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    Edict of Peace 79

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    Chapter 79: Passing on the Teachings, Establishing Authority!

    Body Forging?

    That’s one of the three major hurdles for martial artists after entering the realm. Ordinary people need about three years to slowly hone and refine their bodies before they can possibly break through. After breaking through this barrier, one can exert all their strength with fists, feet, swords, and blades without worrying about excessive force causing self-harm.

    It’s the foundation upon which a martial artist can truly harness immense vital energy for combat.

    Xue Daoyong’s feigned anger vanished in an instant. He appeared beside Li Guanyi, reaching out to grasp the young man’s arm. Li Guanyi’s vital energy surged, and he easily broke free. The old man’s strength was precisely at the level that someone who had completed Body Forging could break free from.

    Everything can be faked.

    Only the contest between martial artists is real.

    The old man was stunned, muttering, “Half a month… half a month… Body Forging is complete?”

    Li Guanyi shook his head, saying, “It’s more than that.”

    Xue Daoyong looked at him. The young man clenched his fists and performed a set of punches and kicks. Finally, he suddenly spun, his vital energy suddenly becoming immense. Li Guanyi’s physique had been weakened by the severe poison, but his understanding of martial arts techniques was excellent. Although this set of punches was basic, he performed it with perfect rhythm and control.

    Finally, gathering his vital energy, he unleashed a punch. A jade-colored energy emanated from his fist, stirring up the wind around him. He stopped his movements, saying, “The Jade Arm Divine Bow Technique, I’ve also achieved a minor accomplishment.”

    Within half a month, Body Forging was complete, and he’d achieved a minor accomplishment in the introductory chapter of the Jade Arm Divine Bow Technique.

    The old man opened his mouth.

    He looked at Li Guanyi.

    Finally, he burst into laughter.

    “Hahaha, good, good!”

    “Truly worthy of being my Xue family’s Qilin (Chinese Unicorn)!”

    “Good, good!”

    Li Guanyi bowed slightly, smiling, “I broke through today, so I’m in a good mood. Seeing that the young miss was in a low mood and knew she had to deal with those noble families, I took the liberty of taking her for a walk. It was just that it was a rainy day, and the road was slippery, so the young miss accidentally sprained her ankle.”

    Xue Daoyong waved his hand, saying, “What’s this about ‘young miss’?”

    “You are of similar age, childhood sweethearts, and played together as children.”

    “Your bond has deepened since childhood.”

    “Just call her Shuangtao.”

    Li Guanyi froze.

    He considered himself a natural liar.

    Until he met this old man who had built a vast family in the midst of chaos.

    The young man realized he was still too naive.

    Xue Daoyong smiled, “Come, come, since you’ve completed Body Forging, I’ll pass on the [Qi Condensation Chapter] to you.” The old man had Li Guanyi sit down and demonstrated the changes in Qi during the Condensation stage. It was essentially just refining inner Qi, transforming it from its loose state into a condensed form.

    “In this stage, various schools and sects use similar methods, achieving the same result by different paths. Simply put, it’s about compressing inner Qi, but there are only two key points.”

    The old man opened his hand, his inner Qi surging, condensing into a streak of energy that spiraled and circled in his palm. The sound of it breaking through the air was sharp. He said, “Condensation, control. After this stage, your inner Qi will become much more agile. Initially, you’ll sense a decrease in the inner Qi accumulating in your meridians.”

    “In reality, it’s like clouds turning into rain—a qualitative change.”

    “The more condensed the Qi, the farther it can travel. Martial artists at this stage usually cultivate armor-breaking martial arts. The true inheritance techniques of my Xue family are mastered in the third level, when Qi Condensation forms weapons. The martial art at this stage is called the Jade Crushing Fist.”

    The old man demonstrated the technique. He gathered his inner Qi using the Jade Arm Divine Bow Technique, using its ability to continuously accumulate force during an attack and then unleashing it—injecting the condensed Qi into the opponent’s body and then causing it to explode within their muscles and bones.

    “Our Xue family specializes in archery, but this Jade Crushing Fist is also a top-tier fist technique in the martial arts world, comparable to the core inner techniques of major schools at the entry level.”

    Li Guanyi was curious.

    The old man simply smiled, “Everyone in this world seeks something.”

    “The Xue family doesn’t have much besides some spare money. The world is vast, and everyone has their hardships. Wealth can solve many problems. Using money to attract a few greedy martial arts experts and having them create a top-tier fist technique based on the characteristics of the Jade Arm Divine Bow Technique isn’t difficult.”

    Li Guanyi asked, “Wouldn’t they spread this fist technique?”

    The old man said, “I heard that after they completed this fist technique, they severed the meridians in their arms.”

    “To ensure the flow of inner Qi wouldn’t be exposed.”

    Li Guanyi said, “That harsh?”

    The old man calmly said, “The Xue family gave them wealth beyond what even a death squad could earn, enough for three generations to prosper.”

    Li Guanyi grinned, realizing he still didn’t have an accurate understanding of the Xue family’s wealth. This secret fist technique was then passed on to Li Guanyi, who was then told to meditate in front of him and try Qi Condensation. Li Guanyi began to breathe and refine his inner Qi according to the Xue family’s Qi Condensation technique.

    Li Guanyi sensed his inner Qi gradually compressing, like forging iron ore.

    Impurities were expelled, and the inner Qi became increasingly pure.

    Soon, the first strand of condensed inner Qi was formed.

    Li Guanyi looked at the inner Qi slowly circulating in his palm. It wasn’t yet pure enough or condensed enough, but it was different from the loose Qi before. It was now visible to the naked eye. Li Guanyi flicked his finger, and the Qi shot out, striking a chess piece on the board and sending it flying.

    The young man clenched his fists.

    Qi Condensation.

    Once he achieved Qi Condensation, he could transmit inner Qi into other people’s bodies and understand his aunt’s condition, avoiding the previous situation where the inner Qi dissipated upon entering her wrist.

    Li Guanyi was very concerned about his aunt’s condition.

    Furthermore, to use the Xue Divine General’s ultimate technique [Rolling Waves] and the Chen State Duke’s ultimate technique [Crushing Mountains], he needed the control over Qi that only Qi Condensation could provide.

    Qi Condensation…

    While he was practicing, Li Guanyi also felt the interference of the cold Qi in his chest.

    After flowing through his heart, the inner Qi that he had condensed dissipated by 30%.

    This left Li Guanyi quite displeased.

    This poison that had plagued him for ten years, like a persistent dark cloud, would need to be dealt with using the Tiger Roar Bone Forging Technique once Si Wei returned, thoroughly dispersing it. However, he didn’t know how much his physique would improve then, or how fast his inner Qi would circulate.

    However, even this level of inner Qi condensation earned Xue Daoyong’s praise.

    He invited Li Guanyi to stay for dinner, then produced a letter, casually handing it to Li Guanyi to read. These were secret letters from the Xue family. Then, he sighed, “The Chen Kingdom’s grand festival a month from now will be even larger than we anticipated, Guanyi.”

    “The five kings of the Turkic tribes were defeated by Yu Wen Lie, but the seventh king, with his sharp insight, seized the pastures of the Western Regions, becoming the new king of the grasslands.”

    “And this seventh king is coming to the Chen Kingdom’s grand festival.”

    “From Ying Country, it should be Ying Country’s Second Prince, Jiang Yuan, who is widely known for his wisdom. I wonder if their Crown Prince will also come. If even the Crown Prince comes…”

    Xue Daoyong paused, saying, “The renowned general Yu Wen Lie will also come.”

    Li Guanyi’s movements faltered.

    The old man continued,

    “Besides them, there’s the second son of Ying Country’s State Duke’s Mansion.”

    “He is young and talented, excelling in both literature and martial arts.”

    “It should have been the eldest son, but for some reason, it was suddenly changed.”

    “Similar to the situation with the Turkic seventh king.”

    “In addition, there’s the son of the newly established Dangxiang Kingdom’s ruler. All these people are coming.”

    “I heard that the Dangxiang Kingdom’s ruler secretly searched in the Western Regions, looking for the royal seal of Tuogu Hun; Yu Wen Lie from Ying Country, and Dantái Xiànmíng, they’re all searching for this thing. Perhaps the Tuogu Hun king, before his death, suddenly had an epiphany and threw the seal into the volcanic chasm that split open in the Western Regions.”

    “Otherwise, how could such a precious thing disappear?”

    “The remaining Tuogu Hun tribes, the newly established Dangxiang Kingdom, the ambitious Tiele people, Ying Country which is planning to establish a Protectorate General, and that old fox Dantái Xiànmíng, they’re all eyeing this seal.”

    “I heard that during the creation of this seal, thirty-five tribal leaders were killed. Three hundred years later, it can still stir up such bloodshed. The king of Tuogu Hun was truly the greatest hero and overlord of the Western Regions in the last thousand years.”

    Xue Daoyong sighed.

    Li Guanyi remained impassive, saying, “Yes, this is where the world’s currents converge.”

    “But I wonder where it is, and who has it.”

    Xue Daoyong smiled, “Regardless of who has it, that’s something far away in the Western Regions, it has nothing to do with us. We should simply observe, and when that person emerges, there will be plenty of trouble.”

    Li Guanyi said, “That’s true.”

    But in his heart, he thought he needed to deplete the auspiciousness of this seal before the grand festival.

    The old man chatted with him about the changes in the world and the vortex of the grand festival. Finally, he raised his teacup and said softly, “Tomorrow, Shuangtao is going to the capital. Guanyi, you should ride with her to see her off. About a hundred miles, then turn back.”

    “We need to solve a problem for you before you participate in the grand festival.”

    Li Guanyi pondered.

    The old man waved his hand, and the curtains of the Tingfeng Pavilion fell, preventing anyone from hearing their conversation.

    The old man and Li Guanyi talked for the time it takes to burn a stick of incense.

    ………………

    It rained today, and the sky over Jiangnan was exceptionally blue the next day. The Xue family’s carriage convoy was ready. They left from the east gate of Guanyi City, heading towards Jiangzhou’s capital. The carriages carried gifts and invitations from the Xue family to other noble families. The young miss sat in the carriage, lifting the curtain to chat with Li Guanyi.

    Li Guanyi rode his horse, looking quite valiant. Because the carriages were slow, it took an hour to travel a hundred miles. They could already see the procession sent by the imperial concubine. Li Guanyi tightened his reins, saying, “Then, young miss, I can’t see you off any further.”

    “Be careful on the road.”

    Xue Shuangtao raised her eyes and suddenly said, “…You’ll come a month later, right?”

    “Having obtained your travel pass, you won’t suddenly disappear, right?”

    Li Guanyi said, “Yes.”

    “Even the emperor has issued an edict, I can’t run away even if I wanted to.”

    Xue Shuangtao felt reassured and slowly nodded, “Then I’ll wait for you here.”

    She smiled, “There are many interesting places in the capital, delicious food and fun things. I will explore them all, and when you come, I’ll take you there.”

    Li Guanyi handed a small bag to the young lady.

    Xue Shuangtao opened it. Inside were smooth, round stones that children used to play with, and a spinning top. Li Guanyi stopped his horse, watching the young miss wave at him before being helped into the imperial carriage and slowly disappearing from sight.

    The young man turned his horse around and headed back toward Guanyi City. Suddenly, he heard a whistle.

    Tripwires rose from the grass.

    Then came the sound of horse hooves. Five tall horses, unlike those found in Jiangnan, galloped out. Young men in fine clothes were sitting on the horses, their brows raised, their faces masked. The five horses surrounded Li Guanyi, running quickly. One of them laughed, “Is that Li Guanyi?!”

    “Haha, we caught him!”

    “Today, we’ll cripple him, break one of his legs, and see if he can still attend the grand festival!”

    “Hahaha, which leg, brother?”

    All the young men laughed together, their brows arrogant and unrestrained, clearly experienced horsemen. The five horses circled Li Guanyi quickly. One of the young men whistled, raised his hand, and threw a hooked lock directly at Li Guanyi.

    If it hit, it would at least leave several bleeding wounds. Li Guanyi raised his hand and caught the chain.

    The young man was stunned, then cursed, “What country bumpkin dares to fight back!” He instinctively pulled the lock, Li Guanyi raised his eyes, looking at the young men on their fine horses. The old man’s words from earlier resurfaced in his mind.

    ‘Since the imperial edict and the emperor’s praise, Guanyi, you’ve been put on the grill. Now that you’re going to the Chen Kingdom’s grand festival, those children of the court’s military officials and aristocratic families will surely not be able to contain themselves. They are always arrogant, riding their horses freely in the capital…’

    ‘They stick together and exclude outsiders.’

    ‘They’ll dislike you and attack you while wearing masks, and because of their families, they can escape punishment.’

    Li Guanyi asked Xue Daoyong: ‘Should I conceal my abilities, old sir?’

    The old man then burst into laughter and shouted:

    ‘Conceal?’

    ‘Conceal what?!’

    Li Guanyi felt the same way, but was worried about causing trouble for the Xue family.

    But the old man felt the same.

    Xue Daoyong said:

    ‘Those aristocratic youths lack the spirit of their ancestors. If you conceal your abilities and yield, they’ll think you’re weak and easy to bully, so they’ll push you further, continue to bully and insult you, and probe your limits. It might even draw them into the conflict between the aristocratic families and the relatives of the emperor.’

    ‘That’s the point I’m trying to make.’

    ‘The ones who appear first are the weakest among the military officials. The old man can handle them; these military officials bully others, but they’re not fools. They’ll base their next move on your reaction, so the old man’s meaning is…’

    The old man pointed, under the night pearl, the smile of the fierce tiger in the chaos was ferocious:

    ‘Fight to the death!’

    ‘If you don’t establish your authority this time, every Tom, Dick, and Harry will dare to provoke you.’

    ‘The emperor intends to use you to hone the sharpness of these military officials’ children, so you must show him that if he uses you as a whetstone, there’s only one outcome.’

    Under the night pearl, the fire in the old man’s eyes burned, finally turning into the warm sunlight that now fell. The young men on the fine horses tried to pull back their weapons, but they couldn’t. At first, their companions were watching and laughing, but now they realized something was wrong.

    They rode forward, yelling, “You! What are you doing!”

    Li Guanyi opened his eyes, his gaze like a calm tiger.

    He suddenly raised his hand, the Jade Arm Divine Bow Technique erupting.

    His warhorse neighed and turned.

    The young man held his weapon tightly, but Li Guanyi pulled him from his horse and towards himself. Li Guanyi held his unsheathed black saber in his left hand and swept it down, striking the military official’s face with a loud thud. Blood splattered across his face, and the young man fell, his teeth scattering on the ground, screaming in agony.

    The four remaining young men froze.

    Li Guanyi sat calmly on his horse, his back straight, holding his heavy saber, saying,

    “What did you say?”

    Silence.

    The military officials who acted with impunity in the capital found that the rules seemed to have changed.

    One of them instinctively forgot that they were wearing masks to conceal their identities and angrily shouted,

    “Do you know who he is?! How dare you!”

    “When facing an enemy, is this how you react? Your first reaction isn’t even to draw your sword.”

    “Are these also military officials?”

    Li Guanyi sighed.

    He thought for a moment and pulled on the reins.

    His warhorse let out a long neigh and reared up, but even so, the young man on its back sat straight.

    The horse’s hooves swung.

    Then, the horse struck the legs of the young man who had attacked him first, saying calmly,

    “I know.”

    “Then what?”

    (End of Chapter)

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