“The Great Qi Son of Heaven allowed you to straighten your body, you don’t need to bend your waist here either.”

Mu Tianzi smiled faintly: “Welcome to the grassland as a guest. If you have any needs, just tell the Min He Temple.”

Then he stood up and left his seat.

Mu Tianzi laid out the conditions clearly.

Jiang Wang also stated his intentions clearly.

Originally, they were just playing chess in a leisurely mood, there was really no need for any more entanglement.

He Lian Yunyun also stood up, walking right by Mu Tianzi’s side. Today, she was only wearing a simple white dress, her face bare as she followed along. But she was noble and majestic, so beautiful as to be unapproachable. From beginning to end, she didn’t say a single word.

A large group of grassland nobles stood up one after another, with attendants following behind.

Jiang Wang, who was still bent at the waist, did not straighten up immediately. He first replied in a muffled voice: “Thank you very much for Your Majesty’s concern. The adults at Min He Temple are very considerate, but there’s no need to trouble them again. Your Highness Yunyun and I have been friends for many years. This time coming to the grassland, she has been very thoughtful in entertaining me!”

Mu Tianzi didn’t comment.

He Lian Yunyun glanced at this ‘many years friend,’ Elder Brother Jiang, and finally said softly: “You’re welcome.”

The group of people left in such a grand manner, leaving the stands at the arena empty.

Zhao Ru Cheng sat alone on the stands. Amidst the flowers and finery, his face was breathtakingly beautiful, especially striking. But his expression was downcast, like a flower that had just bloomed but was broken by a storm.

From beginning to end, he didn’t get a chance to say half a word to He Lian Yunyun, nor did he even get a glance.

Seeing Jiang Wang walk over, he complained aggrievedly: “You finished this fight too quickly. My butt hasn’t even warmed up yet!”

Jiang Wang looked around. That Liang and the others had already left the arena. He then said: “None of these people were weak, I couldn’t hold back!”

Zhao Ru Cheng continued to complain: “Why did you even invite the Son of Heaven?”

Jiang Wang glared at him: “If her elder comes to watch a battle, do I need to agree?”

Zhao Ru Cheng sighed for a while, then said disinterestedly: “Right, He Lian Zhao Tu invited you to his mansion for a meal tonight.”

“Do you see if he’s still there?” Jiang Wang asked.

“He left, right?” Zhao Ru Cheng said not very concerned.

“Then that’s not an invitation.”

“Why?”

“As a friend of Your Highness Yunyun for many years, how could I go to His Highness Zhao Tu’s mansion to attend a private banquet?” Jiang Wang plopped down beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder: “What’s wrong with you? Absent-minded? Even your questions have no level.”

Zhao Ru Cheng sighed deeply: “I feel like I have no chance.”

“How so?”

“Just now I kept secretly looking at her, but she didn’t look at me even once! It wasn’t like this before.”

“This is considered having no chance?” Jiang Wang sneered: “How did you pursue girls before?”

Zhao Ru Cheng was listless: “Among the good-looking ones, I’d pick the one I liked best, I guess.”

Jiang Wang felt like slapping him, but looking at his face, he felt that it was indeed very convincing. He then said: “He Lian Yunyun is not some common woman. Don’t sigh when you encounter a small setback. You need to prepare for a long fight. To pursue girls, the most important things are three points—”

Zhao Ru Cheng interrupted him: “Have you pursued anyone before?”

Jiang Wang’s momentum weakened slightly: “…I’ve seen others pursue before.”

Zhao Ru Cheng stood up and walked away.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“Find a place to sleep for a long time!”

Jiang Wang rolled his eyes.

Zhao Ru Cheng walked two steps, then turned back.

Jiang Wang laughed coldly: “What? Still want to rely on your brother—what is this?”

Zhao Ru Cheng pulled out a large bunch of Yi Che flowers from inside his arms and stuffed them into Jiang Wang’s arms, saying resentfully: “Here, take them!”

He turned and left with big strides.

Jiang Wang ‘tsk’ed, leaned back in the chair, and waved his hand: “This unlucky kid, not a bit of tenacity!”

He gathered the bunch of not-very-good-looking Yi Che flowers that had been damaged, carefully smoothed the wrinkled petals, and muttered: “I just told you to find a chance to sit and chat for a while. How can you confess right after being rejected? This kid really doesn’t understand anything.”

He had some inexplicable worries that he had never thought of before—what should a “very understanding” confession be like?

“How should one confess then?” A soft female voice, like flowing water, seemed to capture his thoughts and bring them to his ears.

Jiang Wang looked up and saw the famous Northland Rose elegantly approaching, just looking at him with a smile.

Jiang Wang didn’t speak.

Bian Qiong calmly sat down beside him, gazing at the distant sky from the stands, sighing: “The sky is truly beautiful today…”

She turned her head and looked at Jiang Wang, her eyes filled with just the right amount of admiration, her face with a smile that made people intoxicated: “It seems to be just to set off your brilliance.”

Jiang Wang jumped up: “Suddenly remembered I have a small matter, I’ll leave first!”

Watching this heaven’s pride retreat in a hurry, Bian Qiong wasn’t angry, she just used the pad of her little finger to gently wipe her red lips, laughing softly: “Compared to Xiang Ling Er, he’s even colder, right…”

Jiang Wang hugged the bunch of Yi Che flowers and quickly caught up to Zhao Ru Cheng: “Wait! Where are you planning to rest?”

Zhao Ru Cheng was completely dejected: “Just find an inn. I just want to lie down now.”

“You’re really stupid, you are.” Jiang Wang poked him with the flowers.

“How am I stupid again?” Zhao Ru Cheng retorted: “Don’t forget the previous Dao Yuan written exam, who did you copy from!”

Jiang Wang said coldly: “Even without copying, I could have passed.”

Zhao Ru Cheng continued to retort: “But you couldn’t get a perfect score. That astronomy, geography, classics, history—”

“Fine!” Jiang Wang turned his head and walked away: “You go live in your inn. I’ll go let He Lian Yunyun arrange lodging for me, she just promised to entertain me in front of Mu Tianzi!”

Zhao Ru Cheng suddenly realized and quickly retreated a few steps back, catching up with Jiang Wang, looking at him with a smile: “Brother, she should be entertaining us, right?”

Jiang Wang frowned: “Is there a ‘us’?”

Zhao Ru Cheng immediately turned around and wrapped an arm around Jiang Wang’s shoulder: “Third Brother, are you being distant with your little brother? We are one group, we are always together!”

“That Dao Yuan matter before…”

“I absolutely won’t mention it! Really, I didn’t tell An An any of this. I kept saying you were smart, I praised you non-stop!”

“Hmph.”

“Really! How could your little brother deceive you? I didn’t say anything to Sister Qing Yu either, if you don’t believe me, go ask—”

“Okay, okay.” Jiang Wang stopped him: “Control your good-looking but can’t-speak mouth!”

Seeing Zhao Ru Cheng nod with his mouth closed, he then said: “Let’s go, Brother will take you to eat and drink, and find an opportunity to meet. You, ah, think carefully about what you should say when you meet.”

Zhao Ru Cheng followed Third Brother, feeling a bit uneasy: “She’s probably heartbroken, will she really still entertain us?”

Jiang Wang was full of confidence: “In front of the Son of Heaven, she personally promised. Even if she is the Great Mu Imperial Princess, she can’t deceive the monarch, right?”

Zhao Ru Cheng hesitated again: “But…I don’t want her to have to see me because of an imperial decree.”

“You were quite a smart person, why are you getting so caught up in gains and losses now, thinking this and that!” Jiang Wang poked him again with the flowers: “The Great Mu Son of Heaven is He Lian Yunyun’s birth mother, and you’re still talking about ‘having to see you because of an imperial decree,’ aren’t you thinking too highly of yourself!? If He Lian Yunyun doesn’t want to see you, who can force her?”

Zhao Ru Cheng was suddenly enlightened: “So, if I can see her later, that means…”

The two brothers looked at each other and laughed heartily in the street.

A little child by the roadside said: “Mom, why are they suddenly laughing? So silly and happy. Scared me.”

The mother pulled the child and hurried past: “There are quite a few crazy people around now, just ignore them.”

The two brothers were also indifferent, laughing even happier.

They walked all the way, laughing all the way.

Until…

Zhao Ru Cheng was refused at the door.

“Princess said she would entertain us well, why won’t you let us in?!”

Outside the gate of He Lian Yunyun’s palace, Zhao Ru Cheng put on an angry display, almost venting all the grievances of the past few days.

The female official blocking the way stared at him, almost unwilling to look away, but her words were very firm: “Princess Your Highness said she would only entertain her friends.”

“Aren’t we exactly that?” Zhao Ru Cheng was annoyed: “What are you blocking us for?”

He had been with He Lian Yunyun for so long, he didn’t know how many times he had been to this Yi Yang Palace. He was almost familiar with all the female officials inside. Today, they actually specially transferred someone he didn’t recognize to block the way!

As long as it was someone familiar, he could have fished out some information.

“We’re not blocking you, oh.” This female official said seriously: “We’re just blocking you, Young Master Zhao.”

She then bowed to Jiang Wang: “Young Master Jiang, please enter. Your Highness instructed that we will use the highest standard of entertaining foreign guests to entertain you today.”

Jiang Wang opened his mouth: “This female official, it’s like this—the two of us are together.”

The female official said very seriously: “Young Master Jiang is indeed an old friend of Your Highness, but who is this person beside you? Forgive this servant for not knowing, Your Highness did not instruct.”

“I’m family!” Zhao Ru Cheng raised his hand from the side: “I’m his blood brother!”

Jiang Wang helped: “Not allowing family members is probably not the way to treat guests.”

“This…” The female official hesitated for a while, not knowing how to respond, but after all, she had received orders to come, and her figure standing at the door was still very firm.

“Who dares to make noise outside Her Highness Yun’s palace?!” Along with this majestic shout, the iron-boned General Yu Wen Duo came striding over, his eyes sweeping around, very majestic: “What’s the matter with all of you?”

“General Yu Wen.” The female official naturally recognized Yu Wen Duo and showed a difficult expression: “Princess Your Highness only said she would entertain Young Master Jiang, but this person insists on following along…”

Yu Wen Duo looked Zhao Ru Cheng up and down twice: “This boy is very suspicious. Let’s not let him in for now.”

Zhao Ru Cheng glared at him.

Yu Wen Duo glared back with full momentum! He said: “Like this, I’ll take a look.”

He reached out and pushed Zhao Ru Cheng: “What are you glaring at? You’re not convinced? Get in there!”

Zhao Ru Cheng stumbled into Yi Yang Palace, not caring about Yu Wen Duo’s posturing.

Yu Wen Duo was wearing armor, striding like a tiger and a dragon, maintaining a majestic posture. He enjoyed the push very much and wanted to push again.

“Cough!” Jiang Wang coughed lightly.

Yu Wen Duo’s raised hand was still hanging there. He raised his other hand and clapped forcefully, praising very naturally: “Brother Jiang was really fierce today, I was stunned! The world’s first Shen Lin, who else could it be but you?!”

Previously, when they said Jiang Wang was the world’s first Shen Lin, they still needed to add the prefix “young generation.”

But after watching today’s battle, Yu Wen Duo was utterly convinced. He felt that the prefix could be removed and he was simply the world’s first!

That Liang, Yu Wen Lie, Wan Yan Du, Jin Gong Hao, these four people, no matter where they were in the world or from what angle you compared them, were all top experts in the Shen Lin realm.

Truly world-class heaven’s pride!

Jiang Wang, however, was in the same realm and fought one against four, winning a crushing victory.

Looking around the current world, which other Shen Lin could compare to this kind of battle strength?

Jiang Wang just waved his hand and said: “Is your cousin doing okay?”

“No big problem, no big problem.” Yu Wen Duo laughed: “Just a bit dazed. He’s still dazed after going home! Maybe you hit him until he was confused!”

“His strength is very strong.” Jiang Wang said seriously: “It was precisely because of this that I tried every way to make him leave first… Later, you organize a dinner, and we’ll drink together.”

“Okay, I’ll arrange it!” Yu Wen Duo laughed heartily. Then he lowered his voice: “Her Highness Yun might not come to see you all today, she’s still in the imperial palace, and we don’t know when she’ll come out. She just instructed Yi Yang Palace to receive you…”

Zhao Ru Cheng immediately turned around when he heard these words: “Yunyun isn’t here, and you still dare to be so arrogant—”

A bright general order, fixed him in place.

Yu Wen Duo shook the general order and said leisurely: “I am not talented, but I also have a part-time job as the guard of Yi Yang Palace. If this brother doesn’t understand manners and makes trouble here, I might have to ask you to leave.”

Zhao Ru Cheng reached out and dusted his armor collar, a smile on his face: “Look at you, it’s all dirty here, you don’t pay attention at all.”

Inside Yi Yang Palace, good wine and good food were all served up.

The entertainment during the banquet was also the most famous theater troupe on the grassland.

The dancing girls were beautiful, the singing girls were melodious.

At the table, Jiang Wang and Yu Wen Duo, who was responsible for accompanying the guest, were clinking cups and enjoying themselves.

Zhao Ru Cheng ate without tasting anything.

Before, He Lian Yunyun wouldn’t let him watch these songs and dances. For example, that group of singing girls from Chu that Yu Wen Duo once mentioned were sent to Qi country overnight by He Lian Yunyun.

Now, she didn’t care about him at all!

Three people sat at one table, separated by two worlds.

On that side, the wine warmed the ears and hearts, while on this side, the spring chill was biting.

In matters of love, Zhao Ru Cheng had never suffered as much as in these past few days.

This meal and wine were drunk until the moon was high in the sky. He Lian Yunyun still hadn’t returned to the palace. It seemed she didn’t plan to return today.

The female official who had blocked the way earlier walked in again: “Lodging has been arranged. Does Young Master Jiang wish to move to rest?”

“I haven’t finished drinking yet!” Zhao Ru Cheng said.

Meaning he still wanted to wait here.

The female official very deliberately didn’t talk to him, just bowed to Jiang Wang: “Young Master Jiang, if you have any needs, please speak anytime. There are always people waiting outside the hall.”

Jiang Wang smiled and raised his cup, indicating he understood.

But not long after, this female official walked in again and asked: “Young Master Jiang, someone has delivered a post inviting you to a banquet and drink wine.”

Jiang Wang waved his hand: “I’m not going. I want to wait here for my good friend of many years, Her Highness Yun.”

Yu Wen Duo nudged him from the side, quite curious: “Let’s see which family’s girl it is.”

“Don’t look yet,” Zhao Ru Cheng said. His own mood wasn’t good, and he also poured cold water on his friend: “What if it’s a girl you like?”

Yu Wen Duo immediately stopped laughing.

Instead, Jiang Wang became curious: “You, a regular guest at Shen En Temple, also like women?”

Yu Wen Duo repeatedly waved his hand: “A man’s ambition is in all directions, don’t talk about this, don’t talk about this—”

He looked at the female official again: “Who sent the post?”

The female official lowered her head to look and said: “Gu Shi Yi.”

Yu Wen Duo relaxed a breath, then was suddenly shocked.

The world’s first hero, Gu Shi Yi!

A knight-errant who was already famous worldwide two hundred years ago, the leader of the present-day knight-errant spirit.

After the Yellow River meeting and the Dragon Palace banquet, Wei land’s knight-errant Yan Shao Fei had also become one of the most famous several knight-errants in the world. But compared to the widely famous Gu Shi Yi, he was still far from comparable.

He actually came to the grassland?

And even sent a post inviting him to drink wine?

Looking at the Elder Brother Jiang beside him, Yu Wen Duo admired him even more: “Brother Jiang truly has wide connections, the people who come and go are no ordinary people!”

Jiang Wang just raised his hand, summoning the invitation post to his hand. He opened it and saw several lines written in a casual, sloppy hand: “Certain family is here on the grassland handling affairs, heard Old Brother Jiang is here. It’s not convenient for me to go to the palace, so I wrote this letter to you, come out and drink!”

The words were direct, without any embellishment, very much in Gu Shi Yi’s style.

Jiang Wang naturally had no reason to refuse. The first time the two met was when he was being chased and killed by that mad woman in Equality Country. Gu Shi Yi made a move and saved his life. The last time the two drank wine was before the subjugation of Xia began. He was on a journey seeking the sword and encountered Gu Shi Yi summoning him, drinking three bowls of cold leftovers.

This person was bold and unrestrained, casual and free, a good drinking friend.

More importantly…this was also a real person of considerable power, and they had a friendship. He could try his hand.

That Chong Xuan Zun became Shen Lin after seeing the scenery outside the building, Jiang certain became Dong Zhen after seeing the scenery in Dong Zhen. Just ask him if he was convinced or not.

Waiting for people was really boring, especially accompanying someone to wait.

In this Yi Yang Palace, Jiang Wang was so sleepy from chatting with Yu Wen Duo!

So he stood up and said: “This wine banquet is something I must attend. Little Five, will you follow me, or continue to wait here?”

Zhao Ru Cheng looked at him and asked: “Is Gu Shi Yi your friend? Is this trip safe?”

“He has a reliable reputation and once helped me,” Jiang Wang laughed. “As for safety…this is Supreme King Court.”

“Like this, ah.” Zhao Ru Cheng sat still, his handsome face firm, quite having the momentum of biting the Green Mountain and not letting go: “Then I’ll wait here.”

Jiang Wang looked at him fixedly for a while. This time, Zhao Ru Cheng was indeed different from any time in the past. Could the word “thick-skinned” be used to describe Xu Xiang Qian, could it describe Chong Xuan Sheng without discord, and when could it be used with Zhao Ru Cheng?

He said with complex emotions: “Little Five, you’ve never done one thing so persistently before.”

“You always appear before the ending, giving out the ending first. You always give up on others before they give up on you.”

“You have a noble air, you are unwilling to bow your head.”

He took out that bunch of wilted Yi Che flowers from his storage box again and casually inserted them at the corner of the table. The wood row Dao technique, which he hadn’t used for many years, stirred up life force at this moment, causing the broken branches to take root, the roots intertwining with the wood fibers.

This bunch of Yi Che flowers bloomed at the corner of the table, bright and beautiful, as if they were originally table decorations.

“These are the flowers held by my family’s Little Five, they should bloom brilliantly here.”

He carefully left, not a bunch of flowers, but the true heart that Zhao Ru Cheng had not yet had time to offer.