She is devoted to cultivating immortality

Chapter 105: Time and fate, destined by heaven

Zhu Qingqing didn't even look at these things and said with dissatisfaction.

"I just think it's ridiculous that this dragon grandson has been seeking the True Immortal in vain, but he doesn't know that there is a person who is more powerful than the True Immortal right in front of him!"

Obviously, he was talking about Xie Lian.

"I'm not as great as you say. The reason I was able to attend the banquet was because of the invitation from Daoist Fellow Danyangzi. I am already satisfied to be able to sit here..."

Xie Lian smiled and comforted him.

She really didn't feel unhappy about anything.

My original intention of coming here was to see the world, to see what the Dragon Palace looks like and to taste the delicious food there.

Now that my goal has been achieved, I am in a pretty good mood.

As for the seating arrangement, although it seemed a bit strange that Long Sun openly divided people into different levels and it might offend people, it was Long Sun’s own business and he didn’t care, so why should Xie Lian care?

She was a time traveler who had just arrived in this world for less than a year and had been practicing in Xiaoning County. She had no fame at all. Could she expect others to kneel down to welcome her?

The steward placed her in the lower middle position, which was actually quite good.

"Speaking of this, I am a little confused. Even if Longsun has never heard of the queen's name, why didn't the queen tell the steward that she was a friend of Senior Danyangzi? If he knew that a true immortal was on good terms with the queen, he would definitely not dare to be so negligent."

Zhu Qingqing asked.

"Why do you have to be in the spotlight? Do you think sitting in the front is a good thing?"

Xie Lian shook his head and said.

"Although the old Dragon Lord has passed away, his legacy is still there, so the True Immortals gave him face at the first banquet. But now you see, even the True Immortals are unwilling to come. This is enough to show that the problem facing the Dragon Grandson is very difficult... We sit in the back, eat and drink quietly, and after seeing the big scene, we can leave satisfied. But if we sit in the front, the Dragon Grandson will inevitably ask for advice. Do you think you will help or not?"

Something that so many True Immortals are helpless to do must be very troublesome.

Xie Lian doesn’t think he is more powerful than these True Immortals.

Besides, even if she could really help, why should she get involved in this matter?
Others have a bond with Old Dragon Lord, but she doesn’t.

"Your Majesty, what you said does make sense...but I still feel uncomfortable. Your Majesty is of such high status, how can you be looked down upon by others?"

She took out the token engraved with the four big characters "Ancestor of Yin and Yang" and muttered to herself.

"Your Highness is just too low-key on weekdays. If you tell them that the old demon Yin Yang Tongzi died at your hands, no one in the world will dare to look down on you anymore."

Xie Lian burst out laughing.

"It was you who killed the Yin Yang Boy, not me. If anyone really wanted to be famous, it should be you... Look, the hot dishes are here!"

Sure enough, the palace maids lined up in an orderly queue and brought a variety of dishes to the table.

None of these dishes are simple.

Many rare spiritual beast meats release excellent flavors after being cooked.

As the main course was served, Longsun also came out.

He was wearing a golden robe and sat in the main seat as a matter of course. He didn't say much and started the banquet directly.

Xie Lian tasted a dish that looked like "bear paw" and found it very delicious.

At least it was incomparable to the spiritual fish he had eaten before.

That is the arowana, which can be compared with this dish because of its natural spicy taste.

And this is just the beginning.

Xie Lian buried his head in eating, not caring about anything else.

After hearing Xie Lian’s analysis, Zhu Qingqing was not so angry anymore. Seeing that Xie Lian was eating with great relish, she also picked up her chopsticks.

What they ate was not the same dish. The Dragon Palace was very thorough in terms of etiquette. Even for characters like Zhu Qingqing, who were maids, there were specially prepared dishes.

Just like the previous drinks and fruit plates, as soon as the dishes are eaten up, they will be replaced with different delicacies.

Xie Lian came here just for this reason, and without any hesitation, he started the "Clean Plate" campaign, having already changed seven or eight dishes in a row.

The people nearby were dumbfounded, but they did not think it was a pathetic act. Instead, they felt a chill in their hearts and toasted Xie Lian from a distance.

They are all smart people. These dishes are full of spiritual energy, so they have to slow down after eating two dishes to avoid disrupting the flow of energy.

But Xie Lian ate heartily without showing any sign of difficulty.

This is enough to show that her skills are unmatched by everyone else.

Of course, their idea was definitely wrong, but Xie Lian had five caves and seventy-two acupoints in her body, and the spiritual energy she needed could be described as a bottomless pit. The spiritual energy transformed by these dishes was divided up without a trace as soon as it entered her body.

On ordinary days, there is no such good opportunity to eat to one’s heart’s content. In addition, because of the gift, Xie Lian had no psychological burden. He ate more than a hundred dishes in a row. Finally, when he realized that the delicacies served were no longer new dishes, he put down his chopsticks.

"It seems that Dragon Palace has prepared so many dishes."

Xie Lian wiped his mouth with the handkerchief Zhu Qingqing handed over and said to himself.

However, he didn't know that his excessive eating had alarmed many people.

At least the chief steward of the Dragon Palace knew about this. He had no problem with Xie Lian's feast. It was only a hundred dishes. What was that? Your ability to eat was your ability. The Dragon Palace would not be dissatisfied with such a small matter.

He was just unhappy about his negligence in work and came forward to apologize.

"I am old and my eyesight is dim. I have neglected you, please stand up and take a seat in the front."

Like everyone else, he also realized that Xie Lian was not the right character to be here, so he decided to adjust the seating arrangement.

But after eating and drinking his fill, Xie Lian didn’t want to move anymore and declined with a smile.

"Don't bother, this place is actually quite nice. We're just attending a banquet, so it doesn't matter where we sit."

Zhu Qingqing muttered.

"My wife was not arranged to sit in the front before, and now she won't move even if you invite her."

Hearing this, Xie Lian turned around and glared at her, who quickly lowered her head.

But the steward showed a look of shame on his face.

"This girl is right. I apologize to you again."

After that, he retreated.

But the wine and after-meal fruits served were obviously of higher quality.

This is enough to show that the Dragon Palace's chief steward is a good man and is trying every possible way to make up for his mistakes.

Just for this reason, even Zhu Qingqing couldn't express any dissatisfaction.

She said, playing with the token in her hand.

"My lady, is there anyone you know here?"

Xie Lian nodded, looked at the last seat in the Jia group in front of him, and said.

"There is someone I know, but he's not an acquaintance."

This person is Hua Yuanyi, the abbot of Sanyang Temple in Jiugong Mountain.

The two don't know much about each other. If we have to count, they are probably just fishing friends.

Previously, Xie Lian only said that he knew the Lame Immortal, but did not mention Dan Yangzi, which was considered to be a reservation.

Hua Yuanyi said that his Sanyang Temple was not worth mentioning, with only a few big and small people and seven or eight disciples. But now he is sitting in the front row. Even if it is just the last seat, it is enough to show that his Sanyang Temple is not simple.

"It seems that among practitioners, it is normal to keep things to yourself and keep some things to yourself."

Xie Lian sighed in his heart.

Perhaps because he was also paying attention to what was going on over here, Hua Yuanyi saw Xie Lian, picked up the wine glass, and stood up and walked over.

"I didn't expect that Brother Xie would also come to attend the Dragon Grandson Banquet."

Xie Lian smiled and clinked glasses with him.

"It's really a good place to meet each other."

After they finished drinking, their glasses were empty, and Zhu Qingqing quickly poured more wine.

She did her job as a maid very well.

But when pouring the wine, Hua Yuanyi saw the token she was playing with in her hand, and raised his eyebrows.

"Miss, could you please let Hua take a closer look at this sign?"

"This one……"

Zhu Qingqing subconsciously looked towards Xie Lian.

"See, it's nothing important."

Xie Lian said.

Zhu Qingqing quickly handed the token over. Hua Yuanyi felt the material and turned it over and saw the four words "Yin Yang Patriarch".

"Fellow Daoist Xie, do you know that there was a Yin Yang Demon Sect many years ago?"

"Of course I know this."

"The Yin-Yang Demon Sect had too many enemies and was destroyed not long after it was established. The notorious Yin-Yang Patriarch could only transform back into the Yin-Yang Boy, becoming a laughing stock for a while... But this old demon is not simple. Even if he is alone, he can stir up a bloody storm. Later, for some reason, he was besieged by five True Immortals and lost his life. If Hua is not mistaken, this token should be the identity token of the old demon when he was still the Yin-Yang Patriarch. How did it fall into the hands of the girl?"

Hua Yuanyi looked a little solemn and held the sign tightly.

This shows that this token has a great impact on him.

Xie Lian had never expected that the Yin Yang Boy had been "dead" for so many years, and a mere token could cause such a big reaction from Hua Yuanyi.

This matter needs to be explained clearly. No matter how much she doesn't care about her reputation, she certainly doesn't want to have anything to do with old devils like Yin Yang Boy.

So when Zhu Qingqing looked at her with an inquiring look, she nodded slowly.

After receiving Xie Lian’s approval, Zhu Qingqing perked up and said:

"You are right. This is indeed the token of the old devil. But you are wrong about one thing. Although the old devil was besieged by five true immortals, he did not lose his life. Instead, he faked his death and escaped. He hid in the dark and tried to make a comeback... But a few days ago, he was blind and offended my queen. She burned him to ashes, and only this broken sign is left!"

She had been wanting to talk about this for a long time.

She felt that Xie Lian was too low-key. If he made such a big thing known to the public, his fame would spread far and wide, and he would not be looked down upon by the Dragon Palace.

But Xie Lian’s idea was different from hers. Firstly, killing the old demon was not a reflection of his true strength, and secondly, being too famous was not a good thing either.

On the contrary, many things will be easier to do if you keep a low profile.

Of course, Xie Lian wasn’t averse to being famous. Just like now, when Zhu Qingqing brought up this matter, she didn’t think it was a big deal.

This kind of thing cannot be hidden, and it will be known to others sooner or later.

"I see, this old devil is really cunning, he even faked his death and escaped!"

Hua Yuanyi believed it, and there was a look of relief in his eyes, and he even felt like he was gritting his teeth when he spoke.

This made Xie Lian feel very strange.

"Fellow Daoist, you don't seem to be curious about the truth of this matter?"

Hua Yuanyi doesn't look like a simple-minded person. Why does he believe everything Zhu Qingqing says?

It was a well-known fact that the old demon was besieged and killed by five true immortals. Logically speaking, when Zhu Qingqing told him about this, he should have questioned it.

How could you believe it so easily?
And judging from his reaction, it seemed as if he had some deep hatred with the old devil.

"Fellow Daoist... No, I shouldn't call you fellow Daoist. I should call you senior."

Hua Yuanyi was halfway through his words when he suddenly realized something and bowed to Xie Lian.

"You may not know, but I have an irreconcilable feud with this old demon. My master, the former Sanyang Temple master, Taoist Lingyin, was one of the five true immortals who besieged him."

"Ah...it's such a coincidence?"

"Yes, Hua didn't expect that there would be such a connection between me and the seniors. Back then, my master and several seniors besieged the old demon together. Although they succeeded in killing him, my master was always uneasy after returning. He told me privately that the old demon would never die so easily, and that he had a key item on him that he would definitely carry with him. When we killed him before, we didn't find this item, which was strange no matter how we thought about it."

"What kind of key thing?"

"Master didn't say that, but he did tell me more than once that if the old demon wasn't dead, he would definitely come for revenge."

"Master, as a True Immortal, you shouldn't be so fearful. That old demon has suffered a calamity. Even if he doesn't die, his vitality has been greatly damaged." "But my master's condition is not good either. He is already old, and he has suffered a Taoist injury in the past, which has never healed. Forcibly besieging and killing the old demon, not to mention that his old injuries have relapsed, the old demon's methods are really cruel. At that time, each of the five True Immortals was seriously injured. It would take at least a few hundred years to recuperate before they could come out and move... and my master's new and old injuries relapsed at the same time, and unfortunately he passed away."

"This……"

Xie Lian showed a look of realization.

No wonder this old devil looked so confident of victory, it turns out he was so powerful in his peak period.

Five True Immortals besieged him, but he seriously injured all five of them and even faked his own death to escape.

"So, this old demon actually had a grudge against me for killing my master. I wanted to take revenge all the time, but I didn't expect that he would fall into the hands of the senior, and finally ended his life of heinous crimes... From this aspect, the senior has done a great favor to me and the entire Sanyang Temple. I thank the senior!"

Hua Yuanyi bowed deeply, appearing extremely humble.

Even a few tears fell, giving people the feeling that she was really moved.

Seeing this, Xie Lian’s heart trembled, and he quickly helped him up.

"Fellow Daoist, you are too polite. Actually, I was able to kill that old demon by luck. I never thought that there would be such a twist in the story beforehand... It is a pleasant surprise for me to be able to help you. By the way, there is no need to address me as "senior". It seems a little distant..."

Hua Yuanyi was not hesitant. After Xie Lian said so, he bowed again and, like Zhu Qingqing, called her "Empress".

"The Dragon's Grandson Banquet is still going on. This is not the time for a long conversation. After the banquet is over, Hua will pay his respects to the Empress again."

Hua Yuanyi expressed his apologies.

Because Longsun seemed to be about to make some moves.

Xie Lian nodded, motioning for him to go back first.

"My lady, Mr. Hua seems to be a man who values ​​friendship and loyalty."

Zhu Qingqing had a very good impression of Hua Yuanyi and commented in a low voice.

"probably."

Xie Lian nodded in agreement, but because he really didn’t know much, he wasn’t sure.

In fact, she is a little distressed now.

There's nothing wrong with admitting to killing the Yin-Yang Boy.

But she never dreamed that this Yin-Yang Boy actually had such a grudge with Sanyang Temple.

Hua Yuanyi looked so grateful that he would have shed tears. If there hadn't been so many people around, he would have probably kneeled down and kowtowed.

In fact, she doesn't like the feeling of being someone else's "benefactor", and she doesn't like others crying in front of her, especially a grown man.

Let’s find a chance later and take the lead.

As for Hua Yuanyi... he originally killed the Yin-Yang Boy for the purpose of self-protection and did not expect any reward from him.

However, the so-called "key thing" mentioned by Hua Yuanyi just now made Xie Lian's heart move.

“Could it be this thing?”

Xie Lian’s heart sank as he saw the half-cut mountain in the spleen cave.

After a period of refining, this half of the mountain is almost turning into Xie Lian's shape.

Coincidentally, just when Xie Lian was paying attention to it, he suddenly felt something strange.

"Completely refined?"

Xie Lian tried it out and found that his divine consciousness was indeed able to move this half of the mountain.

And because it has absorbed too much purple energy, this originally dead mountain now seems to have a lot of spirituality. In addition, there seem to be some other changes.

But the current situation was not suitable for research, so Xie Lian could only put the idea aside for the time being.

Now the idea of ​​"taking the lead" becomes even stronger.

After Hua Yuanyi sat back in his seat, the tears on his face had dried.

He had a warm smile on his face, and from his appearance, no one would know that he had just cried.

"I didn't expect this fishing friend to have such a background... He's a True Immortal!"

He confirmed this directly.

Although Xie Lian said that the Yin Yang Boy was seriously injured, he was after all an old demon with a notorious reputation. How could he be easily underestimated?

To kill this old demon, at least a true immortal would be needed.

Hua Yuanyi is more certain about this than anyone else. Without the means of a True Immortal, there is no way to defeat that old devil.

In an instant, all doubts about Xie Lian were resolved.

No wonder he can use elixirs like the Dragon-Nourishing Pill to fish. Such a luxurious behavior would not be at all inappropriate for a true immortal who plays in the mortal world.

At that time, he felt that Xie Lian was extraordinary and might have some important background, so he deliberately approached him to make friends with him. Unexpectedly, he actually made friends with a "big fish".

This made Hua Yuanyi ecstatic.

Those tears he shed just now were three to four points sincere, and he was somewhat touched by the thought of avenging his master.

But more of it is actually a performance element.

Even if he only needs 30% or 40% sincerity, he will show it with 100%.

In this way, he established a relationship with Xie Lian.

"Since Master passed away, Sanyang Temple has been getting worse day by day. Although I am the abbot, I can only maintain it with my strength. If I want to revive its reputation, I must have the support of a True Immortal... Unfortunately, death is like the extinguishing of a lamp. Master didn't have many friends to begin with. After Master passed away, those who were familiar with him also gradually cut off their ties with Sanyang Temple. Meeting this person is a great fortune given to me by God. I must establish a friendship with her in the name of repaying her kindness!"

A smile slowly appeared on Hua Yuanyi's lips.

People who are not familiar with him will find it a pleasure to interact with him, like a spring breeze.

But those who really know him will know that he is actually a scheming person who is good at taking advantage of situations.

They may not have bad intentions, but people who can make Hua Yuanyi make friends with them actively are generally able to bring benefits to him.

For example, he maintained a good relationship with Long Sun.

You have to know that Longsun has a very eccentric personality and it is difficult for ordinary people to get along with him, but Hua Yuanyi happens to be able to understand his pulse and make Longsun regard him as a close friend.

Why do you want to do this?

It is because Hua Yuanyi is optimistic about Longsun’s potential and the network of relationships behind him.

Speaking of this dragon grandson, Hua Yuanyi's expression became strange, and he felt a little gloating in his heart.

“Ao Ding, Ao Ding, you have encountered setbacks repeatedly over the years, and your bad temper has finally subsided a little, but you have also used up all the favors that you had with your grandfather, so the True Immortals no longer pay attention to you. You are deeply troubled by this matter, but you don’t know that there is an unfathomable person among the guests of the Dragon Palace... It is really a matter of time and fate, and it is destined by heaven!”

This is ridiculous to think about.

Longsun held a banquet to ask the senior masters to help him solve his difficulties.

But none of the senior people he wanted to invite came.

However, an uninvited master was unknown to him and was arranged to sit in seat C.

This gave Hua Yuanyi a feeling that it was destined.

As for telling Longsun about this?

He had no such idea at all.

This kind of fate should be exclusive to me, Hua!
-
Not to mention that Xie Lian and Hua Yuanyi each have their own thoughts.

Speaking of this banquet alone, it was actually quite successful.

At least Xie Lian saw that the guests’ faces were filled with smiles. Although they brought generous gifts, the value of this meal alone exceeded the gifts themselves.

Not to mention that some people were packing up, stuffing the spiritual fruits and other things on the table into their pockets openly.

The people in Dragon Palace didn't fail to notice, but they didn't care.

Although the Minjiang Dragon King lineage is somewhat desolate nowadays, its heritage is still there.

After eating and drinking, everyone sat in their seats. Many of them leaned forward to look, as if they were expecting something.

Xie Lian was not curious at first, but after what they did, he became interested and looked forward a few times, but nothing happened.

The silver-haired middle-aged man next to him saw this and said.

"The main part of the show is about to begin."

"The meat of the play?"

"Yes, this is inevitable at every Dragon Grandson Banquet."

"Is it related to Long Sun?"

“If it weren’t for him, who could have staged the big show?”

The silver-haired middle-aged man said.

"It has been more than 1,700 years since Long Sun succeeded to the throne of the River God."

"One thousand seven hundred years ago, the old Dragon King passed away. Before he left, he left a will, passing the throne to his grandson, and invited all the dragons in the world to be witnesses."

"But the Minjiang River is a big river, with a water area of ​​800 miles, which is of great significance. The Minjiang Dragon Palace has a profound foundation, and many people are coveting this position... Longsun is just a dragon, and his status is not enough to match the position of the River God. Therefore, he has attracted a lot of criticism."

This matter was not really a secret, but it was the first time Xie Lian knew about it.

"Then why did this position finally fall to Long Sun?"

The place where the silver-haired middle-aged man practiced was not far from the Minjiang River, so he knew something about the Dragon Palace. Of course, this was also because these things were not a secret in the first place.

Everyone present here basically knows what’s going on. Someone like Xie Lian, who knows nothing at all, is actually an outlier.

"It's because the old Dragon Lord insisted on having his own way."

"After all, he has been in charge of the Minjiang River for many years, and he is one of the few dragon kings in the dragon clan. He is also friendly with many true immortals in the world. Before he dies, he wants to determine the status of the dragon grandson. Who can refuse to give him face?"

"But the old Dragon Lord also knew that he couldn't go against the trend, and he gave his grandson a deadline of 2,000 years. If he could successfully transform into a dragon within 2,000 years, his status would naturally match his, and he would legitimately inherit the Minjiang lineage. If he failed, he would naturally give up the position of River God, and several Dragon Lords would decide on the successor together... In this way, everyone had no objections and agreed to this matter."

Xie Lian calculated the time and said in surprise.

"Two thousand years, doesn't that mean there's not much time left?"

The silver-haired middle-aged man nodded and sighed.

"Yes, the old Dragon King probably would not have thought that his grandson would not be able to successfully transform into a dragon for two thousand years."

Seeing the two of them whispering, the people at the neighboring table on the other side quietly came over and whispered.

"I heard that Long Sun has become a laughing stock in the dragon clan, and many of his fellow clansmen are laughing at him."

There are many people who say this.

At least when Xie Lian took a quick glance, he saw that many people were whispering to each other.

This struck her as somewhat ridiculous.

This is the Dragon Palace...

You are talking about Longsun's right and wrong behind his back, don't you consider the occasion?
Although there were no members of the Dragon Palace around and there was no need to worry about being discovered, it was still somewhat inappropriate to act like this.

But Xie Lian also confirmed one thing through this incident, that is, Long Sun really has no dignity anymore.

If you think about it carefully, it's normal. With his background, he was blessed with everything. Two thousand years was definitely plenty of time. But he failed so many times in a row...

This is human nature. As long as you succeed, you will find that there are good people around you, and what they say is more beautiful than the other, and what they do is more loyal than the other.

But once you fail, you will naturally be criticized by others.

Especially for noble descendants like Dragon Sun, it is natural for them to arouse jealousy. Many people are happy to see such dragon descendants fail and become a joke.

"From this point of view, Longsun seems to be quite pitiful. Those who come to the banquet are all here with the intention of taking advantage and watching the joke."

Zhu Qingqing had previously complained about Longsun, but when she saw the process of the banquet fast-forward from "taking advantage" to "watching a joke", she felt a little sad.

Think about how she was also looked down upon when she was a casual cultivator, and heard people saying weird things about her everywhere. Then, looking at Long Sun at this moment, she actually felt a sense of sympathy.

(End of this chapter)