Edict of Peace 112
Chapter 112: Yaoguang Knows Po Jun; Rich Harvest, Promotion and Rewards
The old man’s gaze sharpened instantly, falling on Li Guanyi’s face. The young man’s expression remained unchanged.
Old Xue shook his head, reached out, and flicked Li Guanyi’s forehead with a finger. He said with displeasure, “If someone else said these things, this old man would have already used the Shattered Jade Fist on them. You young’un, a young bull isn’t afraid of tigers.” (A proverb meaning a young person is fearless and reckless.)
Li Guanyi smiled and said, “I trust Old Xue.”
The old man sighed helplessly, saying, “You suddenly brought this up, so you must have made some progress. Tell me about it.”
Li Guanyi said, “The Emperor has an illegitimate son.”
This sentence made the old man’s eyes sharpen instantly, but he continued to drink his tea. Li Guanyi continued, “Old Xue doesn’t seem surprised.”
The old man replied, “If you live to my age, and you’re not a martial artist secluded in the mountains, you’ve naturally seen many storms. The current Emperor loves to weigh things carefully, but throughout history, those who weigh everything carefully either ascend the throne smoothly and then settle accounts, or are backstabbed.”
“Like a clenched fist, it inevitably needs to strike out.”
“The key to weighing things is that it’s hard to weigh them. I previously thought that it was due to his usual caution, and that his ascension to the throne was also a result of weighing various factions, which cultivated such a temperament; but I also suspected whether this was truly the case, or if he had some trump card hidden.”
“Now that you mention this illegitimate son, everything makes sense.”
Li Guanyi recounted the events surrounding Hou Zhongyu, but concealed the Qilin (Chinese Unicorn) and his true origins. The old man said, “So that’s it. On the surface, he’s inciting conflict between civil and military officials and the relatives of the emperor, but he is actually using his own offspring as a gamble, aiming to reap the benefits as the fisherman.”
“It seems, it’s still the same path he took to the throne back then.”
“Experiences shape character; this is indeed true.”
The old man looked at Li Guanyi and said, “It seems that Yue Qianfeng left you the Crimson Dragon Force so you can perceive its flow and changes, allowing you to progress more smoothly on the second level. Don’t waste his efforts.”
“As for the rest…”
A sharp glint flashed in the old man’s eyes. He said, “That’s the battlefield for us old fellows. Guanyi, rest here peacefully, I’ll take care of the rest.” The old man patted Li Guanyi on the shoulder, then placed the pills in his embrace on Li Guanyi’s table. They chatted for another incense stick’s worth of time. (An incense stick burning time is approximately 30 minutes.)
Xue Daoyong left with a face full of anger and sorrow.
The young man watched as the old man’s calm and solemn demeanor at the door transformed into the appearance of someone whose child had been hurt, whose future had been ruined, seemingly aging ten years in an instant.
The old man stumbled out, his temples’ white hair blown by the wind.
His right hand clenched slightly, hidden in his sleeve, and he didn’t respond even when others called him.
He only came back to his senses after tripping over a stone by the roadside.
His responses to others were delayed.
A very subtle sadness, yet real.
Li Guanyi was speechless, staring dumbfounded.
No way.
These old fellows, who had been galloping across the land for so many years, with unparalleled martial arts prowess.
How could they all be such great actors?
He watched the old man leave, then got out of bed, walked to the window, opened it, looked at the corner of the wall, and said with a smile, “Old Xue’s gone, come out.”
A girl quietly poked her head out.
Her face was expressionless, and she quickly scanned her surroundings.
Then she jumped onto an inverted large water jar that Li Guanyi had specifically placed there, quickly descended, patted the dust off her hands, entered Li Guanyi’s room, sat quietly, feeling relieved, and sipped tea, blowing on it gently.
Li Guanyi said, “I didn’t expect you to be so afraid of Old Xue.”
Yaoguang replied, “He is very powerful.”
“If I get close, my curses won’t be able to affect a martial artist of his level. According to the records, martial artists who have cultivated to this realm have an intuition like that of a god, their spirit bright, reflecting their dantian (energy center).”
“The methods of the Three Sects Outside the World are greatly weakened.”
“Their life force is like a flame; those who get close will be burned, most assassination attempts will be rendered ineffective, and their intuition at critical moments will not be weaker than Yin-Yang masters’ divinations at the same level.”
“Martial artists at that time were almost saints in the flesh.”
“Terrestrial Dragons and Elephants, Earthly Buddhas.”
Li Guanyi said, “Is Old Xue at that level?”
Yaoguang thought for a moment and shook her head, “I don’t know.”
She sat beside Li Guanyi, looked at the young man, and said, “You are injured.”
Li Guanyi smiled and said, “It’s just a minor injury.”
Yaoguang extended her hands, enveloping Li Guanyi’s palms. She brought his palms closer to her, so Li Guanyi could feel her breath. Yaoguang closed her eyes, as if praying, faint starlight scattered, and Li Guanyi felt a wave of clarity in his body.
The lingering, hidden injuries deep within his body began to heal.
After a full incense stick’s worth of time, Yaoguang opened her eyes.
She released his hands, her voice calm, “I have realigned your meridians. You should feel better.”
Li Guanyi looked at the girl in front of him, hesitated, sat up straight, and said:
“Po Jun and I have made an agreement.”
Yaoguang quietly looked at him, her voice serene, “And then?”
Li Guanyi said, “Your rules…”
Yaoguang thought for a moment and replied, “I said I chose you; what constrains us and Po Jun’s faction is not the agreement from eight hundred years ago, but our differing ideals. We desire a peaceful world, while Po Jun wants to burn the world with flames.”
“I have a destined agreement with you. As long as you continue on the path of saving the world, I will not leave you. But if you really become a tyrant who oppresses this world…”
Yaoguang stood up.
She walked to the opposite side of Li Guanyi and then knelt down.
Her simple clothes and cloak fell quietly, her gaze calmly fixed on the young man in front of her. Her voice was still serene, “If you truly change, becoming a king who, for your own power and tyranny, massacres cities…”
“Slaughters the innocent…”
“And indulges your desires…”
“If one day, crows circle behind your cloak, and under your horse’s hooves lie the bones of the people, and behind your banner is endless blood and fire, then I will personally end your life.”
“Because the White Tiger Grand Sect I know would not do such things. The day you raise your blade against the people will be a symbol, a symbol that the person I follow has been consumed by desire and slaughter.”
The girl reached out and took Li Guanyi’s hand. She softly said:
“The you who made an agreement with me as a youth is dead, the remaining king is merely a shell submitting to the chaos of the world, where bones and people’s cries are everywhere; that is not you, I will kill him, and then bring your remains back to where we first met, and ignite a flame under the starlight of the White Tiger Seven Mansions (asterism).”
“I will turn to ashes with you in the flames, and then continue to search for you.”
“So, if that day truly comes, please stop in the sky and wait for me; I will find you. The consumed ashes will fly to the lands you once walked across with the wind, and above the sky, the Seven Mansions of the White Tiger will still be bright.”
Li Guanyi looked at Yaoguang before him, and he saw her gaze.
The girl’s voice was serene, still like a stream, without a ripple, “I’ve already told you my decision then. If you truly fall, and become a tyrant in the chaos, please don’t remember our past friendship; you must kill me.”
Li Guanyi laughed.
He suddenly became bold, leaned back, and rested his head on the girl’s lap.
The girl didn’t move away.
He tilted his head to look at Yaoguang and said, “Is this an astrologer revealing a heavenly secret?”
“Are you saying that even when I die, you will be behind me, and you won’t leave?”
This time, Yaoguang didn’t answer, but simply reached out to rub Li Guanyi’s temples. Then, remembering the records, following the warning of Yaoguang from eight hundred years ago, she pushed him off her lap.
The young man’s head hit the ground, but he laughed.
He lay there with his arms outstretched, laughing loudly.
Looking at Yaoguang’s calm eyes, thinking of the Regent King’s matter, he confidently said:
“I won’t change!”
The youthful vigor of his youth was still there. He stretched out his hand, his fingers clasped together, and said, “And even if one day I become like that, I will absolutely never hurt you. If one day, Li Guanyi kills everyone in the world, he won’t kill you.”
“So…”
Yaoguang answered, “Under that condition, I will never leave you either.”
She paused, and calmly said:
“You can rest assured.”
She understood that the young man’s reason for mentioning Po Jun was simply because he was worried that the girl would leave him. He rolled over and sat up, scratching his head and laughing, his heroic spirit gone.
The turbulent events in the court were far removed from Li Guanyi.
He simply enjoyed his rare leave, quietly recuperating his body. His physique further improved, and after breaking through to the second level, he hadn’t yet chosen a cultivation technique. Yue Qianfeng’s Crimson Dragon Force and Law Physique perfected Li Guanyi’s Qingtong Ding Cultivation Technique.
But Li Guanyi didn’t immediately activate the Bronze Tripod to master the Crimson Dragon Force.
He still needed the Crimson Dragon Force to deal with the inevitable tests.
This temporarily trapped him.
Unless there was a reasonable way for him to remove the Crimson Dragon Force, he couldn’t think about practicing martial arts or fighting in the short term. Li Guanyi closed his eyes, contemplating, looking at the scenery outside. But the next day, someone disturbed his peace.
It was Ye Buyi.
The son of the deputy commander of the Night Ride Cavalry was dressed in civilian clothes, with a golden crown binding his hair, his demeanor noble. Upon seeing Li Guanyi, he pursed his lips. He knew that this young man, who could single-handedly defeat nine of them, had the Crimson Dragon Force of Yue Qianfeng forced into his body.
His martial arts future was essentially ruined.
He would remain at this level for the rest of his life.
And the reason for this situation was to save him.
Ye Buyi felt even more guilty. He bowed deeply and said, “Ye Buyi, thank you for saving my life, Brother Li!”
Li Guanyi grinned and said, “There’s no need for such formality.”
The young man maintained a calm expression, his tone light:
“It was simply my duty. You don’t need to feel guilty.”
“If it were me who was captured, wouldn’t you have saved me?”
Li Guanyi’s words were like a second sword piercing Ye Buyi’s heart.
Ye Buyi’s face was filled with guilt and complexity. He murmured:
“Duty…”
Ye Buyi remained silent. He reached into his bosom, took out a box, handed it to Li Guanyi, and said earnestly, “This is an eight-hundred-year-old Dragon Blood Ginseng. Take it, it should help your injuries. Even if you can’t cultivate higher internal energy, you can still become a top-tier expert by refining your physique.”
“You saved my life.”
“What is mine is half yours until your body refinement is complete. Ye Buyi is willing to collect any pills you need for you.”
Eight-hundred-year-old Dragon Blood Ginseng?!
Li Guanyi’s eye twitched, swallowing the words of refusal he was about to utter.
He had been an apothecary and understood medicine. This Dragon Blood Ginseng, legend says, is formed when a beast with dragon blood dies on a thousand-year-old ginseng, the ginseng absorbing the dragon blood and transforming into a Dragon Blood Ginseng. Then, after eight hundred years, such a treasure is formed.
It strengthens qi and blood, strengthens bones and muscles; ordinary people can have a great increase in strength after eating it.
Martial artists can refine their physiques even further.
Seeing Li Guanyi accept it, Ye Buyi’s troubled heart finally felt better.
He left after a while. Before Li Guanyi could settle down, someone else came, the one who first challenged him and loved his bench, Zhou Liuyin. He said, “Good buddy, no need to say anything, in our Imperial Guard, you are the…”
He made a gesture of great admiration.
Then he started pulling things out of his robes, one by one, placing them on the table. “This is a thousand-year-old mountain spirit fungus. This, this is the medicinal wine my old man hid. I exchanged it for his old fiery liquor. He’s too stingy to drink this, so he won’t find out, drink it quickly.”
“Once you drink it, there’s no evidence. At worst, my brothers will hang me from a tree and whip me with his gold-inlaid belt. I’m my dad’s only son, he can’t beat me to death.”
“And this, this is amazing, this is a Heart-Protecting Pill…”
Li Guanyi didn’t know how many things this guy had crammed into his robes.
It was overflowing.
Zhou Liuyin, who had previously clashed with Li Guanyi, now acted like they were sworn brothers, offering the ultimate promise of a playboy, “Recuperate well. Forget about that Crimson Dragon Force, I don’t believe so many medicines can’t withstand a single force!”
“Once you’re better, my brothers will take you to the best brothels in the capital to celebrate!”
“My treat, I’ll get the top courtesan to drink with you!”
Ye Buyi reached out from the doorway.
He grabbed Zhou Liuyin by the collar and dragged the playboy away.
After Zhou Liuyin left, the young men of the Imperial Guard came one by one, none empty-handed. In a short while, Li Guanyi’s room was filled with precious pills and medicinal herbs, almost like a treasure trove, overflowing.
Each of the empire’s top martial arts scions was extremely enthusiastic.
They were still young men, not the kind involved in mercenary relationships.
They had fought together and suffered punishment together.
Although one was upstairs, and the other rode to the Daoist temple, they had also drunk together.
They had shared life-threatening experiences, they hadn’t been washed away by the currents of the world, their friendship was genuine. They considered Li Guanyi as one of their own brothers, and implicitly saw him as the core member of this group of martial arts scions.
Li Guanyi looked at all these things, feeling somewhat dazed.
………………
Let’s not mention some of the martial arts scions who were almost beaten by their fathers until they could barely get out of bed, like Li Guanyi.
These two days, the imperial city was filled with anxiety, and the curfew was particularly strict. Grand Minister, Dantai Xianming, stayed overnight in the palace to deal with government affairs yesterday, and only returned now. He changed into his official robes and returned to his study, slightly startled to find an old man sitting there.
Dantai Xianming looked at Xue Daoyong, lowered his head, without any movement, continued walking over.
He sat down on the chair next to Xue Daoyong and said, “Brother Xue.”
The assassins in Guanying City were dispatched by him to attack Xue Daoyong, but he remained calm, and served a plate of peanuts and two cups of wine. Xue Daoyong only said one sentence, “The Emperor has an illegitimate son.”
Xue Daoyong looked at his former friend and brother.
He did not drink the wine offered.
After saying this, he left.
Dantai Xianming, without the flattering smile he had in the palace, sat in his chair, curled up, drinking alone. After finishing his wine, he looked into the distance, took out a memorial, which described how the matter was handled.
There was an insignificant line of writing—
[The Imperial Guard of Qilin Palace failed to report, relying on their individual bravery, greedily seeking merit, acting rashly, causing the opportunity to be missed, falling into a trap, Yue Qianfeng forced them to escape, and did not stop Hou Zhongyu. They should be dismissed from office, and investigated to see if they were connected with Hou Zhongyu.]
Dantai Xianming raised Xue Daoyong’s wine cup with his right hand and drank, while with his left hand, he picked up his pen and rewrote:
[The Imperial Guard of Qilin Palace stood alone, single-handedly preventing Yue Qianfeng from joining forces with Hou Zhongyu. Hou Zhongyu, deprived of aid, died because of the Qilin fire. The Qilin did not escape; The Imperial Guard bravely fought against Yue Qianfeng, rendering great service, and should be exceptionally rewarded to reassure the people.]
He finished two cups of wine and threw down his pen.
The same matter was instantly reversed.
The writer’s pen, the warrior’s blade!
That afternoon, people from the palace arrived at the Xue family’s residence.
“Junior Officer Li, the imperial decree has arrived!”
“A handwritten decree from His Majesty!”
“You have been promoted!”
(End of Chapter)
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