Chapter 28: Dragon

Yue Qianfeng’s gaze had already spotted the city.

As one of the two key fortresses flanking Chen Guo’s capital, Jiangzhou, its terrain was uniquely positioned—barely a hundred li from here. With Yue Qianfeng’s speed, even carrying this master of numerology who knew no martial arts, and even with enemies blocking the path, he could reach it in half a day.

But the old man merely sat upon 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. On the dust lay a vast circle, adorned with countless stars and celestial phenomena, intricate beyond measure.

The twig in the old man’s hand was like a carving knife, slicing through the circle as vast as the cosmos, steadily inscribing character after character, until the complexity grew beyond Yue Qianfeng’s comprehension.

The Method of Cutting the Celestial Sphere.

Grandfather Zu was originally an elder of the Daoist sect, one of the Twenty-Four Sacrificial Masters, well-versed in astronomy and a master of numerology, most skilled in divination. He believed all earthly affairs were already inscribed in the light of the stars above; by cutting away the irrational, one could approach truth infinitely.

Yue Qianfeng called out several more times before the old man finally looked up. “Grandfather Zu, shall we depart immediately?”

The old man sat upon the mountain rock and spoke softly: “Wait for my friend’s reply.”

“Thank you, General Yue, for your patience in waiting a few more days with this old man.”

Yue Qianfeng understood.

Before setting out, the old man had already sent letters to his friends: the great Confucian scholar Wang Tong; the Seventh Grand Master of the Mohists, who traveled among the states; and the eldest living Celestial Arbiter of the Yin-Yang School.

All except the Legalist had responded.

Even scholars had backbone. After learning of Marshal Yue’s injustice, these white-haired elders rose once more, hoping to rescue the nation’s hope.

Grandfather Zu had agreed with his friends to journey together to Jiangzhou in Chen Guo, but earlier he had ordered Yue Qianfeng to use his unique method to change the meeting point to Yicheng Fortress. “Let me indulge a small personal wish… I set out to save Marshal Yue, and this grand momentum also gives me a chance to introduce my soon-to-be-found heir to them.”

Yue Qianfeng thought of the legendary organization: “The Tian Shu Academy of the Eastern Continent?”

The old man shook his head: “Too strict.”

“I merely wish to leave him a path to survival.”

“What we do will surely enrage court and realm alike. I am old, but if I find a disciple, the consequences will surely reach him. I’ve thought long and hard—there is only one way to protect his life.”

“Great fame. Extreme caution.”

Yue Qianfeng murmured: “Great fame. Extreme caution.”

“If killing him brings no benefit but great harm, then yes—it can indeed save his life.”

The old man bowed his head to calculate, speaking calmly: “I shall grant Yicheng Fortress a great reputation.”

“Like a torrential downpour from heaven, raining evenly upon all. How much they can catch 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 Guo valued literature; the imperial court valued martial prowess. Strategies differed across states.

This method would only be effective in Chen Guo.

He gazed at Yicheng Fortress, resolved to deliver the old man inside. The garrison commander had been replaced by the famed Chen general Lu Youxian, and the strongest man within the city was surely the old white tiger 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 round up some wanted criminals and send them charging toward Yicheng Fortress, scattering the imperial trackers and city guards. I’ll personally challenge Lu Youxian and the old Xue patriarch—feint east, strike west. Then you can enter the city calmly. Walk under the weight of this grand momentum, and 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 are all afraid of death.”

“Nine deaths, one chance—or immediate death.”

“They’ll know the difference.”

“As for Xue Dao Yong of the Xue family—he has insight and a gambler’s nature, but he’s still a merchant. Merchants value profit; he won’t fight me to the death.”

The old man nodded, finished his final stroke, completing the intricate pattern as beautiful as a work of art, then began his calculations. Gradually, his white eyebrows furrowed. Yue Qianfeng asked: “What’s wrong?”

Grandfather Zu stroked his beard: “I don’t know. Perhaps I made a mistake.”

“Hmm?”

“Today, using the Method of Cutting the Celestial Sphere, I divined whether I’d find a disciple. But the omen is strange: the circle is like the heavens, densely studded with stars. It’s the third month of spring, yet when I completed the calculation, the sky was silent. The Dragon’s Horns of the Dragon Mansion appeared in the southern sky, and the sun and moon passed through them. Yet the Tiger Mansion still rested in the western sky—both shining side by side.”

“The south belongs to fire. The dragon moving through it—that is great misfortune.”

“Unless I erred, then my destined disciple bears the Dragon-Tiger Physiognomy, walking the path of war.”

“And not just any dragon and tiger—fire dragon and white tiger.”

“Fire dragon, white tiger?”

The old man chuckled, pointing to the Celestial Sphere and its myriad markings, clapping his hands and chanting: “Myriad phenomena as rafters, 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 of immortality on earth!”

………………

In the Xue family’s Listening Wind Pavilion, Li Guanyi perused the Top Three Lists. These lists were short; only the Divine General List had many names—over a hundred famed generals from all factions. Divine Weapons and Physiognomies were far fewer. As the old man brewed tea, Li Guanyi casually asked what he wished to know.

Xue Dao Yong answered without hesitation, smiling freely: “Physiognomy?”

“Physiognomy, in essence.”

“Divided into two types: innate and acquired.”

“Innate ones are exceedingly rare—within a century-long era, fewer than ten may appear. These are those born with prodigious signs: ancient double pupils, high nasal bridges, dragon-like countenances. Acquired ones endure hardship, slaughter, and relentless cultivation, eventually fusing their martial will with the celestial qi to form a physiognomy. Though innate physiognomies 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 physiognomies. At one hundred and thirty years old, I’ve never seen a martial cultivator of low realm possess one.”

Li Guanyi nodded in agreement.

The old man continued: “Beyond their combat efficacy, physiognomies often have peculiar traits.”

“For instance, I’ve heard some allow their wielders to command weapons; others grant immunity to all poisons; yet others preserve one’s youth forever. These traits require no realm—only possessing the physiognomy is enough, and they activate constantly.”

Li Guanyi grew curious.

What special traits did the Crimson Dragon and White Tiger physiognomies possess?

A knock came at the door.

The Xue family’s patriarch said: “Enter.”

The white-haired steward hurried in, carrying a tray, placing it on the table. Xue Dao Yong said: “Young Master, you have family. The inner quarters of the Xue household are chaotic, filled with men—even guest ministers, unless married to a branch-line Xue woman, cannot bring family inside.”

He picked up a sheet of paper from the tray, laid it flat on the table, and pushed it toward Li Guanyi.

The old man smiled faintly.

“This is the deed to the courtyard you reside in.”

“That courtyard, along with the land it stands on, now belongs to you.”

“Your household registration request has also been settled.”

Li Guanyi held the courtyard deed. The rent was steep; purchasing it outright would cost five hundred strings. If the land deed was included, it might be even more…

Just like that? A thought flashed through the young man’s mind.

Can I cash it in?!

Even half price would do.

He noticed the steward had entered abruptly—not at the old man’s command. That meant Xue Dao Yong had likely ordered the deed transfer while he was at the training ground. The old man smiled: “This is given to you regardless of whether you become a guest minister—it is the Xue family’s goodwill.”

“Only petty merchants fixate on gold and silver. Great merchants seek kinship.”

“For kinship, even a thousand strings mean nothing.”

“You are a man of loyalty and righteousness. I bind you with kinship—you will not let me return empty-handed.”

“As for your guest minister status:”

“Your monthly stipend rises from thirty to fifty strings, with corresponding pills and all cultivation materials matching those of the Xue family’s core heirs.”

“This is our Xue family’s archery manual: ‘Flying Feather, Linked Beads.’ It combines footwork and archery. Though not unparalleled in the martial world, it stands out in the Jiangnan region.”

“For unarmed combat, we have the ‘Seven Pounding Fists’ from the Beggar’s Sect.”

“Useful only as a last resort when weapons are lost.”

“These martial arts are all taught by…”

Xue Dao Yong had intended to assign a Xue family instructor. His voice paused as he noticed the girl beside him, chin propped on her hand, listening silently. Unable to join the conversation, Jiang Su’s eyes fixed on a lotus leaf, watching a butterfly flutter across it. Slowly, the butterfly spread its wings and landed on her temple. Her eyes brightened with delight.

The old man paused, then smiled gently:

“Let Shuangtao teach you.”

The girl, lounging lazily on her arm, jolted upright like a startled kitten.

Her eyes widened: “Huh???”

Li Guanyi, still calculating the deed’s value: “Huh???”

They stared at each other.

The old man burst into laughter. He hoped his granddaughter might forge this good karmic bond—whether she later married into a great clan or took charge of the Xue family alone, having such a talent outside would make her path far easier.

Li Guanyi nodded: “If Miss Xue agrees.”

The old man smiled contentedly: “I am her grandfather. She will obey me.”

He felt joy. Seeing Li Guanyi’s calm demeanor, his joy deepened.

He had long noticed Li Guanyi’s gaze lingering on the [Break-Cloud Thunder Bow]. He knew the boy, like all youths, was curious, yearning for legendary divine weapons. In high spirits, he recalled his own youth.

The conditions to wield the [Break-Cloud Thunder Bow] were extreme. So he declared generously:

“Young Master, are you curious about the [Break-Cloud Thunder Bow]?”

Li Guanyi nodded: “Yes.”

The faint, childish cry of the White Tiger physiognomy beside his ear nearly gave him a headache.

Xue Dao Yong chuckled: “Then, try holding it.”

Li Guanyi froze. Xue Dao Yong stepped aside, revealing the bow.

The young man hesitated, then extended his palm.

Amid the roar of the Bai Hu manifestation on the bronze cauldron, five fingers settled upon the ancient bow’s shaft.

Slowly, they closed around it.

(End of Chapter)