156: Discussing the Dao?

At midnight, the hustle and bustle of the capital gradually subsided. The towering vermilion gates of the Jixia Academy appeared exceptionally solemn under the moonlight, like a silent watcher of a thousand years, stubbornly guarding those crumbling dogmas of etiquette.

Inside the Library Tower, moonlight filtered through the carved window frames, casting mottled shadows among the overlapping bookshelves. The air was filled with the faint scent of aged paper and cold sandalwood.

Yan Ruyu sat stiffly before a red sandalwood desk, the "Theory of Moral Principles" left by the ancient sages spread out before her, but her gaze was scattered and listless. In those Phoenix eyes, which were usually as sharp as knives and capable of perceiving profound meanings in subtle words, there was now nothing but struggle.

"The world has righteous energy, manifesting in various forms..."

She murmured softly; with every recitation, another crack appeared on the monument named "Etiquette" deep within her Dao Heart. As a Confucian Dao Half-Saint of the Great Qian Divine Dynasty, she discovered for the first time that the things she had guarded for centuries appeared so pale and powerless before the few casual remarks of that man.

"Teacher Yan, a midnight invitation—it seems the 'lesson' from during the day wasn't enough?"

A magnetic voice, carrying a hint of teasing and a touch of wickedness, echoed within the silent tower.

Yan Ruyu's delicate body trembled violently, and the wolf-hair brush in her hand snapped in two with a "crack." She looked up in a panic, only to see Lin Chen stepping leisurely out from the shadows of the bookshelves. He was still wearing a simple green robe, yet he wore it with a composure that seemed as if he wouldn't be startled even if the sky fell.

"Lin... Lin Chen, you've come." Yan Ruyu forced herself to stand, attempting to use the cold gaze behind her gold-rimmed monocle to hide her internal panic, but her earlobes, slightly flushed with embarrassment, betrayed her current agitation.

"Teacher's invitation, how could this student dare to refuse?" Lin Chen pressed forward step by step, walking directly behind the red sandalwood desk.

The space here was extremely narrow, the distance between them so close they could smell each other's breath. Lin Chen's highly aggressive masculine scent instantly and overbearingly filled this Holy Land permeated with the fragrance of ink.

"The... the poem from today, where did you get it from?" Yan Ruyu avoided Lin Chen's burning gaze, her slender fingers nervously clutching the scroll, attempting to use it to begin the so-called "Discussing the Dao."

"Does Teacher care about the poem, or the person who wrote it?" Lin Chen reached out, his two fingers gently pinching Yan Ruyu's chin, forcing her to look directly into his eyes.

"Impudent... this is a place of sages, how dare you be so frivolous with me!" Although Yan Ruyu scolded him, her voice carried a weakness she hadn't even noticed herself.

"A place of sages?" Lin Chen sneered, his other free hand casually flipping open the "Theory of Moral Principles" on the desk and violently tearing it to shreds. "These books teach you to 'preserve heavenly principles and extinguish human desires,' teaching you that men should be as humble as dust. But Teacher, can all these books of sages in this room soothe the 'itch' in your heart right now?"

Yan Ruyu felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She wanted to retreat, but found the cold, hard bookshelf already at her back.

"The etiquette you speak of is a distorted logic of Yin and Yang imbalance." Lin Chen's body pressed against her, firmly imprisoning this proud Chancellor between himself and the bookshelf. "Confucian Dao emphasizes 'unimpeded flow.' The reason you have long been unable to break through the Bottleneck to become a Saint is that the Confucian techniques you cultivate are too 'dry,' dry to the very bone. You need lubrication; you need the world's most fundamental Yin and Yang harmony technique to enlighten you."

"Nonsense... the theory of Yin and Yang is the fixed order of heaven and earth, why would it need... mmm..."

Yan Ruyu's rebuttal was overbearingly blocked by Lin Chen's lips.

It was a war named "Discussing the Dao" but in reality, it was "Conquest." Lin Chen's kiss lacked even a hint of scholarly refinement, filled with predatory beast-like plunder. Yan Ruyu's mind went blank instantly, and the Noble Spirit she was so proud of collapsed in an instant. Her gold-rimmed monocle slipped halfway off during the struggle, hanging precariously on her jade-like nose, revealing a messy beauty after her sophisticated facade had crumbled.

The book in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud." Her originally cold, intellectual beauty, after being completely enveloped by the man's scent, actually triggered a madness that even she found terrifying.

"Teacher, is this the Dao you seek?" Lin Chen's voice rang in her ear, like the temptation of a devil.

"No... this is a demonic barrier..."

Lin Chen suddenly picked her up and placed her atop the mountain of ancient texts.

At that moment, etiquette, dogma, and seniority all turned into fuel.

In this Library Tower symbolizing the Peak of human wisdom, under the gaze of countless sage quotations, Lin Chen directly tore open the light green scholar's robe that symbolized her status.

That flash of blinding white instantly lit up the dim pavilion.

Yan Ruyu's skin actually showed a near-transparent luster, the ultimate physique refined by Confucian True Qi.

The Bottleneck that had been stuck at the Peak of Dao Integration for decades without progress suddenly shattered!

That was the ultimate clarity of thought. The "Saint Realm" she had been bitterly pursuing miraculously descended.

"Mister... Chen..."

Her form of address changed; the originally strict teacher now turned into the most greedy seeker of the Dao. She clung tightly to Lin Chen's neck, and amidst the rising waves of the sea of books, she let out a melodious cry she had never made before—one that shamed the sages in the room yet resonated with all living things.

The moon shifted westward.

Inside the Library Tower, it was a mess. Precious Xuan paper was scattered everywhere.

Yan Ruyu collapsed weakly among the piles of books, her hair messy and sticking to her flushed cheeks. Her originally neat scholar's robe could now only barely cover the essential parts. Those Phoenix eyes, which had become even more brilliant due to her breakthrough, were now staring blankly at Lin Chen as he slowly tied his belt.

"Today's matter..." she began, her voice still carrying a hint of post-coital hoarseness, "Heaven knows, Earth knows, you know, and I know. If half a word of this gets out, I will definitely not let you off."

Although her words remained firm, the look in her eyes as she watched Lin Chen no longer held any of the Chancellor's authority, only endless submission and attachment.

"Teacher Yan, it seems you have already realized the 'Truth'." Lin Chen leaned down and pecked those sweaty red lips. "In the future, I will frequently come for 'private lessons' at the Academy."

Yan Ruyu buried her face in the piles of books in shame, her heart beating wildly, but she softly replied, "Mhm."

[Congratulations host! Successfully subdued the Confucian Dao Half-Saint! By entering the fray yourself and using the Great Dao of Yin and Yang to enlighten a stubborn heart, the effect is outstanding!] [Acquired Passive Skill: [Words as Law] (Your spoken words carry the pressure of Truth, possessing a devastating attraction for intellectual and literary women).] [Yan Ruyu's loyalty is at maximum; Jixia Academy is now under the host's control!] [Next Objective: Great Imperial Martial Arts Competition! Empress Wu Zhao will soon arrive in person; please be prepared to "shock the court and the commonalty," host!]

Lin Chen pushed open the doors of the Library Tower. The first rays of dawn fell upon his face, and also upon this decaying Empire that was about to be completely rewritten by him.

He knew that the woman sitting on the throne was no longer far away.