When he saw those cloud patterns, memories of that night ten years ago surged once more in Li Guanyi's mind.
For ten years, he had been hiding his name, living in obscurity, constantly on the run, barely surviving in this turbulent world. For ten long years, it had seemed peaceful, but now, that fragile peace, like a bubble, had been shattered. The cloud patterns of that night reappeared, the stench of blood lingered at the tip of his nose, and the burly man's iron grip on his throat left him unable to resist no matter how hard he struggled.
That burly man kept one hand resting on his waist-mounted saber, his fierce tiger-like gaze sweeping across the surroundings with murderous intent.
No one dared to speak. Only the suppressed groans of pain and labored breathing from the three injured guards echoed faintly in the heavy atmosphere.
Ironically, those groans only made the spectators turn even paler.
This was the largest pharmacy on Old Street in the East City of Guanyi, and the three martial guards hired here were no pushovers. On ordinary days, they would practice by lifting millstones for strength, and with a single swing of their blades, they could easily chop down tree trunks as thick as a bowl. Yet now, they had been flung aside like rags, struggling even to get up, beaten down with a single kick. Those watching could only cover their mouths and noses, retreating with panic written all over their faces.
They could only look at the young boy being held by the throat with expressions of helpless pity.
Only the manager of the pharmacy, trembling, scurried forward, his face plastered with an obsequious smile. As he pulled on the burly man's sleeve, he stuffed a bulging money pouch into the man's robe while humbly pleading:
"A misunderstanding, surely just a misunderstanding, sir. This must be some mistake!"
"Our Huichuntang has been in Guanyi City for generations—an old, reputable business. We've always conducted ourselves with integrity and followed the law. How could we possibly harbor criminals wanted by the court? There must be a mistake here, right? Let's talk this over."
"This child is in poor health. If he dies here and gets blood on your hands, sir, that wouldn't be good luck, would it?"
The burly man glared at him fiercely and cursed, "Hmph! Smooth-talking old dog! Are you saying that I am falsely accusing you?!"
With a flick of his arm, he casually hurled Li Guanyi away. His other hand grabbed the bulging money pouch and stuffed it into his sleeve. Perhaps because the manager's money was sufficient, Li Guanyi wasn't smashed against a wall but instead crashed onto a sturdy wooden table, which immediately split with a crack. He then tumbled heavily to the ground.
A red light flashed from the bronze cauldron in his chest, and although Li Guanyi felt a sharp, searing pain across his back, his internal organs were miraculously unharmed. His back was surely covered in bruises, but he managed to turn over slightly, pressing his face into the floor. Oddly, instead of despair, a strange sense of relief spread in his heart—
They're not here for me.
The shopkeeper kept begging, groveling for mercy, mentioning every possible influential connection he could think of within the city. But none of it helped. The burly man sneered and waved his hand. Instantly, a group of armed men rushed in, scattering like wild dogs, violently rummaging through every part of Huichuntang, even tipping over the herb cabinets.
In the time it takes for a single incense stick to burn, Huichuntang was left in ruins.
Medicinal powders and dried herbs were scattered all over the floor, mingling their fragrances together, creating a pungent and chaotic scent in the air. The doctors and apprentices of the shop stood pale-faced, hands trembling, utterly powerless to stop the carnage.
Lying on the ground, Li Guanyi raised his eyes slightly and saw that young noble scholar walking in step by step.
The burly man immediately stepped forward and bowed low. "My lord."
The young scholar casually flicked his sleeve, his spotless boots stepping neatly past Li Guanyi. As if disgusted by the mess of herbs on the ground, he deliberately stepped right on Li Guanyi's bruised back.
The already-swollen bruises flared with agony under that deliberate step, but Li Guanyi didn't make a sound.
The young man's attire was pristine and luxurious. His right sleeve hung slightly lower than the other, embroidered with dense, intricate cloud patterns.
"Didn't find anything?" His tone was calm, almost indifferent.
The burly man answered respectfully, "We've searched several times, but found nothing."
The manager of Huichuntang stood nearby, still forcing a smile, sweat beading on his forehead.
The young man didn't even glance at him. He merely nodded slightly and said softly, "Looks like the criminal is clever. Manager…"
"Here! Here! Whatever you need, my lord!" the manager hurriedly replied, bowing again and again.
The young man raised his hand and produced a scroll. With a sharp flick, the scroll unfurled in midair, revealing the portrait beneath.
"Have you seen this person?"
The shopkeeper squinted at the painting. With just a few simple strokes, it depicted a middle-aged man.
He had curly hair and beard, fierce eyes like a leopard's, and even from the paper, there emanated a terrifying aura—like facing a human-shaped dragon. The sight sent a chill down the shopkeeper's spine, making him tremble involuntarily. "No—no—I've never seen this man before…"
The scholar stared at him, a faint glimmer flashing in his eyes. Using some hidden art, he checked the shopkeeper's words for truth and found no trace of deception.
With a slight nod of his chin, the burly man at his side immediately pulled out another piece of paper and tossed it over. "These are the medicines we need. Bring them all out!"
The scholar added indifferently, "The fugitive has been injured and will certainly need these medicines to recover."
"Your pharmacy's inventory is being requisitioned by the court. Once the criminal is caught, everything will be returned."
The shopkeeper's heart dropped, and he almost cried out on the spot.
Returned? What nonsense! Everyone knew that once something went into government hands, it never came back out again.
But facing these fierce, blade-wielding men, he didn't dare say a word. He could only watch helplessly as piles of medicine were hauled away, not just the ordinary herbs, but also prized tonics like ginseng and lingzhi—taken without shame.
The young man in black robes with cloud patterns strolled out of the shop. The burly man hurried to help him onto his horse, standing subserviently by his side.
Then the burly man took the scroll and nailed it directly onto Huichuntang's shattered signboard. The scroll unfurled with a flutter in the night breeze, revealing the wanted portrait for all to see.
"This man is a wanted criminal of the imperial court!" he bellowed. "Attempted prison break! Anyone who provides information on his whereabouts will be rewarded with five hundred taels of silver!"
Five hundred taels!
At roughly one hundred to two hundred copper coins per tael, that was nearly sixty thousand copper coins!
A fortune!
The onlookers immediately realized that this fugitive must be unimaginably dangerous. Attempting to break someone out of prison—just who was locked up that warranted such a massive bounty?
But regardless of the details, one thing was certain—this man was deadly dangerous.
This group of people came and went like the wind, and in the blink of an eye, they were already charging toward another major pharmacy.
The burly man, moving as fast as a galloping horse, leaned close to the young man's side and laughed heartily, "My lord is truly wise! That fugitive is severely wounded and must rely on these medicinal herbs to recover. We'll just empty all the pharmacies in the nearby towns. Hahaha! Let's see how he heals now. I reckon he'll die from his wounds before we even need to lift a finger."
The young man replied indifferently, "Yue Qianfeng's martial arts are unparalleled. He bears the Dragon-Tiger Dharma Aspect and ranks forty-second on the Dharma Aspect Ranking."
"Even though he was injured by the combined assault of the Grand General and the current Sword Fairy of Luzhou's Sword Pavilion, it's not that easy for him to die."
"Besides, the Ten-Thousand-Mile Tracking Hound has been dispatched."
The burly man was stunned for a moment, then realization dawned on him, and he laughed, "So that's it! On the surface, we're confiscating the medicine to force Yue Qianfeng out into the open, but in reality, we're just putting on a show to mislead him. If he dares to appear, that's ideal. If he gets suspicious and hides, once the Ten-Thousand-Mile Tracking Hound arrives, we'll be able to find him no matter where he's hiding!"
The young man said calmly, "There's also a third reason."
The burly man made a show of listening attentively.
The young man continued slowly, "The magistrate's office… is short on medicine."
Riding his fine horse, he overlooked the bustling commoners around him and said blandly, "We protect these people. Without us, how could they enjoy good days like these?"
"Borrowing a bit is only reasonable."
"Since there's such a convenient opportunity now, we don't need to look for another excuse to take their medicine. Saves us both the trouble. These petty commoners—being used by us is their honor, their contribution to the empire."
...
"Ah! It hurts…"
"Hiss—gentler, gentler…"
"It hurts so bad…"
Back at Huichuntang Pharmacy, the place was filled with groans of pain. Some were picking up scattered herbs, and others were helping the three martial guards to their feet. Old Doctor Chen helped Li Guanyi up, checked the bruises on the young man's back, and sighed, "That fall was no joke, but at least your organs aren't hurt. Consider yourself lucky."
"I'll prescribe you some ointment. Apply it when you get home, and you'll heal faster."
Li Guanyi grimaced in pain, baring his teeth, which made Old Chen chuckle briefly.
But that smile soon vanished, replaced by worry as he glanced outside. "Sigh… they're coming on strong. Looks like every pharmacy and medical clinic in the city is going to be ransacked this time. Who knows who they're pretending for this time? Here we go again."
Li Guanyi said, "As long as it has nothing to do with us, it's fine."
Old Chen sighed, "Yeah… these imperial enforcers are always this overbearing. Look at the medicine they're taking—it's all for nourishing qi and calming the mind. This isn't about some fugitive. They're just lacking medicine for their cultivation and decided to come to bite us for it."
Li Guanyi took the ointment and quietly said, "Old Chen, too many ears here."
The old doctor paused, then stopped talking. He slipped in a few extra tonic herbs with the prescription and patted the young man on the shoulder before going about his business.
With the shop in shambles, most of the customers had long fled. The atmosphere was gloomy. Li Guanyi, injured, decided to head home early. On the way back, he bought a roast chicken, a jug of old wine, and a few steamed buns, walking slowly along the road.
His home was in a more remote area, and soon he took a narrow, secluded path, the kind hardly used by others. Before long, he was the only person walking the trail.
Ahead stood a dilapidated mountain god temple.
He stopped.
A faint warmth spread from the bronze cauldron branded on his chest.
Within the cauldron imprint, the red-colored jade liquid was slowly accumulating. The cold sensation of the poison was being driven back once again, replaced by healthy vitality. The bronze cauldron glimmered faintly, and a flow of energy surged into his eyes, granting him the ability to see things beyond normal sight.
He lifted his gaze, faint blue light shimmering within his pupils. What appeared in his vision was a being far beyond the ordinary, hovering above the mountain god's temple.
Red scales flowed like colorful clouds, coiling silently in the air. Those flowing clouds seemed to merge with the drifting mists on the distant horizon. Behind it stretched the cityscape, the fleeting scholars on horseback, the shy and graceful beauties, the green horses trotting along ancient roads, the doctors nodding off to sleep, the children playing and laughing.
All of it—like ants crawling beneath this being's immense form.
That being was so vast, so serene, gazing down at the small youth standing in front of the temple.
A dragon.
Li Guanyi steadied himself, feeling the red liquid in the bronze cauldron accumulating bit by bit.
Lowering his head, he ignored the dragon entirely and walked into the mountain god temple that rarely saw visitors anymore.
Inside the ruined temple, he raised his eyes slightly, his gaze settling naturally on a spot deep in the shadows, almost imperceptible to the casual observer.
There sat a beggar.
But this beggar had a tall, burly frame—something impossible for an ordinary street beggar. His filthy, tattered clothes were stained all over. His eyes were closed, brows unkempt, his back ramrod straight, thick palms resting on his knees. His beard and hair drifted gently in the night wind, sitting there with the silent composure of a wild tiger hidden in the shadows.
And his face… was identical to the one on the wanted posters hung outside Huichuntang.
(End of Chapter)