Similarly, if the Imperial Preceptor is truly a demon, then the task of eliminating it can only be entrusted to the True Man. Perhaps the True Man could invite his colleagues to join him in entering the capital to slay the demon.
"Very good, it's starting to look promising."
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Chapter 369 The Rendezvous
After traveling for more than a year, Lu Xuan finally arrived in Kyoto.
If one were to describe the capital of a dynasty, the word "prosperous" would naturally be indispensable. The capital of this world is no exception.
Lu Xuan had seen such prosperous ancient cities, and even city-states from other worlds, more than once. And he had personally built almost all of them.
However, the Kyoto before him was slightly different from the city-states he had built.
A city's prosperity and strength largely depend on the country it belongs to. Only when the country is strong can a city truly prosper. Otherwise, it's just a facade of glamour and debauchery. As the classic saying goes: "The courtesan sings of love and loss, oblivious to the nation's ruin, still singing 'The Flowers of the Rear Courtyard' across the river."
The country is in ruins, but on the surface, it still appears as a false prosperity.
Everyone wore happy and joyful smiles, but behind those smiles, Lu Xuan could see a huge shadow looming over the entire capital.
This wasn't an adjective, but rather a vision evoked by his intuition. The dragon energy of the capital still lingered, but another enormous black shadow had already intertwined with the capital's dragon veins, covering the entire city.
Standing before the gates of Kyoto, Lu Xuan pondered for a moment. Then he took out a few copper coins and held them in his hand. He prepared to perform a divination using the Plum Blossom Divination method.
Lu Xuan wasn't very good at divination or magic. Mainly because he was a modern soul and didn't really believe in fate. But now things were different; he'd arrived in a world of immortals and heroes, and he had no choice but to believe, so he diligently brushed up on his knowledge in this area.
"Use the Six Lines divination method when calm, and the Plum Blossom divination method when active." This is an unspoken rule in divination. Simply put, if you are calm, prepared, and in a safe and quiet environment, then use the Six Lines divination method. Conversely, if it's a spontaneous decision, then generally use the Plum Blossom divination method. These two methods actually originate from the same source.
After casually casting a divination, Lu Xuan's expression turned strange.
"Young master, what's wrong? What does the divination say?"
"Hehe, very strange. I divined the fate of the Great Jin Dynasty. The resulting hexagram shows that the fate of the Great Jin Dynasty is neither clear nor unclear. This is the first time I've ever seen such a hexagram."
"A seemingly broken but not quite broken line? Does that mean the Great Jin Dynasty won't end?"
"It's not that simple. Let's go inside and take a look."
"Young master, aren't you afraid that the Imperial Advisor will take action against you in the capital?"
"Haha, if he can kill me in his human form, then I have nothing to say. Otherwise, he should be prepared to expose his true form in front of the entire city. He has cultivated for countless years to perfectly transform into a human. He has also spent decades laying the groundwork for the Great Jin Dynasty, and now it has reached the final moment. If he doesn't want to fail at the last hurdle, he won't make a move against me at this time."
"Then let's go to the capital!" Not only Xiaolan, but Xiaoqian was also excited. She had lived here before her death. Later, she was murdered on her way back to her hometown. In a way, the capital was also her second home.
"Young master, may I come back to my home?"
"Of course, no problem, but you need to be mentally prepared. It's been over twenty years, your home is probably..."
"Young master, I'm not afraid. I just want to take a look."
"Okay, let's go to Xiaoqian's house first."
It was only then that Lu Xuan learned that Xiaoqian's father had once been the Prefect of Jingzhao in the capital. How to put it? It was a considerable position; according to the standards of the Han Dynasty, it was equivalent to the mayor of Beijing today. But a deeper reflection reveals that it wasn't a good position.
Historically, during the Tang Dynasty, the position of Jingzhaoyi (京兆伊) was often held by members of the imperial family, as ordinary people couldn't hold such a high position. Although the Nie family had once been a prominent family, it was no longer significant in the capital. Therefore, the position of Jingzhaoyi was not comfortable for him. Consequently, his father resigned and returned to his hometown with his family. Even after resigning, he ultimately couldn't enjoy a peaceful old age.
When Nie was serving as the Prefect of the Capital, the Nie family owned a courtyard in the capital. Unfortunately, when everyone arrived at the courtyard, they saw that people were already coming and going, indicating that it was already inhabited.
"Young master, this is Xiaoqian's house, why don't we buy it?" Although Xiaolan always seemed to be vying for Xiaoqian's affections, the two still had a good relationship. They both knew very well that Lu Xuan disliked women who were jealous and competitive.
"No need. I'm already dead, there's no reason for me to live here anymore. Young master, let's go."
The group found an inn in the capital to stay in. Xiahou had already arranged for a broker to look at houses tomorrow. Indeed, Lu Xuan planned to live in the capital permanently, so he was preparing to buy a courtyard house.
That evening, there was a knock on Lu Xuan's door. The waiter delivered a letter to Lu Xuan.
“Sir, this is something a child outside specifically requested to be handed over to you.”
He casually gave him a small piece of silver, and the waiter left happily. Lu Xuan opened the envelope and took a look.
"They're quite fast."
A few days later, Lu Xuan bought a manor in a somewhat remote area in the east of the city. It wasn't very large, but the layout was exquisite and elegant, clearly showing that a lot of effort had been put into it.
The original owner seemed to have served as an official in the imperial court. After retiring, he sold the courtyard and went back to his hometown to live out his retirement.
On the very night Lu Xuan bought the courtyard, someone came to his door. It was Commander Zuo, along with two unfamiliar men. One was young and strong, with striking features, while the other was older and likely a civil official.
"Master. This is Li Donglai, the Imperial Censor. This is Feng Qianyuan, the Imperial Guard." Commander Zuo bowed respectfully. Whether it was Lu Xuan saving his and more than twenty brothers' lives or the strength Lu Xuan had displayed, it was all worthy of his respect. However, the two people who came with him were somewhat unimpressed.
“Brother Zuo, I believe you are Zhang Yuan’s brother, which is why I came here with you. But I don’t see how this guy is as capable as you say. So, please forgive my rudeness, and I would appreciate your guidance.”
The last sentence was addressed to Lu Xuan. Xiahou, who was standing to the side, had long since lost his temper.
"How dare you! You think you're worthy to fight the young master? I'll teach you a lesson."
After several trials and tribulations, Xiahou now regards Lu Xuan as a god-like figure. How could he tolerate anyone provoking him?
"Xiahou, step back."
Unexpectedly, faced with this provocation, Lu Xuan did not let Xiahou make a move. Instead, he took a step forward himself.
"I heard from Commander Zuo that after his brother Zhang Yuan died, you've been secretly investigating the matter?"
“That’s right. Zhang Yuan is a dutiful servant and never drinks a drop of alcohol on his days off. I don’t believe he would get drunk and harass a palace maid.”