Ten days later, Taian City.
Wu Xian, clad in a blue robe, stepped into the city gate and walked along the central avenue.
Looking around at the densely packed, noisy crowd, he felt a sense of simple daily life hitting him and made him feel dizzy.
At this time, the war had not ended, and although the Liyang Dynasty was not as impoverished as its inhabitants, it could be said that the streets were littered with starving bodies. Who would have thought that the city of Taian would be unaffected by these circumstances and still be a place where everyone lives in peace and prosperity.
However, when you think about it, that makes sense. After all, it's under the emperor's feet; one cannot let hunger befall this place. Otherwise, where would the royal dignity go?
"Selling osmanthus cake, delicious osmanthus cake, one cash for a piece, if it's not tasty, don't worry about the money..."
The cheering "yo heo" sounded in his ears. Wu Xian's nose twitched slightly, smelling the sweet aroma and walking over.
The sellers of the osmanthus cake were a father and daughter. Just by looking at the style, it was clear that the osmanthus cake was not made with great finesse, but its color was distinct, with bright yellow and white hues, indicating that plenty of ingredients had been used, and it exuded a rich fragrance of osmanthus.
"Excuse me, young man, would you like to try some osmanthus cake?"
When the man noticed someone approaching, he subconsciously said something. But then he realized that the newcomer was a young and distinguished gentleman with exceptional composure.
He couldn't read, and he couldn't think of any words to describe Wu Xian. He just felt that this man was definitely not an ordinary person. Then, thinking of this being Taian City, it might be someone high-ranking or noble in disguise, he quickly bowed his head and dared not look any longer.
"The osmanthus cake looks quite good, give me two pieces."
Wu Xian said smilingly, with a very gentle attitude, quite like the feeling of spring breeze.
"Ah! Juan'er, aren't you quick enough to give this young master some osmanthus cake."
The man, overjoyed and surprised, answered. The young girl next to him quickly grabbed two osmanthus cakes wrapped in paper and handed them to him with a red face, carefully.
Wu Xian reached out to take it, picked up one of them, took a bite, and the scent spread instantly throughout his mouth. It was sweet but not greasy. It was quite good.
Nodding, he casually tossed two copper coins down and then, while eating, he walked towards another food stall.
Similar scenes soon occurred throughout the streets of Taian City. It can be said that Wu Xian did not stop by for food along the way to Liyang, and the food he ate was just to pass the time. Now that he has finally arrived at his destination, he can't help but feel hungry.
Martial artists naturally have large appetites, and with Wu Xian cultivating the Six Treasure Demonic Beasts, once he loosened his belt, the snacks on the entire street would not be enough to fill his teeth.
Eating like this until noon, Wu Xian suddenly seemed to sense something, paused for a moment, and then turned left and right, arriving at a modest-sized restaurant.
Here, they sell a well-known old duck soup in Taian City, which is fair priced and has excellent taste. It is very popular among the common people.
"Boss, bring me a bowl of old duck soup, with less carrots."
After greeting the boss, Wu Xian chose a table already occupied by others and sat down, then began to size up the person who had deliberately released his Qi to draw his attention.
The man was probably in his forties, dressed in a gray Confucian robe. His appearance could be considered upright, but there was an air of unrestrained elegance exuding from his brows and eyes, causing people to turn and look at him.
If you look more closely, you would notice that his eyes were astonishingly clear and pure, like mirrors, reflecting all the changes in the world.
"Long-standing reputation, Sword Demon Wu Xian."
Wu Xian's gaze met that of the man, and at the same time, the man was also sizing up Wu Xian. His expression changed from curiosity to confusion and then to a faint sense of rejection and apprehension.
"Where, where? It's just the respect from my fellow martial artists, and compared to Huang Sanjia, who ignited the Spring and Autumn Wars, my little reputation is nothing at all."
Wu Xian smiled lightly and also revealed the man's identity.
Huang Longshi, once alone among the Thirteen Gems of Spring and Autumn, he occupied all three gems of chess, literature, and calculation. His talent was brilliant and rare in the world. He was known in the martial arts world as "Huang Sanjia" (the Third Gem Yellow).
And because he had once single-handedly instigated the Spring and Autumn turmoil and many other disputes, he was listed alongside Han Renmao (a cat demon) and Xu Renchu (a butcher), as the three great evil figures in the martial arts world.
In addition to the above, Huang Longshi had another identity that made Wu Xian somewhat concerned.
The "Bookmaster"... or more accurately, a reincarnation from another world.
In the original work, Huang Longshi often acted in ways that did not fit into this world, repeatedly mentioning that in a few centuries time, scholars had lost their backbone and became mere echoers of the powerful, while martial artists relied on their formidable strength to treat laws as non-existent, leading to chaos in the world.
Such assertions, as if everything he said was something he had personally seen, were really suspicious of his background.
On the other side, after Wu Xian unveiled his identity, Huang Longshi showed no sign of surprise. He merely took his time sipping the old duck soup in his bowl and casually said, "Sir, you must not be from this world."
Although he used a question, the tone was affirmative.
No choice, because this character was never mentioned in the book!
At this time, Wu Xian's bowl of old duck soup was served, and he picked up the soup spoon and took a sip, showing satisfaction. Then he looked at Huang Longshi seriously and said.
"How are you?"
"？？？"
Huang Longshi was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, unsure what Wu Xian was saying.
"Good oil... what does this mean? Is it some kind of code?"
"Don't understand? Let me try another way... What's the password for your wife?"
"Not working? Then what about 'Emperor of Heaven covers the earth?'"
"Parity change, unchanged!"
"Arise, ye who would not be slaves..."
"I'm sorry, the Qing Dynasty is no more."
...
Wu Xian asked several classic codes used among time travelers, even considering the era issues, but Huang Longshi was still baffled and even began to look at him as if he had a mental illness, with no trace of acting.
It was obvious that the other person was not a fellow Earth native, nor even from a parallel world; they should just be a soul from the future of this world. Because they knew some of the history, they called themselves "The Book Turner."
Thinking about this, Wu Xian couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. After drinking another sip of the old duck soup, he sighed and said, "It seems I've made a mistake. I and Brother Huang are not from the same place."
Huang Longshi furrowed his brow: "Are you the reincarnation of a heavenly immortal?"
As he spoke, his Qi around him changed, as if Wu Xian admitted it, he would immediately take action.
Of course, the more likely possibility is to escape.
After all, the Sword Demon has a fearsome reputation, thought to be on par with the Elder Wang. Even if the Confucian sage, who is not good at fighting, uses all his efforts, he is likely to suffer no harm at all.
"Of course not."
Wu Xian shook his head: "I must be honest with you, I am not from this world. Due to an accident, a fragment of my soul wandered into this world. It wasn't until the past few years that I regained my memories and strength."
It's a coincidence that in my original world, I have also read books about the history of a similar world, but the content is not comprehensive. Just today, I met Brother Huang, and I would like to ask you to clarify some points for me."
"What do you want to know?"
After listening to Wu Xian's almost completely truthful explanation, Huang Longshi, though skeptical, showed a bit of interest and wanted to hear what Wu Xian would ask.
"Brother Huang, could you tell me how the future of this world will unfold? How many people are in the heavens? What is the true strength of the Five Emperors of the Five Directions, and what kind of realm are they in? Are there beings stronger than them? Have they left any traces in the future?"
"-------"
It's done! End-of-the-month seeking monthly tickets!
