Jiangshan Fengwuzhi

Chapter 160: The Heroes of Beijing
At dawn, the sound of birds singing was heard outside the window, so loud that it seemed as if Feng Niang had sent birds to wake Gu Jingnian and Pei Nian up.

When Gu Jingnian woke up, he saw Pei Nian changing into the straight-hem long gown that students in the school wore.

"Are you going to school? Is your injury healed?" he muttered.

In fact, the moment before Pei Nian put on her robe, Gu Jingnian had vaguely seen that there was still a bandage wrapped around her back.

"It's out of the way." Pei Nian asked back, "Why don't you get up? Are you not going again?"

"I am the Marquis of Chengye in Yong State after all, why do I need to go to school?"

"I have asked for you. The sons of the nobles of Yong State are required to enter school when they turn 20. Most of the students in the school are princes and nobles, and there are also quite a few princes and dukes."

Gu Jingnian still couldn't get up, and said in the language between the two of them: "But I am a spy sent by the Rui Kingdom."

"You still remember it." Pei Nian said unhappily.

"Please help me keep an eye out for a few people. They should all be from Mingde Hall." Gu Jingnian said, "One is a blue-haired young man who can produce water from his hands, and the other is a short and fat man who can spit out water from his mouth."

“Why pay attention to them?”

"Since they dare to challenge me, it shows that they are quite powerful. I want to know if they are born this way or if they have been refined."

"You've been too arrogant lately."

"No, but my supernatural power comes from refining."

After the conversation with Yin Jinggeng last night, Gu Jingnian realized that in Zhongzhou, the cultivators are actually stronger than the extraordinary people.

Take him for example, he is definitely much stronger than the pig people. After he has the fire wings, he may be stronger than Yingyao, the descendant of the phoenix.

To give another example, Yin's wind-controlling skills are much more powerful than Fei's.

I think the reason is that the local climate and soil nurture the local people, and humans are more suitable for living in Central China.

Pei Nian understood after hearing this and murmured, "So, the refined one is stronger?"

"Yes."

Seeing that Gu Jingnian really had no intention of getting up, she left the house alone and called Zhang Xiaofang to go to school together.

As soon as she left, the birds outside the window stopped singing, as if they were trying to drive her away.

Walking on the road today, Pei Nian was a little absent-minded.

Zhang Xiaofang couldn't help but ask, "What are you thinking about?"

Pei Nian came back to his senses, smiled self-deprecatingly, and said, "I'm jealous of Gu Jingnian."

"What?" Zhang Xiaofang was surprised and asked, "Why are you jealous of me?"

She couldn't understand Pei Nian's state of mind.

In her eyes, Gu Jingnian was someone to be worshipped and admired. As a woman, how could she be jealous of him?

In short, she never thought of being on par with Gu Jingnian.

Pei Nian said: "Because he is too lucky, he was born a healer and got the blood of the Fire Phoenix. Even if I work hard for my whole life, I can't be as powerful as him."

He might not have felt it before in the Rui Kingdom, where ordinary aliens were imprisoned by force, but as he met more aliens recently, Pei Nian felt his own vulnerability more and more.

She didn't want to lose her pride, but she couldn't help feeling disappointed, and more importantly, helpless.

"You are not lucky, sir."

Zhang Xiaofang was stunned for a moment, then immediately refuted Pei Nian.

She usually deliberately distanced herself from Gu Jingnian, but at this time her attitude was very firm.

"When I met you, he was still Ah Chou. His whole body was burnt to charcoal. Just by looking at him, I knew he was in great pain..."

"Of course I know that. I also know that he has been suffering from self-healing since he was a child." Pei Nian said, "But for someone like me, it is impossible to suffer."

Zhang Xiaofang said: "But not everyone can survive. According to the young master, not even one out of a thousand or ten thousand people can survive."

Pei Nian said: "So I say he is very lucky."

Zhang Xiaofang still wanted to say something, but she didn't know how to express it.

She thought back to the time when she met Ah Chou. At that time, he healed very slowly and did not have fire wings, but she could still feel the powerful strength in him.

That kind of strength comes from within. It is the courage to work hard to live after suffering a heavy blow and having everything destroyed, and the tenacity to not give up on oneself.

She walked with him on the country road, and she could clearly feel his calmness.

Now that I think about it, if a weaker person had gone through those things, he would have probably collapsed long ago.

"Sir... Sir is not lucky, he is..."

Zhang Xiaofang finally spoke, trying hard to grasp the words in her mind that could describe her understanding of Gu Jingnian.

"He is...he has an indestructible heart!"

Pei Nian was stunned after hearing this.

She was stunned because she didn't expect that these words came not from her mouth, but from someone else.

It was obvious that she understood Gu Jingnian better.

But she really wanted to stand at the same height.

"Yes."

He stopped and remained silent for a long time. Pei Nian whispered two words and his eyes became firm again.

She may not have the same supernatural powers as Gu Jingnian, but she can have the same indestructible heart.

If what Gu Jingnian experienced was physical torture, her hardships were ordinary.

As they were talking, Pei Nian and Zhang Xiaofang walked past the old locust tree in front of Yuewei Academy and went their separate ways after entering the gate.

When they arrived at Mingde Hall, they saw Yin Wanqing, who had just been named princess, was already there, still dressed in men's clothes.

Without waiting for Pei Nian to speak, Yin Wanqing made a gesture to keep quiet.

"Let's still call him 'Zhao'er'."

"Okay." "Your injury has healed, so you're coming to the academy?"

"It's out of the way now." Pei Nian said, "It's a pity that I can't help you."

She truly regretted missing out on an opportunity to gain merit by following the emperor, becoming a high-ranking official in the Yong court, and gathering intelligence.

Yin Wanqing said: "You saved Gu Jingnian and brought him to Yong State, which is the biggest help you have given me."

As the two were talking, Pei Nian looked over and saw the blue-haired young man walking in, so he asked, "Who is that?"

"You Yan, his father is You Chengyuan, the Marquis of Shuixiang. He once flooded the Yu army in the war with Beiyu." Yin Wanqing answered and asked, "Did Gu Jingnian ask you to ask?"

Pei Nian nodded.

Yin Wanqing smiled slightly and said, "Is he scared? Tell him not to worry, we are all colleagues from now on and we won't do anything to him."

Pei Nian asked, "Is You Yan's ability very strong?"

As they were talking, the two glanced at You Yan and saw a man striding up to You Yan and patting him on the shoulder.

They also recognized this man. He was Bai Ji, one of the four young masters of Yongjing, "Que Ma Yu Long".

Over there, You Yan turned around and saw Bai Ji, and was quite surprised. He asked, "Why are you in the school today?"

"If you don't study, you won't be able to pass the school's assessment, and you won't be able to be appointed as an official next year."

"Why would you worry about this?" You Yan said, "Yesterday we were still talking about how Gu Jingnian was unlearned and unskilled, but he was just given the title of Marquis Chengye. How much credit has he given?"

"Oh, that person."

Bai Ji said perfunctorily in an unhappy tone, turned his eyes, saw Pei Nian and Yin Wanqing sitting in the school, and stepped forward and said: "Miss Yin, Miss Pei, I haven't been to the school for a long time. It turns out that we are classmates. Is your injury better?"

"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Bai. I'm fine now."

Bai Ji nodded and sat down behind them.

Seeing this, You Yan sat down next to Bai Ji and continued talking in a low voice.

"I guess you are not convinced either. Anyway, if we really fight, you and I will not be afraid of him."

The person he was talking about was naturally Gu Jingnian.

From Bai Ji's point of view, he also disliked Gu Jingnian. First, he was ashamed that Gu Jingnian had let Pei Nian down and eloped with Feng Niang. No matter what the truth was, it would have caused a lot of trouble and would definitely hurt Pei Nian's heart. Second, he thought that Gu Jingnian's success in following the emperor was too opportunistic and he was not a gentleman.

Bai Ji, however, held himself to the standards of a gentleman and did not want to gossip about others behind Pei Nian and Yin Wanqing, so he said, "Let's not talk about that person."

You Yan also knew that the two women sitting in front of him had a close relationship with Gu Jingnian, but he still said, "I am just discussing the facts and skills. What can't I mention? They say that he defeated four generals in one battle, but in fact, it is just fire overcoming wood and melting ice. When it comes to people like us who are good at water, it is nothing more than that."

Having said that, in reality, it was Gu Jingnian who became famous in one battle, which made him really envious.

If he can defeat Gu Jingnian, You Yan will be able to build on Gu Jingnian's current fame and become even more dazzling.

Bai Ji smiled bitterly and looked at Pei Nian's back in front of him, worried that You Yan had angered her because of his nonsense.

Sure enough, Pei Nian turned around.

"Don't be surprised, Miss Pei." Bai Ji said, "You Yan is used to being arrogant."

"It's okay, I'm just curious, is Brother You's ability very strong?"

"Of course." You Yan said.

As he spoke, he casually drew a circle in the air with his finger, and then drew out a drop of water. He pinched the drop and played with it, and the drop became bigger and bigger.

"Where does this water come from?" Pei Ren asked.

"Water is everywhere between heaven and earth." You Yan said, "I did not create water, but condensed it."

He flicked his hand casually, and the drop of water in his hand was scattered and turned into nothingness.

Pei Nian asked, "I heard that it is often difficult for aliens to display their abilities in Zhongzhou. I wonder how Brother You can break through the shackles?"

You Yan said proudly: "One is natural, the other is practice."

"Refining?"

"No, practice." You Yan said: "When my ancestors first arrived in Zhongzhou, they also had difficulty in exerting their supernatural powers, but they continued to marry people from Zhongzhou, and their bodies adapted to this world. Without giving up their own instincts, they gradually became stronger."

After that, he raised his chin slightly and said, "So it is said that those who can adapt to the heaven and earth will always be strong."

Pei Nian asked: "How did you practice? Can you let me open my eyes?"

Although it was a question between classmates, she unconsciously still used a bit of the tone of questioning.

You Yan said unhappily, "This is my family tradition, how can I tell you?"

Bai Ji finally found an opportunity to speak, and said, "If Miss Pei is interested, you can see how I practice."

"Mr. Bai?"

Bai Ji nodded, raised his hand, and pinched it in the air. A little bit of water dripped out from his palm and soon flowed all over the ground.

After a brief performance, it really aroused Pei Nian's interest.

"How does Mr. Bai practice?"

"It needs to be in a specific place." Bai didn't know how to describe it, so he said, "If Miss Pei is free, I can take you to have a look."

"Can I bring another person?" Pei Nian asked.

Bai Ji smiled bitterly and asked, "Gu Jingnian?"

"Yes."

When You Yan heard this, he thought that he might have a chance to compete with Gu Jingnian and become famous, so he immediately said, "Then I'll go too."

"Okay." Bai Ji was helpless.

As she was speaking, Yin Wanqing turned around and said, "I'll go too."

She had just listened to their conversation and was thinking that since her brother was preparing to go to the southwest to provide disaster relief, he might be able to bring along these talented people from the capital who were good at controlling water.

(End of this chapter)