Tianlong: Starting with Mantuo Manor as fertilizer

When Xie Buruo was dug out of the ground by the maids, he was covered in dust and looked utterly disheveled.

Lady Wang instructed people to help him bathe and change clothes, and then set up a banquet at Yunjin Tower, saying it was to welcome him back and wash away the dust of his journey.

Xie Buruo said it was okay, but in his heart he was complaining.

The invitation to welcome me was just a pretense; what I really wanted to know was how Duan Lao Er was doing.

Old Wang, you've finally met your match! You'll die with your eyes wide open in disbelief!

I couldn't help but feel sorry for the original owner of Mantuo Villa.

The bathhouse was located on the west side of the resort. Hot water was already prepared, and a clean set of blue cloth clothes was placed next to it.

Xie Buruo took off his tattered clothes, plunged into the wooden tub, and began scrubbing vigorously.

After wiping it dry, he stood in front of the bronze mirror and was stunned.

The person in the mirror had sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and a face as beautiful as jade; he was truly a handsome man.

He held the mirror and looked at himself from left to right.

"How can they be so similar?"

This face is exactly the same as it was before he time-traveled.

As he dressed, he recalled the original owner's past.

The original owner of this body was also named Xie Buruo, a disciple of the Northern Branch of the Wuliang Sword Sect.

The Wuliang Sword Sect originated in Wuliang Mountain, Dali, and is divided into three branches: East, West, and North.

The three sects compete for the Boundless Jade Disc of the Sword Lake Palace, holding a sword-fighting contest every five years.

Forty years ago, the Northern Sect defeated the Eastern and Western Sects and took control of the Sword Lake Palace.

But in the next five years, the Northern Sect lost the sword duel.

In a fit of anger, the sect leader at the time led his disciples to Shanxi, and from then on, they lost all contact with the Eastern and Western sects.

A month ago, a traitor appeared in our sect, colluding with a powerful enemy to seize our sect's secret techniques.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Master You Zizhao ordered his disciples to scatter and flee for their lives, agreeing to go to Suzhou to seek refuge with his reclusive grandmaster uncle.

Before leaving, the master handed the original owner a sword manual containing ultimate techniques and said to him.

"Of all my disciples, you are the one I value most!"

"Remember, the revival of the sect is your responsibility!"

The original owner never expected that he, with his mediocre talent and short tenure, would be so favored by his master, and he was moved to tears on the spot.

Along the way, the original owner of this sword manual encountered many crises.

Fortunately, he was lucky and managed to escape danger time and time again, which gave him the opportunity to escape all the way to Suzhou.

Xie Buruo pulled out a thin booklet from the inner pocket of his old clothes and started reading.

The above records the sword techniques of the Wuliang Sword Sect.

The final move is our sect's trump card, "Immortal Points the Way".

The page depicted a figure holding a sword in one hand, with flowing robes and the sword tip pointing diagonally to the upper right, as if strolling among the clouds or offering guidance to someone in confusion.

A few lines of small characters were noted next to the human figure.

"The immortal points the way, ask no east or west. Walk alone through life and death, for the road to the Yellow Springs is dead."

Xie Buruo stared at the picture for a while, but couldn't see anything unusual about it, only that the paper was quite new.

He closed the booklet, tucked it into his coat, and pondered silently.

In the original story, the martial arts of the Wuliang Sword Sect were already mediocre, so this "Immortal's Guidance" technique might not be anything special.

But it's a skill, so I should practice it properly to avoid being tied up and used as fertilizer again.

As for reuniting with Master and Grandmaster Uncle?

The original owner had already gone to the agreed location.

Just then, they witnessed their master being slashed down by the traitorous senior brother and falling into Taihu Lake, his fate unknown.

The original owner of this body was chased to the point of desperation by the other party and ended up in Mantuo Manor.

"If his fate is unknown, then he's dead. We're better off not finding that cheap master!"

"At worst, I'll just burn more paper money for him during Qingming Festival. Sigh, I'm just too kind-hearted."

He didn't even know what his grandmaster uncle looked like, let alone go looking for him.

Xie Bu Ruo touched the sword manual in his bosom.

"My senior brothers are still looking for me near Taihu Lake because of this thing. Let's lay low at Mantuo Villa for a while first."

"By the way, let's find out exactly what point in time we've traveled to. I wonder if Duan Yu ever visited Mantuo Manor."

Just then, I thought of this.

A clear female voice came from outside the door.

"Young Master Xie, Madam requests your presence."

Xie should simply push open the door and go out.

A maid of about sixteen or seventeen years old stood outside the door, with a round face and big eyes, and was quite clever.

He recognized her as the girl who had said his accent sounded like someone from Shanxi; her name was Youcao.

Xie Bu Ruo chatted with her as they walked, exchanging a few casual words before asking, "Is your young lady still in the manor?"

Youcao was surprised: "How did Young Master Xie know about my young lady?"

Although she was curious, she didn't ask any further questions and simply replied.

"Miss rarely leaves her home, and even Yanziwu is a rare destination for her. She must be staying at Mantuo Manor."

Xie Bu Ruo understood immediately upon hearing this.

Wang Yuyan is still at Mantuo Manor, which means that Duan Yu has at least not been taken to Gusu by Kumārajīva.

As he was pondering this, he looked up and saw that the maids on both sides of the corridor all had long swords hanging from their waists, and they were patrolling in groups of three or five.

He asked curiously, "Is the villa always this heavily guarded?"

Youcao lowered her voice: "Recently, Madam has had an enemy causing trouble, so the security is a bit tighter than usual."

Xie Bu Ruo nodded and asked no further questions.

Before long, they arrived at Yunjin Tower.

Youcao led him upstairs, knowing that they had confidential matters to discuss, and waited outside the door.

Madam Wang sat upright in the main seat, still wearing that pale yellow silk dress.

The table was laden with a variety of dishes.

Bear paws and camel humps are all extremely precious.

Xie Buruo was born into poverty and had never tasted such rare dishes before; he had never even seen them.

Having been hungry for a long time, the creature in the pit now had shining eyes and a rumbling stomach.

He didn't stand on ceremony and bowed to Madam Wang, saying, "Thank you for your hospitality, Madam."

He sat down, grabbed a bear paw, and put it in his mouth.

Madam Wang frowned slightly, seemingly displeased with his ravenous eating, but said nothing. She simply picked up her wine glass and slowly took a sip.

After Xie Bu Ruo had eaten about half full, Madam Wang finally spoke.

"Young Master Xie, how is the Prince of Zhennan doing lately?"

Xie Buruo, chewing on a bear paw, picked up a roast goose and mumbled, "Your Highness is in relatively good health, but..."

"Just what?" Madam Wang's voice trembled.

"I just miss my wife so much that I can't eat or drink."

Xie swallowed the food in his mouth and said seriously, making up a story.

"Just like the poem he wrote to his wife, it's pitiful that his hair has turned white before he's old. The prince is in the prime of his life, yet his hair has already turned white prematurely."

Madam Wang's eyes reddened slightly upon hearing this, but she forced a proud demeanor and gave a cold snort.

"Don't speak well of him! If he truly cared for me, why hasn't he come to see me all these years?"

"His Highness is caught in a dilemma," Xie Buruo sighed. "His Highness is preoccupied with matters of the heart, no, matters of state. And the Princess is keeping a close eye on him."

Madam Wang slammed her hand on the table with a "bang," causing the cups and plates on the table to jump and clatter.

"That bitch Dao Baifeng! I'll kill her sooner or later!"

After her anger subsided slightly, Madam Wang changed her tone, toying with her wine cup, and turned to look at Xie Buruo with a burning gaze.

"By the way, how did you come to know Master Duan, Young Master Xie? Isn't your sect in Shanxi?"

Xie knew that she didn't fully believe in herself yet.

Think about it too.

How could a man from Shanxi have become acquainted with the Prince of Zhennan, who lived far away in Dali?

Xie knew that if he didn't handle the situation well, he would have to go back to making fertilizer.

"Madam, you may not know this, but I am a disciple of the Wuliang Northern Sect. Our sect originated from Wuliang Mountain in Dali."

"Although my Wuliang Northern School has traveled far to Shanxi, it still maintains close contact with the Eastern and Western Schools. A year ago, my master sent me to Dali to visit my two senior uncles, Zuo Zimu and Xin Shuangqing."

Madam Wang nodded slightly.

She had heard of Zuo Zimu and Xin Shuangqing.

The two men each had a nickname.

One was called "One Sword Suppresses the South," and the other was called "Dividing Light and Catching Shadows." They were both quite prominent figures in the martial arts world.

Xie continued.

"That day I was a guest at the Jianhu Palace. During my leisure time, I went for a walk and suddenly encountered a stranger."

"Madam, you are unaware of this. Sword Lake Palace is a forbidden area of ​​our sect, and outsiders are not allowed to enter."

"I saw that the man had an extraordinary bearing and a heroic demeanor, and I was immediately captivated by him, so I did not try to drive him away."

Lady Wang had already realized that Xie Bu Ruo was referring to Duan Zheng Chun. Seeing that he was praising her lover in his words, she smiled and said...

"Luckily you didn't make a move, otherwise you would have tasted the bitterness of the One-Finger Divine Skill."

Xie Buruo nodded and continued.

"Just as you predicted, Madam, that man was none other than Prince Duan. Who in the martial world doesn't know the name of Prince Duan? Moreover, all land under heaven belongs to the king, and even the strictest family rules of my Wuliang Sword Sect cannot supersede the laws of the land. I was curious and asked the prince why he had come to Sword Lake Palace. Madam, guess how the prince answered?"

Madam Wang couldn't help but exclaim "Ah!"

Her hometown was located at the foot of Jianhu Palace cliff, where there was a lakeside villa.

Mrs. Wang lived there for a period of time when she was a child.

This matter was unknown to others, but she told her lover, Duan Zhengchun, about it during the height of her passion.

Duan Zhengchun lingered at Jianhu Palace, naturally reminiscing about the past.

Thinking this way, Madam Wang was overjoyed.

Xie should seize the opportunity and strike while the iron is hot.

"It was then that I heard the Prince recite the poem 'Four Pieces of Brocade,' every word of which expressed his longing for his wife. Besides that, he also wrote many other poems and lyrics expressing his longing for his wife."

Seeing that Madam Wang's eyes were shining, she was about to ask what other poems there were.

Xie Buruo was startled, realizing he had overblown his boast, and quickly changed the subject.

"Unfortunately, I have a bad memory; all I remember is that song, 'Four Pieces of Brocade'."

Madam Wang sighed softly, her face showing disappointment.

She pressed Xie for answers, but Xie avoided the main point and instead talked about the famous figures from Dali.

They even brought out the Emperor of Baoding, Tianlong Temple, and the reclusive Yellow-Eyebrow Monk.

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang felt that he knew the Duan family of Dali very well, even better than she did herself, and she no longer had any doubts.

"You have done a great service by relaying Duan Lang's message. I really don't know how to reward you."

Xie Ruo said seriously.

"Madam, you flatter me. The Prince and I are close friends despite our age difference. Why would I ask for anything in return for relaying a friend's message? It's the Prince who's being too polite, just like you, saying he wants to reward me. Ah, let's not talk about these things!"

Madam Wang was in high spirits and repeatedly said, "Yes, yes, I want to mention it."

Xie Buruo said helplessly, "The prince did mention it to me at the time. He said that after I relayed the message to the madam, she would definitely allow me to browse through the books in the Jade Cave because of him."

Madam Wang smiled slightly and clapped her hands.

The wild grass outside the house began to sprout.

Lady Wang instructed, "After the banquet, take Young Master Xie to the Langhuan Jade Cave. With my warrant, he can freely browse the books in Chambers C and D."

Xie Buru thought to himself: Category C and Category D don't sound like anything high-quality.

Madam Wang worried that he might misunderstand: "No, it's not that I'm unwilling to show you the secret manuals of the Jia and Yi chambers. It's just that your foundation is too shallow and your internal strength is insufficient. If you force yourself to learn those profound martial arts, you will at least injure your body, or at worst, suffer a qi deviation."

Although her words were harsh, they were also reasonable.

Xie Bu Ruo clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I understand!"

Just as he was about to get up, he slapped his forehead.

"Oh dear, I'm reminded of another poem written by Prince Duan."

After a moment's thought, he immediately began to recite it.

"The fragrance of lotus fades, the jade mat grows cool in autumn; I lightly loosen my silk robe and board the orchid boat alone. Who will send a letter from the clouds? When the wild geese return, the moon will be full over the western tower."

"Flowers fall and water flows, one longing, two places of sorrow, this feeling cannot be dispelled, just as it leaves the brow, it rises to the heart."

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang was overjoyed and her body trembled uncontrollably.

She was certain that her lover was recalling their time boating on Taihu Lake when he wrote this poem.

She rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought.

"Isn't this poem describing me perfectly?"

"Duan Lang understands me!"

"Duan Lang has written at least four hundred poems, but which one can compare to this one? If he hadn't been so consumed by longing for me, how could he have created such a masterpiece?"

Overjoyed, she quickly said, "Young Master Xie may freely peruse the books in Rooms B, C, and D."