SBCEJM -Chapter 134 The Eminent Monk Was Actually a Fraud? Ten Years of Crawling Like a Turtle All for Nothing!

In the Ministry of Revenue, back hall.

Chu Heng put down the account ledger, a flash of excitement appearing on his face.

“Prince of the North, I just remembered someone who might be able to help you.”

Feng Zexuan, who had been worrying about staffing for the newly established girls’ academy, immediately straightened up upon hearing this.

“Go on!”

“This man’s surname is Xu, given name Wenrui. He is an old friend of mine. He is widely learned, proficient in qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting. He is the most suitable person to serve as a teacher in the girls’ school.”

Chu Heng then hesitated slightly.

“However… this old gentleman has a strange temperament. He has been in seclusion for over a decade. I’m not confident I can persuade him to come out.”

【I don’t care how strange he is, let’s just go meet him first!】

【Anyway, I’ve got nothing else to do—might as well go out and stretch my legs!】

Chu Heng nodded inwardly after hearing this thought.

As expected of the Prince of the North—decisive and straightforward.

“So… shall we depart now?”

Feng Zexuan had already stood up.

“This… now?”

Chu Heng was startled by her decisiveness.

“Of course! The earlier we go, the earlier we return. We might even make it back for dinner!”

Half an hour later, a carriage stopped deep in the southern bamboo forest of the city.

A small courtyard was hidden behind swaying bamboo shadows.

Chu Heng stepped forward and knocked on the gate.

“Brother Wenrui, an old friend has come to visit!”

Creaaak—

The gate opened, revealing a middle-aged man with a vigorous and refined appearance.

Xu Wenrui froze when he saw Chu Heng, then his gaze landed on Feng Zexuan.

“Chu Heng? What brings you here? And this is…?”

“In Xia, I am Feng Zexuan, the Prince of the North. I have long admired your reputation, sir!”

Feng Zexuan cupped her hands in greeting, though internally she was muttering.

【So this is the strange old gentleman? He looks like he’s barely fifty, even younger than Minister Chu!】

Xu Wenrui paused mid-gesture, his ear twitching slightly. He looked around suspiciously, wondering if he had misheard.

“Please, come inside.”

After they entered and sat down, tea was served.

Feng Zexuan didn’t waste time.

“Sir Xu, I have come today to request your assistance. The court has recently established a girls’ academy and urgently needs a learned scholar to teach reading and writing. I would like to invite you to serve as its head instructor.”

Xu Wenrui immediately waved his hands vigorously, panic on his face.

“You flatter me too much, Your Highness! I am old and frail, my body is weak. I am no longer capable. Please find someone more suitable!”

Feng Zexuan glanced at him suspiciously.

【Old and frail? This old man is strong enough to fell a cow.】

【“Weak body”? I bet he could climb three floors without even panting.】

Xu Wenrui’s hand holding the teacup trembled violently.

The tea nearly spilled.

That voice again!

But Feng Zexuan’s lips clearly hadn’t moved.

Could he… be hearing her thoughts?

Chu Heng quickly stepped in to ease the tension.

“Brother Wenrui, why don’t we play a game of chess while we talk?”

As the chessboard was set up, Feng Zexuan watched casually, while continuing her “conversation” with her system.

【System, why is this guy refusing to come out? Is there some gossip?】

【Host, you guessed right! This is a big story!】

The system immediately perked up.

【Xu Wenrui is only fifty-three this year, but he retired at forty!】

【Retired that early? Midlife crisis?】

【Worse than a midlife crisis! He discovered that three generations of his family died young!】

【His grandfather died at 42, his father at 45, and his elder brother at 48!】

“Clack!”

A chess piece slipped from Xu Wenrui’s hand and fell onto the board edge.

He suddenly looked up.

Feng Zexuan was still sitting there calmly, chin resting on her hand—her lips unmoving.

Yet these were secrets he had never told anyone.

Even Chu Heng didn’t know.

How did that mysterious voice know all of this?

【The worst part is his son died at just over one year old, and his wife passed away from grief not long after.】

【That’s why he panicked and retired at forty, trying to find a way to live longer.】

【That… is really tragic.】

【And the strangest part is still ahead! He actually found a monk to advise him!】

【What did the monk say?】

【The monk told him his family’s feng shui was cursed, and that if he retired and crawled on the ground like a turtle every day, he could extend his life to a hundred years!】

【What?! Crawling like a turtle?!】

Feng Zexuan almost spat out her tea but forced herself to swallow it.

Chu Heng was also stunned.

Crawl like a turtle?

What kind of nonsense was that?

Xu Wenrui’s face gradually turned pale.

His hand trembled so badly he could no longer hold the chess pieces steadily.

【HAHAHAHA!】

Feng Zexuan was nearly dying of laughter internally.

【So that’s why he’s called a “weird old man”! Turns out he’s been crawling like a turtle at home!】

【I can’t unsee it now—an old scholar crawling on the ground like a giant turtle!】

Thud!

Another chess piece fell.

Xu Wenrui suddenly stood up.

“Please leave! I am unwell and cannot entertain guests!”

Chu Heng froze.

What just happened? The game hadn’t even finished.

Did… he also hear something?

Feng Zexuan calmly set down her teacup.

“Sir Xu, I believe I know the real reason why your family has a short lifespan.”

Xu Wenrui stared at her intensely.

“You… how do you know that?”

【System, he’s trying to kick us out! Hurry, find the truth!】

【Got it! The real reason is—your family well is contaminated with heavy metals!】

【Under your property lies an abandoned lead mine. The well water is heavily polluted with toxic metals. Long-term consumption naturally leads to illness and early death!】

【It has nothing to do with feng shui or turtle crawling at all!】

Feng Zexuan looked up, expression serious.

“Sir Xu, do you have an old well at home—and does it produce unusually sweet water?”

Xu Wenrui nodded mechanically, his voice weak.

“Yes… a sweet spring well. Our family has been drinking from it for generations…”

“That’s it!”

Feng Zexuan stood.

“Your family’s problem is that well.”