Chapter 28: Dragon Roar, Tiger Howl, Hand Holding Divine Weapon

Yue Qianfeng's gaze had already spotted that city.

As one of the two frontier fortresses flanking Chen's capital Jiangzhou, it was built on unique terrain, barely a hundred li from here; with Yue Qianfeng's speed, even carrying this unskilled master of numerology, he could reach it in half a day, even if enemies blocked the way.

But the old man merely sat on the rock, holding a twig to sketch intricate patterns on the thin layer of dust, never lifting his head even after the assassins had come; the dust bore a vast circle, adorned with countless stars and cosmic phenomena, intricate beyond measure.

The twig in the old man's hand was like a carving knife, slicing open the circle as vast as the celestial sphere, steadily inscribing character after character, until the complexity surpassed Yue Qianfeng's understanding.

Hun Tian Ge Yuan Method.

Grandpa Zu had always been an elder of the Daoist sect, one of the Twenty-Four Sacrificial Priests, versed in astronomy and a master of numerology, most skilled in calculation—he claimed all human affairs were already stamped upon the light of the stars in heaven, and by cutting away the irrational, one could approach truth infinitely.

Yue Qianfeng called out several more times before the old man finally looked up; Yue Qianfeng asked, "Grandpa Zu, shall we depart at once?"

The old man sat upon the mountain rock and said softly, "Wait for my friend's reply."

"Thank you, General Yue, for accompanying this old man in waiting a few more days."

Yue Qianfeng understood.

Before setting out, the old man had already sent letters to his friends: the great Confucian Wang Tong; the Seventh Mo Juzi, who traveled among the states; and the eldest living Siming of the Yin-Yang school.

All except the Legalist had responded.

Even scholars have integrity; after learning of Marshal Yue's injustice, these white-haired elders rose again, hoping to save the nation's hope.

Grandpa Zu had agreed with these friends to journey together to Jiangzhou in Chen, but earlier he had ordered Yue Qianfeng to use his unique method to change the meeting point to Yicheng Fortress; the old man said, "Let me indulge a small personal wish… I originally sought to save Marshal Yue, a grand cause, but I also wish to introduce my soon-to-be-found disciple to them."

Yue Qianfeng thought of the legendary organization and said, "The Tian Shu Academy of the Eastern Continent?"

The old man shook his head: "That's too strict."

"I merely wish to leave him a path to survival."

"What we do will surely enrage court and realm alike; the old man himself is expendable, but if I find a disciple, such consequences will inevitably reach him. I've pondered long and hard, and only one method can protect his life."

"Great renown, and extreme caution."

Yue Qianfeng murmured to himself: "Great renown, and extreme caution."

"If killing him brings no benefit but great harm, then indeed it can preserve his life."

The old man bowed his head to calculate, calmly saying, "I shall bestow upon Yicheng Fortress a great reputation."

"Like a torrential downpour falling from heaven, rain evenly bathing all; whether one can catch even a portion depends on their destiny."

Yue Qianfeng knew the old man's "great reputation" was also a maneuver to build momentum for saving Marshal Yue.

Chen valued literature; the imperial court valued martial arts; strategies differed across nations.

This method would be effective only in Chen.

He gazed at Yicheng Fortress, resolved to ensure the old man entered it; the defenders had been replaced by Chen's famed fortress general Lu Youxian, and the strongest within the city was surely the old Bai Hu of the Xue family; though separated by a hundred li, though he stood alone, it was as if two armies faced each other.

"When will your friend arrive?"

"As soon as four or five days, at most half a month."

"Good. Then, when that time comes, I'll capture some fugitives and send them charging toward Yicheng, scattering the imperial trackers and city guards, while I personally challenge Lu Youxian and the old Xue patriarch—feint east, strike west. At that moment, you can enter the city calmly; once you walk beneath this grand momentum, they won't dare touch you."

The old man asked, "Won't the common folk be harmed?"

Yue Qianfeng replied, "I have ways to control those fugitives."

"Fugitives value their lives."

"Nine deaths, one chance… versus immediate death."

"They'll know the difference."

"As for Xue Daoyong of the Xue family—he has insight and a gambler's nature, but he's ultimately a merchant; merchants value profit, and he won't fight me to the death."

The old man nodded, finished his final stroke, completing the intricate pattern as exquisite as a work of art, then began calculation—but gradually, his white eyebrows furrowed; Yue Qianfeng asked, "What's wrong?"

Grandpa Zu stroked his beard and said, "I don't know. Perhaps I made a miscalculation."

"Hmm?"

"Today, using the Ge Yuan Method to calculate whether I have a disciple, the omen was strange: the circle was like the Hun Tian, densely studded with stars. It is now the third month of spring, yet when I calculated to the end, the heavens were silent—Long Su's dragon horns appeared in the southern sky, and the sun and moon passed through them, while Hu Su remained in the western sky, both shining side by side."

"The south belongs to fire, and the dragon moves within it—that is great misfortune."

"Unless I miscalculated, then my destined disciple bears the Dragon-Tiger cosmic form, walking the path of war."

"And specifically, the Fire Dragon and the Bai Hu."

"Fire Dragon, Bai Hu?"

The old man laughed, pointing to the Hun Tian Ge Yuan diagram and its myriad cosmic markings, clapping his hands and chanting: "Myriad cosmic forms as bracketing beams, tiles covering the blue sky, unimpeded for years, weaving karmic bonds."

"Cultivation perfected, three thousand deeds complete."

"Subduing the Fire Dragon, taming the Tiger, walking the path to immortality on earth!"

………………

In the Xue family's Ting Feng Pavilion, Li Guanyi perused the Top Three Lists; these lists were short, though the Divine General List held more names—over a hundred renowned generals from all factions. Divine weapons and cosmic forms were far fewer. As the old man brewed tea, Li Guanyi casually asked about what he wished to know.

Xue Daoyong answered without hesitation, smiling broadly: "Cosmic form?"

"By cosmic form,"

"I mean two types: innate and acquired."

"Innate ones are exceedingly rare—within a century-long era, fewer than ten may appear; these are the so-called prodigies born with celestial signs: ancient double pupils, high nasal bridges, dragon-like features. Acquired ones endure hardship, slaughter, and relentless cultivation, eventually fusing their martial path's will with the celestial qi to form a cosmic form. Though innate cosmic forms are enviable, the world is as it is: some are born with talent, as if sent here with a mission; talent cannot be explained."

"Yet I've only heard of innate ones—I've lived 130 years and never seen a martial path cultivator of low realm possess a cosmic form."

Li Guanyi nodded in agreement.

The old man added, "Beyond their exceptional combat efficacy, cosmic forms each possess unique traits."

"For instance, I've heard some cosmic forms grant their wielders mastery over weapons; others render them immune to all poisons; yet another allows eternal youth. These traits require no realm—only possessing the cosmic form is enough, and they activate constantly."

Li Guanyi grew curious.

He wondered what special traits the Red Dragon and Bai Hu cosmic forms possessed.

A knock came at the door.

The Xue family patriarch said, "Come in."

The white-haired steward, holding a tray, hurried over and set it on the table. Xue Daoyong said, "Young Mr., you have family with you, and the inner quarters of the Xue household are somewhat disorderly, with no shortage of men. Even for a Guest Elder, unless one has married a woman from a branch line of the Xue family, one cannot bring family members inside."

He picked up a sheet of paper from the tray, pressed it onto the table, and slid it toward Li Guanyi's direction.

The old man smiled faintly.

"This is the deed for the courtyard you are staying in."

"That courtyard, together with the plot of land it sits on, now belongs entirely to you."

"The household registration you wanted has also been arranged."

Li Guanyi held the courtyard's land deed. The rent for that courtyard was not cheap — buying it outright would cost five hundred strings of coins, and if the deed included the land as well, it might be even more than that…

Just like that, handed over? A thought flashed through the young man's mind.

Can I cash it in?!

Half price would be fine too.

He noticed that the steward had come in suddenly, not at the old man's bidding — which meant it was very likely that when Xue Daoyong went to the martial arena, he had already instructed the steward to have the deed transferred. The old man smiled and said, "This is something I would give you whether or not you are willing to become a Guest Elder; consider it the Xue family's goodwill."

"Only the most despicable of merchants keep their eyes fixed on gold and silver; great merchants seek friendship."

"For friendship, even a thousand gold pieces are not worth mentioning."

"Young Mr. is a man of Emotionally Weighted loyalty and righteousness; if I befriend you through sentiment, I shall not return empty-handed."

"As for the Guest Elder's additional terms—"

"The monthly stipend will rise from thirty strings to fifty strings, and there will be a corresponding supply of elixirs. All cultivation resources will be identical to those given to the Xue family's direct-line core disciples."

"This one here is my Xue family's archery Wu Gong, 'Feathered Shots in Succession.' It combines footwork and archery. I see that Young Mr. only seems versed in internal arts and saber techniques. Although this Wu Gong cannot be said to stand unrivaled under heaven, in the Jiangnan region it is considered outstanding."

"For hand-to-hand combat, there is 'Seven Strike Scattered Hand,' obtained from the Beggars' Sect."

"It is only meant as a supplement after one has lost one's weapon."

"These Wu Gong will all be taught by…"

Xue Daoyong had originally intended to have the Xue family's instructors teach them, but his voice paused slightly when he suddenly noticed the young girl beside him, propping up her chin as she listened to the conversation. Unable to get a word in, Xue Shuangtao's eyes were fixed on a lotus leaf, watching a butterfly flit back and forth above it. The butterfly slowly fluttered its wings and flew to her temple, and delight sparkled in the girl's eyes.

The old man seemed to ponder for a moment, then smiled faintly:

"Then let Shuangtao be the one to instruct Mr."

The girl, who had been lazily draped over her arm on the other side, sprang up like a startled kitten.

Her eyes went wide: "Huh???"

Li Guanyi, who had been holding the courtyard deed and calculating its price: "Huh???"

The two stared at each other.

The old man laughed heartily. This was because he hoped his granddaughter could also forge this bond of goodwill. That way, whether Xue Shuangtao later married into a great clan or chose to independently preside over the Xue family, having such a man of great talent outside would naturally make her path much smoother.

Li Guanyi nodded and said, "If Miss Xue is willing, then."

The old man said, satisfied, "I am her grandfather; naturally she listens to me."

His heart rejoiced, and seeing Li Guanyi composed, he rejoiced all the more.

He had long since noticed that Li Guanyi's gaze kept drifting to that Cloud-Splitting Heaven-Shaking Bow, knowing that as a young man, he naturally felt curiosity and longing for such a legendary, time-honored divine weapon. His mood mirrored Meng Dahao's at this moment, reminding him of his own youth.

Since the conditions for picking up the 【Cloud-Splitting Heaven-Shaking Bow】 were extremely stringent, he decided to be generous and said:

"Young Mr. is curious about this 【Cloud-Splitting Heaven-Shaking Bow】?"

Li Guanyi nodded: "Yes."

The milk-voiced cry of the Bai Hu Dharma Aspect on the bronze cauldron at his ear was nearly giving him a headache.

Xue Daoyong laughed and said, "Then, by all means, take hold of it."

Li Guanyi was startled. Xue Daoyong had already stepped aside, letting Li Guanyi see the bow.

The young man hesitated for a moment, then extended his hand.

Amid the roar of the Bai Hu Dharma Aspect on the bronze cauldron, his five fingers settled onto the ancient, unadorned body of the bow.

He slowly closed his grip.

(End of chapter)