Chapter 780 A Master of Deception (First Update)

A child's kick may seem weak, but if that child is a young boy, it's a different story.

This is Xiao Jingkong, who has been practicing basic skills in the temple since childhood and recently started practicing martial arts.

That kick he delivered was incredibly powerful!

Consort Han felt as if a small weight had struck the instep of her foot, and she cried out in pain, "Ouch—"

She then lost her balance and fell backward, landing awkwardly on the muddy path.

Mud splashed everywhere, and Xiao Jingkong pulled the little princess aside in a flash!

In the end, the mud only splashed onto Consort Han's face.

Consort Han was stunned.

She's so old, I never expected to fall like that, especially in front of all the servants.

Enraged, she felt a piercing pain in the instep and ankle of her right foot. Her well-maintained face contorted in pain, and she could no longer maintain her usual noble composure.

The palace servants standing nearby were terrified.

Xu Gao rushed forward: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty! Are you alright?"

The two little ones stared at her blankly, not understanding what had happened.

Although the feel of a stone is different from that of a foot, how could a child be so sensitive in this respect?

Xiao Jingkong was completely bewildered: "Why did this old lady fall down?"

Consort Han was about to be helped up when the word "old lady" made her so angry that she exploded and fell down again.

She! An old lady?!

Hey kid, don't you have any sense at all?

Consort Han was a first-rate beauty in her youth. Even in her later years, she paid special attention to her appearance and looked no more than fifty years old. She was an elegant beauty who had aged gracefully.

Little Jingkong tilted his head and looked at Consort Han. He didn't quite understand the adults' concern about titles, after all, his master was twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old and already referred to himself as an old man.

In addition, my great-aunt has no anxiety about her appearance or age at home, and is even dissatisfied with her current seniority, wishing that people would call her "Grandmother".

Therefore, Xiao Jingkong's use of the term "grandma" was definitely a very modest remark.

Consort Han was so angry her mouth almost twisted out of shape.

As the atmosphere became increasingly tense, the king led Zhang Dequan toward them.

He came to see the young princess.

He was quite surprised that the little girl didn't insist on going to the Imperial Preceptor's Hall today. He wondered if she had changed her personality or if she had gotten tired of playing with her friends. Then he heard that she had brought her friends back to the palace.

This little girl has even learned to bring people home.

But he couldn't say anything.

Because Zhang Dequan reminded him, he remembered that he had indeed told the little girl that if she had any friends in the future, she could bring them back to the palace to play.

When the king arrived at the scene, he saw chaos. Consort Han looked like she had suffered a disaster, and the two little children seemed to be quite frightened by her.

"What happened?" he asked in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty!" Consort Han and her entourage hurriedly bowed to the king.

Consort Han, disregarding her appearance, said to the king, "Your Majesty, it's nothing serious, it's just that child from earlier..."

You accidentally stepped on my foot.

Before she could finish speaking, the little princess rushed over and hugged the king's leg, turned her head to look at Consort Han, and said, "Consort Han fell down, she hurt herself, I'm so scared!"

"What are you afraid of?" the king asked, both amused and exasperated. "If you're so timid, why do you keep running around every day?"

Xiao Jingkong walked over and greeted him politely, "Hello, Uncle Xiaoxue."

He already knew the young princess's identity and that her uncle was the ruler of the Great Yan Kingdom.

But his family never instilled in him the concept of hierarchy between imperial power and commoners, nor did the Emperor of Zhao or Qin Chuyu.

We just wanted to make friends in a simple way.

The king's gaze fell on the little boy's tender face. If the boy's composure when he didn't know his identity was normal, it was normal that he could still be so fearless and calm now that he knew he was the king of the Great Yan Kingdom.

Is this little guy stupid and doesn't understand what imperial power is, or does he understand it and is naturally fearless?

The king suddenly thought of the Xuanyuan family and the words that Xuanyuan Li had once said.

He asked Xuanyuan Li, "What is it that you have been pursuing in your life?"

He had assumed that Xuanyuan Li would answer with loyalty to the Great Yan and assistance to His Majesty, or with the promise to revitalize the Xuanyuan family and make it the foremost family in the Great Yan under Xuanyuan Li's leadership.

To his surprise, he guessed none of them correctly.

Standing under the clear sky, Xuanyuan Li solemnly declared: "To establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, to secure a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of the past sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations!"

What a wonderful statement: to establish a moral compass for heaven and earth, to secure a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of past sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations!

He had lived half his life and had never heard such a resounding statement.

In that instant, he felt that even as the ruler of a country, his mind had become narrow.

“Uncle, uncle! Why aren’t you saying anything? Jingkong is greeting you!” The little princess clung to his lap and tugged at the jade pendant tassel at his waist.

Only the young princess has such courage.

When Prince Ming was a child, he was also scratched like that, and the result was disastrous; the emperor's face immediately darkened.

The king came to his senses and gently removed the little princess's hand: "Don't grab this."

"Okay." The little princess obediently withdrew her little hand.

The king stopped thinking about the past. Under the expectant gaze of his little niece, he politely greeted Jingkong and asked, "Why are you here wading in the water?"

"It's so much fun!" the little princess exclaimed.

A young lady should act like a young lady… Just as the king was about to say this, he remembered that Shangguan Yan was even more mischievous than the little princess when she was a child. At least the little princess only splashed in puddles, while Shangguan Yan jumped into mud puddles.

The palace forbade her to dance, so she went to the Xuanyuan family to dance.

Thinking of Shangguan Yan, the king's expression became more complicated.

Now that the king has arrived, the game of stepping in puddles can no longer continue.

"Consort Han, please return to the palace," the king said to her.

Consort Han smiled gently and said, "It's raining. Why don't you bring the little princess and her classmate to my palace for a visit? I'll have someone prepare dinner, including the little princess's favorite crispy pork."

The king looked at the young princess, who shook her head and said, "I don't want to go to the Imperial Concubine's place."

The king took the two little ones back to his bedchamber.

Consort Han was so angry that her feet hurt even more when she saw that the king hadn't shown her any concern at all!

Xiao Jingkong had a pleasant evening at the palace. He splashed in puddles and ate royal food—although he could only eat vegetarian dishes, the food was quite delicious.

It was getting late, and the king summoned Zhang Dequan: "Go to the Commandant's Office and have Wang Xu escort Jingkong back to the Imperial Preceptor's Palace."

The eldest grandson of the emperor loved children very much and even kept him in the Imperial Preceptor's Hall as a companion.

The ruler was extremely tolerant of his dying grandson.

As long as he doesn't kill or commit arson, the king will let him do whatever he wants.

Wang Xu had a friendship with the eldest grandson of the emperor, so having him escort Jingkong back was a way of indirectly allowing the eldest grandson to see his former friend more often in the last days of his life.

Unfortunately, Wang Xu was not there; he had gone out on business.

“Then you shall deliver it yourself,” the king said.

"Yes." Zhang Dequan, accompanied by two imperial guards, escorted Xiao Jingkong back to the Imperial Preceptor's Hall.

Xiao Jingkong, clutching his book bag, said, "Alright, I can go in by myself. Goodbye, Eunuch Zhang!"

Zhang Dequan said, "I'll take you inside."

Xiao Jingkong waved his hand: "No need! I know the way!"

He walked from the entrance to the Qilin Hall many times!

The rain has stopped now.

Little Jingkong jumped off the carriage with his book bag in his arms and ran towards the Qilin Hall.

"Slow down—"

Zhang Dequan tried to catch up but couldn't.

How come the little guy ran off so fast?

Xiao Jingkong missed Jiaojiao, so of course he ran fast. He ran forward with a chubby head, not noticing that someone was coming from the front.

Just as they were about to collide, he suddenly became alert, his small body clutching his schoolbag as he darted to the side, narrowly avoiding the person.

However, his wrestling instincts suddenly kicked in, and he cried out and fell forward.

The person suddenly turned around, grabbed Xiao Jingkong with her slender, jade-like hand, and lifted her up.

The book bag in Xiao Jingkong's arms suddenly fell to the ground with a clatter.

He was quick-witted and nimble-fingered, hooking and grabbing with his little toes.

He grabbed the book bag that had almost fallen into the puddle and put it back in his arms.

"Hmm."

The man let out a gasp of surprise.

Clearly, they hadn't expected the little thing to react so quickly.

"May I have your name?"

He asked.

Little Jingkong was still being carried by him, like a tiny silkworm pupa hanging on a tree.

Xiao Jingkong turned to look at him and said, "My name is Jingkong. Who are you?"

He said, "My name is Feng Wuming, and my Taoist name is Qingfeng."

"What does the Taoist name mean?" Xiao Jingkong only knew the Dharma name, but this young man is so handsome.

Master Qingfeng said, "It's also a kind of name."

Xiao Jingkong asked, "Oh, why do you have so many names?"

Because one of them is a Taoist name.

Master Qingfeng had no experience interacting with children and couldn't explain it clearly, so he simply changed the subject: "Who taught you your skills?"

Xiao Jingkong asked, "Are you referring to the skill you just displayed? I created it myself."

Do you have to learn how to wrestle from someone else?

It seems there is no master.

In fact, Master Qingfeng and Xiao Jingkong had met once.

However, at that time, Master Qingfeng was busy dealing with Chen and did not pay attention to this little guy, while Xiao Jingkong was only focused on his master and did not see Master Qingfeng's movements so fast that they were just afterimages.

Master Qingfeng felt that the little guy's voice sounded somewhat familiar.

But I couldn't remember it at the moment.

Master Qingfeng said, "I just saved you, how do you plan to repay me?"

Xiao Jingkong thought for a moment: "Is it possible to express gratitude for such a great kindness?"

Master Qingfeng: "..."

Master Qingfeng pointed to his wrist: "But you tore my clothes."

Xiao Jingkong looked down and realized that when he reached for the book bag, he had accidentally grabbed his sleeve as well, and it was already torn.

He said blankly, "Then... I'll compensate you?"

Jiaojiao once said that she wanted to be a little man who dared to take responsibility.

Master Qingfeng said without changing his expression, "This outfit is very expensive. You can't afford to pay for it unless you pay for yourself."

He wants to take this kid as his apprentice.

Xiao Jingkong exclaimed, clutching his book bag, and frowned in distress: "But, but I'm already Jiaojiao... How about this, I'll give you my master instead."

On a rooftop somewhere in the capital, a monk who was drinking with his head tilted back suddenly sneezed violently—

"To establish a moral compass for Heaven and Earth, to secure a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of past sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations." — Zhang Zai, a great master of the Northern Song Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)