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    Edict of Peace 101

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    Chapter 101: Po Jun Raises Troops, Yao Guang Appears in the Sky

    Po Jun?!

    Li Guanyi recalled a record Xue Lao had mentioned before. Each generation of the White Tiger Grand Master would encounter Yao Guang and Po Jun, both disciples of the Eastern Continent’s celestial observation school, but belonging to different factions.

    Li Guanyi remained calm, his gaze fixed on the Meng Hu Xiao Tian War Halberd resting behind the carriage.

    Po Jun gently stroked the halberd, saying, “This is a treasure, a divine weapon. Five hundred years ago, General Xue used this halberd to sweep away the united forces of the steppe, piercing the Khitan’s sacred mountain with an arrow. Upon his departure, he left this halberd within that sacred mountain.”

    “This is the weapon of a hegemon—heavy, powerful.”

    “I spent three years confirming the halberd’s location, then journeyed alone from the Central Plains, crossing countless mountains and rivers, reaching the Khitan’s sacred mountain. I offered them strategies, gained their trust, and finally brought this halberd back.”

    “You can try it.”

    Beside Li Guanyi, his primordial spirit’s energy gathered, transforming into a White Tiger.

    The White Tiger Law Physique bowed slightly, touching the ancient divine weapon. A low tiger roar, seemingly carrying both remembrance and curiosity, filled the air. Li Guanyi reached out, his fingers lightly sweeping across the halberd’s handle. Faint starlight shimmered on the inky black blade.

    Li Guanyi grasped the halberd and exerted force.

    The incredibly heavy divine weapon was lifted.

    Po Jun’s expression turned serious.

    The Meng Hu Xiao Tian War Halberd was a divine weapon. Divine weapons didn’t merely possess mystical properties; they had something ordinary treasures and magical weapons couldn’t match – a fundamental yet crucial aspect:

    Growth!

    Like Li Guanyi, General Xue, and the hegemon of eight hundred years ago.

    Their martial arts realms, styles, and physical attributes were vastly different. Even with the same “Golden Muscles, Jade Bones, Dragon Tendons, Tiger Marrow.”

    Li Guanyi’s Golden Muscles, Jade Bones at the first level of his cultivation, and the hegemon’s legendary Golden Muscles, Jade Bones, possessed vastly different power and expressive capabilities. However, once they wielded this divine weapon, it would adjust its weight and posture to perfectly match their current state.

    It would always perfectly fit the user’s physique and strength.

    It would be incredibly durable, almost invulnerable to damage.

    And, it would possess a self-repairing ability like a living organism.

    These three points were the most fundamental characteristics of a divine weapon. They seemed simple, yet were incredibly demanding. They were far more difficult to achieve than many tearing sword energies or entangled thunder techniques. Li Guanyi felt the divine essence within the Meng Hu Xiao Tian War Halberd, sensing the lingering aura of General Xue, and another, even more domineering aura.

    The divine weapon’s aura made contact with Li Guanyi, then retreated, revealing no more.

    Li Guanyi had already obtained “Rolling Waves”.

    At the first level of his cultivation, the divine weapon hadn’t revealed any more inherited techniques. However, the halberd alone was an extraordinary existence. As Li Guanyi lifted the halberd, he felt a connection unlike any weapon he’d ever wielded; it was as if it was an extension of his arm.

    Its length, center of gravity—everything perfectly matched Li Guanyi’s style. With a few simple swings, he felt an unparalleled ease of use, hardly noticing any resistance as if the air and wind before the weapon were being sliced apart.

    A divine weapon!

    Li Guanyi rested the halberd on the ground; the bluestone bricks shattered silently.

    Po Jun smiled faintly, “It seems you quite like this divine weapon. Excellent.”

    He reached out, also placing his hand on the halberd. His narrow eyes held a smile as he looked at Li Guanyi: “I have already met General Yu Wen Lie of Ying Country and know he possesses the White Tiger’s Mandate and Law Physique.”

    “Therefore, my little brother Li Guanyi,”

    “Give me a reason.”

    “To let me entrust this halberd to you.”

    The true intent is revealed.

    He is a proud talent, respectful of the Mandate of Heaven but not blindly obedient. His strategies are always the same: initially, he lays out his chips, swaying hearts, before delivering his decisive blow. He seeks only one reason—to see the character of the person before him.

    This is the test.

    Li Guanyi understood Po Jun’s intentions. He looked at the handsome young man, seeing the fire in his eyes. The young man gripped the halberd, causing it to tremble. He raised the halberd, pointing it at Po Jun, who remained calm. If Li Guanyi claimed the halberd for the Xue family, he would have to prepare for a rift with the Turkic.

    Po Jun would turn and leave immediately, taking the halberd to Yu Wen Lie.

    He sought the world’s heroes; using power to intimidate was a tactic, but only a weakling who only understood such tactics was unqualified to be the White Tiger Grand Master. Even with a celestial destiny, he wouldn’t be the one Po Jun sought.

    He sought a hero who dominated the realm and possessed the White Tiger’s destiny.

    If astronomical divination yielded results different from his intentions, he would burn the texts, reducing the words to white ash in the flames, and rewrite the desired answer on white paper with charcoal. As a child, this is how he was chosen by his teacher to join the celestial observation school and the Po Jun lineage.

    “Divine powers are inferior to karma,”

    His teacher had said, “But can people truly obey fate?”

    “If everything in the world were predetermined, our celestial observation lineage would not exist. With your nature, you should join Po Jun.”

    Therefore, he awaited Li Guanyi’s answer.

    Li Guanyi asked, “Do you intend to seek out Yu Wen Lie?”

    Po Jun smiled slightly, “General Yu Wen is a powerful figure, a Divine General amongst Divine Generals.”

    “Between a strong person and a weak person, everyone knows who to choose, right?”

    The young man suddenly laughed. He moved his wrist slightly, swinging the war halberd. The sharp blade tore through the air, its sound like a tiger’s roar. As the black divine weapon swung, it was as if a tiger was beside him, its paw poised to strike. The handsome young man displayed a chillingly domineering air.

    With the weapon poised to sever his throat, Po Jun still smiled gently.

    Finally, Li Guanyi’s weapon rested on the ground. He looked up at Po Jun and said:

    “Then I have a question for you.”

    “Given your personality, would you rather assist an already renowned Divine General, becoming a mere adornment, or assist a ‘weakling,’ accomplishing a great feat and leaving your name in history?”

    Po Jun’s expression hardened.

    The young man smiled slightly, “You are arrogant, Po Jun.”

    “How could someone like you willingly submit to a renowned Divine General?”

    “You yearn for fame, for showcasing your talents, not for being a subordinate under a Divine General. Only a ‘weak’ power can better demonstrate the ambition of a strategist. Only the most difficult beginning can ignite the fire within you, isn’t that right?”

    The smile on Po Jun’s face gradually disappeared. His gentle expression faltered as he looked at the young man who had seen through his heart. Li Guanyi, holding the halberd, exerted force. The tiger’s roar intensified, wind whipped up, and the young man’s hair fluttered.

    Then came a violent roar.

    The halberd was thrust into the ground, shattering the bluestone slabs and creating a deep hole. The inky black handle stood between Li Guanyi and Po Jun.

    “Sir, you may take the halberd.”

    He retracted his hand.

    Po Jun was taken aback.

    For the first time, he was caught off guard.

    Li Guanyi replied, “My elders taught me that divine weapons are only tools. It is people who truly establish achievements. The divine weapon owes its fame to its original owner, not the other way around.”

    “If you intend to coerce me with a divine weapon, you’ve miscalculated.”

    Po Jun smiled and asked, “Do you not desire this weapon?”

    General Xue’s legacy included a secret realm and the Po Yun Zhen Tian Bow. Li Guanyi cared, but he wouldn’t let himself be controlled. He gave his answer frankly and decisively: “I want it, but not now, not this way. We’ve been out for a long time; it’s time to go back.”

    Po Jun watched as the young man turned and walked away.

    Li Guanyi, his back to the young strategist, waved his hand and said:

    “I’ll wait until you’ve decided.”

    “Then personally deliver this halberd back to me.”

    Po Jun watched the youth leave, not answering his question, simply departing. The strategist, accustomed to freedom since birth, looked at the halberd, silent. After a long time, a faint smile appeared, growing wider.

    Finally, Po Jun burst into laughter.

    A hearty, unrestrained laugh!

    His eyes and brows held the sharp air of a drawn sword.

    This was their first true meeting.

    Po Jun, laughing, steadied himself by leaning on the halberd. He murmured Li Guanyi’s question:

    “To assist a strong person and become a negligible appendage.”

    “Or to start from nothing and become a renowned strategist throughout history? Such a question…”

    For young, ambitious heroes, it wasn’t a problem at all.

    At their meeting, the youth, with a single counter-question, ignited the flame in Po Jun’s heart, helping him make his choice. The yet-unfamous strategist touched the divine weapon, thinking of the youth’s departing back. His eyes burned with fire. He closed his eyes and softly said:

    “The bearing of a hero and hegemon…”

    “Is this what you call the personal charm of a hero?”

    “Five hundred years ago, and eight hundred years ago, when the previous Po Jun met the White Tiger Grand Master, did they feel this way? Haha, they must have felt the same!”

    When the seven Khitan kings emerged and saw the halberd still there, seemingly cherished by Po Jun, who seemed very pleased, a hint of a smile playing on his lips, they felt relieved. Since leaving the steppe, this strategist had kept the weapon in his carriage.

    The seven kings weren’t foolish. As brave Khitan kings, they had seen many plots and killings.

    They guessed that once the strategist found a suitable recipient for the halberd, it would be time for him to leave. His hand, previously holding the weapon tightly, now relaxed. He smiled and said, “You had a pleasant chat with your old friend?”

    Po Jun saw the subtle movement and sharp awareness of the seven kings.

    And their yearning for the halberd.

    Normally, Po Jun would have simply thought the seven kings were perceptive. Now, compared to the youth’s frankness, they seemed petty, lacking the bearing of a hegemon. Po Jun smiled faintly, “Pleasant chat? Very pleasant.”

    “How was your conversation with Xue Lao, Your Majesty?”

    The seven kings laughed loudly, “Excellent! If I successfully marry the Central Plains princess, I will visit him, trade grain and furs, manage my own tent, and even marry into their family, and take one of their daughters!”

    “Unfortunately, they have a granddaughter, but she’s too young. She’s about the same age as my eldest daughter.”

    “I prefer older, more voluptuous women!”

    Po Jun laughed lightly, “After all, you prefer your current mother-in-law.”

    This mother-in-law was the reason Po Jun survived the seven kings initially. But now, the seven kings laughed again. He mounted his horse, raised his eyebrows and said, “No, sir, I no longer desire that mother-in-law.”

    “I believe the only beauty that can make me willingly give everything is my homeland, the steppe, the greatest beauty of all. I will dedicate everything to her!”

    “What I desire is the vast pasture of the Western Regions, my own tent, a clear blue sky, snow-white clouds, the heroes of the steppe bowing to me. Our horsehead fiddles will resonate throughout the world, people will speak of my name, alongside Tu-Gu Hun and the greatest emperor of the Central Plains, the Red Emperor.”

    “And you will all be a part of the epic legend!”

    In the eyes of the Khitan warriors behind him, fire burned.

    They bowed their heads.

    Then the seven kings reined their horses and led their iron cavalry away. Po Jun looked at the seven kings, who had acquired a more profound and truly heroic demeanor, and thought to himself, “…Has he transformed?”

    “Was it because of meeting this hero, or because of the luxury of the Chen Emperor? Or both?”

    “This chaotic world is truly fascinating.”

    He had seen the powerful and arrogant Divine General Yu Wen Lie, the noble yet calculating Chen Emperor, the transformed Khitan hero, the free-spirited young Khan Tie Le, and the hidden White Tiger Grand Master of the Xue family in Jiangnan.

    Sitting in the carriage, he seemed to remember something and knocked on the carriage wall.

    He said casually,

    “I have made an appointment with Li Guanyi.”

    “No, he summoned me.”

    “I will need to meet him again. Your Majesty, will you join me?”

    The seven kings’ vigilance was greatly reduced, and he said cheerfully, “Sir, please feel free. If I have the time, I will come. However, the Great Festival is only ten days away. I have many places to go, and may not be able to accompany you every time. Please don’t mind!”

    Po Jun nodded with a smile.

    Old fogies, this time, I found him.

    Before Yao Guang’s faction.

    Furthermore, we get along very well, no, extremely well!

    Though not a meeting of sovereign and minister in perfect harmony.

    But,

    I see his brilliance, he knows my ambition.

    Excellent!

    ……………

    The following two days were peaceful for the Xue family. Li Guanyi spent his time between the Xue family residence and the Daoist temple, studying the Four Images Sealing Spirit Array and the Huangji Scripture, suffering from terrible headaches. Time passed quickly, and tomorrow was the day the Imperial Guards reported for duty.

    It was late at night.

    Li Guanyi, with dark circles under his eyes, sat beside a cup of strong tea, poring over texts and the Huangji Scripture. The youth praised by Po Jun was using the intensity he’d once had during his college entrance exam preparation, frantically catching up.

    He had mastered sixteen variations of the array diagrams—a rate that even Zu Wenyuan found astonishing.

    But it wasn’t enough!

    He had to do his utmost, while avoiding trouble for the Xue family and his aunt, to get in contact with the Qilin.

    Therefore, mastering the array diagrams was essential!

    Sixteen array diagrams.

    A cup of tea, a lamp.

    One night.

    Hoping for a miracle.

    As for his body?

    Golden Muscles, Jade Bones, Dragon Tendons, Tiger Marrow—Li Guanyi believed that pulling an all-nighter was not a problem.

    The young man took a sip of strong tea. For the sake of his goal, he continued his study of array diagrams into the fourth hour of the night. Suddenly, Li Guanyi heard footsteps. He froze, holding a scroll, and walked out, looking up.

    He saw a girl standing in the shadows.

    In the moonlight, dressed in plain clothes, wearing a hood, her silver hair slightly lifted by the wind.

    It seemed as if she would vanish with the wind and moonlight at any moment.

    Li Guanyi said, “Yao Guang?”

    She bent down, patting the dust from her knees.

    Standing straight.

    Then she reached out, removing her hood. Her silver hair fluttered in the wind, her expression calm. Her voice, as tranquil as flowing water, quietly said: “The stars brought me news of you. Starlight tells me you encountered some difficulty.”

    “You need me.”

    “So I came.”

    (End of Chapter)

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