Tiance Inn was situated on the busiest street along the Luo River. It was a centuries-old establishment, grand in scale, and perpetually bustling with travelers. Occasionally, one might catch sight of members of the Yao clan. However, the Daxia Kingdom had minimal interactions with them, largely limited to trade, so their presence was sparse.
Perhaps this was a good thing. If yao beings were seen wandering the streets regularly, Li Tan might not have been able to resist doing something bloody to them. This was neither an exaggeration nor a joke. Anyone who had experienced that incident would find it difficult to remain calm upon encountering a yao individual.
Getting off track.
The main reason Li Tan chose to stay at Tiance Inn was because Luo River was vast, and this inn was well-known, making it easier for Zhang Cong to find him without too much trouble.
After entering the inn, Li Tan figured he had nothing else to do for the day. The Taixue Academy wouldn’t be ready for him anytime soon, so he decided to sit cross-legged and begin meditating and practicing qigong.
However, he hadn’t expected Zhang Cong to come rushing over so urgently in the middle of the night, his face flushed like a monkey’s butt, panting heavily.
Li Tan asked wordlessly, “What brings you here in the middle of the night?”
Zhang Cong replied somewhat sheepishly, “I, uh, just missed Brother Li and wanted to come earlier.”
“Missed me?
You little brat, are you afraid I’ll run off?”
Li Tan teased, “Not even a rooster would be this impatient.”
Though it sounded like a scolding, it was more like a gesture of care from an elder to a younger one.
Seeing that Li Tan wasn’t angry, Zhang Cong grinned and said with a grin, “No, no, how could I think like that? Actually, I told my father about it, and he was extremely happy, saying that green smoke was rising from our ancestral graves. Immediately, he took me to pay respects to our ancestors and instructed me to come early to greet you. So, I came a bit early.”
Li Tan could almost picture the scene: a young man sitting restlessly, grinning all day, his family suspecting he had epilepsy, and after some intense interrogation, discovering the opportunity to learn from a great master. Overjoyed and relieved, the young man couldn’t help but rush out at night.
This reminded Li Tan of his own first day as a disciple, making him feel a bit nostalgic. He tapped Zhang Cong on the forehead with a light smile and said, “Well, you’re here. Tomorrow I’ll take you to Taixue early.”
“To see Taixue?
Brother Li, am I going to Taixue?”
“It’s not just me, but us. Hmm, teaching isn’t my specialty, but Taixue is a great place.”
Zhang Cong frowned and said, “I’m not good enough. I went there the year before, and after the talent test, the examiner didn’t even look at me again.”
“I naturally have a way to handle that. You needn’t worry too much,” Li Tan replied.
Zhang Cong’s eyes widened, “This can be handled?
Could this be the legendary backdoor method?”
Li Tan gave him another tap on the forehead without hesitation, making him cry out in pain.
“Don’t think too much. Sit down and start meditating. Don’t waste time. We’ll leave early tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Zhang Cong immediately sat down and began meditating, quite seriously, not slackening even after achieving his goal.
Li Tan silently watched him.
Actually, Li Tan had always intended for him to enter Taixue. After all, he himself was already overwhelmed with his own affairs and had no time to teach a disciple. Zhang Cong was a raw gemstone, needing careful polishing, and Taixue was the perfect place for that.
Early the next morning, Li Tan took Zhang Cong out. Passing by the place where he had dealt with trouble the previous day, he suddenly remembered the threat left behind. However, all he felt was a sense of mockery. Since he had neither given his name nor his background, even if the other’s father was powerful, it would be difficult to find him among the hundreds of thousands of people in Luo River.
Rather than inviting trouble, Li Tan naturally didn’t want any direct conflict with the aristocracy of Daxia—at least not for now. He was just an ordinary person with some cultivation skills. If he really clashed with those nobles, he might not only be unable to enter Taixue but even forced to leave Luo River.
The thought of being controlled by such a minor character made Li Tan feel a bit depressed. Zhang Cong, with sharp eyes, noticed the fleeting helplessness and quickly asked what was wrong. Li Tan casually said it was nothing and quickened his pace forward. Soon, the two arrived at a place that was noisy and bustling like a market, yet oddly not one.
Li Tan glanced sideways.
A sea of moving heads surrounded a beautiful mansion. A plaque above the grand entrance bore the words “Cheng Mansion,” below which was a red-painted door and two stone lions each as tall as a person.
This was likely the residence of an official, but why had so many people gathered here?
Was it an elder’s birthday celebration?
Probably not. The crowd included not only nobles but also many commoners.
Looking upward, Li Tan soon understood the situation.
Inside the mansion, there was a temporary high pavilion decorated in red and purple, but far from festive. A group of attendants and soldiers surrounded several prominent figures: a middle-aged man with a prosperous appearance and an air of authority, clearly of high status; a noblewoman in court attire, plump and graceful, though her eyes betrayed some anxiety; and a girl of fifteen or sixteen, of above-average beauty, who would likely attract marriage proposals from various dukes within two years.
At the moment, the girl was dressed in a bright red wedding gown, reluctantly holding a large red embroidered ball—throwing the embroidered ball?
Li Tan was startled, doubting for a moment whether he was seeing things. Then he felt puzzled about the Cheng family patriarch’s unusual idea of having his daughter choose a groom by throwing an embroidered ball. This poor girl must have been adopted. It was one thing for the father to act this way, but even the mother didn’t seem to object at all.
Once the embroidered ball was thrown, the daughter would be given away along with it. Unless she had extraordinary cultivation talent, she would be bound to whoever caught the ball, whether it be a rooster or a dog. What if the embroidered ball was caught by a beggar?
Luo River truly was a place where all sorts of strange things could happen.
“Brother Li, you don’t have a liking for this young lady, do you? Hehe, she is indeed quite beautiful,” Zhang Cong tugged at Li Tan’s sleeve.
Li Tan’s lips twitched as he shook his head. “I’m already married. If you like her, go ahead and catch the embroidered ball later. If you catch it, she’s yours.”
“That would be great! Brother Li, do you know whose daughter she is?” Zhang Cong pointed toward the pavilion.
Li Tan shook his head. “Tell me.”
Zhang Cong said with admiration, “Her father is the official standing beside her—he’s the current Fengchang, one of the Nine Ministers. If I could marry his daughter, my father would laugh in his sleep.”
“Are you really willing to marry someone you’ve never met?”
Li Tan asked.
Zhang Cong replied naturally, “Why wouldn’t I? She’s so beautiful, so I definitely wouldn’t be at a loss.”
Li Tan thought back to the time he had looked at a certain princess a few times too many, which had resulted in being cold-shouldered by Tang Leyin for several days. A sense of nostalgia crept in.
“Let’s keep going.”
Zhang Cong said somewhat sheepishly, “Why not watch a bit more? Such a spectacle doesn’t happen for centuries.”
After all, he was still a child, and naturally had a playful heart.
Shaking his head lightly, Li Tan said, “Then go ahead. We’re not in a hurry anyway.”
“Thank you, Brother Li!” Zhang Cong happily bowed and turned his excited gaze toward the pavilion, clearly harboring some hope.
“There are so many people. To catch the embroidered ball, you must have saved the entire human race in your previous life.”
Li Tan teased.
Zhang Cong kept his eyes fixed on the embroidered ball while stubbornly saying, “I never said I wanted to catch the embroidered ball. I’m just here for the fun.”
“Is this how you watch fun? Your eyes are practically glued to the embroidered ball.”
Li Tan stood at the back of the crowd, watching Zhang Cong’s sudden enthusiasm with a sense of detachment. Whether influenced by others or not, he found himself a bit curious about who would end up catching the embroidered ball.
“I’m Cheng Shaodu—” blabbered on and on, boasting about his own glorious deeds and how powerful his family was. No one knew how his mouth was shaped, but he managed to talk for half an hour straight, boring the excited crowd into drowsiness before finally getting to the point.
“The embroidered ball throwing for bride selection begins now!”
The crowd erupted again. The young lady on the pavilion scanned the crowd, her eyes suddenly brightened. With a determined bite of her lip, she gathered the little internal energy she had and threw the embroidered ball with all her might.
Plop.
The embroidered ball floated down gently, landing precisely on Li Tan without deviating an inch.
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