Poetry is like a river. Your feelings are flowing smoothly along with the wind or your crashing at the bottom with anger built up. Either way, its way to express yourself.

However, if you have a poem you would like for me to check or become on this volume, send them to me! I accept all kinds of poetry. I do credit people work so you don't have to worry about that!

[Center Palace's hall in the Empire of the West]
He walked away and throws the bloody sword in his hand, as Niccolo tailed up to him,
-"Your Majesty! you did that unpleasant scenario in front of all, do you know how absurd to execute a criminal after they finished saying their last words? do you even care for your wife even once?"
He pauses, and glanced at Niccolo, "then why don't she be your wife then?", "I mean that woman doesn't deserve to live, she already abused my lover multiple times," he said
-"abused? your mistress you mean? multiple times? do you even have evidence, your majesty?" Niccolo said in a serious tone,

-"If you keep that mouth of yours run like a tiger, I will most likely sew that mouth of yours,"
Niccolo suddenly froze, he looked back at Augustine (emperor), he continued to walk, leaving Niccolo behind,
-"If this Empire falls because of your foolishness I would most likely move to another Empire, however, Madame Rosé's hardships and efforts will all go to nothing, Madame Rosé... you sang your poem so gracefully, you write your novels so well, you never cease to amaze me, your presence here in the Empire makes the people feel safe, It makes the people... feel warmth and happy, now your presence is gone... will they ever feel the same?" he mumbled to himself,
Niccolo heard footsteps running towards him, he turns around and saw a maid and a butler running towards him,
-"what's the matter you two?" he asked,
-"L-lord Niccolo... Th-The Empress..." the butler stuttered in fear,
-"I have no time to waste, you need to tell me what's going on?"
-"an unidentified man... stole the Empress' corpse," the maid said,
-"This is absurd!? who dares to steal a corpse!?" Niccolo asked, "did you saw any details? his face? gestures? tell me!" he demanded,
-"h-he was wearing a black hood my lord but I saw a strand of white hair flowing with the wind," the maid said while trembling in fear,
-"what about voice tone? did he speak or utter a word after he got escaped? he might leave us a clue after..." Niccolo said, his hand was grabbing his chin,
-"He speaks in a dark mellow voice, I think he was singing a poem, My Lord?" the butler said,
-"recite the poem" he demanded
-"Crystal sky, more like a starry night, the Empress' died in the single sight, she recites her beautiful 'poem' without exclamation, her head was cut off without hesitation, cruelty revolves on anyone however I've never seen this such cruel doing in front of my eyes, will the Empress' forgive you once she revived? or will she avenge her own death and end this Empire in a sight?" the maid sang,
'died in the single sight' she got her head cut off after she finished her poem within a seconds, he saw the cruelty his majesty did to the late-Empress, that means he was watching her, but why? 'will the Empress' forgive you once she revived'... is he going to revive her?? Impossible, her head was cut off, if he is going to revive her he needs her body as a whole... Niccolo started arranging his thoughts,
-"report to his your majesty, I'll be solving the poetic clue," Niccolo said straight,
-"yes my lord," they bowed after leaving,
Niccolo re-arranges his thought while walking through the halls,
 'or will she avenge her own death and end this Empire in a sight' if she got revived there is two answers, one if she got revived she will forgive us and live a normal life from now on?? or two, she will avenge her own death and destroy the Empire in a sight?'
 his thoughts keep appearing a hypothesis to his questions, 
what if the poem of the Empress' sang have a clue?

"The river comes from west in turns; I am startled by the featured scenery. Hundreds of houses gather here to form a county; although having no city walls, they lean against a mountain. The shadow of the sail is looming in the river not far away from the maple leaves. Water gurgled near my bed. In straw rain cape, I am close to Yan Ling; pitifully, I could only look at the crystal river and pass by...What a nice poem! This poem could at least stay in the list of Talents' Pavilion for one year. It's said that it was written by a talent surnamed Xu in Xintong City. Not bad! Not bad..."
"Look at this one. I feel this poem is more artistic. The wild wind blows my white coat; I move on the river by boat. As the sun sets in the distance, green contours of mountains undulate. Feeling cold, flowers drop their heads; being tired, birds twittered occasionally. After seeing smoke rising, I anchor my fishing boat and come to Zhuxi Temple..."
"I don't agree with you, brother Ou. If this poem appears in a remote hotel or a residence of a hermit in the deep mountain, it would be amazing. However, it appears in the Talents' Pavilion. Therefore, I think the poet perhaps want to show off his talent; instead of aiming to be a real hermit. I would not vote him..."
"You're right, brother Li; you're right..."
In the afternoon, after circling around the city for a few hours, Zhang Tie was finally sent to the Talents' Pavilion in Datang City cordially by the taxi driver. Through the constant introduction of the taxi driver, Zhang Tie gradually learned more about Datang City and Xuanyuan Wuji and acquired a lot of useful information.
Xuanyuan Wuji's position in Datang City was like that of Zhang Tie in Fiery-Dragon Bounty Territory. Each action of him would be eye-catching. Therefore, Zhang Tie easily got the message that Xuanyuan Wuji was in Datang City these days from the taxi driver.
According to the taxi driver, at the end of each year, the adorable third prince would host philanthropic campaigns like providing porridge and money and giving condolence to soldiers, civilians and students in the city. Therefore, Xuanyuan Wuji would always stay in Datang City in the entire December. After hearing this message, Zhang Tie finally felt relaxed.
After making a plan to pay a secret visit to the third prince's mansion tonight and kill him when possible, Zhang Tie finished his lunch in a hotel before being led to the Talents' Pavilion by the taxi driver. With the attitude of doing as the Romans do, Zhang Tie started to wander in the Talents' Pavilion.
Talents' Pavilion was a vast octagonal traditional Hua building. Being located in the west of Datang City, Talents' Pavilion was in a hill not far from Datang Learning Academy. It was surrounded by beautiful scenery. No ticket was required to enter the Talents' Pavilion. Instead, each one could get a ticket for free at the entrance. As many people came here, after receiving tickets, they would vote for their most favorite works, political opinions, poems or essays of those "talents" by putting their tickets into the ballot boxes under the creators. In each fixed period, the ballot boxes would be opened and the tickets would be counted. Those with more tickets would rank higher on the list and would win chances to be promoted to high-level officials. 
On the taxi, Zhang Tie had been told about the game rules in Talents' Pavilion. After entering it, Zhang Tie felt strange watching those literati concentrating on those works. 
As for Zhang Tie, the so-called Talents' Pavilion was just a trick that Xuanyuan Wuji used to buy the hearts of people at the bottom of the society and control the public opinions. As he wanted to fight for the throne, Xuanyuan Wuji had to act like a "sagacious emperor". Such a trick would work more or less. However, the so-called talents in the Talents' Pavilion were actually some bottom literati in Datang City and nearby provinces or prefectures. What about those knights of Taixia Country if these people could be called talents? Real knights always neglected these things. A real knight didn't need to show off his literary talents for fame and wealth here. 
These literati had a big say at the bottom of society, who could influence many people's opinions. That might be the reason that Xuanyuan Wuji played such a trick. 
In a world dominated by knights, literati who only thought about reading instead of cultivating their battle strength would not enjoy high positions. Even if these literati could make some achievements in literature, most of them could at most be some grass-root clerks and officials. Very few of them could become the trusted subordinates of third prince like Fang Qingming on His Majesty's side. Right because of this reason, so many literati were longing for showing off their talents in the pavilion as they all dreamed to be the very trusted subordinate of the third prince and provide political suggestions to him. 
Zhang Tie was not interested in poems and essays; however, he was clear about the function of Talents' Pavilion. Standing behind those literati and listening to their comments, Zhang Tie revealed a despised look as if he was watching some kids building a castle using sand.
"Bro, I wonder about your noble opinion..." One of the literati in front of Zhang Tie asked when he caught Zhang Tie's contemptuous look and became irritated. Hearing his words, all the other literati in front turned around and fixated onto Zhang Tie at a stroke.
"Haha, I have no noble opinion; I have no noble opinion. Now that these poems and essays could be displayed here, they are nice for real..." Zhang Tie replied with a big smile as he cupped his hands towards them and intended to leave. Because Zhang Tie didn't feel like wasting time with these humble literati at all. 
"Bro, you're so presumptuous!" One of those literati was instantly driven mad by Zhang Tie's response, although Zhang Tie didn't have malicious intent. As a result, all of them were glaring at Zhang Tie as if Zhang Tie had insulted their belief. "These poems and essays are all top works among hundreds of millions of works. Bro, you might be erudite; how about showing us...We want to broaden our vision..."
"When I watched the snow last year, I got a poem by accident. Its name is Falling Snow. If you want to hear it, this humble man would read it for you..."
"Hmm, go ahead. I would like to appreciate your good piece..." a literati said with a sneer.
After looking around, Zhang Tie cleared his voice. After that, he read his poem under the gaze of all the others, "What is flying in the sky? There's a pile in the east, another pile in the west. Is the Jade Emperor building the Imperial Palace? Screening lime yo, screening lime!"
After Zhang Tie finished his poem, all the onlooking literati were petrified as their faces turned purple, quivering all over...
It appeared that Zhang Tie's interest was aroused. Before those people opened their mouth, he continued, "This humble man got another one when I watched the lightning bolt in the sky. Its name is Singing the Lightning Bolt. Glad to hear your comments about it. Ahem, ahem. I suddenly see a fiery chain in the sky as if the Jade Emperor is smoking; if Jade Emperor doesn't smoke, why is there a fiery chain...Eh, brothers, brothers, don't run away; I've got some more..."
Those literati who intended to make Zhang Tie embarrassed were severely injured by Zhang Tie's two poems. Soon after Zhang Tie finished his second poem, those literati had covered their faces with sleeves and left there as they didn't feel like talking with Zhang Tie any more.
Zhang Tie pretended to persuade them to stay; however, those literati paced up in case of being influenced by the bad luck brought by Zhang Tie. 
Shaking his head, Zhang Tie smiled and was going to leave. Unimaginably, a burst of applaud sounded behind him. 
"What nice poems! What nice poems..."
Zhang Tie turned around as he saw a hermit-like middle-aged literati in white robe clapping his hands.
"Young brother. Your poems look coarse; however, they're of great charisma. If charisma only is considered, your poems are much better than all the others in the Talents' Pavilion..."
After hearing the middle-aged literati's comment, Zhang Tie knew that he was not jeering at him. Given his personality, Zhang Tie started to like him. 
"Haha, to tell the truth, the two poems are not created by me; instead, I read it from a book by accident. The writer is a rude soldier of Hua people before the Catastrophe..."
"Oh, I see!" the literati replied as he continued, "Young brother, now that you could admit it frankly, you must be a straight-forward man. It must be your first time in Datang City. Me too! Young brother, how about traveling around the city with me..."
"Nice..." Zhang Tie replied with a smile too. 
　　


After the Catastrophe, every rule in the world was rewritten.
In the Age of Black Iron, steel, iron, steam engines and fighting force became the crux in which human beings depended on to survive.
A commoner boy by the name Zhang Tie was selected by the gods of fortune and was gifted a small tree which could constantly produce various marvelous fruits. At the same time, Zhang Tie was thrown into the flames of war, a three-hundred-year war between humans and demons on the vacant continent. Using crystals to tap into the potentials of the human body, one must cultivate to become stronger.
The thrilling legends of mysterious clans, secrets of Oriental fantasies, numerous treasures and legacies in the underground world — All in the Castle of Black Iron!
Written by Drunk Tiger, this novel is a prime example of fantasy steampunk. Let us journey through the world of limitless possibilities and inventions together!
------
**Warning: This novel contains mature content**


"I'm sooooooo bored!! Ughhh....." lazily complained a young woman with startling white hair that was wearing a fur coat as it was winter currently. She was lying flat on her back, staring at the ceiling aimlessly while fiddling with a mandarin. Her name was Wang Xinya.

She laid behind a wooden table that had 2 teacups arranged neatly on a porcelain plate together with a teapot; one cup had the phrase: "So many times you felt sad about the past, yet the mountain still sits there when the cold wind blows."(1) written on it(this is the English translation of a part of a chinese poem, PS: this translation is not actually very accurate), drawn around the phrase were beautiful white and yellow chrysanthemum blossoms, threaded between the chrysanthemums were peach blossoms, blooming around the peach blossoms were beautiful yet tragic red spider lilies. The other teacup had sprawling branches of plum blossoms curved around a phrase combined with the plum blossoms were delicate orchids, perched upon the plum blossoms were a magnificent and imposing yet lonely phoenix, written inside this cage of flowers was the phrase: "While the wildfires rage, once the spring wind arrives, the wild grass will bloom again."(2)(Again, this is just part of a whole poem but a very famous poem about wild grass, it's actually: While the wildfires rage, once spring wind arrives, they will bloom again.) but barely noticeable; written beside the phrase was a small character that meant betrayal.

(Author's note: This is some heavy symbolism so....you better start googling. Cuz I'm foreshadowing)


"Miss, if you're so bored, why don't you do these paperwork yourself." replied another woman, she had looks that could cause the downfall of nation, you could have easily mistaken her for being a goddess if not for the fact that she was sorting through some documents with a wry smile. 

"Remind me, what did I hire you for?" replied the pessimistic young woman groggily, as she slowly got up, stretching sleepily, letting out a wide yawn before turning around to face her subordinate. She slammed the mandarin in her hands on the table lazily.

"To be your bodyguard?" answered the subordinate.

"Nope! To do my paperwork!" 

"Miss, since you're so bored, how about returning?"

"Returning? Where?"

"Miss...don't play dumb. You know where. The capital of course, where else."

"Are you crazy? What for?"

"What if the Master notices something wrong with Qiu Rou's disguise?"

"Oh. I would be flattered if my 'dearest' father even payed enough attention to me, his bastard 'son'!" she snorted sarcastically.

"Miss...the Master genuinely cares for you, he just doesn't know how to show it."

"Hmph! That damned drunkard father of mine cares for me?! If that happens, then the sun must have risen from the West! Not like that would happen in a million years!" 

"Miss...y-"

Just then, the door slammed open, a burly youth stood at the door, huffing and puffing, "Miss-" he was about to say, but then, a stunning young lady barged in. 

"You have to help me!" the young lady declared.

"Uhh....who are you?" Wang Xinya said with a tilt of her head.

"Wait..." the young girl's eyebrows were knitted together in confusion as she muttered to herself, "Could it be!? That I'm at the wrong place? But...I'm sure this is where 'The Red Spider Lily of The Alliance of Heroes' stay at...hmmm. I know! I'll ask them for directions!" She turned around and said "Hi, uhmm, sorry for barging in, I think I got the wrong place. Can you please tell me where is 'The Red Spider Lily of The Alliance of Heroes' stay?"


"Why? Are you looking for her?" she asked, a smile tugging at her lips, finally! She wouldn't be so bored now! 


"Uhh, yeah! Do you know her?"


"Of course I would know myself! Hmm...I never thought my nickname would be so famous, right...Qiu Hua?"


"Uhhh....Miss, I think it would be quite the contrary, uhh...you know: infamous.. Yeah..."


"You know...."


"Yeah? Know what?"


"I really want to strangle you..."


"You're joking right? Right? Right, Miss?"


"I'm not joking, try me!"


"Miss....don't stress your body!"


"Haha. You think that'll work on me? Obviously, you won't lay a hand on me at all. So....I can bully you all I want! Mwahahahahahaahahaha!"


"Miss..."


"As long as you beg me...maybe I'll let you go?" And so begin cat and mouse chase between the master and subordinate.

They call her the Red Spider Lily of The Alliance of Heroes; they say she is vicious, cruel and ruthless but...what they don't know is that: she is easily bored, pessimistic and slothful, she lives a boring life. That was how she lived, until...she meets her perfect foil: a truly hard-working, innocent and forgiving daughter of a 'treacherous' general. The 2 embark on an adventure to restore the former glory of her father.

Dark and dense clouds covered the sky. The wind was blowing fiercely and strongly, causing snow to fall with the wind. Pei Zi Yun was riding on the horse towards West Hall County. He had ridden for 30 kilometers and had entered the county city. 

It was around noon and the snow was heavy and unrelenting. There were very few people out on the roads. Pei Zi Yun rode straight for the county magistrate's office and saw that the door was closed. A thick layer of snow covered the steps leading up the office.

Pei Zi Yun leapt off the horse and saw a drum within the courtyard. He pushed open the door and started hitting the drums ferociously, "Dong, dong dong”, the sound of the drums rang out and was heard across most parts of the county. 

It was fast approaching the new year and the county’s magistrate had been discussing with several merchants how to receive the new year with a blast. They had been drinking earlier and the magistrate had just returned to his office to rest. Before he had ample rest, the sound of the drums could be heard, entwined with the sound of rain. Hearing the drums, he walked out, feeling extremely displeased. He was muttering under his breath, “Who dares to hit the drum for no reason. If it’s not anything deserving of my time I shall make sure he get’s punished by beating him with a paddle.”

Just then, someone had opened the door and started shouting, “The snow is so cold, why will anyone report a case at such a time?”

“I am this year’s Top Scorer from Ying Prefecture. I’ve been sent by the Governor to the imperial court to deliver documents, and had been ambushed by bandits on the way here. An official was accompanying me on this trip and he had been killed I’ve come to report this case.” Pei Zi Yun said coldly. 

“What? An official has been killed?” The bailiff who had opened the door asked in shock. He then hurriedly turned around to report the case. He led Pei Zi Yun indoors and brought him into the office. 

West Hall County’s magistrate was sitting atop the high chair in the main hall, and was rubbing his hands and feet. His nose was red, “Pei Zi Yun, you are in my court, explain whatever happened in detail.”

Pei Zi Yun then handed over the documents and explained everything that had happened. The minute the magistrate heard that more than twenty people had been killed, his face showed an intense fear. Everyone else within the court panicked. This was a huge case. 

“Top Scorer, may I trouble you to take us to the scene. This spells trouble!” The county magistrate said in fear.

The magistrate, several constables and more than ten bailiffs set off and made their way to the crossing.

When they reached the reeds, they saw the corpses scattered all over the white snow covered ground and were all filled with fear. The magistrate was almost 50 years old this year and had always been composed and dignified. Seeing the scene before him however, his expression was one of terror, "Check up on the identities of these bodies and record their description and how they died down.”

Pei Zi Yun realized on the way there that the bodies of the six horses and six warriors had disappeared. He then knew that there was someone powerful behind them, cleaning up after their failed attempt to kill him. Thankfully he had gotten out of there quickly, for he might’ve met another group of people. Now that he was back at the scene with an entire entourage of officials, he felt slightly safer. 

“Forgive me, but I would like to invite Top Scorer to stay with me for the next few days!” The magistrate forced a laugh. For something like that to happen, it was a disaster sent by the heavens, and it had to happen in a place where he was in charge of. Even if he wished to dismiss such a heavy burden, he could not.

And yet the person before him was a Top Scorer. If it had been any other ordinary citizen, or even a High Scholar, he might’ve found a way to cover it up. 

“I should probably do that!” Pei Zi Yun smiled as he accompanied the magistrate into the city. At this point the sky was already turning dark as it was getting late. 

The county magistrate had been an official for a long time. After awhile, he finally regained his composure and regular confident demeanor. He laughed, “Master Top Scorer, your reputation has spread far and wide. Today I have the pleasure of finally meeting you. I ask that you will let me play the good host.”

The county magistrate understood that with such a matter like that, it was not Pei Zi Yun’s fault, and yet it had arisen because of him. Since it can’t be helped, why should he be upset with Pei Zi Yun and make an enemy out of him?

Instead, they should be on cordial terms. Hence, he invited him to the dining hall.

Within the dining hall was a mini banquet. A fire was heating up over the stove, boiling a pot as it steamed and smoked. Pei Zi Yun could not help but laugh, “So we’re having ancient soup. With such a cold weather, this is the best thing to have.”

A steamboat was referred to as in the olden days as antique soup as well, and was common during wartimes. Having steamboat during cold weather was something seen often within the normal citizens as they added meat and vegetables to make a delicious hot broth.
(TN : Steamboat was an asian term for a metal pot of hot soup.)

It was the same in this world as with Pei Zi Yun’s own world. The steamboat was extremely convenient and nutritious. 

The county magistrate smiled, “It’s precisely because the weather’s so cold, and we do not have ample time to whip up a feast. Furthermore whatever we prepare will turn cold very quickly, hence we served up this hot pot.”

As he spoke, a serving maid entered and brought condiments before pouring some oil into the hot pot. Soon after, she placed some meat and greens into the hot pot as it started rumbling and emitting a delicious aroma.

“Thank you for the consideration your excellency. It's more than enough to have a sumptuous meal beneath warm shelter with wine in my cup.” Pei Zi Yun laughed. 

As he spoke, he picked up the pot of wine of the table and poured a cup for the magistrate. He then sniffed the wine, “It smells delicious!”

“This wine was personally fermented by me.” Having won the praise of Pei Zi Yun, the magistrate declared proudly, "Let’s start eating and drinking together!”

Pei Zi Yun was ravenous. He devoured the food before him hungrily. The magistrate played the part of good host well, and kept refilling his plate with food and pouring more wine for him, "Does master Top Scorer have any new works? Why not recite some poems to go along with the food and good wine?”

“I've already expanded most of my knowledge on the book I've just written. As of now, I have no proses to recite. And yet I do still have one poem, it was a poem I recited as I was crossing the river.”

Pei Zi Yun laughed. He had just been reciting a poem after slaughtering all those men, and yet didn't dare to recite a single word from that poem here. He then swayed his head and started reciting. 

“A thousand mountains, yet not a single bird was in sight. Ten thousand miles, and not a single man.” 

“A lonely old man with a straw hat sitting alone on his boat. Fishing in the deep cold ocean.”

This poem had been composed by Liu Zong Yuan and was called The Mountain Poem. The reason he recited this poem was to show how alone and devastated he was to have been subjected to wave after wave of assault. In just four lines, it was able to depict the loneliness felt by that man. After hearing the poem, everyone felt the cold of winter pierce through their bones. 

The magistrate listened attentively and was forced to recall the numerous corpses strewn all over the ground. He thought to himself, ‘What an eye opening poem. And after all that this man has been through.’

His heart was trembling in fear, "What a good poem. Listening to a work of this quality makes me feel as if I could drink a thousand cups and not be drunk. Come, bottoms up!”

After their meal was over, the magistrate commanded his men to clear out and tidy up a room for Pei Zi Yun to spend the night in. 

The room was actually very cozy. The house was warm, the blankets were soft and he was dressed in comfortable clothings. Pei Zi Yun was dead tired, and yet he could not fall asleep. He was thinking…. 

‘The people who had tried to kill me…The first wave were ordinary citizens who knew martial arts. The next wave were soldiers.’

‘That's strange. Although it was not a secret that I was undertaking this journey, the details of my journey was kept a secret. Nobody knew when I was leaving, or the route I was taking. I intentionally left quietly so nobody would know. Furthermore there are no bright stars here, hence nobody could inform anyone where my exact position was. Who could react this fast to stand in my way?’

Truth be told, the answer wasn't hard to guess. Pei Zi Yun sighed as he took off his clothes and warmed his feet beneath the warm blankets. The fire was burning by the fireplace causing warmth to course throughout the room. Without further hesitation, he started checking his inventory. 

“Leather armor, intact.”

“Magical sword, intact.”

“This is….” Pei Zi Yun emptied his back and touched something foreign. He picked it up and looked at it, and could not remember packing this in before he left. It took him several seconds to identify it, as his face turned pale. It was a Dao Amulet. 

Pei Zi Yun’s eyes gave off a look of anger, as if he was ready to kill whoever stood before him. He would never have imagined that someone would plant and hide a Dao amulet on him. This particular amulet was a Tracing Amulet and Pei Zi Yun recognized it. He flew into a rage. 

“Who made a move against me?”


“Could it be?” Pei Zi Yun thought hard about where this amulet might originate from. His expression was still one of fury, and all of a sudden he broke into a smile, "Forget it. Who else could it be. It must be you, Song Zhi.”

“Hey, looking at this amulet, it can only be kept for 10 days?”


“Then even if I wished to take this back, I would not be able to. Anyway I can’t turn back now.”

“It seems like I’m being the victim here, and have no way of retaliating? Let me think, how should I retaliate?”

“Oh, I shall stay in this county for 3 days, and let you catch up. At the same time I shall make preparations and surprise you when you get here.”

Thinking this way, Pei Zi Yun revealed a sly smile. 

That night, he went to bed, not saying anymore. On the third day, Pei Zi Yun decided to set off from the county, and took his documents with him. He bade farewell to the magistrate, and told him that they will meet again over the next few days. The magistrate was so impressed by Pei Zi Yun’s literary skills that he even gave him 20 taels of silver as a token of good luck.

Mountain Deity Temple 

Up on the mountains, there was a plot of land. It was all mud and rocks, and few trees around. Right on this plot of land sat a dilapidated temple. 

The temple looked like it had not been upkept for sometime. Many cracks showed up on the walls of the temple, as a cold gust of wind blew through. A signboard was perched atop the entrance, and it read “Mountain Deity Temple.”

Pei Zi Yun approached the altar and lit an incense before placing it in the burner. He closed his eyes and felt for the presence of the Deity, before sighing a sigh of relief, "I can’t feel the Deity’s Spirit in here, if not, I would not be able to use this place for my own benefit.”

Deities existed in this world and it was clear that the spirit of a Deity had occupied this temple before, although it no longer did. Pei Zi Yun decided that this was a good place as he took a glance around the four corners of the temple. The temple faced the open land, and its back was against the mountains. This was indeed a good place to lay an ambush, for he can observe the oncoming enemies from the front, and could escape from the back. If they do not show up, that’s fine. But if they do, he was going to make them pay. Thinking this way, he sniggered to himself. Ever since he found the Dao Amulet, he hatched this plan. He then walked over and started lighting the torches. 

Having been the victim of such a ploy, how could he not have his revenge? Since the Dao Amulet would reveal his location to the mastermind, how could he not lay an ambush here? Tonight he shall wait and see if any villains show up. When they do, he will kill them off to give himself a peace of mind. 

He smiled and went to his horse, where he retrieved a huge water pouch. This water pouch was very heavy and the magistrate had asked him about it. Pei Zi Yun smiled and replied, “This is used to store my wine. For the weather is very cold and I would need some wine to warm me up.”

The magistrate believed him. 

Pei Zi Yun then started pouring out the contents of the water pouch over the logs, doors and any object that could catch fire easily. He then laughed to himself, “This kerosene has been tumbling around for many days. This kerosene that I’ve stolen is quality stuff.”

“He then used a little bit of Dao Energy to strike a spark, to ensure that it would indeed ignite and burst into flames. Seeing that it was successful and ready, he extinguished the small flame.”

After his preparation was completed, Pei Zi Yun then kept his smile and showed an expression that was full of dread and fear. He thought about how he had been careless the previous time by the reeds. Who would’ve thought that these people were so bold. They even managed to convince these gangsters, who had a feud with the pirates, that the official was behind it all.

“Sigh, thankfully their attacks were not very professional. If the woman from back at the relay station managed managed to link up both waves of attacks fluidly, I might have not been able to escape.” Just thinking about this alone gave Pei Zi Yun the chills. 

At this point his sword was resting on the table beside him. He waited silently and patiently. After a long time, he heard a commotion stir up outside. 

Pei Zi Yun was alerted and hurriedly ran to the front door. He peeped out and saw ten shadows walking across stealthily. He then thought to himself, “These thugs had indeed learnt their lesson.”

“The first group of gangsters that I had to fight were a mob, without any military strategy or planning. The second group however, were skilled soldiers, and yet they had too little in number. Both groups were broken and defeated by me.”

“In this particular situation, there were around thirty people. And based on my observations, they are all particular skilled at killing and fighting. It’s clear that they’ve done their preparations and are here to kill me.”

“In any other circumstance, I would probably die to this group of people in spite of my Dao Arts and martial arts skills. Thankfully I planned for this to happen and am in control of the situation.”

He celebrated silently before retrieving something from his clothes. He then planted it into the incense burner before turning around and walking to the back. Seeing that the group of assailants had yet to get close, he jumped off from the back. He then watched from afar, behind a huge boulder.


Earth Immortals are cultivated from a blessed land,
Heaven Immortals move to and fro from the divine mountains.
I have a stalk of plum blossom, and I shall maraud the Will of the Heavens with it!

When the Roulian's war god, Karol, died, to the west of Heaven's Moat, the fire from a round purple candle in the Roulian campground went out.
The guards who were stationed outside Karol's tent saw the candle being extinguished and widened their eyes in horror.
"Men!"
"Here."
"Notify everyone west of Heaven's Moat to retreat! Make haste!"
"Understood!"
After the Roulian cultivators and soldiers received the news of their war god's death, their morale took a huge blow. They followed their orders and retreated to Rouli. Since then, the western side of Heaven's Moat had quietened down.
...
Meanwhile, the Evil Sky Pavilion had sped across Heaven's Moat under Lu Zhou's lead.
The top of the towering Heaven's Moat could not be seen from its base. When they were halfway across, they encountered a snowstorm, and the temperature dropped drastically. The cold wind slashed at their protective energies like blades.
Pan Litian had crossed Heaven's Moat before so he had experienced this before. He activated his energy to keep the endless snowstorm at bay. He said loudly, "This isn't the worst. I've crossed the southern part of Heaven's Moat in the past. That's where the seemingly insurmountable part is. When we reach the top, stay close to each other. We can take turns in using our protective energies."
Naturally, collective power was greater than individual power.
Mingshi Yin asked, "How did the Roulians get here?"
Pan Litian said, "There are three ways. The first one is to skirt around the mountains from the north. The second one is to cross it on a flying chariot. The third one is through a tunnel in the center of Heaven's Moat. It was used to transport goods before, but the wars gradually cut the path off."
"I'm enlightened," Mingshi Yin said.
As they spoke, the wind roared louder and louder.
The others looked up.
"I'll go first!"
The Golden Gourd Bottle shone brightly as a Five-leaf avatar spun upward. The conical golden energy shielded the others from the snowstorm as the avatar rose above Heaven's Moat.
The others flew after the avatar. After that, they took turns summoning their avatar.
Conch was the only one whose avatar was still at the Ten Worlds stage. Thus, she could only struggle and stay by Lu Zhou's side. She could hardly keep up with all these elite cultivators. She seemed troubled by this.
"Little Junior Sister, let's go!"
"Little Junior Sister!"
"Haha… Little Senior Sister, before you get stronger, I should get on your good side! I'll help you!"
Duanmu Sheng, Mingshi Yin, Si Wuya, Little Yuan'er, and the others released their energies and shielded Conch from the unrelenting snowstorm.
"Thank you, seniors!" Conch sighed with relief. She made up her mind to quickly get stronger.
They could hardly make out the mountains and rivers at the end of the north of Heaven's Moat due to the blizzard that painted everything blue. It was like this all year round. When they looked south, they could not see how high Heaven's Moat was. It was as though they were walking on the mountain's ridge.
Soon after, the Evil Sky Pavilion members arrived above Heaven's Moat and landed. They took in the beautiful mountains and rivers in their surroundings.
Bi An had arrived at the top of Heaven's Moat earlier. It was sitting and gazing into the distance like a stone lion.
"May I one day ascend the summit of all peaks, for there the mountains are dwarves," Lu Zhou exclaimed emotionally.
"What a good poem!" Mingshi Yin clapped his hands.
Duanmu Sheng turned to look at Mingshi Yin, and Mingshi Yin immediately shut his mouth. Even if he was at the Seven-leaf stage right now, whenever he remembered that his Third Senior Brother had already recultivated to the Four-leaf stage, he lost intention to argue.
Duanmu Sheng turned and said, "Nice poem!"
Mingshi Yin. "???"
Pan Litian said, "The people say that the pavilion master's sole virtue is his cultivation base, that he's brave but without brains. Looks like those are nothing but slanderous words. This is indeed a good poem!"
Si Wuya turned around and asked, "Do you know much about poems?"
"Just a little."
"…"
'What are you bragging about? I'm speechless.'
After enjoying the scenery for a while, Lu Zhou said, "Let's get down."
The others nodded. They leaped off Heaven's Moat and sped downward.
After what seemed like hours, they finally landed.
Lu Zhou, "Everyone, apart from Conch, spread out and search… Prioritize your own safety if you run into danger"
"Understood!"
The others flew and spread out.
Without the Roulian and Lou Lan camps, the western side of Heaven's Moat was now peaceful and quiet.
...
Ten days passed in just a blink of an eye.
East of the 100,000-foot-deep abyss, and north of Heaven's Moat.
Cloud Rage River snaked through the entire continent. Many villages were built around the river.
In Guluo Village.
A Roulian old man was describing the condition of the village to a man in fine robes. "My lord, there are more than 20 children around the age of ten in this village this year. They're all obedient. Please accept them. All of them have a high potential to become great cultivators in Rouli. They have the makings of a great warrior."
The man dressed in fine robes shook his head and said, "I've checked their constitutions. They're not suitable to cultivate. Do you have any other children for me?"
"My lord, would you like an older child?"
"I'm sure I've met the older children before… Forget it, I'll head to the next village," the finely-dress man said before he prepared to take flight.
At this moment, two young men from the village were prodding a young man in tattered robes, forcing him back to the village.
Ah Dong, one of the young men, said, "Ah Hai, stop looking around. We won't beat you up if you return the things."
"Don't even think of running away… It's chaotic outside. You'll only starve to death like this."
The two young men took turns bullying the young man whom they addressed as Ah Hai.
When the finely-dressed man saw Ah Hai, he asked in confusion, "Who's this?"
The old man replied, "My lord, he's a slave in our Guluo Village."
"A slave?"
The old man beckoned Ah Hai over. "Ah Hai, come here…"
Ah Hai placed the things he was carrying on the floor and walked over.
The finely-dressed man appraised him. He saw wounds on Ah Hai's body and the unconcealed hostility in Ah Hai's eyes. "A child from Great Yan?"
"That's right. We've always captured Great Yan citizens and use them as slaves. This brat is strong and stubborn. Ordinary Great Yan slaves couldn't endure this and would've taken their own lives long ago. However, this brat is still alive until now," the old man said.
The finely-dressed man waved his hand. An energy blade slashed at Ah Hai's garment, revealing obvious and terrifying marks on his body. He sighed and shook his head, "He has a great talent and foundation… Alas, he's not a Roulian."
Ah Dong smiled and said, "Heh, I didn't know Ah Hai is suitable for cultivation."
The old man shook his head. "Unfortunately, he's a Great Yan citizen."
An idea appeared in the finely-dressed man's mind. He said, "It's not entirely impossible…"
The old man remained silent, but he seemed to understand the finely-dressed man's meaning.
Turning a Great Yan citizen into a warrior who would die for Rouli while fighting against Great Yan. This was not unprecedented.
Ah Hai knew about this as well. In Guluo Village, the pain he endured was only physical. If he could endure it, he would one day be able to find a chance to escape. However, if he fell into the hands of a cultivator, his life would be hell. Without any hesitation, he turned around and ran!
Ah Dong scoffed and said, "Running away again. See that? The people of Great Yan are as dumb as pigs." He raised his hand and whistled.
The strong men from the village and the wolf dogs dashed out.
Ah Hai had been injured and could barely walk straight. It was impossible for him to escape.
Swoosh!
Someone fired a slingshot.
Bam!
It struck Ah Hai's calf, causing him to fall on the ground.
A few villagers swarmed toward him and started to rain down blows on him.
Ah Hai shielded his head and kept quiet. For some reason, he found this scene familiar. Every time he tried to recall, his memories would always turn up blank.
Life was a cycle. If one did not seek change, one would be repeating the same things all over again.
The finely-dressed man raised a hand "Stop."
The Guluo villagers spat at Ah Hai before stepping backward.
"The people of Great Yan are all trash."
The finely-dressed man walked over and said, "You'll kill him like this."
"That's too good for him. Our people have been bullied by them all the time. Six out of my family of ten had died at the hands of Great Yan's soldiers. When that dog of an emperor Yong Shou launched his west campaign, how many of us lost our lives? He's lucky if he dies!"
"That's right! Killing him is doing him a favor! We should keep him as a slave in our village. When he dies, we'll chop him up and feed him to the dogs."    


Lu Zhou wakes up to become the world's most powerful and oldest villainous Patriarch, and finds that he has nine notorious disciples who are full of evil. His eldest disciple is the leader of the Nether Sect with thousands of minions, and his second disciple—Sword Devil—always slaughters others at the slightest disagreement...
Without his cultivation base, how will he handle these evil disciples?
His eldest disciple, Yu Zhenghai, said, "I've never had a rival in my life, and no one but Master can make me bow my head."
His seventh disciple, Si Wuya, said, "We can't eat or sleep in peace as long as the Master is not dead!"
...
His ninth disciple, Yuan'er, said, "I'll remember what Master said and be a good person."

Run away?
That’s only something losers and failures would do!
But he’s our powerful and awesome Shaman Demon King, his majesty. He clearly won the war for us, so why was there a need to run away?
Everyone present were thrown into confusion. When they looked up, they could see the few lines of scribbles he had left behind. He had used the Star Miscanthus to write those words and thus the writings on the wall were glimmering. To them, the splendor and magnificence of the Shaman Demon King was the same as these words on the wall.
After carefully looking at the words left behind, someone started reading it out aloud.
Farewell Once Again, Sky Demon Tribe.
Author: Heavenly Explosion Faction’s Great Sage Equal To Heaven, King of Demons Sun Wu Kong
Gently, I take my leave,
Just as I have gently came;
I gently wave my hands,
And bid farewell to the western clouds.
The golden willow by the river banks,
Is the bride to the setting sun,
The reflection on the surface of the river,
Shall forever live in my memories…"
Up to this point, someone exclaimed, "It’s a farewell poem!"
However…
Something seemed off about it!
An old man frowned as he spoke out, "The golden willow by the river bank? There aren’t any golden willow trees planted along our rivers!"
"And also the western clouds! I’ve been living here for 710 years but I’ve never seen clouds looming over the west?" Yet another old cultivator spoke out after thinking.
"Right! And also… Bride of the setting sun! Who was he speaking of? It can’t be that the Shaman Demon King wants a concubine for himself right?" Someone else then asked in shock.
As soon as these words were spoken, Su Ling’er blushed a deep shade of red and looked down in embarrassment. Her heart was coyly scolding, "This silly monkey, he’s always so inappropriate. Even after becoming the Shaman Demon King, he’s still this way…"
"Good poem! What a good poem! He’s painted such a lovely picture of our tribe domains, even though we all know it’s so hideous that birds won’t even come here to shit…"
"The Demon King’s ability to express himself in poetry is absolutely incredible!"
"Wait a second! Have you seen the title of the poem? Farewell again Sky Demon Tribe? Again? Has the Shaman Demon King left us once before?"
"Not necessarily! I’ve always felt like the Shaman Demon King looked extremely familiar and intimate. As if I’ve seen him in my dreams…" A demonic human with the body of a peacock spoke out in between blushes.
"Shameless! Kong Xiao Jiu, you actually fantasized about the Shaman Demon King in your dreams?" Someone else asked and scolded him.
"I... I’m a male!" Kong Xiao Jiu replied indignantly before a look of stubborness flashed across his eyes, "In my next life, I shall become a female peacock and then… I shall be a concubine to the Shaman Demon King!"
Everyone remained silent as they pondered the meaning of the poem before breaking out in animated discussion. They were talking about how the Shaman Demon King had such wondrous literary talents.
Su Ling’er still carried a strange expression on her face. When she walked to the table, she saw a letter under the spell marker!
He had written the letter to her!
She started to open the letter slowly.
‘Ling’er, this Great Sage is going to save the world! I shall leave the race to you. With this Divinatory Thousand Swords Spell, you will be safe. Remember! You owe me a favor. When I return, I definitely will cook noodles for you. Wait for me!’
‘Yours sincerely, a man who’s like the wind, Sun Wu Kong!’
When Su Ling’er read the last line, her face turned a deep shade of red. When she saw the way he ended the letter by referring to himself as ‘a man who’s like the wind’ she let out a giggle.
All her memories of their time together flashed in her head.
When they first met, he was just a red butt monkey not worthy of a second glance.
The next memory that flashed in her head was of him saying. "Be good, little rabbit", and the way his face softened when he was trying to calm Xiao Yu down.
When he was refining pills, Su Ling’er recalled that confident expression on his face along with his passion for alchemy. She almost fainted as her heart melted, recalling him that way once more.
During the Lightning Tribulations, he displayed his valiant and heroic side along with his comical side when he chased after the lightning clouds.
When the Beast King assaulted them, it was him who stayed behind and vanquished the Beast King single handedly. In fact, it seemed like the Infant Transformation leader wasn’t a match for him at all.
And now, he had finally left. He was exactly how he described himself, a man like the wind.
He had left quietly just as he had came quietly. With a wave of his sleeves, he didn’t leave with the clouds, but…
He left with her heart.
…
At the same time, Xu Que had been travelling for an entire day using his terrifying looking flaming wings heading towards the Imperial City.
Originally, he was about six or seven days away from the city but with this pair of fiery wings, after travelling for just a day and a night, he could already see the Imperial City from where he was.
Looking through the fluffy clouds ahead of him, he could tell that the entire city wasn’t that huge. It was the size of a dozen football fields. The streets were wide and spacious and was clearly bustling with activity. He could also see that the topmost part of the Imperial Palace was glowing splendidly with gold rays of light. In addition, a certain powerful aura radiated from it.
The palace looked like it had hundreds or maybe even thousands of rooms!
Just looking at the Imperial Palace was enough to make anyone sigh in amazement!
Afterall, this was the Imperial City of the Fire Nation. Xu Que’s inherited memories from the previous owner meant that he was extremely familiar with this place and yet this was the place which brought him the most heartache.
Today, he finally returned with the motivation to revive Xiao Rou and to seek revenge upon the Fire Nation to quench his anger!
"Heh... I wonder if the Flaming Sun Princess and Zi Xian managed to retrieve the map of the Fire Nation’s Imperial Tombs or have they already betrayed me?"
Xu Que stopped in midair and whispered to himself.
Several seconds later, a smile appeared on his face. He then called out for the system in his head, "System, cancel the effects of my Disguise Puppet and restore my original body. I wish to keep this particular Human Skinned Mask in my inventory for future use!"
"Ding! The Disguise Puppet effect has been cancelled!"
Whoosh!
Xu Que’s body was then enveloped in a bright ray of light.
At the next moment, he was once again a young and dashing man in his black robes. At this point, he was on the road leading up to Imperial City.
Just before he entered the city, he chose to wear the Human Skinned Mask of Hu Ge. He then took a short walk around the to see if he had been betrayed.
(T/N : Reminder: Xu Que called himself Hua Wu Que while he was wearing the mask of Hu Ge and had used this same appearance when he met the Flaming Sun Princess and Zi Xuan earlier in the novel.)
If Zi Xuan and the Flaming Sun Princess had given him up, there would be posters all around the city with his face on it. Not using any disguise would lead to someone to discover his identity and recognize him.
If nobody recognized him, that would be more convenient. Still, he decided to wear the mask of Hu Ge anyway and walked into the city.
Thinking up to this point, Xu Que smiled as he walked around, ready to attract the attentions of anyone who would notice him.
Just as he was thinking of this, he saw a tea shop up ahead which was packed with people. In the midst of the crowd, he saw a young man and woman who looked very refined and educated as if they belonged to a renowned sect!
"Ai, I wonder why all these people are gathering within this tea shop?" Xu Que’s eyes gleamed as he spoke.
If he had been betrayed, the commoners probably wouldn’t recognize him. But this pair of lofty looking young man and woman would probably recognize him.
Besides, with so many people congregated within the tea shop, something big must be happening.
Xu Que kept his hands behind his back as he looked up to the sky at a 45 degrees angle and whispered, "Fuck me good. I’ve finally seen so many people. The more people, the better. Hahaha! It’s time to showcase my true acting tough skills!"


I am the best when it comes to taking divergent paths. With just a flip of my hand, I shall take the path less commonly travelled. I search far and wide, only to find myself unbeatable and unrivaled. So now I ask, who else can match my awesomeness? 

Acting tough is second nature to me and I am a lone wolf.
 
The road is long and winding but I shan’t feel lonely as long as I am able to act tough!


Life and death bore me and I do whatever I deem fit.

“Young man, way back when I started acting tough, you were still learning how to put on your underpants!” Xu Que thus decided to take the path of acting tough. He decided to act tough every single god-damned day. If he wasn’t acting tough, he was scheming for the best way to act tough!  

TALES UNLIMITED

Synopsis:

These are good theme based stories for Teens and also meant for all human beings.
Many sayings, many proverbs, many quotes are given here in this TALES UNLIMITED, which impress all the readers. Also good for utility in schools/colleges/Movies utility and also for TV serial utility content.

by
Mantri PragadaMarkandeyulu, Litt.D.,
Poet, Novelist, Song and Story Writer
B. Com, DBM, PGDCA, DCP.,
Honorary Doctorate in Litt. from ITMUT, BRAZIL.,
Royal Success International Book of Records Honour
Gujarat Sahitya Academy and Motivational Strips Honour
Literary Brigadier Honour from Story Mirror, Mumbai, India
Spotlight Superstar Honour from Story Mirror, Mumbai, India

Plot No. 37,
House No.1-6-53/1,
Anupuram, ECIL POST,
Hyderabad - 500062
Telangana State  India
Email : mrkndyl@gmail.com
Phone No.
+91-9951038802

"Who's that?"
"That's impressive. He comes with his own opening theme."
Compared with the new players, the veterans were much calmer. Some were even in the mood to tease a little.
Because the settlement core of Dragon City had risen to Transcendent, it could provide more assistant to the summoned heroes.
For instance, before, the setting of the battlefield was solely determined by the power of the offerings, but now, it would be affected by the power of the summoned hero as well.
This hero, who was likely from the Tang Dynasty, probably had something to do with wind.
"It's him…"
Several Daoist priest heroes and Elder Meng all looked surprised.
Apparently, from the poem that was chanted, they had guessed who the rare hero was.
It meant that not only was the hero a famous one, but he was also an influential figure in the Daoist community as well!
Hum!
On the battlefield, as soon as the hero wearing a Tang civil servant uniform took shape, the Yuan North King took action first.
Her arm moved like a venomous snake and struck at the hero's chest with bone-chilling energy.
"Watch out!"
Qin Yueyu couldn't help crying out.
In contrast to the overpowering stances of the South King, the female North King's stances reminded one of the Bone Corroding Soft Palm, which could melt its victim's bones and internal organs.
The summoned hero would be severely injured if he wasn't careful enough.
["If the wind comes up from the zhen, xun, and li, it will win. If it comes from kun, things will fail!"]
However, the hero seemed to have seen it coming.
As he spoke, the book in his hand began to shine brightly.
The wind around him formed the pattern of a bagua diagram, and the blue wind blew the energy of the strike away from him.
It landed on the water behind him, forming a small handprint that went a meter deep into the water.
"Humph!" the North King snorted.
Although she was only a projection, it was obvious that just like the West King and the North King, she hated the fact that she was killed by the people of Dragon City.
This battlefield was to her advantage because the Water Stopping Stone enabled her to walk on water, while her opponent would fall right in.
When that happened, she could use the Water Stopping Stone to trap her enemy in the water until they were dead!
She had all the advantages in terms of the environment setting, but it was counterbalanced by the hero's wind.
Even her movement on the water surface was affected.
She could only stabilize the water around her and couldn't move closer to attack the hero.
Boom!
Therefore, she waved her hand and struck at the hero again, not bothering to hide her intention this time.
It was 10 times more forcible than the previous strike. Because of the ample True Qi it contained, the wind wasn't able to blow it away.
["It's windy on the seventh day. It's late and ill, and people are uneasy when it comes to moving the fort!"]
However, the hero didn't seem flustered.
As he chanted, his book lit up again.
Wind gathered around him from all directions and formed a powerful upward thrust to lift him off the water and into the sky, just in time to dodge the North King's strike.
"Humph!" the North King snorted again.
She then struck downward.
The force sent water of a ten-foot radius into the sky, which pounced at the hero like tidal waves.
However, by controlling the wind, the hero had risen as high as the battlefield allowed, and even the waves couldn't reach him. They were still over a meter away from the hero's feet. 
"Watch out!" several core players cried out.
The hero had indeed dodged the waves created by the North King.
But before the waves fell back down, they burst open behind him, and two men jumped out.
They were the Water Demons, the special force of the North King!
Just like the West King and the East King, the North King had never planned to fight this battle on her own.
Instead, she had transformed part of the offering's power into an unknown number of Water Demons, who had hidden in the water.
["The cloud is a dragon, and a general loses his focus when he sees one!"]
The hero seemed to have sensed the people sneaking up on him, and the book in his hand glowed again.
Immediately, clouds in the shape of a dragon wrapped around him.
The two Water Demons seemed to lose their focus once they jumped into the clouds.
Their eyes went blank, and they moved much slower. They brushed past the hero and fell back into the water.
["Yisi Divination, Book One, Celestial Phenomena!"]
The hero's voice came out of the clouds.
Immediately, the entire battlefield changed.
Apart from the blowing wind and the dragon cloud, illusionary sun, moon, and stars appeared in the sky as well.
"Humph!"
However, neither the North King nor the Water Demons were intimidated.
In fact, many Yuan people had similar power, such as the West King and the North King.
Because of that, they didn't even pause.
The North King struck the water repeatedly, sending over a dozen Water Demons up toward the cloud with the waves she created.
["The moon is the essence of Yin. It produces an image, and the spirit contains a shadow. It takes the light of the sun to light up the night!"]
The hero didn't stop chanting either.
His book shone again, and the illusionary moon in the sky suddenly lit up.
In the silver moonlight, the Water Demons hidden in the water were all exposed.
["When Yinjia lives in the bent of the river, monsters roam the land, and ten suns shine together!"]
He chanted again.
The sun in the sky suddenly multiplied and gave off a scorching heat, immediately vaporizing the rising waves.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"
The Water Demons, who had been exposed by the moonlight, squeaked in pain under the sunlight.
This battlefield relied greatly on the power of providence.
Apart from the capability of the participants, it also involved the competition of mental power.
That was why the battlefield had such a large scale, and some of it didn't make sense.
Since they were Water Demons, they wouldn't be able to withstand the power of the sun, which could punish all evil creatures.
["Meteors are messengers of the Heavenly Emperor and the escaping essence of the five elements!"]
Then, there came another chant.
Stars began to light up one by one.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Immediately after that, they fell from the sky with fiery red flames and black smoke, smashing down at the falling Water Demons who had lost the protection of the waves.
Pew! Pew! Pew!
Several of them were killed instantly!
The Soul of Civilization used to summon this hero was an Extraordinary Level-9 one, which meant that the hero could use his full power during the test.
These Water Demons were Extraordinary Level 5 only. Without the protection of the water, they couldn't withstand the meteors.
["Meteors fall to the ground, creating droughts for thousands of miles. All water dries up, and the king shall be slain!"]
With that, seven far bigger meteors fell with scorching heat and dark red flames.
However, instead of attacking the Water Demons, they smashed down at the North King!


Magic, eastern fantasy, cultivation, scientific technology…
Machines, biological creatures, energy, souls…
Different civilizations and species have entered a world that follows game-like rules.
As one of the first million people from Earth to enter this world, Ji Ye, who formerly streams his survivalist videos, obtains a Fusion Inheritance skill. Using it, he comes up with many combinations!
AI chip + Tank = Transformer!
T-X + Demonic Sovereign Ancient Sutra + Spirit Possession Fiend Art = Silver Immortal Demoness!
Divine Stone Genes + 10,000-year-old Peach + Nine Transformations Golden Pill + Pet Spirit Monkey = ?
Investiture of the Gods = The light of providence on humans + power of faith + spoils of war godhood + ? + ?
Infinite Glove = ? + ? +? + ? + ? 

"Zero!"
The widow, Ning Qing, finished her countdown.
Then, she slipped into a daze!
Ning Que turned her gaze toward her mistress. Should she slice her blade downward?
Ning Qing sat up with a little difficulty. She stared at Yun Zhonghe with her red eyes.
This… This was a beggar, a hooligan?
This was an illiterate man who dropped out of school in his first year of kindergarten?
He was able to produce a poem like that?
"What's that poem called?" Ning Qing asked.
Yun Zhonghe thought for a moment before he replied, "I haven't thought of a good name for it. However, if you want me to forcefully give it a name, then let's call it 'Mister Taia'."
'Mister Taia'?
That's right, Taia. That's too fitting.
The first line, 'There are goodbyes as the blossoms move west.'
In this world, goodbyes were always accompanied by folded willows or blossoms. People folded willows during summer and spring and folded blossoms during the harsh winter.
This was especially so for a person who had been demoted from an official position. They would have to move from the prosperous east to the barren west.
The further west they headed, the drier the climate became, and the more pitiful they were. Willow trees could not survive in the west; neither could cherry blossoms.
Thus, while there are many cherry blossoms in the east, their numbers grow fewer the further west a person travels.
Twenty years ago, the Crown Prince of the Great Xia Empire failed in his revolt. As the mentor of the Crown Prince, Li Taia was demoted and sent to the barren lands in the extreme west. Many people from the world of literature folded willows as they sent him off.
The second line, 'There is sorrow as the snow travels down south.'
Snow usually falls from the north toward the south. The more south a place was, the hotter the climate, and thus there would be no snow.
Furthermore, every time there was a tragedy, the sky always seemed as though it was about to snow heavily.
That would also happen if there were a grave injustice or a grave vengeance.
Twenty years ago, when many soldiers died during the revolt of the Crown Prince of the Great Xia Empire, massive snow fell for several consecutive nights. It was as if the snow was trying to cover up the endless sea of blood.
The snow spanned tens of thousands of miles as it fell from the north to the south. The damaged land was dyed a pitiful white.
There had been no one in the world who dared to mourn, but the heavy snow dyed the world white as if it mourned in the place of humanity.
The third and fourth lines, 'I will always be a man of the mountains. Unable to obtain a comforting hug from my descendants'.
These two lines emphasized Mister Taia's humble background. He had studied bitterly in the mountains. He radiated loneliness and pride. However, he was not treated kindly despite his talents and was always discriminated against and looked down upon by the nobles.
If not for the repeated humble visits by the Crown Prince, there would not have been such an affinity between him and the Crown Prince.
***
The original poem was already exceptional. However, after explaining the poem to herself, Ning Qing felt as though the poem was the best in the world.
It was a complete summary of Mister Taia's life.
Mister Taia was the master that the Legendary Talented Lady, Ning Qing, admired most in her life.
In that instant, the poem had pierced through her soul.
Furthermore, what was more difficult was that the topic of this poem had been chosen very randomly.
Yun AoTian was absurd. The four lines of the doggerel he wrote at first were completely random.
That was why Ning Qing had asked him to start his new poem with the words 'every,''blood,''a,' and 'difficult.' She wanted to surprise him and catch him off guard.
In such a short amount of time, with barely enough time to catch a few breaths, what he had done did not pale in comparison to composing a poem in seven steps.
It was difficult enough to compose a poem with the four words, but it was even more difficult to come up with an excellent piece. To compose such a piece in less than a minute was difficult beyond imagination. The poem that he composed was still related to a central theme and touched Ning Qing's soul. That was as difficult as touching the sky.
The gaze Ning Qing shot Yun Zhonghe was filled with disbelief.
This was a poem composed by a beggar? This was a poem composed by an illiterate?
How rare was such a talent?
It was too shocking.
Ning Qing only said a while later, "It was a good poem, a good poem."
Ning Que immediately moved her blade away from Yun Zhonghe's crotch.
Yun Zhonghe could not help but heave a long sigh of relief. He was covered in sweat. He even had the urge to wet himself just now.
Ning Qing looked toward Yun Zhonghe's beggar-like face and said, "You have the right to mock poetry now. We can continue our conversation. What do you wish to say? What do you wish to do?"
At that moment, blood was continuously flowing out of her nostril. Blood even started to spurt out from the corner of her mouth.
It was like a fountain.
The situation felt wrong.
According to the detailed information found in the spy's records, Ning Qing should have been poisoned with a slow-acting poison such as mercury or lead.
Her symptoms should include shedding hair, urinating blood, irregular menstrual cycles, warts on her hands, insomnia, frequent dreams, etc.
However, the severity of the situation before him indicated that she suffered from acute mercury poisoning. It might not solely be mercury poisoning anymore.
Furthermore, judging from the symptoms, she should have just been poisoned.
"Mistress, I'll get the physician immediately." Ning Que sprinted out of the room.
"I am a physician," Yun Zhonghe said, "Your mistress has been poisoned by someone. Furthermore, she had been poisoned not too long ago. We have to treat her immediately or her life will be in danger. What did she eat just now? The person who delivered the food, the people who made the food. Capture all of them."
Ning Qing looked at Yun Zhonghe for a moment, then trembled as she said, "Go… Go quickly."
Ning Qing immediately fainted after she finished her sentence.
Ning Que ran toward the exit without saying another word.
Yun Zhonghe shouted, "Don't go. Only I can save your mistress now."
Ning Que turned around to look at Yun Zhonghe. She hesitated for a long while.
Even though the beggar before her was acting strange, she still believed the physician she was familiar with.
Thus, she still chose to run out and look for a physician. Furthermore, her mistress had many taboos. She would only let a female physician treat her.
At that moment, Yun Zhonghe could not care about it too much. He took out a small gourd from his robes and immediately stepped forward to help Ning Qing up.
"Slap, slap, slap…" He slapped Ning Qing several times.
He then pressed down hard on her philtrum.
Ning Qing woke up groggily.
Yun Zhonghe immediately poured the liquid within the gourd into her mouth.
In just half a minute, Yu Zhonghe had emptied half of the liquid from the gourd into Ning Qing's stomach.
Ning Qing panted as she said, "You, what did you make me drink? Why did it taste so weird?"
"What else could it be?" Yun Zhonghe said, "That's my virgin pee."
What? That's not right, Yun Zhonghe would never bring along something like that everywhere he went.
However, Ning Qing's expression changed drastically when she heard his words.
"Urgh… Urgh…"
The contents in her stomach instantly poured out like a fountain.
She vomited without stopping to catch her breath.
However, Yun Zhonghe was still not satisfied. She had not vomited everything out.
She had not vomited all of the poison in her stomach.
Thus, he pried Ning Qing's mouth open and poured in the other half of the liquid in the gourd.
He then shoved a chopstick down Ning Qing's throat.
Ning Qing vomited once again.
At that moment, Yun Zhonghe pressed against Ning Qing's ear and whispered, "Lady Ning Qing, do not speak. Remember everything I am going to say. It is very important."
Ning Qing nodded as she vomited.
Yun Zhonghe spoke quickly. He was fighting for time, yet it did not delay his rescue efforts.
It was just that the image seemed a little gruesome.
Ning Que happened to witness this scene when she charged into the room with four physicians.
Yun Zhonghe was stuffing Ning Qing's mouth with something and then pushing a chopstick down her throat.
This… This was a scene of a murder.
In that instant, Ning Que's expression changed drastically.
She was incredibly remorseful. She had rushed out of the room to look for a physician just now but left her mistress alone in the study with the beggar.
She had been too careless.
"Yun AoTian, what are you doing? Are you asking for death?" Ning Que shouted fiercely. "Guards, break this beggar's limbs and toss him into the underground jail."
A few warriors charged into the room in an instant.
"Don't hit him, don't injure him," Ning Qing said, incredibly weak.
"Yes!" Ning Que nodded as she said, "Mistress, Physician Xu is here."
The four physicians who had come in were all women.
Yun Zhonghe said, "I'm already finished with inducing vomiting. Go and get some milk and feed Lady Ning Qing. Feed her continuously, feed her continuously."
The female physician said, "I know what to do. Get out. It's not convenient for a man to be here."
Then, a few warriors rushed over and escorted Yun Zhonghe out.
Yun Zhonghe said, "Lady Ning Qing, remember what I said… Doctor's instructions!"
He was then led out of the room by the warriors as if he was a little chick.
Ning Qing glanced at Yun Zhonghe with difficulty, then fainted.
Lady Ning Qing's aide, Ning Que, said, "Let Mister Yun rest, serve him well."
The warriors escorted Yun Zhonghe out of Ning Qing's study.
Before he left, Yun Zhonghe turned to look at the comatose Ning Qing.
***
"Where are we going?" Yun Zhonghe asked.
The warriors did not bring him to another room in the castle. Instead, they were escorting him toward the exit.
"You'll know when we get there," one of the warriors said.
They then entered an underground tunnel.
They… Are they going to hold me in an underground jail cell?
Yun Zhonghe said, "What's the meaning of this? I just saved Lady Ning Qing."
The warrior said, "We'll speak after Lady Ning Qing wakes up. We are still not certain if you were saving her or murdering her."
Yun Zhonghe was then thrown into an underground jail cell.
Yun Zhonghe spent the next few hours in the underground jail of the castle. No one came to bother him.
No one sent him food, nor did anyone come to tell him if Ning Qing was awake, or if she had been treated.
Yun Zhonghe sat cross-legged. He closed his eyes and remained motionless.
His expression was grave, but he felt excited.
The situation had become very interesting.
It had become abnormally interesting.
At first, Yun Zhonghe had felt that it would be extremely difficult to complete the mission. However, currently, the enemy seemed to have given him a helping hand. It made everything much simpler.
Interesting, interesting.
Competing against a human brought immense joy.
***
Half a day passed.
A day passed.
Suddenly, two warriors entered the underground jail and instantly placed their blades on Yun Zhonghe's neck.
"Do you want to die, or to live?" a warrior asked.
"I want to live, I want to live," Yun Zhonghe said.
The warrior asked again, "How did you know that Lady Ning Qing had been poisoned?"
Yun Zhonghe said, "It's a long story. I mainly looked at her symptoms."
The warrior then said, "Is there a spy from the City of Torn Gust in this castle?"
Yun Zhonghe squinted and remained silent.
Then, a fierce pressure was applied on the edge of the sharp blade. The warrior continued with a chilling voice, saying, "Do you wish to die, or to live?"
"I want to live," Yun Zhonghe said.
The warrior continued, saying, "Then speak."
He wanted Yun Zhonghe to speak, but he did not want Yun Zhonghe to speak the truth.
Yun Zhonghe nodded and said, "That's right. There is a spy from the City of Torn Gust in this castle."
The warrior said, "Was it your spy who poisoned Lady Ning Qing?"
Yun Zhonghe said, "Sir, should I answer yes or no?"
"Do you wish to die?" the warrior asked.
"Yes," Yun Zhonghe said without hesitation. "You are right. It is the spy from the City of Torn Gust that poisoned Lady Ning Qing."
The warrior continued, saying, "You guys sent a spy to poison Lady Ning Qing, then sent you, Yun AoTian, to give her the antidote and save her life. This way, you would have the favor of saving Lady Ning Qing's life on your side. Then, Lady Ning Qing would naturally be biased toward you guys in the report to come, right?"
Wow! What a genius. There were no faults to the enemy's false charges.
"This is all a part of your scheme, a despicable scheme. It was you guys who administered the poison, and it was you guys who saved her life. You sure used every despicable method at your disposal for that report. However, you are merely seeking your death!"
"Yun AoTian of the Valley of Torn Gust, we have concrete evidence that you attempted to murder Lady Ning Qing, and you have already confessed. You will be executed!"
***


In the midst of an explosion of the X Psychiatric Hospital, Yun Zhonghe, the hospital director traveled back in time.  29 genius mental health patients' souls entered his brain, equipping him with 29 peculiar abilities. He joined the imperial intelligence agency and went undercover in the enemy state. Years have passed, if I don't resume my original identity, I would soon become the emperor of the enemy state!

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