My Wife is A Sword God

“Senior Brother Fei, is this the first student to leave the academy on his own initiative?” Qin Feng asked with a frown.

“This is the fourteenth time. Since the first student left seven days ago, almost one or two students will leave every day.” Fei Xun shook his head.

Qin Feng was puzzled. These students were once enthusiastic about learning, so why were they leaving one by one now? Could there be some family issues?

But even if it was one or two people, how could so many people have trouble at home all at once?

“Did Senior Brother Yang say anything about this?”

Senior Brother Yang was naturally referring to Yang Qian. He would come here to teach when he had nothing to do. 

As a fourth stage Literature Saint, Yang Qian’s divination abilities far surpassed Qin Feng and Fei Xun.

Fei Xun replied, “Senior Brother Yang mentioned something to me. Everyone has their own aspirations; you can’t force them to stay.”

Qin Feng fell into contemplation. Senior Brother Yang must know something, but he seemed helpless to stop them.

Time passed quickly, and in the following days, students continued to leave the Poor Scholar Academy.

Initially, it was just one or two, but later on, more and more students left. Sometimes, a dozen or more would depart in a single day.

Qin Feng tried to ask them about their reasons, but no one answered. However, he could see from their reluctant expressions and gazes that leaving the academy was not their choice.

What was once a thriving Poor Scholar Academy now couldn’t even fill half the seats during classes.

Today, after Senior Yang finished teaching at the academy, another student expressed the intention to leave.

Yang Qian didn’t inquire much; he just sighed and said, “Alright.”

After the students left, Qin Feng spoke up, “Senior Yang, do you know why they are leaving?”

Yang Qian turned to look at him and replied quietly, “I know you want to persuade them to stay, but some things are beyond your control.” 

“They are children from poor families. Although they love to learn, they also carry the burden of life.” 

“For them, the most important thing is to live well and provide for their family. How can they devote all their attention to studying?” 

“Just like me and Fei Xun, if we weren’t both lonely individuals back then, we wouldn’t have decided to enter the Grand Literature Academy”.

“Are you saying, Senior Yang, that their departure is due to the pressures of life? But why haven’t people left for that reason before, and why are so many leaving now?” Qin Feng was still puzzled.

Yang Qian shook his head, “This problem was bound to happen, it was just a matter of time. Junior Brother Qin, let me ask you this, if a scholar is starving and there’s a book and a piece of dry food in front of him, which one would he choose?”

Without waiting for Qin Feng’s answer, Yang Qian continued, “He would undoubtedly choose the dry food. Have you ever wondered why, despite the large population in Great Qian, the martial arts culture is prevalent and scholars are rare?”

Qin Feng’s thoughts returned to Jinyang City, back to the Heart Questioning Platform.

He was well aware of the reason; after all, he and Lan Ningshuang had analysed it before – “There is no way to study.”

“Exactly, most of the people in the Great Qian are ordinary people or children from poor backgrounds.” 

“For them, there is no future in studying. To become a fourth stage Daoist in the field of literature, one must be well versed in thousands of books. Even for those with extraordinary talent, it would take at least several years.” 

“But what can they achieve after they reach the fourth rank? They still don’t have the power to fight demons and ghosts, and their lives won’t improve.” 

“However, if they spend those years cultivating Divine Martial Dao Lineage or Hundred Ghosts Dao Lineage, they can at least have some self-defence capabilities in this chaotic world.”

Yang Qian turned to Qin Feng and said, “If you can get into the court by studying and working for the good of the people, that might be a good way. But you should also know that only those from the National Academy can achieve this.”

“At National University, most students come from influential families. For students from humble backgrounds, it is a fool’s dream to stand out there.”

“Even if your skills are strong and your knowledge is deep, there is no way to realise your aspirations.”

“Since this is the case, knowing that there is no future in studying, coupled with the burdens of life, how many students from poor backgrounds will persevere in their studies?”

Qin Feng took a deep breath and replied, “Very few.

“Yes, very few. In these students from poor backgrounds, I seem to see myself from the past. That’s why I can understand their hardships and what’s in their hearts.”

“Many things in life are beyond our control.”

“Seeking but not obtaining, obtaining but not smoothly; it’s really nothing out of the ordinary.”

“As far as we are concerned, even teachers are powerless to change this.”

“That’s why the Teacher created the Grand Literature Academy, to preserve a sacred place for scholars in the Great Qian. Unfortunately, this sanctuary of learning has also been infiltrated by the National University and is no longer as pure as it once was.”

Qin Feng’s heart was heavy as he left the Poor Scholar Academy.

The original intention of the Poor Scholar Academy was to provide a place of education for ordinary people and students from poor backgrounds.

But he forgot that if the situation of no access to education in Great Qian wasn’t resolved, the establishment of the Poor Scholar Academy itself would be a joke.

The sky had already darkened, night was coming, the starlight was fading, much like Qin Feng’s current mood.

He didn’t go straight back to the Qin residence, but walked through the streets and alleys of Imperial City.

Many ordinary people were still hawking and selling in the cold streets for their livelihood; everything was driven by the necessities of life.

He saw low-ranking officials taking food from the vendors without giving a single coin. Not only didn’t the vendors complain, they had to smile and fawn over the officials. After the officials left, the vendors sighed with regret.

He saw an official going out. The four people carrying the sedan were not only driving away the people who were blocking the way, but even trampling on the vendors’ goods. 

The officials showed no remorse; instead, they arrogantly lifted the curtain of the sedan and sneered.

He observed the arrogance of the officials of the Great Qian and the helplessness and misery of the common people.

It made sense when he thought about it. Most of the officials of the Great Qian were appointed by the powerful or selected from the National Academy.

And most of the scholars at the National Academy were also children of the privileged class, enjoying a life of luxury from an early age. 

Even if they became officials, how could they understand the suffering of the common people?

Because of this, the officials of the Great Qian were corrupt and useless, leading to the misery of the people.

He remembered the conversation with Luo Yu at the tavern. Although demons were like a sword hanging over the heads of ordinary people, sometimes humans could be more frightening than demons.

In order to change this situation, the official selection system of the Great Qian needed to be reformed.

But how easy was that?

Allowing the children of commoners to become officials would affect the interests of many, and it would undoubtedly be opposed by many.

Qin Feng remembered the oath he had taken at the Heart Questioning Platform and found it ridiculous.