I am collecting entries in reincarnation

Chapter 574 Ao San
The great battle outside Sanshan City had a devastating aftermath. Even if someone wanted to conceal it, it would definitely not be possible. Moreover, Li Ming had no intention of covering it up, so the news spread like wildfire. People all over the world thought that the Demon Sect had produced another master of the minor supernatural realm, the Taoist Tianxin, but they did not know that the Demon Sect was also very puzzled about this person's origins.

Taoist Tianxin bullied the weak and acted tyrannically, almost harming Gu Bahuang, the swordsman trained by the Demon Sect. Although he is alive now, his foundation is severely damaged and is half disabled. He also stole the Six Desires Demon Sword. He was truly shameless and completely destroyed the unspoken rules within the Demon Sect, which naturally caused an uproar.

Not to mention that he also robbed the secret treasures of Venerable Kongkong. Now Tianxin Taoist is even more popular than Li Ming. Even many people have turned their attention to him, and the number of people who secretly spy on Li Ming has decreased a lot.

However, outsiders would never imagine that such a person who has practiced the unique skills of the True Transmission and condensed the magical powers of the Tao actually has no connection with the Demonic Path. The people inside the True Transmission are also trying every means to find this powerful man.

It’s a pity that this person is just a character card of Li Ming. If Li Ming doesn’t want to find him, others will never be able to find him even if they spend thousands of years.

Li Ming rested for a few days in Sanshan City, and then set out on the road to Tianjue Cliff again. Although Qian Tong tried to persuade him to stay, he knew the attraction of such a magical duel to first-class warriors, so he naturally gave up. He called Xie Mingben on the phone and wanted to go with him, but Li Ming declined, saying that he still preferred to travel alone and be free. However, they could meet in front of Tianjue Cliff and have tea and discuss Taoism.

Just before leaving, he exchanged some secrets with Xie Mingcheng alone, which also resolved an important matter in Li Ming's mind.

Dongping County is the capital of Dingzhou. The 800-li Dongping Lake is vast and deep, with abundant resources. It has supported countless fishermen, boatmen, and even gangs.

Huangwang Pavilion is located on the bank of Dongping Lake. It is most famous for its Dongping Vinegar Fish. This fish comes from the depths of Dongping Lake. It is the most delicious and tender fish. After being processed by the chef, it melts in your mouth and is quite famous.

The beautiful scenery of Dongping Lake can add more flavor to the dish. Every year, countless tourists come to Huangwang Pavilion on the shore of Dongping Lake to taste Dongping vinegar fish.

It is precisely because of the delicious vinegar fish, the beautiful scenery of Dongping, and the Huangwang Pavilion that it has such a great reputation.

Huangwang Pavilion is well-known for this. It is said that five hundred years ago, three great masters fought a duel here to forge their supernatural powers and forged their supreme reputation. This historical allusion has added a bit of historical heritage to this place!

Many martial artists who come here to play also want to experience the charm of the great battles of that year.

"Alas... my old friend left Huangwang Pavilion..."

Li Ming was also on the Huangwang Pavilion at this time. In front of him was the most famous delicacy in the pavilion, Dongping Vinegar Fish. He drank facing the lake and imagined the scene of the three kings joining forces to fight against the powerful supernatural powers.

It is now mid-September, and the dew is thick in late autumn. Although it is not the best season to eat vinegar fish, the blandness of the vinegar fish in front of him still makes Li Ming find it difficult to pick up his chopsticks.

"I've long heard that Dingzhou is a food desert. Now it seems to be true. It's really disappointing."

Then Li Ming stood up and put down a gold leaf, then asked the waiter to help hire a small boat. He didn't even ask for a boatman, and just rowed on the lake, drifting with the current. He just lay down casually, as if he had merged with nature, comprehending the mysterious state of creation, nature, and the unity of qi and intention.

Although the waiter did not know any martial arts, he could sense the extraordinaryness of this strange man just by looking at him. He watched him quietly and found that he seemed to be in harmony with the heaven and earth and the scenery of the lake.

The waiter opened his mouth to speak but didn't know what to say. He just stared blankly and didn't move for a long time. It was not until the shopkeeper came to look for him and scolded him that he realized that the small boat had drifted away in the lake and disappeared without a trace.

Li Ming lay in the boat, drifting with the lake water. He didn't know how long he had been drifting. Suddenly, he felt a green wave around him. It was clearly late autumn, but there were layers of green lotus leaves growing.

"Wow... what a beautiful sight! The lotus leaves stretch to the sky, their green leaves are endless, and the lotus flowers are red in the sunlight..."

Li Ming looked up and saw that the sun was setting. A setting sun was shining brightly in the lake. The warm autumn sun was already extremely rare, and the out-of-season lotus flowers were in full bloom, adding a bit of color and making people intoxicated.

However, Li Ming didn't care. Instead, he reached out and grabbed a lotus pod, peeled out the tender white lotus seeds and ate them, which was quite enjoyable.

Although this lotus is out of season, it is completely different from the greenhouse fruits on Blue Star. Not only is it not tasteless, but it is extremely tender and has a little more flavor than ordinary lotus seeds.

"Third Master... Look, there's a weirdo over there, stealing our lotus seeds. Should we teach him a lesson?"

Amidst the refreshing breeze, a muffled sound was heard again.

"What a strange person! The lotus leaves are endless and green, and the lotus flowers are red in the sun. Anyone who can recite this poem must be a great talent. How can I use the word strange to describe it? Go and invite him to discuss poetry and prose with this king."

"Huh?" Li Ming looked in the direction of the voice and saw a huge flower boat with bright lights anchored outside the lotus pond. Two men on the side of the boat were pointing at him.

When one of the young men noticed Li Ming's gaze, he suddenly smiled at Li Ming and said, "Sir, why don't you get on board for a while?"

Li Ming chuckled and didn't move. The lake rippled and the small boat floated lightly with the ripples to the side of the flower boat.

Seeing this, the old man next to the young man also looked more solemn, as if he wanted to say something, but the young man just shouted.

"Put down the basket and ask this gentleman to come aboard."

As soon as he gave the order, a servant immediately responded. Then they hurriedly found a huge hanging basket, tied it with ropes and placed it in front of Li Ming.

Li Ming leaned over to take a look. He didn't know what material the hanging basket was made of, but it was red and black all over, and had a faint fragrance. There was also a layer of silk in the basket, which was obviously precious satin.

Li Ming was not polite at all. He climbed onto the hanging basket and touched it with his hand. It was indeed as smooth as cream and silky to the touch.

Then the servant above exerted force, and the hanging basket was smoothly put onto the flower boat.

The young man glanced up and down at Li Ming. Seeing that Li Ming was dressed like a scholar, but not bound by convention, and had a bit of a bohemian air, he felt a little happier in his heart, so he started to speak.

"I just heard you compose a poem, which was truly a quatrain. I was very pleased and on a whim invited you aboard. Please don't blame me."

"No, no, as the saying goes, writing is a natural gift, a masterpiece created by a master's hand. I just sang it casually, how can it be called a quatrain? You invited me on board because you think highly of me, so how can I blame you?" Li Ming replied with a smile.

The man who called himself Xiao Wang's eyes lit up and he recited "Writing is naturally accomplished, and it is the work of a skilled hand" twice.

He clapped his hands and laughed, "Sir, you have great literary talent. It will be very clear. Uncle Gui, go and prepare some wine and food. I want to meet this person. By the way, may I ask your name, sir?"

Li Ming nodded and replied, "My surname is Li, but may I know your names?"

The old man replied, "My son is the third son of the Ao Mansion near Dongping Lake. His ancestors were granted a jade seal by the royal court of Daxia. He is comparable to a prince in Dongping Lake. As for me, I am just an old servant. You can call me whatever you want, sir."

"So that's how it is..." A hint of understanding flashed in Li Ming's eyes, and then he smiled and bowed to the two of them.

The young man didn't care so much and said with a smile: "If you like, just call me Ao San."

"How dare I? The Third Young Master is so noble. How can I, a mere scholar, be so ungrateful?" Li Ming smiled calmly.

The old man asked, "Mr. Li, are you here for a trip?" Li Ming nodded and said, "That's right. As the old saying goes, reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. Confined to a corner, how can you imagine how vast the world is? I only just now discovered that Dongping Lake actually has lotus flowers blooming in September. It's truly eye-opening."

As he spoke, Master Ao grabbed Li Ming's hand and walked inside, saying with a smile, "Mr. Li, you haven't heard of our Ao family. You're probably not from here. If there's such a talented poet here, how could I not know about him? Sir, please drink with me quickly, only then will we not regret this beautiful scenery!"

Seeing Ao San's attitude, Li Ming just laughed and followed closely.

The old man sighed. He knew his young master's temperament very well and didn't say much. He was just a little concerned about the fact that the boat had just moved without wind. However, he couldn't see anything special about this person, so he shook his head and muttered to himself.

"Or maybe it's just a coincidence..."

Then Li Ming followed Ao San into the flower boat. What a great boat!
Why do you see it?

Pearls and jade are used to paint the beams, agate and colored glaze fill the walls, hundred-year-old jade fungus is used to build the gravel, and pure gold is used to pave the floor tiles.

The luxury of the items is truly appalling. If you just break off a piece of it, it would be enough for ordinary farmers in the surrounding area to have food and clothing for a lifetime.

Ao San just pulled Li Ming and walked quickly. The young girls in their thirties and forties bowed to him every time they passed by, but Ao San just ignored them, as if he only had eyes for Li Ming.

After the two of them sat down, two more beautiful girls came over with an incense burner, and four young girls sitting beside them holding musical instruments.

What is burning is the fragrance of apricot blossoms that stretches for ten miles, and what is played is the music that lingers in the ears for three days.

Even though Li Ming is knowledgeable and experienced, he still has to sigh at the wealth and luxury when sitting here, which is far beyond others' imagination. It is worthy of being the Dragon King Palace of Dongping Lake.

Yes, Li Ming knew Ao San's identity from just a few words. After all, he did not hide it, and there were clues in his words. Li Ming was not really a wandering scholar, and he knew something about many things.

Dongping Lake is eight hundred miles long and gave birth to a dragon. This dragon has great magical powers, but its temperament is not overbearing. It has lived in Dongping Lake for a long time and has never caused any trouble. Instead, it controls the clouds and rain and protects the people.

Over time, not only did he not have his fine flesh and skin coveted by other powerful beings, but he was also granted the title of Dragon King of the Eight Hundred Miles of Dongping Lake. This made him a legitimate god in the court of the Great Xia Dynasty, a legitimate second-rank Dragon King, with a rank equivalent to that of a first-rank official in the imperial court, and he enjoyed the incense of the world.

He is comparable to a king by the Dongping Lake. To be honest, even the Governor of Dingzhou is one level lower than this Dragon King when he arrives at the lake. As for their strength, the difference is huge. This Dragon King of Dongping Lake is a powerful demon with many years of magical powers. He is definitely not an ordinary character.

He has many small soldiers and generals under his command, and is definitely a major force in Dingzhou.

Soon after Li Ming arrived here, he heard the story about the Dragon King. It was said that the Dragon King was very fond of poetry and literature, and favored scholars who could recite poems and compose essays. From time to time, scholars were invited to the palace by the Dragon King. Anyone who could write an excellent poem that would get the Dragon King's approval would naturally receive a good reward.

Many poor scholars became rich because of the rewards from the Dragon King, and their stories became famous.

But Li Ming didn't expect that he would accidentally meet this dragon boy just by going with the flow.

According to what he said, he should be the third son of the Dragon King, with the surname Ao. Could he be Ao Bing?

Li Ming thought with evil humor.

But Ao San, who was sitting opposite him, had no idea that the great talent he had invited was still secretly "cursing" him. Instead, he enthusiastically poured a glass of wine for Li Ming, and the aroma of the wine immediately filled the room.

Li Ming couldn't help but laugh and said, "Third Master, what a good wine!"

Ao San laughed heartily and said, "To entertain Mr. Li, we must use good wine. As the saying goes, there is no poetry without wine. Since you are drinking, it would be a good thing to accompany it with poetry. Why not continue with the poem you just recited?"

Li Ming was startled when he heard the voice. He pointed with his finger and smiled, "Third Young Master, you have a good plan. However, the poem should be left to its own course. Forcing it to continue like this will probably not be beautiful. How about letting me write another one?"

Ao Sanben was a little discouraged, but he immediately laughed when he heard the following words. Lian Lian nodded and said, "It would be great if Mr. Li could write another one. I am all ears."

Li Ming picked up the cup and drank it in one gulp. Thoughts raced in his mind. Just as he was thinking about which poem to copy, a loud noise suddenly came from outside the door.

"Second Master, you can't go in. Third Master is meeting a guest!"

"Get out of here, tell him to come out and see me!"

……

Hearing these voices, Ao San's expression changed slightly, and then he looked towards the door seriously.

As expected, neither the guards outside the door nor the old man surnamed Gui could stop him.

There was a dull thud as the door was broken open by two women, who then fell to the ground. It looked as if they had been pushed to the ground with the intention of breaking the door open.

Then a tall man in gorgeous clothes, with a jade belt around his waist and rings on his hands, walked in, followed by a group of people, looking very arrogant.

He glanced around and soon locked his eyes on Ao San.

"Third brother, your servants are too unruly. They didn't even know how to behave when they met my second brother. Tell me, could it be that you, as the master, don't know the etiquette and didn't teach me well?"

He looked at Ao San with an arrogant look, as if he had him in his hands.

Seeing this, Ao San clenched his fists, took a deep breath and said, "I was ignorant and offended Second Brother. It is my fault. I apologize to Second Brother. I hope Second Brother will be magnanimous and not hold it against them."

"Hmph, you're smart." The man snorted coldly, then looked at Li Mingdao.

"Who is this again?"

Ao San suppressed his anger and said, "I specially invited this talented person to come here. I want to ask for two poems as a gift for my father."

The man laughed heartily upon hearing this and said, "Poetry? Talented? Third brother, you better be careful, don't get fooled by some shady person again. I think this guy is ordinary, without any talent at all, just a poor scholar who came to you to get free food and drinks. Second brother will help you deal with him."

At the end of his words, a fierce look flashed in his eyes. He stretched out one hand and a gust of wind from his claws came towards him, carrying a sharp breath, and scratched a deep mark on the gold bricks on the floor of the room.

(End of this chapter)