Chapter 450 425: Seeking the Peach and Plum Puppet Again

On the long street above the lake embankment, a voice called Zhou Zhongqiu away.

The person who had called arrived in a blue-curtained carriage. When the wind blew the curtain aside, it revealed half a face filled with authority. The crowd of scholars stood to attention, lowered their gazes, and bowed from a distance, saying respectfully, "Greetings, Prefect."

A voice drifted on the wind, "There is no need for such formality."

Then, with a rumble of wheels, the carriage moved on. The voice faded into the distance, and Zhou Zhongqiu went with it.

Seeing this, the remaining scholars couldn't help but lament, "Brother Zhou is usually so approachable, he seems no different from us. But the truth is, if we weren't classmates, how could we ever befriend someone of his standing?

Right now, it seems we know him well, but in less than ten years, we'll surely be living in two different worlds."

This sentiment was met with a stretch of silence, until someone suddenly asked, "Huh? Brother Zhou is gone, but what about Brother Lu? How come he's disappeared too?"

The scholars glanced over and saw that Lu Bell was indeed gone.

No one knew when he had left. But he was just a stranger they had met by chance; whether he came or went was of no real importance.

Realizing this, the scholars put Lu Bell out of their minds.

They broke into small groups, some continuing their unfinished discussion of Immortal Venerable Mo's past, others reflecting on their own lives with many a sigh… and gradually, they all dispersed.

Inside the carriage, Zhou Zhongqiu sat stiffly beside Governor Zhou. With his head and hands lowered, he resembled a quail, meekly enduring the lecture.

Governor Zhou lectured for a long time, only to see his second son do nothing but keep his head bowed. The vibrant spirit he showed his classmates was completely gone, and he offered no response. He appeared to be listening obediently, but in reality… it would have been better if he weren't so obedient!

His utter silence and woodenness could be infuriating at times.

Finishing his lecture, Governor Zhou suddenly sighed. "Zhongqiu, you must understand, the Nine Provinces are vast and full of mysteries. You enjoy making friends, and it's not my intention to stop you. But some things are fine to discuss at home, yet require caution and discretion when spoken of outside.

If you continue to be so reckless, and you cause trouble for yourself with your words, don't blame me for not cleaning up your mess!"

At these words, the silent Zhou Zhongqiu suddenly looked up and spoke quickly. "Father, you have often taught me that when faced with a mystery, if one wishes to unravel it, one must first find who benefits the most.

A thousand years ago, Immortal Venerable Mo's immortal foundation was severed. The Human Race and the Dragon Race were on the verge of a marital alliance. If it had succeeded, the other Demon Races would have been squeezed out of the Nine Provinces. The Dragon Race would have inevitably grown powerful, and the Nine Provinces would have likely become a world ruled by Sects…"

"Zhongqiu!" a furious roar cut him off.

This time, Governor Zhou was no longer just sternly angry. He was utterly enraged.

As the roar escaped his lips, Governor Zhou's eyes flew wide, veins popping at his temples. The fury around him was almost tangible, and a suffocating pressure washed over Zhou Zhongqiu, threatening to drown him—

This wasn't some figurative exaggeration, but a literal description of events!

As a Scholar of the Vast Qi Realm, Governor Zhou's cultivation level was equivalent to an Earth Immortal among Cultivators. When he was enraged, the Talent swirling around him created a pressure that was simply impossible for a mortal like Zhou Zhongqiu to resist.

It was only because Zhou Zhongqiu had consumed Spiritual Objects since childhood, making his constitution stronger than most mortals, and because he wore life-preserving treasures, that he wasn't crushed to death on the spot by his own father's rage.

Only when Zhou Zhongqiu's face was deathly pale and he was pinned against the corner of the carriage, on the verge of fainting, did Governor Zhou finally rein in his volatile emotions.

Seeing Zhou Zhongqiu's miserable state, Governor Zhou's stern face finally showed a flicker of emotion.

He frowned, a look of regret on his face.

Finally, he helped Zhou Zhongqiu sit up, took a pill from his Storage Ring, and fed it to him. He sighed again. "You child. You understand everything, yet you insist on being as stubborn as… as your mother. Ai!"

After taking the pill, some color returned to Zhou Zhongqiu's face, but he lowered his head and said nothing more.

Governor Zhou shook his head, his voice filled with regret and the frustration of one whose high hopes have been dashed. "Your constitution isn't poor, your knowledge isn't lacking, you've read more than enough books, and you understand things clearly. So why… why can't you, for the life of you, draw down the Celestial Spiritual Light?"

Zhou Zhongqiu fell even quieter, curling into himself.

The carriage continued on its way, disappearing down the bustling long street.

Song Ciwan, who had been blessed with exceptionally sharp hearing, had been listening in on the father and son's conversation from a distance.

Neither Governor Zhou nor his son had detected her eavesdropping.

After listening in, Song Ciwan found herself re-evaluating the events of a thousand years ago.

'Just as Zhou Zhongqiu said, when investigating any event, trying to unravel it thread by thread is never as quick or direct as simply finding who benefited the most.'

'So, in the tragedy of the human-dragon romance a millennium ago, who was the greatest beneficiary?'

'The Demon Race?'

'No, not just the Demon Race.'

'The real beneficiary was clearly the Great Zhou, which later became the master of the Nine Provinces!'

'A world ruled by Sects, or a world ruled by an Immortal Dynasty?'

'The romance between a human and a dragon seemed like a personal tragedy, but in the context of that era, it was actually a pivotal turning point in history.'

Song Ciwan silently mulled over these historical events. Looking at the bustling street scene before her, the vibrant Mortal World, she began to understand why Governor Zhou had reacted with such fury when he cut off his son.

'There are still many mysteries surrounding what happened back then. For instance, the attitude and stance of the Three Immortals of Kunlun are difficult to comprehend, and the Dragon Race's actions also seemed somewhat stiff and strange…'

'But then again, history always becomes twisted and blurred with time. Some inconsistencies might not be inconsistencies at all, but rather misunderstandings born from a later generation's lack of detail.'

Since there was no way to investigate further at the moment, Song Ciwan decided not to dwell on it.

However, this cautionary tale from the past only strengthened her resolve not to deal directly with the Court at this stage.

'The person who was number one on the Celestial Pride List back then was screwed over so badly. As the current number three… Heh, you can't blame me for assuming the worst.'

'So, for now, as Lu Bell, where should I go if I want to advance my Cultivation as quickly as possible?'

Three days later, Song Ciwan appeared in Jiangling, the State City of Jingzhou.

She planned to try and purchase the thousand-year-old Thunderstruck Peach Wood and Li Wood she currently needed most. These two items were the key materials for carving a Peach and Plum Puppet.

As a State City, Jiangling shouldn't be lacking in such Spiritual Materials.

Once she carved a new pair of Peach and Plum Puppets, Song Ciwan planned to follow in the footsteps of Yin Xunyi and head to the Four Great Demon Passes to slay demons!

'Slaying demons, especially slaying them head-on, might just be the best way to use the Heaven and Earth Scale.'

'Slaying demon fiends yields Demon Fiend Death Qi, Demon Fiend Malice, demon fiend materials, and all sorts of demon hearts.'

'At this stage, what could possibly offer greater returns than slaying demons?'

'And if I can find and kill a few demons from the Demon Race who have reached the Golden Core realm, the rewards will be even greater.'