[{"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-682":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},2347697,4587,"Chapter 682: Jianghu Affairs Are Settled in Jianghu — Strange Face — Invitation to Board the Boat","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-682",682,"\u003Cp>Xie Fu, Daguan Garden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today is a day of great joy, but heaven does not cooperate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is early spring, and fine rain hangs like mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an and his party followed the servant into Daguan Garden; beneath their feet, the green stone was damp, reflecting the sparse shadows of weeping willows along the lake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two men, three women!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They walked to the shore to take a boat across the lake into Daguan Garden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This Xie Fu is truly enormous—Changning Street is worth its weight in silver, yet they still carved out such a vast lake in the back garden. What extravagance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speaker was a girl of sixteen, with a lovely face, slender figure, and a beauty spot just above her right eyebrow; her eyes sparkled with liveliness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl wore a silk gauze gown embroidered with gold thread and held a green lotus-shaped umbrella.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an smiled faintly at this: “Is that worth remarking on? The Zhao family in Bianjing’s Fugui Well owns thousands of acres of gardens and groves; even moving between courtyards requires carriages. That’s true extravagance—it left me awestruck.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind Xue Huai’an walked a middle-aged man, a few strands of silver at his brow; his Confucian robe should have looked refined and elegant, yet the hem was embroidered with a yin-yang bagua diagram—most peculiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze steady, sweeping over the lake with a faint, unreadable smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Second Master, you are of the Xue family—one of the Nine Surnames, lords of jade halls and golden horses. Why speak so humbly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an shook his head with a wry laugh. “Among the Nine Surnames, the Xue family merely rides on ancestral glory. Nowadays…” He paused, self-deprecating, “a dying camel at best.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl in the embroidered palace gown raised an eyebrow, her tone sharper. “Xiao’an, you’ve kept this from us well. Just a while ago, you claimed to be a poor scholar from some remote region coming to the capital for the exams. Who knew you were the Xue family’s second son?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes flickered with mockery. “We even worried you lacked funds and saw to your needs all along the way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside her, a tall woman in a blue silk ruqun gently tugged her sleeve, speaking softly: “Zixin, don’t be disrespectful to Master Xue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two girls shared one umbrella.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman in blue silk had gentle features and a voice like spring breeze brushing willows: “Master Xue has his reasons for not drawing attention.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister, you’re siding with him again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an waved his hand quickly, smiling warmly: “No harm done. I’m the one at fault—I should be the one apologizing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an dressed as a young scholar: tall hat, wide sash, white robe, refined and scholarly, his speech elegant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two girls were courtesans of Zixiao Pavilion; once, while out, they met the “impoverished scholar” Xue Huai’an.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing his worth, they funded his tuition for a year. The following autumn, he passed the provincial examination with top honors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over that year, the three grew close, becoming true confidants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at the last Qunfang Banquet, Xue Huai’an intervened to protect them from a lecher, and was recognized by someone from the Xue family—his identity was exposed, and their friendship nearly shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had it not been for…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an’s months of apologies, this gathering at the Xie Fu would never have happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lake breeze stirred, slanting rain drifting through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The palace-gowned girl, Liu Zixin, glared at him with lingering resentment, her red lips pressed thin: “Master Xue, you’re so illustrious now—top scholar, heir of the Xue family’s main branch. How could you still remember us lowly courtesans?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lake breeze swept across, rippling the spring waters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an smiled bitterly: “Zixin, Zhirou—you saved my life. How could I ever forget? I hid my identity out of necessity…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Necessity?” Liu Zixin sneered. “Were you afraid we’d cling to power? Or did you despise our low birth?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zixin!” Su Zhirou hurried to stop her, but Xue Huai’an suddenly bowed deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I swear here and now,” he said, raising his head, eyes full of sincerity, “had it not been for your help, Zixin and Zhirou, there would be no Xue Huai’an today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words rang true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zixin finally pursed her lips and fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seizing the moment, Xue Huai’an changed the subject, turning to the middle-aged man with the yin-yang bagua on his robe: “Master Mei, what brings you to the Xie Fu today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged man was Mei Qingsu, Grand Master of the Whale Gang in the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although a martial arts sect of the rivers and lakes, Mei Qingsu—once hailed as the \"Calculator of Heaven's Design\"—had long ago sworn allegiance to the Su family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Whale Gang boasted nearly ten thousand members, immense power, and influence over waterways and grain transport.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the Nine Surnames granted him some respect; Mei Qingsu had once received aid from the Xue family and had never severed ties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the Xie family sent an invitation, he joined Xue Huai’an on the journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Qingsu laughed loudly: “The Xie brothers still shine as bright as ever. How could a humble gang leader like me dare not come to offer my congratulations?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “Xie brothers” he referred to were Xie Hong and Xie Ling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zixin secretly studied the Whale Gang’s Grand Master; his speech and manner were easygoing, nothing like the monstrous legend of the man who slaughtered nearly a thousand in one night, wiping out three water fortresses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the Whale Gang’s bloody reputation still echoed in her ears. Throughout the journey, her tone toward him was far more cautious than with Xue Huai’an—she dared not speak much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the group was also a young woman dressed in purple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around twenty years old, her black hair tied high with a ribbon, her eyebrows sharp as swords, eyes bright as stars, her bearing fierce and commanding. Especially her eyes—like shears, like blades—so piercing one dared not meet them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She cradled an ancient eight-sided Han sword. Suddenly, she spoke with sarcasm: “Master Mei, you’ve served the Su family well these years, like a loyal dog. Now you’re defaulting to leading the charge for your master again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s see if the Sima and Xie families are truly inseparable—or just pretending.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words carried a chill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the group, only Liu Zixin and the other woman shared an oil umbrella; the rest let the fine rain brush their skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Qingsu remained calm, speaking slowly: “It seems the Lady Luo holds a grudge against the Whale Gang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not that we disregard Jianghu rules. We’ve entered the imperial court because our ten thousand brothers must eat, their horses must be fed—expenses are enormous. We had no choice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Unlike your Gold Embroidery Pavilion, which has thrived for generations, its wealth solid. We’re merely fallen fishermen’s children.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zixin and the other woman exchanged glances, both startled: “Gold Embroidery Pavilion!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gold Embroidery Pavilion was another major Jianghu faction in the capital, involved in inns, escort services, and more, with thousands of disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This woman must be Luo Su, the current manager of the Gold Embroidery Pavilion, known in the Jianghu as “Purple Robe Sword.” Anyone who left a name in the Jianghu was no ordinary person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gold Embroidery Pavilion also maintained close ties with the Xue family. Rumor held that Xue’s grandmother came from a Jianghu background—perhaps even from the Gold Embroidery Pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the tension rise, Xue Huai’an stepped in: “Sister Su, Master Mei, I’ve returned to the capital only rarely. For my sake, let this pass.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Today, we’ve all gathered at the Xie Fu to offer our congratulations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Su nodded slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Qingsu smiled: “Second Master, you overstate things. Old Master Xue once saved my life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of them, in some way, were here because of Xue Huai’an.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an saw a boat cutting through the lake, rippling the water, approaching them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spoke gently: “This is the mother lake within Daguan Garden. There’s another, the son lake—though called a lake, it’s actually a deep pool. In his youth, Master Hong washed his inkstone here, and the ink stained the water permanently black. Hence the name Ink-Washing Pool.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The small courtyard behind Daguan Garden is called Hongjing Courtyard. The plaque’s inscription was written by Second Master himself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xue Huai’an spoke, the previously tense atmosphere eased slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zixin looked up, catching sight of a man holding an umbrella on the distant shore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He seemed to sense them, turned slightly, and gazed toward their group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She froze, murmuring in admiration: “What a refined young gentleman.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All turned to follow her gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the misty rain, the youth held a green bamboo umbrella, dressed in a plain, unadorned robe, his figure straight as a pine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His black hair was half-bound, secured only by a dark wood hairpin, the rest falling over his shoulders, his sleeves fluttering in the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most striking were his eyes—clear as spring water. He seemed to step straight from a ink-wash painting, radiating the elegance of a scholar, making one forget the world’s vulgarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Su, the purple-robed woman, frowned inwardly—her cultivation was such that she had only now sensed the umbrella-bearing youth’s presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He blended perfectly with the lake, mountains, spring rain, and mist, leaving no trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Liu Zixin’s praise, Xue Huai’an cleared his throat, half-joking: “Zixin, you praise him so lavishly—aren’t you being unfair? When we first met, you never praised me like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zixin wrinkled her nose, snorting: “I didn’t say it. That was Zhirou’s words—she said you had noble bearing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes flickered, deliberately scanning Xue Huai’an from head to toe. “Compare yourself to this umbrella-bearing gentleman. Where do you even match him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She smirked mischievously. “Though if it’s about hiding secrets, Master Xue is unmatched—you kept us in the dark for so long. Isn’t that right, Sister?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Zhirou merely smiled faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an rubbed his nose, knowing he was in the wrong, and sighed helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The umbrella-bearing youth seemed to sense something, glanced back briefly, then turned again toward the lake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Qingsu stared fixedly at the youth’s back, his eyes suddenly flashing with unmistakable shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an asked, “Master Mei, what’s wrong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Qingsu frowned deeply, silent for a long while, then spoke slowly: “This boy’s face… is truly strange. He bears the mark of early death, destined not to live past twenty. Yet he also radiates a celestial, noble aura beyond measure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, his fingers unconsciously traced calculations, as if verifying something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Beyond measure?” Xue Huai’an’s expression sharpened. “Could he be from one of the Nine Surnames?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Qingsu said, “No—it’s not his lineage. It’s his face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve seen countless kings, generals, merchants, and beggars. But this boy’s face… I’ve never seen its like.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fascinating!” Mei Qingsu grew more puzzled. “His brow is thick with death’s aura—clearly a short life. Yet how can such noble fortune coexist with impending death?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an knew Mei Qingsu, Grand Master of the Whale Gang, bore the title “Calculator of Heaven’s Design.” Beyond his cunning, his greatest skill was a fengshui face-reading art learned from a Daoist master since childhood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could read a person’s fate with ironclad certainty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words were never baseless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an pondered the phrase: “beyond measure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the face of an emperor could be called “beyond measure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could this man be a scion of the Great Qi’s Chen family? Of imperial blood?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Qingsu shook his head and said, “A noble born in such a manner will have prominent sun and moon horns—the two protrusions above the brow bones; the left, the sun horn, signifies paternal glory, the right, the moon horn, signifies maternal nobility. If both horns rise sharply, the birth is illustrious and the foundation profound.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Second Young Master, you are one with sharp horns rising—youthful and destined for success.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This youth has sunken brow bones, as if carved by a blade—not blessed by ancestral protection, but destined to suffer the bloodshed of his household.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an turned and asked Su Zhirou: “Zhirou, have you ever seen this youth?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Zhirou, the top courtesan of Zixiao Pavilion, usually mingled with sons of the Nine Surnames; she gently shook her head and said, “I have never seen this man.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zixin added from beside her: “If a youth of such bearing appeared at Zixiao Pavilion, the other girls would be whispering his name day and night, longing to devour him whole.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Curious, she turned and asked, “Master Mei, why do you say this youth has the countenance of a celestial?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Qingsu explained slowly: “The countenance of a celestial also means the bearing of an immortal. The Taiqing Divine Mirror states: the appearance of immortals is not bound by physical beauty, but by inner divine radiance and innate Dao bones—only then does one manifest an unutterably noble aura.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they spoke, the lake’s surface rippled gently, and a carved pavilion boat drifted slowly toward shore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boatman was an old man, seemingly mute, who bowed respectfully with both hands, gesturing for them to board.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the Nine Surnames, some servants were mute; no one found it strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Huai’an noticed the youth standing alone on the shore, his figure solitary beneath a green bamboo umbrella, with no boatman to greet him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling Mei Qingsu’s earlier cryptic words, he felt a growing curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He straightened his sleeves and called out warmly: “Young Master, the spring rain is fine and the guest boats are busy. If you do not mind, would you join us aboard this vessel?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zixin and the other girl held their umbrellas and looked over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The purple-clad woman holding her sword showed a look of curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mei Qingsu’s eyes held clear anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>～\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You stand beneath your umbrella on the green stone jetty, the lake’s mist swirling, revealing the forms of the five people before you】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【As your gaze shifts, the Yin Fu Seven Arts’ “Five Dragon Prosperity Method” forms in your mind’s sea, and you look again at the group.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The middle-aged man walks with steady steps, his aura contained—he is undoubtedly a master of the upper three realms of martial cultivation; the purple-clad woman holding her sword radiates even greater dominance—her martial cultivation likely surpasses the middle-aged man’s.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Most striking of all is the white-robed young lord. He is young, barely in his early twenties, yet he has already ignited his divine flame and entered the eighth realm of Primordial Spirit.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【You cannot help but feel a faint shock—such an achievement at this age is exceedingly rare, even among the Nine Surnames.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The remaining two women possess extraordinary beauty, rivaling even courtesans like Hu Yunniang.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Just then!】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【The white-robed young lord suddenly called out: “Young Master, the spring rain is fine and the guest boats are busy. If you do not mind, would you join us aboard this vessel?”】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Hearing this, your heart stirs slightly.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2491,"2026-06-21T01:33:03.787Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","0bddc7dd6b421d331ee87efa5b12afc4ecb9fbd0eca1fc4d8e570b4ba40afda8","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-683","simulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-chapter-681",728,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fsimulated-to-reality-i-once-looked-down-upon-ten-cover.jpg"]