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The incident with the Golden Peng Dynasty was resolved smoothly. Huo Xiu had brought about his own demise, and Shangguan Feiyan was killed by him. Ximen Chui Xue challenged Dugu Yihe, who accepted the challenge. Without Huo Qing to deplete Dugu Yihe's internal energy, Dugu Yihe emerged victorious over Ximen Chui Xue this time. Having mastered the Dugu Nine Swords, Dugu Yihe's understanding of the sword surpassed that of Ximen Chui Xue, allowing him to wield it with effortless grace. He only injured Ximen Chui Xue without taking his life. Seizing the opportunity, Sun Xiuqing stayed by Ximen Chui Xue's side to care for him, while Shi Xiuyun lingered around the Flower Full Building. This time, Shangguan Feiyan's true nature was exposed early on; the affection that Flower Full Building had for her was not as deep as in the original story, and they had a good impression of Shi Xiuyun, allowing the girl to remain close. Dugu Yihe had already instructed Zhang Yingfeng to prepare dowries for his two disciples, fearing that they would soon be married off. As for Ma Xiuzhen, she longed to stay by Liu Feng's side, but Liu Feng was a rogue who could not be held onto; she could only follow Dugu Yihe back to Emei Mountain with a sense of regret.
On the night of the full moon at Forbidden City Summit, a sword came flying from the west.
The news of Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chui Xue's duel spread throughout the martial world. Zhang Yingfeng approached his master, "Master, should we inform the emperor about the Southern King's plot in advance?"
Dugu Yihe countered, "If the emperor asks where you got this information, what will you say?"
"Well..."
Dugu Yihe replied, "Let's quietly observe their duel."
Zhang Yingfeng took this lesson to heart.
As two great swordsmen prepared to duel, although Dugu Yihe's strength surpassed both of them, he did not want to miss out on the spectacle—after all, it was an opportunity to broaden his disciples' horizons! Thus, Dugu Yihe brought his four disciples to the capital. Zhang Yingfeng thought he understood the plot and believed he could avoid any trouble by steering clear of key locations; unfortunately, he was mistaken! While out shopping, he stumbled upon Wang An and Ye Gucheng conspiring. Ye Gucheng intended to kill Zhang Yingfeng, but Zhang Yingfeng's swordsmanship matched his own; ultimately, they both suffered injuries in their clash. Dugu Yihe was furious about his disciple's injuries and no longer cared about watching the duel. He directly sought out Wei Yun to gain an audience with the emperor and explained the Southern King's schemes. Wang An was captured by the emperor and terrified into revealing all their plans. Consequently, the Southern King's residence was dismantled, White Cloud City fell under imperial control, and although Ye Gucheng did not die, he vanished without a trace. The events surrounding their decisive battle became mere clouds in light of Dugu Yihe's anger for his disciples.
After this life-and-death struggle with Ye Gucheng, Zhang Yingfeng gained much insight and secluded himself to refine his swordsmanship after recovering from his injuries. A year later, he emerged from seclusion and dueled with Ximen Chui Xue once more; by a narrow margin, he defeated him and earned the title of Sword Saint. Ten years later, Dugu Yihe passed on the position of Emei Sect Leader to Zhang Yingfeng.
...
The Jiang Family Young Master warmly welcomed Elder Brother Li and his party. Besides expressing gratitude for their assistance along the way, he aimed to strengthen ties with Elder Brother Li. Knowing that Elder Brother Li was someone whom the emperor intended to promote soon, he seized every opportunity to build a good relationship.
"Brother Li, I toast you," said Jiang Family Young Master as he raised his glass filled with red wine brought by Sun Shopkeeper. The rich flavor of this wine differed greatly from that of Da Zhou’s beverages and immediately captivated Jiang Family Young Master; he cherished it and sipped it slowly. It was only because he was hosting such an esteemed guest as Elder Brother Li that he brought out a bottle for this occasion.
Elder Brother Li stared at the red liquid in the cup. The crimson wine, set against the pristine white porcelain, resembled the finest ruby; gently swirling it, an enchanting aroma wafted into his nose, rich and full-bodied. Taking another sip, the wine felt as smooth and tight as pearls in his mouth, gliding like silk, making it hard for him to swallow immediately.
Finally swallowing the red wine, Elder Brother Li let out a comfortable sigh, "Delicious."
It had been a long time since he had tasted such pure red wine.
Jiang Family Young Master was overjoyed at his words and said, "This is fruit wine made from grapes, richer and more aromatic than grain-based wines. If you like it, I can gift you a bottle."
"Thank you." Elder Brother Li accepted graciously and seized the opportunity to ask a question that had been weighing on his mind: "May I ask who brewed this wine? I enjoy drinking and would like to buy some to savor slowly. Could you introduce me to Jiang Young Master?"
Jiang Young Master sighed helplessly at this: "It's not that I don't want to introduce you; it's just that this wine is brewed by a master. He only meets those he acknowledges, and outsiders cannot see him at all."
Elder Brother Li's heart skipped a beat. "Do you know where he resides?"
"You want to visit him personally?" Jiang Family Young Master shook his head. "I'm afraid you'll be disappointed; we don't even know where he lives."
Elder Brother Li replied, "This person is so mysterious?"
Jiang Family Young Master lamented, "Indeed. We have tried to find him before, but it's impossible. He only contacts two agents in secret, and we don't even know when he goes to see them."
To protect their own interests and the safety of the Li siblings, Jiang Family Young Master refrained from mentioning their names, causing Elder Brother Li to miss several opportunities with someone.
Elder Brother Li furrowed his brows, pondering the modern elements combined with the mysterious figures. He recalled the online merchant his girlfriend had introduced him to. Could one of those two be a merchant? Upon further reflection, Elder Brother Li's thoughts seemed reasonable; after all, a trash can could very well serve as a trading device. His younger siblings and fiancée were merchants in their respective worlds.
Jiang Family Young Master assumed that Elder Brother Li was unhappy because he couldn't find good wine, and despite the pain of parting with it, he promised to gift Elder Brother Li a bottle of wine. Seeing the pained expression on Jiang Family Young Master's face, Elder Brother Li smiled and declined. He wasn't particularly fond of alcohol; he had only accepted a bottle previously to reminisce about the taste of wine from his modern life. One bottle was enough for him; there was no need to take away someone else's cherished possession. Besides, with fellow travelers or merchants around, he didn't believe he would be unable to acquire more wine.
Relieved by Elder Brother Li's refusal, Jiang Family Young Master became more sincere in his demeanor. Both were well-traveled individuals, and their conversation flowed easily, creating a sense of camaraderie as if they had known each other for ages.
"It’s rare for us to connect so well; why don’t you stay at my residence for a few more days? We can discuss matters late into the night," Jiang Family Young Master suggested after the banquet had concluded, still savoring the moment.
Elder Brother Li shook his head in refusal. "I haven't been home in many years; right now, I just want to return home and see my family. Once I’ve reunited with them, I’ll have time to visit."
Understanding that Elder Brother Li wished to see his family, Jiang Family Young Master did not insist further. He instructed his servants to treat Elder Brother Li and his companions well and personally escorted them back to Jingyang County.
Upon reaching the outskirts of the county, the two groups parted ways. Jiang Family Young Master headed into town to check on accounts at Wei An Pawnshop while Elder Brother Li and his fellow townsfolk set off on their journey home. The saying "homesickness makes one timid" did not apply to these rough men; they were eager to return home and reunite with family members they hadn't seen in years. Elder Brother Li shared their urgency; having been an orphan in his previous life, he longed for familial bonds. In this life, he had younger siblings and cherished their closeness and respect—he valued this hard-won affection deeply.
Aoyama Village had not been peaceful during this time. Since Genmiao and his group returned to the village, it had become lively. Families whose children had yet to return sent someone to wait at the village entrance for their loved ones' arrival. Today, waiting at the entrance were Li Yishu, Wen Ziyu, and two other boys of similar age—Leopard and Dashan. The four sat under a large willow tree playing checkers. Checkers was simple yet intellectually stimulating, a game that both Li Yishu and the village children enjoyed.
Hanno had gifted the Li family a glass checker set, which astonished them upon receiving it—the colorful glass pieces made their eyes sparkle with delight. They immediately decided to keep it safe and not play with it. Hanno then remembered how precious glass was in ancient times and bought three wooden checker sets to send back. Although the wooden sets were also exquisite, they felt ordinary due to the material's nature, so the siblings confidently took them out to play.
One set was given to Wen Family Brothers; another was held by Li Zhoule for gatherings with village sisters; while one set belonged to Li Yishu, who carried it around the village, attracting all the children who wanted to play a game of checkers with him. His status among the children soared as he became known as the king of kids in the village.
Later on, crafty Uncle Jiang made another wooden checker set that his own children took to play with. The other children soon approached him asking for checkers of their own; each set cost five Wen Qian, which Uncle Jiang happily agreed to make for them. Now every child in the village owned a set of checkers thanks to Uncle Jiang's efforts.
Seeing an opportunity in this venture, Uncle Jiang produced several checker sets for sale in town and earned quite a bit of money from it. Ever since their relatives' house collapsed, his family had been living in the ancestral hall; now they had saved enough from selling checkers to repair their house—planning to start construction after the autumn harvest—though it would only be slightly better than a basic mud house.
The willow tree was ancient, boasting three or four hundred years of history; it stood tall and robust, embodying the lines from an ancient poem: "A jade-green tree stands high; thousands of green threads hang down." It was not February anymore; with flourishing willow branches and leaves providing shade like curtains against the sun—though it was nearing sunset—the sunlight remained glaringly bright.
As the boys played checkers, each focused intently on their moves when it was their turn while others gazed towards the village entrance, hoping that those they longed for would return soon. Among them were Li Yishu and Leopard—two brothers still among those who had yet to come back home.
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