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

Chapter 422 Old Items, Sword Forged

The greyhound came up to Zhao Ti, shaking its head and rubbing against his clothes in a fawning manner.

Zhao Ti smiled, bent down, stroked the greyhound's head, and scratched its chin. The greyhound purred contentedly.

Zhao Ti asked, "Didn't the person who brought it say its name?"

Zhao Ling'er blinked twice: "They didn't say anything. Big pot, why don't we give it a name?"

Zhao Ti said, "Since it is my uncle's pet, it must already have a name. Giving it another name would be redundant."

Zhao Ling'er said, "But Da Guo and I don't know. Why don't we just use one name for now and change it when Uncle comes? Otherwise, how will we call it on a daily basis?"

Zhao Ti glanced at the greyhound and thought to himself that it made sense. Without a name, it always felt a bit awkward to greet it normally: "What name should we give it?"

Zhao Ling'er rolled her eyes and said, "It's so thin and likes to steal food, I think we should just call it Noodles."

"Noodles?" Zhao Ti glanced at the greyhound and saw a look of dissatisfaction and helplessness on its narrow face. It didn't dare to look at Zhao Ling'er, but instead looked up at him, its two front paws digging into the ground, its eyes full of pleading.

“Or you could call it rice noodles, but you can’t call it jujube cake, because it doesn’t look like jujube cake,” Zhao Ling’er said loudly.

"Rice noodles?" Zhao Ti glanced at the greyhound again. The greyhound had its head on the ground, its paws covering its head, looking like it was living a life worse than death.

"Why are you making that face? Stop playing the victim!" Zhao Ling'er kicked the greyhound in the hind leg. The greyhound yelped and jumped up, quickly running behind Zhao Ti to hide.

"Big brother, this dog is so cunning! Look, I didn't even use any force, but it barked like a pig being slaughtered. It's such a good actor!" Zhao Ling'er said angrily.

Zhao Ti smiled. The greyhound was indeed putting on an act. Zhao Ling'er couldn't see it clearly, but he could. The moment Zhao Ling'er's foot touched the dog's leg, the greyhound used the momentum to jump away. There was no pain at all, but it barked as if its leg was broken and it was lame.

“The noodles are bad, and the rice noodles are bad too. Look how black they are! How can they be called by those names? Have you ever seen black noodles or rice noodles?” Zhao Ti shook his head.

"Then, what's it called?" Zhao Ling'er frowned her delicate eyebrows and asked, "Is it called black strip, black thread, black rice noodles?"

The greyhound behind Zhao Ti immediately let out a weak, low whimper.

“I think we should call him Wangcai (旺财), it’s easy to pronounce and has a good meaning,” Zhao Ti said.

"Huh?" Zhao Ling'er pouted upon hearing this: "Why did you give the big pot such an awful name? What's with the 'Prosperous Fortune'? Big Brother is a scholar, gold and silver treasures are too vulgar..."

"You're lecturing me now." Zhao Ti's face hardened upon hearing this. "It'll be called Wangcai. That's settled, no changes allowed."

After saying that, he turned around and looked at the black dog: "Wangcai, come with me."

Zhao Ling'er said, "Big Brother, you're being unreasonable. I... I'll go talk to Mother."

Zhao Ti ignored her and walked into his room. The greyhound followed closely behind, but kept turning back to steal glances at Zhao Ling'er. Zhao Ling'er stomped her foot in anger and ran into her mother's room.

Zhao Ti then opened the door, put down the book box, and looked at the greyhound.

The greyhound was looking around curiously, observing everything in the room. When it saw Zhao Ti looking at it, it hurriedly ran over and bowed its head, making ingratiating noises.

Zhao Ti said, "Stay away from Ling'er from now on. Didn't you see that the tail feathers of the two roosters behind the house have been plucked off by her? And those geese, their legs are tied with ropes, they can't move. Every time they chase her, they trip over themselves. If you dare to provoke her, she'll chain you up, drive iron stakes into your house, and confine you to a half-zhang radius. You won't be so free anymore."

The greyhound trembled upon hearing this and nodded vigorously.

Zhao Ti said, "Everyone says dogs understand human nature, but I've never seen one as clever as you before. You understand everything I say, right?"

The greyhound barked again, and Zhao Ti laughed, "Uncle taught you well. But I've seen your breed in books, called a Mountain Searcher, but they're all white. I don't know why you're all black?"

The greyhound looked puzzled, its eyes slightly glazed over, and after a long while it let out two "woofs" to indicate that it didn't know either.

“Maybe you’re a different species. Although the Mountain Search Dogs are intelligent, none of them seem to be as clever as you.” Zhao Ti thought for a moment, then waved to the greyhound: “Remember what I said, don’t mess with Ling’er. Go out and play.”

The greyhound ran out of the room. Zhao Ti took a couple of sips of water and was about to take out his writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone when his mother's voice called from outside.

Zhao Ti stood up in response. He would have already eaten by this time every day. Today, Yang Jian must have brought over some old things. Zhao's mother had been tidying them up for too long, which was why it was late.

He went out and walked to the other room. As soon as he entered, he saw several large chests made of nanmu wood and studded with copper nails that were not there before, which surprised him. He had thought they were just some exquisite items from Zhao's mother's time in her boudoir, but he did not expect that there were five or six large chests in total.

“It’s good that Thirteen has a conscience…” Zhao’s father said, sitting at the table. “If it weren’t for him guarding it, your family would have divided it all up long ago. It’s one thing that all the houses, fields and property of your lineage have been taken away, but if you lose all these personal belongings, then your Yang family has really gone too far.”

Mother Zhao sighed, “Thirteen is indeed a man of great loyalty and affection. It was worth the care I gave him when he was young. However, Sixth Brother also contributed a lot. Thirteen’s letter said that when he was not at home, Sixth Brother protected him. He even fought with the clan members because of this. After all, I have quite a few gold and jade items among my personal belongings, as well as... some things that were bestowed upon me by that person back then.”

"Is Yang Dian that madman?" Zhao's father frowned. "If that's the case, why didn't he meet me directly when he came over a few days ago? What was the meaning of smashing Ti'er's bed?"

Zhao's mother said, "Sixth Brother is just a martial arts fanatic, not a madman. He probably thought Ti'er knew martial arts and tried to test her skills, but Ti'er didn't know any at all. He felt ashamed and lost, so he left."

“A martial arts fanatic is still a fanatic, and the world of a fanatic is hard to understand.” Zhao’s father muttered as he looked at Zhao Ti: “What’s so good about learning martial arts? It’s nothing compared to studying literature, reading books, and passing the imperial examinations. As the saying goes, literature can bring peace to the country. If you want the people to live a good life, you have to study and become a civil official.”

Zhao Ti remained silent. He already knew his parents' identities, so there was no need to ask anything. He pretended to be clueless, sat down at the table, picked up his chopsticks, and was about to eat.

Father Zhao tapped the rim of the bowl of brown rice and said, "Tier, aren't you surprised to hear what your father says?"

Zhao Ti asked, "What's so surprising?"

Father Zhao glanced at Mother Zhao: "Didn't you think of anything else when you heard my conversation with your mother? And aren't you curious about the martial arts I mentioned?" Zhao Ti shook his head: "I was pondering scriptures and articles, and I didn't pay attention to what Father and Mother were saying, nor did I hear anything about martial arts. Father... do you want to learn martial arts?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao's father was overjoyed and said, "Indeed, he is the fine son of the Zhao family. He is oblivious to the world outside and only focuses on studying the classics. That's the right way. What's the use of martial arts? Studying well is better than anything else. What's the use of martial arts? Fighting and killing are dangerous, not to mention how much better it is to study and become a civil official. You will be remembered for thousands of years and your name will be remembered for generations. You must know from reading history books that throughout history, most of those who are admired are civil officials. The number of civil officials who have left a good name for posterity is dozens of times more than that of military generals!"

“This…” Zhao Ti scratched his head. There was some basis to this, but it felt strange to hear it from his own father.

“How can you teach your child like that? Although civil officials are praised more often, it’s not dozens of times more than you say, just slightly more,” said Zhao’s mother. “Besides, military generals can stabilize the country and protect its borders. Without military generals guarding the frontiers, where would peace come from?”

"Hmph, what I'm afraid of is this Dingguo." Zhao's father snorted and said, "Is military power so easy to grasp? Is an army so easy to lead? Is great merit so easy to achieve? Once your reputation is high, it will inevitably arouse the emperor's suspicion and unfounded doubts. If you don't have a powerful family background, you will inevitably be promoted in name only and demoted in reality, with your power reduced. That's still considered good. Don't you see how many military generals in history have been suspected and wronged because their merits overshadowed the emperor, and in the end, they died without a burial place?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao's mother said, "Does a military general need a powerful background?"

Father Zhao said, "Seventh Sister, you don't understand politics and don't know how serious it is. If you don't believe me, ask Ti'er yourself."

Zhao's mother looked at Zhao Ti, who pondered and said, "Indeed, there are many such things, but in the end, it still depends on oneself. Being an official is like walking on thin ice. It is not easy to be a corrupt official or an honest official. One must be cautious and careful in one's actions."

Zhao's mother smiled and said, "My son is right. There's not much difference between civil and military officials. In the end, it all comes down to how smart you are. But it doesn't seem like it's that difficult to become a military officer without connections."

Upon hearing this, Zhao's father's expression turned ugly. He said, "You, Seventh Sister, what are you saying? Isn't having connections a problem? Besides, my son only has his own real skills. What use is that kind of nonsense to him!"

Mother Zhao smiled slightly: "My son is exceptionally talented, his poetry is amazing, he is well-versed in the classics, and he is also handsome. When he passes the imperial examination and becomes famous throughout the world, he can marry a woman from a prestigious family, and his background will be established."

"A woman from a prominent family..." Zhao's father blinked, looked at Zhao's mother and said hesitantly, "Are women from prominent families so easy to marry? Moreover, if you have to rely on the power of a prominent family, you will inevitably be controlled by them. How can you be a good official on your own?"

Mother Zhao said, "Let's not talk about the future. Marrying a lady from a noble family is not difficult. Hasn't my son already met the girl from the Zhuge family? Didn't they go out together that night? And he also knows the girl from the Qin family. Who knows which family he might meet in the future? There might be someone he likes and who will marry him. They will live in harmony and happiness."

Zhao's father's face twitched as he said, "I won't talk about the Zhuge family. As for the Qin family, I don't like them at all..."

Zhao's mother looked at Zhao's father with a half-smile, then her gaze shifted to Zhao Ti's waist: "Where did my son get this jade pendant?"

Zhao Ti was stunned when he heard this. After the maid from Luo Fu's house put it on him that day, he never took it off again. When he came back, he forgot to mention it. His parents didn't ask either. Later, seeing that his parents didn't care, he just let it go. He never expected that his mother would bring it up now.

“This…” Zhao Ti didn’t want to lie, so he had to bite the bullet and say, “This was a gift from Miss Luo Fu.”

"Ah, what?" Zhao's father's expression changed immediately: "It's that girl from the Qin family? Why did she give you the jade pendant?"

Mother Zhao smiled and said, "What else could a woman give a man a jade pendant for? Don't you know?"

Zhao Ti quickly interjected, "Mother, Father, it's not what you think. It's because I was abducted by Miss Zhuge that night, and Miss Luofu felt guilty and gave it to me as an apology..."

"Is it an apology? That's good, that's good..." Zhao's father seemed relieved upon hearing this.

Zhao's mother smiled, said nothing, and sat down to eat.

After dinner, Zhao Ti hurriedly slipped out of the house, intending to return to his own room, but then he heard footsteps and his father came out behind him.

"Father, I want to go to school..." He quickly spoke first, afraid that the other party would continue to ask about Luo Fu.

Father Zhao waved his hand: "You do your study. I'll build a kennel for that black dog. I don't know when your uncle will arrive. I'll have to take care of his pet. It's so annoying. When he comes, I'll ask him to give me more money as payment for keeping it."

"Building a kennel for the dog?" Zhao Ti glanced at the greyhound lying not far away, gnawing on a stalk of grass, and said, "By the way, Father, I've named this dog Wangcai. You can use that name to call it."

“Wangcai? That’s a good name.” Father Zhao nodded. “Studying is still useful. It makes names easy to understand and gives people a sense of joy.”

Zhao Ti was immediately embarrassed. What did his name have to do with whether he studied or not? He hurriedly went into the room, tidied up a bit, and then sat down at his desk to read and write.

After a while, as dusk fell, Zhao's father's voice could be heard from the courtyard outside: "Finally finished building it. I'm exhausted. When Yang Shisan comes, I'll definitely ask him for ten taels of silver."

Curious, Zhao Ti went outside to take a look and saw a small wooden and stone house under an apricot tree not far away. The walls were covered with mud and the gaps were filled, making it extremely neat.

The greyhound stood to the side, staring blankly at the doghouse, seemingly unaware of its purpose.

Father Zhao glanced at it and said, "Wangcai, my family is poor and we don't have a house for you to live in. This will be your home from now on. You can sleep here tonight."

The greyhound glanced at Zhao's father, then at the doghouse, and let out a rather indignant "woof," its tone seemingly quite resentful.

Zhao's father said, "What? I've spent so much time and I'm covered in sweat, and you're still not satisfied?"

Upon hearing this, the greyhound barked again. Zhao's father threw the squeegee he was holding down under the tree: "I'm not serving you anymore. There are no good people in aristocratic families, and their dogs are no good either." After saying that, he turned and walked into the house.

At this moment, Zhao Ti came closer. The greyhound looked at him, then raised a paw and pointed towards the doghouse, making a "whimpering" sound.

Zhao Ti smiled and patted its head, saying, "If you don't want to live here, you can sleep under the tree. But if it's windy or rainy, it's best to go inside, otherwise you'll get sick from getting soaked."

The greyhound continued to whimper. Zhao Ti said a few more words, then went back to his room to continue reading.

After the lights in Zhao's parents' room were turned off, he covered the window with a curtain and began to study the last few moves of the Peach Blossom Sword Technique.

In just half an hour, the room was filled with a bright pink light, and there were peach blossom phantoms everywhere, as if flowers were falling from the sky and pink lotuses were emerging from the ground, which was very stunning and beautiful.

The eighteen forms of the Peach Blossom Sword Technique have now been fully mastered.

(End of this chapter)