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

Chapter 278 Don't Show Me the Seal (5k)

The elegantly dressed young man's words left the soldiers completely baffled. But he was known for his absurd and unreliable behavior.

So the soldiers just let it go in one ear and out the other, glanced at the setting sun, and quickly urged him on with smiles:
"Young master, you have no idea how much trouble the whole capital has been these past few days because you disappeared. Now that you're back, your wife and Lord Wang will be overjoyed!"

"So, do you think we should go back and inform the officials first?"

In fact, during the days he disappeared, everyone in Kyoto felt that life had become much quieter.

This applies not only to royalty and nobility, but also to ordinary people and laborers.

This, I heard, also includes his father and mother.
There was no way around it; Wang Chengsi's reputation was so bad that the emperor remembered him not because he was the eldest son of the Langya Wang clan, but because he was so outrageous that he could make countless jokes at palace banquets.

To say nothing of the distant past, at last year's Double Ninth Festival banquet, the emperor held a grand banquet for all officials, and this man, being of such high status, was naturally among them.

But he could drag all the cabinet ministers down into the pond!

The old Grand Secretary was already in his seventies, and he almost got sick from the cold!
If he weren't the eldest son of the Langya Wang clan, and hadn't done even more outrageous things before, the emperor would probably have suspected him of plotting to assassinate the cabinet.

The day after he did this, he was punished with confinement and secretly ran out of the mansion. He played dice with a group of lowlifes on the street and lost the yellow phoenix pendant bestowed by the emperor!

That's a treasure that none of the cabinet ministers could have!
He did this not only more than once, but on average four or five times a year.

It was fortunate that he came from a good family; his father was the current patriarch of the Langya Wang clan, and his mother was the eldest daughter of the Qinghe Cui clan. Otherwise, anyone else would have been dead long ago!

Furthermore, if he weren't just an ignorant and incompetent spoiled brat instead of someone who bullies men and women, his reputation would probably be dozens of times worse.

The elegantly dressed young man paid no attention to this, simply enjoying the beautiful, soft grass with a contented expression.

And a sense of security from the perilous land of Kyoto.

But as he thought about it, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He had always avoided such dangerous situations before, but now he was actually walking right into one himself.

This is really too much.
"Don't worry about me. I'll lie down and rest for a bit. I'll go back on my own when I feel better. Don't worry, I won't make Father and Mother worry anymore."

The soldiers couldn't refute it, so they could only smile awkwardly. Then they gave the last soldier a wink, and the soldier immediately understood, mounted his horse, and rode off to the camp to inform his superiors.

The elegantly dressed young man was fully aware of this, but he didn't care at all.

It's just some family members visiting; they're nothing special. They'll just give me another scolding.

Compared to those two gentlemen, what are these? They're nothing!

Just as he had expected, not long after, he saw another troop of riders escorting a man in military uniform approaching at full speed.

Upon seeing Wang Chengsi's appearance, the other party immediately frowned.

He was none other than Wang Chengsi's uncle, his father's second younger brother.

He did not dismount, but urged his horse forward slowly.

Seeing that Wang Chengsi still didn't intend to get up, he directly pulled out his whip and lashed it with perfect accuracy next to Wang Chengsi.

The grass was torn and ripped open; if it landed on someone, it wouldn't be surprising if the bone was exposed.

"You wretched child, it's one thing to have been out fooling around for so many days, but why don't you get up when you see your second uncle?"

The surrounding soldiers were all too frightened to utter a sound, and could only keep their eyes down and their minds at ease.

Only then did the elegantly dressed young man slowly stand up. After stretching in front of the other party, he straightened his clothes and changed his demeanor before the other party could completely explode.

And with just that one gesture, his second uncle immediately sensed that something had changed.

After the elegantly dressed young man had tidied his clothes, he bowed deeply to the other person again:
"Nephew greets Uncle! It was indeed my fault for not returning for so many days, and it was also my fault for being rude earlier. However, I have been through a lot on this trip and am very tired."

"Having finally returned to my homeland, I simply couldn't resist the urge to relax a bit, and thus I became somewhat lax. Now, I have reflected on my actions and corrected my mistakes, so please forgive me, Uncle!"

"If Second Uncle still feels it's not enough, please give me your instructions on how I should apologize."

His words were quite appropriate, but they only made the other person frown even more.

He scrutinized Wang Chengsi carefully before him, and after a moment, he finally said:
"His sharp tongue has certainly improved quite a bit. Here, give this little rascal a horse, and I'll take him back."

The elegantly dressed young man hurriedly raised his hand to stop him: "Second Uncle, please wait. I have brought my own mount, and it's a fine one at that!"

The other party raised an eyebrow and said:
"You bastard, do you intend to ride your broken donkey? Haven't you disgraced the Langya Wang clan enough?"

In the past, when the imperial court lacked horses, oxcarts were the preferred mode of transport. Now, with the large-scale introduction of fine northern horses, three major horse farms have been established.

The nobles gradually shifted their preference from oxcarts to horse-drawn carriages.

Naturally, for a noble family like Tian Gui to ride a donkey instead of a fine horse would be a huge embarrassment.

With that bastard gone, they managed to salvage some of their lost face, but they can't afford to lose it all again as soon as he returns!
To everyone's surprise, the elegantly dressed young man didn't feel embarrassed at all. Instead, he smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Hey, Second Uncle, you're wrong! My donkey is in excellent condition, even better than an ordinary steed!"

His second uncle almost burst out laughing, but when he followed his finger to the donkey, the corners of his mouth that had just turned up suddenly froze, and his brows furrowed again: "What kind of donkey is this? How, how did it grow like this?"

The donkey had a glossy mane, broad shoulders, a strong body, and powerful limbs. Standing there with its head held high and chest out, it truly had the majestic air of a fine steed—if it weren't for its distinctive long ears and donkey face, it would almost be mistaken for a good horse.

"Second Uncle, that's why I say my donkey is doing great; it's even intelligent!"

"What kind of spirit does a beast have? Do you expect it to respond if I call it?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the donkey actually brayed at him, its voice loud and clear, almost as if it were responding and mocking him.

It's as if it's saying, 'I really agreed, but what about now?'

Several soldiers nearby almost burst out laughing, but dared not actually laugh out loud, and could only hold it in, their faces turning bright red.

His second uncle was taken aback at first, then his face darkened, but he didn't refute it anymore. He just waved his hand and said, "It's just a coincidence! Hurry up... never mind, get on first, we'll talk on the way!"

"Nephew understands!"

The elegantly dressed young man nimbly mounted the donkey's back, riding alongside the person beside him.

"How has Second Uncle been feeling lately?"

The other person did not turn around, his back straight, eyes fixed ahead, one hand firmly gripping the reins, the other resting lightly on the hilt of the sword at his waist.

"Very good. With you, you rascal, not in the capital, it's much quieter inside and out. But I'm still not at ease—last year I went to great lengths to find the famous flower from the South China Sea, and you ruined it, didn't you?"

He paused, glanced sideways at the person beside him, and asked, "Judging by the days, it should be time to open the business in the next few days. So, how do you plan to compensate me for this debt?"

Upon hearing this, the elegantly dressed young man lowered his eyes and smiled:
"Second Uncle must have misremembered. I have never ruined your flowers. I do remember that before the New Year, I accidentally killed the two Fei Sai Long Jing plants that you had worked so hard to grow by pouring hot water on them."

The answer was exactly the same, but the coldness in the other person's eyes only grew stronger.

That heartless bastard shouldn't be able to answer that question!
"Do you remember the first time I hit you when you were a child? Why was that?" He suddenly changed the subject.

The elegantly dressed young man smiled even more: "How could I not remember? Back then, my brother and I were about the same age, and my aunt always liked to bring him to be close to my mother. We even wore the exact same clothes. You mistook me for someone else and beat me up."

Upon hearing this, the man paused slightly, surprised for a moment. He turned his head, looking at the richly dressed young man with suspicion, only to see the other man smile and add:

"Second Uncle, you've probably forgotten about this long ago, but I've always remembered it and haven't dared to forget it."

“I remember that at the time, my mother, father, and even my grandmother all thought that I had upset you again, which made you lose your temper and hit me. After all, I swear to God, it really wasn't me that time!”

These words made the man raise his hand in surprise, his tone full of uncertainty:
"No, that's not right. Wasn't it the year you first started elementary school?"

“That year? That happened later.” The richly dressed young man shook his head. “Back then, I was playing around and skipping school. I even pulled out Mr. Zhang’s beard, which made you apologize to me everywhere and cause quite a stir. But that wasn’t the first time you hit me, it wasn’t even the second time.”

"Not even the second time?" the man murmured, his doubts deepening, but his guard clearly lessening.

"Yes. There was another time when you hit me. Because I was angry that you hit me wrongly last time, I secretly peed in your tea."

Even after saying this, the man's confusion remained, but the hand that had been resting on the sword hilt slowly loosened and finally fell to his sides, no longer gripping the sword. He remained silent for a moment before asking, "Where did you go this time? You seem like a completely different person."

"I've been to Qingzhou and the Southwest, met the old general, and accompanied an uncle on a trip. I also spent some real time training in the old general's camp. But if I had to pick a trip, it was the one in Qingzhou that taught me the most."

The elegantly dressed young man spoke sincerely: "As a result, my eyes have become more capable than before, and I can see many things that I couldn't understand before."

"You went to the Southwest?" The man's voice suddenly rose, almost hoarse. "That place is so dangerous. You didn't bring any guards, and you don't have any proper official status. What were you doing in the Southwest?"

Although he always called him a scoundrel and a beast, he was still his own nephew, so how could he not worry?
Unexpectedly, the elegantly dressed young man's expression turned serious: "As a scion of a noble family, it is only natural to serve the country and establish a career for the family. Once the old general's military report is sent back to the capital, I think you, Second Uncle, will understand the reason why I went to the southwest."

Upon hearing this, his second uncle slowly came to his senses, as if he had guessed something. After a moment of silence, he took out a carved jade pendant from his pocket, handed it to the richly dressed young man, and asked:
Do you know what this is?

The elegantly dressed young man examined it carefully for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's just a piece of warm jade, nothing particularly rare."

These words caused a quick flicker of self-mockery to cross his second uncle's eyes. Indeed, he must have been overthinking things; how could this brat possibly understand such things?

But just as the thought crossed her mind, the elegantly dressed young man slowly added:
"If you take it back and put it in your house, it will be enough to keep the house warm in winter and cool in summer. But if you're talking about other uses, that's all."

"You...you know?" This time, the other party was genuinely surprised.

Kyoto may appear calm on the surface lately, but beneath the surface, undercurrents are surging and many strange changes are brewing.

Many things he had never dared to imagine or believe before were quietly unfolding in the shadows. As members of the Langya Wang clan, they naturally knew some of the inside story, and this warm jade was one of them.

He was just trying it out casually, never expecting that his nephew actually knew the trick.

"Of course I know." The richly dressed young man nodded. "Second Uncle, didn't I tell you? My gains from that trip to Qingzhou far exceeded your expectations."

His second uncle gave him a deep look, the doubt in his eyes gradually fading away, replaced by an undisguised sense of relief.

He nodded slightly and sighed, "If my brother knew what you look like now, he would be very happy. It's just that you've become successful too late!"

The elegantly dressed young man sincerely bowed and apologized:

"Second Uncle, I was indeed wrong before!"

"A prodigal son who returns is more precious than gold, and my Langya Wang clan has no shortage of these things, only a prodigal son who returns!"

His second uncle laughed even more heartily, but then continued from where he left off:
"However, you said your eyesight has improved a lot. Could you show me a few more items?"

"Please!"

As he said this, his personal guards intentionally or unintentionally separated the few soldiers who had started behind him.

The other party, sensing the situation, gradually fell behind and soon disappeared from sight.

Only then did his second uncle pull out a talisman and say:

"Can you take a look at this for me?"

Neither of them accepted it, so the richly dressed young man smiled and said:
"The 'Light-Illuminating Talisman' is of poor quality, but the person who drew it is quite skilled, so it is considered a good item. However, it is not very effective; it is only good for illumination."

"That's it"

His second uncle frowned slightly, as if he was thinking about something else, but he didn't stop what he was doing.

As he touched it, he found another small seal:

"I have another seal here. Could you take a look at it for me? It's said that it can summon spirits to help you."

Unexpectedly, the elegantly dressed young man, who had been perfectly fine up ahead, almost fell off the donkey's back as soon as he heard that he needed to see the seal.

"Boy, what's wrong with you?"

If his second uncle hadn't been quick-witted and pulled him back, he probably would have really tumbled down there.

"Second Uncle, this seal... forget about the seal. I've only been away for a short time, and I haven't really learned anything from it. So please don't show me anything like seals!"

Just kidding, visiting Qingzhou once caused enormous karma. Visiting the Southwest once will cause even more enormous karma.

To see the seal, I was carrying so much karma on my back that it was practically flying to the heavens! What else could I possibly see?
The other party seemed to understand but not quite, so he could only put it down and then took a sword from his personal guard, saying:
"And the sword? Did you learn anything from watching the swordplay?"

"The sword? Of course, the sword is fine! Let me see it!"

Seeing that his second uncle finally wouldn't let him see the seal, he breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled smugly:
"As for me, I dare not say anything else, but when it comes to swordsmanship, I've truly mastered it! Even those sword immortals, hehe, definitely can't match my eyesight!"

His master once said that he was truly superior to everyone in his sect only in swordsmanship.

This also fulfilled the condition for graduation—to surpass all the seniors in the sect in a certain aspect!
Upon hearing this, his second uncle was equally overjoyed and took out the precious sword he had obtained.

Unexpectedly, when the treasure was taken out of the brocade box, everyone saw a streak of light fly across the sky and then disappear into the capital.

"Uh, what, what is that?" His second uncle stared in disbelief.

The elegantly dressed young man didn't answer, but stared at her for a long time before finally looking away and saying:
"Second Uncle, that's a sword, the most powerful sword among immortal swords. Its name is 'Xiaojia'! And now this sword has actually fallen into this place. It seems the Emperor is truly remarkable!"

But after he finished speaking, he glanced curiously in the direction from which the sword had flown.

Didn't Xiao Jia fall into the Sword Tomb back then? The Great Era hasn't even arrived yet, how could it have flown here?

Was there some unexpected mishap, or is the current emperor truly so capable that he could actually cause Xiao Jia to break free of his seal ahead of schedule?

"Then, how does my sword compare to this one?"

The other party was clearly a bit agitated.

The elegantly dressed young man turned around and looked back, then smiled helplessly:
"This weapon of yours is naturally a divine weapon compared to the ones you usually use, comparable to the Xiaojia sword. Well, Uncle, don't humiliate yourself!"

These words made his second uncle lower his head in embarrassment.

Then he casually stuffed the divine weapon, which he had previously treasured greatly, into the hands of a personal guard, saying:

"Here you go."
-
At this very moment, Du Yuan was standing opposite the man in black.

Du Yuan glanced at the scattered, towering sword pillar and said:
"Now that things are settled here, I should head to Kyoto."

The other party, however, seemed to have known all along, and said to Du Yuan:

"I knew someone like you would definitely make a trip to Kyoto!"

"Oh? You know?" Du Yuan asked, a little curious.

The man in black nodded repeatedly: "Of course, it would be strange if you didn't go."

At this point, Mo Yike was somewhat expectant, wondering if this person could also, like the Buddha and the Taoist, pry open a section of the Great World ahead of time.

All living beings under heaven have been waiting for this great era for far too many years!
Du Yuan smiled and said:

"Alright, then goodbye!"

"Please take your time, sir. I will not go anywhere else; I will stay here and guard the Sword Tomb. You may come back and visit when you have time."

Du Yuan looked back at the now quiet surroundings and said:

Even if there are no swords left here?

The man in black laughed:
"There are still swords here, countless swords! They're all buried here, waiting for me to join them!"

Upon hearing this, Du Yuan looked at him seriously, said nothing more, and simply bowed before leaving. Only after he had gone some distance did she turn back and smile at him, saying:
"You are already capable of wielding a sword!"

As soon as the words were spoken, a gentle spring breeze blew in!
(End of this chapter)