Chapter 311: A Thousand-Year Pact: Soaring Dragon, Riding Mist, Entering the Western Regions

That vast tide of human destiny surged and converged, flowing into the Nine Cauldrons, which then returned to heaven and earth—but within this heaven and earth, a portion flowed toward the Ancient Taigu Chilong, which let out a long, thunderous roar and soared into the sky, bewildered and uncertain of what was happening.

It had watched the mortal world for eight thousand years and knew that spontaneous folk sacrifices were countless.

Some of them were good, aimed at guiding people toward virtue, but the vast majority had twisted into selfish desires—human sacrifices, the Dragon King's wife, and such matters never ceased, and they misled and confused the common people.

Since ancient times, countless lives had been lost because of such sacrifices.

Eight hundred years ago, that old friend, once a wandering knight, had saved someone and then laughed and scolded him:

"You're a rakish dragon."

"You take a wife every year."

The Ancient Taigu Chilong seethed with rage, but even that once-magnificent, unyielding old friend had ultimately been cast into the Son of Heaven's prison, forced to perform sacrifices to the gods of heaven, earth, and the four directions, and to do countless things.

The Ancient Taigu Chilong gazed at Li Guanyi standing below, and Li Guanyi pointed toward the Fire Qilin Army and declared loudly: "To achieve such a thing—among the people of Jiangnan, among the Fire Qilin Army—I have never seen any gods."

"The rain has ceased; you should all return home."

"Take back these offerings—pastries, chickens, ducks—and share them with your families."

Li Guanyi then distributed the items prepared for the god-sacrifices among the people as spring plowing gifts; the people, receiving tangible benefits and seeing the rain stop, and knowing how precious the spring plowing season was, all thanked him and departed.

The Ancient Taigu Chilong watched this scene.

It was difficult to break the spontaneous, deeply rooted sacrifices among the people, but Li Guanyi's method—using the mystery of the Nine Cauldrons to halt the endless spring rains—had shattered the people's belief in gods.

It was an exceedingly clever tactic.

Today's actions were, by any standard, heretical—but this young Marquis had shot an arrow into the sky and truly stopped the rain; whether by coincidence or genuine power, the aristocrats and sorcerers were left in stunned uncertainty.

This news would spread throughout all of Jiangnan.

The wild, burgeoning rites and sacrifices among the people would likely be curbed.

The Tiance Prefecture would use the money saved from sacrifices to reward the people's spring plowing.

These matters would naturally be handled by Wen Lingjun, Fang Ziqiao, and Master Yan Daiqing.

Li Guanyi shed his battle robe, stored his armor, and remained in his everyday attire; he drank a sip of hot tea to warm himself, clenched his fist, and felt the enhancement from the Jiangnan Nine Cauldrons had grown stronger by a third.

He went personally to the site of the Nine Cauldrons.

His eyes shimmered with a gentle, luminous aura; within the vast mouths of the Nine Cauldrons, he saw destiny swirling like dragons—indeed, more vast and pure than before. The Mo Juzi, seeing him arrive, laughed heartily: "I heard you refuted ghosts and gods—excellent tactics."

The Mo school never liked the notion of ghosts and gods.

They trusted Heaven's Will, practiced frugality.

Yet they disliked ghosts, gods, and sacrifices; they denied fate and rejected the existence of spirits.

Only punishing evil and promoting good were true gods; there was no such thing as fate.

The Mo school's "Heaven's Will" was closer to Li Guanyi's understanding of natural law; they also championed simple living, wishing to direct wealth and energy toward people—universal love and unity—rather than toward the vague, insubstantial claims of ghosts and gods.

This was one of the greatest differences between the Mo school and Confucianism and Daoism.

Li Guanyi's actions today greatly pleased the Mo Juzi.

The Mo Juzi reached out and patted the broad, heavy sword beside him, praising him: "Pity you are already the Qin Wu Hou of the world; otherwise, you would be the only one worthy to inherit my Mo Juzi Sword."

Li Guanyi said: "If I weren't the Qin Wu Hou, I couldn't have done this."

The Mo Juzi laughed: "True enough."

He paused, then asked: "You've acted so boldly all at once."

"It's a bit rushed."

"Are you going to the Western Regions?"

Li Guanyi nodded. The Mo Juzi thought for a moment, pulled out a black token, stroked it with great reluctance in his palm for a long while, then flicked his wrist and tossed it to Li Guanyi, saying:

"Of all the deeds I've done in my life, none have brought me greater joy than today's—but I cannot give you this sword."

"I give you this instead."

"It is the Mo Juzi Token."

Li Guanyi said: "The Mo Juzi Token?"

The first Mo Juzi drank tea and smiled: "The Mo school has split into many branches—you know this already. Besides our original Mo school, there are the Ming Mo and the martial Xia Mo."

"The Xia Mo grew increasingly extreme and split into three lines."

"Some even sank into becoming assassins and killers of the martial world."

"The Ming Mo also split into two lines."

"And finally, there is the branch that gathered all doctrines together."

"The Mo school now has seven major branches; three are in various states, and the rest—large and small—each have their own Mo Juzi, traveling the world, upholding justice. There are surely many in the Western Regions."

"This Mo Juzi Token grants you temporary command over Mo disciples who roam as wandering knights. You cannot take many people with you to the Western Regions—my disciples are all masters of mechanical arts and possess Wu Gong. Let them lend you their strength."

Li Guanyi understood the weight of this token.

It was nearly equivalent to the Mo Juzi's actual authority within the Mo school.

He knew how vital this would be for his journey to the Western Regions; after a moment of silence, he cupped the token with both hands and bowed deeply: "Thank you, Mo Juzi."

The Mo Juzi waved his hand: "No need for such formality."

"Come, look—since you did this today, the collective destiny of the people and land gathered by the Nine Cauldrons has clearly strengthened. We've studied the Nine Cauldrons during this time and uncovered some truths."

"These Nine Cauldrons are still far from their limit."

The Mo Juzi and Li Guanyi discussed the mystery of the Nine Cauldrons and reached a basic conclusion: wherever the Nine Cauldrons' influence extended, if the people lived in prosperity and peace, the cauldrons' destiny grew greater; conversely, if the people suffered, the cauldrons' power waned.

"According to our deductions, if one day the people's grievances boil over and they are reduced to misery, even this divine artifact—the Nine Cauldrons—would gradually lose its power, fade into ordinariness, and perhaps vanish entirely."

"And judging by its current state, these Nine Cauldrons seem incomplete."

"I wonder what grand transformation would occur if they were completed."

The first Mo Juzi sighed with longing.

Li Guanyi rubbed his chin and mused: "So this could be perpetual motion?"

The Mo Juzi froze, struggling to keep up with Li Guanyi's leaps of thought.

Li Guanyi extended a finger, thinking seriously: "Mo Juzi, consider this."

"The Qi feedback from the Nine Cauldrons can improve the lives of the people across Jiangnan; when the people live better and grain is abundant, human Qi becomes dense; when human Qi is dense, the Nine Cauldrons grow stronger."

"The stronger the Nine Cauldrons, the greater the blessing they bestow upon the people."

"The greater the blessing upon the people, the better their lives become, and human Qi will…"

The Mo Juzi laughed and groaned: "Stop! Stop! Stop!"

"Everything has its limit, its upper bound."

"Who ever heard of such a thing?"

Li Guanyi sighed: "So it won't work, then?"

The Mo Juzi declared firmly: "Of course not!"

"It would likely cycle like this until the enhancement approaches ten percent—then the Nine Cauldrons' power would halt." He paused, then hesitated: "Still, these Nine Cauldrons are incomplete."

"When many divine weapons form a set, each additional piece increases their power."

"I don't know—if another Cauldron were added, perhaps the upper limit of enhancement might rise further; or perhaps when all Nine Cauldrons gather, they will shatter the limit entirely and undergo a qualitative leap."

"But this is merely my speculation."

Li Guanyi thought of the Western Regions, murmuring to himself: "Perhaps one day this will come to pass." He extended his palm, pressing it against the bronze Cauldron's body; its surface shimmered with flowing light, and Li Guanyi faintly sensed the power of the Nine Cauldrons, momentarily stunned.

He had sensed, within the Nine Cauldrons, a faint dragon shape?!

That dragon shape seemed strangely familiar.

The Ancient Taigu Chilong?

Indeed, the Nine Cauldron of Jiangnan's ability to summon wind and rain stemmed from its connection to the Ancient Taigu Chilong.

That meant—if it were possible to cast a second Nine Cauldron in the Western Regions…

Would the differing sources of primordial Qi determine the land-and-people power of the Cauldron in the Western Regions?

Li Guanyi swiftly deduced.

Then he noticed the Cauldron's inner mystery: a vast expanse of watery vapor, and above the Jiangnan landscape map on its body, a vast expanse of clouds and mist had formed, within which a red dragon glided faintly.

"The Nine Cauldrons have changed…"

"Are these clouds… rain clouds?"

Li Guanyi pondered.

Previously, the Nine Cauldrons, using human Qi and the strength of the land and people, had activated the divine dragon's nature to disperse the rain clouds over most of Jiangnan—but that cloud and rain vapor had not vanished; it had been stored by the Nine Cauldrons.

Capable of storing and releasing.

The dragon, as a being, governs clouds and brings rain.

Li Guanyi faintly sensed: the Nine Cauldrons stored wind and rain within—this was collection; yet they could also reverse the process, triggering heavenly changes to summon rain.

For now, the divine weapon's power of the Nine Cauldrons was this.

Relatively simple and direct.

In pure offensive power, it fell short of Chixiao Sword's ability to sever evil or Yunzhen Bow's certainty to strike true—but in the realm of land and people, it was utterly unmatched.

The Nine Cauldrons—sacred vessels of land and people!

Worthy of their name!

This was only one of the Nine Cauldrons.

Li Guanyi could not help but feel immense curiosity and anticipation for what the second, third, and ultimately all nine Cauldrons together might achieve.

Li Guanyi suddenly recalled: when eliminating the Grand Elder in the Western Regions, he had faintly sensed the Mo Sect's base was built of rammed earth, and that region seemed desperately short of water.

And among the devotees' murmurs he heard while burning away the dark Qi stream, many were prayers for rain.

"If that's the case…"

Li Guanyi pressed his palm against the Nine Cauldron, deep in thought.

"I wonder if the Nine Cauldrons' power can be transmitted."

"If it can—then in Jiangnan, where rain is excessive and floods constantly plague the land, the Nine Cauldrons' divine power could store excess water vapor, halting the ceaseless rains; then, in the arid Western Regions, they could summon wind and rain."

"Beneficial to both sides."

"The Mo Sect's centuries-long popular support would collapse in an instant."

"They merely make the people pay for divine artifacts that never deliver—yet the Nine Cauldrons can truly summon wind and rain."

Li Guanyi suddenly conceived a plan to strike at the Mo Sect at its very root.

He was no passive, refined gentleman.

Since the Mo Sect had provoked him, according to the Gongyang Su Wang theory of great retribution and the blended methods of Confucian kingship and hegemony, he must crush them with overwhelming force, legendary martial renown, and righteous, majestic might.

"Li Guanyi, come out and speak."

At that moment, Li Guanyi suddenly heard the voice of the Ancient Taigu Chilong at his ear. His heart stirred; he turned to the Mo Juzi: "I leave this to you, Mo Juzi—I have other matters and must step out."

He departed swiftly, moving like the wind.

The Mo Juzi sighed helplessly.

Li Guanyi raced out, wrapped in the Taigu Chilong's divine form, sweeping across the land until he reached an empty place, then mounted the Fire Qilin; the Qilin trod fire and in moments soared into the sky, where the Ancient Taigu Chilong, rare in hesitation, circled above.

Seeing Li Guanyi arrive, it recounted how it had aided him in activating the Nine Cauldrons' power—yet the resulting human Qi had surged toward it, and now it lingered before the dragon, unsure how to handle it: "This Qi has gathered, yet halted—I do not know what to do with it."

"Li Guanyi, do you have any thoughts?"

Li Guanyi understood fully and explained:

"Senior, this is no forced force—it is natural. Without you, I could not have used the Nine Cauldrons' power to disperse the rain clouds. In other words, ensuring Jiangnan's favorable weather is precisely what you have done."

"You naturally received the Nine Cauldrons' gift."

"This is a good thing—do not be so wary."

The Ancient Taigu Chilong gazed at Li Guanyi, then laughed—a voice vast and thunderous—saying, "My experience tells me otherwise."

"Such great fortune always demands a cost tenfold or more!"

Li Guanyi extended his hand; the tide of human destiny surged toward him, and he said frankly, "What cost? It's simple—if you're willing, come here each year to regulate the winds and rains of Jiangnan, and you'll receive this return."

"If you're unwilling to come, you lose nothing."

"Isn't that fair?"

The Ancient Taigu Chilong stared at Li Guanyi: "I am not human. Why would these Nine Cauldrons—human divine weapons—return destiny to me?"

Li Guanyi smiled faintly and said, "If you ask why the Nine Cauldrons work even for a primordial spirit like you, it's perhaps because—"

"The Nine Cauldrons' eyes—"

"See you, an Ancient Taigu Chilong with eight thousand years of life, as one among the myriad beings of this world. Since you are one of the myriad beings, you are naturally under the Nine Cauldrons' protection. To speak of the Nine Cauldrons solely through the Son of Heaven's destiny is too narrow."

The Ancient Taigu Chilong fell silent for a long while.

On the Fire Qilin's back, Li Guanyi opened his palm; the vast tide of human destiny flowed toward the Ancient Taigu Chilong, and he smiled, saying, "If you still don't believe it, shall we make a pact?"

"This human destiny should replenish some of your primordial energy."

"I am going to the Western Regions now, and one day I will surely die. You, Ancient Candle Dragon Lord, live far longer than I—perhaps when no one remembers Li Guanyi, you will still breathe clouds and mist as you do today?"

"Then please, watch over Jiangnan for me—see what the world looks like a thousand years from now…"

"The mortal world rises and falls unpredictably; the mountains and rivers enjoy timely winds and rains."

"This human destiny shall be our wager."

The Ancient Taigu Chilong seemed to accept, gazing at Li Guanyi: "What do we wager?"

Li Guanyi said: "I wager…"

He pointed his finger toward Jiangnan's mountains and rivers, fell silent, thinking how, by then, the world would have no trace of him—Li Guanyi's name reduced to black ink on yellowed scrolls, no one knowing how he had walked step by step through this age, frail in fate but strong in heart.

Yet still, he smiled calmly, carefree:

"A thousand years from now, the mortal world will be ten times more splendid than today!"

"What do you say?"

The Ancient Taigu Chilong stared at Li Guanyi, and for a moment, he seemed to see the face of an old friend. After a long pause, his voice deep and slow, he said: "These words now carry a certain grandeur. A fine wager. But this pact is known only to you and me."

Li Guanyi said: "I will have it written in scrolls, and the Fire Qilin is here too."

He smiled: "I will record today's pact in history. A thousand years from now, you need not appear. If you think you've won, send down a heavy rain—let the world be drenched in endless drizzle. If you think I've won—"

"Then a thousand years from now, it will be just like today."

"Please, stop the rains over Jiangnan."

"Let ripples rise across rivers, lakes, and seas like pine waves crashing against shore; let great winds rise from all four directions. If any of those future people read this history and witness this sight, they will know—you and I made this pact, and I won."

One pact. A thousand years hence.

Romance and grandeur, condensed in three or four words.

The Ancient Taigu Chilong gazed at the boy, and the fleeting vision of his old friend faded.

Before him, the young lord wore a crimson battle robe, his black hair flowing with the wind, a jade hairpin holding it in place.

His smile was warm and serene as he looked upon the crimson dragon.

The Ancient Taigu Chilong let out a long laugh.

The mortal world truly has endless generations of brilliance.

The world's martial and spiritual realms—eight hundred years, eight thousand years—only one Crimson Emperor, only one Li Guanyi. Each had their own boundless heroism, each their own graceful ease. The Ancient Taigu Chilong felt exhilarated and replied: "A thousand-year pact—what grandeur."

"Old man, I accept."

"Then, this Qi of the Nine Cauldrons—I take it."

Amid a low dragon's roar, it opened its mouth and breathed clouds and mist; the vast tide of human destiny was swallowed whole. In an instant, a faint golden shimmer passed over its scales.

The Ancient Taigu Chilong was stunned.

Its lifespan and primordial energy had been partially replenished.

It seemed that by preserving the world's timely winds and rains, the eight hundred years of lifespan it had lost might fully return—even surpass it.

The Ancient Taigu Chilong opened its mouth, primordial energy swirling, lifting a piece of white jade to rest before Li Guanyi. Curious, Li Guanyi reached out and caught it. Faint golden markings on its surface formed a map.

The Ancient Taigu Chilong's voice was low:

"The world is vast. In the Central Plains, there are dragons like me, and the Fire Qilin. The Western Regions may be sparsely populated, yet they are no smaller than Chen State. There are thirty-six tribes, countless strange terrains—how could no being like me have arisen there?"

"Eight hundred years ago, I clashed with a beast in the Western Regions. I do not know if it still lingers there. This object is for you—it marks the place where I fought him. If you have the courage, go seek him out."

These past days, the Ancient Taigu Chilong had clearly sought this item solely to deliver it.

He paused, then said: "Today, having accepted your pact, the power of the Nine Cauldrons did not move me—but your pact? It carries true grandeur."

The Ancient Taigu Chilong sighed: "Very well. Very well."

"Summon your people."

"Old man shall personally escort you to the Western Regions."

……………………

After making the pact with the Taigu Chilong, Li Guanyi returned in high spirits. The Tiance Prefecture members, hearing Li Guanyi had a way to reach the Western Regions directly—without the caravan—stared at each other, confused.

Mr. Master Wen He thought for a moment and said: "No need to waste it."

He took out several cups and placed one on the table.

"First, pretend the Lord is still in Jiangnan, to mislead any eavesdroppers."

"Then, send the caravan out, let it be 'discovered' as the 'caravan heading to the Western Regions.' Let sharp spies, by accident, deduce this is the location of Qin Wu Hou."

Mr. Master Wen He smiled gently: "Then, even if someone uncovers Jiangnan's ruse, we have a second stratagem. If they uncover the caravan, we still have a third deception."

"No matter what, their attention is drawn to the caravan."

"We can even leave a few traps for them to fall into."

"Sowing discord, using another's knife to kill."

"The Lord shall go himself to the Western Regions..."

Wen Lingjun: "…………"

Yuan Zhi: "…………"

Master Yan Daiqing: "…………"

Master Yan Daiqing patted Li Guanyi on the shoulder and said solemnly:

"Bring him back bound—well done indeed."

………………

Li Guanyi voluntarily sought out the Whale Fisher again; the latter had originally had little patience for him, and their conversations often ended in arguments, but Li Guanyi now voluntarily revealed what had happened that day with the Mo Sect's Grand Elder and Zhanmingda Sect's Hu Yanji Xuan.

The Whale Fisher's aura of slaughter grew heavier.

Li Guanyi said: "I slashed once—left behind the trace of Chixiao Sword."

"In other words, I marked their Mystical Realm."

The Whale Fisher's slaughter aura froze.

The Young Master smiled: "Great Elder, I can find the place, but I alone cannot break in. Once I leave Jiangnan, my strength will plummet drastically. If the Mo Sect escapes then, wouldn't that be a pity?"

The Whale Fisher let out a few cold laughs and pressed his palm against Li Guanyi's wrist:

"Such a matter."

"Younger brother, this is something Big Brother simply cannot avoid."

"What did you hear them say?"

Li Guanyi said: "They want Yao Guang to kill you with her own hands."

"Also, Great Elder, please call me Guanyi."

Thus, the Whale Fisher's smile grew even warmer.

"Dream on!"

But it was unclear whom he was speaking to.

The next day, the merchant caravan already prepared departed in grand style, while the Fire Qilin Army's detachment bound for the Western Regions was led by Li Guanyi to a mountain in Jiangnan.

Nangong Wumeng asked in confusion: "Where exactly are we going? Isn't it the Western Regions?"

Chang Sun Wuchou chuckled bitterly: "I don't know either."

"The Western Regions caravan has already left—I sent a letter to Second Young Master… but why are we here?"

Lei Laomeng, however, didn't care about any of this—he treated it as a mountain excursion. When they reached the summit, they saw a pavilion, where Li Guanyi, dressed in plain cloth, was playing chess. Clouds and auroras flowed around him, beside him stood a silver-haired girl in a hooded long robe; Li Guanyi held the white stones.

He placed a stone—the void rippled.

Though no one sat across from Li Guanyi, the black stone was lifted and placed down.

"You've arrived…"

Li Guanyi smiled at Lei Laomeng, Nangong Wumeng, and the others.

They returned the greeting; Chang Sun Wuchou said: "Young Master, weren't we going to the Western Regions? Why are we here?"

Li Guanyi said: "We go from here."

Chang Sun Wuchou was even more confused: "But this is deep in Jiangnan's mountain range—completely opposite the direction of the Western Regions. Besides, there are no horses, no carriages—how do we get there?"

Li Guanyi pinched a white stone, dropped it with a tinkling sound, and smiled:

"Elder, you've lost."

As everyone looked puzzled, suddenly a sound like muffled thunder rolled through the valleys of Jiangnan's mountains—the clouds swirling between the peaks began to race at high speed, the Young Master's sleeves flaring.

A vast, ancient breath seemed to stir—then the clouds surged and parted.

A colossal, golden-red scaled body rose from the sea of clouds, its head like a mountain, dragon whiskers hanging, horns thrust toward the sky, its pupils—each the size of a pavilion—gazed coldly, indifferently at the pale-faced crowd.

Then they saw Li Guanyi lift his robe and raise the wooden sword Longtu.

Standing firm, behind him the Ancient Crimson Dragon raised its head; vast clouds and auroras tumbled from between its scales, crashing down with thunderous force, dissolving into wisps of mist. Li Guanyi stood before the great dragon—this image burned itself into their hearts, unforgettable.

Li Guanyi spoke, filled with an indescribable joy and boldness:

"Indeed."

"This is how we go!"

? Good night, everyone (peacefully)

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