Chapter 1433

"If I win, Tiger Wing General will lose face; if I lose... what do I gain?" Sun Fuling switched topics in a second, "Speaking of which, General, you're a busy man. How do you have time to come to Shumin today?"

He Lingchuan had been busy training troops and practically lived at Ximo Ridge, only returning to Panlongcheng once every half month. The last time they met, Sun Fuling had gone to Ximo Ridge to visit him.

He Lingchuan conjured a bouquet of pink dahlias and presented it to his beloved: "I missed you, so I had to come see you quickly, lest someone take advantage of the situation."

The streets and alleys of Panlongcheng now had shops specializing in flowers and plants.

"Someone?" Sun Fuling took the fresh flowers and held them in her hands, subconsciously sniffing them, "What someone?"

"The little ones outside say that Mr. Xin has been coming to find you often lately?" He Lingchuan asked righteously.

"Mr. Xin has been coming to the academy more often lately, but not to find me; it was Dean Xu who invited him. I've only led the way for him a few times." Shumin Academy covered a large area with many corridors and alleys, making it easy for newcomers to get lost even after three or four visits.

"What did Dean Xu invite him for?"

"Mr. Xin is very knowledgeable and has corrected many of the academy's old classics. When the scholars sent by the Lingshan Sect can't make up their minds, they go to consult Mr. Xin. So, Dean Xu invited him for an exchange." Sun Fuling smiled, "Mr. Xin has a wide range of interests, and the masters in the academy also like to ask him questions."

He Lingchuan stroked his chin: "He's that popular at Shumin Academy?"

Xin Yi hadn't been in Panlongcheng for long, had he? "It's a matter of competing for his time; Mr. Xin is very busy. It's said that his greatest strengths are in identifying strange objects and crafting magic treasures, so A-Luo's master, Mr. Helian, also constantly invites Mr. Xin." Sun Fuling continued, "He is also an honored guest of Commander Zhong. I heard Commander Qian has sought him out several times, and he has even been to Commander Qian's home for drinks."

He Lingchuan was surprised.

Honestly, Zhong Shengguang was not a man with a good temper or easy to approach, and he was strictly professional. For Xin Yi to be invited home as a guest by Zhong Shengguang so soon after arriving was truly no simple feat.

What did Zhong Shengguang see in him?

Sun Fuling added: "You came at the right time. Mr. Xin is giving a lecture at the Wenxian Hall in half an hour, and I want to go listen. How about you?"

"Let's go together." He Lingchuan had originally intended to take Master Sun out for a meal and shopping, but upon hearing Xin Yi was lecturing, he also wanted to test his level.

As the two walked toward the outside of the academy, He Lingchuan remembered Master Qian:

"I ran into Master Qian just now; he looked terrible. What happened?"

"Packed his bags and left." Sun Fuling plucked a broken-necked dahlia from the bouquet and was hesitating on how to dispose of it when He Lingchuan took the flower and gently tucked it into his beloved's thick, cloud-like bun.

"Now that is a beautiful lady."

The person and the flower complemented each other, a sight of breathtaking beauty.

Sun Fuling was very pleased, her eyes darting as she cast him a glance.

He Lingchuan continued to ask: "What did Master Qian do?"

"You know as well as I do that the situation in the Panlong Wasteland is becoming increasingly tense. Master Qian told other masters and students in the academy that Panlongcheng should never be enemies with the world's number one power. We have no deep hatred for Beijia; as long as we bow our heads and make concessions at the right time, Beijia won't make things difficult for us. The current saber-rattling is just meaningless stubbornness."

The atmosphere of Panlongcheng sharpening its weapons could be felt by all its citizens. Over the past ten years or so, the people of Panlongcheng had been tempered in blood and fire, making their sense of smell for war extremely keen.

Even ordinary people felt the tension of a war about to start, on the verge of breaking out.

"Master Qian said yesterday that Panlongcheng is warlike, which is plunging civilians into misery. We should actively seek to make amends and be good neighbors with Xianyou and Baling."

He Lingchuan couldn't help but laugh: "Master Qian doesn't seem to be from Panlongcheng?"

"Of course not, otherwise how could he be so naive? He came from the south and once traveled to Beijia's Baoshu Nation. He never stopped praising Baoshu, saying it was a peaceful and prosperous age, a land favored by heaven, second to none in the world." Sun Fuling counted on her fingers, "Whenever he was unhappy in the academy, he would bring up his experiences in Baoshu to compare. The food here isn't as fragrant as in Baoshu; the children here aren't as smart as in Baoshu; Panlongcheng sets off firecrackers for no reason, which is incredibly noisy, unlike the quiet and peaceful Baoshu."

He Lingchuan could hear Master Sun's displeasure.

Right, Beijia didn't allow civilians to set off firecrackers unless the government did it themselves.

"If he likes Baoshu so much, why come to Panlongcheng?" Sun Fuling sneered, "This morning he was gossiping about the academy again, and even Dean Xu, who has such a good temper, couldn't stand it anymore and asked him to leave immediately. He's lucky; if he had said such things three years ago, Commander Zhong wouldn't have said a word before having someone cut off his head!"

"If he were a native of Panlongcheng..." He Lingchuan patted her shoulder, "No, Panlongcheng doesn't have people like that. Alright, alright, don't be angry. The openness of Panlongcheng always has its pros and cons. Besides, more people means more talk."

After taking the Maohe Plain, Panlongcheng opened up to the outside world. While trade routes flourished and the economy grew, a large number of outsiders also poured in.

Inside and out, collisions were inevitable, whether in thought or behavior.

Not to mention anything else, Sha Wei and the others who came with Xin Yi initially went to fight in the life-and-death arena because the city's rules were too strict and they clashed with Panlong soldiers.

He Lingchuan accompanied her for a stroll through the streets and bought some snacks, and Sun Fuling's anger dissipated.

Nowadays, the markets of Panlongcheng were well-stocked with all kinds of goods. He Lingchuan bought the recently popular "strange-flavored meat pie." The filling didn't taste like meat at all; there were no common shredded or diced meats, but instead, it was sweet and carried an oily fragrance.

He Lingchuan wasn't used to this combination of salty, sweet, and slightly spicy, nor did he understand why so many people were queuing outside the shop. They sold each batch as soon as it was baked, and business was booming.

But Sun Fuling liked it very much. After eating a few bites, she said: "This is a filling of fatty meat and winter melon candy; it's truly rare."

As long as she liked it.

The two of them, holding a basket full of snacks, boarded a mule cart and headed toward the Wenxian Terrace.

The Wenxian Terrace was set in a large sinkhole. Panlongcheng would invite famous teachers from various fields to give public lectures, and everyone could choose what they were interested in listening to. He Lingchuan had listened to no fewer than forty or fifty lectures here in the past, but after becoming a general, he had been so busy that he hadn't come to Wenxian Terrace to listen to lectures for a long time.

Today, the Wenxian Terrace was packed with people; even the positions above the sinkhole were crowded with listeners, and one could fall in if not careful.

Inside and outside the Wenxian Terrace, there were even peddlers with carts and baskets selling snacks and drinks.

"Is Mr. Xin that popular?" He Lingchuan was a bit surprised, "What is the content of his lecture today?"

Actually, he was even more surprised that Xin Yi was qualified to lecture here.

Being able to stand on the Wenxian Terrace to lecture was a high honor. Although Panlongcheng had opened up to outside exchanges, so far, only those who were venerable and respected had received invitations to lecture.

That Xin Yi could lecture here showed that he had received official recognition.

"This is the first time the Wenxian Terrace has been lectured by a famous teacher from outside. The topic seems to be 'The Ancient War'."

He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow and immediately understood the reason for the popularity of Xin Yi's lecture: the people of Panlongcheng were particularly sensitive to the word "war," and besides, the current external environment of Panlongcheng was on the verge of breaking out.

Modern people were full of curiosity and imagination about the distant ancient era; even if they didn't know the truth, knowing a few more secrets was good.

It also gave them more to talk about after tea and meals.

Xin Yi's topic was set very cleverly, firmly grasping everyone's curiosity.

Before long, Xin Yi entered and sat calmly on the Wenxian Terrace.

He was graceful and poised, with the demeanor of a true scholar.

He Lingchuan whispered to Sun Fuling: "He looks quite like Governor Wen."

Master Sun pursed her lips and smiled: "He really does."

Xin Yi scanned the audience.

This was a large classroom of over a thousand people, a sea of heads. Somehow, he was still able to spot He Lingchuan and Sun Fuling in the crowd and even smiled at them.

He Lingchuan returned the smile.

Besides Xin Yi, Lingshan had also sent hundreds of experts to Panlongcheng, both human and demon, many of whom had already joined He Lingchuan's army, such as Sha Wei and the others.

He Lingchuan could see that they were truly full of hot blood, just to be on the front line against Beijia.

But for someone like Xin Yi, He Lingchuan inevitably had to pay more attention.

He had once sent people to the Shahe River Basin to investigate the history of the Xin family. The feedback was that the Xin family was indeed a large local clan; in the generation of the Great Ancestor Xin Haiping, there were forty-seven cousins, and he was the third in the clan, with three biological brothers of his own.

But among these forty-seven people, no one was named "Xin Yi." He Lingchuan roughly deduced that he might be the second-ranked Xin Haining.

But there was too little information about Xin Haining; it was only known that he had joined a Daoist sect in his youth and spent his life in cultivation, rarely returning to Shahe.

He Lingchuan knew at a glance that Xin Haining had entered Lingshan, which was known for its secrecy; otherwise, his resume wouldn't be so "clean." Although he had no contact with his clansmen, he had actually made important contributions to the Xin family.

The Baili Lu family had become increasingly mediocre in later generations, which was why they had drifted further and further from Lingshan; the Shahe Xin family had talent in every generation, all working for Lingshan, which was why the Xin family's status could remain prosperous for so long.

Three chimes rang, and the public lecture officially began.

What Xin Yi talked about was mainly the entanglements between immortals and demons in the ancient era, the battles between gods and immortals, and the dazzling magic treasures.

Every detail was vivid and factual.

That world of ascending to heaven and entering the earth, of breaking ten thousand laws with a single sword—not to mention the listeners whose hearts were surging, even He Lingchuan felt a yearning.

He still couldn't be sure what kind of person Xin Yi was, but he had to admit that this man was full of learning and truly had skill. So many principles were explained in a set, and they could all be connected perfectly.

Even Zhong Shengguang definitely didn't have such good eloquence.

Sun Fuling looked at him and said: "Everyone hates that they weren't born in that time."

Men were all hot-blooded. She was clearly asking, aren't you also regretful that you weren't born in that free era of dashing and unrestrained life, where one could roam between heaven and earth? He Lingchuan deliberately leaned into her ear: "And you?"

(End of chapter)