Chapter 1385: Picking Willow Branches

Jiang Wang did not board just anyone's carriage;the lesson of Li Youjiu was a recent warning.

But for a figure like Xiu Yuan, Commander of the Lightning Prison Army,since he publicly waited outside the Palace of Longevity,there would be no unseemly events, so Jiang Wang had nothing to worry about.

The carriage Xiu Yuan currently occupied was not his imperial conveyance,the one representing the dignity of the state.It was likely used for regular travel,but still incomparable to the one rented by the Jiang household steward.The spaciousness, the softness of the cushions, the grandeur of the decor – not to mention…the patterns on the carriage walls were naturally growing wood grain!Like flowers and trees, like dragons and tigers, mystic forms arose of their own accord.The wood itself was priceless.

Jiang Wang stepped into the carriage,feeling as if he had stepped onto a cloud, light and without solid footing.The coachman was clearly from the military, his demeanor serious, his spine straight as iron.With a slight flick of his hand, the reins let out a crisp snap in the air,and two tall, completely black horses simultaneously raised their hooves.The sound of their hooves lifting and falling was one.The carriage moved lightly, with not the slightest bump inside.

Thud!The carriage door closed.

A warm light shone from the carriage ceiling at the opportune moment,not from any lamp or object, but from condensed formation patterns, clear but not dazzling.Lord Jiang was well-traveled and composed as he sat opposite Xiu Yuan:"May I ask, Commander Xiu, why you have invited me to share your carriage?"

Xiu Yuan did not reply, only asking, "Do you usually drink?"

Between Xiu Yuan and Jiang Wang, a partition quietly lowered,and a low table slowly rose.On the table sat a silver pot and four upturned silver wine cups.There were two small dishes.One was pea-shaped but red, with a faint roasted aroma.The other was a half-moon-shaped fruit;beneath its translucent skin, a silver-sand-like filling was faintly visible.In short, Jiang Wang could not recognize their names.

But he had not boarded the carriage to witness the life of a Commander of the Nine Legions.Sitting upright and proper, he replied truthfully,"I do not drink unless at a banquet."

"I have heard many speak of you, but this is the first time I have seen you,"Xiu Yuan reached out and turned over the wine cups on the table, his voice flat:"Drink a cup with me."

As he spoke, three cups were already turned over, and he reached for the wine pot.Jiang Wang quickly reached out as well: "Let this humble official do it."

Xiu Yuan held the handle of the wine pot in one hand and gently yielded:"A fine young man need not concern himself with such mundane formalities."

Jiang Wang had no choice but to sit back down.

Xiu Yuan poured the wine unhurriedly and casually asked,"Just now in the hall, I saw you subtly contemplating the Eight Winds; are you cultivating the Dragon and Tiger?"

"Indeed." Jiang Wang was somewhat surprised by the other party's attention,and quickly explained: "I absolutely meant no disrespect to the Eleventh Prince;pondering Daoist arts is merely habit."

Xiu Yuan poured three cups of wine, and with the back of his index finger,pushed one cup towards Jiang Wang. He said softly,"I have long heard that you, Jiang Qingyang, are neither arrogant nor discouraged,working diligently and arduously, different from ordinary people.Seeing you today, you are truly remarkable."

Jiang Wang said humbly, "This humble official is merely a slow bird flying early,compensating for clumsiness with diligence."

Xiu Yuan shook his head: "There are many, many people in this world with a bit of petty cleverness.How many possess great wisdom? If you are a slow bird,then not many people in this world can fly."

Jiang Wang said, "My petty cleverness is to work harder and be more attentive.All gains come from cultivation."

"That is great wisdom," Xiu Yuan said."Among the academies of the world, the Four Great Academies are paramount.Dragon Gate Academy speaks of innate talent and brilliance,Green Cliff Academy seeks unrestrained naturalness,Hao Ran Academy cultivates uprightness,all are top-tier studies in the world.But the foremost academy is Hardship Academy.Hardship Academy has nothing else; it only has an intense pursuit of learning,and thus it is unparalleled under heaven."

Jiang Wang nodded seriously: "This humble official has learned much."

This overly humble Jiang Wang and the Jiang Wang who would not tolerate insult,who was so resolute as to dare question the Emperor face-to-face,were almost like two different people.

Xiu Yuan glanced at him indifferently: "I did not teach you...Forget it, since you mentioned learning..."His gaze settled slightly.

Jiang Wang immediately felt a gentle stream of information, like fine rain,灑落 upon his soul – it was none other than the insights into cultivating the Daoist art "Dragon and Tiger,"as well as some ideas for cultivating this art at the Outer Tower level.

"I happened to have learned it years ago," Xiu Yuan said casually."I have no use for it now, but at least I haven't forgotten it completely... I shall give it to you."

The world of Daoist arts is vast as the sea, and it is constantly changing,evolving very quickly. Even a Grand Master of arts like Yi Xingchen could not saythat he happened to stumble upon every Daoist art. Xiu Yuan was no exception.Thus, the Daoist art of Dragon and Tiger was naturally obtained by him temporarilywhile waiting outside the palace gate. After quickly studying it, he passed it to Jiang Wang.

A contemporary True Person's understanding of Daoist arts instantly openedthe bottleneck that Jiang Wang had pondered over for many days without breakthrough,causing him to suddenly comprehend.

Jiang Wang was both surprised and delighted:"Commander Xiu bestows such a heavy gift, I truly do not know how to thank you."

"No need for many words," Xiu Yuan raised his chin, very unrestrainedly:"A toast will suffice."

Jiang Wang raised his cup readily: "I shall drink first as a mark of respect."

Drinking down the wine in one gulp, the cool liquid entered his abdomen,then suddenly turned into a line of fire, burning its way up, straight to his throat.At that critical point, like sparks bursting open, it "exploded" throughout his body,leaving no part of him uncomfortable. His soul was unusually lively,and his Daoist power was extremely nimble.

This wine... can actually aid cultivation, it is a絕品!The act of toasting itself was also a benefit received.Benefiting repeatedly, Jiang Wang was at a loss for words for a moment.

Xiu Yuan had already raised his cup and was drinking slowly:"Hurry and digest it, don't miss the effect of the wine."

Jiang Wang then closed his eyes and circulated his Daoist power.Under the slowly flowing effect of the wine, the Heaven-Penetrating Sea became even clearer,and in the Five Mansions Sea, the Isolated Island of Heaven and Earth became more stable.In the Star-Storing Sea, the Dao脈腾龙 coiled and swam...

After an unknown amount of time, when Jiang Wang opened his eyes,he felt his body and soul were both at ease, everything was smooth.This wine was truly a rare treasure; one cup of wine could be worth a month's work!

Xiu Yuan poured him another cup of wine: "Drinking more of this wine is ineffective,but only after it loses its effect can its taste become apparent. Try tasting it again."

Such a绝品 wine that could aid cultivation was of immeasurable value.Perhaps only a contemporary True Person like Xiu Yuan could afford to luxuriously taste its flavorwhen he could no longer feel its extraordinary effects.At least when Jiang Wang himself took a small sip, although the fragrance lingered in his lips and teeth,he was still pondering the pleasure of the wine aiding his cultivation,trying to capture its effect, and then feeling distressed over its immense value...He couldn't feel much taste at all.

He put down his cup and sighed heavily: "Jiang Wang is truly overwhelmed with gratitude."

"This is what you deserve," Xiu Yuan gently savored the taste of the wine,saying casually: "The older I get, the less I want to owe anything.Especially things like favors... they are very difficult to repay."

At the Grand Master's Ceremony, Jiang Wang's discussion of "ants should have no regrets"stopped the Emperor's anger and earned him many favors.For example, the Grand Court Counselor Yi Xingchen, who ultimately chose Cui Zhu's name,had repeatedly shown goodwill. And Xiu Yuan was the one who needed to receive this favor the most.It was just that he had been imprisoned at home before, with no time or opportunity to contact Jiang Wang.Seeing him today at the Palace of Longevity, he immediately waited outside the palace to "repay the debt."

Once Xiu Yuan said this, Jiang Wang immediately relaxed.He took another sip of the wine in his cup, and this time he could even enjoy some of the beauty of it...After all, he, Jiang, was also afraid of owing favors.

With the wine liquid entering his throat and turning within his intestines,Jiang Wang asked, "May I ask the name of this wine?"

"I brewed this wine myself... only the last pot remains," Xiu Yuan shook the wine pot,listening to the sound of the jade liquid, and said lightly:"It is named 'Breaking the Long Willow'."

Breaking the long willow, wishing for you to stay long.There must be a story within this. Although Jiang Wang did not know the twists and turns within,he also tasted some of the complexity in the wine, and couldn't help but praise:"A good name."

The carriage slowly stopped at this moment, and the wine in the cup was surprisingly still.Commander Xiu's coachman's skill in driving the carriage was truly superb,far beyond comparison to the coachman Xie Ping had hired from who knows where.

Jiang Wang blinked lightly, cutting off these self-deprecating thoughts.To compare himself to a Commander of the Nine Legions was truly foolish...

Xiu Yuan held the wine pot, helped Jiang Wang refill his cup, and asked,"Do you know where this is?"

Jiang Wang of course knew where this was.Even without activating his Heaven-Hearkening Immortal Form,his sensitivity to sound had already allowed him to capture the surrounding environment.The boiling human voices, the surging emotions of the crowd,tension, excitement, fright, cheers... and cries of agony.Undoubtedly, it was an execution ground.An execution ground where many criminals were being simultaneously subjected to slow slicing.Among them was a contemporary True Person named Yan Tu.

Xiu Yuan's carriage was parked not far from the execution ground.Although the crowd was surging, the name of the Lightning Prison Armyhad still managed to clear out a space.But the carriage door did not open, nor did the windows.Although Xiu Yuan's carriage had driven here, he did not seem to intend to watch the execution process.Of course... as a contemporary True Person, if he wanted to see, it would be difficult for anything to obstruct his vision.The closed doors and windows were merely his closed eyelids.

"This is where the spies of the Equal State are being executed," Jiang Wang said, choosing his words carefully.His words were not without the intention of reminding Xiu Yuan.Xiu Yuan did not know if he understood, or rather, if he listened.He only took a sip of wine, drinking it slowly, as if drunk but not drunk, and then said,"I heard you like to read?"

Jiang Wang really wanted to ask, who told you?He was, after all, lacking the nerve to boast in front of a contemporary True Person,and said somewhat awkwardly: "I increasingly feel my accumulation is too insufficient,and I have indeed been finding time to read recently... but I haven't read much."

"Have you read 'Records of Strange Beasts'?" Xiu Yuan asked.

"I haven't..." Jiang Wang said. This was the first time he had heard the book title!

"... A book that records various strange beasts, with relatively comprehensive information," Xiu Yuan said."Although many strange beasts recorded in it are already extinct, to some extentit also represents a period of history and helps deepen your understanding of this world.Your Divine Arrival should be without hindrance, but if you want to achieve True Person,you must understand this world better. If you have the opportunity... you should still read it."

Facing this foremost talent of the younger generation in Qi,he couldn't bring himself to say that this was just one of the basic readings at Jixia Academy.

"Understood!" Jiang Wang nodded decisively.Knowing what you know and not knowing what you don't know.Insufficient accumulation is a matter of innate conditions, not his fault,so there is nothing to be ashamed of. He is still young, with a great life ahead,he can compensate with more effort.

"There is a kind of bird called the 'Rain-Bearing Bird'..." Xiu Yuan stroked his wine cup,sighing: "I have always wanted to see it, but I have never been able to find it.I think it should no longer exist."

"Is this bird very powerful? Does it have any special killing methods?" Jiang Wang asked curiously.

"..." Xiu Yuan suddenly felt like he was playing the zither to a cow,only saying: "Don't just drink, eat some food."

Jiang Wang obediently picked up a half-moon-shaped fruitwrapped in silver sand filling and put it in his mouth.He had originally wanted to ask what precious materials were on that so-called Rain-Bearing Bird,but with one bite, his mouth was filled with fragrance, and he immediately forgot.

"Oh, it tastes good." Lord Jiang made his tone as natural as possible,not so surprised: "Commander Xiu, where can I buy this fruit?"He was thinking to himself, with his current salary,he could at least buy a few pounds for An An to taste.He had missed An An's birthday again this year, so he had to find more delicious things to make up for it,no matter how expensive it was worth it.

"Oh, it's called 'Moon Shrouded Sand'," Xiu Yuan said casually."It is produced after the Myriad Demon Gate. The Fox tribe loves to eat it and considers it a holy fruit.It does not exist in the mortal world, and it cannot be planted."

"Uh... oh."

"If you like it, eat more," Xiu Yuan said absently, holding his wine cup:"It does taste very good. Every time I go after the Myriad Demon Gate,I specially look for some."Although he said so, he only took another sip of wine.

"A very rare taste," Jiang Wang nonchalantly grabbed a handful and put one in his mouth.He was a peerless talent, so he naturally couldn't do something like learning techniques,drinking fine wine, eating fruit, and then packing up in someone else's carriage,but grabbing a handful of fruit in his hand and not finishing it for a while was certainly acceptable, right?Eating as he walked shouldn't be a problem either.Then accidentally bringing some leftovers home was also a very reasonable thing.Since there were leftovers in the end, leaving them for his sister to eat later should not be criticized, right?In his own logical world, Jiang Qingyang stood firm.

But Xiu Yuan stopped talking.As soon as Xiu Yuan became silent, Jiang Wang immediately felt awkward.He was holding a handful of Moon Shrouded Sand,unwilling to eat it, but not eating it seemed very strange.Thinking about it, he gritted his teeth and ate it, but it felt a bit like trying to hide something.It was truly agonizing no matter how he thought about it...

"It's raining," Xiu Yuan suddenly said.Only then did Jiang Wang realize that he didn't know when... the screams from the execution ground had stopped.The carriage started moving again, silently driving away from here.Xiu Yuan looked up, and a skylight automatically slid open on the top of the carriage.Only to see fine red rain falling from the sky, drifting and sprinkling, descending upon the human world.A True Person departs the world, and heaven and earth shed tears of blood... as if grieving together.

The carriage drove through Linzi City, the most prosperous city in the Eastern Region.Xiu Yuan was silent, and Jiang Wang was also silent.In the distance, from who knows where, came a ethereal singing voice.The song sang—"Tonight again, breaking the long willow. The Moon Maiden drops the wine in the cup...""Light paper old, joyous feelings penetrated. Tear stains are thinner than blue flowers..." (1)

Jiang Wang thought, perhaps he had misheard.These past few days, entertainment was forbidden in the city.

1, "Tonight again, breaking the long willow..." - What can express feelings more deeply than "Chai Tou Feng: Breaking the Long Willow"2, I should have already finished saving manuscripts and started adding updates to repay debts. But there have been too many things these past few days, and nothing is left.3, The physical book sales of "《》" are good. It is the number one bestseller in youth literature on Dangdang, and sixth on the overall list. Thank you for your support. I have been taking time to sign books every day these past few days, signing 500 books by hand every day, striving to have the publisher send out all the signed copies before the middle of the month.When I am done being busy, I will repay the debts.