It was outside the Taihe Hall that the eunuch first noticed something unusual.
As the stars rose high in the sky, he dozed off against the red pillar outside the Taihe Hall, only to be awakened by an astonishing chill that made his hair stand on end. Then he heard the high-pitched sound of swords, and the sword qi, like frost and snow, filled the entire palace.
The thirty-year-old emperor hurriedly arrived here, listening to the sound of his ancestors' swords with joy.
Three hundred years ago, on the eve of great chaos, the emperor of that generation could still wield a sword, commanding chariots and armies to fight against the heroes of the world. He was a tyrant, but not foolish; he still had the courage to wield a sword. However, he died in the chaos of battle, and the world was divided.
Among the initial alliance that overturned the peaceful world were the founding monarch of the Liang Kingdom, the original overlord of the Tuyuhun, the star-gazers of the Eastern Land's Star Observation School, and the young heroes of the various schools of thought. They placed their noble families above the common people, causing the citizens to weep blood as the already decaying nation was torn apart, yearning to recreate clarity.
Yet, even so, none of them could lift this sword.
In the end, they could only seal the Chidi Sword with a red rope stained with the blood of that great emperor.
Rumors spread like wildfire.
When the Chixiao Sword was drawn again, all the past traitors would be held accountable, and under the sword's edge, the blood of the heroes would flow. Since three hundred years ago, no one had been able to wield this sword, and this legend had gradually faded.
The expression on the great emperor's face was fervent as he prayed to his ancestors and then reached out to grasp the sword hilt.
The sword sang coldly.
However, when the great emperor grasped the sword, he only felt a sharp pain in his palm. Instinctively, he flung his hand away, revealing a sharp sword scar in his palm, blood flowing continuously. Thus, the fervor on his face became stagnant as he stared intently at the Chixiao Sword before him.
The Chixiao Sword rejected him.
The eunuch clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, should we inform the six palace masters of the Academy?"
The great emperor took a deep breath and said, "No need. I will tell them myself."
"You discovered the anomaly of this sword today; there will be a reward."
The eunuch's face lit up with joy, and the next moment, his head separated from his body.
The great emperor was enveloped in the red divine dragon qi, holding his matching sword, gazing at the tranquil Chixiao Sword. The eunuch kneeling beside him still held his own head with both hands, a look of ecstatic joy on his face, as if he were still thinking about sending money back to his parents.
The great emperor clenched his fist, staring at the sword, his teeth gritting with a blood-like sound:
"Chixiao..."
"Are you not the sword of my ancestors? Is there anyone in this world, besides me, who can match your majesty?!"
"Do you not wish to slay those traitors and scoundrels?!"
The Academy of the world was established by the second emperor to wield this sword after the Chidi.
Each generation selects the six strongest from the various schools to assist the emperor in both civil and military affairs.
But the great emperor knew very well that what they recognized was the common people of the world, not their family.
The original heroes gathered under the banner of the Chidi, recognizing that unparalleled hero of the grasslands.
If the Chixiao Sword showed signs of change and he could not lift it...
The six masters of the Academy would remain here, but the thirty-six sages and seventy-two elites within the Academy would scatter like stars across the sky. The Academy lay dormant, yet it was filled with strategists like clouds and fierce generals like rain; the world would truly undergo a great change.
The emperor gritted his teeth, blood seeping from his jaws:
"It has been eight hundred years. The era of my ancestors was eight hundred years ago. If a generation is twenty years, that is forty generations. Even if the virtue of a gentleman lasts three generations, the vast majority are commoners. Yet, there are too many who share even a trace of bloodline with my ancestor, the Chidi."
"Chixiao, do you recognize anyone with even a trace of this bloodline?"
"Or is it..."
"Has someone like my ancestor, the Chidi, appeared in this world?"
"So, do you think he has returned?"
"Why is that hero not me?"
"Why do you not help me?"
The great emperor, the only one left in the region of Zhongzhou, staggered as he sat here. Before him, the Chixiao Sword, which shook the world every time it was drawn, simply lay quietly there.
Meanwhile, far away in Jiangnan, in the capital of the Chen Kingdom, someone looked up and saw the majestic wind in the sky.
"...The法相 of the Qingluan Bird? Reflected starlight."
"...That damned bastard!"
"The calamity star that disrupts the world should be cut into a thousand pieces, that mud-legged bastard!"
"How can he still be alive?!"
...
Li Guanyi composed himself, watching the water flow by outside, slowly calming down. He then squatted by the water's edge to wash his face, looking at his reflection on the water's surface. He reached out to pat his face before returning to find his aunt.
He had already manifested the异变 of the Qingluan Bird法相.
Although the Qingluan Bird and Xuan Gui did not have corresponding功体 and divine abilities, the法相 itself had characteristics. For example, Xuan Gui could seek opportunities, while the Qingluan Bird represented the cycle of life. Murong Qiushui did not pay much attention, merely listening to the boy say he would heal her injuries, teasing him a bit before extending her hand to him.
Murong Qiushui joked:
"Li Nuer, every day healing your aunt's injuries, are you this concerned about me?"
Li Guanyi placed his palm on Murong Qiushui's wrist.
His gaze slightly lowered, the Four Symbols功体 circulated, following Master Zhu's guidance in the Huangji Jing Shi Shu. The White Tiger and Red Dragon法相 flowed and transformed, the red flames turning into a blue long wind. Li Guanyi's black hair at his temples slightly lifted, and behind him, the Qingluan Bird, much stronger than the other法相, appeared.
The inner qi refined by the法 of the Taiping Duke could accommodate all different kinds of power.
Thus, the originally inclusive and steady inner qi now contained strands of vitality. Murong Qiushui felt a familiar sensation flowing into her meridians. She was momentarily taken aback; that feeling of vitality spreading through her meridians was both familiar and strange.
This is...
She looked at Li Guanyi, the Jiangnan wind brushing past the boy's temples. He had a beauty mark at the corner of his eye, dispelling the ominous aura. Murong Qiushui was dazed, as if she saw a gentle beauty with a beauty mark at the corner of her eye, sitting there reading, holding her wrist, healing the scratches caused by her mischief.
In her daze, the image vanished.
She had already reached the age she was back then, and her son was just like her back then.
Murong Qiushui was lost in thought, softly saying, "Qingluan Bird..."
"You..."
Li Guanyi looked at her and replied, "I remember."
"My mother's matters."
Murong Qiushui pursed her lips. Li Guanyi did not say anything further, only smiled. He did not speak of hatred or anger, only softly said:
"Just as you said, Aunt, my mother is truly beautiful."
Murong Qiushui slightly lowered her gaze, saying nothing.
As the qi flowed, one could faintly see the Qingluan Bird flapping its wings, circling around. Li Guanyi's inner qi did not scatter like last time; he could sense that although his aunt's body was weak, she was healthy and had no serious ailments.
Her breath was also long.
If the essence was not a problem...
Then the source of the illness could only be in one place.
The Qingluan Bird's法相 flowed, and the bronze cauldron suddenly hummed. The法相 landed on Li Guanyi, and the powers of the Red Dragon and White Tiger were layered upon the Qingluan Bird using the methods from the Huangji Jing Shi Shu. Then the法相 sensed Murong Qiushui's divine essence.
Li Guanyi's eyes were filled with misty qi.
It was the eye technique that came with the bronze cauldron.
He glimpsed Murong Qiushui's元神, seeing a beautifully magnificent bird, its entire body covered in red-gold feathers, similar to the Qingluan Bird on him, yet different, more resplendent. That was the法相 possessed only by those who understood music and were among the top scholars in the world.
It was a Phoenix.
That represented Murong Qiushui's元神.
Yet now, Murong Qiushui's元神法相 was bound by chains, and the divine bird could not manifest outward, making it difficult to maintain its own existence.
Murong Qiushui's法相 was sealed.
This was the true hidden injury. In such a situation, using法相 and琴音 would harm the root itself. Thus, when she taught Li Guanyi琴音 before, she suddenly coughed violently; it should have been due to her元神 being sealed and backfiring.
Li Guanyi looked at his aunt, wanting to ask how this injury came about.
But the boy opened his mouth but did not ask.
If his aunt could resolve this元神 injury, she would have done so long ago.
What use would it be to ask now, except to make his aunt worry more about him acting recklessly?
Li Guanyi retracted his inquiry, only saying as usual:
"Aunt, your body has no illness."
"You're quite healthy; you were just playing with me, weren't you?"
Murong Qiushui feigned a laugh, "Ah, you found me out, Li Nuer."
Li Guanyi half-kneeled beside Murong Qiushui, placing her hand back. The boy lowered his gaze, holding a warm smile, softly saying, "Aunt, you're in good health; you will definitely live a long life, free from worries."
Murong Qiushui reached out to ruffle Li Guanyi's hair, softly saying, "I don't know much about your parents' final fate and the events; that night was too chaotic. I don't understand why it was just a banquet, yet it ended that way."
"Why did your father, who was so formidable on the battlefield, fall in the peaceful palace?"
Li Guanyi felt a surge of killing intent swirling within him, calmly saying, "Was it the emperor?"
Murong Qiushui shook her head, "I don't know."
"I can only guess it was someone from the royal family. I was only seventeen that night. Before that night, I was proud and thought all the scholars in the world were just insignificant. Yet in the end, I could only leave the imperial city with your help. Too much happened in the capital."
"I don't even know if the emperor was the one who should die that day; it just happened that your parents were caught up in it."
"I don't know whether the main forces involved were the noble families, the royal family, or even other countries intervening."
Murong Qiushui gently pressed her palm against Li Guanyi's hand, saying, "Guanyi, you must go to the capital."
Li Guanyi nodded.
"The emperor has ordered that leaving at this time would be more conspicuous."
"The cavalry of the Chen Kingdom will investigate thoroughly."
Li Guanyi had no choice in this matter.
Murong Qiushui gently rubbed the beauty mark at the corner of the boy's eye, which resembled that of the woman from years ago, softly saying, "Even so, you must promise your aunt one thing, Li Nuer."
"Do not act rashly; do not do anything reckless, alright?"
Li Guanyi looked at her, exhaling slowly, "Mm."
"I certainly won't take risks."
Murong Qiushui thought for a moment and said, "If you really encounter danger, you must go to the palace to find someone. Even if your identity is completely exposed, that person can take you out of the palace and ensure your safety."
"Who is it?"
Murong Qiushui slightly closed her eyes, seemingly recalling that once arrogant woman in red, softly saying:
"Chen Qingyan."
"The eldest princess of the Chen Kingdom."
...
Li Guanyi walked through the training ground with his battle spear. The once heavy spear felt lighter in his hands at this moment. He practiced the techniques of the spear, seemingly wanting to vent all the frustrations in his heart. The spear's brilliance grew stronger, and the sound of it cutting through the air was like a whirlwind howling.
He needed to go to Jiangzhou City to find the elder Zuwen Yuan and fully learn the Huangji Jing Shi Shu.
Just a part of it allowed Li Guanyi's Four Symbols功体 to maintain balance.
If he truly learned it...
Could he rotate the White Tiger with his left hand and the Red Dragon with his right, or gather the powers of the Four Symbols into one strike? At that time, the White Tiger would break armor, the Red Dragon would attack the enemy, the Qingluan would stop life, and the Xuan Gui would reverse bloodlines. In one strike, the fourfold heavens would erupt, a state stronger than the internal energies of Juan Tao and Cuishan!
Then he would go beat General Xue.
This time, he must write a正字 on his head!
And he also needed to find the Si Ming.
The old man was the one Li Guanyi met who understood法相 the most.
He could see法相 with his own eyes, and for his aunt's illness, he should know how to resolve it.
At this moment, Li Guanyi felt slightly better because he had always been anxious about his aunt's illness, not knowing the reason. Now that he knew the root of the illness and had the old man Si Ming around, there was great hope for a solution, which allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.
It was just a pity that Si Ming had sent Master Zhu back to the Chen Kingdom for a grand ceremony.
Otherwise, Li Guanyi would want to grab the old man directly.
To serve him good wine and meat to heal his aunt's injuries.
There were also the origins of the poison, his parents' past, and the events from ten years ago. Li Guanyi felt that the past was a fog; the closer he got, the more questions arose, obscuring the truth and making it hard to see clearly.
But only in this way was he truly approaching the truth of the problem.
He did not plan to act recklessly, but since going to Jiangzhou was unavoidable, it was reasonable to gather some intelligence while ensuring safety. Jiangzhou City had archives, a place where officials sat idly, and Li Guanyi planned to review the public records after entering Jiangzhou.
Historical books and records often had different interpretations of the same events.
This was the obscured matter; relying on different records, he could likely piece together some useful information, and there was also that eldest princess...
Why did his aunt believe she was reliable?
Li Guanyi was puzzled, his palm moved, and the moves he could not perform in the past were now completed with a golden body and jade bones posture. The spear's handle could not withstand this force and snapped with a crack, falling to the ground. Li Guanyi bent down to pick up the wooden handle of the spear.
His body relaxed, feeling his muscles strong and blood surging like a dragon.
Under the golden body and jade bones, even the most refined weapons could not break through his defenses.
And among martial artists of the same realm, whether in strength or defense, none could match him. He could dominate his peers with sheer strength. The power of the Qingluan Bird法相 complemented the recovery of the golden body and jade bones, making him extremely strong physically.
He had even broken the spear.
"This thing, the old man should reimburse me for, right..."
Li Guanyi set down the spear, his desire for power growing stronger. Even knowing the truth, without power, it was meaningless. The anger of that time was merely a joke. Li Guanyi originally wanted to conceal his cultivation for a while before seeking further techniques.
After all, he had opened his meridians just a few days after forging his body; he was afraid of scaring the old man.
He needed to hide his strength.
But at this moment, Li Guanyi suddenly recalled the old man's words.
Hide his strength?
"Hide my ass!"
Extraordinary people do extraordinary things!
Li Guanyi went to the Listening Wind Pavilion, where the old man was drinking tea and flipping through scrolls. Seeing Li Guanyi arrive, he invited him to eat, but Li Guanyi did not move, only saying, "Old Xue."
Xue Daoyong raised his head, "Hmm?"
Li Guanyi said, "I have broken through."
The old man's body stiffened, and he quickly moved to Li Guanyi's side, saying, "You, have condensed your qi?!"
The old man's tone changed, as if he had seen a ghost.
Then he comforted himself, forcing a smile, "It seems your inner qi was already quite refined, so you progressed quickly."
Li Guanyi shook his head, "No."
Xue Daoyong breathed a sigh of relief, "Was it the Shattered Jade Fist that broke through?"
The boy's qi burst forth, appearing simultaneously from his shoulders, back, and wrists. The inner qi flowed and circulated, transforming into a fierce tiger, crouching behind him. Li Guanyi raised his hand, the suppressed pressure, anger, and thirst for truth transforming into four simple words.
"I have opened my meridians."
Thus, the White Tiger pressed its claws beside him.
The old man's expression gradually solidified.
"Hmm???"
(End of Chapter)