The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 278 Strange Phenomena, Actions

Zhao Ti nodded upon hearing this: "Please come in."

Zhou Tong went out and brought Xiao Feng in a moment later. Xiao Feng was still dressed in the same simple clothes, wearing an old gray cloth robe, looking quite travel-worn.

He bowed deeply upon entering, and Zhao Ti quickly told him to stand up. Then he ordered Tong Guan to bring over a stool for him to sit on.

Xiao Feng said, "Your Majesty, I am a step late and have not been able to help in any way. I am truly ashamed."

Zhao Ti said, "What do you mean by that? We already sent Wu Changfeng and the Beggars' Sect disciples to the scene first, which has already been a great help and a great achievement."

Xiao Feng hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the Beggars' Sect dares not take credit. Serving the country and the people is our duty. By the way, Your Majesty... what is the current situation in Xingzhou?"

Zhao Ti said, "The situation is stable now, and there is no major problem. The shamans have been captured and killed almost all of them."

Xiao Feng said, "That's good. I haven't done my best, and I'm truly ashamed before Your Majesty."

Zhao Ti looked thoughtful and asked, "What are your thoughts on the Shamanistic Rebellion, Chief Xiao?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Feng smiled wryly and said, "This humble subject is ignorant of politics and has no insight. However, I previously visited the Shamanic Grassland Vatican and heard many things. I wonder if they are related to this rebellion and the theft of the seal..."

Zhao Ti narrowed his eyes: "What is it?"

Xiao Feng pondered, "I originally didn't know anything about this religion, but as I traveled through the Liao Kingdom, I heard a lot about its customs. Later, when I went to the grasslands near Qatun City, I found that the Papacy performed rituals every day, which was different from what I had heard on the way."

"Oh?" Zhao Ti asked, "What's different?"

Xiao Feng said, "Shamanism normally only holds sacrificial rites on festivals, but when I went there, I saw that ceremonies were held every day. I asked the people around me out of curiosity, but they didn't understand either, saying that they had never seen anything like it before."

“A daily ritual, something never before seen.” Zhao Ti nodded. “And then?”

Xiao Feng said, "Because of my Khitan identity, I was not rejected by the local people and settled down on the grassland. One day, due to a misunderstanding, I fought with the people of the Shamanic Church and defeated them. He then asked someone for help and defeated them again."

Zhao Ti laughed and said, "It's not like we beat up the little one and then the big one comes along, and after beating up the big one, the old one comes along, is it?"

Xiao Feng laughed and said, "Your Majesty's insight is indeed correct. This humble subject has won every time, and then lured out that shaman priest."

Zhao Ti said, "I've heard you mention this before. We fought several battles, and neither side could gain the upper hand."

Xiao Feng nodded: "That's right. That priest is the head of the seven priests of the shamanism. He is nearly a hundred years old and has extremely profound skills. He is especially good at the Mountain Scripture martial arts and also knows the Eighteen Divine Methods. He is the number one person under the high priest of the shaman."

“The Mountain Classic…” Zhao Ti smiled slightly and said, “You have fought back and forth several times, and he has not been defeated. Although he is older, he is still a top-notch expert.”

Xiao Feng said, "That's right. I was extremely surprised at the time. Although I am not an arrogant person, I still have some confidence in my martial arts. It was because I did not defeat the other party that we fought so many battles. Afterwards, we had conversations and learned the other party's name and why the shamanism performed rituals every day."

Zhao Ti said, "It seems we became friends after a fight."

Xiao Feng laughed and said, "Your Majesty hit the nail on the head. From what you've said, I've learned that this shaman priest is a Han Chinese."

Zhao Ti thought for a moment after hearing this: "There are quite a few Han Chinese in Liao. There are many Han Chinese in Nanjing Road, and most of the officials in the southern court are Han Chinese. But in Khatun City, which is in the northwest, it is rare."

Xiao Feng said, “What Your Majesty said is correct. My maternal grandfather’s family are Han Chinese and live on Nanjing Road. However, Khatun City is the land opened up by the Khitan, and you can hardly see any Han Chinese there. This priest is Han Chinese and his surname is Li.”

"Surname Li?" Zhao Ti raised his eyebrows slightly upon hearing this. "The Li of the Tang Dynasty?"

Xiao Feng said, "That is indeed the surname."

“Li of the Tang Dynasty…” Zhao Ti’s lips curled into a slight smile. He had been wondering why the “Mountain” scripture was circulating in the Liao Dynasty, and Yuan Xiaoxian said that it came from the high priest of shamanism. Now it seemed that he had the answer.

It's either that a branch of the Southern Tang Li clan from Shanhaiguan went to live in Khitan and joined the Shamanism, or that after the fall of Southern Tang, Li Zhengyan fled to Khitan, seeking the protection of the Shamanism, and left behind this practice.

Xiao Feng continued, "This priest surnamed Li has a bad temper. When he got into a fight with me, he lost his temper and said some inappropriate things. So I took the opportunity to ask him why the sect performs rituals and sacrifices every day."

"What did he say?" Zhao Ti asked.

"He said that what would a commoner like me know? The seven luminaries are in the same palace, the world is about to undergo a great change, and the shamanism is asking the gods to descend to ensure the shamans' longevity. If nothing unexpected happens, it will damage the shamanism's reputation," Xiao Feng said.

"May the gods descend and protect the Holy See." Zhao Ti pondered, "That official seal..."

Xiao Feng said, "At that time, he also said some nonsense, such as what to use as a sacrifice. Some of them were very strange and bizarre. He even mentioned the concept of luck, such as using the luck of foreign lands as fuel to worship gods and invite gods."

"Foreign fortune?" Zhao Ti's expression darkened slightly. The most tangible manifestation of a nation's fortune is its territory and rivers, and besides that, official seals and official documents are also important.

Although the Western Xia dynasty has been destroyed, it cannot be said that its fortune has completely disappeared, since Li Qianshun is still alive and his whereabouts have not been found.

Moreover, the Western Xia dynasty was destroyed in a very short time. If such a thing as national destiny truly existed, then there might be traces of it on the official seals. Furthermore, the fact that the Shamanism sect stole the seal of their own Xuanfu Envoy suggests that it was very likely the kind of intention Xiao Feng was referring to.

“I don’t really understand what the priest surnamed Li is saying, but the loss of the official seal in Xingzhou made that connection to this,” Xiao Feng said.

Zhao Ti nodded: "Whether the other party is just pretending to be a shaman or there is a real belief in invoking gods, this news is extremely important. Shamanism is a wolf in sheep's clothing and is committing evil deeds. We must not let them succeed."

Xiao Feng said, "Your Majesty, I made an agreement with that priest surnamed Li to fight him again on the first day of next month to decide the outcome."

Zhao Ti glanced at him upon hearing this: "The first day of next month is approaching, and it's almost the end of the month now, isn't it coming soon?"

Xiao Feng said, "If we're on a fast horse, it would only take three to five days to get from Xingzhou to the grasslands near Ketun City. I think if Xingzhou is stable and there's nothing I need to do, I'll head north to keep my appointment in a few days."

"Heading north to keep the appointment..." Zhao Ti smiled: "It's good to keep the appointment. This appointment must be kept. There's nothing major happening in Xingzhou now, so Chief Xiao can go without worry."

Xiao Feng said, "I will leave in three days, and under the pretext of keeping my promise, I will go and inquire about the news of the shamanistic rituals."

Zhao Ti pondered for a moment and said, "Before Chief Xiao left, I came over because I have something to say to him."

Xiao Feng said, "This humble subject should bid farewell to Your Majesty."

Zhao Ti nodded, and then Xiao Feng got up to take his leave. After watching him leave the hall, Zhao Ti fell into deep thought.

Many things are becoming increasingly strange these days. Whether it's the emergence of the sorcerer monk, the existence of the ancient palaces of Kunlun, or the shamanism that uses the fate of foreign nations to invoke gods, they are all filled with a sense of mystery.

If a great change in the world truly alters some of the world's rules, as the old monk of Luosuo City said, ushering in a chaotic world, then we must guard against Kunlun and the demon monks in the distant future, and we absolutely cannot allow shamanism to burn away any foreign fortune.

It's better to believe it exists than to believe it doesn't.

Prevent problems before they arise, nip them in the bud, be safe when there is no danger, be safe when there is no loss, be prepared for danger even in times of peace, and plan ahead for a rainy day.

Zhao Ti thought for a long time, then stood up from his chair and walked towards the palace at the back.

Upon entering the palace, they saw A'Zhu and Zhong Ling teasing silkworms in a pavilion, while Lan Jian placed a basin of water on a stone table.

The little silkworm leaped out of the crystal bottle, looking quite proud and spirited. It stood up slightly and chirped at the water basin, as if it were exhaling breath.

Then you could see that the basin of water was quickly covered with a layer of white frost, and half of the water surface had already frozen into thin ice.

Zhong Ling was dumbfounded. The lightning ferret standing on her shoulder was so frightened that it darted up to the wooden pillar of the pavilion and hugged it tightly.

"Sister Azhu..." Zhong Ling asked in bewilderment, "What kind of silkworm is this? How can it create ice out of thin air?"

A'Zhu laughed and said, "This one isn't the most powerful. It molted before. Your Highness has one that was brought back from the Kunlun Mountains. That one is much more ferocious and can freeze an entire basin of water in one go."

Lan Jian then said, "His Highness has arrived."

Zhong Ling looked up and saw Zhao Ti, and couldn't help but say, "Your Highness, Sister A'Zhu said that you have a little silkworm here that can freeze ice."

Zhao Ti walked into the pavilion, looked at the ice silkworm that was swaggering on the stone table, and laughed, "There is indeed one more."

Zhong Ling asked curiously, "Where is it? Does it also live in a crystal bottle like Sister A Zhu?"

Zhao Ti shook his head and looked at Zhong Ling, saying, "That one... you must have touched it, but you just didn't notice."

Upon hearing this, Zhong Ling asked in confusion, "Have I ever come into contact with them? I've never seen any other silkworms before. Where are they?"

Zhao Ti pointed to his collar: "The other one has been hiding here, but it's hot now, so it doesn't really want to come out. It's just hiding and sleeping." When Zhong Ling saw that it was Zhao Ti's collar, she thought of rubbing against his back and wrapping her arms around him. She also remembered that she had once fallen into his arms and made intimate gestures. Her face turned red.

Zhao Ti then reached out and picked up the silkworm. This silkworm was even more lustrous and white than the one on the stone table, and it seemed to be somewhat dazed and not yet awake.

It curled up and then straightened up, as if it were stretching, then shook its head and looked around.

It first glanced at Zhao Ti, then at A Zhu and the others, and finally seemed to spot another small silkworm on the table, and couldn't help but chirp twice.

Upon hearing this, the little silkworm on the table trembled immediately, then darted into the crystal pot like lightning, cautiously peering out at the ice silkworm between Zhao Ti's fingers.

Aside from the unpleasantness of their first meeting, the two silkworms fought fiercely every time Zhao Ti put them together, spraying frost everywhere, freezing ice, and leaving a mess.

However, the silkworms in the crystal pot were often no match for the one from Kunlun Mountain, and eventually they were defeated and fled back into the crystal pot. As time went on, they gradually became afraid of this one.

Zhao Ti loosened his fingers slightly, and the ice silkworm sprang out, but crashed into the crystal pot with a "bang" and immediately fell headfirst to the ground.

Then it turned over and started chirping at the silkworm in the pot, as if it wanted the silkworm to come out and play with it.

The silkworm inside the pot refused to come out. It stared at the other through the pot with eyes like shattered gemstones, seemingly a little nervous.

Seeing that it wouldn't come out, the little silkworm from Kunlun Mountain turned around and jumped directly into the basin of water next to it. The basin was originally covered with white frost and half of it was frozen, but after it came in, it froze into a big block of ice in just a few breaths. The little silkworm rolled around on the ice block, seemingly extremely happy.

Zhong Ling stared in a daze, a hint of envy in her eyes, and asked, "Your Highness, may I touch this little silkworm?"

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "Of course I can, but this one is different from the other. It's a little shy. You can give it a try."

Zhong Ling nodded, leaned over, and reached out to touch the silkworm.

The ice silkworm, which prefers cold, twisted to the side when it felt the warmth of her fingers. Zhong Ling found it amusing and gently touched it again.

The silkworm immediately squeaked in dissatisfaction, then sprang forcefully across the ice, shooting towards Zhao Ti.

It moved with the agility of a rabbit, darting into Zhao Ti's collar, burrowing in for a few moments, and then refusing to come out again.

Zhao Ti shook his head and laughed, "That's how it is. The reason you can touch me is probably because I sensed your presence before. If it were someone else, they would have run away long ago."

Zhong Ling said, "Your Highness, this is too amazing. It seems to understand human nature. It can be trained to do this with larger animals, but I have never heard of such a thing with small insects."

Zhao Ti said, "They are naturally different from other species and have never been seen elsewhere. These two are from the Kunlun Snow Mountain and may be rare species that have survived from ancient times."

Zhong Ling said, "If I get to know it better, I wonder if I can play with it like Sister A Zhu's?"

"Familiar with it?" Zhao Ti glanced at the crystal pot on the table. "Ah Zhu's looks familiar, but mine is hidden in my collar and won't come out. How can you possibly be familiar with it..."

Zhong Ling was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then seemed to realize something, and gently lowered her head, her face flushed.

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "By the way, I have something good to give to the three of you today. It is something that is hard to find in the world."

Lan Jian asked, "Your Highness, what good thing is it?"

Zhao Ti said, "It is the spring water from the Valley of Immortality and Longevity."

"The Spring of Immortality?" A'Zhu was taken aback upon hearing this. She had heard Zhao Ti mention the valley before, and couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, is it the Spring of Immortality that grants eternal youth?"

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "It is this spring water. Drinking it will not only keep you young forever, but also greatly increase your lifespan and even improve your internal strength."

Upon hearing this, Lan Jian's mouth dropped open: "I've heard Grandma talk about this spring water. It's said that if you drink it, you can't leave that valley..."

Zhao Ti nodded: "There is indeed such a limitation, but this drawback can be eliminated by practicing one technique."

Lan Jian looked somewhat enlightened: "Your Highness, is it the Everlasting Youth and Longevity Technique that Grandma practiced?"

Zhao Ti said, "It is this skill. Back then, Xiaoyaozi taught it haphazardly and irresponsibly. Wu Xingyun was only six years old when he made her practice this skill. As a result, a few years later, the power of this skill manifested, and her body could not grow up. She remained the appearance of an eight or nine-year-old. However, if one starts learning it in their teens, their body will remain unchanged after mastering it. Even if a child ages for thirty years, they will return to the appearance of a seventeen or eighteen-year-old."

Lan Jian said, "Grandma once said that the patriarch acted only according to his heart and did not consider these things at all back then. She was only a few years old and did not know how powerful this skill was. She practiced it haphazardly. Later, when she was twenty-six years old, she could have reversed the divine skill and grown taller, changing her short stature. However, Li Qiushui shouted from behind, which frightened her and caused her internal energy to go awry. From then on, it was difficult to correct her stature. Grandma was also a pitiful person."

Zhao Ti said, "That's right, but you're not hindering anything with your practice right now. The only thing to be afraid of is not being able to practice it properly."

Zhong Ling said, "Your Highness, it doesn't seem that difficult. Haven't I already mastered it?"

Zhao Ti shook his head: "You have only cultivated internal strength, and you are still some distance away from mastering it. However, as long as you have the internal strength of the Everlasting Spring Skill, then drinking the Everlasting Spring water will not be a problem."

He pondered for a moment, then continued, "The Everlasting Spring Technique cannot fix youth, it only slows down aging, very slowly. It is estimated that by the time one reaches the end of their lifespan, they will only look like a middle-aged person. Only the Rejuvenation Child, which occurs once every thirty years, can return one to their most youthful moment. The Everlasting Spring Water can keep one young forever, but once drunk, one cannot leave the valley. Only by combining the two can one truly achieve eternal youth and a significantly increased lifespan."

A'Zhu blinked and said, "Your Highness, wouldn't these two things together be the rarest treasures in the world? Money can't buy them, and no amount of treasure can exchange them for them?"

Zhao Ti laughed and said, "That's true. Youth and the extension of life are things that even the country and its people cannot buy."

Although combining these two things cannot achieve true immortality, extending life by two to three times is already considered divine. Not to mention that people would flock to it and would be willing to fight to the death to obtain it, even emperors and generals would not want it.

A'Zhu said, "But such a precious thing, this servant..."

Zhao Ti smiled slightly: "Don't let beauty fade and weariness set in, let youthful charm last through the seasons. I don't want to see the people around me lose their color and lose the marks of time."

A Zhu's clear eyes sparkled, and she wanted to speak, but Zhao Ti waved his hand and said, "Come with me, everyone."

After saying this, he left the pavilion and walked into the hall, with the three women following behind.

Once inside the hall, the doors were closed, and the teaching of the Everlasting Youth and Longevity Technique to A'Zhu and Lan Jian began. This technique was not something that could be mastered overnight, and it was extremely difficult to develop a sense of Qi at that time. However, with Zhao Ti's guidance, the two of them actually developed internal strength by sunset.

Then Zhao Ti brought a pot of Changchun Spring water, which could be divided into three cups, just enough for the three of them.

Zhong Ling drank it directly. After A Zhu and Lan Jian drank it, Zhao Ti instructed them to practice breathing exercises, so that the internal energy of the Changchun Gong could be combined with the spring water.

Sure enough, as long as they practiced the Everlasting Spring Skill, the spring water would no longer be restricted by the Everlasting Spring Valley, and their internal strength would increase. Although the three women did not drink as much spring water as Zhao Ti, their skills improved considerably.

Once everything was finished, the moon was already high in the sky. Zhao Ti instructed the three to continue their practice before leaving the palace.

A night breeze was blowing, carrying the fragrance of flowers, and the scenery was beautiful, but the palace seemed somewhat empty and desolate due to the sparse number of people.

He walked casually with his hands behind his back, and after a moment he arrived at the stable. This was originally the imperial horse park of the Western Xia palace, which was quite large and could accommodate hundreds of horses. But at this moment, only Black Rose and the horse given by Zhao Xu were there, each occupying a stable, which looked very desolate and bleak.

The eagle's den was right next to the stable, and it had already crawled into its den and was fast asleep.

When Black Rose saw Zhao Ti approaching, she stepped out of the stable with a thud, her black gem-like eyes fixed on him.

Zhao Ti said, "You haven't found your master, but I don't think she'll be in any danger. Once this matter is over, we can go to the snow mountain again and find her."

Black Rose came up to him and gently nuzzled his arm. Zhao Ti stroked the horse's head and then stroked its ears. Black Rose looked up at him, and Zhao Ti smiled and said, "Once we're done with these things, I'll take you out for a ride every day. But that's not possible right now, as there are some places I can't take you."

After he finished speaking, he continued walking away with his hands behind his back. Black Rose watched him from behind, her eyes seemingly conveying emotions.

Three days had passed in the blink of an eye. That afternoon, Xiao Feng came to the Pacification Commissioner's Office to bid farewell to Zhao Ti, saying that he would head north to the grasslands the next morning to meet at Khatun City, and asked Zhao Ti if there was anything else he wanted to tell him.

Zhao Ti looked at him for a moment and then smiled, "I intend to go with Chief Xiao. What does Chief Xiao think?"

Xiao Feng was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then exclaimed in shock, "Your Majesty is of noble birth and would never sit under a dangerous roof. How could you so easily enter the territory of another country?"

Zhao Ti shook his head and said, "That's alright. This isn't my first time traveling. I've been to Liao before, and I've been to Western Xia twice. Not to mention Dali. This time, I want to see what kind of shamanistic activities the Church of the Shaman is up to."

Xiao Feng hesitated and said, "Your Majesty, but this..."

Zhao Ti said, "Chief Xiao, there's no need to say more. I have already made arrangements for everything in the city. Let's set off tomorrow morning."

Xiao Feng, feeling helpless, could only agree, bow, and leave.

Early the next morning, after everything was packed up, Zhao Ti led Zhou Tong and Xiao Feng led Wu Changfeng, and they set off from Xingzhou northwards.

(End of this chapter)