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    Edict of Peace 3

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    Chapter 3: Passing on My Wonderful Method

    The tail of a colossal red dragon, filling the entire temple, coiled around the man’s knees. The closer the dragon’s body got to its tail, the more transparent it became, making the man appear godlike and demonic in Li Guanyi’s eyes.

    This divine, red dragon wasn’t real.

    Only Li Guanyi, leveraging the power of the Bronze Tripod’s imprint, could glimpse it.

    Only a month ago, upon meeting this man, the Bronze Tripod, dormant for ten years on Li Guanyi’s body, began to exhibit unusual properties. The frequently recurring deadly poison was suppressed, and he gained the unique ability to see the dragon with his own eyes.

    Faced with a life-threatening poison and the Bronze Tripod’s unusual ability to suppress it, Li Guanyi naturally seized the opportunity.

    The shimmering light in Li Guanyi’s eyes dissipated, the dragon’s illusory form vanishing. He pretended to only see an ordinary beggar, then knelt on a cushion in the mountain temple, arranging the roast chicken, steamed buns, and wine he had bought. He clasped his hands together, devoutly praying to the deity.

    For a month, he pretended to frequently visit the mountain god, leaving the food and drink he brought behind. The extraordinarily imposing man consumed it all. Every few days, Li Guanyi would visit for just the duration of a stick of incense.

    He maintained a balance, allowing the jade liquid within the Bronze Tripod to gradually accumulate without making the man overly suspicious.

    He acted like a devout youth from the city, never exchanging a single word with the man.

    He planned to slowly build a relationship, becoming naturally familiar, and then obtain the opportunity to further activate the Bronze Tripod through this large man.

    But now, it seemed there wasn’t time.

    As usual, Li Guanyi finished his prayers. Thinking of the cloud patterns that repeatedly appeared in his nightmares and the turning point this month had brought, he made a decision. Remaining seated on the cushion, he suddenly spoke: “Today, mounted police wearing red animal-patterned uniforms followed a young man with cloud patterns on his sleeves to the pharmacy.”

    “They said it was a jailbreak, and the culprit’s needed herbs were stolen.”

    “A notice was left offering a reward of five hundred taels of silver for information leading to the arrest.”

    “I hope this matter resolves quickly and the pharmacy can return to normal.”

    The large man slowly opened his eyes.

    Li Guanyi seemed to hear a low, chilling dragon’s roar, instinctively raising his head.

    Without the Bronze Tripod’s energy infusion, his vision split into two worlds: reality and illusion. One was the dilapidated mountain temple; the other was filled with brilliant red light and swirling clouds. Within the clouds, a colossal dragon’s head pressed against the young man’s forehead, causing his black hair to gently sway.

    The clouds suddenly dispersed, the red dragon’s eyes blazing, only to be shattered by a towering figure.

    The large beggar emerged from the clouds.

    Surrounded by dragons.

    In Li Guanyi’s heart, the progress of the red jade liquid within the Bronze Tripod suddenly accelerated.

    These phenomena were invisible to the naked eye.

    As the jade liquid in the Bronze Tripod rapidly rose, the beggar looked at the young man.

    During this time, he had secretly observed Li Guanyi. Their first meeting showed a weak, gentle youth who brought him food and drink. This could be attributed to kindness, but when Li Guanyi brought him extra wine the day after he’d mentioned being parched, the beggar understood that the boy was either incredibly kind to the point of being foolish…

    …or he was clever, recognizing the beggar’s skill and seeking something.

    Even so, he had not proactively approached or attempted to build a relationship for a whole month.

    Only today did he speak, addressing the mountain god rather than directly revealing his awareness of the beggar’s fugitive status. He acted like a normal youth praying after an encounter with the police, demonstrating shrewdness and patience.

    The beggar was impressed. He laughed heartily, bowed deeply, and said: “For the past month, thank you, little brother, for providing me with food and drink.”

    “And thank you for delivering this message. But it seems we can’t stay here any longer.”

    The beggar sighed, sat down, tore off a chicken leg, and devoured it. He then picked up a jug of wine and drank deeply. He consumed the entire large roast chicken and ten large steamed buns—enough food for an entire family—with astonishing speed.

    After finishing, he used a chicken bone to pick his teeth, saying, “I’m full.”

    Then he sighed: “I’m injured and don’t want to fight those pups. It’s best if nobody knows I’m here. I can’t stay much longer. You delivered the message, so I must repay the kindness. Here.”

    The beggar pulled out a thumb-sized night pearl and handed it to Li Guanyi. He said magnanimously:

    “I didn’t bring any gold or silver with me when I left. This pearl is worth quite a bit. Take it!”

    Li Guanyi saw the round, bright pearl and knew its value was in the thousands, but he shook his head.

    The beggar was taken aback, then burst into laughter. “My mistake. If you were greedy, you would have gone to the authorities and reported me. That five hundred taels of silver would be more reassuring than this pearl, and you wouldn’t have to worry about being investigated.”

    Li Guanyi shook his head. “No.”

    “I want something.”

    “But I can’t protect this pearl.”

    “Taking it would only cause trouble.”

    The beggar said with interest: “Can’t protect it? Oh? So you want something else from me?”

    “Hahaha, tell me, what do you want?”

    Li Guanyi nodded. He considered various thoughts. The red dragon’s form was related to the Bronze Tripod, and he couldn’t mention that. The origin of the poison involved a massacre ten years ago, and that couldn’t be revealed either. Finally, Li Guanyi looked up and spoke, his words concise:

    “I want to learn martial arts from you!”

    He glimpsed the red dragon and felt a surge of longing.

    The rainy night ten years ago remained etched in his heart, the cloud patterns of the mounted police following him like a shadow. He yearned for the strength to protect himself and his aunt, but his poisoned body offered little hope, save for the Bronze Tripod and this large man who could change it.

    The large beggar examined Li Guanyi’s eyes, then grinned.

    In an instant, he appeared behind Li Guanyi.

    He placed a hand on Li Guanyi’s shoulder, then pinched his arm and back. He raised his eyebrows and said, “Surprisingly good bone structure. But, have you been poisoned?”

    “The poison has eroded your meridians and bones, probably lowering your aptitude.”

    “Hey, your back is badly injured. Was it done by those mounted police from Chen Kingdom’s Night Charge Cavalry?”

    “A bunch of bullying thugs.”

    He gently patted Li Guanyi’s back, and a gentle energy flowed into his body. The swelling on his back quickly disappeared. The beggar sat cross-legged in front of Li Guanyi, his hands clasped in front of him, fingers lightly stroking his beard. He looked at the young man, his brow slightly furrowed.

    Though his bone structure was only slightly above average, his mind was remarkably sharp and astute, his actions measured and deliberate. For his age, it was quite impressive.

    However, accepting a disciple and passing down teachings wasn’t an ordinary matter.

    His skills were eclectic, all reaching the highest level. While he could easily teach a single skill, his generous nature prevented him from doing so. But bestowing martial arts secrets wasn’t a simple matter.

    Moreover, this child…

    He looked at the marks on Li Guanyi’s clothes, recognizing that the youth had not resisted. That wasn’t the key. The key was the marks on his collar, which indicated that after being lifted and slammed onto a table by the mounted police, he immediately turned over, hiding his face.

    Everyone fears death.

    It’s human nature.

    The more intelligent and resourceful, the more they cherish life.

    But martial artists are different. Warriors need a certain degree of ferocity!

    This cautious, astute child was talented but lacked that ferocity, unsuitable for his style. However, encountering such a youth stirred a sense of appreciation. He shouldn’t hastily take on a disciple, so he decided to test him, saying:

    “The Night Charge Cavalry’s lackeys have discovered me. I can’t stay here long.”

    “I’ll leave tomorrow. I’ll check the surroundings first. If you truly want to learn martial arts, tonight is Ghost Festival, come here at midnight!”

    This place was remote. Although Chen Kingdom’s Guan Yi City didn’t have a curfew, visiting a fugitive in a mountain temple at midnight on Ghost Festival was something only a brave child could do. If this boy could do it, he would have a certain amount of courage. Then, before he left, he would pass on a skill.

    The large man made up his mind:

    “I will pass on to you a wonderful method!”

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