Liu Feng and his friends conversed with Liang Xiao with great pleasure, unable to refrain from scrutinizing him. "Your demeanor and speech are extraordinary. There is indeed a Tongyi official named Zhang Yang who bears your name, but it's unlikely to be you, is it?"
Just as Liang Xiao was about to reply, a reedy voice echoed from afar: "He is the scoundrel who impersonated Lu Changhe yesterday!"
Everyone was startled and looked in the direction of the voice, their hearts filled with joy.
"Cai Nü Gu and Cai Nü He have arrived! And who is this..."
Soon, someone noticed Ye Qingyi, veiled and positioned between the two talented women. Ye Qingyi's mood was complex, and she dared not meet Liang Xiao's gaze.
Liang Xiao finally saw a familiar face and felt a pang of doubt.
Did Ye Qingyi truly have no intention of revealing his identity?
But Ye Qingyi now possessed none of her former allure; she resembled a wilting peony, its petals closed.
"This is Ye Qingyi, renowned throughout the capital. Sister Qingyi, she is my long-time friend!" Gu Pingting introduced quickly.
"So it is the former proprietress of Baichun Tower, a beauty of unparalleled grace!" the scholars praised incessantly, yearning to catch a glimpse of the exquisite face beneath Ye Qingyi's veil.
"You flatter me..." Ye Qingyi merely curtsied, finally turning to look at Liang Xiao, her gaze tinged with a hint of melancholy.
Liang Xiao blinked, a wry smile forming inwardly.
Gu Pingting's face was stern. "You previously impersonated General Anbei, Lu Changhe, and made Sister Qingyi weep. We haven't settled those two accounts with you yet."
Everyone's eyes snapped to Liang Xiao, eager to hear his explanation.
Before Liang Xiao could speak, a sarcastic voice drifted from the distance: "Yo, isn't this the great hero Yu Qingchuan? Why aren't you feeding horses anymore?"
The crowd looked towards the sound and saw Gongyang Long, the second son of the Grand Tutor, approaching with several scholars and a woman of exquisite beauty.
"It's the great scholar Gongyang!" the crowd parted, allowing Gongyang Long to approach Liang Xiao and his companions.
"You..." Yu Qingchuan's face grew cold, but he could only sigh helplessly.
Liang Xiao frowned and turned to Gongyang Long. "What grievance do you have?"
"Grievance?" Gongyang Long paused, then put an arm around the woman and chuckled. "No great grievance. It's just that he pestered my beloved concubine relentlessly, only to be disappointed and leave Jinling heartbroken. Later, he transformed into the great hero Yu."
Those behind Gongyang Long couldn't help but click their tongues at Yu Qingchuan, their expressions mocking.
Yu Qingchuan said coldly, "She and I were childhood sweethearts, and we were betrothed. Since she insisted on seeking a higher status, I naturally chose to let go. How can you call that pestering?"
The woman merely glanced coldly at Yu Qingchuan and sneered, saying nothing.
"A defeated dog is a defeated dog, always finding excuses. Even after joining the Sword Saint's lineage, you still carry the scent of a stable boy with every move you make," Gongyang Long said with disdain.
About half of the onlookers burst into laughter.
Liang Xiao glanced at Gongyang Long and smiled. "Snatching someone's beloved and poaching their love, has that become something to boast about? Is this a tradition your Gongyang clan prides itself on?"
This was followed by another wave of laughter.
Gongyang Long's face darkened. "And who might you be?"
"As the two talented ladies just said, this is the madman who impersonated Lu Changhe and offended them!" a follower quickly responded.
Gongyang Long froze, then burst into laughter. "Indeed, birds of a feather flock together. You are all just a den of vipers!"
Yu Qingchuan's face turned red, and he was momentarily speechless.
Ye Qingyi watched, sighing softly.
Liang Xiao swept his gaze over the group behind Gongyang Long and smiled. "Birds of a feather flock together, so does this group of yours excel at snatching beloveds and poaching relationships?"
The people who had been laughing earlier all fell silent, their faces grim.
Gongyang Long's eyes turned cold. "For the sake of a stable boy, you are ignorant of heaven and earth. Do you know who you have offended?"
"And who might you be?" Liang Xiao asked, feigning ignorance.
"My father is the current Grand Tutor!" Gongyang Long declared proudly.
"Oh, so you're a disappointment to your father," Liang Xiao's brow furrowed.
"Insolent!" Gongyang Long finally erupted in anger.
Liang Xiao's words were filled with disdain. "Scholars value virtue and integrity; they command respect through merit. Your arrogance and overbearing nature suggest either your father failed to teach you well, or this is your family's custom. It's no wonder your Gongyang clan was expelled from the center of power in the capital; you've raised a den of disappointments."
Yu Qingchuan, who had been depressed, finally burst into hearty laughter. "A den of disappointments! Hahaha!"
The surrounding crowd stifled their laughter, some unable to hold back and erupting into outright guffaws.
He Qiushui and Gu Pingting looked at Liang Xiao in surprise.
Why had this person suddenly become so full of righteousness, so different from his previous arrogance?
Gongyang Long regained his composure and sneered, "Can you afford to offend the Gongyang clan of Jiangnan?"
"You bullied Brother Xiaoyao!"
Before Liang Xiao could respond, a bell-like voice rang out from afar.
Everyone looked and saw the Yunxiu Zhaizhu and two others approaching.
"What beautiful eyes..." the onlookers murmured, captivated by Lin'er's veiled face.
"Miss Lin'er, don't speak out of turn..." Yun Jiu, walking last, cautioned.
"Brother, they are all bad people~" Lin'er tugged on Yunxiu Zhaizhu's arm.
Yunxiu Zhaizhu, fanning himself lightly, stepped forward and said, "Sir, your reliance on power to bully others completely contradicts the moral code of a scholar. What face do you have to call yourself the foremost scholar of Jiangnan?"
Gongyang Long said darkly, "And who might you be?"
"Nameless, self-proclaimed Yunxiu Zhaizhu. I merely witness injustice," Yunxiu Zhaizhu replied without hesitation.
Liang Xiao, who had been handling the situation with ease, felt a complex mixture of emotions.
He hadn't expected Yunxiu Zhaizhu to intervene at this moment, and this "Lin'er" hadn't exposed him, only calling him Brother Xiaoyao.
But no matter what, both sides had offended Gongyang Long, and he couldn't let others' arrogance diminish his own spirit.
Liang Xiao then stated, "Looking at it now, the Gongyang clan is nothing special. Their so-called scholars under the Grand Tutor are merely a group of cliquish, superficial, and stinking literati. I refuse to believe that the entire Jiangnan academic circle bows to these pompous scholars."
Liu Feng pouted. "The Jiangnan academic circle isn't solely comprised of the Gongyang clan. The Zhuo family are the true pillars and role models for scholars!"
"Liu Feng, do you wish to remain a commoner your entire life?" one of the scholars behind Gongyang Long shouted angrily.
"The heavens are clear, what is there to fear!" Liu Feng laughed up at the sky.
"Well said!" dozens of young men began to applaud in succession.
Liang Xiao felt gratified.
It seemed the Jiangnan academic circle wasn't entirely corrupt, with families like the Zhuos serving as a respectable facade.
Seeing more and more talented men and women supporting Liu Feng and Yunxiu Zhaizhu, Gongyang Long's anger surged. Just as he was about to lash out,
"Talented Scholar Dugu has arrived!"
A crowd surged in the distance. Dugu Xiao and Ouyang Sheng pushed through, leading a group.
"You're really here?!" The two looked at Liang Xiao with shock and anger, their faces ashen.
"Must you two be so agitated upon seeing an old acquaintance like myself?" Liang Xiao chuckled.
As they were about to confront him, He Qiushui asked, "Talented Scholars Dugu and Ouyang, do you also know this Zhang Yang who impersonated Lu Changhe?"
"Zhang Yang??"
Another name that disgusted them, the two felt a chill.
Dugu Xiao stared intently at Liang Xiao, trembling with rage. Ouyang Sheng stammered, "We know him more than just know him! He, he is..."