Xue Daoyong spoke of such heroic acts without much care, merely pointing to the chessboard with a tone clearly different from usual, smiling as he said, "Come on, Guan Yi, let's finish this game of chess, and then you can go practice archery with Shuangtao."
Li Guanyi nodded, his youthful face softening:
"Yes, as the old master says."
An old man and a youth smiled at each other.
There was no need to mention the recent agreement anymore; these terms of address were enough to make their meanings clear to each other.
Thus, they reset the chessboard, each taking their respective sides, black and white. The elder, famed for being unbeaten in Guan Yi for thirty years, was calm and composed as he played chess, discussing other things, and said, "Military Officer's duties aren't difficult. A Ninth Grade loose official can only wear armor during dispatches."
"But your position's dispatch is to patrol and search for fugitives."
"The timing is quite flexible, so you can wear armor freely without issue. However, it's a pity that armor, with all its strict levels, only allows your rank to wear Light Armor, crafted from leather, with only vital parts reinforced with gold. Yet, armor is still armor."
"With your martial skills, clad in armor, wielding a heavy saber..."
"Charging into a crowd of enemies without armor, you would be invincible and unimpeded."
"Even if there were Martial Artists in the Entering Realm, with their Inner Qi just beginning to extend outside their bodies, it would still be difficult for them to inflict a fatal attack through the armor on your vital points. As for ordinary people, dozens of them attacking together would be ineffective unless you run out of energy or get your legs entangled and fall to the ground to have a dagger pierce your throat."
"As for higher-grade armor... it's different."
The old man sighed, "The Royal Armor of Ying Country, passed down through generations, can neutralize all forms of attacks. Even a heavy hammer cannot harm the person it protects, whereas the armor of the Chen Kingdom Royal Family can withstand attacks from Divine Weapons."
"It is said that Duke Chen once sparred with my ancestor and was struck by my ancestor's Breaking Cloud Sky-shattering Bow but did not die."
"And slightly inferior to the Emperor's Treasure Armor is the armor of the National Guardian General, which can manifest atop the Dharma Form. During an attack, the Dharma Form wearing armor wields Divine Weapons, invincible; then come the armors of various generals, where Inner Qi can circulate just as it does within the body, flowing through the armor."
"Both offensive and defensive, each has its own marvel, some as light as paper yet indestructible; some harness the force of storms, others naturally draw in the Primordial Qi of Heaven and Earth, ensuring their own Inner Qi circulates continuously without end."
"Many such wonders are more than enough to be considered treasures; as for the armor of the border troops, it differs from this individual-combat armor. Their Inner Qi can flow from one piece of armor to another, linking the armor together, making the border troops' momentum as one, hard as iron."
"If Qian Zheng were to wear armor, you might not be able to win without injury."
Li Guanyi listened intently.
Then he played his moves casually.
The elder watched his moves, his expression growing serious.
Just now, the elder had been sitting casually, quite relaxed, but now he couldn't help but sit up straighter.
Staring intently at the chessboard, he began, "It's a pity that an official's rank only holds sway within one's own country. Do you know what is universally recognized in this world?"
Li Guanyi thought for a moment, "Martial force?"
The elder said, "Martial Arts is one; in fact, there are three."
"Martial Arts, literary fame, and gold; those with Martial Arts are considered knights, heroes; those with literary fame are Grandmasters, masters; money is for the rich merchants; and those whose names are known throughout the world and who disdain wealth for Martial Arts are the eternal greats."
"If it were a peaceful era, the value of such greats wouldn't be so significant, but now, in these chaotic times with frequent conflicts between nations, from the nations to the aristocratic families, all are vying for these great personalities, seeking to attract great talents."
"Thus, an official position is only useful in one place, in one country, while literary fame allows you to travel across the world unimpeded even if you leave the border."
"If you had committed a great crime in Chen Country or had a great name under the heavens, Ying Country, Tuyuhun, and the Turkic would use even greater stakes to keep you. This is like the 'trading' and 'suppression' between great nations, one of the ten strategies to win over talents from all around the world."
"I can use a fugitive from an enemy state, giving such generous treatment, let alone a man of talent with a clean background?"
Li Guanyi said, "A thousand gold for a horse's bones."
The elder was surprised, then immediately praised, saying, "That makes sense."
He then stroked his beard with a smile:
"Rest assured, since I have placed my bet on you, I will find you a teacher, enhance your literary reputation, and break the chains from your Flood Dragon body, allowing you to soar into the skies."
Li Guanyi nodded in thanks, saying, "Thank you, Elder Xue."
Then he made a move and withdrew his fingers.
"You've lost."
The elder slowly lowered his head, staring at the chessboard, the smile on his face slowly solidifying.
"Hmm?"
......
Xue Shuangtao waited today at the Martial Arts Arena for that young guest elder, arriving early as usual. Today, she had already shot through two quivers of practice arrows, her forehead slightly sweaty. Even Xue Changqing had gotten up to practice archery, yet Li Guanyi was nowhere to be seen.
Frowning slightly, she asked a maid and found out that Li Guanyi had come early and had gone to Wind Listening Pavilion.
She wiped her sweat with a handkerchief, placed the bow on the rack, and hurried towards Wind Listening Pavilion. From a distance, she heard the sound of chess pieces hitting the board. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, knowing her grandfather was astute in chess. Although most national chess masters became famous in their youth, her grandfather, old and serious, played a stable game.
He was known as the unbeaten champion of Guan Yi City for thirty years.
The reason she liked tacticians but not chess was precisely that she had been bullied in chess by her grandfather.
At this moment, she thought that Li Guanyi must have also been pulled into playing chess. She pushed the door open, only to see the young man turning to stand up when he saw her. However, the elder opposite quickly stretched out his hand, grabbing the young guest elder's sleeve and crying out, "No, another game, another game!"
Xue Shuangtao approached, grasping one of Xue Daoyong's wrists with one hand and Li Guanyi's sleeve with the other, then gently pulled her grandfather's hand away, positioning herself in front of Li Guanyi, her large almond eyes glaring at the old man, she chided gently:
"Grandfather, how can you do this? Always using your seniority to bully the younger, winning at chess but not letting them leave!"
The old man felt wronged and was at a loss for words.
Am I bullying him?
Am I bullying him?! It's this young man who is bullying this old man.
Yet saying he had lost eighteen games in a row, each with a different death, he couldn't elaborate further.
The young man blinked and silently scrambled the chessboard, saying, "The elder's chess skills are formidable, I've lost many times... The elder was engrossed in the game and thought it was still early, that's why he held me back."
Xue Daoyong was stunned for a moment, then as usual, he said, "Ha... Haha, Guanyi, you also play a good game, yes, yes, a promising student."
Li Guanyi took the opportunity to stand up, saying, "Then, elder, I must be leaving now."
"I'll come again to play chess with you."
"Hahaha, very well, your skills are good, do visit often."
Li Guanyi and Xue Shuangtao walked out of the Wind Listening Pavilion. Xue Shuangtao curiously asked, "When did you and your grandfather become so close?"
Li Guanyi replied, "We played chess."
The young girl was puzzled, "Chess? What kind of chess is so helpful?"
Li Guanyi smiled and did not answer her question. Instead, they went to the Martial Arts Arena to practice archery. While resting, Li Guanyi thought about the twenty arrows he had used up. While stringing his bow and shooting, he said, "Miss, my arrows are used up; can I exchange them for new ones?"
Xue Shuangtao shot through a target and, raising her eyebrows, asked, "Used up?"
"Did you go hunting outside?"
Li Guanyi replied, "Mm."
The girl said, "Let me see."
Li Guanyi took his arrow quiver and handed it over. Xue Shuangtao picked up the arrows, placed them on her index finger's pad, and saw that the arrows were hard to balance as before. The feathers on the arrow tails were also damaged and twisted. Surprised, she said, "It looks like you have hit quite a lot of game. Did you get anything good?"
Li Guanyi calmly said, "Only crows that eat human flesh and carrion."
"They are too grotesque to bring back for you to see," he added.
Regret appeared on Xue Shuangtao's face.
Xue Daoyong doted on his granddaughter but thus would not let her hunt alone outside.
Only when the ladies ventured out for spring outings would he allow her to leave the city, and that was just for waterside picnics and poetry.
She did not hunt.
Li Guanyi thought for a moment, recalling that he had picked up some stones by the stream. He took them out from his bosom; they were pebbles that had become rounded from the water's flow, each uniquely colored and translucent. He said, "Those birds are not worth looking at, but these stones will look very pretty in water."
"For you, Miss," he said.
He opened his hand, and the stones fell into the young girl's palm, shining like gemstones.
Xue Shuangtao blinked her eyes and said, "You want me to refill your arrow quiver for you?"
Li Guanyi stiffened.
The young Miss raised by Xue Daoyong was no fool.
Being peers and having practiced and studied together for a while, their relationship had evolved from the initially polite young Miss and the refined, quiet Guest Elder to that of friends of the same age. The girl tossed the stones in her hand playfully and teased, "That price isn't enough, my dear Great Minister."
"One arrow costs one tael of silver, much more than you would earn in a month at Huichun Hall."
Xue Changqing, defending his master, said, "What's the big deal, she's such a tigress!"
Waving his chubby little hands, he added:
"I'll add money!"
Xue Shuangtao burst out laughing, bent down, and patted her brother on the head, soothingly saying:
"Alright, alright, you are the strongest, okay."
Then she looked at Li Guanyi and said, "You are already a Guest Elder, and you can buy arrows with your salary, which would be much cheaper. Have you spent all your money?"
Li Guanyi was financially embarrassed, and the elder had increased his burden without giving him any money.
Xue Shuangtao said, "Okay, okay, since Guest Elder sir has remembered to bring a little gift for the young lady, how can I hurt the Grand Minister's feelings? Come on, come on…" She was initially teasing, but by the end, she couldn't restrain herself from that tone and couldn't help laughing.
The great blacksmith at the mansion looked strangely at the handsome young man brought by the young Miss again.
Here to get more arrows.
And the expenses once again charged under the Miss's account.
The blacksmith looked at the handsome youth and said, "Let me see your arrows; what did you do to make them spoil like this?" Li Guanyi stepped in front of Xue Shuangtao and handed over the arrows. The blacksmith, filled with a mix of suspicion and curiosity, had a sharp glint in his eyes when he saw the arrows.
Arrows for killing!
He suddenly looked up at the thirteen-year-old boy.
The boy softly said, "I killed some wild dogs, wolves, and crows that attack for carrion."
"I just came from Wind Listening Pavilion."
The blacksmith, looking solemn, said, "…Alright."
He turned and fetched a new quiver of arrows. Li Guanyi thanked him. Having killed before, he now took the arrows like an experienced archer trying a new bow. However, he paused slightly, his fingers brushing against the silky blood grooves on the arrows and felt the hooks on them.
The blacksmith said, "You should use these kinds of arrows."
Li Guanyi thanked him.
...
Back in Wind Listening Pavilion, the elder looked over the chess board but had someone bring some scrolls. Written on them were details about the great scholars who would soon be near the capital of Chen Country. Eventually, the elder saw among these scholars, one not the most famous, but certainly the most unique.
"Wang Tong, also known as Wen Zhongzi."
"He has over a thousand disciples, though mostly ordinary. The most outstanding three among them don't really have much fame."
"Wen Zhongzi of the Qinghe Fang family."
"Du Keming of the Capital's Du Family."
"Wei Xuancheng of Quyang."
"Yet, these three are only seventeen or eighteen years old, a bit famous, that's all, and can't compare to those on the lists of talents. However, Wang Tong is special; he was the first in this era of diverse thoughts to propose a unity among the three teachings and has deep insights."
For some unknown reason, he suddenly wanted to come to Guan Yi City to take disciples... Such a grand scholar naturally had a formal invitation from the Xue Family, with Xue Shuangtao and Xue Changqing's names on it. He remained silent for a long time, then crossed out his grandson Xue Changqing's name and wrote another in its place.
Li Guanyi.
Xue Daoyong put down the pen.
"Let this old man's bones, aged by the blowing winds of the vast sky, witness just how far Li Guanyi can fly," he wrote on the invitation, then closed his eyes. Although there were no ripples in the pond outside the Wind Listening Pavilion, he seemed to already hear—
the strong winds blowing.