I am a prince in Zhutian Films

Chapter 547 Armory Listening to the Tide Pavilion

The Northern Liang Royal Palace, perched atop Qingliang Mountain, boasts thousands of gates and countless households, a testament to the grandeur of its construction.

Xu Xiao, the only remaining non-royal prince of the dynasty, saw off his youngest son Xu Longxiang early this morning, then had the central gate opened and a magnificent procession set up. He personally waited at the gate.

No one in the manor knew who the prince was waiting for, but one thing was certain: the person the prince was waiting for was no ordinary person.

After all, not long ago, when that old immortal from Longhu Mountain, a sacred Taoist site, came to the Prince's mansion to take the mentally challenged young prince as his disciple, the prince did not personally wait at the door.

In the blink of an eye, half an hour had passed.

Two carriages, one in front and one behind, slowly drove towards the Northern Liang Prince's Palace.

When the carriage stopped at the gate, the people in the first carriage got off and were accompanied by the high-ranking and powerful King of Beiliang and his entourage of maids and servants, who were completely stunned.

By the time they came to their senses, the prince, with a slight limp, had already walked over with his groom, Old Huang.

"Brother Cheng'an, right?"

When Xu Xiao spoke, Zhou Cheng'an was completely dumbfounded. How was the seniority calculated?

Xu Fengnian was used to his father's unreliability and said irritably, "Hey Xu, what's going on? How did I become Cheng'an's cousin?"

"Didn't I tell you after you came back?"

Xu Fengnian didn't reply, he just gave a cold smile.

"You're such a bad father, such a bad father!" Xu Xiao explained with a forced smile, "Actually, I only found out about this a year after you left the Prince's Mansion. It was only when Cheng'an and his family came to Lingzhou to pay respects to your mother that I learned that his mother and your mother were from the same clan and had been as close as sisters since childhood. It was also when his mother heard that you were going to wander the world that she sent Cheng'an down the mountain to protect you!"

At this point, Xu Xiao turned to Zhou Cheng'an and said gratefully, "Feng Nian has mentioned you a lot since he came back. If it weren't for your care, he would have suffered a lot more."

"You're too kind, King of Beiliang."

Zhou Chengan shook his head and pointed to the carriage behind him: "This is just a small gift, I hope the King of Beiliang will not find it offensive."

Before Xu Xiao could speak, Xu Fengnian roared.

"He wouldn't dare! My brother gave him a gift, that's a sign of respect, and he still dares to complain?!"

"Yes, yes, Feng Nian is right," Xu Xiao said with a smile.

Zhou Cheng'an was speechless at the way the father and son were getting along, so he simply ignored them and took a jar of wine from Zhao Huai'en and handed it to Lao Huang.

Old Huang was immediately delighted: "Where's my gift?"

“I know you like to drink, especially rice wine, but it’s hard to find aged rice wine, so I prepared a jar of monkey wine for you. I brewed it myself a few years ago. Try it and see how it tastes,” Zhou Chengan said with a smile.

Old Huang was deeply moved: "You're so thoughtful, Cheng'an!"

Upon seeing this, Xu Fengnian immediately felt aggrieved: "Cheng'an, you're not being fair. Huang Man'er and Lao Huang both received gifts, and even this Xu fellow received one. What about me?"

"Isn't the stuff in that carriage behind you a gift for you?"

Xu Fengnian's smile had barely appeared when he realized what was happening: "Zhou Yichui, are you kidding me? That was a gift you gave to my father."

"You are the heir apparent of the Northern Liang Kingdom. In the future, won't the entire Northern Liang Royal Palace be yours?"

"Yes, yes, Cheng'an is right. From now on, the Prince's Mansion will be yours."

"roll!"

Xu Xiao dared not speak, but he did not leave. Instead, he summoned the steward and a group of servants and maids of the Prince's Mansion and introduced them, saying, "You all know this person, so I won't say anything more."

"Cheng'an, this is your first time. He is our Prince's cousin."

"Greetings, young master and son-in-law."

As the servants bowed, Xu Xiao turned his gaze to Minister Nangong.

"This must be Mr. Nangong."

Minister Nangong clasped his hands in greeting: "Minister Nangong greets the King of Beiliang."

Xu Xiao cupped his hands in greeting: "Mr. Nangong, you are too kind. Feng Nian has been taken care of by you along the way."

Nangong Pushe was clearly not good at socializing, let alone being insincere, so he simply didn't say anything more.

Xu Fengnian, however, was stunned and asked, "Wait, who is this cousin-in-law?"

“The cousin-in-law they’re talking about should be Huai En. He’s not only my retainer, but also my brother-in-law,” Zhou Chengan replied.

Xu Fengnian was taken aback, then bowed to Zhao Huaien.

"I've met my cousin's husband."

"Your Highness is too kind," Zhao Huaien returned the greeting.

Xu Xiao picked up the conversation: "We're all family, calling you His Highness is too formal. Huai'en, have you taken care of things with your caravan?"

"It's all taken care of. In fact, we have to thank the King of Beiliang for this."

"We're all family, no need for thanks. Come on in, let's have a good drink today."

Just as the group was about to enter the Prince's mansion, Zhou Cheng'an noticed Xu Fengnian's gaze shifting between him and Xu Xiao, and asked, "What are you looking at?"

"nothing."

Xu Fengnian chuckled and said, "That's right. When I first met you, I thought you looked a bit like me. I always thought you were an illegitimate child surnamed Xu. It turns out... you're from the Wu family. But why are you Zhou?"

In the end, it was clearly Xu Fengnian's habitual sharp tongue.

However, considering that he was visiting the Northern Liang Prince's Mansion today and that Xu Fengnian was the heir of the Northern Liang Prince, Zhou Cheng'an gave him some face and did not beat him up. He just said in annoyance, "Your mother is a proper direct descendant of the Wu family. Why are you surnamed Xu?"

Xu Fengnian: "..."

Perhaps because it was rare to see his son get the short end of the stick, Xu Xiao couldn't help but laugh.

He could laugh all he wanted, but Xu Fengnian happened to see it.

Xu Fengnian can't afford to offend Zhou Cheng'an, but he can afford to offend you, Xu Xiao?

"Hey Xu, what are you laughing at? Get out of here!"

"Alright, alright, you young people have fun. I'm leaving now, alright?" Xu Xiao said with a smile, "Cheng'an, this is your first time in Lingzhou. Let Feng Nian show you around."

"Sorry for bothering you."

Xu Xiao smiled and waved his hand, then left with his entourage.

Zhou Chengan withdrew his gaze and said, "Your father is very good to you, so be nicer to him in the future."

Xu Fengnian was taken aback at first, then laughed.

"We'll talk about the future later. Come on, let's go to the Zijin Tower. You have no idea how fun it is there."

"Do you think it's appropriate to go to the Zijin Tower today?" Zhou Cheng'an is here to visit his elders, so what's the point of going to a brothel with Xu Fengnian? "Take us to the Tingchao Pavilion Armory first."

"You'd rather suffer at the Tingchao Pavilion than go to the warm and inviting Zijin Tower? I really don't know what to say to you," Xu Fengnian complained, then turned to Nangong Pushe: "White Fox Face, you're going too?"

For the first time ever, Minister Nangong smiled and, true to her style, went straight to the point: "Go, I want to read half of the martial arts manuals in the world."

The Listening Tide Pavilion was built by the lake, and its interior housed tens of thousands of books, including countless rare and unique editions. Among them were many martial arts manuals whose lineage had been lost, and it was said to contain half of the world's martial arts knowledge. Xu Fengnian enjoyed fishing at the Listening Tide Pavilion, but he had absolutely no interest in the martial arts knowledge stored within.

"Don't you people find learning martial arts boring? Back then, I absolutely refused to learn martial arts. I trained hard in the coldest winter and hottest summer, and I might not have had a moment's rest in my entire life. How could it be as comfortable as being a lazy playboy?"

Minister Nangong remained silent, clearly indicating that they were on different paths and could not work together.

Xu Fengnian frowned and said, "Just to become the number one in the world?"

Nangong Pushe looked down at the two swords at his waist and shook his head slightly.

"Then what is it for?" Xu Fengnian pressed, and before Nangong Pushe could answer, he guessed to himself, "Could it be that you're trying to steal a woman from someone, and since you can't win right now, you want to become more powerful?"

Nangong Pushe gave him a strange look, almost as if he were an idiot.

Xu Fengnian was furious: "What kind of look is that? Believe me or not, I won't let you into Tingchao Pavilion."

Nangong Pushe paused for a moment, then slowly said, "I want to kill four people."

Xu Fengnian was taken aback: "Even with your skills, it's difficult?"

Nangong Pushe's eyes turned strange again. Xu Fengnian knew he had made a foolish mistake again and said with self-deprecation, "Alright, then they are the top ten masters in the world."

"Pretty much. Two of them are first-rank experts, the top ten experts you mentioned. There are two more, who are probably even more powerful, but half of the four are not from your Liyang Dynasty."

"White Fox Face, you're awesome! I like heroes like you."

"I am a man."

Xu Fengnian's smile froze, and he said angrily, "Damn it, I know you're a man, and I don't have any homosexual tendencies. Otherwise, with a beauty like Cheng'an around, would you even be a problem?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Cheng'an's cold voice rang out: "I'll tolerate you a second time because this is your home, but if you're itching for a beating, I don't mind giving you a break."

Xu Fengnian smiled awkwardly and immediately changed the subject, introducing them to the scenery of the Prince's Mansion.

It must be said that the scenery of the Northern Liang Prince's Palace is quite nice, making it a great place for a stroll and sightseeing.

But for those martial artists whose homes and sects were trampled by the Northern Liang cavalry back then, this place is full of dangers. It is one of the three most dangerous forbidden areas, along with Wudi City, which is guarded by the "second best in the world", and Wu Family Sword Tomb, which has produced many sword immortals.

In Wudi City, there is an old monster who looks down on all the masters in the world.

The Sword Tomb is home to a large number of withered swordsmen who dedicate their entire lives to using only swords, or even just touching them.

Besides the visible Northern Liang Iron Cavalry guards, the Northern Liang Royal Palace also has countless hidden masters lurking in the shadows.

During that catastrophe in the martial arts world, the butcher Xu Xiao not only slaughtered countless established martial arts masters like cutting straw, but also recruited a considerable number of "lackeys" who were of bad character but had abnormal strength.

After the Tingchao Pavilion was built, all sorts of martial arts enthusiasts came to learn from it and were willing to risk their lives to protect the Northern Liang.

The Northern Liang Prince's Mansion is now a place where danger lurks at every turn, and the aura emanating from the shadows makes Minister Nangong not dare to let his guard down in the slightest.

"This is Tingchao Pavilion."

Before they knew it, the group of five had arrived at their destination. As Xu Fengnian walked toward Tingchao Pavilion, he explained, "Tingchao Pavilion is advertised as having six floors, but it actually has nine floors inside. The numbers start from one and end at nine, but I guess some people in the capital were just being nosy and made sarcastic remarks, so it ended up looking like this now."

As you can see, there is a corridor outside the lower four floors, the fifth and sixth floors are used as observation halls, and the top floor is completely empty, with no books or items placed on it.

Inside the pavilion, there are five people specifically responsible for arranging the martial arts manuals in order of difficulty from bottom to top. They must be the so-called "pavilion guards" in the martial arts world. They are all old guys I've known since I was a child, and they appear and disappear without a trace.

There was only one person who copied books. I learned calligraphy and painting from him. He was a sickly man, more like a ghost than a ghost, and also a heavy drinker. I had to bring him wine every time I went upstairs.

If the guards claim to be experts, I'll believe it. But if I, their half-master, am one, I'll jump off the ninth floor.

I'm not interested in the martial arts manuals inside. You can look at them yourselves later. Lao Huang and I will wait for you outside. We'll catch some fish and grill them for dinner.

Old Huang's grilled fish is quite good; Cheng'an and White Fox Face both know that.

Clearly, the last sentence was spoken to Zhao Huaien.

“Perfect timing. I’m not really interested in martial arts manuals either. Your Highness, I’ll wait for you outside while you go fishing.”

Although Tingchao Pavilion is called a pavilion, it is actually a proper pavilion with a pyramidal roof and layers of flying eaves, looking the same from all sides.

As Zhou Cheng'an walked, he sensed the sword intent emanating from beneath the Listening Tide Pavilion. Only when he was almost beneath the pavilion did he take a closer look at this building, which was said to contain half of the world's martial arts.

Meanwhile, Xu Xiao and Li Yishan were standing at the top-floor window watching them.

"From the first rank, I cultivated in the pavilion for ten years, yet I am unmatched among all living beings below me."

Li Yishan, the half-master whom Xu Fengnian described as being more like a ghost than a ghost, looked at Nangong Pushe and said this to Xu Xiao.

Li Yishan came from humble beginnings and was known as a cunning genius. He was skilled in using treacherous schemes and devoted himself to the Xu family, Beiliang, and his disciple Xu Fengnian until his death.

He spent almost his entire life plotting in Tingchao Pavilion, which led to poor health and terminal illness. Before his death, he left Xu Fengnian with the Thirteen Linked Stratagems, and he had almost complete control over the affairs of the world.

Hearing his evaluation of Minister Nangong, Xu Xiao was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "According to you, Feng Nian got incredibly lucky this time?"

Li Yishan did not answer, but instead looked at Zhou Chengan.

After a long while, he finally spoke, "I take back the last half of what I said earlier."

"Ok?"

Xu Xiao was somewhat surprised and couldn't help but frown. The murderous aura he inadvertently revealed was quite terrifying.

Li Yishan sighed and replied, "I can't see through him."

If what happened before was just an accident, then Xu Xiao is now truly astonished.

You know, Li Yishan was a martial arts critic who ranked the top ten masters in the world, yet even he couldn't see through Zhou Cheng'an?!

"What an interesting little guy."

"Are you sure he won't harm the Prince's Mansion?" Li Yishan asked, frowning.

"No matter what, he is our relative. Although he has no intention of befriending the Prince's Mansion, he also has no ill intentions. He gets along quite well with Feng Nian. It's just that he was a bit too rough when he beat Feng Nian."

Xu Xiao paused for a moment, then laughed heartily, "But so be it, jade needs to be carved to become a gem."

"Your son really got lucky."

"Look at what you're saying, my son isn't your disciple either," Xu Xiao said with a grin.

Despite being chased and beaten by Xu Fengnian, he still manages to appear harmless and playful towards Li Yishan.

But apart from a few individuals, who in the entire Li Yang Dynasty… no, the entire world, doesn’t revere Xu Xiao?

The mere title of "human butcher" is enough to terrify countless people!
Noticing Zhou Cheng'an's gaze, Xu Xiao, who was standing at the top-floor window, laughed loudly: "Cheng'an, you guys came to Tingchao Pavilion too? I should have come with you all."

"I've heard that your esteemed residence's Tingchao Pavilion has a rich collection of books, so I thought I'd come and take a look. I wonder if this might disturb the King of Beiliang?"

"No disturbance, no disturbance. I just came to chat with Feng Nian's master. You and Mr. Nangong, please wait a moment, I'll be right down."

Upon hearing this, Xu Fengnian, who had originally planned to lead Zhou Chengan and the others inside, stopped in his tracks.

"Then what are you talking about? Hurry up."

(End of this chapter)