The Blade-Wielding Legend-Chapter 1263 - 659: Golden Swallow Sect’s Overture (Part 2)

"Braised Jingyang Pheasant!"

"Thinly sliced breast meat of wild pheasant from Jingyang Ridge, fermented for three days with Jiangnan rice wine lees, stir-fried with crisp water chestnuts from Wen River, truly a hero for defeating the tiger at Jingyang Ridge, and a true connoisseur by the Canal enjoying the wine..."

"Ten-flavor Noodles!"

"Linqing's unique creation 'Nine Threads One Noodle'! A bowl to savor the freshness from north to south!"

The dishes presented were all exquisite, with perfect color, aroma, and taste, beyond any praise.

"Thank you."

Li Yan held the tea cup, smiling gently. Only after these attendants left did he say, "It's the handiwork of 'General of Cuisine', prepared for quite a long time, it seems they specifically waited for me."

The steam rose as the dishes were uncovered, clearly just out of the pot.

To have the 'General of Cuisine' personally cook wasn't easy.

But to correctly anticipate their arrival time was even more impressive.

Zhao Wanfang smiled softly, "Linqing City is a hub connecting north and south, teeming with wealth, so it is also a fiercely contested place for the culinary lineage, the dishes have unique characteristics. Even though this 'General of Cuisine' has a good relationship with our Golden Swallow Sect, it's thanks to you that I get to enjoy this meal."

"Oh..."

Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, "Did the Golden Swallow Sect send you to find me?"

He raised his guard within his heart.

The Eight Gates of the pugilistic world: Gold, Skin, Color, Hang, Evaluate, Group, Adjust, Willow. The Dark Eight Sects: Bee, Hemp, Swallow, Sparrow, Flower, Orchid, Kudzu, Glory. Each walks its own path, none to be underestimated.

The Golden Swallow Sect is the highest tier within the Yan Sect.

First for trading information, second for maneuvering connections.

Their intricate relations, from the court to the streets, are elusive to all.

A display of friendliness without cause certainly calls for caution.

"Rest assured."

Zhao Wanfang covered her mouth with a smile, "The sect sent me to find you, naturally because of our friendship; such bonds aren't bought with silver tael. If there were schemes involved, they'd be no different from those cunning peddlers."

"Besides, the elders don't wish to offend a Grandmaster-to-be."

"You're too kind."

Li Yan remained unmoved, speaking calmly, "What is it about? You might as well be straightforward; otherwise, I truly can't enjoy these fine dishes."

"Qiankun Academy!"

Zhao Wanfang directly stated, "The current situation in the Divine State is like oil on the flames."

"The Southwest battle has just ended, the court wants to reward, civil servants don't want military officers' strength to expand too quickly, they argue incessantly in the court..."

"A major corruption case emerged at the Northern Border, and some officials were pulled down by the Maitreya Sect, the court dispatched two imperial envoys who were both assassinated..."

"The Southern coastal areas, after opening to sea trade, prospered but pirates have also increased, and those Red-haired Barbarians, I hear their emperor has even decreed they could plunder foreign ships, causing chaos at sea..."

"Not to mention the matter of your discovery of the Nine Tripod, which has already shaken the Mystical Sect."

"Yet, amidst all the clamor, the soon-to-be-established Qiankun Academy still draws the attention of the court both high and low."

Looking at Zhao Wanfang speaking eloquently, Li Yan felt a rush of admiration.

Indeed, after parting for three days, one must look at her with new eyes.

The Oiran back then, head over heels solely bent on revenge, after a mere two-year honing, her expressiveness and outlook now are on a whole new level, resembling a different person entirely.

It seems the Capital indeed is a gathering place of dragons and snakes.

Though feeling impressed in his heart, Li Yan still kept a calm face, sipped his tea, and spoke lightly:

"Merely an academy, how could it attract so much attention?"

"This academy is no ordinary!"

Zhao Wanfang remarked, "When His Majesty first proposed it, the court didn't give it much importance, but as the academy neared its establishment, many started realizing its peculiarity."

"The academy's officials hold ranks equal to those in government, Captain Bureau dispatched numerous forces across the Divine State, inviting craftsmen Grandmasters, Mathematics experts, the silver tael allocated is astounding, they even expanded the Yulin Army for guard duty..."

"Someone touched the silver allocated for the academy, His Majesty was enraged, confiscating property and exiling; sent Grandmaster Huo Yin there personally to oversee..."

"As of now, His Majesty no longer conceals, only merits of those involved could presumably lead to a separate Imperial Examination for Qiankun Academy's eclectic studies, jointly petitioned by over a dozen great Confucian scholars, yet His Majesty declines to meet..."

"Oh, this escalated quite steeply?"

Li Yan, upon hearing, was somewhat surprised.

He knew of the academy's potential, yet didn't foresee the court values it so highly, even at the expense of displeasing Confucianism.

By those scholars' talk, this indeed is a matter threatening the nation's foundation.

That Emperor...

Could he possibly be akin to himself?

At that moment, Zhao Wanfang spoke again in a low voice, "The matter is confidential, yet too many are eager for information; hence, our sect endeavored greatly to find out the reason."

"Upon opening the sea trade, the Royal family also has a sizable team that, to avoid gossip, pretends to be a merchant group for overseas trade, yielding fruitful results, rumored to have discovered a considerable gold and silver mine."

"But this merchant group encountered the Red-haired Barbarians, nearly getting caught in one fell swoop."

"Their firearms are astonishingly powerful, they've even devised new-style gunpowder, though the formula differs; inquiries with those barbarian merchants revealed that major overseas nations are rapidly advancing."

"They all have similar academies, for example, the recipe for the new-style gunpowder came from a place called 'Old Cow Ford Academy'..."

Old Cow Ford Academy?

Li Yan hesitated, wasn't it called Oxford?

Zhao Wanfang naturally was unaware of his thought, she sighed, "Our Majesty is bent on establishing unparalleled achievements, focusing only on the Divine State might be more stable, but now opening the seas, contending with overseas nations, how could he swallow such pride?"