Setting Foot in the Ziyang Academy

The distant mountains were hazy, shrouded in a thin, ethereal veil of silk.

The verdant peaks, like surging waves on the sea, overlapped one another. Drifting in the mist, they seemed sometimes far and sometimes near, like a few light strokes of ink brushed across the blue horizon.

This was the Ziyang Academy, located beneath the Yinping Peak of Mount Wuyi, beside the Jiuqu Creek.

Tai Yuan stood atop a towering tree that pierced the clouds. Looking down, he saw the winding Jiuqu Creek. Beneath Yinping Peak, the mist flowed gracefully. Taking a breath, he suddenly felt refreshed.

A poem by Lu Fangweng flashed through his mind, and he could not help but recite aloud: "The mountains are like thirty-six youths, the water winds like a nine-bend map. In my old age, I seek a tranquil place to gaze; let the white clouds remain half-shrouded, no need to part them."

This Ziyang Academy was situated beneath Yinping Peak, nestled within two embracing mountain ridges. It consisted of three rooms named the Renzhi Hall.

To the left and right of the Hall were two bedrooms. The left was where the master of this place resided, called the Yinqiu Chamber; the right was for receiving friends, called the Tingzhan Cabin.

Beyond the left ridge lay a deep valley, with stone piled up to form a gate called the Shiwu Gate. Inside the cave was another row of buildings where scholars and students lived, named the Guanshan Study.

In front of the Guanshan Study stood two pavilions facing each other—the Mudui Pavilion and the Tiedi Pavilion.

To the west of the Shiwu Gate was another house provided for visiting Taoists, named the Hanxi House. Tai Yuan and the others were currently arranged to stay here.

Outside the Hanxi House, a bamboo fence enclosed the gap between the two mountain ridges. A bamboo gate was set within it, bearing a plaque that read "Ziyang Academy" in a vigorous, ancient script that exuded the passage of time.

He had arrived at the Ziyang Academy three days ago. Since rescuing Lin Pingzhi's parents three days prior, Tai Yuan had found the nearest quiet place to settle them so they could recover from their injuries.

Fortunately, both of them had only suffered superficial wounds. After three days of recuperation, their complexions had improved. He left Lin Pingzhi to care for them while he took the opportunity to admire the mountain scenery.

And as fate would have it, Tai Yuan's original goal was to visit Taoist Chongping at the Tingting Hermitage. He had not expected that the quiet place he randomly found would turn out to be the Ziyang Academy.

Since he had stumbled upon it, Tai Yuan decided to stay for a while.

This Ziyang Academy was the teaching grounds established by Zhu Xi, the famous great synthesizer of Neo-Confucianism during the Song Dynasty.

The reason Tai Yuan knew of it was because of the two characters "Ziyang".

The patriarch of the Chongdao Temple on Tongbai Mountain was Zhang Boduan, whose Daoist name was "Ziyang Zhenren," while Zhu Xi, also known as Zhu Wengong, went by the pseudonym "Ziyang Xiansheng." This was truly a remarkable coincidence!

The current Head of the Ziyang Academy was Zhu Xun, an eighth-generation descendant of Zhu Wengong. Upon learning of Tai Yuan's background, he warmly invited Tai Yuan and the others to stay as honored guests.

After staying for a few days, Tai Yuan witnessed the deep heritage of the Ziyang Academy, which housed over a thousand volumes of books. This made him resolve to stay a bit longer.

After all, as a descendant of Zhu Xi, Zhu Xun naturally preserved Zhu Xi's most precious manuscripts. Even if he might not see them with his own eyes, being able to learn a little would be wonderful.

Who was Zhu Xi?

He was a famous Neo-Confucian scholar, thinker, philosopher, educator, and poet of the Song Dynasty, the representative figure of the Min School, and the great synthesizer of Confucianism, revered by the world as Zhu Zi.

Zhu Xi was the only person who was not a direct disciple of Confucius to be enshrined in the Confucian Temple, ranking among the Twelve Philosophers of the Dacheng Hall.

Jiang Fan said of him: "Huiweng followed Confucius and Mencius, synthesizing the great achievements of the Confucian scholars."

Emperor Kangxi praised Zhu Xi: "He gathered the teachings that had been lost for thousands of years, enlightened the ignorant, and established eternal rules for ten thousand generations."

As an erudite scholar of great learning, Zhu Xi had many aspects worthy of Tai Yuan's study.

Throughout his life, Zhu Xi was tireless in learning and teaching, widely read in classics and history, rigorous in his scholarship, and prolific in his writings.

He achieved rich results in philology, textual criticism, annotation of ancient texts, and organizing historical documents. Furthermore, he conducted extensive research into astronomy, geography, calendar systems, and many other natural sciences.

Thereafter, Zhu Xi accepted many disciples and taught here for ten long years, nurturing a large number of students and allowing his Neo-Confucian thoughts to be perfected and disseminated.

Therefore, in Tai Yuan's heart, this Ziyang Academy was truly a treasure trove of knowledge and wisdom.

"Master, Master! My parents are awake!"

Shouts echoed from below.

Tai Yuan looked and saw that it was Lin Pingzhi.

He was carefully supporting Lin Zhennan and his wife as they slowly approached. Their steps were unsteady; though their wounds had mostly healed, it was obvious that their qi and blood were severely depleted, leaving them weak and short of breath.

Lin Zhennan reached the base of the tree and looked up.

He saw the Taoist priest take a step forward, looking completely at ease. His green robes fluttered, and against the backdrop of the blue sky, he looked exceptionally peerless.

Without even a breeze, his figure descended slowly like a piece of downy feather, landing with only a soft sound.

Lin Zhennan and his wife were stunned by Tai Yuan's manner of landing. Although they had heard Pingzhi boast about how powerful this master was, hearing about it was one thing, but seeing it with their own eyes was another.

Lin Zhennan observed Tai Yuan closely. His appearance could only be considered average, but his forehead was gentle, his aura detached, and his steps graceful. Every movement carried an effortless elegance.

What left the deepest impression was his eyes—clear, bright, and smooth as jade, always carrying a faint smile that naturally made people feel close to him.

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

The three of them knelt down heavily together.

"I have heard from Pingzhi. Master, you saved our family from disaster. Such great benevolence is hard to repay in this lifetime! Please accept Lin's kowtow!"

After Lin Zhennan spoke, he knelt on the ground without hesitation. Madam Wang and Lin Pingzhi also knelt and kowtowed devoutly, their foreheads striking the ground heavily.

Tai Yuan accepted their kowtows, as this was the greatest sincerity they could currently express. If he refused, they would only feel more uneasy.

"Very well, now that you have paid your respects, please rise quickly! You have just recovered from your injuries and should not walk too much. You still need to rest."

Tai Yuan gently waved his sleeve, and the three of them felt a gentle yet irresistible force lift them to their feet.

Lin Zhennan and his wife exchanged glances. This was truly a supreme expert!

Having run a business for many years, Lin Zhennan's mind spun quickly, and a hesitant look appeared on his face.

Seeing this, Tai Yuan asked, "Does Chief Escort Lin have something to say?"

Lin Zhennan blushed and said, "Having received such great kindness from you, Master, which is already hard to repay, I dare not harbor any extravagant hopes. However, I have an audacious request, and I beg you to hear me out."

Tai Yuan smiled faintly and gestured for him to continue.

Lin Zhennan composed himself, his face full of sincerity and a touch of caution. "Master, to tell you the truth, my son Lin Pingzhi has only made it this far thanks to your protection along the way. Although my wife and I have fortunately survived, we know that with the current state of our Lin family, we are truly powerless to properly raise Pingzhi."

With that, he raised his eyes to look at Tai Yuan.

"If you do not mind, Master, could you let him follow you as a servant to attend to your daily life? Firstly, it would allow him to serve you and repay your life-saving grace; secondly, he could learn how to conduct himself by observing you."

After speaking, he bowed slightly, his expression humble and sincere, his eyes filled with anticipation.