Chapter 93: Phoenix Soars

This roar was tremendous and majestic, as if the entire Jiangzhou city could hear it.

The horses panicked.

They all knelt to the ground.

Li Guanyi flipped down from his horse, and the bronze cauldron shrieked violently, as if sensing an incomparably powerful divine resonance.

A layer of cloud qi appeared before Li Guanyi's eyes, transforming into a picture.

Then ripples spread across the world before the young man's eyes; the ripples expanded into water, the picture between reality and illusion parted, ripples rose across the everyday world that had been there before, and an existence walked out from its slumber, passing through. What first appeared before his eyes were horns like a dragon's, then claws like a tiger's or wolf's, and flames clustering around it as if attending a sovereign.

It was a Fire Qilin.

Li Guanyi saw this Fire Qilin manifest before him.

Dragon's head, tiger's claws, scales and armor all over its body, four hooves treading fire, its gaze slowly fixed upon him, motionless. The others did not catch a glimpse of the Fire Qilin's appearance, only panic. Li Guanyi froze; he seemed to glimpse a trace of human-like radiance from within the gravity of this divine beast, saw the excitement in the Fire Qilin's eyes, the bronze cauldron shrieked, and someone seemed to speak within Li Guanyi's heart.

His voice carried sorrow and joy.

"It is you, it is his child…"

"That's wonderful, that's wonderful."

The Fire Qilin's voice echoed softly within Li Guanyi's heart:

"You got out alive."

"You're still alive!"

The emotions within this voice were too complex.

Soft, yet it gave Li Guanyi a sorrow as if he wanted to weep.

Li Guanyi saw the enormous Fire Qilin approach him, wanting to gently touch him, yet cautious and at a loss.

The next moment, he suddenly heard the sound of chains rising loudly, the Fire Qilin's roar rose up, Li Guanyi gave a muffled grunt, and the scene before his eyes vanished. What he glimpsed at the last was a picture of enormous chains surging up from the four directions, taking the form of the Four Symbols and the Four Images, firmly binding the Fire Qilin. The Fire Qilin roared, and finally this picture crumbled apart before Li Guanyi.

The panicked, clamorous sounds rushed back into his ears; the Fire Qilin's roar had caused enormous panic.

Needless to say beasts, even most of the people sat on the ground with weak legs and cold sweat streaming down their faces.

A fierce tiger's roar can already make a person's hands and feet go cold, let alone the wrath of a Fire Qilin.

Li Guanyi raised his hand and pressed it against his chest.

The sturdy young man from the Western Regions beside him looked at his donkey, sighed, crouched down, and patted the donkey's face:

"Brother donkey?"

"Brother donkey? Hey, hey, hey, wake up, Brother donkey."

He was helpless, looked at Li Guanyi, and said: "My old brother donkey has collapsed; it seems I won't be able to travel together with you all."

"Your Wu Gong is quite good; at such a young age, I am not your match."

Li Guanyi raised his head: "Tiele people?"

This sentence of his was spoken in the Tiele tongue.

His first opponent had been the Third Prince of Tiele, so he understood a little of the simple Tiele language.

The young man's Central Plains official speech was awkward, carrying the flavor of the Tiele tribe.

A clear astonishment appeared on the young man's face, then he laughed and said: "Brother, you really know a lot."

"You know Wu Gong, you're kind-hearted, and you even understand our Tiele language."

"Is this what the books of the Central Plains call a so-called gentleman?"

He exerted his strength, hoisted the donkey onto his shoulder, and said with a smile: "It seems what the books say also has some truth to it."

"I had originally heard that the Emperor of the Central Plains was a sage, but compared to the tribal lords of the Western Regions, he's not much better. The lords of the Western Regions wave whips to drive cattle and sheep; the sage of the Central Plains waves imperial decrees to drive the common folk. The sovereigns of every corner of the world are, in the end, all the same."

"If he were truly a sage, when the lords of the Western Regions want the cattle and sheep's hides and meat, they wouldn't demand the cattle and sheep flay themselves and kneel to offer it up."

The young man, carrying the donkey on his back, said:

"Brother donkey, Brother donkey, you've carried me over three thousand li; at this moment, it's only right that I carry you."

"Young Master of the Central Plains, you are a good person; if fate allows, we shall meet again."

Li Guanyi nodded; he could see the extraordinary martial bearing of the young man before him, and said: "A blade-artist like you, why would you leave Tiele?"

The young man grinned, patted the curved blade of unusual make at his waist, and began to sing a ballad.

His voice was desolate and ancient, yet forceful; he stamped the rhythm with his footsteps and spoke in the Tiele tongue:

"Chile Chuan, beneath the Yin Mountains, the sky is like a domed tent, covering the four wilds."

"The sky is blue, the wilds are vast; the wind blows the grass low and the cattle and sheep appear."

"The rule of the Tuyuhun in the Western Regions has ended; I came to the Central Plains hoping to obtain the seal of the Tuyuhun King."

"So that our Tiele people too can cast off the status of servants and serfs in the Western Regions."

"But the Wang Yin has likely fallen into the hands of those great personages, so I had no choice but to come here, hoping to obtain the aid of the Central Plains' gentlemen, so that the Tiele tribes too may have their own name in the Western Regions, hoping my clansmen can live well; if it is possible, I am willing to entrust my life to it."

"Next time we meet by fate, I shall treat you to wine brewed from sheep's milk, and we can be good friends."

"At that time I shall toast you and tell you my name."

This was the northwestern folk song "Chile Song."

The young man, ancient and desolate in bearing, with a curved blade at his waist identical to that of the Third Prince of Tiele, carried the donkey on his back, and amid the surprised and amused gazes of the crowd, departed at ease and with bold spirit.

Li Guanyi watched his retreating back and said softly: "The Chile Song; the Tiele tribes still exist in this era."

"The Tiele Golden Curved Blade cavalry, hailed as the king of light cavalry on the grasslands."

He suddenly recalled the words of Xue Shen.

How I truly wish to cross blades with the heroes of the world.

Li Guanyi shook his head, cast the thought aside, only feeling that there were too many heroes in this world, that the great currents of the realm had gathered within Jiangzhou city, that the outstanding figures of every nation would converge here. The Tuyuhun had fallen, the Tanguts had established a state and become a defense outside of Chen, and naturally the Tiele tribes also hoped to obtain Chen's support.

Li Guanyi felt this was natural; Chen would certainly support him.

The people of the Central Plains always preferred that the Western Regions be in turmoil.

As for the Wang Yin, Li Guanyi had no intention of taking this thing out.

It represents legitimate royal authority over the thirty-six tribes of the Western Regions; taking it out would only bring trouble.

Xue Daoyong came to his side and said, "Guanyi, are you alright?"

Li Guanyi nodded, deliberately feigning ignorance, and asked, "That sound just now was…"

Xue Daoyong said, "It was a Fire Qilin."

Li Guanyi said, "Chen Kingdom actually has a Fire Qilin?"

Xue Daoyong said softly, "Yes, it was once the nation-protecting divine beast of Chen Kingdom. They say that more than two hundred years ago, when the Great Ancestor raised his army to establish Chen Kingdom's enterprise, five hundred iron-armored guards charged into his residence—and it was this Fire Qilin that breathed a blast of Fire Qilin flame and burned all five hundred iron-armored warriors, allowing the Great Ancestor to survive. However, more than ten years ago, this Fire Qilin became known by another name."

The old man paused and said:

"The mount of Tai Ping Gong."

A fierce ripple rose in Li Guanyi's eyes.

Just as he thought!

The truth of his parents' matter, and the existence of his father's mount, sent wave after wave of emotion crashing through Li Guanyi's heart.

He wished he could rush to the Fire Qilin's side at once.

The old man said, "In those years, Tai Ping Gong was a hero of heroes—clad in dark armor, draped in a crimson greatcloak, wearing a dark-gold mask, mounted upon a Fire Qilin."

"He commanded three hundred thousand troops, pacified the southwest, struck across the distant lands—one of the top ten divine generals under heaven."

"Of matchless bearing."

"When Tai Ping Gong wed, the Fire Qilin tread across the water and departed."

"They say this divine beast is spirit-aware, sharing life and death with Tai Ping Gong, and there is also a legend…"

When Xue Daoyong came to this legend, he could not help but laugh and said, "The Fire Qilin has a violent temperament."

"Even Tai Ping Gong himself, if he wasn't careful, would get kicked over by the Fire Qilin."

"But they say the Fire Qilin was very good to Tai Ping Gong's child. When that child was young, he often saw the Fire Qilin carry him on its back, walking across the water's surface, and it would shrink down to play with the child."

"Unfortunately, that child also… in the end, word came that the Fire Qilin went mad with rage, and quite a few court guest-officials died beneath its flames."

The youth clenched his fist, reining in his emotions, and said softly:

"Fire Qilin… I have never yet seen a Fire Qilin. Where is this divine beast, Xue Lao?"

The old man said, "When Tai Ping Gong died a violent death, the Fire Qilin was left behind in the imperial palace."

"It is within the palace, heavily guarded—not just anyone can go in to see it."

"Come to think of it, Guanyi, if you wish to see the Fire Qilin, there is one way—unless it is the day of the Grand Sacrifice."

Li Guanyi smiled and said, "What way?"

"I grew up out in the countryside; I want to see a divine beast like the Fire Qilin from the legends."

Xue Daoyong said casually, "Weren't you appointed by imperial edict as one of those seventy-two seventh-rank military officers in the retinue? When a military officer from out of town enters Jingcheng, he still has to take on an assignment. If you can take on an assignment with the 【Imperial Guard】, then you can go in and out of the palace. The Qilin Pavilion where the Fire Qilin is kept also needs the Imperial Guard to guard it."

"However, positions in the Imperial Guard are mostly held by sons of military-merit families."

"Although there is supposed to be a selection, over the years it has quietly become a position for those noble sons to gild their résumés."

"If you want to go, you are an in-law of my Xue family—you count as one of my Xue family's own sons, so you are qualified to take part in the Imperial Guard selection. But if you do, you will inevitably clash with those military-merit sons who want to serve in the Imperial Guard. Just now, His Majesty the Sage issued an order, and only then did those military-merit sons suppress their hostility toward you."

"If you do this, they will certainly make a move."

Li Guanyi said softly, "If I want to serve in the Imperial Guard, will it bring trouble to you, Xue Lao?"

Xue Daoyong burst out laughing: "Hahaha, trouble?"

"If those military-merit sons' fathers want to make trouble, let them come and have a go with this old man!"

"Let's see who can beat who!"

"Since you have this idea, this old man will sign you up. Indeed, those military-merit sons won't let us off, and have we ever let them off? Only with this kind of spirit and dominance can one be counted as a fine son of the Xue family."

"Don't worry—if anything happens, this old man will cover for you."

Li Guanyi steadied his emotions and offered soft thanks.

He traveled with the Xue family's entourage to a residence in Jingcheng.

This was the Xue family's compound in Jingcheng, costing several hundred thousand strings of coins. The population of the entire Jiangzhou city was enormous, and housing prices were outrageously high; many officials could only rent places to live. The Xue family had wealth worth tens of millions of strings and had no need to stay in the residence prepared by the court. Li Guanyi was also given a separate courtyard; he moved his things in. The youth rested his hand on his saber, pondering his goals going forward.

The Fire Qilin—he had to make contact with the Fire Qilin.

But the inner palace was heavily guarded, with many experts; he would need to don a different skin before going in. Calculating back and forth, he still had to go take on that assignment. The Emperor's imperial edict, which he had thought was a nuisance, had now instead become an opportunity.

The Imperial Guard, then…

Li Guanyi murmured softly, his breathing long and steady.

Besides that, he still had to go see Old Zu Zu Wenyuan, and go see Master Siming.

Li Guanyi instinctively glanced toward the corner of the wall, smiling inwardly. He wondered whether this place would first see Master Siming's white-haired old head poking out, or some silver-haired girl. He shook his head, said a word to the Xue family's steward, picked up his long saber, and went out the door. The Xue family steward said, "If Young Master is going out, you may return early."

"We received a visiting card this morning; tonight the second Young Master of the Duke of Ying's mansion is coming to pay a visit to the old master."

The Duke of Ying's mansion?

The second Young Master who had written the letter?

Li Guanyi's heart leaped with joy. He nodded and said, "I'll go out for a stroll and be back soon."

He walked out the door, got his bearings, mounted his horse and set off. Zu Zu Wenyuan had told him that when he was in Jingcheng, he would stay idly at a Daoist temple in the east of the city; if he wished to find him, he could go there. Li Guanyi urged his horse forward. The horse could not go too fast, so along the way he took in the scenery of Jiangzhou city. When he reached the east of the city, Li Guanyi dismounted and proceeded on foot.

The temple was not far off, but a very strong scent of medicinal herbs reached his nose.

Inside the temple there were many pharmacists treating the common people.

Daoist Priests generally knew medicine and would treat nearby residents free of charge. Li Guanyi tied his horse outside the temple, stated his identity, and soon a young Daoist Priest came out and said, "The Libationer is currently deducing the formation for the Grand Sacrifice and has no time to receive you at the moment. Little Mr. may look around the scenery of the temple."

Li Guanyi nodded and offered his thanks.

The young Daoist Priest hesitated, then added, "You should be careful—especially careful of Monks."

"They came before, and had some unpleasantness with my senior brothers."

Li Guanyi said, "Monk?"

The little Daoist Priest said indignantly, "Mm, they keep saying this place originally belonged to their Buddhist sect, and want us to give up the land for them. Because during the Grand Sacrifice, His Majesty decreed that laypeople cannot lay hands on monks or Daoists — to do so would be irreverent — so even the constables can't do anything about them."

"Young Master, you need not pay them any mind. Just enjoy the scenery here."

Li Guanyi thanked him and walked on alone, his heart at peace.

A dispute between Buddhism and Daoism?

He had heard that over a decade ago, the Regent had swept through countless temples; now, more than ten years later, the present Emperor had begun once more to revere Buddhism and Daoism.

Countless auspicious omens had been sent up from every province.

So the monks were planning to come back and seize territory?

Li Guanyi felt that Chen Country, for all its flowery splendor, was in truth problem upon problem, stacked one atop another.

Civil officials, military men, noble clans, imperial relatives — and now Buddhism and Daoism as well.

He tossed these thoughts aside, exhaled a breath, emptied his mind, and felt his spirit ease considerably. He was looking at the scenery when he suddenly felt the Blue Luan bird appear on his shoulder. The bird seemed to have sensed something and was overjoyed; it circled around Li Guanyi, wings gliding, its cry clear and bright, as if wanting to go find someone. Li Guanyi instinctively set off walking.

The Blue Luan bird suddenly sped up at the last moment, and Li Guanyi quickened his pace to catch up, rounding a pavilion.

He saw ahead a white-haired, blind old man divining fortunes, and before him a young man and a young woman.

The young woman had a countenance both beautiful and gentle, graceful and magnanimous.

The young man, however, was different — he stood with his hands clasped behind his back, a jade belt at his waist, golden thread embroidered in great peonies across his brocade robe, born to wealth and nobility.

A pair of phoenix eyes, brows slanting upward into his temples, a single red mark between his brows, his bearing radiant and spirited.

On his shoulder, a phoenix took flight.

The crimson phoenix and Li Guanyi's Blue Luan bird met, and seemed delighted, each letting out a clear cry.

Luan and phoenix sang in harmony, drifting through the air.

Li Guanyi looked over instinctively. The young man over there was waiting for the fortune-teller to speak, but at this moment he too seemed to sense something. Their eyes met for an instant — and in that glance, it seemed only the other existed.

The young man opposite was briefly taken aback, then smiled faintly and nodded.

Changsun Wugou said, "What is it, Erlang?"

The young man said, "I just felt like looking over that way."

A crimson dragon, too, rose up and went chasing after the luan and phoenix.

Li Guanyi thought for a moment, then stepped forward. That Daoist Priest, frowning as he laid out his divination, was the old Daoist of this Daoist temple — born blind, seventy years old, without any real skill, earning a little money by telling fortunes. Today, however, he could not parse it: the fate of the person before him was so tangled and vast that he could not read it.

But the moment Li Guanyi came over to stand beside him, the old Daoist's divination stalks slipped from his hand and clattered to the ground — and suddenly the reading came clear.

The old Daoist let out a breath of relief and said politely, "Young Master's fate has been read."

"Oh, and what is it?"

"It is a fate of great nobility and wealth."

The blind old Daoist, his eyes long gone, fingered the divination stalks. In the spring light, luan and phoenix sang in harmony. The old Daoist laid both hands upon his knees, unaware that two young men now stood before him — one radiant and spirited, the other as calm and still as Rushan. The blind old man set the two divination stalks gently on the table and slid them toward the two youths before him.

Li Guanyi and the young man stood side by side.

The spring light was at its finest. The Emperor of Chen was still preparing the Grand Sacrifice; the Great Emperor of Zhongzhou burned with anger and unwillingness; and the Khan of the Turks watched the Central Plains like a tiger.

The lords contended for the realm, like a host of dragons vying for supremacy.

Inside the Daoist temple.

The blind old fortune-teller, blind for seventy years, answered thus:

"A bearing of dragon and phoenix."

"A countenance of the sun on high."