Water Ink Panel: Starting with Bow Technique to Hunt the Sun and Patrol the Skies
Chapter 39 - 38: Ten Days East of the River, Ten Days West of the River

Zhang Shuyuan, sitting on the wobbly-legged chair, raised his head in surprise and frowned: "To recognize characters and read, one must understand the principle of not biting off more than one can chew. Even if I tell you all the ways to read, write, and the meanings of the remaining hundreds of characters, you might not remember them. Instead of that, you should consolidate what you learned today, go home early, and come back earlier tomorrow."

Zhang Shuyuan noticed that Shen Qing seemed a bit anxious.

After all, he was a young man, and five consecutive days had worn down much of his patience. He couldn't calm his mind and wanted to find shortcuts.

He had seen many such people.

But how could there be shortcuts in reading and recognizing characters?

The knowledge in his stomach had been accumulated bit by bit.

Precisely because of these years of study, compared to others, he understood some of the world's workings, and his frail body didn't starve to death.

If learning were so easy, wouldn't he have starved long ago?

Shen Qing heard a preachy tone in Zhang Shuyuan's words. He smiled slightly and said, "These days, I have learned a total of eighty-four characters. After understanding their meanings, I can't help but marvel at the world's wonders and vastness, thus I am eager to know the content behind this. This desire is purely my own longing to seek knowledge and not for the sake of learning itself."

Zhang Shuyuan's expression froze.

He never imagined that Shen Qing would have such thoughts.

And this statement hit the nail on the head for him.

Learning itself should be for the sake of seeking knowledge, not merely for learning's sake.

Though a brief statement, it contained significant wisdom.

Zhang Shuyuan couldn't help but give Shen Qing a few more glances.

This handsome young man was ruthless and merciless when killing, yet gentle as jade when recognizing words.

It was hard to imagine two entirely different temperaments coexisting in one person.

Truly a singular flower among the mountains.

Since the student wanted to seek knowledge, he had absolutely no reason to refuse.

Zhang Shuyuan coughed lightly and said, "Bring me the book. I will tell you the rest of the content of the Thousand Character Classic. However, this is not a lesson; I will only say it once, and you just need to listen."

"Thank you."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qing brought over the already yellowed Thousand Character Classic and placed it in front of Zhang Shuyuan.

"Sit next to me, and I'll teach you one by one," said Zhang Shuyuan, patting the spot beside him.

Shen Qing immediately felt a pang of distress in his heart.

He didn't know whether Zhang Shuyuan's recent meals had improved, but coupled with poor sanitary conditions, he had developed severe bad breath and a tendency to pass gas.

And it worsened day by day.

Recently, learning to recognize characters beside him had also become a rather painful task.

This was also one of the motivations for Shen Qing to quickly finish learning the Thousand Character Classic.

At least after finishing the Thousand Character Classic, he wouldn't have to rely on Zhang Shuyuan's close-range, hand-in-hand teaching.

Shen Qing took a deep breath and sat down beside Zhang Shuyuan. The familiar smell immediately assaulted his nostrils.

This scent at first smelled like a fermented product, with a damp and mildewy undertone. Upon further inhalation, it intertwined with a faint sour and rancid odor, relentlessly burrowing into his nose.

Shen Qing's heart surged with discomfort and an urge to escape, but he tried his best to maintain a calm exterior.

"Look here, I'll explain to you sentence by sentence…"

As Zhang Shuyuan spoke, the odor continuously emanated.

Shen Qing kept a tight face, trying to focus his attention on the Thousand Character Classic.

With focused concentration, Shen Qing suddenly realized that the feeling of information going in one ear and out the other had vanished.

In its place was a magical learning experience.

Just by hearing and seeing once, the content on the paper became a deeply ingrained memory in his mind.

When he recalled it, it was like carrying an endless library with him, where every detail, every passage, and every hue was as clear as first seen.

So, this is what it felt like to be an academic genius?

It was truly exhilarating!

This wondrous learning experience gradually made Shen Qing forget the harsh environment he was in.

Time flew by.

In about an hour, Zhang Shuyuan finally explained the last part.

"This sentence means that one should dress neatly and dignified, act calmly and have a broad vision. These principles, if not acknowledged, will leave one ignorant, living a life no different from the foolish, and invite ridicule. As for the modal particles in ancient books, they are 'yan,' 'zai,' 'hu,' and 'ye.'"

Zhang Shuyuan closed the yellowed book of the Thousand Character Classic and said, "Alright, that's all there is in the Thousand Character Classic. If you can learn it all, you'll be able to understand the meaning of most other books in the future."

"Thank you, sir, for your teachings."

Shen Qing closed his eyes and recollected for a moment. With the Never Forget ability, he discovered that he had already memorized the entire Thousand Character Classic.

Adding to that his past life's knowledge and cognitive abilities, he understood the meanings of all the characters.

This ability was truly handy.

Shen Qing opened his eyes, a joyful expression emerging on his face.

He glanced at the sky through the window, got up, and said, "It's getting late; I should be going. I'll come to visit you again when I have time."

Zhang Shuyuan found it slightly odd.

For the past five days, each time leaving, Shen Qing would say he'd come again tomorrow, but this time he mentioned coming when he had time.

It almost seemed like he had learned it and wouldn't come anymore.

There was a subtle difference in this.

Zhang Shuyuan assumed he was overthinking it.

The Thousand Character Classic, with over a thousand characters in total, was not something easily remembered in a year or two.

This should just be Shen Qing's habitual way of speaking.

Zhang Shuyuan waved his hand casually, without any intention of keeping him longer.

After leaving Zhang Shuyuan's house, Shen Qing couldn't help but take a deep breath, suddenly feeling an incredible sense of relief, as if shedding a shackle.

He didn't linger at the door and headed straight home.

Now, brimming with Qi-Blood, even when wearing thin cotton clothes with exposed hands, he didn't feel cold.

"Qingzi, off to the bookworm's house to recognize words again? When you have time, come by my house for a sit-down. I'll have my aunt cook you some lamb,"

On the way, he encountered a clan uncle who greeted him warmly.

"No, Uncle Qi, I'm heading home earlier. Eldest sister is preparing dinner," Shen Qing replied with a smile, politely declining.

However, after a few steps, a plump village woman stuffed a wild rabbit into his hands: "Qingzi, this is from your nephew from the Zhang family. He insisted on giving it to you, so take it."

Before Shen Qing could refuse, the woman turned and fled as if worried he wouldn't take it.

Seeing this scene, Shen Qing couldn't help but laugh: "When I was destitute, everyone avoided me like a plague. Now, unexpectedly, it's reversed. Truly a ten-day cycle east of the river, then west."

He shook his head and continued, accepting the goodwill of the neighbors along the way, and returned home.

The villagers he passed all kept their hands tucked in their sleeves and their necks hunched, appearing completely different from his carefree demeanor.

This was the difference between practicing martial arts and not.

Shen Qing put the wild rabbit in Shen Fang's hands, then eagerly took out the Nine Skills booklet he had snatched from Chen An and opened to the first page.