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    Edict of Peace 100

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    Chapter 100: The Arrival of Po Jun’s Divine Weapon!

    Li Guanyi looked at the gilded waist token; the three characters for “Imperial Guard” were stamped upon it.

    The token felt weighty in his hand, substantial. This was something the sons of martial families yearned for. Only the offspring of prominent families and officials of the fifth rank or higher were eligible, and even then, they had to pass a rigorous selection process. Members of the emperor’s personal guard wore splendid armor, wielded crossbows and swords, and were awe-inspiring in their presence.

    These were the most appealing aspects for ordinary noble youths.

    But for Li Guanyi, it signified only one thing: one of the few ways to enter the palace and become a guard in the Qilin Pavilion.

    Li Guanyi had prepared himself for a fight with those martial arts descendants. He hadn’t expected to receive this token while simply enjoying the scenery with Qibi Li. Upon seeing the token, Li Guanyi seemed stunned, lacking his usual quick wit.

    The girl beside him gently kicked his leg and whispered, “Aren’t you going to thank your aunt?”

    Li Guanyi snapped back to attention. “Thank you, Aunt.”

    Consort Xue smiled faintly. “I’m glad you like it, Guanyi.”

    “As for those martial arts descendants,” she said, a little bluntly, “don’t bother with them. They set traps, but we don’t have to fall for them. Treat them like mad dogs. We’ll deal with them later.”

    “Let them try their beloved ‘bullying with power’.”

    Li Guanyi opened his mouth to speak.

    Consort Xue stopped him, softly saying, “I know you’re a scholar and a martial artist, and you’ve earned the praise of Master Wang Tong, who wants to take you as a disciple. You have the bearing of a gentleman. Be a kind gentleman to good people, but to these people… you must show them that you’re far superior to them, regardless of family background.”

    “When this child is born, they will be a prince of Chen Kingdom.”

    “But they will also call you brother.”

    “Imperial relative.”

    The statement was final, yet also a piece of advice.

    Li Guanyi smiled slightly. “This nephew understands.” Consort Xue smiled. She found the boy intelligent and didn’t need to elaborate. She signaled the maids to serve post-dinner refreshments—Jiangnan pastries, delicate and delicious, accompanied by light, fragrant tea.

    Although it was late, well into the night, Old Master Xue Daoyong took Li Guanyi and the others away.

    In a time of turmoil, the imperial palace was heavily guarded.

    Being able to enter today was due to the emperor’s gracious decree. Even so, they had to leave promptly, or else they would face severe punishment. On the way back in the carriage, Old Master Xue chuckled, “Those martial arts descendants were eager to fight you, to test their skills against yours.”

    “I imagine they’ll be quite frustrated—their punches landing on cotton.”

    “They probably won’t sleep a wink tonight. But Guanyi, be careful. Some of them are truly skilled. No matter what, these noble youths will occupy the remaining Imperial Guard positions; the rest will likely flood into the Imperial Army.”

    “When you report for duty as an Imperial Guard in three days…”

    “Your new colleagues might give you a rather… enthusiastic welcome.”

    The old man subtly pointed out a potential problem. Once Li Guanyi became an Imperial Guard, it would be an internal matter, and the Xue family couldn’t interfere.

    Li Guanyi held his Imperial Guard token. “It doesn’t matter. They’re no match for me.”

    “If they want a fight, I’ll gladly oblige.”

    The old man laughed heartily.

    Returning to the Xue family’s residence in the capital, Li Guanyi went to his courtyard. He found that the artificial rockery he’d slashed with his sword had been completely restored. This was undoubtedly Old Master Xue’s doing. The old man was meticulous; this was likely to conceal Li Guanyi’s cultivation level.

    The palace’s refreshments had been overly sweet. Li Guanyi casually tossed a few of Zhao Dabing’s specially prepared salted peanuts into his mouth, chewing them to restore the balance of flavors, then sat cross-legged, his mind focused on the Bronze Tripod.

    The Qilin’s mark was clearly visible.

    This wasn’t a Law Physique.

    At least, not yet.

    This was power, power emanating from the divine beast Qilin. It was the power that had instantly reduced the Qilin’s aura by half. Li Guanyi raised his hand, sensing the violent energy. His martial arts intuition told him that even with his current physique, using this power would injure him.

    He could only use it once.

    But the power’s intensity was comparable to a single strike of a Law Physique martial art from Yu Qianfeng or Xue Daoyong.

    This was the Qilin’s gift.

    A lifeline.

    Even in this turbulent world, in Jiangzhou City, a top fifty Divine General-level martial art could unleash terrifying power, allowing Li Guanyi to survive desperate situations. Even if Yu Wen Lie shamelessly attacked him, this “Qilin’s Fury” would be enough to injure him without being detected.

    What a grand gift…

    Li Guanyi murmured to himself.

    The weight of the gift lay not only in the power’s intensity, but also in the cost to the giver.

    The Qilin had given him its last hope of escape.

    Imprisoned for ten years, under the forceful suppression of the Four Images Sealing Spirit Array, it still managed to accumulate this power. It showed that something kept the Qilin going, sustaining it for ten long years, only to bestow it all upon Li Guanyi upon meeting him!

    It was as if it had resolved some long-held knot.

    The energy that had sustained its desperate struggle for ten years finally found fulfillment.

    It gave up its own hope of survival to ensure Li Guanyi’s safe departure.

    Li Guanyi clenched his fist, remaining silent for a long time.

    Many weathered individuals might silently accept the Qilin’s kindness, then lie low and leave, living a quiet life, using that power to make a name for themselves. But if he did that, he wouldn’t be the youth he was.

    He unclenched his fist.

    He decided to see the Qilin.

    Li Guanyi pondered this, taking out his notes on variations of the Four Images Sealing Spirit Array.

    He planned to seek guidance from Old Master Zu tomorrow.

    He had learned the Huangji Scripture for too short a time. Even with the instruction of Zu Wenyuan, the world’s foremost expert in mathematical calculation, he hadn’t fully grasped its subtleties. The fact that he could glimpse the location of the Qilin Palace in the palace and then encounter the Qilin was exceptional.

    He wrote down many variations, incorporating his own understanding.

    As he recorded these variations, his understanding of the array deepened. When he finished, the starlight was fading. The youth tossed the brush aside, looked at the array diagrams scattered across the table, and rested his head on it.

    The Qilin, its power.

    And his parents’ matter. Was it really the involvement of a foreign power?

    These thoughts filled Li Guanyi’s mind before he finally drifted off to sleep. The next morning, after washing, he wasn’t interested in watching the martial arts descendants’ Imperial Guard selection. He simply rode his horse, buying buns along the way, and headed toward the Taoist temple to find Zu Wenyuan.

    Old Master Zu was reviewing documents.

    Li Guanyi approached and greeted him, recounting the many variations he’d discovered.

    He then sat quietly, gazing at the ripples in his teacup. He was somewhat worried that Old Master Zu would see something and was about to speak when Zu Wenyuan looked up from the scrolls, a hint of surprise on his face, before saying with a smile, “Excellent, excellent. I never expected you, Guanyi, to have such an understanding of this array.”

    Li Guanyi replied, “You’re the world’s foremost expert in mathematical calculation. Surely you can calculate this?”

    The old man smiled, “Divine abilities are not as powerful as willpower. I can only calculate good or bad, who benefits and who suffers. I don’t have the ability to do that. It’s these variations that you have given me, Guanyi.”

    “Clever and insightful, almost as if you’ve seen the Qilin array firsthand.”

    “When I first encountered this array, I only thought a little more than you.”

    Zu Wenyuan smiled warmly.

    The world’s foremost expert in mathematical calculation, the Taoist priest, whose gaze was gentle and clear. Though his hair was white, his eyes held the calmness of a child. His rank was only below the two innate Taoist masters, yet he didn’t cultivate martial arts and lacked combat skills.

    He possessed the power to see through all things, but now, he was smiling warmly.

    His eyes held no ripples, only tranquility and clarity, as he comforted Li Guanyi, “In the world of numerology, anything is possible.”

    “A talented individual like you can deduce the entire array.”

    “It’s natural for you, Guanyi, to see these things.”

    “However…”

    The old man then raised a finger, pointing to a spot on Li Guanyi’s array diagram, and smiled warmly, “Look, here, and here, your deductions are incorrect. There are not twenty-six variations, but twenty-eight. If you tamper with them, it will lead to various other variations. However, there are other solutions for these changes within the array.”

    “If the array only shows twenty-six variations, it means seven nodes of the array have problems. If it’s not due to the insufficient skill of the array’s master, then it’s because the master has a double heart.”

    “This is impossible in reality.”

    “How could seven deliberately hidden nodes possibly exist?”

    “It’s illogical.”

    “Let me explain the solution.”

    “Of course, this goes beyond the scope of the Huangji Scripture.”

    The old man asked with a smile, “Guanyi, would you be willing to spend some more time listening to this old man ramble?”

    Li Guanyi recalled how the old man had sent him to the Vermilion Bird Gate with the scroll, leading to his encounter with Yu Wen Lie, his White Tiger leap, and the emperor allowing him to attend the palace banquet. He suspected something.

    So he straightened his clothes, composed himself, and bowed deeply, “Please accept me as your student, Master.”

    Zu Wenyuan was stunned.

    The old man smiled wryly, reached out, pulled up the youth who had taken the opportunity to take advantage of the situation, and gently patted his head, saying with a mix of amusement and helplessness, “You, you’re more sly than anyone!”

    “Look, even this old man can’t calculate that, can he?”

    “This shows that mathematical calculation can’t do everything.”

    “Study your Qi-observing techniques diligently. Do you really want to be a Taoist priest?”

    The old man taught Li Guanyi the array that day.

    However, these array variations did not exhaust the changes in the Four Images Sealing Spirit Array. And this was merely an array created by Si Wei in his thirties. This madman, who claimed to build a sky-reaching array to cover the entire land, was indeed an unparalleled talent.

    Li Guanyi felt like he’d just solved several hours’ worth of high-level math problems.

    His mind was a little numb, and he rubbed his temples.

    Old Master Zu seemed to understand his condition and stopped his explanation, saying gently, “Go now. If you continue, you won’t remember anything. The way of literature and martial arts involves both tension and relaxation; numerology is the same.”

    Li Guanyi had to get up and leave. The old man looked at the array diagrams, nodding approvingly.

    As he left the room, he saw the youth off. Li Guanyi waved goodbye before riding away. The old man smiled and waved farewell. A young Taoist priest curiously asked, “Master Zu, this young lay disciple comes every day. Does he wish to become your disciple?”

    “Why don’t you accept him?”

    “Is he unsuitable for our Taoist sect?”

    The old Taoist smiled and shook his head, remembering the youth who rode past him when he entered Guanyi City, and what he later deduced. The old man looked at the sky.

    At the Taoist sect, humanity, the mundane world, the world.

    He watched as the youth rode his horse, with his sword at his side, walking out of the Taoist sect and into the world, the sound of the horse’s hooves on the cobblestones, crisp and clear, accompanied by the sounds of the mortal world on either side.

    Zu Wenyuan’s gaze was gentle.

    He did not calculate, merely waving his sleeves and saying softly, “It cannot be spoken, it cannot be described.”

    “If spoken, it loses its power.”

    The young Taoist’s curiosity turned into regret, and the old man laughed, turning back into the room.

    In a chaotic world, heroes abound.

    There are many such people.

    Not just me.

    Li Guanyi slowly rode back, carefully pondering the variations of the array along the way. Upon returning, he found a carriage at the gate. Li Guanyi was curious. A steward was waiting for him, leading him inside. Li Guanyi saw powerful martial artists outside.

    They had a peculiar scent, that of Turkic people, who lived with cattle and sheep, carrying the smell of them, their heavy swords designed for cleaving. These Turkic warriors looked at Li Guanyi, a youth with a heavy sword, bearing a noble and determined aura.

    These brave Turkic people bowed their heads, their hands striking their chests in respect.

    “We have seen you confront Yu Wen Lie of Ying Country. You are a courageous young hero.”

    “The Seventh Khan is here to visit, please!”

    They spoke in less than perfect Mandarin. Li Guanyi entered and saw the powerful Seventh Khan, his gaze then falling upon a youth in green robes, handsome and around twenty-seven or eight years old, sitting beside the Khan. The youth also noticed Li Guanyi.

    He stood up, smiling as he approached, “Brother Li, we met while traveling years ago. How are you?”

    Li Guanyi froze. The handsome young man had approached, grasping Li Guanyi’s hands and shaking them vigorously, his smile warm. In a low voice, only they could hear, he said, “Your false identity needs more support.”

    “Or it will be exposed, won’t it? Fugitive?”

    Li Guanyi’s pupils constricted.

    The young man’s words and demeanor were like a venomous snake, striking at the heart of the matter. The youth raised his eyebrows and replied in a low voice, only they could hear, “What are you talking about? I don’t know what you mean.”

    Po Jun smiled with satisfaction.

    A strong-willed young man.

    The Seventh Khan curiously asked, “So you two know each other?”

    Po Jun laughed loudly, “Yes, we met when he was traveling, years ago. Remember? I told you about my friend from the Central Plains, skilled in both literature and martial arts. It’s him! We even grilled meat together back then. His cooking was excellent. I asked him why someone of his background was traveling.

    “He told me, ‘A true gentleman’s ambition lies beyond a thousand miles!'”

    “I never expected to see my old friend again, and I was so excited to ask you who he was that I forgot!”

    The Seventh Khan suddenly understood, “That’s why you were so eager to go forward.”

    “So that’s how it is.”

    “Hahaha, Your Highness, please chat with Old Master Xue. I haven’t seen him in ages, and we need to catch up.” The Seventh Khan, seeing that it was a fourteen-year-old boy and not the Central Plains hero or lord he feared, would not allow Po Jun to leave. He readily agreed, “Go ahead, Sir.”

    Po Jun gestured for Li Guanyi to come with him, smiling. Li Guanyi raised his eyebrows and looked at Old Master Xue.

    The elder nodded, assuring Li Guanyi it was safe to go with Po Jun.

    Po Jun had come to test him; after chatting with Li Guanyi for a while, he knew the youth was wary.

    Po Jun didn’t mind, merely smiling, “When meeting for the first time, there are usually gifts.”

    “Come, please!”

    He led Li Guanyi to a carriage parked in the Xue family’s courtyard and gestured for him to look at what it was carrying. Li Guanyi casually lifted the cowhide blanket; his pupils suddenly constricted—

    Inside was a halberd!

    A dark halberd with a faint golden glow, in the air, it roared like a tiger.

    A divine weapon—the Meng Hu Xiao Tian Halberd!

    The youth smiled softly, “My name is Po Jun.”

    (Chapter end)

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