The Heavens: Man Covers the Heavens, Refines Treasures to Become an Emperor

Seeing Jiang Zhong's pained yet resolute expression, Jiang Xuan did not press him, but simply patted him on the shoulder and said solemnly.

“Okay, Uncle Zhong, I’ll wait until the day you’re willing to tell me.”

After saying this, he turned around and boarded the imperial carriage that had been prepared in advance, heading towards the center of the Forbidden City.

……

The central area of ​​the Forbidden City was far more prosperous than the northwest area.

The streets were wide and clean, with magnificent and gleaming buildings on both sides. Pedestrians were dressed in fine clothes and exuded an aura of power.

This place brings together the empire's top merchant guilds, auction houses, restaurants, and training grounds.

The headquarters of Shidingzhai is located in the most prime location of this area.

It was a colossal building that resembled a crystal palace, entirely constructed from some kind of transparent spiritual jade.

It reflects a dazzling light under the sun, and there is a constant flow of traffic in front of the gate.

Those who came and went were either rich or noble, and most of them had a deep aura, clearly indicating that they were either cultivators with considerable cultivation or people who held power and wealth.

Jiang Xuan's imperial carriage stopped in front of the grand gate. He straightened his clothes and stepped inside.

The interior of the lobby was even more magnificent, with dazzling lamps and a faint sandalwood fragrance in the air.

The waiters were all handsome young men and women with proper manners.

A maid dressed in an elegant palace gown stepped forward with a professional smile.

"Welcome to Shidingzhai. May I ask what you need, sir?"

Jiang Xuan stated his purpose directly.

"I'm looking for Shi Yu, the Third Young Master Shi."

The maid's smile remained unchanged upon hearing this.

But there was a hint of difficulty in his eyes.

"Young Master wishes to see the Third Young Master? Do you have an appointment or an introduction? The Third Young Master is very busy; without an appointment, I'm afraid..."

As the third young master of Shi Dingzhai, Shi Yu was of noble status, and countless people wanted to see him every day. He was not someone that just anyone could meet.

Jiang Xuan had anticipated this, and his expression remained unchanged. He took out an item from his storage ring and handed it to the maid.

It was a token made entirely of purple-gold, engraved with intricate cloud patterns and the character "stone".

The token was inlaid with a ring of tiny spirit crystals around its edge, emanating a faint aura of power.

Upon seeing the token, the maid's professional smile froze instantly, replaced by utter shock and respect!
She recognized the token!

This is a personal keepsake of Shi Xuan, the eldest son of Shi Dingzhai. Seeing the token is like seeing the person himself!
The holder of this token is definitely a VIP of the Shi family!

"Young...Young Master, please wait a moment! This servant will go and fetch the steward immediately!"

The maid's voice trembled as she quickly bowed and ran inside.

Before long, a middle-aged man dressed in a brocade robe, with a capable face and sharp eyes, walked quickly over.

Lu Chuan was one of the managers of Shi Ding Zhai's headquarters in the Forbidden City.

He saw the token in Jiang Xuan's hand from afar, his expression turned solemn, he quickened his pace and stepped forward, bowing respectfully.

"I was unaware of your arrival, sir! I am Lu Chuan, the manager here. Young master, would you like to see the Third Young Master? Please follow me. I will arrange for you to rest in a private room and inform him immediately!"

Lu Chuan's attitude was respectful yet measured, clearly indicating that he was a shrewd and capable person.

Jiang Xuan put away the token and nodded.

"Thank you for your help, Manager Lu."

Lu Chuan personally led the way, taking Jiang Xuan to an elegantly furnished, quiet, and comfortable room on the third floor. He served him fragrant tea and snacks, then took his leave to announce his departure.

Jiang Xuan wasn't the only one in the elegant room; there were several other cultivators who also appeared to be there to see Shi Yu.

They were dressed in fine clothes and had an air of elegance.

But their faces all showed more or less anxiety and weariness from waiting.

Jiang Xuan had keen hearing and could vaguely hear their hushed conversation.

"Sigh, it's been a month already, and I still haven't seen the Third Young Master..."

"I only waited half a year? I heard there was a senior who waited almost a year to meet him..."

"The Third Young Master is in charge of the business in the southwest region of the empire, and he's extremely busy. How could he possibly have time to see us idle people..."

Jiang Xuan raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. It seemed that seeing Shi Yu was indeed not so easy.

He thought to himself.

"If I really can't find Shi Yu, I'll just trade with a reputable large merchant house. Anyway, the goods I have are valuable, so I'm not worried about not being able to sell them."

His primary objective on this trip was to obtain funds; whether or not he would go through Shi Yu was secondary.

He sat quietly in the corner, closing his eyes to rest, pondering how to quickly convert the resources at his disposal into start-up capital to advance his plan to recruit soldiers and revitalize the Jiang family.

Inside the elegant room of Shidingzhai, time passed slowly, and the sandalwood incense from the incense burner rose gently.

Jiang Xuan closed his eyes to rest, appearing calm, but in his heart he was constantly calculating the next steps.

It wasn't that he lacked patience, but he knew time was of the essence and didn't want to waste it.

"Hmph, some people, though young, have quite the airs. Do they think this is their own backyard? They don't know any manners at all."

A sarcastic voice broke the silence.

The speaker was a middle-aged cultivator with a mustache and a shrewd face. He glanced at Jiang Xuan sideways, his tone full of disdain.

Seeing that Jiang Xuan was young and unfamiliar, dressed plainly, and had not been summoned by Shi Yu for a long time, he regarded him as an easy target and took the opportunity to vent his dissatisfaction.

His words immediately drew agreement from several other cultivators who were also anxiously waiting.

"Exactly! They haven't even grown their hair yet, and they dare to come and ask to see the Third Young Master? They really don't know their own limitations!"

"We have been waiting here for a long time without daring to complain, yet he, a mere junior, is already getting impatient?"

"Young man, you'd better tone it down to avoid getting into trouble!"

Jiang Xuan slowly opened his eyes, his gaze calmly sweeping over the few cultivators who had spoken mockingly, a faint yet chilling smile curving his lips.

"Rules? The rules you talk about are just gossiping like long-tongued women, bullying the weak and fearing the strong? So what if I'm young? At least I dare to be impatient and dare to speak out."

And what can you do besides act all old and pretentious here? Aren't you just like me, only able to wait around?

He paused, his tone becoming even more sarcastic.

"A group of hypocrites who don't even dare to face their own emotions and only dare to vent their resentment on others, do they even deserve to talk about rules?"

"presumptuous!"

"Arrogant brat! What did you say?!"

"court death!"

Several cultivators were immediately enraged, their faces flushed red, and they slammed their fists on the table and stood up!

The middle-aged man with the mustache, in particular, was so angry that his beard trembled, and he pointed at Jiang Xuan and shouted sternly.

"You little bastard! How dare you insult me?!"

One of the hot-tempered, burly cultivators, with a sword at his waist, drew half of his sword with a clang, its cold light flashing as he glared menacingly at Jiang Xuan.

"Boy, kneel down and apologize right now! Otherwise, don't blame me for being merciless with my sword!"

The atmosphere in the elegant room instantly became tense!

Faced with the menacing sword and surging killing intent, Jiang Xuan didn't even lift his eyelids, but simply said calmly.

"Fighting is forbidden inside the Stone Cauldron Pavilion. You want to make a move here? Go ahead and try!" Upon hearing this, the sword-wielding cultivator froze in mid-air!
How could he not know the rules of Shidingzhai?

Taking action here will have extremely serious consequences!

His expression shifted, and finally, he angrily shoved the sword back into its sheath.

But the anger in his eyes only intensified.

At this moment, a middle-aged man dressed in a green robe with a seemingly kind face stood up and smoothed things over.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen, why get angry? It's common for young people to be hot-blooded and speak without thinking. Young man, you should also say less. Let's all take a step back and try to maintain harmony."

His words, though seemingly meant to reconcile, actually carried a condescending, didactic tone.

Jiang Xuan glanced at him and sneered.

"Peace is paramount? When they were mocking me just now, where were you when you came out and said 'peace is paramount'? Now you're playing the good guy? Put away your hypocritical face, it's disgusting."

I've seen plenty of these two kinds of 'moral dogs' who try to please both sides.

"Who...who are you calling a dog?!"

The green-robed man trembled with rage at Jiang Xuan's merciless insults, and the kindness on his face vanished instantly.

Instead, a ferocious, angry expression appeared!

"You little bastard! You're asking for it! Do you really think I won't teach you a lesson?!"

His body surged with spiritual energy, revealing him to be at the Earthly Realm cultivation level. He raised his hand to grab Jiang Xuan!

"Brother, please calm down!"

"No! This is Shidingzhai!"

Seeing this, several people nearby quickly stepped forward to stop them.

Although they also hated Jiang Xuan for his sharp tongue.

But what I fear most is that something big might happen at Shidingzhai, which could implicate me.

Jiang Xuan looked at the green-robed man and the other cultivators who were stopped by the crowd but still glared angrily.

The various emotions that had been suppressed in his heart for so long—the blood feud with his family, the heavy burden on his shoulders, the perilous future…

It was as if they had found an outlet for their emotions.

He continued to mock with cold words.

"What? Getting angry? Didn't you say you wanted to follow the rules? Didn't you say you valued harmony? Come on, let's fight! Let me see what real skills you 'seniors' have besides your empty words!"

He kept provoking the other person's nerves.

The man in the green robe finally lost control completely, broke free from those who were blocking him, and roared angrily.

"You little bastard! I'll kill you!"

A flash of light appeared in his hand, and a short sword carrying a sharp sword aura slashed straight at Jiang Xuan's face!

This strike was unleashed in fury, and its power was astonishing!
As the sword was about to strike, the other cultivators in the elegant room held their breath, some even closing their eyes, unable to bear the sight of the blood splattering everywhere.

At this critical moment——

"boom!!"

The heavy wooden door of the elegant room was kicked open from the outside! Wood chips flew everywhere!
A figure entered the room accompanied by a slightly teasing laugh.

"Oh? When did my elegant room turn into a martial arts arena? It's so lively here!"

This sudden turn of events froze everyone in their tracks!
The green-robed man's sword stopped abruptly in mid-air, less than three inches from Jiang Xuan's forehead, unable to strike any further.

Everyone stared in astonishment at the entrance, where they saw a young man dressed in a magnificent purple robe, with a handsome face, smiling eyes, and an extraordinary air about him.

He was leaning lazily against the door frame, watching the scene inside with great interest.

Behind him followed Lu Chuan, the manager, who looked very respectful.

"Third...Third Young Master!"

"It's Young Master Shi Yu!"

When the cultivators in the private room saw who it was, they were so frightened that their souls almost left their bodies, their faces turned ashen, and they hurriedly bowed and paid their respects, not daring to even breathe loudly!
They had waited so long to finally meet the person in question, but in such an awkward and dangerous situation!
Shi Yu's gaze swept over the frozen green-robed man, then looked at Jiang Xuan, who remained calm as if he hadn't been the one nearly struck, and a playful smile appeared on his face.

"Jiang Xuan, it's been years, and your mouth has become more and more sarcastic."

"You almost tore down my elegant room as soon as you arrived?"

When Jiang Xuan saw Shi Yu, his tense nerves relaxed slightly, and he smiled and shrugged.

"There's no way around it, some people deserve to be scolded. Your place has too high a threshold, it's annoying to wait, so people have to find something to do."

Their incredibly familiar conversation resounded in the ears of the other cultivators in the elegant room!

They stared at Jiang Xuan and Shi Yu in disbelief, their minds completely blank!
This young man, whom they ridiculed and considered to have no background, actually... actually knew the third young master of the Shi family so well?!

Judging from the tone, they are clearly old friends!

The green-robed man was struck dumb, his arm holding the sword trembled violently, his face drained of color, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back!

He...he almost killed Young Master Shi's friend just now?!
Jiang Xuan seemed to only then notice the sword above his head, pointed at it, and smiled at Shi Yu.

"Shi San, your friend seems to have a bit too much of a temper. He's even holding a sword to my head."

Upon hearing this, Shi Yu turned his gaze to the man in green robes, his smile fading and his eyes becoming indifferent.

"Manager Wang, what do you mean by this?"

The man in the green robe was so frightened that he hurriedly sheathed his short sword, knelt down with a thud, and kowtowed repeatedly.

"Third Young Master, please forgive me! Third Young Master, please forgive me! I... I was blind! I didn't know this young master was your honored guest! I deserve to die! I deserve to die!"

The other cultivators also knelt down, repeatedly begging for forgiveness, their hearts filled with endless regret and fear.

Shi Yu waved his hand, signaling Lu Chuan to take all the silent cultivators out of the elegant room.

Then he personally led Jiang Xuan through several corridors to a more secluded and luxuriously decorated palace.

The hall was covered with a soft carpet of mythical beasts, and the walls were inlaid with luminous pearls, emitting a soft glow.

In the center is a tea table carved from millennia-old warm jade.

Exquisite tea sets and several plates of fruits exuding an enticing aroma and vitality were already prepared on the table.

"sit."

Shi Yu casually pointed to the jade stool, sat down first, and skillfully began to brew tea.

The tea is amber in color, and when poured into the cup, tiny, firefly-like golden specks dance around it, releasing a wonderfully fragrant aroma.

"Try it, the 'Radiant Gold' specially supplied to the royal family, only a few ounces of it are available every year."

Jiang Xuan didn't stand on ceremony. He sat down, picked up the teacup, took a sip, and felt a warm current flow into his body, which invigorated him. He praised it.

"Good tea."

Shi Yu smiled, glanced at Jiang Xuan a few times, and looked at him with surprise in his eyes.

"It hasn't been that long since we last met, and your cultivation level... has actually jumped to the Earthly Gang Realm? At this speed, you're almost catching up with that freak Ning Meng."

His aura was profound and enduring, indicating that he had already entered the Heavenly Gang Realm.

When Ningmeng was mentioned, Jiang Xuan's eyes were filled with nostalgia, and then he smiled.

"It was just a coincidence. As for you, you've reached the Heavenly Gang Realm. It seems you're doing quite well in the Shi family. How about a spar?"

Shi Yu quickly waved his hand, politely declining. (End of Chapter)