20demayo Chapter 14 The Treasure of Liancheng? What a generous gift!
Chapter 14 The Treasure of Liancheng? What a generous gift!
The battle at Ling Mansion ended very quickly.
Mu Qingxia was cleaved in two by Xu Qingya, Ling Tuisi was captured by Zhuge Zhengwo, Ling Shuanghua was temporarily handed over to Ding Dian for care, and Zhui Ming worked overtime overnight to organize the case files.
Xu Qingya first went to the night market and bought a beef bone as a reward for Doubao'er's continuous merits. Then he went home to rest. It was a really tiring night.
Xu Qingya had lived in Liaodong for a long time, and his knowledge of the martial arts world came from Ximen Changhai and the "plot". He was unaware of the terrible storm that had been brewing in the capital.
The "Encountering Immortals Gang" is a taboo in the capital.
On one hand, there was the relentless and thunderous suppression by the imperial court. The emperor had ordered that any remaining members of the Yuxian Gang must be killed without exception.
On the other hand, rumors circulate that the martial arts secrets, Yin-Yang techniques, and alchemy of the Yuxian Gang are all orthodox Xuanmen techniques, but the gang leader has gone astray.
It is said that the leader of the Yuxian Gang combined a medical classic left by a certain master with Taoist external alchemy techniques to develop a method that could make people live forever.
The imperial court kept this matter a secret. The paper documents collected from the headquarters of the Yuxian Gang were either burned or buried deep in the imperial mausoleum to accompany the late emperor.
The person who knows the truth best in the world is not the current emperor, but the five disciples of the Yuxian Gang.
They are the personal disciples of the leader of the Yuxian Gang, each inheriting one-fifth of the legacy. If you can capture the five disciples, you can obtain the "Longevity Technique".
Unfortunately, the disciples who inherited the three mental cultivation methods of fire, water, and earth preferred ascetic training, and even at the height of the Immortal Encounter Gang's glory and prestige, they did not reveal their appearance.
The eldest brother, Kang Jinlong, has disappeared without a trace, while the second sister, Mu Qingxia, married Ling Tuisi and became "Madam Ling," hiding in the inner quarters and never venturing out of the main house.
After finally revealing their whereabouts, Mu Qingxia was killed by Xu Qingya, and the Ling family mansion was taken over by Zhuge Zhengwo. All the books in the Ling family mansion were sealed away.
Knowing they wouldn't gain any advantage, the Jinfeng Xiyu Tower, Liufenban Hall, and other factions dared not recklessly join in, and thus restrained their branch managers to avoid getting involved.
……
Linglong Pavilion Headquarters.
Yang Yan opened a hidden compartment in the study and took out a small sandalwood box containing a smooth, clear, and emerald-green jade pendant about the size of a mahjong tile.
The jade plaque has no patterns or designs, but has a small hole in the middle, about the thickness of an embroidery needle, through which a silk thread can be threaded. It resembles a "peace of mind plaque".
This is the Pan family heirloom!
The "Pan" in "Pan Youdi"!
Yang Yan had heard from her aunt that the Pan family had an ancestor who was a miraculous doctor who could bring the dead back to life and heal the wounded, named Pan Ta.
That's a story from two hundred years ago!
A prince gathered dozens of renowned physicians, with Panta as their leader, and combined ancient medical texts to research a "secret technique for immortality" that would grant people eternal life.
No one knows what happened, only that all the famous doctors except Panta were killed, and the prince issued a bounty, shifting the blame to Panta.
The imperial court declared: Panta coveted the secret of immortality, poisoned people to cover his tracks, and stole the complete set of immortality manuals!
Panta said that the prince coveted the secret of immortality and poisoned all the famous doctors. However, he was too weak to speak out and was forced to flee to a small town in the countryside, where he lived in anonymity and died in depression.
This jade pendant was brought out by Panta at great personal risk.
According to the will left by Panta, this secret technique for achieving immortality requires a "jade burial suit," and the jade tablet is the most inconspicuous but most important piece of the puzzle for the jade burial suit.
Without this jade tablet, one will be left with an indelible weakness during practice, much like the body is missing a vital acupoint, and reaching advanced levels of skill will lead to qi deviation and demonic possession.
Time flows on, and the world changes.
Most of the descendants of the Pan family changed their surnames, and the legends about the secret to immortality were lost in the torrent of history. Even the name Pan Ta is almost forgotten.
Until the rise of the Immortal Gang!
Most people believe that the Yuxian Gang inherited the Taoist tradition of the Yin-Yang School of the Qin Dynasty. Only Panta's descendants know that the leader of the Yuxian Gang obtained part of the "longevity technique".
Yang Yan scoffed at the idea of "immortality," saying that birth, aging, sickness, and death are the basic laws of human life. If everyone could live forever, wouldn't the world be in chaos?
Which emperors and generals who pursued immortality met a good end? At best, they emptied the national treasury; at worst, they accumulated large amounts of toxic substances and ultimately died from heavy metal poisoning.
Yang Yan was collecting relevant information in order to find an opportunity to overturn the verdict on her ancestor and clear Panta's name. Others may forget these things, but how could Yang Yan forget them?
Thinking of this, Yang Yan sighed, changed into a female knight-errant's outfit, put on a bamboo hat to cover her face, and took out a weapon from a hidden compartment.
……
The Imperial Palace, the Imperial Study.
Empress Liu Dinghuan rubbed her shoulders wearily. The mess left by the late emperor was simply too big. Every morning when she opened her eyes, there were countless memorials and documents.
The imperial court is rife with undercurrents, the martial arts world is in chaos, and countless handsome young men and talented scholars are displaying their abilities in the capital, hoping to win the favor of the empress.
Looking at the empty palace, the mountain of memorials, and the drowsy palace maids, Liu Dinghuan felt an unprecedented loneliness and isolation.
Looking back, she saw her dear younger sister, Liu Qingci, sitting to the side, holding snacks in one hand and a memorial in the other... but holding the memorial upside down!
When Liu Dinghuan and Liu Qingci were young, it was publicly claimed that Liu Dinghuan was good at martial arts and Liu Qingci was good at literature, but in reality, Liu Dinghuan was good at literature and Liu Qingci was good at martial arts.
Just how talented is Liu Qingci?
She studied the "Six Arts of a Gentleman" from a young age, and even surrounded by a group of old scholars, she mastered archery skills to the highest level.
It is the pinnacle in the literal sense; it is no exaggeration to say that he is the best archer in the world. Even if Li Guang were reborn, Huang Zhong were reincarnated, or Liu Qingci were to challenge him, he would still dare to fight against him.
Many people think archers are fragile.
This is a very wrong "stereotype".
Having spent so much time drawing a bow and arrow, he possesses immense strength in his arms and waist, exceptional limb stability, and eagle-like eyesight, making him an all-around warrior.
Top-notch archers are all born with superhuman strength. Liu Qingci may seem frail and delicate, like Lin Daiyu, but in reality, she can uproot a willow tree.
That's the problem.
Liu Qingci's talent in martial arts was as high as his talent in cultural knowledge was poor. Even Grand Tutor Zhuge was so angry that he beat his chest and stamped his feet.
It wasn't intentional mischief or laziness; it was simply that he couldn't learn it. He felt dizzy just looking at the words. They hired dozens of tutors, but only one could teach him.
That man was a diligent scholar who passed the imperial examination in his middle age. He was nothing special. The late emperor liked alchemy, so he asked him to organize the Daoist canon.
While organizing the Daoist canon, this person also taught Liu Qingci. Somehow, the blockhead that Zhuge Zhengwo couldn't teach actually became enlightened by his teachings.
Thinking of Liu Qingci's mentor... Liu Dinghuan smiled bitterly with a hint of helplessness. In this world, things rarely go as planned, and even the emperor is helpless!
Some people only want to be scholars in the Hanlin Academy, quietly writing books and establishing doctrines. They have no interest in Taoism and even harbor some resentment because of the Encounter with Immortals Gang.
Such a scholar, who neither wrote books nor produced history, nor became a general or prime minister, and who had no literary talent, inexplicably became the supreme master of Taoism!
Where can you seek justice in something like this?
Liu Dinghuan gently tapped the table.
Liu Qingci, still half asleep, suddenly woke up when she heard the sound. She almost fell off the chair, but instinctively used her waist and abdomen to press her buttocks back into the chair.
Unexpectedly, the force was too great, and the chair shattered with a crack, causing the body to fall backward.
"Snapped!"
Liu Qingci sat down and plopped down on his bottom.
Liu Dinghuan rubbed his temples: "Qingci, the national treasury is not well-funded; it can't withstand your extravagance!"
Liu Qingci argued, "This isn't my fault! Who told you to jump in like that! Sister, let me go out for a walk! What kind of thief could possibly hurt me?"
Liu Dinghuan grinned mischievously: "Do you want to go out and serve the court, or are you looking for a suitable husband? You're not young anymore; it's time for an imperial marriage!"
Liu Qingci spat and said, "Fine! My requirements are simple: if he can withstand three punches, three shots, and three arrows from me, he'll be my ideal husband!"
Liu Dinghuan stared intently at Liu Qingci.
Liu Qingci shrugged: "Why are you looking at me? Do I have writing on my face? Hurry up and approve the memorial! Master Zhuge will be sending you a new memorial soon!"
Before he could finish speaking, the Grand Eunuch Mi Cangqiong came to report that Zhuge Zhengwo was requesting an audience. Liu Dinghuan looked at Liu Qingci with a dark expression and coughed three or four times.
Liu Qingci turned his face away with an embarrassed smile.
After waiting a short while, Zhuge Zhengwo arrived. What came into view was not Zhuge Zhengwo's old face, but three volumes of memorials and a thick stack of documents.
"Your Majesty, this is a cause for great joy!"
"What's there to be happy about?"
"Here's what happened..."
Zhuge Zhengwo handed the dossier to Liu Dinghuan and then slowly began to speak, mainly to Liu Qingci.
The story begins with the missing child case and moves on to the Ling family mansion, from the remnants of the Yuxian Gang to the Liancheng Treasure, and from Zhui Ming's meticulous pursuit of clues to Xu Qingya's continuous meritorious service.
Zhuge Zhengwo didn't take Mu Qingxia seriously, but during the search of the Ling residence, he found Ling Tuisi's diary in the study.
Zhuge Zhengwo originally thought that the record contained information about the remnants of the Yuxian Gang, but he never expected that it contained a great treasure that had been passed down for hundreds of years.
Ling Tuisi painstakingly investigated for more than ten years, studying ancient poems and local chronicles, and finally confirmed that the treasure was hidden in Jingzhou, enough to make him rich for a lifetime.
"...More valuable than treasure is talent. Xu Qingya's swordsmanship surpasses his master and has unlimited potential. He has comprehended the 'Spring and Autumn' sword intent from the Spring and Autumn swordsmanship."
"Is it really the 'Spring and Autumn Blade Intent'?"
"There's no mistake, he blasted down the two-story building in the back of the Ling family mansion with a single strike. That strike, as recorded in historical records, was the 'Nation-Shaking' technique created by the Martial Saint during the Battle of Xiangfan!"
Before Zhuge Zhengwo could finish speaking, Liu Qingci said with a grin, "I'll go recruit him! Someone who can comprehend the Spring and Autumn Blade Intent must be a loyal and righteous person!"
Liu Qingci, as the "King of One Characters," was Liu Dinghuan's most trusted person. Logically speaking, he should at least be the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard or the supervisor of the Eastern Depot.
Unfortunately, Liu Qingci really had no talent for management, and in the end, he was given the random title of Commander of the Imperial Guard, responsible for training the Dragon Protectors.
Liu Qingci was in charge of recruiting martial arts masters and martial arts patrons for the imperial court. Before Liu Qingci could finish speaking, Zhuge Zhengwo stroked his beard and subconsciously laughed.
"Sir, what are you laughing at?"
"What a coincidence! That young master Xu is handsome and dashing, with exquisite features, no less so than Jiang Feng or Li Ruohai. When His Highness went to investigate..."
"No! Let my master go! I remember he's been feeling down lately; let him go and clear his head!"
Liu Qingci hurriedly waved his hand in refusal.
Liu Dinghuan grinned mischievously: "Issue the imperial decree: the chivalrous hero Xu Qingya has repeatedly rendered great service. He is hereby rewarded with a thousand taels of gold and a brocade robe, with the inscription '一字比肩王' (a type of imperial robe) on his shoulders. He shall go to deliver the decree and depart tomorrow morning!"
Liu Qingci: (⊙_☉)