After the Great Dao died

Chapter 57 I'll slaughter you all sooner or later

Chen Lingxi frowned slightly.

"Qingjiang Villa?"

Liu Zhu nodded: "Young Master Yang has purchased a house in Yuanjiang Prefecture for his father, General Chi Ri. Today, he is hosting a banquet and has invited the young men of all families in Yuanjiang Prefecture."

The young lady has already left, but she sent someone to summon you, saying she wants you to arrange flowers.

With the Imperial Concubine's arrival, all the young men of Yuanjiang Prefecture are making preparations.

Yang Zhuri's purchase of a house and hosting a banquet for his father at this juncture should also be related to Consort Chun.

Liu Zhu delivered the message and left.

Chen Lingxi shook her head.

He got up, changed into a clean indigo short-sleeved shirt, and put the flower scissors, copper wire, thin rope, and several unglazed ceramic vases into a bamboo basket, which he then carried in his hand.

After exiting the gate and passing through the covered walkway, we arrived at the west corner gate.

The carriage was already waiting there.

Chen Ling got into the carriage.

The carriage drove out of the side gate, through the long street, out of the city, and westward along the official road.

After traveling for most of the hour, we turned onto a side road.

Willow trees lined both sides of the fork in the road, their branches swaying gently in the morning breeze.

At the end of the fork in the road was a mansion.

Qingjiang Villa.

The house faces south, backed by mountains and in front of water. In front of the gate is a shallow stream, the water shimmering with a bluish-gray light in the winter morning.

The courtyard walls are white with gray tiles, and withered vines climb on top of them. A stone plaque hangs above the door, inscribed with the four characters "Qingjiang Bieyuan" in a slender, elegant style, which has a touch of literati refinement.

The carriage stopped in front of the gate.

Servants came to greet them and led Chen Lingxi into the courtyard.

The servant led Chen Lingxi through the entrance hall, through a courtyard, and into the back garden, where he gave him a few more instructions.

"Let me choose the flowers and arrange them?"

Chen Lingxi stood in the garden, looked around, and immediately understood the situation.

He placed the bamboo basket on the stone table, took out his scissors, and began picking flowers in the garden.

A few branches of trumpet creeper, a few branches of hairpin, and a few lotus leaves.

He picked carefully, examining each branch for a moment before cutting it down when he felt it was satisfactory.

Before long, the bamboo basket was half full of flower branches.

He carried a bamboo basket, sat down in a sheltered stone pavilion, and began arranging flowers.

After a long while, Chen Lingxi handed the flower arrangement to a servant, asking him to take it into the main hall.

-

At Qingjiang Villa, many people were already seated in the main hall.

The hall is extremely spacious, with five bays in width and three bays in depth. The dome hangs high, and the beams and pillars are painted with gold and colors. The floor is paved with whole lapis lazuli bricks that are so shiny they can reflect a person's image.

More than ten sandalwood tables were set up in the hall, with teacups and fruit plates on them. The guests sat on both sides, dressed in fine clothes and exuding an extraordinary air.

Lin Longyue sat on a chair on the left.

Princess Yunhe sat opposite her, still with that languid demeanor.

Today, Chu Linzi was dressed in a black outfit with a scarlet cloak over it, and a long sword hung at her waist, exuding a heroic aura.

Behind her stood two young martial artists, both dressed in short, tight-fitting clothes, exuding a powerful aura.

Yang Zhuri sat in the main seat, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, with a white jade belt around his waist and a jade crown on his head, looking exceptionally handsome.

There were seven or eight other people in the hall, both men and women, all of whom appeared to be scions of prominent families in Yuanjiang Prefecture.

A servant brought over a flower arrangement.

Yang Zhuri looked down at the vase of flowers, examined it for a moment, then suddenly clapped his hands and laughed, "Excellent! What a delightful, untamed charm!"

He raised his wine cup and gestured to the people in the court: "Gentlemen, please look at this vase. The flower is made of trumpet creeper as the base, lotus leaves as the lining, and jade hairpin as the embellishment. The five colors are mixed but do not appear chaotic. It is wild but not vulgar, simple but not crude. It is indeed extremely elegant."

His voice was clear and resonant, echoing throughout the hall.

Everyone in the hall immediately echoed this sentiment.

"Young Master Yang has a good eye."

"This flower arrangement is indeed interesting."

"Who created this?"

Yang Zhuri smiled and looked at Lin Longyue: "This was made by a servant in the Baosu Marquis's mansion. To be honest, I have been obsessed with flower arranging for many years and I am confident that my skills are not inferior to others, but after seeing this vase of flowers, I have to give it a shout-out."

He paused, then said, "Miss Lin, I heard that your servant is skilled in flower arranging and even received a reward from Consort Chun for it. Seeing him today, I can confirm that his reputation is well-deserved."

Lin Longyue, holding her teacup, gave a lukewarm response.

Yang Zhuri then said, "I have a request to make, and I wonder if Miss Lin would be willing to part with it?"

To part with something you love.

Lin Longyue put down her teacup and looked at Yang Zhuri: "What does Young Master Yang want?"

"This servant," Yang Zhuri said with a smile, "I am willing to pay five hundred taels of silver plus one Silver Blood Pill. What does Miss Lin think?"

Three hundred taels plus one Silver Blood Pill.

This number stirred a low commotion in the hall.

Lin Longyue picked up the teacup, took a slow sip, and then leisurely put it down.

"Young Master Yang is too kind." Her words were brief and offered no further explanation, but they were a clear rejection.

The smile in Yang Zhuri's eyes remained unchanged.

"If that's the case, then we won't force you."

He picked up his wine cup, raised it to Lin Longyue, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, then said, "Let that government slave in; I'll reward him!"

Before long, Chen Lingxi entered the main hall, and everyone's eyes fell on him. Chu Linzi still had a slight smile on her face.

Yang Zhuri picked up his wine cup and raised it towards Chen Lingxi: "A reward."

A servant came forward carrying a tray with a jade pendant on it.

The jade pendant was only about an inch square, pure white, with a warm and smooth texture, and gleamed with a faint, cold light in the candlelight.

Chen Lingxi raised her head and glanced at Yang Zhuri.

Yang Zhuri smiled, his peach blossom eyes gleaming with uncertainty.

"Come up and claim your reward."

Chen Lingxi lowered her eyes, stepped forward, and took the jade pendant with both hands.

The moment his fingertips touched the jade surface, his heart stirred slightly.

The feeling of holding this jade pendant is different from that of ordinary jade pendants.

"This jade pendant is quite interesting."

He remained expressionless, put the jade pendant into his pocket, took two steps back, and stood with his hands at his sides.

Yang Zhuri waved his hand: "Go down."

Chen Lingxi bowed her head in agreement, and as she turned and left the main hall, her gaze swept over everyone in the hall, her pupils slightly dilating.

With just a casual glance, he saw many images.

Princess Yunhe sat opposite Lin Longyue, holding a teacup in her hands. The steam from the tea rose gently, blurring her face.

As she breathed, a very fine and faint breath emanated from Lin Longyue, silently entering her mouth and nose.

Lin Longyue was completely unaware, still holding her teacup and talking to the person next to her, her expression unchanged.

Chu Linzi was chatting and laughing with two noble young men.

However, with each breath Chu Linzi took, a wisp of extremely fine energy also emanated from the two of them, which she silently absorbed into her body.

There's also Yang Zhuri.

He sat in the main seat, his peach blossom eyes filled with smiles, his gaze still fixed on Chen Lingxi.

It was a burning greed.

It's like a starving diner suddenly seeing a plate of delicacies.

As Chen Lingxi walked out of the main hall, he muttered to himself, "It seems like a feast for demons and monsters."

He walked out of the courtyard, boarded the carriage, and took out the jade pendant.

The jade pendant was warm and smooth, seemingly extremely precious, but Chen Lingxi suddenly let out a cold laugh.

"I'll slaughter you all sooner or later."

The carriage continued forward.

The wheels rolled over the official road and over the gravel. Chen Lingxi leaned against the side of the carriage, her eyes closed, her breathing steady, and her face normal.

The wind lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, revealing a patch of gray sky.

The carriage entered the city, passed through the long street, and drove into the side gate of the west courtyard of the Marquis of Baosu's residence.

Chen Ling got off the carriage, carrying the bamboo basket, walked through the covered walkway, and returned to the servants' quarters.

He sat down at the table, took out the jade pendant from his pocket, and placed it on the table.

The jade pendant gleamed with a faint, cool light in the afternoon sun; it was as white as jade and as smooth as cream.

Chen Lingxi stared at it for a moment, then stretched out her right hand and held the jade pendant in her palm.

The azure energy in his dantian flowed slowly, advancing along his right arm and into the jade pendant.

The instant the spiritual energy enters the pendant—

Chen Lingxi was startled.

He clearly sensed that there was spiritual energy circulating within the jade pendant.

The spiritual energy was extremely faint and fine, like spider silk, moving inside the jade pendant and outlining intricate patterns.

The patterns are layered and interconnected, echoing each other, like a fine net spread out within the small space inside the jade pendant.

"A formation?"

Chen Lingxi silently repeated these two words in her heart.

He focused intently on the examination, probing deeper into the spiritual energy, advancing inch by inch along those patterns.

His spiritual energy circulated inside the jade pendant.

One lap, two laps, three laps.

After a long while, Chen Lingxi suddenly raised an eyebrow, her eyes filled with surprise.

"I never expected this jade pendant to be such a treasure."