208: Drunkard: Chu Chunqiu!

The Imperial Observatory is not located within the capital city, but rather on the highest peak adjacent to it: Mount Dengxian!

Legend has it that the Da Qian Founding Emperor, after unifying the realm and stabilizing its order, ascended to immortality on this very mountain, achieving true ascension!

Thus, it was named Mount Dengxian!

Originally, this place was a forbidden area for the Great Qian Imperial Family, where they erected a temple to worship the High Ancestor Emperor of Great Qian and pray for his blessings.

However, it was later favored by the Chancellor, who declared it an exceptional feng shui treasure land, uniquely blessed, not only capable of observing the stars at night and predicting fortunes by leveraging the High Ancestor Emperor of Great Qian's power, but also able to suppress the Great Qian's destiny!

The Great Qian Imperial Family found the Chancellor's words very reasonable, and his strength was sufficient to guard the High Ancestor Emperor of Great Qian's Ascension Dao field and suppress the Great Qian's national destiny, so they handed Mount Dengxian over to him for the construction of the Imperial Observatory.

Although he had visited the Imperial Observatory many times, Li Shengyuan still couldn't help but sigh with admiration.

This place truly is the top cultivation holy land in the world!

The Luo Yue Mountain Range, where Yuehua Palace is located, is considered a good blessed land, but compared to Mount Dengxian, it's still far inferior.

It is said that many hidden powerhouses of the Imperial Family cultivate in seclusion here.

Looking up from the foot of the mountain, the entire Mount Dengxian soared into the clouds, its peak out of sight, and from a great distance, one could see the scattered, exquisite palaces and pavilions on Mount Dengxian, all crafted from top-grade white jade!

And the entire Mount Dengxian was arranged by the Chancellor with a barrier array, making it difficult even for a Second-rank expert to force their way in.

Although Li Shengyuan felt it wouldn't stop him, he still planned to enter through the main gate.

After all, he was here to visit the Chancellor and, incidentally, make the old man 'bleed some gold,' so Li Shengyuan felt it was better to be polite.

The Imperial Observatory's mountain gate was guarded daily by Great Qian soldiers.

Li Shengyuan didn't even need to show his identity token or state his purpose; the guard squad at the mountain gate excitedly and respectfully let him pass.

The guard squad leader said excitedly and respectfully, "Lord Li, please come in. The Chancellor said you would be coming today and instructed us to let you pass as soon as we saw you!"

Li Shengyuan blinked in surprise, looking at the squad leader in front of him, "The Chancellor knew I was coming today?"

"Yes," the guard squad leader nodded with a smile.

"Could that old man really be a divine strategist?" Li Shengyuan muttered.

After thanking the guards, he walked up the mountain.

Along the way, the Imperial Observatory's mages he encountered all greeted him with smiles.

Although the Imperial Observatory's mages were generally arrogant and looked down on external cultivators.

However, Li Shengyuan's many deeds were enough to earn their respect.

Li Shengyuan also responded with a smile, and by the time he reached his destination, his face was almost stiff from smiling.

After reaching the middle of Mount Dengxian, Li Shengyuan stroked his chin and mused:

"That old man said I'd come to see him today, but I'm not going up right away. I'll make him wait!"

After some thought, Li Shengyuan decided to go find Addressing Ye Xingzhou.

This guy was, after all, a comrade-in-arms who had fought alongside him, so he might as well check in on him to see how he was doing!

"Ye Hangzhou, old comrade, your friend is here to extort... ah, no, to visit you!"

Pushing open the gate of Ye Hangzhou's courtyard, Li Shengyuan did not find Ye Hangzhou as he had hoped.

Instead, he saw a flushed, bleary-eyed drunkard lying on the stone table where Addressing Ye Xingzhou usually read in the courtyard...

Li Shengyuan looked at the drunkard, who was guzzling from a wine gourd, and unceremoniously walked over to snatch the gourd from his hand.

He said indignantly, "You're lying on Addressing Ye Xingzhou's table drinking again, bullying my brother because he can't speak, right?!"

"Hiccup~~~"

His reply was the drunkard's long hiccup, followed by bleary-eyed confusion as he looked at Li Shengyuan, as if he didn't recognize the person who had snatched his wine gourd.

Li Shengyuan couldn't help but roll his eyes, then said speechlessly,

"Senior Brother, which brothel did you go to for drinks last night? I didn't even see you at His Majesty's celebration banquet!"

The unreliable drunkard in front of him was the Chancellor's chief disciple, Ye Hangzhou's Senior Brother:

Chu Chunqiu!

The world called him the Wine Madman...

Don't let his unreliability fool you; he was formidable, a genuine Second-rank grandmaster!

Back when the previous emperor was still alive, he dared to act like a drunken madman at the emperor's banquet!

These two master and disciple, one acting like a drunken madman at the emperor's banquet, and the other disdaining to speak a single word to the emperor...

Each one was more impressive than the last!

Chu Chunqiu tried to widen his eyes to examine Li Shengyuan carefully, but his eyelids just wouldn't open. Li Shengyuan even worried his eyelids were cramping.

Li Shengyuan said impatiently, "Where's Addressing Ye Xingzhou? Where did he go?"

"Hiccup..." Chu Chunqiu hiccuped, then chuckled, "Oh, it's Shengyuan, my brother..."

As he spoke, he tumbled off the stone table and staggered towards Li Shengyuan, chuckling and trying to rest his arm on Li Shengyuan's shoulder.

But Li Shengyuan subtly shifted his body, calmly dodging him.

Chu Chunqiu momentarily lost his balance, stumbling sideways... then directly plopped onto the ground.

Fortunately, at the last moment, he snatched the wine gourd from Li Shengyuan's hand.

Chu Chunqiu wasn't annoyed; he just lay sideways on the ground and guzzled from the wine gourd.

Then he chuckled, "Shengyuan, my brother, you... hiccup~ you weren't in the capital these past few days, what... what a pity..."

After speaking, he took another big gulp, then winked and chuckled:

"The... the Tianxiang Pavilion has a new... new courtesan, her... her slender waist... her backside, simply amazing..."

As he spoke, Chu Chunqiu showed a look of intoxication, then shook his head regretfully:

"It's just that little lady is a bit difficult to deal with, but with... with you, it'll definitely be fine! Tonight, Shengyuan, my brother, follow your big brother, hiccup... we'll definitely win that little lady over!"

Li Shengyuan rolled his eyes repeatedly, saying impatiently:

"Don't talk nonsense. I'm a decent, good man; I wouldn't go to such places!"

Then he added with disdain, "The Demon Suppression Division's vice sweeps always include you. Even someone as innocent as Addressing Ye Xingzhou has been led astray by you, his Senior Brother!"

However, Chu Chunqiu, far from being ashamed, was proud of it. He excitedly scrambled up from the ground, came before Li Shengyuan, and wobbled as he asked:

"Has... has Addressing Ye Xingzhou, that quiet gourd, finally opened up?"

"I..."

Li Shengyuan was momentarily speechless and could only sternly say with a straight face:

"You still haven't said where Addressing Ye Xingzhou went?!"

Chu Chunqiu waved his hand dismissively, wobbled over to the stone table, and again lay comfortably on it.

"He went to... to break through to Second-rank, following Chancellor's orders..."

Li Shengyuan's eyes lit up. This was good news! If he broke through to Second-rank, he could be exploited... no, wait, they could fight side by side again!

"Hiccup..." Chu Chunqiu took a swig of wine and hiccuped. His gourd seemed bottomless...

Smacking his lips, he said, "Shengyuan, my brother, coming back from your trip is... is also uninteresting..."

"Let's go. Chancellor told... told me to wait for you here. Come with me to see him..."

Li Shengyuan: "???"

No, he had already taken a detour, and the Chancellor could still calculate it?