For Li Guanyi, the only notorious criminal he was familiar with who required the Tiyi to issue a wanted notice was Yue Qianfeng. Now that he encountered a similar situation, it was only natural for him to think of him. His heart stirred slightly, and he quietly approached.
There were many onlookers, and Li Guanyi did not stand out among them.
The Chen Kingdom was economically prosperous and fond of culture, enjoying a relatively free atmosphere for discourse, making it the core of scholars across the land.
At this moment, just past noon, the common people had eaten and drunk their fill, feeling lazy and weary without much to do. It was at such times that they were more willing to gather and watch the excitement. Li Guanyi glanced over and breathed a sigh of relief; the wanted notice depicted a gaunt man.
He was extremely tall, with a large face.
It looked as if a sack was placed on a bamboo pole, with a round face sprinkled with sesame seeds.
His eyes, however, were fierce, with a menacing aura.
The Tiyi shouted, "This man is named Qian Zheng. He was once a squad leader in the border army but has now become a rogue, leading a group of over ten men to commit crimes. He is ruthless and has blood on his hands, having killed dozens and violated many women. Recently, the common people have been warned not to travel alone in the cities and villages."
"Those who provide accurate and effective information will be rewarded with ten taels of silver."
"Those who can bring back his head will be rewarded with one hundred taels of silver."
According to Yue Qianfeng, a squad leader in the army must be a martial artist of the Entry Realm.
Moreover, being from the border army, he must be a fierce character skilled in combat.
The Chen Kingdom primarily bordered two places: one was Tuyuhun to the west of the Ying Kingdom, which was in the northwestern region of the Chen Kingdom, and the other was the Ying Kingdom itself, which was closer. Qian Zheng likely came from the border army of the Ying Kingdom and had fled here.
The meaning of providing accurate and effective information was that the information given must lead the Tiyi to capture this fugitive, after which ten taels of silver would be awarded.
Li Guanyi pondered, then felt at ease, thinking it was just another case of Yue Qianfeng.
Just as he was about to leave, he noticed that the Tiyi seemed to have more to say. They pulled out a larger wanted notice and hung it up. The person depicted had tiger-like eyes, disheveled hair, yet exuded an imposing presence, as if a ghost or deity from the mortal realm, far beyond the previous Qian Zheng.
Li Guanyi paused.
That person was indeed Yue Qianfeng.
The Tiyi's expression was grave as they said, "The criminal is Yue Qianfeng."
"Those who can provide accurate information..."
The Tiyi's voice paused, then took a deep breath and said, "Will be rewarded with a thousand golds and granted nobility!"
Li Guanyi's gaze froze.
A thousand golds?
Granted nobility?!!
The young man looked at the clearly larger and clearer wanted notice, his expression momentarily dazed, and he subconsciously murmured, "What the—?!"
All that was needed was to provide accurate information.
A thousand golds, granted nobility?
Old Yue, what have you been up to these days? Have you pulled off something big again?!
Or could it be that it’s not just one big job?
Li Guanyi stared blankly at the 'accomplice' on the wanted notice, his mouth twitching. A thousand golds went without saying, but being granted nobility was a matter of utmost importance for any kingdom, something to be approached with extreme caution. The reward offered on Yue Qianfeng's wanted notice was extraordinarily high, exceeding all reason and violating the laws of the Chen Kingdom.
It could only prove one thing.
The high-ranking officials who issued this wanted notice were anxious.
He suspected that Yue Qianfeng had done something so serious that it could scare the high-ranking officials of the Chen Kingdom to death.
Li Guanyi blended in among the astonished common people, appearing quite ordinary. As he watched the Tiyi leave, he noticed one of them holding a scroll that seemed to contain records of all the wanted criminals in the Chen Kingdom.
An idea unconsciously surfaced in Li Guanyi's mind—
He wondered if his and his aunt's names were on that list.
If both he and his aunt were included, where would they be ranked?
Li Guanyi withdrew his gaze, and such thoughts faded like ripples on water, quickly calming down and disappearing. The events of that morning were merely an interlude for him at this moment.
However, as he headed towards the Xue family, Li Guanyi suddenly recalled Yue Qianfeng's words outside. Why would Guan Yi City post a notice here?
Did Yue Qianfeng plan to return?
And if he returned, where would he appear?
Li Guanyi paused slightly, raising his head to look towards the direction of the Mountain God Temple.
If that were the case...
He raised his hand and gently stroked the red dragon, which had only a head and a dragon claw emerging from his heart.
Perhaps the opportunity for this red dragon法相 to fully manifest from the bronze cauldron was drawing near.
………………
Li Guanyi arrived at the Xue family.
At this time, it was not yet time to teach Xue Shuangtao and her brother the techniques, so he had some leisure. He wandered around the vast grounds of the Xue family for nearly an hour, finally sitting on a stone bench beside the training ground.
He watched as people in the training ground either lifted stone locks or wielded heavy sabers to temper their bodies.
Or they engaged in sparring, fighting against each other.
Li Guanyi lowered his gaze.
He couldn't find it, simply couldn't find it.
After wandering for an hour, he still hadn't seen the white tiger法相.
The jade liquid in the bronze cauldron had now accumulated to one-third. Yesterday's brief contact had already equaled the effects of the previous ten days, yet he was clearly at the Xue family and had no opportunity to approach that old gentleman. The jade liquid in the bronze cauldron remained stubbornly stagnant.
"Oh, isn't this Mr. Li? You came early today."
A clear, cheerful voice belonged to a plump and handsome young woman.
Li Guanyi looked up and recognized her as one of the managers from the tailoring shop. He smiled warmly, standing to greet her, "Sister Qu!"
"I thought it would be better to come early on my first day of teaching."
"Hehe, little teacher is quite diligent."
Manager Qu's eyes sparkled as she looked at the handsome young man before her. Not in a hurry to get to work, she sat on another stone bench and smiled, "Did you just watch these martial artists with fascination? Do you want to give it a try?"
Li Guanyi shyly replied, "Not really, I was just thinking how impressive these martial artists are."
"How strong could a guest elder be?"
Manager Qu said with longing, "A guest elder... they can have their own courtyard..."
"Their treatment is much better than that of our outer courtyard managers."
"Unfortunately, to become a guest elder, one must at least be a martial artist of the Entry Realm. The strongest martial artists here might not even be a match for them, and some guest elders have received guidance from the ancestors, making their martial arts progress by leaps and bounds, far beyond what ordinary martial artists can contend with."
Ancestors...
Li Guanyi caught onto this key term.
With a curious and innocent expression, he asked, "Guidance from the ancestors?"
"Sister Qu, how can one have the opportunity to receive guidance from the ancestors in martial arts?"
Manager Qu smiled and said, "Does little teacher also wish to be guided by the ancestors? It's not easy to say, yet it's not impossible."
"The difficulty lies in becoming a guest elder, which requires excellent martial skills to be recognized by the ancestors."
"Additionally, it also depends on your status as a scholar."
Manager Qu found this young man to be innocent and adorable, clearly unaware of the world's complexities. He was pleasing to the eye, and she was happy to chat more, sharing many things with Li Guanyi until another young woman came to urge her, reluctantly ending their conversation. Before leaving, she smiled and said, "Little Mr. Li, if you have any questions, big or small, in the Xue family, you can come and ask sister."
The young man smiled warmly, "I will definitely trouble you."
Manager Qu left with a smile, her figure graceful and plump, causing the attention of the training ground's men to waver. Soon, a designated person led Li Guanyi into the inner courtyard, asking him to wait in a pavilion before retreating.
Li Guanyi, however, was already deep in thought.
To be guided, to meet that ancestor who bore the white tiger法相, one must either participate in the monthly examinations for the direct descendants of the clan, where those who performed excellently would be invited by the Xue family ancestor to drink tea and receive additional rewards.
Hmm, teaching mathematics...
Li Guanyi thought of the brother mentioned by Xue Shuangtao, rising to walk. Suddenly, a loud shout echoed from a distance: "I don't want to learn mathematics!!!"
"I! Don't! Want!"
Li Guanyi looked up to see a child of about seven or eight years old, exquisitely carved, running wildly and crashing right into Li Guanyi. The internal energy from the "Breaking Formation Tune" within Li Guanyi surged, pushing the child back a step. He asked, "Are you alright..."
But the child, who nearly fell, hurriedly waved his hand, grabbing Li Guanyi's sleeve, and said, "No, I don't care! Do you have a safe place? The mother tiger is chasing me!!!"
"She wants to force me to meet the new mathematics teacher!"
Li Guanyi looked at the child, deep in thought.
This must be the younger brother of Miss Xue.
In other words, he wanted to skip class and ended up crashing into the substitute teacher's arms.
The young man's lips curled slightly, a warm smile appearing on his face:
"Alright, come on, let's hide together."
He followed the child to hide behind a large bush, which was lush enough to conceal them. The child crouched in the grass, peering out nervously, while Li Guanyi sat behind him, curious about who this 'mother tiger' was. Surely it couldn't be the gentle and soft Xue Shuangtao.
Suddenly, the child tensed up: "She's coming! She's coming!"
Li Guanyi raised his head, slightly stunned.
It was around five o'clock in the previous life, and the sunlight was already gentle.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, and a girl in tight-fitting clothes walked towards them in the sunlight.
Her waist was encircled with a leather belt like a warrior, her right hand clad in gauntlets, and her left hand held an ancient longbow. Her originally smooth black hair was tied into a ponytail with a golden ring, and her gaze was fierce, unlike the soft and gentle demeanor of the young lady before.
"Come out! If you don't come out, I won't let you learn, and I've prepared some snacks for you!"
The child shouted, "I don't want to! You're just trying to trick me into learning mathematics!"
Li Guanyi felt a pang of sympathy.
Isn't this still being tricked?
Xue Shuangtao's eyes brightened as she quickened her pace, saying, "Come out quickly, stop being naughty!"
"I don't want to! Mother tiger! Mother tiger!"
The girl's eyebrows lifted slightly as she called out, "Xue Changqing, come out!"
Upon hearing his full name, the little boy visibly stiffened.
At the same time, Xue Shuangtao spun around to kick, intending to scare her brother. This leg technique aimed at her brother's position, but she didn't notice that there was someone behind. The grass was kicked aside, and Li Guanyi, watching the scene, sensed a kick that was almost aimed at his forehead.
He had no choice but to raise his hand to block, pressing down and capturing the girl's ankle.
(End of Chapter)