Chapter 1413: Eyebrows Like Willow Leaves, Eyes Like the Moon

The Fierce Butcher sought Heavy Xuanzun by the sea. Xuanzun was heavily wounded and could not speak.The Fierce Butcher was enraged, and with his halberd pointed at Liu Yu, the Guardian Elder of the Angling Sea Tower, he roared: "The Angling Sea Tower must repay this grudge!"Liu Yu responded: "Among men are the foolish and the wise, the petty and the worthy. Fate and fortune are called forth by one's own actions."Thus, they dueled.With a fist, he defeated Liu Yu at Star Pearl Island.He dueled Deng Wen again and defeated him.He again dueled Hai Jingping and defeated him again.There were eight Guardian Elders of the Angling Sea Tower, all of whom had reached Divine Presence.The Fierce Butcher consecutively defeated three. The rest all withdrew.Liu Yu coughed blood and said: "In the islands near the sea, the Divine Presence cannot act with such ferocity. Were it not for the ancient accord of the Floating Pagoda, the Fierce Butcher would not be able to return."The Fierce Butcher replied: "Reasonable!"Thereupon, he summoned the Lifespan Severing Blade from the west, cleaving the enraged sea. Before a myriad eyes, he ascended to Cavern Manifestation!At that time, Elder Xu Xiangwan of the Sea Pacifying Pavilion was present.The Fierce Butcher passed by without a word.Then he ascended the heavenly stairs, challenging True Master Chongguang, the First Elder of the Angling Sea Tower.The two battled in the nine heavens.After three days and nights of fierce combat, the winds and thunder finally ceased.The Fierce Butcher's left arm was severed, and he departed with a great laugh.All thought the Fierce Butcher had been defeated.Only Chongguang sighed: "I have lost thirteen years of my lifespan!"Thereupon, he compensated Heavy Xuanzun with Sunken Sea Jade Crystal.— "Annals of the Nearby Seas"

Within the Star River Space, Jiang Wang and Heavy Xuan Sheng sat facing each other.Heavy Xuan Chuliang's display of power in the near-sea islands, of course, did not happen today; it was only today that Heavy Xuan Sheng spoke of it.Jiang Wang, while rushing on his journey, practiced by reading history, thus missing many shifting winds and clouds."The blade of the Marquis of Dingyuan, can it truly sever lifespan?" Jiang Wang's face held a look of astonishment.Heavy Xuan Sheng rolled his eyes: "Otherwise, why do you think that old man has lingered in the Divine Presence realm for so long? During the conflict between Qi and Xia, he was already at the Divine Presence realm. Though not renowned, few of the same realm could match him. After the Qi-Xia conflict, he was even hailed as the foremost in the Eastern Domain! He has honed his skills for so many years, truly because his Dao path is too formidable, difficult to grasp its true essence. Rushing the breakthrough would instead leave it incomplete.""Then this time...""So many years have passed, it is time for perfection. It is merely that my uncle, that old man, said that the Lifespan Severing Blade requires a significant tableau and has been waiting for the opportune moment. Originally, at the Qiyang battlefield, he hoped Yang Jiande would perform well, but alas, he became trapped by demonic arts..." Heavy Xuan Sheng said, "This time, venturing out to sea, seeking justice for my cousin is one reason; suppressing the power of the Angling Sea Tower is the second. Family affairs and state affairs are one, thus he attained Cavern Manifestation."Before this, Wei Xun had rallied powerful individuals to ambush Myriad Eyes, greatly increasing his prestige. With the decisiveness of True Lord Chendu, he supported the Sea Pacifying Alliance, which was far from reaching its expected establishment.Immediately after, Heavy Xuan Chuliang went to the Angling Sea Tower to unleash ferocity...Qi's suppression of the Angling Sea Tower was indeed relentless, not even allowing a single night's pause, continuing day and night, year after year.This time, if the Fierce Butcher had not achieved perfection, Qi would undoubtedly have taken other actions.But nothing could be as fitting and as heart-stirring as the Fierce Butcher's action.The Fierce Butcher seeking justice for his nephew, no one could fault him.And he, invincible in the Divine Presence realm, attaining Cavern Manifestation as he willed, upon entering Cavern Manifestation, pointed his blade at True Master Chongguang, the foremost True Master in the near-sea islands...How could such ferocious power not instill fear and awe in the sea people?Recalling the feeling of looking up to Heavy Xuan Chuliang whenever he sought guidance, Jiang Wang sighed: "To be able to defeat True Master Chongguang upon entering Cavern Manifestation, Lord Fierce Butcher truly inspires awe as if gazing upon a lofty mountain.""Upon reaching the Cavern Manifestation realm, the struggle is the understanding of this world. There is no such thing as longevity; only the accomplished are foremost." Heavy Xuan Sheng shook his head: "However, my uncle said he cannot be considered victorious. After all, the higher the cultivation, the stronger the physical body, but once damaged, recovery is even more difficult. That old man losing an arm in the Cavern Manifestation realm is not much better than losing thirteen years of lifespan... Of course, this loss will be compensated by the court."This is the advantage of one's background.Heavy Xuan Sheng's cultivation is now steadily beneath Jiang Wang's, but his understanding of cultivation realms still far exceeds Jiang Wang's.The few words of casual conversation Heavy Xuan Chuliang had with him were rare cultivation knowledge for Jiang Wang.So-called spirit medicines that could revive the dead and regenerate flesh and bone are actually not uncommon, but those are mostly for ordinary people.The bones, flesh, and life soul of cultivators have all been cultivated to a certain extent. Once damaged, they cannot be saved by ordinary spirit medicines.The more powerful the cultivator, the more cost must be paid once damaged.Just as True Master Gu Huaixin of the Angling Sea Tower was preparing to revive Ji Shaoqing on the spot, he had to prepare both an altar and numerous materials. If he were to save an ordinary person who had just died, as long as their soul was not scattered, True Master Gu would probably only need to find any spirit medicine.However, if a cultivator of the Divine Presence realm were to die in battle, it would not be something True Master Gu could save.Of course, Jiang Wang understands this aspect of knowledge, not only because of his long cultivation and accumulating depth, but more importantly, he himself has experienced the feeling of a severed limb, the impression is very deep...What he lacks is Heavy Xuan Sheng's casual remark, "In the Cavern Manifestation realm, the struggle is the understanding of this world."Heavy Xuan Sheng understands this; he does not.Jiang Wang shook his head: "The power of that realm is beyond my imagination. Let's talk about things I can understand."When True Master Chongguang carried him to the Mystical Realm, that feeling of the bizarre and motley was something he still cannot fully comprehend.He could only feel that True Master Chongguang was very strong, but he could not understand to what extent."I also know the 'what' but not the 'why'. The so-called understanding ultimately must be realized in one's own realm," Heavy Xuan Sheng said casually, then added: "The Crown Prince sent you a gift!"He chuckled, with a touch of mischief in his voice: "It is now being carefully kept in your room, right in front of the calligraphy by the Eleventh Prince.""That is strange," Jiang Wang raised his eyes: "Why send me a gift at this time? What is it?"If he remembered correctly, before leaving Linzi this time, he had severely offended the Crown Prince..."He sent a pot of flowers, a Noble Orchid. It is said to have been cultivated by the Crown Prince himself. As for why he sent it at this time..." Heavy Xuan Sheng said with a half-smile: "Because the Eternal Joy Palace was closed for a month earlier, and the Crown Prince has only been free for a few days."Jiang Wang's heart tightened slightly, knowing that this "closed for a month" was likely one of the Emperor of Qi's reprimands to Jiang Wuhua.But he still asked: "For what reason was the Eternal Joy Palace closed?"Heavy Xuan Sheng chuckled and continued: "The Crown Prince attained Divine Presence, and congratulatory visitors were endless. The Eternal Joy Palace was filled with feasts and drinks all day. The Emperor said, 'The Crown Prince is carried away by his achievements, frivolous and insensible, he should close his palace for a month to reflect' ... so that's what happened."Closing the palace gates, forbidding external connections, in a certain sense, was almost equivalent to being sent to the cold palace!Although the duration of this "cold palace" was only one month, for the Crown Prince, it was already a very bad sign."So he sent me a gift as soon as he came out, what does he want to express?" Outside of Qi, Jiang Wang's tone was relaxed, he even casually made a joke: "He remembered me? Signifying that this grudge is not forgotten?""Sending flowers he cultivated himself, of course, signifies his magnanimity, that he will not hold a grudge against you, that he will overlook your past actions towards this great Qi prodigy. Although you treated him as an enemy, he still treats you as a national scholar. This is our benevolent Crown Prince.""What enemy? I wasn't targeting him!" Jiang Wang retorted, then pondered: "How much of that do you find credible?""The Noble Orchid has significance. A noble person, harmonious yet different. The friendship of a noble person seeks common ground while reserving differences." Heavy Xuan Sheng said: "He also doesn't want to bear the bad name of forcing you to leave Linzi. Moreover, I thought about it, he really doesn't need to hate you.""How so?""The three cases you brought up, the Emperor granted them all and handled them decisively, clearly shaking the mountain to scare the tiger. This shows that whether or not you were involved, the case from seventeen years ago has always been a thorn in the Emperor's heart... This time, it has been pulled out. As for the Crown Prince, fortune and misfortune are still uncertain.The Crown Prince attaining Divine Presence at this time, at first glance, seems like a guilty conscience, giving the Emperor an opportunity for reprimand. Looking at it from another angle... if the Emperor wants to reprimand him, he obediently extends his hand, letting the Emperor smack his palm freely. How is this not a kind of wisdom? If he hid his hand, waiting for the Emperor to find a place to strike, it might not be just a smack on the palm..."Heavy Xuan Sheng paused, then continued: "Moreover, the less the Crown Prince hates you, the more it shows that he has no grievances towards the Emperor's handling of the matter. Therefore, not only does he not target you, but he continues to show you favor. Showing you favor is showing loyalty to the Emperor, how can this business not be done?"Jiang Wang sighed: "You people are truly complicated!""But whether the Crown Prince truly doesn't resent you or falsely doesn't resent you, the human heart is like an abyss, I don't have the ability to see through it." Heavy Xuan Sheng spread his hands.Recalling the time he drank porridge at the same table with Jiang Wuhua, Jiang Wang slowly said: "The Crown Prince might be benevolent..."The second half of the sentence was held in his heart and not spoken aloud—The current Empress, however, might not be.He would never forget the act of throwing a father's corpse in front of his three-year-old daughter.It could almost be called brutal.Despite the current Empress having presided over the realm for many years, being dignified and noble, never having acted improperly in any matter, and even having a reputation for benevolence, often advising the Emperor to be less angry.But with a simple pushing along, she nearly caused Concubine Lei to suffer a double death. After forcing the relentless Lin Kuang to his death, she even deliberately threw his corpse in front of his daughter...How could such a person not hold a grudge?It is fine while the Emperor is in power; as an external minister, he will not be much affected by the Empress.If the Emperor were to abdicate one day, the Empress might not be able to tolerate him.Of course, there was no need to tell Heavy Xuan Sheng this; this胖子 (fatty) already has enough to worry about every day. Heavy Xuanzun was so impressive overseas this time, he is inevitably suppressed again..."As long as there is no trouble now, if someone wants to bring up old matters in the future, I am not the person I am today," Jiang Wang said."Of course, I am also not the person I am today! How can a true man born in this world long remain beneath others? By then, others will have to look at our faces!" Heavy Xuan Sheng echoed with great spirit, then said: "In short, that is the situation. The trouble you proactively courted has come to an end. After finishing the matters in Chu, you can return directly.""You make it sound like I was forced away," Jiang Wang muttered: "I genuinely had an agreement with Zuo Guangshu long ago..."Heavy Xuan Sheng snorted coldly and directly left the Star River Space.Of course, the cost of opening the Star River Space this time was paid by Jiang Wang.The land of Chu is vast and has always been the most prosperous place in the Southern Domain.After leaving the State of Yun, Jiang Wang traveled all the way south, passing through the State of Song without entering, and after another seven days, arrived at the State of Chu.Of course, in the Eastern Domain, such a distance would not have taken so long.A fourth-rank Blue Plaque Constable could fly directly through the Eastern Domain unimpeded.In the Southern Domain, one inevitably has to abide by some rules...This border city in the northern part of the State of Chu is named "Linshang".The name doesn't seem particularly remarkable at first glance.But it is worth mentioning that the capital of the State of Song is named "Shangqiu"...The State of Chu is so unreserved even in the name of its border city, its attitude towards neighboring countries is also imaginable. No wonder the people of Song often refer to them scornfully as Chu barbarians.Of course, the people of Chu don't really care about derogatory terms like barbarians; as long as it's not a direct insult, they often just smile it off when they hear it.The rituals and teachings that the people of Song advocate are the most despised by the people of Chu.The people of Chu love elaborate clothing and carved buildings, they love romance and freedom. Among the six major hegemonic states in the world, they can be said to be the most "lax" in temperament.The children of the牧国 (shepherd state) also like to be free and unrestrained, worshipping the freely soaring eagle, the galloping horse, the fierce and united wolf, but after all, there is still a supreme god to revere.There are many divine beliefs in the land of Chu, but most people of Chu actually don't believe in gods much.For many ordinary people of Chu, they just like the mysterious atmosphere of gods and ghosts.When happy, they would say, "My heart is sincere, I prostrate myself before the spirits. O gods, O ghosts, please drink deeply."When unhappy, they would say, "Come, let's slaughter a bull's head, and enjoy a hearty drink with it for life." and "Cleave open the horse's face, capture and question the King of Hell." (1)In short, they are very unrestrained.As for why Jiang Wang knows these things...That set of books, "History Knife Carving the Sea," which almost filled his storage pouch and tortured him endlessly, deserves credit.Jiang Wang dared not not read it, dared not not memorize it.These days on the road, whenever he had free time, he was either cultivating or memorizing books.After all, the Emperor of Qi could make jokes, but he had no right to treat the Emperor of Qi's words as a joke...As a border city, Linshang City was not as rough and solemn as the border cities Jiang Wang had seen. Instead, it exuded sophistication, beauty, and prosperity.Rather than calling it a city of war, it would be better to call it a city of commerce.However, the soldiers standing solemnly on the city gate tower, and the glittering, ornate military equipment mounted on the city tower, also described the city's military strength.Standing below Linshang City, Jiang Wang was still thinking about how to register to pass through. Should he report his title as the foremost of the Yellow River, or keep a low profile and use a pseudonym...Suddenly, the city gate opened, and a troop of cavalry swept in, raising dust.This cavalry troop had quite an extraordinary aura, definitely the elite of the elite.Every man wore armor and robes, and on the ornately carved armor, light flowed like water.Except for the general leading the way, the rest wore uniformly fiery red battle robes burning in the air.The steeds beneath them were all crimson, their hooves, as large as bowls, thundered on the ground.Startled pedestrians scattered to avoid them.Jiang Wang originally thought this troop of Chu cavalry was on some military mission and did not want to cause trouble, so he honestly avoided to the side of the road with the passersby.Unexpectedly, this cavalry troop seemed to have spotted him and came directly towards him.When they approached, the general leading the way, wearing a sky-blue battle robe, removed his helmet, revealing a handsome young general.His eyebrows were like willow leaves and his eyes were like the moon, exceedingly clear and beautiful.With a single pull of the reins, the sky-blue divine steed beneath him stopped before Jiang Wang, reared up, and neighed like a dragon!That young general sat steadily on the horse's back, indescribably spirited and confident!1. "My heart is sincere, I prostrate myself before the spirits. O gods, O ghosts, please drink deeply." - fabricated by Qing He Yi Shen.2. "Come, let's slaughter a bull's head, and enjoy a hearty drink with it for life." - Qing He Yi Shen, "Drunken Chapter".3. Last day of this month,