The Awakening of Insects arrived.

Spring thunder stirred, all things awakened, hibernating insects startled and broke through earth to emerge from burrows. The snow-clad Prince of Beiliang’s palace had infinite beautiful scenery, the palace in spring warmth and blooming flowers equally picturesque, thousands of trees with pink peach and white pear blossoms, spring vitality abundant. At noon, Xu Fengnian came alone to the lakeside, rowing to the lake’s heart, removing his outer garment, taking a deep breath, leaping into the deep green lake.

This lake was fed by living water, far clearer than ordinary lakes. Xu Fengnian held his breath and dove, plunging into the lake, but there was still some distance from the lake bottom. He resurfaced, dove again. After repeating this three or four times with ninety percent certainty he could reach the lake bottom, only then did he dive with full effort. The lake was quite deep. Logically speaking, slightly deeper lake bottoms should be pitch black no matter what, unable to see any scenery. But the mysterious aspect was that in this lake where silt was regularly removed, at the lake heart position’s bottom sat an enormous luminous pearl, illuminating an area bright as daylight. Xu Fengnian laboriously held his breath suspended at the lake bottom. The scene before his eyes was sufficient to be written into any supernatural novel that would make common people gasp in amazement: a “Water Kui” approximately one zhang tall sat cross-legged in the silt, a head of white hair like water grass slowly swaying. The meditative Water Kui’s physique was robust and powerful. By the light scattered from the goose-egg-sized luminous pearl, one could vaguely see the Water Kui’s left hand and both feet bound by three iron chains as thick as arms, the chain ends cast into three iron balls weighing thousands of pounds each.

Under heaven, was there a more inconceivable yet extremely cruel prison than this?

The Water Kui opened his eyes, without any emotion, looking toward the only living person he’d been able to see in over a decade.

Xu Fengnian made a hand gesture, roughly meaning he’d throw down cooked meat a bit later.

That massive monster opened his mouth and sucked, drawing a koi into his mouth, directly tearing and biting. Fresh koi blood seeped from his mouth. In a few moments the entire plump red carp went down his belly whole.

Xu Fengnian’s face flushed red turning green, unable to hold on much longer. He hesitated, then made another string of hand gestures that only he and the Lake Kui understood.

The Old Kui, more like a demon monster than a living person, widened his eyes, gaze sharp as a blade, staring straight at Xu Fengnian, seemingly doubting and judging. Long years of isolation from the world made Old Kui’s thinking appear quite sluggish. But Xu Fengnian couldn’t wait any longer, whooshing upward, otherwise he’d die young with corpse floating on the lake surface. Climbing onto the boat, actually the water wasn’t cold – coldest was that moment emerging from water. [visit our site]Xu Fengnian wiped his body dry, dressed. Inside the boat was a brazier, quite warm. Xu Fengnian waited a moment. The lake surface was calm as a mirror. Somewhat disappointed, he withdrew his gaze, glancing at the Spring Thunder short blade White Fox Face had given him, lying horizontally on his knee. Stroking the scabbard, he sighed, “Spring Thunder girl, looks like you have no place to be used. That old ghost is happy staying below as a turtle withdrawing its head. Let’s see if I still give him meat to eat in the future.”

When young, Xu Fengnian had cramped while playing in water, nearly sinking dead to the lake bottom. That day after day, year after year Old Kui who ate live fish at the lake bottom hadn’t swallowed Xu Fengnian whole, but rather used supernatural power to lift the Crown Prince from the lake bottom. After that, Xu Fengnian developed the habit of throwing cooked meat into the lake, considered repaying kindness. When in poor spirits, he’d also dive to the lake bottom, look a few times at that Old Kui sitting at the lake bottom, and could feel life was actually quite beautiful. At first he’d regarded Old Kui as a demon monster suffering heaven’s punishment. After growing up he knew it was a person who also needed to eat. But Xu Fengnian could never figure out – over a decade at the lake bottom, how to change air? Wouldn’t he suffocate? Then how profound and terrifying was his internal power?

For this, Xu Fengnian had specially run to Tide-Listening Pavilion to flip through all martial arts ancient texts about breath-holding, only finding in Daoist secret texts the two characters “fetal breathing” relatively matching. But Xu Fengnian wasn’t unfamiliar with Wudang Mountain – he’d never heard which contemporary expert on the mountain could reach such exquisite “Dark Warrior Meditation.” In the Crown Prince’s view, who had no good feelings toward Daoists, Daoist Canon phrases like “when pulse stops and breath halts, the fetus begins to form” and “if desiring longevity, spirit and energy mutually attend” were just borrowing immortal language to deceive the world. Master Li Yishan had more clearly stated there were no ghosts or gods in the world. Daoist Celestial Masters abstaining from food for three years was already the limit – absolutely no possibility of riding dragons and cranes to transform into flying immortals.

The Crown Prince who’d gone with high spirits but returned disappointed carried Spring Thunder ashore, drew the blade and cut down four or five willow branches bursting with yellow buds, circled them around, wore them on his head, swung the resheathed Spring Thunder, strolling leisurely.

Outside the palace, a handsome young man with face like peach petals submitted a calling card. The palace gatekeepers had long practiced fiery discerning eyes, immediately weighing the magnificent Lantian jade calling card in hand. Looking down carefully, it was the young master of the Hedong Qiaoguo Lin family. This family wasn’t considered a first-tier clan in the dynasty, but had some connection with the palace. The Lin family’s eldest son had originally had opportunity to marry the eldest princess. So the gatekeeper didn’t dare neglect, restraining his initial coldness, smiled slightly, having this young master wait a moment while he immediately went to report. Layer by layer upward, finally reaching Second Steward Song Yu. After slight consideration he decided on hospitality standards equal to governors – very quickly someone obsequiously led Young Master Lin and a delicate young lady into the palace. Along the way the young lady imperceptibly became a scenery. Her tender frame wasn’t extremely beautiful, but the bearing on her body was a charm extremely rare in the martial-spirited cold lands. Whether from weak constitution or the guide walking too fast, fine sweat seeped from her smooth forehead. Young Master Lin felt heartache watching, but truly didn’t have courage to mention it to the palace steward. The Hedong Qiaoguo Lin family couldn’t even stand out in one province. Facing the Prince of Beiliang’s palace, this whale-like colossal creature, was truly negligible. The common saying goes “a prime minister’s gatekeeper is Third Rank, palace advisors rival governors.” Even though he’d obtained third-place scholar last year and with the top scholar and second-place scholar had ridden horses viewing all capital flowers in one day, arriving at the Prince of Beiliang’s palace, how dare he be arrogant?

The second-class steward led them toward Phoenix Ceremony Hall, walking along the lakeside path. Then Scholar Lin saw someone he absolutely didn’t want to see. That person slowly approached – brocade clothes and fox fur, wealthy and imposing, yet wearing a willow wreath on his head, slovenly, playing with an ancient-looking short blade.

One who could so leisurely wander in the strictly hierarchical Prince of Beiliang’s palace was naturally the Crown Prince who daily played with hawks and dogs and read forbidden books. Xu Fengnian, seeing Scholar Lin whom he’d thrown into the shit pit, gave the steward a silencing look, quickened his pace, smiling, “Scholar, come to the palace to eat rouge? Didn’t eat enough at Lantern Festival?”

Scholar Lin, not knowing Xu Fengnian’s background, mumbled, “You are?”

Xu Fengnian deliberately put on an arrogant disgusting manner, pretending ignorance, “I’m the Crown Prince’s reading companion!”

Scholar Lin, who’d thought he’d encountered a powerful local bully at Lantern Festival, both relaxed and tensed up, expression awkward. Though the bastard before him wasn’t from a background with sprawling branches and leaves, being close to the Crown Prince – Scholar Lin, however unfamiliar with worldly affairs, still understood eighty or ninety percent of the implications. Before he could react, that “reading companion” exploiting the tiger’s might and bullying with power had already stepped forward several paces, up close staring straight Read on Jormuntl at Sister Fan, completely leaving Scholar Lin aside, saying softly, “Sister Fan, fate, fate – let brother take you touring the palace. At Tide-Listening Pavilion you can see the scene of tens of thousands of koi leaping the dragon gate.”

After saying pleasantries, Xu Fengnian reached out to grasp Sister Fan’s small hand. Scholar Lin, generating a surge of flower-protecting heroic spirit, quickly blocked between the two, glaring angrily.

Xu Fengnian smiled, threatening in a soft voice, “Rouge-eating goods, don’t fail to appreciate kindness. Since this young master is the Crown Prince’s reading companion, then feeding you six or seven boxes of rouge isn’t difficult, or exerting a bit more effort to have you eat rejection is also possible. You weigh it!”

Scholar’s face turned green and white, but he was rarely manly this once, just refused to move aside. This actually made Xu Fengnian look at him with some respect.

The gracefully figured Miss Fan sighed gently, squeezed out a smile to comfort, “Brother Lin, no harm. I’ve long wanted to see Tide-Listening Pavilion’s scenery.”

Before Xu Fengnian left with the beauty, he quietly crooked a finger, calling that second-class steward to his side, instructing, “Don’t let Xu Xiao show his head. Delay three or four days then talk.”

The steward with his back to that young master and young lady fawned in a low voice, “Understand, understand. Absolutely won’t delay the Crown Prince’s great matter.”

Xu Fengnian said softly, “I’ll reward you later.”

The steward smiled broadly, “Thank the Crown Prince for the reward.”

Xu Fengnian patted his shoulder, alone bringing that Sister Fan who’d entered the tiger’s mouth walking onto the lake embankment crossing the lake. He even took the initiative to place [visit our site]the willow wreath on her head, tossing a defiant look at the heartbroken Scholar Lin.

The embankment named Gorgeous Purple had quite a few warblers and swallows passing Xu Fengnian. They, like the steward, were nimble-minded. One look from Xu Fengnian and they knew the Crown Prince was teasing a freshly baked young lady again.

Not to mention the Prince of Beiliang’s palace had numerous servants – even honored guests and famous scholars who received the Great Pillar of State’s favor weren’t a small number, each in palace annexes offering counsel and working like oxen and horses for the Prince of Beiliang. Xu Fengnian’s Wutong Courtyard’s maids were divided into four ranks. First-rank head maids numbered two – one naturally fragrant, specifically warming the Crown Prince’s bed, the other raising the snow-white peregrine falcon for Xu Fengnian. Second-rank maids numbered four – one skilled in poetry, calligraphy and painting, especially writing beautiful feminine characters, responsible for adding fragrance with red sleeves for the Crown Prince. The other three all received strict musical and dance cultivation from childhood. Third-rank maids did refined tasks like watering flowers, brewing tea, tending braziers. Fourth-rank did rough work like sweeping courtyards. These women, besides the bed-warming head maid who was exceptionally enchanting and seductive, all had looks around seventy coins. If Xu Fengnian wanted to eat rouge, he could eat his fill anytime.

Seeming to find it dull, Miss Fan said softly, “Young master practices blade?”

Xu Fengnian said shamelessly, “Diligently practicing blade arts ten years, blade technique only minor achievement.”

To prove he’d practiced blade for many years, Xu Fengnian made a mighty sweeping-thousands-of-armies move, but accidentally threw Spring Thunder out, nearly falling into the lake. She smiled sweetly, understandingly tilting her head to glance toward the distance. Xu Fengnian picked up that blade-among-blades holy item that had met an unworthy person, laughing it off, not feeling embarrassed, explaining it was a mistake, a mistake. Arriving at Tide-Listening Pavilion’s platform base, Miss Fan gazed at the three plaques under the eaves – respectively the former Emperor’s inscription on nine-dragon plaque “Magnificently Heroic,” plus from master hands “Phoenix Comes with Ceremony” and “Spirit Charging the Dipper and Bull.” She instead wasn’t particularly moved by the gorgeous scene of scattering bait making koi churn, unlike those young ladies Xu Fengnian had previously coaxed and threatened into coming.

Xu Fengnian thought different was good – always shark fin and bird’s nest also spoiled the appetite. Occasionally having autumn perch and winter bamboo shoots could whet appetite.

Just as Xu Fengnian was smugly appreciating the young lady’s clear and elegant features at his side, heaven manifested strange phenomena. The lake water boiled and surged, identical to that day during Heavy Snow season. Xu Fengnian’s heart filled with surprise and joy. He beckoned servants to lead the shocked-faced Sister Fan to Phoenix Ceremony Hall, and ordered all people by the lake withdrawn. Having done this, Xu Fengnian hurriedly ran toward the small ferry with covered boats, carrying the iron-cutting-like-mud Spring Thunder blade and jumping onto a boat. Just about to execute the oar to row, he saw Old Huang swaying his thin-as-bamboo aged body rushing over, actually even carrying on his back that long cloth bundle that had made Xu Fengnian suffer considerably, inside containing a nearly four-foot purple sandalwood box. Xu Fengnian rolled his eyes – what excitement was Old Huang joining? What if later the Lake Bottom Old Kui turned hostile and didn’t recognize people – would master and servant again compete to see who fled faster?

After Old Huang boarded the small boat, Xu Fengnian rowed toward the lake heart, palms all covered in sweat.

The Crown Prince’s gambling character had always been good – this time, bet big!