Chapter 775: Teacher Can Also Receive Guidance

"Peach blossoms? What do they symbolize?" Jiang Luofu frowned.

Qi Yaoguang shook her head. "I don't know, I just saw everything in pink."

At this moment, Zu'an was also filled with doubt. Could this young girl truly see people's destinies, or was she just a little con artist putting on a show?

"Even you can't tell?" Jiang Luofu was a little incredulous.

Qi Yaoguang scratched her head, then adjusted her slightly askew hat. "I find it strange too. I can see something in others, more or less, but I can't discern any information from him."

Jiang Luofu's expression suddenly turned peculiar. "Isn't the sky full of peach blossoms you saw information? Does that mean this guy is destined to be entangled with various women his whole life, blessed with romantic luck?"

Inside the wooden house, the Crown Princess heard the conversation outside and felt a pang of irritation. No wonder such things happened after I encountered him, even my clothes were stripped off. This guy must be a reincarnated peach blossom spirit.

Qi Yaoguang shook her head. "Peach blossoms have many interpretations. They could signify romantic misfortune or something else, but this isn't related to his destiny. What indicates one's destiny takes a different form... What exactly is going on?"

She circled Zu'an as she spoke, her initially sleepy eyes now full of curiosity. "Senior Sister, I'm getting more and more interested in your friend."

Zu'an was utterly bewildered, feeling that the two people in front of him were talking nonsense. "I'm a married man, young lady, please respect yourself."

"Married?" Qi Yaoguang consulted her astrolabe and counted on her fingers. "That's strange. According to my calculations, you shouldn't be married. Wait, it's like a family but not a family, like a home but not a home. Argh, what does that even mean? My head is going to explode!"

Jiang Luofu quickly explained, "His situation is a bit complicated. He was originally married to Miss Chu, but after some events, they had to divorce nominally. However, their feelings for each other haven't changed, and their daily interactions are no different from when they were husband and wife."

Zu'an looked vigilant. Surely the beautiful Headmistress hadn't been secretly spying on his life all this time?

Qi Yaoguang suddenly understood. "I see, I see."

Inside the wooden house, the Crown Princess secretly frowned. He was still on such good terms with Miss Chu. She wondered what the Chu family was thinking; they were, after all, a prominent aristocratic family. How could they allow their daughter to follow Zu'an in such an ambiguous manner?

At this point, Qi Yaoguang suddenly blinked at Zu'an. "You no longer have the status of husband and wife, yet you're still living with her as if you were married. Aren't you quite the scoundrel?"

Zu'an: "..."

Being called a scoundrel by a sweet-looking young girl in an innocent tone was, to be honest, quite disarming.

Inside the wooden house, the Crown Princess secretly gave a thumbs-up. Suddenly, her impression of this junior sister from the academy greatly improved. "She really hit the nail on the head!"

Jiang Luofu cast a half-smile at Zu'an. It was about time this fellow faced some consequences. Miss Chu was like a fairy, yet she was constantly involved with him in such an unclear way, and there was no shortage of gossip in the capital.

Of course, her purpose today wasn't to discuss this. While her junior sister was scrutinizing Zu'an, Jiang Luofu stepped forward and bowed towards the wooden house. "Teacher, your disciple has brought Zu'an to seek an audience."

Although she already believed her junior sister's words, she still wanted to make one last effort.

A distant voice came from the direction of the wooden house. "When it is time to meet, you will meet."

The implication was that a meeting was not happening now.

Jiang Luofu bit her lip and quickly said, "Your disciple wishes to request a teaching position at the academy for Zu'an. I hope for your approval, Teacher."

Inside the wooden house, the Crown Princess was somewhat surprised. This woman was no relation to Zu'an, so why was she helping him so much?

She knew well how valuable a teaching position at the Imperial Academy was. Countless people yearned to become teachers there, but the vetting process was incredibly strict, akin to thousands of soldiers crossing a single-plank bridge.

This woman actually came to directly ask the Grand Master for Zu'an?

What exactly was their relationship?

The Crown Princess was somewhat displeased. It wasn't necessarily that she had fallen for Zu'an, but in her view, Zu'an came from the Eastern Palace, he was "her" person. In that instant, she felt as if her own toy had been snatched by another woman, and that woman was her rival from years ago!

Rage points from Bi Linglong +368 +368 +368...

Outside, Zu'an was utterly baffled. Where had he offended her this time?

However, he couldn't dwell on those thoughts now. He was more concerned about the Grand Master's reply.

"That's against the rules," the Grand Master's voice finally came after a long silence in the wooden house. "However, if you can secure the agreement of more than half of the remaining senior and junior disciples in the academy, an exception can be made for admission."

The Crown Princess by the window furrowed her delicate brows. She had long heard about the Grand Master's disciples; each had an eccentric personality. So many high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital had tried to curry favor with them, but they yielded to no one. How difficult would it be to get these people to make an exception?

Although she was displeased that Zu'an was secretly flirting with other beautiful women behind her back, she also understood that if Zu'an could become a teacher at the Imperial Academy, it would be immensely beneficial not only to him but also to her. Therefore, she naturally hoped Zu'an would succeed.

Unfortunately, the more one cared, the more one worried. Thinking of the reputation of the Grand Master's disciples among the capital's elite over the years, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Zu'an had no hope this time. "I'll have to think of another way to help him next time."

Just then, a surprised voice suddenly rang out from outside:

"Master Zu! Master Zu! I've finally found you!"

The Crown Princess looked out the window to see a short, plump man, shaped like a winter melon, rolling up the mountain path like a ball of flesh. Wasn't that Yin Shi, the Grand Master's eleventh disciple?

His appearance was so distinctive that the Crown Princess would have found it difficult not to recognize him.

Zu'an cupped his hands. "Brother Yin!"

Yin Shi quickly waved his hands. "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. Your knowledge is enough to be my teacher. Calling you 'Master' already feels a bit presumptuous; from now on, just call me Little Yin."

Crown Princess: "???"

She instinctively rubbed her eyes. Had she left the house the wrong way today? Yin Shi, the most famously difficult and unruly disciple of the academy, was actually showing Zu'an such respect? And even wanted him as a teacher?

If she hadn't seen Yin Shi before, she might have suspected Zu'an had hired an actor to put on a show.

At this moment, she felt a shadow beside her. Turning around, she realized that the Grand Master had also come to the window at some point, apparently observing the situation outside.

The Crown Princess suddenly wanted to laugh. Surely the Grand Master couldn't be completely calm knowing his direct disciple wanted to take someone else as a teacher.

At this moment, Yin Shi outside continued, "Master Zu, I just heard your quantum theory and found it incredibly enlightening. Many doubts I've had for years have been cleared up. Now I have a huge number of ideas I'd like to discuss with you..."

Jiang Luofu was startled. The teacher was right there in the nearby wooden house. Wasn't he trying to stir up trouble by saying this? She quickly interrupted, "Junior Brother, Ah Zu has important matters to attend to right now."

"Does he want to see the teacher? No problem, I'll wait here," Yin Shi said with an expression of admiration. "Only the teacher is qualified to sit and discuss the Way with Master Zu."

Zu'an: "..."

Crown Princess: "..."

Qi Yaoguang: "..."

Jiang Luofu quickly said, "The teacher doesn't wish to see him."

Yin Shi let out a surprised "Eh?" "Has the teacher gotten senile? Master Zu is a great talent! A conversation with him might even give the teacher some pointers, perhaps helping his cultivation advance further... Ah..."

Before he could finish, he suddenly let out a shriek, as if kicked by an invisible force, and then rolled back down the mountain like a ball of flesh.

The Crown Princess couldn't help but glance sideways. The Grand Master usually appeared calm and detached from worldly affairs, but she didn't expect him to be so vengeful deep down.

"Oh, what happened to Old Eleven?" At that moment, another voice came from outside. A weathered old farmer and an elegant, robed scholar arrived together, carrying a ball of flesh in their hands—who else could it be but Yin Shi?

Yin Shi opened his mouth to reply, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't utter a single word.

The robed scholar stroked his beard and smiled faintly. "It seems he's been punished by the teacher again."

The old farmer looked at Yin Shi's comical appearance, and the wrinkles on his brow relaxed slightly. "Finally, I don't have to listen to Old Eleven's incessant chatter."

The Crown Princess was secretly surprised to see the two. These were Hei Baizi, the Grand Master's fifth disciple, and Wang Shuyang, his seventh, weren't they? They were rarely seen, so why were they all gathered here today? Could something significant be happening?

----

I'm traveling far today, with over 4 hours of flying and 5 hours of driving. So there will likely only be one chapter today.

Updates will likely be unstable over the next few days. I'll try my best to keep them coming, and I'll make up for any missed chapters when I return. I hope you'll understand.