Chapter 369: Go Up to the Yao Xian Lou, the Immortal as the Topic!

Yu Ke inherited Xie Guan's memory and was also infected by his usual behavioral style.

He walked cautiously and steadily, following closely behind the Chief Eunuch.

The old eunuch in the scarlet python robe moved his eyes slightly.

The youth followed behind him, the hem of his robe swaying gently with his steps, each swing perfectly calculated.

His steps were steady, neither hurried nor dragging, each step as precise as if measured.

The youth looked straight ahead, maintaining an appropriate distance without appearing restrained.

The old eunuch could not help but feel a trace of admiration in his heart—being a person is like learning to walk.

Especially!

These old men who have lived deep within the palace for so long can glimpse a person's temperament and depth of character simply by the way they walk.

This youth who was in the limelight at the Qunfang Banquet today, and had also received the favor of the Third Master and Su Xiang, was such a great fortune.

Yet he exuded a composure of a youth who was old beyond his years, neither happy nor sad.

Perhaps it was because the old eunuch had been cautious his whole life in the palace, plus the habit of promoting people he had cultivated for many years, that he could remain standing.

He had an extra bit of well-intentioned reminder for Xie Guan.

"Young Master Guan, when you enter the Yao Xian Lou later, do not go up to the fourth floor."

The old eunuch said in a low voice, "Just wait on the third floor, and I will arrange everything properly for you."

"Once you enter the Yao Xian Lou, do not look too much, do not ask too much, do not say too much."

Yu Ke nodded slightly, knowing in his heart that speaking less and doing more would always be right.

He pondered inwardly that this personal eunuch of Su Xiang, although his face appeared cold, his temperament was unexpectedly kind, quite a contrast.

From the simulation, Yu Ke learned that Su Xiang harbored murderous intent toward him, while Su Xiang's grandson, Su Yun, although born of a large clan and impatient to get along with, had the demeanor of a gentleman.

This personal eunuch also did not seem like the kind of eunuch who would "do evil."

What kind of person was this Su Xiang? Yu Ke was full of doubts.

From the memory of the simulation, his impression of Su Xiang was vague and complex.

Su Xiang was a prime minister who dominated the court and held the power of the world.

At the same time, he was the Fourth Master of the Academy, knowledgeable and highly respected.

It was rumored that he was the number one chess player in the world and had unparalleled wisdom.

He even gathered the Qunfang Banquet, managed the Yellow River flood, saved the country and the people, and was praised by the common people.

However!

On the other hand, the factional forces of the Nine Great Clans seemed to have been created by him single-handedly.

Such a person who combined the roles of a powerful minister, Confucian scholar, strategist, and good official—was he loyal or treacherous?

Was he righteous or evil?

Yu Ke found it difficult to distinguish for a moment, only feeling that Su Xiang's image was like a cloud of fog.

Yu Ke followed the Chief Eunuch to the Yao Xian Lou.

The Yao Xian Lou was a four-story tower-shaped building, with the ground floor having the largest area, and as the floor increased, the area gradually decreased.

The fourth floor was the highest level, symbolizing respect for that Academy, and the Academy's highest level was only five floors, so the Yao Xian Lou naturally would not exceed its height.

The old eunuch waved his hand lightly, and the guards respectfully moved to both sides.

Yu Ke followed closely and stepped into the Yao Xian Lou.

Although the ground floor was not spacious, the eye-catching scarlet python robe of the old eunuch immediately attracted everyone's attention.

As Su Xiang's personal eunuch, no one did not recognize his identity.

Everyone curiously examined the youth following behind the eunuch, and whispers spread through the crowd.

"Is that youth Xie Guan from the Caotang Poetry Meeting?"

"Su Xiang and the Third Master invited him to the Yao Xian Lou to compose a poem for tonight's Qunfang Banquet."

On the ground floor, most were low-ranking officials and their children, and the atmosphere was lively but slightly plain.

The Chief Eunuch did not stop and soon took Yu Ke to the second floor.

The second floor was a gathering place for the wives, young ladies, and young masters of the Nine Great Clans, and the atmosphere was more noble.

Xie Guan's arrival immediately caused whispers among the crowd.

"Isn't that the illegitimate son of the Xie family? Could it be the person from that case ten years ago that ruined the Xie family's reputation? I heard that there are still people in Bianjing City who mention this matter before meals and tea, and the Xie mansion avoids him."

Someone whispered, their tone filled with sarcasm.

"It is said that he hasn't even entered the school, just a child learning to read, without even a degree, and he is worthy of coming to this kind of place?"

Sarcastic voices rose one after another, and everyone sneered at Xie Guan's background and his status as an improper scholar.

However, some people spoke up for him.

"Hmph, a bunch of corrupt scholars with long tongues!"

A clear female voice rang out, her tone filled with disdain, "When the Prince of Yan descended from Mount Zhongnan back then, wasn't he also a Daoist child who had never read military books? But what happened later? He swept across the world and established a thousand-year foundation; who dared to underestimate him?"

"Besides, does the Master himself have any degree now? Does that mean his learning is not worth mentioning?"

The woman's words were sharp.

Involving the Prince of Yan and the Master, several people dared not refute.

The Prince of Yan was indeed just a nameless Daoist child on Mount Zhongnan before he came down.

The Master had no degree in Confucianism, of course, in Confucianism, he was called the Most Holy Teacher.

"Those three poems of his, can you people write them even if you rack your brains?"

The woman who had just spoken sneered, her gaze sweeping over those who mocked.

The woman wore a headscarf with hanging feet, her face was not powdered, but she had an imposing heroic spirit.

Her rebuttal made those sarcastic voices lower, and everyone looked at each other, speechless.

If Xie Guan were here, he would recognize that this woman was Chen Jiuyan, Su Xiang's closed-door disciple, whom he had played ten games of chess with in the Xie mansion's small courtyard.

Chen Jiuyan watched Yu Ke walk slowly to the third floor, but felt that everything should have been like this.

If not for this!

How could a mere nobody win six games in a row against her in the way of black and white?

How could ordinary people easily defeat her?

She couldn't help but feel a trace of curiosity in her heart.

Today Xie Guan was ordered by the Third Master and Su Xiang to compose poems for the Qunfang Banquet; I wonder what kind of excellent work he would write.

This was undoubtedly an opportunity to show his edge, but countless eyes of the Academy's Nine Great Clans were staring at him tightly.

If the poetry was not written well, I fear it would attract ten thousand insults, no different from roasting him on a raging fire.

However!

Thinking of Xie Guan's calm appearance and the composure of planning before moving when playing chess, Chen Jiuyan felt a trace of certainty in her heart.

"It should... not be difficult for him."

She whispered to herself, the corners of her mouth raised slightly, and a trace of expectation flashed in her eyes.

Yu Ke stepped onto the second floor, his gaze steady, not looking around.

He was already at the seventh rank of primordial spirit cultivation, his spiritual sense was sharp, and he easily sensed that a cold gaze in the second floor was tightly locked on him.

He scanned with his peripheral vision without changing his expression and found that the gaze came from a young master.

The man was as thin as a stick, wearing brocade clothes and a jade belt, with four or five sachets hanging from his waist, his face as long as a donkey's, his face covered with thick powder, and his cheeks slightly sunken, appearing exceptionally gloomy.

In Xie Guan's memory, Yu Ke recognized this person—Zhao Yang of the Zhao family, who had been on good terms with Xie Renfeng in the Xie mansion's Hongjing courtyard, and the two had tried to bully Sister Wu Tong.

Xie Guan had long since formed a grudge with them.

Yu Ke just glanced at him indifferently and ignored him, continuing to walk, slowly ascending to the third floor.

The second floor was a gathering place for the children, relatives, and family members of the Nine Great Clans, and the atmosphere was noble but still carried a bit of the noise and restlessness of the younger generation.

And the third floor!

Was where the heads of the Nine Great Clans, the concubines of Great Qi's harem, and high-ranking officials of the court were located.

And the teachers of the Academy.

The atmosphere here was completely different, steady and solemn.

Beside every table sat figures who held power in the court, their gazes deep, their demeanor composed, and their conversation, although soft, carried an unquestionable majesty.

The concubines of the harem were gorgeously dressed, their demeanor dignified, and their brows were full of the composure and coldness tempered in the deep palace.

The high-ranking officials of the court were either whispering or drinking lightly, and every gesture carried the demeanor of someone who had long held a high position.

The Xie family's Old Matriarch, Xie Hong, and the main courtyard's Lady Yuan, and the second courtyard's Lady Zhao were on the third floor.

Yu Ke climbed the stairs.

He noticed that even the old eunuch in the python robe in front of him lightened his steps, with a bit more caution in his expression.

On the third floor, it was full of the powerful and prominent figures of the Nine Great Clans.

Yu Ke lowered his brows and eyes, looking at his nose, nose at his mouth.

In his perception, there were more than a dozen thick and long breaths on the third floor, either ninth-rank martial arts experts or people with unfathomable primordial spirits.

Yu Ke secretly operated the secret technique taught by Lu Hua to restrain his aura.

This technique was mysterious; unless he made a move, even a "Xuan Dan" powerhouse of the ninth rank of martial arts would find it difficult to detect the depth of his cultivation.

Suddenly!

The great cauldron in his heart roared, and a mysterious aura flowed through his whole body, firmly suppressing "Xie Guan's" mind.

The aura around him was completely restrained, as if he were an ordinary person.

Only then did Yu Ke feel a bit at ease.

He sighed inwardly that this "Kunxu Cauldron" had quite a bit of mystery in his own territory.

It had never rung in the Shenxiao Sect.

As soon as Xie Guan and the other arrived on the third floor, they attracted many gazes.

The Xie family's Old Matriarch and her group of four all cast their gazes.

The Old Matriarch's expression was indifferent, holding a deer-head staff, her wrinkled face like an ancient pool without waves.

Lady Yuan's face was as cold as frost, full of coldness.

Lady Zhao raised her brows slightly, as if lost in thought.

Xie Hong just glanced at him casually and then moved his gaze away, not caring at all.

Yu Ke remembered the Chief Eunuch's instructions, looked straight ahead, and followed him into a quiet room that had long been prepared.

Turning past a twelve-fold purple sandalwood screen, he pushed the door and entered the room.

Empty.

On the yellow pear wood table, the Chengxin Hall paper reflected the light of the night pearl, with a purple jade inkstone, wolf-hair brush rack, all available.

The room was elegantly furnished, and the four treasures of the study were ready on the desk.

The old eunuch bowed and said: "Please, Young Master Guan, compose a poem with the Immortal and the Qunfang Banquet as the topic."

"This old slave will wait here."

"The time is until the end of the Qunfang Banquet."

Zhao Yang's gaze was tightly locked on the back of the person climbing to the third floor, his heart filled with anger.

"Clatter—"

A crisp sound.

The teacup shattered, tea and fragments splashed everywhere, and tea stains flowed on the ground.

"Xie Guan, you are truly damned!"

Zhao Yang gritted his teeth, his voice low but filled with hatred.

"What is this Xie Guan, to have the qualifications to step onto the third floor of the Yao Xian Lou?"

"And that Xie Renfeng, he is also a useless piece of trash! Didn't he say he had already hired top assassins from the Xuanyue Hall with a heavy price?"

"Why is Xie Guan still alive and kicking at this Qunfang Banquet?"

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 370 =====