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

Chapter 421 Secret Sword, Delivery
Zhao Ti looked thoughtful and said, "I naturally know that the imperial family of the Great Qian Dynasty is surnamed Yang, and the current royal family is surnamed Yang. However, I did not know that the founding emperor came from the prestigious Yang family."

Mo Xun nodded in realization: "So Brother Zhao didn't know that the founding emperor was from the prestigious Yang family, and that the imperial surname Yang was the same as the Yang family?"

Zhao Ti said, "That's right. The common people know very little about aristocratic families, and there is no such talk in the marketplace. Almost no one knows that the Yang family of Emperor Taizu was... the Yang family of Huazhou."

Mo Xun thought for a moment and then smiled, "That's not surprising. Back then, our ancestor was a son of a collateral branch of the Yang family. He was treated with contempt and disrespect from a young age, even his name was..."

At this point, he lowered his voice: "Back when the founding emperor was in the Yang family, because he was born out of wedlock, his name was ordinary, called Yang Qian, the 'Qian' in 'Qianzi' (meaning pliers). Later, when he went out to make his way in the world, made friends with heroes from all directions, he changed the character 'Qian' to 'Qiankun' (meaning 'Heaven and Earth')."

Zhao Ti looked surprised upon hearing this and said, "I see?"

"That's exactly why. The founding emperor always harbored resentment about what he experienced within the clan back then. Not only was he not considered a core member and didn't learn top-tier martial arts, but his daily treatment was also extremely poor. Furthermore, Empress Dowager Kunhui Cizhao passed away early, and the founding emperor was suspicious of the women in his lineage, harboring many grievances. Therefore, even after ascending the throne, he never personally brought up the matter of his origins. In addition, the clan genealogy was created separately, so it was rarely heard of among the common people," Mo Xun said.

"But not saying it doesn't mean refusing to acknowledge it. After all, Emperor Taizu needed the support of many forces. After the uprising, he resumed contact with his family. The Yang family, assessing the situation, provided much-needed assistance. After ascending the throne, he needed to consolidate his power and maintained close ties with the Yang family. This relationship has never been severed. This is common knowledge among the aristocratic families and officials, but perhaps not in the neighborhoods."

Zhao Ti pondered for a moment and said, "Since it's not something that's been heard about among the common people, it seems I'm not so ignorant after all."

Mo Xun said, "I thought Brother Zhao understood, but I was just being presumptuous. However, even if I don't say it today, Brother Zhao will find out when he passes the imperial examination and achieves high honors."

Zhao Ti pondered for a few moments: "Brother Mo, do you know what kind of treasures are produced in Yuzhou?"

Mo Xun said, "I heard it's a top-tier martial arts manual, something like a sword technique. I don't know the specifics of which sword technique, but it must be extremely powerful, like a divine manual that can split mountains and sever rivers."

"Martial arts manual, swordsmanship?" Zhao Ti's expression shifted upon hearing this: "Can it really split mountains and sever rivers?"

Mo Xun nodded: "My elder sister sent me a letter from Luoyang. It mentioned this secret manual, saying that it is extremely powerful, but it did not mention its origin or name."

"That must be true," Zhao Ti said. "Is Miss Mochou also coming to Yuzhou?"

"My elder sister said she'll be joining the clan elders and elite disciples to compete for the treasure soon." Mo Xun's lips curled into a self-deprecating smile. "As for me, a good-for-nothing who was exiled here for making a mistake, I have no right to get involved. At most, I'll just watch the show."

Zhao Ti's eyes gleamed. The Mo family's main base was in Luoyang, also known as Luozhou. Normally, the Mo family's children would not study in other prefectures unless it was one of the four great academies in the world: Jinzhou Academy, Yuezhou Academy, Songzhou Academy, and Bailuzhou Academy.

However, Mo Xun did not go to those places, but went to Yuzhou to study at a regular state school. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it exile. It's just that no one knows what serious mistake he made that led to him being sent away from home to such a distant place.

If the other party doesn't tell him, it's inconvenient for him to ask, and he wouldn't even feel comfortable discussing it further.

Thinking of this, Zhao Ti said, "Everyone has their own talents, so why should Brother Mo belittle himself?"

Mo Xun was stunned upon hearing this, and hurriedly asked, "What did you say, Brother Zhao?"

Zhao Ti said, "I say... everyone has their own unique talents..."

"Brother Zhao, this line is absolutely brilliant! How could you compose such a bold and unrestrained line? If it were placed in a poem, it would probably become a masterpiece that will be passed down through the ages!"

A strange look appeared on Zhao Ti's face. He had only wanted to give the other party some advice, but this sentence suddenly popped into his head. But it wasn't just this sentence. Then a Yuefu poem gradually appeared. This poem could indeed be called a masterpiece. In fact, because of its bold and unrestrained words, it was probably better than his previous poems, whether it was spread in his time or passed down to future generations.

"Could it be that Brother Zhao already has a draft in mind and has completed this poem?" Mo Xun asked curiously, seeing Zhao Ti's expression.

"To be honest, Brother Mo, that is indeed the case." Zhao Ti nodded, there was nothing to hide: "I have indeed composed a poem in my mind, and this line fits perfectly into it."

"Good, good, good! As expected of Brother Zhao!" Mo Xun's face lit up with excitement. "Brother Zhao, could you let me hear it first? No, no, no, Brother Zhao, please don't say it. This is bound to be a poem that will amaze everyone. Let's save it for a big and important occasion. How can I be the first to glimpse its brilliance?"

Zhao Ti shook his head and said, "That's nothing. Let me recite the first two lines for Brother Mo."

Upon hearing this, Mo Xun rubbed his hands together without hesitation and said, "Then I would be very impolite to refuse. Brother Zhao, please, please..."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "This poem is different from the previous ones; it has a touch of madness and a touch of unbridled spirit."

Mo Xun said, "That's good! If a young man doesn't act wildly, when will he ever act wildly? If a young man doesn't act recklessly, when will he ever act recklessly? Brother Zhao, please tell me..."

Zhao Ti's lips twitched. The "wave" he was referring to was not the same as the "wave" Mo Xun was thinking of, but it didn't matter. It was just a couple of sentences; let the other party figure it out themselves.

He then looked towards the Jade River and spoke:

"Have you not seen the waters of the Luo River come from the sky, rushing to the sea never to return?"

Have you not seen the sorrow reflected in the bright mirror of the high hall, where white hair grieves, once black as silk in the morning, now turned to snow by evening?

After reciting the two lines, he stopped, still gazing at the river ahead, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Within the territory of Daqian, there are two longest rivers: the Taijiang River in the south and the Luoshui River in the north.

The Luo River flows down from the western plateau, rushing and winding its way through the area. A section of it runs outside the city of Luoyang and has been called the Luo River since ancient times.

"This..." Mo Xun was stunned, his mouth agape, his face full of shock.

After a moment, he murmured, "Brother Zhao, Brother Zhao has actually composed such bold and unrestrained lines. Truly, truly, I think Brother Zhao is a poet immortal descended to earth..."

Zhao Ti laughed and said, "Brother Mo, please don't flatter me too much. It's just a few words, how could I deserve such high praise from you?"

Mo Xun shook his head vigorously: "No, no, just two lines are so full of heroic spirit. The whole poem must be incredibly magnificent and soaring to the heavens!"

Zhao Ti said, "Stop, stop, Brother Mo, please don't praise me anymore, or I'll get carried away. We've reached the bridge now, and I'm going straight home. Brother Mo, you should cross the bridge now."

Mo Xun glanced at the Jade Belt Bridge spanning the river and sighed, "Brother Zhao, I really don't want to leave. I want to stay with you and hear more of the poem, but I don't want to bother you any longer. I just hope that soon I can hear the complete poem 'Heaven has endowed me with talents, which must be put to use,' and fulfill my wish!"

Zhao Ti said, "Brother Mo, you flatter me. I will definitely invite you when I compose this poem in the future. If you are not here, I will not compose this poem. I will take my leave now." After saying that, he raised his hand in a Confucian gesture. Mo Xun returned the gesture. Zhao Ti nodded and walked forward with his book box on his back.

Mo Xun went up the bridge, took a few steps, turned around, and looked at Zhao Ti, who was walking home.

His expression was complex, as if he had many thoughts on his mind. Then he suddenly placed one hand in front of his chest, making a gesture of chanting Buddhist prayers and offering greetings.

But the next moment, his expression changed drastically. He suddenly raised his other hand and slapped at the hand that was standing in front of him, cursing fiercely, "Damn it, you have no memory. You haven't forgotten after all these years?"

His face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot, as if he were furious. He kept cursing, but his voice grew softer and softer, as if he didn't want the people passing by on the bridge to hear him.

He cursed for a full hundred breaths before flicking his sleeves, turning around, and walking towards the bridge.

Just then, an unusually large black crow flew overhead, heading towards Zhao Ti's direction.

A moment later, just as Zhao Ti stepped into Xinghua Lane, a questioning voice reached his ears: "Brother, is your classmate a Buddhist?"

“Buddhist followers…what Buddhist followers?” Zhao Ti looked up as a crow descended from the sky and landed steadily on his shoulder.

“After you left, I saw your classmate turn around and look at you, unconsciously raising one hand to his chest in a Buddhist greeting gesture.” Crow tilted his head and said, “But then he seemed to be very angry about this gesture, and he cursed a lot, cursing all the Buddhas, some of whom I had never heard of.”

"The Buddhist gesture of greeting?" Zhao Ti was taken aback. He knew this. When monks met, they would place one palm on their chest, bow slightly according to the other person's seniority, and then chant a Buddhist mantra to show respect and greet the Buddha.

Sometimes, when someone is studying Buddhism, comprehending its principles, or feeling deeply moved, they might make this gesture, though they may or may not recite the Buddha's name.

“That’s exactly the gesture,” the crow said. “Does he believe in Buddhism? If he does, why did he then start cursing and blaspheming against Buddhism?”

"I've never heard Brother Mo believe in Buddhism?" Zhao Ti scratched his head. "He doesn't usually seem like a Buddhist. I've never heard him chant Buddhist scriptures or talk about Buddhist sutras. Besides, there don't seem to be many Buddhists, have there? I've hardly met any."

Although Daqian has Buddhist temples and monks and nuns, there are not many believers. Although people go to temples to burn incense and make donations, they do not make wishes and treat it as a tourist attraction.

In short, it is not very prosperous, but rather resembles a scenic spot or historical site. Buddhist temples seem to be a profession, and Buddhist followers are more like a job.

The Great Qian primarily worships the Heavenly Court and Taoism. Not only the Great Qian, but many countries on the continent also worship the Heavenly Court and Taoism.

The Heavenly Court goes without saying; it is said that a Heavenly Emperor established the Heavenly Dynasty, ruling over all realms in the universe. Wherever the Heavenly Emperor's power reached, mortals bowed in submission.

The Daoist sect is an existence that transcends all worlds, governed by the five Dao Ancestors, who hold the rules and determine the affairs of the starry sky in the vast heavens.

When people on the mainland form alliances and make vows, they often use the name of one of the Five Great Dao Ancestors as a witness, believing that if they break the agreement, the Dao Ancestor will punish them in the dark.

The Heavenly Court, a place of universal veneration, is called the Heavenly Pavilion in various regions, while the Taoist sect calls it the Taoist Palace. The scale of the Heavenly Court and the number of people it manages are far beyond what the Buddhist sect can compare to.

None of the pavilions are built on the ground; instead, objects are placed underneath or a base is constructed, and the pavilions stand suspended in the air.

There aren't so many rules about Taoist temples; any quiet and secluded place will do.

Yuzhou City also has a Heavenly Pavilion and a Taoist Palace, which Zhao Ti visited more than once. Not only were the buildings magnificent and large, but the interior decorations were also resplendent and extremely luxurious.

Zhao Ti didn't think Mo Xun believed in Buddhism. Ordinary people rarely believed in Buddhism, and it was even less likely that a noble family would believe in it. But the crow wouldn't lie to him, which puzzled him greatly.

"Could it be..." The crow stroked its face with its wing and said, "I saw him quickly stop after making the Buddhist chant, and then he kept cursing. Could it be that he used to believe in Buddhism, but later got upset about something and stopped believing, but the habit hasn't been completely broken, so he hurriedly stopped what he was doing and started cursing?"

"Perhaps...maybe?" Zhao Ti thought for a moment, but couldn't find any other explanation. Besides, it wasn't appropriate to ask the other party about this. The other party had never shown such behavior before, and it only appeared after he left, so it must be their own secret.

He had already reached the gate of his own courtyard. He pushed the gate open and went inside, only to see Zhao Ling'er holding a bamboo stick and chasing a black dog.

This dog was entirely black, without a single stray hair. It was incredibly thin, with a slender head, back, waist, and body. It was agile when running, but it always tucked its tail between its legs, making it look quite comical.

Meanwhile, as Zhao Ling'er chased after it, the black dog kept running around the apricot tree, whimpering pitifully, as if begging for its life.

"Little sister, where did this greyhound come from?" Zhao Ti asked, puzzled. "Did it run in from outside?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ling'er stopped and waved the bamboo stick in her hand, saying, "No, no, it was Uncle who sent someone to deliver it. He also brought a lot of things, and Mother is looking at them in the house."

"Uncle?" Zhao Ti thought for a moment. Was it Yang Jian who had come? When Yang Jian left last time, he said he would come back to send some things that Zhao's mother had left in Huazhou. Moreover, with the treasure emerging in Yuzhou this time, aristocratic families gathered, and the Yang family would also send a large number of people. He might also come along.

"Uncle is here, where is he?"

"My uncle hasn't arrived yet. The delivery person said it will take a few more days; they're just bringing some things to our house first," Zhao Ling'er said crisply, unusually clear-cut.

"Come back in a few days? If you're going to send something, why send a dog too?" Zhao Ti asked, looking at the greyhound with its tail between its legs, panting heavily under the apricot tree with its tongue lolling out.

"The person who delivered the items said it was my uncle's beloved pet, which he often took with him when he went out. He brought it with him this time, but something happened on the way, so he asked them to bring it to our house first."

"Since it's your uncle's beloved pet, why are you chasing and hitting it?" Zhao Ti looked at Zhao Ling'er.

"It, it stole the jujube cake that Mom gave me! I put the jujube cake on the windowsill and went to pick fruit from the tree behind the house. When I came back, I found the jujube cake was gone. It was squatting under the windowsill. I asked it if it ate it, and it kept shaking its head, but the red skin of the jujube was still stuck to its chin!" Zhao Ling'er said angrily.

Hmm? It's quite intelligent. Zhao Ti looked at the greyhound, which was also looking at him, looking rather guilty, glancing at him and then lowering its head.

"Never mind, it's just a piece of jujube cake," Zhao Ti said. "I'll just ask my mother for another one."

After saying that, he beckoned to the greyhound. The greyhound hesitated for a moment, then let out a cheerful, ingratiating bark and wagged its tail as it trotted over.

(End of this chapter)