In the city of Fools, Sun Tiecheng embraced a Teapot, lifting it to his lips for a draught of tea. He then hummed a few lines of a tune: "In the west of the city, at the Ink Shop, resides a maiden named Bai Junying. Her skillful brush captures scenes with grace. This lovely girl, nineteen winters old, her husband has journeyed south to pursue his studies, and now it is nearing mid-April..."
This ditty was known as "Fan Painting." Before Sun Tiecheng could finish his song, Gui Jianchou, the Smiling Ghost King, made his entrance. "City Lord, I have concluded my investigation. Over at the Soda Kiln, a monstrous Snail emerged and impaled over fifty individuals from other provinces, resembling a skewer. It extracted only their bones, leaving no flesh behind, cleaned them thoroughly, and displayed them at the entrance."
Sun Tiecheng took another sip of his tea and inquired, "What was the background of those fifty-odd individuals from other provinces?"
"They were all people of standing, comparable to those in the Defense Agency. The Outer Provinces will undoubtedly mobilize their forces this time, leading to a conflict—dogs fighting dogs, and who can predict how many will perish!"
Sun Tiecheng let out a chuckle. "Let us observe the extent of the bloodshed this time around."
Ye Jianhuang, standing nearby, interjected, "City Lord, engaging in such acts—does this not constitute an offense against Heaven and a transgression of righteousness?"
Sun Tiecheng cast a glance at Ye Jianhuang. "The deeds you perpetrated in Fool's City, did those not also offend Heaven and violate righteousness?"
Ye Jianhuang lowered his head, responding, "Have I not undergone a transformation? Throughout these years, I have deeply regretted my past actions. I have resolved to embark on a new path. This is what is known as laying down the butcher's knife and turning toward the righteous shore."
Sun Tiecheng retorted sharply, "You committed every conceivable misdeed in Fool's City, and now you speak of laying down the butcher's knife? Furthermore, that is not the correct idiom! The original saying is: 'Lay down the butcher's knife and become an honest, upright person!'"
Ye Jianhuang replied, "Let us not quibble over the exact wording; we are discussing the underlying sentiment."
"Spare me this 'sentiment' nonsense. You never attended school, yet you aspire to act like a scholar?" Sun Tiecheng was incensed. He turned to Gui Jianchou and commanded, "Ah Gui, enforce the family rules!"
Gui Jianchou produced a stick and asked, "City Lord, where shall I administer the punishment?"
City Master Sun gestured expansively with his hand. "Strike his balls!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Jianhuang attempted to flee, but Sun Tiecheng bellowed, "You cannot run. You are immobilized!"
Ye Jianhuang maintained the posture of running, yet found himself utterly unable to move.
Gui Jianchou approached with the stick. Ye Jianhuang cried out repeatedly, "Old Ghost, we are friends, we are allies. You cannot inflict such a vicious blow upon me. In the future, we still must..."
Bang!
Gui Jianchou brought the stick down from above in a single, powerful stroke.
Ye Jianhuang convulsed, clamped his legs together, and collapsed onto the ground in a squat.
Sun Tiecheng expressed his great satisfaction. "See? Is this not precisely the act of laying down the butcher's knife and becoming an honest, upright person!"
Ye Jianhuang lowered his head, tears welling in his eyes, and sobbed for a considerable duration.
Sun Tiecheng then assigned him a task. "Go and instruct all the Local Deities in every territory: do not interfere in matters that do not concern you!"
...
Li Banfeng donned a simple, clean tracksuit, shaved his beard, and made a concerted effort to appear somewhat younger. He then headed back towards Yuezhou University.
Yuezhou had undergone significant changes over the past two years, yet Yuezhou University appeared largely the same.
It was just before the commencement of the semester, and the campus was alive with activity. As he approached the east gate, two students came forward to hawk phone cards. Li Banfeng had engaged in similar sales tactics himself in the past. Hearing them repeatedly address him as "handsome guy" in their smooth, persuasive sales pitch, which sounded quite appealing, Li Banfeng actually purchased a card.
Behind them, others were selling washbasins, mosquito nets, vacuum flasks, immersion heaters, and rechargeable desk lamps. They all began to solicit Li Banfeng.
"You dare to ask fifteen for this rechargeable lamp? Do you take me for a newcomer?" Li Banfeng was greatly displeased with the price.
The seller of the lamp was a third-year student. He appraised Li Banfeng from head to toe, a hint of disdain flickering in his eyes.
Li Banfeng had indeed attempted to style himself in a more youthful manner, but this did not mean they should mistake him for a freshman!
Upon further reflection, he acknowledged making a mistake typical of freshmen—for instance, buying a phone card the moment he entered the gate.
And another example, his current attire.
Second-year students pay attention to appearances; their clothing usually features at least some recognizable brand name.
Third-year students focus on individuality; their style typically incorporates an artistic flair.
In their fourth year, students were preoccupied with their cultivation realms—on a day like this, merely donning a basketball jersey, baggy shorts, and flip-flops was enough to exude the commanding presence of a seasoned elder.
Yet, Li Banfeng, clad in a simple, clean tracksuit, appeared as a naive first-year student.
He intended to visit Teacher Song, and it wouldn't be proper to go empty-handed. Li Banfeng procured a washbasin, a mosquito net, and a pair of flip-flops before heading to the School of Science office building to locate Teacher Song.
University instructors typically did not adhere to strict office hours; encountering Teacher Song under these circumstances was indeed fortunate.
Teacher Song was a mathematics instructor. Li Banfeng harbored no intention of consulting a math teacher regarding Dark Matter; his sole hope was that Teacher Song could direct him to an expert in the field.
What he had not anticipated was that Teacher Song herself had conducted extensive research into Dark Matter. She possessed a wealth of research findings and had even garnered international accolades.
Li Banfeng chose not to disclose his true identity, presenting himself merely as a dedicated and aspiring student.
Teacher Song, with great enthusiasm, proceeded to elaborate on the most recent advancements in Dark Matter research for Li Banfeng. She eschewed overly technical derivations and calculations, opting instead for a more accessible approach to convey the research outcomes.
"Dark Matter exhibits virtually no interaction with electromagnetism and does not participate in the strong nuclear force. This was once considered an immutable principle in Dark Matter research,
but currently, this fundamental law faces a high probability of being overturned. Dark Matter interacts minimally with photons, rendering it essentially non-luminous. Nevertheless, internal chaotic fluctuations do occur within it; these changes merely interfere with each other, resulting in phenomena that are nearly imperceptible..."
Teacher Song diligently expounded upon her research findings, speaking continuously for over three hours.