Chapter 134 The Lady Feeds Fruit, It's a Perfect Look!
Madam Wen's beautiful eyes rippled, her gaze fixed entirely on Li Xian. Such heroic bearing and imposing presence were far beyond the reach of any young hero, scion of a noble family, or heir of a powerful empire she had ever seen.
She had already seen the spirited shot of the first arrow.
Lady Wen loved hunting in the mountains and fields, and her archery skills were certainly not bad. She also knew how difficult it was to imbue an arrow with spirit and determination. It required a perfect harmony of temperament, will, and mindset.
Archery skills are easy to master, but true spirit is hard to find. Even those who sit high in the imperial court, holding the highest positions of power, can be cowards. Even those who are strong in martial arts, ruling over their own territories, can be cowards.
A person's achievements have nothing to do with their spirit. But those who are full of spirit, if they encounter favorable circumstances and transform into dragons, will surely amaze the world.
At the height of his spirit.
To be able to fire an arrow of spirit in the face of an overwhelming army is even more difficult! The momentum of the army was so great, like a surging river.
Facing the mighty river, one man's spirit is as insignificant as dust. It can be swept away in an instant. Under such circumstances, the archer's temperament, will, and mentality will definitely be affected.
Even a tiny difference won't produce a stunning arrow.
Even the lady was taken aback by that arrow. Although she was skilled, she knew she couldn't have shot such an arrow.
"One arrow pierces through ten thousand soldiers, another pierces the enemy's throat; the young man wields a golden bow, his spirit soaring to the heavens. This Li Xian has unknowingly already possessed such charisma. Back then, the Great Martial Ancestor Emperor, who rose from the ranks as an archer, must have had a similar early charisma!"
"I have found such a young man; it is truly good fortune that has helped me. Indeed, indeed."
Lady Wen was cold-hearted by nature, but she held Emperor Dawu in high esteem.
A man's heroism should be shown in his arrows, and today she witnessed just that. This kind of heroism deeply moved her.
With the second arrow, she borrowed Li Xian's spirit and fired it with her own strength. In this way, the mere commander of the Yellow Dragon Army could not escape death.
One arrow killed him.
...
...
Li Xian ordered his guards to confiscate the weapons of the defeated soldiers and capture them all. He then sent someone to Qingning County to inform County Magistrate Lin Guolong.
The Yellow Dragon Army has a large number of soldiers. It's inevitable that some will escape, but that's no longer a serious matter.
"Commander Li, the casualties have been tallied." Ding Hu was covered in wounds and bandages.
"We lost fifty-one guards and one hundred and seventeen tenant farmers..."
The dead and wounded were reported one by one.
Li Xian nodded and said, "The injured should recover, and as for the deceased... I will consult with Madam and offer my condolences and comfort."
With Qi Biao of the Huanglong Army dead, morale plummeted. A total of over 21,000 defeated soldiers were captured alive. These soldiers could not be contained in Yihezhuang and needed to be handed over to Qingning County quickly.
Reporting this matter would be considered a significant achievement, but it's likely to benefit Lin Guolong.
...
...
After finishing all that, it was already getting dark.
Li Xian rubbed his shoulders, feeling utterly exhausted. Knowing that his mistress was surely waiting for him in the inner courtyard, he carried his weary body and headed there.
Outside the village, bloodshed raged, but inside, everything remained clean and orderly. The Yellow Dragon Army arrived swiftly, and was defeated just as quickly.
Walking through the wooded path, they came to a rockery and stream. Li Xian scooped up the stream water and splashed it on his face, washing away his fatigue and weariness.
We walked to the gate of the inner courtyard.
I composed myself and pushed the door open.
In an open-air pavilion, Lady Wen lay on her side on a jade couch, her thin gauze dress partially concealing her figure, her long legs crossed, her fingernails adorned with red ink and decorated with plum blossom patterns. On a small table were exquisite pastries such as cherries, lychees, candied fruits, and osmanthus cakes.
The surrounding mist added to the coolness.
Her long hair was loose, some falling over her shoulders, some resting on the jade couch.
I'm waiting for Li Xian on purpose.
"Li Xian".
"Although you have rendered meritorious archery, I still have to punish you. Do you know why?"
Madam Wen spoke softly, yet with an air of authority. She looked Li Xian up and down, her gaze quickly settling on his face.
Outside, the air reeked of blood and the stench of decay. But here, a delicate fragrance filled the air, creating a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere, like a fairyland.
"Is it my fault, Madam? I buried the road and moved the trees, which could have saved Huanglong Army. Was it my fault for not doing this properly, which is why I brought trouble upon myself?" Li Xian asked.
Madam Wen nodded: "You are quite clever. Now that you know, why don't you do it?"
Li Xian said, “Madam, I did have some shortcomings, and I am willing to accept your punishment. I did indeed carry out the plan to bury the road, move the trees, and hide. But unfortunately, some villains interfered, which added unnecessary complications.”
"Oh?" Madam Wen's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "Tell me in detail."
Li Xian then recounted the entire story of Xu Liefeng, from beginning to end. He explained how the feud began in Qingning County, how Xu Liefeng coveted him, and how Xu Liefeng used a third party to kill him.
Upon hearing this, Madam Wen said indifferently, "That so-called Leopard Blade Sect, I have already spared their lives, yet they still don't know their own mortality, it's utterly laughable." After a moment, she changed the subject and said, "It seems that during my seclusion, you have shown signs of transformation."
Li Xiansi thought to himself, "I have two features in one body, with a red mole on my eyebrow that cannot be concealed. However, my double pupils and heterochromia can be easily hidden. Madam prioritizes her own interests and is cultivating me for her own benefit. If I seek benefits under her, I must be discreet, otherwise she will surely scheme to kill me."
He recalled the awe-inspiring display of his double pupils, but his back was turned to the lady. The soldiers of the Yellow Dragon Army were intimidated by his imposing presence, and none dared to meet his gaze. This pair of double pupils and unusual eyes had never been seen before.
He said, "To be honest, Madam, I have indeed shown signs of transformation, but I am ignorant and do not know what these signs are."
Madam Wen had Li Xian come closer, pinched his chin, and carefully examined him. She was quite surprised; the unusual feature between his brows was secondary, but his handsome face was extremely rare.
"What other unusual changes have occurred?" Madam Wen asked. Her breath, fragrant as orchids, brushed against Li Xian's face. She had just tasted cherries, and her words carried the sweet aroma of fruit.
Seeing that his face was so close to hers, she showed no sign of repulsion. On the contrary, she seemed to be admiring and appreciating it.
In her eyes... this is hers.
Li Xian said, "Just this one place."
Madam Wen lightly tapped her index finger on the red birthmark, her eyes full of amusement and amusement. She grew increasingly fond of the young man and gradually developed a curiosity about him.
My gaze swept over his eyebrows, nose, and lips... and I couldn't help but recall the dashing young man from just now.
“Your appearance is quite rare. I have traveled to the West and met a Buddhist monk who resembles you. [White hair mark] [Red birthmark] [Holy countenance] [Wonderful truth] [Compassionate countenance].”
"But your rebirth appearance is quite different. The red mole between your eyebrows is one of the signs. I'm afraid it doesn't belong to the Buddhist rebirth appearance."
"A thousand people, a thousand appearances; even the same appearance will manifest differently in different people. Besides changes in facial features, what other characteristics do you have?"
Madam Wen picked up a fruit and fed it to Li Xian.
Li Xian felt something was amiss; his wife's actions were quite different from usual.
Little did Li Xian know that he was broad-minded and, in his eyes, the only difference between people was strength and weakness. All distinctions of high and low, noble and base, ultimately boiled down to the difference between strength and weakness.
But the prejudices of the other martial artists were even stronger. They were more fixated on the physical form and true shape of the object. They wouldn't even give a second glance to ordinary clay figures.
Once detached from the clay figure, some thoughts naturally change. Even if Li Xian of the past displayed a charisma no less impressive than today, the lady would only offer verbal praise and would never harbor any other desires.
But once their true form is revealed, they become "real men".
Li Xian ate the fruit and described the changes one by one. He was stronger, had a better recovery ability, and the extraordinary phenomena he exhibited when using martial arts were more obvious.
Upon hearing this, Madam Wen smiled even more. She played with Li Xian's hair at his temples, looked at his young, handsome, and vibrant face, and said, "You have a perfect face, no wonder."
"A perfect face? What kind of face is this? Please tell me, Madam," Li Xian asked.
Madam Wen readily explained, "This is a very diverse form of transformation. Just like... take a look at this teapot."
She picked up the teapot from the table. The teapot was about the size of a palm, made of black stone, and had an exquisite appearance, with dragons and phoenixes carved on it.
As hot water was poured over it, the carved patterns on the teapot seemed to come alive, dragons and phoenixes dancing, a truly magical sight. With graceful movements, she poured the tea and asked, "Did you hear anything?"
Li Xian listened and said, "When this teapot pours water, I can hear a strange sound that is like the cry of a phoenix or the chirping of a bird. It is melodious and pleasant to listen to, and it is quite magical."
Madam Wen smiled and said, "Not bad, take a closer look." She raised the teapot, and the water flowed in an arc through the air before falling into the teacup.
Strangely, no matter how high she lifted the teapot, the tea poured into the teacup without foaming, splashing, or making a sound. It was quite a sight to behold.
Because the tea was boiling hot, wisps of white steam rose up.
The tea steam rose, swirling around the cup without dissipating, and within the steam, it seemed as if birds were flying and fish were frolicking. The phenomenon was quite extraordinary.
Madam Wen said, "If we compare a martial artist to a teapot, then the tea poured out can be seen as the martial artist demonstrating his skills."
"The tea is the same, but different teapots can produce significantly different results."
"The clay teapot is ugly in appearance and may even leak. The tea poured out will inevitably have an earthy and foul smell. No matter how good the tea leaves are, it is a great waste to use such a teapot. Therefore, it is unusable."
At this point, Madam Wen thought of Pang Long, then looked at Li Xian, and continued:
"The porcelain teapot is a slight improvement, and it can hold water, but the tea poured out is intermittent and drips incessantly, which is the kind of thing that servants use."
"Above that, there are teapots with some craftsmanship and more intricacies. When pouring tea or water, the flow of water can be continuous. But they still don't meet my standards."
"A fine teapot has an exquisite body and fine craftsmanship. When pouring tea, the water stream will be concentrated and not dispersed, and there will be an unusual sound."
"A better teapot is like this one. It not only makes unusual sounds, but also creates unusual phenomena. No matter how you move it, the water flowing out is like the cry of a phoenix, but the water falling back into the water is silent."
Madam Wen continued, “Martial artists are like teapots. If your teapot is good, the phenomena will be more intense when you pour tea. Just like this teapot, it will pour out a swirling white mist and make fish and birds frolic.”
"The so-called 'perfect appearance' refers to the body of a martial artist after washing away the clay, which is exceptionally perfect, like the most finely crafted teapot. Therefore... the martial arts are more powerful and more likely to manifest extraordinary phenomena."
"Even the finest teapots vary in quality and appearance."
Li Xian suddenly realized, "Madam, are there many perfect faces?"
Madam Wen shook her head and said, "It's very rare. People have all sorts of appearances. [Rebirth Appearance] is when the true form is revealed, and then certain characteristics appear. However, characteristics can be good or bad. If you want to enjoy the benefits, you must also tolerate the drawbacks."
"The perfect face is not the most powerful 'transformation face,' but its features are all positive and advantageous, which is why martial artists seek it out. Some martial artists' 'transformation faces' are extremely powerful in certain aspects, but inferior to others in other aspects."
"People are like teapots; whether they are good or bad is already determined the moment they come out of the kiln."
“In a county’s porcelain kilns, there are often strange and unusual porcelain wares, but even if the shape is ordinary, a truly perfect teapot may not be produced for decades or even hundreds of years. The same is true for people; if you can show a perfect appearance, you can be proud of it.”
Li Xian said, "Madam is very knowledgeable and insightful; I admire her."
Madam Wen smiled meaningfully, "Of all the myriad aspects of the world, I dare not claim to know them all. But I understand quite a bit about this 'perfect aspect,' and as for its origins…"
"I am also a perfect being."
(End of this chapter)
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