Unable to persuade his junior sister to go with him to meet their teacher, Liu Banbi, though somewhat unwilling, understood that she wanted to stay with the young man she liked, so he did not insist. However, when he crossed over half of the academy and arrived at the not-so-large, but overall neat courtyard, Liu Banbi became somewhat hesitant once again.
In the end, it still revolved around the past. Practicing the sword was not a big deal. Even if he became a sword immortal someday, his teacher would likely feel proud of his student's achievements. However, completely giving up on studying was a different matter. His teacher would undoubtedly be heartbroken.
Liu Banbi deliberately avoided returning to the Divine Capital all these years, because he did not know how to face the Dean. But now that he had returned to the Divine Capital and the academy, and stood in front of Teacher's door, there was a saying called, "Familiarity breeds timidity," and it seemed to be true in this case.
Standing in front of the courtyard gate, his hair quickly covered with snow. Liu Banbi who held the flying sword at his waist fell silent.
After an hour of silence, this Sword Immortal Liu who had slain numerous demons on the Northern Frontier's battlefield, let out a long sigh. He turned to leave, still uncertain about how to face his teacher.
Just as he turned around, the courtyard gate suddenly swung open, and accumulated snow fell with a rustling sound. A middle-aged man stood behind the gate, looking at the young sword immortal who was about to leave.
Liu Banbi also heard the noise, and for a moment, conflicting emotions surged within him. He did not dare to turn around, just stood there, seemingly a bit at a loss.
"Well, isn't this Senior Sword Immortal Liu? Haven't seen you in so many years, and now you've started to put on airs for this old man?"
"You don't even want to take a look at this old man any more?"
The voice from behind was just like in the old days, but Liu Banbi could still hear the traces of vicissitudes.
He took a deep breath and eventually turned around. Looking at the Dean, he bowed seriously, "Student Liu Banbi pays respects to Teacher."
The Dean raised an eyebrow and snorted, "At this point, you still think you're my student?"
Liu Banbi's expression remained unchanged as he said calmly, "No matter when, this student always considers Teacher as my teacher. As for what Teacher thinks, this student can't control and doesn't want to."
The Dean laughed coldly, "Sure enough, you killed some demons in the Northern Frontier, and became a so-called sword immortal, and now you, Liu Banbi, really think that you're amazing."
Liu Banbi remained silent for a moment before sincerely saying, "In the Northern Frontier, this student killed countless demons over the years. However, this student has also killed more than one Nepenthe demon that could be hailed as a great demon. I didn't bring shame to the academy."
His words were sincerely spoken, leaving anyone with no room to criticize. Even the Dean could not discern any insincerity in his words.
The Dean's tone softened slightly, "In the end, you still consider yourself a student of the academy. But how can a student of the academy not study?"
There was a sense of regret in this statement, apparent to anyone who heard it. Although the Dean had many students, most were taught according to their aptitude. The ones who were genuinely groomed as disciples by the Dean were only a few. Among them, the one initially highly valued was this young sword immortal in front of him.
Unfortunately, he had different aspirations. Who could have expected that this disciple would end up becoming so crazy as to refuse to ever study again? Just as Liu Banbi thought, whether he practiced swordsmanship or not was never a big issue. Currently, the academy also had students practicing swordsmanship under his guidance. He did not think too much about it nor did he say much. He even helped get several flying swords from the Sword Qi Mountain in passing by leveraging his prestige. So, whether Liu Banbi practiced swordsmanship was not a big deal. However, could he not practice swordsmanship while studying?
In the Dean's eyes, this should not be a difficult matter. But after practicing the sword, why did you, Liu Banbi, refuse to read a single word by the sages anymore?
This was the Dean's real confusion, the true heart-knot between the teacher and student.
"What about now? Do you still think the same as back then?" The Dean looked at Liu Banbi with some hope. This leader of scholars in the world had many complicated emotions in his eyes.
Liu Banbi wanted to speak but swallowed the words back, looking at his teacher who seemed to have no difference in appearance from the past, but had actually aged a lot. He could not find the words.
The Dean said softly, "I got it."
Liu Banbi lowered his head, saying, "I've disappointed Teacher."
In his whole life, he seldom bowed his head to anyone. But to his teacher, he lowered his head willingly.
The Dean did not say anything. He turned his head and said, "Come inside."
After saying this, the Dean had already walked back to the courtyard and entered the house.
Liu Banbi who followed behind him had complex emotions. In his early days, before he started practicing the sword, when he was still studying, he and several other senior brothers used to come here for no reason. Although their teacher always said gentlemen should keep a distance from the kitchen, he would casually prepare some snacks for them. They would read and discuss various topics in their teacher's house. Most of the time, the Dean would quietly listen while lying on the recliner. He would only speak up when they could not come up with anything.
After many years, stepping into this house again, the recliner was still there, albeit with peeling paint and some spots.
There was a small stove in the room, warming up some alcohol.
Sitting by the stove, the Dean poured a cup of wine for Liu Banbi and then spoke softly, "Actually, I've long since come to terms with it. If you don't study, there must be a reason for it."
Taking the cup of alcohol, Liu Banbi looked puzzled and curious.
"In your past life, you must have been an unfortunate fellow who died by the riverbank. I, your teacher, happened to be the first person to pass by. I took off my clothes and draped them over you. That's why in this life, you've been my disciple for over a decade and became half a scholar. But in reality, the person who kindly carried you back and found a place to bury you wasn't me, but a guy who wielded a sword. So, in the latter half of your life, you became a sword cultivator, even becoming a sword immortal. It's all fate. Your teacher is resigned to it."
The Dean slowly spoke, as if narrating a very old story.
Liu Banbi was somewhat puzzled and asked, "Teacher, can you really see my past life?"
The Dean snorted disdainfully, "Do you really think I'm an immortal? How would I know about such things?"
Liu Banbi felt a bit embarrassed and more of sulky.
The Dean's anger came and went quickly. He spoke softly, "It's just a metaphor."
Liu Banbi nodded and then watched as the Dean drank up his entire cup of alcohol.
He raised his head, downing his own cup in one gulp, but at the same time, he looked at the Dean in surprise.
The Dean said casually, "It's naturally still the same sorghum wine as back then."
Liu Banbi pursed his lips, feeling a little sentimental. Over the years, after each great battle in the Northern Frontier, he would drink heavily. The alcohol at the Northern Frontier might not be exquisite, but it was very strong. The soldiers liked it, but for Liu Banbi, it was different. Occasionally, when he could not sleep at night, what he craved the most was the sorghum wine from his teacher.
The Dean spoke softly, "The Northern Frontier is dangerous. Even sword immortals can die at the drop of a hat. It wasn't easy for you to have survived."
How should he respond to that? After a moment of contemplation, Liu Banbi said softly, "This student doesn't feel it was too hard."
What the master asked and what the disciple answered were not necessarily the same thing.
"Actually, over these years, when teacher had nothing to do, I would think about it. Why did my student who's most suited for studying, with the best aptitude and temperament, one day decide not to study anymore? And he really stopped reading even a single word. Could it be that those teachings of the sages, those classics that we scholars consider as guidelines, are they really useless?" "Teacher didn't dare to speculate about or tarnish the reputation of the predecessors. I could only say that you, as a student, were wrong. Sometimes, I even thought, 'What if I set off to the Northern Frontier today, bring you back, and teach you a proper lesson? Would that change anything?" "Later, I thought about it again and realized it wasn't the case. Your temperament is just like this. Even if teacher brought you back, you would still behave the same way. How could your decision change? Then the situation would just return to the way it was at the beginning. Why are you unwilling to read any more books?"
The Dean was rather melancholic as he said, "Someone with your aptitude, guided by a renowned teacher, and you're also a student of the academy, most people would cling to the title of being a scholar for their entire lives. Yet, why do you insist on denying the word 'scholar'?" "This is the thing that teacher has been pondering the most over these years."
Liu Banbi remained silent. Except, when the Dean poured another glass of alcohol, he extended his hand and took it.
With a full cup once again, Liu Banbi said softly, "I know Teacher treats me sincerely, but this student truly doesn't want to."
Ignoring him, the Dean continued on his own, "After thinking for many years, teacher finally understands. Deep down, you don't truly want to stop being a scholar, nor do you think the teachings of the sages in books are wrong, do you?"
Liu Banbi nodded slightly.
The Dean was somewhat satisfied.
Liu Banbi said, "The teachings of the academy's predecessors are diverse and sincere, aimed at enlightening the world. In fact, there is nothing wrong with it."
The Dean looked at Liu Banbi, remaining silent.
Liu Banbi continued with a smile, "It's just that student..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the Dean spoke up, "You feel that being a scholar, even if useful, is not of great significance to the overall plight of the human race. You even wonder why scholars talk so grandiosely about helping the world when it's all just empty talk. You even think, as scholars, why don't they defend against the demons in the Northern Frontier, and why do they rely on so-called uncouth martial artists to protect them?"
The Dean said self-mockingly, "At this point, you feel you can't sit back and enjoy the fruits of others' labor with a clear conscience. You also can't peacefully live the life of a scholar who turns a blind eye to the outside world and only reads the books of the sages. So, in the end, even if you practice the sword, it's just a way of saying you don't want to be a scholar anymore."
Liu Banbi remained silent for a moment, raised his glass, took a sip, and earnestly said, "Teacher understands me!"
