Xu Cijiu could write poetry? Pah!

"I don't care about his affairs."

Luo Yuheng frowned slightly, displeased, and said, "There's no need for you to use him to provoke me so often. I will make my own decisions about who I cultivate with, so there's no need for you to worry about it, Senior Brother."

Her expression was like that of an orange cat, secretly chuckling at being forced into a marriage by its elders. It naturally raised its paw, glanced at her, and then lowered it.

"It seems that Junior Sister doesn't truly disdain Xu Qi'an, or at least he doesn't disgust you? Anyway, I know you really dislike Emperor Yuanjing."

"No woman would like a man who constantly demands to cultivate with her," Luo Yuheng said calmly.

"That's it, Xu Qi'an is that kind of person too." The orange cat thought to itself, but remained outwardly calm as an old cat, and chuckled:

"No one can decide for you, Junior Sister, who you wish to cultivate with. However, choosing a dao companion is no small matter and should not be made lightly. You should observe carefully. I have some important information about Xu Qi'an that might be useful to you."

Luo Yuheng's attitude indeed improved, and he nodded, saying, "Please speak, Senior Brother."

"Actually, this information not only concerns Xu Qi'an, but also involves the secrets of the High Antiquity Sect." After saying this, Master Jinlian paused for a moment before adding:

"Number Five is a young girl from the Gu Clan; you should know that. She left Southern Frontier some time ago to come to Great Feng for training."

The orange cat twitched its paw, suppressing its instincts with great determination, and continued, "But she lost contact near Xiangcheng."

"The night before last, I gathered Number Three, Number Four, and Number Six together to search for her. After several searches, we found her in a large tomb at the foot of Nanshan Mountain outside Xiangcheng."

"The owner of that large tomb was a senior member of the Human Sect. Judging from the information recorded in the murals, he was born in an era when the descendants of Gods and Devils were active. In order to cultivate by borrowing the fortune of the gods, he killed the king and usurped the throne to become emperor."

Luo Yuheng, who had usurped the throne, frowned deeply. "He's also a second-rank official?"

The orange cat shook its head and said, "I originally thought so too, but later, he failed to transcend his tribulation and died. He built a large tomb underground."

"It was built by later generations, wasn't it?" Luo Yuheng said as he poured a glass of water and pushed it in front of the orange cat.

The orange cat lowered its head, stuck out its pink tongue, and slurped up a few mouthfuls of tea. It sighed, "A cat's tongue is so different from a human's. The tea tastes bland and tasteless. What a waste!"

Then, returning to the main point, he said in a deep voice, "The problem lies here: the Daoist priest failed his tribulation, but his physical body did not perish; it remained dormant in the underground palace. We awakened him after entering the main tomb."

How could a seasoned veteran like Master Jinlian overlook the details that Xu Qi'an could see? The scorch marks on the mummified corpse, and the strength of its flesh...

Master Jinlian immediately realized that the mummified corpse was the Daoist priest, while Old Silver Coin was just pretending not to know.

"That's impossible!" Luo Yuheng said solemnly.

The Heavenly Tribulation destroys everything. If a second-rank Daoist School fails to overcome the tribulation, their Primordial Spirit and physical body will be destroyed together, leaving nothing behind.

The previous generation's leader of the Human Sect was like this.

"I was surprised at first, but that's just how it is," the orange cat said.

He actually concealed something from the members of the Heaven and Earth Society: the leader of the Earth Sect did not fail to transcend the tribulation and fall into demonic possession, but rather, in order to cope with the tribulation, he went astray and inadvertently fell into the demonic path.

If he had failed to transcend the tribulation, the leader of the Earth Sect would have long since turned to ashes.

"After the mummified corpse appeared, it mistook Xu Qi'an for its lord and presented him with the Imperial Seal of the State, which it had guarded for many years."

"Wait!" Luo Yuheng raised her hand, her delicate brows furrowed. "You said he addressed Xu Qi'an as 'Lord'?"

Master Jinlian nodded affirmatively.

The voluptuous and beautiful Luo Yuheng, resembling both a rare beauty and a serene fairy, fell silent. She took a dozen seconds to process the immense information contained in those words before slowly saying:

"You say the mummified corpse is that Daoist priest, yet you refer to Xu Qi'an as your lord. Who is his lord, and why do you mistake Xu Qi'an for your lord?"

The female national teacher stared intently at the Golden Lotus Daoist with her beautiful eyes, her expression extremely focused, and she had completely abandoned her previous nonchalant demeanor.

Clearly, she cared deeply about these matters, or perhaps she had discovered some clues within them.

Master Jinlian analyzed, "My guess is that the mummified corpse is a remains; the true Daoist has detached from the body and reconstructed a new physical form."

This brings us to the Daoist School cultivation system.

The third rank of the Daoist School sect: Yang Shen!

In Daoist School, the Yang Shen is also called "Dharmakaya," which is the prototype of the Dharma form.

The three schools of Heaven, Earth, and Man follow different paths, but their core principles are the same. In summary, the steps of cultivation are:

First cultivate the Yin Spirit, then condense the Golden Core. When the Yin Spirit and the Golden Core merge, the Nascent Soul will be born. After the Nascent Soul grows, it becomes the Yang Spirit. When the Yang Spirit is perfected, it becomes the Dharma Form.

Therefore, the Yang Shen is the prototype of the Dharma body, and is also known as the Dharmakaya.

Daoist School cultivator reaches the third-grade Yang Spirit realm, he can begin to break free from the shackles of the physical body, and his Yang Spirit roams freely throughout the world.

Even if the physical body is destroyed, it can be rebuilt by paying a certain price.

Of course, this does not mean that the physical body is unimportant; on the contrary, the physical body is the key to becoming a first-grade terrestrial immortal.

The Yang Spirit undergoes a further transformation, becoming the Dharma Form. At this point, the Dharma Form must merge with the physical body, returning to oneness, and then pass through the Heavenly Tribulation to complete the qualitative change.

Thus, terrestrial immortals were born.

"Since he was able to leave behind a remains, it means that the Daoist was not a first-grade terrestrial immortal. If that's the case, how did he escape after failing the Heavenly Tribulation?" Luo Yuheng frowned deeply.

"So it's just a guess. It seems even Junior Sister doesn't know the reason." The orange cat shook its head regretfully.

"If I had known the reason, my father wouldn't have perished in the heavenly tribulation." Luo Yuheng pouted.

"That makes sense." The orange cat nodded, revealing a human-like smile.

"Let's leave that matter aside for now and talk about the next piece of information. After the Daoist failed his tribulation, he built a large tomb for himself and ordered his remains to guard a national jade seal, which contains the fortune he had collected."

"The Daoist told the remains that he would return one day to retrieve the jade seal. The remains mistook Xu Qi'an for the Daoist and presented the jade seal with both hands. Guess what happened next?"

Luo Yuheng's heart pounded wildly, her beautiful eyes sparkling as she pressed for an answer, "Xu Qi'an obtained the Imperial Seal? That's truly wonderful news, Senior Brother! This information is priceless!"

If she could exchange the Imperial Seal for the State's treasure from Xu Qi'an, and cultivate with the fortune within, reaching the first rank would be just around the corner. She wouldn't have to worry about cultivating with that stinky man anymore.

Having been promoted to the first rank, she now roams freely between heaven and earth, enjoying a long lifespan. She no longer needs to be a national advisor, no longer needs to deal with Emperor Yuanjing, and no longer needs to be confined to the capital.

At this thought, Luo Yuheng's heart pounded even harder, and his breathing became rapid.

Since the founding of the Human Sect, throughout history, second-rank officials have been as numerous as hairs on a cow, but first-rank officials have been extremely rare. How many outstanding individuals have been blocked by heavenly tribulations?

"The Imperial Seal is gone," Master Jinlian said regretfully.

Luo Yuheng's expression suddenly froze, her breath caught in her throat, and she shrieked, "The Imperial Seal is gone? Where is it? Was it left in the tomb and not brought out?"

"The mountains outside Xiangcheng, right? Tell me their exact location."

She abruptly stood up, summoned her flying sword and whisk, and hovered them behind her. Then, as she walked out, she reached out her hand towards the orange cat and caught it in her palm.

Luo Yuheng couldn't sit still any longer.

"Junior sister."

With his neck being lifted and limbs hanging down, Master Jinlian, in a posture that seemed to say, "Do whatever you want, I'm too lazy to move," said, "The Imperial Seal isn't in the tomb; you won't find it even if you go."

Luo Yuheng stopped in her tracks, her beautiful eyes widening as she scolded, "You old Daoist, can't you just say it all at once? Tell me quickly, where is the Imperial Seal?"

With a flick of his sleeve, he sent the orange cat tumbling head over heels.

"The imperial seal is destroyed."

Before Luo Yuheng could get angry, the orange cat added, "All the inherent fortune was seized by Xu Qi'an."

Upon hearing this, Luo Yuheng was completely stunned.

After a long while, Luo Yuheng silently returned to the futon, sat down cross-legged, and murmured, "He has seized all the fortune."

"If you previously thought his luck was insufficient, now, helping you reach the first rank should be a certainty. Of course, who you cultivate with, and whether you choose to cultivate with him at all, is your own decision, Junior Sister."

The orange cat said gently.

It squatted for a moment, then, seeing Luo Yuheng lost in thought, it couldn't help but cough and remind him, "I wonder if these two pieces of information are worth two Blood Embryo Pills?"

As soon as he finished speaking, two porcelain bottles flew out from Luo Yuheng's sleeve, their white surfaces translucent.

The orange cat opened its mouth, swallowed the two porcelain bottles, and carefully stored them inside, then smiled and said, "Thank you, Junior Sister."

It leaped lightly off the table, tail held high, wagging its tail, and darted happily into the flowerbed, leaving Lingbao Temple.

Luo Yuheng sat cross-legged like a statue for a long time. Suddenly, her long, curled eyelashes trembled, and the beautiful woman came to life.

She raised her arm, her sleeve slipped down, and her fair, delicate hand grasped the hairpin, gently pulling it out.

The lotus crown rolled off, and her smooth, black hair, no longer restrained, cascaded down like water.

A beauty of unparalleled grace and fragrance.

"Imperial Preceptor, Imperial Preceptor"

At this moment, a woman with her skirt lifted and face veiled rushed in. She stepped over the threshold and saw Luo Yuheng, with her black hair flowing like a waterfall and her beauty captivating. She was immediately stunned.

The masked woman paused for a moment, then pointed at Luo Yuheng and exclaimed, "Oh, oh, oh, you've finally come to your senses and want to cultivate with Emperor Yuanjing?"

As she spoke, she winked and made faces, adopting the air of an experienced female driver.

Luo Yuheng's fair face flushed slightly. With her delicate fingers, she twisted the hairpin in her hair and magically wrapped it into a bun.

The lotus crown that had rolled to the ground was ignored.

"What do you want?" Luo Yuheng asked calmly.

The veiled woman didn't answer. She walked straight to the table, flipped over an upside-down teacup, poured herself a cup of warm tea, gulped it down, and let out a satisfied burp.

"The Prince's Palace received a letter from the border stating that the Prince of Zhenbei is nearing the Great Perfection of the Third Rank, and will reach the Peak of the Third Rank at the latest by early next year, or at the earliest this year."

The veiled woman paced back and forth in the quiet room, muttering, "Something terrible has happened, something terrible has happened."

Luo Yuheng frowned and said, "So fast?"

After a moment's thought, she smiled and said, "What's wrong with that? He's been promoted to the second rank, and your status as the Princess Consort of Zhenbei will be second only to the Empress. Even the concubines and noble consorts in the palace will have to bow down to you."

"Who cares about those things?" the veiled woman said, then suddenly frowned. "Oh, right, the messenger was his lieutenant. That crude, martial lieutenant even asked me about the Buddhist School duel."

The Imperial City.

Xu Qi'an had lunch in Lin'an Prefecture before taking his leave. He mounted his beloved little mare and pondered his gains in Lin'an Prefecture.

"Sure enough, chess is still too difficult for her. She doesn't like it much, but she cherishes the chessboard and pieces we made together."

She also likes stories about Long Aotian and Zixia, but she seems a little disappointed with this issue. When asked what was wrong with the writing, she wouldn't say, and just stammered.

"I held hands with Lin'an twice today. Once was when I taught her to play chess, and the other time was when I held her hand while we were boating on the back pond. It turns out that as long as I don't take advantage of her too blatantly, she can accept physical contact with me appropriately. That's a good sign. More than friends but not quite lovers."

"Stay calm, stay calm. Right now, love is like a carriage; Lin'an is inside, and I'm outside. In the near future, love will be like a bed; Lin'an will be beneath me, and I'll be inside her."

Soon, the Nightwatchers's office came into view.

"Dalang, Dalang"

Just then, a familiar shout came from the entrance of the government office.

Xu Qi'an's face stiffened. He looked in the direction of the voice and saw it was the son of the gatekeeper, Old Zhang.

"How many times have I told you, you must call me 'Young Master' in public," Xu Qi'an criticized angrily, then asked:

What brings you to the yamen?

The servants brought from the outer city still maintained their old habits, calling him Dalang and Xu Xinnian Erlang. This reminded Xu Qi'an of his past life, when even though he was already an adult, his parents still called him by his childhood name, which was extremely embarrassing, especially in front of outsiders.

"A young lady came to the manor, saying she was looking for you. When asked what your relationship was, she wouldn't say, but insisted she was looking for you. Madam sent me to call you back to the manor," explained the gatekeeper Zhang's son.

"But the guards at the yamen wouldn't let me in, saying that I hadn't reported for duty today and wasn't at the yamen, so I could only wait at the gate."

girl?

Xu Qi'an reviewed the fish he raised in his fishpond, first ruling out Chu Caiwei, as she was a regular customer of the Xu Residence and would come over to visit every few days.

It's impossible for Fuxiang to do it; she wouldn't visit without a reason. Besides, her aunt knows Fuxiang. Back then, love was like a coffin, with Xu Bai Piao inside and Fuxiang's creditors outside.

"Could it be Zhong Li?" Xu Qi'an wondered, then asked, "What are the girl's physical characteristics?"

In a restaurant in the inner city, Zhu Tuizhi, a student of the Cloud Deer Academy, was drinking with his classmates and friends.

Besides the students from the Cloud Deer Academy, there were also several students from the Imperial Academy present.

Although there was a dispute between the Cloud Deer Academy and the Imperial Academy over the lineage of doctrines, and students on both sides did indeed harbor mutual hostility and contempt, this was limited to that.

If there were any irreconcilable conflicts, there really weren't. After all, the struggle over the orthodox tradition was too distant for ordinary students. Besides, most students didn't even have the opportunity to become officials, or could only become minor officials.

If one party takes the initiative to befriend and ingratiate themselves, then it is quite easy to sit down together and enjoy drinks.

Zhu Tuizhi was in a very bad mood recently because he failed the imperial examination.

This was undoubtedly a huge blow to the proud and arrogant Zhu Tuizhi. Especially since his long-time rival Xu Cijiu, had actually achieved the highest rank in the imperial examination.

This further highlights the gap between the two.

After the results of the imperial examinations were announced, he and his classmates spent their days frequenting brothels, Imperial Academy of Music, and restaurants, drowning their sorrows in alcohol.

When did he acquire such poetic talent?

This question had always troubled Zhu Tuizhi. As a classmate and rival, how could he not know Xu Cijiu capabilities?

His knowledge of policy questions and classical texts was indeed first-rate, but his poetry was mediocre. Zhu Tuizhi was confident that, in terms of poetry, ten Xu Cijiu not as good as himself.

"Unbelievable! This year's top scholar in the imperial examinations was Xu Cijiu from your Cloud Deer Academy."

A student from the Imperial Academy lamented, "This is an utter disgrace to our Imperial Academy. If it had happened before, there would have been an uproar."

"But if it's Xu Cijiu, then everyone Qi Ingestion."

Another student from the Imperial Academy College shook his head and recited. "The road is hard, the road is hard, there are many forks in the road, where am I now? There will be a time when the wind will break the waves, and I will set sail to cross the vast sea."

"Every time I revisit this poem, it stirs up boundless pride within me, making any hardship or obstacle seem insignificant. Hahaha, let's drink!"

The students of the Cloud Deer Academy wore proud smiles. Xu Cijiu passed the imperial examination with top honors, and they, as students of the Cloud Deer Academy, felt extremely proud.

Only Zhu Tuizhi remained silent, drinking in silence.

At this moment, a young scholar from the Imperial Academy who had been silent glanced at Zhu Tuizhi and said with a smile, "Brother Zhu seems rather unhappy?"

Zhu Tuizhi glanced at him. This man's surname was Liu, and his given name was Jue. He was very good at socializing and did not speak ill of the students of the Cloud Deer Academy just because he was a student of the Imperial Academy.

He had extensive connections among young students in the capital, and this person, like himself, had failed the imperial examination.

Zhu Tuizhi didn't answer, waved his hand, and continued drinking.

Liu Jue, unconcerned and determined to bring Zhu Tuizhi into the conversation, asked, "Xu Huiyuan possesses such poetic talent, so why was he previously unremarkable and never heard of?"

"Even a genius with brilliant lines like these, to occasionally produce such a masterpiece, must have a high level of poetic skill. Yet I have never heard of a Xu Cijiu in the capital's poetry scene."

Zhu Tuizhi scoffed, downed the wine in his cup in one gulp, and said disdainfully, "Don't tell me you haven't heard of it; even I, a student of the Cloud Deer Academy, haven't heard of it."

Upon hearing this, the students of the Imperial Academy became interested and immediately looked over.

Liu Jue narrowed his eyes, his tone unchanged, and casually asked, "What do you mean by that, Brother Zhu?"

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