Preface:

Dark willows and crying crows, standing alone in thin garments before a small vermilion door. Half an acre of paulownia flowers, silently locking in a courtyard of melancholy rain. Through the night, the empty steps are washed by unceasing drizzle, as an old friend trims the candle and speaks by the western window. Like spending a night by the Chu River, with wind-blown lamps flickering chaotically – such is a youth’s journey.

Twilight falls. Places of past revelry. Now inns stand smokeless, and the imperial city lies within its hundred-five miles of walls. At the tavern, calling for wine to share with companions of Gaoyang. I wonder, in the eastern garden, if the peach and plum blossoms of spring still grace those delicate lips and dimpled cheeks. Upon return, there will surely be lingering flowers, waiting for guests to bring wine and food.

— Zhou Bangyan’s “Cold Lattice Window · Cold Food Festival”

Chapter 1: Qianlong City

At the Star-Observing Tower, on the Eight Trigrams Platform.

Song Qing ascended the Eight Trigrams Platform and bowed to the Supervisor’s back:

“Master, Wei Yuan’s body has been reconstructed, but he only has his human soul. His heaven and earth souls are missing. If we can’t retrieve the dual souls, he will never wake up.”

The Supervisor coldly glanced at him sideways and said, “Didn’t you give him the list of materials for crafting the Soul-Summoning Bell?”

Song Qing showed a hint of embarrassment. After all, his master had previously said not to tell Xu Qi’an that Wei Yuan was still alive.

He had held back until now, waiting until the situation was settled before informing the alchemy prodigy, Young Master Xu, about Wei Yuan’s slim chance of survival, allowing him to gather materials for crafting the Soul-Summoning Bell.

Song Qing, who had disobeyed his master’s orders, seemed only slightly embarrassed as if this was a common occurrence. He lamented:

“It’s just that his cultivation level…”

The Supervisor slowly said, “With his talent, it would be a shame for him to walk the path of a warrior. The crude way of the warrior doesn’t suit him.”

He then fell silent, saying no more.

Song Qing continued, “It’s a pity Young Master Xu has left the capital. Junior Sister Zhong Li had no choice but to return to the sealed area beneath the tower. I wonder when she will fully overcome her misfortune.”

“It won’t be too long,” the Supervisor’s gaze turned towards the distant horizon.

“You’ve spent too long in the field of alchemy. When will you advance to the Fifth Rank?”

The Supervisor withdrew his gaze and looked at Song Qing.

Song Qing showed a puzzled expression and asked in return, “Why should I advance?”

The Supervisor fell silent for a moment, then turned his gaze back to the distant horizon, no longer paying attention to his fourth disciple.

…

At the bottom of the Star-Observing Tower.

Oil lamps illuminated the space, casting a dim yellow light.

Zhong Li, wearing a hemp robe, her messy long hair framing bright eyes reflecting the candlelight, walked slowly down the deep, quiet corridor.

As she passed a certain room, a man’s voice came from inside:

“Is that Junior Sister Zhong Li?”

Zhong Li stopped in front of the door, her soft voice responding, “Mm!”

“Why have you come back again? That kid said he would bear your misfortune for you, but he keeps sending you back here every other day,” Yang Qianxian grumbled.

The bottom of the Star-Observing Tower had three levels, used to imprison those who had committed heinous crimes but were too powerful to be held in ordinary prisons. After all, normal cells couldn’t contain Fifth or Fourth Rank cultivators.

However, there weren’t many warriors who could be imprisoned at the bottom of the Star-Observing Tower, and those who were usually didn’t live long. Therefore, the prison at the tower’s bottom was very quiet.

Instead, Yang Qianxian and Zhong Li were frequent visitors here.

It’s worth mentioning that both of them had fixed “rooms” on the first level. Zhong Li’s room was personally set up with arrays by the Supervisor to help her suppress her misfortune. Yang Qianxian’s room was also personally set up with arrays by the Supervisor to prevent his escape.

“He… he left the capital…” Zhong Li said, sounding a bit sad.

“It’s good that he left the capital. Wei Yuan is dead, and he’s lost his backing. If he didn’t leave now, would he wait for the Emperor to come after him?” Yang Qianxian sneered, feeling both delighted and melancholic.

He was delighted because with Xu Qi’an gone, he, Yang Qianxian, would be the sole outstanding figure in the capital.

He felt melancholic also because Xu Qi’an had left, giving him a sense of loneliness, as if a kindred spirit had departed, leaving him alone at the pinnacle, feeling the chill of solitude.

“The Emperor is dead, he won’t be coming after him,” Zhong Li said softly.

The Emperor is dead? Yang Qianxian was shocked and said in bewilderment:

“Yuan Jing had advanced in his cultivation, his lifespan shouldn’t have been so short.”

Zhong Li replied concisely, “Xu Qi’an killed him.”

The room suddenly fell silent. After a moment, Yang Qianxian’s trembling voice came through:

“While I’ve been confined here by the Master, has something big happened in the capital again?”

Zhong Li responded with an “Mm” and continued, “Xu Qi’an, he…”

“No, don’t tell me, I beg you, don’t tell me!” Yang Qianxian immediately interrupted, indicating he didn’t want to hear it, dismissing it as nonsense.

Zhong Li let out an “Oh” and was about to leave. After taking a few steps, she heard Yang Qianxian’s slightly shrill voice from behind:

“No, don’t go, Junior Sister. I… I still…”

He paused, then said in a tone of frustration:

“I still can’t resist the temptation of that man.”

Zhong Li returned to the door.

“Why did he kill the Emperor? The Emperor is the ruler of the country. Those who commit regicide are condemned by heaven and earth. His hard-earned reputation will be ruined in an instant. Wait, how could he even manage to kill the Emperor?!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Qianxian heard Zhong Li’s soft voice say:

“He’s reached the Third Rank. The Emperor deserved to die, and the common people all cheered.”

She wasn’t good at storytelling, but just this short sentence made the room echo with heavy breathing.

“This, this…” There was a gulping sound as if swallowing. “Can you tell me more about it?”

Zhong Li then briefly told Yang Qianxian about the events that had transpired recently. She spoke plainly and concisely, only recounting the facts without much description.

But the breathing in the room grew heavier.

“Damn it, damn it all…”

The sound of fists pounding against the wall rang out, accompanied by Yang Qianxian’s extremely envious voice:

“Why does he get to do all the attention-grabbing things? ‘The Emperor is tyrannical, so I, Xu, shall overthrow him?’ Why couldn’t it be me, Yang? I’m so jealous…

“He killed the Emperor, and all the people in the capital applauded. All the loyal and upright officials praised him greatly. From now on, he’ll be famous and become the center of everyone’s attention. He probably doesn’t even have to pay for groceries anymore…”

Yang Qianxian imagined the people of the capital cheering enthusiastically, shouting “If heaven hadn’t born Yang Qianxian, Great Shang would be in eternal darkness,” and “Young Master Yang is truly the conscience of Great Shang.” Then, he would stand high above, his back to the masses, saying nonchalantly:

“With the moon in hand and stars within reach, there’s no one else in this world like me.”

As he imagined this, Young Master Yang’s whole body began to tremble uncontrollably.

It was foreseeable that Xu Qi’an would go down in history, leaving several significant marks in the annals of Great Shang.

“This bastard, not content with showing off in front of contemporaries, he has to show off to future generations too… But, but I really can’t imitate such behavior. It’s so frustrating.”

Zhong Li consoled him, “If Elder Brother Yang had been there, he would surely have made his mark in history too. It’s a pity Elder Brother was in seclusion at the bottom of the tower.”

“Wh-what do you mean?” Yang Qianxian’s voice trembled slightly.

“Chu Yuanzhen, Li Miaozhen, and others intercepted the Emperor’s avatar outside the city, making outstanding contributions. This morning’s announcement mentioned them by name. Also, Xu Qi’an told me at the time that it would have been good if Elder Brother Yang hadn’t been in seclusion.

“Your teleportation technique would have been very useful, but unfortunately, you were confined here by the Master.”

After Zhong Li finished speaking, Yang Qianxian didn’t respond for a long time. She seemed to realize she had said something wrong, ducked her head, and scurried away with small steps.

A few seconds later, Yang Qianxian’s heart-wrenching wail came from behind:

“This Imperial Astronomical Bureau, I might as well not stay here anymore!!!”

…

Yun Province.

Amidst the layered mountains, a majestic city was built along the mountainside. Houses and pavilions were hidden among the trees, with a bustling crowd and a lively atmosphere.

The name of this city was — Qianlong!

The city had a population of over 200,000, composed of Yun Province civilians, wandering jianghu figures, fugitives, and soldiers. They lived by half farming and half hunting.

The most powerful person in the city was the City Lord. Under his governance, Qianlong City maintained good order. Even the fugitives who sought refuge here had to restrain their violent tendencies.

Those jianghu wanderers who were dissatisfied with the Great Shang court called Qianlong City a pure land and referred to the City Lord as a wise ruler.

As for the civilians who were originally abducted from various parts of Yun Province to increase the population, they settled down contentedly because life here was relatively prosperous. For the lower class, it didn’t matter where they put down roots as long as they had enough food and clothing.

Outside Qianlong City were mountain strongholds used for stationing troops, responsible for raids, serving as defensive outposts, and training new soldiers.

Outside the city, a group of armored soldiers led more than three hundred militiamen in felling trees and widening roads. They were preparing to lay foundations in this area to build new houses to accommodate the newly accepted refugees.

Leading them was a handsome young man, bare-chested, wielding a large axe, chopping away at the trees.

His muscles bulged with each movement, exuding masculine beauty.

An elderly man in Taoist robes stood nearby, watching this young master who, despite his extraordinary cultivation, was laboring like an ordinary man to fell trees.

The old Taoist sighed and said, “Young Master, the feng shui of this area is too good. It’s truly a waste to let refugees live here.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Once they’ve come to Qianlong City, they’re all our people,” said the physically strong young man as he wiped away his sweat and continued chopping.

The old Taoist, whose Taoist name was Jiao Ye, laughed carefreely. He was originally a wandering Taoist whose learning was eclectic. He knew a bit of the Human Sect’s sword techniques, a little of the Earth Sect’s merit techniques, and had some knowledge of medicine, fortune-telling, physiognomy, and divination.

A few years ago, angered by corrupt officials oppressing the common people, he killed someone and was wanted by the local authorities. He then wandered to Yun Province and, by chance, entered Qianlong City.

After staying here for a few years, he was appreciated by the City Lord’s seventh son, Ji Xuan, the young man before him, and was invited to be a guest adviser.

The old Taoist was originally a bit nervous, as he was used to being a free spirit and didn’t understand or want to understand rules, feeling unsuited for serving others.

Unexpectedly, this young master was even more of a free spirit than him, spending his days wandering around the city, drinking and gambling with fugitives, and chatting with commoners about hunting and harvests.

He was also skilled at manual labor, personally participating and working alongside the armored soldiers and laborers.

In Qianlong City, whenever someone mentioned Young Master Ji Xuan, they would show a friendly smile.

The old Taoist Jiao Ye, frustrated, said:

“Young Master, now that Ji Qian is dead, you should show your talents and compete for the position of heir. Why are you still so idle? I understand your previous low-profile approach, but if you don’t strive now, when will you?”

The young man squinted his eyes and smiled:

“Taoist, those things, if Father gives them to me, they’re mine. If he doesn’t, I can’t take them by force.”

The old Taoist Jiao Ye stomped his foot in frustration: “But you should at least show some effort!”

The young man stopped chopping, raised the axe in his hand, and smiled brightly: “I’ve been doing that all along.”

At this moment, an armored guard rushed over and announced loudly: “Young Master Ji Xuan, the City Lord commands you to go to the Star-Observing Pavilion.”

The young man and the old Taoist exchanged a smile.

…

The Star-Observing Pavilion was on the mountaintop, offering a panoramic view.

Ji Xuan changed into a new blue robe and climbed the stone steps laid out on the mountain, finally arriving at a garden.

“Young Master Xuan!” The guards outside the garden bowed with clasped hands.

Ji Xuan greeted the guards with a smile, paused his steps, and chatted casually for a while before entering the small garden.

Passing through courtyards and several pavilions, Ji Xuan stopped outside a small garden where two black-clad guards stood at the entrance.

These were the Shadow Guards of his father, the City Lord of Qianlong City.

There weren’t many Shadow Guards, but each one was at least of the Fifth Rank in cultivation.

The two Shadow Guards bowed without greeting.

In front of them, Ji Xuan suppressed his smile, politely cupped his hands, and then entered the garden.

He skillfully made his way to a pavilion and respectfully said: “Father, National Teacher.”

The door of the pavilion opened automatically, and a mellow, gentle voice came from inside: “Come in!”

Ji Xuan stepped over the threshold and entered the first-floor hall.

The candlelight was bright, curtains hung low, and expensive woven carpets covered the floor. On the table stood a four-legged golden beast, emitting wisps of sandalwood incense.

A middle-aged man in a purple robe sat in a large chair, his gaze stern as he examined Ji Xuan, his seventh son, known for his idleness.

“Father!” Ji Xuan kept his eyes straight ahead and bowed again with clasped hands.

Then, he looked towards the white-robed figure sitting cross-legged behind the low-hanging curtains and smiled with squinted eyes: “National Teacher!”

The purple-robed middle-aged man spoke slowly: “The spirit of the dragon vein has been destroyed, further weakening the foundation of Great Shang. It can be foreseen that chaos will inevitably erupt in the Central Plains.”

Ji Xuan smiled and said:

“Congratulations to Father and the National Teacher, you will achieve great things.”

The white-robed figure behind the curtains remained silent.

The purple-robed middle-aged man shook his head and said with regret: “Although the dragon vein is destroyed, its fortune has not been extracted.”

This… Ji Xuan showed a surprised expression, his usually warm and approachable face turning somewhat serious: “Even with the National Teacher’s intervention, it wasn’t successful?”

The white-robed figure behind the curtains let out a “Heh”:

“Not only was it unsuccessful, I almost died in the capital. I’ve never underestimated the Supervisor, but I underestimated him this time.”

Hearing this, Ji Xuan narrowed his eyes slightly. If even the National Teacher almost died in the capital, one could imagine how fierce the battle must have been.

The “him” the National Teacher referred to was the vessel in the capital, his cousin Xu Qi’an.

What had Xu Qi’an done? From the National Teacher’s tone, it seemed he had suffered a major setback because of him.

That cousin who was treated as a vessel from birth had always been of interest to him. No, to be precise, everyone in their branch of the family had been secretly watching him.

Ji Qian, the legitimate son who had been given high hopes by the family, had been constantly observing him, which led to jealousy. Under the pretense of traveling, he went to provoke trouble and ended up being killed by Xu Qi’an in Jian Province.

Everyone knew that Xu Qi’an was extraordinarily talented, but to say that he could disrupt the National Teacher’s plans and almost cause him to fail was truly unbelievable.

The white-robed figure behind the curtains sighed: “He has already reached the Third Rank, and he has long known my identity, making preparations in secret. With him and the Supervisor working together, no one in the world can outmaneuver these two.”

Third Rank… Ji Xuan, whose own talent surpassed even the legitimate son, Ji Qian, narrowed his eyes to a slit and clicked his tongue twice:

“This cousin of mine is probably the number one figure of our generation in the Nine Provinces. Like father, like son indeed.”

A Third Rank warrior in his early twenties was unparalleled among his peers throughout the Nine Provinces.

The purple-robed middle-aged man then said: “His cultivation has been sealed by the Demon-Sealing Nail, his path of martial arts has been cut off.”

Ji Xuan nodded and looked towards the white-robed figure behind the curtains.

Xu Pingfeng said: “In the Buddhist sect, only the Arhat of Overcoming Calamities is willing to remove the Demon-Sealing Nail for him, but this means he would have to join the Buddhist sect, form a Buddha body, and achieve the state of emptiness of all things.

“Outside the Buddhist sect, only Shenshu can remove the Demon-Sealing Nail. He will probably seek Shenshu’s remnant body, which will inevitably lead to conflict with the Buddhist sect.”

Ji Xuan commented lightly: “What a pity.”

The purple-robed middle-aged man looked at him and said solemnly: “Xuan’er, I summoned you here for a test.”

Ji Xuan bowed: “Please instruct me, Father.”

The purple-robed middle-aged man spoke slowly:

“The spirit of the dragon vein has shattered and scattered throughout the Central Plains. We need not concern ourselves with the other scattered dragon energies, but there are nine crucial dragon energies. You are to go into the jianghu, find the people hosting these nine dragon energies, and subdue them.

“Of the nine, kill four and keep five. Bring the five back to Qianlong City to strengthen our fortune. Use a grand formation to refine the four, supplemented with a blood pill, to help you reach the Third Rank.”

As he spoke, the purple-robed middle-aged man took out a purple sandalwood box from his sleeve.

Ji Xuan’s gaze fell on the box and couldn’t be moved away.

The purple-robed middle-aged man opened the box. On the yellow silk inside was a dull crimson pill, about the size of a chicken egg.

“This was left behind by one of our ancestors five hundred years ago when he was mortally wounded by the Martial Sect Emperor. It’s a shortcut from the Fourth Rank to the Third Rank, but only someone with great fortune can withstand the backlash of the blood pill.

“The National Teacher has calculated that four dragon energies will be enough for you to refine the blood pill and advance to the Third Rank.”

While blood pills were precious, they weren’t difficult to obtain for a top-tier power with sufficient resources. Besides being left behind by Third Rank warriors, blood pills could also be obtained by refining living beings.

The difficulty lay in the fact that for a Fourth Rank cultivator to take this shortcut of swallowing a blood pill, it was almost certainly fatal.

Either you were already at the Third Rank, unafraid of the pill’s backlash and able to strengthen your blood energy, or you possessed great fortune to shield you, giving you hope of withstanding the backlash.

The former was exemplified by the Northern Frontier King, the latter by Xu Qi’an.

Of course, Xu Qi’an not only had great fortune but his physical body had also undergone some modification from Shenshu’s blood essence, providing double insurance.

Ji Xuan took a deep breath, his hands trembling slightly as he reached out, saying loudly:

“Your son will not disappoint Father’s expectations.”

What he received with both hands was not only a great gift but also a kind of inheritance.

Although his father had never designated an heir, Ji Qian, as the eldest legitimate son, was universally recognized as the strongest contender. The other brothers were restless, secretly competing.

His father gave him this test and this jewel box implied something that needed no explanation.

After receiving the jewel box, Ji Xuan suddenly felt something was amiss. He pondered and said:

“The spirit of the dragon vein is of great importance. Although I am confident, I feel it’s not secure enough. Why doesn’t the National Teacher personally take action?”

The white-robed figure behind the curtains said flatly: “I suffered a backlash of fortune and am seriously injured. I need to go into seclusion to recover.”

Backlash of fortune? Wasn’t it said that no fortune was extracted from Xu Qi’an? Ji Xuan didn’t ask further and said:

“Ji Xuan understands.”

The purple-robed middle-aged man said: “I will send several experts from the Guest Advisors Hall to accompany you in searching for the spirit of the dragon vein. You will depart in three days.”

“Yes!” Ji Xuan replied.

The purple-robed man waved his hand. After Ji Xuan left, he looked at the white-robed sorcerer and said:

“Compared to the other sons, legitimate or not, Ji Xuan excels in both talent and ability. More importantly, he knows how to keep a low profile. Regardless of what he’s thinking, being able to reach this point shows great promise for the future.”

The white-robed sorcerer said: “He also has the highest reputation among all your sons.”

The purple-robed middle-aged man narrowed his eyes: “You’ve chosen him long ago?”

After a pause, he said: “I remember you saying that sorcerers cannot extract the spirit of the dragon vein.”

The white-robed sorcerer closed his eyes to meditate.

…

Ji Xuan, carrying the sandalwood box, left the pavilion and shook his head with a sigh: “This thing is really hot to handle.”

After walking for a while, he encountered a young woman in a purple dress. Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, tied with a purple silk ribbon, simple yet elegant.

“Seventh Brother!” The purple-dressed young woman smiled gracefully and said: “Mother wants to see you, she has something to ask you.”

“Aunt is looking for me?” Ji Xuan pondered for a moment, then smiled with narrowed eyes: “Alright, thank you for leading the way, cousin.”