Shen Tang remained silent, and neither Qishan nor Chu Yao spoke either.
As for Lin Feng, she dared not utter a word.
The four of them just stared at each other, eyes wide open, with Qishan and the others not even blinking, making Shen Tang, the chatterbox, feel uncomfortable, "Can you guys please clarify whether this is good or bad?"
Finally, Chu Yao shifted his gaze slightly, but focused on the young Lin Feng, hesitant to speak yet wanting to—breaking his long-held belief of over two hundred years, he preferred to believe that Lin Feng was actually a boy.
Shen Tang asked, "Is it really that hard to accept?"
Chu Yao replied, "It's like someone telling me I wasn't born of my mother, but my father carried me for ten months. It's absurd."
Would he believe it? He'd just kick the person out.
Even if a man came up and said he was pregnant, he'd think the belly was fake or that the pregnant person was a girl with a masculine appearance.
How could a man get pregnant?
How could a woman store cosmic energy?
Yet the evidence was right in front of him. Chu Yao now needed some time to digest and accept that men could get pregnant... oh, no, that there were women who could store cosmic energy.
Shen Tang didn't insist on telling the two her true gender. With their personalities, even if she took off her pants, they'd probably think she'd been castrated and thrown into a silkworm chamber.
Qishan frowned so deeply that he could've caught quite a few mosquitoes.
It took the two gentlemen about half an hour to digest this mind-blowing revelation, finally calming down and their brain CPUs returning to normal operation.
Chu Yao asked Lin Feng, "Have you had any special experiences? Like your mother dreaming strangely when she was pregnant? Like encountering strange immortal-like figures in childhood? Like eating strange spiritual fruits?"
Shen Tang: "..."
Well, Wu Hui seemed quite familiar with novel clichés.
He asked one question, and Lin Feng shook her head to each one.
She hesitated and glanced at Shen Tang, who knew things were about to go south, afraid she'd describe things strangely and ruin her reputation.
"Wu Hui, Yuan Liang, actually..."
Shen Tang started to speak but was interrupted by Qishan.
"Don't speak, let her talk!"
Shen Tang attempted to explain, "..."
This time, Lin Feng's words weren't as misleading as last time. She confessed to Chu Yao, "Mr. Chu, do you remember the night we first met in the carriage? I was by my husband's side, and suddenly his seal of literary talent emitted a light. It scared me."
Qishan looked at Chu Yao upon hearing this.
It seemed he was asking why he hadn't been told about this.
Chu Yao furrowed his brow in recollection, "Wasn't that just an illusion from your extreme fatigue? Wu Lang was perfectly fine then, sleeping deeply."
Lin Feng's gaze became more determined as she shook her head in denial, "It wasn't an illusion. I'm certain there was a golden, slender light, like... like some kind of animal. Since then, I've felt changes in my body."
Everyone, including Shen Tang, turned their eyes to her transparent seal of literary talent. To facilitate everyone's examination, she simply unfastened it from her waist and placed it on the table.
Shen Tang remarked, "From every angle, there's nothing special about it."
But Qishan and Chu Yao disagreed.
Especially Qishan.
He recalled their casual conversation during the day—speculating why women couldn't possess both literary talent and martial courage. Was it really related to who held the imperial seal? Or was it about the attitude of the seal holder?
Qishan covertly observed Shen Tang, feeling that his speculation was close to the truth, but lacking some crucial details.
Chu Yao's thoughts aligned with his, and they quickly exchanged glances, reaching a mutual understanding. As for Lin Feng's mention of a "golden, slender animal," they instinctively associated it with some symbol of imperial authority—an aspect no one dared to mention.
Now wasn't the best time; they would slowly plot and wait until Shen Tang had a stable foothold in the northwest.
If the opportunity for a woman to possess both literary talent and martial courage really lay with Wu Lang/Yu Li, it would be both a disadvantage and a tremendous advantage.
It all depended on how they could use it in the future.
Chu Yao asked, "Are you planning to study literature or martial arts?"
Lin Feng, caught off guard, said, "Study literature... or martial arts?"
She thought there might be a fierce debate.
Chu Yao explained, "Martial arts have a lower threshold, making it relatively easy to acquire martial courage. But you're already eight years old, and your physique isn't suited for martial arts. There won't be much room for advancement in the future. I don't recommend martial arts for you. However, you have good understanding and grasp of literary talent, which is more about intuition and understanding rather than verbal transmission. Therefore, I suggest you pursue the path of literature and cultivate your literary talent."
If Lin Feng chose the path of martial arts, Chu Yao and the others could guide her in laying a foundation, but to progress further, they would need help from traditional martial courage practitioners like Uncle Wu. However, they hadn't truly bonded with Uncle Wu yet, and their relationship was somewhat delicate; certain things still needed to be kept secret.
Lin Feng didn't hesitate and chose the path of literature.
She had studied clan teachings for two years and had some foundation.
Lin Feng gathered her courage, "I choose literature."
Chu Yao nodded in satisfaction, saying, "In that case, every day at dawn, come find me. We'll spend an hour together each day."
Lin Feng joyfully agreed, but Shen Tang, who was listening in, calculated on her fingers and reminded, "Dawn... isn't that too early?"
Goodness, 4 AM??? Plus dressing and washing up, wouldn't she have to wake up at 3:30 in the morning???
Chu Yao asked, "Is it too early?"
Qishan said, "Not early. Quite normal."
The conditions he faced in his youth were much stricter than this. Often having to get up in the dark, walking for a quarter of an hour to the mentor's house to boil water and assist with daily life, respectfully behaving like a disciple, fearing the other party's anger.
The early stage of mentoring was manageable, but trouble came after entry.
Ordinary books could be cheekily borrowed from bookstores or copied with money, but more profound literary books were only available in families with extensive collections. Without acquaintances, how could one easily borrow them? Let alone copy and bring them back for careful study.
He considered himself to have decent foundations, and Chu Yao had received the most orthodox literary education. Though his past was something he'd rather not dwell on, when it came to educational opportunities, only those from centuries-old prestigious families could possibly compare.
Both of them could enlighten and clarify things for Lin Feng. All things considered, Lin Feng's conditions for learning were quite good. Was it really worth her getting up at dawn?
Shen Tang didn't know what thoughts were going through their minds again, shrugged her shoulders, and muttered, "I'm worried she won't grow tall in the future..."
Qishan chuckled, "Why wouldn't she grow tall?"
Both literary scholars and martial artists draw upon the essence of heaven and earth within themselves, expanding meridians and cultivating their inner energy. In the preliminary stages of cultivation, both have the effect of improving physical fitness and purging impurities.
Both scholars and martial artists tend to be taller and more robust than ordinary people. Even though Lin Feng is a girl, it's likely she won't have to worry about becoming short.
Shen Tang wanted to say a few encouraging words, but Lin Feng discreetly pulled her sleeve. She realized she was the only one who found the conditions for "learning" so strict.
Lin Feng respectfully performed the disciple's ritual to Chu Yao.
"Student Lin Feng pays respects to Teacher."
Shen Tang thought to herself, remembering how casually she could browse through Qishan's literary books, realizing she was indeed getting a tremendous advantage!