A Name Like a Tiger

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A loud, powerful voice suddenly erupted, echoing like a bell in everyone’s ears. Song Mu immediately looked up, and upon hearing this voice, Qi Dazuo was visibly shocked. He quickly turned his gaze to one side.

From an unsightly alley, a man emerged. His face was pale and beardless, dressed in a round-collared robe, and his head was wrapped neatly in a black silk headscarf. Holding a scroll in one hand, he walked briskly forward.

Song Mu, his expression tensing, immediately clasped his hands together and respectfully greeted him, “Master Xun.”

“Master Xun,” Qi Dazuo also hurriedly bowed upon seeing the man, and several servants stopped in their tracks, exchanging confused glances.

This Master Xun was none other than Xun Yi, a scholar at the county academy, holding the title of “Juren”. In his everyday dealings in the county of Shiyang, he was known for his kindness. However, when it came to the students of the academy, he was extremely strict.

Last year, Song Mu became a “Tongsheng” (a student who passed the county-level exam), ranking thirty two. By normal standards, he should have continued his studies in a private school, but being a direct descendant of the prestigious Song family, both the county magistrate and the county education officer took special care of him, and he became Master Xun’s student.

Although Qi Dazuo wasn’t a Tongsheng, being from one of the prominent families of Shiyang County, he also entered the academy as a Confucian scholar, with Master Xun serving as his teacher. He, too, showed great respect.

Parents raise and nurture their children, and teachers pass down knowledge and resolve doubts. Both deserve utmost respect.

Upon seeing Qi Dazuo, Master Xun snorted, and with a swift kick, a loose stone shot from the ground, striking Qi Dazuo’s knee.

With a cry, Qi Dazuo knelt down, his head bowed submissively.

“Stretch out your hands!” Master Xun commanded as he approached. Qi Dazuo humbly extended both hands. The ruler that hovered beside Song Mu swung forward, delivering a sharp slap to Qi Dazuo’s palms.

“First offense: Insulting your fellow students.” With that, another strike landed.

“Second offense: Wearing inappropriate attire, disrespecting the scholar’s code of conduct.”

“Third offense: Publicly shouting insults, unbefitting a scholar.”

After the third strike, Qi Dazuo’s face flushed red, but he didn’t dare make a sound. The academy’s rules were clear: speaking out would result in heavier punishment.

People passing by on the street witnessed the scene, but even if Qi Dazuo’s parents were there, they could not intervene when a teacher was disciplining a student.

Song Mu stood by respectfully with his head lowered. Only after Qi Dazuo received his punishment did Master Xun allow him to stand.

“Go back and recite the Thousand Character Classic. I will personally test you in class tomorrow.”

In this world, there was also a Thousand Character Classic, but it was not the same rhyming text written by Zhou Xingzhi of the Southern and Northern Dynasties. Instead, it was a foundational text authored by a great Confucian scholar who had developed “literary power” to enlighten children.

Qi Dazuo’s face filled with bitterness at the command, but he quickly bowed and left with his entourage in tow.

Only then did Master Xun walk up to Song Mu, who looked up with a smile. However, Master Xun, still expressionless, let out a cold snort and continued walking forward.

“Song Mu, today you relied on your ancestors’ blessing. Don’t think being a Tongsheng can help you defeat your enemies. Only when you become a Xiucai (a scholar who has passed the provincial exam) will you have truly embarked on the path of a scholar.”

Song Mu hurriedly caught up, falling half a step behind and lowering his head as he softly said, “Master, did you figure it out?”

He knew that his ability to fend off the enemy couldn’t escape Master Xun’s sharp eyes, but the way his teacher pointed out the reason so precisely left Song Mu somewhat impressed.

“Did you heed my words?” Master Xun didn’t answer directly but instead asked again. Song Mu immediately nodded, respectfully replying, “I will keep your teachings in mind.”

Master Xun grunted in acknowledgment before continuing, “Recently, there has been much gossip about you in Shiyang County. How do you plan to handle it?”

“I don’t know, Master. Please guide me,” Song Mu said, passing the question back to his teacher. Master Xun calmly replied, “That is for you to decide. I’m only asking today: if in the past you were biding your time, does this event mean you’re ready to reveal your true nature?”

Master Xun’s words seemed light, but they hit Song Mu like a revelation. Perhaps his teacher believed that Song Mu had been feigning ignorance all along and was now ready to show his true self.

But Master Xun could never have imagined that the soul in Song Mu’s body had been replaced. This sharpness was, in fact, his true nature.

Since Master Xun thought he was acting out of frustration, it provided a convenient excuse, and Song Mu chose not to argue.

Seeing Song Mu remain silent, Master Xun continued, “This incident has caught the attention of the county’s education officer. Luckily, you are unharmed. Otherwise, someone would have been stripped of their scholarly title.”

His words shocked Song Mu. He had only met the education officer once, and that was because of the glory of his ancestors. He hadn’t expected to be remembered, let alone receive such attention.

Perhaps this was why Master Xun had publicly punished Qi Dazuo—to help Song Mu deter others.

Knowing Song Mu’s thoughts, Master Xun explained, “The Wen Dynasty has ruled for over two hundred years, and the current emperor values scholarly conduct above all. This investigation into the scholarly lineages is to select the best candidates. Your Song family is one of the few scholarly lineages in Shiyang County, and it must not be allowed to falter.”

“I’m telling you this today not to encourage you to act recklessly but to remind you not to rely on your ancestors’ blessings to do as you please. From now on, stay within the city, focus on your studies, and prepare for the provincial exam. If anyone causes you trouble again, report it to me.”

With that, Master Xun tapped his fingers, and a glowing light fell upon the jade plaque hanging at Song Mu’s waist. Song Mu was taken aback but bowed respectfully.

“I will remember your teachings.”

“Good. That’s enough. Return to the academy soon. The provincial exam is approaching.”

Master Xun waved his hand and walked off leisurely, leaving Song Mu deep in thought.

Everyone said that he had gone to Guiyang by himself, but he remembered otherwise. The situation was becoming increasingly suspicious. Now that Master Xun had spoken, Song Mu wondered who had tried to harm him.

Having nearly caused the downfall of the Song family, this grave offense could not be overlooked. As a member of the Song family, Song Mu could not allow it to pass.

Moreover, if someone indeed intended to harm him or the Song family, he needed to be vigilant and personally eliminate this threat.

With that in mind, Song Mu decided to find Wang the butcher and confirm the details of how he had been found at Guiyang.

…

“Master Song, how could I deceive you? That day, I went to Qingshan Village to buy pigs. In the afternoon, someone returning from the city said my wife was about to give birth, so I rushed back.”

“I’ve always been heavy with killing energy. I even have an image of the deity Zhong Kui tattooed on my back with black dog’s blood, so no evil spirits dare approach me. That night, the moon was bright, so I gathered my courage and took a shortcut past Guiyang.”

“Guess what? I saw you lying unconscious under a tree. At first, I thought I’d seen a ghost! But when I got closer, I realized it was you, Master Song. You were pale and barely breathing, so I carried you back immediately.”

Outside Wang the butcher’s shop, Song Mu listened as the large, burly man described the events, chopping at a slab of mutton as he spoke.

From inside the shop came the cries of a baby. Wang the butcher quickly wrapped the meat in straw and handed it to Song Mu with a grin. “Here you go, Master Song.”

As he listened, Song Mu lowered his head in thought. He didn’t think someone as straightforward as Wang would lie to him, so he sighed and gave up, reaching into his pocket for money.

“Master Song, you’re too kind! It’s just a few pieces of bone.” Wang waved his hands, pointing to the sign above his shop. “That sign was written by your late father, the Xiucai himself. Thanks to his blessing, business has been good these past two years.”

Despite Wang’s refusal, Song Mu continued to pull out his money, prompting Wang to hurriedly say, “If Master Song doesn’t mind, I do have one small favor to ask.”

Song Mu paused, cupping his hands politely. “Thank you, Uncle Wang, for saving me. I owe you a great debt. Please, ask anything.”

“It’s nothing much, really. You see, being a butcher, I carry a lot of killing energy. Even with Zhong Kui tattooed on my back to ward off evil spirits, my newborn baby keeps crying nonstop.”

“Could you help us by giving the baby a name that is powerful that can ward off evil and help ease the baby’s cries.”

After hearing Wang the butcher’s words, Song Mu couldn’t help but laugh. He was no expert in dispelling spirits, but this straightforward request suddenly made him curious.

Song Mu chuckled in relief after hearing the explanation. He also listened to the continuous cries of the child inside the house, which persisted despite all efforts to soothe him. Glancing at the blood-stained chopping board with lamb and pork, he surmised that the killing energy might have disturbed the child. With furrowed brows, he began to ponder.

“Do you have paper and a brush?”

After a moment, Song Mu asked, and Wang the butcher quickly called over a fortune-teller not far from the street.

Holding the brush, Song Mu, who had been practicing calligraphy for many years, immediately felt a sense of familiarity. He began to write with bold strokes.

“Like a tiger,” the fortune-teller read the two characters aloud, his eyes lighting up at once. “Good! What a great name! The tiger can ward off evil spirits!”

“Master Song, what’s the significance behind these two characters?” Wang the butcher, overjoyed, eagerly asked. He had already been planning to name his child when he carried Song Mu back to the city that day and secretly hoped to borrow some of the Song family’s scholarly influence.

Song Mu’s heart stirred, and he solemnly responded.

“It’s a line from a short poem that came to mind: ‘Like a tiger swallowing up the vast lands.'”

This line was from one of the most powerful and heroic works of the great poet Xin Qiji, a true model of bold and free-spirited poetry.

Wang the butcher’s face became serious, while the fortune-teller stared wide-eyed at the two characters on the paper. He nervously asked, “Young Master, may I ask where this script comes from?”