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

Chapter 294 Bonus Chapter for the Alliance Leader
Du Yuan, who was walking in the market, was also slightly moved and subconsciously looked back in the direction of the Cui family of Qinghe.

The fleeting fortune of the Cui family not only returned in an instant, but was even stronger than before.

He even caught a glimpse of a dragon breaking free of its cage and swimming straight toward the palace, the place where all rivers converge—the very heart of the world's destiny.

After gazing for a moment, Du Yuan turned her attention to the Cui family mansion in Boling before her.

Within its aura of fortune, besides the family's own imposing presence, there was also a phantom of a scholar, ethereal yet solid.

Seeing this, Du Yuan couldn't help but chuckle and said softly:

"It seems that the reign title 'Jiayou' is indeed quite significant."

The grandeur of the millennium-old Dragon and Tiger Rankings is now just beginning to emerge.
After shaking her head and laughing, Du Yuan had already arrived at the gate of the Cui family mansion in Boling.

Seeing this, the guards stepped forward to inquire, and Du Yuan smiled and said:
"Please inform him that I have come to see Young Master Cui Yuancheng."

Upon hearing this, the guards were taken aback at first, then their gazes fell on the old sword at Du Yuan's waist, and they hesitated, saying:

“My young master did give instructions yesterday, saying that a gentleman might come looking for him soon. However, your sword seems to contradict what my young master described?”

This was not without reason. Yesterday, when Cui Yuancheng returned home, he specifically instructed him:
"If a young man in white comes looking for me in the next two days, you will know that he has an extraordinary temperament. Just lead him to me when you see him."

The guards agreed at the time, but fearing they might have missed something, they asked one more question:
"Young master, does that person have any other distinguishing features?"

Cui Yuancheng immediately laughed and said:
"Yes, he should be carrying a sword that is clearly no ordinary item, and the blade should have been polished to a bright and clear shine!"

The gentleman before me was also dressed in white, with an exceptionally refined air, but the sword at his waist—it was not only not shiny and clear, but it hadn't even been properly polished; it was so rusted that even the enemy wouldn't bother with it.

Du Yuan immediately understood the crux of the problem and smiled helplessly:

"I used the wrong method and failed to polish this sword. Please go and inform him first. Once you see Young Master Cui Yuancheng, everything will be clear."

The guards understood when they saw this – the sword was so rusted that it would indeed be difficult to polish it back to its original state.

They immediately smiled and said, "Please wait a moment, young master, we'll go and inform them right away!"
-
Meanwhile, in Cui Yuancheng's room, this scholar, formerly surnamed Meng and now surnamed Cui, was staring intently at the jade pendant that remained motionless.

When he was found by the Master and led to the Gewu Cave, everything went smoothly.

Even though he told everyone that the world was about to change and that he wanted to return to the capital to assist the emperor in stabilizing the court, none of the elders in the cave stopped him. On the contrary, many of them gave him appropriate gifts as farewell presents.

But ever since he returned to Kyoto, things have gradually started to go wrong.

First, the master sent a message, instructing him to leave Kyoto immediately and return to Gewu Cave.

No matter how much he pressed for an explanation, the gentleman remained silent, only repeatedly urging him to return home.

Later, when he insisted on staying, he couldn't even get in touch with Mr. Lian.

This bizarre situation left him utterly perplexed. He could only put away the jade pendant, push open the window, look up at the heavens above, and softly ask:

“Sir, sir, our Confucian lineage should take it upon ourselves to save the world and its people. Why is it that with such a great matter before us, we remain unmoved, and even those who wish to stay are urged to return?”

He never felt that with his limited abilities, he could really make any difference in Kyoto.

After all, although he was one of the prodigies who survived the great era, he was not Li Shiyi after all—he did not have the ability to turn the tide, nor did he have the destiny to change the world.

Therefore, he never felt that he could really do anything; whether he could do it was one thing, and whether he would come was another.

Why can't even someone like myself be allowed to stay?
Just then, the jade pendant he had put away suddenly emitted a warm, lustrous light.

Then a slightly helpless remark reached his ears:

You can come back anytime.

Then, there was no further movement.

This made him frown deeply.

Before he could think further, he heard the guard's voice from outside the door:
“Young master, the one you mentioned yesterday seems to have arrived, but the sword at his waist is not what you described; in fact, it is severely rusted.”

Upon hearing this, Cui Yuancheng, temporarily setting aside his doubts, smiled and said:
"Oh, that's the gentleman I was talking about. It seems he didn't go to sharpen his sword."

"Well, young master, there's something I feel I should tell you. That gentleman said it wasn't that he didn't grind it; it's that he used the wrong method, which is why he couldn't grind it at all."

"what?"

What other way could you possibly go wrong with a sword-washing stone? Isn't it just like any other whetstone—you just put it on and sharpen it?
With this doubt in mind, Cui Yuancheng asked his guards to invite Du Yuan to his room.

Upon meeting, Du Yuan said helplessly:

"Thank you for your kindness that day, young master, for gifting me treasures to help me sharpen my sword. However, I was ignorant and used the wrong method. So not only did I fail to sharpen the sword, but I also lost the things you gave me." "Therefore, I came today to ask if you know of any place where I can obtain a few more pieces?"

Cui Yuancheng's face showed a hint of helplessness as he slowly said:

"The Sword Cleansing Stone is a treasure of the sword cultivator lineage. Even other cultivators who use swords or other magical weapons will try every means to obtain it. Therefore, it is not an easy task for you to find one now."

"This item is practically the most prized possession of each mountain stronghold, and it's not something that's easily lent out. Unless you can find a familiar mountain stronghold and offer a treasure of comparable value in exchange, there's little chance of it being lent out."

After saying that, he considered it briefly and added:
"I wonder if you have anything decent to offer? If so, I have some influence and connections in Kyoto, and I might try to make some connections for you."

The recent anomalies in his own grotto had already made him realize that he could no longer rely on the Confucian school.

Therefore, he also wanted to take this opportunity to visit other hilltops and explore the current situation.

These words put Du Yuan in a dilemma. What could she possibly have to offer? Did she truly possess anything that was both presentable and could entice these cultivators?

Just as Du Yuan was racking her brains, trying to figure out what she could offer, Cui Yuancheng suddenly received a message.

The message did not come from his husband, but from another elder in the cave.

At first, he thought that his own grotto and even the Confucian temple were finally about to make a move.

Unexpectedly, the content received was:

"Tonight, the mountain strongholds gathered in Kyoto will hold a gathering to facilitate the exchange of treasures they desperately need. I have secured a spot for you."

Finally, he added a sentence:
"This is all I can do to help you."

The message also included the location of the gathering and instructions on how to get in.

This news made Cui Yuancheng's brows furrow even more, but deep down he also confirmed two things:

First, the unusual nature of his own grotto must be related to the Confucian Temple.

Secondly, the elders in the grotto probably also disagree with the Confucian Temple's proposal, but they are unable to truly stand up due to their status.

Otherwise, the elders wouldn't have helped him secretly like this.

After all, although this gathering was nominally a place for various factions to exchange scarce treasures, it was actually more like an opportunity for each faction to communicate face-to-face and find out each other's strengths and weaknesses.

To put it bluntly, after all these years, what is so scarce that it's urgent?

At that very moment, Du Yuan said somewhat shyly:

"To be honest, I don't really have anything of value on me right now. If I had to say, I only have a jar of wine, which is probably not bad."

This is from the kitten's seal; Du Yuan doesn't plan to spend too much on these things.

The kitten probably wouldn't care, but if he really needed to use it, he'd prefer to give it as a gift to someone else.

Not bad?

That must really be just average.

This made Cui Yuancheng laugh:
“We hit it off immediately. Don’t worry, sir, just ask for my help later, and I can make up for anything you need!”

He still had some things he could exchange for something.

Du Yuan confessed with remorse:
"I'm so sorry."

"Nothing."

Seeing that he really didn't care at all, Du Yuan felt really bad and said:

"How about I send you a jar of wine?"

Upon hearing this, Cui Yuancheng replied nonchalantly:

"No, no, I don't really like drinking. Sir, please save your food for tonight."

He actually really enjoys drinking.

However, this person must have encountered many difficulties, to the point that even those who survived the great calamity were unable to produce anything of value.

In that case, how could I possibly accept his few valuable possessions?

(End of this chapter)