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    Edict of Peace 97

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    Chapter 97: The First Pact in a Turbulent World!

    BOOM!!!

    After a few breaths of stunned silence, Xue Daoyong swept his ceremonial robe aside. Immense inner energy surged forth, transforming into a roaring tiger. The tiger circled him, creating a barrier that prevented any sound from escaping, isolating the two inside. The elder rose, gazing at the calmly seated youth.

    Months ago, when Li Guanyi killed the escaped convict…

    The sound of the Cloud-Shattering Sky Bow echoed relentlessly.

    When the youth was killing, the seven mansions of the White Tiger constellation ascended to the zenith. At that moment, Xue Daoyong suspected that the youth, like his ancestor, possessed the grand destiny of the White Tiger, but he never directly told Li Guanyi this.

    He still said that Yu Wen Lie might be the Grand White Tiger.

    Therefore, when Li Guanyi said he was the Grand White Tiger, Xue Daoyong felt immense turmoil within his heart. This meant the prophecies in that ancient document had come true: the world was descending into chaos, and the Eastern Continent’s stargazing school, one of the Three Sects beyond the mortal world, had emerged from seclusion.

    Their disciple had found this young man, like the White Tiger finding its fangs, sharpening its edge, overlooking the chaos.

    It signified the true beginning of the turbulent age.

    Xue Daoyong looked at the youth, softly murmuring, “Grand White Tiger…”

    “A hero who commands weapons and chaos.”

    “Did Po Jun find you, or Yao Guang?”

    After asking this question, Xue Daoyong closed his eyes, then raised his hand, stopping Li Guanyi’s movement. He softly said, “Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know…”

    “I’m a gambler.”

    “An incurable gambler, one who should have been hanged long ago.”

    “But even a gambler like me has lived this long, even expanding the Xue family’s fortune several times over. The key is knowing when to stop. I understand myself.”

    “A gambler’s desire to gamble is endless.”

    “No gambler can stop themselves. Faced with the brilliance of a chaotic world, all great gambles will be like moths to a flame, even knowing the flame will turn them to ashes. They’ll do it anyway, hoping their self-immolation makes that flame burn brighter.”

    “Heroes and failed rebels throughout history have been like this.”

    “There has never been an exception.”

    The tiger of the turbulent world looked at the quietly sitting youth, a broad smile spreading across his face:

    “If I knew more, I’d pile even more chips onto the gambling table of chaos. That would surely risk the entire Xue family. I must stop here. No matter how tumultuous the world becomes, there’s only one thing I need to know.”

    “You are the Qilin (Chinese Unicorn) of my Xue family.”

    The elder closed his eyes, softly saying, “You grew up with Shuangtao. When you were young, my daughter held you. The Emperor himself has seen you.”

    “From today on, the Xue family will do everything in its power to make your achievements a reality.”

    “Even Yu Wen Lie shouldn’t dare attack you in the Chen Kingdom’s capital. Ying Country’s renowned general, clad in armor, wielding divine weapons – if he had an army behind him, I’d be nothing more than a frail old man. But this is Jiangzhou City.”

    “The place the Xue family has cultivated for generations.”

    “My Xue family still holds five hundred years of influence, enough gold and silver to buy ten cities. I’m one hundred and thirty years old, and I can still wield the top ten warbows in the world, hunt down strange beasts fifty miles away, and shoot an arrow through a mountain.”

    “Military strategists emphasize calculations, using small losses for great gains. If he wants to kill you, he will have to pay the ultimate price.”

    Li Guanyi was surprised, “Elder Xue, you can defeat Yu Wen Lie?”

    The elder replied, “Of course, I’m no match for him.”

    Then, looking at Li Guanyi, he smiled gently, “But before he kills me, I can kill Ying Country’s Crown Prince, Jiang Gao, and the Second Prince, Jiang Yuan, within Yu Wen Lie’s manor.”

    “A great general always has the ambition to conquer all kingdoms and unify the world.”

    “If he dares to touch you…”

    “I’ll make him disgraced, plunging the world back into conflict.”

    “I’ll set the world ablaze, burning this false peace, allowing his ambition to perish with you, forever etching his shame into the annals of history.”

    “What do you say?”

    A smile appeared on the elder’s face. He extended his hand, his expression calm yet filled with heroic spirit: “All heroes of the world are gamblers and villains, Qilin child. Will you accompany this old man, the world’s fifth Divine General, and this world, in a gamble?!”

    “If we lose, the fifth Divine General will be disgraced, and the world will fall into chaos.”

    “If we win…”

    “Then we’ll rush towards the world you envision!”

    In everyday life, the old man was merely a grandfather enjoying his grandchildren. But whenever Li Guanyi needed support and backing, he would reveal his sharp fangs, displaying the demeanor of a turbulent hero, bringing immediate peace to Li Guanyi’s heart each time.

    Li Guanyi smiled and extended his hand.

    He clasped his fist against the elder’s.

    A sense of security suddenly settled upon him. For some reason, although the old man was weaker than the world’s fifth Divine General, when he said he could protect Li Guanyi’s life, Li Guanyi felt strongly that the elder would indeed succeed.

    He solemnly said, “For such a great kindness, Elder Xue, I shall repay you one day.”

    Xue Daoyong shook his head, frankly saying, “Don’t worry about such empty titles, and you don’t need to repay me.”

    “The Xue family has wealth, reputation, and martial power.”

    “You little money-grubber, everything you eat, drink, and wear comes from my Xue family. Do you think this old man wants to squeeze more oil out of you?”

    “Besides, with the Xue family’s wealth, even if our descendants squander it recklessly, it would take three hundred years to exhaust it.”

    “Such immense wealth isn’t a good thing. While I’m alive, I can keep it under control. But if I die, the Xue family will probably immediately decline to one-third of its current state.”

    “I only have one wish: that you’ll always remember your time with the Xue family. No matter how high the sky or far the mountains, no matter how the world changes, during times of chaos, I hope you can remember that the Xue family…”

    The old man extended his hand, softly saying:

    “Was your first alliance.”

    He represented the five hundred-year-old Xue family, its wealth, and its influence, extending his hand. Li Guanyi wiped his palm and solemnly struck a pact with the elder. Then, the still young hero raised his hand and softly said:

    “Li Guanyi swears here, no matter how the world changes in the future.”

    “The Xue family was my first, and will be my last alliance.”

    “This oath will last until my bloodline and descendants are extinguished.”

    He paused, and spoke the lines:

    “May the mountains crumble, and heaven and earth unite.”

    “May winter thunder roar, and summer snow fall.”

    “Only then will I dare to break this vow with you.”

    These lines, originally used to express romantic feelings, carried a heavier weight here.

    The two struck a pact.

    This was an alliance that, like the Red Emperor drawing his sword to win the hand of a noblewoman, would be recorded in history. A wandering youth, with a single clasp of hands, gained the full support of one of the top three merchant families in the land.

    Some say that the aging tiger saw his potential and thus gave his all.

    Others say that Xue Daoyong was a gambler through and through, trusting not the youth, but his own judgment, believing he could not lose. In the ten days before the Great Chen Sacrifice, Li Guanyi finally relaxed, no longer under the intense pressure of Yu Wen Lie.

    Li Guanyi picked up his pen and wrote a letter to his aunt in Guan Yi City.

    He described his recent experiences, telling her that “everything is fine, no one is hostile towards him, he met the old ancestor Xue Daoyong, who is very kind to him, and he will go back to see her in about a month.”

    ‘Aunt, take care of yourself. The capital has delicious snacks and fine tea.’

    ‘I’ll send you some, you must try them.’

    He wrote about trivial things.

    Oddly enough, this went on for several pages. Finally, he wrote that when spring and summer meet, geese will be tender, and he will go back and eat roast goose with her. This time, they wouldn’t need to buy half a goose.

    Li Guanyi folded and sealed the letter and sent it back using a carrier pigeon.

    He was supposed to prepare for the Jinwu Guards selection the next day, and he had planned to practice his martial arts, but Xue Daoyong pulled him away. The elder threw him a set of clothes and said with a headache, “Change your clothes, Guanyi.”

    Li Guanyi saw that these robes were far superior to what he was wearing.

    A set of blue robes, embroidered with subtle patterns, felt incredibly smooth. Obviously, they were extremely valuable. He almost blurted out if he could exchange them for silver, but the elder, seeming to know what the boy was thinking, glared at him and scolded with a laugh, “Shut up, don’t even think about it!”

    “Hurry up and put them on, my second daughter wants to see you.”

    Li Guanyi was stunned, “Ah?”

    Xue Daoyong said:

    “Didn’t Shuangtao write you a letter, asking you to write a poem for her? She liked the poem very much. The Emperor was entertaining various factions these past days, but now he’s free, and she’s holding a family banquet in her palace; just you, me, Changqing, and a few of the Xue family’s women.”

    “Alright, don’t say anything more.”

    “Quickly, change your clothes, attending a palace banquet isn’t an opportunity for ordinary people!”

    Palace?!

    Wouldn’t that be closer to the Qilin?

    A flash of insight crossed Li Guanyi’s eyes. He changed into the elaborate clothes, tied his hair with a jade hairpin, and took off his sword, bow and spear. He looked like a gentle young master, but clenching his fist, it still had the power to shatter a stone tablet.

    Seeing that Xue Changqing also wore similar refined attire, they couldn’t help but laugh at each other.

    They took a carriage to a side gate of the palace, where someone was already waiting to lead the way. To Li Guanyi’s surprise, it was the eunuch in charge of ceremonies.

    “Junior Officer, how have you been resting these days?”

    Li Guanyi was surprised. He had a good impression of this eunuch who previously stood in his way, saying:

    “Thank you for your concern, sir. I’ve eaten well and slept well.”

    The eunuch smiled, “That’s good. I was worried that Yu Wen Lie had frightened you, making you feel unwell.” He held a delicate lantern, leading the way. Li Guanyi casually said, “I didn’t expect to be allowed into the palace.”

    “Is this in accordance with etiquette?”

    The eunuch replied with a smile, “Generally speaking, it’s absolutely forbidden; not to mention the concubines, even ordinary palace maids are only allowed to meet their family for an incense stick of time at noon on the fifteenth of each month, as a gracious act.”

    “And the brothers and fathers of the concubines can only enter the palace to see them with the Emperor’s permission.”

    “However, you are family to the Xue family, and Xue Guifei enjoys the Emperor’s favor. Besides, a few days ago, when you faced Yu Wen Lie, you showed no fear, upholding the prestige of our great Chen Kingdom. The Emperor is pleased with this and has specially decreed a family banquet in the palace.”

    “However, even with such special grace, you mustn’t wander around.”

    “The palace is guarded by Jinwu Guards and Imperial troops everywhere. If anyone is found acting suspiciously, they can be immediately killed without informing His Majesty. Junior Officer, don’t go far, just follow me.”

    Li Guanyi nodded. The eunuch introduced some palace scenery and rules to Li Guanyi.

    Li Guanyi outwardly complied but silently deduced the Four Images Sealing Spirit Array in his heart.

    He attempted to sense the Qilin’s location.

    The palace was indeed vast.

    Following the path from the side gate, they walked for half an hour before reaching Xue Guifei’s palace.

    Li Guanyi secretly memorized this route, comparing it to the Qilin array diagram in his mind, trying to figure out where he was in the diagram. Only by understanding his location could he confirm where the Qilin was.

    Elder Xue Daoyong had already quickly gone inside to see his daughter. Xue Changqing and other direct Xue family members had also gone inside. Li Guanyi saw a beautiful woman. Although several months pregnant, her beauty remained unaffected. Seeing Li Guanyi, a warm smile appeared on her face:

    “This is the young hero who wrote me that poem?”

    “Come, let your aunt take a look.”

    Her smile was teasing, but her manner was dignified and elegant, showing no sign of her youthful recklessness, which used to infuriate her father.

    Li Guanyi knew his current status.

    He grinned and respectfully approached, addressing her as “aunt.”

    “Good, good child.”

    “You’re so well-behaved. Look at Changqing, he never takes the initiative to call me ‘aunt’.”

    Xue Guifei seemed quite pleased with him. After a brief exchange, the banquet began. The number of attendees was small – besides Li Guanyi, Xue Changqing, and Xue Daoyong, there were only two women from the direct line. These women were quite reserved, leaving Li Guanyi and Xue Changqing quite relaxed.

    Xue Changqing looked around curiously, muttering, “Strange, why isn’t the she-tiger here?”

    Li Guanyi was also curious, not having seen the eldest Miss. But as his gaze swept across the room, he noticed some dancers, including one in red who wore a veil, holding a red whisk; her presence was particularly striking. This was the palace after all, so Li Guanyi paid attention to propriety, did not look closely, and turned his gaze away.

    The banquet began, and someone started playing the zither. The sound was clear and melodious. Xue Changqing realized and said in enlightenment:

    “The she-tiger… no, I mean,”

    “My sister is playing the zither.”

    Indeed, it was a royal banquet. The dishes were exquisite, accompanied by singing and dancing.

    But it was a family gathering. Even Xue Shuangtao, the eldest daughter, was playing the zither and performing.

    This would be impossible on any other occasion.

    Li Guanyi picked up his chopsticks, his mind focused on the Qilin array. This was a rare opportunity and he couldn’t let it pass. The zither music was elegant, and women in palace attire danced to the music. Their movements were graceful and elegant, then the music changed.

    The dancers dispersed, their sleeves swirling like clouds.

    The girl in red, previously veiled, stepped forward to the rhythmic beat of the drums.

    She was surrounded as if by a constellation of stars.

    Her beauty stood out even more.

    Her dance steps were light and graceful, elegant and poised. Petals fell around her. Li Guanyi, holding a wine cup, saw this and was captivated, his gaze fixed. The music reached its peak, the girl in red spun, her sleeves and ribbons swirling like clouds.

    The beauty of that moment surpassed mere appearance.

    Even the women around her were mesmerized.

    Then, seemingly from the momentum of her spin, she moved lightly several steps, her skirt slightly raised, and stood before Li Guanyi.

    The music, the petals, the candles, and the swirling red sleeves surrounded her.

    It was as if the world pushed her here, into Li Guanyi’s eyes. The young man froze.

    The candlelight flickered, the red sleeves fell, and then the veiled girl in red stood up.

    As she rose, she raised her hand and removed her veil.

    Beautiful eyebrows, a pair of bright eyes, looking at him mischievously.

    It was the eldest Miss.

    She stood there prettily, smiling at the slightly dazed young man, with a girl’s triumphant and mischievous air:

    “What do you think?”
    (End of Chapter)

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