Chapter 476
Chapter 476
“He's alive! He's alive!”
Sword King Li Qianqiu was ecstatic. It was truly a miracle that Shen Lang had actually saved Gou Duhuan. If this was possible, couldn't the poison in his wife's body be cured as well?
“Senior Sword King, between Fudao Mountain and the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion, which is more formidable?”
At Shen Lang's question, the Sword King shook his head.
“It's not easy to compare.”
Indeed, it wasn't. The Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion was like a sacred ground of knowledge, highly revered and looked up to by the world. But it did not inspire fear. Fudao Mountain, on the other hand, was a place of mystery and dread. There was a saying in the world:
'It is better to offend a king than to ever offend Fudao.'
That saying seemed to prove everything.
Shen Lang had gotten the impression that Fudao Mountain dealt only in poisons, but that wasn't the case at all. To be precise, Fudao Mountain was a place that researched esoteric arts, which included alchemy, potent venoms, and internal energy methods. Moreover, it was extremely rare to see a disciple of Fudao Mountain roaming the outside world; usually, it was outsiders who made pilgrimages to Fudao Mountain.
However, this organization tended to have no moral lines to cross. Given the immense power of Fudao Mountain's poisons, they should never have been allowed to spread to the outside world. But certain resourceful organizations were able to obtain various potent venoms from them. It had been several months since Grandmaster Zhong Chuke went to Fudao Mountain, and more than three or four months since the Divine Maiden Xue Yin went searching for him. Yet, there had been no news from either of them, which was a little worrying.
“It seems Fudao Mountain's Gu-worms are like vectors. Once they consume a substance, they endlessly produce more of it.”
Shen Lang nodded at Sword King Li Qianqiu's words. Fudao Mountain's Gu-worms certainly seemed omnipotent. Since coming to this world, everything Shen Lang had seen was quite normal, devoid of any mystical aura; in fact, over 99% of its species were identical to Earth's. But these Gu-worms were certainly not from Earth; they were a species he had never even heard of.
“Senior Sword King, where do you think these Gu-worms from Fudao Mountain came from? Did they cultivate them themselves?”
Sword King Li Qianqiu shook his head.
“I doubt it. They were likely excavated from the ancient world.”
'The ancient world? No wonder it holds such incredible power. That must be why Pavilion Master Zuo Ci abandoned even the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion to excavate ancient ruins abroad. And why the Great Calamity Temple mobilizes manpower and resources every year to search for ancient civilizations.'
Finding an ancient civilization was tantamount to a faction rising to power. Of course, Pavilion Master Zuo Ci was likely not seeking to rise himself, but was simply deeply fascinated by the civilizations of the ancient world.
“So, when do you think he will wake up?”
“Probably in two or three days.”
Gou Duhuan's heartbeat and breathing had returned to normal, but he had yet to awaken. When Shen Lang used his X-ray vision mode to examine his blood, he saw the golden bloodline Gu-worms within, tirelessly rampaging about, ceaselessly modifying, replicating, reproducing, and dividing.
* * *
Hamno asked Shen Lang,
“Young Master, could you please restrain Madman Lan? So he stops staring at me so intensely.”
“Why? Is his gaze too perverted?”
Hamno shook her head.
“No.”
In fact, she had seen so many men with such gazes that she wasn't afraid of a perverted look. Female wrestlers often competed with nothing on. Of course, their bodies were usually stout and muscular, so there wasn't much to see. But there were many men with peculiar tastes, and even those without would seek out the bizarre.
Shen Lang smiled and asked her,
“Then why do you want me to stop him from looking at you?”
“Because he looks at me as if I'm a peerless beauty, but I'm truly ugly, so his gaze feels too strange.”
'What an interesting thought.'
“Alright. I'll do my best to tell him. But I can't interfere too much in his minor affairs.”
Hamno hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“You want to ask about Princess Ning Yan?”
Hamno nodded.
“Her Highness the Princess has been confined in the Court of the Imperial Clan for months. Under normal circumstances, she should have been released long ago. But why hasn't she been let out yet? Besides, His Majesty favors you, Young Master. If you were to ask, he would surely release the Third Princess.”
“It's not that His Majesty doesn't want to release Princess Ning Yan. Great Master Yun Mengze has returned to the Great Yan Empire to meet with Prince Yan and dissolve the princess's engagement, setting her free. But since he hasn't returned yet, it means things aren't going smoothly. So, we must not provoke the Great Yan Empire at a time like this. Princess Ning Yan is now residing in a different building within the Court of the Imperial Clan, which is completely different from when His Highness Ning Zheng was imprisoned. His Majesty has confined her now for her own sake, and to ensure she can gain her complete freedom.
“I understand. Thank you, Young Master.”
Hearing this, Hamno was overjoyed.
* * *
Madman Lan's natural talent was so astounding that even Shen Lang couldn't bear to watch. Every day, he continued to memorize the scholarly essays Shen Lang had prepared for him, and his memorization speed was getting faster and faster. That in itself wasn't a huge deal. The key was that while memorizing the essays, he was also reading *Battle Through the Heavens* and an ancient scroll simultaneously. Most of these were scrolls containing commentaries on the incredibly esoteric *I Ching*, yet he didn't miss a beat.
When Shen Lang tested him, he found that not only did this multitasking not affect his memorization of the essays, but he had also perfectly memorized *Battle Through the Heavens*. The only thing Madman Lan truly focused on was reading the ancient scroll with commentaries on the *I Ching*. Of course, that was also his favorite book. Madman Lan had become a war refugee at thirteen and had been wandering aimlessly through various countries ever since. He had tried every means possible to find books to read, and almost all his knowledge was self-taught. Now that Shen Lang was providing him with a constant supply of books, he was devouring them like a sponge soaking up water, completely engrossed. He read three books simultaneously while also occasionally casting a provocative glance at Hamno. Such talent was simply astonishing. Seeing someone so much more brilliant than yourself is enough to make you sick with envy. I suppose one should always look down to feel better.
* * *
Consort Bian had fully recovered. She summoned Ning Zheng to the palace basically once every four or five days, but they never discussed state affairs. She was fully committed to the principle that a consort should not meddle in politics. When Ning Zheng entered the palace, he would simply share a meal with her and talk. One day, Consort Bian finally couldn't hold back any longer and said a few words.
“Zheng'er, there are only thirty-five days left until the civil portion of the Grace Examination, and only thirty-nine days until the military portion.”
Ning Zheng replied.
“Yes.”
“How about this mother finds a famous and learned scholar to teach that Nanling of yours? Desperate times call for desperate measures, after all. Receiving some instruction is better than none, isn't it?”
Consort Bian had heard rumors that Madman Lan spent his days at Ning Zheng's estate reading *Battle Through the Heavens* and other novels, or books on divination, without ever touching the Four Books and Five Classics. With just over a month until the Grace Examination, it was too late to learn the required knowledge now, but he should at least make a show of studying. Although hastily hiring a great scholar wouldn't be very effective, wouldn't it at least save him from embarrassment during the examination?
“Mother Consort, thank you, but it's really not necessary. Shen Lang is teaching Nanling himself.”
Mother Consort Bian was dumbfounded.
“Shen Lang? Isn't that rascal someone who couldn't pass the imperial examination himself? He couldn't even pass the county-level exam, and he wrested his provincial-level title from His Majesty. How can he possibly teach someone else?”
Those were Ning Yuanxian's words as well. No, in fact, the King had originally used a stronger word than 'wrested,' saying that Shen Lang had 'extorted' the provincial-level title. The King wasn't falsely accusing Shen Lang when he said that. In the past, when Shen Lang was to go to the State of Jiang as an envoy, his original status as an Imperial Academy student was insufficient. His official rank would have been too low, so Shen Lang had constantly pestered the King for a proper title. Originally, Shen Lang wanted a metropolitan-level title, but Ning Yuanxian couldn't possibly grant that, so he had reluctantly asked for a provincial-level one. Shen Lang had received his title without ever formally taking the examination, making him a disgrace to the entire system.
“I've also heard that the ten men preparing for the military examination haven't received instruction from any martial arts teacher, nor have they learned archery or horsemanship. Instead, they just laze around the estate all day, eating, drinking, and bragging?”
Ning Zheng didn't know how to answer. What Mother Consort Bian said was the absolute truth. It had been about ten days since the ten beggars had entered the estate, yet they hadn't practiced martial arts or ridden a fine horse for even a single day. Of course, Shen Lang had tried once, but the results were disastrous. The ten of them couldn't even get on a horse, let alone ride and shoot. The warhorse stood there obediently, but they couldn't even climb onto it. This was because their bodies were all twisted, half-crippled, making it impossible for them to ride like a normal person.
The archery was even more unbearable to watch. Not a single one of them could draw not just a stone bow, but even a bow with less draw weight. For the past few days, the ten beggars had continued their usual routine of eating, sleeping, and eating again. And every day, they would lie around and brag until the sky grew dark. Their bragging was so outrageous that an honest person like Ning Zheng couldn't stand to listen.
Each one acted as if he were a great man who could do anything, whether in the heavens above or the earth below. They all boasted about their supposed relationships with peerless beauties. They claimed that some noble lady in some city in some country had taken a liking to them and wanted to take them in as a live-in son-in-law, but they had shown unyielding spirit and refused. They shamelessly declared they had given up wealth and glory for the sake of freedom.
And among these eleven, Madman Lan seemed to be the most accomplished. At the very least, he had probably slept with a few women who offered their services ten times for a tael of silver. In contrast, the other ten were all virgins, yet every one of them bragged as if they were incredibly experienced. Anyone who lasted less than two hours in bed wouldn't dare speak among them. Of course, they couldn't brag about the size of their equipment. They had spent so much time together that they had seen each other's members over a thousand times. Madman Lan, who couldn't even last five minutes with a woman, boasted that he could go for four whole hours.
Consort Bian asked,
“Doesn't Shen Lang restrain them?”
How could he not? Shen Lang spent two hours every day bragging right alongside the ten beggars. And Shen Lang's boasts were even more unbearable to listen to. He claimed he had been to the heavens above and the depths of the sea, and that he traveled a hundred and eight thousand li a year.
'Do you think you're Sun Wukong or something?'
That's right, Master Jin Mucong had finally written *Journey to the West*, and it had become a huge hit. The thought made Ning Zheng's head throb, but he answered dutifully.
“Shen Lang does restrain them.”