The blind old Daoist fortune teller, unaware that there were two people before him, chuckled and said:
"Young master, this is a very good and auspicious fate, indeed very fortunate."
The spirited and naturally noble young man smiled and replied, "But, old Daoist, there are two people in front of your table. I wonder whose fate you have divined?"
The old Daoist was momentarily flustered and said, "Ah? Two people?"
The blind elder was at a loss: "This, this..."
The young man laughed, saying, "However, your divination is quite interesting. The divination symbols are merely to seek good fortune. Is our destiny truly predetermined by heaven?"
"If one truly believes in this fate and is governed by these symbols, then they are indeed controlled by them."
She took out a silver coin from her sleeve and placed it on the table. The old Daoist, feeling the silver, was overjoyed and repeatedly thanked her, uttering auspicious words.
The young man turned around gracefully and looked at Li Guanyi.
With sharp and handsome features, a crimson vertical mark on his brow, and skin as white as jade, he exuded an air of elegance.
He extended his hand in invitation and smiled, "This brother, do you have some leisure time? The spring scenery is delightful; why not enjoy it together?"
Seeing the young man's extraordinary appearance, as if a Qingluan bird was singing with a phoenix, Li Guanyi thought for a moment and replied:
"Then I shall respectfully comply."
The young man with phoenix-like eyes laughed heartily, "Good, please."
He and Li Guanyi went to a pavilion within the Daoist temple, elevated enough to overlook the spring scenery of the temple. Inside, many Daoists and Apothecaries were concocting medicines. Li Guanyi asked a Daoist and learned that during this period, the emperor was constructing a pleasure market to the east of the city and had also built a palace there.
They had mobilized two hundred thousand laborers.
Many people were injured and could not afford medicine, so the Daoists went to gather herbs to treat them.
Li Zhaowen smiled and said, "I am from the Chen Kingdom, the second son in my family. You may call me Erlang directly. May I ask your esteemed surname?"
Li Guanyi replied, "My surname is Li."
The young man did not pursue the inquiry further, as they were merely strangers meeting by chance.
The beautiful girl accompanying him soon brought tea and snacks. Beside the stone table was a small clay stove, heating water to brew tea. When Li Guanyi took a sip, he was slightly taken aback, noticing a change in the young man's gaze. His heart's bronze cauldron emitted a faint whistle.
He was actually beginning to accumulate Jade Liquid!
The young man's cultivation level was higher than his.
However, the speed of accumulating Jade Liquid was not fast.
He was likely not on par with contemporary heroes like Yue Qianfeng or Xue Daoyong.
Yet, considering his age, he was about the same as Li Guanyi, yet possessed such cultivation. Thinking back to the Iron Le youth he had just met, Li Guanyi couldn't help but sigh inwardly at the multitude of heroes in the world!
He just didn't know what kind of enhancement would come from accumulating Jade Liquid?
If he could smoothly break through to the second floor, that would be best.
However, before breaking through to the second floor, it would be best to let the Four Symbols Dharma Images rotate freely, completely achieving the state of [Muddy Origin Boundless]. Li Guanyi suddenly thought that if this place gathered the heroes of the world, then encountering beings with Dharma Images would surely be numerous?
Even if this bronze cauldron was picky now.
Among so many beings with Dharma Images, there must be a few who could absorb Jade Liquid and imprint their Dharma Images, right?
Li Guanyi suddenly felt that this was like watching the grand festival of the Chen Kingdom, which suddenly burst forth with a light akin to opening a treasure chest. Those various heroes and champions of the world suddenly radiated an alluring golden light, shining brilliantly.
Danger and opportunity coexisted.
He sighed inwardly.
Li Guanyi and the young man, who called himself Chen Guo Zhou Jun Erlang, found a great rapport and chatted happily. Initially, they discussed the grand festival of the Chen Kingdom and the spring scenery. However, after a short while, the young man suddenly shifted the topic, holding a folding fan, gazing outside, and sighed:
"Now that the Tuyuhun has perished, the grand festival of the Chen Kingdom has attracted heroes and nobles from all over."
"There will be great competition and negotiations between the Ying Kingdom and the Chen Kingdom, even with the Turks, to carve up the world. However, although I am also from Jiangnan, I have never been to Jiangzhou City before. Today, upon arriving here, I realize the prosperity of the Chen Kingdom. Jiangnan is flourishing, and its reputation is well-deserved, with scholars and literati standing out in the world."
"Indeed, it is a great nation of the world!"
"With the tiger crouching in Jiangdong, gazing at the world!"
Changsun Wugou listened to the young man’s serious ramblings and couldn’t help but chuckle.
Li Zhaowen spoke from the heart and then asked with a smile:
"What does this brother think of the future of the world? How will our great Chen fare?"
"The Ying Kingdom is rough, the Turks are rude, and the Chen Kingdom occupies the cultural vein of Jiangnan, now expanding its territory by over three hundred miles. The emperor is called a sage and a heavenly son, a wise ruler."
"The Chen Kingdom has not silenced the voices of the common people, and there is no history of punishment for speaking out."
Li Guanyi looked at the young man.
This style of quickly shifting to the grand trends of the world after just a few words gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity. He thought for a moment and replied, "It cannot be said."
Li Zhaowen said, "Today, it is just you and me, merely chatting."
Li Guanyi pondered, took a sip of tea, and then replied:
"When Erlang came to Jiangzhou City, did you see the post stations along the way, the common people on the road, and the Buddhist and Daoist singers? To summon the common people from five hundred miles to present food, and to mobilize two hundred thousand laborers to build a palace, such a ruler is too distant from the common people."
He recited a passage from Mencius, saying: "If the ruler treats his ministers as hands and feet, then the ministers will treat the ruler as their heart; if the ruler treats his ministers as dogs and horses, then the ministers will treat the ruler as a commoner; if the ruler treats his ministers as dirt and weeds, then the ministers will treat the ruler as an enemy. Now that the ruler treats people as dogs and horses, how will the common people of the Chen Kingdom view him?"
When Li Erlang recited this, he instinctively straightened his back and then said solemnly:
"If the ruler treats his ministers as dogs and horses, then the ministers will treat the ruler as a commoner. Good, good."
"This statement of yours is worth three cups of wine, but unfortunately, there is only tea and no wine here."
"However, what should be done?"
Li Guanyi thought to himself that he did not understand such a ruler-minister relationship.
After rummaging through his mind for the most suitable answer, he said:
"The people are like water; the ruler is like a boat."
"Water can carry a boat."
"It can also capsize it."
Li Zhaowen's eyes lit up, and he clapped and laughed, "Good, good!" She felt that the young man before her resonated deeply with her. The thoughts she had only vaguely conceived were suddenly articulated by him, making her even more delighted. She then engaged Li Guanyi in a discussion about the world, growing increasingly fond of him.
She felt that sometimes Li Guanyi seemed not to have read many classics.
But more often, he had sharp insights, his thoughts elusive yet possessing a certain logic, making her clap in admiration. The two conversed for over an hour, still reluctant to part.
Until a young Daoist hurriedly approached, finding Li Guanyi and saying that Master Zhu Wenyuan was free.
He invited Li Guanyi to sit inside the temple for a while. Li Zhaowen stood to see him off. Noticing Li Guanyi's simple attire, she suddenly smiled, reached out, and pulled the young man. Li Guanyi paused, feeling the warm and delicate touch of her hand. The young man smiled and gently pulled him over.
With his other hand, he directly reached to his side, took off a jade pendant from his waist, and placed it in Li Guanyi's palm, allowing him to grasp the precious jade. With a smile on her face, Li Zhaowen said:
"A gentleman is like jade."
"You are a rare talent in the world, yet you lack a jade pendant. Since we hit it off, this piece of jade is not bad, so I will gift it to you!"
Li Guanyi saw that the jade was clear and transparent, evidently valuable, and declined, saying, "This is too precious." However, Li Zhaowen simply replied, "Since ancient times, famous swords belong to heroes, and precious jade belongs to gentlemen. Since I have met a gentleman, why should I not be pleased? This jade pendant is a blessing for you, so there is no need to refuse."
She held Li Guanyi's hand, placing the jade pendant carefully, and squeezed the young man's hand tightly.
With a spirited demeanor.
"You and I shall meet again someday."
"When that time comes, we must talk all night long, not returning until we are drunk."
When Li Zhaowen withdrew her hand, Li Guanyi felt an odd sensation.
The young man's hand was warm, even more so than the exquisite jade in his hand, as if compared to his delicate hand, this piece of jade had become a mere stone.
Li Guanyi looked at the young man before him, whose skin was as white as jade, with slightly raised black hair at the temples and spirited phoenix eyes, feeling a chill in his heart.
He kicked away this inexplicable thought.
Calming his expression, he replied, "Then, we shall meet again."
Li Zhaowen paused, ultimately being a young person wanting to showcase his identity, smiled and said:
"Don't you want to ask what my name is?"
Li Guanyi guessed that the young man before him came from an extraordinary background, yet he deliberately avoided the topic.
He merely tossed the jade pendant lightly and smiled, saying:
"We are all wanderers in this world; why must we have known each other before?"
"Erlang, you are being too serious."
Thus, Li Zhaowen was stunned, feeling even more delighted towards the young man before her.
She laughed heartily and said:
"You are a wonderful person!"
"Good, the next time we meet, you must tell me your name!"
She turned gracefully, waved her hand, and laughed aloud:
"Today, I gift you a jade pendant with dual hanging pearls!"
"On the day we meet again, your name as a gentleman shall enter my ears!"
These two lines of carefree demeanor and grace left a good impression. Li Guanyi cupped his hands in salute and followed the young Daoist away. The young Daoist looked at the jade pendant in the young man's hand and couldn’t help but say, "Such a precious jade, among the incense offerings in our Daoist temple, there are not many who can wear it."
Li Guanyi smiled and said, "It seems my words are worth something."
The Daoist looked at him, thought for a moment, and said:
"My master says, 'The words of scholars are like swords of warriors, a fire in chaotic times.'"
"Sir, you possess both qualities."
After Li Guanyi walked far away, Changsun Wugou said, "That jade pendant was personally bestowed upon you by the Emperor of the Central Plains when you were three years old, Erlang. You just gave it away?"
Li Zhaowen feigned ignorance, saying, "Ah? Is that the one? I forgot."
Seeing Changsun Wugou looking at her with displeasure, she finally laughed and said:
"What is a jade pendant? It is merely an inanimate object!"
"If I can gain such a talent, I would be willing to give him an entire white jade wall; he is truly a rare genius." The young girl turned, drank several cups of tea to calm her emotions, raised her cup, and said excitedly, "Such a great talent, when I return, I must inquire about him."
"If he is from a good family, I would spend a fortune to win him over."
"If that doesn’t work, I will even abduct him!"
"I will take him to Longxi!"
"Whatever he wants, I will give him!"
Changsun Wugou chuckled, pouring her more tea, and said:
"Didn’t you say you wanted to meet that Li Guanyi from the Xue family?"
"Erlang, have you changed your mind so quickly?"
Li Zhaowen raised her eyebrows and said, "That Brother Li wants to meet, and this Brother Li also wants to meet."
"The stars in the sky have their left and right assistants."
"There are so many talents in the world; can’t they all come under my banner?!"
"What kind of reasoning is this?"
She laughed again, saying, "Moreover, I just mentioned the prosperity of Jiangnan culture; it is not empty words. With a Li Guanyi from the Xue family in Jiangzhou and this brother, having these two is already a sign that Jiangnan's cultural atmosphere is rising. This shows that the Chen Kingdom has fortune."
"Only it is a pity that having such a person, yet not knowing or being able to use him."
The young girl examined the cup in her hand and tossed it onto the table, saying:
"The ruler of the Chen Kingdom is merely like a withered bone in a tomb."
………………
Li Guanyi was led through layers of pine and cypress and met Master Zhu Wenyuan in the Daoist temple. The elder still appeared elegant but seemed to carry a hint of fatigue, evidently, the pressure of deducing the grand festival's formation was not light for him.
However, upon seeing Li Guanyi arrive, Master Zhu Wenyuan perked up and invited him to sit down.
Then he personally poured him a cup of tea, smiling as he said, "I heard that the Xue family's carriage arrived today, so I guessed you would be coming soon. I thought today would be uneventful, but someone from the palace came just now, and I had no choice but to spend quite a bit of effort."
"I kept you waiting for a long time."
Li Guanyi realized that the elder's earlier absence was not due to deducing the grand festival's formation.
But for other reasons.
However, this reason could not be disclosed to the young Daoist, so the Daoist told Li Guanyi it was about the grand festival formation diagram.
The elder chatted with him for a while, discussing the Xue family, the grand festival, and the many visitors. Finally, he looked at Li Guanyi and smiled, saying, "Since you have come here, I assume you are willing to learn this divination and study the [Supreme Extreme World-Transforming Book]."
Li Guanyi knew this was getting to the main topic and replied, "Yes."
The young man had already thought this through when he came, setting down the tea cup, and was about to bow to become a disciple. Master Zhu Wenyuan, however, extended his hand to support him, chuckling helplessly, "You child, why are you so quick in your actions?"
"Although I wish to accept you, and even had high hopes before meeting you, after seeing you, I changed my mind."
The elder looked at the young man before him and sighed, then softly said:
"Someone like you, with worldly ties still unbroken, is too burdened by the mortal realm and is not suited for monastic life."
"But do not show such an expression; since I have allowed you to come, I will still impart the [Supreme Extreme World-Transforming Book] to you. Although it is not a master’s secret skill from the martial world, it can calculate many changes... If you can learn it, you will be able to grasp the martial arts of the world at your fingertips."
"Not being confined to the changes of techniques will also resolve your cultivation issues."
"Of course, if you want to learn, it will take considerable time."
"You will come here for an hour each day, and I will teach you slowly. Today, I will first impart the introductory part to you..."
The elder led Li Guanyi to a quiet room. Upon seeing the scrolls on the table filled with complex numbers, trajectories, and dense writing, Li Guanyi felt a headache just from a glance and instinctively asked, "What is this..."
Master Zhu Wenyuan casually replied, "This, ah, is the reason I could not meet you when you arrived. Today, the Qilin suddenly went berserk, and someone from the palace came to find me. I had no choice but to help them compile the formation."
!!!!!!
Li Guanyi's emotions surged as he inquired:
"The formation of the Qilin Palace... was it you who compiled it?"
Master Zhu Wenyuan shook his head and said, "Naturally not; that is a method of the Yin-Yang Five Elements School. However, since it is a formation, it cannot escape the deductions of divination. Those people know I am here, so how could they not come to disturb me?"
"I had no choice but to help them modify the formation."
"What you see is the formation diagram of the Qilin Palace."
Li Guanyi halted in his steps, staring intently at the scroll, which seemed to shimmer with flowing light—
The formation diagram of the Qilin Palace!
The elder noticed his expression and said, "Are you interested in formation diagrams?"
Li Guanyi nodded.
The elder smiled and said, "That's good." He casually unfurled the rolled-up scroll, which spread out before Li Guanyi, revealing an incredibly complex and densely packed formation diagram. In the center was the Qilin, surrounded by countless intricate characters, resembling chains.
The elder sat cross-legged and pointed at the formation diagram, saying:
"Since ancient times, those who know are not as good as those who love."
"Those who love are not as good as those who enjoy."
"Since you are interested in this Qilin formation diagram, today, I will use this Four Symbols formation diagram as an example to impart the contents of the [Supreme Extreme World-Transforming Book] to you."
"How about it?!"
(End of this chapter)