The private gardens of Old Oriole Lake, nestled within the outer city, teemed with a discordant gathering this day.

A yellow-clad youth, jade crown perched upon his brow, feigned astonishment. “Ah!” he exclaimed, his voice ringing with the cultured tones of the Great Refinement tongue. “A vision of beauty rising from the waters! Alas, a misjudgment – this one bears the mark of manhood.”

Wei Jia, resembling a drowned rat, was hauled from the lake’s depths by his retinue. Noble birth aside, he was but a young man of sturdy build, lacking the dedication for martial arts or the blessed fortune for immortal cultivation. “If this had happened in winter, I would suffer more!” Wei Jia waved away the proffered hands of an elder, refusing aid or a change of clothing. His assailant had shown some restraint, yet a gnawing pain gripped his abdomen, a tempest within. He would endure.

Wei Jia’s gaze locked on a hulking brute standing beside the yellow-clad youth. A jade-sheathed long blade hung at his side – the very fiend who had initiated the assault.

The brute merely glanced at Wei Jia, a smirk playing on his lips. “What, denizen of Dali’s capital? Can you slay with mere glares?”

Wei Jia responded with a furious laugh.

The yellow-clad youth, dismissing Wei Jia entirely, plucked several willow branches as Wei was pulled from the water, weaving them into a ring. With a flick of his wrist, he spun the ring, his voice a melodious query. “Is there any amongst you, save our esteemed Wei, who speaks the Great Refinement tongue? We are unfamiliar with Dali’s common tongue, and wary of any falsehoods Wei might weave. Do not hide yourselves. Those who crave spectacle, merely step forth from your dwellings! If you dare to approach, the pavilions and willow-lined paths are open for your perusal.”

Silence blanketed the gardens.

The yellow-clad youth pouted. “Is it not said that the people of Dali are fierce and martial?”

Across the lake, beneath the weeping willows, an ancient Taoist cast a contemplative gaze upon the youth.

“Your Highness,” the hulking brute murmured, his voice a thread of sound, “that Taoist possesses the aura of at least an Jade Perfection Realm cultivator.”

The youth frowned. “The Upper Five Realms of Treasure Bottle Isle are few. Could he be a disciple of the Spiritual Flight Palace? This is troublesome.”

In the southern lands of the former White Frost Dynasty on Treasure Bottle Isle stood the Spiritual Flight Palace. Its current master, Heavenly Lord Cao Rong, had achieved the Ascension Realm. What was more, Cao Rong was said to be the direct disciple of Master Lu of the White Jade Capital.

“Gao Shi,” the youth asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes, “heed not the Taoist’s lineage. If you were to duel him, what are your odds?”

The man known as Gao Shi rested his palm upon the hilt of his blade, his fingers splayed. With a subtle twist of his wrist, he sneered. “If the Taoist is no celestial, then the division of life and death shall rest upon the swiftness of his escape.”

Li Ba, bearing the Taoist name “Quenched Palm,” paid scant heed to the youth. He was likewise indifferent to the sword-bearing warrior’s martial prowess. His attention was fixated on a woman with lifeless eyes.

She lingered at the rear of the entourage, yet held his gaze, set apart as if by some strange malady. Her frame was tall, her hair elaborately coiled, and her robes of a bygone palace fashion.

Her sleeves cascaded past her knees, she stood loosely, the image of weariness.

Her face possessed a pallor of unnatural white, unsettling to behold. Yet, were one to disregard her morbid complexion, she was a creature of exceptional beauty.

Li Ba, outwardly composed, harbored deep unease. Could it truly be her? What could have brought her from her secluded retreat?

He considered the sword-bearer’s Summit Realm cultivation, but that was of less concern. The Xi barbarian, a fellow attendant, often targeted him with esoteric assaults. Yellow Curtain cared little, Palace Bloom loathed him, so the barbarian sought out Li Ba, so he understood what the ninth realms cultivator can do. No, it was the woman’s presence that confounded him, what could compel her to reveal herself?

The primary source of his present disfavor stemmed from his friendship with the old Wanyan warrior. Despite his dual role as Imperial Preceptor and founder of the Verdant Tapestry Academy, Li Ba was compelled to relinquish his imperial charge, departing his homeland in disgrace. For Li Ba, having waded too deeply into mortal affairs, had come to understand the power of a chorus of condemnation, the weight of accumulated slights. Therefore, he could no longer remain on Golden Armor Isle, ultimately seeking refuge with the Water Palace of the Eastern Seas. Li Ba possessed the secrets of an ancient Draconic Ascension art.

For this reason, Li Ba recognized the yellow-clad youth as a scion of royalty. The dragon aura about him was not so easily hidden, despite the attempts to conceal it.

Surely, she could not have come for them?

A pair of scholars, the elder known as Master Fool’s Abode Hong Chongben, and a young boy named Xu Mi, also “observed” the situation, they have met Gu Can and Liu Xianyang before. Xu Mi, with his boyish guise, easily deceived the girls of Dali.

Hong Chongben remained seated in his chair, as Xu Mi looked out the room. “That youth speaks with forked tongue,” he hissed, the venomous sound in his voice. “Who knows from where he’s from, but he should know that Dali is a place where dragons are still dragons.”

Having devoted years to study in the mountains, he was fluent in the Great Refinement tongue.

“Speak only with the language of the mind,” Yuan Chongben cautioned.

Nearby, a woman of striking beauty reclined against the railing of a modest viewing platform. She idly fanned herself, her gaze mischievous.

Palace Bloom glanced at Xu Mi, offering a flirty smile. Xu Mi blushed, realizing she was being teased.

Composing himself, Xu Mi spoke with the mind, “Can you discern the true identities of those vagrant youth?”

Yuan Chongben, the founder of borderland studies in Dali, held keen insight gleaned from nearly a century of study. “Their raiment offers no clues, but their speech bears a subtle West Qiang accent. Add to this youth’s brazen audacity and the diverse composition of his retinue – officials, warriors, and immortals alike – and I surmise they are of the royal blood of Great Shòu.”

“From Great Shòu’s Central Earth Continent?” Xu Mi inquired.

Yuan Chongben nodded. “So long as they do not incite trouble within the Imperial City, this youth will remain merely a river dragon.”

Xu Mi pondered, “What brings them here from Great Shòu?” Yuan Chongben smiled. “Perform an estimation. This shall serve as your lesson for today.”

Xu Mi concealed his hands within his sleeves, his fingers dancing in arcane calculations, employing the “Caged Contest” technique imparted by his master.

Hong Chongben nodded, impressed. “A worthy disciple.”

Han Yi remained indoors, standing beside the portly Wei Qiong by the window.

Wei Qiong, his face flushed with drink, wiped grease from his mouth. “Wei Jia has lost all face this day.”

Han Yi narrowed his eyes, swiftly cataloging the visages and raiment of the interloping party, committing them to memory. Turning away.

The sword-bearing brute turned to peer in their direction, Wei Qiong felt his skin prickle and step away.

Han Yi stood frozen.

The hulking man smirked, then lost interest and turned away, dismissing Han Yi.

Startled, Wei Qiong lifted his arm, scratching his sleeve, “Master for sure, it makes my skin prickle!”

Han Yi took his seat, selecting a morsel of fish, chewing slowly. Wei Qiong returned to his seat, downing his drink, “To calm my nerves.”

Wei Qiong then set down his glass. “Han the Sixth, what was the gibberish that youth was saying?”

Han Yi simply stated, “The language of Great Refinement.”

Wei Qiong leaped to his feet, cursing and stumbling back to the window. “So rude, this foreigners!”

The corpulent man cared little for Wei Jia’s plight. If it was not the language of the Northern Continent, then they were outsiders!

In the Great Refinement Nine Provinces, only three shared a common tongue. In the Central Earth Continent, the tongue was known as the Great Refinement. The Northern Continent, a unified speech among all the cultivators. Since Dali had unified all of Bottle Isle, the Dali common tongue had become the Bottle Isle tongue. The rest had their own dialects.

Han Yi weighed the merits of informing Wang Yongjin. A mere Sixth Rank official, he possessed some minor immortal arts, granting him abilities beyond the reach of ordinary mortals.

Wang Yongjin, the magistrate of Yongtai County, one of the two counties of the capital, was around the same age as Han Yi, but has been a county magistrate for nearly four years.

They were polar opposites, and had no intimate interactions. However, there were rumors that he was ruthless in his reign.

He decided to stay put.

If Wei Jia were to placate them in secret, and Han Yi summoned Wang Yongjin, it could invite a disastrous reckoning.

He did not dare to alert Hong Ji, commander of the Northern Garrison, that this disturbance should be contained.

Han Yi threw his chopsticks on the table, cursing under his breath.

*If Imperial Dali still had Xiu Hu as State Preceptor…*

He leaned back, rubbing his temples, “That man isn’t easy to handle.” But he couldn’t risk his career.

“Are you alright?”

Han Yi said that they were fine and that he spent more.

“Did I get you into trouble?” Wei Qiong asked.

“No trouble,” Han Yi said. “Just something to drink.” He prayed it would stay that way.

Wei Qiong saw something in him that scared him, the aura of an official.

“Your Highness,” Gao Shi said, “The woman is an Jade.”

“If she doesn’t join in, I don’t care if she is the highest realm!”

The youth grew bored when no one was around to make trouble, so he turned to Wei Jia. “Are we going to resolve this with law or strength? Be our guest.” His voice was loud enough that everyone nearby could hear him.

Wei Jia turned pale and asked, “What do you mean?”

“Well, you could have us arrested, but on a different way, I can give you money to buy new clothes.”

“Or we can do this in an honorable way.”

“Or a brawl, as many people you can in an hour.”

Wei Jia dared not to. If he called the guards, he would be the laughingstock of the whole city. The celebration for the new State Preceptor would be disturbed. He would be in trouble with his clan. Now was an important time for his family, he can’t make mistakes.

Wei Jia had also noticed a increase in the amount of security around Old Oriole Lake. This was around the time when Wei Jia noticed some small talk that Dong Water Well was with Guan Yiran. Which made Wei Jia afraid that the person who Dong Water Well was working with was that man.

“This is how Dali’s families act?” the youth asked, “I heard that Master Wei was from the Yi Chi Alley.”

A man chuckled, “A family has all kinds of members, and it’s even more true for Yi Chi Alley. To see this in action is still surprising. This speaks volumes about Dali.”

The man saw a group walking over.

Huang Lian grabbed and broke a Jade statue.

“Wei Jia can be brave sometimes. I wonder when he learned the Refined tongue?” Huang Lian said, turning to his companions, “Are you able to fight them?”

Liu, a recent Gold Body Martial Artists, shook his head. “Except for the youth, the others are tough nuts.”

Liu knew who Great Shòu was, it was only a rank below Dali.

If the rumor were true, and it was a Great Shòu prince, then his personal guards would be impressive.

What was good was that there were a lot of sons of the Shòu dynasty. And it had already chosen the prince, it couldn’t be this person.

Unlike Dali, which had not chosen the prince.

Something that frightened Liu was that someone mentioned that he was good friends with the Prince. What nonsense.

As expected, Liu knew his boss and shouted the warrior. “Dou Yu, can’t win with strength, can you do it with wit?”

“I’m good with wit, but that person doesn’t look like the type to do it only with wit, it’s better if you just hit me,” Dou Yu replied.

Huang Lian laughed and looked at the prince from Great Shòu.

“We might get caught if we aren’t careful,” a middle-aged man said.

“How so?” Huang Lian asked.

“Someone might get hurt.”

Huang Lian asked, “Are you sure my brother didn’t send someone to protect me?”

“I thought you wanted a quiet meal? Who can protect you if I can’t.

Huang Lian then ran back. “No, my brother is alone.”

“What else? You shouldn’t listen to your big brother?” the man said.

“I’ll take it back!”

“The Shòu prince needs to fight it out. You’ve embarrassed me.

“Do you know what I am?!” She had enough of the act, and she would no longer show off.

She told them she must be in the room. Then who’s here with me. No one. He had to stay inside.

“Let me tell you.”

The youth continued. “I’m Yin Mao.” The one who pushed you in was Gao Shi.

After a moment, he asked, “Do you understand Refined Tongue?”

Wei Jia couldn’t take it. “Stop talking about him!”

“It was too mean?” Yin Mao asked.

Wei Jia remained silent, his patience gone.

Yin Mao then slapped Wei Jia.

He dropped his hand and a servant offered a rag and he threw it away.

When he saw this, Wei Jia started shaking.

Yin Mao said, “I was saying to my friends, not in the streets! That Chen had only showed compassion when needed. I’m starting to think the word ‘justice’ shouldn’t be added to him…”

Wei Jia yelled, “Stop!”

Yin Mao said, “At least you’re someone of the Dali dynasty. The books shouldn’t praise him.”

Wei Jia begged. “Please, stop!”

Yin Mao said, “It turns out that you can’t be a master of Dali. There isn’t anything we can do.”

Wei Jia said, “It isn’t anything to fight over.”

Yin Mao said, “That’s right. I also said he wasn’t a hero, or even something as small as a master.”

Wei Jia almost fell. He then slapped the servant.

Her hairpin fell and the servants hit her again.

The woman only wanted to pick up the hairpin.

Yin Mao closed his eyes.

Wei Jia went back to the servant.

She fell and shook her head.

He would then stomp on her.

They said that if Dali hadn’t driven away the demons, they wouldn’t be there. And she was here. She thought about that State Preceptor.

The Shòu prince was just playing with them. He thought of the one who had gotten him there.

“The Chef’s Private Dish is good.” He pointed to the servant and said, “That dish is good.”

He then left.

Xu Mi couldn’t take it.

The master said it was fine and didn’t say anything.

That was how Dali has lasted for over a century.

The master was just thinking about the previous talk with his friend.

He was gentle and soft. It wouldn’t take much to put him as an equal.

Not to mention that everything was stable, it’s best to hold for a long time.

The man, whose name was Yuan, was an important piece of Dali, but he can’t hold on for too long.

Hong took a long drag, just needed one.

At that moment, a youth walked out of the other house and said to Yin Mao, “Who taught you to have such a dirty mouth? Did he teach you what was important?

With him was a middle-aged man with nothing special about him.

“Are you going to listen?”

Yin Mao realized that he can understand, and that it will be a lot more interesting than Wei Jia.

“This is Lou Jun, the prince of Great Yuan, not Lou,” The man said.

“Don’t mess with me, I don’t care about involving Lou.”

“He’s working with you, you bastard.” The man said.

“It’s fine if Gan isn’t here, then everything would be fine.”

Yin Mao knew who was being referred to. Then he used the Yuan language, “Do you know who I am?”

“Yes, my father.”

Yin Mao almost lost his temper, “Say it again!”

As a servant moved, Goa blocked the.

As the “Middle-aged taoist” removed layers of the trick and revealed that he was young, he said, “I’m Yang Houjue, and I’m still learning.”

Gao Shi said, “Get to the point.” He knew who that was.

People say that he was the future ruler of yuan.

Instead, he said that Lou got a father, the best!”

Lou laughed.

By a river, the scene made them feel good, but for a few people, it was torture.

Han rushed. “Are you with me?!” He then told him to stay there.

If he goes, he wouldn’t be a magistrate!

“I will go with you!”

Han rushed to there, and the scene became confused.

From there, an army came.

It was from the county, led by the county magistrate. Han was shocked.

The magistrate got off his horse and said, “Wei, talk!”

Wei felt it was the end.

The magistrate looked at the Yuan and asked, “Tell me what happened.”

Lou was quick to answer. “He spoke ill of your leader!”

Now the magistrate was a little confused. He thought he was here to deal with a brawl, but it looks like that this was bigger.

The Shòu official took out papers to confirm who they were.

“Did you see that?” The magistrate asked.

A servant had been beaten. She wanted the slap back. She has been wanting it.

He was being led on.

The servants was made to apologize, but it was not sincere.

She didn’t take the money or the fake apologies, but she wouldn’t speak up.

“Even if drunk, you still must be careful!”

“I’m a fan of him. He’s a god-like person!”

The Magistrate had to be careful, because there was more to it then it seemed.

Wei brought up the servant and said, “He got more medicine!”

She shook her head and started getting dizzy. She was not worth that much.

A place, some were happy about it.

Another was nervous.

Huang said, “You’re one of the Dali Dynasty, are you going to back down to them?!”

Song Keng asked, “Why are you not out there now?”

Huang had seen a change in his face. The house was then smashed.

He had arrived and said this was Lou

Huang said, “You’re the Dali Dynasty emperor, and you’re going to go to them.!”

Song Keng asked, “Why are you out there, too?

His son replied

“Is this your way to act the people?”

They were going to work together in the near future, it would be good to be on their side.

He was silent.

The servants then came around.

The magistrate shook his head and went back to his room, which was going to be sealed off.

The two who had met before didn’t go, but the man was having a mood, so they stayed.

The man asked him what was going on.

Wei didn’t care about it and spoke up, they just were going to cause trouble and leave. The two then left.

“What?”

Then a girl appeared and spoke up.

A strong taoist walked.

Han and Wei asked why.

The man then turned around.

It was then he had to come to their side, and he was going to get them involved.