Chapter 37: Farewell to Renowned Scholars and Player Uproar

"What is this?"

Ding Ling looked at the letter in his hand, puzzled.

"This is a letter to Tong Yuan."

Pan Feng laughed aloud:

"Tong Yuan is an old acquaintance of mine! Take my letter, and he will likely accept you as his disciple!"

"Oh?"

Ding Ling was pleasantly surprised.

Tong Yuan is the Spear God who taught Zhao Zilong, Zhang Xiu, and Zhang Ren!

If he could become his apprentice.

His progress would surely be rapid, as he could level up quickly!

"Haha..."

Pan Feng saw Ding Ling’s expression, seemingly expected, and laughed heartily, patting Ding Ling’s shoulder, saying:

"I have high hopes for you! I believe you won’t disappoint me!"

"Indeed."

Zhang Hex said next to him:

"Anyone with real Kung Fu and some social standing knows of the Penglai Spear God. Many wish to become his apprentice, including myself, but unfortunately, the requirements to be accepted are extremely strict, and I don’t meet them."

"What are the requirements?"

Ding Ling glanced sideways. Even someone as talented as Zhang Hex didn’t fit?

"Haha..."

Zhang Hex chuckled awkwardly twice before saying:

"Learning from him means staying by his side constantly until you’ve mastered the Martial Arts he teaches. Only then will he let you leave. I have family secrets to learn and need to attend private school, so it’s impossible for me to stay on the mountain to learn Kung Fu from him."

"I see."

Ding Ling understood.

"So, if the Spear God chooses you, he will most likely make you master his skills before letting you leave. Be mentally prepared for that."

Pan Feng said with a smile:

"However, your talent is extraordinary. You may not need to stay long up the mountain, and it won’t affect your official duties. Prepare yourself and get ready to travel."

He glanced at the sky:

"Oh, I forgot, we have prepared a farewell banquet for you. You should leave after the banquet."

...

After the banquet.

Ding Ling returned to the mansion, donned his General Armor, took the official seal, and held a Heaven-piercing Halberd, ready to depart.

The maid Zhao Bingxuan, tearful, looked at Ding Ling, pleading to accompany him, promising to take good care of him.

Ding Ling hesitated.

Zhao Bingxuan promptly said:

"General, traveling, you’ll need someone to attend to you, right? I can wash clothes, cook meals, make the bed, and keep it warm for you!"

It made sense.

He couldn’t eat at the big mess hall with soldiers every day, right?

Or go to a restaurant?

Moreover, the household chores need attention, right?

Hiring someone would be troublesome.

Might as well take Zhao Bingxuan along.

Ding Ling asked if she could ride a horse; Zhao Bingxuan said she could.

So, Ding Ling had a horse brought for Zhao Bingxuan to ride.

He specifically asked Zhang Hex to help look after Zhao Bingxuan’s younger siblings.

For this, Zhao Bingxuan was naturally very grateful.

With Ding Ling’s instruction.

The people living in this large mansion naturally have little to worry about.

Even if Yuan Shao ruled Ye City.

But with Zhang Hex, Gao Lan, and others, there’s no need to worry.

Ding Ling rode away.

Zhao Bingxuan also changed into a soldier’s outfit and followed closely behind.

At the city gate.

He saw Jushou, Tian Feng, and others coming to see him off.

Jushou, Tian Feng, and others, having been defeated by Ding Ling, were full of admiration, and after several interactions, they were thoroughly impressed by Ding Ling’s talent and prowess!

They admired Ding Ling deeply.

Countless gestures of goodwill followed naturally.

That they would come to see him off was to be expected.

"Originally, I wanted to discuss state governance and Military Strategy with you."

Jushou felt deeply regretful:

"We must wait for another opportunity."

Ding Ling’s eyebrow twitched slightly. Could he say he liked straightforward approaches and disliked those cunning and deceitful tactics? Discussing Military Strategy with Jushou and others left him drained, but they didn’t know this.

They thought Ding Ling was truly omnipotent! Amazingly powerful!

Naturally, Ding Ling wouldn’t reveal this illusion!

It wouldn’t benefit him.

On the contrary.

The more others think he’s formidable, the more his reputation might spread far and wide.

This greatly helps his Path of Glory.

"Hope to meet again."

Tian Feng and others came one by one to greet him.

Xun Chen was the most straightforward. He packed his belongings and rode a horse, expressing his desire to travel with Ding Ling to Changshan County.

"..."

Everyone was dumbfounded.

But those who knew Xun Chen understood that his ’Chess Fanatic’ trait was at play, driving him to learn chess with Ding Ling.

Having grasped this through his Achievement Medal, Ding Ling earnestly persuaded Xun Chen, promising to gift him a Chess Manual upon returning.

With others’ support, Xun Chen’s desire to accompany them to Changshan County was quelled.

After bidding farewell to everyone.

Ding Ling called out, urging his horse forward. In the clamor of horse hooves, he and Zhao Bingxuan went farther and farther, until they disappeared completely.

Tian Feng, Jushou, Xun Chen, and others all returned with a sense of loss, pondering how the Shenzhou Land could produce such a genius like Ding Ling.

Cheng Huan, Gao Lan, Zhang Hex, and Pan Feng listened, feeling immensely proud.

As they considered Ding Ling one of their own.

Hearing this high praise from previously arrogant and superior scholars about their friend naturally filled them with pride and a full sense of achievement!

Meanwhile, the players in the Jizhou camp were stirred.

"Did you see?! Jushou and the others personally came to see Ding Ling off! And they looked so reluctant to part, how did Ding Ling achieve this?! To make such a proud group of scholars bow to him within a short time!"

"Unbelievable! As far as I know, Tian Feng is extremely upright and self-assured! Most people don’t catch his eye, yet he came to see Ding Ling and was very cordial to him, it’s simply unfathomable!"

"Did you notice how Jushou and others looked at Ding Ling? As if looking at a beacon of light! At a veritable Deity!"

"Oh?! Now that you mention it, really? What did Ding Ling do to make the Jizhou scholars, who would later be praised by Cao Mengde, behave this way?!"

...

The entire Ye City buzzed with excitement!

Especially after some newly online player revealed what Ding Ling did at the Jizhou Governor’s Mansion, astonishing all players!

"This can’t be true. How could a new player comprehensively defeat the scholars! Even learning a subject a year wouldn’t make him this versatile! How old is he?!"

"Indeed. That’s why we find Ding Ling so terrifying. He must be a peerless genius nurtured by a Hidden Clan!"

"But I also heard someone say Ding Ling is just an ordinary person?"

...

Suddenly.

There were countless speculations.

The matter was so explosive, it even topped the trending topics list in the real world!