Chapter 104: I Chose You

The wind stirred the girl's silver hair at her temples; her expression was distant and calm.

Her sleeves, under the moonlight, were stained with white radiance, carrying a divine aloofness hard to describe—suddenly, Li Guanyi understood the line of poetry: "I wish to ride the wind and return."

Then Li Guanyi saw the girl lower her head, looking at the height from the wall's top to the ground.

She pressed her lips together.

She squatted down, extended her hand to measure the height, and her face paled slightly.

Then she looked up at the young man over there.

Her face still showed no expression.

Li Guanyi laughed, tossed the scroll in his hand—the white paper scattered like butterflies in the moonlight—and strode to the corner, once again lifting his hands as before. The girl blinked, then squatted down.

Then she sat in the corner.

She swung her legs, shifting her body naturally.

Without hesitation or doubt.

She jumped down.

Her silver hair stretched long in the moonlight.

Li Guanyi felt his palms touch her knees and calves—the thin fabric's texture, then a gust of wind slammed into him. Had his Golden Skin and Jade Bones reacted, they would have flung Yao Guang away, sending her reeling backward to dissipate the force.

The boy fell to the ground.

The silver-haired girl knelt on his chest, her hair swirling and settling, the moonlight clear and bright.

Strands of hair brushed past his temples, tickling.

Distant birds flapped their wings; wind rustled through trees, leaves whispering, merging slowly with the wind beyond the horizon, fading away. Outside, the night watchman's drum echoed, his voice hoarse:

"Dry air, parched earth."

"Beware—"

"Fire."

The voice faded, receded, vanished.

The silence grew deeper.

Yao Guang's expression was calm.

Then she rose, bent over, brushed the dust from her clothes, paused, then extended her hand.

The silver-haired girl's face, under the moonlight, was serene—as if the moon itself reached out to him. Li Guanyi smiled, extended his hand, thinking that if he were Xue Shen, bold and dashing, he would have pulled the girl into his arms with force.

That man would have done it without hesitation.

He simply pushed himself up, and Yao Guang turned behind him, reaching out to brush the dust from his back.

Li Guanyi stepped outside and saw, as expected, the girl's enormous bundle in the courtyard.

Li Guanyi could not imagine how Yao Guang had carried such a massive bundle on the road—just thinking of it made him want to laugh. "Why did you come all of a sudden?"

Yao Guang replied calmly: "I thought you needed help."

Li Guanyi suddenly recalled the arrays trapping him and told Yao Guang. She flipped through the texts, her eyes widening in surprise, extended her hand—and moonlight curled around her fingertips, moon and starlight swirling and shifting, revealing the array's transformations.

Yao Guang's voice was tranquil:

"Then the array's changes are now clear."

Li Guanyi saw, in Yao Guang's hands, the array patterns he had never grasped now rendered in three dimensions—far clearer than before. He immediately rejoiced, gathered the scattered scrolls, and together with Yao Guang, began unraveling the arrays.

Progress surged far beyond before. Where once, even an all-night vigil would have left Li Guanyi unable to master the variations, now, with all his effort, completion was possible. Beneath the lamplight, the girl's voice remained calm, unruffled.

Each time she spoke, Li Guanyi gained a new insight.

The complex variations, once like celestial script to Li Guanyi.

Yet she saw the shifts at a glance, paused for a few breaths, and discerned their mysteries. She also grasped parts of the *Huangji Jing Shi Shu*. The Eastern Land Star Observing School of Shiwaisan Sect had endured for so long—not without reason.

And Yao Guang, at such a young age, bore the title "Yao Guang."

She was no ordinary person.

They were not skilled in direct martial combat, yet excelled vastly in other areas.

Time slipped away unnoticed; the distant stars dimmed. Birdsong suddenly brightened, then a sliver of white appeared on the horizon. Yao Guang and Li Guanyi had just dismantled the final array.

Li Guanyi stretched, his spirit refreshed.

The tension within him finally eased. As he reviewed the arrays, he remembered yesterday's events: "Yesterday, Po Jun came to see me."

The silver-haired Yao Guang, calm, tilted her head: "Hmm?"

Then she thought, and answered:

"Hmm."

Li Guanyi smiled: "He came to me—don't you, as a Yao Guang lineage bearer, worry?"

Yao Guang knelt before him, hands resting lightly on her knees, her voice tranquil:

"Each generation of Po Jun excels in military strategy. Even if not under Bai Hu Da Zong's command, they still offer strategic counsel. Eight hundred years ago, that overlord held both Yao Guang and Po Jun—but he ignored Po Jun's strategy, thrice allowing Chi Di to escape."

"When that overlord ultimately fell, Po Jun still found a way out. Though gravely ill, he rowed a boat through Chi Di's encirclement to reach the overlord, hoping to show him the last path to survival."

"The overlord merely apologized, then told Po Jun to leave—he chose another path himself."

"Records say that the first Po Jun, in old age, cursed 'you fools' yet wept, mourning the overlord's death. Since then, as our lineage has its rules, the Po Jun line must judge the worthiness of their lord before choosing to serve."

"It seems that generation's Po Jun believed the overlord chose his final fate because of that Yao Guang—and so he swore never again to serve alongside the Yao Guang lineage. That is ancient history of the Eastern Land Star Observing School."

"Before, only the overlord ever held both Po Jun and Yao Guang together."

"Regardless, a strategist will always find a lord to serve."

"He likely came to assess your character."

Li Guanyi said: "Yes."

Yao Guang's voice was quiet; after a pause, she added: "Just as the texts say."

Li Guanyi was relaxed before Yao Guang; one hand propped his chin as he watched the quiet girl across from him organizing classics by candlelight, the other hand snipping the overlong wick of the candle with small scissors. He joked, "Aren't you curious about my choice?"

The silver-haired girl, as usual, cupped his palm with both hands.

Her voice, calm, whispered:

"Whether you choose me is not the point."

"But I have chosen you."

"For me."

"That is enough."

As Li Guanyi froze, the girl released his hand, pulled her hood over her head, and knelt before him, revealing only the perfect curve of her chin and the silver strands falling from her temples. Her voice remained serene and even:

"Is this answer satisfactory to you?"

Li Guanyi fell silent a moment, then raised his hand and lightly tapped his chest. He replied:

"I too will uphold this covenant."

"Our pact."

After saying this, he scratched his head. "It's daytime now—I'll go get some breakfast, then head to the Jinwu Guard." He rose and stepped out quickly; wind blew in as he exhaled.

Inside the room, the girl knelt quietly for a long while.

Her head nodded slightly forward.

Then she jolted awake, straightening instantly.

Her breathing settled, then her body tilted forward again, her head nodding drowsily.

When Li Guanyi returned, he saw this scene. He placed the buns, duck blood vermicelli soup, and some vegetarian dishes on the table, sat quietly, and waited until Yao Guang woke on her own. She paused, then said, "You've already come back?"

Li Guanyi smiled. "No, I just got back and put the food down."

"The breakfast in Jingcheng isn't bad."

"Try some?"

Yao Guang cupped the bun in both hands and took a tentative bite. She ate while kneeling, hands cradling the food; her oversized, hooded robe—worn by those of the outside world—made her seem even smaller.

Li Guanyi took a big bite, then suddenly remembered. "Can you add a secret technique to the imperial palace's defenses to make them harder to detect?"

Yao Guang shook her head, her voice calm as she reminded him: "Have you forgotten?"

"The assassins before bore traces of witchcraft and curses."

"Astrology, fate-divination, witchcraft—each has its own strengths."

"Since ancient times, emperors have feared and yearned for astrology. They dread seeing their own heavenly fate, so imperial palaces always have witchcraft practitioners and sorcerers, and organizations like the Imperial Astronomical Bureau—among the most tightly guarded places in the realm. My arts cannot aid you."

"The Emperor is the man in the realm who fears death most. They despise us."

"If I could reach my master's realm, perhaps I could help you somewhat."

Li Guanyi nodded, thinking of the Mo Family assassin before.

"I was just asking. The imperial palace is heavily guarded, but the Jinwu Guard still has the authority to enter. Since you're in Jingcheng, stay here." Li Guanyi finished breakfast quickly, grabbed his official token, and headed for the imperial palace.

Verified his identity, changed into heavy armor.

Jinwu Guard wore battle robes, adorned with radiant armor, carried heavy swords, had crossbows on one side and halberds on the other. Li Guanyi surrendered his former rank and took up the Jinwu Guard's assignment; though once a seventh-rank General Zhenwei Captain, here he was merely a ninth-rank-lower Left and Right Spear-Bearer.

Even so, ordinary seventh-rank military officers still regarded them with awe.

Afterwards, Li Guanyi and the other nine newly selected Jinwu Guards were given orders: assigned as Record Clerks under the Yulin Longwu Army, informed of new regulations.

Li Guanyi learned that even within the Jinwu Guard, there were distinctions. Though all patrolled, some patrols were flawless and earned bribes from eunuchs and offerings from palace officials—prime postings.

Patrolling the imperial gardens, though offering no bribes, was still a leisurely post.

That was mid-tier.

The worst were two kinds.

One was the Cold Palace—no one came or went, and its inhabitants offered nothing.

If anything went wrong, Jinwu Guards were inevitably implicated.

The second was this assignment: the Forbidden Palace's Fire Qilin Palace.

The lowest possible posting.

No visitors, no bribes or offerings—fine. But the Forbidden Palace held many sensitive secrets. If anything happened, heh heh—the Cold Palace might only punish you for disrespect in court, but the Forbidden Palace meant silencing you.

All the Jinwu Guards listened to the Record Clerk's words, their hearts tightening.

They turned to look at Li Guanyi, their gazes hostile. They were all scions of military noble families, some abandoning selection for the Night Galloping Cavalry just to crush the spirit of this boy, whom Yuwen Lie had praised as "the strongest in Chen State."

Who could have imagined he'd been directly appointed?

The very tactics they used to oppress commoners now fell upon them.

They were nearly choked with rage!

The deed was done. The noble youths gritted their teeth and came here anyway—determined to make Li Guanyi suffer. The young man sensed their hostility, remained calm on the outside, but his heart sank slightly—Fire Qilin Palace… surely the Forbidden Palace.

A terrible posting.

He'd been personally chosen by Consort Xue—surely meant for the Jinwu Guard's most lucrative post. He'd shot himself in the foot.

At that moment, Li Guanyi noticed the stares from the military scions. A plan struck him. When the Record Clerk finished speaking and stepped out, the noble youths immediately attacked, shouting: "You're the backdoor-crawling toad, aren't you?!"

Li Guanyi, wearing Heavy Gear, replied: "Who are you calling a toad?"

The noble youth roared: "I'm calling you!"

He'd spoken without thinking, instantly realizing he'd walked into the trap. The young man smiled: "Right—the toad is calling me. Then you're the toad." The surrounding noble youths, all reckless by nature, laughed loudly—even though they were allies.

The noble youth's face flushed red then pale. He cursed: "You damn peasant!"

Furious, he swung his fist. Li Guanyi casually grabbed a nearby bench and hurled it. The youth's punch shattered the floor; Li Guanyi flicked his wrist—the rest of the bench slammed into another youth's face, leaving him dazed and furious: "Damn it!"

"Zhou! Are you blind? Who are you hitting?!"

The first youth roared: "Whoever laughs at me—I hit them!"

Li Guanyi's Wu Gong surpassed theirs; he stoked the flames, and in no time, the place erupted into chaos. The young nobles finally snapped and shouted in unison: "First knock this peasant scum down!"

"This brat is cheating!"

Outside, the Military Advisor heard the commotion inside but remained calm, not entering.

The Imperial Guards asked: "My lord, shouldn't we intervene?"

The Military Advisor sighed: "Alas, this Captain Li is too arrogant. So many noble youths find him unbearable—how could I possibly stop them?"

"Let them settle it themselves."

The Imperial Guards understood: this meant the Military Advisor had taken a side.

These selected Imperial Guards were all outstanding youths from noble families.

They had originally been destined for the Night Galloping Cavalry.

If not for Yuwen Lie's words that day, they would never have come to the Imperial Guards.

Now, nine armored noble youths—tall, strong, and powerful—can't even beat one?

They could've crushed him under their weight.

The Military Advisor thought: after this incident, my she-tiger of a wife would finally allow me to take a concubine.

She even offered one dragon, two phoenixes. To be honest, without this incident, I might not have agreed.

Just thinking about it made his heart heat up!

Hearing the noise inside gradually quiet, the Military Advisor said: "It's nearly over. Let's go in." He pushed open the door. The Military Advisor and the other Imperial Guards froze.

Inside was utter chaos—the tables and chairs reduced to splinters.

All nine noble youths lay sprawled on the ground, bruised and swollen.

Piled atop one another, only one youth remained—Wearing Heavy Gear—sitting atop the fallen nobles' backs, brushing dust from his battle robe with one hand, spotless, his gaze calm as he looked down at the Military Advisor.

In the air, a tiger's roar seemed to echo.

The Military Advisor's face paled slightly as he saw the youth say: "You've arrived just in time."

Li Guanyi stepped forward. The Military Advisor's face paled.

Then Li Guanyi reached out, picked up the dossier, looked at his own name, and said: "Today's brawl—who is to blame?"

The Military Advisor, shaken by the Bai Hu manifestation, stammered: "I-it was them…"

The noble youths turned pale, furious and indignant, terrified of being exiled to the Cold Palace—yet the youth merely said calmly: "Good."

"This time, I couldn't hold back. I beat them."

"The guilt lies with them. The punishment, I'll bear."

The noble youths stared, stunned, unable to believe the youth before them. They all exhaled in relief, then felt shame—and from that shame arose respect.

Such courage and responsibility—truly, we are inferior.

One bit his lip and shouted loudly: "Don't think this means I owe you anything! I, I—"

The youth, Wearing Heavy Gear, sword in hand, turned back and said: "You don't owe me anything."

"If you want to fight, come next time with honor—I'll meet you head-on!"

"This time, one man's deed, one man's burden."

"This ten-day period, I'll guard the Forbidden Palace."