by Translator: BornToBe; Author: Ordinary Magician (平凡魔术师); Licensed From: 17k
“Fourth, don’t be so arrogant, because your arrogance has no power backing it. If it weren’t for the Grand Xia’s upbringing, then no matter how good your talent, you would never have had your current accomplishments. Everything you have was bestowed by your father, your mother, your brothers, and the Grand Xia’s people. Can you tell me a single thing that you have achieved with your own power? Just where does your pride and confidence come from?”
Long Chen had been enduring this the entire time. Because Xia Yunchong had entrusted him with this mission, Long Chen had exercised patience with Xia Youluo’s rude questions.
As he endured, he repeatedly told himself that she was just a child and that he couldn’t treat her like an adult. But it seemed like she never used her head before speaking, and she didn’t care about other people’s feelings. Hence, he finally exploded.
Xia Youluo’s expression sank and she raged, “You are provoking me!”
“Don’t say such a senseless thing. I stopped playing with such words in my youth. The people who have said such things to me have long since been buried. Although your cultivation base and power might be greater than mine, if we were to truly fight to the death, the one to die would definitely be you.” Long Chen suddenly stopped walking and stared at Xia Youluo icily, his eyes revealing his confidence.
He wasn’t trying to intimidate Xia Youluo. He felt like her confidence had inflated after killing the Bloodkill Hall’s Soul Transformation expert. But there had been many special factors that had allowed her to kill him, which were not based on her own power.
The Bloodkill Hall’s people didn’t specialize in fighting head-on. They specialized in assassinations and escaping arts. It was because of Long Chen that the Bloodkill Hall expert had given up on running, as he was too enticed by the thought of killing Long Chen. Then he had ignited too much of his Yuan Spirit and his consciousness had grown muddled. He had actually forgotten about Long Chen and launched an attack on Xia Youluo who had been preparing one of her ultimate moves.
If she had fought another Soul Transformation expert, she would be in danger of being killed in one blow.
“You!” Xia Youluo’s hand gripped her sword, and her aura began to condense. All the guards behind them were shocked. Just what was going on? How could she want to start fighting without a word?
These guards were Xia Yunchong’s people. Xia Youluo was Xia Yunchong’s little sister, while Long Chen was Xia Yunchong’s precious guest. If these two fought, they wouldn’t even know who to help.
“You aren’t my match. In a life and death battle, I would definitely take your life within three moves. If I can’t, I, Long Chen, will immediately kill myself in front of Grand Xia City.” Long Chen clasped his hands behind his back, his voice icy and emotionless.
The previously smiling Long Chen, who looked like a big brother, had instantly become a merciless death god. Xia Youluo’s heart was swamped with terror as she looked at Long Chen’s eyes. She seemed to be able to see a boundless mountain of corpses and sea of blood within the depths of those eyes.
This was Long Chen’s killing intent that was normally hidden in his heart. It was accumulated from countless huge battles. Now, he was no longer hiding it, allowing Xia Youluo to see it.
Xia Youluo had grown up in the imperial palace and spent most of her time cultivating. Although she was powerful, her experience was pitifully low. She couldn’t possibly compare to someone like Long Chen who had crawled his way out of a pile of corpses.
She trembled, her face pale. Long Chen’s mouth curled and he said, “Put away that move you used against your big brother. I’ve already said that not everybody has to pamper you. At the very least, I won’t. I’m going to the Wine God Palace. You can go back.”
Long Chen turned and continued onward. Xia Youluo stood there blankly for a long moment. She wanted to cry yet didn’t dare to. She didn’t know what to do.
She suddenly clenched her teeth, wiped away the tears in the corners of her eyes, and chased after Long Chen.
“Why are you following me?” Long Chen frowned.
“Who would follow you?! This is my Grand Xia City, and I am the Grand Xia’s princess. This is my home, and I can go wherever I want. Does it have anything to do with you?” snorted Xia Youluo.
In truth, Xia Youluo had been terrified just now, and she felt that leaving like this or going back to complain would cause her to lose face, as well as make her seem cowardly. In order to express her bravery, she was intentionally going along with Long Chen.
Long Chen glanced at her. Seeing Xia Youluo glaring at him, he didn’t say a word. He simply continued onward, with Xia Youluo following beside him.
Those guards all sighed with relief. As long as they didn’t fight, it was fine. They hastily followed behind them.
Just as they left, a middle-aged man in ashen robes followed them with his eyes from a tea parlor.
He had sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes. Along with his square nose, his face looked like it had been carved with a blade. He was extremely imposing.
“This Long Chen is fierce and domineering. He’s quite the fearless character.” The middle-aged man nodded with a hint of praise.
He was none other than the Grand Xia’s current emperor, Xia Youluo and Xia Yunchong’s father, the person with the greatest authority within the entire Grand Xia Ancient Nation.
Beside him was a white-haired elder, Xia Yunchong’s master. His eyes were closed and his expression was indifferent.
“Do you see anything special about him?” asked the white-haired man.
“He is not in agreement with the Heavenly Daos. He clashes with the laws of the world. Just now when he released his killing intent, I could see just how bloody and painful his path has been. That killing light in his eyes is decisive and firm, while his spiritual fluctuations make him appear to be a person who makes meaningful relationships. That’s definitely not the appearance of a Heaven-Seizer. The Heavenly Fate Pavilion was intentionally inverting right and wrong,” said the middle-aged man.
“Chong-er chatted with him last night. The two of them ended up close and trusting each other. Chong-er has entrusted Youluo to Long Chen, hoping he can save her life,” said the elder.
The middle-aged man looked at the street. A calm but sad expression appeared in his eyes. “Her fate was set a long time ago. The tribulation of her life has come, and she will definitely betray my Grand Xia. If I don’t kill her, the Grand Xia will end up in upheaval.”
“While the fate decreed by the heavens cannot be violated and cultivators must comply with the Heavenly Daos, the laws of heaven and earth are too profound to comprehend. Even if you comply with the Heavenly Daos, you won’t necessarily have a good end. But there is one kind of person that is an exception. Anyone who is infected by such a person’s karma will have their fate change. However… whether it is a blessing or misfortune is hard to say,” said the white-haired elder.
“You’re talking about…” The middle-aged man’s expression changed.
“The twists of fate are not easily exposed. As long as you know this inside, as the ruler of the Grand Xia, you should know what to do,” said the white-haired elder profoundly.
The middle-aged man was silent for a long time before he nodded. “I understand.”
…
“Long Chen, I’m eighteen. How old are you?”
As Long Chen advanced silently, Xia Youluo seemed to forget her previous unhappiness and took the initiative to speak to Long Chen.
“Twenty-two,” said Long Chen without overthinking it.
“Ah? Then you’re already really old,” exclaimed Xia Youluo.
Long Chen almost stumbled. He corrected, “The word is mature.”
“Hehe, you’re this much older than me. How about I call you uncle Long?” laughed Xia Youluo.
Long Chen instantly understood she was getting revenge. He irritably said, “Your brother is already twenty-seven. If you call me uncle, wouldn’t you have to call h
im grandpa?”
“That’s not the same. We’re real brother and sister, so it’s not calculated by age. Uncle Long, you look really young for your age,” said Xia Youluo.
“Hm, that’s not bad. When I see your father, I can directly call him big brother.” Long Chen wasn’t afraid of playing such a game with her.
“Oh, we’ve arrived!”
Long Chen suddenly saw a tall and simple construction.
Chapter 1181 The Image of the Nine Stars Reappears
Although Long Chen had never gone to the Wine God Palace, just by seeing this construction, he could tell he had arrived.
It was less than thirty miles in diameter. Looking from the air, it looked like a huge wine pot lying on its side. It was definitely a unique structure.
The entrance was the wine pot’s spout. Even from the entrance, he could smell a dense wine fragrance that could intoxicate him.
“Hey, grand-uncle, once we go inside, you have to act with propriety. If you get kicked out, it would be too embarrassing. At that time, don’t blame me for not being loyal and acting like I don’t know you,” said Xia Youluo solemnly.
Uncle Long had now become grand-uncle. It felt like he had aged another couple of decades. Well, it wasn’t as if Long Chen wanted her loyalty.
He shook his head. “That’s fine. In any case, someone as old as me isn’t afraid of losing face. But little girl, if you’re worried about being implicated, you can go first.”
Since he was being called grand-uncle, Long Chen took advantage of his newfound seniority to call her little girl.
“Do you think I’m such a disloyal person? I’m just telling you to reserve yourself a bit. This is the Wine God Palace, and if you cause trouble, you’ll be kicked out. Not only will you lose face, but my imperial father will also scold you,” warned the little girl.
“Big brother won’t blame me. After all, we’re brothers.” Long Chen thickened his skin and directly called the leader of the Grand Xia his big brother. Now he wasn’t just taking advantage of Xia Youluo, he was even superior to Xia Yunchong.
“You…! If my father learns of this, he’ll definitely cut off your head.” The little girl clenched her teeth. She had never seen someone so shameless.
“That’s fine, to die to my brother’s blade, it wouldn’t be a vain death. I’m going in, so you should leave. Wine isn’t something a little girl should drink,” said Long Chen.
“You… you’re the child! I’ve already become an adult! What’s the big deal? The worst case is I get kicked out again,” snorted the little girl.
Long Chen looked at Xia Youluo oddly. “Why does it feel like you’ve already been kicked out before?”
Only then did Xia Youluo realize she had exposed herself with her own mouth. She turned red and bashfully said, “At that time, I was still young and didn’t understand. I won’t be kicked out now.”
“Then will I end up being implicated by you? It’d be embarrassing to be kicked out as soon as I enter.” Long Chen hesitated. Now he really didn’t want Xia Youluo to follow him. He didn’t want to get kicked out with her.
“I was still young last year! They were the petty ones! Even if I was in the wrong, I was just a little child. Hmph, I can’t believe they quibbled with a child like that!” said Xia Youluo.
Last year? If she really had been a little child at that time, then she was truly a genius. But now that they had come here, Long Chen could only thicken his skin and enter. He hoped this little girl wouldn’t cause any trouble.
The entrance didn’t have any guards, nor was there anyone to receive them. Once they were inside, they found themselves in front of a tranquil courtyard. There was a stone stele in front of them with an image on it.
The image contained a man in shoddy clothes. He was half-lying against a peach tree, a wine pot in his hand. It was clear he was drunk. He was looking into the distance with a lost expression, seeming half-intoxicated half-sober. The scene was very lifelike.
His clothes were worn out, and he had dust all over him. He was extremely sloppy, with a few flower petals lying on his head.
But he gave off an air of freedom and relaxation. This was a realm, one where the body rested within the world of mortal dust, while the heart was flying within the clouds.
As soon as Long Chen looked at it, he was drawn in by that realm. In that instant, he felt all his mundane worries fall away from him. His heart became empty.
The lines forming the man were very simple, almost careless. But just these few lines bestowed that man a moving divine charm.
Long Chen followed where that man was looking to see nine brilliant stars shining in the air. They were like a ring of blazing suns in the upper left corner of the image.
“Long Chen, go light the incense.” Suddenly, Long Chen felt Xia Youluo push him.
Only then did Long Chen wake from his stupor and realize that a youth in hemp clothes with his hair worn in a bun was offering him incense.
“Ah, sorry.” Long Chen hastily received the incense sticks.
The youth shook his head. “Esteemed guest, there’s no need for you to apologize. This image is the Wine God. For you to be drawn in by the Wine God’s divine charm means you have destiny between you two.”
Although this youth was just a teen, his voice was naturally tranquil. He was neither servile nor overbearing, neither arrogant nor impatient.
Long Chen received the incense sticks. Lighting them, he placed them into the censer. He had only just put them in when his three incense sticks instantly turned to ash.
“What…?” The youth was shocked. He had no idea what had happened. These incense sticks were made of special material. No matter what kind of outer force tried to disturb them, they would always burn for exactly fifteen minutes.
But now, they had instantly been incinerated. He had never seen such a phenomenon. Long Chen and Xia Youluo were also surprised.
“Um, miss, please also place the incense.” The youth hesitated but still handed incense sticks to Xia Youluo.
Xia Youluo ignited her incense sticks and placed them inside. Everything was normal this time. The three incense sticks were slowly burning.
“Please enter.” The youth waved his hand to them in a welcoming gesture.
“Long Chen, what happened just now?” asked Xia Youluo stealthily as they entered the courtyard.
“How rude. Call me uncle.” Long Chen intentionally put on a chiding expression.
“Hmph, who would call you that.” Xia Youluo sniffed and turned her head.
Just like that, the title of uncle was tossed aside. Long Chen laughed inside. This little girl wasn’t even close to his match.
But he also couldn’t offend this little girl. He said, “In truth, I also don’t know. I just felt a mystical energy destroy those incense sticks. It was just like…”
It was like a strange kind of energy had refused to allow Long Chen to offer incense. But Long Chen also wasn’t clear on that. He just felt it was extremely strange.
“Just like what?” Seeing Long Chen suddenly stop talking, Xia Youluo hastily questioned him.
“Just like… sigh, I’m not very erudite, and I don’t know how to describe it.” Long Chen shook his head dimly.
“That’s fine, just think about it. I’m not in a rush.” Xia Youluo was very curious, and had to know.
“It’s just like someone is going to the bathroom and suddenly realized they were out of toilet paper. At this time, someone gave them a wooden stick, but after a moment’s hesitation, they refused the stick. It’s probably because they’re waiting for someone to give them paper instead,” said Long Chen.
“What on earth are you talking about? How can you compare placing incense on a censer to such a thing? One’s fragrant and one’s smelly. They’re completely different. Furthermore, so what if there’s no paper or stick?” asked Xia Youluo.
It appeared his incredibly crappy joke was truly crappy. He supposed the royal people in the palace had never u
sed a stick to wipe their butts.
But after Long Chen said this, Xia Youluo stopped asking. Once they were inside, Long Chen found that this building which looked like a wine pot actually had its own space inside. There were mountains, rivers, and lakes. The scenery stretched as far as the eye could see.
“The Wine God Palace is in itself a treasure. It contains its own spatial formation inside. There’s plenty of farmland, and all the ingredients they put into their wine are grown themselves,” said Xia Youluo. She was now much more well-behaved upon entering the Wine God Palace.
There was a small mountain not far from them. A stone path meandered its way toward it. Plenty of old trees grew within the mountain, and everything was extremely secluded and beautiful. A few pavilions were hidden within the trees, looking like peaceful places to live.
At the foot of the mountain, they suddenly sensed a faint drizzle watering the flourishing grass. This place was full of life.
“What an amazing place.” As the drizzle washed over him, Long Chen couldn’t help but exclaim in praise. This seemed to be the kind of place where an expert would choose to live in seclusion. Here, all his troubles seemed to vanish.
“Does no one normally come to the Wine God Palace? Why aren’t there any outsiders here?” asked Long Chen.
“Do you think just anyone can come here? People who want to come inside have to make an appointment. Only the members of my Grand Xia’s imperial family have the privilege of bringing people in to pay respects at any time,” said Xia Youluo disdainfully.
It seemed she still remembered her enmity with him. As long as he gave her an opportunity, she would immediately get some revenge.
Long Chen stepped onto the stone stairs and suddenly felt a strange energy wash over him. He felt some kind of energy stripping him of all his power.
“This is the Wine God Palace’s formation. It strips us of our cultivation base, making us just mortals. It’s truly strange,” explained Xia Youluo.
“A mortal? Are you saying you’re an immortal?” laughed Long Chen.
