Edict of Peace 82

Chapter 82: Dragon Tiger Physique

Li Guanyi sat cross-legged, yet energy burst forth from his shoulders. This was undoubtedly a characteristic of the Pulse Condensation Realm, strength reaching throughout the body. Even with his hands and feet bound, he could kill and break through enemy lines. However, Li Guanyi had only just learned the method of Qi Condensation.

It was surprisingly fast.

Yu Qianfeng was utterly astonished, but he clearly knew what to do. A vast internal energy protected Li Guanyi’s internal organs, preventing the rampaging inner force from damaging his viscera. For a full hour, Li Guanyi’s breath remained erratic before finally calming down.

A miscalculation…

Li Guanyi rarely experienced such fear, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

Previously, the White Tiger and Red Dragon Law Physiques had coexisted harmoniously. Li Guanyi hadn’t anticipated that once they both reached the entry-level stage, such a fierce struggle would erupt between them.

Gold and fire are inherently incompatible.

The *Jade Arm Divine Bow Scripture* harmonized with the White Tiger Law Physique’s power.

Li Guanyi borrowed Yu Qianfeng’s accelerated *Tai Ping Scripture* for the Red Dragon Law Physique.

The two energies clashed.

If Yu Qianfeng hadn’t been there, Li Guanyi felt he would have been severely backlashed, his internal organs damaged. The two Law Physiques, the Dragon and the Tiger, rose beside him, now glaring at each other, each vying to become Li Guanyi’s primary cultivation technique, refusing to yield.

This was the Dragon and Tiger, Gold and Fire.

A fundamental conflict of power.

Li Guanyi forcefully found a balance point between these two forces, allowing the Dragon and Tiger energies to circulate without colliding and tearing each other apart, before finally settling down. Yu Qianfeng, sitting cross-legged, withdrew his hand upon seeing Li Guanyi regain consciousness.

Yu Qianfeng didn’t ask what had happened, simply laughing, “Awake?”

“Don’t thank me, that stuff was useless. Let’s get down to business.”

“Old brother, I guarded you for over an hour, my stomach’s growling.”

In the courtyard kitchen, Li Guanyi set up a pot on the stove, adding scallions, chili peppers, and other ingredients to create a flavorful broth. He then quickly sliced the mutton he’d obtained from the Xue family chef into thin pieces. Peanut butter and sesame paste were mixed together and melted in oil.

A simple and convenient hot pot—a satisfying meal for Yu Qianfeng. Seeing that Li Guanyi was alright, he said:

“Brother, old brother has some advice, it might not be pleasant, but you must remember it.”

“In future cultivation, don’t rush so recklessly. I know you must have had some extraordinary encounter, but such rapid progress, leading to your internal energy going awry and becoming demonic, is truly dangerous. Today, I was there to suppress it, allowing your demonic Qi to forcefully open your meridians.”

“Forcefully advancing from Qi Condensation to Pulse Condensation.”

“Though dangerous, it’s not a bad thing.”

“But what if I wasn’t there?”

Yu Qianfeng, unusually serious, said, “You’re only thirteen or fourteen… right?”

Li Guanyi replied, “Ten more days until my fourteenth birthday.”

Yu Qianfeng nodded, “You can get married in another year.”

In this chaotic era, all countries lacked able-bodied men, and the age of marriage for both men and women was constantly decreasing.

Yu Qianfeng said, “Being able to marry means you’re no longer a child.”

“But remember, demonic Qi going awry is no small matter.”

“This internal energy surge can run rampant, not following the meridians, but erupting from your internal organs. Then your skin will burst, blood flowing from your seven orifices. Even worse, you could explode from the inside out, turning into a mass of blood. Western Region demonic sects, and those forces between the Turks and Ying Country, have similar methods.”

“When I fought them, there were even martial artists who deliberately cultivated methods to drive their Qi awry, and if defeated, they would throw themselves at you, letting their inner energy go berserk, exploding themselves. Many brothers died that way.”

“Demonic Body Dissolution, Great Ease Transformation—these demonic arts involve actively driving their internal energy awry.”

“Disregarding the body’s limits, only seeking rapid advancement, will lead to various consequences.”

“Brother, remember, no matter the encounter, it’s mostly related to this. Your cultivation can be accelerated, inner energy can be infused, there are many ways to rapidly improve, but your physical refinement, your meridians’ adaptation to inner energy—these require time and effort.”

He pointed at Li Guanyi’s arm, then at his dantian:

“The body will gradually adapt to inner force. Without this step, it’s like a child wielding a heavy hammer.”

“It will definitely injure yourself.”

“Unless you cultivate a physique of ‘golden muscles and jade bones, dragon tendons and tiger marrow’, then it doesn’t matter. Inner energy flows like water, skin impervious to swords, the capacity for and adaptation to inner force are terrifying. But cultivating such a physique takes ten years just to enter the beginner stage.”

Li Guanyi knew Yu Qianfeng cared for him and thanked him earnestly.

He poured wine for Yu Qianfeng.

Yu Qianfeng drank it without hesitation, a thousand cups not intoxicating him.

Li Guanyi asked, “Where are you going, Brother Yu?”

Yu Qianfeng said, “The Jiangzhou Grand Festival is a month away; I’m going to Jiangzhou City. I heard that the sword immortal from Luzhou, who is unbelievably beautiful, will also be there. Humph, last time I was unprepared, her body-shattering sword Qi broke my physique. Now that my injuries have healed, I have to face her again!”

“Jiangzhou City will be a gathering of powerful figures. If we want to save General Yue, this is the last chance. Even someone with the overwhelming presence of a peerless Confucian scholar like Dantái Xiànmíng cannot act in such a situation, or rather, precisely because he has cultivated to the ‘Pacify the World’ realm.”

“He cannot act at this time.”

“We must not let the events of Grand Marshal Tai Ping repeat themselves.”

Li Guanyi frowned, “A Confucian scholar, a Confucian scholar who has reached ‘Pacify the World’, would also send assassins?”

Yu Qianfeng sighed, “He’s about the same age as the Xue family’s Tiger.”

“He has long since reached the point of acting as he pleases without overstepping boundaries.”

“Divine Generals roam the world, outside of the Jianghu and the court. Apart from those four legendary figures of unknown origin, there are the current ten Grand Masters. Among the Grand Masters, the Sword Madman is the leader.”

“But the Hundred Schools of Thought are not Divine Generals, nor are they part of the Jianghu. Dantái Xiànmíng is already a great Confucian scholar; if he were to enter the Academy, the position of Confucian Sect Master would not be beyond his reach.”

“Hundred Schools of Thought? The Academy?”

Li Guanyi felt that the world was becoming increasingly vast, with numerous factions intertwined.

Yu Qianfeng said, “Yes, you know this, everyone knows this.”

“The Great Emperor of Zhongzhou is already a puppet. He no longer possesses the bravery and ambition of his ancestors, who rose from the common people, drawing their swords to conquer the world. The Chixiao Sword, wielded by the Red Emperor eight hundred years ago, rests in the Taihe Hall, and no one can lift it again.”

“But the Red Emperor’s prestige still endures.”

“He was a man who defeated the hegemon and ascended to the pinnacle.”

“The world he created, its eight hundred years of glory remain, the Academy remains in Zhongzhou.”

“Two innate Daoist masters, a living Buddha in Central China.”

“The Gongyang Su Wang of Confucianism.”

“The first giant of Mohism.”

“And the Zhongtian Beiji of the Yin-Yang School.”

“These six sect masters do not interfere in the affairs of the world, nor do they involve themselves in the Jianghu. They merely pass down their teachings, all in Zhongzhou. Some say their entry into the world would mean complete chaos, with even the Hundred Schools of Thought entering the fray, the hearts of the people would be completely disrupted, and the disruption of people’s hearts is true chaos.”

“Others say that they remain in Zhongzhou to uphold the last vestiges of the Red Emperor’s lineage.”

“If they were to leave, the Great Emperor of Zhongzhou would not live a month.”

Yu Qianfeng wiped the liquor from his mouth, stood up, and said, “It’s a pity that the freedom of these outsiders is incompatible with our struggles. Now that I see you’re fine, brother, I should go. If old brother doesn’t die in Jiangzhou City, I’ll come find you for a drink again.”

“Lu Youxian, that wooden-headed fellow, has finally woken up, and I don’t want to fight him.”

“I have to enter the city secretly.”

“I wonder who told him I was coming!”

Li Guanyi hesitated before saying, “I know who did it.”

Yu Qianfeng roared, “Who? I’ll squeeze the piss out of him!”

Li Guanyi silently took half a step back.

Yu Qianfeng seemed to guess something, staring at Li Guanyi with a strange expression:

“You?”

Li Guanyi smirked, “I can’t lie to you, brother. It was me, but I didn’t expect you to actually come.” He explained the situation to Yu Qianfeng, who didn’t get angry, but instead burst into laughter, saying:

“Hahaha, there’s nothing I can do about this, you said it yourself, old brother can only accept it.”

“But it seems Lu Youxian’s stubbornness is just normal defense. He didn’t actually believe your information. The reason he strengthened his defenses is simply because of his cautious nature. In such a significant matter, he always believes it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“You little brat got a seventh-rank military post. Before I leave today, I can give you a gift.”

Li Guanyi was puzzled.

Yu Qianfeng grinned but didn’t answer.

That day, while trying to stabilize his physique, he overheard Zhao Dabing mention the day’s news from the city.

Apparently Yu Qianfeng had directly rammed the city gate, then cursed Lu Youxian for being prepared, before leaving. Lu Youxian held his ground and suffered minimal losses. As a result, Li Guanyi was promoted and rewarded with one hundred taels of silver.

Li Guanyi was speechless, laughing and crying at the same time.

Then he continued his cultivation.

His meridians were now open, and his internal energy could burst forth from various parts of his body. But now Li Guanyi faced a major problem—

The White Tiger and Red Dragon, two Law Physiques, were at odds.

They couldn’t stand each other.

Though they no longer raged, harming him, he couldn’t control the Law Physiques, or use their energy in the short term. When he tried to mobilize the White Tiger’s energy, the Red Dragon would surge, and vice versa, causing the balance he had worked so hard to achieve to be lost again.

The imbalance between the two Law Physiques wasn’t a bad thing.

One would ebb, the other flow, like Yin and Yang Qi, eventually reaching a new equilibrium.

But Li Guanyi’s body, though refined, couldn’t withstand the constant turmoil of the two energies.

Before the two Law Physiques reached a new balance.

Li Guanyi’s body would be torn apart.

He felt like a glass cannon. Those with Law Physiques were already extraordinary figures, two Law Physiques that were top-tier and at odds with each other—something that has never happened before. He had to forge his own path.

This unique Dragon-Tiger confronting physique was currently completely unusable.

He sat there, hand propping his chin.

“Next, I’ll have to wait for Master Siming. Brother Yu said that ‘golden muscles and jade bones’ would allow for smooth use of the physique. Then, perhaps, the power of the Dragon and Tiger could be used simultaneously. The power would certainly be far greater than it is now.”

Li Guanyi held his halberd, pondering the future.

His internal energy was currently violent, requiring the dissipation of that aggression. He needed to find a chance to have his aunt check his meridians.

He needed to complete the Tiger’s Roar Bone Forging Scripture.

To remove the hidden poison.

And…

The Xue Divine General’s Secret Realm.

Qi Condensation was complete, the Tidal Wave, could be used.

He could use the Tidal Wave to brutally beat the Xue Divine General!

With his increased strength, and the ability to use his ultimate technique, surely he could obtain some good things from the Xue Divine General’s Secret Realm?

Li Guanyi was eager to try.

……………………

The next afternoon, a significant visitor arrived at Guan Yi City’s prison.

Qi Junsong, a fourth-rank Xuanwu General of Chen Kingdom.

He visited his son, carrying a delicate food box containing his son’s favorite dishes. Qi Langxian’s legs were broken, he complained to his father, ate voraciously, drank, and put on a pathetic and ingratiating demeanor, hoping for his father’s compassion.

Qi Junsong calmly watched his son, also speaking of family matters.

He spoke of his mother, and of his sister.

Qi Langxian visibly relaxed.

After finishing the food, he said with a smile, “The box below must contain the small mountain cakes Mother made. They’re my favorite. When you returned from the border, you brought back Western Region pastries, and Mother always made them for us; every meal would have them…”

He opened the inner layer of the food box, revealing a short sword.

Qi Langxian’s smile froze.

Qi Junsong softly said, “The Xue family’s Tiger sent a painting.”

Qi Langxian stammered, “Father, I’m your son! You can’t do this.”

Qi Junsong closed his eyes, “Yesterday, Yu Qianfeng actually attacked the city.”

Really, he attacked the city?!

Such a coincidence?

How could…

Qi Langxian’s expression turned to utter despair. He stared at the dagger, his eyes filled with panic, fear, and madness. Finally, he looked up at his father, calm as a pine tree, and whispered, “Father…”

Qi Junsong didn’t respond.

Qi Langxian opened his mouth, finally letting out a bitter laugh. His hand trembled as he picked up the short sword, suddenly saying,

“The family raised me, and today, I brought disaster upon the family; I truly deserve to die, to protect the family.”

“Father, after I’m gone.”

“You must burn all the paintings and calligraphy in my room for me. Don’t let my elder brother, third brother, or my two maids have them.”

“I’ve already taken them, I truly loved them, they’ve been with me since I was little, in summer I would rest my head on their legs, they would fan away mosquitoes all night, they truly loved me, but after I’m gone, my brother will surely want them.”

Qi Langxian took a deep breath, his eyes filled with rage, “Father, kill them!”

“Bury them with me.”

“My women, they will only ever be my women.”

Qi Junsong agreed and left. Qi Langxian banged on the bars, shouting for the jailers. He demanded water, which the displeased jailers brought. Qi Langxian threw the remaining meat to the other prisoners, watching them scramble for the scraps, he laughed scornfully.

A prisoner said, “Aren’t you also a prisoner? What are you acting so high and mighty for?”

Qi Langxian scoffed, washing his face and adjusting his hair.

His hand trembled as he picked up the short sword and put it to his neck, eyes wide open, looking outside, “You peasant farmers, you don’t understand me!”

“I am a scion of an aristocratic family!”

“We aristocratic families are born to stand above you?”

“I cannot die like you?!”

With a sudden exertion, the sword severed his neck. He showed no fear of death, killing himself, his eyes wide open. Qi Junsong’s eyes were slightly red, but his heart remained calm. He simply looked at the sky, seeking out Dantái Xiànmíng, weeping and lamenting that his son had committed suicide for the family, for the high-ranking officials and nobles.

The struggle between aristocratic families and their relatives became increasingly acute.

Jiang Hu sword immortals, and Yu Qianfeng, entered Jiangzhou City before the nobles of various countries arrived, making the vortex larger. The stars remained bright as ever, the stream gurgled, and the silver-haired girl calmly built a fire, kneeling before it.

She stuck a stick through a bun, the other end in the ground.

She pressed it down with a stone.

The girl showed no expression, perhaps because the firelight reflected in her eyes.

Therefore, her gaze was bright.

This time, Yaoguang didn’t consult the ancient astronomical scrolls.

She began to use stargazing techniques to ensure her bun wouldn’t burn.

The girl cast her stargazing technique, using archaic language to delineate the incantation.

[May the light of the stars and the mandate of heaven bring forth delicious food.]

To ensure that her bun wouldn’t burn.

But the campfire was clearly more powerful than starlight.

Seeing the burnt bun, she held it in both hands, seemingly confused and pondering. Had the spell failed?

She thought for a moment.

Turned around, and bit into the other end.

Crunch.

A laugh suddenly rang out.

Yaoguang looked up and turned.

She saw a young man sitting on the wall—the cliff face—cloaked in starlight.

Li Guanyi waved, smiling, “Yaoguang.”

“I’ve come to find you.”

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