Chapter 1 Searching for the Dragon

Yong State, though remote, has always been a place where hidden dragons and crouching tigers lie.

According to "Tang History·Yong State Records," it's said that Yong State has "extraordinary mountains and raging rivers, abundant with remarkable people and scholars."

Folk tales suggest: From the treacherous mountains and wicked waters arise the cunning folk.

Yong State, Fengyuan County, Ye County.

Ye County backs onto Min Mountain and faces Tong River, with daunting mountain ridges dividing this small county into parts. Though the mountains are not high, they are exceptionally rugged. Some villages are just tens of miles apart, but with the barrier of a mountain between them, villagers seldom have the chance to visit each other in their lifetimes.

The winding mountain path saw the emergence of two figures, one a young scholar and the other a scholar's servant, appearing to be around twelve or thirteen years old. The scholar, despite wearing a clean scholar robe that was somewhat faded and discreetly patched in inconspicuous places, seemed somewhat down on his luck. Nevertheless, he boasted a refined and fair appearance, standing straight-backed with the inherent pride of a learned man.

The master and servant appeared to stroll leisurely, with the scholar occasionally stopping to look around as if admiring the scenery. But they actually moved surprisingly swiftly, and in no time at all had traveled from halfway up the mountain to its peak, leaving behind several miles of mountain road that would ordinarily take an hour to cover.

Standing on the mountain peak naturally brought the surrounding dozens of miles into view. The scholar, observing the spread of the surrounding mountains and then looking down at the small valley below the mountain, sighed, "Had I not come here myself, how could I have known that this place is a gathering of wind and clouds? I had prepared ten years to hunt for dragons, but I never expected to find one in the first year."

The Attendant Student also observed the surrounding landscape with curiosity, questioning, "This place is so remote and barren, with its shallow waters and bald mountains, it would be extraordinary to even find a small amount of luck, let alone a real dragon."

The scholar, pointing toward the small valley ahead, said, "That is Dragon Pond. Without seeing it with my own eyes, I too would have found it hard to believe."

"With a Dragon Pond so small, how big could a real dragon possibly be?"

The scholar replied indifferently, "Others seek dragons mostly to ride them, coveting the merit of dragon-supporting; great men, however, appoint and transform dragons. I am different; I only intend to use this dragon briefly and then discard it, so its size is irrelevant."

The scholar, pointing to the small town in the valley, said, "The gathering of wind and clouds has only just begun, far from the time when the Heavenly Mechanism begins to sprout, hence the dragon's luck must be deeply hidden. To find it will require some effort. Let's head to that town first."

With one step, the scholar suddenly found himself several yards away and, in just a short while, had descended the mountain and was on the road leading to the small town.

Less than two miles from the town, there was a large estate surrounded by high blue stone walls, about ten feet tall, with a corner tower at the turning point, where a house servant holding a staff was on watch. As the scholar and the child passed the estate's gate, they saw a steward dressed in domestic service attire, accompanied by several house servants, handing out reward money to passersby.

When the steward saw the scholar, his eyes lit up and he greeted him, "Where does the gentleman come from? May I know your name?"

The scholar returned the greeting, "I am Zhang Sheng, currently traveling the world to pursue knowledge, and just happened to pass by your residence. Is there a happy event at your estate?"

The steward responded, "Our master, Mr. Wei, is known to everyone in the entire county by the names Wei Youcai and Wei the Great. Today is the day that our fourth mistress is giving birth, and Mr. Wei has ordered me to distribute rewards to those passing by to share in the joy. Sir, your timing is impeccable. Bring it here!"

A house servant brought over a tray of Copper Coins, but the steward pushed this servant aside and said, "Don't you see the gentleman is a scholar?"

The steward called another house servant, who carried over a lacquered tray containing writing brushes, ink, and a purse. The steward handed the purse to the scholar, who weighed it in his hand; it actually contained loose Silver, amounting to one tael.

"What is the meaning of this?" Zhang Sheng did not accept the purse. He had clearly noticed that the steward was giving out just a few Copper Coins to others.

The steward explained, "Our Mr. Wei has the greatest respect for scholars. You, sir, appear to be greatly talented, and thus the token of gratitude is naturally different. Please do us the honor of naming the child, one name for a boy and another for a girl."

The steward looked gaunt and a bit sordid with his weasel-like features, yet he spoke with a cultivated air as if he had some ink in his belly.

Zhang Sheng looked over at the estate, and a Bright Light flashed in the depths of his pupils before he took the paper and pen, wrote down the character 'Yuan,' and said, "It takes the meaning from 'a dragon lies hidden in the depths.' The young master has deep fortune and is surely worthy of this character."

The steward, looking at the powerful and elegant character 'Yuan,' felt it was excellent but couldn't pinpoint why. He examined it from all angles, yet couldn't discern the trick. By this time, Zhang Sheng had put down the pen and left with the child.

The steward hastily called out, "Sir, please wait, we still need a name for the girl!"

Zhang Sheng didn't turn back but simply said, "Mr. Wei is so generous in his deeds, it is certain to be a son."

The steward wanted to say more, but the people seeking reward money were already impatient and gathered around. The steward looked at Zhang Sheng's retreating figure, and inexplicably he didn't dare to fuss any further, so he let the house servants handle the crowd, while he carefully took the character inside the estate.

In the rear courtyard of the Wei family estate, a round-faced, finely-browed master paced back and forth, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. From the wing room came the agonizing cries of a woman, signifying the imminent birth.

Carrying the character, the steward reported, "Master, a traveling scholar passing by the door has given the young master the name 'Yuan,' meaning 'a dragon lies hidden in the depths.' It seemed a very good character, so I hurriedly brought it over."

"Is there only one name?"

"He said that with the master's generosity in doing good deeds, it will definitely be a son this time."

The master's face broke into a delighted smile, exclaiming, "As expected of a scholar, so sweet-tongued!"

He took the freshly inked character from the steward and admired it attentively, praising, "Excellent writing!"