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    Edict of Peace 70

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    Chapter 70: Supreme Secret Treasure!

    The secluded spring in the ravine parted under the starlight, Li Guanyi’s clothes remained dry, and he smoothly reached the hidden realm. Yao Guang, using the power of the Eastern Continent’s Stargazing School, awakened the true form of the secret realm. Starlight flowed and transformed like swimming fish within the cave.

    Finally, it transformed into a figure standing with hands behind its back, turning slightly.

    It was General Xue.

    Yao Guang went elsewhere, to study the legacy left by the Yao Guang of five hundred years ago.

    He lifted his gaze to look at Li Guanyi, and said calmly, “You’ve entered. With the Yao Guang of the Eastern Continent’s Stargazing School here, it seems you came to receive the true power of this secret realm. Such power is prepared for troubled times. Has the world become chaotic again?”

    Li Guanyi shook his head. “I don’t know.”

    General Xue smiled slightly, saying, “You carry the brilliance of the stars. That’s the aura that only large-scale wars can disperse. I fear that a nation’s destiny is beginning to decline because of you.”

    Li Guanyi said, “It wasn’t me.”

    “Others also bear the power of the White Tiger Seven Mansions.”

    General Xue laughed, saying, “I understand the White Tiger Seven Mansions better than you. The celestial constellations are like water; they don’t interfere with worldly changes. Instead, worldly changes are reflected in the water. Since starlight falls on you, it means you exerted immense power in this war.”

    “How old are you?”

    Li Guanyi replied, “Almost fourteen.”

    General Xue raised an eyebrow, smiling slightly. “Fourteen years old, and you’ve influenced a war that affected the great affairs of the world. Regardless of your exact role, even if it was only a part, you can be proud. When I first led three thousand iron cavalry to break through the Di Kingdom, I was only three years older than you.”

    Li Guanyi’s eye twitched.

    He merely wrote a letter; the powerful one was the executor.

    General Xue, however, truly took up arms and rode into battle himself, doing similar things.

    The ancient general said calmly, “With the White Tiger’s celestial fortune appearing and a disciple of the Eastern Continent’s Stargazing School appearing in the human world, this must be a sign of troubled times. In my time, I left some gifts for you. But I was somewhat confused then, wondering what would be the most useful.”

    “Leaving vast wealth may not last long.”

    “Leaving unparalleled martial arts and divine weapons might even lead to the family’s downfall.”

    “Time is too long. From a prosperous era to a chaotic world, anything could happen over such a long period. Whether it’s vast wealth or peerless weapons, only the right person can utilize them effectively.”

    “For such a person, what is most important?”

    “I pondered for a long time, and finally found the answer.”

    General Xue looked at Li Guanyi and asked with a smile, “What do you think is most important if one wants to pacify the world?”

    Li Guanyi thought for a moment and replied, “Money?”

    General Xue looked at Li Guanyi and burst into laughter. “I thought the successor would be a martial arts fanatic.”

    “But you’re a money-grubber.”

    “What? Has the Xue family fallen into ruin?”

    Li Guanyi said, “As I said, I’m not a member of the Xue family.”

    General Xue smiled slightly. “What did you say?”

    “Excuse me, I’ve been dead for several hundred years, my hearing isn’t very good, I didn’t quite hear you.”

    Li Guanyi was silent.

    He thought for a moment, a sincere smile appearing on his face, praising, “Old geezer!”

    General Xue raised his hand.

    A war halberd appeared in the void. He gripped it and slammed it on top of Li Guanyi’s head. The halberd was formed from converging starlight; the sound was loud, but its power wasn’t very great. With this blow, the starlight scattered. The young man covered his forehead, grimacing, “Can you hear me now?”

    General Xue said calmly, “Somehow, my hearing suddenly cleared up.”

    “Even though you’re somewhat of a money-grubber, what you said is correct. Even a divine general, wearing divine armor and wielding divine weapons, leading a triumphant army, still needs immense money and national strength to support the war. The cost of feeding soldiers and horses is obvious.”

    “Armor, weapons, soldiers’ salaries.”

    “Iron ore, various herbs.”

    “The wear and tear of armor, the compensation for the dead and wounded—these all require vast sums of money. Even the greatest hero, even the most ambitious aspirations, without these supports, are like a fire destined to burn out, leaving only pale ashes, nothing remaining.”

    “I don’t know how many years it is in your time. Three hundred years before my time, the world was also in great turmoil. At that time, the emperor who bore the Vermilion Dragon Law Physique rose from humble beginnings. He slew the White Serpent and then rebelled, gaining the support of the Qingqiu tribe and marrying a daughter of a noble family.”

    “He wielded the Chixiao, the most fitting weapon for the Vermilion Dragon Law Physique, leading a group of peasants.”

    “And went to conquer the world.”

    “At that time, he only didn’t want to send his men to the court. After much thought, one day, after drinking, he felt reckless and simply rebelled, leading a band of ruffians around the world, living a life of eating meat and drinking, living for the moment.”

    “No one thought he could ultimately win, not even himself.”

    “His opponent was the White Tiger Grandmaster of that generation.”

    Li Guanyi froze, and General Xue said, “The Azure Dragon and the White Tiger belong to the East and West respectively.”

    “The Azure Dragon’s heart mansion is the Shang mansion, while the White Tiger’s fifth mansion is the Shen mansion.”

    “These two stars are the brightest in the entire sky, one in the west and one in the east.”

    “The starry sky rotates like a circle.”

    “Rising and falling, when the Shang mansion ascends, the Shen mansion will fall. Thus, Shang and Shen never meet, king never meets king. But in that chaotic era, the White Tiger and Azure Dragon appeared in this absurd world simultaneously, the Xuanwu Grandmaster reborn with the strongest military strategy in the world, becoming the strongest commander.”

    “Every generation of White Tiger Grandmaster is the same, capable of single-handedly breaking an army when young.”

    “The Tiger’s Howl Heaven Halberd in my hand was forged by that Grandmaster.”

    “The White Tiger Grandmaster of that time, wielding his war halberd, swept across the entire era. No one was his match; no one could be his friend. Those who could withstand his halberd without dying were the renowned generals of the world, perhaps even stronger than me.”

    “His hooves trampled the world, igniting flames, with countless bones on either side.”

    “He used tyranny to seize the world, arbitrarily showcasing his sharpness. But in the end, the White Tiger Grandmaster fell. The Azure Dragon Seven Mansions ascended, and since then, the red fire and dragon became the orthodox of this world, and the Tian Shu star, who assisted the Azure Dragon Grandmaster, also left.”

    The White Tiger Grandmaster, General Xue, from five hundred years ago, quietly recounted the story of the past, softly saying:

    “In fact, at the end, the White Tiger Grandmaster still had the strength to fight. Even though the Xuanwu then stood under the Azure Dragon’s banner, even though three of the Four Symbols Grandmasters were enemies, the White Tiger still had the courage to tear apart the world and the final roar of fury.”

    “But before that, two things happened.”

    “The followers who rose with him had all died. Those were his clan, his brothers, and sisters, who shared his blood. His heroic spirit had vanished; and before that day, his Yao Guang died.”

    “The assassin from the Mohists, the Grand Master of that generation, accomplished this great feat.”

    General Xue smiled and said, “The White Tiger Grandmaster still had the courage to fight bravely.”

    “He sat alone for a whole night, then laughed, giving up the possibility of a comeback, because the followers who had initially shared his dreams were no longer there, because the Yao Guang who had appeared before him in his humble beginnings, saying he was the one destined by Heaven, had died in his arms. Seizing the world had lost its meaning.”

    “A hegemon should have a hegemon’s way of dying. A shameful retreat and comeback is for lone emperors, but the world’s strongest divine general should die on a grand battlefield unseen for a thousand years past and a thousand years to come, like a blazing fire.”

    “This wasn’t a monarch’s choice, but the awareness of a hegemon. He chose to fulfill his life, fighting alone with all the heroes and strongmen of the world. When his mount died, he used his halberd. Even when his halberd was knocked down, he fought with a sword.”

    “In the end, he ended his own life.”

    “But he also became a nightmare that the Red Emperor could not forget for over a hundred years.”

    “But he wasn’t without choices, he chose to face it head-on.”

    “He still had the resources for a comeback. His subordinates had prepared armor, weapons, and enough gold and silver to ignite a chaotic world for him. These things were quietly stored in a hidden realm, protected by the converging starlight of the Eastern Continent’s Stargazing School.”

    “Even after a thousand years, two thousand years, he could continue the fight.”

    “That’s the power left by the hegemon of the past, enough to incite chaos.”

    “And the key to opening it is our White Tiger destiny and that halberd which was undefeated in that era. I have already found the location of the secret realm, and this is what I can give you, something that can change the chaotic world.”

    What General Xue spoke of was what the Red Emperor, who founded an eight-hundred-year dynasty, feared. It was enough to raise a chaotic world; sharp weapons and strong armor, and enough gold and silver to raise an entire army.

    In the current world, privately possessing armor is a serious crime, punishable by death.

    If one hid an entire army’s worth of armor, that would be enough to establish oneself as a feudal lord.

    These things, with the right timing, could instantly raise an armored army. If this elite army is led by a White Tiger Grandmaster wielding a war halberd, it would be a force that could shake the world at any time.

    General Xue said, “This can end chaos, or it can start it.”

    “Those without the capacity and ability to obtain the things in this secret realm are doomed to die. Therefore, I must have you prove you have the qualifications to end this chaos. Your martial arts and strategies must surpass mine before I tell you where that secret realm is.”

    He smiled slightly, a look of pleasure on his face. Li Guanyi thought for a moment and said, “Oh, like that.”

    “Then I don’t want it.”

    He thought it was a divine weapon or something.

    The smile on General Xue’s face froze.

    “Hm?”

    Then he understood.

    This kid…

    For Li Guanyi at this moment, the world and chaos were too distant. No hero heading towards chaos sees their ending from the beginning. Looking back, those who once stood at the pinnacle were far removed from their youthful selves.

    The Red Emperor initially just wanted to eat meat and drink with his brothers and have a beautiful wife at home.

    The White Tiger Grandmaster, who single-handedly challenged the heroes of the world, was once just an unfavored young man from a noble family who, while practicing in solitude, encountered a Yao Guang who fell from a wall.

    The chaotic world is always like this, sweeping up everyone’s destiny, pushing them towards the path of mutual slaughter. General Xue understood this; he laughed and said softly, “Fine, then do you want the power to protect yourself?”

    “If you’re not going to stir up chaos, you at least want to ensure your safety in this era, right?”

    “Don’t you think that just entering the realm is enough to protect yourself and your family?”

    “You’ve only been here for ten days. You need to at least…”

    Li Guanyi slammed his fists together; a surge of energy rose.

    “I’ve forged my body.”

    General Xue: “…”

    “Then you should at least have divine skills. For example, my Xue family’s Jade Arm Divine Bow Technique…”

    Li Guanyi’s arms rose with energy, emitting a jade-like texture.

    “I’ve mastered it.”

    General Xue remained silent for a while, raised his eyebrow, and said, “You brat, did you even dismantle the furnace in front of my memorial tablet?”

    Li Guanyi coughed and replied, “It was a righteous deed.”

    General Xue burst into laughter. “Good! Since you don’t want that, I have a complete set of martial artist cultivation techniques, enough to ensure that no one can bully you. Do you want it?”

    Li Guanyi nodded. An afterimage flashed before his eyes, and General Xue’s halberd came down. He laughed, “Then let’s fight!”

    ………………

    Li Guanyi slumped in front of a rock; sunlight fell on his face.

    He was brutally beaten by General Xue. Yao Guang brought him back. Looking at the young man, she asked, “Are you alright?”

    Li Guanyi murmured, “Not really…”

    As the sky brightened, Li Guanyi sat up and said, “I have to go back. If I don’t go back tonight, there will be trouble.” He rode away. Yao Guang watched him go, turned around, and saw a hard, stale bun on the rock.

    It was the one Li Guanyi had snatched from her mouth yesterday.

    Overnight, the hard bun had been moistened by the dew, becoming soft.

    The girl picked it up.

    “It’s still edible.”

    She couldn’t bear to waste the honey on it.

    She didn’t throw away the dirt-stained bun.

    She reached out and patted off the dust beneath the bun.

    She built a fire and roasted it again, sitting quietly by the fire, then held it with both hands, ready to take small bites.

    She heard the sound of hooves again.

    The young man returned and sat down in front of the fire. He reached out and grabbed the bun.

    He tugged.

    He tugged twice before pulling it away.

    Yao Guang’s expression remained unchanged, but her eyebrows rose slightly, her eyes widening as she looked at Li Guanyi. When the bun was pulled away, her tone was calm, but she finally changed her usual way of addressing him, saying, “You!”

    Then the young man put something in her mouth.

    Soft, sweet, with the fragrance of sweet osmanthus.

    The girl’s slightly raised eyebrows smoothed out. The young man, wearing a dark blue round-necked robe and a rhinoceros horn belt, smiled triumphantly. He took out a paper bag from his bosom, laid it on the ground, and opened it. Inside were various pastries. With a triumphant expression, he asked, “Which one do you like?”

    He had ridden to the nearest town and bought them back.

    Yao Guang looked at the pastries and then looked away.

    Calmly, she said, “You don’t have to do this.”

    “The Stargazing School has always practiced simple living.”

    Li Guanyi laughed. “Are they delicious?”

    Yao Guang put her hands in front of her and sat quietly, kneeling, saying, “The Stargazing School has always practiced simple living.”

    Li Guanyi ignored her words, sat cross-legged, pointed at the pastries, and enthusiastically introduced the items to Yao Guang, the silver-haired girl sitting quietly. The ravine, the damp, cold rocks and mountain walls, the young hero and the beauty.

    Much later, Li Guanyi thought about why he suddenly became closer to Yao Guang.

    It wasn’t because of anything else.

    It was because of her words that day.

    Li Guanyi sometimes suddenly thought.

    He is ultimately from another world. He awakened his memories and wisdom from a small kitten, even hiding this from his aunt.

    He had been on the run for ten years, bearing a secret.

    And in the chaotic world.

    One person, on this day, told him that even if there were other White Tiger Grandmasters, other choices, she would not leave. At that moment, Li Guanyi suddenly realized that among the countless stars and all things in this world, there is finally one existence that would always choose him, always belong to him.

    This was special.

    Li Guanyi left the ravine and returned to the Xue family, coming to his courtyard.

    He suddenly paused and sighed.

    He thought that something might be growing on the corner of his wall.

    He turned around and saw a white-haired head emerging from the wall.

    “Si Ming.”
    (End of Chapter)

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