[司命] and the seventh Giant of the Mohist School stood waiting at the side gate of Guanyi City.
The surge of elemental energy in the world crashed against the old man's face like tidal waves. He opened his eyes wide, staring at the distant sky. Golden winds and crimson flames clashed endlessly. Xue Daoyong's martial power suppressed Yue Qianfeng, yet Yue Qianfeng's Scarlet Dragon manifestation subtly restrained Xue Daoyong's Gengjin White Tiger.
Both were first-rate warriors in this world.
And both had their own inescapable reasons for battle, leading to this ferocious clash, where neither side could gain the upper hand.
The Mohist practitioner asked grimly, "Siming, can you tell who's winning?"
The old man glanced at the Black Tortoise first.
The Black Tortoise shook its head—unable to tell.
Then the old man rolled his eyes and declared righteously, "Warriors of this level—whose aura stirs the very heavens and dims the stars—are beyond this old man's ability to read. My realm isn't yet strong enough to filter out the disturbances they cause."
The Mohist Giant was silent for a moment and said, "When dragon and tiger clash, there's bound to be blood."
Siming fell quiet too.
They both looked at the city gate, awaiting the arrival of the greatest diviner in the land. Meanwhile, the high ministers of the court had all set their traps at another gate, their eyes fixed on Yue Qianfeng, completely ignoring the arrival of the divine strategist, Zhu Wenyuan.
To the conservative ministers of the court, a rampaging Yue Qianfeng was a far greater threat than Zhu Wenyuan.
After all, Zhu's entry into court might only help General Yue escape and pose a political challenge.
But a berserk Yue Qianfeng...
Could chop off their heads.
Yue Qianfeng couldn't possibly storm Jiangzhou alone. With no troops, divine weapons, or enchanted armor, he would surely die here. But the real question was: how many ministers would die before him?
None of them wanted to bet their heads on being lucky.
Siming sighed, "A feint to the east, a strike to the west—and right to the heart. Yue Qianfeng, Yue Qianfeng… You'd never guess he came from bandit roots."
The Mohist Giant replied, "Most of the world's great generals did."
Just then, a commotion erupted. There weren't many civilians outside the city now—Yue Qianfeng's furious shouts had driven most into hiding. Since he was at the western gate, this side gate had been opened to let in civilians.
Yet despite Yue Qianfeng's threat, some fugitives refused to storm the main gates, choosing instead to sneak in among the commoners here. Some even tried to take hostages.
A garrison captain gritted his teeth. "Close the gate!"
"But sir, the others outside—" a soldier exclaimed.
"I said close it!" the captain barked.
"If we let those fugitives in, who's going to take the fall?!"
That was the crux.
A few dead civilians were politically safer than fugitives infiltrating the city.
The seventh Mohist Giant said coolly, "It's time for us to act."
"The passes of Chen no longer have brave men."
As the gate slowly closed, Zhu Wenyuan was still outside. The Mohist Giant and Siming had already spotted their old friend and were about to move to intercept the fugitive and escort him in. Just then—arrows ripped through the air, whirling and piercing two fugitives who were attempting to take hostages.
Blood splattered. The crowd panicked and surged toward the gate.
Siming's energy gently parted the crowd from the knife-wielding criminals. The Mohist Giant calmly swept his sword, clearing a path into the city. The soldiers atop the walls gripped their spears angrily, ready to help the civilians—but the captain wouldn't risk it.
Suddenly—hoofbeats echoed on stone.
The wind seemed to flow through fluttering robes.
The Mohist Giant sheathed his sword and turned. He saw a young rider galloping toward them, sword at his waist, bow in hand, holding up a military badge and shouting:
"Li Guanyi, Ninth-Rank Martial Dispersed Officer of Chen!"
"Open the gate!"
The soldier at the gate's crank exhaled in relief.
Someone willing to take responsibility—he didn't hesitate, spun the mechanism, and the gates opened wide. The anxious civilians poured inside. Li Guanyi spotted the fugitives behind them. He didn't know how these criminals—each guilty of heinous crimes—had appeared here.
A soldier, misunderstanding his intent, called out:
"Sir, are you going out to intercept them?"
"Sabers are clumsy on horseback!"
"Please take a spear!"
Moved by the youth's valor, a garrison soldier tossed him a regulation spear. Li Guanyi caught it mid-charge, and with a powerful thrust, hurled it straight through the scarred fugitive aiming for a scholarly old man.
Eighteen years ago, that fugitive had stayed at a home that offered him humble food. Enraged that they hadn't given him their preserved meat, he'd slain all eighteen residents in the night, then feasted on their dried meat before leaving.
Now he was pinned to the ground by that very spear.
The scholarly elder's eyes showed no emotion. Li Guanyi galloped past him and murmured, "Elder, hurry into the city."
As he passed the impaled fugitive, he reached out, yanked the spear free, and ripped a brutal wound in the process.
As he rode, he began to understand martial techniques that had previously confused him. What hadn't worked well in foot combat now flowed naturally—his techniques seamless on horseback.
Throwing spears, impaling, charging, tearing, launching bodies…
One motion flowed into the next.
The Mohist Giant, watching, murmured, "Spear techniques of a battlefield general…"
"Every time I see it, I'm in awe."
"Even with an ordinary warhorse, not a spirit beast, it surpasses others of the same rank."
Siming was dumbfounded.
Huh???
That kid rushed out?!
No—this isn't the time to be thinking that.
He leaped forward and grabbed the scholar—Zhu Wenyuan—by the arm. "Old friend, you've finally arrived! We've been waiting!"
The Mohist Giant nodded and withdrew his unused sword intent. Watching the youth shoot down fugitives and gallop past Zhu Wenyuan toward the distant battlefield, he said:
"A lone warrior—Chen still has brave men."
Siming, gripping Zhu's arm, looked toward the receding figure and muttered:
"I'm telling you."
"I really can't read this kid's fate anymore."
The Black Tortoise was silent.
Siming said, "But one thing I'm sure of—his fortune is burning bright. Both civil and martial qi converge on him. He'll be fine. Old friend, come—this game of civil and martial, court and Jiangsu, is already on the board. It's all waiting for you."
Back at the literary gathering, silence fell.
Xue Shuangtao clenched her fists, staring off into the distance. Her worry deepened.
Wang Tong, charged with maintaining the flow of literary fortune, finally spoke. All eyes turned to him.
He said, "Confucianism teaches benevolence, righteousness, and courage. These are virtues to cultivate. But when faced with true events, those who live them out—show true benevolence, true righteousness, and true courage. There's no need to judge today's display."
Thus the Confucian sees benevolence, the Mohist sees righteousness, and the warrior sees courage.
Thus, the literary fortune reached its peak.
Li Guanyi gripped his spear and galloped forward. Yue Qianfeng's diversion had placed the battlefield not far from Guanyi City—just over ten li away. Li Guanyi knew the terrain well. His mount, fierce and spirited, was from the elite stables of the Xue family—its speed unmatched.
He galloped through the flickering shadows of trees. In the distance, white tigers and red dragons roared, thunder and flame illuminating the heavens. Their glow twisted the trees' shadows. As he neared, the Bronze Cauldron in his body reacted more intensely.
Civil qi had peaked. Now martial qi surged.
The fusion of both was stirring his manifestation.
He'd plugged the horse's ears and covered its eyes with his sash to calm it. Just as he was about to call out—
He froze.
He saw—behind the dragon and tiger manifestations—another figure.
A massive owl!
Its black wings hid within drifting clouds, coldly watching the battle below.
A third party!
Li Guanyi's heart leaped. At first, he thought this figure was allied with Xue Daoyong, but the position of the owl—and its gaze locked on the White Tiger—chilled him.
The owl was targeting Xue Daoyong.
Li Guanyi had learned directly from the general. His instincts flared—this was not an ally.
If that owl's attack succeeded, it would appear as though Yue Qianfeng had killed Xue Daoyong.
Given the Xue family's prestige—if the Empress's father were slain by a former subordinate of General Yue—the general would be doomed. With Xue Daoyong's death, the Xue family's business empire would be leaderless—easy prey.
From a profit standpoint—
Even allies of Chen might prefer Xue dead.
It was a perfect scheme—one stone, two birds.
Li Guanyi's thoughts raced. He finally understood the cruelty of the court officials. He raised his Su Ni Bow. The tiger's wind howled, but the bow's range was too short.
Not enough.
He closed his eyes briefly and gritted his teeth.
The Dragon and Tiger manifestations surged behind him. He activated both at once. The Bronze Cauldron thrummed wildly. Civil and martial qi surged into him—all his essence, energy, and spirit gathered into this one arrow.
The Tiger infused the bow.
The Dragon coiled around the arrow.
He drew.
The Su Ni Bow screamed with power.
Dragon. Tiger.
Their convergence sparked a pure energy Li Guanyi didn't even recognize.
He loosed.
The bowstring thundered like a dragon's roar. The arrow spiraled upward toward the heavens—straight at the owl!
The arrow couldn't harm the owl's master. The enemy easily dispersed it—but hadn't expected a mere youth to wield both Dragon and Tiger forces. Distracted by the larger battle, he underestimated the arrow's uniqueness.
The Dragon's compressed energy detonated—exploding in flame and roar.
Yue Qianfeng and Xue Daoyong both flinched—immediately halting their clash. They saw the charging youth and the spot where the arrow exploded.
Their thoughts froze momentarily.
The old general's expression shifted—shock, then complex emotion, and finally a sigh of pride and comfort.
"He's trying to help me? Good boy…"
Yue Qianfeng recognized the youth and the rebellious aura of his Formation-Breaking Melody.
He laughed aloud—bold and unrestrained. In this solitary battle, the arrival of a former student to aid him—how satisfying! How exhilarating!
"Haha! Good!"
"A fine fellow criminal!"
Both men instinctively assumed the youth had risked his life to save them.
Li Guanyi raised his bow and pointed at the owl.
"Watch out!!!"
The owl's master was exposed. The two warriors' murderous intent instantly shifted. Both seasoned veterans, they immediately realized what a hidden third party meant in this context.
Xue Daoyong bellowed, "Die, traitor!"
The White Tiger roared. Yue Qianfeng howled, the Scarlet Dragon soaring.
Just as they seemed about to clash again—they spun and struck together.
Tiger and Dragon turned and struck toward the owl.
The deadlock—shattered.
Their killing intent now fell on the one who had tried to frame them both.
Li Guanyi realized this too.
He'd poured everything into that one arrow. Exhausted, his hands trembled. On horseback, gasping—but laughing aloud.
How exhilarating. How satisfying.
To charge into the storm—undaunted.
His heart was clear as a moonlit sky, free of dust.
Thus, Dragon and Tiger converged. Civil and martial qi merged.
Within him, they transformed into new power. His cultivation advanced—not through technique, but through natural momentum.
"My heart is bright—what more needs to be said?"
Entry into the realm—supreme!
(End of Chapter)