My Dreams Connect to Ancient Times

"My lord, your tea."

In the main hall of the lavish estate, an old servant respectfully brought a cup of clear tea to the middle-aged man, placing it on the mahogany table.

In the Celestial Vault, a purple qi spanning thousands of miles flowed from the East, mingling with the roiling clouds and fog. Even the sunlight filtering through was tinged with wisps of violet.

Lü Buwei lifted his teacup, his expression turning slightly grave as he stared at the shimmering violet hue reflected in the tea.

"A purple qi that stretches for thousands of miles... An ordinary Great Virtue couldn’t accomplish this. It must be either Kongzi or the Ghost Valley Master. The former was already approaching the border of the Chu Kingdom a few days ago; by my calculations, he should be reaching Jiangling soon. The latter seems to have been near Jiangling all along..."

"My lord, perhaps it’s that Lu Zi?" the old servant said with a smile.

"Unlikely." Lü Buwei took a sip of tea, lowered his eyelids, and said coolly, "When Lu Zi travels, he is accompanied by the Eighty-One Armors and the Eight Hundred Spirits and Monsters. There has been no news of Lu Zi for the past six months."

As he spoke, he swallowed the tea, savoring the fragrance that lingered between his lips and teeth. Then, his topic shifted.

"By the way, what do you make of the two who helped Niangrong? My sources say the young man seems to be only a Celestial Human, yet he struck an Earth Immortal down from the clouds with a single palm strike. Truly remarkable."

The old servant lowered his head and said slowly, a smile on his face:

"In response to my lord’s question, I do not know either. But regardless of whether they approached the young miss intentionally, we can at least be certain they bear good will. We can befriend them, or we could test them first."

"Mm."

Lü Buwei nodded thoughtfully. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and said wearily:

"What worries me now is that if this vast purple qi was truly caused by Master Kong, then Zi Gong will certainly have come to Jiangling as well... Zi Gong is the Patriarch of the Duanmu Family. If a conflict breaks out between us, there is a chance Master Kong might intervene."

The old servant’s gaze sharpened. "In that case..." he said, a hint of worry in his voice, "should we avoid them for now?"

"No."

Lü Buwei refused flatly. He looked up, his eyes shining as he declared:

"The Duanmu, Bai, and Fan families are all making their moves. The Lü Family Chamber of Commerce cannot hold out for much longer. That Master Kong is renowned throughout the world for his benevolence and righteousness. I’m betting that his reputation is genuine."

He paused, his gaze growing profound.

"If it really is Master Kong who has come, we will pay him a formal visit. We’ll see if we can use this opportunity to resolve the conflict with the Duanmu Family... Otherwise, the Lü Family Chamber of Commerce is in mortal danger."

The old servant’s expression also grew solemn.

Just as they were speaking, the sound of footsteps came from the rear courtyard. Lü Buwei and the old servant both turned to look and saw an old Daoist in a Daoist Robe leading the way.

The Daoist looked ancient, as if nearing the end of his life, yet his steps showed no sign of fatigue. He exuded an aura of decrepit old age, but at the same time, a vigorous vitality. It was a complex and contradictory existence, a coexistence of Yin and Yang.

Behind the old Daoist followed a young man who looked to be in his twenties or thirties. He was holding a little girl, who was draped over his shoulder, seemingly fast asleep.

"You must be Daoist Lu and Brother Zhao?"

Lü Buwei rose gracefully, a polite smile on his face. He deliberately kept his voice low, as if not wanting to disturb the sleeping girl. His smile was like a spring breeze, possessing an Innate warmth that put people at ease.

As a man who had single-handedly built his business into one of the top five in the world, Lü Buwei was not only a powerful cultivator who had reached the rank of True Immortal, but also a master of social graces.

Zhao Zheng curiously sized up the renowned middle-aged man before him.

Meanwhile, Lu Xuan, who had just managed to calm himself, gave a slight nod and said:

"Yes. You must be the master of the Lü Family Chamber of Commerce? I’ve heard much about you."

"Haha, Daoist Lu, you flatter me..." Lü Buwei still kept his voice very low, speaking softly, "I see the little girl is sleeping soundly. I wouldn’t want to disturb her. Why don’t we have her taken to a back room to rest comfortably?"

The old servant at his side stepped forward at the perfect moment, head bowed and back bent.

Zhao Zheng hesitated for a moment before carefully handing the sleeping Lu Jianxue to the old servant. As the servant walked briskly toward an inner room, Lü Buwei’s voice finally grew a little louder:

"This sudden turn of events in Jiangling... if not for you two, I fear my daughter would have been in grave danger. For your great kindness, I am eternally grateful, truly grateful!"

"You are too kind, Lord Lü."

Lu Xuan spoke unhurriedly with his eyelids lowered. The reason he was willing to exchange pleasantries with this merchant was because this man’s name had appeared in the fragmented historical records of the Current World.

One reason was the Lü’s Spring and Autumn Annals which he authored, a compilation that integrated the doctrines of the various philosophical schools and brought together the Great Success of the Hundred Schools of Thought, smelting them all in a single crucible...

Although the Lü’s Spring and Autumn Annals was not passed down to the Current World, it still left a magnificent mark on history. It must have been an extraordinary work, which in turn reflected that this Lü Buwei was also quite extraordinary... or at least, he would be in the future.

The other reason was that in the fragmented records of the Current World, this Lü Buwei was instrumental in Xiaozheng’s great unification, and even seemed to be a pivotal figure...

With this in mind, Lu Xuan continued to make idle conversation with Lü Buwei. The old servant, who had returned at some point, stood respectfully to the side.

As for Zhao Zheng, he listened in silence, offering no comment.

The two hadn’t been chatting for long when a woman in tight-fitting clothes burst in.

"Father!"

A smile appeared on Lü Buwei’s face, but he verbally chided her:

"You’re a grown woman now, yet you’re still so impetuous."

Lü Niangrong beamed, then waved and greeted everyone.

"Brother Zhao, Daoist Lu, Uncle Wei..."

Lu Xuan gave a gentle nod.

After Lü Niangrong casually sat down next to Zhao Zheng, Lü Buwei cleared his throat, steering the conversation back on topic.