Chapter 8: The Immortal's Writing, Xiao Lao

  The old man's gaze lingered on Chen Hao's face for a moment before he said, "You are the newly appointed eighth son of the Xiao family, Xiao Xianghao?"

  "Yes, sir." Chen Hao said respectfully again. This time, it was a heartfelt respect. Before coming, Chen Hao had thought of many possibilities. He had assumed that he would face the same cold eyes, contempt and unfair treatment as before, such as from Elder Xiao Bo. But in this old man's gaze, Chen Hao did not see any contempt.

  "Do you understand? I saw you were very engrossed just now..." The old man pointed to the "Xue Hai Wu Ya" that Chen Huan had not yet closed, with a hint of a benevolent smile on his face, and asked softly.

  "I...I don't understand, sir."

  "Then why are you watching with such relish?" The old man noticed Chen Huan's awkwardness, gently patted Chen Huan's head and smiled: "Child, don't be restrained."

  The old man wore a loose and simple grey robe, with no golden Xiao character on his chest like the others of the Xiao family.

  Chen Hao raised his head and took a look at the kind old man, saying: "I looked at these words and felt...felt...I couldn't say it either, I just felt very...comfortable."

  Chen Hao also didn't know how to describe that feeling, and could only use the two words "comfortable" as a substitute.

  "Oh?" The old man's eyes suddenly lit up, and after a pause, he said: "Very well, very well, you will follow me to learn from now on!"

  Chen Hao didn't understand what the old man meant by "very good", but he knew that the old man in front of him was different from others, and had no malice towards him. This was an intuition. Just like he could feel the sympathy and pity in Er Gouzi's mother's sharp and bitter exterior, he felt the kindness in the old man.

  "Sir, can you teach me how to read?" Chen Hao looked up at the old man's kind face and asked bravely.

  "Of course we can. Let's go, we'll go inside." The old man said.

  Just then, several figures entered the Wenyuan Pavilion. They walked over with smiles and when they saw the old man and Chen Huan, they immediately bowed respectfully and said in unison: "Greetings, Elder Xiao!"

  The old man's benevolent smile disappeared, and he looked calmly at the crowd, his eyes falling on a middle-aged man. "Wen Yu," he said, "from now on, I'll take charge of teaching this child, so he won't be attending your morning reading class."

  The middle-aged man called Wen Yu was slightly stunned, seemingly surprised, but still very respectful, and said without any reluctance: "Yes, Old Xiao!"

  Chen Hao could tell that these people were all teachers of the elementary class, and from the old man's tone, it seemed that he was originally assigned to the middle-aged man named Wen Yu's class, but was changed by the old man with just one sentence. Seeing their respect for the old man, Chen Hao knew that the old man's status must be very high, but what kind of height, he didn't know.

  "Let's go, Xianghuan." The old man's face regained its kindness and smiled as he took Chen Huan's hand and turned to walk forward.

  However, what surprised Chen Huan was that the old man took him in a direction that was neither the primary school nor the intermediate school, but rather the advanced school.

  ……

  Watching the old man with Chen Huan's back view, these teachers were shocked one by one, especially that middle-aged man named Wen Yu.

  "Who is that child?" one of the teachers asked at this time, and others also looked curiously at the middle-aged man named Wen Yu.

  "A newly passed eighth-generation disciple of the Xiao family."

  "It's strange, how did he end up in your class? He should be in intermediate school instead?"

  "He's never been to school, he can't read or write." Xiao Wenyu gazed at the old man and Chen Huan's back, saying distractedly. Suddenly, he turned around and looked at a teacher beside him, saying: "Wen Yuan, help me take care of my class for a bit, my old illness is acting up again, I need to go back and take some medicine..."

  "Alright, you can go now!" said Xiao Wenyuan without suspecting anything.

  The Xiang family named all its members who were professional teachers with characters related to writing.

  After Xiao Wenyu left, everyone else also went to the primary school. From a distance, their voices floated out.

  "This kid is lucky, and unexpectedly favored by Old Xiao!"

  "It's not possible, but it's strange. He looks like he's eleven or twelve years old and can't even read, how did Xiao Lao think so highly of him?"

  ……

  Xiao Lao, everyone in the Xiao family must address him as Xiao Lao. No one knows his real name or how old he is, all they know is that the direct descendants of the Xiao family, including the current head of the Xiao family, Xiao Ding, call him "Old Ancestor" when they see him.

  Xiao's family was founded on military merit.

  Forty years ago, there was no mention of a school in the Xiao family. At that time, the Xiao family in Yunzhou County was just an inconspicuous small family. However, it was also forty years ago that the Xiao family's elderly ancestor, who had never asked about worldly affairs, suddenly appeared and established the Wenyuan Pavilion, which is now the Xiao family school. He also stipulated that every Xiao family disciple must enter to study. At that time, no one in the Xiao family understood. However, even the head of the Xiao family at that time, who was the father of the current head of the Xiao family, did not dare to refute and could only obey.

  Forty years later, today, the Xiao family has undergone tremendous changes and has become one of the four major families in Yunzhou County!

  However, although Xiao Lao created the Wen Yuan Ge, also known as the Xiao Family Academy, he never taught classes to the Xiao family disciples. He only inspected their literary achievements once a year, and that was all.

  However, six years ago, Xiao Lao discovered Xiao Jiyuan and was extremely fond of him, taking him in as a disciple and teaching him personally. Xiao Jiyuan is the first and only one to receive Xiao Lao's favor among the Xiao family disciples.

  Now Chen Huan is the second one.

  Chen Hao, this illiterate and novice disciple, unexpectedly gained the favor of Xiao Lao, which indeed shocked and astonished these teachers. While they were envious, they also wondered in their hearts why Xiao Lao would take a liking to him?

  ……

  Before Chen Hao reported to the Xiao family school, the sixth elder Xiao Bo had already reported to Elder Xiao that among the 99 disciples of the "Xiang" generation, 98 had entered the intermediate school of the Xiao family, and one who had never attended school before had entered the primary school, with each person's name attached. This is what happens every time a new batch of Xiao family disciples arrives.

  Upon receiving the list, Elder Xiao will evenly distribute all disciples to the corresponding classes in each school and inform all teachers.

  Because Chen Hao is the only one who passed the Xiao family test in 24 years without attending school, and also the only one assigned to the primary class, so Old Man Xiao has a deep impression of his name, Xiao Xianghao.

  That's when what just happened will happen.

  ……

  Chen Huan, who was both astonished and flattered, followed the old man into the advanced academy, all the way to the top floor, where there was a small, independent cottage. The interior of the cottage was very simple. There was a low table made of some unknown type of wood, on which were placed writing instruments and paper. In front of and behind the low table were placed two cushions. Next to it was a tea table. On the wall directly opposite the door hung an ancient-looking calligraphy painting.

  As soon as he entered the door, Chen Hao saw the calligraphy and painting.

  In the painting, there was only one word, written in a mysterious script. Chen Hao recognized its shape, but didn't know what it meant. Yet, as soon as he saw the word, he was deeply drawn to it, his eyes involuntarily sinking into it, and he felt a majestic, heavy, and ethereal aura!

  Vast like the ocean, profound and immeasurable; thick and solid like a mountain, unshakeable; fleeting like a dream, elusive and hard to grasp.

  But he felt more clearly a will, a will that had been tempered in a hundred battles and had never been vanquished, a strong will that seemed to defy the heavens themselves!

  Seeing this scene, Xiao Lao's eyes flashed with a ray of light again, and then a kind smile appeared on his face. He silently gazed at the young man in front of him, gently sat down cross-legged on the cushion inside, his breathing gradually disappearing, his calm and peaceful gaze fixed on Chen Huan who was motionless.

  "Rumble, rumble, rumble..."

  A rumbling sound echoed in Chen Huan's mind, as if he had transformed into a lone boat on the vast ocean, which could be swallowed by towering waves at any moment. He also seemed to have transformed into a life crushed under the majestic mountains, which could shatter into pieces at any moment...

  In an instant, Chen Huan's body was already drenched in sweat, and his breathing became abnormally heavy.

  Xiao Lao stared motionlessly, his eyes filled with growing surprise and astonishment.

  Starting point launched a great god light activity, home page has propaganda, link is ./PLOY/20120615/AuthorTitleIndex.aspx, interested and capable of winning big prizes, also support Wushan bar, thank you...... Also, don't forget to collect, recommend...... o(∩_∩)o. Thank you again......