[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten":3,"chapter-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-567":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Simulated to Reality: I Once Looked Down Upon Ten Thousand Ages?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2347582,4587,"Chapter 567: Nine-Rank Captive Dragon: Xie Yuan","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-567",567,"\u003Cp>Sima Ting entered the courtyard house and placed the gifts sent by Master on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a Hu brush from Jiannan Circuit, also called “Green Blade Piercing the Crown,” requiring thousands of sheep pelts to be meticulously selected before producing a single brush.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally reserved solely for the imperial family, now nearly all Nine Surnames possess several such brushes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sima Ting said: “Master requests you kindly ask Master Guan to write down the recent verse that has stirred all Bianjing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He carefully withdrew a strip of silk from his sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You nodded and wrote on the silk: “Peng flies northward, wind meets the rising sun, again carrying books and sword on a boundless road.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As you prepared to lift your brush, Sima Ting added: “Please also add the second master’s supplementary lines.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You wrote again: “Now books and sword drift, lost and alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sima Ting’s gaze settled on these characters; having trained in martial arts for years, he felt at this moment the young man’s grip on the brush like drawing a sword from its scabbard—radiating cold brilliance. He silently praised: Master Guan’s calligraphy had further improved; an indescribable rhythm flowed between the lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sima Ting carefully rolled up the silk. He had intended to ask about martial cultivation doubts, but remembering the young man’s recently revealed sinews and bones, he swallowed the words before they reached his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bowed and took his leave: “Master Guan, the Gathering of Beauties is soon. On that afternoon, the Sima family’s palanquin will come to Xie Fu to fetch you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gathering of Beauties occurs the night before New Year’s Eve, still over twenty days away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The journey from Xie Fu to Xisang Pavilion takes only half an hour, though the roads are crowded; the Nine Surnames dislike mingling with commoners, so a special imperial road is reserved exclusively for their carriages and palanquins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sima Ting thoughtfully arranged this, but as a Shuzi , you have no authority to command the Xie family’s carriage or driver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You nodded in thanks: “Thank you, General Sima.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sima Ting departed; you saw him to the courtyard gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the courtyard, snow lay thick and white, the small yard appearing serene and quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this year passes, come spring next year, you will enter the academy and take the imperial examination’s preliminary scholar test, held every February.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The imperial examination is the foremost matter in Da Qi; from the scholar candidate stage onward, academy instructors strictly supervise to ensure fairness and prevent favoritism or fraud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, exceptions exist: students enrolled in the academy need not take the scholar candidate test and are granted the title of licentiate directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Academy licentiates and examination licentiates, though both called “licentiate,” are worlds apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most coveted place for every scholar in the land is the academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only two or three hundred people study there, all renowned Confucian masters or experts in literature, astronomy, hydrology, and military affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You returned to the house to continue reading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xie family’s library held over a thousand volumes, dazzling in abundance, yet as a Shuzi , you had no right to enter freely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You could only beg Xie Yuan to borrow books for you from the library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In these past six months, you had nearly read half the library’s collection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By afternoon!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You walked the second round of Zhuanggong  in the courtyard, visualizing the “Demon-Slaying Sword.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remote courtyard welcomed Xie Yuan and his party again, after more than half a month’s absence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped through the snow, followed as always by a retinue of entertainers and servants, looking “majestic and imposing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yunzhi accompanied him this time; the three of you were already well-acquainted, so no formal pleasantries were exchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan settled comfortably onto the heated brick bed, his gaze falling on the books piled on your desk, including several leisurely reads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Local Governance of Jiangnan Circuit,” “Xu Xian’s Travelogue,” “Dreaming with the Dragon’s Pen,” … “Record of Demons and Monsters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He laughed: “Brother Guan, the imperial exam only tests the Four Books and Five Classics—these leisure books won’t help you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You smiled faintly and replied: “Read a book a hundred times, its meaning reveals itself; within books lie golden houses.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Influenced by you, Xie Yuan had also memorized the Four Books and Five Classics; with a great Confucian as his tutor, his scholarly foundation was solid, though he disliked composing poetry and had no reputation for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan silently resolved: after returning home, he would read these leisure books.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan picked up “Record of Demons and Monsters,” flipping through it idly; it recorded countless demons and monsters across the Thirteen Provinces and all of Da Sui, each with unique forms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All demons shared one trait: they fed on humans to grow stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan had long been fascinated by this, having read it many times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up at you, eyes gleaming with excitement: “Brother Guan, this Gathering of Beauties is truly extravagant! In old Bianjing, demon bloodlines were rarely seen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This Gathering of Beauties will feature demon bloodlines performing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You frowned slightly—what demon clan dared come to Bianjing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only was Bianjing heavily guarded, but the Divine Shock Array, anchored at the capital, would alert the academy the instant any demon entered the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yunzhi explained: “Master Guan, unaware? For this Gathering, Minister Su personally summoned the Divine Concealment Bureau to assist.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Divine Concealment Bureau is Da Qi’s specialized agency for training and managing demons, filled with elite experts who possess numerous methods of subduing them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These demon bloodlines serve under the bureau’s command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan had been impatiently awaiting this Gathering for days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the flower queen selection, demon performances, and Minister Su’s presence—such grand events were rare in Bianjing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Zhang Yunzhi harbored quiet sorrow; her father served far away at Dezehu, and her mother had been traveling back and forth on his behalf—this year, the family could not reunite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Guan, shall we play a few games?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every time Xie Yuan visited your quarters, he dragged you into a game of chess. He assumed that after losing at xiangqi, switching to weiqi might finally give him an edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan was quite skilled at weiqi; as a spoiled noble, he excelled at cockfighting, dice, and jade gambling—weiqi was among his talents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He cheerfully began teaching you how to play weiqi since your first game, when you lost due to unfamiliarity with the rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After only two games, by the third, Xie Yuan began to struggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the fourth, he could no longer keep up—and refused to believe it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the fourth onward, he played three more games—and lost all three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You now realized: if you deliberately let Xie Yuan win, he grew displeased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, when playing with him, you revealed only half your strength—never intentionally yielding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s decide the winner by best of five!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You nodded slightly at Xie Yuan’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His servants naturally brought the chess set and arranged it on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A nineteen-line board stood between the two of you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You and Xie Yuan each had a jar of black and white stones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white stones were warm as jade, soft yet not translucent, faintly tinged with pale yellow or emerald green; the black stones, “when viewed upward, like blue jade; when viewed downward, like ink dots,” glossy black and lustrous, semi-transparent under light, with a faint emerald or sapphire glow along their edges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These stones were called “Yunzi,” also known as “Yunbian” or “Yun Kiln Stones,” a tribute from Yun’an Circuit to the imperial court—once exclusive to royalty, now commonplace among the Nine Surnames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Click. Click.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of your and Xie Yuan’s moves was crisp and clear; Zhang Yunzhi watched intently beside them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan fell into deep thought, hesitating over his move, even scratching his head in frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, he sighed helplessly: “Again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yunzhi excelled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—her weiqi skill surpassed Xie Yuan’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching this game, she naturally favored the weaker side—Xie Yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the second game, Xie Yuan advanced cautiously, weighing every move; you moved fluidly, placing stones swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yunzhi shook her head gently: “Lost.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan refused to accept it: “Again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of stones falling continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entertainers gathered around the table; though they understood nothing of the game, they saw their young master frowning tightly while you remained calm, cradling hot tea and gently blowing its steam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They knew instinctively: their master had lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan sat cross-legged, smoothing his disheveled hair, declaring boldly: “Again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though you had already won three of five, you did not refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the fifth game ended, Xie Yuan’s hair was slightly tousled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alas, this plan failed not due to me, but to fate!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan raised his head, his gaze burning as he looked at you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Guan—are you human?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You were puzzled by his meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yunzhi cast one final glance at the board; from the middle game, he had already fallen into a trap—Master Guan’s weiqi skill far surpassed her cousin’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yunzhi smiled: “Master Guan, Xie Yuan is sincerely praising you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan conceded defeat: “From now on, I’ll never challenge you to weiqi again—it’s too cruel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remember this!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan considered his weiqi skill quite strong among noble youths—he was among the few with “martial hero-level” ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes he sparred with his uncle, who said he had reached fourth rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weiqi is ranked in nine grades: ninth is the lowest, first the highest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ninth rank is “Shou Zhuo”—to guard clumsily, barely understanding the basics, incapable of variation, only defending, never attacking—lowest of the low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First rank is “Ru Shen”—the art has reached transcendence, unpredictable, able to defeat opponents without a single move—unrivaled, highest of the high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan’s fourth rank is “Tong You”—he deeply understands the game’s essence, creating subtle brilliance; during play, he adapts skillfully and controls initiative—middle-high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among ordinary people, fourth rank is already considered expert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from the first through ninth ranks, the way of Go possesses one further realm, surpassing the first rank: the Tenth Rank—“Caged Dragon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout the world, only one and a half have reached this realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of them is the Fourth Master of the Academy; because his name contains the character “Dragon,” the Tenth Rank “Caged Dragon” seems tailor-made for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Fourth Master’s style of play is unique: his moves appear formless, yet conceal profound mysteries, and his strategic depth is unmatched in the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his youth, the Fourth Master once won money through his Go skills in humble alleys, gaining widespread fame through this transcendent art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At fourteen, the Great Qi’s Go prodigy effortlessly solved a thousand-year-old dead position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most famously, the Fourth Master played three games against the Master, and no one knows the moves they made.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, the Second Master said, “The three games ended in no win, no loss, no draw.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In those days, Emperor Yuan of Great Qi was deeply fond of Go and specially hosted the Spring and Autumn Go Assembly, inviting masters from across the land—not only from Great Qi, but also skilled players from the other three states, who came in droves to compete in Bianjing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood alone at the pinnacle of this grand gathering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other was the Buddha’s Son, Chen Guang, of the southern Buddhist kingdom; he defeated all opponents, yet lost only to the Fourth Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Fourth Master alone held the First Rank; Chen Guang followed closely behind, constituting the half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Xie Yuan waved his hand, sounding slightly irritated: “Take it away, take it away—quickly remove the Go board; it’s driving me mad.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly thought of something, his eyes lighting up: “Hehe, Guan, though I can’t beat you on the board, when it comes to strength, you’re nowhere near me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Martial heroes roam the rivers and lakes, upholding justice and doing good—not through Go, but through the treasure sword in their sheath and their fists and feet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yunzhi knew that her cousin Xie Yuan had recently begun training in martial arts under his aunt’s arrangement, and according to the academy’s martial instructors, he possessed extraordinary martial talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Uncle Zhuge Jian was likely teaching him methods of primordial spirit cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan had already risen, enthusiastically suggesting: “Let’s go to the courtyard!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You did not refuse; you had long been curious about how far Xie Yuan had progressed since childhood in strengthening his sinews and bones, now guided by a martial master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, everyone went together to the courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Guan, watch closely!” Xie Yuan declared with bold confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To demonstrate his strength, Xie Yuan immediately shed his fur-lined robe and thick long robe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the cold wind howled, making him shiver, he stubbornly held his ground to avoid losing face before you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sight made Zhang Yunzhi cover her mouth and laugh softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Yunzhi instantly recognized that her cousin Xie Yuan had advanced from the First Realm—“Strengthening Sinews”—into the Second Realm of martial cultivation: “Forging Bones.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To achieve such progress in just two months was truly extraordinary talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His blood and qi were robust enough to resist such cold; his feeling of chill was merely the body’s natural reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan found a broken large blue stone slab in the courtyard; it weighed over seven hundred jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took a deep breath, gripped both sides of the slab, clenched his teeth, and with a sudden surge of strength, lifted the massive stone as if it were a boulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master, put it down!” Xie Hou and several servants crowded around him anxiously, fearing he might injure himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You carefully observed Xie Yuan’s movements and noticed that when he inhaled, he clearly employed a breathing technique, and his exertion revealed subtle mastery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In just two months, his strength had grown to such an astonishing level, yet his frame had not grown clumsy—this implied his instructor possessed formidable martial cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan had reached the Second Realm of martial cultivation: “Forging Bones.” Warriors at this level not only gain immense strength but also refine their bones, making their bodies more agile and supple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bang!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Yuan slammed the stone down with force, then turned with a grin: “Guan, what do you think? How’s my strength?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shall we test each other?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2383,"2026-06-21T01:33:01.587Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","cb012ef5e043bd90a4240095fab8bd1ff0b02b973468bd32e73a6156c3686cc7","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-568","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-566",728,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsimulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-cover.jpg"]