Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Imperial Seal of the State

  At night, compared with the gloomy and depressing princes outside Guan, the interior was filled with tables of wine, holding a grand celebration feast.

  "Hahaha! These treacherous officials and rebellious sons, they actually dare to unite and attack me, today is truly exhilarating! Another day, our household will lead the iron cavalry to crush all these miscellaneous soldiers!" Dong Zhuo exclaimed excitedly, holding his wine cup towards the generals below the tent.

  "Haha! That's right, one day we will conquer the world for our lord!" The other generals heard Dong Zhuo's boastful words and quickly raised their wine cups to flatter him.

  On the left side below Dong Zhuo, Li Ru looked at the room full of flattering songs, his face filled with worry, especially today seeing the Han soldiers looking at Qiu Shui and Lü Bu with admiration in their eyes. Li Ru felt a sense of danger lurking behind him, his heart racing with fear. Looking at Dong Zhuo who was enjoying himself, Li Ru knew that he couldn't ruin Dong Zhuo's mood now. Alas! Li Ru ate the food at today's banquet without any taste, as if chewing wax, feeling uncomfortable.

  At the banquet, Qiū Shuǐ and Lǚ Bù were the main characters of the evening. Various generals frequently came over to toast them, but Qiū Shuǐ's mind was no longer on the banquet, always distracted, while Lǚ Bù's face was full of fatigue, exhausted from responding to the toasts of fine wine.

  "General, today I am thoroughly convinced, both in heart and mouth!" At this time, Hua Xiong, with some bloodstains still on his palm, walked up to Lü Bu's autumn water, holding a wine jug, and said with a face full of respect and admiration. Without waiting for the two to talk, he tilted his head and drank down the wine in the jug, then swung his sleeve and walked out of the extraordinary and bustling big tent.

  When Hua Xiong returned to Tiger Trap Pass, Dong Zhuo surprisingly ignored him, thoroughly hurting Hua Xiong's heart. Although he had lost the battle, he had done his best and almost died on the battlefield. Now that he was back in the pass, not only did the other generals but also Dong Zhuo himself show no concern for Hua Xiong.

  Hua Xiong walked out of the camp and looked up at the bright silver moon in the sky, his face filled with loneliness. He had fought to the death for Dong Zhuo, almost losing his life, but today Dong Zhuo's indifference made him wonder if it was all worth it.

  At this time, Hua Xiong's heart didn't hate the autumn water and Lü Bu who robbed him of his limelight. After all, he had long admired their martial arts skills, especially the life-saving grace that Autumn Water had shown him today, which he couldn't repay!

  Qiu Shui and Lü Bu in the camp also noticed that Hua Xiong was acting strangely, Qiu Shui nodded to Lü Bu to go take a look, while he himself stayed behind to hold down the fort, after all one of them had to stay.

  Lü Bu saw the hint from Qiu Shui, nodded slightly and put down his wine cup, walking out of the camp. At this moment, Lü Bu felt that even holding a wine cup was a bit powerless, he had really exhausted himself in today's battle, if it wasn't for Dong Zhuo wanting to hold this celebratory banquet, Lü Bu would have gone back to rest long ago.

  A gust of cold wind blew by, and Lü Bu felt a sudden clarity in his mind. When he saw Hua Xiong gazing at the moon with a lonely look in his eyes, Lü Bu was taken aback. What's gotten into Hua Xiong that he's become so like a scholar? Walking up behind Hua Xiong, he patted him on the back of his armor and asked, "When did even rough-and-tumble warriors like us learn to sigh and lament like scholars? Ha ha!"

  Hua Xiong felt a tap on his back and turned around in surprise to see Lü Bu, and replied with admiration: "General, I..."

  Hua Xiong couldn't say anything after a long time, how could Lü Bu not see the situation today? Hua Xiong was being cold-shouldered and now he's just feeling a bit sad.

  However, as for Hua Xiong's actions today, Lü Bu was deeply respectful in his heart. A general who sought to improve his martial arts skills, knowing the danger of today, yet still charged forward, truly made Lü Bu admire him greatly.

  "Don't think about those unhappy things anymore, today you've made a breakthrough in your martial arts skills, it's really something to be happy and congratulated about! Let's go drink some wine, stop thinking nonsense." With that, Lü Bu dragged Hua Xiong into the tavern with a proud smile on his face.

  Hua Xiong was moved in his heart, looking at the majestic and extraordinary Lü Bu in front of him, he felt a surge of emotion, and without resisting, he followed Lü Bu back to the account.

  "The defeated general, also has the face to come to celebrate the victory banquet and drink wine. Hum!" Some of the generals who had not gotten along with Hua Xiong in the past saw him being pulled into the tent by Lü Bu and whispered sarcastically.

  Hua Xiong's face turned alternately pale and red with rage towards these people, but what they said was reasonable. He was the defeated general, leaving him speechless.

  "Hum! Lü Bu heard these people discussing Hua Xiong, and with a cold hum of murderous intent in his eyes, he scared the crowd into not daring to say anything more. He then pulled Hua Xiong to his own seat."

  Although the wine party had some twists and turns, it ended peacefully. It wasn't until midnight that everyone dispersed. After Autumn Water returned to her own tent, she quickly took out the gourd from around her neck and called out to Little Jade.

  "It's nothing, I'm just a bit tired."

  After hearing the soft and somewhat tired voice from the gourd, the restless heart in her chest calmed down. She knew that letting Xiaoyu take over today had caused more harm to Xiaoyu, and at this moment, Qiushui's heart was filled with guilt.

  Then Akira closed her eyes and carefully sensed that there was no one else around, then carefully took out a box from the spatial ring.

  This box is actually made of golden nanmu wood, with classical floral patterns carved on it, looking luxurious and steady. It's surprising that something like this was made into a box, which means that the things that can be put in this box are not ordinary objects.

  Qiu Shui carefully took out the box, mobilizing the little spiritual power in his body to force it to his fingertips, and saw a thread of black light appearing on his fingers.

  When the box was opened with a slight crack, it suddenly emitted colorful light, dazzling and bright. Inside, there was actually a jade seal, square and round in shape, four inches in size, with five dragons entwined on its top, and the words "Receive the Mandate of Heaven, Long Life and Prosperity" were engraved on its front face.

  What! This is actually the Imperial Seal of China, which has been passed down through the Qin and Han dynasties. It's said to be the most precious treasure in the world. Autumn Water had learned that after Dong Zhuo moved the capital to Chang'an, the eighteen vassals entered Luoyang, and Sun Jian, the governor of Changsha, discovered it at the bottom of a dry well in the palace. After some thought, Autumn Water guessed that the seal must not have been lost during Dong Zhuo's move, for such a treasure would surely have been protected by him, and he wouldn't have let it fall into someone else's hands.

  This should be after He Jin was killed by the Ten Eunuchs, his generals Yuan Shao and Cao Cao led troops into the palace to slaughter the eunuchs, causing chaos in the palace. The jade seal must have been lost at that time.

  Qiu Shui thought of this, before arriving at Hu Lou Guan, he used the earth escape to sneak into the imperial palace, one by one searching for the wellheads inside the palace, and finally found the treasure that had been passed down through generations.

  Only to see the autumn water fingertip operation of black magic, just about to touch the jade seal, the jade seal suddenly burst out a burst of light, autumn water hurriedly operated the magic, two fingers actually hook out a thread of golden gas, like living things in the autumn water fingertip disorderly string, fortunately being wrapped by autumn water's magic, otherwise would have run away.

  "Huh! Autumn water let out a breath, and forced the golden gas in her hand into the gourd. She said softly: "Xiaoyu, this is the spiritual energy born from gathering the essence of heaven and earth's aura. After you absorb it, your injury will recover soon, and your magical power will also improve."

  When the gas entered the gourd, Xiaoyu suddenly felt a surge of spiritual energy coming over, and his soul body was uncontrollably absorbing it automatically.

  Afterwards, Qiū Shuǐ saw Xiǎo Yù's condition improve, then sat cross-legged on the bed, hugging the Jade Seal, absorbing the dragon energy from above.

  .............Thanks to [Machine Beauty Man] for the reward, thanks to [Big Lazy Cat Comrade] brother's 13,000+ rewards becoming this book's first sponsor, in order to thank everyone for their support Qiū Shuǐ decided that starting on Sunday he would release two chapters a day for a week!