Chapter 8: Contest of Wits and Bravery

  The people of the evening city automatically made way for Yang Sanwang and others to pass through, with curiosity and reverence in everyone's eyes, because it was impossible to see these people before, they used to go directly to the lord's mansion, after understanding some situation, they would leave, which is like this year, actually came to participate in their Lantern Festival.

  Yang Sanwang led the touring inspector into the Xiyang Tower and walked directly to the seat of honor, inviting him to take a seat.

  The inspector was not polite at all, with a stern gaze sweeping around before slowly sitting down.

  Yang San stopped at his right side, gesturing to Yang Lin, who had just returned, to have the guards sit down as they pleased. He then raised his wine cup and said to the Inspector: "Inspector, you've come from afar, let me offer you a toast first!" With that, he drained the cup in one gulp.

  The inspector's eyes were disdainful, and he raised his wine cup with arrogance, but only took a casual sip before putting it down, not even looking at Yang Sanwang.

  Zhuge's eyebrows furrowed, just as he was about to say something, but Yang San's gaze stopped him. He could only sit down and drink wine, with the white whiskers on his chin immediately getting stained with wine.

  Yang Sanweng also sat down on the right side of the inspector, bowed his hands and smiled: "Inspector, you are busy with official duties. The evening in Yangcheng is a bit remote, there's nothing to show off, only these fireworks and lanterns all over the city, I hope Inspector won't laugh at this."

  The inspector didn't respond, but instead played with two balls in one hand and gently tapped the table with the other, his eyes gazing vaguely into the sky.

  Zhuge saw this and although he was very displeased in his heart, he still stood up and clapped his hands.

  With Zhuge's applause, beams of dazzling light shot up to the sky, blooming into beautiful flowers in the dark night, magnificent and unparalleled.

  Yang Sanwang sat at the edge of the table, but didn't lift his head to watch the fireworks in the sky. He slowly drank and poured himself a drink, expressionless, as if everything that was happening here had nothing to do with him.

  On a slightly farther table, Yang Lin picked up a cup of wine, but his eyes stared at Yang Sanwang through the crowd. Seeing Yang Sanwang's appearance, he couldn't help but let out a faint sigh. When was this man ever looked down upon like this?

  Fireworks exploded in a burst of color, soaring into the sky and bursting open, plunging the entire city of Xi'an into a sea of jubilation.

  The inspector withdrew his gaze, raised his cup and drained it in one gulp, murmuring: "Smoke and fire are indeed beautiful..." At this moment, Zhuge Nandong's mouth corners slightly rose, and he straightened up a bit.

  "But...," the inspector continued, "beauty is only for a moment. After the hustle and bustle subsides, what can be left behind?"

  Zhuge's eyebrows furrowed again in winter. There is no word without cause in the world, and there must be something in this word.

  Yang San forgot to drink wine and asked: "What does the Inspector General mean by this?" At the time of speaking, he was not confused at all, and his tone was calm.

  The inspector narrowed his eyes and said, "Only eternal things can be called truly beautiful."

  Yang San forgot to continue asking: "Is there anything eternal in the world?"

  "Yes!" The inspecting official nodded, his voice firm and loud.

  Yang San's face was expressionless as he asked, "May I ask what this thing is?"

  The inspector put down his wine cup and slowly stood up, the stone ball in his hand came to a stop. He stared into Yang Sanwang's eyes, enunciating each word: "Thousand Autumns' Hegemony!"

  The inspector wanted to see emotional fluctuations in Yang Sanpang's eyes, but there was none. Yang Sanpang seemed not to have understood what he said, or thought it was just a trivial matter like "my hen laid an egg today".

  Yang San drank wine lightly, then picked up a peanut with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly, his dense whiskers shaking charmingly.

  Yang Sanwang finally spoke up: "From ancient times to the present, the rise and fall of dynasties are countless. I've never heard of a dynasty that only rises and never falls. Where do these two words 'eternal' come from?"

  The inspector sat down again, his eyes gleaming with spirit: "Dynasties may change, but achievements cannot be erased. In ancient times, Da Yu established the Xia Dynasty, and although the Xia Dynasty was eventually replaced by the Shang Dynasty, Da Yu's achievements have never been erased for thousands of years, this is what is called eternity!"

  "So it seems that the legacy of Qianqiu can indeed be eternal." Yang San nodded in agreement, but without the excitement that the Inspector had expected.

  "For thousands of years, many people have been eager to establish their immortal achievements, but only a few have succeeded. Why? The reason is just two words: timing! If the timing is right, you can succeed; if not, you will be submerged in the torrent of history."

  "That makes sense." Yang San forgot to respond and finished the wine in his cup in one gulp.

  The inspector stared at Yang San for a moment, then fell silent and shifted his gaze to the sky filled with smoke and fire.

  The atmosphere seemed to ease a bit, and people began to raise their cups in a toast, gazing at the moon and sighing with emotion.

  The inspector and Yang Sanwang clinked cups together, both of them drinking at the same time. The inspector gazed at the remaining wine in his cup, where the full moon was reflected, and said with a slight drunkenness: "The wine is about to be finished, the moon is about to set, people are about to leave, the banquet is about to disperse..."

  Yang San forgot his frowning brow, and he naturally understood the implied meaning of the touring inspector's words. Everything would come to an end, and the dynasty would be replaced!

  Yang San forgot to exchange a glance with Yang Lin, and then said: "Wine can be poured again when it's finished, the moon can rise again when it sets, people can return when they leave, and gatherings can reunite when they disperse. The past is like this, yet never gone; fullness and emptiness are like that, but no one knows what will last. If it's not mine to have, I won't take even a single grain. I am just a speck of dust in the vast ocean, why bother with the changes of the world!"

  "Slap"

  The inspector's cup fell to the ground, shattering into several pieces. He glared at Yang Sanwang, his eyes burning with anger. This guy in front of him was truly slippery, first advising himself not to make a move, and finally making his own stance clear - neither helping nor hindering!

  Yang San forgot still had a calm face, beckoned over a servant: "Replace the inspector's cup."

  The inspector waved his hand and said, "Never mind, I'm leaving."

  Yang San forgot hurriedly got up, but his face didn't have a slightest surprise, as if everything was within his expectation. However, he still pretended to persuade him to stay, saying: "Are you leaving just like that?"

  The inspector knew that Yang Sanwang was just going through the motions, and didn't press the issue further. He nodded and said, "Yes, I still have several cities to inspect, so I'll have to hurry up! Thank you, I'm very satisfied with your governance, it's a blessing for Great Zhou to have talents like you!"

  He said as he ignored Yang Sanwang and walked straight out of the Sunset Building, with more than a dozen guards immediately following behind him.

  Yang San forgot walked to the door, slightly bowed and loudly shouted: "See off the Inspector General!"

  The inspector looked back at Yang Sanpang, knowing that he had failed this time. He didn't understand anything about the man except for his stance, and he was as elusive as a fog. Every move he made was flawless, neither humble nor arrogant, giving himself enough respect without taking any initiative. Just like now, when he bid farewell with his eyes, there was respect from an inferior to a superior, but not servility, and it wouldn't make him look down on Yang Sanpang either.

  "This person is not simple."

  This was a sentence that lingered in his mind for a long time after the inspector left.

  The inspector came and went in a hurry, the whole process took no more than an hour. The Lantern Festival would continue, Yang San forgot to raise his head and take a look at the sky, it was almost midnight.

  Yang Yu Xi ran quickly, the noise behind him gradually fading away, he stopped in front of a forest.

  Although there is moonlight, the leaves are too dense, causing the inside of the forest to be pitch black, and nothing can be seen.

  Yang Yu Xi shivered and turned back to look at the city, where the lights were shining brightly and beautifully, making people yearn for it.

  "Or... I'll just go back?"

  He turned around, lifted his leg wanting to leave, but couldn't take that first step.

  "No way, I want to let little Yan recover quickly, she has already missed such a beautiful fireworks display, and cannot miss a few more days of good life!"

  He gritted his teeth and raised his bodily senses to their limits, then charged headlong into the dark forest.

  The moment he rushed into the Black Forest, Yang Yu Xi felt a chill hit him in the face. He activated his True Yuan, forming a thin protective layer on his body's surface. Although it was weak, it was enough to withstand this yin wind.

  The desolate valley was just behind the Dark Forest, which wasn't very large. At Yang Yuxi's speed, he could pass through it in at most a minute. But now it was pitch black here, and nothing could be seen, undoubtedly greatly reducing his speed. He was constantly being entangled by roots and vines, and hit by hanging branches from time to time, looking quite wretched.

  He spent a full half hour before he emerged from the dark forest, disheveled and dirty, but unscathed after all. He straightened his clothes and gazed forward into the moonlight.

  Two steep cliffs stand upright in front, forming a long and narrow canyon in the middle. From afar, it looks like a giant vertical mouth. The sky above is filled with thick black clouds. The canyon stretches for thousands of meters, behind which lies a desolate valley.

  Yang Yu Xi swallowed hard, clenched his fists tightly and walked in cautiously.

  "Aooo..." A sudden howl echoed, startling Yang Yu Xi, who hastily hugged the rock wall, his body trembling uncontrollably.

  He raised his head and saw a lone wolf on the top of the cliff, howling at the moon. The silver-white fur blended with the silver-white moonlight, giving the wolf a kind of regal dignity - Wolf King!

  The wolf king lowered his head, gently lifted his front paws, and the wolf's eyes instantly spotted Yang Yuxi in the canyon.

  "Terrible!"

  Yang Yu Xi didn't dare to breathe loudly, he recognized this kind of wolf as a wild wolf that had learned to cultivate its energy, and the one in front of him was even the Wolf King, absolutely not someone he could handle at present.

  If this wolf king rushes down from the cliff top now, Yang Yuxi's adventure journey can end.

  But it seems that the Wolf King has just finished eating, and there are still bright red bloodstains at the corner of its mouth. It used its scarlet tongue to reveal its sharp teeth to Yang Yu Xi, which was a warning sign.

  Yang Yu Xi let out a sigh of relief and thought to herself: As long as you don't look for trouble with me, I'm grateful, who would dare to provoke you?!

  The wolf king raised his neck again and let out a long howl towards the full moon, the desolate sound carrying far, far away.

  Then, he glanced at Yang Yuxi and turned back to walk down the mountain ridge.

  "Ah...... scared me to death!" Yang Yu Xi suddenly sat down on the ground, his clothes already drenched in sweat, and he was panting heavily.

  After a long time, he stood up and encouraged himself: "Great difficulties will not kill me, I must have good fortune afterwards! I can definitely succeed in finding the Red Root Green Leaf Grass!"