Records of Mysterious Things in the Southern Dynasties

Chapter 491 The Gate of the Heart in Wuxia

After passing through the Xiling Gorge, the river suddenly opened up before us, and a huge splash rose from the side of the boat. The fish-dragon poked its head out again and exclaimed, "My apologies, you gentlemen are truly amazing!"

"You just found out?" Su Xiaoxiao asked smugly, her tone full of tea-like arrogance. "Who do you think is the best among us?"

"Amazing, amazing! Young lady, your musical skills are unparalleled; it truly breaks one's heart. This young lady in the white dress possesses unparalleled martial arts skills; she can actually fight the Overlord to a standstill..."

After a pause, it turned to Chen Lingzhi with a fawning expression and said, "But the most impressive one is you, old man. You managed to get the Overlord to make way with just a few words. Truly, a skilled warrior achieves victory without ostentatious feats..."

"That's just the soul of the overlord yearning for redemption," Chen Lingzhi said calmly. "Seven hundred years have passed, and the rival dynasty has vanished into thin air. What obsession could he still cling to?"

She paused, gazing at the beautiful green mountains reflected in the river, as if speaking of Xiang Yu, or perhaps of herself: "Maybe I'm just waiting for someone else to say these things to me."

"I see, that makes perfect sense!" The ichthyosaur raised its pectoral fins and gave a big thumbs-up, saying, "See? That's what you call wisdom!"

Su Xiaoxiao was amused by its cheeky appearance and giggled.

"What about me? What about me?" Fa Xiu, though grown up, still had the same old habit. Seeing that it had praised everyone but not itself, it couldn't help but ask.

“Well… you have a good sword,” Yu Long finally said after a long pause.

“I shouldn’t have asked…” Fa Xiu was deeply hurt and said dejectedly, “So I’m completely useless.”

"No, no, no, at least your head is pretty sharp," Yu Long tried to salvage the situation.

"Stop talking." Fa Xiu was even more frustrated.

Seeing that he had upset the other person, Yulong quickly changed the subject:

"Ahead lies the Wuxia Gorge, which the Ghost King renamed the Wuxia Questioning Heart Pass."

"And which ancient figure is guarding this place?" Su Xiaoxiao asked.

"Master Tao Zhu," Yu Long laughed, "This hurdle is easy to overcome. As long as you're a little sweet-talking, Master Tao Zhu will not only not make things difficult for you, but will also treat you to good food and drink and give you travel expenses."

"As expected of the Sage of Commerce, what a spectacle!" Su Xiaoxiao exclaimed happily.

~~
After traveling another hundred miles or so, we arrived at Wuxia Gorge. There we saw a long gorge with deep valleys, towering peaks, clouds and mist, and a winding river.

As the boat sailed through the landscape, it was as if they had entered a beautiful painting, leaving Su Xiaoxiao and Fa Xiu, who were visiting this place for the first time, dazzled and mesmerized.

Chen Lingzhi and A Yao, however, felt nothing. The former's Heavenly Eye was unusable for appreciating the scenery. As for the latter, without A Yuan's presence, even the most beautiful scenery was hell.

She warily surveyed her surroundings, waiting for the guardian of the second checkpoint to appear.

As dusk settled, melodious celestial music drifted through the canyon, its delicate notes lingering among the mountains and waters. Following the sound, the group looked ahead and saw a painted boat slowly approaching, cutting through the azure waves.

The painted boat, with its red pillars and carved beams, was truly magnificent... The hull was decorated with fine gold and jade, and inlaid with hundreds of large luminous pearls. At this time, the light in the canyon was dim, which made the painted boat shine even more brightly, reflecting the surrounding river water.

Looking at the boat again, golden boys and jade girls played music, and auspicious cranes and beasts appeared, as if immortals were on a journey.

Everyone sighed inwardly, "As expected of Tao Zhugong, this carriage is truly the epitome of extravagance."

Before long, a handsome boy and a beautiful girl emerged from the painted boat. The boy had a face as fair as jade, wore a brocade robe with gold trim, and was exceptionally handsome. The girl had elegant hair, wore a moon-shine brocade dress, and had a graceful figure. The two addressed the passengers on the boat in unison, saying, "Is it not delightful to have friends coming from afar? Master Tao Zhu has prepared a feast at Chu Yangtai, and we cordially invite you all to join us."

Only then did everyone realize that this was not Tao Zhugong's personal carriage, but merely a boat used to welcome guests. They were even more awestruck by Tao Zhugong's extravagance.

"We shall obey your command." After saying this, the four boarded the painted boat. Fa Xiu turned around and chanted an incantation, and the small boat instantly transformed into a reed, which he then put into his sleeve.

Once aboard the painted boat, maids presented the four guests with a golden ladle, a golden basin, fragrant powder, and white silk, inviting them to wash their hands.

The young monk and Ayao were completely bewildered, not knowing what a 'lying jar' was. Fortunately, Su Xiaoxiao was knowledgeable and Chen Lingzhi was well-read, so they learned that it was a ritual of washing hands during the Spring and Autumn Period.

Chen Lingzhi explained to the two in a low voice: "According to the Book of Rites, 'When offering handwashing services, the younger person should present the basin and the elder person should present the water, and the person should invite the person to wash their hands. After washing, the person should hand over a towel.' In short, it means that we are invited to wash our hands and face."

So the Jade Maiden held a golden ewer and slowly poured water onto it, while the Golden Boy held a golden basin below to catch the water. In this way, guests could wash themselves with only the flowing clean water and did not need to touch the 'muddy water' in the basin... It was truly the most exquisite thing ever.

After washing their hands, the golden boy and jade girl presented them with beautiful silk robes, asking them to change into elegant and appropriate formal attire for the banquet.

As for the exquisite tea snacks and fragrant tea, that goes without saying...

In short, top-notch service and ultimate enjoyment.

It's definitely not something that can be achieved simply by having money.

~~
The painted boat turned around and carried everyone to the foot of Mount Gaodu.

When the boat docked, the golden boy and jade girl invited the four people to disembark and led them up the mountain.

The four looked up and saw a path paved with golden and jade steps leading up the mountain. The jade was warm and smooth, and the gold bricks gleamed. Even in the dark, they could see the path under their feet and the surrounding scenery without needing to light a lamp.

The group ascended the most expensive path they had ever walked in their lives, arriving at the Chu Yang Terrace, where the King of Chu once met the goddess. As expected, it had also been transformed by Tao Zhu Gong into an extremely luxurious place... The pavilions and towers were all made of pure gold, and huge luminous pearls were inlaid everywhere, illuminating the entire Chu Yang Terrace as bright as day, making it seem like a heavenly palace.

The golden boy and jade girl led the four into a lakeside pavilion, where they saw Tao Zhugong dressed in a magnificent purple robe embroidered with cloud patterns in gold thread, radiating a warm, precious glow. He appeared to be over sixty, with a plump figure, a ruddy complexion, and an air of elegance, sitting comfortably on a coral bed.

He was attended by beautiful concubines, some gently fanning him with feather fans, others serving him wine. The musicians playing music and the dancers performing in the hall were all exceptionally beautiful women, rarely seen in the world.

The only problem is that, while these women are beautiful, they all seem to have been made from the same mold...

Everyone thought to themselves, "Perhaps Tao Zhugong was particularly fond of this one."

After everyone had paid their respects, Tao Zhugong smiled and raised his hand to invite them to take their seats: "Distinguished guests have arrived, please come and sit down."

After speaking, the concubines gracefully moved to seat the four men behind long tables, and then served them fine wine and delicacies. On golden platters, dragon liver and phoenix marrow were tempting in color and emitted a fragrant aroma; in jade cups, the fine wine was crystal clear, and its rich fragrance lingered on the nose. Such delicacies and fine wines were something even emperors could not enjoy.

Tao Zhugong frequently raised his cup to toast everyone. He was elegant in demeanor and witty in conversation, speaking of the past and present as if he were witnessing them firsthand. He was truly an excellent host.

Su Xiaoxiao and Chen Lingzhi were both talkative and sociable, and even Fa Xiu could chime in with a few words. For a time, the guests and hosts were all happy, and the atmosphere at the banquet was very harmonious.

Ayao, however, felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, refusing to drink a drop of alcohol, and her face gradually showed signs of impatience.

(End of this chapter)