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

Chapter 450 The Four Great Talents, the Sword God Smiles

The voices in the courtyard were clearly familiar; it was Yang Jian's tone. The other voice was also recognized—it was Yang Dian, whom they had just met last night.

At this moment, Zhao's mother was talking to the two of them, while the greyhound frolicked around, and Zhao Ling'er's movements could be heard from time to time.

Zhao Ti knew that Yang Jian was coming, but he didn't expect Yang Dian to come as well. What was he here for? To pay for his bed and roof?
Zhao Ti pushed open the door and entered. The greyhound ran over first, wagging its tail to show its affection.

"Uncle has arrived." Seeing the gazes coming from the courtyard, Zhao Ti bowed respectfully to Yang Jianzhou.

Yang Jian, dressed in a light blue robe with floral patterns, a flower in her hair, and powder on her face, showed a joyful expression and nodded, saying, "Good, good, good! Nephew has finally finished school. Have you missed your uncle these past few days?"

Zhao Ti smelled the fragrance wafting on the breeze and his lips twitched: "How can I be so carefree? How has Uncle been lately?"

Yang Jian said, "It's good to be able to eat well and sleep well. The poems you've written recently have become very popular in Qianjing. Scholars and literati are all discussing them and giving them high praise. Your reputation is almost known throughout the world."

Zhao Ti hurriedly waved his hand and said modestly, "It's just poetry, nothing more than a minor skill. How can I accept such praise from you, Uncle? What reputation do I have to speak of?"

“That’s not it.” Yang Jian shook his head and said, “You can see the big picture from the small details. If your poetry is good, your writing will be fluent. If every poem is this good, then you are exceptionally talented. Nephew, let me tell you, if you have any more poems, hurry up and show them to the world. It will be of great benefit to you.”

"Oh, what are the benefits?" Zhao Ti asked, puzzled.

"The Wen Kui Tower in Qianjing is currently selecting the Four Great Talents of the Land. 1,080 people have been shortlisted. The results are expected after the autumn examinations. My nephew's name is already on the shortlist. He should quickly write more essays and poems to compete for the title of one of the Four Great Talents. In the future, if it comes to the imperial examinations, the examiners will be more careful and won't deliberately favor those close to them. It will also be a plus in the Golden Hall interview," Yang Jian said.

"The Four Great Talents? Wen Kui Lou?" Zhao Ti scratched his head. Why was everyone in Qianjing so eager to select this or that?
Wan Cui Lou selected ten famous beauties, Long Hu Lou selected four gentlemen, and now Wen Kui Lou is selecting four talented men.
These buildings were not ordinary civilian organizations, but rather had both imperial court officials and prominent families. For example, the Wen Kui Building had some contemporary Confucian scholars in charge to ensure that the selection was as fair as possible, worthy of the name, and reflected the true talent and learning.

“They are the Four Great Talents,” Yang Jian said. “The Emperor is now paying more and more attention to literature, so the title of ‘Talented Scholar’ carries considerable weight. Once selected, their fame will surely surpass that of the Four Young Masters. Whether in the court or among the common people, they will be highly respected and talked about with great interest.”

Zhao Ti nodded upon hearing this: "I understand, I'll think about it."

Yang Jian is right. The reputation of the Four Great Talents is definitely greater than that of the Four Young Masters, especially among the common people. If we don't talk about family background, ordinary people know who the young masters are, but they are very familiar with the talented ones.

The title of "young master" sounds impressive, but in reality, it's difficult for him to achieve anything significant. However, the title of "talented scholar" is different. Not to mention that since the founding of the Great Qian Dynasty, many talented scholars have served as generals and prime ministers, and many have even created exquisite poems and essays that have been passed down through the ages.

A masterpiece can be passed down through the ages, sung and praised by future generations, and the name of a talented person will be known to people generation after generation. As long as the human race exists, the reputation will never fade.

Young masters generally have nothing to pass down to future generations, relying mostly on their family background. Even those who are both literate and skilled in martial arts rarely produce anything worthwhile to be passed down in terms of literature. As for martial arts, no matter how high their skill level is, it is not something they possess themselves but rather something they have learned. To create their own martial arts, one must reach the level of a grandmaster, and a grandmaster only appears once every few years. How easy is it to reach that level? Even if one does reach that level, it is rarely recorded in books and is only passed down in the martial arts world or within their own family.

"Alright, alright, Thirteen, stop talking about this." Mother Zhao said at this moment, "We haven't introduced Ti'er to her other uncle yet."

Upon hearing this, Yang Jian immediately rubbed his forehead, then looked at Yang Dian, who stood beside him with a cool and expressionless face: "I was so focused on the matter of the talented scholar that I forgot to introduce Sixth Brother. Sixth Brother won't be mad at me, will he?"

Yang Dian remained silent, his hands behind his back, his eyes fixed on the sky, seemingly oblivious to everything.

Yang Jian immediately gave a wry smile and looked at Zhao's mother: "Seventh Sister..."

Zhao's mother smiled and said to Zhao Ti, "Ti'er, this is also your uncle, named Yang Dian. Your father and I have mentioned him many times before, so you must remember him, right? Take a good look at your uncle's appearance, and don't forget to greet him when you meet him in the future. Don't be disrespectful to elders."

Zhao Ti nodded, understanding what his mother meant. She wanted him to check if the other party was the one who had visited twice at night and broken his bed and roof.

But is there any need to look? Isn't it him? If it's not him, is it me? How could that be?

Zhao Ti raised his hand in a gesture of respect and said, "Nephew greets uncle."

Yang Dian remained motionless, his eyes revealing a sense of vicissitude, and said, "I have a sword that can ascend to the heavens and descend into the azure sky, to question all the injustices of the world and to slay all the bad people in the world."

Zhao Ti: "Huh?"

Zhao's mother and Yang Jian exchanged a glance, both looking helpless, and shook their heads.

"Holding the sun and moon in my hands and plucking stars from the sky, there is no one like me in the world. I tread on yin and yang to determine the universe. From ancient times to the present, I am the most respected." Yang Dian continued to recite, his expression full of immersion.

Zhao Ti: "..."

"A hall full of flowers intoxicates three thousand guests, a single sword's light chills fourteen provinces." Yang Dian's gaze slowly fell upon Zhao Ti: "Nephew, your uncle asks you, do you practice martial arts?"

Zhao Ti's eyes flickered: "Reporting to Uncle, I have always been studying and have not practiced martial arts."

Yang Dian immediately frowned: "I know you're good at studying, but you also need to learn martial arts. Literature can bring peace to the country, and martial arts can secure the nation. Since you want to pursue the imperial examination and become an official, you must learn martial arts to protect yourself, Seventh Sister..."

He looked at Zhao's mother as he spoke: "Seventh Sister and...brother-in-law were both masters at the time, so why didn't they teach their nephew martial arts?"

Just as Zhao's mother was about to speak, the kitchen door slammed open, and Zhao's father stormed out angrily, carrying an iron ladle covered in cooking oil.

"You, Yang Liu, why do you have to bring up the things you don't want to talk about? I haven't even asked you about your two nights of sneaking in and damaging Ti'er's wooden bed and the roof, and you're already asking about Ti'er's martial arts. Didn't you know that Ti'er doesn't know martial arts during those two nights you sneaked in? Are you asking this now to show me? What exactly do you want? Do you want to spar with me?"

"What do you mean by two nighttime raids and damaging the wooden bed roof?" Yang Dian looked at Zhao's father in astonishment. "What are you talking about, brother-in-law? I'm not afraid of a competition, but what do you mean by nighttime raids and intrusions?"

Zhao's father waved the cooking spoon in his hand and said angrily, "You little brat, you're not admitting it now. I told you that since you came here secretly, you would definitely not admit to this. Your seventh sister also said it was impossible, saying that you have always been responsible and that if you did it, you would definitely not deny it."

Yang Dian was even more confused upon hearing this. He looked at Zhao's mother and asked, "Seventh Sister, what is it that has made Brother-in-law so out of his mind and so incoherent?" "You're the one who's out of his mind! How dare you curse me! Come, come, let's have a fight and see how many of my moves you can withstand!" Zhao's father handed the oil ladle in his hand to Zhao's mother and reached out to untie his apron.

Zhao's mother did not take the oil ladle, but shook her head and said, "Why are you so hot-tempered and impulsive? You are not young anymore. I haven't asked my sixth brother about this matter yet. You go and cook first, and I will ask him first."

Father Zhao said, “I have already put the fish in the pot and cooked the meat. Seventh Sister, you can ask him now. I’ll listen here and see what excuse he has.”

Zhao's mother sighed, "I always feel that something is wrong, and I can't believe that it was my sixth brother who did it."

Yang Dian was even more puzzled upon hearing this: "Seventh Sister, what exactly is going on?"

Yang Jian asked curiously, "What exactly happened?"

After a moment's thought, Zhao's mother recounted the two incidents that had occurred in Zhao Ti's room. The two men stared at each other in disbelief and astonishment.

Mother Zhao continued, "Because the person who came used the Four Illuminations Divine Skill, he must be a member of the Yang family. The only person in the Yang family who knew that I was living in seclusion here was my thirteenth brother. Considering that my thirteenth brother and sixth brother had a close relationship, they guessed that they might have told my sixth brother about this, and then my sixth brother came to visit."

Yang Jian stammered, "Seventh Sister, I haven't told anyone about this. Even before I came in this time, Sixth Brother didn't know you lived here, so how could you have arrived early and sneaked in twice at night..."

Yang Dian widened his eyes and shook his head, saying, "Seventh Sister, even if I knew you lived here, I would have come to visit you openly and honestly. How could I have done such a despicable thing as coming in the middle of the night and smashing up my room?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao's father angrily retorted, "Knowing this place, possessing the Four Illuminations Divine Skill, and at an extremely profound level, who else could it be?"

"This..." Yang Dian glanced at Yang Jian, then turned to Zhao's father and asked, "Brother-in-law, are you sure it's the Four Illuminations Divine Skill?"

Father Zhao angrily said, "I know the Four Illuminations Divine Skill better than most people in your Yang family. Have you forgotten how many people chased after me and your seventh sister when we left Yuzhou, and how many of them knew this skill? I have fought so many people, how could I not recognize it!"

Zhao Ti, who was standing nearby, was surprised when he heard this. Did his father and mother elope back then? Otherwise, why would so many people be chasing after them?

Even if they were to elope, it seems unnecessary to send so many experts who know the Four Illuminations Divine Skill. After all, only elite disciples of the Yang family can learn the Four Illuminations Divine Skill. Are so many people leaving the cave just to chase after their parents?
Is it a manhunt? Does eloping really warrant murder?

It seems that my maternal grandparents had already passed away by then, so saying they eloped doesn't quite make sense. But why would the Yang family do that? My parents have never mentioned the past, let alone the Yang family, over the years. Is that the reason?
“Brother-in-law is right…” Yang Dian nodded and said, “Even if others can’t recognize the Four Illuminations Divine Skill, brother-in-law will definitely be able to recognize it.”

Zhao's father said, "Then what else do you have to say? It's either you or Thirteen, it's either Thirteen or you, how could it be anyone else!"

Yang Jian's face twitched upon hearing this, and he glanced at Yang Dian.

Yang Dian sighed and said, "This matter does seem to have no other answer. If it were before, I would definitely have nothing to say and would have accepted it without any problem. I could have used this as an opportunity to have a big fight with my brother-in-law. But I can't do that now."

Yang Jian nodded and said, "That's true."

Mr. Zhao looked puzzled: "What do you mean?"

Yang Dian said, "At this moment, a person who is not from the Yang family but is proficient in the Four Illuminations Divine Skill has appeared in Yuzhou. This person's skill has reached the pinnacle and the Four Illuminations Divine Skill has been perfected. Last night, he fought a fierce battle and injured countless members of my Yang family."

"What? The Four Illuminations Divine Skill has been mastered?" Upon hearing this, Zhao's father's expression immediately changed. "Are you trying to fool me? When did someone master the Four Illuminations Divine Skill? I remember that the Yang family hasn't produced anyone who has mastered it for over a hundred years."

Yang Dian shook his head and said, "What's the big deal? Is this something to be proud of? If other powerful families hadn't found out and spread the word, I wouldn't have said anything. I suspect that the person who came to my brother-in-law's house to show off his power is this person."

Zhao's mother asked in surprise, "What exactly happened? Sixth brother, please tell me in detail."

Yang Dian nodded and began to recount the story, starting with the death of the old servant of the Yang family, and then describing the events that occurred in the forest last night.

Zhao Ti's eyes gleamed as he listened intently, but a strange expression crept onto his face as he listened.

"That person who had mastered the Four Illuminations Divine Skill was incredibly fierce. He crippled my arrogant fourth uncle and also maimed Yang Yulang of the eldest branch. Then, with a single palm strike, he injured and forced most of the dozens of people to retreat!" Yang Dian said in a heavy voice, "At this critical moment, I had no choice but to risk the severe consequences of the backlash from my cultivation technique and use my still-unmastered sword technique to frighten him away. That's how we managed to prevent further losses among the family's elites and preserve some of our strength."

"What? You used your swordsmanship to frighten away someone who had mastered the Four Illuminations Divine Skill?" Upon hearing this, Zhao's father's eyes widened like copper bells. "Mastering the Four Illuminations Divine Skill means having internal energy like the rolling Luo River or the surging Tai River. Although you can't yet split mountains and open up the earth, you are already a top master in the world. There are very few martial arts giants like this in the entire world right now. What kind of swordsmanship did you use to frighten away him?"

"This..." Yang Dian coughed lightly and said, "I used a divine sword technique. This sword technique is amazing and incredibly skillful. One of the moves is called Sword God's Smile. It has earth-shattering power and the power to make ghosts weep and gods cry. It's a pity that I haven't fully mastered this move. Otherwise... I would definitely have kept the person who has mastered the Four Illuminations Divine Skill here."

"You...you're not bragging, are you?" Zhao's father thought for a moment: "I don't believe your so-called Sword God's Smile sword technique, which is not even fully mastered yet, can scare away a master of the Four Illuminations Divine Skill. If I were that master, I would definitely keep you all here and kill you until the blood flows like a river, leaving no one alive, so as to save you from harming the country and the people and preying on the common people."

"Sixth brother, are you sure that's someone who has mastered the Four Illuminations Divine Skill and isn't from the Yang family?" Mother Zhao asked, her brows furrowed.

“Seventh Sister, hundreds of eyes were watching this. With the Four Pillars of Light protecting all directions, and a single palm strike repelling dozens of people, how could it be fake? Besides, the scene and the image at the time were even more impressive than what was said in the family,” Yang Dian said.

“That’s true.” Yang Jian also said, “Although I only arrived in Yuzhou today, I heard it from those who came earlier, and it’s not wrong.”

Mother Zhao said, "This is strange. Not to mention that someone has actually mastered the Four Illuminations Divine Skill to a high level, and it's not even a member of the Yang family. Who could have leaked this skill? This is a serious matter that violates the family rules."

“This…” Yang Jian shook his head: “I have sent people back home to investigate, but there may not be any results. After all, no one is stupid enough to admit to such a thing. We need to capture the person who has mastered the divine skill and confront them. But how can we easily capture such a person who has mastered the skill?”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ti glanced at Yang Jian without leaving a trace, only to find that Yang Jian was also looking over, revealing a slightly guilty expression.

“But this still doesn’t make sense…” Father Zhao said, “Even if all of this is true, and the person who came to my house is a master of the Four Illuminations Divine Skill, how did this person find this place, why did he damage the roof of Ti’er’s bed, and what is his purpose?”

(End of this chapter)