Chapter 41: The Weight of the Stone!

Sixteen military tokens from the frontier troops.

Among them was even one soaked in tung oil—larger than ordinary tokens, with engraved patterns, indicating a squad leader; one side bore seven knife marks, signifying seven enemy kills during confrontations with the Ying state.

This was at least a hardened soldier who had fought over ten battles!

Yet he died at the hands of this teenager. The old man’s gaze seemed to freeze for an instant, then, with seasoned instinct, he asked directly: “Where is the body?”

Li Guanyi answered truthfully about the location: “I’ve done some minor processing.”

“Good.”

The old man tapped the table.

A servant, equally white-haired and bearded, silent in step, appeared beside him, bowing his head to listen. Xue Daoyong spoke succinctly: “Take men there immediately, handle the body properly, and move quickly.”

The servant nodded and turned to leave.

Xue Daoyong stared at the wooden tokens, swept his wide sleeve over them, sending them sliding onto a soft cushion beside the table without a sound. He pointed at the food on the table and said calmly: “Eat first.”

Li Guanyi and the old man sat across from each other at the table.

The old man’s expression was composed and unruffled.

Yet the Bai Hu Law Form’s face showed clear emotional shifts—confusion, shock, curiosity—as it paced back and forth around the teenager, lowered its head, and sniffed Li Guanyi’s scalp with a damp nose, then finally extended its tongue to lick the little white tiger’s cheek on the boy’s shoulder.

The little white tiger rolled over, flailing its paws in helpless rage.

Li Guanyi could almost see such human expressions on the massive Bai Hu Law Form.

Fuck, fuck, fuck!!!

What breed of kitten is this?

So small, yet so fierce?!?!

Lick once, sniff a little.

He could now faintly understand the old man’s inner emotions, despite his calm exterior.

For some reason, the bronze tripod showed not the slightest ripple.

It seemed that within the same realm, a single Law Form could accumulate Jade Fluid only once.

Like a progress bar, it had already been full before entry.

Today’s millet porridge contained herbs to calm the spirit and stabilize the mind—mild, nourishing. Li Guanyi felt a gentle soothing warmth spread through his limbs and bones, his spirit relaxing. After finishing it in large bites, the old man ordered the dishes removed and tea brewed.

“Any fighting or combat inevitably damages the body.”

“It drains one’s essence violently. Thus, warriors who have fought hundreds of battles, if they don’t know how to nurture themselves, often die young and suffer many illnesses. Ginseng tea to replenish qi and calm the spirit is best.”

Li Guanyi came with momentum, but the old man moved slowly.

He made Li Guanyi eat first, then drink tea, draining his momentum, while he himself remained unhurried, seizing the initiative, calm and composed. Li Guanyi, too, held his composure, simply sipping tea. As the old man brewed tea, he took out a Go board and smiled: “Do you play Go?”

Li Guanyi thought of his brutal games with his aunt and nodded: “A little.”

“But very poorly.”

Xue Daoyong laughed heartily: “It’s just Go—a game. Don’t care about winning or losing.”

“Come, come, Shuangtao and Changqing hate it. Old man gets bored alone all day, so I play myself.”

He enthusiastically set up the board, picked up a white stone, and finally asked:

“You came to me as a guest minister—surely you have a request?”

The old man placed a stone on the board and asked casually: “Then, what don’t you want?”

He didn’t ask what you wanted—he asked what you didn’t want.

Purely seasoned.

Li Guanyi placed a black stone on the board: “I don’t want trouble.”

The old man burst into laughter: “Hahahaha, trouble—yes, indeed, big trouble. They call them deserters turned bandits, but deserters don’t carry military tokens. This likely stems from unrest on the frontier. After leaving the army, they turned on civilians—undoubtedly guilty. Yet discerning minds can see the frontier’s hidden dangers.”

“Those in power don’t want anyone to know.”

Li Guanyi said: “Instead of solving the problem, you’re trying to hide it?”

The old man said coolly: “Then, to His Majesty, it’s still peace and prosperity.”

Li Guanyi picked up a stone: “Aren’t you worried the problem will grow?”

The old man said coolly: “Grow?”

“Even Marshal Yue has been recalled from the frontier. What do they fear? There’s no one on the frontier who can control those hardened troops, no one who can defeat Ying state’s generals. Chaos is inevitable. Ordinary men killing these deserters mean they’ve learned the truth—and will be silenced.”

“We just don’t know whether it’ll be with money or something else.”

Li Guanyi played quietly: “So I came to you.”

The old man smiled: “You’re so sure I can help you?”

“You don’t want trouble—do you also not want the reward?”

“Actually, the Xue family can let you claim the reward without any aftereffects.”

His intent was to pressure the boy with words.

But Li Guanyi merely pointed to his Su Ni Bow: “The Su Ni Bow—crafted from zhe wood, rhino horn, crocodile dragon sinew, and bound with shark glue from the South Sea—is worth fifteen hundred and thirty guan; it was given to me by the eldest miss.”

He pointed to the sword: “Three-hundred-fold forged blade, dark-wood scabbard inlaid with brass—worth a hundred guan.”

He straightened his back slightly: “Given to me by the eldest miss.”

Meaning he didn’t care about the hundred-silver reward.

The old man chuckled.

He muttered: “My words are bound by the affairs of children and women.”

My little granddaughter tricked me! Xue Daoyong shook his head and smiled: “Forget it, really…”

“I understand. I’ll bury the traces of your killing and the rumors. As for the hundred silver, I’ll pay you myself. But to refuse a reward and fame offered to you—most would find it absurd. Yet for you, it’s perfectly normal.”

The old man sat cross-legged, left hand propping his chin, elbow resting on his left knee.

Right hand picked up a white stone and dropped it with a soft tap, then lifted his gaze slightly to look at Li Guanyi and smiled: “After all, you’ve been on the run for ten years—and finally arrived here.”

“You’re this close to crossing the border—you wouldn’t want any mishaps now, would you? If I were you, I’d make the same choice.”

Wind passed over the lotus pond, rippling its surface. The greatest secret had been spoken aloud! Li Guanyi’s heart pounded hard. He looked up at the old man, who regarded him with a half-smile. The Bai Hu Law Form lay still, its eyes holding no malice. His moves and words were sharp and direct, as if aiming to pierce through his opponent’s defenses.

The teenager felt at ease.

Spine straight, he picked up a black stone and placed it, his gaze fixed on the old man:

“No wonder you’re the Xue family’s patriarch who places stones across the world.”

“Your intelligence network seems even more acute than Chen Guo’s Ti Qi.”

The old man’s smile faded slightly.

The boy’s move was just as sharp as his words.

But he didn’t dislike it.

On the contrary, his admiration deepened.

A man with only strength is a brute. The world has no shortage of warlords who stir chaos—but true heroes are rare. Many have great strength, but only strength isn’t who I bet on. The old man laughed:

“I’m just curious—what crime did you commit to be hunted for so long?”

“As for intelligence—hahahaha—you’re practically family. I merely want to know if my guest minister is trustworthy. Isn’t that only natural?”

Li Guanyi picked up a stone.

Five stones.

He placed them quickly on the board.

With each stone, he whispered a name: “Chen Guo. Ying state.”

“Tuyuhun.”

“Turkic.”

“Tangut.”

He wasn’t saying anything explicit—these were the Xue family’s commercial reach, an open secret. The old man laughed loudly: “Hahahaha, merchants chase profit. Selling Chen Guo’s goods to the Tanguts brings tenfold returns—how could we abandon it? Such childishness.”

Li Guanyi withdrew his hand, sat quietly, and delivered his final blow: “Yet now the people say the Xue family is benevolent, while Chen Guo’s emperor imposes heavy taxes.”

The old man’s smile vanished instantly. His eyes locked onto Li Guanyi. The massive Bai Hu rose, fur bristling, brows furrowed into a blurred character, fangs bared—aimed at Li Guanyi—but without killing intent.

Li Guanyi remained unmoved, his gaze piercing through the Bai Hu Law Form to rest on the old man. He spoke softly: “Merchants chase profit.”

“Small merchants seek profit.”

“Great merchants seek the nation!”

Xue Daoyong’s gaze paused. His inner thoughts had been spoken aloud. No killing intent—only awe and admiration. This was the message Li Guanyi received from the Bai Hu. Xue Daoyong’s smile faded slightly. The old man leaned back; the boy sat upright.

Wind stirred; ripples spread endlessly across the lotus pond.

The two played Go. Now, the Listening-to-Wind Pavilion was the board; their words were the stones.

Xue Daoyong sighed, half-smiling: “Then, young sir, do you think I seek profit—or seek the nation?”

Li Guanyi’s gaze shifted from the now-calm Bai Hu Law Form:

“I’d like to ask Xue Lao the same.”

Li Guanyi straightened his spine, his dark temple hairs lifting slightly: “Small merchants seek profit. Great merchants seek the nation.”

“You seek to rule the world.”

“Or to secure eternal peace?”

Rule the world. Secure eternal peace!

When the old man expected Li Guanyi to say “seek the nation,” these two phrases struck his heart like boulders, shattering his expectations, stirring waves within him. Old man, I feel youthful vigor again! His blood surged. He looked at the calm teenager and suddenly laughed: “Hahahaha, good, good, good—I misjudged you!”

“You are both cultured and martial, ruthless yet decisive.”

“I once called you a capable minister—I was wrong.”

Someone like you is like a dragon trapped in a well; when chaos arrives, you are the very talent to aid a king!

Too bad I didn’t meet you a hundred years earlier.

The old servant had already rushed back and leaned beside the elder; Xue Daoyong said:

“When did those people die?”

The old servant replied: “At the end of the Chou hour.”

That was precisely the time the Break-Cloud Thunder Bow screamed.

Xue Daoyong trusted the corpses’ testimony more.

It matched: when the boy went on a bloody rampage, the Seven Stars of Bai Hu rose from the west to the zenith.

When the arrow pierced the bandit’s throat and blood gushed forth, the Break-Cloud Thunder Bow moaned in discontent.

Everything matched.

The man before him was none other than the Bai Hu Grand Master, who had been absent for five hundred years and had returned once more to this chaotic age—the celestial star deity presiding over war and weapons. The elder sighed inwardly, gazing at the young man of both literary and martial excellence, and finally made his decision. He smiled faintly and said, “Then, regarding your bounty just now, I have another proposal.”

Li Guanyi was puzzled.

His goal had already been achieved, hadn’t it?

Xue Daoyong spoke slowly: “I happen to have a vacant ninth-rank military civilian post—ranked, but without official posting; assigned duties, tasked with pursuing fugitives.”

“The Xue family can give you a blank identity: a ninth-rank military civilian post.”

Li Guanyi was about to refuse.

The elder said calmly: “With rank, you may carry a spear, wield a crossbow.”

“And—”

“Wear armor.”

The boy’s voice froze.

This was a high-stakes move. The elder smiled and rose, stepping aside to point at the divine weapon resting quietly on the black sandalwood rack: “Also, why not grasp this bow once more?”

(End of Chapter)