Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 386 Starting with a Bowl, Selling Dragon-Slaying Techniques
Wang Cheng and the Five Emperors' Golden Coin Sword became one, tearing through the night and traversing the sky.

In Southeast Asia, a place where the "Five Great Empires" have spheres of influence and where a massive amount of "Treasured Qi of Universal Trade" is generated every moment, this secret and orthodox method is used with exceptional ease.

Vaillant is clearly a step above other places.

"arrive!"

Soon, a mangrove belt, sixty miles wide and stretching two thousand miles, rose from the vast sea.

Continuing along the network of rivers in the forest, a country comes into view.

The local customs, architecture, and clothing were no different from those in his homeland, making him think he had suddenly returned to China.

In the eyes of the Dazhao people, this place is the taboo Jiugang Xuanwei Division, but in the eyes of the locals, this place is called Wu Kingdom, and their Zhu family is the true successor of China!
The Wu Kingdom occupied a small part of Sumatra, covering nearly 200,000 square kilometers. It was a powerful force and could be considered a regional hegemon among the Southeast Asian countries.

If it hadn't occupied the Old Port Pacification Commission as its base a century ago, and at a crucial moment of its gradual rise, it hadn't run into wave after wave of colonists, its sphere of influence would definitely be much larger than this.

"Although I had memories of this old port city in my mind, seeing it with my own eyes was still quite shocking."

"Have they moved the entire imperial city here, one-to-one?"

The sword light spread out, swirling around him. Wang Cheng looked down at the capital city below, especially at the palace complex with its green glazed tiles, double-eaved hip roofs, and large luminous pearls illuminating the city. He was somewhat lost in thought.

"They knew that their current physique was not up to the standards of a true emperor, so they settled for the rules of a vassal king."

They showed no courtesy whatsoever when it came to overstepping their bounds.

Claiming to be the King of Wu was merely a gesture of respect for the "Twenty-Four Solar Terms," ​​not a genuine recognition of the Han family's legitimacy.

At that moment, a brilliant crimson sword light, as dazzling as the sunset, suddenly rose up in the city below.

With a sharp cry, "Take this!" the sword light surged and pierced straight at his face.

Wang Cheng recognized the person at a glance and chuckled:
"Sister Suzhen seems to be in a good mood, so I'll play along with you."

He leaped forward with his sword flashing like a rainbow and charged at them.

Stab it--!
The sword light flashed like lightning, striking the sky with a thunderclap, and the [Ten Thousand Mile Rainbow Sword], as bright as the sunset, suddenly dimmed.

But then, a line of crimson light reappeared, as if the sunset had fallen and the sunrise had been reborn, surging towards Wang Cheng in waves. Ninety percent of it was illusion, and one-tenth was reality.

Like a wisp of real crimson cloud, it constantly refracts, reflects, and scatters between the sky and the sea, concealing endless changes, and growing brighter with each battle, until it illuminates the entire night sky with the light of a sword.

With its sword intent fully formed, the inner vision manifested outwardly, far surpassing its former glory. This "Ten Thousand Mile Rainbow Sword" technique has clearly become a style of its own.

In contrast, Wang Cheng simply held the Five Emperors' Golden Coin Sword, casually defending and not attacking amidst the blazing sword light.

With a single sword strike, "Heavenly Circle," he formed a tight, impenetrable defense around his body, covering an area of ​​one zhang (approximately 3.3 meters).

clang!clang!clang!
The blades clashed, sparks flew, but not a single detail of his clothing was ever touched.

Until the newcomer gave up on his own, sheathed his sword, revealing a beautiful young woman in her early twenties.

Isn't that Princess Zhu Suzhen of Jiashan?
After just one sword fight, he was so tired that his arms were sore and his whole body was covered in sweat.

Wang Cheng glanced at her and saw that she had a phoenix hairpin with a pearl in her hair, and she was wearing a jade-colored cross-collar shirt with a brocade border of lotus patterns about an inch wide along the collar.

She wore a pea-green palace sash around her waist, adorned with a mutton-fat jade ring.

A night breeze blew, causing a corner of the bright red, twenty-four-pleated horse-face skirt to sway slightly, revealing the pearl-studded toes of the shoes with upturned corners, each adorned with a precious pearl.

My eyes lit up.

This outfit is just right; the red dress is like fire, her skin is as white as snow, her almond eyes and peach cheeks are exquisitely beautiful.

What's even more remarkable is that her brows exude a spirited and unyielding nature, making her completely different from those pampered young ladies raised in seclusion.

Zhu Suzhen was as spirited and capable as when they last met, showing no sign of shyness despite being rejected by Wang Cheng in the marriage proposal. She clasped her hands in admiration:
"Young Master Wang, I am proud of my own talent. But after meeting you today, I have to admit that there truly are extraordinary geniuses in this world."

When we last met, we were both at the sixth rank, and you defeated me by one move. Today, I am at the fifth rank, while you have already reached the fourth rank and the realm of the Five Temples Divine Treasury.

If he gets serious, he probably won't even need to use a second move to beat me.

With a face full of admiration, he couldn't help but glance at Wang Cheng a few more times.

Although he visited secretly and without any entourage, his dark blue brocade robe with arrow-sleeved sleeves and the purple aura between his fair brows made him appear elegant and wealthy.

Zhu Suzhen was surprised:
"Uncle Wang and his younger brother have cultivated such an air of royalty in just two generations."

He looks more like a ruler than my elder brother, who was just made crown prince.

Comparing yourself to others will only make you miserable.

If Wang Cheng knew what she was thinking, he would at least have to say a few words of modesty.

After all, he didn't just use two generations.

Instead, after killing Han Wugui, the "Dragon's Blood," and refining the national treasure, the "Cute Dragon Pearl," he gathered the dragon energy of all the dragons and monsters from the East Sea over the past few decades.

With his father laying the foundation, and by stepping over the corpses of numerous plundering pirates, he has achieved his current status.

The [Good Dragon Pearl], carrying the dragon aura of three dynasties, can bring great fortune and create a founding ancestral dragon. Naturally, its power will increase day by day, and its advancement speed will rival that of "the most enviable ghosts and gods".

He said modestly, "Sister Suzhen, you flatter me. I was just lucky, it's nothing special."

She secretly praised her: "Just based on her magnanimity, even in the cliché of annulment, she would definitely be the kind of good girl who returns double the bride price and helps the male lead find a job."

I don’t know who will benefit in the end.

The only pity is that she really doesn't have many years left to live. Following Zhu Suzhen into the royal city, he glanced again at her rare and valuable possession:
"Currently 21 years old, lifespan: 24 years."

Her birthday has passed this year, and she only has three years left to live. She is destined to pass away at the young age of 30.

"The One-Eyed Stone Man has sealed the fates of the Zhu and Han families, solidifying destiny into inescapable fate for them, especially for the main branches of both families."

Illnesses can be cured, but defying fate is easier said than done. Unless…

He glanced again at his head, at the [Official Star Peach Blossom Pattern] he had bought from Wang Cuiqiao:
"Men with the official star in their birth chart will not only rise rapidly in officialdom and spiritual cultivation, but will also attract romantic opportunities."

A glamorous official career that countless people dream of.

A meteoric rise in officialdom, surrounded by numerous beautiful women, success in examinations, a wedding night, promotions and wealth—he enjoys all the wonderful things in life, a life of unparalleled bliss.

Wang Cheng felt that the fate he had altered later was somewhat misleading.

After all, apart from Sister Axiao and Sister Fox, he had never encountered any romantic affairs, let alone a garden full of peach blossoms.

The only one who could be considered half a flower was Princess Zhu Suzhen of Jiashan.

A noble princess who was not yet married took the initiative to approach him again and again, while the two elder brothers of the Zhu family were nowhere to be seen.

It's obvious what Uncle Zhu was planning.

The question slipped out instinctively:
"Sister Suzhen, don't you think it's a bit inappropriate to let your parents' wishes and the matchmaker's words decide your life's most important event?"

The girl, unusually insightful, straightened her expression and retorted:
How could it be out of place?

We, the children of wealthy families, usually enjoy a life of luxury and privileges. How can we not step forward and take responsibility at critical moments?

In my opinion, those lovelorn men and women who have gotten a huge advantage and still selfishly pursue freedom, individuality, and love are truly out of step with the times.

Besides, actually I am too.

Before she could even bite her lower lip and finish speaking...

"Ow—!"

With a dragon's roar that could only be heard by a select few in the palace.

Then, a golden dragon soared into the sky from the direction of Fengtian Hall, circled above their heads three times, and then reluctantly flew back.

It fell into a rough-looking pottery bowl.

— [Start with a bowl (a national treasure)]!
In this world, any force that aspires to the throne of the Great Zhao Dynasty will covet the small portion of the imperial mandate held by the Zhu family.

If Prince Zhu Yaozhai of Wu were willing to publicly recruit a son-in-law, even if it only revealed the slightest possibility of allowing someone of a different surname to have his daughter, many powerful forces would fight tooth and nail to seize her.

"But how did this Heavenly Dragon Qi suddenly emerge?"

Wang Cheng glanced at Zhu Suzhen beside him and found that she also looked bewildered, obviously this situation had never occurred before.

Just then, a clear voice rang out from behind:

"Starting from the sixteenth emperor of the Zhu family, the Zhu family had a total of sixteen emperors who ruled China."

Now, the throne has been passed down to Emperor Shaozhi, the eleventh generation. The end of the dynasty is already evident, and the mandate of heaven of the five emperors is still contained in this bowl!
If this dragon energy were used to perform the Sealing Technique, it would be enough to create a first-rank deity in an instant, or even a supreme being in the mortal realm.

It seems that the dragon energy is quite fond of you, Prince Jinghai.

Your Highness, are you tempted?

The two turned around and saw a scholar in a blue robe standing behind them. Zhu Suzhen was about to bow when the scholar stopped her with a look.

He had long ago told his prized disciple, Zhu Suzhen:
"I wish to find a group of like-minded people to change the world, but I cannot sell my dragon-slaying skills cheaply."

Let's talk about this when he's able to storm the strategically important Southeast Asia.

At this moment, however, they were somewhat surprised by the strange phenomenon that had just occurred.

Wang Cheng pretended not to know the scholar's identity.

In his book "Guide to Sending People Away with Favor," there is a method called "The Method of Asking for a Title with Human Skin," which allows one to ask for a title from a superior by using human skin.

As long as someone of high status takes a liking to you, you can rise to the top in one step.

Although I didn't know that "starting with a bowl" had this ability, I think the same principle applies to "destiny bestowing official rank".

Wang Cheng smiled quite frankly at the scholar who had not revealed his identity:

Who wouldn't want the 'royal power and wealth' of this world?

However, I know that the greatest conferment of titles in this world is not about creating batches of emperors and generals, and then repeating the cycle.

Upon hearing this unexpected answer, Zhang Taiyue immediately became interested and straightened his expression:

"Appreciate further details."

Wang Cheng looked directly into the eyes of this renowned prime minister and said, word by word:

"A great sage once bestowed an official title upon a young man:"
'You are not mere cattle or weeds, but the sun at eight or nine in the morning!'

I wholeheartedly agree.

(End of this chapter)