The Divine Land, the Great Jin Dynasty, the nineteenth day of the first month of the first year of Taixi.
In the region of Heluo, cold winds howled and heavy snow covered the ground three feet deep.
Yet within a luxurious noble estate outside the imperial capital, flowing light lingered and clear streams wound between pavilions.
There were even peach blossoms glowing radiantly, willow threads swaying gracefully, and interconnected towers, terraces, and garden trees reflecting one another, with butterflies fluttering and dancing among the flowers—a picturesque scene of birds singing in secluded woods and fish leaping in lotus ponds.
The biting wind and heavy snow outside the estate did not affect the interior in the slightest!
Lifting one's head, one could see a clear sky, and the air even held a faint warmth, as if it were the height of the third spring month.
"Elder Shi, this Golden Valley Garden of yours is truly marvelous!"
"I always thought this 'Golden Valley Spring Clarity', praised as one of the eight scenic views of Luoyang and passed down on people's lips, could only be seen during the warm and breezy days of the third spring month. I never expected to witness it in this season!"
The one speaking was an irreverent young aristocrat within the garden. His face was white as congealed fat, his cheeks dusted with gold powder, and his eyebrows painted with a purplish hue. He wore a scented jade sachet, and his entire body radiated an intoxicating aroma.
He was dressed in thin robes with the collar parted wide, exposing his chest. He was leaning lazily against a small desk to enjoy the snow, holding a golden goblet and drinking heavily, his demeanor slightly intoxicated.
Opposite him, a fierce-looking, white-haired and bearded elder clad in brocade extended hands adorned with gold and jade to play with a four-foot-tall coral tree.
The elder was named Shi Chong, the son of Shi Bao, a founding hero of the Great Jin Dynasty. He held the official rank of Nine Ministers Commandant, inherited the title of Marquis of Xiuwu County with a fief of ten thousand households, and had previously served as the Governor of Jingzhou where he plundered merchants to amass a massive fortune. Coupled with his skill in ingratiating himself, he had grown wealthy enough to rival a nation by the present day.
This Golden Valley Garden of his was merely one of many secondary residences, yet it was the most extravagant!
Within tens of miles around, storied pavilions and platforms rose and fell, constructed along the mountain contours and watercourses of the Heluo region. He had excavated lakes, opened ponds, and channeled connecting streams so that clear creeks meandered within the garden, their waters murmuring softly.
He further used silk fabrics as enclosures, pepper-infused clay to coat the walls, and gold and jade to adorn the trees!
He even sent emissaries to the Western Regions and Nanyang in exchange for pearls, agate, amber, rhinoceros horn, ivory, and other precious goods, decorating the buildings within the garden until they shone with gold and jade, surpassing even imperial palaces.
Extravagance prevailed in the Great Jin Dynasty, and Shi Chong undoubtedly stood at the very top.
"This old man's little garden is merely a worldly trinket, nothing more than ten thousand catties of red stone fat traded to have Immortal Zhang of the Zhongnan Mountains design this Golden Valley Spring Clarity Array for me."
"This formation is laid out with one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred grains of golden millet, implicitly harmonizing with the Qianyuan Star Array, which is how we manage to keep the garden like spring all year round!"
Shi Chong spoke with feigned modesty, yet his eyes held a look of self-satisfaction.
He was accustomed to boasting and showing off his wealth, acting as if ten thousand catties of red stone fat and one hundred twenty thousand grains of golden millet were entirely not worth mentioning. Suddenly, however, he remembered that the person before him was a master of high Daoist attainment—True Person Gongyu of Purple Cover Mountain in Jingzhou, of the prestigious Wang Clan of Langya, belonging to a prominent and illustrious family of the current age.
His own wealth, which could rival a country, might have been worth showing off before Young Master Yu achieved the Dao.
Yet mortals and immortals belonged to different realms; the other possessed an 'Upper-Upper Grade' immortal bone, studied under the Penglai Immortal Sect of the East Sea, and later by sheer chance obtained a natural, masterless small grotto-heaven, stepping into the 'Dao Attainment Realm' with thirty years of cultivation. He drank the wind and sipped the dew, repelling water and fire, and was a rare genius in this world.
I suppose as he traveled among famous mountains and traversed overseas lands, rare treasures of heaven and earth were easily obtained by him. Unlike himself, who still had to fling about vast sums of money and purchase things everywhere.
Realizing that the other was still his junior, Shi Chong felt a slight sourness in his heart, and immediately added, "Alas, mere playthings, how could they be worth mentioning! How could they ever compare to the wondrousness of the True Person's 'Purple Profound Grotto-Heaven'?"
"If the True Person loves this scenery, you may reside permanently in the garden. This old man has over ten thousand servants, quite enough to wait upon the True Person hand and foot."
Young Master Yu laughed aloud, saying, "Could that Zhang Jilian have a grudge against Elder Shi? Or have you offended him somewhere?"
Shi Chong looked blank. "Immortal Zhang and my Shi Family of Henei are bound by a long-standing friendship. One of my grand-nephews even entered Immortal Zhang's sect as a disciple, and I have never committed any offense... Um, I ask the True Person to speak plainly. Is there something amiss with this formation?"
Young Master Yu smiled, finishing the wine in his cup while his chest radiated waves of heat.
Beside him, a dazzling and alluring serving maid named Xianghang stepped forward immediately, holding a golden pot to pour wine. The divine nectar fell into the cup, producing a crisp and melodious sound.
Suddenly, a cyan light erupted from Young Master Yu's eyes, shooting straight into the void.
In an instant, golden millet surged from the earth, numbering a total of one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred grains. All emitted a golden glow and floated in the air.
"Ah!"
Young Master Yu suddenly cast a spell to reveal the formation diagram. The wine-pouring beauty was startled; her hand trembled, spilling the nectar and splashing it onto Young Master Yu's delicate, jade-like hand.
The beauty's face turned instantly ashen, her entire body trembling as her teeth chattered continuously against one another.
Young Master Yu did not care, not even glancing at her. He merely flicked away the remaining wine, placed the golden goblet back onto the desk, and drank no more.
The wine spilled upon his hand likewise vanished in an unheeded instant, transforming into rising vapor and disappearing.
Young Master Yu said unceremoniously, "Elder Shi, that Zhang Jilian is well-versed in formations; how could he commit such an error? He must have done it on purpose..."
Shi Chong glanced at the guards not far away, then replied, "Oh? What error? Please enlighten me, True Person."
Although no orders were conveyed, the guards understood tacitly. They stepped forward gently and dragged away the beauty whose legs had already gone weak.
Not until she was dragged outside the door did the beauty dare to beg the guard for mercy, tears streaming down like pear blossoms in rain, her pitiful expression evoking deep sympathy.
Yet the guard said nothing, drawing a dagger and thrusting it into the beauty's chest, twisting it half a turn before pulling it out. Then, he skillfully wiped away the blood with a white silk cloth.
He beckoned two servants to drag the corpse away, then looked toward the dozens of beautiful maidservants waiting outside the door with his facial expression unchanged.
Whenever Shi Chong hosted guests, he invariably ordered numerous beauties to take turns pouring wine so that for every cup the guests drank, they could behold a different charm.
"Next."
Hearing the guard's ice-cold words, the dozens of beautiful maidservants all shivered with cold. The leading woman trembled and said, "The Immortal and the Marquis are discussing major matters; he is no longer drinking..."
The guard repeated, "The Marquis did not say to stop."
With no other choice, the woman wore a bitter facial expression as she picked up the wine pot.
Seeing the guard suddenly draw his dagger, the woman reacted quickly, composing her expression to put on a smile as she stepped forth on dainty lotus steps.
Yet Young Master Yu indeed drank no more. He propped his chin with his right hand and pointed his left hand toward the heavens, saying, "I do not understand formations, yet I know this formation did not need to be so troublesome! To actually copy an entire set of the Qianyuan Star Array? The grand formation of his own grotto-heaven can hardly be more than this, surely?"
"If one wishes for spring all year round, one roughly only needs the Azure Dragon lodge from it, or even just the manifestation of Dragon Appears in the Fields, and three hundred twenty-four grains of golden millet would suffice to set the array."
"Of course, with Elder Shi's wealth, you certainly do not mind a little extravagance."
Shi Chong laughed heartily. "So that's how it is, it matters not!"
"What difference is there between one hundred twenty thousand and three hundred?"
Shi Chong's wealth was as vast as the deep sea, his magnificent chambers stretched on like mountains, his fertile lands were counted in ten-thousand-ching tracts, and the over a thousand concubines in his inner quarters all wore exquisitely embroidered brocades of matchless beauty, adorned with dazzling pearls, jades, and precious stones.
All the wondrous silk and bamboo music of the world entered his ears, and all the rare birds and strange beasts of land and water entered his kitchen. Throughout his life, his extravagance knew no bounds and had long since become habit; how could he care about such a minor detail as whether only three hundred grains of golden millet were needed to set the formation?
If Immortal Zhang had explained this to him back then, given his personality, he would have instead discarded the effortless option and intentionally chosen a grander formation diagram that served the exact same purpose.
Young Master Yu continued immediately, "The problem, however, is that the formation core is not here... The so-called formations place paramount importance on change! The master of the formation must be able to control it freely, circulate the array's momentum, and shift in ten thousand directions; otherwise, how is it different from a boundary drawn on the ground as a prison?"
"Oh?" A shock ran through Shi Chong's heart. He indeed could not control the array's momentum, nor could he even shut it down.
Ever since this formation had been laid down, it required no one to control it. Every year on the Dragon Boat Festival, Immortal Zhang would send a boy to replenish the spiritual power within the array's momentum to maintain spring all year round. As for anything else, it was never mentioned to him at all.
"So only things that can circulate and change are called formations? The formation core is not here? Therefore, for this Golden Valley Spring Clarity Array, the master of the formation is not this old man, but that Immortal Zhang?" Only then did Shi Chong feel that he had been swindled.
He had spent ten thousand catties of red stone fat to invite Immortal Zhang to set the array, and furthermore expended vast amounts of wealth to gather the materials required for it.
In the end, this formation was still in the control of someone else? To think that year after year he had provided fine food and drink to entertain that boy, and rewarded him with glossy ganoderma, mica, pearls, and white jade—was it all so the fellow could maintain his own formation?
Shi Chong did not care about these expenses, but Immortal Zhang had told him nothing, treating him purely as a fool with money to burn.
And since only the manifestation of Dragon Appears in the Fields was needed, why construct the entire Qianyuan Star Array? Could there be another purpose? Some hidden profound mystery?
Shi Chong thought of many things in an instant, yet Young Master Yu did not explain further. When Shi Chong asked what kind of formation this truly was, Young Master Yu only said: I do not understand formations.
"This Zhang Jilian is utterly shameless! If he had said so earlier, what would it matter if I gifted him some wealth? Hmph! The Zhang Clan of Runan is nothing much after all." Discontent filled Shi Chong's heart, and on his lips, respect for that Immortal Zhang vanished entirely.
Although that Immortal Zhang possessed deep Daoist attainment, judging by family lineage he was merely of the 'Middle-Upper' grade, far inferior to him!
Thinking of this, Shi Chong felt extreme bitterness. As the saying went, among mystic practitioners there were no commoners, and among immortals there were no humble families. How was it that he, a dignified scion of an upper-grade lineage, possessed no immortal bone?
Young Master Yu smiled faintly. "Zhang Jilian is of a mere middle-upper lineage, petty and narrow-minded; Elder Shi need not fret. As I travel among famous mountains and visit grotto-palaces, one day I shall go to the Xuande Grotto-Heaven of Zhongnan Mountain to discourse on the Dao with the three great true persons of Mount Taibai, and at that time I will retrieve the formation core for Elder Shi."
"Ah, that couldn't be better! That Zhang Jilian simply cheated me because I do not understand Daoist arts and lack mystic practitioners in my circle! Now that the True Person is here, let's see who still dares to look down upon this old man!" Shi Chong hurriedly stood up, snatched the wine pot held by the beauty, and personally poured wine for Young Master Yu.
This caused the newly entered beauty to shed tears at the corners of her eyes and heave a silent sigh of relief.
Amidst their conversation, the guard had already killed two women in succession; she was the third to enter!
Now that Shi Chong was pouring the wine personally, her services were no longer needed, and she could safely retire.
Young Master Yu glanced at this cup of wine and did not drink it.
He merely said, "Although Elder Shi does not understand Daoist arts, you are wealthy enough to rival a nation—even the Daoist gates look upon you with envy. Refining pills by ingestion is hugely expensive; Zhang Jilian cannot afford to sustain it, and seeing his lifespan drawing to a close without having stepped into the Dao Attainment Realm, he must have grown desperate... That is why he deceived Elder Shi."
"And with Elder Shi's wealth, if you were to cultivate on your own, stepping into the Dao Attainment Realm within your lifetime is not an impossibility."
A pause occurred in Shi Chong's heart. Wasn't Young Master Yu touching on a sore spot? If he could cultivate immortality, would he still be here?
Yet immediately following that, he thought: that he, Shi Chong, possessed no immortal bone was known to the entire scholarly circle! Young Master Yu could not possibly be unaware of it, and yet he deliberately brought it up now... Could one cultivate even without an immortal bone?
At this thought, Shi Chong's desire for longevity became burning hot to the extreme. He had schemed and strived all his life, growing wealthy enough to rival a nation, but in the end, wasn't he still someone destined to return to dust?
His Shi Family of Henei was an illustrious clan of the present age; in terms of wealth, even the imperial family could not compare! Yet they had only risen starting from the previous generation, belonging to the newly-risen founding nobility, and this generation lacked an immortal bone.
There were indeed some among the younger generation, but they were all good-for-nothings who only caused people to make a laughingstock of themselves when they went out to discuss metaphysics with others. Although the Shi Family was an upper-grade noble clan, they had never produced a true cultivator.
Now that he had finally managed to connect with someone who spoke so straightforwardly, he had to seize the opportunity no matter what.
"I ask the True Person to instruct me: how can I cultivate when I have no immortal bone?" Shi Chong offered the wine cup in toast.
Young Master Yu wore the appearance of a drunkard, laughing freely. "Although Elder Shi was born into a prestigious family, Heaven's Dao does not favor you, much like my father, who was born without an immortal bone. Yet there are always wonders in this world that allow one to forge a different path! And the junior happens to..."
At this point, he gave a drunken hiccup.
Shi Chong's heart hammered against his ribs, yet Young Master Yu stopped talking.
Realizing that the other party was angling for benefits, Shi Chong hurriedly plastered on a smile and said, "That Zhang Jilian took so many treasures from this old man, yet never offered the slightest bit of guidance. Unlike the True Person, who in a mere half-day has benefited me immensely—truly a true cultivator."
"Had I known the True Person earlier, would the ganoderma, mica, realgar, precious jade, gold and silver, pearls, herbs, cinnabar, and pine resin I have stockpiled... have been left to benefit him?"
This was his way of hinting that his cultivation resources were inexhaustible and asking Young Master Yu to provide deep guidance.
Yet Young Master Yu remained unmoved, stretching lazily. "The Dao of seeking immortality is nothing more than ingestion and breathing cultivation; all other miscellaneous and heterodox practices are not worth mentioning. Zhang Jilian and I, though both practitioners of ingestion and pill arts, place weight upon 'ingestion', while I place weight upon 'harvesting'..."
Shi Chong was not completely ignorant of metaphysics, and instantly understood that Young Master Yu excelled in the Yin-Yang Cultivation Technique. His eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands in laughter. "That is easily done!"
He immediately issued orders to summon the concubines within Golden Valley Garden; not only that, he even dispatched men to transport more from his secondary residences.
Before long, the courtyard was filled with the rustling of silks and the fragrance of flowers as over three hundred beauties gathered, all clad in damasks and silks and adorned with dazzling jewels, while countless maidservants stood outside the courtyard.
"This old man has over a thousand concubines and maidservants; the True Person need not stand on ceremony!"
Young Master Yu looked them over, but unhurriedly said, "This junior has already attained the Dao; such vulgar and common powder are of no benefit to my cultivation."
Shi Chong was astonished. He had clearly seen that Young Master Yu wanted them, only to be refused?
Next, he heard Young Master Yu say with a drunken expression, "My practice of the cultivation technique has reached the realm of perfection, and those of lowly birth are of no further use. I require practitioners as my cultivation cauldrons in order to achieve a breakthrough; to retreat to the second best, those with an immortal bone will also suffice."
Shi Chong was terrified. Which cultivator did not hail from a prominent and illustrious family? Only nobles born into noble clans could have their 'fates belonging to the birth stars' and 'jade bones formed by nature', possessing the aptitude to cultivate immortality—this was called an immortal bone.
According to family background, the imperial court divided scholars and noble clans into nine grades: Upper-Upper, Upper-Middle, Upper-Lower, Middle-Upper, Middle-Middle, Middle-Lower, Lower-Upper, Lower-Middle, and Lower-Lower. When elevating official ranks or selecting new officials, appointments were made in accordance with these nine grades.
Among these, the upper grades had no humble families, and the lower grades had no illustrious clans.
The aptitude for cultivating immortality was the same: one had to be at least from the gentry, and pass it down for three generations before an immortal bone could possibly germinate. This was called foundation!
His Shi Family of Henei was an 'Upper-Middle' illustrious clan. Although they had produced no renowned cultivators over the years, they certainly had no shortage of people with immortal bones!
"The noble daughters of this old man's clan..." Shi Chong murmured in a low voice.
The noble daughters of their Shi Family could not be married off to just anyone; in the future, they were all to be wedded to scions of first-rate noble clans. Even marrying into a family of the 'Upper-Lower' grade would be considered marrying beneath them.
Young Master Yu hailed from the Wang Clan of Langya, the preeminent illustrious clan of the current age, and was moreover a master of high Daoist attainment. Marrying him would be considered aiming too high, though acting as a concubine would be acceptable—yet to serve as a cultivation cauldron...
Shi Chong waved his hand, signaling the servants to withdraw. Before long, only he and Young Master Yu remained in the courtyard.
He cut straight to the point, saying, "I wonder how many the True Person requires?"
Shi Chong had thrown caution to the wind. Those with immortal bones were the treasured pearls of every family; where else could he possibly procure them? He could only rely on the authority of the clan head to draw people from his own household.
If the number was small, that was easily spoken of—he could simply select a few from the collateral branches of the family.
To his utter astonishment, the number named by Young Master Yu nearly infuriated him to the point of a rage.
"For the first batch, let us start with fifteen people."
Shi Chong's head buzzed. The total number of people in the Shi Family with immortal bones was precisely this!
To be able to state this number with such precision meant Young Master Yu had come fully prepared! No wonder he had invited so many cultivators, and only Young Master Yu had readily agreed.
"The True Person jests. The noble daughters in this old man's clan who possess immortal bones number only six..." Shi Chong said, then abruptly froze. Could it be...
True enough, Young Master Yu stated, "I did not say I didn't want men."
"Ha!" Shi Chong was on the verge of slapping the desk and rising to his feet!
He merely felt that Young Master Yu was deceiving him too deeply. Zhang Jilian had only taken some wealth from him, and since his wealth could rival a nation, he didn't mind. He had never expected this True Person Gongyu to come demanding people!
Did he truly take him for a modern-day Lord Mengchang, someone who could give away anything he pleased? And men and women alike? And this was only the first batch?
He enjoyed the Emperor's deep favor; even if Wang Kai, the head of the Wang Clan of Langya, were present here, he could not treat him with such disrespect. How dared a mere junior act so audaciously!
If this matter spread, he would inevitably be spurned by the scholarly circle. And what of cultivators? Had they no shame?
Seeing Shi Chong fly into a rage, Young Master Yu remained entirely calm. "No matter how many cultivators are in your clan, none can compare to the pleasure of attaining longevity oneself..."
Shi Chong's heart pounded, forcing down his rising anger.
His desire to befriend cultivators had never rested on the hope of cultivating himself; he had only sought to purchase pills for prolonging life.
Yet he also knew that such elixirs were extremely difficult to refine and were invariably consumed internally within each noble family.
Moreover, when consumed by non-practitioners, the effect was extremely poor, with most of the medicinal power wasted, and there were even cases where mortals died suddenly from ingesting them. Pills that allowed mortals to attain longevity simply did not exist. This was the very reason why emperors ever since Emperors Qin and Han had failed to attain longevity.
If one wished to attain longevity and clear vision, living as long as the heavens, the only path was to enter the Dao oneself!
Yet without an immortal bone, cultivating immortality was an absolute impossibility. Now, Young Master Yu actually claimed to have a method. A vague sense stirred in Shi Chong's mind: this might well be the only opportunity of his lifetime!
He had already exhausted all earthly riches and honors! As long as he himself could cultivate the Dao and attain longevity, was a family or clan truly all that important?
Besides, it was not strictly necessary to draw people from his own household; those of other families would do as well. Among some third-rate lineages and even humble gentry clans, there was no lack of individuals with immortal bones... If he exhausted every method and resorted to every means, he could surely piece together these cultivation cauldrons!
"I ask the True Person: what on earth is this different path?" Shi Chong suppressed his temper to inquire.
Young Master Yu laughed freely and finally spoke. "I obtained a principle within the Dao, within the principle a method, and within the method an art, which can forge an acquired immortal bone. It is called 'Borrowed Fortune'."
Shi Chong was overjoyed. An acquired immortal bone? Such a wondrous thing existed? He had never even heard of it!
"Borrowed Fortune? Borrowing another's fortune to forge oneself? If the True Person assists this old man in entering the Dao, the fifteen immortal bone cauldrons, this old man... will definitely present them to you!" Shi Chong agreed decisively.
Young Master Yu half-closed his eyes. "This art defies the heavens, and the cost is immense. Furthermore, borrowing fortune means not borrowing the fortune of others..."
Shi Chong was stunned. "Not the fortune of others? Then whose fortune is being borrowed?"
Young Master Yu spat out two words: "National fortune!"
Shi Chong was dumbfounded. Good heavens, striking directly at the national fortune?
Weren't cultivators supposed to be terrified of things like imperial Qi and Mortal World Fire that could not be seen? How could they actually seize national fortune? This was hardly metaphysics!
Feeling that something was amiss, Shi Chong suddenly thought of a point and asked, "The True Person's uncle, Wang Kai, likewise has no immortal bone. Why not use this fortune-seizing art to assist him in entering the Dao?"
Young Master Yu explained, "This junior is restricted by the imperial Qi and unable to deploy this art alone; I still require Elder Shi's assistance."
Reflecting on his status as an imperial relative and inner minister, Shi Chong thought: Could it be... this art must be manipulated within the palace? Within the Luoyang Palace, protected by the imperial Qi of three dynasties, cultivators naturally would not dare to act recklessly.
"Elder Shi need not worry. Others might find this art difficult to accomplish, but for Elder Shi, it is as easy as turning over a hand! Elder Shi possesses supreme skill in chess and enjoys the Emperor's favor... You need only take my chessboard into the palace to play a game of chess with His Majesty and win against him, and you will obtain the Great Jin national fortune. The more intersections you win by, the more flourishing the fortune obtained will be. Once Elder Shi returns carrying this fortune, this junior has his own ways of enabling Elder Shi to enter the Dao!" Young Master Yu's words left Shi Chong bewildered.
So the task was not to make moves within the palace, but to play chess with the Emperor?
What kind of spell was this? A single game of hand-talk to seize national fortune?
Although he did not understand Daoist arts, his admiration for the cultivation of immortality meant he frequently discoursed on metaphysics. Such a wondrous art felt a bit too un-metaphysical!
Or perhaps... it was simply far too profound in its metaphysics?
After all, his own grasp of metaphysics was only superficial; presumably, it was merely because this art of seizing national fortune was so arcane that it was normal for him not to understand it.
Collecting his composure, Shi Chong asked, "If the Great Jin national fortune is seized, what will happen?"
The ruling dynasty shared the world with the noble clans; naturally, he did not wish to see the Great Jin state thrown into turmoil. Presently, the several imperial princes were none of them great—either too young or else simple-minded... Let there not come a second-generation collapse...
Young Master Yu laughed aloud. "Elder Shi, do not panic! It is a borrowing, not a seizure!"
"The Great Jin Kingdom has been established for over twenty years! It hasn't even been ten years since the unification of the realm! The current founding monarch is still alive, and the nation's fortune is at its peak."
"If people like us borrow a bit, it does no harm. It merely makes the coming prosperous age a little more mundane."
Shi Chong thought about it, and it was true. The chaotic era had just ended, and the current court utilized the nine-rank system to govern the realm through noble families. One could say talented and upright officials filled the court, and the future would inevitably flourish!
With such a flourishing national fortune, what was wrong with borrowing a little bit of it?
Anyway, the degree of control remained in his hands. When playing chess, he just needed to win a little less and borrow less national fortune! Only he could do such a thing; after all, the emperor only loved to play chess with him, and only he could let the emperor win by just the right amount... When the time came, he could reverse it and simply win a little by fluke himself.
So what if the emperor was unhappy about losing? Could the man still care about this once he could cultivate immortality?
The more Shi Chong thought about it, the more excited he became. His mood lifted greatly, and he said with fervent agitation, "Immortal Master, rest assured. This matter rests entirely on this old man. Please stay within the garden, for the offering cauldrons will certainly not be lacking. Give this old man some time, and I shall surely gather them all!"
"Well... For the time being, I must ask the Immortal Master to make do with these mediocre and common powders. These are this old man's beloved concubines, by no means ordinary."
Young Master Yu asked curiously, "Oh? Which ones?"
Shi Chong pointed to the large crowd in the courtyard. "These three hundred are all of them!"
Young Master Yu was amused. All of them were beloved concubines?
"These three hundred beautiful concubines were gathered by this old man from all corners of the world. They are meticulously chosen beauties, and among them are no shortage of Hu women from beyond the northern frontier and the Western Regions..."
"They are invariably dressed in brocade and embroidery, dazzling to the eye, and perfumed day and night. I have also invited renowned tutors to instruct them, making them well-versed in the musical arts, with graceful singing and dancing, and skilled in chanting poetry..."
"Kept in the back courtyard, they are made to wear jade dragon pendants, gold phoenix hairpins, and hundred-bird garments. I ordered them to sing and dance day and night by this old man's bedside, their voices and sights blending in endless alternation through all four seasons, spinning and dancing without stopping! They are called the 'Eternal Dance'!"
"Whenever this old man summons them for favor, I do not call their names, but only listen to the sound of their pendants and look at the color of their hairpins. Those with soft pendant sounds are placed at the front, and those with dazzling hairpin colors are at the rear, advancing in sequence."
"After our merriment, agarwood shavings are scattered on the ivory bed, and the favored concubines are made to walk upon them. Those who leave no footprints are rewarded with one hundred genuine pearls. If they leave footprints, they are made to restrict their diets to maintain slender bones and light frames..."
Shi Chong rattled it off fluently, ticking off the details like counting family treasures.
At this, even Young Master Yu, who hailed from a noble background, could not help being moved. He slapped the table and praised, "What an Eternal Dance! Elder Shi has refined tastes!"
"In ancient times, the Yellow Emperor possessed holy virtue, and nine stars shone brilliantly. Thus he attended to three thousand women and rode off on a dragon. Shaohao possessed holy virtue, and a hundred birds came to court. Thus phoenixes sang of themselves and luan birds danced of their own accord..."
"In the present age, though luan and phoenix are not seen, Elder Shi uses beauties as birds, listens to the sounds of jade and stone as the singing of phoenixes, and appreciates the spinning of multitudes of women as the dancing of luan birds... This evokes the rites and music of the ancient sages, possessing a bold and open-minded sentiment!"
Shi Chong laughed proudly. "You truly are this old man's bosom friend!"
"This Eternal Dance continues day and night without cessation. As the days and months have grown long, this old man has become accustomed to it. Without the Eternal Dance, I can scarcely fall asleep! But no matter! If the Immortal Master likes it, you may freely enjoy them."
Young Master Yu smiled faintly instead. "Yet, while Elder Shi's artistic conception is profound, you do not know the rites and music of the immortals!"
Shi Chong hastily poured wine. "I wish to hear the details!"
Young Master Yu drained another pot, as though already drunk. He let the wine spill over himself, casting aside all restraint as he said, "To spin and dance without rest through all four seasons is far too monotonous!"
"Fuxi used paired hides for rites and fashioned the zither for music, naming it Liji. It shall be the dance of spring!"
"The Yellow Emperor had Ling Lun cut bamboo at Kunxi Stream, chopping it to make flutes, blowing them to produce the cry of the phoenix. It was named Xianchi, and shall be the dance of summer!"
"The Emperor Yan then commanded Xing Tian to create the music of Fu Li and compose the chanting of Fengnian. It shall be the dance of autumn!"
"When Heaven's harmony aligns, the proper winds prevail, and their sounds are cheerful, sorrowful, and clanging. Emperor Zhuanxu loved this music, so he ordered the flying dragon to make music, imitating the sound of the eight winds, and named it Chengyun. It shall be the dance of winter!"
Young Master Yu's voice sounded like a great bell, his aura imposing and majestic.
At first, hearing this caused Shi Chong to feel startled and alarmed. As he continued to listen, his mind and spirit gradually relaxed. Listening further still, he grew puzzled and bewildered, until finally his expression grew dazed, devoid of awareness and utterly at a loss.
When he finally snapped back to his senses, he actually saw pure white qi dancing in the air like a great blizzard.
Responding to Young Master Yu's words, they arranged themselves into eight large characters that instantly flashed with golden light. They were precisely Liji, Xianchi, Fengnian, and Chengyun!
In the hazy void, it seemed as though he could already hear divine music originating from antiquity!
Shi Chong was filled with a myriad of emotions. "This old man enjoys the wealth and nobility of the mortal world, yet remains ignorant of the music of immortals."
"This divine music was all created by the sovereigns of ancient holy virtue and has long since been lost to time. I ask the Immortal Master to pass it down!"
Hearing this, Young Master Yu nodded faintly. With a wave of his hand, he produced four precious jades, and the eight characters instantly vanished into them.
He said, "Very well. The national fortune of the Great Jin is flourishing, and having been established for twenty years, it is currently in a prosperous age... A prosperous age calls for song, so I shall lodge in the Golden Valley Garden and transmit the ancient rites and music to three thousand jade maidens. This will complete Elder Shi's music of the Eternal Dance and accomplish a tale of elegance!"
Shi Chong was slightly startled inward. What? Three thousand? And they were jade maidens? So be it! What difference was there between three hundred and three thousand!
He laughed happily. "Immortal Master, rest easy as you stay here. Within two days, this old man will surely gather three thousand jade maidens to learn the music of the immortals from the Immortal Master! We shall emulate the style of ancient holy virtue!"
"Splendid!" Young Master Yu laughed heartily, fished two ice-smooth jade-like medicinal pills from his bosom, and shoved them into his mouth.
Instantly, waves of heat surged over his body, and his aura steamed like vapor. He swayed unsteadily, wisps of blue smoke drifting above his head, making him look just like an immortal.
For ten consecutive days thereafter, the singing and dancing in the garden never stopped. Zithers and lutes harmonized, wine goblets crossed, and pipes and strings played day and night. Throughout the day and night, the loud crying of phoenixes echoed forth from within, and outsiders all said an immortal was resting within the Golden Valley Garden. When the literati circles heard of this, those who came to pay visits were endless.
That year, heavy snow fell continuously across the northern regions. Countless people died of hunger and cold, and the people of Qingzhou resorted to cannibalism.