I am a prince in Zhutian Films

Chapter 567 You Are Not Found in the Book

The emergence of the Literary and Martial Arts Appraisal and the Rouge Appraisal was already a major event that caused a sensation in both the scholarly world and the martial arts community.

Perhaps because there is no first place in literature, literary reviews have never been very popular, so the most discussed topics among the common people are martial arts reviews and rouge reviews.

This martial arts competition lived up to expectations, selecting eighteen first-rank masters. Among the top ten most anticipated masters, Wang Xianzhi of Martial Emperor City unsurprisingly took the top spot, continuing to hold his position as the second-best in the world.

Next up is Deng Tai'a, the new sword god who is jokingly said by people in the martial arts world to be the second best for a hundred years. The third-ranked scholar is still an old face, Cao Guanzi, who is known as "the epitome of the elegance of all scholars in the world".

Wang Mao, who ranked fourth on the list, caused a big stir by saying that he was ashamed to be ranked after Cao Guanzi, but ashamed to be ranked ahead of Bei Mang Hong Jingyan, who ranked seventh.

Hong Jingyan, who was on the list for the first time, was suddenly thrust into the spotlight.

Besides this incident, the return of the veteran sword master Li Chungang also caused quite a stir.

Then came the rising star of the younger generation, Zhou Cheng'an, who suddenly became the leader of Qingcheng Mountain and ranked second in the martial arts evaluation.

Originally, the Shenxiao Sect of Qingcheng Mountain was nothing special among the Taoist sects in the world. With Longhu Mountain and Wudang Mountain blocking its way, which other Taoist sect in the world could stand against it?

Everyone knows that Qingcheng Shenxiao was founded by Qingcheng King Wu Lingsu, but the Shenxiao Sect suddenly changed its leader. This leader was a Taoist priest from the Nine Pecks of Rice Sect who was driven out of the Shenxiao Sect. He was Zhou Yichui, who had a considerable reputation in the martial arts world. Although he was only ranked second in the vice-competition, he still shocked the world.

These three things have naturally become the hottest topics right now.

In the martial arts evaluation system, which considers not only skill level but also innate talent, a very interesting saying has emerged, which can be roughly summarized as: Western Guanyin, Eastern Sword Crown, Southern Lu Zu, Northern Zhenwu, and Central Three Absolutes.

The Western Guanyin naturally wanted to cultivate with Xu Fengnian at first, but now she has her eye on Zhou Chengan's Six-Bead Bodhisattva.

Dong Jianguan is Wu Liuding, the sword crown of the Wu family's sword tomb in this generation.

In the south, Lu Zu of Longhu Mountain is Qi Xianxia, ​​while in the north, Zhenwu is Hong Xixiang of Wudang.

As for the three masters, they are Zhou Cheng'an, who is unparalleled in fist, knife, and sword.

Xu Fengnian was genuinely grateful that the person who selected the vice judge didn't call Zhou Yichui, otherwise he felt he probably wouldn't have a good life.

Besides the martial arts competition, the beauty pageant also attracted a great deal of attention, as the stunning beauties who amazed the world captivated the hearts of everyone.

The hall was filled with chatter. Besides discussing Zhou Cheng'an, the leader of Qingcheng Mountain, the discussion also centered on Li Chungang, the old sword god, who had finally emerged from seclusion but had become a lackey of the Northern Liang King's Mansion, acting as an accomplice to evil. Everyone said that the old sword god Li had become senile and had truly ruined his reputation in his later years.

Li Chungang listened to the discussions of these people and ate meat and drank wine as usual.

His calm and composed demeanor was exactly the same as Zhou Cheng'an's, as if the people were not talking about the two of them.

Wu Lingsu overheard others talking about Qingcheng Mountain, and some even called him a good-for-nothing lecher. Although she felt a little annoyed, she was alright.

It is evident that his self-cultivation over the years has been quite effective.

Seeing Zhou Cheng'an eating and drinking as usual, seemingly unaffected by others, they didn't bother to approach those rude江湖人士 (jianghu figures) and commoners.

After lunch, Xu Fengnian, who had been strolling around all morning, decided to return to the inn to rest.

Zhou Cheng'an planned to continue exploring the city, since he hadn't finished watching the Zhou Tian Grand Ceremony yet.

Li Chungang had to protect Xu Fengnian and couldn't wander around like Zhou Chengan, so he had no choice but to grumble and curse as he followed Xu Fengnian back to the Yuelai Inn by the Lean Sheep Lake.

As for Wu Lingsu, he naturally followed Zhou Chengan. Since leaving Qingcheng Mountain, he had little time to spend with Zhou Chengan, and therefore no time to flatter him.

Now, seeing Zhou Chengan leap to become the second-ranked deputy martial arts judge, surpassing Qi Xiaotianshi of Longhu Mountain, he couldn't be happier.

He was somewhat frustrated that he hadn't made it into the top ten masters in the world.

However, being selected as a deputy judge already makes one a world-renowned figure, and the Shenxiao lineage of Qingcheng Mountain also becomes famous throughout the world.

Moreover, once they reach Longhu Mountain, the reputation of their Qingcheng Mountain will only grow even greater, and it's not impossible for it to become the number one Taoist temple in the world.

The thought of going to Longhu Mountain filled Wu Lingsu with immense excitement.

After leaving the restaurant, the two walked out onto the street, partly to stroll around and partly to experience the Zhou Tian Grand Ritual in the city.

Not long after they started walking, they saw a magnificent carriage drive by on the street, seemingly heading towards Lean Sheep Lake.

As the carriage passed by the two, someone lifted the curtain, revealing the stunningly beautiful face inside.

Wu Lingsu, that old fellow, couldn't help but take a second look at the woman, who was absolutely stunning.

Zhou Chengan glanced at her with some surprise, then smiled at Wu Lingsu and said, "Lust is a dangerous thing. She is the Princess Consort of Jing'an, not someone you can mess with."

Wu Lingsu suddenly realized: "So she is Princess Pei Nanwei of Jing'an. No wonder she made it onto the Rouge List. It's just a pity she ended up with that old man Zhao Heng."

"Isn't it a pity to be with you?" Zhou Chengan joked.

After years of dedicated cultivation, Wu Lingsu's greatest desire now is to crush Longhu Mountain.

He's become quite indifferent to that aspect now, but he can't help but glance at it a few more times; it's purely human nature.

Men, no matter their age, all enjoy looking at beautiful women.

Women are the same.

It was only because Zhou Cheng'an concealed his face with Taoist magic that he attracted countless gazes.

Wu Lingsu laughed and said, "Daoist Master, please stop teasing me. If I had seen you before, I might have had some thoughts, but now... just like you said, a beautiful appearance is a dime a dozen, but an interesting soul is one in a million. No matter how beautiful a woman is, she's just the same as everyone else when the lights are off, and she's not very interesting."

"What, you find Aunt Zhao interesting now?"

"I have to say, she's actually quite interesting now."

Because of his grandchildren, Wu Lingsu often visited Zhao Yutai's Qiujian Pavilion, but Zhao Yutai never gave him a kind look, which made Wu Lingsu feel differently about Zhao Yutai.

"Are you evolving into a masochist?" Zhou Chengan couldn't help but laugh.

"They haven't hit me since, so it's not a case of being abused. I just feel that the original wife was the best. Watching her teach Mian'er and Jing'er always gives me a sense of peace for no reason."

The two chatted idly as they strolled through the city, and came across an alley crowded with people, including many dashing young scholars in blue robes.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that people were gambling on chess, and there were quite a few people, some standing, some sitting, and some squatting.

Wu Lingsu knew that Zhou Chengan liked to play chess, after all, he had played chess with that old sword god quite a few times along the way.

So, he smiled in a slightly ingratiating manner and said, "Daoist Master, how about we have some fun together?"

Zhou Chengan nodded, and the two of them moved closer.

All that could be seen sitting against the wall in the alley were amateur chess players who had set up chessboards and chess boxes. They placed bets of varying amounts based on their skill level, enticing itching tourists or chess enthusiasts to take the bait and play.

Such games are naturally difficult for chess masters to discuss, but they are the best way for ordinary people and poor scholars to while away the time.

Since it's just about killing time, the stakes are naturally not high.

There were only copper coins; not a trace of silver.

Zhou Chengan hasn't played chess with that terrible player Li Chungang lately, but now he's itching to play.

He glanced around, his gaze finally settling on a young man who looked like a down-on-his-luck student.

The young man was blind; his clothes were patched and patched, and his shoes and socks were faded and worn, making him look quite destitute.

The empty chessboard in front of him had ten pieces between it, meaning that the person who set up the board and lost would have to pay ten times the amount of money.

To put it bluntly, it's a 1 to 10 exchange rate.

In ordinary chess games, only two or three pieces are usually placed; five pieces are even rarer, which shows that this person is quite confident in his chess skills.

Zhou Chengan led Wu Lingsu over and sat down opposite the blind chess player.

The blind chess player tilted his head slightly when he heard someone sit down.

Wu Lingsu asked in bewilderment, "How can a blind person play chess?"

“I know where the piece will be placed as soon as I hear it fall,” the blind chess player replied. “Then don’t deny it if you lose.” Wu Lingsu took out the few copper coins she had in her purse and said with a smile, “We’ll bet nine coins.”

The blind chess player nodded slightly and raised his hand, saying, "Sir, please!"

Zhou Chengan nodded: "Would you like to play a game of chess?"

"No need, sir, you may proceed."

The blind chess player had a box of black pieces in front of him. He stretched out his hand slightly, indicating that Zhou Chengan should play white and make the first move.

Although he was poorly dressed, his demeanor was not to be underestimated. Every gesture he made exuded the refined and ancient style of a scion of a noble family.

Zhou Chengan didn't stand on ceremony with him and directly struck down the knife.

The blind chess player then placed his piece.

The sound of pieces being placed was continuous, showing that both players were quite fast.

After a while, the blind chess player slowed down his movements and stopped placing pieces so quickly. He thought for a moment before making his move.

After a while, he put down the chess piece that he hadn't placed for a long time.

"I lost."

As he spoke, he took out a money pouch from his sleeve, weighed it in his hand, and said with a guilty expression, "Sir, I don't have enough money on me. I owe you twelve coins. If you don't mind, I have an ancestral chess manual that should be worth that amount."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chengan smiled faintly and said, "No need. It is fate that we have met. Consider these nine coins as payment for your meal."

After saying that, he got up and left.

The blind chess player quickly stood up and said, "Sir, please wait! I cannot break the rules of Yongzi Alley. Please accept this."

Zhou Chengan paused for a moment, then gave Wu Lingsu a wink, signaling him to put away the chess manual.

"So, thank you very much."

The blind chess player shook his head, cupped his hands, and said, "May I ask your esteemed name, sir?"

His expression was somewhat complicated, showing both joy and resentment.

In the past two years, he has been setting up chess games in Yongzi Lane. Except for deliberately showing weakness, he has never actually lost a game. Local chess enthusiasts in Xiangfan are no longer willing to gamble with him. Only some tourists from other places who come to Yongzi Lane will take the bait.

But today, he lost completely.

Perhaps because he has never lost in all these years, he finds it difficult to devote himself to studying the way of chess. When he was young and learning chess, he was happy to win and even happier to lose. Now that he has been winning and never losing, his love for chess has diminished. He is afraid that one day he will really play chess just to make a living. If that day comes, it will be the day when his chess career comes to an end.

Today he was overjoyed to have encountered a master player who made him lose.

Although he was blind, he was not blind in his mind. He knew that anyone who could beat him on the chessboard was no ordinary person.

Therefore, he wanted to get a clear answer.

"This humble Taoist priest, Zhou Cheng'an, has excellent chess skills."

Upon hearing this, the blind chess player smiled slightly: "Not as good as Master Zhou."

Zhou Chengan smiled and directly revealed his identity: "Lu Xu, I will come to play chess with you again when I have time, but I would rather play a game with the person who taught you chess."

After saying that, he turned around and left.

Wu Lingsu quickly followed, looking as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

"Just say whatever you want to say."

"Daoist Master, do you know him?"

"I wouldn't say I know him personally, but I know he's a formidable figure."

Lu Xu was originally from a noble family in Liyang. His ancestors had secured a place in the Liyang officialdom. However, when they wrote the history of the Western Chu Kingdom, they were framed by villains, which led to the extermination of the Lu family. Only Lu Xu was able to extricate himself from this disaster.

However, he also blinded himself and vowed never to enter officialdom again, making a living by playing chess in Yongzi Lane, Xiangfan.

According to the original plot, Lu Xu first met Xu Fengnian and had a lively conversation. Then, he was brought into the Prince's mansion by Prince Jing'an, where he became a strategist and advisor, especially skilled in court strategy.

After the death of Prince Zhao Heng of Jing'an, he single-handedly supported the entire Jing'an Prince's Mansion with his wisdom, and was called by Nalan Youci as a potential successor to the art of diplomacy.

Among his peers, few could compare to him.

Wu Lingsu was startled: "To make even the Dao Venerable think it's impressive, it seems I still need to work on my judgment. His master..."

"Huang Sanjia!"

Wu Lingsu: "..."

At this moment, he was too shocked to speak.

On the other side, Lu Xu put away the chessboard and headed towards Xiangguo Lane.

Everyone in Xiangfan knows that the most alluring woman in Qingzhou lives in Xiangguo Lane.

Her name was Li Baishi, and her real name was Li Xiaoru. She came from a third-rate official family in Dongyue. It wasn't that the country was destroyed and the family was ruined, but her parents were not good at managing the family and left a mess for their young children after they passed away.

Li Baishi initially went to the shores of Xiling Lake in Guangling with her wet nurse. They made a living by selling their ancestral property, lived in a small building in the pine forest, enjoyed the scenery, and grew into a beautiful young woman.

Later, he unfortunately met Huang Sanjia and became a technician.

In this round of rouge reviews, she is the only woman listed as a technician.

The assessment that she was exceptional in both voice and beauty was considered by all the men in Xiangfan who had met her to be the best affirmation of her abilities.

And the person Lu Xu was going to see was her.

"Master Zhou wishes to play a game of chess with the person who taught me. Please convey my request to him."

Upon hearing this, Li Baishi immediately asked in confusion, "How do you know that the person who taught you chess knows me?"

Lu Xu simply smiled, bowed respectfully, and turned to leave.

Li Baishi paused for a moment, then went inside.

An old man sat on a huanghuali wood chair, bending down to tune an erhu.

This person was none other than the famous Huang Sanjia.

Before Li Baishi could speak, he chuckled and said, "That Zhou Cheng'an is quite interesting. I heard he's good friends with Wen Hua?"

Huang Sanjia is quite adept at preserving his youthful appearance. His temples are as white as snow, clearly indicating that he is in his sixties or even seventies, but his face looks no older than middle age.

Li Baishi didn't know the nature of the relationship between Zhou Chengan and Wen Hua.

But she knew she didn't need to answer.

"Ancestor, why do you value that wooden swordsman so much?" Li Baishi really couldn't see anything unusual about Wen Hua.

Huang Sanjia gave her a cold look: "What do you know about playing chess, you prostitute!"

The words weren't loud, but they still frightened Li Baishi so much that he knelt down.

Huang Sanjia waved his hand: "After the Crown Prince of Beiliang leaves Xiangfan, you should go to the capital!"

"Yes, my ancestor."

Li Baishi bowed respectfully and withdrew.

Huang Sanjia tuned his erhu strings, plucked a string, and muttered to himself, "Zhou Cheng'an, where did you come from? You shouldn't be in this book!"

(End of this chapter)