Banquet Invitation

He left the waterside pavilion in the setting sun and headed for the front hall.

From afar, he heard cheerful laughter from inside.

He caught an unprecedented note of jubilation in Bai Ningshuang's laughter. After Zou Fang stepped forward and lifted the heavy felt curtain, he entered the room.

"Yuan'er, you came at just the right time." Bai Ningshuang sat beside the round sandalwood table, beaming as she beckoned. "Come here, come here!"

Chu Zhiyuan sat beside her, glancing at the smiling Chu Yi and Chu Minghou, who was stroking his beard with a smile.

"Mother, has someone come calling?"

"Someone has."

Chu Yi leaned closer. "Brother, not only did someone come calling—two groups did. One was from the Imperial Household Department. They're finally going to start repairing our Prince's Estate."

"They finally came?" Chu Zhiyuan laughed.

As expected of the Imperial Household Department—well-informed, swift in action, moving at the first whiff of wind, slippery as an eel.

There was truly no good way to deal with them. Beating them up to vent his anger would be useless; it would not change the way they did things.

It was an old disease accumulated over the years. Unless he became the chief of the Imperial Household Department himself—but that position was so cluttered with trivial troubles that he would avoid it as though it were a viper.

"What fence-sitters! But Brother, there's even better news!" Chu Yi shook his arm.

Bai Ningshuang beamed. "Yuan'er, have you heard of Duke An?"

"Duke An... could it be someone from Duke An's Estate came calling?"

When Great Jing was founded, there had been the Four Kings and Eight Dukes: the Four Non-Imperial Kings and the Eight Grand Dukes. They were the meritorious founders of Great Jing, their ancestors enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, their portraits worshipped in Cloud Summit Pavilion. Their titles were hereditary and irrevocable, honored alongside the state itself.

Yet Great Jing did not support idle nobles. Even Princes and Heir Apparents had to serve the Imperial Court and earn merit, let alone the Four Kings and Eight Dukes.

The favor of a gentleman lasted only three generations before it waned. More than a thousand years had passed since Great Jing's founding, and the Four Kings and Eight Dukes had already declined. But like Prince Qing's Estate, no matter how far they had fallen, they remained princely estates and Duke's Mansions. Their proper rank remained, beyond the reach of ordinary powerful families.

"Yuan'er, you're already twenty. It's time to marry." Bai Ningshuang's face was radiant. "I was just worrying over it, yet someone has come seeking a marriage alliance!"

She had been worried all along. Even Consort Rou in the palace had been worrying. Prince Qing's Estate had only one direct line of descent; should anything go wrong, the family line would be severed. Only with the next generation would things truly be secure.

They had been preparing to swallow their pride and seek a good marriage match. If they truly could not find a suitable girl from a noble family, they would find a good girl from an ordinary household.

Yet someone had actually come to play matchmaker for Duke An's Estate.

Duke An's Estate was already an excellent family.

"Yuan'er, Duke An and I were friends in our youth." Chu Minghou stroked his beard. "Duke An is prudent in character, upright in conduct, and his family discipline is excellent. His legitimate daughter cannot be a bad choice."

"I'll go into the palace tomorrow and have Imperial Concubine ask around, to see what Duke An's legitimate daughter is truly like."

Chu Yi hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, we must inquire carefully. We can't be careless. It would be best if Eldest Brother married someone who truly suited him."

Chu Zhiyuan smiled. "Father, let's wait a little longer."

Nothing more than news of the Winter Hunt spreading out.

If winning first place in the minor contest still carried an element of luck and left others watching from the sidelines, then his performance during the Winter Hunt had been enough to prove that he stood head and shoulders above the rest.

But there was no need to rush into marriage.

With the Heavenly Yuan Art, the Earthly Yuan Art, and the Jade Lock Golden Pass Technique, his cultivation speed would be astonishing. Perhaps in another year or half, he would become a grandmaster.

An Heir Apparent who had stepped into the grandmaster realm and an Heir Apparent in the Innate Realm were not in the same weight class. Their standing would be worlds apart as well.

At that time, would he still need to worry about finding a good girl to marry?

Bai Ningshuang waved a hand. "Yuan'er, don't concern yourself with it. Just practice your martial arts properly. Your Imperial Grandmother and I will weigh it carefully."

Chu Minghou said, "Madam, we should still listen to Yuan'er. Let us not decide in haste."

"I know." Bai Ningshuang waved her delicate hand.

When Chu Zhiyuan arrived at Bright Martial Hall, there were already three people on the training ground beneath the morning light.

He was not surprised to see Chu Zhiting and Chu Zhichuan. The two were secretly competing against each other, neither willing to concede, determined to settle who was superior.

What was unusual was that Chu Mingxuan was there as well.

"Eighteenth Uncle?" Chu Zhiyuan stepped forward with a smile and clasped his fists.

Chu Mingxuan stood solemnly in the Violet Sun Stance and snorted. "Fourth Son, what are you laughing at?"

Chu Zhiyuan smiled. "Eighteenth Uncle, are you about to step into the Xiantian Realm?"

"That's right." Chu Mingxuan grinned, withdrawing from the Violet Sun Stance. "Just a few more days... Oh, right. Come drink at my place tonight. I got hold of a jar of fine wine!"

Chu Zhiyuan raised his swordlike brows.

Chu Mingxuan said, "Ninth Son and Tenth Son are coming too. The four of us can make a table!"

Chu Zhiyuan smiled. "All right."

It seemed the Winter Hunt had made an enormous impact. The ice in his relationships had finally broken, and Chu Mingxuan was taking the initiative to draw him into his circle.

Chu Mingxuan's cultivation was not the highest, nor was his aptitude the best, but he was a Prince and belonged to a generation above them. Among all the Princes and Heir Apparents of Bright Martial Hall, his standing was the highest.

His active acceptance meant that all the Princes and Heir Apparents of Bright Martial Hall had accepted him.

That day, he focused on practicing the Qi Washing Art and the Dragon Binding Rope.

The Qi Washing Art's circulation route was complex enough to make ordinary people dizzy at a glance, yet he practiced it as naturally as a fish returning to water. After one hour, he had already become proficient.

He then began practicing the Dragon Binding Rope.

He mastered the Dragon Binding Rope in less than a quarter of an hour.

Then, combining the Qi Washing Art with the Dragon Binding Rope, he purified the internal energy in his dantian through the Qi Washing Art, then followed the Dragon Binding Rope's method to gather it within a single Meridian.

As evening approached, apart from the Ren and Du Meridians, each of the other ten channels among his Twelve Meridians contained a concealed, purified qi rope.

It was a rope condensed from white qi, as thick as a thumb and half an arm long.

The qi ropes were almost tangible. In his inner sight, they resembled pale-white streamers floating within his Meridians.

The Dragon Binding Rope showed no power in the Postnatal Realm. But once one reached the Xiantian Realm and internal energy transformed into True Qi that could be projected outward, it could burrow into an opponent's Meridians and block them.

To dispel this Dragon Binding Rope, one needed at least four higher levels of cultivation to have any hope. It was an extraordinarily formidable secret art.

Before leaving Bright Martial Hall at dusk, he dispersed the Dragon Binding Rope.

At first, all the internal energy in his dantian could form one qi rope. Later, all the internal energy in his dantian could form only half a qi rope.

Both because the Qi Washing Art made his internal energy purer, and because the Dragon Binding Rope itself became purer.

He decided to practice for another day and observe the results. If the Dragon Binding Rope and Qi Washing Art could still improve dramatically, then he would wait a little longer.

In any case, he needed to break through the Three Passes in one uninterrupted surge.

Outside the Eighteenth Prince's residence hung a plaque reading Prince's Mansion rather than Prince's Estate.

Its scale was inferior to Prince Qing's Estate, and its location was rather remote, nowhere near as close to the imperial palace as Prince Qing's Estate.

The Princes' estates had been built according to seniority and timing, from near to far. Those earlier in birth order had residences closer to the imperial palace, while those later in birth order lived farther away.

The moment Chu Zhiyuan arrived outside the residence, Chu Mingxuan—who had received word—opened the main gate and personally welcomed him in. Passing the screen wall, they soon reached the front hall.

Upon entering, he saw Chu Zhiting and Chu Zhichuan gathered beneath the desk by the window, studying a secret manual and arguing without pause.

Their expressions made it clear that they were regular visitors, completely at ease.

Both had changed into casual clothes with broad sleeves and loose robes, their expressions relaxed and unhurried.

When they saw him enter, both set down the secret manual and clasped their fists in greeting.

"Neither of you can convince the other, so let Fourth Son take a look." Chu Mingxuan snatched up the secret manual and handed it to Chu Zhiyuan.

Chu Zhiyuan accepted it and flipped through it.

It was a sword manual with no cover, containing only seven illustrations. Each depicted a small figure holding a sword in a strange pose. The seven illustrations represented seven sword forms.

Chu Zhiyuan simulated them in his mind, then drew his sword and began to practice.

The first round was slow, the second slightly faster, and the third faster still. By the seventh round, he was already as graceful as an immortal.

He looked like an immortal dancing lightly above the clouds.

"Fine swordsmanship." Chu Zhiyuan withdrew his sword form and shook his head. "A pity it is incomplete."

"Fourth Brother, is it a fast sword or a slow sword?" Chu Zhiting asked.

That was precisely the point he and Chu Zhichuan had been arguing over.

After a brief ponder, Chu Zhiyuan shook his head. "This sword is neither a fast sword nor a slow sword. Three forms are slow, while four are fast, and they should transform between speed and slowness. Its exquisite essence lies in the changes between fast and slow... Fine swordsmanship!"

His martial understanding was rapidly improving, and his clear inner sight allowed him to see the changes within his body as he performed sword moves, as well as the changes in the flow of qi through his Meridians.

Thus, after practicing it once, he had gained a clear understanding of the swordsmanship.

"Fourth Brother, you..." Chu Zhichuan shook his head. "Isn't that too slippery of you?"

Chu Zhiting was dissatisfied as well. "Fourth Brother, there is no need to smooth things over. If it is a fast sword, then it is a fast sword. That is fine."

Chu Zhiyuan laughed. "This swordsmanship uses clumsiness to break skill and turns complexity into simplicity. It should be the swordsmanship of a top sword sect, shouldn't it?"

"Just as expected of you, Fourth Son!" Chu Mingxuan chuckled and beckoned, ordering two beautiful maidservants to bring dishes and wine. He said smugly, "It is a secret sword manual from White Cloud Sword Palace."

Chu Zhiting hurriedly said, "A sword manual from White Cloud Sword Palace? Eighteenth Uncle!"

Chu Zhichuan gave a cold laugh, looking distinctly disdainful.

Chu Mingxuan said, "Don't worry. A friend of mine is a disciple of White Cloud Sword Palace. He gave me this secret manual."

Chu Zhiting sighed in relief. "That's good, that's good."

Chu Zhichuan shot him a sidelong glance, deeply displeased by his reaction. "Ninth Brother, we are Heir Apparents. Is there any need to fear White Cloud Sword Palace so much?"

"Tenth Brother," Chu Zhiting said, "White Cloud Sword Palace has rendered outstanding contributions to Great Jing. Naturally, we should show it respect."

Chu Zhichuan curled his lip.

Chu Zhiyuan said, "Is this truly swordsmanship from White Cloud Sword Palace?"

"It is a sword manual collected by White Cloud Sword Palace. How could White Cloud Sword Palace's swordsmanship possibly be spread outside?"

"What a pity..." Chu Zhiyuan shook his head.

Neither the East nor West Side Hall had martial secret manuals from any of the current Four Great Sects, and he was extremely curious about White Cloud Sword Palace's swordsmanship.

As the four spoke, a group of beautiful maidservants in colorful robes drifted in, carrying fragrant breezes with them, their figures supple and light.

Each maidservant carried a sandalwood tray, and the delicacies swiftly filled the great round sandalwood table. They were complete in color, fragrance, and flavor, along with one black jar.

"Come, come, let's take our seats!"

Chu Mingxuan called the three of them to sit.

Before each person stood a large open-mouthed sea bowl. Chu Mingxuan slapped open the clay seal of the black jar and poured wine into all four bowls in a steady gurgle.

Under the lamplight, the wine resembled amber, swaying faintly, heavy and viscous like oil.

An exotic fragrance swiftly filled the room.

It was not merely the rich sweetness and crisp purity of the wine, but another strange scent that made saliva rapidly fill Chu Zhichuan's mouth.

"Drain this bowl first, to welcome Fourth Son. Come gather at my residence often from now on—I guarantee fine wine and good meat!"

"Then I'll trouble Eighteenth Uncle often in the future."

"Come, drink it dry!"

The four immediately drained their bowls in one gulp.

It was as though a ball of flame entered his stomach, transforming into an exotic fragrance that rushed through his five viscera and six bowels. His pores instantly opened in warmth, leaving him pleasantly intoxicated.

His inner sight was clear, and he discovered that this fragrance was a strange qi that drilled into his bones, visibly thickening the periosteum.

He knew that thickening the periosteum would greatly increase one's strength and also make one faster.

"Fine wine!" He could not help praising it. "Eighteenth Uncle, this is good stuff. It was steeped with the bones of some Demon Beast, wasn't it?"

"Haha, Fourth Son knows his goods. This jar of wine is no ordinary thing—it was steeped with the tiger bones of a Six Yang Demonic Tiger for five years!"

"A Six Yang Demonic Tiger?" Chu Zhiting said in surprise. "It really is a Six Yang Demonic Tiger?"

A look of shock appeared on Chu Zhichuan's handsome face.

Chu Zhiyuan sighed. "Eighteenth Uncle is truly generous!"

He knew that the Six Yang Demonic Tiger was a Demon Beast from Flying Swallow Hunting Ground, absolutely incomparable to the Demon Beasts of Little Crimson Glow Mountain. It contained a denser bloodline from the Four Great Secret Lands.

The tiger bones of a Six Yang Demonic Tiger had to be exchanged for with merit.

"It's nothing!" Chu Mingxuan waved a chubby hand carelessly, then chuckled. "I swiped it from Fifth Brother."

He filled the four great bowls again, then began eating while chatting idly.

"Eighteenth Uncle, once you step into the Xiantian Realm, you can be granted a princely title, right?" Chu Zhiting asked. "Then things will be entirely different."

The difference between being granted a princely title and not being granted one was enormous. It was not only the scale of the residence; even the number and quality of the estate guards would be greatly improved.

More importantly, one's stipend would increase tremendously, and one might even receive allocations of spiritual pills.

"Once I enter the Xiantian Realm, I can be granted a princely title. Heh, soon." Chu Mingxuan wore a look of longing and let out a regretful sigh. "We weren't born in the right time. Third Brother, Fourth Brother, and Fifth Brother had no such rule back then. Once they turned eighteen, they were directly granted princely titles. Unlike now—we have to enter the Xiantian Realm before we can be granted one."

Being granted a princely title several years later meant missing out on so many good things. It truly pained his heart!

"Eighteenth Uncle, what post do you want to take? Join the Town Martial Division?"

"I don't want to join the Town Martial Division." Chu Mingxuan waved his plump hand and sighed. "The Town Martial Division suits Fourth Son, but not me."

Chu Zhiting asked, "Tenth Brother and I aren't suited for it?"

"You two could join if you wanted. In any case, those without good aptitude should not enter the Town Martial Division. Those desperadoes do not care whether you are Heir Apparents. Once they know you are Heir Apparents, they will only kill with even greater fervor!"

"I want to join the Town Martial Division," Chu Zhiting said.

Chu Zhichuan slowly nodded. "The Town Martial Division is the easiest place to earn merit."

Chu Mingxuan turned to Chu Zhiyuan. "What about you, Fourth Son? Are you joining the Town Martial Division too?"