Chapter 510 Treasures of the Previous Dynasty
Jade Sleeve? According to the records, one of the first generation of "Red Dot Boys" that Zhang Yanyi accepted?
A Taoist female priestess of the same generation as the "Little Heavenly Master" Zhong Pan?
Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, and the file about this person subconsciously emerged in his mind.
When his eyes swept over the jade flying sword hanging on the other party's waist, a look of sudden realization appeared in his eyes:
"So it's the Jade Sleeve Priest. I've long heard of your name. After the battle at Baihua Village, His Majesty mentioned you to me when he returned. You also helped me that day, but unfortunately, the circumstances were special and I couldn't thank you in person."
Yuxiu smiled faintly and bowed in return: "Master Zhao, you are too polite. I am just following my master's orders."
Zhao Duan smiled and gave Eugene Hua and her daughter a look that reassured them. The two girls understood what he meant, smiled at the guests, and turned to leave.
Clear the inner hall so that the two can talk alone.
"I wonder when the Jade Sleeve Priestess will return to the capital? If I had known earlier, I should have visited the Tianshi Mansion earlier." Zhao Duan made a "please" gesture, lifted the hem of his robe, and sat opposite the female priestess.
Now he looked at the other person's features carefully and could not help but feel even more amazed.
Actually, Yu Xiu and Zhong Pan are disciples of the same generation and should be of similar age, but Zhong Pan is old and ugly, while this "Green Jade Sword" has obviously been well maintained.
What is even more rare is that as a person practicing cultivation, he exudes a fresh and indifferent temperament just by sitting there, like a green lotus in the world, pure but not evil.
The jade sleeves are natural, and the eyebrows are straight and thin.
"We just arrived in the capital today. After the battle at Baihua Village, Zhong Pan left on his own. Jin Jian, Gongshu and I returned to the capital to report. Unexpectedly, upon entering the city, we learned that Lord Zhao had returned victorious."
After a pause, she continued slowly:
"I have been traveling for many years, but I have heard of Lord Zhao's name many times.
Especially recently, when I returned to the Central Plains from Yunfu Road, the local Zhengyang School also preached the so-called new learning. Although I don’t understand it, I know that Mr. Zhengyang is a great scholar of the time, but I respect you as my teacher;
The current emperor is extremely talented and also relies on you;
Legend has it that all the Buddhas appeared because of you... My master has lived a carefree life in seclusion for many years, but for you he personally drafted a decree and asked us to come to his aid.
Just based on these experiences, it is not an exaggeration to say that he is the best among the young generation of today."
Didn't the court records say that Yuxiu was aloof, slightly crazy, and unyielding?... Why is she praising someone like that? Is the record out of date, or did I encounter a fake "Green Jade Sword"?
Zhao Duan's ears turned red from this straightforward praise, and he quickly said modestly:
"Priest Jade Sleeve, you are too kind. The rumors outside are often exaggerated. How can I, a newcomer, deserve such praise? I am just lucky."
Yuxiu looked at him seriously, and listened thoughtfully:
"Is it just luck? Then I'm more interested in you."
“……?”
Zhao Duan had a strange expression on his face. He glanced around and confirmed that the door to the inner hall was open before retracting his gaze and saying politely:
"Priest Jade Sleeve, I have been engaged to His Majesty."
Sigh... Although you are very kind and your bold confession is admirable, unfortunately, my heart only has Zhen Bao and there is no room for another person...
Yuxiu's delicate eyebrows furrowed, as if she understood that he had misunderstood her, and she spoke without hesitation:
"I have no sexual interest in Lord Zhao, nor do I intend to find a Taoist partner. Lord Zhao is overthinking it."
"..." Zhao Duan's expression was stiff, and he forced a smile: "Haha, Jade Sleeve Priest misunderstood, I never..."
The priestess stared at him with her bright and beautiful eyes, as if she could see through his lies: "You do."
"..." Zhao Duan was silent for a moment, then took the initiative to change the subject: "Then I wonder why the priest is here?"
Yuxiu was used to doing things her own way and didn't like beating around the bush. The previous greetings had already reached the limit of her tolerance. Seeing Zhao Duan's question, she got straight to the point:
"I want to verify whether you have the potential to be a 'Son of Heaven and Earth'."
"Son of Heaven and Earth?" Zhao Duan was stunned. He didn't expect this answer.
Yuxiu nodded as a matter of course:
"You know, over the past thousands of years, every few hundred years, a person of extraordinary talent and extraordinary ability would appear, possessing extraordinary luck and destiny. For example, the founding emperor of the Yu Kingdom, or the Maya walker from the Western Regions a thousand years ago... They were all truly exceptional talents, 'sons of heaven and earth.'"
Tsk, if you had come a few days earlier, I wouldn’t have been able to answer… Zhao Duan smiled slightly and nodded:
"Of course I know, but the priest must have guessed wrong. I was born and raised in the capital, and I cannot be compared with these travel-savvy predecessors you mentioned."
Humph... Your master told me about a similar temptation a few days ago, suspecting whether I was related to the "Mubei Forest". You are late... Zhao Duan was a little proud.
Yuxiu shook her head: "Are you trying to say that you've never been to Mubei Forest, so you're different from these people?"
"Isn't it?" Zhao Duan asked with a smile.
He now suspected that Lao Zhang had tried once but still didn't give up, so he sent his disciples to strike back.
The identity of the time traveler must never be revealed.
Yuxiu did not answer this question, but changed the subject and asked:
"Master Zhao, do you know where we, the disciples who were accepted by our master and have left the sect, are usually? What do we do?"
Why bring this up... Zhao Duan answered cautiously:
"It is said that he traveled far and wide, both to eliminate evil sorcerers and uphold the righteous path, and also to comprehend the Way of Heaven and seek the opportunity to connect with the heavenly being."
Yuxiu nodded gently: "Then do you know where Zhong Pan and I went?"
This time, without waiting for Zhao Duan's response, Yuxiu took the initiative to explain:
"Jin Jian and Gongshu's cultivation is still shallow, so they only move around in the Central Plains. Third Junior Sister and Fourth Junior Brother were still in Yu State last year, but this year they left Yu State and went beyond the borders. Zhong Pan and I have been traveling around the borders all year round, only returning occasionally."
Zhao Duan's heart moved, remembering that the other party had mentioned Yunfu, and curiously asked, "Priest Mo Chang often travels south of Yunfu, southwest and southeast of Southern Xinjiang?"
The area south of the State of Yu was collectively called the Southern Border.
Yunfu is adjacent to the "Greater Southwest" and Lingnan is adjacent to the "Greater Southeast".
They are all places where few people go.
Both Zhang Yanyi and Eunuch Hai mentioned that the farther away from human habitation, the fewer people explore, and the farther one goes, the more severely the cultivator's power is weakened, and they may even fall to the level of a mortal.
Yuxiu murmured, "Yes," and said, "For the past two years, I've been active in the territory of the Liao people. I've been trying to curb the infiltration of the 'Da Laba' god into the Yu Kingdom, and suppress the sorcerers like the Baiyi Sect who believe in the 'God of Death'... Besides that, I'm also tracking down the last traces of the Qi Kingdom of the previous dynasty."
This sentence contains a huge amount of information. "Dalaba" is an alien god worshipped by the Liao people. Zhao Duan knew this.
The destruction was caused by fear of the power of gods and the desire to prevent gods who were not among the "official gods of the court" from breaking into the State of Yu.
The State of Yu always kept a strict guard against the gods outside the country, which gave the impression that "gods are forbidden to enter the territory of Dayu".
As for the sorcerers of the White Sect... When they were in Jianning Prefecture, Zhao Duan and the empress had both been cursed by these sorcerers.
This account has not yet been settled.
But what really concerned him was the last sentence.
"The last trace of Qiguo?" Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, leaning forward slightly. "Priest, can you tell me in detail?"
Before the establishment of the Yu State, the previous dynasty on this land was called "Qi", and the last year was called Tianshou.
During the Tianshou year, many heroes competed for supremacy, and the Qi Kingdom was defeated and destroyed in the dust of history. Because it was so long ago, few people mentioned it.
Yuxiu explained:
"Historical records state that when the capital of Qi fell, the last remaining imperial guards were defeated and pursued by various rebel forces. They finally fled to southern Xinjiang and hid in the mountains, hoping to wait out the chaos in the Central Plains before scouting for an opportunity to break out... but then they disappeared, presumably trapped in a miasma, and their entire army was annihilated.
There's a clue in the books hidden in my Tianshi Mansion. When this imperial army fled, they took away a batch of national treasures from the Qi Kingdom Palace, including extremely precious magical treasures and secret manuals...
During these six hundred years, many people have tried to look for it, but due to the vast forests in southern Xinjiang, the southwest and southeast, poisonous insects and beasts, and miasma that often stretches for hundreds of miles... it is extremely difficult to find.
Although some people have found some corpses and scattered treasures, compared to what this imperial guard has brought with them, it is just a drop in the ocean."
When they were defeated, they withdrew their troops with a large number of national treasures, fled to a remote place, and hid with the help of "natural barriers", trying to counterattack in the future... This script sounds a bit familiar to me... Zhao Duan was madly complaining in his heart, and asked curiously:
"No one has found it? Will it be found by the Liao people?"
Yuxiu said calmly:
"It's very likely. The Liao people are the most likely force to have obtained those national treasures from the previous dynasty. That's why I've been investigating there repeatedly over the past two years. Unfortunately, the Liao people are also full of experts, so I haven't made any key progress. However... after all, it's not all in vain."
"What did the priest obtain?" Zhao Duan's heart skipped a beat, and he had a bad feeling.
Yuxiu's delicate eyebrows stared at him:
"Within the Liao people, there's a talisman, an altar. By placing prey on it, one can pray and steal the power of the Laba deity to fulfill their wishes... I was lucky enough to sneak in and give it a try.
The revelation from that talisman is in the capital. In other words, if I want to find the national treasure of the previous dynasty, the key opportunity lies in the capital. This is why I returned to the Central Plains.
Zhao Duan's head was as big as a bucket, and he said speechlessly:
"Priest, you're joking. May I ask if the revelation contains any details?"
"No," Yuxiu said without beating around the bush.
"I didn't dare to have too deep a deal with Da Laba, so the answer I got was very vague."
Zhao Duan held his forehead: "Then why do you think it was me?"
"Intuition," Yuxiu said as a matter of course:
"In the past two years, the most eye-catching person in the entire capital is you. Well, there's also Her Majesty, but Her Majesty is too powerful. I don't have the capital to discuss this matter with her."
Girl, you are so direct when you speak... You are not acting at all... Zhao Duan said seriously:
"Priest, are you not afraid that I will report this matter to His Majesty?"
"Don't be afraid," Yuxiu said calmly, "She can't possibly leave Yu State anyway. Even if she's really interested in those national treasures from the previous dynasty, she'll probably send you to find them."
“…”
Zhao Duan was speechless and had no way to refute.
After a long while, he rubbed his brows and said earnestly:
"Is it possible that, given my current situation, I don't have the time to go treasure hunting in Southern Xinjiang with you?"
He is not crazy.
Even Yuxiu, the world's top powerhouse, is sneaking around in the Liao people's territory. He has just leveled up, so there is no reason for him to play a high-mortality dungeon.
Even if one day I really want to go treasure hunting, it should be to destroy the rebel army of "King Mu" in Yunfu Road.
Then he led a strong army to attack and make sure that the Liao people would surrender, which would be a safe bet.
However, the national treasure of the previous dynasty that Yuxiu had been searching for so hard must be extremely valuable, and might even be strongly related to the advancement to "Heavenly Man".
Sooner or later, Zhao Duan will have to face the problem of breaking through to the realm of heaven and man. If he doesn't want to use slow and steady methods, he will have to spend decades of hard work to break through.
It is necessary to find quick methods such as "dual cultivation" and "fengshan".
This second senior sister actually provided a way.
"I didn't expect that your current level of cultivation would allow you to keep pace with me." Yuxiu said calmly without any surprise.
The look on his face was as if he was looking at a piece of trash.
Being looked down upon… Zhao Duan’s temper flared up, feeling unhappy about being looked down upon. He said unconvincedly:
"Priest, do you think I'm weak?"
Yuxiu is a very direct woman.
It's not that she lacks emotional intelligence, but because she is too lazy to make small talk, deal with social matters, or be too lazy to beat around the bush and take care of other people's emotions.
She never gets distracted.
"He is only of middle rank, but in reality he is a newcomer to the world and is indeed very weak," the female Taoist priest commented.
Seeing Zhao Duan smiling without saying anything, Yuxiu raised her eyebrows slightly: "Are you dissatisfied?"
Immediately, her brows relaxed and she muttered to herself:
"Indeed, after advancing two realms in a single year, it's only natural that I'm not convinced. In that case, why don't we have a little sparring match? I'll also use the same magic power as you and see the sword."
Huh? What? I didn't agree to a sparring match...
Zhao Duan was stunned and almost didn't react. He saw that the green jade short sword that was inserted diagonally into the waist of Yuxiu suddenly jumped up from the loose golden hemp rope around her waist and circled around the priestess.
Without her making any movement, the jade flying sword turned into a streak of light and slashed towards Zhao Duan's robe sleeve.
Fast, accurate and ruthless.
However, the expected scene of the robe sleeve breaking did not happen.
In Zhao Duan’s sleeve, the dormant Golden Crow Flying Knife shot out from the air like a ferocious beast, almost roaring. With a “ding” sound, it fiercely knocked the flying sword away.
"Huh?" Yuxiu, who was sitting upright in the chair without any movement, let out a light "huh", looking a little surprised.
The jade flying sword somersaulted twice in mid-air, stabilized its body, and under the infusion of magic power, it became transparent and transparent, and it seemed as if there was nectar flowing in the sword body.
“Woo!”
The jade sword was drawn again.
Zhao Duan pursed his lips and said nothing, also sitting upright in the chair. A flash of golden light flashed on the surface of the Golden Crow Flying Knife.
Then, it let out a low howl, like a ferocious tiger, tearing the air apart, breaking through the turbulence, and rushing forward.
“Ding-dang-dang!”
For a moment, in the inner hall with the door open, Zhao Duan and Yuxiu faced each other, each sitting upright in a pearwood chair, motionless.
In the room, the Golden Crow Flying Knife and the Green Jade Sword were almost entangled with each other, and it was unknown how many rounds they collided.
The "ding-ding-dang-dang" sound is like a piece of music, and it is actually quite pleasant to listen to.
Sometimes it is like the dense drumbeats on the battlefield, sometimes it is as loud as heavy rain, and sometimes it is like the sound of wind chimes blowing through the eaves.
After countless rounds, a flash of silver appeared in one of Zhao Duan's pupils.
With a "bang".
The green jade sword flew backwards and went straight out of the inner hall.
Yuxiu was stunned, with a look of surprise and confusion in her eyes.
At this moment, the Empress's voice suddenly rang out from outside the inner hall: "What a sword dance!"
(End of this chapter)
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