Chapter 101: Lesser and Great Dragon Forms, the Young Lord of Shaofang

The Pingjiang Grand Canal is the most magnificent project of the Dayun in fourteen hundred years, diverting water from sixteen great natural rivers and cutting through the many daozhou of Dayun.

Each prefecture and state has its own branches, channeling water into the cities to supply the daily needs of the common people.

On the fourth floor of Tiger Roar Tower, Li Yuan leaned against the railing and gazed out, taking in the scenery of this three-thousand-year-old city. From here, looking into the distance, one could see the river diverted from the Pingjiang Grand Canal branching into the many districts like blood vessels.

On both sides of the waterway stood all manner of buildings, and at this moment many common folk were drawing water along the street.

"Fucheng is really big!"

Yue Yue Yunjin was also craning his neck to look, his eyes full of shock and longing.

Li Yuan looked across the way. Separated by a single street, a nine-story wooden building of considerable size rose straight from the ground; above its main entrance hung a massive plaque with large gilded characters.

"Cloud-Relief Tower."

Liu Zheng came out of the building carrying several books, hurrying back.

"That Cloud-Relief Tower is huge, the goods inside are plentiful and complete, and they even sell famous weapons. One sword costs sixty-seven hundred taels of silver, and you still have to spend a large sum of silver in advance just to qualify to buy one!"

Liu Zheng clicked his tongue in amazement as he recounted what he had seen, quite excited.

Wang Wang Peiyao, Wen Wen Yida, and the others all crowded around, asking this and that, full of interest. After all, they were youths not yet twenty, with a natural longing for novelty and splendor.

"What about the goods?"

Li Yuan got down to business.

"Right, almost forgot."

Only then did Liu Zheng hand over the few books he had bought, his face full of pain.

"Just these three books cost me fifteen taels of silver—damn it, why is everything in Fucheng so expensive?!"

"Five taels of silver for one book?"

Even Li Yuan was somewhat surprised.

Books in Dayun were not considered expensive; classics, histories, philosophical works, and the like cost only three to five qian of silver each. How could these lists, sold in batches, be so dear?

"Well, it's not exactly…"

Liu Zheng looked a little embarrassed and pulled one of them back.

"The Courtesan Ranking cost twelve taels; the Blade-For-Hire Ranking and the Divine Weapon Ranking together cost three taels…"

"…The Courtesan Ranking?"

Wang Wang Peiyao rolled her eyes, but Wen Wen Yida and Yue Yue Yunjin crowded over—clearly men who had tasted the fruit, they were far more interested in this.

Especially Yue Yue Yunjin; after Zhao Zhao Xiaoming's death, he had been utterly listless for several months.

"Hiss, there are even portraits!"

Liu Zheng's eyes lit up.

Wu Ming, meanwhile, sidled up to Li Yuan.

"First on the Blade-For-Hire Ranking, Ghost-Face Prajna Han Han Chuijun! Is Elder Han really that formidable?"

Lin Lin Qingfa, who had just returned after ordering, wore a pained expression and said upon hearing this, "Elder Han is one of the five great inner-sect elders of Divine Weapon Valley—who would dare rank him lower?"

Those who served as blade-for-hire men were mostly wandering martial artists and disciples of the various mid- and small-sized sects under Zhilong Prefecture; someone of Han Han Chuijun's standing would never take up such work.

"The most formidable blade-for-hire man should be the one right below Elder Han—Great Might Divine Dragon Jiang Jiang Shaochong!"

Li Yuan turned to the second page.

Jiang Jiang Shaochong, second on the Blade-For-Hire Ranking, formerly an inner-sect disciple of Sanyuan Isle, superior six-form root bone, renowned for his Great Might Divine Palm, having captured over a hundred criminals.

"An inner-sect disciple of Sanyuan Isle, six-form root bone!"

Wang Wang Peiyao glanced at it and could not help exclaiming, "How could a figure like this come to Zhilong Prefecture to be a mere blade-for-hire man?"

"Six-form root bone?"

Liu Zheng and the others, who had been flipping through the Courtesan Ranking, all looked over one after another.

Among them, aside from Yue Yue Yunjin who had a superior root bone, the rest were at most upper-middle.

"What is a lesser dragon form?"

Yue Yue Yunjin asked.

"Superior root bones are mostly two-form, like Senior Brother Yue's ape arms and wasp waist. Among superior root bones, those possessing six body forms are called the lesser dragon form."

Li Yuan offered an explanation.

Once his tiger back and bear waist were complete, he too would count as a lesser dragon form; an acquired, altered root bone differed hardly at all from a natural six-form one.

"Superior root bones actually

have such a classification…"

In the private room, some knew and some did not. Yue Yue Yunjin was slightly dazed; he had always thought his own root bone was excellent, and now hearing of the lesser dragon form for the first time, he immediately felt a gap in his heart.

"The six-form is called the lesser dragon form because the true dragon form is one born possessing nine body forms…"

Wang Wang Peiyao offered an explanation.

"A few years ago, Fire Dragon Temple in Dechang Prefecture produced a young prodigy who possessed nine forms; before he turned sixteen, he had already cultivated the Fire Dragon Art!"

"There's even a nine-form?"

Yue Yue Yunjin was somewhat dumbfounded.

"And not just nine forms—I've heard that thirteen forms is called the great dragon form, but such a figure is hard to find even among the tens of millions in Zhilong Prefecture…"

Wang Wang Peiyao knew a great deal; now that she shared a bit of it, she drew the attention of everyone present.

This Young Lady Wang greatly enjoyed the attention and revealed another piece of news.

"In recent decades, Divine Weapon Valley has had no shortage of lesser-dragon-form disciples, but it seems not a single dragon-form has appeared. As for the great dragon form, you'd have to go back eighty years…"

"Elder Han?"

Wu Ming blurted out, utterly shocked.

"Not him. Elder Han is said to possess nine forms. As for the great dragon form, I heard it was Valley Master Master Gongyang…"

"Six forms, nine forms, thirteen forms... I had thought that superior root bone was already the best root bone."

Wu Ming smiled bitterly, feeling quite struck down.

Looking at the dozen-plus people in the private room, Wu Ming's heart sank.

He was only middling-superior root bone; among so many people present, only Li Yuan's root bone was worse than his, but that fellow's talent was extraordinary...

"Honored guests~"

At this moment, the waiter carried a tray of dishes, bowing with a smile.

"Escort Chief Lin will be returning soon — let this meal serve as our farewell toast to you!"

Tucking the Courtesan Ranking List into his bosom, Liu Zheng beckoned everyone to sit:

"Living in Fucheng is no easy matter... this table can't even be called a top-notch banquet, yet it costs eight taels of silver..."

Young Master Liu was generous and wealthy; the table that could seat over a dozen people was laden with dishes, all manner of common hot and cold plates, plus two jugs of premium autumn honey water.

"Brother Li, try this — they say it's what the people of Fucheng love most, much sweeter than honey water!"

"Let me try."

Li Yuan also set aside his two books, took the cup and poured one; it entered the mouth with floral fragrance, the aftertaste sweet:

"Not bad."

Those who liked sweet drinks naturally outnumbered those who liked alcohol; after Wang Wang Peiyao tasted it, she poured a small cup for everyone at the table.

"The wine of Fucheng is also quite good!"

Lin Lin Qingfa poured a cup of wine, sipping it carefully: "Thanks to Young Master Liu's generosity — I've come to Fucheng several times, and this is my first time setting foot in a wine house..."

Tiger Roar Tower was merely an ordinary wine house; if he wanted to eat, he could naturally afford it, but escorting caravans was hard-earned silver — he couldn't bear to spend it here.

Moreover, he didn't even want to stay the night in Fucheng; after this meal, before dark, he had to leave the city and cross the bridge.

"What words are those, Escort Chief Lin? Without you leading the way this whole journey, it surely wouldn't have gone so smoothly. It's only that Fucheng's expenses are too great — otherwise, Liu here would certainly invite you to a trip to the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion..."

Liu Zheng raised his wine cup and laughed:

"Although we can't meet the top courtesan, at least we can broaden our horizons, no?"

Hundred Flowers Pavilion was the largest pleasure house in Fucheng; of the ninety on the Courtesan Ranking List, a full thirty were within its walls, but to invite even one of them out, the expense was so great it would make him tremble.

"Where does Lin Mou have such fortune?"

Lin Lin Qingfa smiled, raising his cup in a toast:

"Lin Mou wishes you all a victorious start, to enter the Divine Weapon Valley in one stroke!"

"We borrow Escort Chief Lin's auspicious words!"

"Drink!"

The atmosphere at the banquet grew lively, every face bearing hope and longing — Li Yuan was no exception.

He thought again of that fleeting glimpse...

"Eleventh-grade!"

"

When the banquet ended, Lin Lin Qingfa tallied the wagons and horses; before the sky had darkened, he hurried out of the city.

Li Yuan and the others, meanwhile, returned once more and settled down in Tiger Roar Tower — a room cost three qian of silver a day; apart from Li Yuan and Wang Wang Peiyao, the rest all chose to squeeze in together.

Young Master Liu was no exception; slightly drunk, he clamored about saving up silver, to be kept for Hundred Flowers Pavilion.

In his room, Li Yuan stuffed the little field mouse into a birdcage he'd bought along the way — Fucheng was not like a county town, inns were especially particular; if he let it run free, someone might beat it to death.

"There are only forty-some days until the mountain gates open wide — to gather nine forms, not a moment can be wasted!"

After glimpsing the Rift Sea Mysterious Whale Hammer, Li Yuan's desire to gather nine forms had grown even stronger.

He still didn't know where that eleventh-grade divine weapon actually was, but clearly the higher one's status, the easier it would be to search for it in the mountains.

"It does hurt a bit, but bear with it — it's only forty-some days, it'll pass quickly."

Taking out the medicinal pills and rags, although the sky hadn't yet darkened, he didn't want to waste any more time, preparing to continue altering his root bone.

"Mad Lion Saber, Swimming Fish Steps, Wind Wolf Sword Art... these three Wu Gong are a bit inferior to Bai Yuan Hammer; Grand Completion only yields one form, so the alteration should be much faster."

The mastery conditions for these several root diagrams, he had already gathered together back in Gao Liu, and had planned it all out; as for the medicinal pills, those were also prepared long ago on the road.

He planned not to leave his room for the next forty-some days, pushing through in one go to gather nine forms...

Thump thump thump~

But just as he was preparing to switch his mastery, he heard footsteps from outside the door:

"Guest, there's someone outside looking for you..."

"Looking for me? What person?"

Li Yuan frowned slightly, stopped switching his mastery, pushed open the door; the waiter bowed slightly:

"This... this one also doesn't know..."

Who could it be?

Li Yuan shut his room door properly, instructed the waiter not to touch the birdcage in the room, then walked outward.

He had only just arrived, and the only people he knew were Han Han Chuijun and the other two; at this moment he was wondering whether it might be Sha Sha Pingying coming to collect a debt.

But he wasn't flustered now — five hundred taels of silver, though it pained him, he could still produce it.

But when he came out, he found it was several burly men dressed as Retainers, with a rather large gray sedan chair set beside them.

"Who are you?"

Li Yuan frowned slightly.

These Retainers were broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, each one vigorous in qi and blood — all apparently surpassing Yue Yue Yunjin; they'd be more than enough to have cultivated internal force.

Those Retainers moved deferentially:

"Reporting to Master Li, we are here under our young master's orders to invite you to a banquet at Hundred Flowers Pavilion."

"Who is your young master, and why has he invited me to a banquet?"

Li Mou was somewhat astonished—had his reputation really spread this fast?

He had only entered the city less than half a day ago, and already someone was inviting him to a banquet?

"Our young master heard of your reputation and therefore arranged this banquet."

One of the retainers answered, the smile on his face carrying a hint of arrogance:

"Our young master is Shao Shao Fangbai."

"Shao Shao Fangbai?"

Li Mou was slightly taken aback.

Over this period, Wang Wang Peiyao and the others had gathered quite a bit of information about this opening of the Divine Weapon Valley's mountain gate.

Naturally, they paid even closer attention to the geniuses among them.

This Shao Shao Fangbai was one of them—hailing from Yunjing Prefecture, possessing six forms, his fame even greater than Li Mou's as a forging prodigy.

"Please!"

The several retainers bowed deeply to the ground.

"Please take the sedan, Master Li—do not keep our young master waiting too long."

The leading retainer said in a low voice.

The other retainers also spread out, loosely encircling Li Mou among them, looking very much as though if he did not agree, they would forcibly carry him off.

"Mm…"

Li Mou glanced at the sky, then sensed his Soldier Summoning Register—his four heavy weapons gleamed

brilliantly.

"Master Li, if you please!"

"Since Brother Shao has arranged a banquet, how could Li Mou refuse? Only, the Hundred Flowers Pavilion seems quite far—may I ask if you gentlemen carrying me can make it in time?"

Li Mou was not angry, merely smiling.

"Set your mind at ease, Master Li. The six of us brothers have long since achieved great completion in Mang Niu Gong—each of our arms has six hundred jin of strength. Carrying a divine statue would be more than easy!"

Hearing this answer, Li Mou said no more and immediately stepped into the rather spacious sedan, large enough for eight men to carry together.

"Lift!"

Four retainers exerted their strength to lift the sedan; the two leading ones did not even lend a hand.

"Mm?"

The two leaders strode ahead to lead the way. After a few steps, they suddenly turned back, only to see the four carrying the sedan red in the face, swaying unsteadily as if drunk.

"Thousand-Jin Drop?"

The two exchanged a glance, put away their contempt, stepped forward to lend a hand, their blood energy surging:

"Lift!"

……

……

As dusk approached and the sky had not yet fully darkened, lights had already been lit in many places throughout the city.

And the brightest of all was naturally the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.

The Hundred Flowers Pavilion was located in the Divine Guard Market, sitting by the riverbank, occupying a vast expanse. In the open spaces before and behind its gates, many horse-drawn carriages and sedans were parked.

Gracefully dressed young ladies greeted guests at the door. Those coming and going were all high officials and nobles in splendid silks, or else wandering martial artists bearing blades and swords on their backs.

Within the sixteen-story-tall Hundred Flowers Pavilion, the air was filled with the fragrance of cosmetics and the smell of wine and meat.

In a third-floor private room, Shao Shao Fangbai stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at the street.

He wore a fine cloud-brocade wide robe, embroidered with cloud patterns, long and loose, with a splendid longsword hanging at his waist. A breeze came through the window, stirring his hem and long hair.

"Brother Shao, some lowly lad of middling-to-poor bone constitution from a fallen household—even if favored by Elder Han, how is he worth your waiting here?"

In the private room, several others sat or lounged, with a dozen or so graceful women circling them, some dancing, some pouring wine and laughing.

The speaker was a youth with a face the color of dark jujube, around thirty years old, wearing a loose martial robe.

"Brother Zhao Yunsheng speaks truly. That Elder Han has no shortage of disciples—has any one of them amounted to anything?"

Someone chimed in agreement.

"Less than a year of martial training, yet able to bring hammer techniques to great completion—what does such talent signify? Could Brother Zhao Yunsheng truly not understand?"

Shao Shao Fangbai did not even turn his head.

"So what if his talent is good? A lad from some fallen household—can he afford even a few pills?"

Zhao Zhao Yunsheng glanced at the sky:

"He's not come after so long—seems he isn't giving you face!"

"He'll come."

Shao Shao Fangbai frowned slightly. Judging by the speed of his retainers, they should have arrived long ago…

"Mm?"

Suddenly, his brow smoothed—he had spotted his own sedan—but then furrowed again at once.

Why was that sedan swaying unsteadily…