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

Chapter 292 Changes (asking for monthly ticket)

Liao Kingdom, Shangjing Road, Linhuang Prefecture.

About a hundred li west of Shangjing, there is a city called Huaizhou.

Thirteen miles south of Huaizhou lies a small town called Caosong Town.

This town wasn't very big, but it was quite famous in the Liao Kingdom, especially in the capital region, where almost everyone knew it.

Since the founding of the Khitan state, this town has produced dozens of Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations), including one Tanhua (third-place scholar), thus gaining widespread fame.

The town has a strong tradition of reading, and its residents do not engage in nomadic life. It is also known as Wenhua Town by the surrounding prefectures and counties.

It was early autumn when the wooden gate of a large courtyard in town opened, and a young man dressed in a scholar's robe walked out.

The young man was handsome with delicate eyebrows and bright eyes. He carried a book box and an umbrella, intending to go outside to enjoy the scenery and read.

His ancestors had also produced Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) who held significant official positions in the Northern Court. Unfortunately, they later made some mistakes, were stripped of their titles and positions, and almost had their property confiscated.

Even so, the descendants still studied, hoping to restore their ancestors' glory, pass the imperial examinations, and re-enter the imperial court.

The young man was named Xiao Yulang. This was a common name among the Khitans. The Khitans had two major surnames: Yelü and Xiao. Although there were legitimate and illegitimate children among them, most of them were called by these two surnames. Very few people used surnames other than Xiao, so the given names were often repeated.

Xiao Yulang was in a good mood today. He was a good student and had a reputation in the town. He was quite confident about the provincial examination next month. If he passed the provincial examination, he would go to the capital next spring to participate in the Ministry of Rites examination, where he hoped to pass again.

He walked to the edge of town and saw the golden fields. He was delighted and put down his book box by the edge of the field to read some scriptures. Then he looked into the distance and saw the beautiful green mountains. He got up again and walked down the mountain.

Xiao Yulang walked slowly. He had never learned martial arts, nor could he wield a spear or a staff. He couldn't even draw a regular hunting bow. But he didn't care about these things. He believed that all other pursuits were inferior, and only studying was superior. As long as he studied well, that was more important than anything else in his heart.

After a while, he arrived at the foot of the mountain. He wiped his sweat and found the beautiful scenery truly pleasing to the eye. After resting for a while, he followed the path into the mountains again.

This mountain is not large; it is a small mountain with a gentle slope and a slight continuous range. It is a place where people in the town often climb to enjoy the scenery.

Although the autumn scenery was beautiful, there were hardly any people on the path. Xiao Yulang couldn't help but sigh, feeling that it was such a waste that no one was appreciating such a beautiful view.

As he walked along, reciting poems while swaying his head, he saw a slender figure descending from the mountain. He looked over curiously and immediately widened his eyes.

She was a young girl in white with a colorful sash around her waist. Her slender figure swayed gracefully, making her incredibly charming.

Upon closer inspection, the girl was beautiful and refined, with a hint of coquettish charm, especially her almond-shaped eyes, which had a captivating allure.

Xiao Yulang kept his eyes fixed on the girl, and the girl looked at him too. When she walked up to him, she suddenly stopped, smiled sweetly, and said, "Are you Young Master Xiao Yulang?"

Xiao Yulang was taken aback, then hurriedly nodded: "It is indeed I, young lady. May I ask who you are... how do you recognize me?"

The girl's smile deepened, and she said, "Young master, do you still remember ten years ago when you saved a fox with a pheasant?"

Xiao Yulang was stunned when he heard this. Ten years ago, he was only eleven or twelve years old, but he had indeed come to this mountain with his family. He had once traded an injured pheasant he found on the road for a fox from a hunter and released it.

He couldn't help but wonder to himself, could it be a fox coming to repay a debt of gratitude? There were indeed many such accounts in the book, but he never expected to encounter one himself!

Xiao Yulang hurriedly and excitedly looked at the girl and said, "I remember now, it is true. Are you the fox?" But the girl's expression suddenly changed, and she showed resentment. She reached behind her and pulled out a cold longsword.

She snapped in a sweet voice, "Damn it, I'm that pheasant, take this!"

Not far from the city of Khatun, there is a vast, interconnected cave system inhabited by many gray rats.

These gray squirrels were all extremely plump, with sharp eyes and agile bodies, and they seemed quite intelligent. However, the largest one had a dull gaze and did not move at all, as if it were a wooden or clay sculpture.

But a moment later, a slender shape, like a wisp of light or a transparent dandelion seed, flew in from the cave entrance. Some images were faintly visible beneath its crystalline surface. It flew towards the largest gray rat.

This was actually a wisp of thought. This wisp of thought went directly into the gray rat's body, and the gray rat's eyes immediately became lively. It let out a strange scream, and then its bones cracked and popped. Finally, as if breaking some kind of shackle, with a "boom", all the gray rats next to it were blown away.

Then its body gradually grew larger and changed, bursting through the cave and growing out of the soil, eventually transforming into the appearance of a gray-bearded human elder.

South of the vast grasslands lies a secluded mountain valley where hundreds of wolves dwell.

Right now, sitting right in the middle of the wolf pack was a man. He had a sharp, angular face, a sinister expression, and his arms and legs were covered in fur that looked like wolf fur. The wolves were howling excitedly around him.

He slowly rose from the ground, his eyes searching the distance, and he said hatefully, "Humans, this immortal will surely take revenge!"

Deep in the Kunlun Mountains, over several days, many people emerged from the mountains. These people were divided into groups of different sizes, some with eight or nine people, others with three or five, and all headed south towards the snow-capped mountains.

On the plateau, amidst countless mountain cities, strange monks gathered. Dressed in ancient robes and chanting old scriptures, they left their hidden place and ventured out into the world.

As they walked, they passed on their teachings, and gradually they all rushed in one direction, towards the place where the snow-capped mountains converged, as if they were going to search for something.

Murong Fu, along with the group from Bihan Palace, had already ventured into several snow-capped mountains and searched countless places, but to no avail.

He wanted to leave the group and run away several times on the way, but looking at the vast mountains and having no direction, he felt uneasy and found it difficult to take a step.

They had arrived in the southeast of the plateau, where a magnificent snow-capped mountain stood, its grandeur easily ranking among the top three snow-capped mountains on the plateau.

The leader sighed and said, "The Dali Kingdom is just beyond this mountain. If we still can't find the Buddhist projection, we'll have to head west. The west is bitterly cold and difficult to traverse, and the journey will be arduous."

Upon hearing the words "Dali Kingdom," Murong Fu's heart stirred. If this snow-capped mountain led out of the Tibetan territory, wouldn't it be possible to leave from here? He had heard that Dali had a pleasant climate and bustling trade routes, so once he arrived in Dali, he wouldn't have to worry about not being able to return to the Central Plains.

On the third day after entering the snow mountain, he found a gap and ran away from the group on his own. He then headed east towards the snow mountain. Once he descended the snow mountain from that direction, he would enter Dali.

He traveled on the mountain for two whole days, but unexpectedly got lost. No matter which way he went, he kept going back to the same place. Even the sun in the sky could not point him in the right direction.

Just then, he discovered a mountain pass in the distance. Walking over, he saw a winding passage. Curious, he entered it and found the scenery increasingly beautiful, with no ice or snow at all.

Upon reaching the innermost part of the mountain pass, the terrain suddenly opened up, and the climate was warm like spring. Murong Fu couldn't help but show a look of surprise on his face; it was a place as beautiful as a fairyland.

The clouds above parted, revealing the sun shining with a divine light. The meadows were like green carpets, the lakes were as blue as jewels, flowers were everywhere, and many beautiful buildings stretched as far as the eye could see in the distance…

(End of this chapter)