The wind howled in the middle of the night. The stars were sparse, though the moon shone bright.
An old man with white hair and a white beard leaned over the wall and said, "We are fated to meet."
Li Guanyi's guard was immediately at its highest. He was no longer the same person who had just arrived. After ten years on the run, even though he usually wore a smile, his wariness ran deep. The Su Ni Bow in his hand was already drawn, and the arrowhead was locked firmly on the old man's throat.
The arrow and bow moved subtly—
Ready to instantly adjust the angle depending on the man's movements.
Target zones: the forehead, throat, and chest.
The Xue Family's Piercing Cold Arrow required releasing inner qi externally, with the manifestation of a faxing (martial aspect of a technique).
That, he couldn't do yet.
But he had grasped the archery skills that carried the foundation of Piercing Cold Arrow. The distance from the wall to where he stood was no more than twenty paces. The night was windless, and the bow was newly purchased and finely tuned. Its flexibility and tension were at peak condition. A single shot would be enough to pierce the target.
Yet the old man didn't mind at all. He smiled eagerly, "You don't realize just how much trouble you're in. I've only just discovered that someone far from here has noticed you. In a world like this, the more trouble someone carries, the more unusual they tend to be."
"And you—especially so."
"Become my disciple. I will pass all the profound mysteries of yin-yang techniques on to you."
The old man spoke in a cryptic, almost mystical tone.
Li Guanyi remained composed and respectful, but didn't lower his bow:
"If you want to take a disciple, I ask that you come during the day and reveal your identity. I will respectfully accept your invitation. But climbing over walls in the middle of the night—one is either a thief or a villain. I must ask you to retreat."
The old man, calling himself Siming, burst into laughter:
"What a character. But, you see, I simply couldn't wait any longer—I just had to meet you."
"When one walks the world, its rules exist to restrain the ordinary. But if I wish to meet my disciple, I will. When I meet mediocrity, I look with disdain. But when my heart is delighted, I'll light a candle at midnight and speak heart to heart. That's just my way."
Li Guanyi didn't know whether this person was friend or foe. He simply replied, "Then please return tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? I think… Five, four, three, two, one—"
"There. It's past midnight now. That counts."
Siming clapped his hands, about to leap down from the wall.
At that very moment, a dull whooshing sound broke the silence. Something dark cut a perfect arc through the air—and smacked the old man right in the face just as he jumped.
His balance broken—
He let out a strange yelp and toppled backward.
It was a metal pot, which clanged loudly as it hit the ground.
Li Guanyi turned around to see his aunt, Murong Qiushui, had walked out from the nearby building. She held another pot in her left hand, her brows slightly raised and clearly in high spirits. She gestured for Tanunu the cat to step aside. That flying pot just now was part of the same legendary technique she once used to beat off 47 bandits in a single night.
The old man didn't crash to the ground, though.
Instead, he landed atop an invisible space, caught by a mystic black tortoise—a creature unseen to ordinary eyes. The tortoise looked at the old man, shook its head, and slowly turned to leave.
But the old man said:
"What's that?"
"You mean... that boy was right? That showing up at someone's house in the middle of the night doesn't exactly scream 'gentleman'?"
The tortoise slowly nodded.
The old man burst into raucous laughter:
"HAHAHAHA!"
"Those who peek at the heavenly fate suffer five great defects. Those who tamper with yin and yang shall die without peace."
"Yet these are precisely the kinds of people least bound by rules. Kings make laws hoping all men will be virtuous, while folks like me are called venomous insects and driven from the capital by guards with halberds."
"But the emperor who once cursed me now lies dead on the battlefield. A tree now grows from the urine I left on his grave. His descendants kneel in worship there every time they visit."
"And yet, here I am—still alive. I've lost and regrown my teeth five times."
"Earthly laws mean nothing to us."
"But that boy... he's a good kid. We'll meet again one day."
"Tonight, I only came to lay claim to our master-disciple bond."
"After all, I was the first to say the words, 'I am your master.'"
The old man grinned smugly.
The tortoise rolled its eyes—quite humanly.
A friend named "Zu" had once written to say he would introduce a disciple. Along with him would come a Mohist grandmaster and a great Confucian scholar. The tortoise knew the old man had calculated something, which was why he was wall-hopping in the middle of the night.
It walked away soundlessly and vanished.
At almost the same moment, Li Guanyi stepped quickly out with his Su Ni Bow, scanning his surroundings. The old man had vanished—no trace, not even footprints.
He picked up the thrown pot.
It was his old cooking pot, well-seasoned from long use. Not something to throw away lightly.
He felt the bottom—his face turned slightly grim.
There wasn't a single mark.
Which meant... the pot hadn't hit him. The old man had deliberately pretended to fall. Yet he made no sound landing and disappeared almost instantly.
Li Guanyi knelt and touched the ground. No trace.
Perhaps it would be safer to relocate Auntie to the Xue Family estate.
Deep in thought, he took the pot back.
When Aunt Murong learned the intruder had vanished, she was visibly disappointed.
Li Guanyi told her to rest early and then returned to his room. The visit from the self-proclaimed Siming had thoroughly disrupted his drowsiness. He felt completely awake again.
He began reviewing the "Three Paths to Entry: A Discourse on Cultivation" from memory.
This was a record of cultivation insights left behind by the Xue Family's Number One Divine General under Heaven. It detailed the various layers of cultivation.
The most basic method focused on strengthening the body while tempering inner qi. Once both reached a certain threshold, they would naturally merge, allowing one to break through.
A better approach involved imprinting divine intent.
"By using techniques that contain the resonance of a martial aspect (faxing), one can preliminarily sense the divine nature of such aspects. Using these methods to enter the realm of cultivation allows refinement on a deeper level, and grants the martial artist the ability to channel qi externally from the outset."
"Historically, great sects and noble families have all used this method."
"Yet beyond even this superior method, there is another way."
"Long ago, in the Western Regions, there were monks who practiced head anointment. Children entered the realm at the age of three. Their sects were filled with slaves and bone-crafted tools. I was curious and once attempted to study their methods."
"They refused. So I destroyed them."
These four words brimmed with killing intent and wrath.
"Later I learned their anointment technique was essentially a transferal method of martial aspects. Through it, a fax could be forcibly passed from one body to another. But the donor would always die, and their power would be lost."
"I burned their scriptures, their techniques, and their temples. Yet having read them, I pondered deeply—and gained insight."
"Before entry: one cultivates the small internal world; one tempers the body."
"Entry itself is when the inner and outer worlds align. Daoists call these inner and outer visions. Buddhists say divine comprehension. Confucians call it establishing one's will. To me, all three are the same."
"The body is like the land. Entering is like digging a canal to channel the river into it. The usual way is to just dig blindly—time-consuming and inefficient."
"It can even damage the body's foundation."
"Still, the direction is correct. Eventually, you'll reach water—and thus enter."
"This is the oldest method of cultivation."
"Later, people recorded their methods: how to train the body, how to cultivate qi—thus creating the first cultivation manuals. It's like having a waterway map: knowing where to dig deeper and where to build up."
"It's much more efficient. The resulting canal is more stable. Drawing energy inward becomes easier."
"But still—this is all human effort. It pales in comparison to the natural force of heaven and earth. If one can temper the body beforehand and then use a special blessed location to align the inner and outer, entry becomes supreme."
"I once politely asked the Daoist sect to borrow their Xiantian Gate techniques."
"They opened their library to me. I studied it for a month and merged insights from both Daoism and Buddhism."
"Along with a friend—Yaoguang—I created a method of entry that borrowed power from the world outside while cultivating upright strength within. Through dynamic flow, one would naturally breakthrough."
"With the help of a faxing-level martial artist, one could even mold innate talent comparable to so-called 'Living Buddhas' or 'Xiantian-borns'."
"I laughed. So that's how the 'supreme innate talents' of the Three Teachings are made—it's something that can be created by man."
"Unfortunately, I entered the realm at eight. Never had the chance to try."
"Yaoguang didn't mind. The stargazing scholars of East Land are always like that. She didn't understand."
"But if we can shake the mythos and awe behind the Three Teachings' chosen ones…"
"That would be of immense significance to the world."
"Still, she's too pretty. So I can't blame her."
"After descending the mountain, Yaoguang spent three years locating a place with ideal feng shui near Guan Yi City in Jiangnan. Then she set up a formation to artificially create a cultivation site. I moved the Xue Family there and asked how long it would take."
"She calculated: At least two hundred years for the energy to gather."
"I might still be alive by then. But she definitely won't."
"Stargazers glimpse fate, so they care little for death. Their names are passed down. To those who inherit her legacy—remember to find this place and test it."
"You must have already awakened a faxing since only one who has can wield my bow. And to awaken a faxing is to have already entered."
"That feeling of having the most perfect path to entry just out of reach… grinding your teeth in frustration... that's my gift to you, from your dear ancestor."
"Because I was furious back then too. Felt like a lesson the next generation must also endure."
Li Guanyi smirked.
This so-called Number One Divine General Under Heaven—for all his greatness—seemed a bit mischievous.
He continued reading:
"But you can take someone you trust and search for that place. Yaoguang and I left some interesting things there."
"If you do manage to forge a supreme cultivation base, go find the Daoist Xiantian Gate."
"Yaoguang said there's a young, inexpressive boy there—he might live for centuries. Go up the mountain and find Daoist Qingwei."
"Tell him: 'Xue Lang of old returns again.'"
"How fares the peach blossom wine that once existed in your place centuries ago?"
At last, Li Guanyi saw the technique.
The transmission ended there.
And then his thoughts froze.
Wait a minute???
Where's the secret realm???
Where did you hide it??
And then...?
...That's it?
(End of Chapter)