readytorunbook Chapter 690 What is the Real Treasure?
Chapter 690 What is the Real Treasure?
As Xu Ning lifted his foot to cross the threshold of the Hall of Rebirth, he unconsciously lightened the force of his step.
As he had seen countless times before, the Emperor sat upright in his chair, sipping his tea.
Her quiet and serene face, and her upright posture, were like a precious gem meticulously crafted by the jewelers of Liyue Harbor—flawless and impeccable.
However, Xu Ning preferred the Rock Prince on the throne of the Seven Gods Statue, who, despite leaning back in his chair with an extremely relaxed demeanor, exuded an air of dominance over the world.
It's as if the old man sitting there becomes an unbreakable barrier for Liyue, with peace and prosperity, and the lights of thousands of homes shining behind him.
Earlier, Xu Ning had wondered what kind of power had transformed the sharp-tongued Prince Yan into the gentle and mild-mannered Mr. Zhongli he was today.
However, as Xu Ning had more and more contact with the Emperor, his feelings for the Emperor began to change.
Although the Emperor had long since relinquished his duties to Liyue and become idle, he spent his days strolling the streets, listening to operas, drinking tea, and tasting wine.
However, whenever Xu Ning saw the emperor sitting upright like this, he always felt an indescribable sense of oppression, as if the surrounding air had suddenly become somewhat solidified, or as if he had suddenly shouldered a heavy burden.
This also made him become more and more composed.
The Emperor raised his eyes and said calmly, "You're back?"
Xu Ning nodded and gently placed the two jars of Qianyan wine he was carrying on the table. "These are newly brewed wines. Please have a taste."
The Emperor moved the teacup in his hand aside, and Xu Ning hurriedly took out the wine cup he had obtained from the tomb from his bosom and placed it properly in front of the Emperor.
"This was taken from the underground tomb at Cuijue Slope."
Protected by that golden light, this wine glass, despite having endured countless years, remained spotless, as clean as new.
The Emperor picked up the wine cup with his fingers and murmured, "Jade tablets for bones, jade peaks for gall... Ah, it's been so long since I've seen anything like this..."
The Emperor gently set down the wine cup and tapped it twice on the table with his finger, signaling Xu Ning to pour more wine.
Xu Ning really wanted to advise the Emperor not to use this object that had just been unearthed from the tomb, but what came out of her mouth was, "Let me warm the cup for you."
Using the hot water from the small stove next to him to brew tea, Xu Ning quickly rinsed the wine cup, filled it with wine, and respectfully placed it in front of the Emperor.
"Hmm, not bad," the Emperor said, picking up his wine cup, closing his eyes, and sniffing the aroma. "It seems to be more interesting than before."
He downed the "Thousand Rocks" in his cup in one gulp, nodded again, and said, "Indeed, you have made great progress."
Xu Ning couldn't help but smile upon receiving the Emperor's praise.
Fortunately, since the journey to Sumeru and then to the Abyss of Layered Rocks, my wine has undergone many changes, both in terms of water quality and wine source.
Although he felt that these changes were all moving in a positive direction, it was only after receiving the Emperor's approval that Xu Ning truly felt at ease.
If the Emperor is drinking, one must accompany him, but to pour wine into his cup in front of him using the Dust Concealment Gourd would be extremely impolite.
Xu Ning ran his hand across the gourd, about to take out a wine cup, when a thought struck him, and he took out a unique wine cup from his own cave.
This wine glass is the same one that came with the amber-colored wine that I exchanged for from the Wentian Pavilion in the Chenyin Cave back then.
I remember that the wine cup was called "Memories of the Golden Goblet at the Banquet." Actually, although it was called a golden goblet, the wine cup was actually carved from basalt crystal. After I got drunk, Qingyi casually threw it into the Ganlin Spring.
After Xu Ning took out the wine cup, he realized that the wine cup in the spring water was exactly the same as the one in the Emperor's hand.
This wine glass has been soaked in the spring water for a long time, so it is naturally as clean as new.
Xu Ning filled his glass, picked it up, and slowly drank, pondering the subtle connection between the two glasses.
The Emperor naturally noticed the cup as well, glancing at it quietly in Xu Ning's hand, but said nothing.
At that moment, Xu Ning suddenly saw characters appearing one after another on the outer wall of the Dust Concealment Gourd facing him.
"If Mr. Zhongli's glance were worth ten points, the cup would get two points, and the ring would get eight points—Night Orchid."
Xu Ning frowned as he read through the text that popped up one by one, and couldn't help but be surprised.
Although she didn't know if the guys inside the cave were peeking at the water curtain again, Ye Lan's words were clearly a reminder that the Emperor's glance just now was mostly focused on the ring on her right middle finger.
So, this ring is the so-called "treasure" hidden in Cuijue Slope?
The Emperor actually wanted me to retrieve this obscure ring, but I mistakenly handed him a cup instead.
"The rare treasure should be a ring, not a wine glass—Glowing Light"
"I actually got a treasure ring! How come I didn't know? Let me see this spot—Walnut!"
Xu Ning's face darkened. "Do you think this is a live chat with endless comments?"
The Emperor is still sitting right across from us!
"You must be wondering what kind of extraordinary treasure I sent you to Cuijue Slope to retrieve, right?"
The Emperor suddenly spoke, and his words hit the mark.
Xu Ning quickly cleared his throat, "Indeed, I was just thinking it couldn't be this glass..."
Xu Ning was about to show the Emperor the ring on his finger by pointing to his middle finger when he suddenly realized that this action was extremely inappropriate, so he quickly withdrew his hand and pulled it down.
However, the Emperor's next words made Xu Ning stop what he was doing.
"This wine glass is merely an unexpected bonus. The real treasure is actually the memories you saw while unlocking the stone lock."
memory?
This is not the first time Xu Ning has been emphasized for his importance in memory.
Xu Ning had frequent contact with the gods of the seven kingdoms and four kingdoms, and also learned a lot of old stories about humans and gods that had been buried in the dust of history.
Just like the earth's veins, countless rivers of memories are now flowing through my sea of consciousness, and many more are circulating underground in the Dust-Hidden Cave, relying on the roots of the newly formed World Tree.
As Xu Ning's understanding of this world deepened, he gradually felt that these memories seemed to be like the foundation of the earth's veins, and he naturally gained a profound understanding of their importance.
And since the Emperor said that, does that mean that the ring on his hand is not actually anything particularly important?
Gently pushing the ring he was about to remove back onto his finger under the table, Xu Ning got up again and poured the old man in front of him a full glass of wine.
Xu Ning will keep the Emperor's teachings in mind.