96: Chapter 96 Song Jingzhao

Chapter 97 Song Jingzhao

When Jiang Yuhe returned to the Yan residence with Yan Qingju, the sky had already darkened, and the wind carried the fine chill of snow.

Before long, the snow grew heavier. Goose-feather-like snowflakes pressed down upon the eaves of the alley; the alley was narrow and long, with low-hanging roof tiles, and the lamps were cast in a pale white by the reflection of the snow.

The old woman sweeping snow at the alley entrance looked up, saw the two of them, hurriedly stopped her broom, and stepped forward to meet them.

"Miss Jiang."

Her tone held a hint of panic, mixed with a touch of reverence.

"Not long after you left earlier, an Immortal came by and said he had a message to leave."

Jiang Yuhe paused in her steps.

The old woman continued, "That Immortal said, if you have time upon your return, you may go to the Song Clan Branch Residence. Report your name, and someone will surely guide you."

She thought for a moment, then added, "He held a token from the Prince Wu Mansion."

Jiang Yuhe asked in confusion, "The Song Clan of Prince Wu?"

The old woman nodded hurriedly.

"It should be correct. That person only said these words and then left."

Jiang Yuhe was silent for a moment, "Do not worry, Granny, I will go immediately; I will not cause any trouble for the Yan Family."

She turned to look at Yan Qingju.

"The path of cultivation must not be broken. If I do not come to see you in the future, you must still persist in walking this path."

Yan Qingju opened his mouth, wanting to speak but stopping himself, and finally, he just nodded heavily.

Jiang Yuhe took two bamboo slips from her Storage Pouch and handed them to him.

"This scroll contains the insights I have recorded recently regarding the Dao of Grain Rain."

"The other scroll is the spell 'Rain Prohibition.' It has not yet reached Major Achievement, but it is already considered High Grade."

Her tone was calm, without a hint of boasting.

"It is enough for you to cultivate to the Perfection of the Middle Stage of Qi Refining."

She continued, "If I have not returned within five years, you may go to the Jiang Family of Baili Mountain, south of Guli Circuit, and report your name."

"If the Jiang Family is still there, they will give you the continuation of the Chenlin Grain Rain Sutra."

Upon hearing this, Yan Qingju's expression changed drastically; he knelt immediately and kowtowed heavily three times.

"Qingju will never forget the grace of Revered Master's teachings."

"If I make any progress in this life, it will all be bestowed by Revered Master. If one day I can enter the high realms of the cultivation path, I will never forget the grace of today in this snowy alley."

Jiang Yuhe nodded gently.

"Rise."

She turned and walked into the snow.

"Do not speak of the matters regarding the Yan Family again."

"And there is no need for anyone to know that I have been here."

After speaking, her figure disappeared into the wind and snow.

Within Nanjin Prefecture, the Song Clan Branch Residence was built by the water.

This place was called the Nanjin Branch Residence; it was not part of the Song Clan's ancestral grounds, yet it was still built according to the standards of a Prince's Mansion.

The residence occupied a vast area and contained a node of a Spiritual Vein, gathering the Spiritual Qi of the entire prefecture; even the bluestone in front of the gate was imbued with a faint spiritual glow.

In the courtyard, there were several acres of Spirit Fields planted with Spirit Medicine, and the ponds were stocked with Spirit-attracting koi.

Snow fell outside the walls, but inside the residence, it was as warm as spring. The Spiritual Qi was confined by a Formation between the pavilions and water terraces; walking through them, even one's breath carried a faint trace of spiritual essence.

The person served by this residence was none other than the youngest son of the Song Clan of Prince Wu.

The youngest of Prince Wu's four sons, Song Jingzhao.

It is said that Prince Wu had this youngest son in his twilight years and doted on him greatly.

When Song Jingzhao was born, Prince Wu bestowed the Nanjin Branch Residence upon him, and also allocated three nearby Spirit Fields and two small Spiritual Vein nodes under his name, allowing him to manage them for his cultivation.

Jiang Yuhe stood before the residence.

The guards at the gate were two Cultivators wearing green armor; their presence was composed and heavy, both possessing the cultivation of the Middle Stage.

Seeing her arrive, one of them looked up slightly.

"Who goes there?"

Jiang Yuhe cupped her hands, her tone steady.

"Jiang Yuhe of the Jiang Family, here by summons."

The Cultivator examined her for a moment, then stepped slightly to the side, clearing a path.

"Enter and wait."

The moment she entered, the Spiritual Qi changed abruptly.

Outside, the cold snow had not ceased, but inside the residence, warmth drifted.

The ground was paved with white jade, engraved with hidden spiritual patterns, and each step produced a faint glow.

Spirit trees lined the path on both sides, with spiritual dew dripping from the branches and leaves, each drop containing pure Spiritual Qi.

Further inside, a water terrace stood half-suspended; water light rose from the Spirit Spring below, like mist and gauze, coiling around the entire main residence.

The concentration of Spiritual Qi here was almost no less than that of the inner peak of a small Sect.

Before long, a steward walked over slowly.

This person wore a black-patterned robe, his aura restrained and hidden, yet he faintly possessed the cultivation of the Late Stage.

His posture was humble; he did not speak first, but instead performed a half-bow.

"Presumably, this must be Miss Jiang."

Jiang Yuhe returned the bow.

"That is correct."

She paused for a moment and then asked, "May I ask, Senior, which Lord has summoned me?"

The steward smiled at her words, raised his hand to gently guide her, his tone carrying a sense of respectful inevitability.

"Who else could it be?"

"Naturally, it is the Revered Master of our Nanjin Branch Residence."

He paused slightly, his voice lowering a fraction.

"The Fourth Young Master of Prince Wu, His Highness Jingzhao."

Jiang Yuhe lowered her eyes and said, "I am honored by His Highness's summons, and this Junior is filled with trepidation."

The steward smiled more upon hearing this, said nothing further, and gestured with his hand.

"Please, Miss Jiang."

The center of the Nanjin Branch Residence was the place for meetings and receiving guests; the halls were high and spacious, with rows of pillars, and the servants passing by all held their breath and lowered their eyes.

But the steward did not lead Jiang Yuhe to the main hall; instead, he followed the eastern corridor, bypassed two water terraces, and headed deeper inside.

The snowflakes swirling in the courtyard were blocked outside by a Formation, and by the bluestone path, several evergreen Spirit Trees were planted, with dew condensing on their leaves.

In the distance, there was a pond with several lotus lamps floating on the surface, their light making the surroundings feel like a spring night.

The steward said, "His Highness usually cultivates and reads scrolls in the Tinglan Study."

Jiang Yuhe nodded gently.

The so-called Tinglan Study was built on a half-suspended water platform, facing the pond on three sides and connected to a corridor on one.

Beneath the water platform, a Spirit Spring surged secretly; the sound of water was continuous and endless, and when listening closely, it sounded like the waves coming from behind a curtain.

The steward walked to the door and knocked gently twice.

A young voice came from inside.

"Enter."

The steward pushed open the door, stepped aside to signal for Jiang Yuhe to enter, and remained standing outside with his hands lowered.

Jiang Yuhe gathered her sleeves and entered.

The four walls of the Tinglan Study were hung with several ink-wash paintings of mountains and rivers.

On the north side, there was a long desk with several jade scrolls spread out, and beside them, a green-white jade seal was used as a paperweight.

Behind the long desk, a map of the prefectures south of the Yanque Circuit hung on the wall; thin vermilion lines outlined the fief of Prince Wu, and a small golden seal was pressed onto the location of Nanjin Prefecture.

A roster was also spread out on the desk.

The roster listed several names, and after each name were small annotations. There were several places circled and corrected in vermilion, and in one place, the ink had not yet dried.

Song Jingzhao was sitting behind the long desk.

He looked to be only eighteen or nineteen years old.

He wore a moon-white brocade robe with a jade belt around his waist, and his long hair was tied up with a black jade crown. His face was handsome, with distinct brow bones and a nose as sharp as if carved.

Especially his eyes; the corners were slightly elongated, the pupils deep in color. When he looked up at someone, it was like a deep pool without waves; although he revealed no sharpness, it made one afraid to meet his gaze easily.

When Jiang Yuhe entered, he was looking down at the roster on the desk.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up at her for a moment, then closed the roster and stood up to welcome her.

The breeze from his sleeves brushed the corner of the desk, causing the jade paperweight to move slightly and knock against a cup, emitting a faint sound.

Song Jingzhao seemed not to hear it and still said in a gentle voice, "Fellow Daoist Jiang."

Jiang Yuhe dared not be negligent; she stepped forward, gathered her sleeves, and bowed.

"Jiang Yuhe of the Jiang Family, greets Your Highness."

When subjects pay respects to their lord, or house retainers to a prince, they usually perform a long bow during ordinary summons.

Jiang Yuhe was nominally still a Cultivator of the Jiang Family of Guli Circuit and not under the Song Clan, so she naturally did not need to perform the full kowtow.

Song Jingzhao raised his hand, signaling her to rise.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang need not stand on ceremony."

As he spoke, he personally guided her to a seat.

When the maid served tea, Song Jingzhao's gaze swept past her cuffs and paused for a moment on the Qi aura around her body.

He was not in a hurry to discuss official business; instead, he first asked if she was accustomed to living in Nanjin Prefecture, whether the Yan Family had been neglectful, and if there were any inconveniences, he could have the estate steward find another quiet residence.

The words were comprehensive.

It was just that while he said these things, his fingertips kept pressing on the roster.

Pressing until the edges of the pages curled up slightly.

Jiang Yuhe saw this and only said, "Your Highness has summoned me; I do not know for what purpose."

Song Jingzhao's smile paused slightly.

He withdrew his hand, seemingly just remembering that the roster was still on the desk, and casually pushed it into a box nearby.

When the lid of the box closed, he looked down at it once more before slowly saying, "I have followed my Father King since childhood and seen many people, and I have also learned some arts of physiognomy and observing Qi."

"Not long after you entered Nanjin, I heard people talking about you."

He paused, a hint of a smile appearing on his lips.

"The Jiang Family of Baili Mountain, Guli Circuit; winning the silver scroll at the Chengtian Sect arena; breaking the Lu Family disciple with one arrow on the Jinglan Lake water platform. Later, entering Nanjin, investigating the remnants of the Yao Family—you act with stability and strike cleanly."

Jiang Yuhe said softly, "Your Highness is too kind. This Junior is merely a Cultivator from a small family who chanced upon a few Opportunities, and I dare not accept such high regard from Your Highness."

Song Jingzhao looked at her, his fingertips tapping gently on the armrest of his chair.

"I summoned you today because there is a matter I would like to ask Fellow Daoist Jiang to assist with."

Jiang Yuhe said, "If Your Highness has any orders, this Junior will naturally do my best."

Song Jingzhao stood up and walked to the right side of the side hall.

Hanging there was a bronze mirror with water patterns, and within the mirror, a mountain gate in gray mist faintly floated. The four corners of the mirror face were engraved with the four ancient seal characters for Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, but they were not yet lit up at this moment.

Song Jingzhao stood before the mirror, his hand in his sleeve slowly clenching, then quickly relaxing.

"When I was born, my Father King set three trials for me."

"The three trials test not only cultivation, but also Heart-Nature, discernment, and the ability to employ people."

"The first trial corresponds to Embryonic Breathing."

As he spoke, his gaze fell on the gray mist in the mirror.

"I have already passed it."

"The second trial corresponds to Qi Refining."

The mist in the bronze mirror flowed slightly, illuminating his brows and eyes in flickering light and shadow.

"This trial is called 'Questioning People of the Four Seasons.'"

Jiang Yuhe's eyes shifted slightly.

Song Jingzhao said, "This trial does not test my individual combat ability."

"My Father King said that if a royal descendant only knows how to cultivate for themselves, they are at most a Cultivator, not someone who can govern a region of mountains and rivers."

"Therefore, this Qi Refining trial tests whether I can recognize, gather, and employ people."

"'Questioning People of the Four Seasons' requires the combined efforts of Spell Cultivators of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter to activate."

"Furthermore, each of the four has a barrier, and only when all four have passed can it be considered that I have truly passed this trial."

Jiang Yuhe listened very carefully.

Song Jingzhao turned around and said, "I will take on the Summer spell myself."

"I have already decided on the candidates for the Autumn and Winter spells."

"The only one missing is the Spring spell."

"The Grain Rain that you cultivate belongs to the Spring command. Your Dao practice is not shallow, and you have no Song Clan spiritual aura, nor are you among the Guest Elders of my mansion, which makes you perfect."

"Therefore, I would like to invite you to enter this trial."

The sound of water in the room was faint.

Jiang Yuhe was silent for a moment before saying, "It is this Junior's good fortune that Your Highness is willing to summon me."

She raised her eyes, her voice still steady.

"However, there is one thing this Junior does not understand."

Song Jingzhao said, "Speak."

Jiang Yuhe said, "Your Highness is from the Song Clan of Prince Wu; since childhood, you have had countless retainers, and there must be no shortage of Spring spell Cultivators in your mansion."

"This Junior is merely a Cultivator from a small family in Guli Circuit, only at the eighth level of Qi Refining."

"Why would Your Highness look past those close by and choose me, an outsider?"

After she finished speaking, she added, "This question is not a refusal, but if I do not know what Your Highness seeks, I fear I cannot enter this trial with peace of mind."