The more you believe me, the more real it becomes.

Chapter 270 Upside Down

The old man was completely baffled by what he said, but Du Yuan suddenly understood.

Then he glanced a few more times at the little girl who also seemed somewhat confused.

Then he said to the old man:
"Sir, there's no need to overthink it. When the time is right, you'll understand. This child's talent cannot be hidden. It's getting late, please go home soon."

The old man bowed slightly, seemingly understanding, then picked up the little girl and walked away.

Before leaving, he turned back and said one more thing, still feeling uneasy:
"Gentlemen, is my granddaughter really alright?"

Du Yuan laughed:

"Don't worry, sir. I'll be extra careful because of this chance encounter with the candy today!"

The old man then bowed slightly, somewhat relieved, and left.

After the two disappeared from sight, Du Yuan asked the man in black:
"Is this little girl the reincarnation of someone from back then?"

The man in black reminisced about the past and said:
"Yes, I didn't notice it at first. It was only when I noticed her extraordinary talent that I was surprised to find that the child's features were so similar to someone I had seen in the past."

When Li Shiyi went south to deliver the sword and caused a great calamity, a young woman followed him closely.

He had also glanced at that girl; her features were exactly the same as the child's today.

For a moment, he even thought he had returned to those days.
Thinking of this, he reached for his waist, only to find that he hadn't brought any alcohol with him.

Therefore, he could only ask Du Yuan:
"Excuse me, do you have any alcohol with you?"

Du Yuan shook her head regretfully:

"I don't drink alcohol, so I don't have any on me."

The man in black said with some regret:

"Then you've missed out on a lot of good things. In this world, wine is truly one of the best things."

Du Yuan laughed:

"Zifeiyu, know the joy of fish?"

These words startled the man in black for a moment, then he nodded repeatedly after pondering them:
"You have quite a bit of knowledge in the Confucian tradition."

After saying that, he gazed at the distant mountains and rivers and said:

"Legend has it that the best wine in the world was brewed by the God of the Sun himself. Some even say that the Dao Ancestor once personally visited him to ask for it. Unfortunately, the God of the Sun only liked to brew wine, so none of the wine he brewed was ever released; it was all hidden away somewhere unknown."

"Moreover, the Divine Dawn and the Taoist lineage are really at odds. That's why even the Taoist Ancestor suffered a crushing defeat."

As he spoke, the man in black quietly said to Du Yuan:
"I've also heard that when Dao Ancestor first arrived, he was scolded mercilessly by Xi Shen and had to leave in a hurry. Of course, I've only heard this, and it's really just hearsay, so don't go out and tell people that I told you."

"Otherwise, if the Taoists find out, I'm afraid I won't have a good time."

"Seriously, such a thing exists?" Du Yuan chuckled.
"Don't worry, my mouth is sealed tight!"

But Du Yuan also asked curiously:
"But if it's so rare, why would anyone say that the best wine was brewed by the God of Dawn?"

In such a case, even if there are very few exceptions, shouldn't they be too niche to be convincing to the public?

Only then did the man in black continue speaking:

"Because although Xi Shen is at odds with the Taoist school, he has a good relationship with the Buddhist school. For this reason, he gave three altars as gifts to a Buddha and two Bodhisattvas respectively."

"Later, half a jar of these three jars of wine was taken back by a sage who was a companion in the Confucian Temple. That person was the most famous wine immortal in the world."

"So when he said it was the best wine in the world, no one objected!"

Du Yuan suddenly realized, but the man in black glanced around again and then whispered once more:
"Let me tell you, of course, this is just hearsay. I heard from others that this half-jar of fine wine was not actually what the accompanying saint wanted. Of course, he must have been tempted by it too."

"It's just that he was sent by the Supreme Sage Master. I've even heard that the real reason the Supreme Sage Master sent him was that the Dao Ancestor wanted to try it out. But there's really no other way, so they can only go around in circles like this."

Du Yuan asked curiously, "Is this wine really that good?" If it is, then this whole circle is way too far-fetched, isn't it?
The man in black laughed:
"That is of course the best wine in the world. Even the wine immortal tasted like cardboard for a long time after drinking a sip of this wine, and almost gave up drinking altogether."

"You should know that before this, even the most famous wines, which were known as the three great immortal wines in the world, would not have been called like this."

"Tell me, after all this, who wouldn't believe that this is the best wine in the world!"

Du Yuan chuckled and nodded: "In that case, it must be true."

But having said that, the man in black pointed to the upper half of the gourd and asked:
"So, do you intend to accept this immortal sword? You should know that it is a cauldron sword forged from one of the Nine Ancient Cauldrons!"

Emperor's Sword, National Sword, Cauldron Sword—these are all names of the "Xiaojia".

Du Yuan interjected, "Is this sword actually used to protect the nation?"

“Exactly.” The man in black nodded. “The Nine Cauldrons of antiquity were originally powerful instruments used to suppress the fortune of the world. This sword, which is derived from the Nine Cauldrons, naturally also serves this purpose. It is a true national treasure.”

Upon hearing this, Du Yuan couldn't help but recall the young prince carrying the sword, so she asked, "Have you ever heard of the sword 'Zhenguo'?"

"The Sword of National Protection? The one that the Great Ancestor of the Great Cheng Dynasty wielded? Of course I've heard of it." The man in black spoke frankly. "Years ago, I even debated swordsmanship with the King of the Great Cheng Dynasty. That sword is indeed a rare and powerful weapon. However, hehe, it depends on what it's compared to."

He changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat amused:
"Compared to ordinary immortal swords, 'Zhenguo' is naturally extraordinary. But compared to 'Xiaojia,' which is a cauldron sword, it is nothing."

As he spoke, a hint of curiosity arose in him, and he asked:

Why did you suddenly ask about the 'National Guardian' sword?

Du Yuan replied calmly, "It was just a sudden thought. After all, I saw this sword just a few days ago."

"Have you been to the refuge in Da Cheng?" The man in black asked casually without giving it much thought.

Unexpectedly, Du Yuan then casually added, "That sword is now stuck in the southwest, used to exchange for their current crown prince."

The man in black immediately looked surprised: "How is this possible? I have met the last ruler of Da Cheng. In his heart, let alone a son, the weight of the national treasure far outweighs any number of offspring that can be born at any time."

Upon hearing this, Du Yuan raised an eyebrow and asked another question:
"The story of the imprisonment in the Cicada's Shedding Cave, and that Heaven-Turning Seal. Do you know anything about these?"

Seeing that Du Yuan had finally brought up the topic of the cultivation world and was on the same wavelength as him, the man in black robes became increasingly relaxed:
"Of course I know. I had dealings with the Cicada Molting Cave in the past. Why are you asking this?"

He had almost thought this guy was an eccentric who was completely detached from the affairs of the cultivation world, but now he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Do you think that, for the Cicada's Metamorphosis Cave, the Imprisonment Stories are more important, or the Heaven-Turning Seal?"

Du Yuan had a vague idea in her mind and wanted to confirm it now.

The man in black answered almost without thinking:
"The Cicada Molting Cave was originally a precious treasure left over from ancient times. Logically speaking, the former master of the Cicada Molting Cave was not qualified to occupy this place. However, he and his brothers were truly able to work together with one heart and one mind, and their strength could break gold."

"Therefore, although the Heaven-Turning Seal is the most important treasure of the Cicada Shedding Cave, it is far less important than the Prisoner's Story, who was rolled out of the pile of dead bodies with him."

He paused, then pressed on, "But why are you asking these questions specifically today?"

Seeing that her guess was indeed correct, Du Yuan gently shook her head and slowly said:
"Now, Qiu Wen has traded his life for the Heaven-Turning Seal, while Prince Cheng has traded his life for the 'National Guardian' Sword."

Upon hearing this, the man in black remained silent for a moment, then sighed softly, his voice filled with emotion:

"What a distorted cause and effect!"

Of these two groups, those who should have lived did not, and those who should have died did not.

Really good fortune.

"So, this 'Xiaojia'?"

Du Yuan shook her head slightly, then turned around and said:
"It is indeed a rare and fine sword, but what would I do with a national treasure?"

The man in black turned around:

"Then let's go take a look at the next one. This is the largest sword tomb in the world, you're sure to find the one you want here."

(End of this chapter)