A man and a woman. A table and some tea.
Liu Xianyu's skill was superb. It was clear she had studied the art of tea and been immersed in it. Her every move was as smooth as flowing water. With delicate hands, she lifted the teapot, her expression focused, her concentration absolute.
The tea was the color of cyan jade, its subtle fragrance like an orchid. It was clear and bright. As it poured into the cup, it sounded like a clear spring striking a mountain stream—the music of high mountains and flowing water.
After drinking a cup, Ning Jiang nodded. "Not bad tea."
The tea had a full and pure mouthfeel, smooth on the palate. It was followed by a swift, lasting sweetness, full of character. After just one sip, he felt his entire body relax, the fatigue of the day melting away.
Without a doubt, this tea was quite valuable.
Of course, when Ning Jiang said the tea was "not bad," he only meant that among all the teas he had drunk in his sixteen years of this life, this one could be considered top grade.
If he were to include the teas he had drunk in his previous life one hundred thousand years ago, this one wouldn't even be worth mentioning.
"You went to great lengths to find me. Now I've come to the Liu Family, and I've drunk your tea. Whatever you want to say, say it." Ning Jiang didn't like to beat around the bush, so he cut straight to the chase.
"Young Master Ning is exceptionally wise. I'm sure you can already see what is on my mind." Liu Xianyu set down her cup, her expression turning serious. "I would like to ask Young Master Ning to teach me his Sword Technique."
"You're a few years older than me, aren't you? And your Cultivation Realm is far beyond mine. You want me to teach you? Aren't you afraid of being ridiculed?" Ning Jiang said with a faint, unreadable smile.
"In learning, age does not matter; the master comes first. Young Master Ning is a prodigy of the Sword Dao. The Realm of Heart-Sword Control is something I can only dream of reaching. It would be my honor to be taught by you."
Liu Xianyu's expression was grave. Heart-Sword Control was the realm she had always dreamed of. Across the entire Cyan Cloud Country, there were only about ten Sword Dao Grandmasters who had reached it.
As for Luoyang City, there was only Wenhua City, who was known as Luoyang's number one Sword Cultivator.
And Wenhua City was a figure of the older generation. How astonishingly young was Ning Jiang in comparison?
Even Chu Bai, the legendary number one Sword Dao genius of Cyan Cloud Country, was already twenty-three when he stepped into the Realm of Heart-Sword Control.
And Chu Bai was hailed as a once-in-a-century Sword Dao prodigy!
Yet Ning Jiang was even younger!
It was no exaggeration to say that a Sword Dao genius like Ning Jiang appeared only once every few hundred years.
With this achievement, Ning Jiang was undoubtedly the number one Sword Cultivator of the younger generation in the Cyan Cloud Country.
Once Ning Jiang fully matured, even Wenhua City would likely have to look up to him.
Thinking of this, Liu Xianyu couldn't help but find Liu Mi ridiculous. Liu Mi had always competed with her in the Liu Family, but was unfortunately always a step behind. And now, Liu Mi had foolishly missed out on a golden opportunity.
'Heart-Sword Control, is it…'
Ning Jiang murmured to himself. In truth, there were several Realms above Heart-Sword Control, such as Sword Qi Thunder Sound. Unfortunately, his current cultivation was insufficient to execute such a Sword Technique.
Liu Xianyu's beautiful eyes were like pools of water, her gaze flowing as she watched Ning Jiang without blinking, waiting for his answer.
Ning Jiang's gaze shifted to the sky. He said slowly, "I can teach you!"
"What! Really?" Liu Xianyu had thought getting Ning Jiang to agree wouldn't be so easy and had already prepared countless strategies. His quick acceptance was completely unexpected.
"Did you think I would make many demands? The main reason I'll teach you is because your desire to learn is sincere. That is what's truly valuable," Ning Jiang said.
Liu Xianyu quickly stood up and bowed respectfully to Ning Jiang. "Student Liu Xianyu pays her respects to her teacher."
"That won't be necessary." Ning Jiang waved his hand. "While I've agreed to teach you the Sword Technique, I never said I would take you on as a student. There's no need to call me teacher."
A hundred thousand years ago, countless people had wanted to become Ning Jiang's disciple. Every one of them was a dragon or phoenix among men, a favored child of heaven.
'Liu Xianyu wants to be my student? She isn't qualified.'
Liu Xianyu paused for a moment, then didn't insist, changing her form of address. "Yes, Sir."
"Another thing. To teach you the Sword Technique, it will be ten thousand Primordial Stones a day," Ning Jiang stated bluntly.
He was currently weak and his power undeveloped. Before he recovered, he also needed Primordial Stones.
Ten thousand Primordial Stones was roughly the entire fortune of an ordinary Innate Realm strong person. Even the few Innate Realm powerhouses in the Ning Family probably had at most twenty or thirty thousand Primordial Stones on them.
Ten thousand a day. Any Innate Realm expert would probably think Ning Jiang was robbing them blind.
"Alright." Liu Xianyu agreed immediately.
Ten thousand Primordial Stones was indeed a considerable price, but as the Liu Family's number one genius, her status was extraordinary. She could absolutely request Old Sir Liu to allocate a large sum of Primordial Stones.
In fact, she even felt a little delighted.
If she were to ask Wenhua City to teach her, she feared even a hundred thousand Primordial Stones a day wouldn't be enough. Wenhua City was an Innate Limit Strong Person who had been famous for a long time. That kind of powerhouse had no lack of Primordial Stones.
Both Ning Jiang and Wenhua City were at the Realm of Heart-Sword Control, yet Ning Jiang only asked for ten thousand Primordial Stones. In Liu Xianyu's eyes, this was very generous.
"By the way, Sir, your name is Ning Jiang... Are you the one involved with Zhou Wenhao?" Liu Xianyu hesitated for a moment before asking.
"If you're asking about the life-and-death battle with Zhou Wenhao, then yes, that's me." Ning Jiang seemed to see right through her thoughts. "Are you afraid that with my current cultivation, I'll die at Zhou Wenhao's hands? You don't need to worry about that. My Cultivation Realm is low right now for some special reasons. I will recover my cultivation soon."
"Then, when will you start teaching me the Sword Technique, Sir?" Liu Xianyu knew what was appropriate to ask and what wasn't, returning to the subject of the Sword Technique.
"You seem to be in a hurry. Why? Is there something urgent?"
"Nothing can be hidden from you, Sir." Liu Xianyu gave a wry smile, feeling that the person before her was not a young man, but an ancient, world-weary monster. "To be honest with you, Sir, this matter is related to the Wang Family, a First-Class Noble House in Luoyang City. My Liu Family and the Wang Family have never been on good terms. Three years ago, after the Liu Family was demoted to a second-tier family, the Wang Family began to suppress us."
"Over these past three years, the resentment between our families has deepened, and the conflicts have escalated. However, given the scale of our two families, an all-out war would have too great an impact and create consequences neither of us wants to see. So this time, we've found a way to resolve it."
"On the fifteenth of the first month, at the annual Star Moon Lake gathering, the younger generations of our two families will decide the outcome. The losing side will not only have to pay a sky-high price in Primordial Stones but also hand over some of their territories. This even involves a large-scale Primordial Stone Ore Vein!"
When he heard "Primordial Stone Ore Vein," a strange light flashed in Ning Jiang's eyes.
Primordial Stones were essential for every Daoist Practitioner. Even he was no exception. And the source of Primordial Stones was Primordial Stone Ore Veins.
Primordial Stone Ore Veins were hidden deep underground, formed by nature. Any one of them was of immense value.
Primordial Stone Ore Veins were divided into small, medium, large, and giant. A medium vein was ten times larger than a small one, a large one ten times larger than a medium, and so on.
The Ning Family of Baiquan Town, for example, only controlled three small-scale Primordial Stone Ore Veins.
Some second-tier families had the power to control medium-scale Primordial Stone Ore Veins.
As for large-scale veins, only First-Class Noble Houses could lay a claim to them. They required an Innate Limit Strong Person to stand guard, suppressing all sides and deterring covetous eyes.
Even if a second-tier family discovered a large-scale Primordial Stone Ore Vein, they wouldn't be able to defend it; it would be snatched away.
Giant Primordial Stone Ore Veins were even rarer. If one appeared, all the Innate Limit Strong People in the entire Cyan Cloud Country would flock to it, leading to a world-shaking struggle.
Furthermore, even higher-level resources like Spirit Veins belonged only to Spirit Realm Powerhouses. In the Cyan Cloud Country, only the few Major Sects possessed Spirit Veins.
Three years ago, the Liu Family was a First-Class Noble House, and they controlled a large-scale Primordial Stone Ore Vein. Now, that very vein was part of the wager!
"Although my Liu Family still has some small and medium-sized Primordial Stone Ore Veins, they have been mostly depleted. If the Wang Family takes this large-scale vein, the Liu Family's overall strength will decline by a third." Liu Xianyu's expression was extremely grave.
For a family, Primordial Stones were of the utmost importance. They were the cultivation resources for Martial Artists.
Without cultivation resources, how could a family grow strong?
Liu Xianyu was able to achieve the status of one of the Ten Greats at such a young age partly due to her outstanding aptitude, and partly because the Liu Family fully supported her with cultivation resources.
Primordial Stones, Elixirs, Cultivation Techniques—Liu Xianyu lacked none of them.
Ordinary Martial Artists, on the other hand, had to work hard to earn Primordial Stones. Most of their time was wasted, leaving little left to focus on cultivation.
How could their strength possibly improve under such circumstances?
Thus, under normal circumstances, those with background and resources often had a higher Cultivation Realm than their ordinary peers.
"There's still time before the fifteenth of the first month. No need to rush. Within this period, I will ensure your Sword Technique improves." Ning Jiang glanced at the sky and stood up. "It's getting late. I'll head back for today. I will come back to teach you tomorrow. Also, remember to prepare the Qi Locking Pill."
"I remember you mentioned the Drunken Moon Pavilion, Sir? That is also one of my Liu Family's properties. Allow me to see you out," Liu Xianyu said quickly.
"No need." Ning Jiang's tone was like a cool, clear spring. "Your reputation is too great. Being seen with you would only bring me trouble."
Liu Xianyu was taken aback, a hint of resignation on her face. 'In this Luoyang City, how many men want to get close to me? Being seen off by me is something countless people dream of, isn't it?'
Yet, Ning Jiang's words suggested he was afraid of getting too involved with her. Even during their conversation, he had barely glanced at her, maintaining a lukewarm attitude from beginning to end.
For the first time, she began to doubt her own charms.
"In that case, please accept this Token, Sir. With this, the Drunken Moon Pavilion will host you with the highest standard of service. This Token also grants you free entry and exit to the Liu Family estate."
"You're very thoughtful."
Ning Jiang accepted the Token and left immediately, his departure free and easy.
'Heart-Sword Control... such an extraordinary person. I imagine even Grandfather would be shocked. I should go and ask him. I'm afraid Grandfather will want to meet him tomorrow as well,' Liu Xianyu thought.
「Evening, at the Drunken Moon Pavilion.」
"Little Brother, you're back. I wanted to move somewhere else, so I just checked out of our room. You don't mind, do you?"
Ning Yu'an was at the entrance of the Drunken Moon Pavilion and came forward to greet Ning Jiang.
However, Ning Jiang's expression immediately darkened.
"Sister An, we've known each other for over a decade. We know each other best. When you lie, you always look away. How could you possibly hide it from me? Sister An, tell me the truth. What exactly happened?"
Ning Yu'an opened her mouth, but when she saw the concern filling Ning Jiang's eyes, she suddenly didn't know what to say.
"Didn't I tell you to get the hell out of the Drunken Moon Pavilion? Why are you still standing here!"
A disgruntled voice rang out as someone walked out of the Drunken Moon Pavilion's entrance.