Edict of Peace 57
Chapter 57: Youthful Spirit Like Moonlight
The assassin looked at the young man before him.
Li Guanyi was at the age when young men grew the fastest. Over the past month, Li Guanyi’s diet had been adequately ensured, and coupled with his martial arts practice, his height had shot up considerably. He exuded a sharp, heroic aura.
He had sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, with a mole at the corner of his eye.
On a woman, it would be a classic beauty mark, but on him, it softened the sharpness of his youthful intensity.
The assassin’s pupils constricted violently. A long-dormant image resurfaced in his mind: a burning palace, a man who maintained his dignity to the very end, and a sword of unparalleled sharpness, like the man himself…
“You… you…”
His voice trembled.
Li Guanyi stepped forward, pressing him: “Who gave the order! Who hunted them, and why?! Who are my parents? Where are they?!”
“My parents, my aunt, and me!”
“What were we involved in?!”
A series of pressing questions surrounded the assassin, making him sweat profusely.
The assassin refused to answer. He even attempted to resist the spellcasting techniques of the East Continent Stargazing School. At this moment, he behaved exactly like the professional assassin Li Guanyi had envisioned. The excruciating pain contorted his face, bulging veins appeared on his forehead, he clenched his teeth, blood dripped from his mouth, and he remained silent.
Li Guanyi said, “What’s the answer?”
“Speak!”
The assassin’s head buzzed.
He seemed to hear the roar of a dragon and the growl of a tiger when Li Guanyi questioned him.
His defenses crumbled. His lips trembled before he unconsciously uttered the name that was most deeply ingrained in his memory:
“The Regent King…”
His voice froze. The bulging veins on his forehead stilled, then violently pulsed several times.
Then, they burst!
His heart and neck exploded.
A large amount of blood gushed out like a waterfall. Within the blood, a shadowy figure flew towards Li Guanyi and Yaoguang. Li Guanyi reacted instantly.
The long howl of a Azure Dragon soared in his ears.
The young man’s hair flew, as he took a step to shield Yaoguang behind him.
The shifting flames of dragon scales were almost visible, swirling before Li Guanyi.
He used the “Blue Wolf Guard” technique to block the flying blood.
The intense flame temperature instantly reached its peak, turning the incoming blood into a bloody mist, which then slowly dissipated. The flying object was burned to ashes. Yaoguang lowered her body, picked up a small, curled-up insect with her fingers, and said:
“…The other side also has someone like me.”
“He was placed under a special curse.”
“Once he encountered certain information, the insect in his heart would awaken.”
“To kill those who obtained the information.”
The insect in Yaoguang’s palm began to dissipate into smoke, but she collected it with starlight, and said:
“Leave this to me.”
Li Guanyi asked, “What is that?”
Yaoguang replied, “A Gu (a type of parasitic insect used in ancient Chinese witchcraft).”
“But it’s not the type of insect Gu prevalent in the mountainous settlements outside of southwestern Chen Kingdom.”
“It’s a type of witchcraft Gu.”
“In the Central Plains, there are martial artists and the Hundred Schools of Thought. Beyond them are the Three Sects outside the world: Stargazing, Divination, and Witchcraft. They separate from Daoism, Yin-Yang School, and Medicine, forging their own paths.”
“Stargazers often reside in remote mountains and forests. Diviners walk among mortals. Witchcraft gatherings occur in either the imperial court or noble families. Therefore, your enemy is likely a figure from the court.”
The Blue Wolf Guard, or perhaps more accurately the Azure Dragon Guard, a Law Physique formed naturally, slowly dissipated.
Li Guanyi felt the unique nature of the supreme entry-level foundation that General Xue had spoken of.
He didn’t need to actively activate it.
His body would subconsciously unleash the corresponding techniques.
This was the most adept body refinement for complex battlefield combat. Compared to before he reached the entry-level, where the Blue Wolf Guard could only withstand weapon impacts and reduce injuries, after achieving entry-level, this Law Physique martial art had undergone a qualitative improvement, becoming both offensive and defensive. Even the witchcraft Gu’s underhanded attack was burned away.
However, the consumption was also much greater.
With his current “Breaking Formation Melody” inner energy, Li Guanyi could only fully unleash the technique three times before exhausting his inner energy.
Li Guanyi understood.
The “Breaking Formation Melody” couldn’t keep up with the current consumption of his techniques.
He needed to obtain a more advanced cultivation technique.
The Azure Dragon energy dissipated, Li Guanyi looked at the assassin. His forehead veins had burst, and his heart and throat were riddled with holes. Blood splattered ferociously on the corner of the wall. Li Guanyi recalled the assassin’s struggle and fear, and the name he uttered at the end, and said:
“The Regent King…”
Who is the Regent King?!
What connection does the Regent King have to his pursuit?
Which country’s Regent King? What is the Regent King’s identity?
One thought after another surfaced in Li Guanyi’s mind.
He felt his origins and past were shrouded in thick fog. He had just seen a glimpse of the truth, and even more mysteries appeared. However, at least he now knew something: those who had hunted him and his aunt weren’t just the Night Chase Cavalry of the Ministry of War.
There were disciples from branches of the Mohist school.
There were people from the court.
But with such force, how did he and his aunt survive and escape for ten years?
Aunt…
Hmm? Aunt doesn’t understand martial arts.
His aunt’s response flashed before his eyes.
Li Guanyi rubbed his temples.
He had to go back, back to the Xue family to ask his aunt for clarification, to search the Xue family’s library for records of recent years, and to obtain a higher-level cultivation technique. Otherwise, his inner energy wouldn’t be able to keep up with his consumption. His current Law Physique martial art techniques were powerful, far surpassing ordinary entry-level methods.
But the consumption was also extremely high.
Li Guanyi sorted through his many thoughts and looked at Yaoguang, saying: “I have to go back, otherwise, those two elders don’t know what will happen to them.”
Yaoguang nodded, her voice calm:
“I’ll wait here. You can come find me anytime.”
Li Guanyi looked at the assassin lying dead there, saying:
“He died here, so much blood was spilled, it might not be suitable for living here.”
Yaoguang said: “Stargazing School disciples live simply. We only need shelter from the wind and rain, and simple food. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“I can handle removing his body. I will naturally handle the rest.”
“When you cultivate your entry-level technique, please come here and go to the secret realm with me.”
Over their time together, and from what Yaoguang had just demonstrated—abilities unlike those of ordinary martial artists—she possessed a composed and calm, ethereal feel. Li Guanyi trusted this stargazing practitioner with silver hair; she possessed various extraordinary abilities unlike those of martial artists.
Cleaning up the bloodstains wouldn’t be difficult.
Li Guanyi nodded and picked up the corpse.
He took a step, his inner energy flowing.
Even without changing his cultivation technique or practicing entry-level light skills, just relying on the transformation of his inner energy, his speed had improved by at least 30% compared to before.
Li Guanyi almost bumped into a rock wall and quickly turned to avoid it.
Yaoguang watched Li Guanyi leave and then turned to look at the assassin’s bloodstains. She rummaged through her bag and found a wooden bucket.
She picked up the bucket and went to the stream to fetch water.
Her wide sleeves accidentally got wet. Yaoguang’s face remained unperturbed; she reached out to roll up her sleeves.
Her wide sleeves slipped down again.
The silver-haired stargazing practitioner remained calm. She folded up her sleeves again.
She picked up the bucket.
Her sleeves slipped down.
Yaoguang steadied herself. She sighed, snapped off a strand of her long hair, and then rolled up her sleeves, tying them up with her silver hair, revealing her fair hands and wrists. Finally, she nodded.
She fetched the water and turned.
Because it was heavy, she walked unsteadily.
The water swayed in the bucket, causing Yaoguang to sway back and forth, the amplitude increasing. The girl’s expression remained unchanged. She stopped, took a deep breath, and with a strong effort raised her arm, splashing the water on the bloodstains on the walls and corners.
The water washed away the bloodstains.
Yaoguang took out a straight wooden stick used for roasting steamed buns, tied a rag to it, dipped it in water, and began to diligently mop the floor.
Mop, fetch water, splash, mop.
Finally, Yaoguang looked at the difficult-to-clean area and pursed her lips.
She chose to cover the area with a rag, moved her books to another corner, breathed a sigh of relief, patted her clothes, lit a bonfire, sat kneeling in front of it, and quietly read.
Giving up.
………………
In Guan Yi City, the literary gathering hadn’t ended. When Zu Wenyuan, the foremost mathematician of the era, arrived, the many scholars at the gathering had completed their duties but hadn’t left.
The Hundred Schools of Thought weren’t incapable of fighting, but when two powerful martial artists clashed, they couldn’t intervene. Before the fight, they had various methods to weaken their opponents, and the ability to subdue opponents without fighting.
But when it came to a real fight, they could only flee and curse the “crude martial artists.”
Changsun Wuchou stepped out and saw the girl standing quietly. He said, “Miss Xue.”
Xue Shuangtao turned around. There was a scratch on her neck. Though the bleeding had stopped, it still seeped slightly. Her previous bravery and later persuading the scholars to question the city’s commander, Lu Youxian, about why he didn’t immediately go out to help, showed her decisive decision-making. Changsun Wuchou greatly admired her. The Xue family’s “tiger of troubled times” wasn’t like those sheltered daughters of noble families.
Changsun Wuchou comforted her:
“The fight is over. I saw the White Tiger Law Physique wasn’t seriously injured.”
“Elder Xue should be fine.”
“If Elder Xue is safe, then Young Master Li should be fine too.”
“The intense struggle would have suppressed the surrounding Yuan Qi (vital energy). Though he’s brave, he wouldn’t be able to break through, so he shouldn’t have entered the core of the battle…”
When martial artists’ clashes reach their peak, or when they use certain special techniques, their Law Physique would be stained with Yuan Qi, flames, briefly manifesting. This was also why Changsun Wuchou couldn’t help Li Guanyi. He was a travelling merchant with martial arts skills, but his main path was that of the Strategists, combined with the Merchant school of the Hundred Schools of Thought.
Eloquent, he could navigate the thirty-six tribes of the Western Regions single-handedly.
Weaving through complexities, using special techniques and abilities to interfere with the minds of wealthy merchants and nobles to make it easier for him to achieve his goals, was his forte.
But such close-quarters combat, within ten steps, where one person could defeat an entire army, a fierce slaughter, was something he couldn’t do. He sighed, remembering his second miss’s letter, and couldn’t help but feel a headache. The second miss had anticipated a change in Guan Yi City and asked him to protect the young man.
But in such a situation, he was helpless.
He could only later coordinate with Xue Shuangtao to have the city’s troops send help.
Changsun Wuchou thought Li Guanyi’s actions were somewhat reckless and impulsive, but considering his age, he couldn’t say anything. The flaws that a middle-aged man would possess were perhaps the most brilliant aspect of a young man: youthful arrogance, spirited and energetic.
Who, in their youth, didn’t have such dreams, where everyone else was fearful and hesitant to move forward, and they themselves turned the tide?
He’s still young after all.
Changsun Wuchou said, “He’ll be fine.”
Xue Shuangtao nodded. Her hands were clasped in front of her, standing straight, still conforming to the etiquette of a noble woman, but her hands were clasped tightly. Changsun Wuchou’s comfort seemed to have worked, her emotions eased considerably. She said, “It was the guest who awakened me.”
“Grandfather is fighting outside; I shouldn’t be afraid inside. I should do what I should do.”
“Even if grandfather gave an order, even if he was in danger, the guests were not allowed to act rashly.”
“So I could only make that choice.”
“If Li… if the guest hadn’t rushed out on horseback, I might still be crying in fear like those girls. We only spent a little more than a month together, but it feels like we’ve known each other for a long time.”
Changsun Wuchou knew it was because Xue Shuangtao didn’t have friends of the same age, hence this sentiment. This is what a childhood sweetheart is like. If they were ordinary people, childhood sweethearts would usually only be childhood sweethearts; youthful friendships would be separated by the cold hierarchy and positions of the world as they grew older.
Absorbed into the sounds of “Master” and “Miss.”
At this moment, he wouldn’t say such depressing adult words.
He simply smiled warmly: “It’s like the saying goes: ‘as fresh as newly met, as close as old friends.'”
Xue Shuangtao laughed, saying: “But he’s talented and gifted, courageous, and always greedy, it’s hard to understand him.”
A noisy sound and sounds of congratulations came.
Xue Daoyong had returned.
Xue Shuangtao’s eyes lit up. She finally lost her composure, like a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl; she quickly ran over. Changsun Wuchou breathed a sigh of relief. Xue Shuangtao saw Xue Daoyong, and her emotions surged, almost to the point of tears.
She suppressed the urge to cry to her dearest relative, but still took three steps as two.
Then she threw herself into the old man’s arms, saying: “Grandpa!”
“You’re alright, you’re alright!”
Xue Daoyong patted his granddaughter’s hair, said nothing, but his face showed complex emotions.
There were still many people around, Xue Shuangtao suppressed the urge to cry to her closest relative; she stepped back from the old man’s embrace, her eyes moved, she didn’t find another person, and said: “Grandpa, where is Li Guanyi? He chased after them too!”
“Didn’t he meet up with them?”
The old man’s expression was complex, and the other guests couldn’t speak.
The old man sighed, looking at his granddaughter. He could draw Chen Kingdom’s heaviest bow, and the arrows he shot could pierce through a range of fifty li. When he was young, he traveled alone for tens of thousands of li. His ambition allowed him to make his moves across the world and subtly stir up the situation in the Western Regions.
But at this moment, he couldn’t meet his granddaughter’s gaze.
He slowly raised his hand, holding a broken bow.
He placed the bow in Xue Shuangtao’s hand.
Xue Shuangtao recognized the bow. The expression on her face visibly paled.
The bow had golden threads, made of rhinoceros horn, crocodile dragon tendons, and mixed with South China Sea shark glue.
It cost fifteen hundred and thirty guan (ancient Chinese monetary unit).
The bow and arrow were broken; there was the young man’s blood on it.
There was nothing left to say.
Xue Shuangtao, clutching the broken Su Ni bow, stumbled back a couple of steps and sat down. The emotions she had managed to suppress upon seeing her grandfather finally erupted. The two emotions converged, and tears fell in large drops. The image of the young man galloping on horseback, upholding righteousness, was imprinted on her heart.
Past impressions rose in her heart at this moment.
Then, like the clear moonlight, imprinted with death, it was something that could never be erased.
It would be like a hand brushing against a sharp blade; even when she was old and gray-haired, she would occasionally remember it, a memory that would sting.
‘Since ancient times, beautiful women have gifted swords to heroes. Although I am not a beautiful woman, I believe what grandfather said. Sir will become a hero in the future.’
‘This Su Ni bow is a gift to sir.’
The Su Ni bow fell to the ground, its broken body and string trembling constantly.
The large drops of falling tears diluted the blood of the young man’s youthful spirit.
(End of Chapter)
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