Chapter 1: Seeking the Dragon

Though Yongzhou is remote, it has been a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers since ancient times.

According to the "Tang History: Yongzhou Gazetteer," Yongzhou is a land of "strange mountains and turbulent waters, home to many extraordinary people and recluses."

Unofficial histories, however, say: poor mountains and treacherous waters produce unruly people.

Yongzhou, Feng Yuan Prefecture, Ye County.

Ye County is backed by the Min Mountains and faces the Tong River. Ridges of steep, rugged mountains divide this small county. Though the mountains are not high, they are exceptionally treacherous; some villages are separated by only a few dozen miles, yet because of the mountains between them, the villagers rarely interact in their entire lives.

Two figures appeared on the winding mountain path: one was a young scholar, and the other was a page boy, looking to be about twelve or thirteen years old. Although the scholar's robe was clean, it had faded, and he had secretly patched it in inconspicuous places. Despite his somewhat down-and-out appearance, he was handsome and fair-skinned, and he held his back straight, possessing the natural pride of a reader.

The master and servant walked as if they were strolling in a garden; the scholar would occasionally stop to look around, as if admiring the scenery. Yet, their pace was deceptively fast, and in no time at all, they had walked from the mountainside to the summit, leaving behind the few miles of mountain road that usually took over an hour to traverse.

Standing at the summit, one could naturally take in the view for dozens of miles around. The scholar surveyed the trends of the rolling mountains and then looked at the small valley at the foot of the mountain, sighing: "If I hadn't come here myself, how would I know that the winds and clouds have already gathered? I had prepared for ten years to seek the dragon, but I didn't expect to have a harvest in the very first year."

The page boy also looked at the surrounding terrain and asked skeptically: "This place is a remote backwater with shallow water and bald mountains. It would be impressive enough if it produced a little bit of fortune; how could there be a true dragon?"

The scholar pointed to the small valley ahead and said: "That is the Dragon Pool. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would find it hard to believe."

"With such a small Dragon Pool, how big could a true dragon be?"

The scholar said calmly: "Others seek the dragon mostly to follow it, coveting the merit of supporting a dragon; masters point out the dragon to transform it. I am different. I am just using this dragon, and I will discard it when I am done. Its size does not matter."

The scholar pointed to the small town in the valley and said: "Right now, the winds and clouds are just gathering, and it is far from the time when the heavenly secrets will sprout. Therefore, the dragon Qi must be hidden very deeply; it will take some effort to find it. Let's go to that town and take a look."

The scholar took a step, and suddenly he was several yards away. In no time, he had descended the mountain and walked onto the road leading to the small town.

Less than two miles from the small town, there was a large residence surrounded by blue stone walls on all four sides. The walls were about a zhang high, and a tall corner tower had been built at the turn, where retainers holding clubs stood. As the scholar and the boy passed the main gate of the residence, they saw a man dressed as a steward leading several retainers, distributing rewards to passersby.

When the steward saw the scholar, his eyes lit up, and he bowed: "Where does the gentleman come from? How should I address you?"

The scholar returned the bow: "I am Zhang Sheng, currently traveling the world, hoping to pursue some scholarship, and I just happened to pass by your residence. Does your residence have some happy event?"

The steward said: "My master's surname is Wei. In the entire county, who doesn't know the name of the great philanthropist Wei Youcai? Today, the fourth mistress is in labor, so the master asked me to distribute some rewards to passersby to share in the joy. You have come at the right time, someone!"

A retainer nearby brought over a tray of copper coins, but the steward pushed the retainer away, saying: "Don't you see the gentleman is a scholar?"

The steward beckoned another retainer over, who brought a lacquer tray holding a brush, ink, and a money bag. The steward picked up the money bag and offered it. The scholar weighed it in his hand; the bag actually contained loose silver, a full tael.

"What is the reason for this?" Zhang Sheng did not accept the money bag. He had seen clearly just now that the rewards the steward was distributing to others were only a few copper coins.

The steward said: "My master respects scholars the most. One look at you, sir, and I know you have great talent; the gift of thanks is naturally different. Please, sir, name the child—one boy's name and one girl's name."

This steward was thin and gaunt, looking somewhat wretched with his rat-like features, but his speech was scholarly, and he seemed to have some ink in his belly.

Zhang Sheng looked toward the residence, a clear light flashing in the depths of his pupils, and then he took the paper and brush, writing the character 'Yuan' on the paper, saying: "This is taken from the meaning 'the dragon is in the abyss.' The young master has deep fortune and is worthy of this character."

The steward looked at the 'Yuan' character, written in a dragon-flying-phoenix-dancing style, and felt it was good, but he didn't know why it was good. He looked left and right but couldn't see the trick. At this time, Zhang Sheng put down the brush and left with the page boy.

The steward hurriedly called out: "Sir, wait a moment, you still owe a girl's name!"

Zhang Sheng did not look back, only saying: "Master Wei accumulates virtue through good deeds; it will definitely be a young master."

The steward wanted to say something else, but the people around begging for rewards had long been impatient and crowded around. The steward looked at Zhang Sheng's back, inexplicably not daring to nag any further, so he let the retainers deal with the people begging for rewards, while he himself carefully carried the calligraphy into the residence.

In the back courtyard of the Wei residence, a master with a round face and thin eyebrows was pacing back and forth, fine beads of sweat already on his forehead. From the side room, a woman's painful cries kept coming; she was about to give birth.

The steward came over with the calligraphy and said: "Master, a scholar passing by the gate named the young master 'Yuan,' saying it was taken from the meaning 'the dragon is in the abyss.' I saw the calligraphy was truly good, so I hurriedly brought it over."

"Just one name?"

"He said that since you accumulate virtue through good deeds, Master, this time it must be a son."

The master immediately beamed with joy, saying repeatedly: "As expected of a scholar, his mouth is truly sweet!"

He took the calligraphy with the ink still wet from the steward's hand and examined it carefully, praising: "Good calligraphy!"

The steward whispered: "Master, you're holding it upside down."

Master Wei said nothing and turned the paper around; this time it was indeed much more pleasing to the eye.

He stared at the large character that looked like it was soaring into the sky and muttered to himself: "Yuan, the dragon is in the abyss, Wei Yuan... not bad, let's call him Wei Yuan."

The master suddenly looked at the steward suspiciously and asked: "Such a complex character, you recognize it too?"

The steward smiled apologetically: "I watched the gentleman write it, so naturally I know the top and bottom."

At this time, Zhang Sheng and the page boy were walking toward the small town at a leisurely pace. After walking for a while, the page boy finally couldn't help but say: "Sir, you gave him a character, which is actually equivalent to sending him a fortune, and they only gave a tael of common silver; that's too cheap for them!"

Zhang Sheng weighed the money bag in his hand and smiled: "Don't underestimate this mere tael of common silver; it is just enough to solve a thousand worries in the world."

The page boy was still somewhat indignant: "If you ask me, a small Daoist trick to make the master happy would have been enough; why waste your Qi?"

Zhang Sheng said: "I just happened to arrive here, and the child just happened to be about to be born; this is fate with me, Zhang Sheng. Besides, ordinary Qi added to one's body is actually of no use; it's nothing more than opening wisdom earlier and having a stronger physique, so there's no need to care too much. The times are different; Qi is not worth much."

The page boy didn't dare to say more, but his small face was still unhappy.

Zhang Sheng suddenly felt a stir and raised his left hand. That hand had skin like jade, dazzlingly white, and the slender five fingers stretched out one by one, like a night-blooming cereus, its softness somewhat inconsistent with his face. A cloud of Qi floated in his palm, rolling and drifting in one direction.

Zhang Sheng's eyebrows relaxed, and he said: "I've found the water eye of the Dragon Pool!"

What the cloud Qi in his palm pointed to was not the small town, but the back of the Wei residence they had just passed. At this moment, looking from afar, one could see an ancient tree behind the Wei residence that several people could embrace, its shade like a canopy, sheltering half of the Wei family's back courtyard.

Zhang Sheng put away the cloud Qi in his palm, and after a few steps, he appeared under the ancient tree, looking up at it, nodding: "Water and wood generate each other; this is the place."

He walked around the ancient tree and looked at the orientation of the Wei residence, frowning slightly: "It still has some connection with this residence. If I draw away the dragon Qi, this family will be somewhat affected. In this way, you go catch a wild chicken, and after I get the dragon Qi, I will supplement this family with some fortune, and by the way, make that master happy."

The page boy agreed and ran away, returning in no time holding a golden pheasant.

Zhang Sheng had already selected the formation position, picked up a few stones to build a formation platform, and inserted branches in specific directions around it, saying: "In the way of formations, if one can understand the fundamental principles, one can change as one wishes. This 'Jian Water Light-Merging Formation' can gather the surrounding heavenly secrets and fortune; originally it required many precious materials, but since I am setting it up on a water eye, many formation positions only need one thing to occupy them. Speaking of which, this can also be considered deceiving heaven and earth."

Zhang Sheng took out a jade plate and placed it on the formation platform. The jade plate was of excellent quality, engraved with countless patterns, with light faintly flowing. After setting the jade plate, Zhang Sheng said to the page boy: "Now that the matter here is finished, the fate between you and me is exhausted. Over the past year, I have already passed on the introductory things to you; in the future, with this foundation, you can naturally find a sect you like to join and cultivate properly."

The page boy's eyes immediately turned red, and he knelt on the ground with a thud, calling out: "No, I don't want to go anywhere else, I want to follow you, sir! I only recognize you as my master!"

However, Zhang Sheng was unmoved, saying calmly: "You and I have no master-disciple fate; do not call me master. Your opportunity is insufficient; forcing it is also in vain."

The page boy didn't dare to say more, only kneeling and wiping away tears.

Zhang Sheng said: "I am going to start the formation; this is your last lesson, so watch carefully. It will probably not be easy to see this formation again in the future."

The page boy wiped away his tears and hurriedly watched carefully.

Zhang Sheng raised his index finger to press against his brow, closed his eyes slightly, and suddenly seven points of light flew out from his body, each entering the formation plate. All the patterns on the jade plate lit up, gathering into a vortex, the center of which was unfathomably deep, not knowing where it led.

Zhang Sheng then said: "The formation is complete; just wait, this formation will naturally draw that little dragon out."

Before Zhang Sheng's voice had faded, a ball of black Qi sprayed out from the center of the vortex, circling above the formation.

The page boy immediately widened his eyes, not expecting that there really was fortune in this small place, but it didn't look much like dragon Qi. There was something faintly visible in the black Qi; his cultivation was not enough, so he couldn't see it clearly.

But Zhang Sheng saw it clearly: a strange large bird was slowly circling in the black Qi. It had three long tail feathers, colorful in color, and a human face on its head.

Seeing this large bird, Zhang Sheng's expression also changed slightly, and he secretly thought: "Fortunately, it's just a wisp of aura; it doesn't even count as a split soul."

He waved his hand to disperse the black Qi and said: "Just wait a little longer."

In the blink of an eye, two more shadows were spat out from the vortex of the formation, circling and not dispersing. Zhang Sheng focused his gaze and saw two giant beasts; just looking at their ferocious appearance and soaring flames, he knew they were definitely not a good omen.

"Why is it either a disaster star or a rebel?" Zhang Sheng's expression was unusual, and he waved away the two shadows.

After another moment, the formation continued to operate, but there was no movement at the center of the vortex. Zhang Sheng raised his eyebrows and said coldly: "No matter how deeply a mere little dragon hides, I can dig it out!"

He raised his hand and pointed, and several more points of light from his fingertips entered the formation. The formation's light suddenly intensified, and the vortex flew and spun!

In an instant, several balls of fortune sprayed out continuously from the formation, making the surroundings darken by a fraction.

Zhang Sheng looked at them one by one and saw a boundless sea of blood, collapsed mountain peaks, blood-stained royal flags, broken divine weapons, and a giant tripod suppressed on a mountain of corpses. At this point, he didn't know what to say. But there was another ball of fortune that was very strange: it was a slender iron pipe wrapped in wood, with a long sharp blade mounted on the front, inserted obliquely into the scorched earth, and the distance was full of broken walls and ruins.

Even though Zhang Sheng was always calm, his expression was ugly at this moment. This place was not where the winds and clouds first gathered; it was clearly where the killing intent of heaven and earth gathered!

Before he could figure out whether he should continue to draw the dragon Qi, a cold, desolate, and prehistoric intent suddenly came from the vortex. A huge object appeared on the other side of the vortex, trying to pass through. It was just that the vortex of the formation was too small, and it only managed to pass through a wisp of aura. When this wisp of aura appeared, the scenery around the formation began to distort!

Zhang Sheng made a decisive decision, waving his hand to drain the formation's Dao power. With a 'pop,' the jade plate exploded, and the passage for that huge object was interrupted.

That huge ball of fortune was extremely furious, letting out a roar, but it had to disappear along with the vortex of the formation.

The formation plate exploded, and the gathered fortune dissipated along with it, and everything around returned to normal. Zhang Sheng then realized that he was covered in cold sweat without knowing it. He didn't know what that huge fortune was, only that it must not be allowed to come over. Once it manifested in this world, it would probably be more than just mountains collapsing and land sinking.

As he prepared to leave, Zhang Sheng looked toward the Wei residence. In his eyes, the Wei residence was shrouded in a layer of gray-black Qi, which had not been there before. He sighed secretly; the formation had ultimately affected the Feng Shui and fortune of this family, and he couldn't just walk away.

Zhang Sheng pondered for a moment, and a small firebird floated out of his palm. This was a wisp of Phoenix Qi he had obtained from elsewhere, quite precious, and more than enough to supplement the Wei residence's fortune. He let the page boy throw the golden pheasant toward the Wei residence and pointed his finger, and the small firebird entered the pheasant's body. This was borrowing an object to cast a spell, stealing the heavenly secrets, and was a common method for changing one's fate and fortune.

After receiving this spell, the golden pheasant would transform into a Heavenly Phoenix for an instant, supplementing the Wei residence's damaged fortune, and there would even be some surplus. Not only could the great philanthropist Wei live a wealthy and peaceful life, but there would also be some shade left for his descendants.

The golden pheasant gained its freedom and flew high immediately. Just at this moment, a mysterious black ring of light appeared on its body, instantly transforming into a large bird with black feathers all over its body and three heads!

Zhang Sheng was also stunned for a moment; even he couldn't tell the origin of this three-headed giant bird, but it definitely had nothing to do with a Heavenly Phoenix.

Just at this moment, a loud cry of an infant came from the residence; the child was born.

The three-headed giant bird came to life at this moment, two heads looking downward, while the other head turned around, three dark golden eyes staring straight at Zhang Sheng!

In an instant, Zhang Sheng felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, as if facing a deep abyss, as if about to pass away!

The giant bird's three eyes actually gave him three different kinds of impact!

Zhang Sheng's mind went blank in an instant, all his divine abilities and Daoist techniques, subtle words and legal teachings, were as if they had been wiped away; he couldn't remember even half a character.

A corner of his face suddenly collapsed, faintly revealing another face. Although only one eye was revealed, that curved eyebrow like a moon tip like a sword, that eye bright as stars and deep as lacquer and slightly painful, once seen, could never be forgotten.

The three-headed giant bird looked at Zhang Sheng, then lowered its head to look downward again, then flew around the residence for a week, flapped its wings and flew high, disappearing into the clouds beyond the nine heavens in the blink of an eye.

Zhang Sheng was silent for a moment, then said: "There are too many rebels here; it is not suitable to stay long."

Having said that, he left with the page boy. Behind him, the ancient tree still stood like a canopy.

In the third year of Longwu of the Great Tang, Wei Yuan was born in Ye County, Yongzhou. When he was born, Zhang Sheng prayed for the Dharma, and auspicious signs descended from heaven.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 2 =====