Chapter 1 Jade Lin River

A tributary of the Chunshan River flows into Ningtian Prefecture, encircling it like a jade belt. It is called the Jade Lin River, a famous and prosperous place in the world.

The sky was turning dark, the red glow fading, and the moon rising over the west tower.

Along the Jade Lin River, painted boats stretched endlessly, vermilion buildings stood side by side, plaques were gilded, and lanterns overflowed with color. Red sleeves beckoned, soft songs and dances filled the air, pedestrians were shoulder to shoulder, adorned with jade and pearls, displaying their elegance to the fullest.

Courtesans and famous prostitutes competed for beauty, while young masters and princes waved their fans.

A paradise on earth.

At first glance, it was a scene of extravagant and decadent prosperity.

The Emerald Jade Tower was a highly renowned restaurant on the Jade Lin River, a place of extreme luxury, frequented in the past by the wealthy and powerful.

At this moment, in an elegant room upstairs, the Ningtian Prefect, famous scholars, and aristocratic children gathered for a banquet. All of them possessed either power and influence or fame and prestige. They toasted each other, admiring the magnificent scenery while chatting and laughing, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

With such a group gathered together, the topics of conversation naturally extended beyond mere romance, occasionally veering towards national affairs and rumors of the imperial court.

"...His Majesty recently brought up the matter of moving the capital again. The capital is in the north, the place where the Taizu Emperor ascended the throne, but the wind and sand are harsh and it is not suitable for long-term residence. His Majesty has long intended to move the capital to Ningtian Prefecture, but each time he is met with admonitions from his ministers... Hmph, some self-proclaimed upright officials dare to say anything. There are even those who accuse His Majesty of being greedy for pleasure. How can such words be uttered?"

"The matter of moving the capital is of great importance. Even Chancellor Qin and Chancellor Lu do not agree. I think this matter will be difficult to accomplish. However, His Majesty has always favored the scenery of Ningtian Prefecture. Every year after autumn or spring, he comes to reside here for two or three months. He did not come this spring, so His Majesty will most likely come again in the autumn."

"In recent years, His Majesty has been undertaking large-scale construction projects, building ninety-nine and eighty-one Chong Sheng Pagodas, seventy-seven and forty-nine Guantian Towers, thirty-six Panlong Platforms, seventy-two Ziyu Palaces, eighteen Taiyu Altars, and three Eternal Cities throughout the land, in order to establish his achievements, manifest the mandate of heaven, and be remembered forever... Only half of them have been built so far, and I don't know when they will all be completed. His Majesty intends to move the capital to the wealthy south, I think it is also for this reason."

The crowd chatted endlessly, each contributing a word or two.

At this moment, Zhao Xing'an, the prefect of Ningtian, coughed and stroked his beard, smiling, "Let us not speak lightly of the sage. Today, we will not discuss these matters, but rather poetry, songs, anecdotes, and strange tales."

Only then did the crowd cease discussing important matters of the court, and instead picked interesting things to chat about.

Suddenly, a young master dressed in the style of an aristocratic family spoke with a light laugh:

"I heard from my servants that a strange tale has been circulating in the Ningtian Prefecture marketplace today. It is said that during the day, a strange man used immortal means at the West Gate Ferry, walking on the river in full view of the public, treading on the water without sinking, as if walking on flat ground. I don't know if it's true or false."

Hearing this, the crowd felt curious and asked the reason.

The young master waved his fan and smiled, "I don't know the specifics. Many people swear they saw it with their own eyes, and that the man has already entered the city, but I have never seen him."

"Then where is this person now, and what is his name?" someone asked curiously.

"It is said that he has been received as an honored guest by Ye Shunchong of the Ye family, and has moved into the Ye family mansion. The Ye family servants have spread the man's name. He seems to be a Daoist priest, called Ling Fengzi, who knows some supernatural means. They all say he is an immortal descended from heaven."

The crowd clicked their tongues in amazement.

Zhao Xing'an, however, smiled indifferently, not taking it seriously, "In this official's opinion, it is mostly the ignorant commoners who have no experience and are spreading rumors. How can there be such supernatural means in the world? This Ling Fengzi probably used some kind of trick to attract attention, seeking to stand out and swindle people."

"The Prefect is right."

The people present laughed and echoed his sentiments, not really believing in the story either.

After all, hearing is believing.

Someone joked, "Ye Shunchong is usually quite shrewd, how could he be fooled this time? I would like to meet that Ling Fengzi and see what means he used to bewitch Ye Shunchong."

Zhao Xing'an nodded and smiled, "This matter is simple. I only need to give an order and have Ye Shunchong bring this Daoist priest to a banquet. Then we can all see how Ling Fengzi pretends. It would be quite amusing. However, the Ye family's grand elder is ill recently, so it's not good to call him. We'll talk about it when he has some free time."

"Haha, that would be very interesting."

Everyone laughed, quite interested.

The Ye family, as a wealthy family in Ningtian, was also a member of their circle. Now that they saw someone "inside the circle" being deceived, everyone had the intention of joining in the fun and watching the show.

At the same time, everyone was quite curious about what kind of ignorant and reckless person this Ling Fengzi was, daring to deceive the local wealthy family—deceiving ordinary people was no big deal if exposed, but deceiving these powerful merchants and making them lose face would not end well.

...

On the other side, on the Jade Lin River in Ningtian Prefecture, an old man and a young boy wearing Daoist robes were sitting on the side of the street, drinking rice porridge.

The old man had a youthful face, white hair, and a celestial demeanor, with an impressive appearance. The boy was about fourteen or fifteen years old, like a pageboy, with two small buns tied on his head. Both of their Daoist robes were washed white, and some places were patched.

The two of them were dusty and tired, having just entered the city today.

The old man and the young boy buried their heads in eating rice porridge, while several guests at the neighboring table were excitedly talking about Zhou Jing's story.

The boy pricked up his ears and listened for a while, then looked up at the old Daoist priest, lowered his voice, and asked curiously, "Master, is it true that this Ling Fengzi can walk on water?"

The old Daoist priest did not raise his head and said casually, "Of course it's fake. Your master has been cultivating the Dao for sixty years and has never seen such a technique."

The boy was a little unconvinced, "But Master, when you taught me, you said that our Qingling Sect's founder could exorcise ghosts, scatter beans into soldiers, and summon wind and rain?"

The old Daoist priest rolled his eyes, "I haven't seen the founder either. I just said what was written in the books. Anyway, I don't believe it."

The boy was speechless and said dejectedly, "Master, I feel like I was tricked into cultivating the Dao with you."

"Be bolder, remove the 'feel like'."

The old Daoist priest didn't want to pay attention to his disciple, only focused on eating porridge. Soon, the bowl was empty.

The boy shifted his buttocks from side to side, held back for a while, and then couldn't help but ask in a low voice:

"Master, is it possible that if I practice the techniques of our sect well, I can develop the supernatural powers of this Ling Fengzi?"

"If you can practice it, then you might as well become the founder."

The old Daoist priest curled his lips, then pointed to the rice porridge in front of the boy and asked, "Are you still eating?"

"Oh, Master, I still want to eat it."

"Since you're not eating it, then don't waste it."

The old Daoist priest skillfully poured half of his disciple's rice porridge into his own bowl and ate it with slurping sounds.

The corners of the boy's mouth twitched, and he touched his shriveled purse, feeling his heart bleed.

He could only comfort himself in his heart that there were many rich people in Ningtian Prefecture, so they could always find business. His master was very good at doing funeral services, able to make people pass away peacefully and without reanimation.

After the old Daoist priest finished eating the rice porridge, he carefully removed the rice grains stuck to his beard and put them into his mouth one by one. By the way, he urged:

"Hurry up, finish eating and let's go. I used the Qi Observation and Tracing Technique all the way and only then did I discover that the demonic Daoist has been to Ningtian Prefecture. We must find his traces before his aura dissipates, lest he cause any trouble."

Hearing this, the boy couldn't help but mutter:

"We've been chasing him for more than half a year. With this time, it's better to find some business to open. Our travel expenses are almost used up. I heard that the Ye family's grand elder, a rich merchant in the city, is sick and is estimated to die soon... I wonder if it would be too much for us to go to their door in advance to recommend ourselves to perform a ritual?"

"...If you want to be beaten, you don't need to bother others. I'll do it to satisfy you."

The old Daoist priest looked disgusted, only feeling that his disciple was mindless.

After the two finished eating, they paid the money and then got up and left, the old and the young merging into the crowd.

...

Zhou Jing spent his first night in Ningtian Prefecture at the Ye family.

The Ye family steward had arranged everything properly, and no one came to disturb him.

Because his aptitude had improved and the bottleneck in his wizardry had loosened, Zhou Jing spent the whole night practicing wizardry and did not go out.

His story needed time to ferment, so he decided to wait patiently for a while and then see how things went.

By noon of the second day, the Ye family steward suddenly came to deliver a message. Ye Shunchong had prepared a banquet and wanted to welcome him grandly.

Zhou Jing had no objections and leisurely went to the banquet.

Soon, Zhou Jing arrived at the main hall, where several tables had been set up, a large banquet.

Not only Ye Shunchong, Ye Yingguang, and other members of the main family, but also other branches were here. It could be seen that Ye Shunchong wanted to introduce him to the entire family.

Ye Shunchong was sitting at the head table and quickly got up to greet him warmly, "Daoist Priest Ling Fengzi, I have been waiting for you for a long time, please take a seat."

Because the image he was currently marketing was that of a highly skilled and mysterious expert with a cold personality, Zhou Jing did not stand on ceremony with him and directly sat down at the head table, acting as if it was his due.

He glanced around and noticed that in addition to Ye Shunchong and others, the other Ye family members present had relatively cold expressions, at most casually cupping their hands in greeting. Some did not even perform the courtesy and just watched coldly.

There were even some young people with malicious expressions, silently exchanging glances as if they were planning something.

Zhou Jing narrowed his eyes, not surprised. These people were wealthy merchants and had status in the local area. Normally, no one would dare to act arrogant in front of them.

And he, a guy of unknown origin suspected of being a con artist, was staying in their house and even dared to act high and mighty, not starting the banquet until he arrived. These Ye family members would naturally feel that there was no reason to give him face.

Zhou Jing did not take it seriously. This was exactly what he wanted, to let his image as an "expert" take root in people's hearts.

If someone made things difficult for him, that would be even better. Without taking the initiative, he could rightfully show off his skills and increase the credibility of his image.

When everyone had arrived, the banquet soon began. Ye Shunchong accompanied Zhou Jing and introduced his family members. Zhou Jing nodded casually, listening absentmindedly. This behavior made many Ye family members feel even more unhappy.

During the banquet, apart from Ye Shunchong and Ye Yingguang being warm and enthusiastic, the other Ye family members hardly paid attention to Zhou Jing. Some did not even want to speak at the dinner table, and the atmosphere was quite subtle.

After eating for a while, Ye Heng suddenly raised his wine glass and said loudly:

"Daoist Priest Ling Fengzi, I would like to offer you a cup of wine."

As soon as the words fell, the room fell silent.

The eyes of many Ye family members present were immediately attracted to him, surprised.

Many younger generations showed joy, excited, secretly thinking that Ye Heng had finally launched an attack.

Zhou Jing raised his eyebrows and looked at him, recalling Ye Shunchong's introduction just now, and asked, "You are Ye Heng?"

Ye Heng nodded, with a smug smile on his face, and said loudly, "That's right, I am not only a member of the Ye family, but also a disciple of the Wu Shan Sect... I wonder if Daoist Priest knows my Wu Shan Sect?"

He was clarifying his background, implying that he was a Jianghu person with a sect.

Ordinary Jianghu con artists would not dare to provoke famous sects. Ye Heng was convinced that Zhou Jing was a Jianghu con artist and wanted to scare Zhou Jing so that he would retreat in the face of difficulties.

However, Zhou Jing had no idea what the Wu Shan Sect was, and even if he did, he wouldn't care.

"So you are a Jianghu person." Zhou Jing nodded without changing his expression.

Seeing that Zhou Jing did not react, Ye Heng snorted in his heart, but did not show it on his face. He continued with a smile, "I heard that Daoist Priest is an enlightened expert with supernatural powers and profound skills, able to walk on water without sinking. I have practiced martial arts for many years and never knew that there was such a skill in the world. It really opened my eyes and made me feel that I have lived in vain for more than twenty years. I am very admiring, so I would like to offer Daoist Priest a cup of wine. I wonder if Daoist Priest would do me the honor?"

"Okay, okay."

Zhou Jing casually responded, feeling that this person's words were barbed and that he seemed to have bad intentions. He immediately had a plan in his mind and simply sat back to see what the other party would do.

Hearing this, Ye Heng walked up with a smile, holding a wine glass.

Zhou Jing raised his wine glass and touched it with his.

However, at the moment of clinking glasses, a strange force came, sticking to his cup, the force contained but not released.

Zhou Jing immediately noticed the abnormality. Looking at Ye Heng's smiling expression, he immediately knew that the other party was using internal force, probably to test him or make him look bad.

His heart moved, and he did not use his physical qualities to overcome the force. Instead, he went along with the plan, pretending not to know and letting Ye Heng do as he pleased.

On the other side, Ye Heng silently circulated his internal force, not feeling Zhou Jing's force feedback, feeling that he was just like an ordinary person, and he was immediately sure in his heart.

'This person is not only a Jianghu con artist, but he doesn't even know martial arts...'

At this time, he did not launch an attack, but just tested whether Zhou Jing had any martial arts skills.

If this Jianghu con artist knew martial arts, it would not be so easy to expose his "supernatural powers." He had prepared several plans.

But since this person did not know martial arts, then it was not necessary to bother. Ye Heng simply turned the test into difficulty and shook his strength.

Bang!

The wine glass in Zhou Jing's hand suddenly shattered into pieces.

The wine in it, under the traction of the force, went straight to Zhou Jing.

If he was drenched all over his head and face, embarrassed and humiliated, then this person's deliberately pretended "expert" posture would be exposed.

Ye Heng's thoughts flashed through his mind in a flash, and the corners of his mouth curled up, preparing to watch Zhou Jing fall for it.

However, the next moment, his eyeballs almost flew out of their sockets.

Whoosh!

Zhou Jing did not move, and a whirlwind was born out of thin air, unexpectedly rolling up the wine in front of him, swirling in mid-air like a vortex.

Then, he opened his mouth and sucked, and the wine turned into a water arrow, swooping down and shooting, all of it disappearing into his mouth.

At this time, Zhou Jing restrainedly wiped his mouth and said meaningfully:

"Young brother, this cup of wine you offered is quite strong."

The room was silent for a moment.

Where am I? Who am I? What did I see?!

The scene just now was not concealed at all, and the people present saw it clearly, almost dropping their jaws.

Ye Heng was even more dumbfounded on the spot, with an incredible look on his face, almost doubting his life.

He was the closest and saw the most clearly, but he couldn't see any clues at all.

A gust of wind was created out of thin air, rolling away the wine.

Ye Heng had practiced martial arts for many years and had seen Jianghu experts. He knew that internal energy could never do such a thing.

Could it be that it was not a Jianghu trick, but real supernatural powers?!

That's impossible!

Ye Heng's throat moved, his mind in a mess. He stood there holding the wine glass, not knowing how to respond, and his legs were a little weak.

At this time, Ye Shunchong reacted, furious, pointing at Ye Heng and shouting:

"Presumptuous! What are you doing! I..."

Zhou Jing suddenly raised his hand, stopped Ye Shunchong, deliberately stared at Ye Heng with a blank expression, watching the other party sweat on his forehead, and then said lightly:

"Young brother offered me a cup of wine, I should return it to you."

"Wh-what?"

Ye Heng didn't react.

Whoosh!

The next moment, his body suddenly floated involuntarily, rolled up by a gust of wind, and flew straight out of the main hall.

Zhou Jing also got up and followed out.

The Ye family members present were shocked and hurried to catch up.

Once in the courtyard, everyone saw Ye Heng rolling in mid-air, unable to land by gusts of wind, constantly going up and down, being manipulated back and forth.

"Daoist Priest! Daoist Priest, I was wrong!"

Ye Heng was frightened and at a loss, screaming in horror. He wanted to struggle but could not borrow strength at all, and could only flutter his hands and feet helplessly.

Zhou Jing pretended not to hear and said calmly:

"This supernatural power of mine can control the Thunder Gods, Cloud Soldiers, and Wind Generals. It is mysterious and endless. Since young brother admires my supernatural powers, then you can savor it."

In fact, Bill knew nothing about thunder and lightning, and could only control the wind.

But when bragging, it is natural to exaggerate to the fullest, describing it as heavenly, so that people can't figure out his true details.

"Daoist Priest, spare me! I'm convinced, really convinced!"

Ye Heng knew that Zhou Jing was整他, and he shouted again and again, extremely panicked.

Seeing this, Zhou Jing withdrew his mana.

Ye Heng fell to the ground with a thud, still in shock, stroking his chest, only feeling that his heart was almost跳出腔子.

Zhou Jing did not wait for the people to speak, took the lead and said lightly:

"Thinking that you are not bad-hearted, I will only punish you slightly, but I see that you are not very welcoming to me, and I will not force others. I will leave."

After finishing speaking, Zhou Jing did not hesitate, stepped out and left.

At this point, the Ye family members present finally recovered from the shock, were shocked, and rushed forward to retain him, and hurriedly smoothed things over.

"Daoist Priest Ling Fengzi, what are you talking about? 道長 is willing to住進來, and our Ye family is shining, how can we not welcome you?!"

"It's just some juniors making trouble, Daoist Priest, don't take it to heart."

"Ye Heng! Come over here and kowtow to Daoist Priest and admit your mistake!"

Many Ye family relatives spoke one after another, being as enthusiastic as they could be, and their previous cold appearance was simply different.

Having witnessed Zhou Jing's mysterious methods, everyone knew that they were terribly wrong - Ye Shunchong was right, this person was really an expert, and still high to the sky!

How could such a strange person be allowed to go away casually?

The many Ye family relatives were greatly regretting that their attitude had been bad just now, neglecting the expert. At this moment, they could not care about being前倨後恭, and they tried to lower their posture as much as possible, smiling like blooming chrysanthemums, trying their best to retain Zhou Jing.

People had already住到他們家裡,结下善緣. If such an expert was angered and ran away, then it would be a big loss to grandmother's house!

Ye Shunchong was annoyed that his family members had made trouble and almost ruined his efforts, and he hurriedly followed and persuaded:

"道長莫要生氣, they don't know道長本事, so they have doubts. I apologize to道長 on their behalf, and I hope道長 will see that I am尽心尽力, and let me do the best of my hospitality."

Hearing this, Zhou Jing stopped and stood still, holding the posture of wanting to get caught, pretending to nod:

"Alright, you and I are fated,看在你的面子上, I will not care about it."

"道長高風亮節, we are ashamed!"

Everyone was overjoyed and hurriedly sent a series of good words,恭迎 Zhou Jing returned to the banquet, and reopened the banquet.

This time, the atmosphere became extremely warm, and everyone took turns to敬 Zhou Jing, sincerely and fearfully.

At this time, no one felt that Zhou Jing's cold posture was inappropriate. They only felt that高人 should be this kind of temper. It was a great honor to be able to talk to Zhou Jing when敬酒, and they were so excited that they were flushed with pride.

Ye Heng重新端了酒, trembling,局促道:

"靈、靈風子道長, I don't know真人當面,存了戲耍的心思,沖撞了道長,實在是有眼無珠,不知天高地厚,还望道長寬恕則個."

Zhou Jing waved his hand and said with a chuckle:

"It's okay, I don't care about it anymore. However, your internal energy is quite skillful, and it's not bad."

Hearing this, Ye Heng's body shook.

Sure enough, how could such an expert not know martial arts? People had already discovered his little tricks, and it was impossible to hide it!

Ye Heng's heart became more and more in awe.

Zhou Jing dealt with the enthusiastic Ye family members, seemingly casually, but in his heart he nodded secretly.

He had intended to make a show in front of the entire Ye family, to hold down the Ye family and transform the giant businessmen and豪富 from doubters into supporters.

In this way, subsequent things would be easy to handle.

Zhou Jing's eyes flickered.

'This跳板 is now搭起來.'