The Kyoto Oiran Contest hastily concluded, and the Black Guards made a fortune. This was thanks to the profits brought in by the looting during the joint operation with the Demon Suppression Bureau to eliminate demons and monsters within the city.

On that night, the officials who had squandered fortunes were recorded by the Black Guards. Some of them, lacking powerful backgrounds and now exposed as wealthy, were currently living in imprisonment, enjoying free meals.

Their fate awaited judgment—whether it be execution after autumn or disappearance from the mortal realm, depended on fate.

The flower boats used during the Oiran Contest were modified and placed in the Rouge River on both sides of the Rouge Street. Leveraging its excellent privacy, they quickly became the new destination for court officials, merchants, and wealthy individuals.

After all, no one wanted to discuss life ideals with young ladies while the Black Guards' fish-scale uniforms might appear before them.

The ladies had also been replaced, no longer the familiar faces from the buildings. Both the slender Yangzhou horses and the Western horses from the Western Regions were utilized. There was no reason to send them back; they were conveniently repurposed on these pleasure boats to attract wealth.

Unexpectedly, while the Oiran was not decided, the ladies became famous, surpassing the prosperous businesses of the buildings on the surface.

This resulted in a bustling atmosphere on the Rouge River at night, unlike its usual quiet and serene state.

However, the ladies from Qinxin Tianzhu and Xingchun Tower were nowhere to be seen.

Qinxin Tianzhu was destroyed in a mysterious fire, and Xingchun Tower had long been deserted.

People are adept at forgetting. No one remembered the enchanting white-clad girl from Qinxin Tianzhu, nor did anyone recall the plump young lady from Xingchun Tower.

Of course, the bickering between Ma Baihu and Liu Baihu had one less place to unfold.

...

In the evening, the residual glow of the setting sun spilled onto the Rouge River, making it look like a vibrant satin ribbon. The buildings on both sides of Rouge Street gradually became lively.

Abruptly, at the riverside at the end of Rouge Street, three men and one woman were grilling fish caught from the Rouge River. The river had been transformed into a barbecue site.

It must be said that the fish, shrimp, river crabs, and turtles caught by Chen Qianqian with her demonic energy were all quite large. Chen Xuanze's grilling skills were impeccable, and the fragrance spread far and wide.

They had no intention of returning to the Demon Suppression Bureau for dinner. Chen Xuanze's stay in the ninth-rank Essence Refining realm was too short, and he had only broken through to the eighth-rank refining skin realm with the help of Chen Qianqian's cultivation of demonic concealment. This resulted in Chen Xuanze having a huge appetite now.

After bringing back so much catch to the Demon Suppression Bureau and distributing some, what was left wasn't enough for Chen Xuanze to eat. So, they decided to deal with it on the spot.

Before long, the fish and shrimp were cooked. Each person got a fish, and they began to eat on the spot.

This section of the river was beyond Rouge Street, with few pleasure boats passing by.

After finishing one fish and preparing to eat the second, Chen Xuanze noticed something unusual about Chen Qianqian. She stopped chewing and stared straight at the river behind Chen Xuanze. At that moment, a three-story high pleasure boat sailed from a distance.

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Sensing Chen Xuanze looking at her, Chen Qianqian withdrew her gaze and whispered, "There's a demon on the boat."

After saying that, she made a mouth shape indicating 'demonic concealment,' signaling Chen Xuanze of the warning brought by the demonic concealment technique.

Chen Xuanze turned to look, but the boat was indistinct, and the Town Demon Diagram in his Sea of Consciousness gave no hints.

Turning back, he shook his head, gesturing for the three not to act recklessly.

In the vicinity of the Demon Suppression Bureau, not long after a group of monsters from the White Mountains and Black Waters had just died, Chen Xuanze didn't believe that any reckless demons would dare to cause trouble here. Moreover, their cultivation level was unknown, making it unwise to take action. It could easily backfire and lead to unnecessary trouble.

Ignoring others, however, didn't mean they had no ill intentions. Chen Xuanze noticed the three individuals staring fixedly behind him. Since he was sitting with his back to the west, it indicated that a boat was approaching.

As expected, upon turning around, he saw a boat accelerating towards them. The boat was red in color, made of rare ebony wood, and was three stories high, adorned with luxurious carvings and decorations.

At the bow stood a dignified man in white attire, wearing a feathered crown and holding a folding fan. His black hair fluttered in the wind, exuding an air of elegance.

With the last rays of the setting sun and the glow of lanterns emerging, in this midsummer season, the man seemed like an immortal who had descended to the mortal realm.

Chen Xuanze couldn't help but feel envious; this was the image he had dreamed of. In this world, who hadn't fantasized about strolling through the buildings with a feathered fan and crown? Due to some twist of fate, he ended up in the Demon Suppression Bureau, dedicating his life to it. He couldn't forget the favor of being kept alive.

Fortunately, he hadn't forgotten Chen Qianqian's reminder that there was demonic energy on the boat. Secretly activating his Heavenly Eye to observe Qi, he saw a gigantic red carp-shaped shadow enveloping the entire boat.

The elegant man in white emitted a white aura, rising more than two meters high, complementing the red shadow. Chen Xuanze recognized it as the noble aura of Confucian righteousness from the Yellow Registry Library of the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Thinking to himself, either there's a powerful demon on this boat, or there's a formation. The shadow of the carp was almost as large as the three-tailed fox he had seen on Wenfang Street.

As the pleasure boat approached, the face of the white-clad man became clearer. What a handsome young man! With the feathered crown, sharp eyebrows, black eyes, and a face like a finely carved knife, aside from a hint of youthful air, his majestic righteousness made him perfect.

"This appearance would definitely make a fortune as a husband!" Chen Xuanze silently criticized, disliking others being more handsome than him. This man wasn't just more handsome; he was incredibly good-looking. The gap between them was at least four handsome and talented officials in the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Before long, the pleasure boat stopped in front of Chen Xuanze's group. The man in white folded his fan and courteously bowed, revealing that he had a proper background. However, the impression they had of him was ruined when he spoke.

"Gentlemen, fishing is not allowed in the Rouge River. According to the laws of Daliang, any violation will be handed over to the Five Cities Military Command and banished to the lands of the Baiyue!"

Chen Xuanze rolled his eyes and retorted, "Are you from the Five Cities Military Command?"

The young man in white shook his head. "I am Yan Zhenqing, a student of the Qingfengshan Academy in Daliang."

Hearing the name of the place, Chen Xuanze actually knew about it. When sorting through the records, he had come across an introduction to the Qingfengshan Academy.

Located thirty miles south of the city of Kyoto, below Qingfengshan, it was founded seven hundred years ago by a generation of Confucian scholars led by Yan Yizheng. Later, it became a model Confucian institution for the whole country.

Speaking of Yan Yizheng, he was indeed an extraordinary figure. At the age of forty, he became a first-rank minister. At the age of understanding one's destiny, he resigned from office and traveled throughout the country, observing the suffering of the people.

Returning to Kyoto five years later, he lectured under Qingfengshan, advocating the path of cultivating righteousness through entering the court as an official, gathering public opinion and transforming it into the aura of righteousness. This marked the establishment of a new Confucian school of official studies.

After three more years, on the day when the first batch of twenty-seven students entered the court as officials, Yan Yizheng bid farewell to the twenty-seven and sat alone under Qingfengshan for twenty-seven days and nights.

On the twenty-eighth day, at sunrise, he began to speak the law with his words, and a academy appeared out of thin air at the foot of Qingfengshan.

It was then revealed that Yan Yizheng, who had resigned from office as an ordinary man, had comprehended the Dao and directly ascended to the second rank.

Thus, the Qingfengshan Academy was established.