Chapter 408

The burly, dark-skinned man had already started cursing on the spot. The grating sound of his insults made Yu Liang frown. Although he was also annoyed that the Lu family member had acted so unseemly, it did not mean he was willing to see the reputation of the noble clans damaged, so he spoke up: "Since you are peddling heterodox arts, even if you suffer this hardship, it is only natural. It is difficult for the yin spirits of ten thousand kalpas to enter the sagehood; it is better than not knowing life from death in the future and inviting even greater disaster. As for those of us from the noble clans..."

He looked coldly at Lu Qi, making Lu Qi's heart tighten.

Lu Qi secretly turned his head to look at Song Liulang, only to receive a signal from his eyes.

Yu Liang took this all in and knew that Lu Qi was acting under someone's direction. No wonder Zhou Yin had stood up so hurriedly. In this situation, it was difficult for him to handle the matter; after all, the family status of the Lujiang Zhou clan was not inferior to the Yu clan.

"Acting presumptuously, demote him by one rank in the pure critique!"

Yu Liang scolded, appearing as if he were impartial and incorruptible.

Qian Chen had already picked up the green bamboo. At this moment, he heard the old man on the stage gasp and slowly wake up. He struggled to rise; his hair had turned gray, and his face bore the look of death. Just by looking at the layer of decay rising on his face, one knew his remaining lifespan would not exceed three years.

No one could know how many thoughts flashed through the old man's mind at this moment. He only looked with grief at his terrified granddaughter below the stage and gasped: "It was I... who was presumptuous! To actually peddle my filthy arts at Master Xie's banquet, bringing this humiliation upon myself—I cannot blame anyone else!"

The look of supplication in the man's eyes made the burly man who had spoken for him unable to utter another word.

His lifespan was nearing its end, and he had offended the noble clans. As a man about to die, he feared nothing, but what would become of his young granddaughter?

The burly man shouted in frustration: "Frustrating! It truly makes me feel frustrated..."

When the parties involved all wanted to let the matter rest, what else could others say?

Yu Liang nodded slightly in his heart, secretly thinking that this man still had some self-awareness, and waved his hand: "Send him down to treat his injuries!" Everyone knew that the injuries could be healed with a dose of spirit elixir, but how could the loss of his origin and the depletion of his lifespan be compensated? At once, some sighed in secret, while others sneered and mocked.

The burly man roared: "You can endure it, but I cannot!"

He stomped a few steps onto the stage, pointed at the golden cup, and said: "It's just figuring out what's inside this thing, right! I want to give it a try." Yu Liang's expression was cold as he said: "Since you wish to try, then no matter what means you use, as long as you guess the most accurately, I shall present this grand prize on the spot!"

The burly man glared at the old man, took a deep breath, cleared his throat, and shouted, his pupils shrinking to the size of needle points in his bell-like eyes.

He leaned toward the golden cup and took a deep breath through his nose. Instantly, a great wind blew through the grand hall. His lungs seemed infinite, swelling high. As this breath was inhaled, a great wind swept through the Copper Sparrow Tower, and the curtains billowed inward.

"It smells like salt-baked!" the man shouted while holding his breath.

He twisted his fingers, which were as thick as rolling pins, and began to calculate in a professional manner. Below, Qian Chen let out a soft 'oh.' The burly man's method of divination was truly poor, but his technique was quite interesting; he actually inhaled the surrounding qi into his chest, then relied on instinct and intuition to find a wisp of relevant qi, and finally slowly analyzed it using the methods of heavenly secrets.

A flash of gloom crossed the eyes of the Zhou family's sixth son, and seeing this, he pinched a spell in his hand...

The Zhou family's mastery of heavenly secret divination was truly not bad. He cast a spell in secret, and the burly man's hand gestures began to drift toward irrelevant matters.

"Salt... chicken!"

After calculating for a long time, the man shouted: "I know! Inside is a salt-baked chicken leg!"

"Hahahaha..."

The noble clan disciples below burst into laughter, and even a few True Persons could not help but smile. Yu Liang waved his sleeve: "Nonsense, step down!"

The burly man stiffened his neck and said: "Whether I'm right or wrong, you have to show me!"

"You've already looked; what else is there for others to guess?" Wen Qiao said helplessly. He did not want to see the situation between the noble clan disciples and the commoner rogue cultivators reach such a point, with the atmosphere so tense.

"Step down!" he waved his hand helplessly.

At this moment, the Zhou family's sixth son rose leisurely and said: "Since he wants to see, let me have the final calculation!"

"It's the Zhou family's sixth son!"

"The Zhou family's mastery of heavenly secret divination is rarely matched in the world; they can always let those commoner rogue cultivators see the capabilities of our noble clans!"

"Those figures like frogs in a well, how could they know the height of heaven and earth?"

The handsome youth of the Zhou family, though his intentions were quite vicious, had a graceful appearance. His sleeves trailed clouds as he landed lightly before the True Persons, looking indescribably elegant and composed. Just his appearance made many rogue cultivators feel ashamed.

"It's just a small matter, yet it has caused you rogue cultivators to be so noisy..." the sixth son of Zhou swept his eyes across: "With such a temperament, how are you worthy of being ranked with us in the Jin Ling Grotto-Heaven? With such a perverse nature, how do you know you won't implicate us in the future?"

Yu Liang's gaze flickered, and he said peacefully: "It is but a game; the sixth son may try."

The Ear-Dao Spirit sucked on its index finger, looking at the girl whose eyes had already been cried into the shape of two peaches, and hesitated. It stood still for a long time before drilling into Qian Chen's ear, hiding its form, and whispering 'yi-yi'...

Qian Chen remained calm on the surface, only saying to the Ear-Dao Spirit: "You actually have some conscience, knowing to come and beg me. Don't worry, go ahead!"

The Ear-Dao Spirit flew in front of the girl and revealed its form. When the girl saw it, her eyes widened suddenly, and then her mouth puckered, about to sob again.

The Ear-Dao Spirit hurriedly flew into her ear and whispered something.

The Zhou family's sixth son came before the golden cup, tapped it lightly with his fan, and smiled: "What Master Lu wrote just now must be the character for 'plum'!"

The Lu family member stood up hurriedly and bowed: "What the noble brother says is correct, but my art of heavenly secrets could only calculate up to this point!"

"Although Master Lu's art of heavenly secrets is a bit shallow, his character is noble, and he does not hide his shortcomings; he certainly has self-awareness!"

A flying smoke shot from the sixth son of Zhou's sleeve, landing in the air and transforming into thousands of shapes. A golden Eight Trigrams rune appeared upon it, and profound Dao sounds followed the changes of the hexagram, appearing in everyone's hearts. The clouds and smoke gradually gathered, transforming into the shape of a plum, which fell into his palm. Only then did the sixth son of Zhou open his eyes and smile: "Uncle Yu, are you teasing us all with a single plum?"

Yu Liang smiled and nodded, saying to the person beside him: "The sixth son of Zhou truly has the style of the Zhou Lang of Jiangzuo from yesteryear. Such mastery of heavenly secrets is like an east wind from the past. Of the nine sons of the Zhou clan, this one is the best. With a cloud-like body and crane-like posture, a spirit heart containing Dao essence, and heavenly secrets in his grasp, the Great Dao is within reach!"

Zhou Yin smiled without a word, only stroking his beard incessantly.

Although the art of heavenly secrets is an external path, it can also open up a new path to comprehend the Great Dao. Moreover, those proficient in this path often have astonishing comprehension and are better at avoiding misfortune while seeking luck. If there are no accidents, such a person is certain to achieve the Yin Spirit realm.

With this son, the Zhou family need not fear the decline of their family status.

The sixth son of Zhou appeared calm and composed. The elders of the noble clans nodded incessantly, and the noble clan disciples below who were close to him were also cheering loudly.

He said proudly: "Inside the golden cup is a green plum from the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, pickled in salt juice at night and sun-dried by day. It was made through ten nights of soaking and ten days of sun-drying, then cellar-stored in a cold well for three years. Seven days ago, it was just taken out of the well... Uncle Yu, is there any error in what I have said?"

Yu Liang did not answer directly, but asked again: "Is there anyone else willing to try?"

The crowd below, whether noble or commoner, remained silent except for those cheering. With the sixth son of Zhou's determination, how could there be any error in the object inside the cup? To go up and guess wrong would naturally be a laughingstock, but if one wanted to guess correctly, what else could be said?

Someone sighed: "The sixth son of Zhou has already calculated everything! Who else can say anything? The champion of this round is certainly him... Why must Master Zhong Yi ask again?"

The rogue cultivators and immortal sect practitioners who were not of the noble clans all felt their hearts go cold, and their expressions were filled with frustration.

But having reached this point, even they had to admit they were convinced.

The Copper Sparrow Tower was silent for a moment. Just then, a weak voice came from below. A childish voice said timidly: "I... I haven't spoken for my grandfather yet!"

Everyone turned to look, only to see a young girl standing on tiptoe to climb onto a chair, her cheeks puffed out, crystal tears still remaining in her eyes. She looked at the True Persons on the stage, clearly showing great fear, yet she gathered her courage and said: "I want to speak for him!"

"This..." Yu Liang hesitated for a moment.

But the girl believed without a doubt what the little Ear-Dao Spirit had told her, and she said firmly, word by word: "Inside is a plum tree!"

Yu Liang sighed. He naturally knew the truth of the previous rights and wrongs, and at this moment, he could not help but feel a bit of remorse. But having reached his realm, such a slight movement of heart could no longer shake his will. He sighed slightly: "The old man did not actually employ the Pot-Heaven Art..."

"And a plum tree cannot be hidden inside the cup!"

Having said this, he had already made his decision in his heart. This farce could not be dragged out any longer. If it went on too long, even if the noble clans were stubborn, they would ultimately be in the wrong when facing this little girl. Entangling himself in this would bring no benefit.

Thus, he concluded: "In that case, the sixth son of Zhou has won the grand prize. Inside the golden cup is indeed a salt-plum I picked up at random!"

Wang Longxiang remained silent, but heard Qian Chen beside him making clicking sounds, and turned his head: "What is Brother Taibai eating?"

Qian Chen wiped the wine stains from the corner of his mouth and said vaguely: "Green plums to accompany wine, is it not a joy!"

He spat out the plum pit, rose to his full height, and amidst the praise for the sixth son of Zhou, said loudly: "Since the outcome is decided, why not open the golden cup and let us see?"

He broke the superficial harmony, making the atmosphere in the tower heavy once again. Everyone looked at him, their expressions ambiguous. Lu Qi said coldly: "What do you mean by this? Master Yu is an elder of this generation; would he deceive people for the sake of this matter?"

Yu Liang stared deeply at Qian Chen and said calmly: "This is but a small matter. Being able to resolve the Daoist friend's doubts also shows that we have no selfish motives!"

He reached out and pressed his hand on the golden cup, exhaling a hidden magic power that transformed into a scorching qi that severed all vitality. Whether it was a plum tree or a wood spirit inside, it was determined that nothing could survive.

Qian Chen did not wait for his answer, walking straight from his seat, holding his bamboo pole, and walking step by step toward the steps of the grand hall. Yu Liang lifted the golden cup at his side. Everyone craned their necks to look, only to see a touch of moving green beneath the golden cup, like a sprouting grass, carrying the first bit of vitality.

At this moment, everyone present widened their eyes, watching this scene without moving.

As this touch of green met the daylight, the trembling, grass-like seedling sprouted and grew rapidly.

In the blink of an eye, it shot up a foot high.

Zhou Yin's expression sank, and he said coldly: "Who is this Daoist friend, and why are you playing such a joke on us?"

Qian Chen did not answer, only following him step by step as he ascended the stairs. The plum seedling took root on the table, putting forth branches, and the fragrance of grass and wood wafted toward them. It was full of vitality, which was moving, but among all the Yin Spirit Venerables and Core Formation True Persons present, not one could show a relaxed expression.

When the roots of the plum tree struck toward the ground, the restrictions of the Copper Sparrow Tower finally activated. But no matter how the restriction's spiritual light surged—even if it were an artifact with perfect restrictions, it should have been squeezed out—the seemingly fragile roots remained firmly and unyieldingly rooted downward.

In just the time of a few dozen steps, the newly sprouted branches stretched out.

As if the scene were fast-forwarded hundreds of times, the plum tree on the table extended along the table legs to the ground, and the canopy rose to the height of two people. The green bark of the tree stem faded, revealing wood.

It was as if the scene from the shores of Nine Truths Lake in the past had reappeared.

The branches of the small plum tree gradually became gnarled and vigorous, and the trunk slowly spread its arms. The stretching canopy was like a crown, shrouding the grand hall and covering the main seat. As the branches and leaves fell, elegant white plum blossoms bloomed all over the tree.

A rain of flowers fell one after another, and for a moment, the hall was like the depths of winter, whipping up a thousand piles of snow.

True Person Zhou Yin's face twitched, his body leaning forward involuntarily, staring fixedly at Qian Chen, who was walking slowly toward him.

Yu Liang's face had turned cold, staring at Qian Chen, wondering what he was thinking.

For a moment, in the grand hall of the Copper Sparrow Tower, all the noble clan disciples were dumbfounded, looking in disbelief at Qian Chen, who was walking step by step toward the various True Persons and Venerables—what was he going to do? What was he doing? Was this person actually trying to provoke all the True Persons of the noble clans with his own strength?

Walking beneath the plum tree, Qian Chen held a piece of green bamboo as if it were a sword.

But no one present felt this scene was ridiculous...

"I am Li Taibai..." Qian Chen arrived beneath the plum tree, looked back, and said indifferently: "It seems the little girl guessed correctly. Inside the golden cup was indeed a plum tree!"

Before him, Wen Qiao sighed: "The Daoist friend truly has vast supernatural powers!"

The sixth son of Zhou's eyelids twitched slightly, his hands behind his back clenching into fists, turning deathly pale. At this moment, his shame and annoyance were indescribable, almost as if Qian Chen were grabbing his head and pressing it beneath his feet, his face stinging with pain. He hid his resentment, but his gaze still revealed a bone-deep intensity.

Qian Chen only regarded him as an ant.

At this time, the plum blossoms on the tree were topped by green plums that had grown gradually on the branches. The plums on the branches were green and tart, making one's mouth water.

Qian Chen raised his head, plucked one, and handed it to the old man who was clutching his chest, already completely dazed.

The old man subconsciously took the green plum and put it into his mouth. Instantly, an incomparably intense sourness made his vision blur, his mouth and nose puckered together, and something surged out from his nasal cavity. Accompanying this sourness, the exhaustion and soreness throughout his body, and the pain of his meridians being severed, all vanished suddenly. Opening his eyes again, he was astonished to find that he had no further ailments.

The old man stood up in great astonishment, suddenly feeling that the previous severe damage to his origin was like a dream.

Qian Chen picked up the mysterious turtle shell, looked at it twice, and shook his head, feeling that the old man had some problems with his aesthetics. To summon such a cute little girl and have her wear a green turtle shell on her head was inappropriate no matter how one looked at it. Lu Qi's face turned ashen. Seeing this scene, he suddenly lunged at Qian Chen and said sharply: "What kind of blinding trick have you used... daring to peddle it before all the seniors!"

Swish!

The green bamboo tapped his chest, and Lu Qi flew backward at a speed a hundred times faster than when he had lunged.

In an instant, he disappeared completely from Qian Chen's sight, flying all the way from the hall, out the hall door, and falling to some unknown place!