The white tiger's roar echoed through the heavens, its sound lingering. At the same time, Xue Daoyong used his immense qi to suppress the noise. Outside the Tingfeng Pavilion, it still appeared calm and tranquil—but no matter how skillfully concealed, subtle changes were inevitable.
It was now the spring of the third lunar month. In the vast western sky of the night stretched the White Tiger constellation, and among the Seven Mansions of the White Tiger, Shen Mansion shone especially bright—one of the most brilliant constellations in the sky. Anyone who simply lifted their head could see it.
"The brightness of the Seven Mansions of the White Tiger just increased by a stellar magnitude."
A young voice spoke, filled with surprise and cheerful curiosity.
The "stellar magnitude" he mentioned referred to the faintest light visible to the naked eye on a clear night. The speaker was a hooded figure with a fair, youthful jawline—hard to determine whether it was a handsome young man or a striking young woman. But one thing was certain: he was a youth.
Those who observed celestial phenomena always stood apart from ordinary people.
The workings of the heavens and the rules of the world would always blur slightly around such people.
It was both a gift and a burden.
The youth lifted his head, holding a finely polished round lens of pure East Sea crystal—an invention of the Mohists, capable of magnifying far-off sights. Yet to notice a change in stellar magnitude with the naked eye alone was extraordinary.
Beside the campfire, an old man sat silently for a long while before speaking:
"The Four Major Constellations in the sky orbit around the central heavens, enduring since ancient times. Even during times of dynastic upheaval, the stars never flickered or dimmed."
"Over a hundred years ago, when the Great Emperor of Central Plains lost his power, Duke Wei stayed overnight in the Phoenix Pavilion with the Empress Dowager. The young emperor, carrying a sword, sought revenge. That night, the Ziwei Palace caught fire and burned for three days and nights, turning the emperor to ashes—yet the Purple Star in the sky remained bright."
"For that, the officials of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau were executed by lingchi—a thousand cuts."
"What a joke. The fault of man, yet because they couldn't dim the stars, over a hundred innocent people died. They never understood celestial phenomena—only wished for all things to bow before their will. How could the descendants of those ancient wandering heroes have become so foolishly obstinate?"
"The Seven Mansions of the White Tiger wouldn't casually alter their brightness. The last time it happened was five hundred years ago, but that wasn't in spring, nor the western sky. Then, it signified the world settling under a single ruler, with the descent of the White Tiger Star-Lord to subdue the Central Plains."
The elder used a branch to trace a complex star chart on the ground, speaking softly:
"Everything carries its meaning. The movements of the stars often mirror omens in the mortal world—or perhaps, events among mortals cause the heavens to change. The brightening of the Seven Mansions of the White Tiger heralds that this generation's Great Lord of the Four Constellations has arrived in the world—a god of war and conquest."
"Look carefully—the Shen Mansion is the brightest. That means the tiger's claws have already awakened early and can no longer be restrained."
"Chaos is coming."
After pondering for a while, he looked at his hooded disciple.
"Yaoguang, you must find him."
"Fulfill the duty of the Eastern Continent's Celestial Observation School: maintain worldly peace. Do your utmost to delay the arrival of true chaos."
The youth could no longer contain his curiosity and asked:
"Teacher, can chaos be prevented?"
"If it can… why has it never been done before? Why has the world never escaped turmoil, even after brief periods of peace?"
The old man fell silent for a long time before finally sighing:
"The world has been in turmoil for far too long. Chaos will eventually come. When that day arrives, all the heroes of the world will take up their weapons and step onto the grand stage—just as the stars rise over Qilian and Taihang Mountains into the night sky. The celestial omens have already foretold this era. But we… we always hope to delay its coming."
The youth frowned in confusion. "Why?"
The old man gently patted the youth's head, sighing:
"In times of peace, even a farmer who supports his family is his hero. But do you know who the greatest hero is in chaotic times?"
"Who?"
The old man lowered his gaze, his eyes flashing faintly with memories of the bloody scenes from over a century ago. He whispered:
"The one who kills the most."
The youth shuddered.
"Because no matter how noble their aspirations, no matter their lofty ideals, once entangled in the chaos of the world, all heroes will tread upon mountains of bones and rivers of blood. They raise their weapons for peace, but beneath their horses' hooves lies only carnage."
"Some believe it's the necessary cost of remaking the world. But we… we hope to keep that cost smaller."
"Go, Yaoguang."
The old man solemnly patted his beautiful disciple's head again and said gravely:
"Find that White Tiger Great Lord—absent from the mortal realm for five hundred years—before the other faction of the Celestial Observation School, those aligned with the Pole Star who long for chaos, find him."
"Even if you cannot stop the chaos to come, you must assist him to become the hero who can stabilize the era."
———
At the Tingfeng Pavilion, the white tiger formed from water vapor let out a final roar before dissolving, returning to ordinary water. It fell with a crash upon the lotus pond below, accompanied by the thunderous roar of waves, as though the tides of the East Sea had struck the shore. The once beautiful koi fish was now nothing but a foul mess of blood and flesh.
Xue Daoyong stared fiercely at the pond, then at the now-quiet Breaking Clouds Thunder Bow.
He could sense that this bow had changed.
Who was it?
Who was it!!!
He abruptly turned around, entering the Tingfeng Pavilion, spreading fresh paper, and systematically recalling every event of the past month. One by one, he wrote them down in dense detail, using vermilion ink to highlight every incident that could have caused the bow's awakening.
—Letters from the north.
—Envoys from Ying Kingdom.
—Grandmasters from the martial world.
And finally…
At the end of these weighty names—each capable of shaking a region—his gaze landed on the last one. A flicker of something unreadable flashed in his eyes. After a pause, he picked up the vermilion brush and forcefully circled that final name:
[Li Guanyi].
He stared at that name.
It could be him. But also, likely not.
He hadn't even reached the first cultivation threshold yet. At this age, Xue Daoyong himself had already broken through, possessed formidable martial skills, and could travel alone across warlord territories.
Should he test him?
Xue Daoyong suddenly laughed.
Confident. Arrogant. Like a tiger in the hunt.
With a sweeping stroke, he changed the words after that name:
[Li Guanyi—raise evaluation by one tier]
Then paused.
Crossed it out.
And replaced it with:
[Li Guanyi—Upper Court Guest Official, permitted daily visits for food and drink]
With a flick of his wrist, he tossed aside the brush. His gaze landed on the Breaking Clouds Thunder Bow, eyes calm and steady.
Test him?
Why bother? Tests risk failure.
Even if there's only a one percent chance—it's enough.
Go all in!
———
Li Guanyi opened his eyes, deep in thought.
He had learned that move. But unlike before, this time… it was his comprehension first, followed by the jade liquid pouring in to boost his proficiency. Even so, it only allowed him to grasp the move—not to master it.
He was starting to understand the bronze cauldron's characteristics.
The jade liquid within it was probably linked to his cultivation. Since he had not yet entered the "境" (realm), he could instantly master techniques like The Eight Blades of Breaking the Army. But the Xue Family's first absolute technique, which required Manifestation, could only be roughly grasped.
And only because he comprehended it first.
Then the jade liquid would instantly max out his proficiency.
Holding the plain-colored bow Xue Shuangtao had given him, it felt natural—like an old companion. One Arrow of Frost's Chill, the Xue Family's signature move, could now be executed at will.
But Li Guanyi knew this was an illusion.
Manifestation techniques require completed manifestations.
At present, his two manifestations could only peek their heads out—and were constantly fighting each other for dominance. The little white tiger was still being bullied by the red dragon.
What he needed was to reach the 境.
Only then could his qi leave his body, supplying energy to the manifestation.
Then would come true mastery.
The youth sighed. "The境…"
If he wanted to leave Chen Kingdom safely, he needed to reach it. To fully control his martial skills, he needed it. Even to continue receiving the inheritance of the Breaking Clouds Thunder Bow, he needed it.
He had originally planned to leave Chen Kingdom immediately, but as he looked at the plain-colored bow and heavy saber…
A flicker of hesitation arose.
Such kindness from others—how could he ignore it?
Yet the assassins pursuing him, and the imperial troubles his aunt mentioned, made him firm his resolve to leave. Still, the Xue Family's kindness must be remembered. A drop of water in need deserves a spring in return.
He planned to read the Three Levels of the Entry Method imprinted in his mind next.
He had only just branded it before.
But suddenly—the white tiger manifestation on his bronze cauldron bristled, letting out a fierce roar. The linked manifestations resonated. Even though they were incomplete, Li Guanyi's perception sharpened instantly.
So… this is one of the properties of manifestation?
He didn't have time to think further. That primal, feral instinct of danger made him raise his hand, grab the bow, string an arrow, and spin out of his house—all in one smooth, practiced motion, as if he'd done it for years.
Beneath the moonlight—an old man was climbing his wall.
A white-haired elder, completely bald, peeking over the top, his gaze locked directly onto Li Guanyi's house. He grinned, stroked his beard, and cheerfully exclaimed:
"Old me is Sīmìng!"
"Young lad—you and I, ah, no…"
He paused, and corrected himself eagerly:
"You and I… no—you and your Master are destined to meet!!!"
(End of Chapter)