A Faxiang (Manifestation of Spirit) represents one's essence—spirit, energy, and will. It is a manifestation of yin and yang energies.
Changsun Wuchou offered a polite smile and bow, but the fox-shaped Faxiang beside him drew close to Li Guanyi, seemingly investigating him—possibly employing some kind of aura-probing technique.
However, as the fox neared the young man, the bronze cauldron trembled. The dragon and tiger Faxiang leaped to strike. Though the red dragon's tail still clung to the cauldron, its diamond-shaped scales coiled tightly around the fox's neck. The white tiger lunged in tandem.
They hadn't even fully matured into adult Faxiang forms, yet they forcibly tore away a large portion of the fox's aura. The startled fox retreated in panic.
For some reason, Changchun Wuchou suddenly felt a faint, primal unease—an emotion he hadn't experienced even while wandering the Western Regions. His aura-reading method, drawn from ancient texts, failed him. All he perceived was darkness.
The boy in the dark blue robe stood there like a tiger in a deep mountain—silent, poised, dangerous. He returned the bow with composure and said:
"I am Li Guanyi."
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Changsun."
Changsun Wuchou observed him closely, brow furrowed. He quickly suppressed his unease and smiled with a nod.
"A true young hero, indeed."
Li Guanyi watched Changsun Wuchou walk away before entering the Xue residence. The dragon and tiger Faxiang carried the remnants of the fox's aura back with them. The bronze cauldron shimmered briefly, but the fox wasn't qualified to be absorbed. A spot on the cauldron glowed momentarily before fading, and the fox's aura dissipated completely.
The dragon and tiger each absorbed a portion—both brightened slightly, strengthening just a bit.
Meanwhile, Changsun Wuchou was brought to the Listening Wind Pavilion (Tingfengge), where Xue Daoyong personally greeted him. Wuchou stepped forward and bowed deeply, calling him "Uncle." The old man, now graying, quickly rose to help him up, clapping him on the shoulder with a mild scolding:
"Nephew, what's all this formality?"
"No need to act so distant."
They exchanged smiles—no more words needed.
Seated and served several cups of tea, Changsun Wuchou said with a smile:
"You must've received the letter my brother sent earlier, Uncle Xue? I've come today regarding that matter."
Xue Daoyong had indeed read it, the moment the thunderous twang of the Po Yun Zhen Tian Gong (Cloud-Breaking Heaven-Shaking Bow) echoed across the skies.
"Of course," he replied.
Changsun Wuchou continued softly:
"The descendants of the Tanguts are still in the Western Regions. Tu-yu-hun (Tuyuhun) currently occupies their former lands. You opened the trade route, and we sold salt, iron, and weapons to the Tanguts. Now that they are armed, their Left Prince happened to suddenly pass away."
"They've already begun clashing with the Tuyuhun."
"This has stabilized the borderlands for both Ying and Chen kingdoms."
"You, old master, truly are brilliant."
"You made tenfold profits and used the Tanguts to hold off the Tuyuhun for the Chen Kingdom."
Xue Daoyong responded:
"I may be a merchant, but after General Yue's departure, with the border in peril, I had to find my way to stabilize the frontier. Sadly, I'm just an old man now—I can't ride into battle anymore…"
Changsun smiled in agreement.
Xue Daoyong asked, "What of the Tanguts?"
"They have valor," Changsun replied.
Xue sipped his tea and reviewed the trade documents. He said lightly:
"We can support them a while longer—until they are strong enough to match Tuyuhun."
"Then, my good nephew, I'll trouble you to sell weapons and salt to the Tuyuhun next."
Changsun looked at the old man, aware of the bloodshed hidden behind his calm words.
"You make your profits, yet still stabilize the borderlands. But alas, it will be unending conflict among the peoples of the Western Regions."
Xue chuckled.
"Aren't you serving the great clans of Longxi? Isn't that the same thing?"
They clinked teacups and drank. The jade-like porcelain reflected the tea, like the vast Western Regions flowing into their throats. Xue Daoyong mused:
"The foreign tribes live by blade and horse, often raiding our borders. I've seen it firsthand."
'Those who are not of our kind, their hearts are always different.'
"For the Central Plains, a chaotic Western Region is a good one."
Changsun didn't argue. He simply smiled and said:
"We've finished the trade talk. Here's the latest geographic and geopolitical map. I'd like to discuss broader affairs of the realm with Uncle Xue."
He unrolled a cowhide scroll. The old man smiled and said:
"No rush."
"This time, I'd like to ask a child to observe. Would that be alright?"
Changsun replied:
"Seems the Xue family has a new pillar of strength."
"If you're willing, I've no objection."
Though a traveling merchant, Changsun was backed by a powerful Longxi aristocratic clan. Together with Xue's eldest son, they influenced regional power plays.
He had seen many young heroes. The three sons of his own noble house were each exceptional.
After all, the Xue family were mere merchants—he remained composed.
The door opened, and with it came a sharp aura.
Changsun Wuchou opened his eyes fully.
It was him.
Li Guanyi entered in blue robes, a leather belt around his waist, and a saber hanging by his side. In one hand, he carried the Suni Bow, his forehead bound with a crane-and-cloud-patterned band to stop sweat from his eyes. His expression was calm, exuding the composure of a seasoned warrior.
Changsun Wuchou straightened in his seat.
Xue Daoyong waved him over and, not without pride, said:
"Li Guanyi of Jiangzhou."
"Our family's qilin child!"
He pointed to Changsun Wuchou and introduced:
"A descendant of the General of the Right Valiant Guard of Ying Kingdom. Now serving a Duke beyond the pass. The noble clan is vast—Wuchou, why don't you introduce yourself?"
Changsun clasped his hands and bowed with a smile:
"Second son of the Duke of Longxi, of the Li family with the ancestral Ji surname, student of Erlang's household."
"Son of the General of the Right Valiant Guard of Great Ying."
"Nephew of the Supervisor of Rites of Great Ying. Eldest legitimate son of the Changsun clan. Pleased to meet you."
This was how nobility introduced themselves: with ancestry and prestige.
The Ji surname was a national surname once granted by the former emperor of Central Plains.
Li Guanyi had no such lineage. He merely bowed politely and said:
"We've already met earlier, Mr. Changsun."
"I am Li Guanyi."
Changsun smiled and returned the gesture.
He spread the map on the table. It showed not only the Ying and Chen Kingdoms, but also the Tuyuhun in the West, the northern Turks, the northeastern Khitan, Rouran, and Wuluohou tribes. Mountains, rivers, cities, and villages were all detailed.
Xue Daoyong waved his hand, and the pavilion's windows shut. Thirteen fist-sized luminous pearls lit up the room.
Changsun pointed to the Western Regions and said:
"The Western Regions are in chaos. Thanks to Uncle Xue's maneuvering, the Tanguts hunger for revenge."
"Yue Shuai (Marshal Yue) was captured to protect civilians. His army now holds the border against the Tiger Barbarian cavalry. Meanwhile, Ying's Grand General faces the Iron Cavalry of the Turks at the pass, ensuring they do not descend upon the Central Plains."
"The world is mostly at peace…"
Li Guanyi sat quietly, watching the two men discuss world affairs. As he studied the map, he mentally traced the route from Chen Kingdom to Ying, everything clear in his mind. The teachings of the late General Xue echoed through his thoughts.
He could understand their discussion.
This is what it means to plot a nation's course.
Xue used money to destabilize the West and stabilize the border.
No wonder he'd been so pleased when Li Guanyi once said "to scheme for the nation, for peace through the ages."
He must've thought he found a kindred spirit.
But I… I don't have that kind of grand vision.
I'm just pretending.
His mind raced. General Xue's teachings rose unbidden, growing ever clearer.
Changsun Wuchou, sensing this, pointed at the map and smiled:
"Mr. Li, what do you think will happen if the current state of the world changes?"
Li Guanyi recalled Xue's teachings and instinctively made a judgment.
He picked up the nearby brush and tapped a spot on the map.
"Here."
Changsun and Xue looked: at the Western Regions.
"If the frontier crumbles and Ying opposes the Turks, Tuyuhun will have no real threat. If it were me… I wouldn't have the Tanguts fight Tuyuhun yet."
The young man sat quietly, gaze calm.
Still youthful, there was a scholarly air to him. But in that moment, it was as if a black-armored god of war sat behind him—hand holding a game piece, staring down at a map of the world.
When Li Guanyi raised his hand, it was as if that ancient general had reached across five centuries to move a piece on the board.
"Have the Tanguts bide their time—feign weakness. Tuyuhun, seeing Ying distracted by the Turks, will try to seize fertile lands to compensate for their shortcomings. At that moment, if the Tanguts suddenly strike and cut them off, Tuyuhun will be thrown into chaos."
"The noble families of Ying beyond the pass won't miss such an opportunity—they will raid forward."
"If at that time a great general leads elite cavalry from Chen's borders…"
"They could seize Tuyuhun territory. Chen, Tangut, and Ying could split the Western Regions in three."
"…"
Li Guanyi caught himself—it wasn't the secret realm anymore. He pulled his hand back, ashamed.
"Empty words, armchair strategy. Please don't laugh at me."
If General Xue were here, I'd probably have a few more tally marks on my forehead.
Xue Daoyong muttered:
"…This is exactly like the strategies my ancestors left behind."
Changsun laughed aloud:
"Ha! Mr. Li, your logic holds. For someone your age, quite impressive."
Both men casually dismissed it as youthful naivety—yet in their eyes flashed a glimmer of shock.
That night, after escorting his aunt back to the Xue household, Li Guanyi returned home.
Changsun rested outside while Xue Daoyong stared silently at the map.
"…Truly a war god reborn?" he murmured.
"His strategy is still immature, lacks many details—one might even call it crude."
"But it's imaginative, like a leaping antelope without a trace."
"It's as if he knows nothing of military theory, yet has the insight of a first-rate strategist."
"Who taught this boy? Did they skip the basics and go straight to grand strategy?"
He looked at a secret letter from the court instructing him to confront Yue Qianfeng and sighed.
"To move a piece from within the game… is to become a piece yourself. Yue Qianfeng, huh?"
"…I don't want to fight one of Yue Shuai's generals."
Changsun Wuchou wrote a letter—to the second son of the Duke of Longxi.
It described local affairs and characters, then paused.
He finished the letter in the language of the Xianbei people:
"...I was ordered to discuss Western matters with the Xue family and delay the Tanguts' war effort—partnering with Chen to break Tuyuhun's dominance. I met a youth whose assessment of the situation mirrors yours completely.
He is also your age. His name: is Li Guanyi of Jiangzhou."
Although addressed to the second son, he ended the letter with:
"Second Miss—you might find him interesting."
The letter was tied to a hawk's leg, and the bird flew day and night. By the second sunrise, it reached the lands beyond the pass.
The Duke of Longxi, of the Li clan under the Ji surname, had long held that post.
As the hawk screeched, an invisible bird caught the message.
Wreathed in sunlight, and covered in flame, a phoenix descended.
It landed on the shoulder of a 13-year-old girl.
Her phoenix eyes, her red vertical brow mark, her noble bearing—she was majestic.
A phoenix Faxiang rested lazily on her shoulder.
She opened the letter.
Raised an eyebrow.
"…His assessment is the same as mine?"
(End of Chapter)