Jiang Tao was deep in meditation when the gentle knock on his door interrupted his calm focus. He made a minor breakthrough with his cultivation and could feel he was on the precipice of mid foundation stage.
A servant entered, holding a finely crafted scroll sealed with an elegant wax stamp. “Master Jiang,” the servant said, bowing respectfully. “A messenger from the Wu family has arrived with this invitation for you.”
It looked like his fellow cultivator had heard of his presence and was seeking him out, well that saved him the trouble of looking.
As the servant bowed and exited, Jiang Tao carefully broke the seal and unfurled the scroll. The elegant script on the parchment revealed an invitation from the Wu family, extending a warm welcome and requesting his presence at their manor.
There was nothing else beyond that, nothing that clued him into whoever the other guy was. He just hoped it wasn't Zhang Xiaohui or his detestable cousin, it was likely someone he was not familiar with.
Taking a wife didn't seem like Zhou Yixing or Yuhans M. O, but he was still excited to meet a familiar face, regardless. Having someone on a similar wavelength would be greatly appreciated.
He changed into a set of simple robes that were gifted to him as a guest of the Ying family, they would draw less attention than his much more ostentatious sect robes.
He left his quarters Jiang Tao left his quarters and made his way through the sprawling corridors of the Ying manor, heading towards the entrance where the messenger from the Wu family awaited.
The Ying manor looked much grander in the warm morning light. He wished he could have thanked Ziyi for the hospitality but he had yet to see her since their arrival.
He wasn't sure if it was because she was being hidden away from him or if the matter with her brother was that serious. He just hoped he got the opportunity.
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In contrast to the Ying residence's sprawling estate, the Wu manor was a grand single building, showcasing a more unified architectural style. The manor was majestic and imposing, with intricate wooden carvings of serpents adorning the exterior.
Tall pillars supported a sloping roof with dark, polished tiles, and elaborate stone sculptures of more snakes framed the entrance.
As he approached, a servant came forward to greet him, a wispy old man with a greying beard and a warm smile.
“Welcome my lord, this one is Lu Wei, a humble servant of the Wu family. Please, allow me to escort you inside the young lord is expecting you."
Jiang Tao followed Lu Wei through the grand entrance of the Wu manor, stepping into an opulent foyer. The interior was just as majestic as the exterior, with high ceilings supported by intricately carved wooden beams. Elegant tapestries adorned the walls, depicting scenes of ancient battles and even more snakes.
Seriously, what's up with the snakes? He thought, feeling a slight unease.
The air was filled with the subtle fragrance of jasmine and polished wood; it was quite nice.
Lu Wei led him through a long corridor.
“Right this way, he is in the drawing room,” Lu Wei said.
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They arrived at a large drawing room where two figures awaited him. Jiang Tao's eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the figure lounging on the cushions.
"What?" he exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief and delight.
“Brother Jiang!” Zhou Yixing looked up, a broad smile spreading across his face. He pushed himself up from the cushions, his eyes twinkling with excitement.
Jiang Tao crossed the room quickly, and Zhou Yixing met him halfway, pulling him into a hearty embrace. Jiang Tao’s own delight matched the joy in Zhou Yixing’s eyes only at seeing a familiar face.
“What are you doing here?” Jiang Tao asked, his voice filled with amazement.
His first friend looked pretty much the same as he'd last saw him. His hair was longer now, done up in a topknot and held in place by an ornate silver pin. He was clad in fine robes with serpents embroidered onto them.
“I landed just west of here when we fell. I was lucky to find my way to Black Vale village,” Zhou Yixing replied with a blinding grin.
He noticed the other person in the room at the same moment, a beautiful pale woman with silky black hair. She wore an elegant pale pink dress and had refined bearing about her.
“This is Wu Lingxi,” Zhou Yixing introduced with a broad smile, his excitement palpable. “Lingxi, this is Jiang Tao, a fellow cultivator, and my friend.”
He couldn't stop the confusion that welled up in him as his brows knitted together. “You married?” he asked incredulously
Zhou Yixing chuckled a hint of sheepishness in his smile. “It’s quite a story, I assure you,” he said, guiding Jiang Tao to a seat beside him. “Please, make yourself comfortable.”
He settled into the offered seat, his mind racing with questions. Of all the people he knew he didn't expect it from Zhou Yixing, the guy was too measured, social but calculating not at all the impulsive sort.
"So, how did this all come about?" Jiang Tao asked.
Zhou Yixing waved a hand dismissively, his smile never faltering.
“I landed in the forest west of here, where I spent four months before finding my way here, I was just in time as an incursion of spirit beasts was attacking the village,” Zhou Yixing settled into a comfortable position, his eyes glimmering with the excitement of recounting his tale.
“I happened upon the Wu family’s estate during the chaos. A strong beast, a foundation stage snake was attacking the manor, and their martial artists were being slaughtered. I joined the fray and slew the beast,” Zhou Yixing continued, his eyes gleaming with the thrill of the memory.
Jiang Tao listened intently, his curiosity piqued. “That must have been quite a battle.”
Zhou Yixing nodded a hint of pride in his expression. “It was. The Wu family was extremely grateful, and they invited me to stay as an honored guest. During my time here, I got to know Lingxi,” He glanced at Wu Lingxi, who nodded demurely.
“She was my guide and already engaged to someone else but she wasn't fond of him, so I offered to help her break it off, so we eloped. She gets out of a forced engagement and I get lodgings that are not too far below my status,”
Jiang Tao just nodded slowly, so he took over a rich mortal family. “I assume her parents weren't too pleased…”
Zhou Yixing's smile didn't falter at Jiang Tao's question. “To say the least,” he said, his tone turning more serious. “They tried to threaten me, I promptly showed the patriarch the foolishness of following through with such actions. They backed down quickly. Heh, mortals can be such frogs in a well,”
“I assume they are unaware of your identity?” He asked Zhou Yixing, his friend's clan ruled over a city greater than this small village. So the Wu family's unwillingness made little sense.
Zhou Yixing shook his head, his smile returning. “No, I wanted to handle it on my own, only Lingxi knows me as Zhou Yixing of the eastern Zhou clan. The rest know me as Liu Jun,” he chuckled. “They think I'm a wandering cultivator from no-name sect,”
Jiang Tao nodded in understanding, it made sense considering he was pretty opaque about himself too, he’d given his name but his name wasn't anything special compared to Zhou Yixing; it was best that no one knew who they actually were.
"So, Liu Jun," Jiang Tao said, testing the name, "what's the plan now?”
Zhou Yixing, or rather Liu Jun, leaned back, his expression thoughtful. “Well, reaching late foundation stage and making our way back to the sect. You don't think I'm going to throw abandon my purpose just because I got married, right?”
"Of course not," Jiang Tao said with a grin. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you."
“Glad to hear it brother, once we're back at Verdant Lotus Peak I’ll send a message over to the clan and they'll come get Lingxi,”
Wu Lingxi’s eyes softened as she looked at Zhou Yixing. “I’m grateful for the courage and kindness Lord Zhou showed. It’s rare to find someone willing to put themselves in harm’s way for strangers.”
Zhou Yixing just waved off her thanks, “It's no matter, anyway what stage in your cultivation have you achieved? I assume you've reached foundation stage?” he asked
Jiang Tao nodded, a touch of pride in his voice. “I’ve reached the early foundation stage but I am but a single breakthrough away from mid foundation stage,”
The other boy's eyes widened. “Impressive! It appears you're still in the lead. I'm not advancing as fast as I would like; getting my qi to the right consistency is hard,”
“It took me a while to get it right as well, just be patient once you have it, it'll make sense”
“Let's trade pointers, I haven't had a good fight since we left the sect,”
He couldn't keep the grin off his face at the prospect, “I hope I don't embarrass you too bad in front of your new wife Yixing,”
“Come let this Yixing show you his attainment.”