Chapter 602: OUT OF SECLUSION!

Fallen leaves spun and covered the black and white stones on the go board.

The armored scales of the Peng Ze demon chief were "treasured" by the senior brothers, who clutched the turtle plates without letting go.

For half an hour.

Liang Qu held them to the morning light, side-on—every surface covered in fingerprints.

The senior brothers were still unsatisfied.

Turtles naturally shed their shells during growth; one molt yields dozens of plates, thin yet highly resilient membranes.

The shed scales of spirits are merely thicker, unfit even for armor—best used as medicinal ingredients at most.

But the turtle that shed these was no ordinary creature.

The demon chief of the Jianghuai Great Marsh is a dragon-serpent, yet in myths and legends, dragon-serpents mostly appear as malevolent figures, lacking dignity.

No one in Jianghuai takes pride in wearing dragon-serpent scales.

General Yuan is different: publicly, he has never seized the Dragon Palace, and his rare appearances amplify his mystery.

Once in a while.

He helped "lotus-picking girls," "washing women," and "weavers" cure hidden illnesses and restore youth.

Long-lived, compassionate toward mortals, rescuing the suffering and aiding the destitute…

A living omen!

Centuries of quiet, unseen influence have made him a unique cultural symbol in the hearts of the people around Peng Ze.

Even martial masters are not immune to convention.

Before becoming a force that shakes the eight directions and stirs the world, who wasn't a babbling infant?

Early impressions leave the deepest marks.

Yang Xu dared not imagine how much of a sensation it would be to unveil the scales at his younger brother's birthday banquet—sending longevity treasures might not match the prestige of this.

The key is it costs nothing!

Both substance and appearance covered.

"Where's the gift box?"

"When I returned, I arranged for someone to match it, said it'd be delivered before dark. Originally planned for nanmu, but the shopkeeper insisted on replacing it with purple sandalwood—free bonus."

Yang Xu chuckled.

"You can gift demon beast scales, but you won't skimp on the box?"

"I didn't ask." Liang Qu denied flatly. "The shopkeeper wanted an opportunity—I gave him one."

"What are you chatting about? Oh, little brother's back from Peng Ze! How's it different from the Jianghuai Great Marsh?"

"Has little brother Liang eaten breakfast yet? Good—Master Jia made morning snacks: crab roe dumplings. Care for a couple?"

Cao Rang and Hu Qi entered, carrying food boxes.

Xu Xu Yue waved them over.

"Forget breakfast—come quick, see this! You've never seen anything like it!"

"What's so special?"

The two saw the scales and their spiritual senses linked.

"Sss~"

No need to say.

Two more fingerprints added to the scales.

Evening.

The black horse flicked its tail.

Wheels rolled over stone slabs.

The shopkeeper rode his carriage to the Xu family gate, saw Liang Qu emerge from the courtyard, and his tense heart eased by half.

He had limited experience—he couldn't tell if General Yuan's scales were real or fake.

But if it came from the Xu household, and they chose this exact box design, the chance of fraud dropped sharply.

If it truly was General Yuan…

The shopkeeper hurried forward, offering the gift box.

"Your Excellency, it's still early—take a look, see if anything's amiss. We can still fix it."

The scales were flat and wide, so the entire box resembled a giant pizza box; made of purple sandalwood, it felt heavy in the hand.

On the front, a single continuous engraved character " Shou " stood tall, dominating most of the surface.

On the back, a divine turtle carrying a mountain, shrouded in auspicious clouds, waves crashing.

Along the lower edge of the " Shou " character, plum, peach, chrysanthemum, and pine were carved, clustered around Liang Qu's name in a splendid, exquisite arrangement.

The face!

"Excellent craftsmanship!"

A nearby apprentice chimed in: "We heard these were General Yuan's scales—our shopkeeper paid out of his own pocket to hire Master Ding Tingzan. Otherwise, with such intricate patterns, ordinary artisans wouldn't finish in three or four days."

"Enough!" The shopkeeper scolded sternly. "No matter how much silver, it's all a matter of heart—from the people of Huangzhou to Master Xu—and respect for General Yuan!"

The shopkeeper and apprentice played their parts perfectly.

Liang Qu saw right through their intent, tapped the box.

"Shopkeeper, rest easy—tomorrow at the birthday banquet, I'll say a few words for you."

"Oh my, how embarrassing!"

"Hey, this gift box is so exquisite, materials so precious—it's no worse than anyone else's birthday gift. How could you lose out?"

"Your generosity, young master, old man thanks you!" The shopkeeper dared not refuse further, bowed deeply. Seeing Liang Qu satisfied, he rubbed his palms at the end.

"Shopkeeper, something else?"

"There's one more thing I'd like to ask young master."

"Speak freely."

"This morning when you left, I kept thinking—suddenly remembered the portrait of the 'Crossing the River Dragon' who won first place at the Chishan Ridge Great Hunt. Majestic, refined—you bear a striking resemblance…"

"That was me." Liang Qu admitted calmly.

"So it's truly you, young master!" The shopkeeper's spirits soared. "I knew only a true dragon among men could meet General Yuan's gaze! You're top-tier in all the land!"

Perfect!

From Xu family's side, fifty percent—now eighty percent because of the Crossing the River Dragon!

Took back the gift box.

Tan Tan began evening training in the courtyard.

Long Yao wiped the fingerprints off the scales and placed them into the gift box lined with red velvet.

Originally planned to bathe and rest.

Bang bang bang!

Xu Xu Yue knocked on the door.

"Liang Ashui, Master's out of seclusion!"

…

Shh.

Liang Qu and Xu Xu Yue darted through the corridors, leaving trails of motion-blurred shadows, sending countless fallen leaves swirling as they raced to the courtyard.

Four corners of the courtyard burned bright candles, orange light illuminating faces.

Many people present.

At the front stood the Xu family's First and Second Ancestors, followed by Xu Xu Rongguang and his wife, and Master Xu Shi. Beyond the five Xu family members were nine senior brothers—no outsiders.

"Where's Master?"

Liang Qu scanned the group—no sign of Yang Yang Dongxiong.

Xu Xu Yue shook his head.

"Don't know. Earlier, Master said he was coming out of seclusion—I rushed to call everyone. You were the last."

Well then.

Liang Qu had the feeling they'd deliberately gathered everyone.

"Master's quick—only ten days total?"

"This is the result of deep accumulation and sudden release…"

"From now on, I'm a Jiang Zongshi's disciple—gagaga."

"Xu Cao Shixiong, don't laugh so lewdly—it doesn't suit a Jiang Zongshi's disciple!"

"Audacious! How dare you disrespect the Jiang Zongshi's direct disciple!"

Creak.

The door hinge turned.

The courtyard's chatter ceased instantly—all eyes snapped to the door.

The room inside was dark, unlit.

One foot stepped over the threshold, into the orange glow.

From bottom to top.

One step forward.

The entire figure stepped fully into the light.

He grew taller.

Liang Qu's first impression.

Compared to his fellow disciples, Yang Yang Dongxiong was never tall, but now, upon seeing him again, he was clearly an inch taller.

Yet the most striking change was his face—he had transformed from a little old man into a middle-aged man.

Black beard, black hair, radiating vitality; his brows and expression bore at least eight-tenths resemblance to Cao Shixiong Yang Xu!

A perfect likeness!

No wonder they were father and son!

Before the fellow disciples could recover from their master's dramatic transformation, the Xu family's Second Ancestor was the first to offer congratulations.

A single stone stirred a thousand waves.

"Master!"

"Master has grown younger!"

"Has Master become a Grand Master?"

The disciples spoke all at once.

"Nearly identical," Yang Yang Dongxiong stroked his beard and smiled lightly. "The Xuan Huang Qi is not hard to consume—it takes only two or three days to complete. The key lies in constructing the divine ability. Today, the main structure is done; only the fine, painstaking details remain, which cannot be finished in less than ten more days. But tomorrow is my father-in-law's birthday banquet, so I've decided to emerge early."

Xu Xu Rongguang solemnly said: "The banquet is minor—do not sacrifice the greater for the lesser."

"It poses no risk. If my father-in-law doubts it, ask the First Ancestor or the Second Ancestor."

The Xu family's First Ancestor nodded.

"Since the main structure is complete, the fine details are no concern."