Chapter 2170: The Sorrow of Gazing at the Sky

Stepping into the ritual hall, the woman sitting alone and sipping tea lifted her head. A black veil covered her face, revealing only a pair of eyes that seemed to ensnare and capture the soul.

Long Boji vaguely detected a faint fragrance, but though he searched carefully, he could not find it.

It was like a fleeting moment of disorientation in his heart, which had indeed occurred, yet had been lost. Ah... this one glance made his Dao heart difficult to steady.

This person's strength was unfathomable, truly worthy of being the first of Xinxiang.

Long Boji's thoughts churned several times, but as he took the second step, he was already calm. As the sole true disciple of Siming Zhenren, he began to consider the possibility of cooperation between Nandou Hall and Sanfenxiang Lou.

"Long was just receiving instruction from Master in Siming Hall. I have kept Miss Meiyue waiting for a long time, truly disrespectful." Long Boji adjusted his Daoist crown and sat down gracefully.

In his ear, he heard a lazy voice. "Sanfenxiang Lou has requests of your sect. Waiting for one hour, a quarter of an hour, and twenty breaths... What does that count as?"

It sounded like reproach, like resentment, like Long Boji’s embarrassed mood. "...Apologies."

"What are you saying?" As the visitor, Meiyue smiled lightly. "Our two families are connected branches of the same breath. How could I argue about such matters?"

"Naturally, naturally." Long Boiy subconsciously nodded, then paused. "Where does this 'connected branches of the same breath' come from?"

Meiyue's tone was leisurely. "Both are in the Southern Domain, how are they not connected branches? Both must receive the breath of Chu country, how are they not of the same breath?"

"Chu country may not give us breath to receive." Long Boji laughed. "Nandou Hall has stood in the Southern Domain for many years, always on good terms with Chu country. That year, Emperor Jingwen allied the world, and all lords came. Only Chu Taizu raised his banner in the southern border, shocking the world. We, the Voice Hall, also supported—"

"These words should be said for the people of Chu country to hear, not for me to hear." Meiyue interrupted with a smile. "I remember it very clearly, I'm just afraid the people of Chu don't remember... what do you say?"

Long Boji then stopped his official speech and slowly settled down. "We've chatted for so long, yet I still don't know Miss Meiyue's intention."

"Brother Long is a straightforward person, so I will also speak frankly." Meiyue sat up straight, her voice slow and measured, having the feeling of slowly knocking on the heart window. "Four years ago, Sanfenxiang Lou left Chu country in a hurry. Some things that should have been taken were not. Now we plan to take them back and hope Nandou Hall can lend a little assistance."

Long Boji suppressed his heartbeat and laughed. "This matter is absolutely impossible. Nandou Hall will absolutely not stand against Chu country because of your Sanfenxiang Lou."

Meiyue was surprised. "Are you all not originally on the opposite side? Initially, the mansion of Duke of Huai issued an unlimited kill order against your sect's Yishengfeng, without considering Nandou Hall's feelings."

"That is a private grievance." Long Boji said calmly. "Miss Meiyue may not know. Jiang Wang, you may know? The one in Taixu Pavilion. He and our sect's Yishengfeng are childhood friends, but the two formed an enmity over some matters, a resentment that hasn't dissipated and has accumulated over months and years.

And Jiang Wang is on good terms with the mansion of Duke of Huai, hence he pushed for that kill order. The scope of the contradiction is limited only to Jiang Wang and Yishengfeng, at most it's Qishadian and the mansion of Duke of Huai... it will not affect the relationship between Nandou Hall and the Chu Court."

"Brother Long's swordsmanship is certainly extraordinary." Meiyue praised. "This cutting leaves me dazzled. Great Chu's mansion of Duke of Huai kills a true disciple of Nandou Hall, and it seems to have no influence at all, does it?"

Long Boji acted as if he couldn't hear the sarcasm in these words, only saying, "Overpraised. Long's swordsmanship is still passable!"

"It doesn't require Nandou Hall to stand against Chu country, nor does it require you all to enter Chu to do anything." Meiyue said slowly.

"We have friends in Chu country, and they will arrange everything. You all only need to receive the items once they are sent out of Chu country.

It can be said there is no risk at all."

Long Boji said calmly, "Not entering Chu doesn't mean you won't be investigated. The Son of Heaven of Chu has never been known for magnanimity."

"One percent." Meiyue said firmly. "All the materials you receive, you can take one percent on the spot. This is Sanfenxiang Lou's sincerity."

Long Boji thought, "I don't know what materials you want to transport? Your friends are so capable, they can transport things out of Chu country, yet cannot transport them out of the Southern Domain?"

"As for what materials are to be transported, before cooperation is reached, naturally I cannot say. It's not that our friends are unable to send things out of the Southern Domain, but rather that we at Sanfenxiang Lou want to reduce our friends' risks in this matter." Meiyue said seriously, "A segment of the road, a segment of people. If something goes wrong, it stops there, and is absolutely not implicated. To put it plainly, I came today to make friends with Nandou Hall.

This is the first cooperation between our two sects, and absolutely not the last time."

Long Boji thought, "I need to consider this a bit."

"Two percent." Meiyue said.

Long Boji said, "Regarding this matter, I need to consult with my master."

Meiyue looked at him. "I only became the first of Xinxiang a few years ago, and yet I am fully responsible for these matters in the land of Chu. I have long heard of Brother Long's great name, that you are the first heavenly talent of Nandou Hall. How can you actually not make this small decision?"

Some methods are old-fashioned precisely because they work. But Long Boji was clearly unaffected by this provocative tactic.

"Since entering this hall, my heartbeat has not been steady. How dare I make a decision?" Long Boji smiled. "People are not afraid of being irrational, not afraid of being unintelligent, but afraid of not being self-aware, ah."

Meiyue leisurely said, "So-called self-awareness is clarity. I see you are both rational and intelligent."

Long Boji's smile remained unchanged. "Even if Miss Meiyue praises me like this, I still have to consult with my master."

"Three percent." Meiyue said firmly. "This is within my authority limit, and also Sanfenxiang Lou's greatest sincerity."

Long Boji was surprised. "Why, before I even had a chance to consult and come back, has Miss Meiyue already raised the bid?"

Meiyue smiled lightly. "Some small matters are not worth bothering Siming Zhenren repeatedly. Hence, I am offering the lowest price. Success or failure, I will not disturb you further... to avoid injuring Brother Long's intentions."

This sudden, light laugh was very unintentional, but it was as if it carried a hook, hooking people's souls towards the heavens.

Long Boji steadied his mind. "Miss Meiyue is truly... considerate."

Meiyue laughed. "Sanfenxiang Lou's way of doing things is just like this: making friends and thinking for them. In the future, when we get along, Nandou Hall will naturally know."

Long Boji did not express anything, and performed a Daoist ritual. "Girl, please wait a moment. Long will be back soon."

Meiyue's expression was hidden under her veil, but her eyes drifted far away.

Knock, knock, knock. Knock, knock, knock.

After Long Boji left, such regular sounds echoed in the ritual hall.

It was the soft fingers, coated with red nail polish, lightly tapping on the armrest.

That was as if, a kind of heartbeat's frequency.

Knock, knock, knock. Knock, knock, knock.

"I told you to stop knocking." Jiang Wang couldn't help but say. "Where's the effort you put into writing an article? You haven't squeezed out many words, and you've almost knocked the brush rotten! Are you practicing drumming?"

The girl in front of the desk had bright eyes and white teeth, wearing a lake-green dudou skirt. Her semi-long hair hung down slightly, very fresh and extremely beautiful. Hearing this, she was very dissatisfied. "I'm conceiving, do you understand conceiving? To chant a word, you pluck off several whiskers! You think writing an article is as easy as your swordsmanship? It's not just biting your teeth and drawing a few more strokes!"

After spending New Year's Eve in Yun City, Jiang Anan followed her brother to Xingyue Plain to play and incidentally check on her own wine house.

Originally, Sister Qingyu also wanted to come along, but Uncle Ye suddenly fell ill and needed someone to take care of him, so she didn't come.

She, Jiang Anan, was not an ungrateful person and also wanted to take care of Uncle Ye, but Uncle Ye saw the medicine she had boiled and then told her to come to Xingyue Plain to play for a while, saying something about himself not yet reaching that day... she didn't know what he meant.

But he had said she could come to Xingyue Plain to play. How could she have to read books on the first day of arrival?

Fine, on the first day, she, Jiang Anan, endured. Waiting until the second day, the third day, Jiang Wang not only did not stop appropriately, but intensified. Now he even wanted her to write articles!

Outrageous? Too much bullying!

She, Jiang Anan, must launch a righteous counterattack!

Jiang Zhenren looked at his sister, who was entering her rebellious phase, and also had a headache. How cute and obedient she was when she was little, ah, soft and sticky. Now, when asked to write an article, she even talks back. She even recites poetry to talk back!

"Swordsmanship is easy, right?" He sneered. "Starting tomorrow, swordsmanship class will add one hour of practice. I want to see how easy you find it!"

Jiang Anan said angrily but very orderly, "You said I could rest during the New Year, remember? On New Year's Eve that night, Xingyue was a witness. In front of Uncle Ye, Sister Qingyu, Brother Zhu, Brother Xiang, you, a member of Taixu Pavilion, wouldn't deceive your own little sister, would you?"

"Today is already January 27th!" Jiang Zhenren, like all parents who are frustrated with their lack of progress, was anxious. "Do you still want me to let you wander freely for a few more days?!"

Jiang Anan was righteous. "As the saying goes, it's still the year until the end of January—"

A ruler was placed on the desk. Jiang Wang was expressionless, only signaling with his eyes for Jiang Anan to continue arguing.

"Brother, I've thought it through clearly. I still want to listen to you. I like writing articles! A mere four hundred words daily, how can it stump me, Jiang Anan?" Jiang Anan quickly changed her attitude. Seeing her brother still wanting to say something, she hurriedly raised a finger to shush him. "Don't disturb me, my inspiration is coming!"

Jiang Wang then had to stop abruptly.

He didn't understand literature, but he respected it and knew that the word "inspiration" was especially rare. It came like a startled swan and was hard to find even by scratching your head when it left.

Ah, my sister has grown up, it's hard to teach, ah.

Last time, I wrote a letter asking the Great Chu's Yuyun Chang Princess how to teach this increasingly disobedient sister. Aunt said children at this age are all like this, they have a rebellious phase...

Jiang Zhenren saw the truth of the world but couldn't confirm this sentence was the truth—because he himself seemed to have never had such a period.

What was I doing at fourteen?

It seems I had already entered the outer door Daoist courtyard and met Big Brother and Little Fifth.

Tiger was met later. Fang Pengju didn't go through the examination and was directly given privilege to enter, so everyone at first was like that?

Looking at him was not very pleasing to the eye...

In front of the teacup, water ripples swayed, also like thoughts, swaying back and forth.

Suddenly, a bit of green color seeped out, strangely swimming into three words, clearly visible. The words said—Pochunxia.

Jiang ge Lao sighed in his heart. A good cup of tea, this can't be drunk. Although the other party wouldn't harm him, curse power was creeping over. Whoever wants to drink it, let them drink it...

He then stood up.

But on second thought, he first poured out the water in the teacup, then said, "I'm going out for a trip. You properly write your article. I'll check it when I get back."

Jiang Anan drew out her tone, "Know—dao—la!"

Jiang Wang hummed lightly, and his figure disappeared.

"Write, write, write, write, write, write, I write, write, write, I write, write, write all day long..." Jiang Anan wrote vigorously stroke by stroke, muttering to herself, "Jiang Wang, you are really too cruel, ah, you treat your little sister like this..."

After about half a quarter of an hour, she finally confirmed that her brother had really left. Her small mouth pouted, and she emitted a crisp bird call.

Soon, a figure flipped up the window and jumped in like a thief. Chu Yao asked, "The target is gone?"

Jiang Anan stood up from her seat and knocked on the paper on the desk. "Write the homework, okay? Follow my opening. Pay attention to your handwriting, and don't deviate from the meaning, okay? The target is very cunning!"

"Okay!" Chu Yao shook his hands, which were somewhat sore from practicing swordsmanship, and very naturally sat down at the desk, completing the switch.

"Little Master Aunt!"

"Little Master Aunt!" He turned his head and said, "You only wrote one sentence. It's very hard for me to deviate from the meaning."

Jiang Anan had already flipped the window halfway open and waved her hand. "All things are difficult at the beginning! This is the central idea! Finish writing it!"

Having said that, she leaped down and left on her own.

In Pochunxia, the spring cold seizes the knife in this vertical gorge. How many travelers look up at the sky in sorrow!

The steep cliffs are extremely dangerous. Occasionally, one hears the sound of the wind, a whimper that doesn't form sentences.

On a protruding stone platform stood a clear, handsome man with long hair draped down. He wore a Yanluo mask at his waist and his eyes were slightly closed, as if he was nurturing his spirit. In an instant, he suddenly opened his eyes.

Then, a figure in a green shirt stepped on the void and came to stand in front of him.

"Sometimes I think of the first time I stood here. The people who stood here with me that year are now few..." Qin Guangwang sighed with expression. "Bian Chengwang! Long time no see!"

Jiang Zhenren frowned. "Who is Bian Chengwang?"

The wind fell down.

Pochunxia became very solemn. The light of the sky was like a blade, and the gorge path was like a knife. A solemn atmosphere spread, and killing intent intertwined.

The wind blew between the two figures confronting each other—then both laughed.

"You're really something, ah!"

"Rat, dare to openly appear before this Cabinet member."

Both spoke at the same time, each saying their own words, greeting each other cordially.

Qin Guangwang said, "Bian Chengwang—"

Jiang Wang interrupted, "Don't call me randomly. What Bian Chengwang? There is no such person in Xingyue Plain."

"Alright." Yin Guan bowed slightly and said with a smile, "Respected Yanluo Killer of Wumen, Mister Jiang Wang! This humble one represents your colleagues in greeting you."

Jiang Wang grasped and extinguished his voice completely, not even letting a single sound pattern go, with a threat. "Yanluo Killer? Referring to the killer who kills all Yanluo?"

"If you want to do so, feel free to act." Yin Guan's expression was quite serious. "Although they cannot defeat you, they are very skilled at escaping... Do you want me to help you deceive them all?"

And added, "Oh, except Chu Jiangwang."

Jiang Wang raised his eyebrows slightly. "Oh? You don't need to be excepted?"

Yin Guan smiled with ease, spreading his hands. "Friends kill each other, old friends wither. If you have the heart to endure, why not I just slaughter?"

Even more miserable!

Jiang Wang raised his hand—

At that moment, green light walked in the clear sky. Ten thousand green brushes were virtually suspended, filling Pochunxia for a time, each with deadly intent, making the wind sound like a whimper. Jiang Zhenren straightened his clothes and expressed his question with his eyes.

"Sorry." Yin Guan said sorry with his mouth, but without the slightest bit of sincerity, "It was an instinctive reaction, I laughed at myself. I'll withdraw this."

After saying that, he wiped his hand and the sky became empty.

Jiang Wang waved his hand in disgust. "Why do you always choose such remote places to meet? It makes me seem very much like that kind of character who can't appear much."

"Jiang Zhenren! This is you being unreasonable." Yin Guan said dissatisfiedly, "Last time I went to your wine house, you told me not to go directly to your wine house as it would cause you trouble. This time I called you out, and you say not to come to such remote places again.

How, left and right you just don't want to see me, ge?"

Jiang Wang scratched his head. "Ah, haha, is it that obvious?"