It all started with one person becoming a shaman, but the Stand user...

I just don't know if, after this battle, I will catch the eye of that wicked commander.

The two greeted each other and exchanged a few polite words.

Mirror Heart Demon maintained a perfectly warm smile and said very politely:

"Master Qingmiao, I have come to greet you on the orders of my lord. This is not the place for conversation. Please follow me inside so we can discuss this in detail."

"Alright, please, sir."

Qinghe Miao bowed respectfully again, readily agreeing with his suggestion.

The group then turned and headed towards the former county government office, now Li Cunxu's temporary residence, which was not far away.

The elite soldiers who served as the honor guard had clearly been arranged in advance.

At each corner or doorway, someone would stop and turn to guard or quietly disperse, never following too many people.

When they reached the inner courtyard, only two guards remained behind them to guide them.

And walk far ahead to ensure that you absolutely cannot hear any conversation between Jing Xinmo and Qing Hemiao.

"Oh dear, Daoist Master... no, I should address you as Your Excellency!"

During this process, the inner demon of the mirror moved closer and took the opportunity to remind him in a flattering tone:

"The Lord has specially summoned you here and sent me to personally greet you. This is no ordinary occasion! In my opinion, the Lord intends to give you a great opportunity!"

"Once we meet our lord, our status will be completely different! When you rise to prominence, we'll need to help each other out!"

He continued to play the role of a perfect favorite courtier.

What appears to be a normal gesture of goodwill is actually a test of Qing Hemiao's reaction.

Qinghe Miao had already anticipated this, and upon hearing this, he was lost in thought, contemplating what would happen in the future.

He quickly regained his composure and politely bowed in thanks.

"You flatter me, sir. My humble contribution is nothing to ask for. It is all thanks to His Majesty's appreciation. I will always remember your kindness today and am deeply grateful."

Jingxinmo had been secretly observing Qinghe Miao's changing expressions.

But he was secretly amazed to see that the other person recovered quickly and remained calm.

It should be understood that what most people in the world seek is nothing more than "fame and fortune".

Little did he know that Qinghe Miao's thoughts had already flown to a much farther place.

This young man is indeed exceptionally talented and has the demeanor of a great general. No wonder he was able to raise an army in the Taihang Mountains and escape unscathed from Wang Yanzhang's command.

Such people are either deep thinkers or have great ambitions.

As they spoke, they arrived at a relatively secluded and heavily guarded courtyard.

Jingxinmo stopped in front of a tightly closed carved wooden door and gestured to Qinghe Miao to "wait a moment".

Then he went up to the door himself, knocked gently, and whispered a few words of introduction.

A moment later, a muffled reply came from inside the door.

Jing Xinmo then turned around and gestured for Qing Hemiao to invite him:

"My lord, the Lord is waiting inside. Please."

"I'm about to go to Boss Zhipin," Qinghe Miao straightened his clothes and strode inside.

Inside the door was an extremely spacious study, which by modern standards would be over a hundred square meters.

Although it was a county government office temporarily requisitioned in the battlefield, it was clearly carefully decorated.

The interior is bright and softly lit, with elegant furnishings, mainly dark wood furniture. Several landscape paintings with profound artistic conception are hung on the walls, and several potted green plants are placed in the corner.

In the center of the room stood a large rosewood desk.

On the table were stacks of documents and maps, with pens, ink, paper and inkstones neatly arranged, and several exquisite masks laid out.

Behind the desk, a man sat upright, as imposing as a mountain.

Chapter 92 Be My Son

The man appeared to be in his early twenties and was dressed in a white, gold-embroidered casual outfit.

He sat upright like a pine tree, with broad shoulders and a thick back, a handsome face, and sharp eyebrows and bright eyes.

Even without armor, he simply sat there quietly reading documents.

Yet it possesses a unique and majestic air.

Hearing footsteps, Li Cunxu raised his head and looked at Qing Hemiao who was walking in. A slight smile appeared on his lips, and he spoke in a clear, distinctive operatic tone:

"Has Qingmiao arrived?"

At the same time, he stood up from behind the desk, walked around the desk, and walked towards Qing Hemiao.

Qinghe Miao took a few steps forward as instructed, stood in front of Li Cunxu, maintained an appropriate distance, and bowed again.

At this moment, Li Cunxu was in high spirits, clearly in a great mood after the siege of Luzhou was lifted.

He looked the young man, who was a few years younger than him, up and down, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration.

"A strong wind reveals the strength of the grass, and a swaying stalk reveals the stickiness of the blade."

After watching for a while, he smiled slightly and said in a gentle tone with the air of a king:

"In just a few months, you have repeatedly thwarted Liang Ruo's plans in the Taihang Mountains, and last night you turned the tide in the besieged city, holding off Wang Yanzhang and ensuring that Luzhou was not lost..."

Truly, the younger generation is formidable! It was my oversight before that I failed to recognize such talent early on, and I have neglected you all.

This boss... He immediately listed out Qinghe Miao's contributions and boasted about them.

"You flatter me, my lord!"

Qinghe Miao quickly bowed deeply again, his words earnest and sincere:

"If it weren't for the wise and discerning ruler, how could the Taihang Army have worked so hard? We still need the lord's recognition and guidance! However, this morning, unaware that the lord was about to arrive, I presumptuously handled matters in the city. I hope you will forgive me for overstepping my authority."

His years of work experience from his previous life prevented him from taking advantage of the situation.

Instead, they first attributed everything to the boss, and then proactively pointed out their own mistakes.

I don't know the principle behind it.

Anyway, it's just a workplace formula, so let's start by following one.

“Hey, there’s no need to say such formal things anymore.”

Li Cunxu accepted the bow readily, gestured for him to rise, and casually drew a theatrical gesture in the air with his fingers together:

“Those who err should be punished, and those who make merits should be rewarded. This is the fundamental principle of governing the army and managing the government. You have made such a great contribution, and I have already made my decision. I will never mistreat a meritorious official.”

He changed the subject abruptly, not immediately discussing the reward, but instead asking casually:

"I wonder where Qingqing is from? Who is your master? At such a young age, you have such knowledge and skills. You must have an extraordinary background."

Here they come, the background check before they start working.

Having been here for so many years, Qinghe Miao had already prepared a plan in mind. His expression remained unchanged as he respectfully replied:

"Your Majesty, my ancestral home is Heyang, Mengzhou. However, I left home at a young age and followed my master to travel around the world, making the four seas my home. It has been many years since I last returned home, and my memories are somewhat blurred."

He definitely can't reveal his true hometown, which is outside the Great Wall.

At that time, that place belonged to a country called "Bohai," which would soon be annexed by the even more ferocious Khitan.

During this period, it belonged to "foreign countries".

Therefore, the only option is to choose within the current Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms region.

There was a reason why he chose Mengzhou Heyang as his birthplace.

He happened to have worked in Mengzhou in his previous life and stayed there for a while, so he was quite familiar with the place and could answer most questions.

At this time, Mengzhou was nominally under the jurisdiction of the Later Liang Dynasty, but in reality, its geographical location was crucial.

It was a battleground fought repeatedly between the Liang and Jin dynasties.

Its ownership changed hands several times throughout history, making it impossible to verify in detail.

“Mengzhou Heyang…”

Li Cunxu nodded slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

As expected, they didn't question the answer and turned their attention elsewhere:

"I wonder when another 'master' has appeared in the martial world, capable of teaching a disciple like Qingqing? I really want to see for myself!"

“My master… is a carefree Taoist priest in the mountains, who calls himself ‘Crooked Melon Taoist’.”

Qing Hemiao breathed a sigh of relief, her expression becoming even more serious, tinged with a hint of reminiscence for her master:

"He came from a poor background, but he had a talent for martial arts and Taoist cultivation. He relied on some second- or third-rate skills in the martial arts world as a foundation, and through his own exploration, he managed to develop some skills. He loved to travel and his footprints covered the north and south of the country, so his reputation was not well-known in temples or major sects."

"My master said that when he was young, his family was poor and he often wanted to eat a crooked melon vine from his neighbor's house. Later, after he became a monk, he simply took the Taoist name 'Crooked Melon'."

During the time he led the commoner in his spiritual practice, he didn't accomplish anything significant. Over the years, he mostly relied on meager donations from the commoner's family and on leading them in street performances, singing, and other arts to barely make ends meet.

"Oh? The Crooked Melon Taoist? He must be an interesting fellow."

Li Cunxu seemed intrigued and asked curiously:

"Can you sing opera?"

You are asked to perform a talent for your boss, who may be your immediate supervisor in the near future.

Qinghe Miao naturally didn't pretend to be shy.

After a moment's hesitation, he cleared his throat and began to sing:

"Several generals of the Han camp were killed by spears. How could their bravery be guarded against being ambushed from all sides? The general ordered the troops to cease their advance and return to their camps..."

The song being sung was the excerpt from the classic piece "Farewell My Concubine" sung by Xiang Yu.

He hadn't actually decided which song to sing.

Just thinking that the person standing in front of me was Li Cunxu, the Zhuangzong Emperor of the Later Tang Dynasty in history, made me subconsciously choose this passage.

He has a guaranteed skill level, a clear voice, and a strong voice.

One person played both Xiang Yu and Yu Ji, and sang them quite well, the voices echoing in the antique study.

So that others can immediately tell what he is singing.

"Good! Good!"

Li Cunxu's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he clapped and cheered repeatedly.

He is a true lover of music, and he will even perform on stage himself.

Qinghe Miao's skill was evident from the moment he opened his mouth; the lyrics and melody were novel, and it was clear that he hadn't just improvised.

Looking at this spirited and capable young man, I grew to like him more and more, even finding him somewhat similar to myself.

His tone became increasingly friendly:

"Does this piece... have a title?"

"Your Majesty, the title of this piece is 'Farewell My Concubine'."

Qinghe Miao bowed and answered.

"Farewell My Concubine... Well done, Farewell My Concubine is truly magnificent!"

Li Cunxu savored the name, his excitement from listening to the music subsiding slightly, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

"Even with the might of Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, he could not escape the fate of being ambushed on all sides and committing suicide at the Wujiang River when the world was in turmoil."

He strolled back to his desk, and, full of vigor and inspiration, exclaimed:

"It is evident that no matter how strong an individual's martial prowess is, there will eventually come a limit. To achieve great things, one needs heroes to rely on, and only when everyone is united in purpose can one truly succeed."

"Qingmiao, rest assured, I will never become like that cruel, ungrateful, and intolerant 'tyrant.' You have rendered great service to the country, possess both talent and courage, and we click. I... intend to adopt you as my son and bestow upon you the imperial surname 'Li'! Are you willing?"

After speaking, he looked intently at Qing Hemiao: