Sheng Fu

Fu Cheng also stood up, bowed, and replied, "From now on, brothers working together, our strength can break even metal!"

All three felt a surge of heroic spirit.

"Have some tea, have some tea," Fu Cheng invited.

Jiang Ping and Song Jian then picked up their teacups and took a sip.

Although we haven't seen Jiang Ping's articles and essays yet, the awe-inspiring aura he exudes and the pure sharpness in his eyes are undeniable.

Furthermore, Fu Cheng would not doubt Jing Hanqing's judgment.

The human race, both north and south, has never lacked talented individuals. However, there are always some talented individuals who, for various reasons, fail to achieve their ambitions at a young age, or whose talents are obscured.

As for Song Jian, his cultivation level at the Guiyuan Realm is impossible to fake.

At this age, there are truly very few people who can reach the Returning to Origin Realm.

In terms of cultivation talent alone, Song Jian's cultivation talent is truly no weaker than that of the Eight Gu members. Looking at the entire human race, Song Jian's cultivation talent can be described as extremely rare.

However, Fu Cheng also had doubts.

He looked at Jiang Ping and asked softly, "With your talent and strategy, you should have distinguished yourself long ago, or become a guest of honor in a prominent family. Why did you wait until now to emerge from seclusion?"

Now that we know each other, there's no need to mince words when we talk.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ping picked up his teacup and took a big gulp. He then placed the teacup firmly on the corner of the table before slowly saying, "To be honest, I come from a poor background and have never seen much of the world."

"When Yuwen Jun established the Hengchang Sect, he did recruit talented people. I was indeed shocked by Yuwen Jun's construction of the Hengchang Academy and his suppression of powerful families."

"He then thought of going to Hengchang Sect to make a name for himself and assist Yuwen Jun."

"But on the way, I heard that Jing Hanqing, one of the Eight Gu, had entered Hengchang Sect, and Liu Qinghua of Bailu Academy had also entered Hengchang Sect."

"Even Jing Peiyao at that time had intricate connections with Yuwen Jun."

"After hearing this, and considering my humble origins, and the fact that some talented individuals from the south had entered the Hengchang Sect at that time, I felt disheartened."

"Even if they go to Hengchang Sect, it will probably be difficult for them to display their talents."

"Then I returned to my hometown and have been studying and cultivating ever since. It just so happens that His Highness the Northern King has established his own school. When I heard about it, I came here as soon as possible."

"We've made a fool of ourselves in front of the Northern King."

Jiang Ping is a man with high aspirations. Being a mere scribe or a minor official in the local government would not satisfy his ambitions.

Now that we're here, we should make a big splash and at least become one of the leaders.

Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.

Upon hearing this, Fu Cheng felt deeply fortunate, and his gratitude towards Jing Hanqing grew even stronger. If Jing Hanqing had recognized talent earlier, he might have missed out on Jiang Ping.

Sometimes, when talented people are gathered together, it can be difficult to distinguish who has the best skills and who is right.

Even the most outstanding person will find it difficult to prove their talent and value if luck is not on their side.

Fu Cheng smiled brightly and said, "I see. It seems we are destined to work together."

"The circumstances of life are truly mysterious and unpredictable; one cannot change the course of events through human effort alone."

Yuwen Jun may seem to be enjoying great success now, but that's because he was the young master of the Dragon Clan from the very beginning. Even without Gu Yong's guidance, Yuwen Jun's unique Dragon Clan background was enough to enable him to build a successful career.

If Yuwen Jun had come from a humble background, he probably would not have been able to soar through the heavens and overlook the vast territory spanning hundreds of millions of miles.

Fu Cheng then looked at Song Jian and asked curiously, "What about you? Your cultivation is not weak, and you come from a minor family. You should have soared to great heights long ago and become a famous general."

In truth, Fu Cheng was unsure whether Jiang Ping possessed the qualities to attract eight glances. But Song Jian truly did.

Upon hearing this, Song Jian sighed deeply and said, "It is common for powerful families to bully other powerful families. Although I have some courage and a rudimentary understanding of literature, my early years were not very fortunate."

"Before the great struggle even began, Ba Gu's prowess overshadowed countless young geniuses of the human race."

"Later, Yuwen Jun engaged in open and covert struggles with powerful families, and often took extreme actions. My elders told me that I should cultivate myself diligently and wait for the right time, and not to show off."

"Later, when the Great War began, I also went to the Demon Realm to gain experience."

"I originally intended to join the army, but after witnessing the cruelty and chaos on the battlefield, I felt that I had many shortcomings, so I returned to my hometown and devoted myself to self-cultivation for several years."

"Now that I've reached this age, I deeply feel that in most cases, it is the times that create heroes, not the heroes who create the times. I am fortunate to have met an enlightened ruler, and all my years of hard work have not been in vain."

According to Jing Hanqing, Song Jian had received a stroke of good fortune in the Demon Realm, which led to his rapid advancement in cultivation.

But as to what kind of good fortune it was, Fu Cheng wouldn't ask any further questions.

This secret will remain buried in Song Jian's heart.

Fu Cheng also exclaimed with emotion, "So that's how it is."

Song Jian sighed, "Your Highness, as the foremost master of Northern Seven-Character Regulated Verse, has still experienced the helplessness of fate's cruel tricks; how much more so for us?"

Fu Cheng echoed, "In terms of talent and comprehension, the two of you are no less than me."

"From now on, matters of both civil and military affairs will depend on you two brothers. There aren't that many outstanding people in the world. To put it bluntly, many things are preordained by fate."

"But since we have encountered such an era, and we happen to have some talent, we should live up to the glorious chapters of history."

"Tonight will be very lively, and anyone can drink too much, but you two must stay sober. The more people there are, the more likely unexpected changes will occur."

"The reason I opened the door was to see how many variables might occur."

Jiang Ping and Song Jian's expressions suddenly hardened.

"Perhaps someone will deliberately find one or two extremely disgusting things to cause trouble for Your Highness," Jiang Ping speculated.

Fu Cheng did not deny it, saying, "It could be an assassination, or someone could have poisoned the food. In short, anything is possible. Tonight is a feast to celebrate the return of the sea, but it could also be a feast of demons."

Jiang Ping pondered for a moment and said, "Since we're here, we might as well make the best of it. If we're going to accomplish something, we'll have to get through this sooner or later."

Song Jian then said, "It's alright. When the storm is about to rise, there will always be some undercurrents."

"We two will carefully consider the overall situation tonight."

Fu Cheng nodded and said, "Let's see what happens tonight."

……

Before we knew it, the sky was ablaze with red clouds, and dusk had fallen.

The Northern Prince's mansion was packed with people, and tables and chairs had been set up in every open space.

The banquet for returning to the sea is about to begin.

Suddenly, Fu Cheng in the courtyard felt a familiar presence surrounding him. Turning his head, he saw a familiar figure standing behind the main pillar.

Fu Cheng deliberately walked slowly to the back, and when he arrived behind the main pillar, there was no one there.

Just as Fu Cheng was puzzled, he suddenly noticed three lines of faintly written characters on the pillar… (End of Chapter)