Kirin Pavilion was the residence of Zhou Tieyi, located not far from the military barracks within the Tiger-Awe General’s manor.
Zhou Tieyi rubbed his stomach, which was aching with hunger. His mouth felt sour, and he could only lift the cup of plain water before him to take a few more sips. Since returning from the ancestral shrine, he had intended to feast to his heart’s content, but Mother Zhou had issued an order for him to fast for three days, urging him to clear the turbid energy from his body so that his future cultivation would yield twice the result with half the effort.
Zhou Tieyi knew this was for his own good; even as a top-tier athlete in his previous life, he had often used intermittent fasting to adjust his physical state. Enduring the hunger, he picked up a copy of *General History* and began to read. After flipping through a few pages, he looked at Baimei, who was standing by to attend to him, and asked, "Are there any history books that cover earlier times?"
The *General History* in his hands had been compiled by the Historian School and personally edited by the founding emperor of Daxia. It covered 1,300 years, spanning three eras: the Great Yanyan Dynasty, the five dynasties of the North and South, and the current Daxia.
Baimei did not know why her young master had suddenly taken an interest in history, but she thought about it carefully before rising to search the bookshelves. She said, "The era before the Sage Emperor was a time when the Hundred Schools of Thought had not yet flourished. Records were chaotic and frequently involved the worship of evil gods. Therefore, when the imperial court revised the history books, it deliberately deleted those sections to prevent the true names of these evil gods from spreading among the populace, which could invite disaster."
*I know that,* Zhou Tieyi thought. *And I specifically need to find records of the evil god known as the Supreme Lord of the Sea of Blood so I can understand exactly what this Divine Seed planted inside me really is.*
After a moment, Baimei pulled out a thin booklet. "The records inside are more like legends. Young Master, just read them for curiosity; do not spread them, especially regarding the true names of the evil gods."
The booklet was extremely thin—Zhou Tieyi rubbed his fingertips together to confirm it had only seven pages. However, each page was made of gold leaf, impervious to water and fire, making it incredibly precious. The cover bore no author’s name, only a few bold, flowing characters: *Ancient Records*.
"The archaic times were not dated. In those days, there was no written tradition; the gods were merciless, treating humans as flesh and blood."
As he opened the first page, Zhou Tieyi’s pupils constricted.
"During the primordial ages, the gods fought for control of the heavens and earth. The human race served as the vanguard for the gods, and thus the Human Dao began to flourish."
...
"At that time, Yanyan drilled for fire, the Iron-Hand clan forged weapons, and the Mulberry-Tiller clan sowed seeds. These were the three ancestors of the Human Dao."
...
"In the archaic age, the hundred gods perished, and the Nine Archaic Gods ascended to the throne, hovering above like the sun and the moon."
*So, this is the origin of the Nine Archaic Gods?*
*Hovering above like the sun and the moon.* This description was a specific term in the classics of all schools, used only to describe Sages of the First Rank and above.
Zhou Tieyi pressed his fingers against the gold leaf, reading word by word, terrified of missing any important information.
"At the end of the archaic age, the Nine Gods ceased their warfare, establishing the Covenant of the Gods in the Celestial Palace, and rested for a hundred years."
He quickly found the knowledge he was looking for.
"The Supreme Lord of the Sea of Blood originated from the Western Abyss Sea. He governed warfare and flesh and blood, delighted in slaughter, and could manifest thousands of incarnations. He was beheaded by the Buddha in the North Sea, but refused to remain dead, transforming into a sea of blood."
*The record is so sparse?*
Zhou Tieyi frowned secretly. The fewer the words, the greater the gravity of the matter. He now understood why the enchantress was so confident when she told him not to act rashly. The Nine Archaic Gods, whom even the Buddha could not kill, were indeed a taboo that those of the Upper Three Ranks could not cross.
Zhou Tieyi continued reading.
"In the first year of the Near-Ancient Era, the Academy descended from the heavens, containing the teachings of the Hundred Schools of Thought, acting as the spark for the Human Dao."
*The Academy descended from the heavens, containing the teachings of the Hundred Schools of Thought!*
*This Academy is related to my previous life, which is why this world possesses the same tradition of the Hundred Schools of Thought!*
...
"The Five Emperors of the human race established the nation. Thirty years later, the Daoist Master ascended; thirty years after that, the Buddha ascended; another thirty years later, the Confucian Sage ascended."
"In the following hundred years, the Five Emperors and Three Sages of the human race slew the Nine Gods in the eight lands of the Sea of Blood, Dark Valley, Yellow Springs, Celestial Palace, Snowy Plains, Thunder Pool, Barren Mountains, and the Academy. From then on, the Human Dao flourished greatly."
...
Ten miles east of Sunset Pass lay the place where the Mohist School had built the landing site for their Feipeng.
A massive, thundering roar approached from the distance, descending from the sky. Zhou Tiege looked up. The giant Feipeng was a perfect oval, its air cabin spanning dozens of meters, seamless and without a single trace of welding. On both sides of the cabin, magnificent mechanical wings resembling those of a roc spread wide, and beneath them were rows of gear-driven blades capable of adjusting direction. Beneath the roc, a black hull hung, its blades churning the air and emitting a sound like a tsunami.
"Truly massive," the guard beside Zhou Tiege couldn't help but exclaim. It was his first time seeing a true mechanical Feipeng.
"If the Mohist School had been able to develop this twenty years ago, it would have been different."
Once the Feipeng had fully landed, Zhou Tiege said to the guard, "Prepare the honor guard to receive the Imperial Envoy."
The cabin door opened, and the grand eunuch Wenyuan, dressed in azure robes, stepped out with a measured, deliberate gait. Today the wind was strong; the crimson banners of the Tiger-Awe Army on both sides snapped in the gale, and the soldiers stood like drawn swords, unmoving.
"Respectfully greeting the Sage!"
With a low shout from Zhou Tiege, blood energy surged like a tide. Dozens of soldiers moved as one, forming a canopy of blood energy that shielded them from the powerful winds.
Wenyuan nodded to himself. The Tiger-Awe General’s manor was well-disciplined. A smile on his hairless, fair face, he cupped his hands toward the heavens and said, "The Sage is well."
He then took a cloud-patterned brocade box from his attendant and unfolded the five-colored imperial decree. A visible, bright yellow aura radiated from the decree, merging with the soldiers’ blood energy. In an instant, every soldier felt an inner comfort, knowing this was a genuine decree.
"In the first year of Taihe, in the spring, the second month, the Emperor, by the grace of Heaven, decrees:"
"I have heard that Zhou Tiege, Earl of Loyalty and Valor of the Tiger-Awe General’s manor, has always been meritorious, having slain over a thousand enemy raiders. I am greatly comforted by such a fine talent. Following the assessment by the Ministry of War, you are promoted to Deputy Commander of the Imperial Feather Guard and bestowed a suit of Mingguang Armor."
"I thank the Emperor for his grace."
Zhou Tiege cupped his fists in a military salute. According to Daxia’s ancestral laws, soldiers leading troops in the field wearing armor did not kneel to the imperial decree.
Wenyuan rolled up the decree and handed it to Zhou Tiege. The rest was personal time.
Zhou Tiege placed the decree into the brocade box and said to Wenyuan, "The Envoy has had a difficult journey. Please stay for a while; I have prepared a banquet at the manor."
Facing the newly promoted Zhou Tiege, Wenyuan naturally would not refuse, saying with a smile, "Then I shall linger for half a day."
That day, a banquet was held at the Manor of the Earl of Loyalty and Valor at Sunset Pass. As the wine flowed and they grew slightly tipsy, Wenyuan spoke of recent interesting events in Tianjing, specifically mentioning the "lofty discourse" of Zhou Tieyi that had already spread throughout the capital.
"Your younger brother is quite a fascinating character. Beauty is what he desires, treasures are what he desires, and yet in the end, he gave beauties to his sworn brothers and bestowed treasures upon his subordinates. He truly has the air of a great general of old."
Zhou Tiege’s mouth twitched. Seeing the playful amusement in Wenyuan’s eyes, he understood that his brother’s reputation among the civil officials was utterly ruined; there was no longer any possibility of him studying under a famous Confucian scholar. He felt a sudden flash of irritation—on one hand, his brother was being disappointing, and on the other, the Zhao family was stirring up trouble.
Suddenly, Zhou Tiege stood up. "At today’s banquet, we have wine but no music. That is most unrefined."
Wenyuan was confused and looked at him. Sunset Pass was a military garrison, managed even more strictly than White Tiger City; naturally, there were no musicians or dancers, at most a sword dance by the soldiers to liven the mood.
"Please, Envoy, follow me to witness some military-style music."
With that, Zhou Tiege grabbed a weapon and walked out of the manor. Curious, Wenyuan followed quickly.
They arrived before a gate hanging a sign that read "Zhao Manor."
Zhou Tiege’s silver spear struck out like a thunderbolt. The heavy, rivet-studded wooden gate of the Zhao manor collapsed with a roar, sending dust and shattered masonry into the air.
"I am entertaining the Envoy today, and with my promotion imminent, it is a pity we lack music. I hear General Zhao’s Vajra Pestle is quite remarkable, so I have come to exchange pointers to avoid any regrets before I depart."
A moment later, a cry of shock and rage erupted from inside the Zhao manor: "Zhou Tiege, I’ll curse your ancestors!"