One really shouldn't be too reckless. The consequence of being too reckless was—
Ye Zhao felt as if his soul were already ascending to the heavens, ready to achieve Buddhahood on the spot.
"...Thus have I observed, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Guan... Guan... *Guan-guan go the ospreys, on the islet in the river. The modest, retiring, virtuous, young lady: For our prince a good mate she is.* Seek... seek and ye shall find, the benevolent are invincible. Arson and murder earn a golden belt, while fixing bridges and paving roads leaves one without a grave... Grave, rave, rave..."
"Is there more?" a ghostly voice rang out from above his head.
Ye Zhao’s eyes were closed, his chin propped on the desk. His head was spinning as words drifted out of his mouth in response: "Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. Form is also empty, the head is also empty, everything is empty... One orifice produces a Buddha, two orifices ascend to heaven. Lord Buddha Tathagata, the Paramita slays the Bodhisattva."
*Slap!*
A ferule slammed heavily onto the desk, the sound echoing like a clap of thunder.
A roar erupted: "Ye Zhao!"
Ye Zhao bolted upright, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Present!!!"
His voice was so loud that several birds perched on the trees outside the door fluttered their wings in a panicked scramble to fly away.
"Hahahaha..."
After a brief silence, the classroom erupted into boisterous laughter.
The students below were doubled over with mirth. Standing beside Ye Zhao, Master Yang’s forehead was bulging with veins. He gritted his teeth and said in a low, trembling voice, "If you ever became a monk, you would truly be able to provoke the Buddha into manifesting himself just to spite you!!!"
"Calling the Buddha 'Old Tathagata'? Wanting to 'slay the Bodhisattva'? What kind of dog-fart nonsense are you reciting?!"
"Hahahaha..." Another wave of frantic laughter swept the room.
Ye Zhao pulled his neck in, hanging his head and standing there obediently, his face flushing red.
His mother had been making him copy Buddhist scriptures for days now. She made him do it whenever she had a spare moment, until his head was swollen and his mind was stuffed full of characters from those sutras. And so...
He had developed a psychological complex from all that copying.
Ye Zhao took his scolding meekly. Master Yang’s face was flushed crimson, and the hand holding the ferule wouldn't stop shaking. He looked at Ye Zhao as if he were looking at the man who had murdered his father, gasping out, "'Arson and murder earn a golden belt, while fixing bridges and paving roads leaves one without a grave'??? Where did you hear such twisted logic! I see you simply refuse to learn anything good!"
Ye Zhao’s gaze flickered toward the ferule in the man's hand. He was ready to dodge at any moment; he had no desire for an intimate encounter with that thing.
Master Yang suddenly noticed his gaze. A sinister grin tugged at the corners of his mouth as he slowly raised the ferule. "Words are useless. I think a good beating is the only way to make you remember..."
Ye Zhao’s eyes instantly widened in shock.
*Wait, hold on. Haven't you always been against corporal punishment?*
*Why are you actually using the ferule this time?!*
Master Yang, who was so angry that his soul was practically vibrating out of his body, felt that since Ye Zhao had already driven him to use the word "dog-fart," his refined grace was long gone. Why bother maintaining it? A beating would be much more cathartic!
He swung; Ye Zhao dodged.
Master Yang dragged his wide sleeves as he swung the ferule with all his might. Ye Zhao ducked left and right, jumping about like a flea, scurrying all over the classroom.
Wherever Ye Zhao went, the people there scrambled to get out of the way.
It was no joke—how tragic would it be to get caught in the crossfire while just trying to enjoy the show?
"You still dare to dodge?"
Master Yang was panting heavily. A man in his late forties, this was the first time he had ever lost his composure so completely. He thought to himself, *This Ye Zhao is a jinx. He’s everywhere. If I had known, I never would have agreed to teach Class A!*
He was momentarily filled with regret and fury.
Ye Zhao was also heating up, but he looked much better off than Master Yang. He spoke up weakly, "You’re hitting me, and I can't hit you back, so of course I have to dodge."
Seeing Ye Zhao’s aggrieved little expression, Master Yang was almost driven to a laugh of pure rage. He stood in a standoff with Ye Zhao across an empty desk. "Why can't you? I think you want to very much! Come then, this old man will fulfill your wish today. Let’s see who wins!"
To be honest, Ye Zhao did have a split second of hesitation before he quickly tossed the thought away. He continued to act aggrieved. "That won't do. Neither of us benefits if we fight. Master, you must remain calm."
Ye Zhao advised him with a straight face, but his words only fanned the flames of Master Yang’s anger. The people nearby were laughing so hard they couldn't stop.
Jiang Ziqi, Xie Yusong, and the others were also watching the spectacle from the sidelines, having no intention of intervening.
Ye Zhao thought: *What a bunch of fair-weather friends...*
"Calm?" Master Yang said. "I’ll be calm once I’ve given you a beating!"
Ye Zhao: "..."
Looking at the fire-breathing dragon that was Master Yang, Ye Zhao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and forced a dry laugh. "That... I admit, I spaced out for a moment in class, but... but you don't need to be this angry, right?"
He usually didn't perform that well anyway; why was the man so triggered this time?
Master Yang sneered, "Heh... Today, we’ll settle all the old debts together!"
Ye Zhao: *Did I just remind him?*
He had just dug another hole for himself. Ye Zhao broke into a sweat.
His gaze drifted to the wooden components laid out on the desk, then to the formation diagrams and completed mechanical models Master Yang had placed at the front of the room.
Ye Zhao had a sudden flash of inspiration and hurriedly said, "Even though I spaced out, I remembered everything you taught! You... you won't blame me anymore, right?"
He said the last part in a tiny voice, his intent to please and show weakness clear.
Hearing this, Master Yang paused and narrowed his eyes. He spoke with zero belief, "...Can your words be trusted?"
Ye Zhao immediately thought: *Why can't they?*
He choked for a second, but his face remained fixed in a placating, friendly smile. "Whether it's true or not, won't you know if you watch me assemble it once? You... you were teaching the Dragon Gate Formation this period, right?"
He asked softly. That final "right" sounded very subtle to everyone listening.
—*Are you seriously asking that? And you still dare to say you remembered everything...*
Master Yang stared at Ye Zhao with dead eyes, his face flat as if the boy owed him money.
After a long silence, Master Yang said coldly, "Fine. Set it up. If you can't, it’ll be two rounds of the ferule later. How about it?"
The last three words carried a sinister undertone. The corners of Ye Zhao’s stiff mouth twitched as he carefully replied, "Okay."
"Hmph!" Having said that, Master Yang retracted the ferule and held it horizontally, idly tapping it against his other palm, clearly ready to drop it on Ye Zhao at any moment.
Ye Zhao: "..."
He cautiously leaned toward the desk between them, his eyes fixed on Master Yang’s every move. He looked absolutely terrified, which greatly amused the onlookers.
Many students slowly gathered around, waiting to see how Ye Zhao would prove his words.
On some student's desk lay a pile of scattered wooden pieces that hadn't been arranged yet. There were small spears, little figurines, horses, pikes, wooden spikes, and so on. Ye Zhao first sorted these small components into categories.
He took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, only seriousness remained on his face.
"Five-colored banners arranged by the Three Powers; swords, halberds, sabers, and spears lined on four sides. Sky-piercing halberds serve as the dragon's horns; yellow flags sweeping the ground like opening scales. Pairs of silver spears form the dragon's tail; a single golden gong marks the dragon's belly."
His hands moved like a blur, arranging the small wooden pieces in an orderly fashion. Before long, the Dragon Gate Formation diagram was complete.
Ye Zhao stopped, looking up to face Master Yang directly.
...
......
?
"Finished?"
Amidst the silence, one of the onlookers asked.
Ye Zhao turned his head and replied calmly, "Yes, finished."
Fortunately, back when he was designing game maps, he had set up this formation more than once for challenge levels, which led him to truly understand the mechanics of it.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have escaped a beating today...
"Wait... wait a minute. What was that you just recited? Something about dragon horns..."
He wasn't the only one who didn't understand; no one present had ever heard those words.
"It's just... the mnemonic. Did you space out in class too?"
Ye Zhao asked bluntly, a hint of confusion on his face. He then assumed the other boy must have been slacking off just like him. *See? You’ve been exposed, haven't you?*
Another one caught by Master Yang.
Ye Zhao sighed with a mix of pity and guilt.
The questioner looked utterly bewildered. He widened his eyes and looked down at himself, then left and right, only to find that everyone else had the same look of total confusion.
*Did Master Yang ever teach that stuff???*
Master Yang didn't move. He just stared at Ye Zhao with a stiff, expressionless face.
Ye Zhao looked down at the Dragon Gate model and continued to slowly adjust the small components, explaining, "The Dragon Gate Formation is divided into five gates: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. The lineup is flexible and ever-changing, distinguished into the outer formation and the sub-formations. One Throat-Lock Pass, Two Flying Moons; Three Parts Blood Rain, Four Silver Stars; Five Changes of the Gate of Life, Seven as the Shroud; Six Openings of the Earth-Sink, Nine as the Vanguard; Eight Rising Frost-Fires, Ten for Completion."
The previously set diagram saw its components shifting rapidly. The wooden spears and figurines seemed to come alive as the great formation began to operate, as if an enemy were currently attacking.
"To break the formation..." Ye Zhao slowly leaned his upper body down, murmuring as if contemplating a strategy, his narrow eyes scanning the model in his hands.
A moment later, he immediately recalled the method. "One can only attack from the five gates simultaneously, slaughtering into the heart of the formation, then splitting into five paths from within to break out. Thus, the sub-formations are broken."
Ye Zhao straightened up, instinctively feeling a bit of regret. "It’s just that the loss of men and horses would be quite high. But if one wants to break this Dragon Gate Formation, this is the best of the worst options. *Sigh*..."
He unconsciously pulled out his fan and gave it a flick. He looked steadily at Master Yang, who was staring at him blankly. Ye Zhao tilted his head: ?
He turned to look at his classmates. No one spoke; they all just stared at him without blinking. The room was deathly quiet.
Ye Zhao: *What... what’s going on? Is everyone possessed? Or... did I say something wrong?*
He searched his memory again and was certain he hadn't remembered it incorrectly.
So... this...
"Master? I didn't set it up wrong, did I?" Ye Zhao was the first to break the silence.
This voice snapped many people back to their senses. The looks they gave Ye Zhao were filled with shock, suspicion, disbelief, and a certain kind of speculation.
In short, it was so strange that Ye Zhao’s skin began to crawl.
Master Yang didn't speak, his face a mask that hid his emotions. Suddenly, he asked, "This Dragon Gate Formation—do you know where it came from?"
Ye Zhao: *Is this a pop quiz?*
He... he really didn't know where the Dragon Gate Formation came from in this world. He only knew a guy named Xue Rengui who used it. He took a wild guess: "...Recorded in some ancient text? Or else... who, who researched it?"
As he observed everyone’s expressions, Ye Zhao’s voice grew smaller and smaller.
...
......
The air fell into a mysterious silence.
Jiang Ziqi slapped his own forehead. *Brother, you’ve completely given yourself away now. You don't remember a damn thing...*
"This Dragon Gate Formation was used by Lord Tianshu during the battle against the Dongling army." Master Yang’s face was grim and his expression solemn, as if he were angry that Ye Zhao didn't even know this, or perhaps for another reason. He then added, "I haven't even reached the part about breaking the formation yet."
Ye Zhao fell into silence.
So...
He looked at Master Yang with a stiff face. After the two of them stared at each other for two seconds, Ye Zhao gave a polite but awkward smile. "Is... is that so..."
*Stay steady! As long as I don't feel awkward, it isn't awkward!*
The surroundings remained silent. Only Master Yang’s expression was somewhat peculiar. He opened his mouth as if wanting to say something, but instead of anger, his face held a trace of scrutiny and hesitation.
After several seconds of silence, Master Yang finally broke the quiet. "Forget it this time. I won't hit you."
"Continue with the lesson." He gave Ye Zhao a deep look, turned, and walked slowly toward the front of the classroom.
Ye Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and sat back in his seat, excited and satisfied. He didn't notice the strange looks his peers were giving him.
After class, once Ye Zhao had walked out of the room.
The sound of whispering began.
"Is there a way to break the Dragon Gate Formation?"
"There should be, but I’ve never heard of anyone successfully breaking it," one person replied thoughtfully.
"Then can the method Ye Zhao mentioned work? Is it real?" someone else leaned in to ask.
"Who knows? It’s never been tried."
"But that mnemonic he recited—have any of you heard of it?"
The group fell silent.
No. They had never heard of a mnemonic for the Dragon Gate Formation.
"Then Ye Zhao..." He paused, asking hesitantly, "...how did he know?"
That was an excellent question, and they very much wanted to know the answer.
Judging by the proficiency with which Ye Zhao arranged the formation today, he clearly understood it intimately. But how did he know so much?
Someone licked their dry lips and said in a strained voice, "I... I heard a rumor recently..."
Several people turned to look at him, their expressions a mix of confusion and suspicion. It couldn't be...
"Just a while ago, didn't a lot of people, including the Duke of An, call Ye Zhao... Tianshu?" The person swallowed hard and asked his classmates in a voice so low it was barely audible, "Do you guys know about that?"
...
......
"So, you’re trying to say...?" one person ventured, leaving the sentence unfinished, though the meaning was clear to everyone.
After an unknown amount of time, someone whispered in shock, "No way!"
The voice was full of astonishment and disbelief.
They all simultaneously thought of that recent rumor. When they first heard it, they thought it was laughable, but now, a sliver of doubt couldn't help but emerge. How could Ye Zhao possibly be Lord Tianshu?
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
戒尺 | Ferule | A flat ruler used for punishing students in traditional Chinese schools.
杨夫子 | Master Yang | The teacher of the class. "Fuzi" is a respectful title for a teacher/scholar.
甲班 | Class A | Literally "Jia Class," the top-tier or first class in the academy.
龙门阵 | Dragon Gate Formation | A famous and complex military formation in Chinese lore.
阵决 | Mnemonic / Formation Verse | A rhyming formula used to remember the steps or layout of a tactical formation.
天枢 | Tianshu | Literally "Heaven's Pivot" (the star Dubhe). Here, it refers to a legendary figure or title.
安国公 | Duke of An | A high-ranking noble title mentioned in rumors.
东陵 | Dongling | Likely a rival state or region in the novel's geography.
