Chapter 290: Immortal's Cave Dwelling, Teacher of the Heir

In ancient times, there were immortals who built huts to seek eternal life.

This cave should be an immortal's cave dwelling from ancient times.

'No wonder it could have something like a Spirit-Testing Stone.'

Li Rui suddenly became interested.

Since there was a Spirit-Testing Stone, maybe other treasures were left behind.

'Try my luck.'

He immediately started searching.

Immortal energy was of a higher level and could not be searched with spiritual eyes, making the efficiency low, so he pulled the little white dragon to search together.

Ning Zhongtian and Tan Hu looked at the one person and one snake searching, and for a time, they didn't understand.

This cave was as bare as it could be.

What could be found?

"Li Laoge..."

Just as Ning Zhongtian was about to speak, Li Rui suddenly held up a palm-sized stone block covered in mud and called out: "Found it!"

Hearing this.

The gazes of Ning Zhongtian and Tan Hu were attracted.

"What is this?"

Tan Hu blinked his copper-bell-sized eyes, full of confusion.

"Hmm, an extraordinary stone."

Ning Zhongtian judged it as such.

Li Rui's mouth curled up slightly; if it weren't for the system's prompt, he would have had no idea at all that this object was the legendary Spirit-Testing Stone.

Yes.

In this cave, he had found another Spirit-Testing Stone.

Besides this, there was no other harvest.

Regarding this, he felt it was also normal.

Those who could encounter shocking treasures just by entering any cave were protagonist templates.

The reason he could find a Spirit-Testing Stone in the cave, Li Rui guessed, was largely because this Spirit-Testing Stone was not something valuable.

This point could also be verified from the ancient texts of the Imperial Observatory.

Any small sect with some reputation could have quite a few Spirit-Testing Stones; they were precious to mortals, but to those who had achieved success in cultivation, they were just small toys.

Perhaps it was precisely because they were not precious that they could exist after flowing through ten thousand generations.

This was roughly the same principle as a bowl used for eating ten thousand years ago being able to become a treasure in later generations.

Li Rui tucked the Spirit-Testing Stone into his bosom.

He had originally thought about finding a way to improve his spiritual root.

With the Spirit-Testing Stone, he could also better determine whether those methods were truly effective.

An unexpected joy!

He thought it should be because the scene was urgent at the time, so Xu Chuan and the Black and White Twin Fiends didn't notice that there was actually another Spirit-Testing Stone in the cave.

Having obtained the Spirit-Testing Stone.

Li Rui felt as if he had suddenly made money while walking on the street, and his mood was just great.

The Spirit-Testing Stone matter was too mysterious.

And now that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was retreating, testing or not testing spiritual roots was the same.

So he didn't tell Ning Zhongtian and Tan Hu for the time being.

Li Rui himself was only guessing.

Morning.

The chirping of unknown birds rang in his ears.

Li Rui woke up from a magnificent mansion, and the gentle morning sun shone on his face through the window.

He stretched comfortably.

Then climbed out of bed.

After washing up, he pushed the door open and walked out.

It was the season of crisp autumn, and one could see the Ten Thousand Mountains close at hand at a glance.

'Is this the happiness of a vacation?'

Indeed.

He was still at the Qinghe hunting ground, or rather, he had always been at the Qinghe hunting ground.

After surveying the terrain, the construction teams from Qinghe and Anning Prefecture arrived at the Qinghe hunting ground, so Li Rui simply acted as a supervisor again; in just half a month, he built a small circle of "resorts" on the large stretches of grassland.

As the main official here, to ensure that Marquis Yuan could sleep peacefully and comfortably.

Li Rui had to reluctantly try sleeping in the Marquis's room.

It was indeed not bad.

At this time, Ning Zhongtian's lazy voice sounded beside him: "Li Laoge, good morning."

Li Rui turned his head and saw Ning Zhongtian walk out of another detached wooden room.

They greeted each other.

Then he saw Tan Hu already practicing not far away.

They gathered together and ate breakfast.

Li Rui was planning to go back to continue practicing, when a fast horse galloped into the camp, and he saw an Anning Guard soldier jump down and run two steps to Li Rui, saluting:

"Lord Li."

Li Rui recognized him; this person was a messenger of the Anning Guard.

"Get up, what is it?"

The messenger then stood up and said: "Lord Li, Lord Cao said the Marquis has already set off and ordered me to invite you back to the camp."

Li Rui nodded:

"Good."

If it were before, Cao Wei would definitely have hidden it and gone to meet the Marquis alone, but now his state of mind had changed, and he even specially sent someone to inform Li Rui.

Of course, even if Cao Wei didn't say it, Li Rui actually intended to return today.

After giving two instructions to Ning Zhongtian and Tan Hu.

He rode the monster horse straight to Qinghe.

Outside Qinghe City, in front of the official reception pavilion.

Several people with extraordinary temperament and heroic appearance stood at the front.

The foremost.

Naturally, they were the four Fifth-Rank officials of Qinghe.

Cao Wei and Li Rui represented the military, standing on the left, while Jia Qi and Yan Zhongxing represented the government, standing on the right.

Behind the four.

Were the elders of the major sects.

The formation was not small, naturally to welcome Marquis Yuan.

This time, Marquis Yuan took the land route and did not take the water route, so they waited at the reception pavilion early.

The rules that should be followed.

Welcoming ten miles away.

Otherwise, let the Marquis walk into the city himself?

That was a matter of breaking the rites; even if Marquis Yuan didn't care, the officials accompanying him from Yunzhou would also make a note of it and report it to the Department Magistrate and the Regional Commander.

Everyone would suffer.

The atmosphere was solemn, without half a noise, only occasionally hearing a few bird chirps by the official road.

After waiting for about half an hour.

Small black dots appeared at the end of the official road.

It was the convoy.

Seeing the convoy, especially the black and gold embroidery with the two characters "Annan" fluttering in the wind, the large flag of the Annan Marquis's Prefecture, everyone's expression was shocked.

'They're here.'

A moment later.

A magnificent convoy appeared before everyone's eyes.

Li Rui and the four main officials of Qinghe walked quickly to the front of the most magnificent carriage in the center of the convoy.

"Your subordinates pay respects to the Marquis." *4

Then he saw the young horse groom lift the carriage curtain, and Annan Marquis Yuan Dingting walked off the carriage first, followed by a woman holding a boy of about three years old.

Li Rui raised his eyebrows.

The Marquis's wife and young son had also come.

'I heard the Marquis's wife is the daughter of a large clan, and they fell in love at first sight when Marquis Yuan was still in humble circumstances; the clan didn't agree at the time, but the Marquis's wife had a strong personality and would not marry anyone but Marquis Yuan.'

'Now that Marquis Yuan has achieved success, it has become a beautiful story.' "If Marquis Yuan didn't have the support of the Marquis's wife's family, I'm afraid it would be difficult to soar into the sky and become a Military Saint."

The Marquis's wife was naturally extremely beautiful, dignified and elegant, a model of a woman from a large clan.

Holding a boy in her arms.

With large eyes, very spirited, white and fat, looking well-raised at a glance.

Yuan Dingting walked off the carriage and waved his hand at Li Rui and the four: "No need for formalities."

Li Rui and the four just stood up.

Just stood up, and heard Yuan Dingting's words:

"Enter the city directly, no need to stay."

Hearing this.

Cao Wei and the others were stunned, but still responded immediately: "Yes, Marquis."

No errors, no omissions, read the content at a glance!

Li Rui was about to turn around.

Yuan Dingting called him to stop: "Lord Li, you come up to the carriage with this Marquis."

Hearing this, the expressions of Cao Wei, Yan Zhongxing, and Jia Qi were obviously stiff, and then they turned their heads to look at Li Rui with envy.

Getting on the Marquis's carriage.

A great blessing!

Don't look at who is sitting in the carriage; it's the Marquis, the Marquis's wife, and the young heir.

Gone!

Getting on the carriage was equivalent to becoming a private matter, equivalent to truly stepping into the threshold of the Marquis's Prefecture, and only then was it possible to become a true insider.

Don't look at how many people are in the Marquis's Prefecture; there weren't many who could get on the Marquis's carriage.

Li Rui was on the rhythm of soaring into the sky.

How could they not be envious?

Li Rui was also surprised in his heart.

But Marquis Yuan had already asked him to get on the carriage, so he naturally couldn't refuse, and could only say "Yes," and after the family of three of Marquis Yuan walked into the carriage, he followed.

Not only Cao Wei and the three, but the elders of the major sects in front of the reception pavilion were also extremely jealous.

That was one of the top ten in the world!

Especially He Wanchun of the Return Cloud Sect, who widened his eyes even more.

Li Rui was not an ordinary retainer.

He was extremely fortunate that he hadn't offended Li Rui too badly, otherwise, Li Rui only needed to say a few bad words about the Return Cloud Sect to Marquis Yuan in the carriage.

The Return Cloud Sect would be fine, but the branch in Qinghe would definitely not be able to continue.

The hope of his Beast-Taming lineage would also be extinguished.

'Never offend this person again in the future.'

Li Rui lifted the curtain and drilled into the carriage.

The carriage was extremely large, even if ten people sat in it, it would be more than enough; only Marquis Yuan's family of three and Li Rui even seemed a bit empty, decorated beautifully and elegantly, showing the foundation of the nobility.

"Marquis."

The carriage moved slowly, and Li Rui bowed.

Yuan Dingting showed a rare smile on his face: "Mr. Li, please sit."

Li Rui sat down.

Yuan Dingting then continued: "Mr. Li, did you receive the apprenticeship gift?"

"Thank you, Marquis, your subordinate has already received it."

Yuan Dingting nodded.

At this time, the Marquis's wife, Cui Chuxue, who was to the side, said with a smile: "There are only family members in this carriage, Mr. Li, no need to be formal; my husband often says that Mr. Li handles matters properly and steadily; if Tiger had half of Mr. Li's temperament, he would definitely be able to be a good Annan Marquis in the future."

Li Rui also smiled: "The Marquis's wife is flattering me."

Cui Chuxue was indeed a woman from a large clan, treating people and things in a way that made people feel like a spring breeze, feeling close.

"Mr. Li, no need to be humble."

Then she patted the back of the boy in her arms: "Tiger, call Mr. Li quickly."

The heir, Yuan Wenrui, whose nickname was Tiger, called out with a childish voice: "Teacher."

Li Rui felt that the three-year-old heir probably didn't understand what the word "Teacher" meant.

Hearing the heir call him "Teacher."

Yuan Dingting's face showed a smile, and Cui Chuxue hugged the little heir even tighter with doting.

The family was harmonious.

Li Rui, an outsider, was naturally observing his nose and heart.

The Marquis was willing to let him get on the carriage, even if it was to let his young son worship a teacher, it was giving him a sky-high face, but if he really took himself as an insider of the Marquis's Prefecture, that would be overstepping.

Even the identity of the instructor wouldn't be kept in the end.

The little heir in Cui Chuxue's arms looked at Li Rui curiously, his large eyes blinking.

'This teacher doesn't seem to be as fierce as the other two teachers?'

'Teacher Cui hits my palm every day, Teacher Liu always tells me to lift iron.'

'This teacher is still better.'

Yuan Dingting and Cui Chuxue naturally didn't know their young son's thoughts.

Half an hour later.

The Marquis's convoy drove slowly into Qinghe City and finally stopped in front of an elegant courtyard by the Qinghe River.

This was specially prepared for Marquis Yuan by County Magistrate Jia.

Sending the Marquis's family into the mansion.

And then he took the people accompanying him from Yunzhou to stay in the most expensive inn in Qinghe.

According to the plan.

Marquis Yuan would stay in Qinghe for three days, mainly to wait for people from other prefectures in Yunzhou to rush to Qinghe.

The Autumn Hunt, besides the people of the Marquis's Prefecture, would also be attended by elders and genius disciples of major sects and clans in Yunzhou, to show the abundance of martial virtue in Yunzhou.

With Marquis Yuan's status, there would naturally be no large-scale banquet.

Only a few people with close relationships would be invited.

But most of the upper-class figures in Yunzhou gathered in Qinghe, so private banquets would naturally not be few; it could be predicted that the business of the Jiaofang Division would definitely be particularly good.

"Li Laoge, long time no see."

Li Rui had just sent the people from Yunzhou into the inn when Wang Li came looking for him.

"Little Brother Wang."

Seeing Wang Li, Li Rui called out with a smile.

Wang Li chuckled twice: "Li Laoge, I helped you such a big favor; not to mention good food, this good wine should at least be able to be drunk, right?"

Li Rui had long expected this and patted his chest:

"Rest assured, good wine is enough; if Little Brother Wang has nothing to do, why not sit in the guard station with me."

"That's exactly what I intended."

Wang Li agreed happily.

Ever since coming to Qinghe, besides the Autumn Hunt, the focus was to make friends with Li Rui.

A moment later.

The two little old men sat opposite each other at the stone table in the courtyard of the Military Advisor's Prefecture.

"Little Brother Wang, this is the food from the Drunken Immortal Pavilion in Qinghe; I ordered it specially, and it wouldn't be easy to buy it tonight."

Li Rui said while pouring wine for Wang Li.

"Then I must taste it carefully."

Wang Li picked up a fish slice as thin as a cicada's wing and chewed it carefully, then praised: "The taste is indeed not bad."

Li Rui: "I said it was not bad."

Wang Li, although born in a large clan, was only a side branch, and the kind that was not favored.

I heard he offended a big figure in the family.

Because of this, he was frustrated and unsuccessful, failing even to pass the imperial examination as a Licentiate.

He wasted half his life, and it was only after entering the Marquis's Prefecture that his talent was revealed.

This kind of person was worth making friends with.

Li Rui raised his wine glass:

"Little Brother Wang, let's not get drunk tonight!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 291 =====