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

Chapter 291 A Familiar Feeling (4k)

Kyoto is a place where the world converges, and if someone asks about other trivial matters in the capital, it is often difficult to answer—because there is simply too much to say.

For example, when asked who the most famous scholar in Kyoto is, or which family is the most prominent, the answers are always varied.

But if you ask, "Do you know Wang Chengsi?", everyone from royalty and nobility to commoners will answer with certainty, "Yes!"

The reason is simple: this person is simply too "abstract" to be explained.

He was the eldest son of the Langya Wang clan, the heir to the most prestigious family in ancient times, and countless noble titles weighed heavily on his shoulders.

Logically speaking, even if he were uneducated and merely a leisurely nobleman, no one would dare to criticize him.

But he had neither talent nor learning, and he loved to cause trouble everywhere: today he would smash the antiques and paintings of a prince, and tomorrow he might steal the chickens and ducks of a commoner on the street. He even caused trouble for the emperor.

This is old news from three years ago—at that time, a vassal state presented a rare bird as tribute. Its feathers were colorful and its tail feathers fluttered like thin gauze. It was extremely beautiful and rare, and the emperor was very fond of it.

The emperor specially ordered it to be brought out at a grand banquet so that all his officials could admire it together.

The emperor had long anticipated that this fellow would suddenly have another idea to cause trouble, so he deliberately arranged for him to sit in the farthest corner, and the banquet proceeded peacefully.

But trouble struck as soon as the banquet ended.

This fellow somehow managed to sneak into the Imperial Garden where rare birds resided, and he and the emperor's beloved pet took a liking to each other and started fighting on the spot.

When the eunuchs heard the commotion and rushed over, they saw the eldest son of the Langya Wang clan and the rare bird lying on the ground, one on each side, both unconscious.

The eunuchs were momentarily frozen in place, unsure whether to rescue the person first or capture them first.

If you say you'll save them, they've already trespassed into the Imperial Garden and beaten the Emperor's precious birds to a pulp. But if you say you'll take them, the young master of the Langya Wang clan is dead or missing; how can you, a mere eunuch, just stand by and do nothing?
Moreover, he caused trouble not only in the inner city and the palace, but also in the outer city where the common people lived.

He wasn't the kind of spoiled brat who led a bunch of lackeys to bully men and women in the streets; if he were, his reputation might actually be better.

After all, being called a "second-generation rich kid" sounds better than being called a "fool you can't mess with," right?
But he insisted on doing some outrageous things. I remember when he was young, he somehow got hold of a wild ox and secretly brought it into the capital.

Startled, the wild ox charged wildly, knocking down dozens of imperial guards and trampling three streets before finally being shot dead by General Zuomen with an arrow.

Upon investigation, it was discovered that he had not deliberately caused trouble; he simply found the wild ox unusual, as neither his family nor the people of the capital had ever seen one before, and wanted to bring it over so that everyone could see it.

As a result, the people of those three streets remembered him and that cow for the rest of their lives; General Zuo was dismissed from his post, for a reason that couldn't be simpler:
Such a large bison came in through the gate you were guarding. If you don't dismiss him, who will?
To put it mildly, today we've managed to sneak in a wild buffalo; to put it more seriously, are you going to let in a mutinous army tomorrow?

There were many similar incidents, so much so that when people mentioned him, they would say "the one who handled the cattle," "the one who stole the chickens," or "the one who stayed up all night and went to people's outhouses to look for crickets."

That's why everyone present couldn't help but change their expressions slightly when Du Yuan mentioned "Wang Chengsi".

Within the capital, even the emperor had suffered at his hands, so these scions of noble families who were theoretically closer to him had naturally been tormented by him as well.

A person who looks normal but acts crazy and outrageous is really good at causing trouble.

Seeing everyone's reaction, Du Yuan couldn't help but ask herself:
"Does this young master Wang perhaps have a bad reputation in the capital?"

Cui Shilu opened his mouth, but the usually quick-witted and eloquent Cui was speechless for a moment, and could only carefully choose his words before speaking:
"Um... he's actually alright. After all, even ordinary people's dogs can get along with him!"

Finally, unable to continue, he changed the subject and asked:
"May I ask why you inquire about him, sir?"

"He had previously traveled to Qingzhou, and later went to the southwest for training, where he also met two of my friends. Both of my friends said that he..."

At this point, Du Yuan suddenly paused, unsure how to continue—should she say that she had a very good impression of him? Or should she say that he had actually achieved something in the Southwest?
If these words were spoken aloud, would the people in the capital really believe them?
"Did he go to the southwest and Qingzhou to cause trouble?"

Cui Shilu's expression changed instantly. Oh no, this guy hasn't caused enough trouble in the capital!

It's a real tragedy that someone from our five surnames and seven clans came out as such!
The five surnames and seven clans are intertwined, so much so that they are all in the same boat, and all suffer the same fate.

Having a second-generation rich kid is nothing to worry about; no aristocratic families have ever been without this thing.

But if it's something this abstract, then he's really lost all face. Furthermore, because his mother came from his own family, he and the other person are actually cousins.

This made him tremble with fear whenever the man was mentioned, lest his reputation be tarnished by him.

"Ah, no, that's not it. Well, he wasn't very prominent in Qingzhou, but he did make a lot of contributions in the Southwest. I imagine many of the hundreds of thousands of disaster victims in the Southwest still remember him."

"what?!"

Choi Si-rok's first reaction upon hearing this was not that he had finally changed, but rather:

"Sir, are you sure you've got the right person? He, he... Um... My cousin doesn't seem like the kind of person who could accomplish something like this!"

"Cousins? You're cousins?"

Du Yuan was somewhat surprised. Was there a connection between all of this?
Cui Shilu found it somewhat difficult to speak, but still cupped his hands and said:
“My aunt is his biological mother, so naturally she’s his cousin. So you’re really not mistaken, are you?”

Du Yuan shook her head and smiled:

"I'm not so bad as to get these things wrong, unless the Langya Wang clan has another Wang Chengsi."

Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked. Was this really Wang Chengsi?

At that moment, a fast rider suddenly rode up, dismounted upon seeing Cui Shilu, and quickly stepped forward, whispering in his ear:
"Young master, your aunt has returned. Madam wants you to go back and pay your respects to her."

There is only one person who would say that, and that is his aunt who married into the Langya Wang clan.

This startled Cui Shilu, who then said, "My cousin, and my aunt has already returned."

But he didn't think much of it and simply said:
"I need to stay with this gentleman. Please go back and apologize for me. Tell him that I will apologize to my aunt in person later."

The newcomer glanced at Du Yuan beside him with a slightly strange expression, then asked:
"Young master, who is this gentleman?"

Cui Shilu shook his head at him and said:
"When you go back, you don't need to say anything more. Just tell them that I've made arrangements for this gentleman and will naturally go over there."

"I understand, I will take my leave now."

The other party immediately left in the same hurry as when they arrived.

Then, Cui Shilu accompanied Du Yuan as they continued walking forward.

Watching the fast rider disappear into the distance, Du Yuan asked with a smile:
"Your elders have returned, are you really going to continue to keep me, an outsider, company?"

Cui Shilu didn't think much of it at first, and just smiled and replied:
"Sir and I are probably destined to meet only today, but I can see my aunt anytime I want, so it is more important to stay with you first."

He was startled as soon as he finished speaking. Just moments ago, they were a few steps apart and whispering to each other.

This gentleman actually listened to everything?

Thinking of this, he became even more certain that Du Yuan's identity must be extraordinary.

Rumors and gossip are everywhere. Although the main branch of the Cui family of Qinghe is not in the capital, even the branch that remains in the capital is still well-informed.

As the eldest son, he was naturally aware of the strange changes happening in various places, and he even vaguely sensed that the elders in his clan seemed to be in contact with something as well.

Therefore, he privately wanted to seize any opportunity.

When he first saw Du Yuan from afar, he felt that this person stood out exceptionally in the crowd. So much so that when he passed by, he couldn't help but dismount and personally strike up a conversation.

After getting to know him, he was surprised to find that this person might be the opportunity he was looking for!

These past few days, he's tried everywhere, but he just can't find anything strange about it.

That's why I went hunting with my friends to relax, but I never expected to run into them on the way back!

This is truly an unexpected and wonderful outcome!
-
Meanwhile, within the inner city, in Kyoto's most famous building—the Water Moon Pavilion.

Many scions of wealthy families were sitting around the elegantly dressed young man.

They listened as the elegantly dressed young man spoke eloquently to them.

From north to south, from the sea to the land, people and strange tales are discussed without restraint, and nothing is too extraordinary to be found.

Any one of them was enough to make them cheer with delight.

Just then, a young nobleman suddenly asked:
“Brother Wang, I once went to Jibei, where I heard a storyteller tell a very wonderful story. Whenever I think of it, I am still amazed and full of imagination.”

"But that's not important, because these stories have spread all over the country. What I'm curious about is that the storyteller said his stories came from a storyteller in the suburbs of Qingxian County, Qingzhou."

"Brother Wang, since you have been to Qingzhou, I wonder if you have met this gentleman?"

Upon hearing this, the elegantly dressed young man slowly lowered his gold-threaded folding fan, turned to look at the man, and smiled:
"I've heard of the person you're talking about, but I've never met him. I suppose he must be someone with some kind of destiny."

This bizarre story, while remarkably fitting to a bygone era, somehow seems completely out of place.

After much thought, it can only be something fabricated by a lucky individual who only knew bits and pieces of information.

Because he was extremely reluctant to discuss Qingzhou, he changed the subject as soon as he opened his mouth:

"Ah, let's not talk about outsiders. We brothers haven't seen each other for a long time. Today, let's drink until we drop!"

Kyoto is great. These people say they're all incompetent, which is obviously slander, but there are only a handful of people who can be considered outstanding. Yet, it is precisely this group of people.

They were all blessed with immense fortune; as long as a great era arrived, they would have the opportunity to rise to prominence and transform into dragons amidst the changing winds and clouds.

He used to avoid such a place at all costs, simply because he had become too entangled in karma.

Now he felt that everyone in front of him was so pleasing!

The other scions of prominent families responded in unison and were about to get up.

But then, just as this brother Wang stood up and raised his cup, he suddenly put it down again and said:
"Sorry, sorry, some people are coming to visit, I have to go and deal with them first."

When everyone turned around, they saw a dark-skinned man standing behind them. They had never seen this man before, but since Brother Wang said that someone from his family had come, they decided to visit.

That person was clearly from the Langya Wang clan, and their status must have been quite high.

Therefore, everyone bowed and greeted him.

The other party didn't even look at them, which made everyone feel awkward. After the richly dressed young man entered the next room...

The dark-skinned man who followed them in crushed a talisman and said in a deep voice:

"problem occurs."

The elegantly dressed young man rubbed his eyes helplessly:

"I've already said, I really don't want to get involved in your affairs."

The other party still ignored him, and simply said to himself:
"The eldest brother was severely injured last night. He is now recuperating in the Divine Source."

The elegantly dressed young man's eyes widened instantly, and he said:

"Who's hurt?"

"Boss, you were seriously injured last night, and the killer is still unknown."

The elegantly dressed young man gasped in shock.

He knew Kyoto was dangerous, so he came here specifically to avoid those two enormous karmic consequences.

But I never expected to hear such a thing just a few days after I returned.

He knew who the eldest master was; he was one of the great sword immortals, and in the past, he and the Spring Breeze Sword Master were known as the Two Heroes of Spring and Summer.

This was already a master among the mountain dwellers, yet he was still seriously injured.
However, the elegantly dressed young man didn't think much of it at this point.

After all, Kyoto is a place where all sorts of people mingle.

So he still shook his head and said:

"It is surprising, but this is your own business and has nothing to do with me."

The dark-skinned man suddenly looked at him and smiled, saying:
“I know you want to avoid karma, but since you’ve come to Kyoto, it means there’s karma outside that you can’t afford to mess with.”

"In that case, I think it would be better for us to cooperate properly. After all, peace in Kyoto would be good for both of us."

The elegantly dressed young man still shook his head:

"I am now just an ordinary mortal. I really don't understand why you, having already abandoned the Langya Wang clan, are still chasing after a nobody like me?"

Since returning to the Langya Wang clan, he was shocked to realize that the Langya Wang clan had been someone else's servant for much longer than he had imagined.

The dark-skinned man laughed:

"Hehe, you're no nobody, you're the contemporary successor of novelists!"

"First of all, my lineage of novelists has been removed from the list of ten, and secondly, I am merely a branch of the novelist lineage, not the main line. What do you want from me? Go find the main line!"

The term "Hundred Schools of Thought" does not actually refer to a hundred schools, or even a hundred major schools such as the School of Names, Legalism, the School of Military Strategy, or even Confucianism and Taoism.

Instead, it is composed of many smaller families with different lineages within the nine streams and ten schools of thought.

The dark-skinned man still chuckled:
"Since being removed from the list of ten schools of fiction, the novelist lineage has become increasingly weak. Before the great calamity, only your branch was worth considering. If we don't turn to you, who else should we turn to?"

After saying that, the man added two more sentences:
"Furthermore, I must tell you that the eldest brother wasn't the only one seriously injured last night. In addition, there are at least five other people that the eldest brother knows about!"

"Furthermore, these five people are almost all on par with the eldest master. Do you also know that all six great cultivators, including the eldest master, were injured by the same person?"

Only then did the elegantly dressed young man raise an eyebrow.

Such a formidable opponent is somewhat beyond our expectations.

And why does this scene feel so familiar?
(End of this chapter)