coobybook Chapter 85 Unparalleled National Scholars
Chapter 85 Unparalleled National Scholars
Upon hearing this, the old man's eyes widened suddenly. When his good disciple discovered the secret manuals of four families on Ren Yaofei's corpse, they had a premonition that they were not the only four families whose secret manuals had been betrayed.
Later, through investigating Ren Yaofei, Junior Brother Yin traced the matter further and discovered that the sect's secret manual had been lost in a bet by an ordinary disciple.
The disciple was a gambler. According to him, one day he was so engrossed in gambling that he lost everything. A kind-hearted man took a liking to him and lent him gambling funds, allowing him to gamble to his heart's content.
That time, he not only broke even, but also made a lot of money.
But then his luck turned bad again, and when he was gambling again, he saw that great philanthropist once more.
This time, the philanthropist did not agree to lend him gambling funds, but said he would take him to a paradise where he could gamble to his heart's content.
He was led to a carriage by a masked philanthropist.
When he woke up, he found himself in a paradise on earth.
Fine wine and delicacies, beautiful women in his arms—he could enjoy anything he couldn't normally have there.
But if you want to get on the gambling table, you have to bring something that no one else has to gamble with.
The disciple said he was bewitched at the time, thinking that if he won the bet, everything would be fine.
Once he started gambling, he couldn't stop. By the time he had lost all the skills he had learned in his sect, he was drunk and passed out with a terrible expression.
However, when he woke up again, he found himself back on the roadside where he had boarded the carriage.
No matter how hard he searched, he could never see that great philanthropist again.
He didn't know where he went that day, and naturally he dared not reveal that he had betrayed his sect.
When Uncle Yin finally traced him back to him, he was filled with guilt and remorse, and his fragile heart couldn't withstand the pressure, so he confessed everything.
After dealing with this unfilial disciple, the elders suspected that there might be a group of people specifically targeting disciples of various martial arts sects, with the aim of obtaining the unique skills of each sect.
Although they didn't know the full picture, they could sense that this was no small matter.
Junior Brother Yin and Iron Order of Thunderbolt Fortress decided to continue the investigation. As long as they found evidence, they were determined to catch the mastermind behind it all.
Not long ago, my junior brother Yin wrote to say that they had found a ship, which was the "paradise on earth" that the disciple had mentioned.
Junior Brother Yin and his group discovered on that ship that the person behind it might be from the Free and Unfettered Sect.
But before Junior Brother Yin could continue his investigation, the young friend appeared on the ship and caused a huge scene, almost preventing everyone from disembarking.
Recalling this, the old man couldn't help but glance at the man in black.
The young man before me was dressed in a black night suit, exuding an icy aura that made people hesitant to approach. His cold, expressionless face and deep, unfathomable gaze made it impossible to discern his true thoughts.
But the old man knew that he was waiting for his answer.
The young friend wants to take his beloved disciple away...
“Xiao Xi has had a tragic fate since childhood. From the first moment I saw her, I knew that she was destined to be a child, intelligent but short-lived. But I don’t want to accept my fate anymore. I want to let this damned heaven know that I can not only save this child, but I will also let her grow up safely and peacefully. I want to watch her find her ideal husband and live a fulfilling life against all odds.”
The old Taoist priest finished reciting his expectations for his disciple in a firm and resounding voice, then looked seriously at the man in black:
"Young friend, you think you can take my disciple away with just a word? But what do you plan to do with her? Will you keep her locked up like a prisoner on your Tianshan Mountain? What does the leakage of various sects' secret techniques have to do with my disciple? Does she owe anyone something just because she's capable? Although the Qingcheng Sect can't compare to the other sects in terms of size and influence, unless all the disciples of the Qingcheng Sect are wiped out, no one can touch a hair on my disciple's head!"
Seemingly not expecting the old man to refuse him so firmly, the aura around the man in black instantly turned several degrees colder, sending chills down one's spine.
Recalling the little girl's arrogant demeanor in the cave, he restrained himself, but ultimately couldn't help but say:
"If you don't want to raise a second Ling Mianqing, you'd better hand her over to me."
"Ling Mianqing? Although my disciple is mischievous, he is gentle and likable by nature. How could he be associated with that old hag?" The old man looked puzzled.
Gentle and pleasing? The thought of the little girl's unruly behavior made the man in black's teeth ache.
He felt he should tell her directly that the girl was the one who was causing trouble. She was using her ability to modify her special skills as a bargaining chip to get herself into trouble. She was also promiscuous and dared to flirt with him repeatedly. She was not as well-behaved as the old man thought.
But when he got to the point, he changed the subject to something else:
"Is the son-in-law you're looking for the prodigal Cui Chou, or Tang Huaiyi who's engaged to the Nanpu tribe, or perhaps Ling Mianqing's male favorite? Given that girl's talent for causing trouble, none of these people would be a good match for her. I'll take her to Tianshan and make sure she's taken good care of. She won't be mistreated. The turbulent world of martial arts isn't suitable for a useless person like her who can't even fight."
The young man repeatedly insisted on taking the old man's apprentice away, which displeased the old man.
But the old man also knew that the man in front of him wouldn't come here to say these strange things for no reason.
What did his disciple do that made the other party wary?
The sect's secret manual... The old Taoist, having gained some insight, tentatively inquired:
“Young friend, are you worried that someone might use my disciple to stir up trouble in the martial world? It’s not that I don’t trust you, but I know my disciple well. As for those people you’re talking about, Xiao Xi doesn’t seem to have any romantic feelings for them. She’s young and doesn’t understand love, so you don’t need to worry about her being used. I appreciate your concern, but I’ll say it again: the disciples of the Qingcheng Sect will be protected by the Qingcheng Sect.”
The old man's words only made things worse. As soon as he finished speaking, the man in black remembered the little maid in the Crimson Tent Courtyard who had interrupted others and still had the appetite to eat, showing no shame whatsoever.
Later, she even shamelessly said that no one was good enough for her. How could she not understand?
The man in black sneered, "What if I insist on taking her away?"
The old man was furious: "Bian Yuan, don't push your luck!"
The two parted unhappily.
……
The palace was filled with blooming flowers, a rare and auspicious sign before the Emperor's birthday celebration.
Empress Wang of Kunning Palace got up early in the morning and ordered people to set up a heavy tent. Then she summoned Consort Li and Consort De to inquire about the preparations for the Emperor's birthday.
Emperor Lu Wenhe had four sons and three daughters, and Empress Wang was his first wife.
Not long after the birth of Princess Lu Mingyue, Lu Wenhe, who was then a battalion commander, was framed and imprisoned by a villain.
On a snowy winter day, in an attempt to save him, the Empress draped her only warm clothes over him, causing him to become so cold that he could no longer conceive.
Lu Wen and Ben promised that having one daughter would be enough, and that they would find a husband for their daughter in the future so that the Lu family line would not be cut off.
Who knew that later, when the world was in chaos, Lu Wenhe's fortunes changed, and he suddenly gained the ability to rule the world.
At a victory celebration banquet one day, Lu Wenhe had a relationship with the daughter of a subordinate after drinking. In order to stabilize morale, he gritted his teeth and admitted to the affair.
Once one happened, another followed. Although Lu Wenhe's harem was not large, it still had more than a dozen concubines. Among them, the daughter of his subordinate was made a concubine, Yu, because she gave birth to the eldest prince. After the eldest prince's rebellion was exposed, Yu was given a three-foot-long white silk ribbon to commit suicide in Lanlin Palace.
The second prince's birth mother was Consort De;
The third prince's birth mother was a palace maid whom Emperor Hua favored after drinking. She was given the title of Beauty after giving birth to the third prince, but she was always inconspicuous in the palace.
The fourth prince's birth mother was Consort Shu;
Consort Li gave birth to two daughters in succession and was greatly favored by Emperor Hua.
When Consort Li was young, she was somewhat spoiled. However, as she grew older and her two daughters got married, she became closer and closer to Empress Wang, and they got along very well.
Her youngest daughter, Princess Yongle, was not only favored by the Emperor, but also greatly loved by Empress Wang.
On this birthday celebration, Empress Wang assigned all matters, big and small, to the other concubines, while she only focused on ensuring that the overall situation did not go wrong.
Even so, the morning quickly passed with the distractions of various tasks.
In the afternoon, Princess Yongle went to the palace to pay her respects. Seeing that Empress Wang had some free time, she coquettishly asked to play with Empress Wang for a while.
Empress Wang, who came from a commoner background, was not very skilled at some of the gambling games played in the palace, such as Lu Bo, Chu Pu, and Tan Qi. Instead, she particularly loved the mahjong tiles that her son-in-law, Prince Rui, had improved.
Princess Yongle, naturally catering to her preferences, ordered a palace maid to bring her a specially made ivory mahjong set.
Afterwards, she pulled Empress Wang, her birth mother Consort Li, and the lady-in-waiting Aunt Qiuyue together to play mahjong.
Amidst the clattering sounds, Princess Yongle happily recounted some amusing incidents that had recently occurred in the capital. She happened to overhear an interesting tale about mahjong tiles.
"Mother, have you ever heard of what this Thirteen Orphans hand is called?" Princess Yongle, Lu Lanyu, asked with a mysterious smile.
"This hand is too weak, I don't like it. What else can it be called if not Thirteen Orphans?" Empress Wang looked at Princess Yongle, who was keeping her in suspense, with a slight frown.
Princess Yongle's eyes lit up, her voice filled with excitement and curiosity:
"Your Majesty, you may not know this, but recently a woman in the capital has placed a bet of ten thousand taels of silver at the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion. She claims she will win a Thirteen Orphans hand within three rounds. Anyone who can stop her from winning within three rounds will win the ten thousand taels of silver. Moreover, this person also says that the Thirteen Orphans hand is not called Thirteen Orphans, but 'Peerless Hero'!"