Chapter 100

Li Guanyi hadn't expected it to be Xue Shuangtao playing the qin; seeing her smug expression, he was momentarily speechless, then thought for a moment and clapped lightly, saying plainly:

"Very beautiful."

Xue Shuangtao had planned to "startle" Li Guanyi, but his straightforward, unflinching reply made her feel slightly embarrassed; she lifted her fingers to twirl a strand of black hair at her temple and pouted: "Really? You're good with words."

"But don't great scholars only know how to say these two words?"

Li Guanyi thought for a moment and replied:

"Those lines were all things I heard while traveling—they're not my own poems."

"Besides, poetry always involves embellishment and technique."

"Compared to that, I still think these two words best express how I feel."

Xue Shuangtao's cheeks flushed slightly.

It had been some time since they last met; she felt a flicker of annoyance, especially with her aunt watching from the side, eyes twinkling with amusement, making her back feel uneasy. She hurried to her seat and sat down. After three rounds of wine, the Imperial Consort Xue raised her teacup with a smile: "I'm pregnant, so I won't drink—but I've heard my Xue family's Fire Qilin still possesses the same talent as when he was a child."

"You learned to read and write at three, held a bow at five—now it's been ten years."

"Your father and brothers were strict with you; since I entered the palace, we've rarely seen each other. Today, we finally meet—no, no, you must write me another poem."

The Imperial Consort Xue spoke fondly of Li Guanyi's past.

The youth realized that among the palace maids, there were likely the eyes of other concubines—or even the Emperor himself. This was a deliberate move to use their spies to further confirm his identity. He raised his cup with a smile: "If Aunt says so, then Guanyi must write one."

The Imperial Consort Xue was pleased by the youth's wit and replied with a smile: "Good."

"It's still spring today—use 'Spring' as your theme. Write a poem or a ci—whichever you prefer."

"If you write well, Aunt has a gift for you."

The Imperial Consort Xue smiled faintly.

Li Guanyi thought for a moment. He had previously used the personas of Zhexianren and Liu Sanbian; this time, he couldn't continue with such high-level disguises. He recalled a poem, rose with his teacup, paced a few steps, and recited:

"Water is the gaze of eyes, flowing; mountains are brows gathered in peaks."

"Where is the traveler headed?"

"To where brows and eyes shimmer."

This ci metaphorically portrayed Jiangnan's landscapes as a beauty—its brushwork light and swift, but its true brilliance lay in the latter half's "ten thousand springs" and "spring's stay." Li Guanyi pondered how to revise the unsuitable lines when his voice paused—and a sweet laugh rang out.

The laugh was cheerful, making Li Guanyi freeze; for a moment, he doubted himself—had the ci been flawed? But he saw the Imperial Consort Xue beaming, and Xue Shuangtao said: "Aunt, Li…"

Her voice halted. She remembered her aunt's words and arrangements, then stammered:

"Does my cousin's ci have something wrong?"

The girl knew it was to protect Li Guanyi.

"A tree that towers above the forest invites the wind's wrath"—it was the Xue family shielding him.

Yet saying "cousin" triggered an inexplicable feeling, as if her skin prickled with goosebumps; her cheeks flushed slightly—not from shyness, but from a strange, mortifying embarrassment, like public humiliation before a friend. The Imperial Consort Xue, however, laughed heartily.

She extended her hand, beckoning the girl over, studying her niece in her red gown—elegant, exquisite.

She extended a finger, smiling, pointing to the girl's almond eyes:

"Water is the gaze of eyes, flowing."

Her finger brushed the girl's dark brows: "Mountains are brows gathered in peaks."

Then she drew Xue Shuangtao close, pointing her finger toward the youth across the room, her smile full of mirth:

"Where is the traveler headed?"

Her finger traced an arc, finally resting on Xue Shuangtao's eyes, smiling:

"Brows and eyes—where they shimmer."

"Such a fine ci. A truly fine ci."

Xue Shuangtao's face turned bright red. She sprang up, wrenching free of her aunt's arm, staring wide-eyed at Li Guanyi, stammering "Y-you—you…" for a long while, then stomped her foot and returned to her seat, drawing peals of laughter from the Imperial Consort Xue. Li Guanyi stood stunned—he had never realized this ci could be interpreted this way.

Could it be said like this?

The youth instantly realized one thing.

The Imperial Consort Xue was a seasoned flirt?

The rebellious girl who once rode horses in bright silks?

He turned his head and saw Old Man Xue Daoyong's mouth twitching. The face of the "Tiger of the Warring Era" had lost its former grandeur; he nearly raised a hand to cover his face, radiating the aura of family disgrace.

The Imperial Consort Xue, still smiling merrily, clapped her hands and said: "Enough. Even this half-ci is a peerless masterpiece. Aunt will give you a fine gift. Good child. Good child. Go back to your seat."

Li Guanyi sat quietly in place.

Xue Changqing showed the utmost respect to this man who had suddenly become his "distant cousin—the one who used to carry you as a child, knew you wet your bed, but later vanished into seclusion."

The banquet's flavors were exquisite, but Li Guanyi thought sadly he couldn't take any home.

Spring was ending; the temperature had risen. Even with fast horses, by the time it reached Yicheng, the taste would have changed. He wished, truly, he could let his aunt taste it too.

Suddenly, he felt someone kick him.

Li Guanyi turned slightly and saw the girl seated beside him extending a leg.

She gave him a sharp, angry kick.

Her face was blazing red, her almond eyes wide with fury as she glared at him.

Li Guanyi grimaced but ignored her—until her movements grew bolder, then he moved his wrist, gripping her ankle, and said: "I didn't mean it that way."

But the Young Lady grew even angrier.

"So 'Furious Waves Roll Frost and Snow' was just a coincidence?"

"How have you met so many great scholars?"

"And why do all those great scholars know me?"

Li Guanyi felt he couldn't explain himself even if he jumped into a river. The Imperial Consort Xue, no longer dignified as at first meeting, now resembled a wealthy household's matriarch at a family feast. After the banquet, she smiled: "It's been so long since I last saw Father, and even longer since we played chess. Today, we must play several rounds."

Xue Daoyong sighed helplessly and followed his daughter to play chess. Xue Shuangtao had intended to speak with Li Guanyi, but now, torn between anger and embarrassment, she rushed off to watch the game. Li Guanyi, left alone, wandered into the palace courtyard and looked up at the sky.

The Seven Stars of Bai Hu have risen.

He focused his spirit, silently working out the Fire Qilin formation diagram; the 【Imperial Supreme Classic of the Ages】 was exceedingly difficult, exceedingly hard to master. Li Guanyi was now within the imperial palace, raising his head to identify the stellar configurations, barely discerning faint traces.

Bai Hu is in the heavens; I am in the Western Garden.

Zhu Que is to the south; the palace halls lie to the north; the Four Symbols rotate, and the Fire Qilin rests at the center.

Li Guanyi's palm hung beneath his sleeve, rapidly calculating; his forehead gradually turned pale. This relied entirely on his own grasp of formations. He faintly sensed the location of the Fire Qilin Palace, but as Zu Wenyuan had said, this formation was alive, constantly changing.

He was confined within this imperial lodging; he could not change his form. The formation point he pinpointed would vanish the next instant, shifting away—like trying to hold water in a straw hat, all would slip through. Li Guanyi gazed at the lodging's courtyards; beyond them lay the great road, the palaces.

And now no one was watching him.

But after a long silence, Li Guanyi gave up. Though entering the palace allowed him to deduce the formation and surely find the Fire Qilin, the palace held many experts, along with the Imperial Guard and the Jinwu Guard. If discovered, he himself might escape, but he would drag Xue Lao down with him.

Just as he turned to return to his game, he suddenly heard footsteps sweep past him.

"Hahaha, have those two been waiting too long? I was too absorbed in the palace's scenery."

"My homeland is poor—out beyond the frontier and in the Western Regions. I've never seen the splendor of the Central Plains." The words carried a Tiele accent. Li Guanyi was slightly surprised, then saw eunuchs and guards escorting a man walking along the road outside the lodging's gate, torches held high, illuminating the night as bright as day.

The young man being escorted had a bronze-hued skin and a towering frame.

It was the youth he had seen at the city gate, the one carrying a donkey. Li Guanyi stood at the gate; the youth's gaze was sharp—he spotted him at once, halted, and his face lit up with surprise and delight. "Hahaha, it's you!"

The eunuchs stopped, startled. The youth did not enter the grounds of Princess Xue's lodging.

He merely waved at Li Guanyi and smiled: "Friend, you're here too!"

"Did the Holy Emperor invite you here for a night stroll?"

Li Guanyi replied: "I'm of the Xue family; my aunt is the Noble Consort, so I came for a family banquet." The eunuchs recognized the boy before them—the leader was the adopted son of the Director of Ceremonies, and he was astonished.

The Tiele youth did not know Central Plains etiquette.

In the imperial palace, he had met someone he had seen before—and who he got along with well.

He was delighted, warmly inviting: "Since you're here too, why not join me for a night stroll through the lodging? The Holy Emperor has issued a special decree permitting us to admire the scenery, saying the Central Plains value moonlit flowers and lantern-lit views, which carry a special charm."

"We've met again today—we're clearly fated. Shall we go together?"

Li Guanyi's heart stirred slightly.

He looked at the eunuchs and guards and said: "Within the palace, taboos are strict. I fear I cannot accompany you."

The Tiele youth looked disappointed and asked the eunuch: "Truly not allowed?"

The eunuch hesitated.

By the Emperor's decree, though young, this youth held a different status. His requests, within limits, could be fully granted—even if he desired a palace maid, she could be given to him as an honor. Moreover, this boy before him was a Xue family scion.

He had been invited to the palace banquet.

Most importantly, his adoptive father held this young Captain in high regard.

So the eunuch hesitated only a moment, then held up a scroll of bright yellow silk and smiled: "The Emperor's decree orders us to accommodate the Khan's requests. This young man is our nation's hero, excelling in both literary and martial arts beyond his peers, and a royal relative—naturally, there is no issue."

The Khan was overjoyed: "Brother!"

"Come!"

Li Guanyi turned to a nearby palace maid and told her to inform Xue Lao, then turned and walked over.

He had just spent an hour deducing the formation in one spot.

Though the 【Four Symbols Sealing Spirit Formation】 was profoundly mysterious, alive and ever-changing, and Li Guanyi had gained little from his deductions within the lodging, when he stepped outside, it was like breaking a dead end in a game of weiqi—in an instant, his aura shifted.

Li Guanyi clearly sensed the presence of the Fire Qilin formation.

As if he had perceived every single point.

In that instant, he even felt the ripples like a stone cast into water. Within three breaths, he instantly grasped the location of the Fire Qilin Palace. And the moment he confirmed the Fire Qilin's position, the entire 【Four Symbols Sealing Spirit Formation】 unfolded before his eyes.

As if the formation's core had been fixed, all his prior thoughts, his studies, his efforts over this time suddenly became vivid, clear, and alive.

At the same time, the youth seized his arm and walked with him, saying:

"I never thought you were royal kin."

Li Guanyi said: "I never thought you were the Khan of the Tiele."

The youth laughed.

He instinctively reached for his waist—to pat his blade.

But weapons had been confiscated upon entering the palace.

Even Yuwen Lie, no matter how arrogant or defiant, no matter how much he despised the Chen Emperor, had to surrender his weapon. To enter the palace bearing arms was the privilege of sword and sandals on the dais—over the years, only Prince Puyang had enjoyed this exception.

He awkwardly scratched his waist and said: "Don't call me Khan."

"My surname is Qibi; my given name is Li—meaning 'strength.'"

"Our branch of the Tiele has dwindled to only a few thousand households—fewer than a single town in the Central Plains. Even in the Western Regions, we are the tiniest of tribes. That's why we couldn't help but come here seeking aid."

"When the Tuyuhun ruled, we suffered terribly—treated like slaves."

"Now the Tanguts are rising too. We can't bear to remain slaves any longer."

"So we pooled our money and declared me Khan, then sent me out."

Li Guanyi chatted with Khan Qibili, gazing at the palace under the night sky.

Yet in his heart, the entire palace had transformed into a vast, immense formation diagram. Each step he took sent out ripples; when the ripples struck another formation node, they rebounded—until finally, the formation became utterly clear in the boy's mind.

He stood on a node and sighed: "The scenery here is truly beautiful."

Khan Qibili looked around, puzzled. He didn't find it especially beautiful, but since his friend spoke, he said nothing—only laughed heartily: "Yes, it's beautiful!"

The eunuchs and guards stood still, watching the two men chat and admire the view.

As the two halted, they were glad to rest.

Li Guanyi chatted with the Tiele Khan.

His foot finally rested upon an active node.

His aura subtly slipped through the gaps in the Fire Qilin Palace's peak formation, touching the core's essence. The blazing spiritual aura instantly roared in fury—then, as if instantly recognizing the aura now within the formation, it stilled.

Thus, the rage instantly turned to shock.

"!!! It's you?!"

The Fire Qilin's voice rose within Li Guanyi's heart; after its shock, it immediately asked: "What are you doing here?! Were you captured?!"

"I've come to rescue you!"

"Don't be afraid!"

Li Guanyi lowered his gaze and whispered softly in his heart: "No, I just slipped in."

"Don't stir up trouble, or I'll be exposed."

The Fire Qilin's furious aura calmed.

It could sense that the great array had no way of detecting Li Guanyi; the boy's aura was too subtle. It fell silent, saying: "You've come here..." When it first met Li Guanyi, it had been overwhelmed with emotion; now, it hesitated, even trembled with fear.

Near home, one's heart grows timid—human emotion could appear even in divine beasts.

At last, after long silence, it simply asked: "What is your name..."

The Tian Kehan of the Tiele tribe also smiled and said: "We haven't even asked your name, brother?"

Li Guanyi spoke: "My name is Li Guanyi."

The boy smiled:

"The one in ten thousand."

The Tian Kehan merely praised: "What spirit!"

But the Fire Qilin's aura surged violently.

The son of an old friend has come.

It seemed to see again that heroic youth.

The voice grew sorrowful; after long silence, the Fire Qilin's voice resolved: "Good child."

"Li Guanyi, don't come here again."

The Fire Qilin's aura suddenly dimmed; from within the Four Symbols Sealing Array, a strand of its aura spiraled toward Li Guanyi. He felt a warm presence awaken within his heart—the Fire Qilin's spirit settled inside his body.

This was a gift from itself.

It was the Fire Qilin's offering.

Such a gift would normally dissipate partially, but the Bronze Cauldron suddenly rang out on its own.

All of that divine essence flowed into the cauldron.

Thus, upon the Bronze Cauldron, at the center of the Dragon, Tiger, Phoenix, and Tortoise, a fifth pattern slowly emerged!

Central Fire Qilin!

Return to place!