Cultivation: I Can Reincarnate Into Various Worlds
Chapter 44. Three Great Heavenly Kings (Request for following)

Chapter 44: 44. Three Great Heavenly Kings (Request for following)

"Of course..." Xu Xing did not refuse, smiling as he accepted Wu Huaiyuan’s goodwill.

Money can open doors.

Who would believe that Zhou Ying could accumulate such a fortune without connections to high-ranking officials?

If one has money but no power, they are nothing more than a fat pig waiting to be slaughtered.

The wealthy and well-connected Wu Family was not someone Xu Xing could easily offend at that moment.

Furthermore, according to inn customs, it was common for those who achieved the rank of Top Scorer in the Prefecture Examination to have their food and lodging fees waived.

It was no big deal.

Inns had been doing this for years.

However, Wu Huaiyuan was more generous this time, directly covering Xu Xing’s expenses for hosting this gathering.

"I heard that Mr. Xu is from Jingyang County..."

"Coincidentally, my Wu Family is also from Jingyang, so we are fellow townsmen."

Wu Huaiyuan took his seat and actively tried to establish a connection with Xu Xing.

Coming from the same Jingyang County, the two of them naturally had more in common. This was also why Wu Huaiyuan actively approached Xu Xing. Top Scorers in the Prefecture Examination were common, but those from Jingyang County were much rarer.

"Mr. Xu and his friend still have matters to discuss..."

"I apologize for my intrusion, please forgive me, Mr. Xu..."

After briefly establishing a connection, Wu Huaiyuan tactfully rose and bade Xu Xing farewell.

After leaving the private room, he whispered to the manager, "Manager Lu, add a few more dishes for Mr. Xu’s table and upgrade his room to a Tian-grade room."

Realizing Wu Huaiyuan had already left, Chen Jian’an shook his head and said, "I was hoping to talk more with Young Master Wu, but he was only focusing on you, Brother Xu, and just brushed me off."

Dragons do not live with snakes, and tigers do not walk with dogs.

He said this not to complain about Wu Huaiyuan disregarding him, but rather to lament that if he had been the Top Scorer in the Prefecture Examination today, he wouldn’t have been so easily slighted.

"Even as the Top Scorer in the Prefecture Examination..."

"it would still be difficult to establish a connection with the Wu Family."

Xu Xing, seeing his dejection, comforted Chen Jian’an, "Even if one were the top scorer in the Academy Exam and became a top-ranked Student with government financial aid, it would still be insignificant before the Wu Family. Let alone the future of the Wu Family, even the present Wu Family is not someone ordinary people can aspire to connect with."

...

It wasn’t just Xu Xing’s Academy classmates who were paying attention to his Prefecture Exam results; the Xiaoyi Hall was as well.

"Top Scorer in the Prefecture Examination?"

He... he really achieved it?

Master Ma’s expression became somewhat complicated when he learned of Xu Xing’s results from one of his subordinates.

He sighed. In just one year, from a mere commoner... to a Scholar? And his Internal Power cultivation is also quite good. How did he manage it?

He knew, of course, that Xu Xing was a promising scholar with a photographic memory.

However, to have personally witnessed Xu Xing transform from a mere servant boy, who tended horses and assisted the sworn brothers of the Xiaoyi Hall with mounting, into what he was today—Master Ma still found it hard to accept.

"Haige, you’ve spent the most time with Xu Xing."

"What kind of person is he?"

Master Ma sent for Haige and asked him.

Before joining Xiaoyi Hall and becoming a sworn brother, Xu Xing and Haige were close. They were about the same age and could be considered playmates.

"He’s very well-mannered..."

"When I applied medicine for him, he even bowed to thank me."

Haige, with his childlike innocence, didn’t overthink it and recounted all his interactions with Xu Xing from the previous year to Master Ma.

As for the "Xu Xing" from further back, he couldn’t recall clearly.

Well-mannered?

Master Ma frowned. It seems that even when he was a servant boy, he was secretly reading and learning characters. No wonder... he progressed so rapidly after entering Weijing Academy.

He automatically filled in the blanks of Xu Xing’s story.

After being rescued by Xiaoyi Hall in the fifteenth year of the Guangxu reign, he must have been studying diligently ever since...

"You may leave now."

Master Ma waved his hand, dismissing Haige.

As his father, he knew Haige wouldn’t lie to him. Xu Xing had demonstrated propriety even when he was with Xiaoyi Hall. Although his rise after enrolling in Weijing Academy was meteoric, it was likely built upon a foundation laid in his earlier years...

I promised him an opportunity...

It’s time to seek out Daoist Master Liu.

He thought to himself.

The Top Scorer in the Prefecture Examination is practically a guaranteed Scholar.

He understood this as well.

...

「Reality.」

「21st Year of Chongming.」

「Fengxi Country.」

「Jiangnan West Road.」

「Mount Siming, in a side room.」

"Mr. Xu..."

"Even if the King of Sorrow is busy with official duties, he can’t just leave us hanging for three days and three nights, can he?"

Chang Ji burst in, grabbed a chair, and began to grumble, "In terms of status, you’re an Eighth Rank Official, and I’m a Fifth Rank General Dingyuan. We’ve traveled thousands of miles to seek refuge on Mount Siming... We came all this way, drawn by the King of Sorrow’s great reputation, only to find he’s such a narrow-minded person."

"He’s afraid that we, strong dragons, will oppress him, the local snake!"

He slapped the tea table, his face full of resentment.

After heading south from the Cao River, it took Xu Xing, Chang Ji, and Heavenly Kun King’s party two and a half days to reach Mount Siming in the Jiangnan West Road region.

However, upon arriving at Mount Siming, he and Xu Xing were not received or given any attention by the King of Sorrow. They didn’t even get to see Yao Dang, the King of Sorrow, before the King of Might dismissively sent them to a side room.

There was no sign of the eagerness to recruit talent they had expected.

"The King of Sorrow is not... a short-sighted person."

"If Mount Siming wants to grow, relying on a group of Jianghu heroes might work in the early stages. But in the long run, if they don’t accept defected officials like us... it’s hard to say what will happen..."

Xu Xing withdrew his gaze from the Bronze Ancient Mirror’s surface in his mind. He poured a pot of tea, filling cups for himself and Chang Ji, then slowly said.

[Mirror Master: Xu Xing]

[Dao Fruits: Righteous Thief (Red), Martial Arts Prodigy (Bright Yellow), Wenchang (Red), Reform (Red), Broad Knowledge and Strong Memory (White).]

[...]

[Destiny: None.]

After his consciousness returned to the real world, he immediately used his Dao Fruits to solidify the Red Fates [Reform] and [Wenchang].

After solidifying the [Reform] Red Fate, he didn’t remain idle. He first observed the misgovernance on Mount Siming. After careful deliberation, he wrote several letters outlining reforms for these issues, asking the Heavenly Kun King to deliver them to Yao Dang, the King of Sorrow...

If things went as expected, Yao Dang, the King of Sorrow, would have already read these letters.

The reason he hasn’t come to see me and Chang Ji yet, I surmise, is likely because he’s finding it difficult to assign us suitable positions, so he’s deliberately making us wait.

Chang Ji’s current visit and loud complaints were their indirect way of pressuring the King of Sorrow.

...

In the Righteousness Hall, three command chairs were arranged side by side on the dais.

The Three Great Heavenly Kings took their seats.

The man in the central command chair was Yao Dang, the King of Sorrow.

He was around forty, dressed in a luxurious purple robe, and at first glance, appeared no different from an ordinary wealthy gentleman. What was notable, however, was his face: square-jawed and imbued with an air of righteousness.

"Did he really say that?"

Upon hearing his subordinate’s report, Yao Dang’s brows furrowed slightly. What he said is indeed true. If Mount Siming is to develop, relying solely on a few greenwood heroes will be difficult. Throughout history, there has never been a case of Jianghu people overthrowing an Imperial Court... But...

He hesitated.

If the Heavenly Kun King hadn’t sworn brotherhood with Xu Xing, it would be perfectly suitable to appoint Xu Xing as Mount Siming’s strategist. I’ve read his letters; every word is insightful, truly the caliber of a Zaifu. But, as fate would have it, the Heavenly Kun King and Xu Xing *did* become sworn brothers. If I let Xu Xing take the fourth command chair, I fear I’d be overshadowed and effectively sidelined by him.

"Big Brother, what are you still hesitating for?"

The Heavenly Kun King, seated to the left, immediately exclaimed, "I personally rescued Fourth Brother. I know his talents! With Fourth Brother here, Mount Siming will sooner or later overthrow the Imperial Court and avenge your blood feud, Big Brother!"