"Xiao Mo, so you don't need to go to the classroom today?"
The next morning, as Xiao Mo sat in the courtyard eating breakfast with Bai Ruxue, Bai Ruxue blinked at Xiao Mo.
After Xiao Mo returned yesterday, he had told Bai Ruxue about what happened in the classroom.
Regarding Xiao Mo arguing with that old teacher, Bai Ruxue didn't care at all.
If worse came to worst, she would just take Xiao Mo to change academies.
If that still didn't work, she would go to the Confucian Academy and kidnap a few Grand Secretaries to come teach Xiao Mo privately.
"I probably can't go anymore." Xiao Mo smiled and shook his head, "But it's nothing. I'll go find Teacher Qi later to ask about it."
"No need to ask."
Just as Xiao Mo finished speaking, a cheerful female voice came from outside the courtyard.
Xiao Mo and Bai Ruxue turned to look, and Shang Jiuli was already standing outside the door."Good morning, you two." Shang Jiuli waved her small hand.
"Senior Sister." Xiao Mo stood up and bowed respectfully.
Bai Ruxue huffed and turned her head away.
She didn't like this woman.
Shang Jiuli entered the courtyard and smiled, "Teacher says you don't need to go to the classroom anymore. From today on, Junior Brother, you can study alongside us at Teacher's side."
As she spoke, Shang Jiuli clasped her hands behind her back and playfully stepped forward, "Senior Sister thought it would take you two or three years to leave the classroom, but unexpectedly it only took three months."
"Not bad, not bad." Shang Jiuli reached out and patted Xiao Mo's shoulder, "Worthy of being my little junior brother."
Shang Jiuli had barely patted Xiao Mo twice when Bai Ruxue immediately stepped forward, pulled Xiao Mo away, and looked at her warily, "Miss Shang! Men and women should not touch! Please maintain your distance, Miss Shang!"
"But you two are living together," Shang Jiuli glanced down to see Bai Ruxue's small hand holding Xiao Mo's large hand, "and you're even holding hands."
"That's... that's different. We're childhood sweethearts!" Bai Ruxue's cheeks flushed with a light blush.
"Alright then..." Shang Jiuli smiled lightly and said to Xiao Mo, "Let's go, Xiao Mo. Time for class with Teacher. If we're late, Teacher will be angry."
"Yes, Senior Sister." Xiao Mo nodded and looked at Ruxue, "Ruxue, I'm going to class."
"Mm-hmm, come back early." Bai Ruxue's expression carried some worry.
Xiao Mo ruffled Bai Ruxue's hair and followed Shang Jiuli up the mountain.
Bai Ruxue watched Xiao Mo and Shang Jiuli slowly climb the mountain, her heart growing increasingly anxious.
"Maybe one day when Xiao Mo isn't paying attention, I should sink Shang Jiuli in the sea?" After the two left, Bai Ruxue's eyes darted around as she thought to herself.
But soon, Bai Ruxue shook her head, "No, no, if Xiao Mo found out, he would hate me!"
"But what should I do? Shang Jiuli is also very pretty, and she seems to take good care of Xiao Mo. They'll be studying together from now on. What if they develop feelings over time..."
The more she thought about it, the more worried Bai Ruxue became. Her lips pressed tightly together, her small hands clasped together, and she had already imagined scenarios where Xiao Mo abandoned her and married Shang Jiuli...
Shang Jiuli glanced at Xiao Mo, "Do you think you were wrong?"
"Regarding yesterday's debate, I don't think I was wrong, but I was indeed impolite yesterday." Xiao Mo explained.
"Teacher Wang has returned to the Confucian Academy." Shang Jiuli said with a smile, "Don't worry, Teacher Wang wasn't angry. On the contrary, he asked me to tell you that your path won't be easy, so take care of yourself."
"..." Hearing the words Teacher Wang asked Senior Sister to convey, Xiao Mo fell into silence.
After a long while, Xiao Mo nodded, "I understand."
Before long, the two reached the peak of Feather Ink Peak.
Cold-faced Senior Brother, Senior Brother Luo, was already waiting in the courtyard.
After Xiao Mo greeted the teacher and senior brother, class began.
Xiao Mo discovered that Teacher Qi taught him differently from how he taught his senior brother and sister.
With Senior Brother Luo, Teacher Qi was more rigid and formal, often having senior brother copy books.
When teaching Senior Sister Shang, Teacher Qi was like treating his own granddaughter, presenting the great principles of Confucian Sages in story form.
With himself, Teacher Qi used a debate approach.
Xiao Mo was often pulled into debates by Teacher Qi, especially having Xiao Mo debate using the concept of "unity of knowledge and action."
Every time, Xiao Mo was left speechless and defeated.
After losing debates, Teacher Qi would have Xiao Mo continue studying and thinking, and when he figured out a bit more, to come debate with him again.
After each argument with Teacher Qi, Xiao Mo would make considerable progress and gain deeper understanding of Master Yang Ming's philosophy of mind from his previous life.
Many times, Xiao Mo questioned his life and doubted whether all his understanding was wrong but Xiao Mo held his breath with an unyielding tenacity.
He read more and more books, not just those of Confucian Sages, but works from all schools of thought.
He thought about Master Yang Ming's philosophy of mind every day.
Sometimes, Xiao Mo would sit on a rock and stare blankly at a bamboo stalk, just like Master Yang Ming had done.
"Today's class ends here. You may return and rest."
One day, two months later, Teacher Qi ended that day's lesson.
The three stood and bowed, then left the courtyard.
As usual, as soon as class ended, Senior Brother Luo flew down the mountain, though no one knew what he went to do.
Shang Jiuli generally returned to her courtyard to rest well.
However, today Xiao Mo called out to Shang Jiuli.
"Oh, how rare. Junior Brother isn't going to look at bamboo today?" Shang Jiuli teased.
Every time Xiao Mo was thoroughly defeated by Teacher in debate, he would go stare blankly in the bamboo grove.
"Please don't tease me, Senior Sister." Xiao Mo smiled and shook his head, "There's something I'd like to ask Senior Sister's help with. I wonder if Senior Sister has time?"
"Oh? Let's hear it." Shang Jiuli's eyes sparkled with interest.
"It's like this..." Xiao Mo explained his matter.
After listening, Shang Jiuli nodded, "Of course I can, but Senior Sister needs to complete Teacher's assigned coursework during the day. How about this, starting today, you come to my courtyard every evening."
"Would that be inappropriate?"
"What's inappropriate about it?" Shang Jiuli smiled, "There's no one else on this Feather Ink Peak anyway."
"But..."
"It's decided then."
Shang Jiuli interrupted Xiao Mo's words.
She clasped her hands behind her back, bent down, and looked up at Xiao Mo from below, her voice deliberately soft and coquettish.
"Sister will wait for you tonight. Make sure to come secretly.”
“You must not let your little childhood sweetheart discover this~"