Chapter 550 - 484: Innate Token, Hidden Skill Pavilion

An Yuxing lifted his glass, first taking a sniff, then tasted a sip, his eyes lighting up before he drank it all down in one gulp.

Savoring the wine as it went down his throat, An Yuxing’s eyes slightly squinted, thoroughly relishing the taste.

"Is this the Hundred Herbs Brew?"

After tasting, An Yuxing displayed a surprised expression.

Over the years, Yang Zhenshan’s skill in brewing had improved significantly, and while it still wasn’t on par with those famous winemakers, it was almost as good.

However, what surprised An Yuxing wasn’t whether the taste of Hundred Herbs Brew was good or bad, but the sensation it brought him.

Once the wine settled in his belly, a gentle warmth spread throughout his body, giving him a sense of relaxation, and at the same time, his spirit also felt sharp and vigorous.

Yang Zhenshan spoke with a smile, "Hundred Herbs Brew, as the name implies, is made from a hundred kinds of medicinal herbs, with a sweet and mellow flavor, and a long-lasting aroma. Regular consumption can enhance one’s constitution and heal injuries."

Of course, Hundred Herbs Brew had other effects, but those weren’t as apparent and not worth explaining.

An Yuxing nodded, "Not bad, not bad, truly a rare good wine!"

"Haha, glad you like it, senior!" Yang Zhenshan poured another cup for the two of them.

Subsequently, the three of them engaged in boozy revelry, enjoying their drinks to the fullest.

Yang Zhenshan didn’t just bring out Hundred Herbs Brew, but also other wines.

An Yuxing tasted each one and offered very fair evaluations.

His favorites were the Hundred Herbs Brew and peach blossom wine; as for the others, not that they were bad, just not to his taste.

After a few rounds of drinks and a variety of dishes, Yang Zhenshan broached the subject, "Senior, could you perhaps tell the junior about Da Rong’s Innate Martial Artists?"

"Oh, you want to hear about those Innate Martial Artists?" An Yuxing casually asked, slightly tipsy.

"Well, the junior doesn’t know much about Da Rong’s Innate Martial Artists, nor know where to start asking," Yang Zhenshan said helplessly.

Even though Ji Zhen had discussed this with him before, Ji Zhen was also not clear on many details, with many things being guesswork and not reliable at all.

An Yuxing pondered for a moment and said, "Then let’s talk about the recorded Innate Martial Artists of Da Rong. Now that you’ve entered the Innate Realm, he—"

He glanced at Lu Baishu beside him, "He’s also close, so it shouldn’t be breaking the rules to let you know!"

"Rules?" Yang Zhenshan was taken aback.

"You’ll probably know in two days. Every Innate Martial Artist of Da Rong needs to be recorded. They’ll explain it to you when you register," An Yuxing didn’t want to dwell on these trifles.

Someone would naturally come to handle these matters with Yang Zhenshan in time, so there was no need for him to explain.

"In Da Rong, there are a total of thirty-eight recorded Innate Martial Artists! This does not include those three old eunuchs in the palace or the two members of the royal family!"

"Royal family?" Yang Zhenshan couldn’t help but interject again.

"Mm, one of them is Prince Yu in the Imperial City. He is the Imperial Uncle to Your Majesty. The other is the one stationed at the Imperial Mausoleum! As for that one, I don’t know much either, only that he has stayed in the Imperial Mausoleum for eighty years!"

Yang Zhenshan’s expression flickered—eighty years, that really was antique.

An Yuxing continued, "Apart from them, we have thirty-eight recorded Innate Martial Artists in Da Rong, which makes thirty-nine including you!"

Yang Zhenshan gave a slight nod—it was a bit more than what Ji Zhen mentioned, moving the total count over forty.

"Including eight nobles, seven from Sanshan Valley, three monks from Dacheng Temple, and additionally, twenty from the worldly society!"

"I reside in Sanshan Valley, where there are only retired officials from the court. As for the monks of Dacheng Temple, you needn’t bother with them. They spend all day fasting and praying, completely detached from worldly matters!"

Yang Zhenshan was surprised; he really hadn’t expected Dacheng Temple to have Innate Martial Artists, much less three.

Three monks, tsk tsk, one must not underestimate their strength.

At the same time, Yang Zhenshan hadn’t expected that among the nobles, there were as many as eight Innate Martial Artists.

Eight, more than he had anticipated; he only knew of one in the Changping Marquis Mansion.

"Which nobles?" Yang Zhenshan inquired.

An Yuxing chuckled and said, "Duke Ning, Duke Shou, Duke Xing, Marquis Changping, Marquis Suning, Marquis Hai Ning, Marquis Wuding, and Marquis Jianchang—these families all have Innate Martial Artists!"

"Duke Shou?" Yang Zhenshan again showed a shocked expression.

He wasn’t surprised about the other families having Innate Martial Artists; even Duke Ning Mansion having an Innate Martial Artist wasn’t surprising, given Duke Ning Mansion’s profound heritage, having one was normal.

But to find out that Duke Shou himself was an Innate Martial Artist was quite astonishing.

"Otherwise, why do you think he was granted the title of Duke?" An Yuxing said with a smile.

"Not because the late emperor gratefully remembered the Empress Dowager’s kindness—" Yang Zhenshan stopped mid-sentence.

Previously Duke Shouning, being related by marriage, it was normal for him to be granted a marquis title, but to be granted a Duke title—that indeed was unprecedented in Da Rong.

And now, Duke Shou was over a hundred years old, an age considered to be a long life.

Yang Zhenshan’s expression revealed comprehension. So that was it. He had previously wondered how Duke Shou could live so long—if Duke Shou was an Innate Martial Artist, then everything made sense.

"As for the Innate Martial Artists in seclusion—" An Yuxing thought for a moment and said, "You’ll gradually find out about them later."

Yang Zhenshan nodded, knowing An Yuxing preferred not to elaborate.

The Innate Martial Artists in seclusion were more complex. They all had their own backgrounds and origins, possibly from Jianghu forces or retired Military Officers from the court. If one were to explain each case, it would surely take a lot of time.