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墨書 Inktalez
After finishing his complaints, Li Cu curiously asked, "How did a mere pen become a demon?"
"My master is the great Confucian, Zhou Guangqian," came the reply.
"Zhou? That's from three hundred years ago," Sang Qingxiao calculated.
"He is Zhou Guangqian."
"Zhou Guangqian? He's not just any scholar," Misha interjected, clearly more knowledgeable about this historical figure. "Zhou Guangqian was of royal blood, the youngest son of King Shou of the Zhou Dynasty. Although he was a bastard, he displayed remarkable talent from the age of two or three and became the imperial tutor by the age of fourteen."
"When the Zhou Dynasty faced turmoil at the age of twenty-four, Zhou Guangqian did not want to see his royal kin fighting for power and killing each other. He also wished to avoid being caught up in it, so he faked his death and vanished without a trace," Yue Hao continued.
"My master first went into hiding. After the court gave up searching for him, he traveled across the land, finding solace in nature. He lived a carefree life and reached the age of ninety-nine without illness or misfortune."
Misha sighed, "Zhou the Great Confucian was truly fortunate. Historical records show that other members of the royal family had far worse fates."
"My master always said that one must be willing to give up something to gain something."
Li Cu flicked his tail impatiently. "You're getting off track. Yue Hao, why don't you tell us how you became a demon?"
Yue Hao resumed his tale. "While my master was wandering, he saw a weasel climbing a tree to pick jujubes and found it amusing. He watched for a while when suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the jujube tree, killing both the tree and the weasel."
"Thunderstruck Wood is extremely rare and is revered in Taoism as a divine tree. It has one crucial condition: it must be struck by lightning and yet remain unharmed."
"My master wanted to see if this tree would survive, so he built a wooden hut beside it and waited for over half a year. When spring arrived, the tree indeed sprouted leaves."
"My master then received a piece of Thunderstruck Wood and recalled that weasel which had been struck by lightning but showed no signs of damage. Combining these two elements allowed him to create me—a wolf hair brush."
"My master had long since entered the path of Confucianism and Taoism. Perhaps accustomed to being a teacher, whenever he used me to write or paint, he would often recite lessons from early education."
"I was made from exceptional materials and nurtured by my master's Confucian teachings. With his unintentional guidance, I gradually gained consciousness."
"Before his passing, he used Confucian methods to help me transition from being an object into becoming a demon and even achieved human form."
"You certainly encountered an extraordinary master," Black General remarked.
"Isn't Miss Sang extraordinary as well?" Yue Hao replied.
Sang Qingxiao responded, "Yue Hao, don't flatter me. I'm not easily fooled. A few kind words won't spare you; instead, tell me how many people you've killed over these past few centuries."
Yue Hao admitted candidly, "Aside from four in Huzhou City, I've killed a few others—only bad people who bullied demons or harmed humans."
"My master repeatedly taught me not to do evil before he passed away; his teachings are ingrained in my very being."
"He once said I was his disciple and also his child. He cared for me deeply; I would never do anything to tarnish his reputation!"
"Have you done any other bad things? I can find out. Let's talk about the case in Huzhou City."
Yue Hao continued, "After my master passed away, I took his ashes and traveled around. Whenever I ran out of money, I would find a village and teach the children to read and write in exchange for some money or food. Once I had saved enough, I would set off again.
Twelve years ago, I found another village and started teaching the children. One of the kids, Zhou Fan, was the one who died in the Academy Well.
I had long suspected that the deaths of those people were related to Zhou Fan's demise. However, after tracing his whereabouts, my suspicions lessened. He had no other friends or family to stand up for him, so I shifted my focus to other bullied students.
But who would have thought that it was his teacher from Early Childhood Education who stood up for him?"
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