Edict of Peace 140

Chapter 140: Destiny is False, My Life I Decide!

“Taiping Army…”

Li Guanyi’s expression faltered slightly upon seeing these three words. He continued reading, the document stating: “The Taiping Army under the command of the Taiping Gong, unparalleled under heaven.”

“Currently, the Taiping Army are nothing but rebellious traitors!”

“Xue Tianxing fled to beyond the passes, establishing a city in the lands contested by various warlords. He found a man, claiming him to be the son of the Taiping Gong, and installed him as king. He himself took the title of Grand General, wielding immense power, claiming to avenge the Taiping Gong, and recruiting soldiers and horses.”

“Another man, named Yuan Shitong, a general under the Taiping Gong, was coarse and arrogant.”

“He also supported a young man, calling him ‘the son of the Taiping Gong,’ raising an army in the lands of the border warlords. Using dark gold armor patterns as their banner, they called themselves the Taiping Army, or, more specifically, the ‘Army Supporting the King Taiping,’ also stationed in the borderlands. The two factions clashed, resulting in brutal carnage.”

Li Guanyi reviewed the case files, his gaze lowered in quiet contemplation. He didn’t know the truth behind these records.

The case files contained assessments written by Chen Kingdom officials.

The tone of this historian was incredibly dismissive.

“Just a pack of wolves devouring a tiger,” it read. “Not all military strategists in the world are honorable and upright. While the Taiping Gong was alive, he could suppress these wolfish figures; but after his death, they all took up arms. While they may have genuinely intended to avenge the Taiping Gong, there were undoubtedly ulterior motives, a desire for personal glory.”

“Human nature is so complex.”

“Under the guise of avenging the Taiping Gong, they refused to remain in Chen. Yet, by raising their own banners, taking advantage of the Taiping Gong’s death to divide the land, how could their actions be considered loyal and valiant?”

“Fierce as tigers, yet inferior in strategy.”

“Observing their soldiers, some still possessed loyalty. Both sides considered themselves comrades under the Taiping Gong, fighting for the general who shared his gold with them, yet both believed the other was a usurper who had stolen the Taiping Gong’s name to further their own ambitions.”

“Therefore, their battles were incredibly fierce.”

“The title of the fifth most renowned general in the land is too tempting.”

“The heroes of this world are nothing more than bloodthirsty beasts. When necessary, they would abandon not only the commanders who once led them, but even their own parents.”

But beneath this passage, there was another annotation in vermillion ink.

“Too one-sided,” it countered. “Don’t judge these generals by your own standards.”

“Their loyalty to the Taiping Gong is admirable, but that loyalty is based on their own judgment. While the Twenty-Four Generals were all under his banner, you overlook one point: these renowned generals of the land would never truly submit to other commanders.”

“The Taiping Gong is dead.”

“But neither Yuan Shitong nor Xue Tianxing would accept such an outcome. They still longed to see on the battlefield that figure clad in black armor, wielding divine weapons, riding a Qilin (Chinese Unicorn), wearing a mask, charging at the forefront.”

“They yearned to re-raise that banner in this chaotic world.”

“For this, they were willing to engage in actions others found incomprehensible. In the face of conflicts between court orders and their commanders, in the event of an army mutiny, they needed a banner—the name of the Taiping Gong’s heir.”

“This would give the rank and file soldiers a leader, even if it was a false one.”

“Their infighting stemmed from their own confidence in their judgment while simultaneously doubting the loyalty of the others. The result of a leaderless situation was inevitable dispersion and slaughter. For these beasts of chaos, they would trust their own judgment and follow that path to the very end.”

“Let them fight amongst themselves until they die.”

The file then contained a response:

[Thank you, Your Excellency, for your guidance.]

This was followed by profuse flattery, revealing the author of the vermillion annotations: Dantài Xiànmíng, Xue Daoyong’s friend in his youth, but now an enemy, the leader of the civil official families, and the father of the Empress.

Li Guanyi examined the case files.

Two renowned generals were clashing in the borderlands, both supporting the “son of the Taiping Gong.”

Both leading the “Taiping Army.”

Xue Tianxing, 57th on the Divine General List.

Yuan Shitong, 54th on the Divine General List.

Among the warlords lacking the backing of a major nation, unable to wage large-scale wars, they were undeniably top-tier.

The complexity of the situation and human nature left Li Guanyi speechless. After a long while, he continued reading. Other generals had died in battle; two had fled to Ying Country, now serving in the Ying army; one had gone to the Xiyu Daqi camp; the remaining few were scattered and their whereabouts unknown.

Dead, rebellious, or scattered.

Two generals remained.

Li Guanyi reviewed the case files:

“Gu Daohui, when Zhuge Qingkong and two other generals rebelled, Gu Daohui reported it to the court in advance, led troops to besiege and kill them, personally beheading them and presenting their heads to the emperor. The emperor was pleased, the rebellion was quelled, and Gu Daohui was appointed Grand General of the Jinyuwu Guard, a second-rank military official, and was ennobled as the Marquis of Weiwu.”

“Gong Zhaoqi was appointed Pacification Grand General and ennobled as the Baron of Zhennan.”

Of the Twenty-Four Generals, some had fled, rebelled, died, or raised their own banners; there were also traitors.

In ten years, the winds had shifted, the changes rapid.

Li Guanyi focused, finally understanding the effect of the dark gold armor. The Chen Kingdom’s records naturally described the armor used by their founding emperor. This dark gold armor was strong and resistant to blades.

Of course, if something were to strike the head, the armor might be intact, but the head might not be.

The true effect lay in masking one’s aura.

It allowed generals to maneuver on the battlefield without being easily targeted by spellcasters, making flanking maneuvers easier.

“No wonder Si Qing liked to use this mask, along with the Wulong entwined armor, Chengying Sword, and his martial arts and movements – nearly flawless.”

The sounds of palace personnel could be heard outside. Li Guanyi returned the case files to their place.

He then slightly disarranged some of the military strategy scrolls, creating some creases.

Even if someone entered, they would assume he had been studying these documents.

He removed his armor, changed into civilian clothes, chatted with Ye Buyong and the others for a while, and slowly made his way towards the Xue family home, pondering the matters of destiny and the fates of the Twenty-Four Generals described in the case files. As many as seven or eight renowned generals had left Chen Kingdom, and their whereabouts were unknown.

Their martial arts prowess, even without weapons or armor,

would have made them formidable figures in the martial world, impossible to simply vanish.

To uncover their whereabouts,

Li Guanyi thought of only one place.

The Netherworld Ghost Market.

Li Guanyi suddenly realized that this organization’s existence throughout the land held significance.

But entering the Ghost Market required a token.

Or perhaps he could use Situ Deqing’s mask and the reputation of the tenth-ranked assassin?

Li Guanyi pondered, silently making a note of this, and then silently thanked Situ Deqing.

Well done, you!

The tenth-ranked assassin!

Even in death, still producing results!

Li Guanyi felt a little better. Thinking about the prince’s matter, he started walking. The Jiangnan summer was stifling; moisture hung heavy in the air. It began to rain at some point, a light drizzle falling, creating a serene atmosphere on the bluestone slabs as the young man walked.

Then he bumped into a bald head.

Thump!!!

Li Guanyi’s vision went black, followed by a shower of stars.

Since his body had reached a certain level of cultivation, he hadn’t experienced this before. He steadied himself and saw a monk in gray robes, seemingly in his forties or fifties, with dark skin and wrinkles on his face – the Western Region Living Buddha he had met before.

The third-ranked Grandmaster.

Li Guanyi said, “Senior.”

Then he stepped aside to make way, but as he moved, the Living Buddha also took a step, their feet almost colliding. Li Guanyi tried several different footwork techniques, yet still bumped into the Living Buddha.

He stepped back and said, “Senior, are you looking for me?”

He should have figured it out by now.

The Western Region Living Buddha laughed, “Ah, young practitioner, you have a karmic connection with Buddha.”

“The old monk was indeed looking for you today, only you arrived a little late. I’ve just finished feeding some kittens—perfect timing.” He lifted his sleeve; beneath the wide sleeve were several newborn kittens.

The old monk chuckled, “If I had encountered you earlier, these kittens would have missed their petting, wouldn’t they?”

“Young practitioner, Chen Chengbi, that martial maniac, came to see me. It’s no problem for the old monk to teach you martial arts, but I suddenly had a hunch, a feeling I should come see you. Firstly, for these kittens, and secondly…”

“Also for the kittens.”

He grinned, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Seeing you today, I noticed something different, so the old monk felt he should speak with you.”

“Come with me.”

Li Guanyi considered it, sheathed his sword, and followed the old monk.

The old monk led him to a pavilion, where they both sat. The Western Region Living Buddha looked at the young man and smiled, “Young practitioner, you have an extra strand of purple qi, and quite a bit of green destiny, which has appeared suddenly.”

“When I saw you some time ago, you didn’t have these, only a single strand of destiny.”

“Have you had a recent lucky encounter?”

Li Guanyi calmly replied, “I have had a lucky encounter; this destiny was stolen and has now returned.”

The monk looked at him and smiled gently, “That’s excellent news!”

The old monk stroked the kittens on his lap, smiling gently, “But I see that even though you have obtained destiny, you seem troubled by something. The world views green and purple destiny as signs of exceptional fortune; don’t you think so, practitioner?”

Li Guanyi sat there, expressing his doubts. He spoke frankly,

“I’m not entirely convinced.”

“If green and purple truly signify incomparable nobility, why was my destiny stolen from me?”

“Why did my parents die so young?”

“If purple destiny truly represents the utmost nobility of humanity, why did I beat up the person who possessed it today, getting it back with interest?”

“And why did this destiny return to me?”

Li Guanyi looked at the monk and said,

“If imperial qi were truly so powerful, the Liang Kingdom would not have been conquered by Chen.”

“If possessing imperial qi guaranteed success, the Red Emperor wouldn’t have needed to wield a sword to unify the land. Were all the fortune-tellers and butchers in his army blessed with green and purple destiny?”

“Yet they achieved the ultimate goal, even consulting fortune tellers.”

“Every single one was considered of incomparable nobility.”

“But at the start, their destinies barely allowed them to eat.”

The Western Region Living Buddha said, “It seems the young practitioner doesn’t believe in destiny.”

Li Guanyi sat straight, replying,

“If destiny were truly that useful, no nation in the world would ever fall.”

“If destiny truly determined everything, the rich would always be rich, and poor children, once having attained a fortunate destiny, would be stripped of it and killed. The world would be transformed into such a state. Yet all people believe in destiny. And the circulation of purple qi holds its own marvels.”

“I simply… don’t understand.”

The Western Region Living Buddha pondered, then smiled, “You are indeed quite remarkable, having come this far, only a final step remains.”

“It seems I am here to guide you.”

“Many heroes, many noblemen, are merely ordinary mortals; what is called destiny is simply an innate element. Those born into poverty remain impoverished, and those of noble birth remain wealthy. So, young practitioner,”

“Are children of impoverished people destined for a life of poverty, and children of noble birth destined for a life of wealth?”

The Living Buddha answered himself, “No, because there is also the acquired element.”

“Wealth rarely lasts beyond three generations; the impoverished have the chance to rise to greatness.”

“The suffering of the common people stems from their inability to choose their birth, that is their initial destiny.”

“Yet those of humble origins should not be ashamed. The serfs of Tujuhundi still swept across the ten thousand miles of the Western Region and established an unprecedented empire; emperors and ministers—even Wei Wugong once spent the night in the palace of the Queen Mother, yet the Zhongzhou Emperor was furious but powerless.”

“This is the acquired element.”

“Parents and family provide the first part of heaven’s destiny; destiny thereafter is self-made.”

“Innate destiny is from heaven; acquired destiny, this is the human element.”

“The Taiji says: Heaven’s sins can still be avoided; self-made sins cannot be avoided.”

“It says: Forever match your destiny, and strive for your own blessings.”

“Both refer to the distinction between innate destiny and acquired destiny.”

“In the old monk’s opinion, recovering your initial destiny is meaningless. It determines your starting point in life. With your parents’ power, you would have lived a life of incomparable wealth without any setbacks.”

“But the young practitioner’s ten years are past; the hardships have been endured, character tempered…Those ten years cannot be recovered. The return of this destiny can only be refined into a martial art.”

“A delicious meal from ten years ago is spoiled by now.”

“Many heroes, many noblemen, are mere fools; however, the young practitioner is different.”

Li Guanyi asked, “Fools? Why?”

The old monk laughed, “Most people are dubious about destiny and are therefore bound by Yin and Yang and the Heavenly Numbers; that is what is meant by destiny, that is what is meant by everything having a number. Yet those of extreme goodness, destiny cannot hold them; those of extreme evil, destiny cannot hold them either.”

“Imagine the greatest fortune-teller in the land calculating your fortune.”

“The old monk takes off his shoe, and uses its sole to whack him three times in the face.”

“Beating him until his nose is bruised and bleeding.”

“Could he calculate anything after that?”

“I take a knife, place it on the table, and ask him if I should plunge it into his belly or not. See what this divine fortune-teller can calculate.”

Li Guanyi was speechless.

The old Living Buddha chuckled, “This is the difference between innate destiny and acquired destiny.”

The old monk said, “So many heroes, nobles, fail to see through so-called destiny. Just like the person the young practitioner encountered today—for over a decade, he was confined by the imperial edict of destiny, unable to change a single thing. Wasn’t he like an ordinary person?”

The Western Region Living Buddha, the old man who laughed and cursed with Zu Wenyuan.

With one phrase, he had revealed Chen Yu Yun’s entire life.

Confined, his entire life predetermined by a single imperial decree.

Li Guanyi suddenly realized that this old monk was different. He said:

“Since these are innate destinies, can destiny be escaped?”

The old monk pondered, sitting there as the rain poured down. He used his sleeve to shield the kittens, reaching out to gently scratch their chins. The kittens rubbed against his hand, purring. The third-ranked Grandmaster, this kindly old monk smiled gently,

“Destiny is made by me.”

“Blessings are sought by me.”

These six words, seemingly simple, yet powerfully authoritative.

The Living Buddha said, “Young practitioner, do you know why many nobles believe in my sect?”

“Because I tell them, to seek wealth and obtain wealth; to seek love and obtain love; to seek longevity and obtain longevity.”

Li Guanyi said, “They are probably stuck in the first layer.”

The old monk said, “Yes, but the true teaching tells them this. They simply don’t seek it. Blessings must be sought. To seek something, you obtain something. The old monk was worried the young practitioner was confined to a certain predicament, but now it seems, those worries were in vain.”

The Western Region Living Buddha pondered, putting the kittens in his arms, and said, “Let’s try something.” He gently patted the young man’s shoulder, and Li Guanyi’s green destiny began to swirl. Then he lifted Li Guanyi by the back of his collar.

The old monk lifted the young man, shouting:

“Come out!”

His voice boomed like spring thunder.

He placed Li Guanyi beside him.

Li Guanyi turned his head, watching the green destiny swirl.

In a trance, he understood the old monk’s intention.

To break free from the shackles of his past destiny.

Treat me well and you’re right, treat me poorly, get lost.

Don’t be bound by this so-called destiny.

Li Guanyi suddenly felt that the old monk’s shout was incredible; a sudden sense of liberation washed over him. The turbulent emotions that had filled his heart after recovering his destiny dissipated. The old monk patted his shoulder, saying,

“That day, you severed the ropes with a single strike, but, young practitioner, can you sever the worldly bonds of this world?”

“That day, did you truly sever the ‘ropes’?”

The Living Buddha’s eyes were calm and gentle.

Li Guanyi remained silent for a long time, then bowed, “Thank you, Senior.”

The old monk smiled and shook his head. He stepped forward, rain falling upon him. He raised his finger towards the sky, “Destiny? It is merely the empty words of pedantic scholars. The lives of the common people are ever changing, they change themselves!”

“Even flesh and blood has limits.”

“Yet a life of righteousness, can it not change the heavens?!”

“Look.”

The old man pointed to the sky, and the rain clouds dispersed. Li Guanyi saw the clear moonlight. He had never seen such a clear moon, serene and bright. He stood there, looking back, seeing the old monk walking away, behind him one, two, three kittens lifting their feet.

One step, two steps.

One sway, two sways.

The old monk bent over, his sleeves swaying, and one, two, three small steamed buns fell, his face smiling. The kittens meowed softly; the moon above, the monk below, kittens behind, the road ahead, everything natural, without the slightest discord.

The third Grandmaster of the land.

Li Guanyi looked away, at his destiny, and a self-assured smile spread across his face.

Indeed, this thing could be used to cultivate martial arts.

Even without destiny, I have come this far. Chen Yu Yun had destiny, yet he fell beneath my sword.

The strong have luck, destiny is like that of an emperor; it isn’t predetermined. Those with strong soldiers and horses possess it.

He raised his finger to the moon in the sky.

“To hell with your destiny.”

He laughed, decided to cultivate this into a martial art, and strode away. After his conversation with the old monk, the time grew late, so he strode towards the Xue family home. His clothes were damp from the rain; then he paused slightly.

Rain clouds still hung in the sky, and the rain fell steadily.

A dark road, moonlight scattered like jade, a narrow, cramped alleyway.

The rain dripped, drip, drip.

Beneath the moonlight, a silver-haired girl held an umbrella, standing there, quietly waiting for him.

(End of Chapter)

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