Lu Zheng asked, “By the way, Brother Hu, do you know Si Lingxi?”
Hu Yijun’s hand trembled, nearly dropping the teacup he was holding. “Si Lingxi? How do you know her?”
“Er…”
Seeing Hu Yijun’s reaction, Lu Zheng felt a thud in his heart and immediately asked, “I met her at Wansong Mountain. She was playing Go with Senior Wansong at the time. Is there a problem?”
“No, no problem.” Hu Yijun shook his head. “I was just a bit surprised. That makes sense, though. It is said that Si Lingxi excels in all aspects of qin, Go, calligraphy, and painting. Being friends with Daoist Wansong is perfectly normal.”
“Is she also a great expert?” Lu Zheng asked.
Hu Yijun easily understood the meaning of “great expert” and looked at Lu Zheng with a complicated expression.
“Great expert? In the entire Southern Border, those who can be mentioned in the same breath as her number no more than the fingers on both hands. Do you think she qualifies as a great expert?”
“So powerful?” Lu Zheng was also quite shocked.
The Southern Border was known as the hundred thousand great mountains, vast beyond measure, teeming with great demons and strange beasts. It could stand toe-to-toe with the Central Plains, preventing experts from the Central Plains dynasties from venturing deep inside. One could imagine its might.
To be ranked in the top ten in such a place meant Si Lingxi’s cultivation was probably comparable to the Jade Dragon King, perhaps even surpassing it. In any case, she was a figure at the very peak of the pyramid.
Lu Zheng: (…)
I am already at the point where I can share meals with such a person?
Seeing Lu Zheng’s expression, Hu Yijun could not help rolling his eyes. He did not even know Daoist Wansong personally, and aside from her centennial birthdays, he rarely ever saw Si Lingxi.
Damn it…
Hu Yijun’s tiger eyes widened. “Tonight, I must get you drunk. No dispelling the alcohol!”
Lu Zheng could not help laughing.
“Father, Si Lingxi… is that the Lord of Phoenix Mountain, Si Lingxi?” Hu Zhou asked.
“Yes.” Hu Yijun nodded. Seeing that Lu Zheng did not seem to know much, he took the opportunity to explain about this Lord of Phoenix Mountain to everyone, prompted by Hu Zhou’s question.
“It is said that she carries the bloodline of a phoenix from the upper realm, left in this world. She was nurtured for a thousand years in the lava fire cavern beneath Phoenix Mountain in the Southern Border. Upon emerging, she already possessed a thousand years of cultivation.”
“After emerging, she summoned a hundred birds to pay homage to the phoenix and established the foundation of Phoenix Mountain. Her might subdued the surrounding hundred thousand li. Countless great demons and strange beasts who harboured designs on her were reduced to ashes by a single burst of her phoenix divine fire.”
“From then on, tribute was offered every hundred years. There have been no more conflicts around Phoenix Mountain, making it one of the rare peaceful places in the Southern Border.”
“Additionally, it is said that this woman often travels to the Central Plains for leisure and is proficient in qin, Go, calligraphy, and painting. I hear the Lingxi King was interested in her and even proactively went to the Central Plains to study literature and painting under a master.”
“Lingxi King?”
“One of the ancient Lingxi bloodline, someone who can be compared to Si Lingxi. But he has a violent temperament and learned in a haphazard way. In the end, he was driven out of Phoenix Mountain by Si Lingxi,” Hu Yijun said.
“Er…”
“By the way, this year happens to be Si Lingxi’s birthday year. How is your relationship with her? Shall I take you to Phoenix Mountain to see the sights?” Hu Yijun asked.
Lu Zheng patted his gourd, took out the phoenix tree leaf, blinked, and said, “She invited us to Phoenix Mountain on the eighth day of the tenth month to attend her three thousandth birthday banquet.”
Hu Yijun, “…”
After thinking for a moment, Hu Yijun said, “When the time comes, come to Dingfeng Mountain first. We will go together.”
Lu Zheng’s eyes lit up. He nodded and said, “That would be best. Thank you, Brother Hu.”
After all, on that day, dragons and snakes would mix. There would surely be many experts. If someone targeted Lu Zheng, having Hu Yijun nearby would be safer.
Hu Yijun waved his hand with a smile. “It is just a precaution. After all, you hold the Phoenix Jade Leaf, making you an honoured guest of Phoenix Mountain. Ordinary people would not dare touch you.”
“Phoenix Jade Leaf?”
Hu Yijun gestured towards the leaf in Lu Zheng’s hand. “Is that not it? This leaf has already taken on a jade quality and is extremely hard. It is a token of Phoenix Mountain.”
Hu Yijun chuckled, appearing completely unconcerned. “Ordinary people cannot obtain this leaf.”
Lu Zheng blinked, holding back a laugh, and casually put the Phoenix Jade Leaf away.
“Master, you are amazing!”
After hearing Hu Yijun’s explanation and learning how formidable Si Lingxi was, Hu Zhou admired Lu Zheng even more, prostrating himself in reverence.
“It’s nothing, nothing…”
Lu Zheng waved his hand. “I just played a few games of Go with her and shared a few meals. It was Shen Ying who avenged her maid’s grievance. Over these ten-odd days, she often strolled with her and received some guidance, that is all.”
Hu Yijun: ???
Hu Yijun suddenly realised that the relationship between Lu Zheng’s group of three and Daoist Wansong and Si Lingxi seemed even better than he had imagined.
He suddenly felt that he, the Tiger King of Dingfeng Mountain, had no presence at all…
…
That evening, the night banquet.
Of course, having Lu Zheng cook an entire ox demon was just a joke.
Lu Zheng provided seasonings like chilli, cumin, pepper powder, and five-spice powder. He personally grilled the most tender beef tenderloin, while the other parts were handled by the cooks under Dingfeng Mountain’s command.
The dinner was a joyous occasion for hosts and guests. Lu Zheng was targeted by Hu Yijun and finally drank until his tongue grew thick. Then, with a roll of his eyes, he slipped under the table with a whoosh.
…
They stayed at Dingfeng Mountain for a few more days, accompanying Shen Ying to tour the surrounding scenery. Then the three set off again, returning to the Central Plains.
Travelling on clouds and mist all the way, they soon arrived at the border between the Central Plains and the Southern Border.
Yongzhou in Lingnan Circuit.
“Yongzhou is located on the border, with many merchant caravans and people from the Southern Border coming to trade,” Lu Zheng said. “Southern Border new tea is renowned. It is now early spring, the season when tender tea comes to market. Let us go down and have a look around, and tour the area while we are at it.”
“Yes, yes!”
At Hu Zhou’s wedding, Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan had toured their way back and had passed through Yongzhou territory, but it had been deep autumn then, different from the current spring.
Moreover, Shen Ying had never been here, and the three had no urgent matters… So they waved their hands, descended from the clouds, and revealed their figures outside Yongzhou city.
As soon as they turned onto the small path, they saw several people from the Southern Border dressed in blue-black skirts and adorned with silver and copper pendants carrying loads approaching.
Liu Qingyan sniffed. “It smells so good!”
“New tea?” Lu Zheng’s eyes brightened. He walked forward and waved to block the way.
“What does the scholar want by stopping us?” the leading man asked.
At this point, they could already see the walls of Yongzhou city in the distance, and the road was busy with people coming and going, so they were not afraid. Moreover, behind Lu Zheng followed two beauties who looked like heavenly immortals.
“What tea is in your loads? It smells so fragrant,” Lu Zheng asked.
The man replied, “This tea is called February Fragrance. It is a speciality of our Fog Lotus Mountain. Each year, we produce only a little over a hundred jin.”
Lu Zheng nodded. “It is indeed good tea. How much is it? I will buy a few jin.”
Unexpectedly, the man shook his head. “Not selling.”
“Not selling?”
The man nodded. “Our tea yield is extremely low and has already been fully contracted by three merchant houses in Yongzhou. We do not sell it outside.”
