Chapter 227

Yuan Zhi's words were utterly true; he felt his bloodline seemed to ignite, and suddenly he understood the meaning of that phrase: "To carry Jade Dragon to die for my lord." At this moment, the blazing dream burst forth like flame.

The young general on that side merely reached out and pulled the young strategist to his feet.

"What nonsense are you speaking?"

"If I die, and you foolishly slit your own throat, the world will never know Li Guanyi, never know the Fire Qilin Army, never know how we rose before dawn and retired after dark, how we galloped twenty thousand li in eight months, never know our resolve."

"I think you ought to live."

"Besides, I don't necessarily have to fall. Who knows? I might succeed."

Li Guanyi licked his lips, planning something big. He slapped Yuan Zhi on the shoulder; Yuan Zhi calmed down and said, "If so, then with just the situation in Jiangnan, given my talent and time, I can gradually implement reforms."

"But if the Lord wishes to swallow the world whole and tear open a breach, permit me to recommend several people: first, Wen Lingjun—this man possesses the talent of a royal minister, understands the great currents among the noble clans, and can make judgments most suited to us; next, the three disciples of Master Wang Tong."

"Those three excel in civil administration, law, and decisive judgment."

"These four men possess noble character, loyal and solemn; their insight is clear and fair; their talent qualifies them as royal ministers; their reputation marks them as the elite of the age."

"They possess the equipment of a hegemon."

"As for the rest, anyone with talent, I will write down a list—when you go to the Imperial Academy, remember, remember, bring them all."

"Also, there is one more person."

Yuan Zhi seemed to recall something and reported:

"That man is called Wen He, from the Western Regions. For others, if the Lord has not won their loyalty, you may withdraw—no need to rush. But Wen He—if he refuses, the Lord may knock him unconscious on the spot and drag him away."

"If this man remains with others, he will surely sabotage the Lord's plans."

Li Guanyi noted every detail, then went about other matters, went to train in Wu Gong.

He could only do his utmost to reach the limit possible in this era.

What he needed was stronger personal Wu Gong, and to enter the Jianghu, to go to the Imperial Academy, to draw out a group of students from that hidden place beyond the world, to support vast Jiangnan, and to cultivate a new generation of talent, before he could truly stand firm.

There were still many, many things to do.

The spring breeze of Jiangnan grew fiercer, then turned into summer.

The Fire Qilin Army stood in solemn order; all generals displayed their own distinct bearing.

Meanwhile, in Zhongzhou, a hundred-man procession, following the ancient protocol for enfeoffing feudal lords, marched steadily toward Jiangnan—but these events had not yet reached Jiangnan.

At the Fire Qilin Army's training grounds, Sword Mad Murong Longtu gazed at the young man and finally sighed: "Such bearing—it no longer resembles his original self."

Master Siming sipped tea, leisurely saying:

"Great talents of the world are all forced out, step by step."

"Either they die on the road, unnoticed; or under mounting pressure, like flint striking fire, they burst into flame."

Murong Longtu watched Li Guanyi and the others, then asked calmly:

"Is Yao Guang that child the daughter of the Whale Fisher?"

Master Siming nodded, grinned crookedly, and replied:

"In martial legends, those who refine their essence and qi inwardly rarely have offspring. The Whale Fisher, the youngest among martial legends, was passionate and amorous; due to his innate flawless body and invincible Wu Gong, handsome and refined, he once indulged freely in bedchamber affairs."

"And yet he was struck—he had a daughter."

"That man sat dazed by the sea for months before accepting he had a daughter, yet for some reason, refused to keep her by his side."

"The child, barely a few years old, was secretly left by her father at the doorstep of the Star Observation branch of the Shiwaisan Sect, and since then, she rarely saw him."

"But as far as I know, the Whale Fisher does return to visit her."

"When Yao Guang was young, the Whale Fisher dived into the ocean and brought back a fist-sized pearl that glowed in darkness to celebrate her birthday, disguised himself, pretended not to know her, and asked Yao Guang: 'Where are your parents?' And the little girl answered directly: 'I have no father or mother.'"

"Thus, the Whale Fisher was struck, his heart deeply unsettled."

"Afterward, he only secretly watched over her, protected her from afar, never acknowledging her."

Murong Longtu said: "As stubborn as ever."

Master Siming sighed, muttered two words: "After all, he is him—stubborn, self-centered, arrogant, outwardly cold, inwardly extreme, his Wu Gong extraordinarily high. Seeing Yao Guang and Guanyi, things will surely become turbulent. You'd better—"

The Sword Mad replied coolly: "Mm. When I enter the Jianghu, Yao Guang comes with me."

Master Siming's head throbbed—he knew the Sword Mad's nature; he was never one to avoid trouble.

So he said: "What if that man shows up?"

"That man, though not one who kills randomly, will surely rage and take Yao Guang away."

The Sword Mad replied coolly: "If the Whale Fisher comes, my blade shall settle matters with him."

"As for taking her away—"

"Throughout heaven and earth, with this single green blade in my hand, where could I not find her?"

Master Siming had no reply. The Whale Fisher was an orphan, his nature capricious and extreme, utterly stubborn. The Sword Mad had spent his life proud and arrogant, never explaining himself to anyone. Both were fiercely protective of those they favored, and when angered—

One says: I am furious, but I won't tell you why—I'll just kill you, and you'll die never understanding.

The other says: Before I crush you, I'll explain my reasons clearly, then crush you with righteous might.

These two were naturally incompatible.

Add to that the bond between Li Guanyi and Yao Guang.

A fight was inevitable.

A battle between the Number One Master of the World and the Martial Legend.

Master Siming didn't know whether to watch the spectacle or flee this deadly danger.

But then, the Sword Mad drank his tea and added:

"Besides, he abandoned her when she was young. If, in the years since, they never acknowledged each other, fine. But if he now dares to use his father's status to order the younger generation around, such a man—I have only one word for him."

The green-robed Sword Mad, cold and detached, lips barely moving:

"Go!"

Such was his attitude toward the Martial Legend.

Master Siming stared, speechless, suddenly feeling that such a matter had likely never occurred in a thousand years—he must go see it for himself. He merely reached out, shoved aside the Black Tortoise Manifestation, then raised his hand and slapped his thigh.

"Fuck, this is fascinating!"

"Count me in!"

"Count me in!!!"

……………………

Several more days passed. Li Guanyi reorganized the original ranks of the Fire Qilin Army. The warriors, clad in armor, stood in perfect formation, unaware of what Li Guanyi intended. They watched as their commander climbed onto a platform built of packed earth. After reviewing them, he spoke:

"Do you still recognize me?"

These were the same words Li Guanyi had spoken to the Fire Qilin soldiers a year ago.

Now, they all burst into laughter. Li Guanyi paid no mind, letting them laugh until they fell silent, then said: "Last summer's end, we left Zhenbei Pass and marched nonstop. At that time, I told you I would bring you home and divide land among you."

"Do you remember?"

The Fire Qilin soldiers fell utterly still. Their smiles vanished. They lifted their heads, staring fixedly at the young man. They saw their commander raise his hand—and several heavy wooden chests were brought forth. Li Guanyi placed his palm upon them and whispered:

"Land deeds."

The Fire Qilin warriors' breaths grew heavy.

They were bandits forced onto the mountains after losing their homes, outcasts deemed unworthy by the great state, peasants who had fled their homeland and barely survived like savages in the hills. Now, their commander was about to return to them what they desired most.

Fan Qing's breathing quickened.

Li Guanyi said gravely: "According to the procedure agreed upon by Mr. and me, everyone will receive one."

"Now, it is time for me to fulfill my promise from that year."

The young general looked at the men before him—the comrades who had walked with him from rebel outlaws and mountain bandits to the now-renowned Fire Qilin Army—and smiled gently. He extended his hand: "You may now choose your own path."

"You may lay down your arms and return to the soil!"

"Or you may return."

He extended his hand; golden light spread across his palm, coalescing into the Tiger Roar Heaven Spear. He spun it once, wrapping the crimson Fire Qilin battle flag around its blade, then drove the spear into the ground, letting the crimson banner ripple in the wind.

Li Guanyi looked at the men before him and said:

"Ten days. Within these ten days, each of you will claim your land."

"After ten days, I will wait here. Those who wish to lay down arms will return their weapons and armor, collect their pay, and depart. Those who wish to return—I will be here, waiting for you."

Yuwen Tianxian's gaze dropped, his expression surging with intensity.

That day, the Fire Qilin soldiers went to claim their land, but Yuwen Tianxian brought Yuwen Hua to seek out Li Guanyi. Li Guanyi was not surprised by the general's arrival; he merely brought out wine from Jiangnan and a few small dishes, and drank with them beneath the moonlight.

Halfway through the drinking, Yuwen Tianxian raised his cup, gazing at the moonlight, and said:

"A year ago, I never imagined I would ever share a drink with you beneath the moon."

Li Guanyi replied: "Thus, the world is strange."

Yuwen Tianxian laughed freely, then raised his cup: "The division of land among the Fire Qilin Army will inevitably threaten the interests of the Jiangnan aristocratic clans. But Jiangnan has no force capable of challenging you—and the Murong Clan is already the largest and strongest family in Jiangnan."

"Your edicts will face resistance here, but they will surely succeed."

Li Guanyi smiled and said: "I thank you for your good words, General Yuwen."

Yuwen Tianxian suddenly rose, cup in hand, and knelt halfway to the ground, speaking gravely: "Yet at this moment, allow my uncle and me to tender our resignations." Li Guanyi hurried to help him up, but Yuwen Tianxian's realm surpassed Li Guanyi's—his grip would not budge.

Yuwen Tianxian looked into Li Guanyi's eyes and said: "From last year until now, my uncle and I have fought under your command. Our past grudges have been settled. You have now firmly established yourself in Jiangnan, and all former prisoners have been returned to their homeland."

"It is time for me to leave."

"I am a son of the Yuwen Clan, raised by my family, blessed by the state's grace—I cannot forget my duty to repay that debt. Li Guanyi, please do not refuse me this."

Li Guanyi felt a complex mix of emotions. He helped Yuwen Tianxian rise, poured him another cup of wine, and said:

"I understand your meaning, General."

Yuwen Hua was listless.

The next day, Li Guanyi personally saw them off at the city gate. Yuan Zhi, Fan Qing, Generals Ling Pingyang, Changsun Wuchou, Lei Laomeng, Shi Dalin, and Nangong Wumeng were all there. After bidding farewell one by one,

Two dragon horses stood ready.

Yuwen Tianxian exhaled slowly, gazing at the faces he had shared every day for a year, and lowered his eyes: "Comrades, remember—on the battlefield, every step is life or death. A commander bears the weight of heaven's tide, the people's safety, and the soldiers' lives. You must never overlook this."

Li Guanyi brought a cup of wine and said: "The Fire Qilin Army are all men of the wild. In this year, each of you has grown in your own way—all thanks to your teachings. Your departure, I dare not stop…"

"Please!"

Yuwen Tianxian took the cup Li Guanyi offered and drank it without hesitation.

Then he mounted his horse, and with Yuwen Hua, galloped away. The dragon horses moved with terrifying speed and power. Yuwen Hua, meanwhile, was deeply troubled. He did not understand why—returning to Ying State from the Fire Qilin Army, leaving behind these rough peasants, should have filled him with relief.

Yet now, his heart ached so fiercely he felt he might vomit.

He could not help asking: "Seventh Uncle, are we leaving now?"

Yuwen Tianxian fell silent for a long while. He was a seasoned general, his strategic vision far surpassing Yuwen Hua's, a twenty-eight-year-old warrior of the Fourth Realm. Having lingered in Jiangnan, he knew the Fire Qilin Army was no force meant to sit idle. He answered:

"Li Guanyi holds Jiangnan. One day, he will inevitably clash with the Great Ying."

"The longer you stay, the harder it becomes to leave."

"If we linger further…"

"If we don't go now, we'll never be able to leave. Don't you miss your parents? Your grandparents? Your siblings and friends? Don't you wish to serve your homeland?"

Yuwen Hua had no reply. He merely lowered his head and spurred his horse into a wild gallop.

Images spun endlessly in his mind: What would those men feel when, after ten days, they returned to find their commander gone? Would they think he had abandoned them?

What if, without him, they trained and still lost to Fan Qing?

The world was not yet at peace—without him…

Yuwen Hua gritted his teeth and cursed: "Those fools, fuck!"

He nearly turned back—returning to the Fire Qilin Army, abandoning his duties to Ying State, fighting only Chen State instead—still enough to honor his family. But his family's upbringing, his uncle Yuwen Lie, his father, his grandfather's expectations—another blade twisted in his heart.

Only after galloping some two or three hundred li did they reach a river crossing—and there, a large ship lay anchored across the river. It was no warship of fleet class, but a support vessel—and guarded by soldiers of the Fire Qilin Army.

Yuwen Tianxian fell silent, slowing his warhorse's pace.

As a battle general, he still harbored a sliver of caution, fearing Li Guanyi might refuse to let the two of them leave—after all, they had witnessed firsthand how Li Guanyi's Fire Qilin Army was founded, how it was trained, and even knew fragments of the Eight Gates Golden Lock Array.

If it were Yuwen Tianxian himself—or rather, his elder brother Yuwen Lie—

they would not merely have been silenced; they would have been detained!

His right hand had already gripped the weapon behind him, his vigilance fully drawn; he prepared to strike and kill the moment he sensed danger—when the Fire Qilin soldiers on the other side spotted them and saluted voluntarily. Yuwen Tianxian asked, expressionless:

"Why are you here?"

The soldier smiled and said: "By the Grand Marshal's orders, we've come to see you off."

He turned and pointed to the large ship.

Yuwen Tianxian stepped forward and saw over two hundred soldiers aboard, and two more figures that made his face change color—both unconscious, they were the two famed generals of Ying State, captured by Li Guanyi.

Meng Dahao, ranked ninety-first on the Divine General List, the standard-bearer warrior.

And Zhao Guoqi, ranked seventy-ninth, a general of imperial bearing, a pillar of the state.

Yuwen Tianxian's expression shifted abruptly; he seized the Fire Qilin soldier and demanded:

"This?! Is there more?!"

The soldier bowed, offering a sealed letter with both hands: "The Grand Marshal instructed me to deliver this letter to General Yuwen." Yuwen Tianxian's hand trembled slightly as he opened it—the writing was calm, plain, unmistakably Li Guanyi's hand.

"General Yuwen, greetings."

"You wish to depart; I dare not hinder you. Though we are enemies, your grace and guidance have benefited the Fire Qilin Army greatly over this past year—we have long since become friends. If you and Yuwen Hua return to Ying State alone, you will surely be slandered."

"Even if the Emperor is a hero, he cannot help but harbor suspicion."

"With your talent, you should not fall victim to treacherous ministers. Here are over two hundred soldiers—your former subordinates—who, upon inquiry, chose to follow you back to your homeland. Also, these two famed generals, and this warship."

"When you return, you may claim you seized the opportunity while Li Guanyi was unguarded, rescued them, and took the ship."

"The Unmoving Wang Zun has never been defeated by Li Guanyi."

"May you still fulfill your ambitions on the battlefield, and spread your grand design."

"When the world meets its generals, kings shall meet kings."

"Do not hold back!"

"Your disciple, Li Guanyi, offers this."

Yuwen Tianxian's hand shook violently.

The famed general suddenly tore the letter to shreds, drew his sword, and pressed it to his throat, eyes red—had Yuwen Hua not rushed forward and collided with him, he would have slashed his own throat. The sword fell to the ground; Yuwen Tianxian slumped down, fists clenched tight.

Finally, Xu Xu loosened them.

"Li Guanyi… Li Guanyi…"

"Ha! What a magnificent Fire Qilin! Had I not been born into the Yuwen family, had you been an Imperial Prince of Ying State—how much better it would have been! Loyalty, righteousness, benevolence, filial piety—how could we match you!"

"How could we match you!"

Yuwen Tianxian slammed his fist hard against the ground—the mighty general, once as steadfast as Rushan—now collapsed:

"I shall never again contend with Jiangnan in my lifetime…"

He returned to Ying.

By the time Yuwen Hua and Yuwen Tianxian returned to Ying State, ten days had passed.

In those ten days, Fan Qing, like a subordinate, left the Fire Qilin Army—he regained his own land, not uncultivated wasteland, but a mixed plot.

By proportion, it included fertile land, ordinary land, and some uncultivated land as a bonus—should he have the energy, he could continue reclaiming it, and it would belong to him.

Fan Qing and the other Fire Qilin soldiers nearly wept with joy, beginning to furiously till the soil.

Jiangnan's land was fertile, planted with double-crop rice—two harvests per year. Early rice seedlings were transplanted in mid- to late May, harvested in late July. Though slightly late, it was still timely; they planned to build their homes. Each day was exhausting, yet brought a deep sense of comfort.

Lying on his bed, thinking of the rice growing under the sun, he felt an indescribable joy.

He thought: If only Mother were here, and Father too—how wonderful.

Even this hardened man could not help but feel his nose sting. In a blink, ten days had passed. Fan Qing remembered the Grand Marshal's promise—he hesitated, then thought: Perhaps staying here isn't so bad.

But he thought of the young general, his promises and pledges.

A complex emotion stirred within him—he feared: If everyone thought this way, what then? If he stayed, and others stayed too, and the Grand Marshal turned around to find no comrades behind him—how heartbroken would he be?

He reached out, touched his armor, and sat in silence for a long while before donning it.

He gripped his blade and strode out—without land, his heart felt unsteady.

Yet without armor and blade, he felt restless.

He left at dawn, when the sky was just pale. For the past ten days, his battle pike had remained planted in the muster ground; the duty of guarding the ferry had been transferred to the Nülin Dragon King's naval unit.

Fan Qing saw the boy sitting cross-legged before the battle pike.

So early—and yet behind Li Guanyi, a group had already gathered. Fan Qing realized he was not alone; his heart warmed inexplicably. He gripped his blade and strode to his former position, his sword tip resting on the ground.

He finally understood: the blade's edge was no longer just to carve a path forward—it was to protect the land beneath his feet, the man before him, who had shown them the direction of their dreams. He had shared his distant dream with those who had nothing—

How could they possibly abandon him?!

Fan Qing gripped his weapon and whispered:

"Fan Qing, reporting for duty."

He noticed figures approaching—one by one, clad in armor, bearing blades, coming from all directions.

They eventually gathered behind that back, and said:

"Wei Shunying, reporting for duty!"

"Lin Minglei, reporting for duty!"

"... Reporting for duty!" "........ Reporting for duty!"

One by one, quiet, brief replies—unbroken, continuous—coalescing into a tide of resolve. Only footsteps echoed from all sides, the clatter of armor plates, the chorus of "reporting for duty"—like a beast assembling.

As the great sun rose, the boy stood, his spine straight, turning around—his armor gleaming, banners flaring wildly. The former rebels stood solemnly beneath the flags, their demeanor calm.

The young general reached out, seized the halberd, and raised it suddenly.

Whoosh—

The crimson banner rolled down from the sky, raging across heaven and earth.

Then all blades and spears were raised, standing dense as a forest, silent and still.

Thus, the Fire Qilin Army was formed.

Meanwhile, Yuwen Tianxian, Yuwen Hua, and others returned to the Ying Empire's imperial capital.

The Feathered Forest descended the steps.

The Emperor of Ying met them ten li beyond the city gates.

Thus, all officials and soldiers of the Ying Empire were willing to die for him.

Heroes across the land were not confined to one place; the struggle between dragon and tiger was the eternal footnote of this era, this chaotic world—and at this moment—

A vast procession, imperial edict in hand, arrived to enfeoff Qin Wu Hou.

Finally, they were about to reach Jiangnan!