Chapter 4 The First Encounter

  As the triennial imperial examination had just ended, the Drunken Immortal Pavilion was packed with scholars and poets from all over the country.

  "The heroes of the world all enter my bag" is a boastful remark made by Sheng Long's most outstanding emperor, Sheng Taizong. It was this great ruler who selected talents without restriction, ultimately leading to the rapid rise of the Sheng Long Empire, which swept across the land with invincibility, achieving a magnificent feat.

  Although the successors of Emperor Taizong were not as great as their father, the court politics was again monopolized by the aristocratic families, but the triennial metropolitan examination fortunately remained, and for a long time it became a very good system for promoting talented scholars from humble backgrounds and filling the central power.

  Thanks to this system, every three years, scholars from all directions gather in the holy city, trying to use the knowledge they have learned through ten years (or even more) of hard study to win honors. These scholars from all over the world, before and after the exam, will spontaneously gather on the first floor of the world's number one building, admiring the style of the former sages, writing articles with flying brushes.

  The triumphant express their joy freely, while the defeated vent their frustrations.

  At the same time, there were rumors that a certain poor scholar, because of his poems and lyrics written casually on the upper floor, was seen by a certain high-ranking official, who appreciated them and promoted him, even offering him a beautiful wife. From then on, he had a smooth career and rose to prominence...

  Regardless of their authenticity, these beautiful rumors further inspired those young people who had not yet made a name for themselves. Therefore, every year, many people came to write inscriptions and poems, hoping to become famous overnight and be adopted by high-ranking officials.

  Of course, there will always be a few lucky ones who will make a name for themselves in the imperial examination, become famous in the literary world, and shine in officialdom. As a result, the articles they left behind in their early years greatly enriched the owner of the wine shop, and also became ironclad evidence to show later generations how their predecessors succeeded through hard work.

  These deeds naturally became part of the legend and continued to be mythologized by later generations.

  In such an atmosphere, the business of Zui Xian Ju is really very good.

  Ti Ding was taken upstairs by Yelü Muhua and sat silently on one side, ignoring those show-offs who seemed to him to be full of pretentiousness.

  If it comes, then let it be. —— This is exactly what Tiding thinks.

  Tidu, the inner fortitude of this generation's overlord is often overlooked due to his life's dazzling military legend. People are always intoxicated by his swift and decisive battles, while also fearing his ruthless and tyrannical rule. In people's perception, Tidu Khan in history was a cruel ruler, an evil demon, so it's natural that he wouldn't have good patience.

  The fact is that Tiding, who was good at hunting, knew very well that a good hunter, apart from having the eyes of an eagle, the ferocity of a tiger and the agility of a leopard, also needed to have the cruelty of a wolf and the patience of a fox. So on September 7th, year 246 of Shenglong calendar, Tiding was actually sitting quietly at his desk, preparing to symbolically shoo away the flies beside him before excusing himself and leaving.

  Unfortunately, although Tiding didn't have any intention of causing trouble, trouble still found him.

  In a casual glance, Tiding suddenly felt his heart racing, dry mouth and tongue, the red-clothed girl who had been lingering in his dreams all these days was actually sitting at the wine table opposite him. This dramatic discovery made Tiding almost disbelieve his eyes, nearly suspecting that he was dreaming.

  Face to face, everything around Tiding had disappeared, leaving only the girl's every move, every smile, etched in Tiding's eyes and embedded in his heart.

  She is so close, yet so far away.

  Skin that is about to burst, a smiling face like a flower is just within arm's reach; however, the elegant and refined demeanor, the noble and spotless nobility, gives people a kind of dreamy feeling as if they are gazing at a fairy outside the white clouds and flowing water, involuntarily producing a surge of reverence and worship.

  Just as Tiding saw the red-clothed girl, the girl also noticed this "enemy" who had bullied her beloved horse. She slightly wrinkled her small nose, tightly closed her bright red lips, and bit her lower lip unintentionally. Her black eyes rolled around twice before she suddenly stood up and walked towards Tiding. With her hands behind her back, she jumped with each step, a mischievous smile floating on her face.

  Tiding suddenly found himself having trouble breathing, and his palms were sweating. Even in the face of thousands of soldiers, he had no fear, and when he was alone in a sea of blades and flames, he remained calm and composed. But now, in front of this holy dragon girl, Tiding was at a loss for what to do with himself.

  A whiff of a young girl's fragrance wafted by, causing Tiding's head to spin and his eyes to blur.

  What made Tiding feel even more intoxicated was that the girl actually leaned her head against his ear, her soft hair fluttering in the gentle breeze on his cheek, ticklish and numb, hot blood suddenly rushing to Tiding's forehead...

  "Big brother, there's a bad person who wants to bully me, can you help me?"

  The girl's gentle voice sounded in Tiding's ear, like the sound of heavenly music.

  A mix of sadness, helplessness, and provocation, making it impossible to refuse, a sense of mission as a guardian angel surges forth without hesitation, willing to use life and blood to protect this delicate beauty, even if it means enduring thunderstorms in winter and snowstorms in summer, or traversing treacherous mountains and vast plains.

  In a daze, Ti Ding involuntarily nodded his head with great force, his expression extremely serious and his attitude solemn, as if he was making a lifelong promise.

  "Thank you!"

  The young girl whispered her thanks, and a happy smile bloomed on her face, like a burst of fresh flowers, making one feel that all the sacrifices and efforts for this beauty were so worthwhile.

  What a pity! Before Ding could get enough of a look, the girl suddenly turned around swiftly, took a deep breath, stomped her foot and jumped down from the building.

  A red shadow, a wisp of faint fragrance still lingers in space, but the scent has already gone off in an unknown direction.

  "Stinky girl!"

  The man who was originally sitting next to the girl suddenly cursed and immediately got up to chase, but unfortunately was blocked by Tiding, who firmly remembered his promise.

  He took a closer look at his opponent, who was a languid young man wearing a white robe with scattered hair and an enigmatic smile on his face that seemed to mock everything in the world. His eyes emitted a gentle yet firm gaze, as if silently rebelling against all of humanity.

  No more idle chatter, the two immediately got into action.

  Swords clashed, figures flashed by, and the scholars in the wine shop opened their eyes wide.

  The more he fought, the more frightened he became. He had been following his father to battlefields since he was eight years old and had seen bloodshed and killings for many years. At the age of thirteen, he had already killed countless people, and at eighteen, he had won the title of the first warrior on the grassland. In these ten or more years of war career, he had never met such a formidable enemy.

  Every move, every style, is like a heavenly horse soaring through the air, leaving no trace, yet surprisingly simple and effective.

  It's impossible to guess how the opponent will make a move, but once they do, you can't help but admire their brilliant tactics. Just like in a game of chess, the opponent never makes moves according to conventional logic, yet every piece is imbued with deep meaning, and if you fail to respond appropriately, the subsequent relentless attacks will leave you utterly defeated.

  Tiding, who had developed beast-like agility from a young age, could only rely on his unique intuition to respond. Suddenly, he realized that this duel was a rare opportunity for him to improve his martial arts skills.

  The so-called jade palace is cold at high places. In recent years, I have been unbeatable in the grasslands, but after getting complacent, due to the lack of a worthy opponent, my martial arts skills have also stagnated.

  The opponent in front of him had martial arts skills that were absolutely not inferior to his own, and every time he made a move, whether it was defensive or offensive, it was so innovative that it was impossible to grasp, suddenly making him realize a lot of inspiration that he couldn't get in daily life.

  The more he fought, the more excited he became, the more he fought, the happier he was. His golden sword danced wildly, his energy overflowing everywhere. Fortunately, he was restrained by a young man who was fighting against him with internal force, otherwise the entire floor would have suffered a terrible disaster. As for those literary men who were originally enjoying their wine and poetry, they had long since scattered like birds and beasts.

  "Great! Great!"

  Tiding yelled loudly, having already forgotten why they were fighting, and excitedly asked:

  "Your skills are impressive, may I ask your honorable surname and given name?"

  "My name is Xiao Yao!"

  The young man's lazy voice revealed a sense of helplessness. He had always thought of himself as a good youth, and naturally didn't have the slightest inclination towards violence or madness.