"Women?"
Princess Ning looked at Chen Xuan with surprise.
Zhao Youqian and Leng Li didn't speak, but their eyes were also filled with confusion. Didn't this guy usually not care much about women?
"That's right. A sage once said that women are like a book. Only when you truly understand her can you truly grow up."
Chen Xuan said with a regretful expression: "Unfortunately, I've grown up, but I still haven't truly understood a single book."
"Are you sure it's about understanding, and not that you haven't even opened one?"
Zhao Youqian asked with exasperation.
"Heh."
Chen Xuan chuckled. Should I tell this kid about my history as a playboy?
"Indeed, there's some truth to that. May I ask which sage said this?"
Princess Ning asked thoughtfully.
"A sage with the surname Lu."
Chen Xuan didn't know if that famous figure from his previous life had actually said this. Anyway, all classic quotes and jokes could be attributed to him.
"I wonder what kind of books Young Master Chen likes to read?"
Princess Ning spoke with double meaning as she handed the jade slip to Chen Xuan.
After receiving the jade slip, Chen Xuan smiled and said: "I like books with depth. After all, only books with depth can create resonance."
"Young Master is indeed learned. You're worthy of being a scholar. Would you be interested in teaching at our Taiyin Academy?"
Princess Ning directly extended an invitation to Chen Xuan.
"No, no."
Chen Xuan firmly refused. He could show off classics and plagiarize poems, but teaching would simply be misleading students. He was self-aware about this.
"I still bear the responsibility of reviving my sect. I need to take on more disciples. Unfortunately, after all these years, I've only taken on one mediocre disciple."
"With Young Master Chen's great talent, your disciple must be outstanding too. Introduce me sometime."
Princess Ning made a polite remark.
"Alright, when he comes out of seclusion, I'll introduce him to you."
Chen Xuan said calmly.
Princess Ning just nodded and didn't take Chen Xuan's words to heart. He was so young; his disciple must be young too. She could just be perfunctory when the time came.
After receiving the jade slip, the three of them began studying the design of Taiyin Academy.
Princess Ning picked up her book and continued reading.
After finishing, Zhao Youqian gave Chen Xuan a meaningful look, indicating this wasn't the place to talk.
Chen Xuan returned the jade slip to Princess Ning, and the three of them left the academy.
Princess Ning watched their retreating figures and murmured to herself:
"What exactly is your purpose in coming here?"
"What role is Minister Zhuo playing in all this?"
The three hurried back to the small courtyard.
"Brother Zhao, can you now tell us what's wrong with Taiyin Academy's design?"
Chen Xuan rarely saw Zhao Youqian being so cautious.
"The design of Taiyin Academy is very unreasonable. It's completely designed as a formation. Did you notice that every courtyard here has a water pool?" Zhao Youqian pointed to the small lake outside the building.
"Indeed, every courtyard has a pool." Chen Xuan hadn't paid attention to this detail at first. After all, courtyard designs in this world all emphasized feng shui.
"Did you also notice that the yin energy emanating from the pool in the courtyard today is stronger than when we arrived yesterday?" Zhao Youqian said.
"That's not my area of expertise. You know I only excel at using the sword," Chen Xuan said calmly.
"If I'm not mistaken, that formation design should be a Yin-Release Formation! And a high-level one at that. Through these pools, the yin energy from the sealed Yaksha in the academy is released, slowly wearing down her body and soul."
Zhao Youqian paused and continued: "This also explains why female cultivators' cultivation speed increases here, while male cultivators' cultivation decreases. The excessive yin energy is unfavorable for male cultivators.
Furthermore, the Yaksha clan is best at using dual cultivation methods to increase their own cultivation. Those male cultivators' cultivation was likely absorbed by her."
Hearing this, Chen Xuan immediately showed displeasure: "So you're saying we had our cultivation siphoned for free, and didn't even get to hold her hand?"
"Indeed. Crude words, but accurate meaning."
Zhao Youqian was also frustrated. Such a strange thing actually existed in this world.
Slam!
Chen Xuan slammed the table, his eyes determined:
"No way. I, Chen Xuan, absolutely cannot be taken advantage of for free. Tonight, I will definitely find that Yaksha!"
"We don't necessarily have to wait until night. We just need to find the formation's eye, and we can find the Yaksha."
Seeing Chen Xuan's fighting spirit, Zhao Youqian didn't delay.
"Junior Brother Leng, where is the largest lake in Taiyin Academy?"
Leng Li thought for a moment and said: "The Weiming Lake behind the mountain."
"Take us there."
Zhao Youqian said.
"Let's go."
Leng Li led the two away from the small building, heading straight for the back mountain.
After about a quarter of an hour, they saw a lake. A stone tablet on the shore bore the characters "Weiming Lake."
By the lake, several young ladies were feeding fish.
Zhao Youqian slowly circled the lake and returned, saying: "The yin energy in this lake is indeed the strongest. The Yaksha is most likely in this lake. Junior Brother Leng, you stay up here and watch. Brother Chen and I will go down and take a look."
"Alright."
Leng Li nodded, holding his sword in his arms.
Chen Xuan took out the water-avoiding pearl that Ao Li had given him from his storage ring and jumped into the lake.
Splash!
As soon as he entered the water, Chen Xuan discovered what seemed like a barrier around him, pushing all the water away.
He turned to see Zhao Youqian also holding a water-avoiding pearl.
Meanwhile, screams erupted from the lakeside:
"Someone jumped into the lake to commit suicide! Come help!"
"That handsome young man jumped in! Hurry and save him!"
"..."
Hearing this, Chen Xuan and Zhao Youqian in the lake showed surprised expressions. They had underestimated the young ladies' affection for them.
Seeing this scene, Leng Li quickly said: "Fellow students, please don't be excited. My Senior Brother is an excellent swimmer. He just dropped something in the lake and went to retrieve it."
"What did he drop? We can help him find it."
A curvaceous young lady said.
"No need. My Senior Brother doesn't like wet girls."
Leng Li made up an excuse with a straight face.
But his expression and tone made it seem real.
The young ladies nearby breathed a sigh of relief.
But one young lady said with disappointment: "In this world, what girl doesn't get wet?"
Hearing this, Leng Li showed confusion and murmured:
"Female ghosts don't get wet."
All the young ladies: "You lecher! You despicable undead knight!"
Leng Li: "..."
Is there something wrong with what I said?
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