darknovel Chapter 151 Borrowing a Sword
Chapter 151 Borrowing a Sword
Chapter 151 Borrowing a Sword
The journey to the Zhao family's house was unexpectedly smooth.
The Wind and Thunder Eagle, a fifth-level Qi Refining Eagle summoned by Zhao Mengxi, had a wingspan of nearly three zhang (approximately 10 meters), with dark gold feathers and fine arcs of electricity flowing along its edges, making it exceptionally magnificent.
The eagle's back is broad and protected by a windproof formation. When riding on it, all you can hear is the howling wind in your ears and the landscape rushing past below.
Li Qingyi sat cross-legged on the eagle's back, the strong wind making his green robe flutter.
He silently estimated Lei Ying's speed and was secretly amazed.
This beast's speed was comparable to his own full-force wind manipulation.
Moreover, the experience of flying while seated is completely different from flying on your own.
Without needing to distract oneself by manipulating magic to fight off air currents, with warm, thick feathers beneath, one can concentrate fully on observing, thinking, or even—dozing off.
I need to figure out a way to get a decent flying mount. It'd be great for traveling, escaping, and making a show of force.
What unexpected complications will arise during this trip to the Zhao family? Cui Yao has been lured there; how is the communication with Jiang Yanxu going?
Countless thoughts swirled and intertwined in Li Qingyi's mind.
Ling'er beside him was gazing absentmindedly into the distance.
Zhao Mengxi stared intently at Li Qingyi.
Suddenly, the Wind and Thunder Eagle's wings flapped violently, bringing it to a sudden stop in mid-air.
The powerful inertia caused the three people on the eagle's back to sway.
A tall figure in a white robe appeared out of thin air and blocked Lei Ying's path.
Li Qingyi breathed a sigh of relief after recognizing the person who had come.
Expected.
Zhao Mengxi's brows furrowed instantly, her pretty face turning slightly cold, and her voice carrying obvious displeasure: "Senior brother? What are you doing here?"
Cui Yao stood on the air, his robes fluttering, completely ignoring Zhao Mengxi's cold face. Instead, he looked at Li Qingyi with a smile on his face: "After much thought, it would be a real pity to miss the Zhao family's excitement. So I shamelessly came to accompany Brother Fang and Junior Sister, to join in the fun and broaden my horizons."
Without waiting for Zhao Mengxi's consent, he swayed and landed lightly on the eagle's back, sitting right next to Li Qingyi.
Cui Yao magically produced a blue gourd of wine from his sleeve and handed it to Li Qingyi with a smile: "Brother Fang, try this. I specially went out of my way to Zuixianfang to buy this Bitao Ninglu. Although it is not as good as the sect's spiritual brew, it is still quite rare."
Li Qingyi took the wine pot; it felt slightly heavy and cool to the touch.
He glanced at Zhao Mengxi, whose face was growing increasingly pale, and chuckled inwardly, but remained outwardly calm as he uncorked the kettle.
Instantly, a refreshing and invigorating aroma of flowers, fruits, and wine wafted through the air, instantly uplifting the spirits just by smelling it.
"Brother Cui, you're too kind." Li Qingyi raised the pot in acknowledgment, tilted his head back, and took a sip.
Cui Yao laughed heartily and took out another pot to drink a large gulp.
The two drank together high in the sky, amidst howling winds, as if they were in a quiet pavilion in their own backyard.
Zhao Mengxi watched this scene, her red lips pressed tightly together, her eyes filled with dark clouds.
She couldn't understand at all when the two of them had become so close.
Last time at Wangchun Tower, weren't things tense enough?
She was filled with doubts, but she couldn't express them.
Firstly, Cui Yao was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, stronger than her; secondly, he was her fellow disciple, so she couldn't find a reason to forcefully drive him away.
The only option is to issue new commands to Thunderhawk.
Ling'er remained indifferent to all of this.
The giant eagle flapped its wings again, transforming into a golden bolt of lightning, breaking through the clouds, and continued its rapid journey towards the Zichuan Mountains.
With Cui Yao's jokes and antics, the journey became less dull.
This Taoist genius may seem unrestrained, but he is actually very knowledgeable and witty, able to talk about everything from local customs to interesting anecdotes about cultivation.
Li Qingyi was happy to deal with him, and occasionally when they talked about swordsmanship, Cui Yao could offer some insightful opinions.
The two chatted and drank together, making Zhao Mengxi, who was standing to the side, seem like a mere decoration.
The two days flew by as we drank, chatted, and enjoyed the scenery.
As the Zichuan Mountains appeared on the distant horizon, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
In the dim light of dawn, the mountain range resembles a sleeping, ancient behemoth.
Only upon closer inspection can one clearly see the vast architectural complex built against the mountain, stretching for dozens of miles, with pavilions and towers scattered in a well-organized manner, and flying eaves and brackets hidden in the misty and ethereal clouds.
Even though she had seen it many times in simulations, witnessing this scene in person still made Li Qingyi take a deep breath and sigh softly, "As expected of the Purple Mansion Immortal Clan."
The pavilions stretch from the foot of the mountain to the mountainside, creating a magnificent and imposing structure.
Even Zhao Mengxi, the legitimate daughter, must abide by the rules when returning home.
The Wind and Thunder Eagle slowly descended its altitude when it was still a mile away from the mountain gate, and finally landed on a platform specially used for parking large mounts.
Zhao's servants immediately stepped forward to take care of the child.
Zhao Mengxi led the three of them on foot to a stone platform in front of the mountain gate, which was engraved with intricate array patterns.
A flash of light, and the four figures disappeared, appearing in the core area of the Zhao family the next moment.
"Young Master Fang, Senior Brother Cui, please rest in this courtyard for now. Ling'er, come with me."
Zhao Mengxi led Li Qingyi and Cui Yao into an elegant courtyard called Tingzhuxuan, instructed the maids to treat them well, and then prepared to leave with Ling'er.
The expected change still occurred.
Zhao Mengxi did not take Li Qingyi to find Zhao Zhouhui as she had in the simulation.
Li Qingyi was happy to have some peace and quiet, since she didn't have to bite the bullet and marry this roast chicken.
As soon as Cui Yao entered the courtyard, he acted as if he were in his own home. Without any hesitation, he sat down on the stone bench in the courtyard, took out a new blue gourd, and greeted Li Qingyi, "Brother Fang, sit down! Now that we've arrived, we should have a drink to celebrate! We didn't drink enough on the way here!"
Li Qingyi looked at this man whose drinking spirits were still high and felt quite helpless.
He knew very well that Cui Yao's visit was not just for fun, but more likely for Jin Xing.
But the other party's frank and unrestrained demeanor made him somewhat unsure of what to do.
"Brother Cui, we have been drinking for two days in a row. Although this spirit wine is good, too much of it can be harmful to your health."
"Brother Fang, you're mistaken!" Cui Yao waved his hand, his face flushed slightly from the alcohol. "A thousand cups are too few when drinking with a bosom friend! Since we're brothers, we should drink to our hearts' content! Come, let's finish this pot first!"
Without saying a word, he shoved the wine pot into Li Qingyi's hand.
Li Qingyi sighed.
Although Cui Yao's wine gourd didn't look big, it had a hidden world inside.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it can hold several vats of wine.
But when Li Qingyi uncorked the bottle and saw the words inside the wine, her expression hardened, and she immediately drank it down in one gulp.
"Excellent wine!"
"Hahaha! That's great!" Cui Yao laughed loudly and took another big gulp.
The two drank to their hearts' content.
When the sun was high in the sky, Cui Yao lay on the stone table and fell fast asleep.
Li Qingyi, on the other hand, walked steadily toward the Zhao family ancestral hall.
He kept thinking about what kind of role Cui Yao was playing.
The words reflected in the wine were a reminder to be careful of the Zhao family and the Daoist sect.
That's really interesting.
Cui Yao is also a member of the Daoist sect.
Could it be that the Daoist sect is divided into multiple factions? Are these factions now fighting amongst themselves over the Metal element? But wasn't Cui Yao interested in Zhao Mengxi? Why has his personality suddenly changed so drastically?
Cui Yao gave Li Qingyi a strange feeling, as if he had no interest in Zhao Mengxi at all.
But nothing else has changed.
Is it some kind of supernatural power?
Unable to understand, Li Qingyi simply stopped thinking about it; the world of cultivation was far too complicated.
Now he has only two goals: first, to fool Zhao Wuyi into acting alongside Jiang Yanxu, and second, to make connections with the royal family and see if he is really the Third Prince.
With a clear plan, Li Qingyi continued her journey towards the Zhao family's ancestral home.
He had already thoroughly explored the entire Zhao family in the simulation, so he was naturally very familiar with the place.
He was quickly stopped by the Zhao family's guards.
"Young master, this place is not to be entered."
A group of elite guards, dressed in matching black outfits, blocked their path.
Li Qingyi stopped in her tracks, ignoring the guards, and instead raised her head, saying loudly, "Senior Zhao, isn't this kind of probing pointless?"
A few breaths later, an aged voice suddenly echoed from the sky.
"Let him in."
Upon hearing this, the head guard immediately withdrew his hand and stepped back, bowing and saying, "Young master, please."
Within the ancestral land, ancient trees reach for the sky, and exotic flowers and rare herbs can be seen everywhere.
He walked along the bluestone path for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, and suddenly a quiet bamboo forest appeared before him, with a clear pool in the middle of the forest and a wooden house built beside the pool.
On the stone table in front of the wooden house, there was a chessboard.
An elderly man, dressed in a simple gray robe and with a gaunt face, sat alone at the table, holding a white chess piece, his gaze fixed on the chessboard for a long time.
On the chessboard, the black pieces have been utterly defeated and scattered by the white pieces, and the game is already lost.
"Young friend, you've arrived." His voice was gentle as he gestured to the chessboard. "I had some free time and decided to play a game, but I've reached the end. I'm wondering where to place this last piece to achieve a perfect ending. Perhaps you could take a look and see if you have a solution?"
"Senior, since the game has come to this point, why be so fixated on the placement of a single piece? If you find it uninteresting, why not just overturn the board and start a new game? Wouldn't that be more satisfying?"
"The chessboard is too heavy, and I am too old and frail to do so."
Li Qingyi sneered inwardly: The old fox is quite the actor.
"Senior, you are mistaken. Humans are the most intelligent beings in the world, the most advanced of all creatures, and should naturally know how to leverage external forces and resources. Why must we do everything ourselves?"
"Oh?" Zhao Wuyi raised his eyes. "Borrowing momentum? Borrowing strength? What insights do you have, young friend? I would appreciate your guidance."
"I dare not presume to offer my guidance." Li Qingyi's smile vanished, and her demeanor suddenly changed.
He stopped hiding it. With a slight thought, the disguise on his face faded, revealing his handsome true appearance.
At the same time, an incomparably pure sword intent slowly rose from his body.
With a flash of sword light, the chessboard was instantly split in two.
"How about we borrow your sword?"