Chapter 285

The girl in the blue cloud-patterned cross-collar jacket let a pearl hang from her hand—it was a Bai Hu pearl of the Xue family, said to have been inherited from their ancestor Xue Shen, capable of concealing one's aura; otherwise, merely by appearing, she would have been detected by the boy.

How could one still joke like this?

Li Guanyi said: "In the past month, has anything major happened in the world?"

Behind the curtain, the girl smiled and lowered her eyes: "The world's winds and clouds have stirred—many changes have arisen. The western deserts, the Turkic steppes, the northern passes—tell me, Mr., which region's affairs do you wish to know?"

Li Guanyi noticed the other side had naturally shifted their form of address.

Changfeng Tower had gradually become institutionalized this year; it was no longer what it had been over a year ago in Zhenbei City, when the lord of a single tower could know Li Guanyi's true identity. Li Guanyi slightly lifted his gaze and said: "Then, Lady, please elaborate in detail."

The girl opened a Juan Sect scroll, pressed her finger against one sheet, and flicked it lightly—the scroll slid across the curtain and landed before Li Guanyi. "If we speak of major changes," she said, "there has been a great shift upon the Turkic steppes."

"The Turks have begun restricting trade with other nations—even the Xue family has suffered immense impact. These steppe people are both bold and cunning; they are hoarding tea bricks, salt, and iron, while replacing horses with cattle and sheep in their own exports."

"What do you make of it, Mr.?"

Li Guanyi replied: "The steppes produce no vegetables—tea bricks are essential to prevent many illnesses. Warhorses, salt, and iron are instruments of war. The Great Tian Kehan of the steppes is preparing for war."

The girl's voice was clear: "The Xue family has discovered that Chen has also tightened its trade—but Ying seems unaware, continuing to supply tea bricks and fine salt to the Turks."

She passed over another scroll, detailing Chen and Ying's respective responses to the Turkic changes. From these two shifts, Li Guanyi instantly realized the Chen official overseeing this matter had been replaced by the famed general Lu Youxian.

Ying's strategy, as Breaker had predicted, has succeeded.

Ying and the Turks have likely formed some alliance.

The nation of the world's greatest general, Ying, allied with the Turkic Great Tian Kehan—the world's second greatest general and strongest heavy cavalry commander—in this chaotic age? Li Guanyi felt immense pressure.

At this moment, as intelligence converged, one could sense time and the tide of history inching forward. Li Guanyi himself had gained much—even greatly: the Scholar's Palace, reputation, and an alliance pact with Ji Zichang.

Meanwhile, Ying's Emperor, while fishing and drinking, had already forged a wordless 'alliance' with the Turkic Great Tian Kehan—perhaps not a harmonious one, but one that forced the Great Tian Kehan into this position.

The Turks altered their trade; Chen's Chen Dingye and Jiang Wanxiang simultaneously curtailed commercial activity, restricting the Xue family nearly in unison. Signs of the chaotic age grew ever clearer.

This is Zheng Du.

The meaning of Zheng Du lies not in crossing, but in contending—striving to be first.

In this chaotic world, those who rise are heroes—commanding mighty armies, fierce generals, wise strategists. All see their own path toward conquering the world; that is striving to be first.

Whoever secures the critical position earliest shall prevail.

Breaker's strategy, Lingjun's momentum, Wenhao's people—all seek the advantage of being first, unyielding.

Li Guanyi felt a faint sense of urgency.

Xue Lao is a hero of the chaotic age, a great merchant—but Chen Dingye and Jiang Wanxiang are kings who set the rules. Li Guanyi studied the changes in the scrolls and asked: "Chen has restricted commerce—how is the Xue family faring?"

The girl's voice was calm, unhurried:

"The Xue family has certainly suffered great impact."

"This is one of Chen's recent major events..."

As if prepared in advance, she lined up the corresponding scrolls one by one—she had already given two. Before Li Guanyi even asked, her finger rested on the third scroll, gently pushing it forward:

"The Chen Emperor has named the son of Empress Xue as Crown Prince and proclaimed it to the world. Though the Xue family still maintains order under the guidance of the former patriarch, hearts are unsettled. Should Chen gain ascendancy, the Xue family becomes imperial kin."

"These four words hold immense allure for Xue family heirs."

"Hearts have already shifted."

"Chen Dingye appointed Lu Youxian as Grand Marshal and General-in-Chief to handle the western frontier."

"Chen Dingye appointed Master Yan Daiqing's father as Vice Minister of Rites, granted him a jade belt, the title of Grand Academician, and the rank of Silver-Green Light-Lord—his prestige now unmatched."

Li Guanyi watched Chen Dingye's every move and exhaled slowly.

Suddenly, he felt even more guilty.

Master Yan Daiqing had only joined the Fire Qilin Army later; within the army, many had viewed him as an outsider, never having endured the twenty-thousand-li march or the battles to pacify Jiangnan.

Under these circumstances, Chen Dingye bestowed honors upon Master Yan Daiqing's father.

When this news reached the Fire Qilin Army, distrust and suspicion would inevitably arise.

Under such conditions, Master Yan Daiqing must restrain the aristocratic clans, soothe the people, and endure pressure and suspicion from within the Fire Qilin Army—all while firmly implementing his policies.

Li Guanyi felt overwhelming guilt, thinking only that when the silver and funds currently in transit reached Jiangnan, they might ease Master Yan Daiqing's burdens slightly.

Ji Zichang had transformed from a puppet into what he is now.

Chen Dingye, freed from Dan Tai Xianming, had also undergone a transformation.

Li Guanyi suddenly recalled the Chen Chancellor who took his own life. He fell silent for a long while, wondering: had Dan Tai Xianming foreseen Chen Dingye's change? Did Dan Tai Xianming desire Li Guanyi to kill Chen Dingye and the Regent Chen Fubi?

But Dan Tai Xianming likely never anticipated that Jiang Wanxiang's time was running short—that the world would surge into even greater chaos: the revived Chen Emperor, the increasingly tyrannical Ying Emperor, the Fire Qilin who had inherited the final blood and fire of the Chi Di lineage.

The old generation and the new generation alike were rising like wind and clouds.

Li Guanyi fell silent for a long while.

Behind the curtain, the girl waited quietly for his next question.

The sunlight was warm.

The curtain was thick, reminding her of their first meeting, when she had tested him with problems from the mathematical treatise—he wrote as if guided by divine inspiration, her personal maid shuttling papers back and forth between them.

It was somewhat similar to now.

The girl smiled faintly. A rustling sound—Qin Wu Hou on the other side had finished reading the scrolls, paused, exhaled, and said calmly: "Then, may I ask about the western frontier?"

Li Guanyi said: "I recall the Xue family, Ying's Duke's Mansion, and the Tiele tribe's Tian Kehan Qibili formed a merchant alliance with the Seven Turkic Kings. The Turkic Great Tian Kehan altered trade goods—what of the Seven Kings?"

The girl's fingers moved slightly; the fourth scroll flew over, unhurriedly:

"The Seven Kings—unchanged."

The paramount Tian Kehan of the Turkic steppes altered trade.

The Seventh Son of the Turkic Great Tian Kehan's retinue remained unchanged.

These two statements revealed blood and storm—they signaled the struggle and hidden currents among the steppes' powers. Li Guanyi exhaled in relief: this meant Breaker's strategy was succeeding, and the Tiele tribe had suffered no impact.

And the Xue family's losses were thus lessened.

The girl pressed her palm down, smoothing the wrinkles in her skirt, and said:

Through changes in trade routes, Tian Kehan Qibili of the Tiele has gathered eight of the Nine Tiele Clans, with only the final clan detachment yet to return; he has reformed the Golden Curved Sword Cavalry.

But initially, they rallied the Nine Tiele Clans under the banner of the Golden Curved Sword Cavalry; later, they ceased using the name 【Golden Curved Sword Cavalry】.

The situation in the Western Regions is chaotic.

Some say the Tiele merely borrowed the legend of the first light cavalry to unite the people and avoid tribal annihilation.

Others say the 【Golden Curved Sword Cavalry】 were the elite bodyguard cavalry of past Western Region kings, royal attendants; thus, until their chosen king arrives in the Western Desert, the 【Golden Curved Sword Cavalry】 will not truly awaken.

This is a tradition.

Yet regardless, Qibili's light cavalry remains a formidable force in the Western Regions now, criticized only for lacking logistics, strategic-level officers, and a world-class commander.

The Western Regions regard Qibili as a bold and valiant cavalry general, yet he lacks experience in major campaigns, lacks sharp vision—he is a warrior, not a commander.

The girl spoke calmly and concisely, neither hurried nor slow: "As for the original Western Region powers, after the fall of Tuyuhun, some of their elite preserved their strength and retreated deeper into the Western Regions."

"The Tanguts established a state; Chen's former regent, Chen Fubì, led a contingent of Chen's elite to form armored cavalry. Now, ninety percent of the Tangut state has been overrun; only the region around their sacred mountain remains, and the original capital's territory still holds."

"The Tanguts appealed to Chen for reinforcements, but Lu Youxian chose to hold firm, advancing slowly while seizing Tangut territory. The Tanguts, enraged, according to ancient custom, planned to perform a live sacrifice of the Chen princess beneath their sacred mountain."

"Chen Fubì's son, the former Crown Prince of Chen, Chen Wenmian, rode in alone in white robes and rescued his cousin; the Divine General Xiao General Xiao Wuliang shone brilliantly during the Tangut state's fall."

"In this battle, Chen Fubì personally beat the war drums to spur Chen Wenmian on."

"The people and soldiers were greatly emboldened."

"After being comforted by Chen Fubì, the Chen royal princess remained there and did not return to Chen; the Duke House of Ying also sent troops into battle, gaining much—yet the most warlike Second Young Master, Li Zhaowen, seemed restrained by his father and elder brother, commanding few troops."

"Even so, with fewer men, he defeated the Tangut generals, forcing them to abandon armor and weapons."

Li Guanyi nodded. He did not even notice the natural ease of their conversation; the sound of him pouring tea rose, then the curtain slightly lifted, revealing the girl's skirt hem through the gap—her voice clear and serene:

"Please drink tea."

"Thank you."

Li Guanyi replied, and as he drank, he recognized the flavor he preferred.

Li Guanyi stared at the Juan Sect records: these were events from the Ying state, the Chen state, the Turkic steppes, the Western Desert.

The timelines differed, involving troop formations, trade goods, responses to commercial contraction and expansion, hired cavalry, and Western Region conquests—yet now, in Li Guanyi's eyes, these were clearly one single event.

The tide of the world surged like wind and clouds!

Conspiracies, open strategies, decisions, slaughter, competition—in the end—

It was merely this one phrase.

"The Red Emperor lost his deer; all under heaven chase it."

On the Turkic steppes, the southern state called Chen, the Central Plains' great Ying, the frontier clans, the northern warlords, the Western Desert—all rose together, heroes contended, each seeing the world's transformation and acting according to their own strategy.

And then, at the same moment, they marched forward in grand strides.

While Mozi disciples trekked toward the south for their ideals, the regent in the desert slashed the heads of Tangut nobles with his double-edged battle knife; the limping Wolf King stepped onto the world; as Li Guanyi faced the Green Robe Immortal with the various Palace Masters, the Turkic Tian Kehan pierced Ying's resolve, tore open the original pact with his steppe curved sword, and summoned the King of Heavy Cavalry.

Li Zhaowen's Jin Chida soared down from the sky; Chen had installed a new Crown Prince; the Xue clan's morale began to waver; among the world's top siege generals, those who raised their weapons now reached the front lines.

Meanwhile, the struggle between Ying's Crown Prince and Second Imperial Prince grew evident; the Seven Kings of the Turks laughed and conversed with Ying's Princess.

Ji Zichang and Li Guanyi discussed the world.

Xiao General Xiao Wuliang and Chen Wenmian vied over Tangut.

Their spears thrust forward with the force to shatter mountains and split peaks, piercing the blazing chests of Tangut warriors, tearing apart the Tanguts' bold aspirations, blood gushing forth; Central Plains generals sang the Great Wind; Ji Zichang lifted that sword and entrusted the last glow of the Red Emperor.

All of this happened simultaneously.

How vast this world is.

How bitter the people of this world are.

The Turkic Tian Kehan, Tiele Qibili, the Ying Duke House, Jiang Wanxiang, Jiang Su, Chen Dingye, Ji Zichang, Yuwen Lie, He Ruo Qinhu, the Third Divine General, Yue Pengwu, General Yue Qianfeng, Chen Wenmian, Chen Fubì, Xiao General Xiao Wuliang, Chen Dingye, Pojun, Yuan Zhi, Wen He, the Seven Kings…

Li Guanyi.

Yet the girl suddenly noticed the man behind the curtain murmuring something; finally, he sat quietly, then, with a trace of self-derision, said calmly:

"A hundred streams vie to cross."

"The heroes of the world are truly as numerous as carp crossing a river."

"When did Li Guanyi become one of them?"

He rose, his sleeves swirling down; his crimson battle robe bore dark-gold Fire Qilin patterns. Whether he wished it or not, the hands beneath this robe had already soaked in more blood than any villain of the Jianghu.

The young man's voice was warm and serene, carrying the calm composure forged through ten thousand battles:

"Master Zu said that perhaps fortune flows like water; at the very end, the world's fortune often surges into a peak rivaling the founding era—like flowers adorned with brocade, fire stewing with oil—but in truth, it is like a dying man's final gleam."

"The events of these ten years have been more turbulent than the past hundred."

"The first hexagram of the Sixty-Four is Qian, Great Zai Qian Yuan, origin of all things—but Qian begins with 【Hidden Dragon, Do Not Act】 and ends with 【Exalted Dragon, Regret】; perhaps this is the truth."

Li Guanyi did not realize he had spoken more than usual.

He was normally a cautious man, yet for some reason—perhaps the tea was too familiar, perhaps the girl's every gesture and word was naturally calm, perhaps some inner instinct—

The girl in the green-cloud-patterned robe truly felt the weight of this year's separation in Li Guanyi's words; people can age in an instant, or grow in a short time; the man across from her was no longer the apothecary he once was.

That boy, once content to drift along, thinking only of saving a few coins, lacked this vision and judgment; he could not have pieced together from these fragmented reports an entire grand, turbulent age, nor seen the heroes within it.

The girl's gaze was calm and gentle.

Such a hero.

That is Li Guanyi.

He was meant to carry the ambition of saving the world and step onto this world.

Even if he would drift farther from her…

At that moment, Qin Wu Hou's voice lowered slightly as he asked:

"Where is the Young Lady?"

The girl's motion paused slightly.

"Hm?"

Li Guanyi frowned and asked again: "The Xue family has been affected—Xue Lao faces pressure from Chen Dingye, the military officials led by Lu Youxian, and the civil officials headed by Yan Daiqing's father. I worry whether Young Lady might be affected."

The girl shifted uncomfortably and answered in a clear voice:

"Princess Yunmeng, Xue Shuangtao?"

"She's doing alright."

"She trains daily and manages some merchant guilds. Someone in court once proposed marrying Princess Yunmeng to a young general—but the Chancellor, Xue Lao, pulled out his jade yuxie belt and beat the man half-dead during court session, knocking out half his teeth."

"Then the Emperor himself knocked out the remaining half."

"He said, 'You want a clean reputation? Then I'll give you one.'"

"'Since ancient times, upright officials never fail to die in remonstrance with their sovereign to leave a name for posterity. Today, I grant your wish.' He then had the official dragged out, beaten half-dead, stripped of his post, and sent home to retire."

Li Guanyi said: "Good beat!"

The girl froze, bit her lip, barely held back a laugh, raised her hand to cover her mouth, and said clearly: "Princess Yunmeng said the same thing."

"She said if Qin Wu Hou were there, he'd have beaten him so badly he couldn't get up."

Li Guanyi said: "Naturally!"

He paused, then said: "But Young Lady and I agreed to meet in Zhongzhou. Yet with the world in turmoil, perhaps Xue Lao won't let her come…" He paused again. "Then again, it's better if she doesn't."

"Zhongzhou is a mess right now. What would she come for?"

"Please bring me ink, brush, paper, and inkstone."

The girl tapped the table—tap, tap—and naturally someone arrived, bringing ink, brush, paper, and inkstone. Li Guanyi picked up the brush and wrote naturally:

"Shuangtao, as if seeing your face in this letter—how have you been?"

His handwriting was calm and unhurried, but Li Guanyi hesitated, then crumpled the letter. The Fire Qilin wasn't here to burn it, so he tossed it aside carelessly—unaware that the girl behind the curtain had unfolded the paper and read it, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

Her clear voice, laced with laughter, said:

"Such a form of address isn't bad at all. Why change it, Mr.?"

Li Guanyi said: "Hmm. Too intimate in a letter—it feels inappropriate. And I fear Xue Lao might read it. Still, you shouldn't read my letters to Shuangtao."

The girl smiled, folded the letter, and slipped it into her sleeve:

"Very well. I shall burn it for you, honored guest."

"Take good care of this letter."

Li Guanyi said: "Afterward, do not read the discarded letters."

The girl answered seriously: "We of the Changfeng Lady's organization never pass letters or intelligence to anyone but the intended recipient. According to our rules, only the person meant to receive the letter may see it. How could I read yours?"

"Absolutely not!"

"If you don't believe me, I can swear an oath."

"That does make sense."

Li Guanyi nodded. As he wrote, he recorded his recent experiences—sometimes crumpling parts, sometimes casually revealing irrelevant details for the Changfeng Lady to hear.

The girl thought carefully, then said: "Why don't you tell her all of this? From what I know, the situation in Zhongzhou is turbulent and perilous—not nearly as light as you make it sound."

Li Guanyi said: "If I told her, wouldn't she worry?"

The girl's expression softened. She clasped her hands together and spoke softly:

"But, Mr., you don't understand a girl's heart."

"If you don't tell her plainly, Young Lady isn't foolish—she'll sense the changes in the world. She won't believe your letter is as simple as it seems. Then she'll lie awake all night, terrified of what you've endured."

"She wants to know your experiences as a friend—to celebrate your successes—not to be fooled again by the stories you spun as a child, about this teacher or that master on your travels."

"Laws unknown, power unfathomable."

"When you don't know what's happening, fear grows even stronger. It's the same principle."

Li Guanyi thought, then said: "…It does make sense."

The girl said:

"Besides, a daughter of the Xue family isn't a weak woman. In chaotic times, if you don't want to be a plaything, how can you remain naive forever? You're fighting far away, entangled in affairs—Young Lady will want to know your true circumstances."

"Not some altered tale from a storybook."

Li Guanyi said: "How do you know what stories I told her?"

The girl's eyes flicked sideways, forcing herself to stay composed:

"Young Lady told us herself. She also said…"

"You used those stories to make money off her!"

Li Guanyi said: "Ha. She told you that too?"

The boy sighed, finished writing the letter, and handed it to the girl, warning her not to read it: "Too bad—after this, I must go to the Western Regions. I won't be back for a year or two."

"I don't know when I'll see her again…"

The girl slipped the letter into her sleeve, her fingers lightly pressing against it, then said:

"You want to see her?"

Li Guanyi said: "I can't say that to you."

The girl couldn't help laughing. She thought to herself, Isn't that already saying it? Then she said seriously:

"What if I told you she's already here?"

Li Guanyi was stunned. Beneath the curtain, a hand reached out, lifted it open—and the girl rose, wearing a blue cloud-patterned cross-collar jacket, a horse-face skirt with dozens of fine pleats, moving like rippling water.

For some reason, Li Guanyi's heart leapt.

But seeing her, he couldn't help feeling disappointed.

The girl wore a mask. Her fingers, white and slender, tapped the mask, slow and unhurried, yet carrying a faint, oddly familiar air of smugness: "Ugly faces below cannot meet gentlemen."

"Princess Yunmeng has arrived. But she hasn't come to meet you yet. She heard the Academy students hold a lantern festival before leaving, and plans to meet you then—more properly, more solemnly."

Li Guanyi frowned and said, "Then I need to prepare."

The young girl stared blankly and said, "Huh? Prepare what?"

Li Guanyi thought for a moment and replied, "It's been over a year since we last met—I can't just show up like this. I need to change my clothes, find something interesting—like a temple fair, a lantern festival, or acrobatics—she likes those things."

Qin Wu Hou once again shifted from the mighty hero who directed affairs of state, treating Wang Hou like dirt, back to the young pharmacist he had been then.

Beneath her mask, the young girl's lips curled slightly as she said, "I'm also on good terms with the Young Lady. Since you're preparing to meet her, why not let me advise you?"

"After all, how exactly will Mr. prepare?"

"I'm quite curious!"

"If you don't mind…"

"Shall I accompany Mr. to complete these tasks?"

The young girl seemed to smile, her eyes curving as she raised a finger to her lips: "Don't worry."

"I will keep this from 【myself】."

?? Qian Tian Nuan Yang gave a huge silver alliance donation—the first major alliance in this novel. I forgot to thank you due to my reversed sleep schedule; everyone, please sleep early and don't end up like me (at peace).