Chapter 148: Shallow Pond, Watching Carp; Carp Leap the Dragon Gate

Curved water flows with wine cups; pavilions and terraces, bamboo and orchid's eight scenic views, all gathered in one courtyard.

"Scholars really know how to enjoy themselves."

Li Rui walked through the estate with his hands behind his back, leading the group.

It was said the first lord of Qingfeng Mountain Villa was a man from Jiangnan; when he built his hermitage, he brought Jiangnan garden customs, vastly different from the tranquil scenery yet uniquely charming.

Shouldn't a hermitage be a little thatched hut?

Utterly wrong.

According to the "Great Yu Chronicles of the Jianghu: Yunzhou Chapter" that Li Rui had read, the first lord of Qingfeng Mountain Villa was indeed a failed imperial examination candidate—but his failure was unlike ordinary ones; he had not achieved the Triple First, so he called himself a failure.

He had actually made it into the Top Three, with the title of "Tong Metropolitan Graduate."

Tens of thousands took the imperial examination; being a Tong Metropolitan Graduate meant at least top three hundred—clearly a prestigious achievement.

Moreover, rumors said the first lord was not only a great scholar but also from a wealthy Jiangnan merchant family.

Jiangnan.

That was the richest land under heaven.

If you were rich even in Jiangnan, elsewhere you were a titan of wealth.

A countryside villa? It was no different from a little thatched hut.

So, young man, avoid too much motivational nonsense—there's no such thing as rising from nothing through hard work and divine reward; it's all just for show.

Regarding room assignments.

Li Rui was unusually domineering.

If everyone kept yielding, no one would be satisfied; this villainous role seemed only he could play.

Older people are less likely to be hated.

"I'll share a room with Commander Tan."

"Liang He and Tang Hai share a room."

"One room left—Jiang Miss will have it alone. No objections?"

Li Rui paused a breath; seeing no one speak, he confirmed it.

"Then it's settled."

Though called "one room," each had private quarters—not dormitory-style or two beds in one room.

As for Jiang Yan having a room alone.

It seemed Li Rui had left her for last, but in truth, he had planned it all along.

The only daughter of the Jiangdong Sword Immortal deserves a private room—no excess.

Jiang Yan had wanted to say something, but remembering she disliked sharing a roof with others, she swallowed her words.

"Rest for two days, then we'll begin patrols."

Li Rui was always generous with time off.

Qin Hua and several Huaqing Sect disciples exchanged glances, each seeing joy in the others' eyes.

They had been struggling over how to ask Li Rui for leave to return to Huaqing Sect; now he'd granted it himself.

"I told you, Senior Li is reasonable."

The girl Tang Tang whispered happily.

Everyone returned to their rooms.

Tan Hu seized the rare chance to pull Li Rui into a candlelit night chat.

No one knew where he'd picked up such a literary phrase.

Luckily, it wasn't something like "sharing a bed all night"—Li Rui had no interest in forcing men.

He had nothing else to do.

So Li Rui told Tan Hu a story of a young general.

"."

"Lord Hu marched a thousand li behind enemy lines, beheaded their king, and was enfeoffed as Marquis Guanjun by Emperor Wu."

Tan Hu was border troops.

The idea of a deep thousand-li maneuver left him speechless.

Ordinary generals hesitated even leaving ten li beyond the city walls—marching a thousand li alone? Was he a living compass?

Li Rui kindly withheld the fate of that Lord Hu.

"Died at twenty-four; Emperor Wu posthumously honored him with the epithet 'Jing Huan.'"

"'Jing' means upholding righteousness and determination; 'Huan' means expanding territory and pacifying the four directions. Since him, it became the dream epithet of generals, like the Marquis of Guanjun."

Seeing Tan Hu still eagerly attentive,

Li Rui immediately stopped.

"One story a day, Tan younger brother—don't get greedy."

Hearing Li Rui say that, Tan Hu could only sulk and give up.

Dinner was delivered by Qingfeng Mountain Villa's maids—each in light ruqun, elegant yet not dull, poised in manner and speech, more refined than many noble daughters of Qinghe.

That was the depth of a power's foundation.

Just from these maids, one could see.

The dishes were light and tasty: stir-fried bamboo shoots, lotus seed and lotus root soup; the most meaty dish was roasted suckling pigeon.

Tan Hu grumbled: "No wine, no meat—what's the point?"

He preferred big bites of meat and gulps of wine.

Li Rui ate calmly and contentedly.

What seemed ordinary was in fact deeply skilled: cooking techniques were superb, ingredients top-grade, all fresh and seasonal.

The ancients said: eat according to season.

Meaning: eat what grows in each season—don't break the rhythm.

Sounds mystical, but simply: eat bamboo shoots in spring, lotus roots in summer, crabs in autumn, fish in winter.

Why eat bamboo shoots in spring? Because after the spring thunder, the shoots are tenderest.

Why eat crabs in autumn? Because that's when they breed, and their flesh is richest.

Just old folks' experience.

By evening,

Tan Hu, starving, groped his way out with Tang Hai and others to the city, saying he'd find night snacks. Clearly, he wouldn't return tonight.

Li Rui understood perfectly: martial cultivators, full of blood and vigor, were probably eating lamb kidneys and then heading to brothels to digest.

He'd been invited too, but Li Rui politely declined.

At his age, he preferred quiet.

Deep night.

Qingfeng Mountain Villa lay in a valley, far from the city; outside the window, unfamiliar birds chirped cheerfully.

"A fine place for cultivating spirit and nurturing life."

Li Rui slowly opened his eyes.

The seventy-two Heavenly Circles were complete.

Seeing the hour was still early,

Li Rui stepped out, strolling under the moon in the estate.

=9+ Shu _ Ba

The first lord of Qingfeng Mountain Villa truly had good taste—the valley was serene, the moonlight added charm.

Unconsciously,

Li Rui reached a shallow pond.

The pond was small, barely a zhang across; inside swam fish, mostly bright red, pleasing koi.

Wealthier scholars in Yu State loved keeping a few koi in their courtyards.

Koi are also called Dragon Gate fish.

The legend of "carp leaping the Dragon Gate" originated from this fish—just like scholars enduring years of hardship to finally pass the imperial exam; either kindred suffering or seeking good fortune.

Qingfeng Mountain Villa was full of scholars' "subtle schemes."

Li Rui had read the histories of this world well: scholars never caused major chaos, but they were quietly cunning.

They were masters at inciting others.

Qingfeng Mountain Villa was no different: publicly, they always stood first to support the court; behind the scenes, their maneuvers never ceased.

Li Rui's expression shifted slightly.

The pond had a narrow upward inlet channel, connected above to flowing water, which led further up to a mountain stream.

Several koi swam upstream, leaping again and again.

Though they failed each time, they showed no discouragement.

Li Rui saw the whole picture—he knew that if these koi leapt over the inlet, they'd swim out of the estate, into the mountains, and from there, boundless skies and waters.

Perhaps even reach a lake—or the sea.

Li Rui fell silent.

This scene before him? It was none other than "carp leaping the Dragon Gate."

Whether they could transform into dragons, Li Rui didn't know—but the legend was almost certainly invented by some scholar watching fish.

Li Rui was watching with great interest.

A woman's voice came from behind: "The carp leaps the Dragon Gate and transforms into a dragon."

He turned his head.

There stood Jiang Yan, walking toward the pond. Li Rui smiled: "Miss Jiang, are you going out?"

Jiang Yan shook her head: "Nothing much. Just taking a stroll. I happened to see you enjoying the quiet."

"I was watching the fish—it was quite fascinating—so I lingered a while longer."

Jiang Yan walked over to Li Rui's side.

She lowered her gaze to the shallow pond.

After a long silence, she spoke slowly: "Master, have you ever heard why the Dragon Gate Realm is called the Dragon Gate?"

Li Rui turned his head.

He had indeed consulted books on this very question, but what the texts said wasn't necessarily true.

Jiang Yan was Jiang Lin's daughter; her knowledge of the Dragon Gate Realm must far exceed his own.

He was curious how Jiang Lin would explain the meaning of "Dragon Gate" in the realm's name.

He shook his head: "The Dragon Gate Realm is too distant for this old man. I don't know."

Jiang Yan smiled faintly—not to show off.

With her status, she wouldn't dream of flaunting such things before Li Rui.

"My father once said that in ancient times, the highest realm for humanity was Willow Vein. Beyond that, the path was cut off."

Li Rui raised an eyebrow slightly.

He had encountered this legend in an ancient text before, but had always taken it as mere folklore. Now, hearing it from Jiang Yan—or rather, from Jiang Lin—it carried more weight.

Jiang Yan continued: "Later, our ancestors developed the Qi Cultivation Method, reconnecting the broken path. Even then, only one in ten thousand could cross into Willow Vein's higher stages. But once they did, they became dragons entering the sea—with boundless potential."

"In later eras, the Qi Cultivation Method was refined. Far more people now pass through the Dragon Gate than in ancient times—it's no longer rare. But the name remained."

Li Rui nodded.

He deeply understood how difficult it must have been for the ancients to reconnect the broken path.

With so many existing techniques to compare, even creating a single martial art was arduous—how much more so to establish an entire new realm? The difficulty was unimaginable.

The one who created the Qi Cultivation Method must have possessed great wisdom and unyielding perseverance.

But why was Jiang Yan telling him this?

Li Rui did not rush to ask. He simply listened quietly.

Jiang Yan: "My father said that the modern, refined Qi Cultivation Method is actually a shortcut—it bypasses the most difficult segment of the path. That's why so many mediocre people can now cross the Dragon Gate."

Li Rui fell silent.

Only a prodigy like Jiang Lin would dare say such a thing.

Isn't every Dragon Gate cultivator a genius?

No one without talent could ever reach so far.

Jiang Yan glanced at the dragon aura coiled around Li Rui and continued: "It is said that after a thousand years of developing the Qi Cultivation Method in ancient times, only ten people ever leaped the Dragon Gate."

Li Rui's eyes narrowed slightly.

He had never heard this legend before—but a thousand years, only ten people?

That seemed far too few.

Jiang Yan took a deep breath:

"Yet of those ten, three ascended to immortality!"

(End of Chapter)