Chapter 49: Opportunity to Enter the Realm

He had no idea that Xue Daoyong had received a secret letter from the capital, nor that Sun Wucho had sent a coded message to the dukedom clans beyond the pass; from Li Guanyi’s perspective, he could only feel the mounting pressure, like wind gathering before a storm.

Eastern Land Star Observers, Supreme Seat of the Yin-Yang School, Si Ming.

Vassal under the Duke of Guo beyond the Yiguan Pass.

The Xue family stationed beyond the pass.

The world is changing; warlords lie dormant, like dark clouds drifting over vast marshes, thunder muffled.

Though he said nothing, Li Guanyi increasingly sensed the importance of power—he grew more desperate to enter the realm, to reach that level uniquely coveted by all sects and schools; since Sun Wucho arrived, Xue Daoyong had grown pensive, lost in thought, sitting in silence.

Li Guanyi’s visits to the secret realm grew ever more frequent; each time he returned, the [Si Ming] could easily find him.

Ding! Chopsticks struck the table, producing a crisp sound.

[Si Ming] sat on a stool beside Li Guanyi, the massive Xuan Gui quietly resting nearby.

This was the tavern where the former owner of Huichun Hall had taken Li Guanyi for a meal; [Si Ming] also favored such places. He held a cup of wine worth one copper coin, sipping slowly, gazing outside: “Clouds are gathering in the sky—it seems the young Master Zu is coming soon…”

“A great upheaval is coming.”

Li Guanyi remembered that, a few days ago when Sun Wucho arrived, this [Si Ming] elder had come to tell him that a certain Master Zu was coming; Li Guanyi asked what he intended to do, and the old man merely smiled, pointing toward Jiangzhou City: “To stir up this stagnant pond.”

It was the Xuan Gui’s explanation—Li Guanyi roughly understood.

That Master Zu is a master of numerology, heading to Jiangzhou City to rescue Marshal Yue.

[Si Ming] held a cup of strong liquor, brewed from the root of a certain plant—only a searing burn in the throat, no intoxicating fragrance; it was the drink favored by laborers who sought the sharp, cutting thrill of the liquor scraping their throats.

The old man swallowed the liquor, smacked his lips, and seemed to find it more flavorful than the sacrificial wine offered in the imperial temple. He shook his head, grinning at the young man: “You’re thinking of entering the realm—and not just any realm, but the highest one. The Military School seeks the Holy Body of a Hundred Battles; the Daoist Sects seek the Primordial Dao Embryo; the Buddhist Sects seek reincarnation and rebirth.”

“The Confucians seek the Mandate of Heaven; the Mohists value benevolence and righteousness.”

“In my lineage, the key isn’t just combat—it’s aligning with Heaven’s timing, Earth’s advantage, and human harmony.”

Li Guanyi asked: “What is Heaven’s timing and Earth’s advantage?”

[Si Ming] chuckled, extending a finger toward the sky, where thick clouds gathered: “Aren’t you already feeling it? Look through history—every chaotic age produces great talents, like waves surging on rivers, allowing dragons to ride the tide.”

“Right now, this small Yicheng City is a convergence point of the world’s great tide.”

“Not the largest—but certainly not the smallest.”

“Chen Guo will hold its grand ancestral sacrifice in two months.”

“Such a ritual requires masters of the [Yin-Yang Grand School], and masters of the Numerical Canon—among them, young Master Zu is the strongest of this generation. When such a man enters Jiangzhou, he can sway the Chen Emperor to alter certain decisions.”

“And young Master Zu’s divination arts are sufficient to break the array imprisoning Marshal Yue…”

“They will do anything to prevent him from reaching the capital.”

“And likely, they’ve already tried to assassinate him.”

Assassination.

Li Guanyi asked: “Will Master Zu be safe once he arrives in Yicheng?”

[Si Ming], drunk, replied: “That’s why we must gather momentum here—host a grand gathering of renowned scholars that draws the world’s gaze, then let young Master Zu step into the light. Only then will he be safe—when the tide is overwhelming, no one dares touch him.”

“Those who once tried to kill him will now have to protect him.”

The old man said: “Strange, isn’t it? I find it strange too.”

“The people in the capital are terribly awkward.”

“They want to do things—but don’t want anyone to know.”

“Some matters, hidden in the dark, are worthless—even renowned scholars can be killed without hesitation; but if certain matters become public, they become matters of ten thousand taels of gold—so much so that even if you curse them to their faces, they must endure it.”

[Si Ming] stroked his beard and remarked: “It’s like urinating. Old man I can just find a tree and let loose—quick, satisfying, no one can drag me off. But what if I urinate on the tree beside the Emperor’s tomb?”

“What if someone sees it?”

“What if the one who sees it… happens to be the Emperor himself?”

“Isn’t that different?”

“Even if the Emperor doesn’t care about the act, due to the circumstances, he’ll still rage—and act according to his status and position. That’s momentum. The world is a stagnant pond; everyone in it is affected.”

[Si Ming] gazed at the sky, unusually solemn:

“But these are just the ramblings of an old man—listen and forget. Look, all sects have come here: a grand literary gathering, literary energy surging to the heavens—that’s momentum. And young Master Zu outside, how he enters here with dignity… it’s like the ‘Dragon Escaping the Net’ in Go.”

Li Guanyi asked: “Why not go out to meet him?”

The old man fell silent for a long while, his eyes still clear, unclouded by drink. He whispered: “If we could meet him outside, that would be fine. But we don’t know which of the world’s renowned scholars are trustworthy—and which are traitors. A warrior’s bones may not be firm; a scholar’s heart may not be pure.”

“What lies beneath the armor—wolf or hero? What lies beneath the robe—pig or backbone?”

“We don’t know. Even old man I can’t tell…”

“So he cannot reveal his true location. He must find us. As I said before—when scholars gather, even the spineless can reveal a sliver of integrity.”

“Among warriors, some aid young Master Zu; others block him.”

“This time, Mohists, Daoists, Confucians, the Jianghu, the court, warriors—all streams of literary and martial energy converge like dragons and tigers in Yicheng. Do you still doubt this is a storm gathering? If you can leap across it, you may forge an elite foundation.”

[Si Ming] patted Li Guanyi’s shoulder.

Let out a drunken burp.

Blasted the young man with the stench of liquor.

His eyes were glazed, his earlier words sounding like drunken ramblings.

Li Guanyi paid for the wine and food. Rain began to fall—spring rain, fine as grease. Li Guanyi left an umbrella behind, stepped into the rain with his own, while the old [Si Ming] slowly watched the scenery outside, the rain falling like beaded curtains, splashing into puddles.

Counting one, two, three, four, five—he suddenly burst into laughter. The fat shopkeeper chuckled: “Old sir, you spoke truly about the world.”

Men love talking about grand matters.

The old man pounded the table, roaring with drunken delight: “Crude, but close enough.”

“All the great and small affairs of the world—ultimately, they’re no different from an old man’s piss!”

The fat shopkeeper smiled warmly, nodding: “Yes, yes, yes.”

The old [Si Ming] wobbled over, took another wine bowl, poured a full cup of strong liquor, and placed it on the stool.

The Xuan Gui lowered its head and drank the liquor; the old man gazed at the sky.

His eyes saw the convergence of celestial and earthly fortune, surging like waves—Mohists, Daoists, Confucians, Yin-Yang School, court, Jianghu, scholars, warriors. He tapped his chopsticks against table and cup, ding-dong, ding-dong—merging with the rain into a song.

The Xuan Gui drank deeply; [Si Ming] laughed aloud, singing in a voice like a peasant’s:

“Wind and rain bring peace, yet none compare to the vermilion robes of the capital. The world is farmland, freely harvested; the people are oxen, freely driven. Scholars speak of great talent; warriors wield blades, vying for ferocity.”

“Recite! Recite! Recite!”

“Learn poetry and lyrics, speak of fu and songs—no mistakes.”

“Lips touch heaven, mouth touches earth—no high or low, clever words and flowery phrases memorized by the score!”

“Speak of peace!”

“Proclaim peace!”

“Purple robes, red robes, pink peace—the common folk are pigs and dogs.”

“Order them forward, they dare not turn back; lift the left foot, they dare not lift the right. Flip them over, beat them till their hearts burn with rage—then raise their blades, strike this broken club once, split it into two halves!”

“Yet one piss—suddenly, I’m helpless.”

“I’ve endured for three hundred years, mocked by this prosperous age’s heroes!”

“Hahahaha! Mocked by this prosperous age’s heroes!”

The old man knocked over his cup and bowl, toppled forward in drunkenness, spilling the vessels, then lay still, snoring loudly, white hair gleaming. The absurd song ended in grandeur, then faded like rain.

Drunk and asleep before the thatched hut.

A great freedom.

Li Guanyi watched the old man—whether foolish or free, whether chaotic or heroic—then turned and left.

The rain grew heavier. The young man, wearing his black blade, walked on the blue stone pavement. Rain slid down his umbrella, dripping. Ahead, a group of people passed—wearing conical hats, straw sandals, their hair tied with black cords.

At their waists hung thick, black swords.

The youth brushed past the group of black-clad, heavy-sworded men.

The lead giant’s gaze was calm as it passed over the boy; Li Guanyi stared straight ahead.

Beside the giant, an invisible beast paced.

Another one…

Li Guanyi’s desire to enter the realm grew heavier.

Three days later, within the secret realm.

The heavy blade was deflected; the man across from him thrust his weapon toward Li Guanyi. The youth swung both hands, the blade rising like a butterfly, lifting his body with it. As he spun, he released his grip—the heavy blade spiraled down in a cleaving arc.

The blade sliced through air with a sharp, piercing whistle.

But the star-force opponent in the realm merely shifted slightly.

His long spear deflected Li Guanyi’s blade; the youth kicked the spear shaft, curled his body into a ball, seized the opponent’s spear, shoved him with his shoulder. The opponent tumbled onto the stone platform, rolled, and snatched up another spear.

Focused, poised—like a tiger preparing to pounce.

Li Guanyi thrust his spear forward with all his might.

The two spears clashed.

Xue Shenjiang watched lazily from the side.

After countless deaths and defeats, Li Guanyi finally learned how to wield a long weapon. Now, his right hand gripped the spear’s butt, held tight against his waist. Each thrust came from a wrist twist and body rotation, the spearhead spinning with spiral force.

The spear shaft taut, thrusting as the main technique—the battlefield’s great spear method.

A fourteen-foot spear.

Li Guanyi converted it to his past life’s units: four point six meters.

Not something an ordinary man could wield.

But once mastered, in the age of cold weapons, it granted immense advantage—unless the opponent reached the realm of Qi breaking the body, or wielded a Divine Form technique, Li Guanyi held overwhelming odds. This time, he used spear technique to deflect the opponent’s weapon, then struck with “Arrow of Cold Light,” finally defeating him.

The opponent’s body shattered into star force; Li Guanyi was accustomed to such battles.

He did not expend unnecessary energy as he had during his first challenge against the Tielei Prince, and was still able to sit cross-legged, meditating and breathing in star force.

After explaining the tactics of foot combat, Xue Shen did not offer further commentary, only gazing at Li Guanyi, stroking his chin, and saying, “You’ve been here a considerable time—over twenty days—and have defeated many opponents. From what I can see, your star force refinement is nearly complete.”

Xue Shen’s eyes held a smile:

“You’ve reached the threshold of entry.”

(End of Chapter)