As everyone took their seats, after three rounds of wine and five flavors of dishes, there were also dancing girls performing lightly, accompanied by the sounds of silk and bamboo.
The guests at the table were Wu Piwu, King Kang, and Princess Yongfu Zhao Fobao.
Wu Piwu now knew the name of this little girl, Zhao Fobao.
This name evoked a certain sense of karmic connection within him.
It was not a matter of romantic fate; he had no such thoughts about such a young girl.
Instead, the name reminded him of the little mute girl.
The little mute girl had been adopted in a nunnery.
He did not know her specific background; either her parents had died, leaving her as an orphan to enter this secluded nunnery, or her parents could not support her and left her at the nunnery's door.
Regardless of the circumstances, she was connected to Buddhism.
And coincidentally, the Princess Yongfu was named Zhao Fobao.
At that moment, Zhao Gou, feeling a bit tipsy, began to talk about the tales of immortals and mentioned the immortal mountains overseas, intentionally or unintentionally bringing up one of the three immortal islands, Penglai.
Immortals, longevity, freedom...
Even in the modern twenty-first century, people's yearning for immortals had never disappeared, let alone during this ancient feudal superstitious period.
Moreover, the emperor, courtiers, and princes, who were unaware of the truth, had personally witnessed the grand illusion created by Chu Minghao.
If it weren't for Wu Piwu knowing the truth, he might have thought he truly encountered a Sword Immortal.
Thus, Zhao Gou genuinely believed in the existence of immortals and Penglai, swearing by the fifty-meter diameter, three-hundred-meter deep pit in the palace's grand training ground that he truly believed in the existence of immortals and Penglai.
Wu Piwu naturally understood Zhao Gou's intention in steering the conversation towards Penglai.
He glanced at Zhao Fobao, who was gazing at him with sparkling eyes.
When she noticed his gaze, she immediately shyly lowered her head.
To be serious, Zhao Fobao was quite beautiful.
Although she was still young, she was a beauty in the making, which was not in line with the little mute girl...
(Not necessarily; the little mute girl had long-term malnutrition, eating only coarse food, and her teeth were worn down.
For children, whether their teeth and gums were deformed greatly affected their appearance...
Only the eyes were truly identical.)
After looking at Zhao Fobao, Wu Piwu smiled and said to Zhao Gou, "Does King Kang want to know what Penglai is like?"
Zhao Gou was taken aback, and a look of surprise immediately appeared in his eyes.
However, he still suppressed this excitement and raised his cup to disguise it, saying, "How dare I, a mere mortal, pry into the world of immortals?"
Wu Piwu continued to smile and said, "Actually, there’s nothing to hide. It's just that mortals cannot enter Penglai. Speaking of the scenery inside is not a problem. However... since we are newcomers and have many things we do not understand, how about this? King Kang asks me a question about Penglai, and after I answer, I will ask King Kang a question about the Great Song, about Bianliang. Let’s be honest with each other, how does that sound?"
Zhao Gou was overjoyed.
He looked around; aside from the two eunuchs, the dancing girls and guards had exited the hall.
Only then did he clasp his hands and say, "I truly yearn for the world of immortals and am very curious. Even my twenty-sixth sister is curious about it, right? Yongfu."
The little girl’s face was still slightly flushed, and upon hearing this, she buried her head even lower but still obediently nodded slightly.
Zhao Gou laughed and said, "Since that’s the case, why don’t the immortals ask first?"
Wu Piwu shook his head and said, "What kind of immortal am I? Just call me Brother Wu. It’s better for King Kang to ask first."
Zhao Gou no longer declined and immediately asked, "Brother Wu, I have heard people say, and I have seen ancient texts, that there is a saying about chickens and dogs ascending to heaven. Is it true?"
Wu Piwu immediately nodded and said, "Indeed, in Penglai, let alone immortals, even mortals can fly to an altitude of ten thousand meters, and chickens and dogs can also fly up. This is without question."
Zhao Gou could hardly believe it and immediately asked, "Chickens and dogs can fly? Is there really such a thing as chickens and dogs ascending to heaven!?"
"Yes."
Wu Piwu said decisively, "It is indeed possible. I am not lying to you, and it’s not just about ascending to heaven; even the moon, uh, that is, the moon, the Guanghan Palace can be reached. Speaking of which..."
Wu Piwu looked at Xu Shilan and asked, "How long does it take to fly from Earth to the moon, carrying people and goods?"
Xu Shilan shot Wu Piwu an annoyed glance but still replied, "If it’s a special fast aircraft, it can reach in about a minute. If it’s a civilian aircraft, around three minutes."
Wu Piwu turned to Zhao Gou and said, "Did you hear that? From here to the Guanghan Palace, it takes at least a minute, at most three minutes."
Zhao Gou hesitated and asked, "What is this 'minute'?"
Wu Piwu realized and said, "A minute is sixty seconds, uh, that is, sixty breaths. So, from here to the Guanghan Palace, it takes at least sixty breaths, at most one hundred eighty breaths."
Zhao Gou was shocked, and so was Zhao Fobao.
The two eunuchs were also astonished, unable to believe it.
Zhao Gou swallowed hard, took a sip from his wine cup to mask his shock, and then quickly asked, "Is it really possible to travel to the North Sea in the morning and to Cangwu in the evening!?"
Wu Piwu looked at Xu Shilan again.
Xu Shilan helplessly said, "The fastest aircraft can circle the equator in about ten seconds without affecting stability and passengers. If flying from the South Pole to the North Pole, it also takes about ten seconds."
Wu Piwu turned to Zhao Gou and said, "About ten breaths is enough; it doesn’t take a whole day. Of course, if you want to play and have fun, then a day would be about right."
Zhao Gou swallowed several times, and even Zhao Fobao sitting beside him widened her sparkling eyes.
At that moment, the two royal siblings were profoundly shocked by the power of immortals (science).
Zhao Gou remained silent for at least ten seconds before coming back to his senses and immediately apologized, "Truly a method of immortals, truly a method of immortals. I have asked Brother Wu so many questions; Brother Wu may now freely ask me."
Wu Piwu smiled and said, "Just one question will do. My first question is, how old is this princess, Miss Zhao Fobao? Has she ever traveled far?"
Zhao Gou revealed a knowing smile, and even the two eunuchs behind him smiled.
Zhao Fobao directly buried her head on the table, trembling slightly.
Zhao Gou happily said, "This is my twenty-sixth sister, Princess Yongfu, aged fourteen, and she will come of age next year. She has not yet had a suitor."
Wu Piwu: "??"
He completely did not understand the meaning of "fourteen," but that did not prevent him from continuing to ask, "Has she ever traveled far?"
Zhao Gou immediately became serious and said, "My twenty-sixth sister has learned feminine virtues and needlework since childhood, dignified and elegant; how could she travel far?"
"Not that, I didn’t mean that."
Wu Piwu waved his hand and said, "What I mean is... let’s put it this way, I feel that Miss Zhao looks very familiar. It’s as if I have seen her somewhere else."
Zhao Gou secretly laughed, thinking it must be in the Buddhist temple, where you secretly peeped and caused the national master Guo Jing to be embarrassed.
However, he naturally could not say that.
Instead, he said, "Could it be a fated connection? So it feels like meeting an old friend?"
This meaning was already very clear, and Zhao Fobao could not help but tug at Zhao Gou's sleeve under the table.
No matter how dull Wu Piwu was, he naturally reacted at this moment.
He awkwardly said, "No, I didn’t mean... this... never mind, King Kang, please ask the next question."
Zhao Gou chuckled softly and continued to ask, "I wonder, in Penglai, what is the lifespan of mortals?"
Since there were chickens and dogs ascending to heaven, and there were three immortal disciples like Wu Piwu, it proved that not all beings in Penglai were immortals; there were also former mortals who had kin, and it was highly likely that they had multiplied over generations.
After Zhao Gou asked, he perked up his ears, and the two eunuchs were fully focused, even Zhao Fobao stopped being shy and perked up her ears.
Lifespan was always the greatest luxury for mortals.
Wu Piwu looked at Xu Shilan, who sighed and said, "Ordinary citizens have a lifespan of about eight hundred to one thousand two hundred years. Each higher level increases lifespan by about two thousand to three thousand years."
Zhao Gou, Zhao Fobao, and the two eunuchs all gaped in disbelief.
Zhao Gou immediately asked urgently, "Is it really so!?"
Xu Shilan showed no signs of exaggeration.
She candidly looked at the group and said, "Indeed, first-level citizens live eight hundred to one thousand two hundred years, second-level citizens increase lifespan by two thousand to three thousand years, and third-level citizens increase lifespan by four thousand to five thousand years."
Zhao Gou and the others were left speechless in shock.
As for the first, second, and third levels, although they sounded unfamiliar, it did not hinder their quick understanding.
After all, the hierarchical system was a universal value they were familiar with.
Even officials had ranks from the ninth to the first, and immortals, whether from Daoism or Buddhism, also had distinctions of strength and weakness.
Perhaps the kin of powerful immortals had higher ranks, while the kin of weaker immortals were just of lower ranks.
Zhao Gou could not help but ask, "What about the Sword Immortal who left earlier? What level is he, no, what grade?"
Xu Shilan could only answer, "Seventh grade."
"Seventh grade!? Isn’t that truly above ten thousand years!?"
In an instant, Zhao Gou and the others were not just shocked into silence; their worldview began to crack.
At this moment, Wu Piwu asked, "Then my question is coming, King Kang."
Zhao Gou immediately clasped his hands and said, "Wu Xianshi, no, Brother Wu, please ask."
Wu Piwu did not speak immediately.
He pondered his words in his mind before saying, "We three are traveling in the mortal world on the orders of our elders to cultivate our Dao hearts and to slay demons and eliminate evil. You are well aware of this, right?"
Zhao Gou nodded repeatedly, and Zhao Fobao looked at Wu Piwu with her sparkling eyes.
Wu Piwu even felt that stars seemed to be shining in her pupils.
Wu Piwu continued, "Although we have only recently entered the Central Plains, we know that there are some great evils in this world. Unfortunately, we cannot find the traces of these great evils, so we need the assistance of King Kang and His Majesty the Emperor."
This was a serious matter.
Zhao Gou immediately became serious and said, "On behalf of the immortal-mortal covenant of Brother Wu’s sect, how could we not help? How could we not obey?"
Wu Piwu nodded and said, "Then, we have heard that 'Zhe Ge Cai Sheng' is one of the three great evils in this world. Since we know of it, we must investigate and confront the various evils in this mortal realm. So..."
"Does King Kang know where the practitioners of this Zhe Ge Cai Sheng are? Is there a headquarters? Is there any influence?"
Zhao Gou's expression changed slightly.
He glanced at the two eunuchs behind him, who both lowered their heads slightly, but one of the eunuchs subtly stepped forward.
Seeing this, Zhao Gou felt more assured.
He whispered, "This is indeed a great evil in the world, and I happen to know that the location of Zhe Ge Cai Sheng is right here in the Upper Good Land of Bianliang City!"
"Gui Fan Tower, Wuyou Cave!"
(End of Chapter)