mu up.

"And who might you be?" that man asked.

Song Mu glanced over the three of them, stood with his hands at his sides, and said in a deep voice:

"I am Song Mu of the Jizhou Academy—the very person you are looking for."