Chapter 228: The Spirit of the Hero, the Final Legend of Martial Dao

Among this procession were officials bearing the seal and imperial edict granting the title of Hou Jue, as well as the Feathered Forest Army representing the majesty of the Central State imperial house; Pang Shuiyun was among them, departing from Central State in a grand, sweeping march toward Jiangnan.

Before they reached Jiangnan, the news had already arrived in the capital of Chen and Yan, then reached the imperial court and was laid before the desks of the great clans and nobles; within the Chen court, the atmosphere was suffocatingly tense.

All bowed their heads, none daring to look upon the Emperor seated upon the throne.

Since the news arrived, Chen Dingye knew that the hearts of his ministers had turned numb; only a handful remained as composed as ever—one was the Chancellor Xue Daoyong, whose son, the Crown Prince, had been born several months ago, and this aging tiger had grown even more careless.

Since ancient times, powerful ministers—whether loyal or treacherous—have all met miserable ends.

Xue Daoyong could not escape this law.

Given Chen Dingye's hatred for Li Guanyi.

The reason previous warlords sent to Jiangnan had all been ranked around the 90th position on the Divine General List, and none stronger, was not only due to the Regent's activity, but also because of this tiger's maneuvers.

The other who did not bow his head was the current Grand Commandant.

His nephew was Liu Shideng, who had led the army that besieged Dongdu City; he roared out:

"Your Majesty, Li Guanyi was originally a traitorous rebel of our realm, blessed with imperial grace, yet he does not repay it with death—he dares to cause chaos during the Grand Sacrifice, disrupt our nation's dignity, seize our territory, and now he deceives the Great Emperor of Central State."

"Through some means, he has obtained the title of Hou—this is an insult to our nation's face, Your Majesty! If we acknowledge it, then in the future, any arrogant general who stirs up trouble need only flee to Central State to escape punishment and receive rewards."

"Where is the dignity of Great Chen?! Where is Your Majesty's dignity?!"

"This matter strikes at the very foundation of our state!"

"Our nation is ceasing to be a nation, Your Majesty!"

The other ministers and officials all echoed him, loudly denouncing Li Guanyi, the traitorous rebel; only Xue Daoyong kept his hands folded within his sleeves, watching calmly as the ministers in crimson and purple robes rose in unison to attack him, like a pack of wolves.

Chen Dingye exhaled and said, "Insolent!"

The Grand Commandant of Chen said, "Is Li Guanyi merely insolent?!"

Believing he had gained Chen Dingye's support, he suddenly heard a fierce rush of wind; he looked up to see the memorial violently hurled down, striking his forehead—Chen Dingye's strike carried furious intent; though the Grand Commandant possessed formidable Wu Gong, he dared not resist.

His brow split open, blood gushed forth, and he stood bewildered, helpless.

Chen Dingye rose and said, "I meant you are the one who is insolent!"

The Grand Commandant and the ministers stared at Chen Dingye, confused.

Chen Dingye pressed his forehead, his gaze cold and still; his hatred for Li Guanyi churned within him, yet he knew what he must do, and spoke slowly: "Go to the imperial treasury, select gifts—one Xuan weapon, a thousand pearl beads—and send them to Jiangnan, for—"

"To Qin Wu Hou, congratulations!"

These words were spoken with profound stillness, carrying immense weight.

They froze the ministers and officials of Chen.

Xue Daoyong looked at Chen Dingye; the Emperor stood above the ministers, shadows from the hall obscuring his face; Xue Daoyong straightened his posture, his eyes slightly lowered, sensing from Chen Dingye a churning hatred restrained.

His hatred and murderous intent toward Li Guanyi were even greater than those of the Regent.

Yet he could suppress his hatred, like a vast venomous serpent lying in wait…

Chen Dingye looked at Xue Daoyong.

In the perception of this wild tiger of chaos, the hall became a vast mountain wilderness; the man in the dragon robe seemed to shift form—suddenly, he resembled a massive, armored, icy serpent with vertical pupils.

Xue Daoyong remained silent.

Was Chen Dingye also transforming?

A great serpent that masters its hatred is far more dangerous than one driven by mere rage and malice; even Chen Dingye, once worn down by over a decade of Dan Tai Xianming's influence, drained of his heroic spirit, still stood upon this tide—did he still carry the lingering fire of a warlord?

Chen Dingye dismissed court.

Today, Chen selected an envoy to deliver the treasures to Jiangnan, but everyone knew Chen Dingye's hatred for Li Guanyi—he tolerated it today only because Li Guanyi had gained the momentum of the Red Emperor's lineage.

The world had not yet plunged into total chaos; the title of Red Emperor still carried immense weight.

Yet as Chen Dingye's minister, whoever dared to go would be tied to Li Guanyi—and upon returning, their career in Chen's bureaucracy would be finished.

On the third day, through a special examination for prodigies, the former Crown Prince's advisor, scholar Yan Daiqing, volunteered himself.

Yan Daiqing hosted a farewell banquet; his father, the former Palace Attendant Yan Chen, remained silent; Yan Daiqing's mother, Wu Liu, wept several times, unable to sit still, and had already retreated to her chambers; the father and son sat facing each other, eating in silence, following the gentleman's way: no speech while eating, no speech while sleeping.

The father and son sat like wooden statues, no sorrowful atmosphere surrounding their impending separation.

Yan Chen set down his chopsticks and said gravely, "Do you plan to stay in Jiangnan?"

Yan Daiqing remained silent; for over a year, he had been sidelined and ostracized by Chen, his friends dwindling; yet having trained under the Furious Sword Immortal and possessing deep scholarship, he refused to waste himself in this petty, scheming place—that was why he accepted the mission to deliver gifts to Jiangnan.

Yan Chen's expression did not change: "Your nature is upright and pure, yet impetuous—this is your strength, yet also your flaw. The Fire Qilin Army is a righteous force, upholding the Way of Kingship; gentlemen support them. They lack men like you, and you lack a place to wield your talent."

"You should go there."

"But I am a minister of Chen, blessed with imperial grace—I cannot accompany you."

Yan Daiqing sat silently.

Yan Chen understood his son well; he laid out every one of Yan Daiqing's concerns:

"Thus, go."

"Enough. Eat."

Then he lifted his bowl and ate in silence.

No speech while eating, no speech while sleeping; after finishing, he washed, read, and rested, as always.

The next day, Yan Daiqing led the gift convoy toward Jiangnan; Yan Chen and his wife watched him until he vanished far in the distance; Yan Daiqing's mother, Wu Liu, had already wept until her eyes were red, yet Yan Chen stood firm, back straight, face expressionless.

He said nothing, only watched his son depart.

He stared, eyes wide, until Yan Daiqing was gone, still not moving; when Wu Liu looked up, she saw the rigid, quiet Confucian had, without her noticing, raised his sleeve to wipe away tears, and replied:

"Summer winds are strong—they stir up dust and sand, and it got in my eyes."

"Lady, let's go home."

Back at home, Wu Liu could no longer hold back, weeping: "Our son is gone—he may not return for years! Jiangnan is a chaotic place—what will become of him?!"

"Didn't you say, 'While parents live, one does not travel far'?!"

"Why didn't you stop him?!"

Yan Chen gripped his wife's hand and replied softly:

"The Master said: 'While parents live, do not travel far.'"

"But there is another line: 'When you travel, have a purpose.'"

"My son travels the world."

"Cannot stop him, cannot stop him…"

………………

Ying State · Chi Long Qi City.

Deep night, the news had long spread; at the highest point of Chi Long Qi City stood a tower so tall it seemed one could pluck the stars from heaven, where an old man with white hair sat, gazing upon the realm, as quiet footsteps approached from behind.

The elite soldiers of Ying State did not block this man's arrival—even if the Great Emperor of Zhongzhou came here, he would be turned away; across the vast realm, only one person held the rare honor of coming here without announcement.

A man in a loose long robe entered, his temples streaked with white, clearly aged, a wooden hairpin holding all his white hair in place; he smiled gently: "Your Majesty, awake again tonight, admiring the stars?"

The Ying Emperor replied: "Is not the Grand Master the same?"

The Grand Master of Ying State stepped forward; at the very summit of this empire, indeed of the entire realm, hung a portrait—a woman of exquisite beauty, smiling as if gazing upon them; here sat the mighty sovereign who swallowed the heavens, before her portrait, gazing upon the world.

She was Jiang Gao and Jiang Yuan's biological mother, long deceased.

This woman was the daughter of a great family of the realm; when the Ying Emperor was young and unprosperous, they fell in love—but she was given to the Great Emperor of Zhongzhou at that time.

The young Ying Emperor once rode a single horse, wielded a single blade, and snatched his bride before the eyes of all under heaven; the fiery, heroic heart of youth conquered the world—and won the maiden's heart.

Yet this woman ultimately left him too soon.

The Emperor never again installed a queen.

He left only her portrait in this highest tower.

He comes here alone, time and again.

The Grand Master of Ying State mentioned the news: "Li Guanyi is to be enfeoffed as a Marquis."

The Ying Emperor said: "Yes, even higher than I expected. It seems the Emperor of Zhongzhou surpasses his predecessors greatly—generous, and bold enough to gamble; this is not good, for too many heroes arise, and one cannot kill them all—when will the realm ever know peace?"

"Yet it stirs my old heart once more."

"With enemies appearing one after another, I no longer feel myself aged."

The Grand Master of Ying State gazed at the old man's back and whispered:

"Emperor Ji Zichang has ordered Qin Wu Hou Li Guanyi to Zhongzhou to join the Son of Heaven's inspection tour."

The Ying Emperor replied: "The Son of Heaven's inspection tour—vassals follow in attendance. Ji Zichang wishes to restore the world to its former state." He gazed at the splendor of Ying State's capital, speaking calmly: "But the age of the Red Emperor has long passed…"

The Grand Master of Ying State smiled and asked: "Your Majesty, what will you do?"

The Ying Emperor answered: "Go to Zhongzhou! We shall go too!"

"The Great Emperor of Zhongzhou is hosting a feast for all under heaven—he has already invited Qin Wu Hou; how can we, relics of the old era, not attend? Now the realm stirs with风云, let this be the final inspection tour recorded in history."

"The glory of eight hundred years of the Red Emperor must end with dignity."

"This inspection tour will be the last time vassals meet, as recorded by the Shi Guan; let Ji Zichang see the mirage of this realm—after this banquet, begin the plan to swallow the world. Though I owe the Fire Qilin a debt, I too wish to see the Fire Qilin mature."

"But time no longer grants me."

The aged sovereign smiled with calm majesty, making a decision that would shake the fate of the realm.

"Besides, the Master Jiankuang has already invited you, has he not?"

The Grand Master of Ying State said: "If Your Majesty does not go, I will not go either."

The Ying Emperor shook his head: "Go. Why not? The Master Jiankuang too is nearing his end. You are the first martial legend in history—this is a moment you must witness."

Jiang Su, Grand Master of Ying State, gazed calmly; in his youth he led elite troops, bypassing Zhenbei Pass, then struck suddenly near Jiangzhou, the capital of Chen State. His force was small, yet he still had to rely on the then-dominant Regent, Tai Ping Gong, who commanded a vast army with full logistical support.

Generals of the younger generation like Xiao Wuliang and Yue Pengwu fought desperately.

Only then did they barely halt his advance.

The realm's greatest general.

The first martial legend in recorded history.

The Ying Emperor rose slowly, stood at this highest point, gazing upon his city, his state, his realm; he reached out, feeling the night wind brush the mortal world, and whispered: "Time flows like falling petals and running water—never returns."

"I rose from obscurity, defeated my elder brother, married, fathered children, and became ruler of Ying State."

"When I was young, my mother lay in Serious Illness; in our courtyard stood an ancient tree, vast as a canopy—I saw the whole world through its leaves. In this world, I ran for sixty years, yet still I can lift my war blade, don my armor, and ride the battlefield, roaring in fierce combat."

"But lately, when I looked into the bronze mirror, I realized—I have grown old."

"All my hair is white."

"Ordinary old men by now would be dandling grandchildren; how many still possess the fiery spirit and boldness of youth? My life has always been aimed at the realm—I cannot die without seeing it unified."

The Ying Emperor paused, then sighed: "Yet who else is aged, besides me?"

"The Master Jiankuang, who roamed the martial world, and the Red Emperor's realm—they too are old."

"Yet though we are aged, there are young heroes."

"These young heroes too will grow old."

"But this realm—has never aged."

"Excellent, excellent!"

He lifted the wine beside him, suddenly flung it from the tower, startling the hawks kept here; the birds soared upward, then he turned, his sleeves swirling: "Let me see what kind of man the Fire Qilin Li Guanyi truly is."

Jiang Su asked: "Will you kill him?"

The Ying Emperor burst into laughter: "To kill such a hero is a waste."

"Only cowards kill heroes with swords and blades; I have met many heroes—they all eventually bowed to me, and called me the true hero, Grand Master. I do not wish to see a second Li Wanli."

The Ying Emperor and the Grand Master of Ying State passed each other.

The Grand Master lowered his gaze; the Emperor strode forward:

"I will unify the realm."

"Leave him to see—let him see whether this vast world still holds grandeur?!"

"I am no miser; such magnificent scenery as this world offers must be witnessed by those worthy of it."

"Let us meet then, in this, the Emperor's final imperial tour—Fire Qilin."

The imperial tour of Zhongzhou spread, stirring winds and clouds alike.

………………

In Jiangnan, Li Guanyi learned of Pang Lao's bird-message about the Emperor granting marquis titles earlier than other factions; he and Yuan Zhiyi plotted to ride this momentum—say, dig a pit and wait for fools to jump in.

Thus, the Fire Qilin Army, Changfeng Lady's tower, and Pang Shuiyun joined forces to seal the news beyond Jiangnan, letting it drift without spreading; anyone attempting to transmit the news into Jiangnan was intercepted by Changfeng Lady's tower and the Fire Qilin Army.

With Yao Guang's predictive ability, paired with scouts formed by Wu Lin figures under Nangong Wu Meng.

They successfully executed precise intelligence interception and delay, artificially creating an information cocoon.

It could not be blocked forever, but it could be delayed for a time.

Yuan Zhiyi watched the boy lock down the news, then rub his hands together, eyes gleaming, face twisted with sly mischief—and suddenly froze, thinking his lord might, perhaps, just a little, show signs of alignment with Wen He.

Then he shook his head hard.

No no no, this is a dragon-serpent transformation.

It shouldn't be. It shouldn't be. The lord's sins don't run this deep.

Then he saw the young general, after long silent thought, speak one line:

"We must finish this before Pang Lao returns home!"

"Otherwise, we'll anger the old man—and then there'll be no fixing it…"

Yuan Zhiyi's temple twitched.

Li Guanyi issued his second decree.

Soldiers of the Fire Qilin Army with family members could bring their families into Jiangnan.

Land distributed per capita.

The eyes of Fire Qilin soldiers who had joined along the way turned red; they immediately began transporting their kin into Jiangnan in batches. After cautiously inquiring, Nu Lin Long Wang Kou Yulie learned the naval forces were also part of the Fire Qilin Army—and thus qualified too.

The old man rejoiced wildly; nearly thirty thousand naval families flooded into Jiangnan at breakneck speed.

Li Guanyi and Yuan Zhiyi pressed forward with the third step.

Extend the land-distribution policy from Fire Qilin soldiers, to their families, then to ordinary civilians.

The news spread at a terrifying pace; combined with the prestige gained from Wen Lingjun's earlier suggestion to repatriate all prisoners of war, the populations of Jiangnan's other seventeen prefectures began flowing toward the eighteen prefectures of Jiangnan.

The population of Jiangnan's eighteen prefectures began recovering at high speed.

Once land was given to the people, these diligent folk could not bear to see it lie fallow.

They began smashing the earth—bang bang bang.

Fallow land, and land left barren by over a decade of war, recovered at high speed; this behavior stirred deep resentment among many clans, who sent their own members to the Fire Qilin Army's base, attempting—as in days past—to negotiate.

The literati arrived, only to find Li Guanyi eating while reading Juan Sect records.

The literatus was displeased: "If you seek fame across the land, you should not treat gentlemen so lightly."

Li Guanyi: "Huh???"

The boy raised an eyebrow: "What do you want?"

The literatus froze, unprepared for Li Guanyi's bluntness; he stroked his beard and listed his demands one by one: clan sons appointed as officials in every city, tax exemptions, land under officials exempt from taxation, permanent hereditary land grants for officials…

Li Guanyi had been slurping noodles.

One chopstick of noodles, one bite of garlic—enjoying every mouthful.

But as the old literatus launched into his grand speech, the boy stared, dumbfounded, forgetting to eat, face screaming: How dare you say that? He blinked and said: "Do you even hold the key?"

The literatus puzzled: "I don't."

Li Guanyi: "You know you don't?!"

The boy thought, glanced at weapons, then scrolls—weapons too dirty, scrolls would make Yuan Zhiyi scold him later; after three seconds of hesitation, Li Guanyi slammed the bowl of noodles onto the literatus's head, drenching him in hot broth, then said:

"Guards! Take him away!"

Two burly Fire Qilin soldiers appeared, seized him, and dragged him out; the white-haired old man cried out in fury: "I've read every classic under heaven! Who doesn't know my name?! How dare you treat me like this, you—you—you!!!"

Li Guanyi: "Lei Laomeng! Didn't you hear?!"

"Literatus!"

"How can you drag him?!"

Lei Laomeng froze. The boy said: "Throw him out!"

Thus, the clans' resentment toward Li Guanyi grew daily—yet the Chen family of Jiangnan voluntarily gifted their land and a thousand gold pieces to the Fire Qilin Army, placing their bet; all the clans gathered in the largest prefectural city of Jiangnan's eighteen, waiting for Li Guanyi to come, ready to negotiate.

But Li Guanyi had no interest in them.

The Fire Qilin Army rolled out its new land policy, tracing arcs from the weakest villages under clan control, then to small towns ruled by minor clans, slowly advancing; these clans had no strength to resist Li Guanyi's Fire Qilin Army—the decrees spread swiftly.

At first, the clans thought: just a few villages—what difference does it make?

Then they thought: these petty townfolk with a few coins, dare call themselves clans?

Li Guanyi dares act against these small fry—surely he'd never dare touch the great clans!

By the time they realized it, crimson Fire Qilin flags had already sprouted across all of Jiangnan, encircling the largest cities; when the clan elders opened their eyes, ordinary folk were banging away at the earth everywhere.

Then they asked: What about ours?

Where are our clan lands?

What? Not distributed?

At this moment, their eyes turned red—not from loss of wealth,

But simply because they hadn't received any benefit.

The peasants reaping rewards hurt them more than their own losses.

And when the peasants gained land, the gap between them and the elites would shrink—this was more painful than killing them, for it struck at their very foundation of interest.

This caused every major and minor aristocratic family across Jiangnan to flood into the provincial capitals of the Eighteen Prefectures, seeking out the region's great clans and eminent scholars to complain; thus, the elder patriarchs of these great families all flew into rage, publishing essays and proclamations denouncing Li Guanyi as acting against the Dao.

He is nothing but a rebel, a traitorous faction!

Li Guanyi laughed loudly, then, alongside Yuan Zhi, implemented the fourth phase of policy: revising the land-tax consolidation system to link taxes to land and population—those with more assets paid more, those with less land and assets paid less, and those with no assets paid nothing; the great clans erupted in furious curses.

Yuan Zhi's lips twitched; seeing Li Guanyi abolish the head tax entirely, he finally understood why Li Guanyi had insisted on blocking the news, the entourage, and Peng Shuiyun accompanying them outside Jiangnan.

Lord, was this intentional?

The head tax has been law since the Chi Emperor's era, passed down to this day.

Old Peng's eyes turned red.

What? The head tax? Cut! And this—spring tax? Cut too!

The fire surcharge? Cut!

All exorbitant and miscellaneous taxes? Cut, cut, cut!

Aristocratic tax exemptions?

Cut!

Aristocratic kin who formally enter the clan's service as servants, in truth merely evading taxes?

I cut!

Just as Li Guanyi's reputation was about to reach 【Harsh Rule】! 【Harsh Rule】!

【This brat is unfit to rule the realm】!

And 【Fire Qilin】! 【Fire Qilin】!

【There's a great good man distributing land here】!

As these two states continued to diverge, the young man propped his chin on one hand, twirled his brush in the other, and gazed at the joint proclamations from the great clans denouncing Li Guanyi as a traitorous minister, a harsh ruler, a harsh ruler—and the secret letters secretly contacting the forces of Ying and Chen states—and said:

"Yuan Zhi, the pit is dug deep enough. The time is right."

"Let the news in."

"We should head to the provincial capital—this is where they began their attacks on me, even planning to ambush us with axe-wielding assassins. Six…"

Yuan Zhi fell silent. "Perhaps, you need not have knocked Master Wen He unconscious."

"Your tactics are flexible and varied. Perhaps—he could have contributed a strategy. In this situation, his strategy would surely be the most effective, far better than anything we two devised."

Li Guanyi eyed him suspiciously. "Yuan Zhi, are you quietly insulting me?"

Yuan Zhi replied solemnly. "Not at all. I merely say: my lord is like a dragon—capable of soaring and concealing."

Li Guanyi chuckled.

"Let's go!"

The Fire Qilin Army marched forth; the news began to spread.

Meanwhile, all the great and minor aristocratic families of Jiangnan had gathered within the newly built Changfeng Tower.

Like a war council, they raged against Li Guanyi.