Starting My Cultivation With Immortality - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Yuyang Academy

Yun Su wandered around and ate a bowl of wontons at the same place in the afternoon. He was satisfied. From afar, he could hear the few little fellows reading in Qingfeng Small Building so he asked about the location of private schools nearby.

“Mr. Su, since ancient times, the county has emphasized on culture and education. More than 200 years ago, the rich people in the city donated to build Yuyang Academy together. It’s not far from here. In addition, there are other workshops and private schools that are slightly inferior to the academy.”

“Oh? Even the private schools of wealthy families can’t compare to Yuyang Academy?”

“That’s right. The successive heads of Yuyang Academy are all virtuous officials who have retired to their hometowns. Since ancient times, there have been many scholars in Yuyang. The most respected people here are not the county magistrate or the wealthy merchants but the gentlemen of Yuyang Academy. There is no lack of scholars and High Scholars from the academy.

The current head, Duke Lu, was a scholar in our Yangming Prefecture in his early years. He made it as the Minister of Rites. Later, he was dissatisfied with the chaos in the bureaucracy and retired to his hometown to become the head of the Yuyang Academy.”

Yun Su nodded. The Minister of Rites was the head and the teachers were not bad. This Yuyang Academy was worth visiting.

…

About fifteen minutes later, Yun Su looked at the huge academy in front of him and nodded slightly. He finally understood why this academy was extraordinary.

The academy was located on a low hill. There were four courtyards and dozens of school buildings. There were countless pines and cypresses with their arms wrapped around each other. The environment was elegant and the sound of clear reading rose and fell. Some people were full of energy and there were also people who were learning how to speak. As expected, the academy also had monastic classes.

Unlike other ordinary academies, there was a special aura lingering above the Yuyang Academy. It could not be hidden under the Dharma Eye. There were faint sounds of scholars reading and there were also scenes of great scholars lecturing. It should be the vast literary aura that the academy had coalesced over the past 200 years.

This literary aura could not be extinguished by wind or rain. Occasionally, a trace of foul aura would drift over but it was immediately overwhelmed by the literary aura and turned to dust.

At that moment, a young man in the academy’s uniform saw Yun Su looking around and walked over. He felt that this person was refined, handsome, and had an extraordinary aura so he cupped his hands and bowed.

“I’m He Buyu, an instructor at Yuyang Academy. May I ask for the purpose of your visit?”

“So you are Teacher He. I’m Yun Su. I just moved to Yuyang City recently. I’ve heard a lot about the Yuyang Academy. Coincidentally, I have a few children at home so I came to take a look.”

Yun Su saw that this person had a strange appearance and a faint noble aura around him. When he walked, he could invoke the noble aura above the academy. He was quite extraordinary.

“Mr. Su, if you want to send your family members to the academy to study, it’s the right time. The academy will recruit new students in five days. As long as they can pass the exam, they can enter the academy to study.”

He Buyu was neither servile nor overbearing. When he spoke, it made people feel very comfortable. He was not a pedantic scholar. Instead, he had a lofty temperament. He was not as arrogant as ordinary scholars.

The two of them chatted for a while more and He Buyu introduced the rules of the academy. For example, the academy also accepted female students but they were taught separately from the boys and they could not participate in the examinations of the various levels of the dynasty.

There were martial arts schools in the academy too. Not only were they good at humanities but they had also produced generals on the battlefield.

If they could enter the academy to study, not only would their accommodation and food be free but the students would also be able to receive a rather generous sum of money to support their families.

“Thank you, Teacher He. The four of them are old enough to study but I still have to go back and ask them in detail. If they’re willing, they can come to the academy in five days to try.”

When He Buyu heard this, he was slightly stunned. He said, “Mr. Su, you’re not an ordinary person. If you come in five days, you can look for me. Everyone in the academy knows me.”

The two of them parted ways and Yun Su strolled down the mountain.

During dinner, Yun Su specially cooked three dishes and a soup. Vinegar sliced cabbage, double-cooked pork, steamed egg custard and shredded cabbage soup.

Wang Xuanji stayed close. As she helped with the fire, she learned it in her heart. She felt that it was different from the way she cooked.

The cabbage was stir-fried in a rich fire until it had a golden edge. Old vinegar was added to enhance the flavor. A fierce fire and stir-fry were the key.

The double-cooked pork was mixed with ginger and a small amount of cooking wine. The difficulty was in mastering the scale of fat and leanness. The thickness of the meat was also crucial for the taste.

The cooking method of the steamed egg custard was simple but the stirring of the egg liquid could not be sloppy at all. It had to be stirred very evenly and then steeped in warm rice soup before being served on the steamer. The egg custard made this way was fragrant and delicious without any bubbles.

The shredded cabbage soup was also a light soup that Yun Su like. The cabbage used was the most tender part of the leaves left over from cooking vinegar sliced cabbage. It was cut extremely thin and boiled in the pot. In a moment, the fragrance spread out. Other than a little salt, nothing else was added. The soup was light, not greasy and very delicious.

After cooking three dishes and a soup, Wang Xuanji’s eyes widened. She never expected Brother Yun to have such good knife skills and culinary skills.

Yun Su did not use any magic powers for this meal. Yun Su had been a foodie since he was young and liked to cook. At that moment, he felt that cooking and cultivating were similar. Only with interest and passion could one improve in either.

The few little fellows held their stomachs and complained about how full they were. They did not expect the usually taciturn Brother Yun to be so good at cooking.

As for how much the meal cost, only Wang Xuanji was counting with her fingers. She thought to himself that it was not the first month of the lunar calendar. Could it be that today was a special day? It didn’t seem to be a special day.

After the meal, Yun Su called the four of them into his room and told them about the Yuyang Academy’s entrance examination in five days.

“You’re all old enough to study. The Spring School Exam for Yuyang Academy is in five days. Do you want to study?”

Yun Su sat on the bamboo chair and briefly explained the situation at Yuyang Academy.

The four children, one tall and three short, stood in a row. Wang Xuanji’s hands were placed in front of him and the three little fellows had their hands behind their backs. When they heard that they could go to school, Wang Xuanwen and Wang Xuanwu immediately became excited.

“Brother Yun, I want to study at the academy.”

“Brother Yun, I too want to study at the academy.”

Wang Xuanji pursed her lips tightly and did not speak. Wang Xuancang was about to speak but when he saw that Sister Xuanji did not speak, he lowered his head slightly.

“Xuanwen, Xuanwu, why do you two want to study in the academy?”

Yun Su smiled faintly. From the looks of the four of them, they all had the intention to learn.

“I want to be a high-ranking official. Then I want to find out who killed my entire family all those years ago and lock them up.”

“If Big Brother becomes an official, then I’ll be a general.”

Yun Su nodded and looked back at the two silent children.

“What about you guys? Don’t you want guys to study?”

Wang Xuanzang scratched his head and said seriously, “Brother Yun, I… I don’t think I should go. Sister Xuanji can teach me how to read.”

“I can study at home. If there’s anything I don’t understand, I’ll ask you, Brother Yun. Anyway, there’s no point for girls to study.” Wang Xuanji shook her head and said.

Yun Su pondered for a moment. Putting aside the fact that Wang Xuanwen and Wang Xuanwu were determined to become officials and join the army, although Wang Xuanzang did not say it verbally, children at this age of the Great Cheng Dynasty are already gradually becoming more sensible. They definitely had their own ideas.

If he wanted to join the army and enter politics, it was naturally best to study at the academy.