Chapter 30 Master Visits
The White Tiger howled ceaselessly, but Xue Daoyong intercepted the sound with his enormous Qi Mechanism. Outside the Wind Listening Pavilion, everything remained calm and tranquil, yet there were subtle changes, too minute to stop.
Now, in the springtime of March, the White Tiger Seven Stars span across the vast western night sky, with the Can Su star, composing part of the White Tiger Seven Stars, being one of the brightest in the entire heavens, clearly visible to anyone who looked up.
"The light of the White Tiger Seven Stars has suddenly increased by one star's brightness,"
a young voice said, filled with surprise and a light-hearted curiosity.
The "star's brightness" he referred to was the faintest starlight visible to the naked eye in a clear night sky. The speaker was a person wearing a hood, not tall, showing a snow-white chin, with an indeterminate face, either a handsome youth or a spirited girl.
One could only be sure it was a young person.
Those who observed the heavenly secrets always had their differences.
The heavenly secrets and the laws of the world seemed somewhat blurred on them.
It was both a gift and a price to pay.
The person looked up, holding a disc polished from high-purity East Sea crystal, an invention of the Mo School, allowing one to see very far away.
But to notice a change in the brightness of a single star with the naked eye was also quite incredible.
The old man by the campfire fell silent for a while, then said:
"The Four Symbols revolve around the Central Heaven in the sky, for an unknowable length of time, even when the throne has changed hands countless times, the stars remained unchanged."
"Over a hundred years ago, when the Great Emperor of Central State lost his power, Marquis Wei Wu spent the night in the Phoenix Pavilion, where the Empress Dowager stayed, and the young Emperor took up his sword for revenge. That night, Ziwei Palace caught fire, blazing for three days and nights. The Great Emperor and the palace turned to ashes, yet the Ziwei Star above still shone bright."
"Because of this, officials of the Imperial Observatory were sentenced to death by dismemberment."
"How ludicrous. It was a human disaster, yet over a hundred people died because they couldn't make the stars dim. They didn't understand astrology and only wished everything to submit to them alone. How did the descendant of that Ranger become such a stubbornly foolish person?"
"The White Tiger Seven Stars won't easily alter their brightness. The last time they shone more brightly was five hundred years ago, but that wasn't springtime, and they weren't in the west. It indicated that peace reigned supreme, with the White Tiger Star Lord descending to Earth to suppress the Central Plains."
The elder traced complicated star charts on the ground with a stick, whispering:
"Everything has its implications, and the movement of the stars often signifies certain omens for the mundane world. Or rather, when something happens on Earth, the stars change accordingly. The White Tiger Seven Stars growing brighter signals that the guardian god of warfare from this era's Four Symbols has arrived in our world."
"Look, Can Su shines the brightest, representing the mighty tiger's claws awakening prematurely, unable to hold back any longer."
"An era of chaos is coming."
After a long contemplation, he turned to the hooded disciple and said:
"Shaking Light, you must find him."
"Fulfill the duty of the East Continent Stargazing School, preserve the peace of our world as best you can, and try to prevent the true chaos from arriving."
The young person could no longer contain their curiosity and asked:
"Teacher, can the chaos be prevented?"
"If it can be, why, through all of history, despite periods of peace, has chaos never ended?"
The old man was silent for a long time before he sighed and said:
"The world has been in turmoil for far too long. An era of chaos is bound to come. At that time, heroes of the world will step forth with their weapons, just like the stars crossing the Qilian and Taihang Mountains, rising into the night sky. The stars have already prophesied the era. Nonetheless, we always hope we can delay its arrival."
The youth asked, puzzled, "Why?"
The elder reached out and touched the youth's head, saying, "In times of peace, a farmer supporting his family is his own hero. But do you know who is the greatest hero in times of turmoil?"
"Who?"
The elder looked down, a vision of bloodshed from over a hundred years ago seemingly flashing in his eyes as he said softly:
"The one who kills the most."
The young person was startled.
"Because no matter what kind of hero."
"Even if they hold great aspirations, once they're involved in this chaos, they'll inevitably leave a trail of bones behind them, and their swords will be soaked in blood. They take up their spears for a peaceful world, but their horses' hooves trample over countless corpses."
"Some think this bloodshed is the price needed for world revolution, yet we always hope to pay a smaller price."
"Go now, Shaking Light."
The elder tousled the hair of the beautiful disciple with solemnity:
"Find the White Tiger Sect leader, who has descended to the mortal realm after five hundred years."
"Before another branch of the Stargazing School, the one eager to unleash chaos, the Breaking Army faction, finds him, find him. Even if you can't prevent the coming chaos, you must support him to become a hero who will determine the era."
..........
Above the pond of the Wind Listening Pavilion, the White Tiger, formed of water vapor, roared, but as the Divine Weapon became quiet, the White Tiger made of water vapor also dispersed, reassembling into water and crashing into the pond with a noise like the roaring waves of the East Sea, leaving the carp inside turned into a pile of stinking blood.
Xue Daoyong stared intensely at the pond, then toward the now calm Breaking Cloud Sky-shattering Bow.
The elder could feel that the bow had changed.
Who was it?
Who was it!!!
He turned and entered the Wind Listening Pavilion, unfolded a sheet of white paper, recalling all the events of the past month, recording everything down densely, and then outlined with a cinnabar brush all the potential events that could have caused a change in the Breaking Cloud Sky-shattering Bow.
The letter from Northern Shuo.
The envoy from Ying Country.
A great grandmaster in the Martial World.
And...
Following these names that, once spoken, would shake a region, the old man's gaze landed on the last name. A peculiar light flashed in his eyes. At last, he picked up a cinnabar brush and forcefully circled that name.
[Li Guanyi].
The old man fixed his gaze on this name.
It might be him, but there is also a high probability that it's not, as he has yet to Enter the Realm. Xue Daoyong, at his age, had already Entered the Realm; at eighteen, he possessed a full set of skills, with expertise in archery and martial arts, able to traverse ten thousand miles alone, crossing regions torn by warlord battles.
Should he test him?
The old man suddenly smiled.
Composed and spirited, like a hunting tiger.
With a flick of his pen, he wrote something after the youth's name—
[Li Guanyi, promote one level]
He paused.
Then he erased the words.
[Li Guanyi, Guest Elder of the upper court, may come here daily for food and drink].
With a flick of his wrist, he carelessly tossed the pen aside, his expression faintly indifferent as he looked at the Breaking Cloud Sky-shattering Bow.
A test?
No need. A test still carried the possibility of failure.
Even a one percent chance was enough.
Next, a heavy wager!
......
Li Guanyi opened his eyes, lost in thought.
He had learned that move, but this time was different from before. This time, Li Guanyi had grasped the move first, then the Jade Liquid quickly poured in, increasing his proficiency. However, even so, it only allowed him to master the move, not achieve Great Success.
Li Guanyi had begun to figure out the properties of the bronze tripod.
The Jade Liquid inside was most likely related to his own realm. Currently, he had not Entered the Realm, so when cultivating the Breaking Army Eight Sabers, which is a technique prior to Entering the Realm, he could achieve instant success. However, for the first move of the Xue Family's Absolute Skill, a Dharma Form Absolute Skill, he could barely grasp it.
The prerequisite was that Li Guanyi himself understood the Divine Charm of the move, capable of performing it on his own.
Then, instantly, he reached full proficiency.
He held the Su Ni Bow gifted by Xue Shuangtao, feeling familiar with it as if he had been holding the bow for a long time. He could also freely use the Xue Family's Absolute Skill, a single arrow, cold and swift. But Li Guanyi knew it was an illusion.
Dharma Form Absolute Skills required a Dharma Form at Perfection.
Li Guanyi's two Dharma Forms could only barely show themselves, and they would often fight over who got to emerge, with the little White Tiger being howled down by the Red Dragon.
He needed to Enter the Realm, after which his Inner Qi could leave his body to provide Primordial Qi for the Dharma Form.
Only then would he grasp the martial realm.
The youth sighed, "To Enter the Realm, ah..."
To leave Chen Country safely, he needed to Enter the Realm; to master martial skills, he also needed to Enter the Realm. Even if he wanted to continue to reap the benefits of the Breaking Cloud Sky-shattering Bow's legacy, he needed to reach Entering the Realm. But...
He had originally planned to just leave Chen Country, but looking at the Su Ni Bow and that heavy blade, a sliver of hesitation appeared in his mind.
So much help was, after all, different.
But the pursuit by the Night Rider Cavalry and the royal family issues mentioned by his Aunt made Li Guanyi reaffirm his decision to leave Chen Country. However, he also acknowledged the kindness of the Xue Family. For a droplet of kindness, one should return a spring of gratitude.
Li Guanyi planned to 'review' the Threefold Method of Entering Realm in his mind.
Previously, it was merely 'imprinted' in his mind.
Just then, the White Tiger Dharma Form on the bronze tripod suddenly bristled and roared. As Dharma Forms are interconnected, even a Dharma Form that could barely show itself greatly enhanced Li Guanyi's perception.
Is this an inherent feature of the Dharma Form itself?
Li Guanyi had no time to think, as the wild instinct to detect enemies already made him reach for the Su Ni Bow, turning around and snatching up an arrow to nock it to the string. He dashed out of his dwelling, bow drawn and arrow nocked, with the skill of several years of practice.
Under the moonlight, Old Man Siming scaled the wall.
A white-haired old man was crouched on the wall, his intention exceedingly direct.
Headed straight for the youth, his eyes fixed intently on Li Guanyi's dwelling, he grinned and stroked his beard, saying:
"I am Siming."
"Young man, you and I, ah no..."
He paused, then said eagerly:
"You and I are fated to be master and disciple!!"