That night, Tianshui Gorge.

Moonlight like frost fell atop the canyon, illuminating the two silhouettes—one standing, one seated.

Zhu Hui'an was seated on a stone bench, his eyes half-open, before him a stone table. On it, a small stove held a copper kettle, which was currently steaming with boiling water.

"Ming Yuan, you may leave now."

Zhu Hui'an slowly opened his eyes and spoke indifferently.

Besides the kettle on the stone table, there was also a set of tea ware. Two tea cups were placed— one Zhu Hui'an's own, and the other quite evidently not belonging to the young man standing beside him.

The young scholar named "Ming Yuan" hesitated upon hearing this, his lips moving as if to speak but then stopping short. After a bow, he took his leave.

Zhu Hui'an, meanwhile, picked up the kettle and expertly prepared the tea, brewing one cup first before pressing his hand down on the table.

"Divine Farmer tasted Hundred Herbs, encountering seventy-two poisons each day and was saved by tea. The origin of tea began with the Jiang family, and among them, the Lie Mountain Tea is unparalleled."

The tea cup glided silently across to the opposite side while Zhu Hui'an spoke indifferently: "This Lie Mountain Tea was a gift from Jiang Family Master Jiang Tao when I visited the Jiang family years ago. But since receiving this tea, I have never unsealed it nor tasted a single drop. Today is the first time."

A gentle breeze swept across the stone table from the opposite side, from which a white hand emerged, delicate as if carved from glazed crystal, and grasped the tea cup just right.

Slowly, Jiang Li's figure became visible, his tone as even as he said, "I guess, it's not because the gentleman couldn't bear to drink it."

There are those in the world who love tea, and there are those who seek to cling to power. The former might cherish rare teas too much to consume them, the latter might refrain from drinking because of the Jiang family's power. However, Zhu Hui'an was clearly neither.

He was a man... of utilitarian purpose.

For his aims, he was willing to try anything, pay any price; so the notion of cherishing tea leaves did not apply to him. And since the Jiang family had already moved overseas four years ago and was no longer in power, there was no prestige to cling to.

"Our ways do not align. I cannot bring myself to drink the tea from the Jiang family," said Zhu Hui'an.

He appeared to be only in his thirties or forties, yet he referred to himself as an old man, his conversation tinted with a sense of the vicissitudes of life and an ambition of an old steed seeking a thousand miles. The old steed aspires, and considering that Zhu Hui'an was in reality not old and could live for another two to three hundred years—possibly even longer if he was willing to enter a Cave Heaven Blessed Land—the world had much more in store for him.

It was an ambition undiminished by age, now burning fiercely in a body not yet old.

This was why he was a utilitarian man, grasping at every opportunity, including Jiang Li.

"I guess it's because the Jiang family has no intentions of overstepping," Jiang Li said idly, placing a book with star symbols on the stone table.

— "Beichen Discernment."

A book about the Beichen starry sky, written by Zhu Hui'an himself from his astronomical studies.

The Beichen Star has a universally recognized name—"Ziwei Star."

That is, the Emperor Star.

Especially in the Great Zhou era, the importance of the Ziwei Star was particularly significant. The Ji Family regarded the Ziwei Star as a symbol of their ancestor, the Yellow Emperor, with Xuan Yuan referring to the Beidou Emperor Carriage.

Bringing out such a book had an unmistakable implication.

Facing the book, Zhu Hui'an showed no sign of upset over having his intentions revealed, and said, "No system in the world is perfect. Good intentions don't ensure a good system. Surviving the test of time does not mean the system will endure, not to mention that the current Great Zhou may not even have those original intentions. The state system of Great Zhou has lasted for eight hundred years—it's time for a change."

"At first, when the Ochre Whip was lost, a Heavenly Thunder struck into the Netherworld, reaching deep into the Earth. Since then, the Earth Uncle of the Yin Law Department has secluded himself. I saw the opportunity and personally went to the Divine Capital, hinting and suggesting, advising him to prepare early. It's a pity that he merely entertained me kindly and gave me a packet of Lie Mountain Tea as a gift."

Zhu Hui'an's gaze shifted slightly as he brewed a cup of tea for himself, his reflection on the tea surface betraying a hint of mockery, "I wonder if he regretted that move when he died."

The Jiang family possessed the qualifications to ascend the throne and receive the Emperor Dao Fruit, which would command the Earth Deities of the lands. In a sense, this was not an empty claim but a genuine possibility.

Provided the Jiang family could obtain the Emperor Dao Fruit.

At that time, the lifespan of the Emperor was coming to an end, and all that was needed was a wait of about a decade for the passing of the Emperor. Since the Earth Uncle had acted first, it was not out of the question for the Jiang family to retaliate.

Early preparation, enduring hardships for years, waiting for the opportune moment to soar. The chance of success was not great...

Jiang Li believed that the Jiang Family Master must have been tempted, otherwise, he wouldn't have sent the tea as a courtesy. But he never acted, ultimately giving up on the risk.

The probability of failure was too high.

Even if the Earth Uncle was gravely injured and did not emerge, and even after a decade when the Emperor's life would be exhausted, there'd still be Heavenly Monarch Gongsun Qi, and by that time, the Jiang family would have only Jiang Tao, a third-grade left. Indeed, it was proven to end in failure; Jiang Tao perished in the Imperial City.

The power of the Ji Family stood far above that of the Jiang family.

It was clear that Jiang Tao had some foresight, albeit limited.

Zhu Hui'an was obviously unaware of the flaw in the Emperor Dao Fruit; even if a person of the Jiang family received it, they would only follow the old system and not reform. They would simply become another Emperor.

However, these were not things he needed to tell.

Listening to Zhu Hui'an, Jiang Li analyzed before looking at the book on the table, "So, the gentleman has now turned to me?"

Like before, Zhu Hui'an once again sought out a Jiang family member, his purpose clear.

"Yes!" Zhu Hui'an, holding the tea cup, made no attempt to conceal, "I believe you can achieve great things."

Jiang Li was the prime candidate in terms of strength, potential, influence, and reputation. Most importantly, he was versatile, capable of taking a softer approach as well as a hardline one.

Rising from nothing to his current position—even though he was still fifth-rank—he was worth the investment.

Zhu Hui'an knew that Jiang Li understood all this. Someone who had worked his way up to this point should be aware of his own advantages and the heights he could reach.

Ascending to the highest pinnacle was not impossible.

His advantages were even greater than those of Jiang Tao, the former Jiang Family Master.

But Jiang Li was not swayed and instead carried a look of incomprehension, "It seems, sir, that you have pondered for a long time and have a thorough understanding of me. However, my understanding of the gentleman is quite limited."

He lifted the tea cup and drank slowly, then said, "Today, I came not to listen to whether you would support me, but to see if you have the ability to support me."

"It's not you testing me, but me testing you."

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