"You may be an honored guest of Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, but you are still not one of their people. I'm showing the Pavilion some respect, so don't go thinking you're actually somebody."
"If you refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit, don't blame me for being harsh!"
The middle-aged man in luxurious robes let out a cold hum and said with arrogance, "Your Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion is nothing more than a merchant guild. Do you really think my Marquis's Estate is afraid of you?"
Duanmu Wenshan was just about to speak when Xiayu stepped forward.
"You want to detain my sister?" Xiayu wore a playful smile.
If any of the young people from Huaicheng were here, their hearts would surely skip a beat; whenever Xiayu wore that expression, it meant he was angry.
"Our Young Marquis has taken a fancy to your sister—that is her supreme fortune! Come with me now, and don't make me use force!"
The luxuriously robed middle-aged man wore an arrogant expression, exuding an unspeakable sense of superiority.
"Use force?"
Xiayu's smile grew even wider.
"I have no time to waste words with a country bumpkin like you. Take this woman away!"
The middle-aged man waved his sleeve, and the burly men behind him immediately rushed forward.
"Bang!"
The man who rushed forward first was sent flying backward instantly.
With a muffled cough, he spat out an arrow of blood in mid-air.
He crashed into several people before finally hitting the ground.
"Sixth Lord, Little Gang is dead!" someone shouted.
This Sixth Lord was the luxuriously robed middle-aged man. He narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "You have a lot of nerve killing someone from my Marquis's Estate right here in the capital. Kill him!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than he watched figures from his own side go flying into the air.
Before he could react, a large hand clamped around his neck.
"Kill me? Is that all?"
Xiayu wore a strange smile, his gaze icy.
Sixth Lord's expression instantly darkened, a trace of panic flashing in his eyes.
Yet, the next moment, he regained his composure.
"I am a man of the Marquis's Estate! You dare kill me? The Marquis's Estate will exterminate your entire clan!"
"Where is your Young Marquis?" Xiayu asked coldly.
Sixth Lord was momentarily stunned, his face turning red as he stammered, "You're dead! You're dead!"
"Whether I die or not, I don't know, but you are definitely dead!"
Crack!
Xiayu snapped his neck with a single twist.
He no longer needed Xiao Liu to tell him who the Young Marquis was.
For he already spotted a young man dressed in lavish robes who stood out from the crowd like a crane among chickens, especially here at the docks.
Clad in pristine white, the youth waved a paper fan while using a scented handkerchief in his other hand to cover his nose.
His eyes were narrow and long, his gaze chillingly cold.
Behind him followed a grim-faced young man who carried a sword in his arms.
"Not bad moves. I suppose you must be some genius from some small backwater. You certainly have a temper," the Young Marquis said indifferently.
"I'll give you a chance: kneel down and beg me to take you in. Of course, your sister too. From now on, follow me, and I'll spare your life!"
Xiayu quietly looked at him and smiled.
"It seems you are quite unconvinced! People from small places simply lack vision. Geniuses from tiny places like you—heaven knows how many die in the capital every single day."
"Ajian, show him what it means when there is a heaven beyond the heaven, and a person beyond the person."
The Young Marquis sneered.
"Understood. Young Marquis, please step back a few paces so you aren't accidentally harmed."
The grim, sword-carrying youth stepped forward.
The Young Marquis retreated, saying, "This Ajian is also a genius swordsman—a genius swordsman from a small town. And now, he is my dog."
Clang!
At that moment, Ajian drew his sword.
A cold flash cut through the air, accompanied by a sharp shriek.
It was a lightning-fast strike.
In the blink of an eye, the blade reached the space between Xiayu's eyebrows.
A Profound Origin Realm swordsman!
One had to admit, this sword strike was formidable.
Yet, his blade stopped right at Xiayu's glabella, less than half an inch away.
With a smile, Xiayu calmly said, "I once knew a lovely young lady who was also a swordsman. When she conceded defeat, she did it with such grace!"
"You are unworthy of the name swordsman!"
Xiayu gently pulled back his right hand, and the tip of the Dragon Spear emerged from Ajian's throat.
A spurt of blood shot into the air.
As it turned out, the very moment Ajian drew his sword, the Dragon Spear had already pierced clean through his throat.
"Thank you!" A flash of sudden relief crossed Ajian's eyes.
Xiayu gazed deeply at Ajian's fallen body for a moment of silence before lifting his head to look back at the Young Marquis, his smile unchanged.
By this time, the Young Marquis was already frozen in terror.
He never dreamed that Ajian wouldn't even be able to block a single move.
A Profound Origin Realm swordsman, at that!
Just what realm was this fellow in, then?
The Young Marquis's own realm was not particularly high; having been sickly since childhood, countless heavenly treasures had only managed to push him barely to the Profound Origin Realm.
In the past, he couldn't even block a single strike from Ajian.
Seeing Xiayu walk toward him, that smiling face looked utterly terrifying in his eyes.
Instantly, the Young Marquis turned pale as paper.
"Y-you... don't come any closer! I'm warning you, I am the Young Marquis of the Marquis's Estate! If you dare kill me, the Marquis's Estate will never let you go!"
"No, why would I kill the Young Marquis?" Xiayu said with a smile.
"Y-you're not killing me?" The Young Marquis secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The next moment, as if realizing something, his expression immediately regained a measure of confidence.
"You're quite talented. My Marquis's Estate is one of the premier forces in the capital. If you follow me, whatever you desire, you shall have."
"Kneel and swear your allegiance to me!" The Young Marquis declared, radiant with high spirits.
Xiayu was dumbfounded!
Was this fellow an absolute fool?
How on earth had he managed to survive this long?
Grasping the Young Marquis by the neck, Xiayu said coldly, "I'd like to discuss something with the Young Marquis."
"If you don't want to die, remember: never let me see you again!"
"Otherwise, you will surely die!"
Chapter 22: The History of Daxia
"I'm going to kill him! I'm going to kill him! How dare he threaten me!"
"No! I'll make him wish he were dead, unable to even find release in death!"
"You country bumpkin, just you wait! You wait!"
The Young Marquis cursed continuously in his heart while frantically spurring his mount, galloping at full speed back toward the estate.
He dared not voice his curses aloud, nor did he dare look back.
He was terrified that if Xiayu turned his head even slightly, it would cost him his life.
From childhood to now, this was the first time he had ever faced the terror of death.
As for killing people? He had done plenty of that.
He had even tortured people to death with his own hands.
Those who had died by his hands in the past had only ever provided him with amusement.
Yet, when faced with his own mortality, he had nearly pissed his pants.
In this moment, he only wanted to return to the Marquis's Estate; only there could he find a shred of safety.
...
"Young Master Xia, do you have a guardian traveling by your side?" Duanmu Wenshan asked.
Xiayu was momentarily taken aback and countered with a question: "What is a guardian?"
Ah!
This time, it was Duanmu Wenshan's turn to be stunned.
After a brief silence, he explained, "When children of powerful families go out to gain experience in the world, they usually have experts following them in secret."
"Their mission is to step in and protect the family's scion when their life is in mortal danger. Such people are called guardians."
Xiayu nodded. After a moment, he replied, "I don't have a guardian. Besides, I don't come from a powerful family—I've already left the Xia clan."
Duanmu Wenshan looked at Xiayu deeply. *Aren't your conscience hurting when you say such things?*
I might perhaps believe that you have no guardian—maybe your family arranged it that way on purpose.
But when you say you don't come from a powerful family? I don't believe a single word of it.
Your Qiankun ring, your suspected Saint-grade alchemy furnace, your Dragon Spear of unranked mystery, and your formidable alchemy skills—haven't your identity already been given away long ago?
These were thoughts Duanmu Wenshan could only keep to himself.
There were some things Xiayu was unwilling to speak of, and he himself dared not ask.
"Very well!" Duanmu Wenshan could only choose to go along with Xiayu's words. "If you truly have no guardian, then you did the right thing by not killing the Young Marquis."
Xiayu cast a puzzled glance at Duanmu Wenshan and remained silent.
Duanmu Wenshan continued, "The first Marquis of this estate was named Jiang Yuankui. He was a great general under Emperor Anqi, the founding sovereign of the Xia Dynasty, and is said to have saved his life once."
"Therefore, after Anqi ascended the throne as emperor, he conferred upon Jiang Yuankui the title of hereditary marquis, passing down through generations without lapse."
"Every generation of marquises has been the trusted confidant of the imperial family."
"The current Marquis is named Jiang Chengyu, and it is no different for him. The Marquis's eldest son is this Young Marquis, named Jiang Yuqi—meaning he is the future marquis."
"Although Jiang Yuqi is the eldest son, his cultivation talent is mediocre, and his scholarship is no better; he is one who excels neither in the literary arts nor in martial prowess."
"However, when it comes to bullying the innocent, eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling, he is a master of every single one."
"To top it all off, Jiang Chengyu not only has the Marquis backing him, but his mother is also a commandery princess of the An imperial family, boasting a formidable background."
"Consequently, he runs rampant through the capital, and everyone can only swallow their anger while boiling with rage. Thus, if you had truly killed him, you can well imagine the consequences."
"Right, the Young Marquis also has a half-brother by a different mother named Jiang Yuheng—ah, Jiang Yufeng. His cultivation talent is astonishingly high, and you must be careful if you ever encounter him. It is said he has already reached the Half-Step Monarch Realm and is a genius disciple of Shengwu Academy."
Duanmu Wenshan explained in great detail, primarily out of fear that Xiayu might act rashly.
If Xiayu truly had no guardian behind him, some people simply could not be provoked.
Even if your family eventually came seeking revenge, you would already be dead—what meaning would that have then?
Seeing Xiayu fall silent, Duanmu Wenshan smiled and said, "Since the Young Marquis isn't dead, this matter is easy to handle. There's no need for you to worry; I have a few old acquaintances I know well at the capital's Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion."
"Though our Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion is merely a merchant guild, our presence spans the entire continent, and we fear no imperial family. Young Master Xia can rest easy."
Xiayu still said nothing, nor did he show any outward reaction; he knew very well that relying on others is never as good as relying on oneself.
From the day he left the Xia family, he had told himself that a person must always depend upon themselves!
At that moment, he felt Xia Yao's hand tighten its grip slightly.
Clearly, Xia Yao was deeply worried about his safety.
Xiayu smiled and said, "Sister, don't worry. Leave everything to me!"
Xia Yao shook her head slightly, her expression grave as she said, "Xiaoyu, no matter what happens, you must live. Even if one day I were to die, you must still survive! Do you understand?"
"Sister, Xiaoyu can protect you! Rest assured, whoever wants you dead, I will make sure they die before you do!"
Xiayu's tone was exceptionally firm!
Regarding the future, he possessed supreme confidence.
As long as they gave him a little time to focus single-mindedly on his cultivation, he would surely advance by leaps and bounds each day.
The Ancestral Dragon Immeasurable Art and the Burning Heaven Melting Furnace had revealed to him a future and a hope.
"I believe you!" Xia Yao forced a smile and said, "It is all Sister who has held you back. If not for my condition, you would have already soared straight up into the heavens."
"Sister, we are brother and sister in this lifetime—that is a rare bond. Stop letting your imagination run wild. Once we meet Lady Mingyue and cure your illness, you will be able to cultivate as well."
"When that day comes, the two of us siblings shall be invincible in this world!"
Xiayu's face was wreathed in smiles.
This time, his smile was entirely sincere; that was the life of his dreams.
Only, previously, it wasn't just the two siblings, but their entire family.
Just then, Duanmu Wenshan suddenly pointed into the distance and said, "Young Master Xia, look—that over there is the Wolong Mountain Range, and Shengwu Academy is located right upon Shengwu Mountain on the far right."
Xiayu raised his gaze. In the distance, the terrain abruptly rose, forming a mountain range that truly resembled a sleeping dragon lying before their eyes.
The mountain range formed a semi-circular shape, upon which three peaks stood side by side.
In reality, the three peaks were not particularly close to one another.
"This Wolong Mountain Range is said to be the location of the An family's dragon vein. The peak on the far left is called Yulong Mountain, which is also where the dragon's head of the vein lies. The An family's imperial city is right at its foot."
Xiayu nodded. Noticing that Duanmu Wenshan had omitted the middle peak, he asked curiously, "What place is that middle peak?"
"That is Wendao Mountain, which belongs to Wendao Academy."
"Wendao Academy? A place for reading books?"
"Wendao Academy is far more than just a place for reading books," Duanmu Wenshan said with a smile. "Back when Emperor Anqi was conquering the realm, he was surrounded by countless talents and a cloud of experts. The two most famous among them were Mr. Su, who founded Wendao Academy, and Yuan Dehai, known as the God of War of Daxia, who came from the Shengwu General Academy."
"No one knows Mr. Su's origins or his real name; he simply appeared by the Emperor's side one day and founded Wendao Academy."
"Wendao Academy is divided into many departments: the Confucian Department for scholars to study governance and the arts of ruling the world, cultivating a vast and upright qi; the Martial Department dedicated to cultivation, teaching various methods of practice; as well as the Armament Department, Alchemy Department, and Formation Department, which specialized in researching and imparting craftsmanship, pill-making, and formations."
Chapter 23: The World Is Vast
"This Mr. Su was an all-around talent. In a mere twenty years, he cultivated all sorts of experts. You could say that virtually everyone by Emperor Anqi's side in the beginning belonged to Wendao Academy."
"That was until the appearance of the Daxia God of War, Yuan Dehai. Yuan Dehai came from the Inner Sect of the Shengwu General Academy in Central China. Central China is the center of this world—incomparably prosperous and flourishing in the martial arts. It is said there exist Great Emperor Realm powerhouses capable of shattering the void, whose mere flick of a hand could obliterate space itself."
"Legend has it that there are even ninth-tier alchemists there who can refine the Emperor-grade Nine-Revolution Golden Pill. When a Nine-Revolution Golden Pill comes into the world, heavenly tribulations descend from the skies. Just thinking about it fills one with yearning!"
"Alas, even if I exhausted my entire life, I could never imagine such a scene," Duanmu Wenshan said with a look of profound yearning.
Xiayu remained silent, thinking to himself: *If I told you that right inside my mind is a recipe for the Nine-Revolution Golden Pill, would it scare you to death?*
Of course, even if he gave that recipe to someone, they could only look at it.
Xiayu didn't recognize a single ingredient in the pill recipe, nor had he ever even heard of them.
However, just looking at the age of the ingredients left him speechless.
Ten-thousand-year Heart-Linking Grass, a hundred-thousand-year Purple Flame White Fruit...
"I've strayed too far..."
Duanmu Wenshan smiled and said, "Our world consists of a total of Nine Provinces. Aside from Central China right at the center, there are the Four Divine Continents surrounding it: the Eastern Divine Continent, Southern Divine Continent, Western Divine Continent, and Northern Divine Continent."
"On the outermost perimeter lie the Four Desolate Prefectures: Eastern Desolate Prefecture, Southern Desolate Prefecture, Western Desolate Prefecture, and Northern Desolate Prefecture."
"As for us, we belong to the Eastern Desolate Prefecture. The territory of the Daxia Dynasty lies at the far western edge of the Eastern Desolate Prefecture; its lands are not vast, nor is its power strong."
"The world is truly vast!"
At this, Duanmu Wenshan let out a sigh of admiration and continued, "Back when Yuan Dehai appeared, Emperor Anqi was facing a moment of life and death."
"The preceding Great Zhou Dynasty still possessed half a million soldiers at the time, and Emperor Anqi had been defeated, falling back into this capital city."
"Meanwhile, the Great Liang Dynasty and the Great Yu Dynasty, which bordered the Daxia Dynasty, simultaneously dispatched troops and were on the verge of reaching the capital."
"Just as Emperor Anqi was preparing to fight to the death, Yuan Dehai appeared. At the time, he was an inner sect disciple of the Shengwu General Academy; leading his followers, he directly slew the Emperor and the Grand Marshal of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Emperor Anqi immediately sortied, and the Great Zhou forces suffered a crushing defeat and retreated."
"When the Great Liang and Great Yu Dynasties heard this news—and knowing that Yuan Dehai was a man from the Shengwu General Academy—they immediately withdrew their forces."
"Yuan Dehai then established a branch of Shengwu Academy right on Shengwu Mountain, specializing in the path of cultivation."
"Later on, Emperor Anqi grew concerned that Wendao Academy would grow too dominant, so he suppressed the academy and threw his support behind Shengwu Academy."
"Gradually, Wendao Academy and Shengwu Academy became mortal enemies. Under the dual suppression of the imperial family and Shengwu Academy, after barely a century, Wendao Academy steadily declined; by the present day, few disciples remain."
Xiayu kept his silence.
At that moment, his heart was struck with profound shock.
The sheer volume of information was overwhelming!
Originally, he had felt that Huaicheng was already quite large, but upon reaching the capital, Huaicheng was practically a wasteland.
After all that fuss, the Daxia Dynasty turned out to be nothing more than the wasteland of a wasteland.
This...
The vastness of the world defied his imagination!
It completely transcended his understanding.
He felt an indescribable, strange sensation.
Between heaven and earth, human beings were truly insignificant!
After a long while, he let out a long breath.
Better not to dwell on these things; he had to deal with the present.
The most urgent task right now was to resolve the problem ailing his sister.
As the saying goes, "Mountains look close, but walking them breaks your legs." After a full hour had passed, the three finally arrived at the foot of Shengwu Mountain.
At this moment, the area beneath Shengwu Mountain was a bustling sea of people.
There were youths in bright robes riding proud steeds, followed by servants and riding spirit beasts, pressing forward with arrogance.
There were youths in coarse clothes carrying weapons, their expressions cold and their paces resolute.
There were groups traveling together, faces beaming with excitement and eyes filled with yearning for a bright future.
There were also beautiful maidens wearing veils, holding longswords as they walked in silence.
All sorts of young people were rushing in from all directions, rapidly ascending Shengwu Mountain.
Duanmu Wenshan's eyes lit up as he said, "Could it really be such a coincidence? Today happens to be Shengwu Mountain's annual day for accepting disciples."
Xiayu was stunned. *You've got to be kidding me?*
At that moment, a voice sounded beside his ear.
"This brother, are you also here to join Shengwu Academy?"
Xiayu turned his head to see a smiling young man.
"The moment I laid eyes on you, Brother, I could tell you have an air of jade-like refinement and extraordinary bearing. You must be an unmatched genius, and this time you'll surely make it into Shengwu Academy..."
Xiayu blinked. *You could tell all that just by looking at me?*
"Brother, let me tell you, joining Shengwu Academy actually involves a lot of hidden tricks," the young man suddenly lowered his voice, speaking with a mysterious air. "Shengwu Academy has an outer sect. Only when outer sect elite disciples are favored by inner sect elders can they enter the inner sect. Above the inner sect, there are the true successor disciples."
"Let me tell you, only by becoming a true successor disciple will you be taken in as a disciple by the inner sect elders and taught true Shengwu martial arts."
"However, every outer sect elder and inner sect elder has a different personality, preferences, and specialized direction. When you join Shengwu Academy, Brother, you must figure these things out—it will make your efforts yield twice the result with half the work."
"And as for the content of the examination, knowing it beforehand will also be immensely helpful to you, Brother."
"The very first time I saw you, I felt a strong affinity with you. I happen to have a copy of the Shengwu Academy Examination Guide here. I'll let you have it cheap—only one hundred gold coins."
Xiayu was caught between laughter and tears, never expecting to run into this sort of scam right at the gates of Shengwu Academy.