This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 350 If I were to compose a poem, everyone present would be nothing more than a cheap imitation.
"Was the person who hired the assassin Liu?"

"Ah."

"..." x2
Xiang Yuan rubbed his temples, annoyed that he had developed Benxindao PTSD, and that he would blame Benxindao for everything that was unreasonable.

At least this time, I believe I am innocent.

Come to think of it, Jian'an Road is Liu's stronghold. The caravan had just left Tai'an Prefecture, the capital, and hadn't even left Jian'an Road yet. Only a madman would set up an ambush here.

The case has been solved. Some junior students paid someone to kill him, hoping to create a heroic rescue atmosphere for their senior, so that it would be like spring all year round.

Look how idle you are! How come you haven't been driven crazy by reviewing memorials?

Xiang Yuan roughly understood the cause and effect, glanced at the pitiful Pang Wanjun, saw his helpless clear eyes, waved his hand and said: "Let's go, if there is a next time, it will not be as simple as just a Qiankun Ring."

"Rest assured, Daoist Master, Liu harbors treacherous intentions and seeks to harm you. If this happens again, I, Pang, will certainly commit suicide to atone for your mercy," Pang Wanjun declared resolutely.

"..."

So humble it's heartbreaking.

Xiang Yuan always made an exception for such a mature and honest person, shifting space and returning in one step to the convoy where Wuyou Valley was located.

Seeing that the group of Nascent Soul stage experts were still struggling with the formation on the official road, he raised his fist and smashed it across the sky, instantly crushing the formation into dust.

"The bandit leader has been eliminated, let's continue on our way!"

Xiang Yuan boarded the carriage, settled down on the familiar soft couch, and just as he snuggled into the soft cushion, a row of heads turned to look at him: "What are you all standing there for? Keep playing the music and dancing. We'll be in Huaizhou soon, and you don't have much time left to rehearse."

The array erected by Xingxiu Palace was broken, and the waiting procession on the official road appeared one after another. In addition, soldiers from Huaizhou lined up to disperse the fans blocking the road and ensure that the convoy could pass smoothly.

Having just survived an ambush, Jiang Yingjun had no interest in rehearsing dance. She sat down on the soft couch opposite Xiang Yuan, across a tea table, and sized up Xiang Yuan, whose posture was neither proper.

His appearance may be lacking, but he is truly a formidable fighter, having defeated a Grandmaster-level expert of the same realm so quickly.

Jiang Yingjun looked on with envy, but said nothing. She asked curiously, "Why would assassins from the Star Palace set up an ambush here? Who hired them?"

"Master Jiang is so smart, he should be able to guess it."

"..."

Jiang Yingjun shook her head slightly, having thought of several answers, but rejected them all because they were illogical.

"Let me give you a heads-up: this is Jian'an Road, under the Emperor's rule."

Xiang Yuan counted on his fingers: "Jiang Dajia is not only the apple of the eye of the Jiang family, but also the sister of the current empress, and the top courtesan of Wuyou Valley. She alone is involved with three first-class forces in Northern Qi. In addition, Wuyou Valley is full of learned scholars and no ordinary people come and go. Most of the senior members are from the first-class backgrounds of Northern Qi. It is equivalent to having all the Jianghu forces in Northern Qi standing behind you."

"Furthermore, this trip south to the Western Chu capital is of strategic significance to the Northern Qi court. Ambushing the caravan would be tantamount to making an enemy of the entire Northern Qi court and the martial arts world."

"Now that I've said that, can't you guess who it is, Mr. Jiang?"

The answer was practically written on her face, how could Jiang Yingjun not guess? Her expression shifted between light and dark, and after a long while she whispered, "Indeed, it is the Way of the Heart."

Xiang Yuan: (￣_，￣)
I won't allow you to say that about the Way of the Heart; that's a correct prejudice!

Xiang Yuan rolled his eyes, thinking to himself that he was burdened by his reputation and that this whole thing was somewhat unfair to the bad guys.

"Not the true path?"

"hold head high."

"Have people from Western Chu arrived?"

Jiang Yingjun was astonished: "This is Jian'an Road. Even if Western Chu set up an ambush, it shouldn't be here. Have you been deceived?"

"Master Jiang, is it possible that the person who hired the assassin is named Liu Che?"

"..."

Jiang Yingjun's face tightened, and she hummed a few times softly. As clever as she was, she already understood the cause and effect.

Some emperors, whose identities were not to be mentioned, knew that Xiang Yuan was not good at literature, so they resorted to force, creating an opportunity for Xiang Yuan to play the hero and save the damsel in distress.

Who do you think you are? I'm not blind!
Seeing that Xiang Yuan told her the truth and seemed to have little interest in her, Jiang Yingjun was quite dissatisfied and subconsciously straightened her back to ask about the masked master's identity.

"Great Sword Alliance, Pang Qianjun."

Who is Pang Qianjun?

Jiang Yingjun frowned slightly: "I only know that the alliance leader is Pang Wanjun. It is said that he is a master swordsman, puts righteousness first, and only kills the unjust when he travels the world. He does not touch money and hates those who bully the weak. I did not expect that he also has a master brother who joined the Xingxiu Palace and did the despicable business of being an assassin."

Xiang Yuan stood up and sat down, looking at Jiang Yingjun with surprise, his eyes filled with sympathy as if he were looking at a pure white flower that had not been tainted by the world.

Back in the day, he did the same thing to someone!

"What's wrong? Is something not right?"

Jiang Yingjun felt uncomfortable under Xiang Yuan's gaze. She clenched her fists in dissatisfaction. His blatant eyes seemed to be mocking her for being an idiot.

"You're mistaken. The leader of the Great Sword Alliance is named Pang Qianjun, not Wan Jun. He's a grandmaster with a name and a surname. It's a bit disrespectful of you, Master Jiang, to even mispronounce his name."

Xiang Yuan first complained, then cheerfully instilled the true worldview into Jiang Yingjun: "Pang Qianjun is the leader of the Great Sword Alliance during the day and a master-level assassin of the Star Palace at night. These two identities are not contradictory. All the top masters in the world are like this."

"impossible!"

Jiang Yingjun flatly denied it.

"Why not? Pang Qianjun is just the tip of the iceberg. Whether it's Wuyou Valley or your Jiang Clan, every Grandmaster has a dual identity. They have a great reputation in public, but they are petty thieves and scoundrels in private. They are all scoundrels."

Xiang Yuan said with great enthusiasm, "If you don't believe me, go back and ask your Jiang clan's grandmaster. He must have had a part-time job at the Star Palace, doing business where he took money to solve problems for others."

"I don't believe you, you're lying to me!"

"Hey, I'm a Grandmaster, are you a Grandmaster?"

Xiang Yuan laughed and teased, "What do you know about a Grandmaster when you're just a Nascent Soul stage junior? If you don't believe me, let's make a bet!"

"What are you gambling?"

"Do whatever you want!"

"..."

Jiang Yingjun did not reply, not because she lacked confidence in her master, but because a wise person avoids dangerous situations and she had no need to put herself in danger.

Gambling in moderation is harmless, but excessive gambling is harmful to health. Gambling to such an extreme degree is very damaging to one's health.

Xiang Yuan had no intention of betting with Jiang Yingjun. He was just bored and didn't want Jiang Yingjun to be clean, even though he was dirty himself. Seeing her suffer a setback, he kept lecturing her on what a prestigious and upright sect was.

"I have traveled the world and seen all kinds of famous and righteous sects. Let's not even talk about the Benxin Dao in Northern Qi. To be honest, they have already been whitewashed."

"In the Southern Jin Dynasty, those grandmasters all possessed a copy of the Illusionary Dao inheritance. With their faces covered, many would ambush and rob people on the road. I myself was ambushed by several such groups back then..."

"For example, the shameless Hundred Rivers Alliance insists that my magic weapon is their sect's most prized treasure. Bah! I have never seen such shameless people!"

"The situation in Western Chu is even worse. Have you heard of Jianxinzhai and Wushuang Palace? Those female cultivators there don't even bother to act. In broad daylight, they forcibly abduct young heroes from the roadside, shouting that they'll take them back to be used as Star Fury Power, and that they'll pass it down for three generations so everyone can have meat to eat..."

"I only know of such a young hero. In his youth, he wore a thin blue robe and dreamed of traveling the world. He was too upright, which displeased the Sword Heart Sect and the Peerless Palace. They sent female cultivators from their sects to surround and intercept him. His behavior was... no, his end was terrible!"

"There are three great evil sects in this world: the Star Palace, the Immortal Mountain, and the Spirit Guardian Sect. They are all supported by grandmasters from reputable and righteous sects!"

"Not to mention the evil and heretical sects. You know the Yellow Springs Path? There's a guy named Zuo Lengxie. He's a real scoundrel. He massacres entire cities at the drop of a hat and likes to abduct female cultivators from his sect to use as cultivation vessels..."

Xiang Yuan recounted the truth eloquently, and everything he said was correct except for the parts that were wrong. He forcefully enlightened Jiang Yingjun, opening the door to the world of grandmasters.

Twenty miles is not a long distance. Before Xiang Yuan could finish speaking, the convoy arrived at its destination and stopped.

Xiang Yuan was having a good time, but Jiang Yingjun was in a terrible situation. The former didn't care whether she could handle it or not, and just unleashed a torrent of abuse on her.

So much so that when fans saw their idol step off the carriage in Huaizhou City, Jiang Dajia was staggering and had to be supported by two maids. Her eyes were vacant, her face was pale, and she looked like she had been completely ruined.

Perhaps it was the long journey that exhausted my Yingjun! xN
The next second, Xiang Yuan pulled up his waistband and walked out, looking very relaxed, as if he had completed some kind of strange inheritance.

"..."xN
Crowds surged as fans once again stormed the military formation, following their actions at the Imperial Palace in Beijing.

"Hand over that lecherous thief!"

"Let me in. I am the son of the governor of Huai Prefecture. I need to go in and protect Grandma Jiang."

"Are you all blind? That flower thief climbed over the wall!"

Unsurprisingly, the governor's son, who was at the forefront, had his leg broken, and several of the ringleaders were arrested and sent to solitary confinement behind bars.

……

Time flies, and it's already late May.

The caravan from Wuyou Valley traveled south, passing through several major cities of Northern Qi. They stopped for three days at each city, exchanging literary ideas and enjoying themselves immensely.

As a bodyguard, Xiang Yuan participated in every grand event and was impressed by the scholars of Qianyuan Realm. He thought that if he didn't create a few original poems that would be famous for thousands of years, he might not be able to overpower the despicable local natives.

What a coincidence! Nine years of compulsory education teaches us timeless classics.

By late May, the Wuyou Valley caravan had arrived at the border between Northern Qi and Western Chu. If nothing unexpected happened, this increasingly intense and massive literary event would sweep into Western Chu like wildfire.

If Western Chu could not accept this, it would have to admit that the moon was still brighter in Northern Qi.

Of course, given the simple values ​​of the Northern Qi dynasty, whether their own moon was round or not was secondary; the key was that it was big.

Northern Qi: You surnamed Chu, is the moon of Lord Qi big or not? I'm just asking you, is it big or not!

Naturally, an unexpected incident occurred.

At the border between the two countries, a group of menacing scholars blocked the official road.

The group was small, but each member was upright and honest, with a noble character. They were all well-prepared and possessed unique skills.

Judging from their posture, they were preparing to block the Wuyou Valley convoy at the border, settle the score in one battle, and send them slinking back home. Looking into the distance, they noticed the aura of three grandmasters hidden among the crowd, one of whom looked quite familiar.

Xiao Feng.

Xun Yu changed his appearance, disguised himself with the face of a Confucian scholar, and hid in the crowd. At first glance, he really had the unruly temperament of a scholar.

Xiang Yuan turned around and his expression changed.

However, it's still best to avoid letting Xiao Feng see his true colors. Otherwise, the Xiao family of Shen Du might misunderstand him as a traitor, thinking he's a member of the Liu clan. In a fit of anger, they might force him to give away two more princesses.

Xiang Yuan's idea was somewhat wishful thinking, but there were too many idiots in the Xiao family, and there were hardly any serious people from top to bottom who could actually do such a thing.

A change of face is good for everyone.

Upon arriving in the capital, the escort mission was complete. He waved his sleeves and left without a trace, and no one knew that he was a member of the Liu clan.

Xiangyuan: (一`一)
No, it seems that Liu Che, that scoundrel, didn't actually use the beauty trap. This tactic seems to be called the divide-and-conquer strategy!
Upon arriving at the gate of Western Chu, Xiang Yuan suddenly realized his mistake and realized he had been tricked by his fellow disciples of the Benxin Dao. He resolved not to show his true face and sent a telepathic message to Jiang Yingjun, explaining that this was his true appearance.

I wouldn't believe you!
Jiang Yingjun had been thoroughly tormented by Xiang Yuan these past few days, and felt that her heart had become corrupted. She was too lazy to pay attention to this unreliable and uncouth man. She and a group of Northern Qi literati stepped forward, and the two sides stood in a clear and silent confrontation.

They've come with ill intentions; we absolutely cannot lose today! x2
Xiang Yuan's cultivation level as a junior in the Nascent Soul stage was inconspicuous in the crowd, so no one noticed him. Xiao Feng's primordial spirit sensed him repeatedly but did not see any grandmaster from the Liu family. Suspicious, he became even more discreet in his words and actions.

This guy has been walking the night too much, so when he encounters an ambush, he prepares to counter-ambush, planning to have a sneaky trick up his sleeve.

The Western Chu forces came prepared this time. Among the three masters, Xiao Feng was merely muddling through, dabbling in everything from music and chess to calligraphy and painting, but only superficially. He even dared not bring the character to life when impersonating Feng Jiahe, the head of the Feng family, who was poisoned by artistic ideas.

Afraid of being exposed.

The other two are different. One is from the Wu family of Linan, named Wu Rui, and the other is from the Chen family of Shaoxian, named Chen Suhe. Both are renowned literary giants. Given their masterful and profound understanding, their presence here is somewhat like bullying the younger generation.

Under Xiang Yuan's silent gaze, the shameless Xiao Feng squeezed between Wu Rui and Chen Suhe, pretending to be a literary giant as well.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the two sides chatted about trivial matters, such as the fine weather and local customs. After the pleasantries, Western Chu set up three challenges: one for books, one for chess, and one for painting, inviting Northern Qi to compete.

Best of three, if you win, you can enter the gates of Western Chu, and the gates of the capital will always be open; if you lose, you will go back to where you came from, and the capital will not entertain you.

Wu Rui established a bookstore, Xiao Feng established a chessboard, and Chen Suhe established a painting bureau. With the three masters wielding their full power, the scholars of Northern Qi were too intimidated to even raise their hands. How could they possibly compete with them?

As expected of our Western Chu, when we can't win a direct confrontation, we resort to external tactics. That's truly amazing!

Xiang Yuan nodded silently. It couldn't be said that they couldn't win in a direct confrontation. After all, Wu Rui and Chen Suhe were indeed talented. The scholars from Northern Qi were intimidated by their reputation, and their eyes flickered.

They were already intimidated before the battle even began, and coupled with the high morale of the three grandmasters, this was a recipe for utter defeat!
Just as Xiang Yuan was overjoyed at completing the mission ahead of schedule, Jiang Yingjun stepped out into the powerful aura of the three grandmasters. Two points of white light appeared between her eyebrows, transforming into a scroll and an inkstone. She used these two magical treasures to protect herself and arrived alone in front of the three arenas.

How arrogant!

Xiang Yuan made his assessment, and Wu Rui and Chen Suhe were also impressed, quite admiring of the beautiful and intelligent Jiang Yingjun.

Xiao Feng didn't think so. He thought it was a bad thing that the princess of the opposing family was too outstanding. He sent a telepathic message to the two grandmasters, telling them to go all out and beat her until she vomited blood, so that there would be no need for a competition.

Wu Rui pretended not to hear, secretly mocking the uncouth man, and chuckled as he stroked his beard. He pushed aside a sheet of white paper on the table and invited Jiang Yingjun to compete in calligraphy.

With her protective magic weapon, Jiang Yingjun was unafraid of Master Wu Rui's imposing aura. She lightly lifted her slender fingers to grind the ink, and the ink stick slowly dissolved in the inkstone.

The ink gradually darkened, like churning night clouds.

Wu Rui only mentioned comparing calligraphy, but did not specify what text to write. There were too many interpretations and even more room for manipulation. Jiang Yingjun knew there was a trick, and for a moment she did not know where to begin.

A moment later, she looked at the magical scroll above her head, the 'Thousand Autumns Book', and a slight smile appeared on her lips. She spread out a sheet of Xuan paper and began to write the Ode to Righteousness.

With her wrist suspended, she dipped the brush tip in thick ink, and with a single stroke, the majestic ink solidified into the phantom of a towering mountain of books, leaving Wu Rui speechless and choking.

This song of righteousness is clearly mocking him for bullying the weak despite being a master, and for losing his integrity even though he won the game.

Wu Rui pondered for a moment, then with a flick of his sleeve, his fierce aura receded like a tide. He then wrote a poem in response, intending to use his century-long mastery of calligraphy to win the battle.

The brush moves like dragons and snakes, the ink is vigorous and strong like a pine tree, the illusory image of the mountain of books is clear and majestic, with each stroke perfectly aligned, making it difficult to determine the winner.

Jiang Yingjun is only a few years old; she's too young to be Wu Rui's granddaughter. The two seem evenly matched, but anyone with eyes can see that Wu Rui has been immersed in calligraphy for a century and is at least four times the age of Jiang Yingjun. He should have lost this round.

The way of calligraphy does not care about age, but only about the paper. The two people's writings were equally upright, and the first round ended in a draw.

Wu Rui looked displeased. After a moment, he stood aside with a sigh, looking dejected and somewhat discouraged. He muttered to himself that if he hadn't believed Xiao Feng's bad advice and tried to intimidate her upon meeting her, losing some of his righteousness and allowing Jiang Yingjun to turn the tables on him, he would definitely have won this round.

Now look what's happened! He's been used as a stepping stone for a little girl, and his great reputation has been used to benefit her.

"Who told you not to bully the weak? Stand aside and watch how I win big!"

Xiao Feng disdained to transmit his voice, his grandmaster aura pressing down on Jiang Yingjun like a mountain. A chessboard with black and white pieces was set up on the table, without a single chair. He simply stood there and invited Jiang Yingjun to join the game.

They shamelessly took the lead in criticizing others, showing no demeanor whatsoever of a senior expert.

The Nascent Soul stage and the Profound Realm stage are completely different mechanisms. Not everyone can be like Xiang Yuan, relying on his powerful primordial spirit to ignore the vast difference in mechanisms. Jiang Yingjun moved towards the chessboard, feeling as if the vast ocean was empty, and every move required a great deal of mental effort.

The two magical treasures could protect her, but they required her to wield them. Xiao Feng used his power to intimidate her, so she had to devote a lot of her spiritual energy, which resulted in her turning pale and sweating profusely as soon as she reached the chessboard.

"Hehe, it's your turn, little girl."

Xiao Feng stroked the long beard he had somehow acquired, perfectly embodying the image of a effeminate villain. He appeared respectable, but all his moves were underhanded tactics.

He's so annoying!

For a moment, everyone in Northern Qi was spitting at her. There wasn't even a chair by the chessboard, clearly because they wanted to see Jiang Yingjun humiliated and collapse to the ground, exhausted.

That's incorrect!

Xiang Yuan raised an eyebrow. It wasn't that he was speaking up for Xiao Feng, but rather that playing to one's strengths and avoiding one's weaknesses is the way of the king in war. Xiao Feng may seem shameless, and he really is shameless, but he can win this round.

After entering the pass, great Confucian scholars will naturally debate the classics for them; victory is the only way to win.

Xiang Yuan could even imagine that if no great Confucian scholar had debated the classics for Xiao Feng, this guy would have impersonated a great Confucian scholar and debated the classics for himself.

How shameless! !
Xiang Yuan curled his lip, his primordial spirit sensing the changes in the chessboard. Upon seeing it, he was speechless.

Like him, Xiao Feng had not achieved much in chess, and in a one-on-one match, he was no match for Jiang Yingjun. The shameless fellow incorporated his own cultivation insights into the game, destroying Jiang Yingjun's primordial spirit. Every move he made made her break out in a cold sweat, gritting her teeth as she countered each move.

This is a plan to cripple someone!

Xiang Yuan rolled his eyes. No, our Xiao family of the capital is also a royal family, a major player in the three kingdoms. Can't we do something like the positive characters we should do?

Xiao Feng didn't use any direct tactics; he relied entirely on underhanded maneuvers. While making moves with a sinister grin, he increased his Grandmaster-level pressure, causing the two magical treasures to teeter on the brink of collapse, their divine light flickering.

Jiang Yingjun supported herself on the table with one hand. She only needed to take one step back to escape Yuan Hai Zaitian, but that would also mean admitting defeat. Proud as she was, she naturally refused to give up.

After persisting for a while, Jiang Yingjun moved her pieces at a snail's pace, her face drained of color, and she was about to collapse.

An invisible wind swirled around, coiling around the waistline and holding it firmly in mid-air.

"In this round, I will assist you."

Upon hearing Xiang Yuan's voice, Jiang Yingjun frowned slightly: "You understand chess?"

"I know a little, but I have the bigger fist, he can't beat me!"

A gentle breeze swirled around Jiang Yingjun's right arm, and like a puppeteer, she made her place two pieces on the 26th rank, sacrificing a piece of white and handing over her already limited advantage to Xiao Feng.

"This move is wrong."

"That's not right, but you've placed too many pieces before, blocking my way. Remember not to look, or you might accidentally hurt yourself!"

"..."

"Hahaha---"

Xiao Feng was overjoyed, his eyebrows almost flying off: "Your move was absolutely terrible, I have won this round."

The two magical treasures above Jiang Yingjun's head could no longer hold on. Xiao Feng knew very well that the person he was playing against was no longer Jiang Yingjun. His primordial spirit sensed the distance but could not find Liu Shizong. He thought to himself that it was insidious.

But with such a great advantage at hand, he only needed three steps to achieve a decisive victory, so there was no reason for him to expose the opponent's secret substitution at this point.

win!
That's it!
In the crowd, Xiang Yuan raised an eyebrow and said, "Who do you think is so stinky? I'll beat you to a pulp today!"
Three steps later, Xiao Feng's expression turned strange, and he placed his pieces like a leaf.
Five steps later, Xiao Feng's face turned red, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth;

Ten steps later, Xiao Feng's face alternated between black and white. He cried out and retreated repeatedly, knocking the chess piece from his hand, and looked at the Northern Qi people in horror.

"Who is it? Who wields the power of Yin and Yang? May I ask which master you are? Why not show yourself?"

"..."

No one answered. Jiang Yingjun looked curiously at the chessboard, and heard a cold snort beside her: "I told you not to look. With your level of cultivation, you would be seriously injured if you looked at it. And you can forget about this game of chess in the future."

Jiang Yingjun nodded slightly and transmitted her voice, "I am exhausted and unable to play the third game. Do you have any suggestions for me, sir?"

Without realizing it, the way we address each other has changed.

"It's alright, don't move around. Leave the rest to me."

"Sir, you understand painting?" Jiang Yingjun was extremely surprised.

In terms of chess, Xiang Yuan could be said to overwhelm people with his power and strength. He beat Xiao Feng so badly that Xiao Feng vomited blood and admitted defeat on the spot.

Does painting mean you have to fight?
"I know a little about painting, but I'm no match for that old geezer across from me. But if my painting isn't enough, I'll make up for it with poetry. If I were to compose a poem..."

Xiang Yuan said lightly, "I'm not targeting anyone in particular, I'm saying that everyone here is a scoundrel who sells his head for a pittance!"

Jiang Yingjun was stunned. Hearing this incredibly confident telepathic message, she subconsciously swallowed.

Sister, he doesn't seem like a rough person.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

10,000 words, please vote for me at the beginning of the month!

(End of this chapter)