The secluded spring of the water gorge parted under the power of starlight. Li Guanyi's clothes remained dry as he smoothly arrived within the secret realm. The Yao Guang awakened the true form of the secret realm with the strength of the Eastern Land Stargazing Sect, and the starlight flowed like swimming fish, transforming within the cave.
Eventually, it coalesced into a figure standing with hands clasped behind his back, slightly turning.
It was General Xue.
Yao Guang had gone to another place, learning from the legacy left by Yao Guang five hundred years ago.
He raised his gaze to look at Li Guanyi and said lightly, "You have entered the realm, and Yao Guang of the Eastern Land Stargazing Sect is present. It seems you have come here to receive the true power of this secret realm. Such power is prepared for chaotic times. Is the world once again in turmoil?"
Li Guanyi shook his head. "I do not know."
General Xue smiled slightly and said, "You carry the brilliance of the stars; that is an aura that can only be released during large-scale wars. I fear that at this moment, a nation's fate is beginning to decline because of you."
Li Guanyi replied, "It is not me."
"There are others who bear the power of the White Tiger's Seven Lodges."
General Xue chuckled and said, "I understand the White Tiger's Seven Lodges better than you. The celestial constellations are like water; they do not interfere with the changes of the mortal realm. Instead, the changes in the mortal realm are reflected in the water. Since the starlight has fallen upon you, it signifies that in this war, you have undoubtedly exerted tremendous power."
"How old are you?"
Li Guanyi answered, "Almost fourteen."
General Xue raised an eyebrow and smiled, "At fourteen, you are already capable of influencing the great wars of the world. Regardless of how significant your role was, perhaps just a part, it is enough to be proud of. When I first led three thousand iron cavalry to break through the Earth Kingdom, I was only three years older than you."
Li Guanyi's eyelids twitched.
He had merely written a letter; the one who executed it was the powerful one.
But General Xue had truly taken up arms and done similar things.
The ancient divine general said lightly, "With the fortune of the White Tiger manifesting in the world and disciples of the Eastern Land Stargazing Sect appearing, this must be a sign of chaotic times. In my era, I left behind some gifts for you. I was just a bit confused at that time, pondering what would be most useful to leave behind."
"Leaving behind vast wealth may not preserve it for long."
"Leaving behind unparalleled martial arts and divine weapons might instead lead to the family's decline."
"The time is too long; from prosperous times to chaotic times, anything can happen in such a lengthy period. Whether it is vast wealth or unparalleled divine weapons, they can only exert their effects when encountered by the right person."
"What is most important for such people?"
"I thought for a long time and finally found the answer."
General Xue looked at Li Guanyi and smiled, asking, "What do you think is important for pacifying chaotic times?"
Li Guanyi pondered for a moment and replied, "Money?"
General Xue looked at Li Guanyi and burst into laughter. "I thought the later generations would be martial fanatics."
"But you are a money-obsessed one."
"Is the Xue family in decline?"
Li Guanyi said, "I have said before, I am not a member of the Xue family."
General Xue smiled and said, "What did you say?"
"Apologies, I have been dead for about several hundred years, my hearing is not very good, and I can't quite hear clearly."
Li Guanyi fell silent.
He thought for a moment, a sincere smile appearing on his face, and praised, "Old man!"
General Xue raised his hand.
A war spear appeared in the void, grasped it in reverse, and slammed it down on Li Guanyi's head. This spear was forged from gathered starlight, making a loud sound but not much force. As it struck, the light of the stars scattered, and the young man covered his forehead, grinning in pain.
"Can you hear clearly now?"
General Xue said leisurely, "I don't know why, but my ears suddenly cleared up."
"Although you are a bit money-obsessed, what you said is correct. Even a divine general, clad in precious armor and wielding divine weapons, charging forth with an imposing aura, requires substantial financial and national strength to support a war. People eat and horses chew; this is needless to say."
"Armor, weapons, and soldiers' wages."
"Steel, minerals, and various herbs."
"The wear and tear of armor, compensation for the dead and injured—all these require vast amounts of money. No matter how great the hero or how grand the ambition, without this support, it is like a fire that will eventually burn out, leaving only pale ashes behind."
"I do not know how many years it has been in your era. Over three hundred years before my time, the world was also in chaos. At that time, the emperor bearing the Red Dragon Dharma Image rose from obscurity. He slayed the White Serpent and then rebelled, gaining the support of the Qingqiu Clan and marrying the daughter of a prominent family."
"He wielded the most fitting weapon for the Red Dragon Dharma Image, the Chixiao, leading a group of commoners."
"And then went to conquer the world."
"At that time, he simply did not want to send his subordinates to the court. After thinking it over, one day he drank, got carried away, and decided to rebel, leading a group of ruffians through the chaotic world, living a life of feasting and drinking, with no thought for tomorrow."
"No one thought he would ultimately win, not even he himself."
"His opponent was the White Tiger Grand Sect of that generation."
Li Guanyi was taken aback, and General Xue continued, "The Azure Dragon and the White Tiger belong to the East and West, respectively."
"The heart lodge of the Azure Dragon is the Shang Lodge, while the fifth lodge of the White Tiger is the Shen Lodge."
"These two stars are the brightest in the sky, one in the West and one in the East."
"The starry sky rotates like a circle."
"When one rises, the other falls; thus, the Shen and Shang never meet, kings do not see kings. But in that chaotic era, the White Tiger and Azure Dragon appeared simultaneously in the absurd world, and the Xuanwu Grand Sect reincarnated with the strongest military strategy, becoming the most powerful commander."
"Every generation of the White Tiger Grand Sect is the same, capable of single-handedly breaking the army at a young age."
"The Tiger Roar Heaven, the Fierce Tiger Roar Spear in my hand, was forged by the Grand Sect of that generation."
"At that time, the White Tiger Grand Sect wielded the war spear, sweeping across the entire era. Looking around, no one was his opponent, and no one could withstand a strike from him without dying—only the renowned generals of the world could match him, perhaps even stronger than I."
"His horse's hooves trampled across the world, igniting flames, with countless white bones on either side."
"He occupied the world with tyranny, wantonly displaying his brilliance. But in the end, the White Tiger Grand Sect fell, and the Seven Lodges of the Azure Dragon rose, thereafter, the red fire and dragon became the true orthodoxy of the world, and the Tian Shu Star that assisted the Azure Dragon Grand Sect also departed."
Five hundred years ago, General Xue of the White Tiger Grand Sect quietly recounted the past, softly saying, "In fact, at the very end, the White Tiger Grand Sect still had the strength to fight. Even though the Xuanwu stood under the banner of the Azure Dragon, and even though three of the Four Symbols Grand Sects were enemies, the White Tiger still had the courage to tear apart this world and the fury of its final roar."
"But before that, two things happened."
"All the disciples who rose with him have died; they were his clan, his brothers, and they shared the same blood. His heroic spirit had long since faded; and on that day before, his Yao Guang had died."
"The assassin of the Ink Masters, the giant of that generation, exhausted all efforts to accomplish this great feat."
General Xue smiled and said, "The White Tiger Grand Sect still had the courage to fight."
"He sat alone for an entire night, then laughed heartily, abandoning the possibility of a comeback, for those disciples who once shared dreams with him were no longer there. The Yao Guang who appeared before him in his humble beginnings, claiming he was destined, had died in his embrace. Seizing the world lost its meaning."
"A hegemon should have a hegemon's way of dying. To leave in disgrace and attempt a comeback is the path of a lonely emperor, while the strongest divine general of the world should die on a grand battlefield, one that has not been seen in a thousand years, like a blazing fire."
"This is not a choice for a monarch, but the realization of a hegemon. He chose to complete his life in the end, fighting alone against all the heroes of the world. When his steed fell in battle, he used his war spear; when even the spear was knocked away, he fought with his sword."
"In the end, he took his own life."
"But he also became a nightmare that the Red Emperor would not forget for over a hundred years."
"But he did not lack choices; he chose to face it head-on."
"He still had the resources for a comeback. His subordinates prepared armor, weapons, and enough gold and silver to ignite the flames of chaos. These things quietly remained in a secret realm, protected by the starlight gathered by the Eastern Land Stargazing Sect."
"Even if a thousand years or two thousand years pass, they can continue to fight."
"That is the power left behind by past hegemons, enough to stir the forces of chaos."
"And the key to opening it is our White Tiger fate, as well as that spear, which once dominated the era without defeat. I have already found the location of that secret realm, and this is what I can hand over to you, something that can change the chaotic times."
What General Xue spoke of was the legacy left by the hegemon who once instilled fear in the Red Emperor, capable of igniting the flames of chaos—sharp weapons, sturdy armor, and enough gold and silver to raise an entire army.
In the current world, hoarding armor is a serious crime, punishable by death.
If one were to hide an entire army's worth of battle armor, that would make them a lord.
These items, found at the right moment, could quickly raise an armored army. If the elite were led by the White Tiger Grand Sect wielding a war spear, it would be a force capable of stirring the world in any era.
General Xue said, "This can end the chaotic times or ignite them."
"Those without the capacity and ability will find it a dead end to obtain the treasures of this secret realm. Therefore, I must have you prove that you have the qualifications to end this chaos. Your martial skills and strategies must surpass mine before I will tell you where that secret realm is."
He smiled slightly, his face filled with joy. Li Guanyi thought for a moment and said, "I see."
"Then I don't want it."
He had thought it was some divine weapon inheritance.
General Xue's smile slightly stiffened.
"Mm?"
Then he understood.
This kid...
For the current Li Guanyi, the world and chaos felt too distant. No hero heading toward chaos ever saw their endpoint from the start. Those who stood at the highest point throughout history, when they looked back, had already drifted far from their youthful selves.
The Red Emperor initially only thought of feasting and drinking with his brothers, with a beautiful wife at home.
The White Tiger Grand Sect, who invited the world's heroes to battle with his own strength, was once just an unappreciated youth from a prominent family, who encountered Yao Guang while cultivating alone.
The chaotic world always sweeps up everyone's fate, pushing them toward paths of mutual slaughter. General Xue understood this. He smiled and said softly, "Good, do you wish to gain the power to protect yourself?"
"You don't want to stir up chaos, but at least you want to keep yourself safe in this era, right?"
"You don't think that just having entered the realm can protect yourself and your family, do you?"
"Having just entered for about ten days, you at least need to forge your body to be somewhat..."
Li Guanyi's fists collided, and his qi surged.
"I have forged my body."
General Xue: "…………"
"Then at least you have divine skills, for example, my Xue family's Jade Arm Divine Bow Technique, you..."
Li Guanyi's arms surged with qi, radiating a jade-like quality.
"I have mastered it."
General Xue remained silent for a while. He raised his eyebrows and said, "You brat, did you even dismantle the stove in front of my tablet?"
Li Guanyi coughed and replied, "Great kindness."
General Xue laughed heartily and said, "Alright, since you don't want that, I have a complete set of martial artist cultivation techniques that will ensure no one can bully you. Do you want it?"
Li Guanyi nodded, and a shadow flashed before his eyes as General Xue's war spear came crashing down, laughing:
"Then come and fight!"
………………
Li Guanyi slumped in front of the stone, sunlight already shining on his face.
He had been thoroughly beaten by General Xue, and Yao Guang brought him back. Looking at the young man, she asked, "Are you alright?"
Li Guanyi murmured, "Not very well..."
The sky gradually brightened, and Li Guanyi sat up, saying, "I have to go back. If I don't return after a night, something will happen." He rode away, and Yao Guang watched him depart, turning back to find a cold, hard steamed bun on the stone.
It was the one Li Guanyi had pulled from her mouth yesterday.
After a night, the cold, hard bun had been moistened by the night dew, becoming soft.
The girl picked it up.
"It can still be eaten."
She was reluctant to part with the honey on top.
She did not throw away the bun that had touched the ground.
Reaching out, she brushed off the dust beneath the bun.
She lit a campfire, roasted it again, and sat quietly in front of the fire, her expression calm, then held it in both hands to take small bites.
She heard the sound of hooves again.
The young man returned, sitting down in front of the campfire, reaching out to grab the bun.
He tugged.
It took two tugs before he pulled it down.
Yao Guang's face still showed no emotional fluctuations, but her brows slightly raised, her eyes widened as she looked at Li Guanyi. When the bun was pulled down, her tone was calm, but she finally changed her long-standing form of address, saying:
"You!"
Then the young man raised his hand and stuffed something into her mouth.
Soft, sweet, with the fragrance of osmanthus.
The girl's slightly raised brows relaxed, and the boy in the dark blue round-collared robe, wearing a horned belt, smiled proudly as he pulled out a paper bag from his bosom, laying it on the ground. When he opened it, there were various snacks inside, and with a proud expression, he asked:
"Which one do you like?"
He had gone to the nearest town and bought them.
Yao Guang looked at the snacks and averted her gaze.
With a calm expression, she said, "You need not go to such lengths."
"The Stargazing Sect has always been simple in food and clothing."
Li Guanyi smiled and asked, "Are they delicious?"
Yao Guang placed her hands in front of her, kneeling quietly, saying:
"The Stargazing Sect has always been simple in food and clothing."
Li Guanyi ignored her words, sitting cross-legged there, pointing at the snacks with interest, introducing what they were to Yao Guang. The silver-haired girl sat quietly, the water gorge, the slightly damp rocks and cliffs, the young hero and the beauty.
Later, after a long time, Li Guanyi thought about why he suddenly became close to Yao Guang.
It was not for any other reason.
Just because of her words that day.
Sometimes, Li Guanyi would suddenly think.
He ultimately came from another world, awakening memories and wisdom from the狸奴儿, even keeping such secrets from his aunt.
Fleeing for ten years, carrying secrets.
And in the chaotic world.
There was a person who, on this day, told him that even if there were other White Tiger Grand Sects and other choices, she would not choose to leave. In that moment, Li Guanyi suddenly realized that among the countless stars and everything in the mortal realm, there was finally an existence that would always choose him, that would always belong to him.
This was special.
Li Guanyi left the water gorge and returned to the Xue family, arriving at his courtyard.
Suddenly, he paused, sighed.
Wondering if something might grow out of his corner.
He turned around and saw a white-haired head popping up over the wall.
"Si Ming."
(End of Chapter)