The mocking smiles on the faces of those who had come to watch a joke faded.
That smile shifted instead to the face of the old master of the Xue family, growing more and more uninhibited.
Xue Daoyong's grin bloomed wildly as if he could barely hold it in; the corners of his mouth seemed harder to suppress than the trigger of a divine crossbow.
Yet the other scholars and aristocrats fully understood the reason for the elder's delight. If they were in his shoes, they would be even more elated—more wanton and gleeful.
"To establish the heart for Heaven and Earth, to establish life for the people, to inherit the lost teachings of past sages, and to bring peace to all generations."
These four lines alone—
Civil brilliance and martial prowess united.
Enough.
What moved them most was the intense emotion carried in the final sentence.
These were people who had seen much of the world. They could hear the spirit in those words, and that was the most precious part. Like brushing away the dust to find a piece of jade—the elegance of the language is mere adornment; it was the heart that resonated with the words that made him a true uncut gem.
The fourth direct disciple of the great scholar Wang Tong, the future fourth senior brother to all those noble young men—
Was about to step into the world today.
Yet they saw that Wang Tong only gazed long at the youth, not interrupting him, and then turned away to return to his original seat. His back seemed straighter, and his steps heavier, more grounded.
The wind rustled the leaves.
A thousand years from now, people would sing songs of this still-young man—this first advocate of the unity of the Three Teachings (Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism)—placing him as the most brilliant figure just beneath the Two Saints of Confucianism.
"Among the Five Masters are Xun and Yang, the Master of Culture, and Lao and Zhuang."
But under the sunlight of a thousand years earlier—
None could know what he was thinking.
Wei Xuancheng looked quietly at the young man and sighed.
Du Keming said, "What's wrong? Worried about the next two trials?"
Wei Xuancheng replied, "No, I'm just thinking I'll need to train my wrists."
The youth spoke calmly:
"There will probably be a lot of tea-pouring in the future."
"Better to prepare now."
...
Xue Shuangtao dimly understood the weight of that final phrase. She cradled the gold-and-jade bangle in her palm. The youth placed his hand over it but didn't take it. Instead, he raised his hand, and an unfading plum blossom fell into her palm—a token left by Siming when demonstrating the Dao of Yin and Yang.
Li Guanyi smiled and said, "It's yours."
Xue Shuangtao asked, "You don't want the jade bangle?"
Li Guanyi replied, "Do I seem like someone that greedy?"
The girl looked him up and down and gave a slight smile:
"No, just… a little bit."
Li Guanyi sighed. "I know you believe I'm not uneducated. But I haven't read much of the classics. And… thank you for speaking up for me just now in front of those noble heirs."
Xue Shuangtao looked up at him.
Suddenly she clasped her fists, mimicking the bow of a wandering swordsman, laughing with bright eyes and youthful mischief:
"Thank you, honored guest."
When Li Guanyi and Xue Shuangtao returned, everything had returned to normal.
Only Xue Daoyong's laughter grew even more hearty and unrestrained.
More platters were brought out—fruit, cold meats, and hot tea to accompany them.
Women with graceful waists sang and danced with poise.
Li Guanyi lowered his eyes, but his thoughts drifted to Qian Zheng's younger sister.
Sitting beside him was Zhangsun Wuchou. Compared to earlier, when he had introduced the noble scions, his smile now seemed warmer, more genuine. He picked up a piece of jellied meat with his chopsticks, paired it with Dragon Well tea, and praised:
"The flavor truly is excellent."
"Good ingredients, even better utensils."
Xue Shuangtao asked, "There aren't such utensils in the Western Regions?"
Zhangsun Wuchou chuckled, "Of course not. Different lands, different foods. In the Western Regions and on the steppe, there are no tables. Sometimes a sheep is killed, and buried in ash to roast—it's rich and juicy. Everyone cuts meat with curved knives and daggers. Women with strong arms dance and sing boldly to show emotion."
"It's been a long time since I've attended such a banquet in Jiangnan. Haha, it's all thanks to young brother Li Guanyi that I could sit here today. Compared to the gales of the West, Jiangnan is truly a paradise."
Li Guanyi asked, "What's the Western Regions like?"
Was it the same as the Western Regions in his previous life?
Zhangsun Wuchou looked at him and smiled. "The Western Regions have fine horses, beautiful women, Hu Xuan dances, abundant fruit—but also deserts, endless and vast. They have majesty and grandeur. Jiangnan has its gentle grace, but in the desert, the stars stretch across the sky, and you ride across the vast horizon—now that's a man's romance."
"Young brother Li, if you're ever interested in traveling west, your older brother here will host you."
He poured tea for Li Guanyi and added, "I'll give you a fine horse, one even the wind can't catch. A jeweled scimitar. Wherever you want to go, I'll take you. The great desert is wide, unlike the gentleness of Jiangnan."
His invitation came naturally and wasn't off-putting.
In his heart, Zhangsun Wuchou raised Li Guanyi's status another notch.
He sighed inwardly:
"Seems I'll have to write another confidential letter about this Li Guanyi and send it with the golden-feathered eagle."
He wandered the world recording its heroes and prodigies.
That phoenix of the Duke of Longxi's household had personally tasked him with this duty. Her older and younger brothers paid it no mind. Even the current Duke only laughed and said:
"This daughter of mine, I spoil her. If she likes to wear men's clothes, let her."
But names like Fang Ziqiao and Du Keming—he knew them well.
Never had he written about the same youth twice in a row, both times needing to use the fastest means of delivery.
"To raise a three-foot sword and pacify the world; to carve out everlasting glory."
That second miss would likely love that line.
No—maybe this one instead:
"To bring peace to all generations!"
Zhangsun Wuchou raised his cup and drank, seeing visions of the fierce winds, rivalries, and mortal dangers of the Western Regions. A trace of intoxication crept into his eyes.
A bold toast to the day!
At today's grand literary gathering, many scholars and literati drank, chatted, and listened to music.
Xue Shuangtao, fond of music herself, listened quietly and thought: this truly lives up to the event's renown. The musicians were all masters, far better than her own playing.
Beside her, Li Guanyi was chatting softly with Zhangsun Wuchou. He was curious about lands outside of Chen, and the scholars could freely converse.
But suddenly, he paused.
He turned to glance at the woman playing the qin and said casually:
"You missed a note."
Xue Shuangtao was stunned. She saw the youth continue chatting with Zhangsun Wuchou about the scenery of the Western Regions.
Li Guanyi was sleepy listening to the others' lofty arguments. The bronze cauldron had been emitting steady heat since entering the venue, keeping his body tense.
He inspected his inner energy, but the cauldron showed no change.
It simply gave him the sense—it was waiting.
At that moment, Du Keming looked over at the dozing youth. Since hearing those earlier four lines, no one else had entered his eyes.
He asked bluntly:
"Li Guanyi, what do you think?"
Li Guanyi opened his eyes.
Seeing Du Keming's sharp gaze, and the surrounding attention, he knew it was pointless to care. He'd already handed in a blank scroll—there was no way to gain the fame that could rival a formal pass through the capital.
So he no longer cared.
Maybe it was General Xue's beatings that tempered his mind.
His heart was like still water now.
Even as those noble youths, born of high rank, stared at him—he felt no ripple. He raised his eyes calmly and said:
"Ren (benevolence)?"
Li Guanyi sat there. He could've recited a canned response from memory.
But now, he had his understanding:
"Martial prowess is benevolence."
An uproar. Even the music stopped.
Some students whispered; one scoffed, "A boorish man, after all."
They burst into laughter—loud and unrestrained.
Someone mocked, "Ren is loving others, li (ritual) is showing respect. To cultivate oneself is the root of wisdom; to be generous is the beginning of ren. Loving and giving—that's benevolence. What is killing with force? A brute!"
"Hahaha, indeed! Lord Xue, were you fooled?"
But the youth sat calmly, unmoved.
A sharp crack!
The noise was silenced.
Xue Shuangtao's jade bangle struck the bronze cauldron and shattered.
That crisp sound stunned the crowd.
The girl stood, eyes raised in defiance. Her apricot gaze swept over the room, and she smiled, soft and composed, offering a graceful bow:
"Forgive me. I dropped a bangle."
"I've disturbed you all. I shall play a song in apology."
She carried her instrument over, dark hair flowing down. Behind the qin, she winked at the boy and whispered:
"A gift—for your fame."
The hall quieted once more.
Du Keming asked, "Explain yourself."
The youth resting his blade on his knees replied:
"To restrain oneself and be generous—that's just self-congratulatory virtue."
"A nobleman who gives to feel righteous—yet the people still suffer. Why?"
No one could reply.
The youth laid his hand on his blade.
His sharp gaze lifted.
"I will sweep the land clean. Unite the world."
"So the people no longer suffer war."
"That is true benevolence."
Du Keming fell silent.
Wei Xuancheng asked, "Then what is righteousness?"
Li Guanyi replied:
"To keep your word and act decisively."
"To repay kindness with kindness, and vengeance with vengeance."
"To return virtue with virtue, and repay grievance with justice."
"Even if it takes nine generations, revenge must be taken—that is righteousness."
Benevolence is peace through unity.
Righteousness is settling all debts.
Wei Xuancheng whispered to his two senior brothers:
"He's done for. Big heart, small tolerance."
"He holds grudges."
The room went quiet.
The youth's words were shocking but carried a chilling gravitas.
The girl resumed her clear melody.
Li Guanyi rose and bowed toward Elder Xue's direction:
"This is just my personal opinion. Forgive the offense."
The air finally calmed. Wang Tong looked at the boy and said gently:
"Then, write a poem."
Li Guanyi asked, "May I ask the subject?"
Wang Tong smiled.
"As you like."
Even a nonsense verse would suffice.
Li Guanyi raised an eyebrow.
He sensed no aura on Wang Tong's body—but a pure, upright energy surrounded him.
At that moment, the bronze cauldron in his chest grew scalding hot.
The red dragon and white tiger coiled around it.
The red dragon seemed to soak in literary fortune.
And when Wang Tong said "As you like," that aura peaked.
The fortune surged like cloud seas.
The red dragon hovered above.
Li Guanyi picked up the brush.
At the greatest literary gathering in thirty years, under the eyes of the many renowned scholars, literary energy transformed into a great azure dragon, dancing with his martial spirit.
He felt a strange presence—
As if, by writing this poem, his inner force could shatter a barrier.
Yet something was missing.
One final step.
One final key.
Just then—
A thunderous roar from the skies.
Mountains in the distance trembled. The sky turned crimson with swirling clouds, like the flux of yin and yang.
At the peak of this literary fortune—
The force of martial destiny burst forth, magnificent and towering!
It surged into Li Guanyi's bronze cauldron, where the energy of battle formed a second white tiger that roared forth.
Thus—the dragon and tiger rose.
Civil and martial qi clashed and swirled—transforming into storm clouds above.
Li Guanyi froze.
Then came a voice, loud as thunder, from afar—
"Vanguard of Marshal Yue—Yue Qianfeng!!"
"I have come to issue a challenge!!"
And into Li Guanyi's ears—
Dragon's roar. Tiger's cry.
The world… changed.
(End of Chapter)