The Ancient Divine City has a long-standing heritage, and its dining etiquette follows ancient traditions.
Almost all the decision-makers of the city were present. Although they didn’t understand why the City Lord needed to personally host a banquet for an ordinary mortal doctor, everyone wore warm smiles and spoke without arrogance.
To Meng Qingzhou’s left was Dongfang Liuli, and to his right was Qiong.
Following the city’s customs, guests must sit at the secondary seats, which are the left and right sides of the main seat.
Naturally, Dongfang Liuli didn’t want to be separated from Meng Qingzhou and sit with a group of oddly shaped foreign tribes, so she refused the suggestion and sat next to Meng Qingzhou.
After three rounds of wine and five courses of dishes.
The guests at the table were all enjoying themselves. Meng Qingzhou endured his discomfort. As a modern person, he despised the overly formal drinking culture.
Fortunately, the wine brewed in the city was not harsh. It was made from a fruit called Qiongyu Pearl, which was sweet and mild. However, Qiongyu Pearl was extremely expensive and only brought out for important guests. There were even rumors that an ordinary person could become a First Rank Realm cultivator after drinking a single cup.
“Doctor Meng.”
Qiong held a delicate wine cup, her fair face flushed, and she spoke softly:
“No, I should call you Minister Meng. A second-rank official of the Great Jin Dynasty. There were rumors that Minister Meng rose from a commoner to a second-rank official in just one day.”
“On his first day in office, he used his ability to foresee the future to reveal the dark history of the King of Longshang, who was then executed by the Empress through death by a thousand cuts. With a single word, he decided the life and death of nobility…”
“On the Empress’s birthday banquet, the young supremes of the seven major forces attended. Minister Meng’s second disciple, the Qian Yuan Sword Saint, emerged and defeated the seven supremes with his sword.”
“Later, the rebel Zhao Yuhuan made a desperate attempt to attack the Imperial Capital, intending to fight the Empress to the death. Unexpectedly, the Empress was ambushed. At the critical moment, it was Minister Meng who, along with the Qian Yuan Sword Saint, entered an alternate space and assisted the Empress in eliminating Zhao Yuhuan…”
“Am I right, Minister Meng?”
As her words fell, the table fell silent.
The decision-makers of the city all looked at Meng Qingzhou with changed expressions, finally understanding why Qiong had made such a big deal out of hosting him.
It turned out that the person who had recently become famous as the Empress’ lover and the second-ranking civil official of the Great Jin, Meng Qin, was actually him!
But soon, the decision-makers were puzzled again.
If this person was indeed Meng Qin, then who was the woman beside him?
The city was isolated, like a paradise. If not for the numerous events in the Great Jin recently, the news wouldn’t have reached the Ancient Divine City, and no one would know the Empress’s true appearance.
Some high-ranking foreign tribe members exchanged glances, their expressions changing.
‘Could it be that the Empress’s lover is actually a married man?’
‘The dignified Empress of the Great Jin has such peculiar tastes!?’
Meng Qingzhou’s smile didn’t waver. He downed his wine in one gulp, wiped the remaining liquid from his lips, and said calmly:
“That’s right. I’ve only been in the city for half a day, and my entire life history has been uncovered by the City Lord. Truly impressive.”
Qiong revealed Meng Qingzhou’s identity as a form of retaliation for him mentioning the ‘calamity of the gods,’ which had scared her a bit.
This little girl, despite her lazy appearance, had a strong sense of revenge.
Qiong propped her elbow on the table, resting her chin in her palm, and said:
“I have three questions to ask Minister Meng. Once answered, you may go and rest.”
“Please ask, City Lord,” Meng Qingzhou nodded.
Qiong asked calmly:
“How did Minister Meng know about the calamity of the gods, and how did you precisely predict the start of the disaster?”
Meng Qingzhou was about to use the excuse of foreseeing the future, as it had always worked before.
What, you don’t believe me?
If you don’t believe it, ask the heavens. After all, it was the heavens who told me the answer.
“Don’t use the excuse of foreseeing the future. I am a born deity; fate cannot be foreseen for me,” Qiong added.
Meng Qingzhou raised an eyebrow and fell silent.
Damn! I didn’t think of that.
Should I say that I know the plot so well that I even know the color of your underwear, which is B but you insist on making it look like A?
Seeing Meng Qingzhou’s troubled expression, a hint of expectation flashed in Qiong’s eyes:
“Did the Space-Time Sword Saint tell you?”
Meng Qingzhou was surprised and scratched his head involuntarily, thinking, what does this have to do with the Space-Time Sword Saint?
How did it get connected?
“Yes, it was my disciple who told me. But how he knew, I don’t know,” Meng Qingzhou went along with it.
Qiong’s eyes instantly brightened. She straightened her lazy posture and stared at him, continuing to ask:
“Second question, is the Space-Time Sword Saint really your disciple?”
Hearing this, Meng Qingzhou was once again at a loss.
He wasn’t sure what Qiong’s intention was in asking this question.
However, Meng Qingzhou had a premonition that if he answered incorrectly, Qiong would definitely know he was lying.
“Yes and no,” Meng Qingzhou shook his head.
No matter what, since Qiong asked, it meant she was seeking confirmation, believing that the Space-Time Sword Saint and Meng Qin had no connection.
The two continued their question-and-answer session, and everyone at the table listened with bated breath.
Even Dongfang Liuli, who was usually lively, was unusually quiet, not interrupting. She just slipped her small hand into Meng Qingzhou’s and kept squeezing his fingers.
“Can you elaborate?” Qiong became a bit anxious.
Meng Qingzhou felt increasingly uneasy, his right eyelid twitching non-stop. But at this point, he had to continue with his nonsense:
“When I met Qian Yuan, he was already an adult, but… he seemed to have forgotten his past, only remembering that he had learned swordsmanship before. I saw him as a pitiful fool and took him in, calling each other master and disciple, and taught him swordsmanship…”
“Hmm…”
“Qian Yuan was very diligent, and of course, he was also extremely talented. In just ten years, he became a Sword Saint.”
Qiong’s breathing suddenly became rapid, and she muttered to herself:
“Indeed, indeed…”
Meng Qingzhou perked up his ears to listen, but then looked confused, not understanding.
Hey, hey, hey, finish your sentence.
Indeed what? Indeed more laughing gas?
“Third question!” Qiong’s tone became heavier, as if she had confirmed something significant, her voice eager:
“Tell me!”
“Where is the Qian Yuan Sword Saint now!?”
Meng Qingzhou’s right eyelid twitched violently, his ominous premonition finally confirmed.
It’s all messed up!
Qiong was actually after the Qian Yuan Sword Saint!
But… Qian Yuan is me, and I am Qian Yuan, so… girl, are you after me?
Look at her eager expression, anyone who didn’t know would think she had found the whereabouts of her father’s killer.
Killer… or perhaps an enemy coveting the Sword Sense of Time and Space?
Meng Qingzhou’s heart sank. He had always been avoiding the main plot, and he had been successful, never being targeted by either the main or side villains, perfectly playing the role of a transparent person.
But unexpectedly, because of a vest, he was now targeted by Qiong, who was also a fringe character in the plot.
Thinking of this.
Meng Qingzhou put on a pained expression and sighed:
“Qian Yuan… is dead.”
The light of expectation in Qiong’s eyes instantly vanished, replaced by a deep emptiness. She repeated: “Dead?”
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