Chapter 500: The Fish Beauty

After Yu Liancheng left, Baiyu Square remained in silence, with only slightly stifled breathing sounds echoing continuously.

"I've watched quite a lively scene today; it was worth it for me to come, so I won't stay as a guest." A moment later, Cao Zhangqing laughed heartily and drifted away, carrying Jiang Si with him.

"The Liyang national fortune dissipates, Western Chu shall sing aloud. Haha, the stage has been set; you finish your act and I take the stage. In this play, can Liyang still have the last laugh? Everyone, just wait and see."

The civil and military officials were shocked, clearly having understood the subtext of Cao Guanzi.

The desire of Western Chu to restore its nation was as clear as day.

The ministers were dejected; today was supposed to be the time to establish the Prince, enfeoff the various kings, and demonstrate the powerful national strength of Liyang, yet they never expected it to end in such a manner.

Why provoke that Murong Tonghuang!? Wouldn't it have been better to just let him leave at the time!

An official glanced at the Zhao Family Emperor, and seeing the latter's face as dark as water and his gaze icy, he quickly looked away.

Upon learning that the Luck had been shattered, the Zhao Family Emperor's expression became extremely ugly.

For a country to continue its reign, it is inextricably linked to its national fortune.

To put it in the simplest terms, a prosperous national fortune means favorable weather for crops and a constant emergence of talented people.

Conversely, a declining national fortune inevitably leads to natural and man-made disasters, with rebels as numerous as clouds.

Added to this is the never-restful Western Chu and the gradually uncontrollable Edo; from now on, Liyang enters a season of many troubles.

"Your Majesty, let us continue the investiture ceremony," said the Chief Councilor Zhang Julu.

"Hmm." The Zhao Family Emperor's expression returned to normal; as for what he was thinking in his heart, that was unknown.

Half an hour later, the originally grand ceremony ended hastily, and the officials dispersed. The events that occurred in the Imperial Palace today also spread out accordingly.

The ceremony to enfeoff the Prince was originally the most eye-catching event in the Capital.

Everyone was guessing whether that Cao Zhangqing, who entered the Imperial Palace three times as if walking through a corridor, would appear.

Cao Zhangqing is dashing and unrestrained, and carries a tragic color, so even though he has always been at odds with the Liyang Imperial Court, he has always been very popular among the common people.

Yet, no one expected that not only did Cao Guanzi appear with the Western Chu Princess Jiang Si, but even the forgotten Heavenly Human from four hundred years ago and the World's Second, Wang Xianzhi, also appeared.

The most critical point was that Murong Tonghuang also appeared.

Then, in a muddled fashion, a fight broke out; naturally, the Murong Twin Leaders held the upper hand.

It is said that not only did he defeat all the experts of the Liyang Imperial Court, but he also flicked out a strand of True Dragon Qi, which even collapsed the Wuying Hall where the court discussed politics.

That fellow, that momentum, that dominance... it simply goes without saying.

It is said that when this news reached the ears of a certain playboy Prince of Beiliang, this Prince slapped his thigh and came out with a catchphrase he hadn't mentioned in a long time: "This is a technical job, no way to reward it."

After this battle, two different views emerged regarding this Murong Twin Leader who is very famous among the people.

Some believe he is rebellious and lawless, and should have his nine generations wiped out. Others believe he does not fear the powerful, laughs at princes and nobles, and possesses a unique dashing and unrestrained air.

Of course, only high-ranking court officials like Zhang Julu and Gu Jiantang or royal relatives dare to say the former.

If it were anyone else, they might be in for bad luck.

As a peerless figure who exclusively tops the Martial Evaluation and the Rouge List, coupled with his stunning appearance at Mawei Station where he chatted and laughed with the ladies without the slightest airs, Murong Tonghuang has made a large group of women in the Capital his loyal followers.

If they hear others speaking ill of Murong Tonghuang, they inevitably teach them a lesson.

Previously, a playboy in a brothel, wanting to show off, made shocking remarks and desperately belittled Murong Tonghuang with lewd language.

As a result, that very night he was hung naked on a tree, blowing in the wind and snow all night. When he was discovered the next day, he was almost frozen into an icicle and lost half his life. Later, when he went to the brothel again, no top courtesan was willing to receive him; he was forcibly kicked out of the brothel and didn't even dare to lose his temper.

The number of this women's army is truly not small; among them are both the golden branches and jade leaves from the families of high-ranking court officials, and heroines and immortals wandering the Edo. Whoever provokes them shouldn't expect an easy time.

In addition, the discussion regarding Murong Tonghuang's whereabouts is also quite heated.

Some think he has already left the Capital; after all, having offended the Imperial Court like this, and this being Taian City, isn't he afraid the Emperor will be furious and directly summon a hundred thousand troops to surround and attack him? Some think he is still in the Capital and even claim to have seen him with their own eyes, describing it in vivid detail. But when the women's army went to confront them, after some interrogation, they found out it was just a lie for attention, and they got a good beating.

However, Murong Tonghuang is indeed in Taian City.

In a mutton restaurant called "Jiujiu Guan".

A few days ago, Xu Weixiong brought Murong Tonghuang, his sister, and Li Baishi to Jiujiu Guan to eat mutton, fulfilling the promise made before the Imperial Palace.

The taste of the mutton here is indeed good, not fishy or gamey, so later Yu Liancheng came several more times.

Many carriages that looked extremely expensive were parked outside Jiujiu Guan; just looking at the setup made one feel that this wasn't a restaurant for shabu-shabu, but a brothel or gambling den where one throws away thousands of gold.

The plaque of Jiujiu Guan was written by the old Fuzi Song; it isn't big, only one floor, with only a dozen or so tables.

The restaurant is full of hidden talents, and no commoners come and go. There are elderly men in their sixties with a strong air of officialdom, young men who have the words "playboy" plastered on their faces, and some sturdy men with a rich aura of the wild.

Looking at them, none are easy to provoke.

Being able to open such a restaurant, the proprietress here is naturally no ordinary person, and her backing is beyond imagination.

It's just that the proprietress cannot be considered a stunning beauty, so Yu Liancheng had no thoughts of further exploration.

Unlike others who call friends and companions to their tables, Yu Liancheng came alone, appearing solitary.

In fact, Murong Wuzhu and Li Baishi also wanted to come, but he chased them back.

Because he invited someone.

"Heh, kid, you're looking for me?"

The person Yu Liancheng wanted to invite arrived; it was a very old man with a foul face, and there were bruises on his face, as if he had been beaten by someone not long ago.

This is none other than Huang Sanjia, who had been beaten up twice by Yu Liancheng. For him to look at Yu Liancheng with a good expression would be a strange thing indeed.

Yu Liancheng chuckled, his smile rarely carrying a bit of obsequiousness, and said, "Yo, Old Huang is here, please sit, please sit."

Huang Sanjia snorted coldly, sat down with a cold face, picked up his chopsticks to taste the mutton, and nodded slightly.

Yu Liancheng put down his chopsticks, smilingly sized the other party up twice, and said something shocking: "You look like you're about to die."

Huang Longshi snorted coldly again, but did not deny it; he indeed didn't have much life left.

"You have always been one to calculate ten steps, a hundred steps, for every move you make..." Yu Liancheng smiled, "So presumably you must have calculated the upcoming great war between Beimang and Beiliang, as well as the chaos in the Central Plains. And you must have also chosen a new master for the Central Plains. If I am not mistaken, you chose the Yanchi King's Prince, Zhao Zhu; the Beimang National Master Yuan Qingshan and Nalan Youci both value this person highly."

Huang Longshi's gaze finally revealed a look of astonishment; he looked up at him, was silent for a long while, and said, "What exactly do you want by asking me to come here?"

"Actually, I have also chosen a person; would you like to guess who?" Yu Liancheng smiled.

Huang Longshi answered without a second thought: "If it is not Jiang Si of Western Chu, then it is Xu Weixiong of Beiliang."

"You guessed right; I'll reward you by letting you pay for today's mutton," Yu Liancheng said, clapping his hands in admiration.

Huang Longshi rolled his eyes, lacking the demeanor of a master, and replied coldly: "I have no money, not even a single copper coin. To be honest, the whole family of that cripple Xu is stubborn; I am very surprised you could persuade Xu Weixiong to become the Female Emperor."

Yu Liancheng said: "Are you interested in changing your betting target and investing in my dark horse? I guarantee you will make a fortune."

"Not interested."

"Oh?" Divine light flickered in Yu Liancheng's eyes, and his voice became increasingly resonant, though only Huang Longshi could hear it.

"Do you not wish to witness true, eternal peace? Do you not want this world to have more scholars? Do you not want to sever the connection between the human world and the heavens? Do you not want the world to be free of class barriers and distinctions between noble and base, where everyone can create a career based on their own strength?"

His words seemed to possess a stirring power, capable of changing the color of the heavens and earth, making the morning sun rise and shine with ten thousand rays of light.

"I know you have many hidden moves. Come, give all your hidden moves to Xu Weixiong. She will realize your ideas, she will open an era of eternal peace, and she will give the scholars of the world a chance. As for me, I will sever the connection between the heavens and the human world, so that those self-righteous fellows in the heavens will never again dare to descend at will to stage their boring games of 'you step down, I take the stage'."

Huang Sanjia was silent for a moment, put down his chopsticks, and stared straight at Yu Liancheng with his turbid eyes: "Murong Tonghuang, you know a lot?! You understand my thoughts very well?!"

Yu Liancheng shrugged: "Perhaps because I am also a Book Flipper who accidentally fell into the book."

Huang Longshi's body shook, his gaze even more astonished.

After a long while, he stood up abruptly and let out a cold laugh: "I will consider the matter of Xu Weixiong carefully. As for you, stop talking big. Wang Xianzhi plus Gao Shulu is enough to give you a hard time; wait until you aren't dead by next year's Qingming Festival before you talk about doing things no one has done before."

Having walked only a few steps, Huang Longshi stopped again: "By the way, a Demon is about to be born in the Western Regions. How you solve it is up to you. You are the Murong Twin Leaders now, hehehe."

Yu Liancheng strode to catch up with Huang Longshi and gave him a kick on the backside: "Stop putting on airs in front of me."

Huang Longshi left limping, glaring fiercely at Yu Liancheng before he left, and took the two most expensive pots of wine, charging them all to Murong Tonghuang.

Facing these Murong Twin Leaders whom he could neither defeat nor outmaneuver, Huang Longshi felt a sense of satisfaction from this small revenge.

Yu Liancheng did not notice Huang Longshi's little trick, but was thoughtful about the words left behind before he departed: "A Demon born in the Western Regions? Hehe, then let it come to participate in this martial arts grand event during the Qingming Festival. I will also teach the people of the world what the true number one in the world is."

……

The sun set behind the western hills.

On the summit of Lantuo Mountain, a mud hut that had served as a self-imposed prison for nearly forty years suddenly showed a trace of loosening.

In an instant, the mud hut hummed and trembled, cracks spread all over it, and golden light shot out from the fissures. As the mud continuously peeled away, a brilliant, indestructible golden body was revealed.

At this moment, Lantuo Mountain suddenly resounded with the chanting of scriptures, and the mountain's presence appeared even more majestic and solemn amidst the chanting.

The mud fell away completely, and inside was not a Vajra, but a withered and emaciated old monk, skin and bones, his divine spirit withered and decayed, looking as if he were already buried up to his eyebrows in yellow earth.

The withered old monk sat cross-legged, his brows tightly furrowed.

He had forgotten who he was, where he was going, and whom he had seen... After a long while, he exhaled a breath of turbid air, and a dry voice sounded.

"Liu..."

Although it was only one sound, it echoed endlessly.

Soon, two more words echoed on the summit: "Songtao."

The old monk smiled brilliantly: "Liu Songtao."

He was Liu Songtao.

After remembering his name, Liu Songtao did not move immediately, but continued to ponder.

In a flash, an image suddenly appeared in his mind.

A man in black clothes held a wine pot, tilted his head and drank twice, seemingly with a bit of drunkenness, yet he was as elegant as jade and as precious as gold, dashing beyond compare.

Although this monk called Liu Songtao had not fully recovered his memory, he could be certain that among all the people he had ever seen, there was no one with such peerless grace.

The young man in black chanted: "The Qingming season brings drizzling rain, the traveler on the road is heartbroken. May I ask where a friend can be found? At Huishan, Kou Zhi Duan Chang Sheng."

Liu Songtao's spirit lifted.

He stood up and walked down the mountain.

The Edo soon learned that there was a mad monk in the Western Regions, traveling east all the way, chanting and singing in a way that seemed like neither. What he chanted was a poem related to Qingming, and what he sang was the Song of Uselessness.

"Heaven and earth are useless, they do not enter my eyes. The sun and moon are useless, they cannot be together. Kunlun is useless, it does not come to me. Compassion is useless, it is hypocritical. Purity is useless, my sleeves are empty..."

……

Shangyin Academy was deep and beautiful, but many people did not know that this Shangyin Academy, which had spanned thousands of years, had always been a private school. Even though there had been no lack of ambitious and brilliant rulers throughout the ages who had used some small tricks, none had ever succeeded in interfering with Shangyin Academy.

Although the Liyang Dynasty had fostered the Imperial College and the Yao Family School to contend with Shangyin Academy, hoping to create a tripartite balance of power in the scholarly world, even with the Imperial Court using the means of imperial examinations to assist, Shangyin Academy remained the undisputed leader of the literary world.

Some time ago, a female libationer came to the academy to teach music, and the students called her Teacher Yu.

Unlike many teachers who had few visitors, this Teacher Yu was proficient in music, taught with great skill, and explained profound things in simple terms; she was not someone who sought fame and reputation.

It was rumored that her father was a pillar of talent from Shangyin Academy, and her mother was a sword servant highly esteemed by the late emperor of Western Chu. Coupled with her own talent and beauty, which were as clear as water and as beautiful as a lotus, countless students had been pining for her day and night over the past two years, so intoxicated by her. It was a pity that she was a cold beauty, and no one had ever heard of her favoring any student or teacher.

A gentle, lingering new snow arrived unexpectedly. The snowflakes were not large, much more pleasant than the magnificent, goose-feather snow of early winter.

Teacher Yu said she wanted to enjoy the snow and suspended classes for the day.

On the exquisite Fozhang Lake, there was a pavilion.

In the pavilion sat a plump woman holding a white cat.

Her appearance was charming and enchanting, her figure was graceful and plump, yet her temperament was cold and distant, which only made people more inclined to want to conquer her.

The woman was wrapped in a white fox fur coat worth a thousand pieces of gold. The slightly bloated white cat lay lazily in the fur on her chest, yawning, looking adorable and making many people envious.

—It was precisely Teacher Yu, Yu Xuanji.

"Teacher Yu, at noon, Libationer Zhang is inviting all the teaching masters to a small gathering at Baixue Tower. They are eating Black Mountain White Sheep from outside the mountains, and he asked me to invite you."

A comfortable voice that naturally brought warmth to women sounded. The speaker was a young man with a face like jade, a long sword hanging at his waist, and a smile as warm as the spring breeze.

This person was called Qi Shence. He was from the former Western Chu, his family background was quite prominent, and when he was young, he was personally praised by the National Master of Western Chu as a child prodigy. Everyone at Shangyin Academy knew that he was determined to win over Teacher Yu, who was also from Western Chu, and everyone was happy to see it, secretly praising them as a talented man and a beautiful woman, a perfect match.

"Many thanks for Libationer Zhang's kindness, but I have already made an appointment with someone, I am truly sorry." The woman in the fox fur gave a polite smile, yet it still appeared somewhat indifferent and distant.

"Oh, I wonder who could invite Teacher Yu?" Qi Shence was slightly stunned.

The woman in the fox fur looked toward the lake with her beautiful eyes and gave an irrelevant answer: "He should be here soon."

Outside the pavilion, seven or eight young children were playing and frolicking. Among them, a little girl with pigtails was the most dazzling, hitting several other children of the same age with snowballs until they wailed. The girl stood with her hands on her hips, looking around aggressively, with the air of a heroine who was invincible and lonely in the world.

Then, with a very pretentious air, she said, "Life is truly as lonely as snow."

"Wrong, wrong." A clear, bright voice rang out.

The little girl turned her head and saw that a young man in black had appeared beside her at some unknown moment.

The girl rubbed her eyes, feeling that this stranger looked somewhat hazy and indistinct, yet one thing was beyond doubt.

That was that he was truly handsome.

The guy named Qi Shence was incredibly full of himself and a real nuisance, but he did indeed have a good appearance. Yet, compared to the man in black before her, he was a hundred and eight thousand li behind.

The little girl had intended to twist the corner of her clothes and imitate the graceful smiles from storybooks, but as soon as she recalled what the other party had just said, her competitive spirit surged, and all thoughts of grace were cast to the back of her mind. She glared and said, "Wrong? How is it wrong?! And who are you? By what right do you come to Fozhang Lake?"

The young man in black laughed: "The posture and tone you used for that sentence were both incorrect. If it were said by a friend of mine named Ximen Chuixue, that would be the true 'lonely as snow'."

"Hmph, I don't believe it," the little girl said, pouting.

"I shall imitate my friend; watch closely." The young man in black put his hands behind his back, his facial expression fading away. His whole person suddenly carried a desolate killing intent, as if he had transformed into the perennial white snow atop Kunlun Shan—flawless and immaculate. Just one look at him made a chill involuntarily rise from one's heart, turning cold all the way to the fingertips.

Then, only hearing him use an extremely desolate and lonely tone, he said slowly: "Life, is truly as lonely as snow."

At this moment, the little girl with pigtails was completely stunned. After a long while, she lowered her head and said unwillingly: "I lost, I lost completely and utterly."

"Good girl, you still have potential; just learn more in the future," the young man in black comforted her.

The little girl raised her head again and questioned: "Right, who exactly are you? Fozhang Lake does not allow ordinary students to enter; be careful or I'll spank you."

"It would be more like me spanking you."

The young man in black reached out and ruffled the little girl's pigtails into a mess, and amidst her murderous glare, he turned and walked step by step toward the pavilion.

"Who are you? Why have I never seen you? This place is a restricted area of Shangyin Academy and outsiders are not allowed to enter. Please leave at once." Qi Shence frowned; for some reason, a powerful sense of crisis suddenly arose in his heart.

Unfortunately, the young man in black ignored him entirely. He simply stood not far from Yu Youwei, looked down at the white cat—or perhaps at that mound of undulating peaks that could not be hidden—and said with a smile: "What a cute cat, may I hold its owner?"

The Courtesan Yu smiled and nodded.

What a brilliant smile that was; it was like a frozen river thawing and a hundred flowers blooming—a beautiful sight Qi Shence had never seen before.

Then, the young man in black reached out, grabbed the white cat from the Courtesan Yu's chest, tossed it onto the ground amidst Wumeiniang's dissatisfied cries, and pulled the plump beauty in fox fur into his arms, whispering: "Did you miss me?"

A trace of a blush appeared on the Courtesan Yu's fair cheeks as she whispered softly: "I did."

The young man in black said: "What a coincidence, I missed you too."

Qi Shence clutched his chest and retreated several steps in succession.

He realized in a trance who it was that Yu Youwei had been waiting for.

PS: Eight thousand completed, begging for monthly votes.