Awakening the saber

"I'm going to Quanrong Mountain later, to drink, eat meat, and sleep with women. What are your plans?"

Xu Qi'an looked at Nangong Qianrou with a smile.

Nangong Qianrou wrinkled her delicate brows and sneered, "What's so good about a Jianghu organization?"

Xu Qi'an's smile faded, and he said softly, "I'm no longer the Silver Gong."

The mockery and disdain in Nangong Qianrou's eyes slowly faded, as if she had suddenly lost interest in talking.

After a long silence, he said casually, "Let's go join in the fun."

Hmm, this isn't like Second Brother Nangong. Could it be that he's worried about me, afraid this is a trap set by the Martial Alliance? Xu Qi'an wondered to himself.

Mount Quanrong is steep and shrouded in mist.

This mountain is a famous blessed land in Jianzhou, with lush forests, the sounds of cranes and monkeys. Starting from the mountainside, courtyards and pavilions are scattered like stars, extending all the way to the top of the mountain.

"Quanrong Mountain is a scenic spot in Jianzhou. Its main peak is majestic, and its side peaks are beautiful. There is a huge waterfall dozens of feet high on the main peak. During the rainy season, the mountain floods are so severe that even a sixth-rank master cannot withstand the erosion of the waterfall."

"I've heard that the Martial Alliance headquarters has eight thousand cavalrymen, who were the direct subordinates of that martial artist who once vied for supremacy in the Central Plains."

Passing through the tall archway at the foot of the mountain, Xu Qi'an clicked his tongue in amazement. "Eight thousand cavalrymen could sweep through Jianzhou, so why has the imperial court tolerated the existence of the Martial Alliance for so many years?"

Nangong Qianrou listened to his incessant rambling, finding most of the topics uninteresting. But when it came to the last one, she couldn't help but speak up:

"Because that commoner made a pact with Emperor Gaozu back then."

"What agreement?" Xu Qi'an asked, his face full of curiosity.

"How would I know? My godfather didn't say," Nangong Qianrou rolled her eyes.

Xu Qi'an continued his rambling, "The beauties of the Wan Hua Lou in Jianzhou are all incredibly charming. Would you be interested in taking one back as a concubine? I'm sure Master Xiao would be very happy to oblige."

Nangong Qianrou simply ignored him.

"If it were me, bringing Master Xiao back to the capital and making her my concubine would be perfect."

"You don't seem to be married. If you were still a night watchman in the Nightwatchers, it wouldn't be suitable for you to marry a woman from the martial arts world. But as for now, she's more than qualified to be your wife," Nangong Qianrou said.

"No, no, absolutely not." Xu Qi'an waved his hands repeatedly.

"Why?" Nangong Meiren frowned.

"I intend to reserve the position of principal wife for either Prince Lin'an or Prince Huaiqing," Xu Qi'an said earnestly.

"Roll!"

Nangong Qianrou said angrily.

If you don't believe it, then...

Soon, the two arrived at the main courtyard of Quanrong Mountain. After being announced by the alliance's steward, they were led into the reception hall, where the alliance leader, Cao Qingyang, sat upright with handsome features and a dignified demeanor, dressed in purple robes.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Cao Qingyang said, "Nangong Jinluo, please wait a moment. I have something to say to Xu Yinluo privately."

He rose from his seat, walked silently, and left the reception room.

Xu Qi'an followed him out, passed through the residential area, and headed towards the back mountain, gradually moving away from the buildings.

"Our ancestor wants to see you."

Cao Qingyang led him into the dense forest, deeper along the path, and said, "Don't worry, our ancestor isn't a bloodthirsty and ferocious person. He just heard about your deeds and became very interested."

Xu Qi'an first reflected on himself. He had worn the jade given to him by the supervisor, and Shen Shu was asleep. He was now just an ordinary Xu Bai Piao (a term for someone who spends money on entertainment). Meeting a big shot shouldn't be a problem.

Most importantly, the other party is a martial artist, so even if there are some minor problems, he probably won't be able to tell.

Actually, he came to Quanrong Mountain for the banquet partly out of a bit of wishful thinking, hoping he might get to meet the patriarch of the martial arts alliance.

"Hey, I really am a person with great fortune," he joked to himself, his feelings a mix of emotions.

After walking along the forest path for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Cao Qingyang led him to a huge mountain wall. As soon as they stepped out of the dense forest, Xu Qi'an's hair stood on end for no reason, and his scalp tingled.

Instinctively, they looked toward the source of the danger. On the cliff face, a gigantic monster lowered its head, its two blood-red, menacing eyes, as large as water tanks, staring intently at the two of them.

The monster was entirely black, with coarse, short fur, and resembled a dog, but had a face that looked like a human's.

The Quanrong Mountain is named after the mythical beast, the Quanrong. "A very powerful alien species; I can't defeat it," Xu Qi'an thought, a multitude of thoughts flashing through his mind.

At that moment, the Quanrong withdrew its head and disappeared into the cliff face.

"The Quanrong is the guardian beast of the Martial Alliance. It once followed our ancestor in battles across the land, much like the Spirit Dragon and the Human Emperor," Cao Qingyang said with a slight smile.

"You should know about the Spirit Dragon. There's one kept in the capital; it breathes out purple qi and is a top-tier mythical beast. However, it only associates with members of the royal family."

No need to explain so clearly, he was just a lowly sycophant, Xu Qi'an thought to himself.

He followed Cao Qingyang and stopped in front of the stone gate on the cliff, listening to the purple-robed alliance leader respectfully say, "Ancestor, Xu Yinluo has arrived."

An aged voice echoed from within the stone gate, "Solid foundation, restrained brilliance, not bad."

Xu Qi'an clasped his hands in greeting and said respectfully, "Greetings, Senior."

An aged voice sounded again from inside the door:

"I've heard about what happened to you. A smart person should leave the capital as soon as possible. Would you be interested in working for my martial arts alliance? I can take you as my disciple. Hehe, you've already proven your character with your actions."

"With a few more years of experience, he'll be more than qualified to be the next leader of the Martial Arts Alliance."

Why does everyone want to be my father? Xu Qi'an replied calmly, "The matters in the capital are not yet settled, and besides, I already have a master."

"It's Wei Yuan, isn't it?" The old man inside the stone gate hit the nail on the head.

Xu Qi'an remained silent.

"What do you want to ask me?" The patriarch of the martial arts alliance didn't dwell on the issue of becoming a disciple, appearing quite carefree.

"Senior, you're really perceptive. "Xu Qi'an happened to have some questions, so he immediately spoke up:

"I have read some of your files and know that you were a powerful figure who could rival the founding emperor. Six hundred years have passed, and the founding emperor has long since passed away, while you are still alive today."

His response was silence.

Just as Xu Qi'an thought the other party wouldn't answer, an aged sigh came from the crack in the stone door, "With your current rank, these matters are too advanced for you to know."

After a few seconds of pause, the patriarch of the Martial Alliance said, "The Great Feng royal family has many experts, including Emperor Gaozu, Emperor Wuzong, and the Prince of Zhenbei."

"But none of them have survived to this day, do you know why?"

"Please enlighten me, senior."

Those burdened by bad luck cannot live forever.

This answer was like a heavy hammer blow to Xu Qi'an's head, making his head buzz.

"Why is that?" he murmured.

"Then I don't know. Perhaps it's the rule of heaven and earth. For the specific reason, you can consult the Confucian School scholars or the Director of the Bureau of Astronomy Observatory," the old man said with a smile.

Confucian School this secret, Xu Qi'an's pupils contracted, and he exclaimed in horror, "So, the Confucian School sage is really dead?"

Xu Qi'an had always harbored a suspicion that the Confucian School sage had not actually died, but was merely pretending to be dead. After all, how could someone who transcended the established order only live to be eighty-two? That would be an insult.

"Even Confucian sages are no exception," the old man replied.

If what this ancestor said is true, then the sage could not possibly still be alive. The fact that the Great Feng royal family has no immortal experts indirectly proves that this ancestor was not lying.

The Confucian sage is truly dead.

Xu Qi'an couldn't hide his regret. At the same time, some doubts cleared up in his mind. No wonder Emperor Yuanjing was so "lenient" towards the Prince of Zhenbei. If one were to say who had the most good fortune, it would undoubtedly be the emperor, while the Prince of Zhenbei was a pure warrior. He certainly...

"Wrong!"

Xu Qi'an blurted it out.

Cao Qingyang turned his head in confusion and glanced at him.

"You seem to have thought of something?" the old man said.

Xu Qi'an ignored the conversation from a peak martial artist. He lowered his eyes and looked blank, but the pheromones in his brain were boiling like water.

First: Those who are blessed with good fortune cannot live forever. This is not enough to justify Emperor Yuanjing's trust in the Prince of Zhenbei, because the Prince of Zhenbei was also a prince of the Great Feng and could not live forever.

History has proven this.

Therefore, there was another unknown reason behind Emperor Yuanjing's great trust in the Prince of Zhenbei.

Second: Emperor Yuanjing, as the ruler of a country, could not possibly be unaware of this secret. Yet, knowing full well that good fortune could not guarantee longevity, he still devoted himself to Daoist cultivation for twenty years, yearning for immortality. This presents a paradox.

Did he really believe he was superior to Emperor Gaozu or Emperor Wuzong? Did he really believe that he, a mere Yuan Jing, could be more brilliant than the Confucian sages, who couldn't defy the laws of nature?

Although Emperor Yuanjing was not a good son, he was not a fool; on the contrary, he was very wise.

Amidst a flurry of thoughts, he asked in a low voice, "What are your thoughts on Emperor Yuanjing's cultivation of Daoism, senior?"

The old man pondered, "He perhaps believes he has discovered a method that grants both immortality and the power to sit on the dragon throne. Ah, the one who helped him must be the leader of the Human Sect."

"It can't be Luo Yuheng, can it?" Xu Qi'an frowned.

This wasn't because he favored his aunt; it was mainly because he recalled some details. Emperor Yuanjing initially practiced Daoism on his own. Several years later, he appointed Luo Yuheng as the Imperial Preceptor and established the Human Sect as the state religion.

As a native of Beijing, Xu Qi'an remembered it very clearly.

If it wasn't Luo Yuheng, then who could it be? Hmm, it's possible that Luo Yuheng secretly persuaded Emperor Yuanjing to cultivate Daoism. I'll ask Duke Wei after returning to the capital.

"I heard you made a pact with Emperor Gaozu back then?" Xu Qi'an seized the opportunity to extract information.

"Hehe, it was just a verbal agreement. After the fall of the Great Zhou, various rebel armies vied for control of the Central Plains. At that time, I actually had no intention of fighting for the throne. Because I had found a path to advance to the second rank, and compared to the throne, I longed for immortality more."

"It's also due to my personality. I was born in a poor family. When I was young, I traveled around the world and was happy with my grudges. I had too much of a gangster spirit and longed for an unfettered life.

"The reason for the rebellion was that the people were living a life that no human being should be living. They had no hope for life, so they naturally rebelled. He was different from me. He had ambition and aspirations and longed to unify the Central Plains. He was not interested in immortality."

"I remember him often saying that what matters in life is pursuing great achievements, not immortality. Immortality is meaningless; being an emperor is what's interesting."

"I lost that battle, but it wasn't a loss of mercy; I accepted it wholeheartedly. We made a verbal agreement at the time that if his unworthy descendants were to repeat the mistakes of the Great Zhou Dynasty, I would be the first to rise up and overthrow the corrupt court."

Every pioneer was born with a sincere heart, but their descendants often succumbed to decadence and debauchery, leading to decline. Xu Qi'an sighed inwardly.

"Senior, have you now advanced to the second rank?" Xu Qi'an asked tentatively.

After asking the question, he quickly added, "It was my rudeness."

"Without slaughtering living beings like the Prince of Zhenbei, advancing to the second rank on one's own is extremely difficult. I've been in seclusion for five hundred years, and I still haven't been able to take that final step."

The old man said nonchalantly, "Qingyang wants to seize the lotus root from the Earth Sect to help me break through my cultivation barrier, so he can consume it."

Xu Qi'an immediately looked at Cao Qingyang, thinking to himself, "You didn't say that to the various sects. You said you would win lotus roots for the Martial Alliance so that everyone could have lotus seeds to eat every sixty years."

Cao Qingyang met his gaze and said, "I can grow a section of lotus root."

"They won't survive," Xu Qi'an warned.

"That's none of my business," Cao Qingyang said indifferently.

"."

Xu Qi'an ignored him and looked at the stone gate. "Can lotus root help you advance to the second rank, senior?"

The old man replied, "The probability is extremely high."

Even so, he didn't personally intervene, but only gave Cao Qingyang a drop of his Essence Blood. This patriarch of the martial arts alliance is acting very strangely!

Xu Qi'an's eyes flickered.

"I hope that one day I can lend a helping hand to my seniors," he said.

After bidding farewell to the patriarch of the Martial Alliance, he returned to the main peak with Cao Qingyang.

After dusk, a grand banquet was held at Quanrong Mountain, attended by leaders of various gangs and sects.

Xu Qi'an naturally became the star of the banquet, and he was perfectly at home in such a situation.

In his previous life, he often accompanied his superiors to drinking parties and went into business, but he never left the drinking table. After coming to this world, he cultivated in the palace and was a regular at the Imperial Academy of Music.

His skill in handling banquets and social occasions is comparable to that of a first-class official!

In no time, she became friends with the leaders and gang leaders of the martial arts alliance, calling Xiao Yuenu, the owner of the Wan Hua Lou, "elder sister" this and "elder sister" that.

Yang Cuixue and the others were also very happy. They didn't expect Xu Yinluo to be so savvy, a master of drinking, who would down his drinks without hesitation and even talk about the secrets of the imperial court without reservation.

For example, the empress, who was of unparalleled beauty, favored Xu Yinluo and intended to make him her son-in-law.

For example, he was a frequent visitor to the residences of the two princesses and could even describe the layout of the residences and some of the princesses' private matters in a seemingly plausible manner.

For example, the Director of the Bureau of Astronomy also had his troubles. His five disciples were all talented and eloquent, and the Director was very worried about them.

For example, the eldest daughter of the chief minister Wang is deeply in love with Xu Yinluo's cousin and cannot extricate herself from it. For him, she is willing to turn against the chief minister Wang.

Of course, the most talked-about stories were the strange and interesting tales of the Imperial Academy of Music).

Fuxiang, the courtesan, is skilled at playing the zither, but even more adept at the xiao (vertical flute). Ming Yan, the courtesan, possesses unparalleled dancing talent and a supple figure. Xiao Ya, the courtesan, is well-versed in poetry and literature, yet warm-hearted and kind-hearted.

The banquet ended when everyone was slightly tipsy.

Xu Qi'an, carrying his sword, entered the courtyard where he was settled with unsteady steps and went into his room.

The drunkenness in his eyes vanished instantly.

"After dealing with matters in the capital and investigating Emperor Yuanjing, I'll come to Jianzhou to build connections in advance so I can have a better future here."

He lit the oil lamp, sat at the table, and drew his black and gold longsword, placing it horizontally on the table.

Next, take out the small jade mirror, pour out a lotus seed, peel it open, and gently embed the lotus seed into the blade.

He didn't have a jade box, and even if he did, it wouldn't be big enough to hold a four-foot-long knife.

Zhong Li once said that his sword was missing a weapon spirit. The lotus seed could conjure a weapon spirit, elevating the sword to the ranks of peerless divine weapons.

P. S.: I've been trying to adjust my biological clock lately, and then I made a sad discovery. Even if I go to bed on time every day, I wake up the next day feeling groggy and listless all day.

Then, after 10 o'clock, inspiration struck. I used to write in the middle of the night.