This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 422 The weakling's heart is bitter, but the weakling doesn't want to say it.
Mid-November.

Dilongbao, Southern Xinjiang.

At the end of the official road, smoke and dust billowed.

Hundreds of iron cavalrymen, like dark clouds pressing down on the city, their thunderous hooves shaking the heavens and the earth, came from the official road to the north and roared as they approached the city gate.

Armored figures stood in stark black, black horses galloped like dragons, and banners fluttered in the wind, some bearing the characters for "King" and others for "Overlord." The heavy hooves of the horses shook the trees on both sides of the official road, causing leaves to fall and birds and beasts to scatter in fright.

Pedestrians and merchants on the official road quickly made way, retreating to the side of the road, heads bowed and holding their breath, not daring to look directly at each other. Even those usually unruly martial arts practitioners concealed their sharpness, obediently sheathing their weapons, heads bowed and eyes lowered, not daring to breathe loudly.

With the mighty cavalry passing through, who dares to block their way?
Everyone who got in the way is dead!
Before the city gate, the Lord of Dilong Fortress and several of his leaders had been waiting for a long time. Seeing the iron cavalry approaching, they greeted him with a simple and honest smile.

"Go away!"

A lone rider in black armor took the lead, letting out a cold shout as he lashed out with his long whip. The sound of tearing cloth was ear-piercing, startling the city lord and several other leaders, who retreated in haste, watching the black-armored horse gallop away.

What kind of class do you think you are, daring to stop and chat with me like a king?
Stand aside, don't block Xiang from picking up his wife.

Xiang Yuan spotted a group of people who appeared to be high-ranking members of Dilong Fortress from afar. The reason he said "appeared" was because there was an acquaintance among them: the second-in-command of Dilong Fortress, also known as the second city lord, Sang Shouyi.

Xiang Yuan impersonated a Star Palace assassin, calling himself "Red Dot of the Southern Frontier." When he was raiding the Earth Dragon Fortress, he had some financial dealings with him.

Because they weren't familiar with each other and had no intention of getting to know each other, they skipped the small talk and didn't give Dilongbao any face at all.

Ten days ago, the ceremonial guard of the Overlord's Palace set off from the capital.

On that day, the gates of the capital were packed with people, eighty percent of whom were surnamed Xiao. Apart from these good people who had given gifts, the rest were all civil and military officials.

A nobody, not worth mentioning.

The main characters are Xiao Yan, who is about to ascend the throne, Crown Prince Xiao Qian, Cheng Yuling, and Chen Qiaofeng. The four grandmasters, including Xiao Feng, stand aside like lackeys.

The two brothers-in-law also arrived. Xiao Can and his sister Xiao Lingyan were both taciturn, while Xiao He had a sour face and kept his head down, cursing and saying that this rotten coward couldn't even pick up a decent branch, so it was better not to stay.

After the two mothers-in-law and daughter bid each other a tearful farewell, the honor guard set off southwards, heading straight for Guanshandao Town, Dianfu.

The Western Chu region was vast, but lacked the well-developed waterway network of the Southern Jin. Traveling the entire route on foot would take at least two to three months. Therefore, when moving between cities, local soldiers served as ceremonial guards at both ends.

To be honest, even if Xiao Yan were to ascend the throne, let alone the current Xiao Yan, he wouldn't be able to put on such a grand show if he wanted to take a trip south.

Unlike Xiang Yuan, Ba Wang's reputation was indeed effective.

Especially in Kaiyuan Dao, the main base of the Heavenly Sect, the family forces of the three former Heavenly Sect families went to great lengths to curry favor with this ruthless young sect leader.

The air was filled with the sounds of gongs and drums, the crackling of firecrackers, the fluttering of red flags, and the sea of ​​people...

Xiang Yuan calls this kind of behavior, which increases the burden on grassroots levels and wastes human and material resources, bureaucracy and formalism, and he has always looked down on it.

But they gave gifts!

Furthermore, the two ladies gave up their status as princesses of noble birth and the ancient capital to travel thousands of miles with him to Zhen Dian Prefecture, a place teeming with wild mushrooms, to live in the dilapidated old and cramped King's Mansion, becoming queens in a remote border region.

Rounding off is no different from being assigned to a post!
They've been so wronged, this trip has to be grand and make them happy.

After the twin sisters' moment of glory, it's Chan'er's turn next. The Overlord's Mansion has announced that they will head straight to the Yellow Springs Road in the Southern Frontier to marry the Yellow Springs Saintess.

It took three days to reach Dilongbao in order to let the bullets fly for a while.

It should be clarified here that the delay was definitely not due to receiving gifts on the way.

The gift-receiving ceremony was scheduled for the return trip.

Rumble!
Watching the long, thick, and sturdy Xuanjia Iron Cavalry charge into Dilong Fortress, causing the two city gates to tremble, the city lord, as the master of this place, slowly breathed a sigh of relief and said to his left and right sides: "People say that the Overlord is a peerless hero and an outstanding figure of his time. I did not believe it at first, but seeing him today, he truly has the bearing of a king and an overlord, unparalleled throughout the ages."

The city lord is a figure of considerable stature in the Southern Frontier, having been famous for many years and possessing the arrogance of a ruler. However, after being driven away with a whip, he not only dared not be angry but also felt a sense of relief at surviving a calamity.

I'm not dead!
Southern Xinjiang was not within the territory of Western Chu. Xiang Yuan was a hegemon within Western Chu, but outside of Western Chu, the title of prince was no longer valid.

At this point, his reputation naturally changed.

Young Master of the Heavenly Sect!
Left Envoy of the Underworld!

Xiang Wentian, the "King of Heaven"!

On both sides, a group of underlings listened to the city lord's debate, nodding in agreement and loudly proclaiming that the city lord was right, and they all joined in the debate.

No one mentioned that the city lord had been scolded with a whip, which was very embarrassing.

Judging by people, some who don't give the city lord face are already courting death and won't live past tonight; others who don't give the city lord face will still be met with the same respect next time they come.

The man on horseback doesn't need to give anyone face. Even if someone wanted to kneel before him, they would have to kneel down and find a way to get his favor first.

Once the iron cavalry had gone far away, the official road gradually came back to life, and the group of martial arts practitioners whispered among themselves.

"That must be the city lord of Earth Dragon Fortress, tsk tsk, he's completely lost face, and he's trying to save face now!"

"You can't say that. After all, he was the Hegemon-King of Western Chu. The fact that the whip wasn't lashed at him is already a great favor."

"That makes sense. It's fortunate that the city lord was standing by the roadside and not blocking the main road, otherwise..."

"How to say?"

"Are you pretending to be crazy, kid? It hasn't been that long and you've already forgotten about Baiyun Manor and Wangjian Manor?"

"Look at my brain, both manors are really unlucky. Just because they supported the wrong people, they were razed to the ground overnight, and the main owner has been replaced by Tianzong."

"And Dajue Temple, the abbot passed away on the spot."

"I won't allow you to talk about the Heavenly Sect like that. They are very measured in their actions. They may seem to be ruthless, but they are actually very careful. They are not as unreasonable as the rumors suggest."

"You can wash this?"

"Let's present the facts and reason. First of all, the two villas have only changed owners, but the signs have never changed. Secondly, only the abbot of Dajue Temple has passed away; everyone else is still alive and well. The grievances have their perpetrators, and the debts have their debtors. Tianzong acts with reason and evidence, and has never indiscriminately killed innocent people. It is truly the leader of the righteous path."

"Hehe, the righteous leader you speak of is now bullying the Yellow Springs Path. The man surnamed Xiang has declared that he wants to take the Yellow Springs Saintess as his queen."

"That's right, that's right. Huangquandao finally reformed and became a righteous sect. With the New Year just around the corner, that Xiang guy came to their door trying to snatch the Holy Maiden."

"I've heard that the Holy Maiden is a manifestation of the Yellow Springs Path's faith. If she loses her purity, it's equivalent to the Yellow Springs Path's faith being defiled. This wanton and reckless humiliation is clearly an insult to the Yellow Springs Path, a prestigious and righteous sect!"

"Stop spreading rumors. It was the Left Envoy of the Yellow Springs who snatched the person. What does he have to do with the young sect master of the Heavenly Sect? Don't try to smear the Heavenly Sect."

Due to differing ideologies, and the fact that the brainwashed fans of the Heavenly Sect were indeed unreasonable, the conflict on the official road escalated from verbal altercations to physical confrontation.

It was another simple and honest day in southern Xinjiang.

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.

The Road to the Underworld, the Holy Maiden's Palace.

Chan'er wore a plain white dress, the hem of which spread out like snow. Her face was covered with a silver moon veil, and beneath the gossamer-thin veil, her red lips were slightly pursed, her bright and enchanting beauty had already blossomed into a captivating charm that could bewitch all beings.

The little demoness is becoming more and more like the great demoness.

He would occasionally take out the Reincarnation Mirror to take a look.

"Why haven't you come yet?"

The news that the Overlord's Mansion had come to Huangquandao to snatch people spread quickly. Some young sect leaders who did not want to reveal their names spread the news loudly through the stores of Baiyun Villa and Wangjian Villa. Huangquandao headquarters had learned about this two days ago through 'Daily Medicine News'.

It's one thing for the Left Envoy of the Underworld to secretly meet with the Holy Maiden, but to do it openly and want to marry her as his wife? Does he really think the Underworld is easy to bully?

Zuo Lengxie was furious. He slammed his fist on the table and stood up. Seeing that his men and women were stammering and unable to speak properly, he felt powerless to change the situation. He ordered everyone that no one was allowed to stop Xiang Wentian from coming to his door.

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and agreed that the left and right envoys were right.

It is true that the Holy Maiden has great symbolic significance for the Yellow Springs Path, but there has never been an explicit rule that the Holy Maiden must remain chaste and not marry. Since there is no explicit rule, the fact that the Left Envoy and the Holy Maiden have achieved enlightenment is clearly a great joy for the Yellow Springs Path.

I reluctantly debated the scriptures and washed myself; that's all I can do for now.

Otherwise, who will stand in the way of the Heavenly King? Is your reasoning as strong as his?
Do you know Baiyun Manor and Wangjian Manor? Your gates have been shattered. Do you know Abbot Huixing of Dajue Temple? His ashes have been scattered.

Chan'er naturally received the news as well, and was overjoyed, even happier than if she had eaten candied hawthorns.

When no one is around, he rolls around on the couch with the Reincarnation Mirror in his arms; when others are around, he holds the Reincarnation Mirror with a nonchalant air, as if he doesn't care whether they come or not.

The surface of the Reincarnation Mirror rippled like the waters of the Yellow Springs, reflecting a figure stepping into the Yellow Springs.

My lord, you look so handsome today!
A wisp of smoke rose in Chan'er's eyes as she put away the Ancient Mirror of Reincarnation, clapped her hands, and summoned Jinse's sixth incarnation. She tilted her body slightly, glancing indifferently at the six beautiful women forced to perform. The Holy Maiden was very busy, oblivious to the world around her, unaware that the Left Envoy was coming today, and even less aware of his purpose.

You must say it to my face!
Xiang Yuan strode into the Holy Maiden's Hall, ignoring the alluring and graceful Jinse Liu incarnation, and immediately looked at Chan'er.

My wife looks beautiful today!
Xiang Yuan took two steps forward, sat down, and held Chan'er on his lap. He cupped her cheek in his palm and kissed her through the silver moon veil.

After a brief, fleeting encounter, Xiang Yuan whispered in Chan'er's ear, "My wife is so beautiful today that I was momentarily distracted and mistook her for the Moon Fairy. I'm afraid I've mistaken her for someone else."

I like listening to this, please give me more.

Chan'er has always been incredibly bold. Whenever she's with her husband, she's always shameless, and today is no exception. She wrapped her arms around Xiang Yuan's neck and...

He froze, seemingly lost in thought, looking dejected and extremely depressed.

The weakling is suffering inside, but doesn't want to say it; it's too embarrassing.

Xiang Yuan knew Chan'er very well. Seeing her gloomy face, he immediately guessed the reason. He chuckled to himself but didn't say anything. He tightened his embrace around the demoness and looked at Jinse Liushi, who was performing for money.

Her dance moves were ethereal and otherworldly, each step exuding the grace of an orchid. Her long sleeves flowed gracefully, her beauty captivating and indescribable. Her hair was styled in a misty, cloud-like hue, conveying an air of unparalleled nobility and elegance.

No matter how the version is updated, Jinse's sixth incarnation still looks stunning and has never fallen out of the top tier.

"Don't look!"

Chan'er turned Xiang Yuan's face away, telling him that he was only allowed to look at the best wife in the world.

Right? You wouldn't be happy if you actually saw it.

Xiang Yuan chuckled inwardly, whispering sweet nothings to Chan'er as he explained the purpose of his visit: to bring his wife home to live a simple life.

Hearing Xiang Yuan say this with her own ears, Chan'er was overjoyed. She had been orphaned and adrift since childhood, and was often caught and beaten by Jinse. Her heart could not hold anyone else but Xiang Yuan, who was genuinely good to her. She nodded and agreed without hesitation.

The original plan was to ask Xiao Lingyue in a sarcastic tone whether she was in the Overlord's Mansion, and whether her master, the palace master, had also moved in.

I couldn't resist and responded instantly.

After agreeing, Chan'er realized her mistake and secretly regretted it, blaming herself for being so weak and forgetting to clarify her sister's identity first.

It's not too late to say it now!
Chan'er squinted her eyes, snuggled closer to Xiang Yuan, secretly took a few breaths, and then said, "Husband, Chan'er has a lot of belongings in the Yellow Springs Path. If we go to the Overlord's Mansion, the courtyard is too small to hold them all."

Chan'er wants the biggest yard!

It doesn't mean anything else, that's all.

Xiang Yuan frowned upon hearing this, looking troubled: "If my wife asks, I will naturally agree, but all the backyards of the Overlord's Mansion are the same size. If you want the largest courtyard, I can't find one!"

I'm sorry, but I can't treat everyone equally; there's no such thing as the biggest courtyard.

"Then let's move into your husband's courtyard."

Xiang Yuan frowned again, looking troubled once more: "If my wife asks, I will naturally agree, but the Overlord doesn't have his own courtyard in the Overlord's Mansion. You want it, but I want it too!"

I'm sorry, but this prince only has a study, not a courtyard.

Chan'er's eyes widened, and she poked Xiang Yuan's face repeatedly, leaving no room for error. "Tell me quickly, where did you learn such underhanded tricks? Did that guy surnamed Xiao know he couldn't win, so he resorted to dirty tricks against the beautiful and kind-hearted Chan'er?"

Xiang Yuan shrugged. It had nothing to do with Xiao Lingyue. He himself was even more wronged. The previous Zhaowang Mansion was just like this. It was really not intentionally targeting anyone.

Upon hearing that the Overlord's Mansion was Xiao Lingyue's hometown, Chan'er rolled her eyes and snorted, "Chan'er has been to the Prince Zhao's Mansion. The backyard is quite large and can accommodate many people."

"Uh……"

"What do you mean, 'huh'? Someone else actually moved in?" Chan'er was furious. She took out the Reincarnation Mirror and was about to show the ignorant lowly maid her reflection.

"It's not an outsider, it's a marriage arranged by a senior brother from the Benxin Dao sect. Do you remember Master Kang from the Wusheng Realm...?"

Xiang Yuan continued talking, mentioning that Baiyun Manor had exaggerated the matter a while ago, and it was clearly written in the daily medicine report, so the news had already spread. He felt that Chan'er should know about it, but was just pretending not to know.

Whether he knows it or not, he'll just say it again.

Xiang Yuan explained the origins of his engagement with Xiao Lingyan, vehemently criticizing Benxindao for being inhumane, while also expressing his helplessness. He also mentioned that Xiao Lingyan had a difficult time as well, being in a political marriage against her will, and that everyone was going through a tough time.

Pshaw, what are you complaining about? You're clearly laughing!
Chan'er's eyes widened: "So, the Xiao family has gone even further, taking advantage of Chan'er's easygoing nature, not only bringing in their own master, but also dragging in their half-sisters?"

Xiang Yuan stared wide-eyed. "You're really good at grasping the key points, even better than Ling Yue, who comes from a family with a long academic background... Wait, isn't there something wrong with what you're focusing on?"

"..." x2
The two stared at each other, and suddenly Chan'er wasn't so keen on going to the Overlord's Mansion to become a princess anymore.

There's no other reason than that the Xiao family's army is strong and well-equipped, while Chan'er was already weak, and now she's no match for them.

A moment later, Chan'er snorted coldly and said to Jinse Liushen, "You have no sense at all. Can't you see that your husband is tired? Come over and massage his shoulders."

Xiang Yuan immediately rolled her eyes. Who are you trying to scare? This vixen only knows how to eat alone; the word 'sharing' doesn't exist in her dictionary.

……

Three days later, the Xuanjia Iron Cavalry left the Yellow Springs Road, stopped briefly at Dilong Fort, accepted the gifts, and then rushed to Fengxian County.

Just as Xiang Yuan had predicted, Chan'er was still a weakling and only knew how to eat alone. He had just touched Jinse's small hand and made a gesture as if to kiss her when Jinse was summoned back by the Reincarnation Mirror.

That's great, I love Chan'er's jealous little face.

Meanwhile, at the Fengxian County government office, County Magistrate Sima Changhui, along with County Assistant Magistrate, County Commandant, and other officials, had been waiting at the gate for a long time. When they saw the Xuanjia Iron Cavalry rumbling in, they hurriedly stepped forward and bowed in greeting.

As the sun set and twilight gradually tinged the blue bricks, Sima Changhui saw the 'Overlord' on his black horse bowing almost halfway to the distance: "Your humble servant, Sima Changhui, Magistrate of Fengxian County, pays his respects to Your Highness."

This bending over is quite poignant.

Back then, the prince was just a minor constable in the county government, fifteen or sixteen years old, with an innocent and harmless face, so fair and tender that you could squeeze water out of him.

Who could have imagined that in just two or three years, he would sweep across Western Chu, with no one daring to oppose him? Any title he could pick was terrifyingly powerful, and even who would become emperor or crown prince in Western Chu required this overlord's approval first.

Such a small county government office in Fengxian was able to harbor such a powerful and capable leader.

Why didn't I show him any kindness back then?
Sima Changhui sighed with regret. He was just a passerby. He thought that his Sima family was a powerful clan in Dezhou. The efforts of several generations could not compare to what Xiang Yuan had achieved in two or three years. Then he thought that this Crouching Dragon had once stood under his command like a lackey, and he felt even worse.

The most frustrating thing is that Sima Changhui even asked around and found out that Xiang Yuan and his daughter Sima Qingyan were classmates and studied together at Yulin Academy.

Qingyan, oh Qingyan, it's one thing for your father not to know there was such a fierce dragon below, but you and he have been together day and night, how come you didn't see his extraordinary nature?
We should make our move while he's still a lowly constable. How could I, as his father, refuse such a marriage between the magistrate's daughter and a penniless constable?

Magistrate Sima was mistaken. His daughter, Sima Qingyan, had indeed fallen in love. Initially, she was attracted by Xiang Yuan's foul mouth and was shocked to discover that there were such shameless people in the world. Later, a hero rescued her, and she gradually developed feelings for him.

Unfortunately, I arrived too late and felt unworthy, so I never expressed my feelings.

Currently, I am abstaining from lust at Jianxinzhai, preparing to follow my master, Layman Lingyu, to become a semi-monastic layperson, severing all emotional ties and focusing wholeheartedly on the Tao.

Knowing her difficulties, Layman Lingyu was devising a method for her to sever the seven emotions and six desires.

That's right, it's the one Shang Qingmeng cultivated. She didn't cut off what should have been cut off, and she completely cut off her sense of shame.

Among the group, there were many who were even more disheartened than Sima Changhui, such as Qin Yun, the county magistrate.

County Magistrate Qin looked at Xiang Yuan with excitement, "Your Highness, do you still remember me? I even treated you to a meal at Hongyun Garden that year!"
Xiang Yuan no longer remembered Qin Yun, let alone knew Sima Changhui. He only knew that this man was Sima Qingyan's father, who had been caught by Xiao He for embezzlement and corruption, causing his filial daughter Sima Qingyan to be constantly betrayed and suffer misfortune.

Sima Qingyan was incredibly unlucky. The worst time was when Xiao He sent her to infiltrate the Yellow Springs Road in the southern border region. She was captured by Chan'er in a daze and almost became a puppet.

Xiang Yuan had no liking for such corrupt officials, but out of respect for Sima Qingyan, he nodded slightly to let her stand up. His gaze swept over the group of officials and spotted two familiar figures in the crowd by the roadside.

Liu Jingsheng, the head constable of the third squad.

Old Liu.

Xiang Yuan dismounted and strode forward. Seeing that Old Liu was about to kneel down, he casually swept his hand and lifted him up.

"This humble subject pays respects to Your Highness." Old Liu, unable to kneel down, blushed deeply.

"Oh, you do know I'm a prince?"

Xiang Yuan tilted his head: "Old Liu, you once told me that I should seize great wealth and not become a nobody like you. Now that you have such immense wealth, why don't you say anything?"

"Ah this..."

Old Liu was deeply moved, never expecting that Xiang Yuan would still remember.

"Old Liu, I still owe you money!"

(End of this chapter)