Chapter 405: 379 Invitation

The street corner was the entrance to a small alley; Meng Huazhou was standing under the wall, waiting for him.

At this moment, Meng Huazhou was looking straight at him, his expression as calm as a normal person's; in Tang Zhao's memory, this was likely the first time he had seen him in such a relaxed state.

Because the sun was just right and they were facing each other directly, Tang Zhao could see his features even more clearly.

To be fair, even though he was deliberately dressed in a low-key manner, Meng Huazhou truly possessed the bearing of a Young Villa Master; not to mention how graceful and noble he was, he also had an air of wealth mixed with the unruliness of a wanderer of the Jianghu, but perhaps because Tang Zhao was biased, he always felt that there was a thunderous, violent energy hidden between his brows, ready to explode.

But looking at his expression, it was indeed much calmer than last night.

Tang Zhao said, "Since you have returned, I wonder what advice you have for me?"

Meng Huazhou said slowly, "Could we step aside to talk?"

Tang Zhao stared at him, then turned to look to the side; this place was not a bustling market, but there was no shortage of people coming and going. The two of them still had lingering hostility, and a tense atmosphere filled the space between them. It would indeed be unseemly if seen by outsiders, almost equivalent to shouting, and if they really fought, it would be easy to hurt the innocent. He said, "Very well."

Meng Huazhou did not invite Tang Zhao to sit in any tavern or teahouse; he just turned around and continued walking into the alley. The end of the alley was a dead end, remote and deserted. He stopped and said, "Forgive me for concealing the truth just now. Actually, the purpose of Meng's visit here is not to listen to music, but to search for a legendary sword."

Tang Zhao hesitated for a moment and asked, "You concealed...?"

After a while, Meng Huazhou said slowly, "You guessed it yourself; it's not that I didn't conceal it."

Tang Zhao realized, saying, "Oh, right."

There was a brief awkward silence between the two. It was Meng Huazhou who took the initiative to say, "Just as you guessed. My ancestor was originally an unlucky, down-and-out scholar. While living in seclusion in Yuxia, he accidentally heard a set of magical String Song. Although it may not have been very brilliant, it was unconventional and had a faint immortal air. At that time, my ancestor had already lost his attachment to the secular world and was bored, so when he heard this music, he was attracted by the vivid immortal scenery within it and became immediately obsessed. Not only did he listen for several days in a row and leave behind thick notes on the music, but he even adapted it into a novel with himself as the protagonist and published it at his own expense. Not many copies of this book were issued at the time, and now only a few rare copies remain in circulation."

Tang Zhao nodded; he had one in his hand, and he didn't know where Black Widow had gotten it.

"But that ancestor of mine was, after all, just a scholar; the Master does not speak of strange phenomena, spirits, and gods. Although he liked and yearned for it, he didn't believe in his heart that it was real, so he just wrote it for his own amusement. However, one branch of his descendants began to practice martial arts, entered the hall and reached the inner chamber, broadened their horizons, and even became Sword Guests. When they studied this book again, they naturally discovered the difference."

"Over the years, people in my family have long suggested that the Cloud Xiancheng might actually exist and is a true Immortal Sword that has formed Momentum. But this was a matter from a hundred years ago after all; it was unknown whether it was true or false then, and now it is even harder to find. Rather than thinking about such ethereal things, it is better to grasp reality. After generations of effort, my family finally took control of the Jingzhe Sword and became the master of a force."

"However, by my generation, I had an uncle who was obsessed with this legend. He spent his whole life researching materials, including the ancestor's notes and the novel from that year, and collected folk legends, finally researching a few general directions. He even met an artist who could sing the original String Book; it was Lao Xiazi when he was young. Unfortunately, time was tight, and he was held back by other matters, so he didn't hear the whole thing."

"He originally wanted to find time to hear the rest and make up for his regret, but he didn't expect to encounter a disaster and die unexpectedly, becoming a lifelong regret. Fortunately, he passed on his life's work to me before that. I am his successor and have the same ideals as him. I must find the sword he couldn't find; my goal is the Sword Guest of the Immortal Sword."

Tang Zhao really wanted to ask: Aren't you your father's successor?

"I actually wanted to come out to look for this sword a long time ago. But there have always been small obstacles at home, and I couldn't set off for a while. If I had looked for the singer a few years earlier, his condition would have been better, and maybe he would still be doing business, making it easier for me to find him."

Tang Zhao understood what he meant—this "small obstacle" was mostly his father; any father who was even slightly reliable would certainly not support his son in chasing this grand dream. Now the obstacle was about to disappear; his father was about to be gone.

"Now I have finally found a clue. Although I wouldn't say it's a sure thing, I can give it a try. With the Tongtian White Jade Capital above, are you interested, sir?"

Although Tang Zhao had guessed long ago that he came for this, he was still very puzzled and said, "I already said, I'm not interested, right?"

Meng Huazhou said, "I know, you are not interested in the sword, but are you interested in the Xiancheng itself? Didn't you also hear the description of the Xiancheng earlier? It is a magical place with extremely rich treasures. Do you remember an immortal scene called Floating Dream Awakening?"

Tang Zhao thought carefully and said, "There is such a place, which says that one can have a great dream for seven days and seven nights inside, and upon waking, one is completely neither hungry nor thirsty, and feels refreshed."

If that were true, it might indeed be Sword Intent or Sword Art related to dreams, but Tang Zhao didn't care; he still had the Youxian Pillow in his hand.

"That Floating Dream Awakening, according to my uncle's research, can temper the Sword Heart, and can even allow people to break through the shackles of Sword Heart tempering."

"Hmm?"

Tang Zhao's eyes jumped, and he immediately said, "Just speculation."

Realizing the Sword Heart is the most important part of a Sword Guest's cultivation, and it is also the most private practice that cannot be shared with others. It can even be said that as a Sword Guest, your potential and upper limit depend entirely on the Sword Heart; that is something external forces cannot interfere with. Someone can help you, but no one can replace you. Otherwise, those great forces would have had Sword Heroes everywhere long ago.

Tang Zhao's method of cultivating the Sword Heart was just the technique he learned from the Land Inspection Division; he maintained the Sword Image for almost twelve hours, using light to create various illusions. His progress in the Sword Heart was very fast, and he often felt that his communication with the sword had made obvious progress, but to go further would require years of hard work.

As for using external forces to make a person's Sword Heart advance by leaps and bounds, or even improve their realm, forgive Tang Zhao for his shallow knowledge; he had never heard of it.

Perhaps the Tianwaitian where the Sword Immortals and Sword Saints reside has such means? But it wouldn't be the turn of ordinary people to use novel settings to paint a pie for him.

Meng Huazhou continued, "Even if tempering the Sword Heart isn't that magical, the Xiancheng has now collapsed, and it is filled with Sword Essence, which happens to be entangled by the sword's own sword threads, lingering for years. It was originally a blessed land for practicing Sword Essence. Moreover, there are other immortal scenes, each with its own wonders, which are of great benefit to Sword Guests..."

Tang Zhao shook his head and said, "You say these things on the premise that this is the Immortal Sword's cave dwelling. However, once you become a Sword Guest, the Sword Image will immediately be pushed to start over, the Xiancheng will dissipate, and where would those wonders still count?"

Meng Huazhou said, "I can take an oath that once we reach the Xiancheng, I will definitely not take the sword immediately, allowing you to practice to your heart's content, until..."

Halfway through, he saw Tang Zhao looking at him meaningfully, and he knew that even a fool wouldn't believe such an oath, so he said, "Actually, why do you care about me, sir? We are just traveling together on the road to the Xiancheng. Once we reach the Xiancheng, the goal has been achieved; you look for a place to practice, and I look for the treasure sword. You are stronger than me; if you don't want me to disturb you, you can naturally seize control of the Xiancheng. Are you, a Sword Guest, afraid that you can't snatch it from me? This is a matter that does you no harm and only benefits."

Tang Zhao was thoughtful—it was true; logically speaking, he was a Sword Guest and obviously stronger than Meng Huazhou. As long as he found the Xiancheng, he would definitely have the initiative. He could completely treat Meng Huazhou as a navigation tool and kill him after reaching the destination.

So, even a child knows this truth; how could Meng Huazhou dare to take the initiative to invite a Sword Guest to accompany him? Even if Tang Zhao looked more upright than the average Sword Guest, they had only met for a day, and they were still enemies, not friends; how could he trust him?

Unless... the other party had some trump card. He was certain that once they reached the Xiancheng, no matter what kind of Sword Guest Tang Zhao was, he would have no way to stop him from getting the sword. He could even easily kill him in return.

Interesting...

Tang Zhao remained calm and said, "When do you plan to go?"

Meng Huazhou said, "At the end of the year. Before the Spring Pillar of State."

Tang Zhao's heart stirred, and he said, "Isn't that in a couple of days?"

Wouldn't that be a time conflict?

Could it be that he was not the young master of Jingzhe Villa responsible for setting the test questions?

Meng Huazhou said, "Exactly. I have already arranged a team to search for the Xiancheng; they are my eyes and ears, and you are my privately invited companion. I will only share the harvest of the Xiancheng with you alone. Only the two of us know about this dream-like Secret Realm."

That matches up!

Tang Zhao almost laughed—although he had no intention of cheating, he had actually obtained the test questions in advance?

It seems this Meng Huazhou intends to use this opportunity of the Five Poisons Society's insect fight to set questions, letting the candidates of Jingzhe Villa look for the Xiancheng for him, and evaluating the winner based on how much effort they put in?

Serving both public and private interests, killing two birds with one stone; his plan was quite good.

The disadvantage is... the controllability is too poor.

You must know that finding the Xiancheng is a very slim hope. Even if he is well-prepared and has obtained enough clues, how much certainty is there to find it now, given the clues from a hundred years ago?

Thirty percent? Fifty percent? Seventy percent?

Once it cannot be found, and those fierce and vicious Five Poisons Society poisonous insects are gathered together, all in vain and without results, who knows what will happen? A mere Dharma Artifact might not be able to prevent the backlash of a swarm of insects.

Even if the Xiancheng is found, who knows what dangers are inside? If the whole army is wiped out, it would be one thing if he died himself, but if the candidates also died, the foundation of Jingzhe Villa and the Five Poisons Society would be destroyed in one fell swoop.

Young people are truly bold.

However... the foundation of the Five Poisons Society, let it be destroyed if it must.

"Since that's the case..." he thought to himself.

Meng Huazhou was overjoyed and looked at him with anticipation.

"I will not accompany you."

Meng Huazhou found it hard to believe and said, "But... the Sword Heart... and the Sword Essence... the opportunity for a Sword Hero."

Tang Zhao smiled and said, "Let me be blunt: I don't trust you. This might be an opportunity, or it might be a trap; opportunity and risk are intertwined, and one could gamble on it. But I am a person who never gambles. So, you should go ask someone else!" Having said that, he turned and walked away.

Meng Huazhou still found it inconceivable and said, "Such a good opportunity... do you really not regret it?"

Tang Zhao wore a half-smiling expression and said, "I am not only a person who doesn't gamble, but I also don't have regrets. I don't want to say it a second time. If you pester me again—don't blame me for being impolite."

Having said that, he turned and walked away, and in an instant, he had already vanished at the street corner.

He left Meng Huazhou behind, filled with shock and anger, punching the wall.

Actually... Tang Zhao was not truly not participating.

It was just that he needed to change his method.