Is It Stimulating Enough?

The Song Mansion was vast.

"Kunlun Mountain, Daoist arts..."

Could it be, Lu Chuan pondered secretly, that there are actually cultivators of immortality in this world?

As for the term "cultivator of immortality," Lu Chuan had long been familiar with it from his past life. He had read about them constantly in novels on his phone, yet he had never had the chance to see one in person.

Could this world truly possess those who cultivate immortality?

A glimmer of anticipation rose in Lu Chuan's heart, though his face remained composed.

Setting aside his doubts, Steward Lu led him out of a small courtyard. He first gave some money to a servant, sending him out to buy a food box filled with rich meats and wine.

Then, carrying the food box and pulling Lu Chuan along, he arrived before the gate of a courtyard in the east, just as a servant was walking out.

Steward Lu asked, "Is Elder Jiang in the courtyard?"

"He is in the main hall!" the servant replied.

Steward Lu waved his hand, and after the servant left respectfully, he pulled the wide-eyed Lu Chuan into the courtyard with long strides.

In this mansion, aside from the master's family, the Steward held the greatest authority.

However, this trip out was a real eye-opener for Lu Chuan.

For the past half-month, he had basically stayed within his small courtyard without leaving, at most walking around the yard in front of his room.

This was his first time coming out to see the master's home, and seeing it today, it was indeed vast and luxurious.

Walking along, he saw pavilions and towers, small bridges over flowing water, and ancient trees reaching toward the sky; it was truly the home of a wealthy family with vast fortunes.

The father and son walked from the small courtyard into the main hall, where they saw a low table on the left side. Behind it sat an old man in grey robes, holding a bamboo slip, his face refined and thin.

It was the same thin old man whom Lu Chuan had been wary of half a month ago, right after he had awakened his spiritual aperture, believing him to be a practitioner of sorcery.

As soon as the two entered the hall, Steward Lu knelt before the old man first, then barked at Lu Chuan, who was still sizing the old man up: "Why don't you kneel?"

Lu Chuan obediently knelt. To be honest, if this old man hadn't awakened "him," heaven only knew if he would have ever had the chance to "wake up" in this lifetime.

"Steward Lu, you... what is this?"

Jiang Ziya looked up, startled to see the father and son kneeling before him, and he moved to stand up.

"Elder Jiang, you helped my son open his spiritual aperture and gain wisdom. For him, this is no less than a rebirth. You are the great benefactor of our father and son."

Steward Lu held the food box up with both hands and said sincerely, "Today, my son has completely recovered. Therefore, I have prepared some humble wine and brought the boy here to thank you for your great kindness to us. Xiao Chuan, kowtow."

"Yes!"

Lu Chuan kowtowed honestly. Truth be told, if it weren't for this old gentleman, his life would likely have been over. This kowtow was a necessity.

"No, no..."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ziya hurriedly stood up and walked quickly to the father and son. With one hand he supported Steward Lu, and with the other, he stopped Lu Chuan, who had already kowtowed twice, from bowing again.

"I have been friends with your master for many years, close as brothers. Since you are the steward of the Song Mansion, I would naturally not refuse to help if I could."

Jiang Ziya smiled as he helped them up, looking very kind. He then turned to Lu Chuan and smiled, "Your name is Lu Chuan, right? How are you feeling now?"

Lu Chuan thought for a moment and said, "Very well."

"Haha, it seems you have truly recovered."

Jiang Ziya laughed heartily and patted Lu Chuan on the shoulder.

"Brother Ziya, what is so amusing that you are laughing so happily? Why not share it so your brother can enjoy it too?"

Just then, a voice came from the courtyard, and soon a stout, well-dressed old man entered the hall.

Jiang Ziya went to greet him, smiling, "Big Brother, look, this child is better. Shouldn't we be happy about that?"

"Brother Ziya?"

Upon hearing this form of address, Lu Chuan froze. It felt familiar, and he muttered, "Ziya, Ziya... Jiang, that's it—Jiang Ziya!"

Suddenly connecting the surname and given name, Lu Chuan's entire body gave a jolt.

It couldn't be... such a coincidence, could it?

Lu Chuan lowered his head to hide the change in his expression.

Jiang Ziya—how could he not be familiar with him?

In history, he had studied that this man lived in the extremely distant Shang and Zhou dynasties. With superior military strategy and planning, he had assisted King Wu of Zhou, Ji Fa, in destroying the Shang Dynasty and establishing the Zhou Dynasty.

Historically, he was an outstanding strategist, military expert, and politician who had a long-lasting influence on later generations.

However, his true fame and popularity likely didn't come from history books, but from a novel of gods and devils titled Investiture of the Gods.

That book also featured the struggle for the mandate of heaven between the Shang and Zhou, but those involved were not just mortals; there were gods, devils, and strange people and warriors from the Five Lakes and Four Seas and the Three Mountains and Five Peaks...

In the end, these gods, humans, devils, immortals, and demons together enacted a world-shaking war of immortals and devils, known as—

The Investiture War.

Thinking of this, Lu Chuan felt his scalp tingle.

He stole a glance at Jiang Ziya. Was the Jiang Taigong before him from actual history, or from a world of Gods and Devils?

If it were real history, then truth be told, he was in for a miserable time.

Because this era was so ancient and distant that many things could no longer be verified, but there was no doubt that in terms of diet, daily life, medical care, and hygiene, there was a vast gap compared to later generations.

To put it in terms of a joke he had once read: in ancient times, catching a cold could be enough to kill you.

That used to sound like a hilarious joke, but here, it was reality.

But if this were the Shang and Zhou of the List of Conferred Gods...

Thrilling!

A scalp-tingling kind of thrill, more intense than bungee jumping or skydiving.

Just think of those hideous monsters and demons who could scare a person to death with their looks alone, and who loved to eat human hearts, drink human blood, and gnaw on human bones.

And then, once the war between the Shang and Western Zhou broke out, one could be conscripted at any moment to die on the battlefield. With so many ways to die like that, wouldn't you call that thrilling?

Stealing another glance at Jiang Ziya's back, Lu Chuan swallowed hard.

This Jiang Taigong seemed to know magic, and he had come down from Kunlun Mountain...

These various characteristics basically indicated that this was by no means the Shang and Zhou of history; he had arrived in the Shang and Zhou era of the List of Conferred Gods.

Could it be just because he had watched a few mythological films?

"Child, if you want to look, look openly and honestly. Why look at me on the sly?" Jiang Ziya noticed him and laughed with a smile.

"Mr. Jiang, I think your skills are amazing, to be able to open my spiritual wisdom..."

Lu Chuan said with "admiration."

Jiang Ziya and Song Yiren burst into laughter upon hearing this.

A noble person!

Lu Chuan looked at the laughing Jiang Ziya; he hadn't expected to run into such a noble person as Jiang Ziya right after his reincarnation.

Perhaps the chance to live a better life in this world, to avoid becoming food for monsters or being conscripted as cannon fodder on the battlefield, was right before his eyes.

Jiang Ziya was not only a disciple of the Primordial Heavenly Lord under the Kunlun Yuxu banner, but also the protagonist who would later hold the List of Conferred Gods and preside over the Investiture of the Gods. Furthermore, the final outcome of the great tribulation was the victory of the Exposition Sect and the Western Zhou, which he represented.

Tagging along with him would be a decent choice; he had to seize this opportunity well.

"Worthy Brother, you should really give some more consideration to what I just said."

After he finished laughing, Song Yiren advised Jiang Ziya, "Since you have come down from the mountain without attaining the Immortal Path, you should settle down with a marriage and bear a son or daughter for the Jiang family, so as not to let the Jiang family line die out, don't you agree?"

"Big Brother, how can you..."

Jiang Ziya was somewhat between laughter and tears, waving his hands repeatedly. "Please, Big Brother, let us not speak of this again. I will not marry, so I can only let down your good intentions."