The nightingale regained her composure and courteously bowed to Li Nuo, saying, "Thank you, brother-in-law."

Li Nuo waved his hand and said, "We're family, no need for formalities..."

He didn't linger here long, leaving the space for the sisters.

Just after Li Nuo left, a figure rushed into Phoenix's embrace. The nightingale held her tightly, tears streaming down: "I thought I would never see you again..."

Phoenix gently patted her back, just as she did when she was young, comforting her: "It's okay, everything is okay now."

Not knowing how much time had passed, the nightingale left her embrace. She wiped her tears with her sleeve and said, "How did brother-in-law know..."

Phoenix smiled slightly and said, "I told him."

After hearing Phoenix's words, the nightingale happily exclaimed, "Congratulations, now you won't have to bear everything alone."

Then, a trace of worry appeared on her face as she said, "This time I escaped, they won't just let it go. I'm worried they might expose your identity, and then..."

Phoenix cupped her face and said, "We have your brother-in-law, don't be afraid..."

...

After rescuing the nightingale from Qi Country, Li Nuo temporarily had nothing to deal with.

He did not go to Qi Country to reunite with Jiaren and the others. Although he now possessed the strength to establish himself on this continent, it's not enough for him to be completely worry-free.

His Confucian cultivation had remained at the Fifth Realm Peak for a long time, with no signs of breakthrough.

Li Nuo had consulted the Right Prime Minister, who told him that when he lost disciples, son, and wife in the pursuit of ideals, his cultivation had breakthroughs.

This may be why the trajectories of the Left and Right Prime Ministers are similar, yet their cultivation differs by a major realm.

To achieve Confucian ideals, losing everything is indeed more worthy of respect.

Unlike the Right Prime Minister, Li Nuo walked a different path.

These past two years, under Phoenix's management, the Li Family's wealth had become inexhaustible. He took out half of his family fortune to set up a special fund, and in the impoverished states and counties of Daxia, he established "Hope Academies" where local children of age could study for free until before the Imperial Examination.

If Confucianism and Legalism dual cultivation reaches the Semi-Saint realm, his strength will rise another level.

At that time, even facing off against the Emperor of Qi Country, even if he couldn't win, he could still safely retreat.

With Phoenix helping him with these things, Li Nuo himself continued writing books.

Medical texts, agricultural texts, ink texts, military books, novels, educational readings, academy textbooks... trying to spread these works as widely as possible to increase the cultivation of the School of Calligraphy.

The School of Calligraphy was what he held in the highest hope.

To speak about it, for the purpose of the School of Calligraphy cultivation, the unification of the continent is also a good thing for him. Without war, without the barriers between nations, focusing solely on the country's development, and the education of the populace, is the soil most suitable for the School of Calligraphy cultivation.

"Brother-in-law, drink water."

"Brother-in-law, eat some fruit."

"Brother-in-law-----it's okay, I just came to ask if you need anything."

Ever since the nightingale moved into Ningxin Garden, she took over all the chores that belonged to Gu. Li Nuo knew she was grateful for him rescuing her, but Phoenix had already thanked him for her. Li Nuo couldn't directly tell her, so he could only let her...

...

Chang'an has been bustling every day lately.

Various news from the front lines continuously came back. Always read at the source—MV@LEMP@YR.

From the bottom of the Five Great Dynasties, Daxia leaped to the top of the Four Great Dynasties. Soldiers were conquering cities and widening Daxia's territory daily. As a Daxia citizen, one shares in the glory.

Don't know when it started, amidst the heartening news, some less harmonious voices began to emerge.

Rumor has it that Phoenix from Jade Sound Pavilion is a secret spy from Qi Country's Green Bird Society.

Not only that, the entire Jade Sound Pavilion, and all major Music Workshops controlled by Phoenix girl, are gathering information for Qi Country.

Moreover, Daxia court and military had long been infiltrated by Green Bird Society like a sieve. Many court officials and military leaders' wives and concubines were Green Bird Society spies, and even a detailed list circulated.

If this matter were true, then undoubtedly there would be a major upheaval in court.

These court officials and military leaders held high positions and knew military secrets. Once such information leaked, it could cause great losses to the country.

Regarding this, Spiegel Bureau, in charge of Daxia's intelligence, quickly clarified.

These were all false messages, a plot set by Qi Country to disrupt Daxia court.

Spiegel Bureau's clarification, everyone understands.

Their words are often understood in reverse.

But this matter soon calmed down.

No wonder, Phoenix is the wife of Li Nuo, Scheeren of the Secretariat, Assistant Minister of Justice, and Imperial Censor. They might dare to spread rumors, but they wouldn't dare to believe them...

Who is Lord Li?

Previously, people knew him as the son of the Minister of Justice.

But now, in front of his name, there's no need to add 'son of the Minister of Justice' anymore.

Daxia Magic Saint, connections reaching to heaven, when Daxia was invaded by Wei and Chu, he led martial arts masters to counterattack Wei Chu, greatly relieving front line pressure, with great accomplishments for the nation, yet the court still hasn't rewarded him...

Moreover, he himself had Semi-Saint cultivation, who has the ability to investigate him?

Especially as later additional spy lists circulated, making the populace believe it's just a plot by Qi Country to foment chaos in Daxia.

According to those spy lists, over half of Daxia's courtiers had been infiltrated by Qi Country, and the army was filled with Qi Country's scouts. If Qi Country had such capability, they would've defeated Daxia long ago, why wait until today...

These rumors circulated in Chang'an for only two days before completely quieting down...

...

Ningxin Garden.

Li Nuo threw several sheets of paper into the furnace, watching them burn to ashes.

Qi Country was indeed decisive; after he rescued the nightingale, they resolutely abandoned the spies planted in Daxia, a thousand enemies harmed, eight hundred self-damaged, if Daxia wanted to expose these spies, numerous court officials and military leaders would be implicated, and by then, external enemies hadn't been defeated, yet Daxia would be disrupted internally first...

According to Phoenix, most of Qi Country's spies underwent brainwashing training from a young age, involving the School of Cross and Vertical, and even after living and working in other countries for years, they wouldn't betray.

This mental control weakens with their cultivation improvement.

But the vast majority of spies had no cultivation, unable to break free from this hold, remaining loyal to Qi Country for life.

The School of Calligraphy's brainwashing methods were far superior to those of the School of Cross and Vertical.

No matter how deeply they were brainwashed, just a single line was enough to make them forget their identity as Qi Country spies, even they didn't know themselves as spies, so the court naturally need not do anything...

This is the simplest way, minimizing the impact of the matter.

Deliberately releasing several more lists, filling them with names of most major court officials, there would be no one believing it, Qi Country's scheme naturally falls through.

Li Nuo took a book from the shelf and slowly turned to a certain page.

This was a book on various anecdotes about philosophers, which Li Nuo previously read for amusement, but after experiencing some events, he gradually realized that these anecdotes might not just be anecdotes...

This page mentioned the Thief School's advanced cultivation could steal hearts and lives, which Li Nuo previously didn't believe.

Now he's seen it in person.

The fifty-three-year-old Hall Master of Green Bird Society wanted handsome men with merely a word, yet developed an infatuation for a short, ugly thief...

This book also mentioned the Foodie School's special abilities, manifesting only at the Semi-Saint realm. Their True Qi could form the sharpest blades in the world, cutting through anything, easily breaking Martial Path Half-Saint defenses...

Although Li Nuo hadn't seen it, combined with the book's description of the Thief School, the Foodie School's section likely isn't without basis.

The last section discussed the School of Calligraphy.

This was the most incredible ability, using only a pen to write a person's life, dictating what they do at a specific time, completely ignoring their personality, forcibly controlling their inner thoughts, even intervening in weather, season, terrain, ignoring logic, arbitrarily creating random events...

Originally regarded as self-boasting by the School of Calligraphy, each aspect Li Nuo had validated.

Yet this wasn't the School of Calligraphy's ultimate ability.

Li Nuo's gaze rested on the last line of the page.

"To cause a Saint to lose their cultivation, an ordinary person to transcend to saint, or to cause the living to perish and the dead to live… merely a few strokes by the School of Calligraphy."