Chapter 381: Tian Kehan

Tian Kehan!

Like the Eternal Heaven in majesty, like the Eternal Heaven in boundlessness.

He is the King of Kings, the Khan of Khans; for Fan Qing and General Ling Pingyang, both born in the Central Plains, this title meant nothing special, but for Qi Bi Li, it was an indescribable honor.

King of Kings!

Among the heroes of the Western Regions, no title could be greater than this.

The Nine Tripods sang out in resonance; Li Guanyi knew the time had come to cast the Nine Tripods.

So he pondered, then, in the manner befitting a dominant lord, neither thanked nor refused, merely leaned back slightly, pressed his hands on the armrests, and nodded slightly as he replied:

"Permitted."

One word.

It is not that I refuse or thank you for offering me the title Tian Kehan.

Rather,

I permit you to call me Tian Kehan!

With this single word of consent, the aura of dominance grew heavier; the many Khans felt an indescribable pressure, and their reverence deepened—Tian Kehan is not a title to be admired or longed for, but one to be feared, like the sky itself.

Beneath the spear and blade, these fierce and brutal Western Region kings learned humility.

They bowed in reverence.

Thus the news of the Khans' submission spread far and wide; noble cavalry from each tribe galloped across the desert, fastening their tribe's long banners to either side of their horses, carrying the message to distant lands.

The ruler of Shatuo has been slain; the Helian clan has changed; decree of the Tian Kehan.

Fan Qing led the allied army to Shatuo.

In three days, the kingdom was settled.

The rebels were purged; Helian Bo's nephew was installed as king, who came humbly to kneel and kowtow.

The title Tian Kehan rose for the first time.

Like the sun ascending.

With only a single edict and one general, he could depose and install a king of the Western Regions.

Li Guanyi refused the grand ceremony of the Wang Ting, but collected the Wang Yin from each tribe; the Khans did not understand Li Guanyi's intent, but they dared not defy the Tian Kehan's command.

Yet they were merely Wang Yin.

Perhaps the Tian Kehan also wished to cast his own Wang Yin.

When the King of Tuyuhun cast his golden tiger Wang Yin, he did not merely collect the Wang Yin of each tribe—he also collected the heads of each tribe's royal bloodline; today, the Tian Kehan asks only for the Wang Yin, a mercy beyond measure.

So they surrendered their Wang Yin.

Inside the royal tent.

Li Guanyi sat cross-legged before the table, polishing Chixiao Sword.

Several times before battle, Li Guanyi had directly used Chixiao Sword as an arrow, firing it to strike the Wolf of Heaven—extremely effective—but Chixiao Sword's spirit was deeply aggrieved, furious, nearly ready to scream at Li Guanyi: I am a sword, not an arrow! Not a lowly tool!

Who in their right mind fires a sword like an arrow?!

Li Guanyi could only use Western Region specialty oil to polish Chixiao Sword, nurturing its blade; lately he had stopped touching Longtu Sword and Murong Qiushui Sword, which slightly calmed Chixiao Sword's temper.

Unaware of this, Chixiao Sword had been boasting excessively to Murong Qiushui Sword and Longtu Sword.

Li Guanyi polished Chixiao Sword, staring at the table before him, where seals of different nations and styles lay arranged; to others, the solemn Tian Kehan, gazing at these objects, had his first thought be:

"If I sold all these together, how much gold would they fetch?"

"Hmm, collecting the seals of all thirty-six Western Region kingdoms, plus the Tuyuhun golden tiger Wang Yin—far more valuable as a set than sold individually."

Nine-Colored Divine Deer: "…………"

She ignored Li Guanyi's remark, instead curiously asked:

"Are you planning to make your own seal?"

Li Guanyi withdrew his gaze, a trace of regret in his expression; after thinking, he replied: "I'd like to, but I cannot yet. By our standards, I am not yet qualified."

"To forge a jade seal now would be grandiose and vain."

"To enjoy the reward before achieving the goal."

Nine-Colored Divine Deer said: "You have become the Khan of all Khans in the Western Regions."

"They all have seals—why can't you make one?"

Li Guanyi set down Chixiao Sword and smiled: "Either don't do it at all, or do it best. In my homeland, there is a tale of the Yelang Kingdom—I do not wish to be like Yelang, full of self-delusion."

"Besides, an elder has already set the example."

"I must follow."

Nine-Colored Divine Deer was puzzled; she could not help but ask: "When will you be able to make a jade seal?" Li Guanyi thought long, then replied: "You'll know when the time comes."

Nine-Colored Divine Deer said: "I'm still curious."

"Are you just being stubborn?"

Li Guanyi smiled and replied: "I'm not being stubborn—I truly believe I'm not ready."

Nine-Colored Divine Deer said: "Then tell me—what level must you reach?"

"For example…"

Li Guanyi extended his palm, as if holding all the seals on the table, and replied: "The Nine Provinces and Four Seas, all unified."

"North to the edge of the Turks, south to the sea's rim."

"Dominating the Four Seas, east from the towering mountains, west to Mount Juxu, the sacred peak; from Ducheng, ride a thousand-li horse in any direction—you must ride for more than ten days."

"All under heaven, one nation."

"Only then will you have the qualifications to forge a jade seal."

Li Guanyi spoke the standard within his divine soul and bloodline.

Although it's not impossible to forge a jade seal now, he always felt uneasy; the habits ingrained in his soul-memory made him feel he couldn't do it—even if he cast a seal, it wouldn't be upright or honorable, but rather strangely petty.

The world isn't unified, the people aren't at peace, yet they already begin singing praises, building palaces and seals—what is this called?

Compromised peace! Compromised peace!

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer remained silent, her heart surging; she had originally thought that controlling the vast lands of the Western Regions was already an extraordinary feat of heroism, but this young general, merely by speaking, revealed an ambition far greater than she had imagined.

And he said it with utmost seriousness.

As if stating something as natural as snow in winter or heat in summer.

Precisely because it was natural, it carried threefold pressure.

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer couldn't help but sigh: what kind of experience, what kind of custom, could make the unification of the world—a thing that should stir the soul—into a habitual standard?

Li Guanyi added: "My seal will serve merely as a memento. Though I have no certainty I'll reach that point, if fortune favors me and I succeed, I've already decided what words to carve upon it."

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer asked, puzzled: "What are they?"

She saw Li Guanyi ponder for a long time, then picked up a burning coal from beside him; one end had been inserted into the furnace and turned black. He used this blackened end like ink and, in one breath, wrote eight characters upon the fur rug offered by the Western Regions.

"Received Mandate from Heaven."

"May it endure, forever prosperous."

The Nine-Colored Divine Deer contemplated these eight characters—they seemed ordinary enough.

But when linked to the unification of the Nine Provinces and the Four Seas, they carried an inexplicable surge of power. Li Guanyi smiled again: "Yet upon further thought, 'Received Mandate from Heaven' doesn't quite fit. Perhaps the first line needs reconsideration—or rather—"

"'Received Mandate from Yan and Huang, May it endure, forever prosperous.'"

"It's still undecided. Talking about this now is meaningless."

"First, cast the tripod."

Li Guanyi had already ordered the thirty-six states to send their gold and iron to the true sacred mountain of the Western Regions, where simple casting preparations were made; the metals of the various states melted beneath roaring flames.

Li Guanyi gazed into the distance, his eyes slightly lowered.

I hope it's not too late—Western Regions…

………………

The Western Regions—or rather, the lands beyond the pass.

The battlefields of the various states clashed fiercely; Lu Youxian's strategy was steady and methodical—he avoided contact with He Ruo Qinhu and sidestepped Yu Langwang's forces, instead quietly engaging the Western Regions' rebel armies.

His tactics were stable, like a massive iron lump.

He often deployed fifty thousand men to swallow just a few thousand.

He was cautious if the enemy outnumbered him by less than threefold.

Even when the Western Regions' generals, relying on their tenfold numerical advantage, planned to strike hard against the enemy's overconfidence, they found that this Chen general, despite his tenfold advantage, began first by constructing defensive fortifications, then advanced with cloud carts, trebuchets, and mechanical crossbows.

Then came heavy armor and shields to suppress.

Behind them followed spear troops and archers.

After killing, specialized crossbowmen would each fire one bolt into the forehead, throat, heart, and groin of every corpse, then sever the enemy's heads and build pyramids of skulls along the route.

Like a mobile fortress.

So steady it was almost nauseating.

Upon reaching a location, once the strategy was confirmed, no matter what, first build a city.

Behind him, the fortresses along Chen's border kept thickening and reinforcing; inner walls and outer walls had already been constructed. Even if the outer wall was breached, there remained an inner fortress, complete with corresponding mechanical passages.

Lu Youxian's deputy, Lan Wendu, was born of the Mohist school.

He excelled at building fortresses, and simultaneously, through his alliance with Anxi, his relationship with Wen Qingyu, the Anxi strategist, grew steadily closer and stronger; sometimes Lan Wendu even felt—

Wen Qingyu was far too simple and harmless.

He had obtained intelligence so easily, yet Wen Qingyu still acted like a true brother, making Lan Wendu feel slightly ashamed.

One day, emboldened by wine, he said: "When the world is finally settled, if you ever lose, come to me—no matter what, I'll give you a place to rest."

Wen Qingyu replied: "Brother, you're truly kind!"

"With those words, I'm at ease."

"And if we win, I'll give you a fine place too."

Lan Wendu laughed heartily: "Good! I'll wait and see. I hope, no matter how things turn out, you won't hate me…" Wen Qingyu smiled: "You're my dearest friend, my blood brother."

"How could I hate you?"

"I truly, truly, deeply appreciate you—this comes from the bottom of my heart!"

Lan Wendu saw Wen Qingyu's sincere expression and felt his honesty.

How foolish.

Lan Wendu thought.

Sold out, yet still counting the coins for the seller, looking delighted.

In this chaotic age, it's because fools like you occupy high positions that the world remains ununified.

The two laughed and drank, but after Wen Qingyu fell drunk—

Lan Wendu remained sober: "Pity… pity…" He tossed his wine cup aside, stood, walked to Wen Qingyu's side, and nudged him with his toe. Wen Qingyu was deeply intoxicated, barely conscious.

Lan Wendu said:

"Brother, your wine tolerance is good—but you don't understand medicine, or human nature."

"I've added three kinds of Ma Fei San to this wine, brother."

"How could we ever be friends?"

"You've learned too many of my secrets. I can only send you to a place that's absolutely 'safe.' You may possess talent in governance, but you have one fatal flaw."

"You don't understand 【Mou Ji】!"

He easily found Wen Qingyu's documents detailing Anxi's strategic style, then, while Wen Qingyu remained unconscious, let him go—Lan Wendu used this method to relay intelligence to Lu Youxian, enabling Lu Youxian to successfully contain Anxi.

He has considerable military achievements.

Thus, the initial vigilance and wariness gradually eased.

They confirmed that Master Wen Qingyu was merely a foolish, harmless man.

Later, they discovered that Master Wen Qingyu was in charge of all trade in Anxi City; although Lan Wendu was talented, he still held the habits of an official from a Chen family clan, using his position to seize personal gains.

Seeing that Wen Qingyu had no suspicion of him, he sought to take the profits for himself, without reporting to Lu Youxian, and signed numerous trade agreements with Anxi City, allowing caravans to enter Chen's frontier fortresses.

He embezzled vast sums of gold and silver, and for a time felt triumphant and satisfied.

At first, Chen's frontier troops were extremely vigilant, rigorously inspecting every caravan Wen Qingyu brought; but each time they found everything normal, and whenever this merchant guild arrived, they brought the frontier troops abundant delicacies and gifts.

They grew accustomed to it, so inspections gradually became less strict; meanwhile, Lan Wendu, who had already earned tens of thousands of taels of silver in less than a month, grew ever greedier, and his vigilance slowly dissolved beneath the weight of gold and silver.

The city was built so tightly that no wind leaked from any side.

Lu Youxian did not understand arrays like the Yin-Yang masters of centuries past, but he knew well that if quality fell short, quantity could compensate—he fortified this city with massive, formidable defenses.

It was utterly impregnable.

Lan Wendu's vigilance gradually relaxed; some officials in the city objected, saying this violated principle, but they were silenced by bribes—this was the style of Chen's bureaucracy, except for Lu Youxian, who refused.

Just then, the Xue merchant guild came through and built a teahouse within the frontier stronghold of Zhenxi Xiongcheng, named—

Changfeng Tower.

……………

That day, Lu Youxian annihilated seven thousand western barbarian troops, stacked their heads into a pyramidal trophy, and seized countless cattle and sheep; He Ruo Qinhu pushed fiercely along the northern front, smashing all resistance, and met General Xiao Wuliang, each commanding fifty thousand troops in battle.

He Ruo Qinhu's army was disciplined and formidable.

Xiao Wuliang was defeated; He Ruo Qinhu advanced.

Yu Langwang suddenly surged forth from the north; He Ruo Qinhu clashed with Yu Langwang.

He could not withstand him; he was defeated.

He retreated with his remaining troops; Yu Langwang sat atop his steed, watching He Ruo Qinhu depart. Among the divine generals, there were differences—Yu Langwang and He Ruo Qinhu seemed separated by only a step, but Yu Langwang now carried the overwhelming momentum of a nation's fall, grand and majestic.

He Ruo Qinhu was no match; he clashed with Yu Langwang multiple times and lost every time.

But the first time, he left with only five thousand men; now he had already reorganized his forces—such a famed general was adapting to Yu Langwang's style in an unimaginable way.

Xiao Wuliang stepped forward to apologize.

Yu Langwang laughed loudly: "You fought valiantly—what fault is there?"

"Rise!"

Yu Langwang rewarded those who fought bravely, and morale throughout the army soared; during the grand feast, the western elder lama found Yu Langwang—though it was a great victory banquet, no alcohol was served, only cattle and sheep in abundance.

Yu Langwang held his cup, gazing at the sky; the elder lama noticed Yu Langwang's aura growing ever fiercer and vaster, yet gradually tinged with decay. The old wolf king said: "Monk has come?"

The old monk looked at Yu Langwang and said: "Your Majesty's aura grows ever more turbulent."

"That technique..."

Yu Langwang replied: "It has surpassed the ancestor who first created this forbidden Wu Gong."

The old monk had no reply.

Yu Langwang said: "The era in which my ancestor lived was far less turbulent than ours now; he enjoyed decades of peace afterward, or else his cultivation would have surpassed mine."

"Five hundred years ago, my ancestor's final battle was against Xue Shen; he sought to break through by the fury of combat, hoping that even if he himself failed, he might spur Xue Shen to breakthrough."

"Xue Shen was superior in skill, and ultimately glimpsed the legend of the Wu Dao."

"But he stepped back half a pace."

"My ancestor flew into a rage and beat Xue Shen; Xue Shen knew he was in the wrong and did not resist, but when my ancestor later asked what lay beyond that step, Xue Shen told him—"

Yu Langwang said: "The military path is the path of war."

"Only in times of chaotic, turbulent warfare do unparalleled generals emerge; only then is the bloodlust fierce enough to allow a military divine general to break through and become a Wu Dao legend."

"If he wishes to break through, he must plunge the world back into chaos."

The elder lama heard these secrets for the first time: "... So Xue Shen stepped back because he refused to let living beings be slaughtered, refused to let war erupt again?"

Yu Langwang replied: "My ancestor thought so, and was moved to ask."

"But Xue Shen answered: no—he simply found chaos too troublesome, and didn't want to fight again; his lifelong wish was only to ride freely with the woman beside him, spending his final days idly in Nanshan."

"My ancestor laughed bitterly and beat Xue Shen again."

The old monk said: "... What a marvelous man."

"Did Chen Baxian, the Duke, finally let go?"

Chen Fubai looked at the emaciated old monk and smiled: "My ancestor's final words would surely sully your Buddhist heart—I'd rather not speak them."

"But in his final days, my ancestor still cursed Xue Shen as a brute."

"Even before my ancestor's death, Xue Shen perched on the wall and gave him the finger, mocking him with Mu Zi Yi's insolence; my ancestor raged, grabbed his weapon, and rushed to fight him—finally, with white hair and beard, he donned armor, raised his spear, clashed one strike with Xue Shen, and died instantly."

"When my ancestor died, Xue Shen did not come, nor shed a tear—only strummed his sword and sang loudly, galloping wildly."

"The world says they were enemies—that's because they don't understand a man's heart."

The elder lama looked at Yu Langwang—his aura was overwhelmingly fierce, yet something felt profoundly wrong; suddenly, a thought struck him like thunder—he leapt to his feet, staring at Yu Langwang, lips trembling: "You—Your Majesty—have you broken through?"

"The Wu Dao legend—the peerless divine general."

The old wolf king squinted, his back turned to the lama, and replied:

"I have merely surpassed my ancestor's realm."

"What is a Wu Dao legend?"

"Is a divine general's army of a million soldiers not stronger than so-called Wu Dao legends? How can individual martial prowess compare to the might of the world?"

Yu Langwang picked up the knife beside him, rose, his sleeves swirling, his aura like a tiger or a dire wolf—causing the western lama to suddenly recall the final battle of the Sword Madman.

He knew: Yu Langwang had definitely taken that step—even if he had not yet crossed it, he stood at the threshold. When would Yu Langwang take that final step?

This endless, tireless wolf who had run across the world his entire life.

What are you going to do?!

Yu Langwang said, "I'm only saying that my ancestor was pitiful."

"If not for Xue Shen, he would have died on a bed in the era of peace. I surpassed my ancestor not because my Wu Gong exceeded his, but because I didn't have to die on a bed."

"Perhaps some think dying in peace is a good thing."

"But I think otherwise—I believe dying on the path toward a great era of peace is the greatest joy for us like me. I have three fierce traits: my envy is too fierce; my self-righteousness and lack of humanity are too fierce; my supreme ambition is too fierce."

"In an era of peace, I would surely become its problem."

The old Living Buddha looked at Yu Langwang's back, his expression moved.

The old Yu Langwang smiled and said, "Let's not mention these dull matters."

"Whether or not one breaks through, whether or not one achieves immortality—it doesn't matter."

"The western armies have not moved for over ten days; and Li Guanyi has also never appeared. Old Living Buddha, do you think these two things might be connected?" The old Living Buddha didn't know how to answer.

Yu Langwang said, "I think if there is a connection, Li Guanyi is probably not in Anxi City—he must be entering the Western Regions."

The old Living Buddha disapproved: "What absurd thing are you saying, Your Majesty?"

The old Yu Langwang burst into loud laughter: "Absurd?"

"The subtlety of military strategy lies in these two words. If even the wisdom of a Living Buddha finds it absurd, then I must go see for myself. My nephew is no ordinary man—he's allied with Chen and Ying, and he will surely lose."

"Li Wanli won't do anything that loses him an advantage—he won't either."

"If he wants to defeat me, he must seize the western armies!"

"He has that boldness."

The western Living Buddha stared, speechless: "Does Your Majesty have proof?"

The old Yu Langwang said, "No!"

"But if I were in his place, I would certainly do the same."

"When a hero stands here, how could he stand idly by and do ordinary things, becoming another's pawn? Even in the most desperate moments, even when victory seems impossible, one must give everything—even if it means death, it must be glorious and heroic."

"Without such spirit, how can one contend for all under heaven?"

"But today, I simply wish to go and see my eldest nephew."

"I bet he chose to enter the Western Regions—meaning, the Western Regions will become my enemy!"

The old Living Buddha thought this ancient, yet fiercely bold Shenjiang was speaking nonsense. The wisdom of the Buddhist path could not comprehend the martial Shenjiang's wild ambition. Yu Langwang slapped the old Living Buddha's shoulder hard and laughed:

"Whether or not I'm right? We'll see if he's in Anxi City."

"If I win, burn your relic for me."

"One day, when I'm in the Eighteen Layers of Hell, I'll use it to gamble with the King of Hell over wine."

The old Living Buddha stared, speechless.

The old Yu Langwang burst into loud laughter.

That day, Yu Langwang rewarded his three armies, mobilized troops, and took advantage of He Ruo Qinhu's retreat to advance a thousand li, seizing territory. He personally led fifty thousand troops galloping forward, their spearhead aimed straight at Anxi City. He ignored all schemes and disruptions from the Break Army.

The Break Army commander furrowed his brow.

Storms churned across the Western Regions.

At the same time, Li Guanyi initiated his most critical step in the Western Regions: forging the Nine Cauldrons, uniting the Nine Cauldrons of Jiangnan's qi with the Nine Cauldrons of the Western Regions' qi, melting together the metals of the Western Regions' thirty-six tribes, while the Nine-Colored Divine Deer personally unleashed boundless divine light.

Thus forging the second of the Nine Cauldrons.

?? Please vote for monthly tickets, everyone!