Sixteen military tokens from the border troops.
Among them, there was even one soaked in pine oil, larger than the usual military tokens, with some patterns, representing a squad leader. One side bore seven knife marks, indicating that he had slain seven enemies during a confrontation with the Ying Kingdom.
This was a fierce soldier who had fought in at least ten battles!
Yet he died at the hands of this young man. The old man's gaze seemed to freeze for a moment, then, with his seasoned experience, he directly asked, "Where is the body?"
Li Guanyi truthfully answered the location, saying, "It has been slightly dealt with."
"Good."
The old man tapped the table.
An old servant, also with white hair and beard, appeared silently beside the old man, bowing his head to listen to the instructions. Xue Daoyong succinctly said, "Take people there immediately and handle the body properly. Speed is essential."
The old servant nodded and turned to leave.
Xue Daoyong looked at the wooden tokens, his wide sleeves brushing past, scattering the border troop tokens onto the soft mat beside them without a sound. The old man pointed to the food on the table and calmly said, "Let's eat first."
Li Guanyi and Xue Daoyong, one old and one young, sat opposite each other at the table.
The old man appeared calm and unhurried.
However, the face of the White Tiger Dharma Form displayed obvious emotional fluctuations—confusion, shock, curiosity—as it walked back and forth around the young man, even lowering its head to sniff Li Guanyi's head with its moist nose. Finally, it extended its tongue to lick the cheek of the small white tiger on the young man's shoulder.
The small white tiger was licked to the ground, flailing its four paws in a fit of impotent rage.
Li Guanyi could almost see such a human-like expression on the enormous White Tiger Dharma Form.
What the hell, what the hell, what the hell!!!
What kind of breed is this little cat?
So small, yet so fierce?!!!
Licking and sniffing.
He could also slightly understand the emotions of the seemingly calm and composed old man.
For some reason, this time the Bronze Cauldron showed no ripples at all.
It seemed that within the same realm, the same Dharma Form could only accumulate the Jade Liquid once.
Like a progress bar, it was already full before entering the realm.
Today, the yellow rice porridge was infused with calming and soothing herbs, warm in nature, providing a gentle supplement. Li Guanyi felt a gradual soothing sensation throughout his limbs and bones, and his spirit also relaxed. After finishing a hearty meal, the old man had the dishes cleared away and brewed tea.
"Any kind of killing or fighting will inevitably cause harm to the body."
"It will severely deplete one's essence. Therefore, those who have fought a hundred battles, if they do not understand how to care for themselves, often have short lives and suffer from many ailments. Ginseng tea is the best for replenishing qi and calming the spirit."
Li Guanyi was eager to act, but the old man was leisurely.
He let Li Guanyi eat and drink tea first, deflating the urgency, while he himself remained unhurried, taking the initiative and appearing calm. Li Guanyi managed to keep his composure, simply drinking tea. While the old man brewed tea, he took out a Go board and smiled, asking, "Do you know how to play Go?"
Li Guanyi recalled the fierce matches with his aunt and nodded, "I know a little."
"But I'm quite poor at it."
Xue Daoyong laughed heartily, "It's just a game of Go, nothing to worry about regarding winning or losing."
"Come, come, come, Shuangtao and Changqing don't like to play, and this old man is often quite bored, so I can only entertain myself."
He eagerly set up the Go board, picked up the white stones, and while playing, finally asked:
"The guest came to find me, it must be for something, right?"
The old man casually placed a stone on the board and asked, "So, what do you not want?"
He did not ask what you wanted, but directly inquired about what you did not want.
It revealed his seasoned nature.
Li Guanyi placed a black stone on the board and said, "I do not want trouble."
The old man burst into laughter:
"Hahaha, trouble, indeed, a big trouble. They say the defeated troops are bandits, but defeated troops do not carry military tokens. This is likely due to issues at the border leading to a mutiny. After leaving the army, they turned against the common people, naturally deserving of death, but those with insight can see the hidden dangers of the border troops."
"The higher-ups do not want people to know these things."
Li Guanyi said, "So, instead of solving the hidden dangers, they prefer to prevent the dangers and problems from being known?"
The old man said lightly, "Thus, in the emperor's eyes, it is once again a time of peace and prosperity."
Li Guanyi picked up a stone and said, "Aren't you worried about the problem getting bigger?"
The old man replied calmly, "Getting bigger?"
"Even Marshal Yue has been recalled from the border, what else do they have to worry about? There is no one in the border who can subdue those fierce soldiers, nor anyone who can defeat the famous generals of the Ying Kingdom. Chaos is certain. If ordinary people kill these defeated soldiers, it would mean they know this information and will be silenced."
"Just don't know if it will be with money or something else."
Li Guanyi quietly continued playing Go: "So, I came to find you."
The old man smiled: "Are you so sure that I can help you?"
"You do not want trouble, so you also do not want a reward?"
"In fact, the Xue family can allow you to receive this reward without worrying about future troubles."
His intention was to pressure the young man with words.
Li Guanyi merely pointed to his Su Ni Bow and said, "Su Ni Bow, made of zhi wood for the bow body, rhino horn for the tips, crocodile dragon tendons, mixed with South Sea shark glue, worth one thousand five hundred and thirty guan, given by the young lady."
He then pointed to the sword: "Three hundred forged heavy sword, dark-patterned wood inlaid with brass scabbard, worth one hundred guan."
He straightened his back slightly:
"Given by the young lady."
Implying that he did not need to care too much about the one hundred taels of silver reward.
The old man chuckled.
Cursing, "Old man’s words, yet bound by the matters of young children."
Little granddaughter, you’ve trapped me!
Xue Daoyong shook his head and smiled, "Forget it, forget it, really..."
"I understand now, your traces of killing and news, I will seal them for you. As for that one hundred taels of silver, I will pay it myself. However, the bounty and fame that come to your door should not be accepted. It seems outrageous to ordinary people, but it is normal for you."
The old man sat cross-legged, resting his chin on his left hand, elbow propped against his left knee.
His right hand picked up a white stone and placed it on the board with a click, slightly raising his gaze to look at Li Guanyi, smiling:
"After all, having fled for ten years, you have finally arrived here."
"Just a step away from leaving the border, of course, you do not wish for any unexpected events to occur, do you? If I were you, I would choose the same."
The wind passed over the lotus pond, creating ripples on the surface.
The greatest secret was revealed in one breath!
Li Guanyi's heart thumped violently. He raised his head to look at the old man before him, who was looking at him with a half-smile. The White Tiger Dharma Form lay quietly, its eyes showing no malice. The old man's moves and words at this moment were sharp and direct, seemingly aiming to pierce through the defenses of the young man’s heart.
The young man felt at ease.
His back straightened, he picked up a black stone and continued to play, his gaze fixed on the old man:
"Truly worthy of the Xue family elder who controls the world with Go."
"Your intelligence network seems to be even more formidable than the Tiqi of the Chen Kingdom."
The old man's smile slightly faded.
The young man opposite also played with sharpness, just like his words.
But he did not dislike it.
Instead, he felt a growing admiration.
A person who relies solely on brute force is merely a reckless man. The world is not short of heroes who can stir up chaos, but true heroes are those with both wisdom and strength. Many possess high martial prowess, but only those with wisdom are the ones he wishes to stake heavily upon. The old man smiled:
"I am just curious, Guanyi, what crime have you committed to be pursued for so long?"
"As for intelligence, hahaha, you can be considered part of my family. I just hope to know if the guest in my home is trustworthy; is that not human nature?"
Li Guanyi picked up a stone.
Five stones.
He quickly placed them on the board.
With each stone he placed, he softly spoke a name:
"Chen Kingdom, Ying Kingdom."
"Tuyuhun."
"Turkic."
"Party Xiang."
He did not say much; these were what he had glimpsed of the Xue family's commerce, also an open secret. The old man laughed heartily: "Hahaha, merchants pursue profit. Selling our Chen Kingdom's goods to the Party Xiang people can yield tenfold profits; how could one give that up? Truly childish."
Li Guanyi retracted his hand, sitting quietly, delivering the final blow:
"But now the common people are saying that the Xue family is merciful, while the taxes of the Chen Kingdom's emperor are heavy."
The smile on the old man's face immediately vanished, his gaze fixed on Li Guanyi. The enormous White Tiger beside him stood up, its fur bristling, brows furrowed, forming a vague character, baring its fangs at Li Guanyi, but without any intent to kill.
Li Guanyi remained unafraid, his gaze passing through the White Tiger Dharma Form and landing on the old man, softly saying:
"Merchants pursue profit."
"Yet small merchants scheme for profit."
"Large merchants scheme for the nation!"
Xue Daoyong's gaze paused slightly, as his thoughts were articulated by another. He bore no killing intent, only a sense of astonishment and appreciation for talent. This was also the information Li Guanyi had gleaned from the White Tiger. The old man's smile faded slightly, as he leaned back, the young man's back straight.
The wind rose, and the ripples on the lotus pond continued to undulate.
The two played against each other, and at this moment, the Listening Wind Pavilion was also a Go board, with words as the stones.
Xue Daoyong sighed, half-smiling, and said:
"Then, young sir, do you think I am scheming for profit or for the nation?"
Li Guanyi shifted his gaze from the now quiet White Tiger Dharma Form and said:
"I also want to ask Elder Xue."
Li Guanyi straightened his back, his black hair slightly raised at the temples: "Small merchants scheme for profit, large merchants scheme for the nation."
"Do you wish to scheme for the world?"
"Or scheme for the peace of the ages?"
Scheme for the world, scheme for the peace of the ages!
When the old man thought Li Guanyi would say he was scheming for the nation, these two sentences struck like a giant stone at the bottom of the old man's heart, breaking his expectations and causing waves to surge within him. The old man felt a surge of youthful fervor, momentarily experiencing a rush of blood. He looked at the calm young man and suddenly laughed heartily:
"Hahaha, good, good, good! It seems I misjudged you!"
"Such a person as you, both literate and martial, ruthless and decisive."
"I once said you were a good assistant, but I was wrong."
"Someone like you is like a dragon trapped in a well; when chaos arrives, you are the talent for the king's advisor!"
"Too bad I didn't meet you a hundred years earlier."
The previous old servant had already rushed back quickly, leaning close to the old man. Xue Daoyong asked:
"When did those people die?"
The old servant replied, "At the end of the ugly hour."
That was precisely the time when the Breaking Cloud Thunder Bow let out a long howl.
Xue Daoyong believed even more in the words of the corpse.
It matched up, as the young man unleashed a massacre, the White Tiger Seven Constellations rose from the west to the zenith.
When the arrows pierced the bandits' necks, blood gushed forth, and thus the Breaking Cloud Thunder Bow unwillingly howled.
Everything matched up.
The person before him was precisely the White Tiger Clan, which had returned to this chaotic world after five hundred years, the celestial being who commands weapons and warfare, the star god of war. The old man sighed inwardly, looking at the young man who was both literate and martial, finally making a decision, smiling slightly:
"Then, regarding your earlier question about the reward, I have another proposal."
Li Guanyi was puzzled.
His goal had already been achieved.
Xue Daoyong spoke slowly: "I happen to have a blank household registration for a Ninth-Rank Martial Scatter Officer, with rank but no post, available for dispatch, responsible for pursuing fugitives."
"The Xue family can give you a blank identity, a Ninth-Rank Martial Scatter Officer."
Li Guanyi was about to refuse.
The old man said lightly: "With rank, you can carry a gun, wear a crossbow."
"And—"
"Don armor."
The young man's voice froze.
This was a heavy stake!
The old man smiled and stood up, making way for a spot, pointing to the divine weapon quietly resting on the black sandalwood rack behind him:
"Additionally, how about trying out this bow?"
(End of Chapter)