If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1442 The First Meeting of Liu and Xiang
Li Zhong couldn't help but roll his eyes and exclaimed, "Liu Dahao, you overestimate yourself. Even without the Immortal Mirror, if Grand Tutor Yu stood in front of you, could you sense anything?"

"According to Master Kongkong, Grand Master Yu's respectful curses make people's scalps tingle, their hearts race, and hot sweat inexplicably break out on their backs, giving them a fear that they are about to be cursed to death."

"My strength is weak, but I still have spiritual senses!" Liu Ji said unhappily.

Li Zhongdao said, "Think about it, not only will you be there at the conference, but all the great immortals will also be present."

Not only you, but they are also under the same celestial light of the celestial mirror, and are monitored in the same way, and their spiritual senses will be slightly disturbed.

Why do all these great immortals still choose to hang their immortal mirrors everywhere and keep a close watch on everyone?

"Why is that?" Liu Ji asked, puzzled.

“Hey, Brother Ji, you’re really forgetful.” Lu Wan patted his shoulder and sneered, “Before we came here, we just heard the gatekeeper of Qu County give a proclamation to the people.”

One of the stories is: "The Immortal Deer Cauldron gathers ten thousand immortals at Da Geng Ridge in a rage, and Grand Tutor Yu pierces the sun with a rainbow and takes the head of the sinful immortal from among the ten thousand immortals."

On that day at Da Geng Ridge, Lu Dingxian was surrounded by thousands of immortals, including a dozen Golden Immortals and dozens of Celestial Immortals and Mysterious Immortals.

As a result, no one discovered Grand Tutor Yu's identity, nor did they sense the murderous aura emanating from her.

This shows that relying on intuition to guard against Yu Taishi's assassination attempt was completely impossible.

Even the Great Immortal of the Deer Cauldron couldn't do it, nor could other aspiring Grand Masters of Chess.

But they were also worried about being targeted by Grand Tutor Yu.

After all, Grand Tutor Yu's rule is 'soldier against soldier, general against general, and Grand Tutor against Great Immortal'.

She's dealing with the immortal, we're dealing with the kings and military commanders of the Qin Dynasty. In other words, Grand Tutor Yu poses no threat to us; he can only take their lives. What can they do?
Instead of relying on intuition, they used supernatural powers and magical treasures to conduct a meticulous search of everyone.

"That makes sense." Liu Ji looked enlightened, but he was still uneasy.

"Li Zhong, are you there?" At that moment, a loud shout suddenly came from outside the house.

Li Zhong paused for a moment, then said, "Gentlemen, please wait a moment. Someone is calling me; I'll go see."

Li Zhong returned excitedly shortly after leaving, saying, "Commander Hu from the Super VIP Courtyard is looking for me. A Super VIP is coming to visit you all. Are you all free now? Is it convenient for you to receive the guest?"

Liu Ji asked in confusion, "What is a super VIP?"

"You must have all heard of the world-renowned Lord Xiang Liang, right? He arrived a few days earlier than you and is now staying in the VIP suite on the east side."

"Upon learning of the arrival of these heroes, he specially brought several jugs of wine and his nephew to pay his respects," Li Zhong explained.

"So it's Lord Xiang Liang, please invite him in quickly."

Liu Ji and Zhu Jishi looked excited and quickly got up and walked towards the door.

"Liu Ji of Pei County pays his respects to Lord Xiang Liang!"

Liu Ji was a man of the underworld, having been around for decades. He had heard of "Tian Zhan in the North and Xiang Liang in the South" for a long time. It was not quite accurate to say that he had met his idol today, as Xiang Liang was not the kind of hero he admired.

Liu Ji admired Lord Xinling, Wei Wuji, while Xiang Liang could only be a "legend in the martial arts world".

Upon meeting the "legendary elder brother," he did not hesitate at all, immediately bowing down with a sincere and enthusiastic attitude.

Peng Yue, Zhu Jishi, and the others, who had originally planned to just bow briefly, frowned and reluctantly knelt down as well.

—This Liu Ji is indeed destined to be a star of destiny, but he will never achieve great things.

Zhu Jishi and other powerful figures in the Central Plains felt a certain contempt for Liu Laosan.

"Brother Liu, I have long heard of your great name, and seeing you today, I can confirm that you are indeed extraordinary!"

Liu Laosan's enthusiasm only made Xiang Liang pause for a moment before he recovered and naturally responded with even stronger enthusiasm.

As a legendary elder brother in the martial arts world, he had experienced too many scenes of heroes bowing down to him upon their first meeting, and he was already used to it.

Liu Laosan's attitude surprised him only slightly.

Although Liu Laosan has not yet started a rebellion, his reputation is very high, and he acts very arrogantly—he has rejected the attempts to win over several potential leaders, including Chen Sheng.

Dozens of heroes arrived at the "Western Chu VIP Courtyard," but Liu Ji was the one he valued most.

Xiang Liang valued Liu Ji, and Liu Ji admired the legendary "veteran of the martial arts world".

The ensuing banquet was naturally harmonious and exceptionally lively.

They drank for more than three hours, until Liu Ji and Peng Yue were both completely drunk and unable to move. Only then did Xiang Liang bid farewell and leave with a satisfied and excited expression.

"Yu'er, what do you think of them?" Back in his courtyard, Xiang Liang's eyes were glazed, his cheeks were flushed, and he smelled of alcohol, looking quite drunk.

Xiang Yu's cheeks flushed, but his mind remained clear.

“Disappointing,” he said simply, with a hint of contempt in his tone.

"Peng Yue and Liu Ji are also not good enough for you?" Xiang Liang frowned slightly.

Xiang Yu said, "Peng Yue is old and corrupt, with no ambition whatsoever. He only thinks about guarding the land of Juye and being a local king."

Liu Ji was rude and spoke like a rogue.

However, he was cunning and ambitious, but lacked talent and was unlikely to achieve great things.

Xiang Liang shook his head and said, "Peng Yue and Liu Ji are both hiding their true abilities! Liu Ji has great respect for me, and that is genuine, not feigned."

However, when we discussed the general situation of the world, especially when I tentatively proposed to join forces to restore 'Western Chu', he immediately became very wary of me.

I suspect he treats Sishui as his own territory, which is why he says a lot of insincere and foolish things to make you think he's mediocre.

Xiang Yu said unhappily, "That old man is so ignorant. Sishui is the core of Western Chu, and Pengcheng is the former capital of Chu. This place can only belong to our Xiang family!"

“You’re right, we must take Sishui and occupy Pengcheng.”

Xiang Liang first affirmed his nephew's strategic direction, then changed the subject and said in a deep voice, "But at this moment, we are too far from Pengcheng, and we have been away from Sishui for too long."

To return to Western Chu, we must recruit local powerful figures.

Liu Ji and Peng Yue can both be our assistants.

Those who receive the invitation to the Dragon Palace and Water Mansion are all heroes of the land, destined by heaven.

Since he is a hero, he is naturally proud and confident, with a particularly high level of ambition.

What we should do is not exclude or suppress them, but accept them with magnanimity and open-mindedness, and win them over with great favors.

Then he led them to victory. Ultimately, in the struggle for supremacy, through bravery, wisdom, and some political maneuvering, he subdued their unruly spirit and truly won them over as 'his own people.'

Xiang Yu hesitated for a moment, but still spoke his mind, "I think they are all unreliable burdens. Instead of wasting effort trying to subdue them, we should focus on improving ourselves."

With me, with our Xiang family clan, and with the Jiangdong youths who have shared life and death with us, that is enough!

Xiang Liang sat up as if jolted awake from a deathbed dream. One moment he was still dazed and drunk, lying on the couch, the next he rolled over, came to Xiang Yu, and slapped him across the face. "Smack!"

Xiang Yu never expected his uncle to "ambush" him, and he was completely stunned.

"Are you suffering from brain damage, or have you already been overwhelmed by the aura of calamity before even entering the calamity? How could you say such stupid things?"

"Relying solely on yourself... When your grandfather was still alive, my Xiang family was a hundred times stronger than it is now, and what was the final outcome?"

"Can the Qin Dynasty of yesteryear be the same as the Qin Dynasty of today, which has lost its Mandate of Heaven and is embroiled in turmoil?" Xiang Yu retorted, his neck stiff.

"Didn't you see the recent proclamation to the people? Grand Master Yu has slain a near-Daluo among ten thousand immortals, just like your teacher, the Nine Peaks Immortal." Xiang Liang shouted.

"Can Liu Ji and Peng Yue deal with Yu Fengxian?" Xiang Yu asked rhetorically.

"What we can't do, Liu Jipeng's arrival won't help. What they can do, we can do very well even without them."

As for Yu Fengxian…

Xiang Yu's expression was conflicted. "I'm not afraid of her, and I really want to meet her. I want to fight her fair and square using the principles of warfare and military formations. This is my honest opinion."

But I'm not delusional. Thinking rationally, I'd better let the experts handle her!
Soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals, and the Great Immortal against the Phoenix Fairy.

This is the message that Yu Fengxian hopes to convey to us through her proclamation to the people.

I also think this rule is good.

Our Xiang family is here to dominate the world, not to be pawns for some immortal.

In this cataclysmic event, it would be best for immortals to leave the sight of mortals and fight to the death on a battlefield far removed from the human world. They decide destiny, we decide who reigns supreme on earth.

"Alas, you are a fierce general, but not a qualified king." Xiang Liang shook his head in disappointment.

Xiang Yu was silent for a moment, then said in a hoarse voice, "Uncle, haven't you always raised me this way?"

In private, you are my uncle and I am your nephew; we are family. But in public, you are my lord and I am your subject.

Uncle, my wish has never changed: 'He can be replaced.'

Once I've helped my uncle seize the throne and avenge my grandfather, allowing the glory of the Xiang family to shine throughout the land, I will take Yu Ji back to Mount Kuaiji to live as carefree immortals.

Xiang Liang's expression was complicated; he felt both happy and relieved, yet hesitant and reluctant.

Xiang Yu had followed him since childhood, and although he called him "uncle," he always regarded him as "father" in his heart.

He was the same.

Upon seeing the imperial procession of Emperor Renhuang, Liu Ji said, "A true man should be like this," while Xiang Ji said, "Uncle, you can take his place."

If they were truly father and son, their relationship could be even more genuine.

However, Xiang Liang has taken the longevity-promoting fruit and is currently young and strong. He also has a wife and children back in his hometown.

The Xiang family had many descendants, including cousins, nephews, uncles, and the like, totaling dozens. Xiang Ji, who lost his father at a young age, was just one of them, but Xiang Liang doted on him the most.

Does this mean that all descendants of the Xiang family are taught the "art of kingship and hegemony" and are all groomed to become the head of the family?
Even among small landlords like Liu Laosan, the brothers had a clear division of labor: the eldest and second eldest brothers inherited the family business (the eldest died young, so the second eldest took over), and the third eldest was responsible for the family's labor service.

Whenever corvée labor came to the Liu family, it was always Liu Ji who took on the task.

The higher the rank of royalty or nobility, the more specific their guidelines for raising their offspring.

Xiang Yu disliked reading and was not good at swordsmanship; what he learned was how to defeat ten thousand men.

Learning swordsmanship is not about learning martial arts, but about learning etiquette. Being able to defeat ten thousand men is not about martial arts skills, but about military strategy.

Therefore, Xiang Yu was trained from a young age to be a fierce general who could command troops and fight battles.

To put it more bluntly, so far, Xiang Liang's assessment of Xiang Yu is similar to that of Xiang Zhuang and Xiang Ta.

Now that they were really preparing to start a rebellion, Xiang Liang had to consider the possibility that his great cause might not be accomplished and he might die halfway through.

If he were to choose a successor to inherit a great empire that has entered a period of peace and prosperity, he would probably carefully cultivate his son.

If his great cause was not yet accomplished, and he had to choose someone to carry on his legacy, he could only choose his nephew, Xiang Yu.

So far, none of his sons or other nephews have been as talented as Xiang Yu.

The next day, after waking up from a hangover, Liu Ji, along with Lu Wan and Xiahou Ying, quietly discussed the Xiang family uncle and nephew.

"What do you think of the Xiang family uncle and nephew?" Liu Ji asked.

"Xiang Liang's demeanor and magnanimity are admirable, but his nephew Xiang Ji has a sour face and looks down on us. He's very arrogant and just a spoiled brat."

"It's clear that even a tiger father can raise a dog son, hahaha." Lu Wan laughed.

"Xiang Ji is very strong, and I have a bad feeling about him," Xiahou Ying said seriously.

"Alas, Xiang Liang is about to start a rebellion, and his target is still Pengcheng. What do you think we should do?" Liu Ji asked, frowning.

He's already practicing "Old Man's Joy," how could he possibly really worship Xiang Liang as his lord?

Yesterday's respect for Xiang Liang, including kneeling and bowing upon meeting him, was partly genuine—fulfilling his childhood dream of being a chivalrous knight-errant—but the other seven parts were deliberate attempts to please and demonstrate obedience.

Was Chen Shengli formidable?

When Chen Sheng and Wu Guang launched their uprising, they all needed to borrow the reputation of Xiang Yan, the father of Xiang Liang.

Liu Ji was a native of Chu, and he was well aware of the prestige of the Xiang family in Chu.

“If Xiang Liang really leads his troops to capture Pengcheng, he will be the Hegemon-King of Western Chu! No one can compete with him.” Lu Wan gritted his teeth, a ruthless look appearing on his face. “Unless someone becomes the Lord of Pengcheng before him.”

Xiahou Ying's eyes flickered as he said, "It's not impossible. The Xiang family uncle and nephew seem to be in Kuaiji County in the south, which is too far from Pengcheng."

"Brother Ji~~" Peng Yue's call gradually approached their small courtyard.

Liu Ji composed himself and walked out with a grin. "I was just about to go look for you, brother! By the way, where's Li Zhong?"

"Li Zhong!" Lu Wan immediately shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Hey, you're here!" Li Zhong led four shrimp soldiers and swam in from outside. "My lords, my king heard that you have come and asked me to bring you a gift."

The four shrimp soldiers each carried a large box. When they opened it, instead of gold, silver, or jade, they found neatly folded black iron armor.

The four thanked the Dragon King for his great kindness and then pulled Li Zhong into the house alone.

"What did you mean by 'super VIP suite' yesterday? What level is the suite we're staying in?" Liu Ji asked.

Li Zhong said tactfully, "My emperor also follows the etiquette of your Central Plains. Xiang Liang, Chen Sheng, Tian Rong, Wei Jiu and others are of the highest status, so they live in the Super VIP Courtyard."

Zhao Xie, Jing Ju, and Yan Wushuang, who have not yet risen to prominence but are of noble status—oh, Yan Wushuang can't come.

They are in the VIP lounge.

"You gentlemen are not in a bad position either, being seated in the VIP section."

"What do you mean 'superior'? It's clearly inferior," Lu Wan said unhappily.

“No, no, no, Xiang Liang is in the superior class, Jing Ju is in the high class, and you all are in the upper class,” Li Zhong said.

“Isn’t this the upper, middle, and lower levels?” Lu Wan said.

"No, no, no, it's super-class, high-class, and superior-class. You are all in the superior-class VIP lounge," Li Zhong corrected.

Lu Wan roared, "Are you treating us like monkeys? This is the real deal! Damn it!"

“These are truly top-tier, superior, and excellent grades. We wouldn’t dare to play tricks on you; this is how it’s stipulated here,” Li Zhong said.

Lu Wan is about to explode.

"Don't dwell on such trivial matters." Liu Ji pulled him aside and asked, "Commander Li, for lower-ranking garrisons like ours—"

“No, no, no, this is the VIP section,” Li Zhong said.

Liu Ji took a deep breath and forced a smile, "How many groups are the guests in the VIP lounge divided into, and approximately how many people are there?"

"It seems there are seventeen or eighteen teams, with at least seven or eight hundred people. You all come from Western Chu, Southern Chu, Eastern Chu, Guanzhong, Shuzhong, and Yan. So many heroes like you are the very foundation of the destiny that 'Qin only lasted two generations'!" Li Zhong said with a complicated expression.

"Can we, like Xiang Liang, visit other courtyards to pay respects to the heroes of China?" Liu Ji asked, revealing his plan.

He loves making friends with many heroes.

Li Zhong nodded and said, "Of course. The immortals have gathered you all together so that you can communicate with each other, get to know each other, and then unite to cause the Qin Dynasty's rule to fall apart."

While you were all hungover, I fend off several waves of visitors for you!

I've written down their names; you can visit them now.

(End of this chapter)