The Heavens: A Qing, the Yue Girl at the beginning

Chapter 515: Noodle shop at the alley, Lingxi Jade Talisman (4k)

"We lost this competition."

The red color of Zhao Si's eyes and the ruby-like luster of his skin gradually faded, and mental fatigue suddenly surged into his heart. But when he opened his mouth to respond, there was no reluctance in his voice, but instead it was full of yearning for a higher realm of martial arts.

"It is normal to suffer a temporary defeat. The key is to recognize one's own shortcomings and have the confidence to regain them through hard training in the future..." Zhao Si looked at Zhao Yi beside him, his eyes full of encouragement and expectation.

"When have we at Jianlu ever been afraid of a challenge?" Zhao Yi nodded silently, his expression solemn but determined. The tattered umbrella in his hand drooped gently, and the oil paper on the umbrella seemed to glow faintly in the morning light, as if responding to its owner's determination.

He knew that although they had lost today's competition, they had allowed their fellow disciples to witness a whole new realm of martial arts, the subtle mystery of the combination of water and fire. Wasn't this a rare gain?

Zhao Qing smiled slightly, his tone gentle and sincere: "Don't worry too much, the way of martial arts is to improve. The so-called victory or defeat does not depend on temporary strength or weakness, but on who can understand the world more deeply and use the power of nature more skillfully."

"Tonight, we just had a friendly exchange, which allowed each other to have a deeper understanding of the way of the sword. That's enough." Her words were like a spring breeze, instantly dispelling the depression in Zhao Yi and Zhao Si's hearts:

"Besides, today's competition focuses on the confrontation of artistic conception and energy, rather than a fight of life and death. Jianlu is famous for his indomitable Desperate Sword and is good at creating miracles in adversity. If it is a real fight, the outcome is still unknown."

As soon as Zhao Qing finished speaking, a cool autumn breeze blew through the alley, rolling up a few fallen sycamore leaves, as if to put an end to this smokeless competition. The atmosphere between the three people changed from tense to harmonious, just like after an invisible storm, only tranquility and clarity were left.

Although Zhao Jianlu and the others still suspected that she might be from the Minshan Sword Sect or the Lingxu Sword Sect of the Qin Dynasty, because the swords of Jianlu's disciples who died in the battle that year should have been collected by these two sects, but after this friendly exchange experience, their hostility was completely eliminated.

"My lady, your martial arts level is admirable. We in the Sword Furnace always respect the truly strong." Zhao Si bowed again and replied with a sincere tone: "We have benefited a lot from tonight's competition. If there is a chance in the future, I will definitely ask for your advice again."

Zhao Qing also bowed slightly in return: "Mr. Zhao Si, you are too kind. The way of cultivation is broad and profound. We still need to work hard to get a glimpse of it."

At this time, a breeze blew through the alley, bringing the aroma of a noodle shop in the distance. She smiled and suggested, "Have you two had breakfast? Changling's noodles are quite famous, why not go and try them together."

Zhao Yi and Zhao Si smiled at each other and nodded. Then, the three of them walked to the noodle shop at the alley entrance and sat down in a few seats near the door. Although the shop was not big, it was clean and tidy, exuding a warm atmosphere.

The noodle shop owner greeted the three customers warmly when he saw them: "Please come in! What would you like to eat?"

Zhao Qing smiled and ordered, "Boss, give me a bowl of spicy and sour red soup with Chinese cabbage and pork noodles, two bowls of fried noodles with shredded eel, some bean sprouts, an egg, and more noodles." She laid out more than fifty copper coins, then looked at Zhao Yi and Zhao Si, "Do you have any dietary restrictions?"

The two shook their heads and said it was okay.

Upon hearing this, the noodle shop owner immediately took the money and started to work. He skillfully picked up a handful of noodles, put them into boiling water to cook, and then scooped them out and put them into three large bowls. At the same time, he also washed the bean sprouts and beat the eggs for later use.

The boss evenly spread the marinated shredded eel on two bowls of hot noodles, added scallions, ginger and garlic to stir-fry, and then put the shredded eel and noodles into the pot and stir-fried. The heat was just right, which not only retained the freshness of the eel, but also allowed the noodles to fully absorb the fragrance of the eel.

On the other side, thin slices of meat were stir-fried with red chili oil in a frying pan, making a sizzling sound. Then, he added pickled cabbage leaves, stir-fried them for a few times, and then covered the noodles that looked like white snow sprouts with this delicious topping.

Although the cabbage, meat slices and noodles are intertwined and not presented in a complicated way, they have a simple and profound aroma that makes people salivate. The noodle soup is rich, with a light oily sheen on the surface, clear and tempting, as if telling of its extraordinary taste.

Soon, all the noodles were served, steaming hot and fragrant. Zhao Yi, Zhao Si and Zhao Qing sat together and began to taste this simple street food.

The spicy and sour red soup with cabbage and pork noodles is extremely delicious, with just the right amount of sour and spicy, leaving a lasting aftertaste; while the fried noodles with shredded eel has a rich taste, with the freshness of the shredded eel and the crispness of the bean sprouts complementing each other, and the egg on top adds a bit of nutrition and deliciousness to the dish.

As the sun got higher, more people came to make noodles. The boss couldn't handle it alone, so he woke up a few dozing employees in the shop. These employees came out of the back room with sleepy eyes, rubbing their eyes, and skillfully took over the work from the boss.

Some of them were responsible for entertaining guests, while others were busy cooking and frying noodles. The whole noodle shop suddenly became lively.

Even in Wutong Lane, where poor people from Changling live, almost everyone can eat food that is as good as that of many modern people. The prices are also affordable, and life is quite good. This shows the strength of the Qin Dynasty.

Several early risers noticed Zhao Qing and the others. Their temperaments were completely different from those of the residents in this shabby alley, especially Zhao Qing. Although she was dressed simply, the calmness and indifference revealed in her every move made it clear at a glance that she was not an ordinary person.

The guests looked at them curiously and talked in low voices, but did not dare to disturb them too much.

Zhao Qing just smiled and didn't care. She knew that everyone had their own place in this world, and no matter where they were, they should keep a normal mind. So she continued to eat and chat with Zhao Yi and Zhao Si, exchanging martial arts experiences.

"Miss Zhao Qing, I have some insights into what you just said about 'Man follows the earth, the earth follows the sky, the sky follows the Tao, and the Tao follows nature'."

While eating noodles, Zhao Si said thoughtfully: "But, I still haven't fully understood the profound meaning of this sentence 'Heaven and earth have their own positions, and Yi can be practiced in them.'"

Zhao Qing put down his chopsticks after hearing this and explained softly, "The heaven and earth have their positions, which means that everything has its position and order between heaven and earth. And it is easy to follow the way of heaven and earth, which means that we should follow the way of heaven and earth and act naturally. We cannot force it and we cannot go against heaven."

"We practice martial arts and swordsmanship to explore the laws of birth and death of all things, harmonize yin and yang, the five elements and the six qi, and make ourselves consistent with the vast universe, so as to reach the supreme realm. Only by deeply understanding this can we make a breakthrough in the way of the sword..."

“Therefore, I think that although the sword of ‘Heaven and Earth Honglu’ cultivated by Zhao Jianlu has reached the pinnacle in terms of the fire power of ‘Honglu’, I am still not as good as him, but my profound understanding of the word ‘Heaven and Earth’ is still limited.”

She slowly elaborated: "The vastness of heaven and earth is not limited to the fusion of fire and furnace... Wind, rain, thunder and lightning, the changing seasons and other natural phenomena are all the smelting and tempering of all things. The fireworks and various aspects of the world are also part of heaven and earth. Therefore, they can also be integrated into the Honglu sword intent."

When it comes to the comprehension of the way of nature, no one in this world can match Zhao Qingqi. He is also proficient in many cultivation systems and philosophical concepts, and has integrated them all, which soon made Zhao Yi and Zhao Si fascinated.

……

In another corner of Wutongluo, as usual, Ding Ning got up at sunrise, watching Changsun Qianxue dressing up. Then he quickly finished washing up and helped Changsun Qianxue to cook millet porridge. When the fire was almost ready, he slowly simmered it over a low fire, and took his own coarse porcelain bowl to the shop he often went to to buy noodles.

The reason for this is that Changsun Qianxue is a germaphobe and doesn't like to eat outside food. Moreover, during her long-term practice, she has become accustomed to this light and simple diet.

In addition to making wine, Ding Ning is responsible for taking care of Changsun Qianxue in all the chores in the wine shop, including her food and daily life.

However, Ding Ning did it very carefully and willingly. Even when he was helping Changsun Qianxue to cook porridge, watching the flames flickering, and watching Changsun Qianxue walking back and forth not far from him, he would feel very warm and happy.

Because some things are best not to be remembered again, but some people must be cherished.

Just as he was about to open the door of the wine shop and step out, a cold voice sounded. Changsun Qianxue appeared not far behind Ding Ning with a frown on her face and reminded him:
"One is at the lower level of the Seventh Realm, one is at the middle level of the Seventh Realm, and I cannot tell the identity of the other one for now. He seems to be at the middle level of the Seventh Realm as well, but his aura is like the result of the fusion and superposition of six peak Sixth Realm masters. This kind of strange technique has never been seen before."

With the blessing of the Nine Netherworld Sword, her perception was amplified several times, and even those who had just entered the Eighth Realm might not be able to catch up. "It's at the noodle shop you often go to. Three people are gathered together. The first two are Zhao Jianlu's men, but they don't seem to be in good condition... It's better to avoid them."

"You can eat something else first, and then wait for the carriage that will pick you up from Aries Cave, and then set off directly."

"If it's no accident that these three people came to Wutong Falls, then trouble is inevitable."

Ding Ning smiled bitterly, hesitated for a moment, and finally opened the door: "Instead of dealing with it passively, it is better to take the initiative to face it and find out more information. Zhao Jianlu's disciples are not our enemies."

……

After leaving the house, Ding Ning quickly walked to the noodle shop at the corner of the alley, which was filled with steam and the aroma of oil. Then, he unexpectedly saw Zhao Qing in the shop and was very surprised: Why did the new elder of Baiyang Cave come here? And with Zhao Yi and Zhao Si?
A gray-shirted swordsman respectfully turned into the alley. He was also one of the people Ding Ning knew, a loyal subordinate of Wang Taixu from the second floor, from the Jingmo Sect. He also walked into the noodle shop, but did not simply make noodles. Instead, he quietly handed a small package to Zhao Qing who had already finished his noodles.

Glancing at the ordinary people around him, Zhao Qing cut off their related memories and part of their vision and hearing. He asked Ding Ning and Jing Mozong to sit on the seats beside him for a while. In front of Zhao Yi and Zhao Si, he directly opened the package and took out a secret letter hidden in a wax ball and several pieces of creamy jade.

She opened the secret letter, read it quickly, frowned slightly, then relaxed her brows, as if she had thought about the contents of the letter. She ignited a cluster of crystal flames in her palms, burned it to ashes, then picked up the different pieces of jade and began burning them fiercely.

As her mind flowed, the jade began to melt rapidly under the flames, first turning into a liquid mixed together to remove impurities, and then divided into four equal parts in a certain specific ratio, slowly gathering into four tokens of regular shape and uniform size.

Zhao Qing's fingers gently rotated, and the flames danced with them. Bits of starlight continuously penetrated into the depths of the token. Threads of true energy flowed through it, accurately engraving complex, obscure and ancient runes that merged with the jade itself.

When the last wisp of flame dissipated, four tokens lay quietly in her hands, with a delicate luster on the surface.

"Everyone, this is a new communication token I developed, called 'Lingxi Jade Talisman'."

Zhao Qing briefly introduced: "This jade talisman is extraordinary. It can be activated by infusing it with true essence and allowing it to flow through a specific rune circuit. It can be edited to send the information you want to input, and receive signals from others during frequency modulation, thus achieving mutual communication within a range of thousands of miles."

"Normally, as long as there are no large obstructions nearby and no powerful practitioners causing interference that could cause a riot of vital energy, holding this token will allow you to use the reflection mechanism of the high-altitude wind layer to remotely transmit information and stay in touch at any time."

This is actually a shortwave radio station developed by Zhao Qing based on the methods of refining magic arrays and talismans and the achievements of modern science and technology. It can modulate the fluctuations of vital energy into encrypted signals and is powered by spiritual energy and true energy.

Relying on the principle of "pulling the thread of vital energy", she successfully integrated the transceiver properties equivalent to a giant antenna of more than ten meters into a small token. Due to the high transmission power and low electromagnetic noise in the environment, the communication distance can easily reach thousands of kilometers, and even cover the entire world.

However, things like solar flares, the turbulence of vital energy caused by the collision of auras between the surrounding seven realms masters, and the use of lightning techniques by the fifth and sixth realms would also cause interference in communications, just like the elemental turbulence in the dragon world.

At the same time, with the help of Wang Taixu's channels, Zhao Qing has collected thousands of kinds of vegetables, fruits, medicinal materials, and minerals from the Sword Dynasty world. The secret letter just now listed the purchase results, and he was ready to analyze and explore them one by one to confirm their value.

Afterwards, she will not only use the various local specialties to refine pills, ointments and other items, but will also take some of them to the modern laboratory in the Dragon World to further test their properties to see whether they are mutated species in the spiritual environment and what their cultivation value is.

As for the actions at the fish market, in addition to planning the top-level skills passed down by the witch ancestor of this world, they also have the same intention of collecting and testing spiritual minerals. By the way, they can also spend money to recruit a group of criminals in the fish market to act as cannon fodder to carry out certain high-risk tasks.

As for so much copper and silver, they naturally have to be imported from the Dragon World. Considering their exchange rate with the current gold of the Qin Dynasty, even if it is much lower than the market price, Zhao Qing can make a lot of money and earn hundreds of billions by simply trading them back and forth.

In today's world, with the help of extraordinary practice and rune magic tools, the steel production of major dynasties has reached millions of tons, and the level of metallurgical industry is already quite good. However, compared with the modern society of the 21st century, the efficiency of mining and metal production is still far behind.

"A remote communication device? It sounds like it can transmit a lot of information, and it's not a one-time item?"

Seeing Zhao Qing casually distribute the four jade talismans to himself, Jing Mo Zong, Zhao Yi and Zhao Si, Ding Ning was secretly surprised. He had been dragged into modern society and beaten up some people. Although he had not seen much and could not recognize modern Chinese characters, he had also noticed the magic of computers and telephones.

In this era when major dynasties confronted each other and wars and conflicts often broke out, when many forces were fighting, the smooth and timely flow of information was undoubtedly crucial.

In addition to the traditional mechanism of fast horses delivering messages and beacon towers, it mainly relies on specially trained hawks, falcons, geese and sparrows with a certain level of cultivation, as well as spiritual beasts and exotic beasts ridden by powerful practitioners.

The army also has some unique instruments for transmitting messages, such as the two-heart worm, the traction horn, etc. There are induction beads in Jiaodong County and overseas. These beads are naturally generated on the seabed, in pairs of two. If one bead is damaged, the other bead will also dissipate its vitality and break.

This kind of magic weapon is generally used in the army to convey the simplest military orders, such as attack and retreat, but it is difficult to convey any specific instructions.

Therefore, the revolutionary nature of the "Lingxi Jade Talisman" that Zhao Qing took out now is self-evident. It not only breaks the limitations of traditional communication methods, but also provides the holder with unprecedented information advantages at the strategic level.

"Senior Zhao Qing, this 'Lingxi Jade Talisman' is truly ingenious and breathtaking." Ding Ning took the jade talisman and examined it carefully, with an indescribable shock in his heart. He knew how important this communication tool would play in future battles.

……