Divine Tang Era

Chapter 122 doesn't match up

Xue An led them down the city wall to the inn. Instead of leaving immediately, he said to Xu Dan, "Let's sit at your place for a while."

Xu Dan opened the door and invited them in. He was about to light the charcoal and make tea when Xue An stopped him.

"No need for that. Just take out that big shield and let me see it."

Xu Dan did as he was told.

Even though they had seen it before, the sight of the massive, imposing, and heavy Crimson Flame Shield, adorned with gilded beast patterns and resembling a giant door panel, still amazed them.

Xue Diao and Xue Bao'er were as if they had encountered a rare treasure, their eyes shining, and they couldn't help but reach up to touch it, their hearts inexplicably fluttering, as if they had met true love.

"Junior brother, where did you get this?" Xue Diao asked again.

"I bought it," Xu Dan replied.

"Of course I know it's bought. I'm asking where to buy it, because you can't buy this kind of thing on the market."

"Fate, fate."

No matter how Xue Diao asked, Xu Dan didn't say where he bought it. The Yinxu Ghost Market was far too dangerous; if the two of them went there and something happened, it would all be his responsibility—a burden he couldn't bear.

Xue Diao asked him several times, but seeing that he wouldn't answer, she stopped asking and continued touching the Crimson Flame Giant Shield with Xue Bao'er.

Those eyes and those movements gave me goosebumps.

Xue An glanced at it, then stepped forward and touched it. Looking at the rusty, dull-colored shield, which had lost its murderous aura but exuded a heavy and imposing presence, he sighed, "I never expected to see the Crimson Flame Shield, an elite weapon of the Great Xia Dynasty, here."

Daxia, that name sounds familiar.

Thinking back, Xu Dan remembered that the woman who traded shields for items in the Yinxu Ghost Market had mentioned it.

"In the late Xia Dynasty, officials were corrupt, natural disasters and man-made calamities were frequent, and the people suffered greatly."

The later emperor rose in rebellion and quickly captured the capital of the Great Xia Dynasty. At that time, the Chiyan Army still had considerable strength, and its members, upholding the tradition of never abandoning or giving up, fighting to the death, and being invincible, inflicted great damage on the Later Dynasty's army. Therefore, upon ascending the throne, the Later emperor ordered that the shields of the Great Xia be melted down and used as weapons to kill the remaining rebels of the Great Xia.

From then on, the Crimson Flame Shield was nowhere to be found in the world.

The desolate plains outside Jingning City are an ancient battlefield.

Long ago, demons from beyond the borders descended, and the great sects of the East gathered here to fight them. Later, it became a demon and monster realm, with countless sects coming here to slay demons and train. Subsequently, it was invaded by foreign tribes, and the elite of the Great Xia Dynasty defended the city for sixty years, killing countless foreign invaders. Later, our dynasty was established, and conflicts arose with the grassland tribes, resulting in countless deaths here once again. Over the years, countless corpses have been buried beneath layers of barren soil.

This is why the yin energy is so strong, and the yin dampness will come every July.

This Crimson Flame Shield must be a relic left behind by the elite defenders of the Great Xia Dynasty.

In its heyday, the elite forces of the Great Xia Dynasty were invincible, said to be unmatched even by immortals and gods. Countless sects and powerful clans were annihilated under their iron hooves. Alas, now they have all turned to dust, with only this Crimson Flame Shield bearing witness to everything.

Deeply moved, Xue An was filled with emotion and couldn't help but recite a poem aloud:

"Have you not seen the flames and smoke rising from the Kunwu ironworks?"

The red and purple light was dazzling.

A skilled craftsman has forged it for several years.

The sword he forged was named Longquan.

The Longquan spring water is as white as frost and snow, even the most skilled craftsmen marvel at its wondrous beauty. A crystal box, like a lotus flower in bloom, is adorned with intricately carved gold rings that reflect the bright moon. In a time when the world is at peace, I am fortunate to have met a gentleman from Zhoufang. Its gleam is a dim, green snake's hue, its patterns like green tortoise scales. It has not only befriended chivalrous wanderers, but has also been close to heroes.

Why was the middle lane abandoned?

Scattered and adrift by the ancient prison.

Though buried in dust and rendered useless

"Yet every night, his aura soars to the heavens."

Xu Dan knew that this poem was written by Guo Zhen, a famous general and prime minister of the Tang Dynasty. He knew this because he was deeply impressed by the last line of the poem.

"Though buried in dust and rendered useless, it still soars to the heavens every night."

The last sentence of "The Ancient Sword Chapter" always stirs the blood. However, when I think of Guo Zhen's background and the political environment at the time, I can't help but feel sorry for him.

But what does the Crimson Flame Shield have to do with this poem? They don't match at all!

Perhaps this is the generation gap. Whether in past or present lives, Xu Dan is never older than Xue An. They say a generation gap widens every ten years, and with such a large age difference and so many obstacles between them, it's understandable that they don't understand each other.

"well."

Seeing that there was a slight awkward silence after he finished reading, Xu Dan clapped and cheered.

Xue An, who was initially filled with emotion, felt a little embarrassed by what he had just done.

Xue Diao and Xue Bao'er exchanged a glance; this junior brother seemed to be quite talented.

Xue An, being a man of considerable experience, noticed the awkward silence and immediately asked, "Dan'er, you haven't refined the Crimson Flame Shield, have you?"

"Refine?" Xu Dan had no idea what was going on.

Xue An explained, "The Crimson Flame Shield is used by the elite Crimson Flame Army of the Great Xia Dynasty. Those who can join the Crimson Flame Army are all nine feet tall and cultivate both Dao and martial arts. In a sense, this shield is also a magic weapon, so you can try refining it. If you can't refine your Qi, you can use your blood and Qi to cleanse it. It should be recorded in the booklet I gave you."

Xu Dan quickly took out the Xue family's summary of Qi and Blood Martial Arts cultivation and flipped through it; sure enough, there were records.

Xue An explained it to him in detail again, even taking out an arrow to demonstrate, and only put it away after he understood.

The morning passed quickly. Xu Dan originally wanted to treat them to a meal, but Xue An would never let a child treat him; it would be a laughing stock if word got out. So he ordered a table of food and drinks outside and took him back to the archery range to eat.

In the afternoon, Xu Dan went to see Yun Niang and Xiao Que'er. Seeing that they were alright, he headed towards Mingfeng Tower.

"Greetings, young man."

Hi everyone, is the original poster there?

"Yes, I am." A maid came to lead the way.

Li Zhu had sensed his arrival long ago. When he came upstairs, she pretended to be happy and rushed over, "Oh my, the little hero who protects Jingning is here. Come here, let your big sister give you a kiss and a hug." After saying that, she didn't care whether he objected or not, and went forward to pick him up and give him a kiss and a hug.

Hearing her say that, Xu Dan knew that she knew what he had said on the city wall.

I might as well let her do as she pleases; it won't hurt me anyway.

After she finished kissing her, she hugged Lizhu's face and said, "Sister, you've become even more beautiful in just two days. Even the most beautiful words like 'fish sinking, geese falling, moon hiding, and flowers blushing' are not enough to describe you."

"Nonsense, I'm not that good-looking."

Li Zhu slapped his hand away in disgust and put him down. Her eyes lit up with joy, but she pointed at his forehead and said, "You little thing, you just know how to make me happy."

Her coquettish yet charming expression, like a passionate rose or a heavenly peony, amazed Xu Dan.

She said seriously, "Sister, you've given me so many things, I have no way to repay you. How about I repay you with my body?"

"Giggle giggle"

Li Zhu burst into laughter at his words, "You little thing, how old are you, already thinking about getting someone to repay you with their body? That's hilarious."

Zhu Yuxian appeared out of nowhere, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

"Let's talk about it when I'm older." Xu Dan didn't take it seriously. He looked to be eighty or ninety years old, not far from adulthood. He was lucky to have married such a beautiful, rich, and well-connected wife.

Upon hearing this, Li Zhu's smile faded, and she sighed, "By the time you grow up, your older sister will be old."

Women, regardless of age, are always very sensitive about their age.

Upon seeing this, Xu Dan quickly said, "How could that be? Sister, you're eighteen now. When I come of age, I'll be at the peak of my youth and beauty, the most wonderful age in a woman's life. If I marry you then, people will say I'm marrying above my station."

"You little rascal, your words are as sweet as honey, always trying to make me happy. Are you afraid I'll talk about you climbing the city wall? Don't worry, I don't care about you, you little thing. It's your own life, and if you don't even value it, why should I?"

"My sister is the best to me, so how could she say anything to me?"

Xu Dan continued, then explained, "Sister, I'm going with Master Xue to broaden my horizons. With Master Xue protecting me, what's there to be afraid of? Besides, if I can't win, I'll just run away. Do you think I'm stupid?"

"It's not that easy. Once you're on the city wall, you'll be dealt with according to military law. If you dare to run, they'll cut off your head."

"No way!" Xu Dan exclaimed in disbelief.

"If you run away while defending the city and fighting the enemy, and they run away too, wouldn't that cause chaos? Who else would they kill but you?" Li Zhu glared at him angrily.

Xu Dan nodded, agreeing.

Li Zhu was so angry she laughed. He was nodding even after being slashed. What an idiot! She didn't bother to argue with him anymore and waved her hand, saying, "Let me see the armor and robe you were wearing just now."

Xu Dan did as instructed and took out the items.

Li Zhu picked it up and flipped through it, saying, "It seems you haven't encountered any ghosts."

"How could we possibly run into them? They finished shooting arrows and then ran off to eat."

"You may not know, but this is no ordinary robe and armor." Seeing that he didn't understand, Li Zhu splashed water on it, but the robe and armor were not soaked. Then she slapped down with her palm, and a layer of shimmering light appeared on the robe, blocking her hand.

"This is..."

"Vestments."

Li Zhu said, "This robe was made by a weapon refiner and is engraved with runes. It is impervious to water and fire, and difficult for ghosts and evil spirits to invade. The armor can resist attacks from those below the level of a Ghost King. With these two garments, you should be fine going up the city wall, but you should still be careful."

Xu Dan said gratefully, "Sister, you're so good to me. How about I repay you with my body?"

To be honest, the two were not related by blood, yet she gave him such an expensive gift, which touched him a little.

"Since you call me sister, I should naturally give you something, otherwise it wouldn't be right for me to call you sister. If you like me, come over and tell me some legends when you're free. I don't have any other hobbies, I just like to hear strange and wonderful stories," Li Zhu said softly.

"Since you like it, sister, let me tidy it up and then I'll tell you a legendary story that will move heaven and earth."

"Then wait here, sister."