Great Shaman

Wang Simu subconsciously picked up her wine glass, only then realizing that there was something wrong with it; it was a yellowish-brown color with a faint hint of crimson.

At first glance, Wang Simu thought it was an ordinary jade cup, but upon closer inspection, he discovered it was actually glass.

With a color like jade and a blood-red hue inside, Wang Simu's hand trembled, and her aunt's sweet wine spilled onto the table and splashed onto her dress.

"Oh dear, how could you be so careless?"

The aunt quickly tossed the wine pot and cups aside and took out a handkerchief to wipe the wine stains off Wang Simu's dress.

Dragon Blood Glazed Glass?!

Wang Simu was stunned. Glass was precious in itself, and dragon blood glass was made from a very rare type of clay from the Western Regions, with extremely low production.

When relations between the Western Regions and the Central Plains were close, dragon blood glass was often sent to the Central Plains as tribute. It was usually made into vessels and wine cups, which were only brought out for use when His Majesty entertained his officials.

As relations between the Western Regions and the Central Plains gradually cooled, Dragon Blood Glazed Glass did not flow into the Central Plains for many years, and it was extremely rare and expensive for nobles in the capital. Most of them treasured it at home and only took it out to use occasionally.

But it would never be used for entertaining guests.

She glanced at it quickly and found that the table was full of dragon blood glass cups, a complete set of glass cups, valuable enough to buy two Xu Residence.

After wiping her clean, her aunt filled the cup again and asked, "Are you tired?"

His tone was tinged with concern.

The reprimands are one thing, but is this a clash of positions? She actually values me a lot, is that what the matriarch of the Xu Household is trying to say?

Wang Simu pursed her lips and remained silent. She was touched, realizing the respect and importance that the matriarch of the Xu Household had for her.

"Come, try these dishes. They're all unique to our Xu Residence; you can't find them anywhere else."

My aunt enthusiastically introduced the dishes on the table, fully playing the role of both hostess and future mother-in-law.

Indeed, there were a few dishes that Wang Simu had never tasted before, which caught her eye.

Roast duck with a crispy, charred skin, sliced and wrapped in a thin dough, is both delicious and filling; braised lion's head meatballs may not look appealing, but they are tender and perfectly seasoned; and braised pork belly is fragrant, melts in your mouth, and isn't greasy.

Although the Xu Residence is a newly emerging "Aristocratic Clan", their wealth should not be underestimated. Just as Wang Simu thought this, her gaze suddenly sharpened, and she stared intently at the small porcelain jar containing chicken soup!

Thinking to myself: Something's not right with you!

Wang Simu came from an official Aristocratic Clan and was extremely talented with a keen eye for art. She quickly realized that the porcelain pieces on the table were extraordinary, each one an antique.

Antiques with extremely high collection value

This isn't normal, is it? How could anyone use an antique as an everyday object?

In the quiet atmosphere of the meal, Ms. Wang was deeply shocked.

After calming down, Wang Simu began to observe the women at the table. The young lady Su Su had not come to the table to eat, which meant that even if she married into the Xu Household, she could only be a concubine.

Li Miaozhen has a detached and indifferent personality, which is consistent with her identity as the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect.

Xu Lingyin and this girl from Southern Frontier surprised Wang Simu. She thought to herself, "Who eats like that? Aren't they afraid of choking? Aren't they afraid of getting burned? Are they acting against me?"

If children this young can act, that's terrifying.

But if it weren't an act, how could someone as strict as Madam Xu, Xu Household so rigorously, tolerate such rudeness?

As Wang Simu drifted into thought, the meal came to an end.

She made a mental summary: although the matriarch of the Xu Household was highly skilled, she was not an aggressive matriarch. On the contrary, she was gentle and straightforward most of the time, just like a young girl.

What a terrifying woman.

Xu Lingyue only inherited three or four-tenths of her mother's skill level. In Wang Simu's opinion, she was a master, but not a formidable opponent.

As for this youngest sister of the Xu Household, she hasn't had a chance to test her yet.

So, after lunch, Wang Simu saw the little boy playing in the courtyard, so she took the opportunity to come out alone, carrying a plate of pastries, waving and smiling:

"Lingyin, come to your older sister."

Xu Lingyin saw the food and came running over excitedly.

She really does love to eat; as long as there's food, it's easy for her to control herself. Wang Simu was secretly pleased and said softly, "I heard from your sister that you were bullied at school?"

Xu Lingyin's attention was entirely on the pastries. As she ate, she said with a wronged expression, "A chubby little boy stole my food."

She immediately announced loudly, "Big Pot avenged me!"

Xu Lingyue wasn't lying; someone really was bullying her, which was why she wasn't going to school. Poor child. Wang Simu patted her head gently, his tone tender:

Do you still want to go to school?

The little bean shook its head.

"How about I teach you?"

The little boy glanced at the pastries and nodded.

Wang Simu smiled with satisfaction. She could teach the child some quick-learning knowledge, and when she returned home, the child would "unintentionally" show off the new knowledge to his parents.

The matriarch of the Xu Household would definitely ask, Xu Lingyin would then reveal that she had secretly taught her to read.

In the past, when the matriarch of the Xu Household found out, she would feel grateful to me, but I never took credit for it.

"Come, let me teach you arithmetic."

After having lunch at the Hanlin Academy's dining hall, Xu Xinnian rode away from the imperial city, galloping home.

He always felt uneasy. Wang Simu had a strong personality and was opinionated, while his mother wore her heart on her sleeve.

If Wang Simu makes any attempt to test the waters and displeases her mother, her mother will likely turn on her immediately.

In addition, the mansion is full of demons and monsters: Lingyin, Lina, the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect, the female ghost Susu, and the most eccentric eldest brother.

Xu Erlang felt he needed to come back and take control of the situation.

Upon entering the mansion, they circled the outer and inner halls but did not see Wang Simu. However, they noticed her two maids standing in the hall.

He then asked, "Where is your young lady?"

"He's in the courtyard," the maid replied respectfully.

Xu Erlang left the inner hall and turned to the inner courtyard, where he indeed found Wang Simu sitting at the stone table, looking like a lifeless paper flower, dazed and confused.

Xu Lingyin stood to one side, took a bite of pastry, glanced at her future sister-in-law, and thought she should finish eating quickly and leave.

Xu Erlang's heart sank. He wondered, "What's going on? Did they have a falling out? Did I come back too late?"

"Longing for, longing for"

He walked over and gently shook Wang Simu's shoulder.

Wang Simu slowly raised her head, her lifeless eyes staring blankly at him.

A few seconds later, Wang Simu was overcome with grief, tightly gripped his hand, and said with tears streaming down her face, "Erlang, your sister is driving me crazy!!"

"Did you and Lingyue have a fight?"

Xu Erlang frowned, instantly imagining what had happened: Wang Simu and Xu Lingyue had a conflict, and Xu Lingyue had complained to her older brother with a "wronged" look on her face.

My brother must have said something infuriating to make Wang Simu so angry. My brother is the most sarcastic and unpredictable person.

Wang Simu shook her head, looked at the carefree Xu Lingyin, and sobbed, "It's her. I was just trying to teach her arithmetic out of kindness, and she... she just had to upset me."

Xu Erlang gasped, looking at her with a complicated expression. "Why did you have to make things difficult for yourself? The teachers at the academy, Master Li, and Chu Yuanzhen were all quite angered by Lingyin, let alone you?"

Wang Simu didn't believe it and said, "But, but Lingyue said that Lingyin doesn't study because she was bullied at school, and that's true, so I thought of teaching her."

She seemed to realize what was happening and stopped talking.

The two stared at each other in silence.

On a distant rooftop, Xu Qi'an burst into laughter, making a pig-like squeal.

Li Miaozhen kicked him, but she was also having a hard time suppressing her laughter.

"I... I finally understand why Chu Yuanzhen was so angry! Haha, this guy even tried to teach Lingyin arithmetic! I can't take it anymore, my stomach hurts from laughing."

Xu Qi'an clutched his stomach, laughing until tears streamed down his face. He finally understood what Chu Yuanzhen had faced at the Cloud Deer Academy.

"Your little sister is really ruthless," Li Miaozhen said with a laugh.

"Go away, you're the one with a black heart," Xu Qi'an said.

Li Miaozhen kept a straight face.

Xu Erlang looked around and saw that there was only a little kid nearby, so he sat down and forced himself to say some sweet words, finally managing to coax Wang Simu.

Then, the words Xu Lingyue had said to him secretly the night before flashed through his mind.

"I thought about it for a long time last night."

When Wang Simu looked over, he took a deep breath and continued, "Ever since my elder brother offended His Majesty, the Xu Household has been teetering on the edge of a precipice."

"My elder brother means he wants to take the family away from the capital. As for me, whether I stay or not is my own choice. I have studied hard for more than ten years and finally achieved my current academic success. I will not leave the capital no matter what."

"But I want to wait a little longer. I want to wait until I have a higher position and a larger business before marrying you. I don't want others to laugh at your choice of man."

Wang Simu held his hand, all her grievances gone, her eyes filled with a tenderness she had never shown before.

Before dusk, her aunt gave Wang Simu a large number of return gifts, including the jade bracelet she had worn for many years.

Wang Simu left with his maid. When he looked back, he saw the matriarch of the Xu Household and her two daughters watching him go. Xu Lingyin waved happily.

Her gaze swept over the three people and looked up at the roof ridge. Xu Qi'an stood high up, nodding and smiling at her, with Li Miaozhen and the disheveled girl on his left and right sides.

For some reason, although she had suffered a setback today, she could feel a sense of ease in this home, and they lived in this ease.

A sense of peaceful tranquility.

After dusk, at the Prince's Mansion.

On the table laden with delicacies and fine food, the Prime Minister Wang glanced at his daughter and said:

"You seem preoccupied. What are you thinking about? By the way, how did your trip to the Xu Residence go?"

Wang Erge chimed in, "The Xu Household has only recently risen to prominence; I'm afraid they might not be able to satisfy you in any way, young lady."

Brother Wang frowned. "In that case, if you really marry Xu Cijiu in the future, your dowry will have to be quite generous."

Upon hearing this, the two sisters-in-law immediately felt a sense of superiority.

"They drink from dragon-blood glass goblets, serve food in precious antiques, and their guards are all fourth-rank masters. Every year, the imperial court has to give 10% of the profits from all the chicken essence workshops to the Xu Residence," Wang Simu said calmly.

"What? The imperial court is giving away one-tenth of all its chicken essence workshops?"

Wang Erge, who was in business, was taken aback; this was an unimaginable fortune.

"Using a dragon-blood glass goblet as a wine cup," Brother Wang's face was blank.

The two sisters-in-law looked on with envy.

Madam Wang smiled with satisfaction and asked, "What about the matriarch of the Wang family? With Simu's skills, it shouldn't be difficult to suppress her, right?"

Grand Secretary Wang Zhenwen nodded slightly, agreeing with his wife's words. He knew his daughter's abilities.

Wang Simu said quietly, "The matriarch of the Xu Household is unfathomable."

The Wang family members looked at each other in bewilderment.

Brother Wang sighed, "The Xu Household is no ordinary family. By the way, Father, how did the negotiations go?"

He didn't expect his father to answer, because he had asked the same question in the past few days, but it involved court secrets, and Wang Zhenwen wouldn't even reveal it to his own son.

"The results should be available in three days at most," Wang Zhenwen said calmly.

The negotiations between Great Feng and the Yaoman were nothing more than a matter of immediate and future interests. Future interests were just a bonus; immediate interests were the most important.

What the demons and barbarians could offer were warhorses, iron ore, furs, and ceded territories.

Nighttime, in the study.

After listening to the late emperor's daily records, Xu Qi'an casually picked up Xu Erlang's "manuscript" and discovered that it contained strategies targeting the Jingguo Iron Cavalry.

Xu Erlang sipped his tea and said, "This is just something I figured out myself."

Erlang, as expected of someone who majored in military strategy, wrote with great clarity and logical thinking. It's just unclear whether it's just theoretical knowledge or if it's truly effective.

After reading it, Xu Qi'an returned the "manuscript" to Erlang.

Deep in Northeast China, in a dark valley nestled against a vast ocean.

The waves crashed against the scorched rocks and cliffs, creating a deafening roar and splashing up white foam like snow lions and white dragons.

In the very center of the valley stands a hundred-foot-high altar, upon which stand two enormous stone statues.

A stone statue depicts an elderly Confucian scholar wearing a Confucian robe and cap, with a long beard hanging down to his chest.

His brow was cracked.

The other stone statue is dressed in a long robe and wears a crown of thorns. It has a face as beautiful as jade and an unparalleled appearance.

As the first rays of dawn shone on the altar, the statue wearing a crown of thorns suddenly trembled.

Further beyond the altar lay a vast city-state, which served as the headquarters of the Witch God Cult.

This city-state is called "Jingshan," and the name of the mountain is also the name of the city. The name of the country, Jing, also comes from this high mountain where an altar stands.

In this world where the sorcerer gods are not visible among mortals, the Grand Wizard is the highest leader of the sorcerer god religion, and the first rank in the Sorcerer System: Grand Wizard!

The current Grand Wizard is named Salen Agu, a top-tier powerhouse who has existed since ancient times.

Before the first supervisor took on a full-time position, he was a disciple of this ancient powerhouse.

The image of Salen Agu is that of an old man wearing a cloak and a hood; he does not live in the towering, magnificent palace in Jingshan City.

Instead, he built a thatched hut at the foot of Jingshan Mountain and raised a flock of sheep. Every morning, the shamans of Jingshan City would see this great leader singing mountain songs and herding a flock of sheep up the mountain against the backdrop of the rising sun.

Salun Agu took the wine flask from his waist, took a sip of ginseng wine, clicked his tongue in satisfaction twice, then grasped the shepherd's branch and lightly tapped the ground:

"Irbu, come here!"

A wizard, also wrapped in a robe and wearing a hood, appeared where the tree branch had touched.

"Great Wizard!"

The wizard named Irbu bowed.

"Has your injury healed?" Salun Agu asked with a smile.

Irbu nodded, his voice low. "Great Wizard, who exactly is that mysterious powerful figure who appeared in Chu Prefecture? I cannot deduce his origins."

"If you can deduce it, then you must be a great wizard."

Salun Agu, with a kind and benevolent expression, said, "Ignore him; he's a troublesome figure for Buddhist School. We need to deal with Wei Yuan. The Witch God just issued a decree."

"The Witch God can finally unleash his power and influence reality?" Irbu exclaimed in delight.

Salun Agu did not answer. He opened his palm, revealing a jade thumb ring that had appeared out of nowhere, and said, "Go tell the little fellow from Jingguo that we will flatten the northern border within three months."

After Irbu left, Salun Agu glanced in the direction of the distant altar and muttered:

"Let me go to the capital of Great Feng and cause trouble for that grand-disciple. I can't beat him within Great Feng's borders; it's a headache."

Salun Agu sighed.

As soon as that sigh was uttered, the sunny city of Jingshan was instantly shrouded in dark clouds, with a fierce wind blowing and lightning flashing.

On a similar morning, Huang Xian'er and Pei Manxilou arrived at the Xu Residence as agreed, riding in a carriage.

Lazy and alluring, with exquisitely sculpted features, Huang Xian'er licked her lips and said excitedly, "I can't wait to meet the legendary Xu Yinluo."

Pei Manxilou held a scroll in his hand and smiled:

"The negotiations are over. We'll be leaving Beijing after meeting with Xu Qi'an. The Jingguo Iron Cavalry's coordination is unparalleled, and their tactics are formidable. I have a few questions I'd like to ask them. As for you, just be a pleasing decorative vase. Whether you can seduce him into bed is up to your own skills."

Huang Xian'er licked her alluring red lips and laughed, "Men are rarely not lustful; usually, it's because the woman isn't pretty enough."

"The more lustful a man is, the more methods I have to deal with him. Don't be fooled by his imposing manner; once he's in bed with me, he'll be begging for mercy and calling me 'Grandma.'"

She was confident and certain of victory.

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