SWNOVELXO Chapter 134: Within the Academy
Zhao Yannian looked at Zhao Li, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Ever since he was young, he had heard Mister tell captivating stories, and he was extremely curious about the outside world. On normal days, when he asked his parents and elders, they would always dismiss him with a simple "You'll know in the future." Now, encountering a clan member who had traveled outside, he directly voiced the curiosity in his heart.
Seeing his curious and expectant look, Zhao Li couldn't help but smile, and instead of answering, he asked:
"Since you're so curious, why don't you go out and see for yourself?"
Zhao Li could tell that the young man in front of him was only eleven or twelve, but he already possessed the strength of a Dou Disciple. In fact, he might have broken through to Dou Disciple even earlier than Zhao Li did.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yannian lowered his head:
"My dad won't let me go out. He always says it's very dangerous outside."
Zhao Li could understand. With talent like Zhao Yannian's, the Zhao Family would surely treat him like a precious treasure, valuing him immensely. Naturally, they would keep a tight watch on him, fearing he might be lost as soon as he went out.
He thought for a moment and said:
"If there's a chance, I'll take you out to see."
Zhao Li naturally understood that no matter how many stories one heard, they were just stories. What needed to be experienced still needed to be experienced; only by personally experiencing it could one grow.
Zhao Yannian, upon hearing Zhao Li's words, didn't hold any hope at all. Instead, he became even more discouraged. His father's stubborn temper was something few people could persuade:
"My dad won't agree."
"How will you know if you don't try?"
Zhao Li chuckled lightly. His confident demeanor made Zhao Yannian go from disbelief to suspicion. Finally, a hint of anticipation flickered in his eyes.
"Alright, let's start class first!"
Seeing Mister appear on the podium, Zhao Li reminded Zhao Yannian, then began to observe carefully.
Ten years ago, he had already reached the peak of Great Qian. With a desire to make changes, he established the Academy, hoping to plant seeds in the hearts of a group of people, awaiting their bloom and sprout.
Now, ten years had passed, and Zhao Li's eyes held some anticipation. He had great expectations for the role of the Academy.
On the podium was the elderly Mister teaching the class.
But even though his body was a bit stooped, at first glance, his Essence, Qi, and Spirit made people unconsciously become serious and treat him with respect.
He gently tapped the clapper, and even Zhao Yannian sat up straight.
"With poetry and books in one's belly, one's spirit naturally shines."
Zhao Li looked at him, his strength not high, yet possessing the aura of a dean, capable of commanding the students. A sigh rose in his heart.
On the stage, the old Mister scanned the room, nodded gently, and began:
"Today, we will talk about The Immortal Yang, how Zhu Yi, the illegitimate son of the Great Zhou Imperial Preceptor Zhu Xuanji, walked to the peak in that man-eating world..."
His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear. There was a kind of magic in his words that made people unconsciously listen attentively.
He didn't speak quickly, but his rhythm was excellent. Even as Zhao Li listened, images formed in his mind.
He didn't completely follow the story Zhao Li had left behind before, but the story he told was no different from what Zhao Li had written from memory.
He had read the story of The Immortal Yang countless times. While he understood it thoroughly, he also had his own thoughts.
He spoke on the stage, and they listened below. Time passed quietly like this. Two hours later, after removing the extraneous details, he had already told most of the story.
"What do you think, how does our Great Qian compare to the Great Zhou in the book?"
He paused, and asked a question.
In the Academy, there were not only students but also elders who simply came to listen to stories. Upon hearing this, they slightly furrowed their brows. Asking such a question, making these Little Guys who hadn't experienced much of the world yet think, wasn't necessarily a good thing for these Little Guys.
But they didn't stop him. This old Mister had stayed in the Zhao Family for most of his life and wouldn't have any ill intentions. At most, it would just make them form a vague worldview in their minds in advance.
The old Mister's voice fell, and there was a long silence. For a moment, the Academy became quiet.
Zhao Li looked around, mainly at the younger generation. Some were deep in thought, occasionally frowning, others looked indifferent, gazing around, or were still lost in the story, not yet recovered...
Finally, Zhao Li's gaze fell on Zhao Yannian. He hoped this Little Guy, who was extremely curious about the outside world, could voice his own insights.
After about fifteen minutes, someone expressed their opinion:
"For me, Great Qian is much better than Great Zhou. But for others, there's actually not much difference between the two; both are man-eating societies."
The speaker was a woman, about eighteen or nineteen years old. As she spoke, she blinked her eyes, her eyelashes fluttering, as if trying her best to show her lightness and charm.
She had been outside Danyuan City, leaving the family, and she found that the outside world was not beautiful.
She had seen Dou Disciples fight, yet unwilling to accept defeat, they would destroy a village afterward. She had also seen young girls with torn clothes, their eyes vacant, allowing others to have their way with them. She had also seen young Dou Disciples, who would torture and kill ordinary people over trivial arguments, then immediately bow and scrape to the Seniors beside them...
Even she herself, walking on the road, would encounter many lecherous gazes and had even been attacked several times. If she hadn't been a Dou Master, she feared she would have become a naked corpse by the roadside or in the woods.
Just going out once, she knew that the stories of Chivalry she had heard before were just stories.
Her words were like opening a gap in a dam holding back a flood. The Academy suddenly became lively. People spoke one after another, either simply expressing their opinions or arguing and refuting each other.
"I think things are pretty good here. We have parents, teachers, and even brothers and sisters are very kind."
A young person said naively, their knowledge limited to this. Having grown up within the family, the overall environment was indeed as he described.
"That's because you haven't been out. Go see the outside world before you say it's good, okay? Forget it, you'd better not go out. People like you are too naive, you might go out and never come back."
Someone retorted, but as they spoke, they even started personal attacks.
"You..."
Someone was left speechless, either anxious or angry!
"At least in Great Zhou, there's a Zhu Yi who knows things need to change. Even if he doesn't know the outcome, he keeps moving forward. What about us?"
Some felt that Great Zhou had already started changing and would get better, while Great Qian didn't even have the idea, making it inferior to Great Zhou.
"Idiot, that's what he says, but what about in reality? Heh, isn't he the one who exploits people the most? Change? He's dreaming!"
Someone scoffed at Zhu Yi, who said one thing and did another, tearing him apart.
"You can't say that. At least he has that idea of 'everyone is like a dragon.' That's already much better than those in high positions who do nothing."
Others felt that with anything, it often starts with an idea or concept, then slowly influences things, and finally changes happen.
"'Everyone is like a dragon'? What a joke. You think a beggar can be equal to you? How is that possible?"
As soon as he finished speaking, someone next to him used his own example to retort, and he didn't say another word. He truly didn't think a beggar could compare to him.
Zhao Li listened to their words, some naive, some mature, and was quite satisfied. Regardless, they were thinking.
After tens of thousands of years of development on the Dou Qi Continent, with the refinement of the Dou Qi cultivation system, it seemed the initial scene of various systems competing was gone. Soul Techniques and Body Cultivation were only things found in a few Ruins. Even special professions were dominated by Alchemists, while Poison Masters, Pharmacists, Equipment Refining, and Formations were just niche paths
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