The Reversal of Heaven Begins with The Smiling, Proud Wanderer

However, as soon as he arrived at the place, he felt something and looked up at the dense forest in front of him.

"It seems that the commotion of the past two days has already attracted the attention of some people."

A playful smile appeared on Lin Mu's lips.

Absolute strength brings absolute confidence.

Lin Mu nowadays doesn't take the martial artists of this world seriously at all.

Even if a grandmaster were to arrive in person, he would have a way to handle it.

The only thing to be wary of is the temple's advanced technology.

According to the original setting, the temple was actually a high-tech military museum from the pre-nuclear era, now taken over by artificial intelligence, which monitors the development of this world.

This artificial intelligence follows an upgraded version of the Three Laws of Robotics: 1. The interests of humanity as a whole must be prioritized; 2. Human beings must not interfere with the course of human history; 3. Human beings must not injure or harm any human being.

However, after years of evolution, it seems to have developed the tendency to break the Three Laws of Robotics, believing that human development will destroy human civilization.

Therefore, human civilization has been kept at the stage of feudal dynasties.

Back then, Ye Qingmei escaped from the temple with the intention of interfering with the progress of human civilization, thus becoming a thorn in the side of the temple. In the end, the temple and Emperor Qing joined forces to eliminate Ye Qingmei.

The four grandmasters born from Ye Qingmei have broken human limits and possess extraordinary abilities, making them practically mobile missiles...

One man can defeat an army of ten thousand. Even if elite cavalry and archers were to besiege him on the plains, it would be difficult to kill a Grandmaster.

A grandmaster with such formidable martial prowess is, to some extent, capable of interfering with the course of world development.

Therefore, the four grandmasters usually do not participate too much in secular affairs, so as not to cause too much impact and invite the temple's purge.

Lin Mu was aware of the unspoken rules: as long as he did not attempt to develop technology or change the world order, the temple would not take action against him.

As for the others?

Lin Mu could say without any restraint, "Everyone here is trash."

Through his golden eyes, Lin Mu had already seen the group of people hiding in the dense forest. Holding his halberd, he stepped into the open space and said loudly, "Since you're here, why not show yourself?"

Lin Mu's voice echoed in the empty wilderness, carrying a touch of nonchalant authority.

A rustling sound came from the dense forest, and five figures leaped out.

They were dressed in the distinctive dark-colored uniforms of the Overwatch Council, with a unique emblem embroidered on their collars.

Two other people were hiding in the shadows, waiting for their chance to strike.

The person who came out was a middle-aged man in his thirties with a sharp face and piercing eyes. He cupped his hands and said, "I am Zhao Jin, an inspector under Zhu Ge, the head of the First Division of the Supervisory Council."

"Greetings, young master. We received intelligence that there were unusual noises coming from this place, so we came to investigate. Please forgive our rudeness."

Lin Mu glanced at the group and, through his aura perception, immediately discerned that their cultivation levels ranged from the highest to the lowest, the seventh rank, making them no different from ants in his eyes.

Lin Mu's tone was calm, even tinged with a hint of laziness: "The Surveillance Bureau is going to interfere with ordinary people practicing martial arts in the wilderness?"

Zhao Jin's expression remained unchanged: "Ordinary cultivation is naturally fine, but you are far beyond the reach of ordinary martial artists. May I ask if you have broken through to the Grandmaster realm?"

"No, it's only the upper ninth rank, but the technique is a bit special, making it slightly stronger than a typical ninth rank."

Lin Mu's lies came out as soon as they were told.

Upon hearing that Lin Mu was not a Grandmaster, Zhao Jin secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Come to think of it, the four grandmasters of the world are all god-like figures, and they are people you can meet very easily.

However, judging from Lin Mu's age of 1.7, he is only in his early twenties. At such a young age, he has already reached the ninth rank. Given time, he may very well become a grandmaster.

If we could recruit such a person into the Overwatch Council, it would definitely be a great achievement.

Thinking of this, Zhao Jin respectfully said, "I didn't expect you to be a ninth-rank master, young master. My apologies for not respecting you. May I ask who your master is?"

Lin Mu looked at Zhao Jin, a playful expression on his face: "You want to investigate me?"

"Don't dare! Don't dare!"

Zhao Jin waved his hand repeatedly, saying that a ninth-rank expert was not someone he could afford to offend.

Lin Mu said calmly, "I don't like dealing with people in officialdom. Take your people and leave. If you disturb my cultivation again, don't blame me for being impolite."

"Yes, we'll leave now. Goodbye!"

Although Zhao Jin was a member of the Oversight Council and wielded considerable power, he also understood that there were some people he couldn't afford to offend.

Now that we're in the middle of nowhere, if we anger them, even if we die, it will be for nothing.

With only a dozen or so taels of silver a month, why risk your life?

Zhao Jin led his men away, and Lin Mu, sensing the hidden sentries in the woods, also left.

They were relatively honest and didn't try anything funny, otherwise Lin Mu wouldn't have hesitated to keep them all.

As for revealing part of our strength, that's fine; appropriately displaying a portion of our strength can also reduce some trouble.

Chapter 68: Si Lili

As night falls and the city lights begin to twinkle, the streets and alleys of Kyoto gradually illuminate with thousands of lights, like a galaxy fallen to earth.

Under the triple eaves of "Zui Xian Ju", the glass lamps are brightly lit, and the sound of silk and bamboo instruments drifts over the vermilion railings, blending into the evening breeze that carries the fragrance of rouge.

Lin Mu put away his battlefield-stained halberd, picked up a purple bamboo folding fan, and stepped calmly into this gentle haven, wearing a deep blue brocade robe with gold thread embroidered cloud patterns that shimmered under the lamplight.

"Young master, you look unfamiliar. Is this your first time visiting Zuixianju?"

A madam dressed in a crimson silk skirt stepped forward, her gaze as sharp as a honey-soaked knife, and in a moment she had clearly discerned Lin Mu's overall demeanor, the jade belt at his waist, and the ring between his fingers.

Lin Mu did not answer, but simply smiled and tossed out a gold ingot.

The gold glided in an arc and landed perfectly in the madam's outstretched palm: "Find a quiet and elegant seat, some fresh seasonal dishes, and a pot of wine."

The madam rubbed the gold ingot between her fingers, a genuine smile immediately spreading across her face: "Alright, young master, this way please! The 'Listening to the Rain Pavilion' on the second floor is currently empty, with a view of the imperial city lights from the window, I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

Lin Mu nodded slightly and followed the madam up to the second floor, entering an elegantly decorated private room.

Inside the private room, the delicate smoke of sandalwood incense curled gracefully, while an embroidered screen separated the noisy outside room.

Lin Mu poured himself a drink by the window, watching the dancers below with their sleeves fluttering and listening to the pipa music as delicate as 23 pearls falling onto a jade plate.

They exclaimed how good it is to be rich!

After several rounds of drinks, the madam led a line of women in, their hairpins jingling and their fragrance wafting through the air.

"Young master, do you find these girls pleasing to the eye?"

Lin Mu's gaze swept over those beautiful faces, and he gently waved his folding fan: "Change the batch."

The madam covered her mouth with her handkerchief and forced a smile: "Oh dear, young master, this is the third batch already..."

"If it's about seeking pleasure, how can we be perfunctory?"

Lin Mu placed the wine cup on the table with a crisp sound: "Could it be that no one is left at Zui Xian Ju?"

The madam smiled obsequiously, but inwardly she thought this guest had too high standards. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Lin Mu casually take out two gold ingots and place them on the rosewood table, making the candlelight flicker.

Talking about feelings with Kun Nu is just nonsense.

The saying "prostitutes are heartless, actors are unrighteous" may be a generalization, but it is generally true.

Although Lin Mu doesn't care whether it's true love or not, he can't force himself to accept that it isn't.

The madam said with difficulty, "Young master, you've had almost every girl in our group replaced."

Lin Mu spoke up: "Do you think I can't afford the price? When will you bring out your most beautiful courtesan from Drunken Immortal Abode?"

"You mean Miss Si Lili?"

A glint of shrewdness flashed in the madam's eyes: "Miss Lili... she sells her art, not her body."

Lin Mu chuckled: "If I sleep with her and don't pay her, then it doesn't count as selling her."

The madam gave him a flirtatious wink: "Young master, you're too kind. Miss Lili is no ordinary person. Even high-ranking officials and scions of noble families who spend lavishly would find it difficult to even get a glimpse of her without her favor."

"Oh? How can I win her favor?"

Lin Mu followed up with a question.

The madam said, "Miss Lili only accompanies refined gentlemen, regardless of gold or silver. If you wish to see her, you must be skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting to please her."

Lin Mu smiled slightly.

He knows this trick all too well!

It's nothing more than being a plagiarist. Fan Xian can plagiarize, but Lin Mu can't?

"Get a pen and paper."

Does Lin Mu occasionally practice music, chess, calligraphy, and painting to cultivate his character?

no!

He just wanted to show off in front of others.

Now that the stage is set up, he has no reason to care about Fan Xian.

They immediately prepared to copy the poems first, so that Fan Xian would have no poems to copy.

The madam was unimpressed, thinking it was just another self-proclaimed romantic scholar trying to pass himself off as a talent, but for the sake of the gold ingots, she still ordered the writing implements to be prepared.

Lin Mu walked to the desk, picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and began to write.

The brush moved swiftly and powerfully, penetrating the paper, and the poem was completed in no time.

The madam took the poem and read it softly:

"Clouds resemble her clothes, flowers resemble her face; the spring breeze caresses the balustrade, and the dew is heavy."

"If we don't meet atop Mount Qunyu, we'll meet beneath the moon on the Jade Terrace."

"What a wonderful poem! It's truly a wonderful poem!"

Although she was in the world of pleasure, her discerning eye was remarkable.

Such poetic talent would be hard to match, not only in the less literary Nanqing, but also in the literary heyday of Beiqi!

[How could it not be good? It was written by the poet Li Bai! Thanks to the great Li Bai for helping me show off!]

Lin Mu chuckled inwardly, but remained outwardly calm: "I present this poem to Miss Si Lili."

He was absolutely certain.

If this "Qingping Tune" still can't win over the top courtesan, then the reputation of Zuixianju should be ruined.

The madam immediately sent someone by boat to deliver the poem to Si Lili's secluded pleasure boat.

Lin Mu knew perfectly well that Si Lili's real name was Li Lisi, and she was actually a descendant of the Southern Qing royal family.

His grandfather was the second uncle of the current Emperor Qing, Li Yunqian, and was originally the most powerful contender for the throne.

Unfortunately, during the power struggle for the throne, Ye Qingmei used a sniper rifle to kill two princes, one of whom was Si Lili's grandfather.

Afterwards, Prince Cheng ascended the throne, but soon passed away, and Li Yunqian succeeded him.

Royal families are never ruthless.

After Emperor Qing ascended the throne, he began to settle old enemies. Li Lisi fled with her parents. Her father died tragically under a hail of knives, and her mother had no choice but to take her and her younger brother to Northern Qi.

After learning of their identities, the Northern Qi court brought them into the palace to be raised.

After their mother passed away, the siblings relied on each other for survival.

Although the young emperor of Northern Qi had a good impression of Li Lisi, the empress dowager was extremely wary of her.

To protect her younger brother, Li Lisi volunteered to go south as a spy, adopting the alias Si Lili and hiding in the world of prostitution.

A moment later, a commotion broke out downstairs.

"It's moving! Miss Lili's flower boat has moved!"

"Look! The pleasure boat is heading towards Zuixianju!"

"Which young master has managed to win Miss Lili's favor?"

An uproar immediately broke out inside and outside Zuixianju.

Si Lili, the top courtesan in Kyoto, was usually only known by name but never seen in person. Today, she made an exception for a stranger, attracting passersby on both sides of the river to stop and cheer.

Under the watchful eyes of countless people, a graceful figure slowly emerged from the flower boat.