Chapter 17: Chapter Sixteen: Song Changqing and Guan Huchen

Danzi was a sturdy little savage boy, no more than three years old, with a round, sturdy build.

Now his face was as pale as gold paper, splattered with blood foam on his cheeks and chest, his lips still spitting blood, his large, round eyes filled with pain and confusion.

“Dani, what’s wrong?” Xiao Yu ran over, supporting his small head as she cried out in concern.

Qingsong the Daoist acolyte sighed, “He is your Sha-Ma’s destined warlord—the potential dragon before its transformation into a true dragon. Now that the dragon vein has been severed, the potential dragon tied to its qi naturally suffers a grievous blow.”

“But since the connection is one of qi, not blood, his life is not in danger.”

“As long as his life is safe!” Xiao Yu exhaled in relief.

“You care for him deeply? Who is he to you?” Qingsong the Daoist acolyte smiled.

“He’s my brother.”

“Auntie Xiao Yu, I hurt, I feel so awful...” Dani wept.

Xiao Yu felt awkward, looked up at Qingsong, and explained, “I lost my parents young; luckily, Uncle Shazong of the tribe took me in and cared for me.”

Later, Uncle Shazong died in the wild, so I lived with his daughter, Shaye.

Last year, during an unexpected late cold snap, Sister Shaye fell ill and passed away.

I had a sisterly bond with Dani’s mother, but I was still so young, so...”

Shazong was the “first-generation foster father.”

Without his aid and upbringing, Xiao Yu would have perished long ago.

She had never forgotten the debt of gratitude owed to the “first-generation foster father.”

Though she said she lived with Shaye, in truth, she was the one caring for “Sister Ye,” who was older than her.

Not only did she raise Sister Ye, she helped her become the First Lady of Shaqiu—the second wife of the Shaqiu King.

The year after Sister Ye married the Shaqiu King, she gave birth to Dani.

Xiao Yu named him “Sha Dan,” because when he was born, he was plump and round, like a meaty egg.

Had nothing gone awry, when Dani inherited the throne, Sister Ye would have become Empress Dowager, living a life of ease and comfort.

Unfortunately, Sister Ye’s fortune was poor; Xiao Yu could plan for many things, but she could not stop birth, aging, sickness, or death.

Given her relationship with Sister Ye and her father, it was natural for Dani to call her “Auntie.”

But she was also the Shaqiu King’s adopted daughter, making her roughly equal in rank to Dani.

Moreover, she didn’t want to be called “Auntie” at such a young age.

But Dani couldn’t change how he spoke.

His mother deeply respected and was grateful to Xiao Yu, and from the moment he could speak, she made him call her “Auntie.”

Even on her deathbed, she entrusted Dani to Xiao Yu, hoping she would become his adoptive mother!

In daily life, Xiao Yu didn’t need to raise Dani.

Unlike when his father died and he became an orphan, Dani still had his biological father, uncles, and a shaman grandmother—he wasn’t alone.

“I see,” Qingsong the Daoist acolyte said, his expression clearing as he understood the complex bond between Xiao Yu and Dani. “With you around, he will surely become king—no one can compete with him.”

“And he will surely be shaped by you into a great warlord, dominating the Western Sands.”

Xiao Yu’s scalp prickled, sweat beaded on her soles.

In that instant, she understood exactly how Liu Bei had felt when discussing heroes with Cao Cao over wine.

“Being a savage king in Shaqiu is worse than being born into a wealthy family in Zhonghua.”

“If I had the means to cross the vast desert, I would have taken Dani away long ago.”

Liu Bei had been pure bluffing; Xiao Yu’s words carried 80% sincerity!

“Now you’ve gotten your wish—you and your nephew will both leave Shaqiu with General Guan.” Qingsong the Daoist acolyte smiled.

“That’s wonderful!” Xiao Yu slipped effortlessly into dramatic mode, her expression moved, eyes reddening, tears streaming, as she hugged Dani’s head tightly, exclaiming, “Dani, we’re blessed!

Remember, this is the grace of Elder Qingsong and our Great Qin—this immense favor can never be repaid in a lifetime!”

“Elder Qingsong... our Great Qin...” Qingsong the Daoist acolyte’s baby face twisted slightly.

“I’m no elder—I’m just a lowly Daoist acolyte in the Dao Palace.”

“In the Dao Palace, before the Virtuous True Immortals, you may be a mere acolyte—but outside the Dao Palace, if not you, who dares claim reverence? Acolyte and elder are defined by contrast—in my eyes, you are worthy of being called ‘Dao Ancestor’!” Xiao Yu said earnestly.

“Stop this nonsense!” Qingsong the Daoist acolyte had been smiling and nodding at the earlier remarks, but at the word “Dao Ancestor,” his face darkened. “Some of your words had merit, but ‘Dao Ancestor’? How dare you speak such a name?”

“Elder Master, I, Xiao Yu, am a savage, ignorant and foolish!” Xiao Yu bowed her head and admitted her fault.

“Elder Master... heh,” Qingsong the Daoist acolyte smiled again. “Look at my face—it’s even younger than yours. How old do you think I am?”

“Elder Master is an immortal—your cultivation must span a thousand or eight hundred years,” Xiao Yu flattered.

“You’re at least wiser than most mortals...” Qingsong the Daoist acolyte glanced at Guan Huchen and the black-armored riders.

These men, especially Guan Huchen, called him “Envoy” to his face, but behind his back, they mocked him as “little acolyte” or “little Daoist.”

Did they truly believe his youthful face meant he was young in age or low in cultivation?

In the Zhengyang Dao Palace, he was a gatekeeper, greeting and seeing off visitors—but outside the Dao Palace... Sha-Ma Xiao Yu spoke well, spoke perfectly! Outside the Dao Palace, even in Xianyang, he was an elder!

“But I’m no immortal—I have no thousand-year cultivation, but one hundred and eighty years of arduous practice? That I have in abundance.”

“Whoa, one hundred and eighty years! That’s nearly as long as the Old Immortal of Yingxiang Prefecture!”

One of the black-armored riders, lacking restraint, blurted out.

His companion immediately yanked his cloak and hissed a warning.

Qingsong the Daoist acolyte glanced at the sun climbing to midheaven and said, “Pack up. Prepare to leave.”

“Master, what of Song Changqing and the others...”

Guan Huchen pointed at the “dragon’s lair” pit still spewing yellow vapor, his expression hesitant and worried.

He felt no emotional bond or regret toward Song Changqing and the others.

Especially the eight black-armored riders he’d ordered to dig the pit—all commoners, their deaths meant nothing.

But if Song Changqing died here, it could bring him incalculable loss.

“Did you hear them calling for help?” Qingsong the Daoist acolyte asked.

Guan Huchen shook his head. “Only the initial scream cut off abruptly—no other sound. My men called from afar—no reply.”

“Then why are you wasting words?” Qingsong the Daoist acolyte snapped.

“Save me! Help me~~~”

No sooner had the Daoist acolyte spoken than his words were contradicted—a weak voice, faint yet clear, rose from the pit’s depths.

“It’s Song Changqing!” Guan Huchen perked up immediately and strode forward.

But when he saw the bloody-yellow mist, he instantly calmed.

“Wang Bao, Li Qing, go pull Song’s deputy out.” He began selecting “scapegoats” again.

Wang Bao and Li Qing did not respond as eagerly as the “Eight Brave Digging Riders” had.

They hesitated, exchanged glances, then bowed together and said, “General, there are many Sha-Ma here—let them go.”

Guan Huchen looked at Qingsong the Daoist acolyte.

“The yellow vapor spewing forth is ‘dragon vein blood’—essentially ‘earth qi.’ If the Sha-Ma touch or absorb it, they won’t become potential dragons, but eight out of ten will sprout one or two ‘grassland dragons’!”

“It won’t threaten the Western Shu kingdom’s fortune, but it may harass villages beyond Hengsha Pass, causing border disturbances.” Qingsong the Daoist acolyte smiled.

Guan Huchen didn’t hesitate—he ordered Wang Bao and Li Qing to select several Sha-Ma, choosing a few elderly, weak, and women to descend into the pit and drag out the man.

“A ghost! There’s a bleeding skull ghost inside~~” The savage women, upon reaching the pit’s edge, screamed in terror and fled backward.

“Stop! Don’t come back until you drag him out!”

Wang Bao and Li Qing drew their saber blades and roared menacingly at the women.

“There’s a monster—the skulls are animated!” one woman shrieked in panic.

“Aunt Guo, there’s Elder Qingsong here—don’t be afraid. Those skulls are probably the fallen knights,” Xiao Yu called out.

Honestly, hearing “dragon blood” benefited the Sha-Ma, she herself had wanted to volunteer.

But at this sensitive moment, when her own life wasn’t yet safe, she couldn’t draw attention or invite suspicion.

Under Xiao Yu’s reassurance, the women, trembling with fear, crept back to the pit’s edge, tossed a rope, tied it around Song Changqing, and together pulled him up.

He was now little more than a clay statue, coated in a thick layer of yellow-brown mud that still writhed, like a layer of earth’s stomach lining.

“Tsk tsk—survived a clash with a nation’s dragon vein. Even a newborn savage kingdom’s dragon vein is a complete one. His life is stubbornly hard—but what bad fortune!”

Qingsong the Daoist acolyte studied the “mud man,” clucking his tongue, his eyes holding pity and faint mockery.

Guan Huchen gave Wang Bao and Li Qing a glance. The two riders stepped forward, their boots heavy, and—“clang!”

Their bright saber blades flashed, illuminating their cold, cruel faces.

“Thud! Thud!”

The women never had time to cry out—heads rolled, gurgling onto the ground.

Qingsong the Daoist acolyte sneered. “Killing is crude and simple, but it doesn’t solve the problem.”

Guan Huchen had long been simmering with rage; since the dragon vein was severed, he’d felt a strange, gnawing irritation.

Now he couldn’t hold back. He retorted, “Marquis Lieyang slaughtered over ten thousand of the Ji family of Lu!”

Instantly he regretted it—wished he could slap himself: How could he offend a Great Qin envoy? No amount of flattery was too much! How dare he respond to a mocking word with such insolence?

Especially since this little Daoist brat was cruel, ruthless, and had no moral limits!

“Forgive me, my lord—I was foolish!” He immediately bowed and apologized.

Qingsong the Daoist acolyte didn’t anger—he studied Guan Huchen carefully, then turned to watch Song Changqing writhing on the ground. His baby face twisted into understanding and a cold smile. “I don’t blame you—I understand your situation.”

“You’ve been afflicted by dragon qi backlash—your mind is clouded, your reason drowned in agitation. You’ll speak recklessly, act suicidally, again and again.”

“I understand you, so I forgive you—but other nobles may not.”

“How can dragon qi backlash occur?” Guan Huchen’s face paled. “Wasn’t it Song Changqing who severed the Sha-Ma dragon vein?”

He certainly suffered backlash—just look at him; he nearly ended up like the others, his flesh and blood dissolving into skeletons.

The fact that he’s still alive is thanks to how tough his life is.

But you two’s connection—you know it well—your qi is linked, so you’ll inevitably be affected.” The Green Pine Daoist Acolyte chuckled.

“Qi linked?” Xiao Yu felt a surge of shock and quietly sized up “Lord Guan” and “Song Ugly Ghost.”

Song Ugly Ghost couldn’t see or understand, but Lord Guan, upon hearing this, showed little change in expression—yet his pupils shrank sharply, and he unconsciously pressed his lips tight.

—He was deeply tense!

The Green Pine Daoist Acolyte straightened his expression and said gravely: “I don’t blame you for speaking recklessly, but some things must be made clear.

Marquis Lieyang slaughtered the Ji family of Lu State to uphold justice.

The Qin legal code states plainly: those who defy the Emperor’s orders shall be executed; vassal states that rebel against the Emperor shall have their nine clans exterminated!

Marquis Lieyang’s killings were lawful, open, and in accord with heavenly principle.”

He gave a light laugh and added: “Besides, Qin doesn’t just kill—didn’t I come here to plug the leaks and balance yin and yang?”

“Your Excellency speaks truly; this general has learned his lesson.” Guan Huchen bowed again respectfully.

“General, Envoy!” Wang Bao and Li Qing approached together and reported: “Deputy Commander Song is completely coated in yellow mud—it’s most peculiar. Should we fetch water to rinse him off?”

“No need. Once outside the Sand Dunes, the yellow mud will naturally dry and crust over, turning into ordinary dirt—crumble with a tap, wipe off with a swipe.” The Green Pine Daoist Acolyte said.