Chapter 343

This Xiangxiang prince was sent to Jiangzhou as a hostage during the alliance between Xiangxiang and Chen, when they jointly destroyed Tuyuhun and seized its western territories to establish their hegemony; Li Guanyi had once seen him as a Jin Yu Guard during the Great Sacrifice.

At that time, the Xiangxiang prince was only twelve or thirteen years old.

He had greatly admired Li Guanyi, who then dominated the younger generation with Wu Gong; the two had merely brushed past each other then, never imagining they would meet again today, in this western frontier town, in such a manner.

When Li Guanyi spoke those words, the many warriors surrounding the Xiangxiang prince changed expression, exchanged glances, and swiftly closed in on Li Guanyi; the young prince's face darkened and he cried, "Watch out!"

His voice was drowned out by the sharp hiss of blades.

Before he finished speaking, several warriors lunged at Li Guanyi.

They moved in perfect coordination, drawing short daggers from their robes, their blades coated in a shimmering blue toxin—striking high and low with brutal precision, each wielding a legendary martial art; before the young prince could speak, there were several muffled thuds, and the warriors collapsed to the ground.

They flew back at a speed many times faster than their charge.

Some were embedded in walls; others had their bodies folded in half.

They dropped dead instantly.

Only their leader remained fierce, his inner Qi exploding outward—he had reached the Heavy Heaven Realm, and as he unleashed his martial art, a white lotus bloomed in the air, petals flawless and unfolding in sequence; it was a Divine Essence-level martial art, rushing toward Li Guanyi.

"... Mo Sect techniques?"

Li Guanyi sensed the surging energy.

He extended his palm.

Ripples formed in the air; real, unillusioned crimson scales appeared, coalescing into the arm of a Crimson Dragon—vast, monstrous, dozens of zhang long, as if a true divine beast had manifested, radiating intense heat.

Li Guanyi closed his five fingers calmly; the Crimson Dragon's phantom arm seized the warrior who had unleashed the Mo Sect's secret martial art.

Just one squeeze.

The lotus turned to pulp.

The warrior, who had intended to detonate himself, let out a muffled groan and died instantly.

The young prince had been pale with fear, certain this was the end—but in the blink of an eye, the Mo Sect master who had unleashed the forbidden art and slain his loyal warriors was crushed like an ant.

Another muttered, "... A Wudao Sect Master?!!"

Instantly his expression changed, and he lunged to kill the young prince.

Li Guanyi twisted his wrist slightly.

The Crimson Dragon's fire shifted and transformed, swirling around Li Guanyi once, turning from gold-red to a blue-green wind, becoming a Green Phoenix; a thread of wind gathered at his fingertip, forming a single Phoenix feather.

A flash of brilliance—and the warrior who had just moved to seize the young prince as a hostage had a gaping hole punched clean through his chest.

"What kind of arrow is this?"

Every gesture, every movement, was a supreme art.

Where his soul stirred, a phantom appeared.

This was a Wudao Sect Master.

The man looked down at the gaping hole in his chest and whispered, "So... ruthless."

He collapsed on the spot, dead instantly; the young prince stared blankly, then raised his head to see Li Guanyi standing before him. For some reason, the once youthful Jin Yu Guard now radiated an indescribable dignity.

This aura seemed even stronger than when his father was still himself.

Then he saw Li Guanyi kill every one of the pursuers.

The words "Mo Sect" ignited Li Guanyi's killing intent.

No need for the Whale Hooker.

Normally calm, Li Guanyi always killed Mo Sect members on sight.

The young prince asked instinctively, "You... killed them all?"

Li Guanyi replied, "Mo Sect members sent to hunt you are at least loyal elites; even if you shot each one in the head with arrows, some would slip through."

"It's been a long time."

Li Guanyi looked at the young prince, his back marked by whip scars, clad in tattered clothes, and said, "What happened to you...?"

The Xiangxiang prince forced a smile. "This... it's a long story, fate and timing—I don't even know how to explain it to you now." He dropped the staff in his hand and hurriedly turned to check on the girl.

Li Guanyi saw the girl's leg was wounded, as if pierced by a flying dagger.

The poison was potent; her calf was swollen. After thinking a moment, he said, "Since we're old acquaintances, and you two are clearly in dire straits, come with me to my place and rest."

The Xiangxiang prince fell silent for a moment, then said, "Then I am in your grace, Lord Jun."

Li Guanyi said, "No need for formality."

He paused, then smiled. "Also, here, I'm just a wandering merchant—remember that."

A wandering merchant?

The Xiangxiang prince stared at the young Lord Jun who had just revealed Zhanlu Sect mastery.

He had no reply.

After a pause, he said, "Past names are illusions."

"Wandering merchant... sir, call me Hao Yuan Xia."

He was an honest boy; he stiffened, then couldn't hold back, adding the honorific "sir," and continued, "I'm no longer the Xiangxiang prince—I'm just a wandering warrior, cast out by my father, with nothing left."

Li Guanyi was curious about Hao Yuan Xia's story: why had he returned to Xiangxiang in such a degraded state? Why had he ended up here? Why were Mo Sect elites of Heavy Heaven Realm hunting a prince with such low martial skill?

Ignoring the girl's protests, Hao Yuan Xia crouched and lifted her onto his back.

They returned in silence to Li Guanyi's lodging; Changsun Wuchou had gone to arrange a message. Li Guanyi opened the door, let Hao Yuan Xia and the girl enter, laid the girl on the bed, and gently cut open the fabric on her calf with a dagger.

The pant leg was stuck together with yellow pus and blood.

"It's Mo Sect poison... pity—I have an old stone doctor back home with extraordinary medical skill, honed through real practice; he didn't come with me. Otherwise, this poison wouldn't trouble him at all."

"My method might be a bit painful."

The girl bit her lip and nodded. Li Guanyi sealed her acupoints, sliced open the wound to drain blood, then used his own Qi to massage her meridians; Li Guanyi carried the legendary Wudao transmission of the Immortal Body, inherently immune to all poisons.

His Qi naturally possessed detoxifying power.

Gradually, the girl's face began to regain a faint flush of color.

Li Guanyi again healed her using the Hexagram of Ze from the Book of Imperial Supreme Cosmology; the gashes closed swiftly. Perhaps exhausted from her injuries, the girl fell into deep sleep after being healed.

Li Guanyi saw Hao Yuan Xia's tense expression slowly ease.

Hao Yuan Xia said: "Back then, your Wu Gong was already peerless among your generation—you defeated Yuwen Hua of the Yuwen Clan and that famed Sword Saint of the Jianghu. I never imagined that after all these years without seeing you, your Wu Gong had become as divine and buddha-like as this."

Li Guanyi said: "Merely a matter of chance."

Yuwen Hua should now possess the power of the Fifth Heaven Realm.

The Little Sword Saint—after Li Guanyi defeated him in Jiangzhou City that day, the two had agreed to duel again someday. But then the world erupted in chaos, the Jianghu scattered, and Li Guanyi never again had the chance to meet that dignified Sword Saint, Xu Huiyang.

Hao Yuan Xia whispered: "I have seen the Little Sword Saint."

"Back then in Jiangzhou City, he was a retainer under Chen Wenmian, the Crown Prince of Chen. He fought you in the Grand Sacrifice Tournament. These years, it seems he has returned here and joined Chen Wenmian's service, cultivating to the Fifth Heaven Realm, commanding thousands alone."

"I saw them when they attacked my Tangxiang."

"His subordinates are all swordsmen—their battle formations are sharp, their edge unmatched. Among the young generation of warlords, he is among the strongest."

Li Guanyi nodded.

For a moment, neither knew what to say.

Hao Yuan Xia fell silent, then suddenly clasped his hands and bowed deeply, saying:

"I truly owe you my thanks. Without you, both I and Ya would have perished. I might have survived… but if Ya died saving me because of me, I could never forgive myself."

Li Guanyi asked, puzzled: "I've been wanting to ask—why are the Mo Sect chasing you? And why are you in this state?"

Hao Yuan Xia remained silent for a long time, then said: "It's a long story."

As he was about to speak quietly, suddenly a strange gurgle came from his stomach. Hao Yuan Xia froze, then his face flushed crimson. Li Guanyi laughed. But before Hao Yuan Xia could react, Li Guanyi pulled out two steamed buns from somewhere and handed them to him.

"Try them?!"

Li Guanyi smiled: "Very filling."

Hao Yuan Xia stared, eyes wide, glancing left and right.

Strange?

Just now there were only two of us—where did Li Guanyi get those buns from?!

Beside them, where Hao Yuan Xia could not see, the silver-haired girl's face showed no expression, but she slightly lifted her chin.

Unlike usual, she let out a soft hum.

With a hint of quiet pride.

Yao Guang tugged the rope; Li Guanyi's satchel tightened, pulled taut.

The buns inside were secured.

Since setting out, the silver-haired girl's buns had become Li Guanyi's burden to carry.

Hao Yuan Xia stared, bewildered, at the buns Li Guanyi had pulled from nowhere, and finally attributed it to the sublime Wu Gong of a Wudao Sect master: "Then… then I won't be polite."

He devoured them ravenously.

Clearly, he had suffered greatly—he swallowed both large buns in moments. Yao Guang went to tend to the girl inside, while Hao Yuan Xia, somewhat embarrassed, drank water and told Li Guanyi stories of the past.

The tale must begin long ago.

When Yu Langwang attacked Tangxiang, Tangxiang could not resist. Repeatedly, they begged Chen to send troops for aid—but Chen delayed. Their alliance was effectively abandoned. This prince nearly died, yet was ultimately sent back to Tangxiang.

After two years apart, the Tangxiang ruler showed little regard for his suddenly returned son; it was as if a pack's alpha wolf eyed a challenger.

Father and son's bond was strained. And at this time, Hao Yuan Xia, having been away from his homeland for so long, suddenly sensed something wrong…

"My Tangxiang abandoned the Sacred Mountain, abandoned its old traditions."

"My father established a new state religion, appointing a woman as State Preceptor. She is beautiful, yet eloquent. All the kingdom's ministers yearn to become her lovers—but none have succeeded."

Hao Yuan Xia said: "Instead, she has treated us all as pawns. She told my father that by cultivating her mysterious art, he could achieve the Great Dao through dual cultivation with her. My father became obsessed with the Mo Sect's Wu Gong, and she seized control."

"The kingdom's loyal ministers and generals were purged and replaced."

Li Guanyi's eyes lowered slightly: "Xiao Yuxue."

Hao Yuan Xia said: "You know her?"

Li Guanyi touched the wooden sword at his waist and replied calmly:

"Her, I will kill."

"Her head is already within my grasp."

Hao Yuan Xia paused, then said:

"After my father became emperor, she grew even more extreme—as if a sword were pressed against her back, forcing her to achieve her goals at any cost. Those who submit to her rise to high positions; those who refuse are removed."

"The rest are influenced by her Five Stone Powder."

"The young feel nothing, but the older ones undergo drastic changes—becoming mad, frenzied… I had a childhood friend, whom I called Sister. She was a year older than me. After my mother died, she cared for me."

"She was my sister, and would have been my wife—but in the end…"

Hao Yuan Xia's voice grew harsher: "My father coveted her beauty. On the day of our wedding, he violated her, took her as his Empress, and threw me into prison. I was tortured for a month, nearly beaten to death."

"Sister got him drunk, slipped me the key, and our tribe's warriors escorted me away. They said I was Tangxiang's last hope… then one by one, they fell beneath the Mo Sect's ambush."

"In the end, only Ya and I remained…"

"We were safe—until recently, the Western Regions grew more chaotic. Some townsfolk saw we were young and unarmed, and tried to seize us on the street to sell as slaves."

The fifteen-year-old Hao Yuan Xia sat there, forehead pressed against the wall, murmuring: "I'm truly useless… they entrusted their lives to me, yet I can do nothing. And you saved me only because I have value, don't you?"

"Regardless, my father has only one son left alive."

"If he dies, I am the lawful heir of Tangxiang—my cause is righteous…"

"So, may I make a deal with you?"

Li Guanyi was slightly surprised.

He regarded this fifteen-year-old Tangxiang crown prince—who had endured the world, the fall of his nation, countless upheavals—and realized he could no longer be the naive child sent to Jiangzhou City. Even if he could not contend with the heroes of the realm, he had seen enough.

He had his own resolve, his own plans, and that tightly clenched cunning.

Hao Yuan Xia also stared at Li Guanyi.

This was the Tiance General, whose name had risen across the land.

Seeing the General lower his gaze upon him, those quiet eyes seemed to hold the roars of dragons and tigers; then he smiled, and Hao Yuan Xia felt a jolt in his chest. Li Guanyi replied: "The tide of the world surges fiercely."

"The powerful need not your legal legitimacy to swallow the Tangut."

"The weak, even if they bear the true heir's lineage, are not still hunted down?"

"You have endured much, but you still have not seen the world's true rule."

Li Guanyi smiled calmly:

"Legitimacy, lineage, title — these are things one relies upon when one's strength is weak. At that time, they are immense power — but their power lies in those who define the title."

"The meaning of your title as Tangut heir lies solely in the Tangut state itself."

"But now, as I move toward the world, I rely on another kind of existence."

"Strength."

"I do not need your legal legitimacy."

"The Tangut state of the Western Regions, like the world itself, is to be swallowed by those who possess strength. As chaos rises, only the sword and the bold shall rule. The title of Tangut heir cannot change the world."

Hao Yuan Xia felt as if he were a junior before Li Guanyi — the things he held dear could not move the other to act for him, and a sudden panic seized his heart.

Li Guanyi said: "You may rest well. Afterwards, I will give you a sum of money."

"Consider it a gift for our reunion as old acquaintances."

"Then, the world is vast — go forth and take care of yourselves."

Hao Yuan Xia's heart froze, then he hardened his resolve and shouted: "Wait — you're a merchant, so do you deal in goods?!"

"I have rare merchandise — let us trade!"

Li Guanyi did not stop walking. Hao Yuan Xia pulled from around his neck a necklace bearing an ancient, simple seal. He gripped the seal and raised it high: "This is the key to my Tangut state's secret vault."

"It is also the Wang Yin of my Tangut clan!"

"Only one who possesses this key and the Tangut royal bloodline can open it."

"Inside are gold and silver, military supplies, armor and weapons."

"A complete and detailed map of the entire Western Regions."

"And seven hidden mountain veins — their locations, and the arrays to activate them!"

Gold and silver had not moved Li Guanyi.

Until the final sentence.

Li Guanyi halted his steps.

Mines?!

Hao Yuan Xia gasped heavily, clutching the Wang Yin, speaking the truth: the tide of the world surged fiercely — under such circumstances, mere titles would not cause Xiao Yuxue to send elite Mo Sect assassins after him.

This object, even more than gold and silver, was worth far more than the mine arrays and the great Western Regions map.

In this chaotic age, military resources were the core.

Hao Yuan Xia held the object, staring at Li Guanyi. He felt he had no heroic courage, no such Wu Gong — he was merely a weak child who could not even protect his most precious thing.

He gripped the Wang Yin and said: "I buy Xiao Yuxue's life."

"I want you to kill her. I want you to save my nation."

Li Guanyi answered: "... Too late."

"The Tangut state is deeply rotten — beyond saving."

"The world is in turmoil — it cannot last."

He spoke this obvious truth. Hao Yuan Xia stared blankly for a long while, then finally said: "Then, let the Tangut return to the days when our people herded across the land. Do not let my homeland be used as a plaything by the Mo Sect and that woman."

"Do not let the name 'Tangut' — once a primordial epic — become a laughable footnote in history. Do not let the future once fought for by countless souls become a stepping stone for someone's desires."

Hao Yuan Xia released the Wang Yin and threw it to Li Guanyi:

"Let it perish. The Tangut court has become a rotting mass of great nobles, power-hungry ministers, and men blinded by lust. My people suffer beneath the weight upon their heads."

"The Mo Sect uses them as the basis for sacrifices; the great nobles stand on their shoulders. A state should make every person feel joy and honor — not this. They cannot go out to herd, cannot laugh freely..."

Hao Yuan Xia thought of all he had seen — his face twisted in struggle — but finally, he recalled the townsfolk who captured outsiders to enslave them, the emaciated Tangut who could not survive, and the ever-fatter nobles.

He thought of his youth.

His mother was still alive; his father, broad-shouldered and strong, a brave man with a bold, laughing voice. They herded across lush grasslands, chasing rivers, as eagles soared above the sacred mountain, its hollows older than five hundred years.

Faces wore smiles; they boiled barley with milk, sliced tenderest lamb with knives. Was the purpose of founding a state merely to cage everyone? Was glory nothing but one man's ambition...?

Hao Yuan Xia spoke a word that was surely treasonous.

"Please, destroy the Tangut."

"Let our people return to the free, boundless heavens and earth."

"This is my request. The gold, silver, and mines held by the nobles — I give them to you. Return the sky, the earth, and the freedom from oppression to my people."

Li Guanyi looked at this young hostage, this boy caught in the storm of chaos — even the weak, in their struggle, revealed a nature uniquely their own. In a peaceful age, he might have been a steady monarch.

But this was a chaotic age.

Li Guanyi tossed the Wang Yin back and answered:

"I too will destroy your nation."

Hao Yuan Xia replied:

"But Qin Wu Hou will not slaughter my people."

Hao Yuan Xia, now a hostage, was only fifteen — the same age Li Guanyi was when he rose from Beicheng. Given another time, another chance, he might have achieved something.

A hero, out of time.

In the annals of history, this scene is often seen.

Hao Yuan Xia said: "My homeland does not love me."

"But I cannot hate my people because of it."

"You are from the great Central Plains, you do not know the past of the Western Regions."

"To me, it is merely a state that has existed for two years—this so-called 'state' has taken from me the original 【Dangxiang】 I once knew; in these two years, I have witnessed the suffering of my people…"

"I long to return to the original 【Dangxiang】."

He seemed to have made his final decision, clasping the Wang Yin in both hands, saying: "I am willing to draw the routes of Wang Cheng and all the checkpoints along the way; I am willing to hand this Wang Yin to you."

"Beyond the capital of Dangxiang, there are valiant warriors skilled in horsemanship and archery who are ready to lay down their lives—if you are willing, they will all serve you."

Li Guanyi looked at him, weighing the value of the mines and the complete cartographic map of the Western Regions.

After a long while, he raised his hand; fire blazed in his right palm, forming the crimson-gold divine sword, Chixiao Sword. The fierce wind roared, and the Fire Qilin stepped forward—this signified that here stood not a merchant, not Tian Kehan, but the Qilin of Jiangnan, the world's Qin Wu.

Qin Wu Hou reached out and seized the Wang Yin.

This was the second Wang Yin to fall into his hands among the Western tribes—the Wang Yin of Tuyuhun, the submission of the Nine Bu of Tiele—this was the third great tribe.

"... I will kill Xiao Yuxue."

"I will punish your father."

"Gold and silver will return to your people; let them return to heaven and earth."

"I want only the mines and the array diagrams."

Li Guanyi paused, then said: "This is Qin Wu's promise."

Hao Yuan Xia swept his sleeve; though his attire was plain as a wanderer's, it carried a quiet, resolute grace. Heroes abound in the world—he knelt halfway, raised his right hand, and struck his chest in earnest:

"If so, the Dangxiang people swear allegiance under your command: as long as your blood flows upon the earth, as long as sun and moon turn in the heavens, we shall never rebel. We vow, until death, to guard your borders as Qin Hou's loyal sentinels."

"Though it is a hollow title the mighty Qin Wu Hou does not care for."

"But it is all I have left to give you now."

"In the name of the Dangxiang Crown Prince."

"I beg to bestow upon you a noble title."

"Called—Great Tian Kehan!"

……………………

When Changsun Wuchou returned, Li Guanyi introduced Hao Yuan Xia and the Ya Girl, merely saying he had met an old acquaintance. Changsun Wuchou studied Hao Yuan Xia—he bore the purest Dangxiang features—but said nothing.

Hao Yuan Xia said: "I am merely a scribe under the Great Tian Kehan."

Changsun Wuchou fell silent.

It was well known that beneath Qin Wu Hou, the Qilin Army would sprout from forests during marches, the Shock Troops would rise from the desert, and the Golden Crescent Cavalry would burst forth from the raging sands—his forces swelling was only natural.

Changsun Wuchou was no longer surprised.

"I have informed the Second Young Master. Let us depart, my lord."

Thus, after resting, the group proceeded toward Xiyicheng. Within the Duke's mansion in Xiyicheng, in Li Li Zhaowen's private courtyard, Li Li Zhaowen received a letter from Changsun Wuchou.

Li Li Zhaowen read the letter's words—and froze.

"Young Lady, I have informed the Lord of your elder brother's and the Duke's attempt to force you into marriage."

"Huh????"

Barely managed to move his schedule up a bit

Please vote for monthly tickets, everyone (peacefully).