Chapter 269 - 184: Heading to Guangfeng Prefecture Again

Chapter 269: Chapter 184: Heading to Guangfeng Prefecture Again

The Wen Family’s ancestor rose from humble beginnings. He was a meritorious official who followed the founding Emperor of Great Wei and helped establish the dynasty. He was personally bestowed a Red-inked Iron Certificate by the Emperor, granting his family hereditary imperial favor and tying their fate to that of the nation.

For this reason, as long as the Great Wei Dynasty stood, the Wen Family might face ups and downs, but would never fall into ruin.

Of course, with a lineage that spanned thousands of years, the Wen Family’s capabilities did not end there.

Back then, the Wen Family’s founding ancestor had no Talent for a Qi Refiner, and his Talent in the Martial Dao was merely average.

However, relying on his own ingenuity, he managed to create a unique form of Martial Arts, which later generations would call the Confucian Daoist Technique.

Similar to certain Buddhist Daoist Techniques, where a deeper understanding of the Buddhist Dharma leads to faster cultivation,

the Wen Family’s hereditary Cultivation Technique required one to enhance their understanding and proficiency in the Confucian Dao, as well as in Literary Classics and poetry.

Therefore, the experts of the Wen Family not only possessed a high Martial Arts Realm, but were also contemporary literary giants or great Confucian scholars.

The unique nature of the Wen Family’s Martial Arts Technique also led to a highly distinctive phenomenon during cultivation breakthroughs.

Namely, the externally manifested Primordial Qi would change color according to one’s Cultivation Realm.

At this moment, the Literary Qi that Wen Wanrou unconsciously manifested had turned from cyan to light blue, indicating that her Cultivation Realm had just advanced.

This light-blue Primordial Qi signified that Wen Wanrou had reached the Martial Arts Innate realm.

To reach such a realm in her early twenties... Wen Wanrou truly lived up to her reputation as the most talented disciple of the younger generation in the past three hundred years, both in Martial Dao cultivation and literary studies.

A long while passed before Wen Wanrou gradually returned to her senses.

"Hong Ling, what were you just saying?" Wen Wanrou looked at Hong Ling, a little dazed.

"I was saying... did you really break through to the Innate realm?" Hong Ling still found it hard to believe. After all, even though Wen Wanrou’s Talent was outstanding, she was still so young.

Compared to her, Hong Ling couldn’t help but feel a surge of defeat, thinking she’d completely wasted her life.

But then, another thought occurred to her. ’Why am I even comparing myself to her? I’m just an ordinary person.’

Hong Ling silently repeated to herself dozens of times that she was just an ordinary person, and sure enough, the gloom in her heart quickly vanished.

’A person just has to accept their own mediocrity. That way, they can avoid a lot of trouble.’

"Mm, I was... just looking at this poem... and felt something... and then I broke through," Wen Wanrou stammered.

With her bashful, girl-next-door demeanor, she didn’t look like an Innate Martial Arts Grandmaster in the slightest.

"Then what did he write?" Hong Ling asked immediately.

From her brief glance earlier, Hong Ling had seen that the handwriting on the two pages was very sloppy, even worse than her own.

No matter how she looked at it, it didn’t seem like the work of a literary talent.

So, at this moment, Hong Ling was filled with curiosity about the two pages in Wen Wanrou’s hands, eager to know what was written on them.

"Mm, here, look! I’m not giving you the paper."

Stammering and speaking as if every word were precious gold, Wen Wanrou treasured the two pages clutched in her hand, carefully turning them for Hong Ling to see.

A moment later, Hong Ling couldn’t help but cover her mouth, her eyes widening in disbelief at what she saw.

~~~~~~

"It’s a pity about what happened, but with your status as a candidate for the Wen Family’s ’live-in son-in-law,’ your family will be safe within the Five Cities of Yujing for the time being, at least until you’re officially eliminated."

Inside the Observatory, Hui Hengwu sighed with a hint of regret. Since Fang Yue had been recommended by Hui Hengli, he naturally had to look out for him.

It truly was a shame that such a good opportunity had not been seized.

"Thank you for your concern, Steward," Fang Yue said sincerely.

In the end, he had little to do with Hui Hengwu; he wasn’t even that close with Hui Hengli.

However, since the man had helped him through this crisis, he had to express his gratitude.

"Alright, enough with the empty words. Completing this assignment well will be the greatest thanks you can give me."

Hui Hengwu stroked his long beard and continued:

"Of course, you must be careful when you arrive in Guangfeng Prefecture. Although Guangfeng Prefecture is still under the court’s control, several groups of roving bandits have already become well-established there. Your mission is simply to monitor the node at that location and ensure it isn’t destroyed within the next three months."

With that said, Hui Hengwu began to explain the details of the mission to Fang Yue.

He also handed him several intelligence reports on Guangfeng Prefecture and the surrounding areas, including Shanyang Prefecture.

Fang Yue nodded solemnly and said, "Rest assured, Steward. I will do my utmost!"

After he finished speaking, Fang Yue left the Observatory. Once outside, he shouldered his pack and sped off toward Guangfeng Prefecture.

~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, inside a private residence.

"What’s the report on this matter? That Fang Yue has apparently caught the Wen Family’s eye!" Luo Wei stared intently at Wu Wende.

If the two sides had communicated beforehand last time, they wouldn’t have both arrived at the ambush point only to discover they had the wrong target.

In the end, neither side made a move.

This allowed that Fang Yue to pass the trial without any danger.

Now, he had participated in the Wen Family’s marriage selection and had apparently even been shortlisted.

Originally, it would have taken a few days at most to announce the results.

But now, the Wen Family Patriarch had been summoned by the Great Wei Emperor a few days ago. He had already left Yujing City for the Great Wei Dynasty’s Capital City, the Divine Capital.

Even if the round trip went without a hitch, he likely wouldn’t be back for several months.