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

Chapter 351 Young Master, Wake Up (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Zhao Ti was surprised and couldn't help but look at the man in white with curiosity.

At first glance, this person looked to be in his early twenties, but upon closer inspection, he seemed to be older, probably in his early thirties.

He was very handsome, with no beard, and his face was fair, as if he had applied a thin layer of makeup.

The person had a red flower pinned to their temple, and their eyebrows seemed to have been groomed and drawn, giving them a strange and abrupt appearance.

He was wearing a magnificent white silk robe embroidered with silver patterns, which was so valuable that even someone unfamiliar with fabrics could tell it was worth a fortune.

A jade belt was tied around his waist, seemingly inlaid with dark gold. If it were genuine, it would certainly be worth a lot of money. Moreover, it seemed to have a specific design, and it was unknown whether one needed a special status to obtain it.

A round pendant hangs from the jade belt. It is exquisitely carved from fine mutton fat jade and features a mythical creature from the mountains and seas.

Below is a pair of pink-soled brocade boots, which are not something ordinary people can afford. Even wealthy families don't usually own such boots.

This person had an extremely elegant, even somewhat sinister, demeanor. He stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes darting towards the alley.

Zhao Ti was somewhat surprised, wondering where such a person had come from.

The residents of Chunyu Street are mostly merchants, while the alleys are inhabited by ordinary people. Judging from the appearance of this man in white, he could not possibly be a merchant, let alone an ordinary person.

He's probably what people call a "young master," right? Unlike the kind of young masters that people flatter each other, he's probably a real young master with some special family background, a scion of a prominent family, or a descendant of a powerful clan.

Zhao Ti shook his head inwardly. He didn't have much affection for the real young master. At the beginning of the founding of the Great Qian Dynasty, a folk poet wrote a poem that expressed the bitterness and injustice of the world.

The poem reads: The scorching sun burns like fire, the rice in the fields is half withered and scorched. The farmer's heart is boiling like soup, while the princes and nobles wave their fans.

Zhao Ti subtly withdrew his gaze, intending to continue walking forward. Whatever this person was doing in the alley was none of his business; getting to school was the priority.

But just as he took a step, the man in white suddenly spoke: "Have you seen enough and want to leave?"

Zhao Ti paused for a moment, then slowly said, "Greetings, sir. I did not mean to look at anything. You appeared at the intersection, and with my eyes looking straight ahead, it was impossible for me not to see you."

A wise person seeks good fortune and avoids misfortune; if one must make excuses, then one must.

"Hmph!" The man in white sneered, "Quick-tongued, judging from your scholarly appearance, it's no wonder you try to deny it as soon as you open your mouth."

Zhao Ti said, "I... still need to go to school, so I won't keep you from continuing, teacher."

"Wait a minute!" the man in white said. "This is the first time I've heard someone call me 'sir.' How do I look like a 'sir' to you?"

Zhao Ti blinked: "It's like it in every way, even more like it than the professors at the state school."

The man in white sneered, "Nonsense! I'm always addressed as 'Young Master,' never as 'Sir.' Are you mocking me for not being good at studying?"

Zhao Ti was speechless: "This... young master, I don't know you, how would I know if you are good at studying or not?"

The man in white snorted again upon hearing this: "I'd like to ask you, do you know of a Zhao family in this alley?"

Zhao Ti was taken aback. He took another look at the man in white and, smelling the fragrance wafting over, wondered to himself if this was his distant cousin. He did indeed look somewhat similar.

But wasn't my mother's family a humble and ordinary household? How could they possibly have a young master or someone like that?
Could it be that he later became wealthy and lived a life of luxury? Or did he marry into some prestigious family and transform himself into such a decadent and dissolute person?

"What are you thinking about?" the man in white asked, his eyes fixed intently on him.

"I wasn't thinking about anything." Zhao Ti, pondering that it might really be his uncle, became more respectful: "There is indeed a Zhao family in the alley. Are you perhaps looking for this family, young master?"

The man in white suddenly asked, "Is there only one Zhao family? What's your surname?"

Zhao Ti smiled wryly: "I am a son of the Zhao family. May I lead you there, sir?"

"Oh, so you're the son of the Zhao family?" The man in white looked at him strangely, scrutinizing him for a few moments. "You actually read books?"

Zhao Ti said, "Well... I naturally study, what's so strange about that?"

The man in white burst into laughter: "Zhao Jiu's son actually studies! He actually studies! This is hilarious!"

Zhao Ti felt slightly displeased upon hearing this. Zhao Jiu was his father's name. Although his father had not received much formal education and had only received a six-month early education in his childhood, his uncle's words were still incredibly disrespectful.

Moreover, his own father is his brother-in-law, how could he call him by his first name? He has absolutely no manners, speaks rudely and arrogantly.

"I've done quite well in my studies; I'm already a student, and I'll be taking the provincial examination in mid-autumn," he said slowly.

"Oh? You're already a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examination), and you still want to take the Juren (another successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examination)?" The man in white nodded: "That's not bad. Zhao Jiu certainly doesn't have this kind of talent for studying. You're just like your mother, like... your maternal grandfather's family."

"May I ask who you are, young master..." Zhao Ti suppressed his dissatisfaction and asked calmly, thinking that once the other party revealed his identity, as an elder, he should no longer continue to speak so carelessly.

"Me?" The man in white smiled, his hands behind his back. "Of course I'm your uncle. Don't you know an uncle is coming to your house?"

Zhao Ti showed a slight look of surprise to show that he had not discovered the other party's identity in advance. He then bowed again and said respectfully, "So it is you, Uncle. Father and Mother said that you would arrive in the next day or two. I did not expect that I would run into you by chance. Please come with me to my home to see Father and Mother and have some tea and rest."

The man in white accepted the bow and said with satisfaction, "Since you've read books, why haven't you practiced martial arts?"

Zhao Ti was taken aback: "What kind of martial arts?"

The man in white looked at him for a moment after hearing this, then frowned and said, "Lead the way."

Zhao Ti was suspicious, but he didn't ask too many questions. He could only postpone his trip to the state school for a while. He turned around and led the way, saying, "Uncle, please."

A few dozen breaths later, he arrived at the front of his house and called out in a low voice, "Father, Mother, Uncle has arrived."

The man in white looked at the wooden door of the courtyard with a somewhat dissatisfied expression: "Have you been living here all these years?"

Zhao Ti was puzzled as to why the other party spoke in this way, but he could not remain silent. He carefully chose his words and said, "I have lived here since I was a child, and I have lived a peaceful and happy life in harmony."

"Is this a place where we can live and work in peace and contentment?" The man in white curled his lip.

At that moment, the sound of footsteps came quickly from inside the courtyard. Zhao's father and mother opened the courtyard gate and looked at the man in white.

Father Zhao reached up and touched the stubble on his chin, glanced at the man in white without speaking, but Mother Zhao stepped forward, her expression delighted: "Thirteenth brother, it's been so long since I've seen you, but your appearance hasn't changed much."

The man in white looked at Zhao's mother and saw that she was dressed in simple clothes and had a slightly weathered look on her face. He stammered, "Seventh Sister, you... have suffered all these years."

Zhao's father, standing to the side, said unhappily, "Yang Shisan, what do you mean by that? How come Chan'er suffers when she follows me?"

The man in white retorted angrily, "If this isn't suffering, what is? Zhao... have you been making my seventh sister and you live like this for the past ten years?"

Zhao's father said, "Do you really want to live the life of a walking corpse, a parasite who just waits to die?"

Zhao Ling'er ran out of the room with her little schoolbag on her back and stared blankly at the group.

Zhao's mother said, "What's all the noise about? Simple food and working at sunrise and resting at sunset is good enough. Thirteen, come in quickly. I've made some tea. Let's talk while we drink tea."

The man in white took a breath: "Alright, Seventh Sister, let's go inside and talk." "By the way, Ling'er, this is your uncle, hurry up and greet him." Mother Zhao said to Zhao Ling'er.

Zhao Ling'er rolled her eyes, then obediently bowed and said, "Hello, Uncle."

The man in white nodded and chuckled twice: "Good, good, both my nephew and niece look like their older sister."

Upon hearing this, Zhao's father said with displeasure, "I'll go take Ling'er to school. Let's have a chat with Thirteen first."

Zhao's mother said, "Don't sell any goods today. When you come back, buy two cents worth of wine and some meat, vegetables, chicken, and fish."

Father Zhao said, "I understand." With that, he took Zhao Ling'er's hand and went out.

Zhao Ti also said, "Mother, Uncle, then I'm going to school too."

Zhao's mother said, "Go ahead, be careful on the road."

Zhao Ti nodded and went out, heading straight for the state school. The state school was located on the south bank of the Yu River, in the east of the city, not far from Chunyu Street, and he arrived in about half an hour.

As they entered the classroom, they saw Mo Xun sitting at the back, leaning against the wall and reading an illustrated storybook.

Upon seeing him enter, Mo Xun nodded in acknowledgment, but said nothing more. During the break, he did not mention the events at Taibai Tower the previous day.

A day passed in the blink of an eye. When school was over, Zhao Ti carried his books and left the state school, walking home along the Yujiang River.

When they reached the alley entrance, they saw Zhao's father picking up Zhao Ling'er from school.

Zhao Ling'er ran over and grabbed his clothes: "Big Brother, Daddy said we'll have mutton, chicken and goose to eat today."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "Since your uncle is here, we should naturally treat him to a lavish meal. Ling'er is in for a treat."

After speaking, he looked at Zhao's father: "Father, this uncle..."

Zhao's father said expressionlessly, "His name is Yang Jian. He is the son of your mother's uncle. He is the thirteenth in his family and is commonly known as the Thirteenth Son of Huazhou. He is usually lazy and irresponsible, good-for-nothing, idle and good-for-nothing. He is neither good at literature nor martial arts. He has not learned anything good, but he is good at everything bad. His character is not good either."

Zhao Ti's lips twitched. It seemed that his father had a lot of opinions about this uncle, and had actually said so many bad things about him.

He thought about it and realized that his mother's family was indeed in Huazhou, which was adjacent to Qianzhou and belonged to the northern region.

Yuzhou is located near the Taijiang River, which runs through the territory of Daqian. Several prefectures to the southeast of the river are known as the Jiangnan region.

Yuzhou, however, is located north of the river, hence the name Jiangbei. The Yujiang River is a tributary of the Taijiang River, and it is very far from Qianzhou and Huazhou.

The Great Qian Dynasty has ninety-nine states, each with a vast area. Qianzhou is located in the far north, while Yuzhou is in the central region.

He pondered, "Father, Mother said we're a small family with few relatives, but judging from this uncle's demeanor and attire..."

"Even if he's from a humble family and doesn't visit any relatives, his demeanor and appearance..." Zhao's father snorted, "What demeanor does he have? He looks like a frivolous and decadent playboy. As for his appearance... I heard he married into a wealthy family and became a live-in son-in-law. A wealthy family cares about their reputation, so they can't expect him not to dress neatly, can they?"

So he really did become a live-in son-in-law? Zhao Ti was stunned. He didn't expect his previous guess to be correct. But judging from his father's words, he seemed to look down on live-in sons-in-law. But it's no wonder, since live-in sons-in-law are indeed not well regarded in the world these days.

"I see," Zhao Ti said. "I understand."

"Hmm..." Father Zhao's eyes flickered: "Never mention the matter of marrying into the family in front of him. He is petty and thin-skinned. If he can't stand it and leaves with his face covered, then our family will be impolite."

"Is that so?" Zhao Ti nodded and patted Zhao Ling'er's head: "Sister, don't mention this matter either."

Zhao Ling'er swung her two little braids and said, "I won't tell."

Zhao's father said, "Let's go home, let's go home. There are so many dishes today, your mother is too busy to manage. I'll lend a hand and make a couple of my specialties."

The three entered the alley and returned to their own courtyard gate, where they smelled the aroma of food wafting out.

Upon entering the courtyard, one sees Yang Jian sitting under the apricot tree, drinking tea. There was no table in the courtyard originally, but he had moved a wooden table from inside the house at some point, and was sitting on a folding chair with a stool propped up on his legs, striking a very comfortable pose.

Seeing the three enter, Yang Jian lazily and reluctantly took his leg off the door, stood up, and said, "You're all back. Did you finish school?"

Zhao Ti and Zhao Ling'er said in unison, "Yes, Uncle, school is over."

Zhao's father said, "I'll go cook. You two stay here and keep your uncle company."

Yang Jian said, "Brother-in-law, there's no need to make too much. I can't eat much."

Father Zhao said, "You've eaten too many delicacies and rare foods. It's good to eat some simple food. This is home-style cooking, something you've never had before."

Yang Jian chuckled awkwardly, "Brother-in-law, what are you saying? How could I have never eaten home-cooked meals?"

Mr. Zhao shook his head: "Have you eaten it? I doubt it."

After he finished speaking, he turned and left. Yang Jian was a little embarrassed, but then he coughed, straightened his face, and suddenly lowered his voice: "I'm asking you two, why didn't you learn martial arts?"

Zhao Ti was stunned, wondering why the other party had asked such a question again. Even if he wanted to learn, who could he learn from?

Zhao Ling'er's eyes darted around, and she whispered, "Uncle, why do we have to learn martial arts?"

Yang Jian said, "As a member of the Yang family, how could I not know martial arts?"

Zhao Ling'er asked in confusion, "Uncle must be mistaken. Da Guo and I both have the surname Zhao."

Yang Jian shook his head impatiently: "Your mothers are surnamed Yang, so you should learn martial arts."

Zhao Ti looked thoughtful. His uncle's words had a hidden meaning. What did learning martial arts have to do with his mother?

Just as he was about to ask, he saw Zhao's mother come out of the kitchen with a cloth handkerchief in her hand: "What are you talking about? I heard something about martial arts?"

Yang Jian quickly turned around to face Zhao's mother, waving his hands vigorously behind his back, and said, "Seventh Sister, where did you say anything about martial arts? Seventh Sister must have misunderstood."

"Did you hear me correctly?" Zhao's mother asked doubtfully. "Come inside, everyone. Dinner will be ready soon."

The three nodded and went into the house. Just then, Zhao Ti suddenly heard urgent calls in his ears: "Young Master, Young Master, wake up..."

Hmm? Who is that calling? Is it calling my uncle? But why is it ringing in my ear?

No, there's clearly no one around, so who's speaking? And the voice sounds somewhat familiar?

Zhao Ti suddenly felt a chill rise from his dantian, rushing straight to his head. A term inexplicably popped into his mind: Illusory Yin True Qi...

He suddenly felt light, his mind became clear, and he suddenly opened his eyes.

Where is the courtyard of Xinghua Lane in Yuzhou? This is clearly inside Wolf Mountain, behind the temple, and beside the Eye of the Earth Vein...

(End of this chapter)