For the people of Tao County, the past few days had been more dreamlike than the decades of their lives combined.
First, rain had fallen from a clear sky.
Then came the strange omens in heaven and earth.
And then, in a turn of events almost too surreal to believe—the distant and untouchable Emperor himself descended upon Mount Nan.
Even more astonishing than that… Tao County had produced a Sage.
No one knew what had truly transpired atop Mount Nan.
The mighty Imperial Guards sealed off all prying eyes.
All the people knew was this: after a conversation whose details were hidden from the world, countless riders flew down from the mountain bearing command flags, racing in all directions.
Soon after, news spread through the city: "Master Lin" was preparing to open a lecture hall on Mount Nan.
And this was only the beginning.
Like a pebble cast into still water, the news sent ripples upon ripples spreading endlessly.
Very quickly, even more astounding reports began pouring into the small county town.
"The Imperial Guards have encamped at the foot of the mountain."
"The Emperor has not returned to the capital, but is lodging below the mountain."
"Not only that, I hear several high ministers are waiting there as well, saying they will be among the first students."
"Students? Could it be… Master Lin truly dares to accept His Majesty as a disciple?" one man asked in disbelief, though he himself had never once seen the sovereign.
"Why not? He is a Sage…" another sighed in awe.
"But… can a Sage truly be so young?"
In Tao County, at every tea house and street corner, such conversations swirled like drifting snow.
But doubt turned to certainty when the Imperial Guards marched boldly into the city to requisition vast numbers of tables and benches.
And when, at the mountain's foot, rows of military tents truly rose into place.
"Good thing I made preparations in advance—otherwise, I'd never hold this together."
At Lishan Martial Hall.
Lin Tuo rubbed his face as he shifted his consciousness back to his body. He stood, glanced at the world inside the Evolution Sand Table, and muttered to himself.
Recalling the earlier scene, he had to admit—he had been tense.
Even with layers of groundwork laid beforehand, proving himself before the sovereign and his ministers was not something that could be done with a mere show of force.
These men were not fools.
After the Imperial Guards had delivered his message, the young Emperor personally ascended the mountain with several ministers. Lin Tuo had been compelled to meet them, holding his demeanor as he engaged in conversation.
He had prepared material and, in the process, gave them a short lesson—enough to display true knowledge and skill.
He had even considered: if they still doubted him, or failed to understand, he would summon another "heavenly sign."
Thankfully, that contingency had not been needed.
The Emperor and his ministers proved far sharper than expected. Even if they grasped only fragments of what he revealed, they understood its priceless value.
"Learning new knowledge requires keen minds," Lin Tuo mused. "Hopefully they will gather enough capable scholars… or at the very least, diligent scribes to record it all."
His plan was simple: with divine awe as a shield, he would establish a lecture hall, and have the Emperor send the brightest minds available.
Through them, he would pass down new knowledge.
Thus, the development of civilization within the Sand Table would advance.
Success was uncertain, but the attempt was worth making.
"I only hope this Emperor proves competent. Given the state of Chi Kingdom, the safest path is reform from the top down."
In truth, this sovereign proved even more capable—and earnest—than Lin Tuo had hoped.
For the next two days, Tao County knew no peace.
Determined not to let the Sage slip away, the Emperor ordered, with Lin Tuo's consent, the expansion of the academy at once.
The entire county, and even the surrounding prefecture, was shaken.
In just two days, the ruins of the old academy on Mount Nan were cleared, a flat terrace carved out, and thousands of desks hauled in, lined row upon row in grand formation.
At a glance, seating had been prepared for at least a thousand students.
Meanwhile, carriages and riders poured in from across the nation.
From the capital came scholars dispatched day and night without rest. From other prefectures came renowned thinkers of established schools. From the provinces came hopeful youths, paying their own way for the chance to hear a Sage.
Some came alone on swift horses; others traveled in groups.
No one wished to miss the chance. Even if they learned nothing, to attend would be an honor remembered for a lifetime.
For the townsfolk of Tao County, watching this grand convergence from their tea house windows became the most entertaining sight of all:
"Isn't that the Seven Scholars of Mingzhou?"
"The great scholar of Dongliang!"
"The champion of Nanjang!"
"Even the Little Immortal Poet of the capital has come?"
"Wait—that man… isn't he the retired former Prime Minister?"
Though small, Tao County had men of learning. With each new famous figure arriving, even the calmest could no longer feign composure.
Local scholars, taking advantage of proximity, had long since secured their places.
Though the best seats had been allocated, Mount Nan was vast. If not a desk, then a stool, a cushion, or even the bare ground—there was room for all.
In this charged and restless air, the third day arrived.
The day the Sage would begin his teaching.
At sunrise, golden light swept the mountains.
Mount Nan was already overflowing with humanity.
Every desk was filled—by old and young, officials and commoners, scholars of fame and obscurity alike.
Beyond them stretched countless others, seated cross-legged on mats.
At the mountain's base, the banners of the Imperial Guards snapped in the wind.
A gust swept the slope, making the blank pages upon the desks flutter like snowy waves.
Nearest the academy's gates sat the Emperor himself, alongside the great ministers of court. Their area held a solemn gravity that stilled even the air.
All were seated in grave silence.
Until, at last, the academy doors opened.
Lin Tuo emerged, in plain robes, his gaze sweeping across the sea of faces—tens of thousands of eyes turned upon him.
The mountain wind stilled.
The murmuring crowd fell silent. The vast assembly grew so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
"Ahem."
Lin Tuo clasped his hands behind his back, quietly pinching his thigh with one hand to steady himself. He drew on his martial training, gathering Ether at his throat, so his voice would carry down even to the base of the mountain.
Then, before countless watching eyes, he walked to a wall darkened with ink—a makeshift "blackboard."
"Today, so many of you have come. Please remain silent. For this first lesson, I will not take questions. There will be time for that later. This lecture will be long—if you cannot endure, you may leave early."
His calm words, though strange in phrasing to Chi ears, fell heavy with authority.
From the front row, the Emperor himself raised his hand cautiously and asked:
"May I ask, Master Lin, what subject you will teach today?"
Lin Tuo regarded the obedient sovereign with a faint smile.
He turned, picked up a piece of chalk prepared from lime, and slowly, in the script of Chi, spelled out a foreign word.
When the final stroke was drawn, he turned back, faced the tens of thousands, and pointing at the white letters, spoke with a smile:
"The first lesson I shall teach you… is Science."
(End of Chapter)