Why do I have so many masters?

The ancient Scholar tree had shed all its leaves, leaving it stark and bare, a sight that seemed forlorn.

And beneath the tree, that familiar figure was nowhere to be seen.

Wang Anfeng, with his ancient zither on his back, called out several times but heard not the familiar reply, a sense of unease growing within him. He pursed his lips and finally whispered softly:

"Master, Anfeng has acted impolitely."

He reached out from under his sleeve and slowly pushed open the half-closed wooden door.

With a creak, the thin cool sunlight of winter streamed into the room through the crack in the door, everything inside was familiar, but it notably lacked the presence of the Master in his long robe, smiling warmly.

On the wooden table where he had instructed Wang Anfeng in the art of the zither and taught him philosophy, there lay a solitary letter, bearing handwriting identical to the spring couplets at the young man's home. Wang Anfeng steadied himself, habitually reaching to take the zither from his back, then realized with a start that he no longer needed to set it down.

His hand paused for a moment, and in silence, he carefully laid the zither across the table.

Hum—

When the body of the zither touched the wooden table, the strings vibrated, emitting a deep resounding twang that echoed through the empty room, strikingly shrill.

The youth placed his hand on the strings to stop the vibration, his eyes on the letter, his thoughts drifting elsewhere.

Mr. Jiang must be very wealthy.

The young man laughed softly to himself.

Otherwise, why would the house he bought be so big?

So empty and vast, it was indeed such a waste.

Reaching out with both hands, Wang Anfeng took the letter, fell silent, opened the envelope, and carefully placed it on the table, handwriting facing up, before unfolding the letter itself.

"Zhanxin Jia."

"When you, Anfeng, open this letter, your Master will have already left Wangxian County."

"The world is boundless, unknowable in its entirety. There may be others with talents like yours who lack the opportunities you have had. Although my influence is but modest, action is up to the individual. If one person reads more, understands more principles, a hundred years from now it could lead to a learned Noble Clan, enlightening many minds."

"Our Confucian Saint said, 'Cultivate the self, put the family in order, govern the state, and bring peace to the world.' Future Confucian Scholars have been striving to enter the Imperial Court, but this is a misconceived notion; you must never learn from them, Anfeng."

"The Saint, in his time, amid great chaos, with lords vying for power, only through the strength of a single country could barriers be cleared, could the world be educated."

"Now that the nation is stable, it's time to spread wisdom throughout the world, not to play political games in the Imperial Court. In my life, I may be overreaching, may be overestimating myself, may have gained nothing, and perhaps future generations will not remember a Scholar named Jiang Shouyi…"

The writing paused here, for to a Confucian Scholar who had studied from a young age, leaving a legacy was as daunting as facing death itself.

The young man looked down, seeing his Master's carefree answer.

"Even so, what of it?"

"A thousand years ago, were there Confucian Academies throughout the world?"

"Only principles and the human heart persist unbroken."

"When I say this, I do not seek to absolve myself. Parting from you is indeed my mistake. Knowing I had to leave yet taking you as my disciple was an even greater fault. But even a common man like your Master, upon meeting you, couldn't help but rejoice. Your talent is exceptional, and all the principles I have learned I have already bestowed upon you.

In the end, they boil down to simply preserving, upholding, and being kind."

"You may choose to farm diligently in Great Liang, or you might venture out to see more. I hope you will choose to see more, but the choice is yours."

"In my study, there lies a map and tokens. I have selected five Academies, each with its strengths. If you favor the tranquility of this village, then let them remain sealed, but should you have desires, go and seek education… Learn their knowledge, but do not adopt their ways. Use your own eyes to see, your knowledge to judge, and decide your own path.

But be wary when alone, blind not yourself with your own obsessions."

"The world already has so many Confucian Scholars, Saints, and one Jiang Shouyi, but from ancient times to a future when Heaven and Earth unite, there will only ever be one Wang Anfeng."

"Wang Anfeng, simply be Wang Anfeng."

"Master, Jiang Shouyi remains."

The youth finished reading, his eyes slightly closed, standing still for a long time.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Wang Anfeng's calm expression rippled. He folded the letter carefully, tucked it into the envelope, and placed it in his bosom before he walked slowly towards the study behind him, where Jiang Shouyi resided. Without any hesitation, the youth reached out a hand lightly resting it on the door, fell silent for a moment, then pushed the wooden door open.

With a creak, the young man stepped into the Master's study, which was extremely sparse. There was a folded map on the table, along with five sealed letters. Wang Anfeng, looking at those five letters, understood what it meant for Jiang Shouyi.

That day, just like always, Wang Anfeng brewed two cups of tea. The fragrance of tea was faint, and the melody of the guqin was lingering as before.

Passersby walked past, shaking their heads and swaying along.

"The Master's guqin playing is still as pleasing to the ear as ever."

..................

"You're leaving..."

Li Qidao wasn't surprised as he looked at the tranquil-faced youth before him, cracked a smile, and said:

"Today is the fourth day of the New Year, how long did you think it over?"

"Three days."

The elder stayed silent, picked up a jug of wine, and drained it. He smacked his lips and said nonchalantly:

"If you want to go, then go. Since you're going to seek knowledge, I can't stop you."

"You've achieved some proficiency in martial arts and you aren't a fool prone to causing trouble, so it's time for you to go out. At your age, I had already roamed a thousand miles as a ranger. I didn't have this kind of trouble before, and I had planned to let you go out and make your mark next year."

"Being cooped up in a small mountain village, I don't believe you can achieve great things. Besides, after you leave, this old man might as well go stretch his limbs and meet up with some old friends for a drink."

He went to raise the jug to his mouth for another drink, only to find it empty. He furrowed his brow, muttered a few curses under his breath, and carelessly tossed the jug onto the table, then asked:

"When do you leave?"

Wang Anfeng fell silent, his eyes half-closed, and spoke softly:

"After the New Year's celebrations."
Read new chapters at empire

The old man chuckled and said, "Good, during this time, cultivate well!"

"After you leave, remember to collect the world's famous wines for this old man!"

The youth nodded with a smile, saying:

"Definitely!"

Compared to the ready departure of Liba, the response from the masters at Shaolin Temple was quite different.

Master Ci and Wu Changqing had no objections. The latter was even looking forward to the youth visiting the big cities to obtain the rare medicinal herbs that were difficult to come by in Great Liang Village.

As for Master Ying...

From New Year's Eve until now, it had been five days since Wang Anfeng was hardly able to see him, but today he unusually showed up.

Dressed in his usual green robe, he seemed to be returning from the chilly wind, his face bearing the cold.

"I disagree."

PS: The cover has been changed again, it's now a pure landscape painting. It can be seen on the PC version, but it seems not yet on the APP. Is there a delay on the backend... I'm not sure.

This volume is renamed to—Three Years of Arduous Cultivation at Great Liang Village. A volume with too many chapters is not good, so I'm splitting them up huh.