Chapter 32: The Divine Weapon Awakens

The moment that title was spoken, Xue Shuangtao’s expression froze—this was the Xue family home; for the eldest daughter of the Xue family to appear alongside the youngest guest minister in thirty years was already a sight that drew attention.

Li Guanyi’s cry of “Xue family sister” carried no concealment, naturally drawing curious glances from all around.

The girl had originally thought it meant nothing.

It was just a title.

She had been perfectly open about it.

Yet somehow, when all eyes turned toward her, her cheeks burned.

Looking at the shy, innocent boy ahead, she knew this demeanor was entirely feigned—his reply to her earlier claim that she was older—but still, her cheeks flushed. She pointed a finger at him, teeth clenched, stammering “y-y-y” several times before falling silent, then stamped her foot and said:

“Come early tomorrow—you’ll regret this!”

She spun on her heel, her skirt flaring open like a lotus before snapping shut; the girl sprinted away, her sleeves lifting to shield her jade-white face, leaving only her eyes exposed, her forehead flushed crimson as she hurried off.

The boy smiled faintly, murmuring to himself: “Such youth.”

“Such a lovely little girl.”

Those around them watched.

The spring light was perfect, the season of flourishing grass and singing orioles—a heroic youth, and a girl with flushed cheeks.

They gazed at the boy with his bow slung across his back and a saber at his waist, and inwardly sighed: “Truly, the innocence and romance of youth.”

Li Guanyi boarded the carriage; Zhao Da drove along the Xue family’s private carriage lane, exiting through a side gate onto a broad road. The wheels turned, rolling into the crowd. Li Guanyi exhaled, unfastened his saber, and laid it across his knees.

His demeanor returned to its warm, calm stillness.

She was just a girl—but even so, doing something like that made him feel slightly embarrassed, a warmth rising in him.

He reached up and tugged at his collar.

“Today’s too hot.”

Zhao Da lifted his head, glancing at the March third sun, still cool and mild.

He grinned but said nothing.

He pulled out salt-roasted peanuts wrapped in a handkerchief, offered some to Li Guanyi, then retrieved a large water flask filled with tea steeped with fat sea cucumber, poured some into a teacup for Li Guanyi, and drove far before hesitating and saying: “Little Brother Li, let your elder brother say one thing—just listen.”

“You and the eldest daughter are nearly the same age. Her beauty needs no words, and you’re a young talent—but…”

He paused, then said: “Don’t entertain any other thoughts about the eldest daughter.”

Li Guanyi smiled: “Why would you think I have such thoughts?”

Zhao Da said: “Good. Though you’re a guest minister, you’re still only a guest of the Xue family. Guest ministers are divided into three tiers—even the highest-tier Upper Courtyard guest minister can only hope to marry a branch-line Xue daughter, and that’s already extraordinary.”

“Do you know who the eldest daughter’s second aunt is? The old patriarch’s daughter.”

Li Guanyi listened quietly as Zhao Da recounted family gossip; Zhao Da lowered his voice: “Back then, she caused chaos in the capital, befriended a playboy noble, and was severely punished by the old patriarch. But after she grew up, she still obeyed the family head’s orders.”

“She married Prince Jing as a concubine.”

“No one understood—Prince Jing was then a mere idle prince, and while the Xue family wasn’t a great aristocratic house, they were still a prominent merchant clan. To become a concubine? Wasn’t that a loss of face? But the old patriarch insisted. Back then, everyone assumed he merely sought a peaceful life for his second daughter.”

“Later, the former emperor passed away, and during those intervening years—well, eventually Prince Jing ascended the throne…”

“The second daughter became Imperial Consort.”

Li Guanyi said: “The Xue family are… imperial merchants.”

“What about the eldest daughter before her?”

Zhao Da hesitated, then whispered: “Don’t you dare repeat this—it happened many years ago. The eldest daughter once traveled the martial world and eloped with a man. He was a general of Ying Guo. The old patriarch flew into a rage and declared he had no such daughter.”

“It’s said the man deeply cherished her for her kindness.”

“Now he lives in Ying Guo, having once clashed with Marshal Yue.”

“Then he drove north against the Tujue, expanded trade routes westward, and became a legend across the land.”

“Now he’s Ying Guo’s Grand Marshal and Protector-General. During the years when Ying Guo and Chen Guo were friendly, he wished to return and pay respects to the old patriarch—but was driven out. The eldest daughter, pregnant, knelt in the rain all night, nearly fainting—but the old patriarch refused to see her.”

“At the time, people in Jiangzhou said the old patriarch was heartless.”

“Even His Majesty, the current Chen Emperor, told the second daughter to show some leniency—but the old patriarch refused. He declared that a daughter who married an enemy state was no daughter at all. He even turned himself in to prison, demanding to be detained. Only after His Majesty issued an edict to soothe him did he return.”

Li Guanyi’s chewing stopped.

Zhao Da spoke of Xue Daoyong’s fury with such vivid detail, so convincingly, full of pity for the former eldest daughter and confusion, even awe, toward Xue Daoyong—but Li Guanyi instinctively felt Xue Daoyong was acting, and his purpose was likely to deceive the Chen Emperor.

Perhaps because he was an outsider; perhaps because in his past life he had seen much history—he could view Xue Daoyong’s actions more impartially.

The old man had married his eldest daughter to a general of Ying Guo, his second daughter to an imperial consort, his son controlled the trade route from Jiangzhou to the Tangxi of the Western Regions, and the Chen Emperor trusted him completely, while the Ying Guo Grand Marshal felt profound guilt toward his eldest daughter and cherished her deeply.

And he himself bore the White Tiger, and carried a divine weapon.

He built a lotus pond in the Xue family estate, filled with blooming lotuses and brocade carp, naming it the Listening Wind Pavilion.

He dandled his grandchildren, fished by the pond.

What wind did he listen to?

Zhao Da dropped Li Guanyi off at his residence.

The boy watched Zhao Da’s carriage vanish into the distance before returning to the courtyard. He told his aunt about the day’s events, warmed the yellow rice porridge he’d brought back from the Xue family, and suddenly recalled how, when he had gripped the divine weapon and his mind had been in turmoil, he had vaguely remembered his aunt’s qin music. He had never liked practicing the qin before—but today, he took it up willingly.

Under his aunt’s approving gaze—“My little lynx has grown up”—he was told it was time to play go. Then Murong Qiushui played the qin for him, corrected his mistakes, and simultaneously narrated the moves, utterly crushing Li Guanyi.

Murong Qiushui slowly finished the game, smirking: “Your go is still as mediocre as ever—but better than before.”

“Try harder to beat your auntie.”

Li Guanyi: “…………”

Playing go was already a rare pastime in this age.

But losing every time was different.

Li Guanyi was called a terrible go player by his aunt—he had never won a single game. She forbade him from playing outside, saying if he couldn’t even beat a mere woman, how could he face others without being mocked?

Li Guanyi had no rebuttal.

Today, holding the divine weapon and receiving its legacy had exhausted him. After his aunt played the qin, his spirit felt hollow; after the go game drained his focus, he washed up, collapsed onto his bed, and fell asleep instantly. When he awoke, the moon hung high.

He sat up, breathed and calmed himself, then pulled open his inner robe to reveal the bronze tripod upon his chest.

The crimson dragon and white tiger phantoms were etched upon it.

But currently, only one could emerge at a time: when the crimson dragon appeared, the white tiger was crushed back into the tripod, becoming a mere imprint; when the white tiger surfaced, the crimson dragon was slammed down and sealed.

Li Guanyi stared at the perfect jade nectar.

Ninety-eight percent came from Xue Daoyong; the remaining two percent came from the divine weapon [Breaking Clouds Thundering Bow].

What would happen now?

Li Guanyi closed his eyes, calmed his breath several times, then touched the bronze tripod with his spirit.

The tripod trembled, tilting to one side.

The jade nectar surged downward. His internal energy from [Breaking the Formation Melody] had already reached the twelfth layer’s perfection; the nectar flowed, yet did not disrupt [Breaking the Formation Melody]. In his mind, the characters imprinted upon him after gripping the divine weapon flared anew—

[Three Levels of Entry Method]! [One Arrow, Cold Light]! The second archery masterpiece suddenly blazed bright—the jade nectar fell into it.

The divine aura transformed into a divine general, demonstrating the technique once more—but this time, it did not easily reach completion. The path seemed blocked; the nectar could not enter. Li Guanyi watched the divine general’s movements, gradually becoming absorbed.

He watched the general draw the bow, saw the qi flow, the phantoms follow, and one arrow released.

Finally, even the divine general vanished, leaving only the glowing acupoints and meridians.

Li Guanyi instinctively directed [Breaking the Formation Melody]’s internal qi through his body.

After many attempts, he achieved a transformation matching the divine general’s internal qi flow.

“So this is it—directing internal qi, harmonizing with the phantom, using one’s own qi to fuel the phantom, then relying on the phantom as weapon.”

The moment he understood, the jade nectar encountered no further resistance.

It surged downward, circulating endlessly within Li Guanyi’s body along the [One Arrow, Cold Light] meridians.

In his mind, thunder roared, and a white tiger howled.

Xue Family Phantom Masterpiece: [One Arrow, Cold Light].

Perfected!

Xue Family—Listening Wind Pavilion.

Thirteen fist-sized luminous pearls hung in midair, illuminating the room as bright as day.

The old man was reading letters, studying the final lines from his son: a friend would soon arrive in Guan-Yicheng to discuss a major business deal.

He finished reading, clapped the letter in his palm—and it turned to ash.

At that moment, he sensed something wrong. The night air was unnaturally still—even the late-spring insects had fallen silent. The atmosphere grew heavy as water, stirring unease. The old man appeared in the front hall where the divine weapon rested.

[Breaking Clouds Thundering Bow] remained perfectly in place.

The old man exhaled in relief, placed his palm on the bow—and recalled the boy holding it earlier.

He had been startled, thinking the boy might truly lift it.

The old man smiled faintly, his fingers brushing the bowstring—then a sharp pain. Blood trickled down his fingertip. Xue Daoyong froze, watching as [Breaking Clouds Thundering Bow] trembled slightly, as if a long-dormant tiger, its claws and fangs hidden for years, had finally stretched its body and opened its eyes.

The old man’s eyes widened slightly.

“This is…”

The next instant, the heavy air tore like silk.

The bowstring vibrated violently. Every drop of water in the lotus pond outside Listening Wind Pavilion shattered into mist, then coalesced into a white tiger-shaped aura, raising its head to roar a thunderous cry toward the heavens.

The tiger’s roar shook heaven and earth—

The bowstring’s shriek exploded, echoing endlessly.

Ranked first among divine weapons in the world’s bow category.

[Breaking Clouds Thundering Bow], awakened!

(End of Chapter)