“Old man, have you been to the Martial Temple?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of place is the Martial Temple?”

“A place all martial arts fanatics yearn for.”

Liang Gou’er rolled his eyes. “That’s not saying anything, is it?”

On the Jing Dynasty’s official road, Liang Mao’er diligently drove the ox cart.

Zhu Yunxi sat cross-legged at the back of the flatbed cart, constantly cultivating Liang family blade intent with breathing techniques.

Liang Gou’er lay on the flatbed cart, his left arm as a pillow, a dry straw in his mouth. His beard was long, and his disheveled hair covered his face.

Everyone wore grey cloth clothes, as in the Jing Dynasty, only nobles with titles were permitted colors; commoners could only wear grey. If one looked out into a bustling city, it would seem as if the entire world was grey.

In this northern land, color was a symbol of power, and power encompassed more than just color.

They had traveled north from Lushun for fifteen days. They couldn’t even exchange for a horse carriage to shelter from wind and rain; as commoners, they could only use an ox cart.

Liang Gou’er looked at the azure sky and continued to ask, “Old man, tell me more about the Martial Temple, or about the Jing Dynasty. What if someone talks to us and we give ourselves away?”

Old Man Yao glanced at him. “Shut your mouth and pretend to be mute.”

Liang Gou’er paused. “We can’t have three mutes in one cart, can we?”

Old Man Yao sneered, “You want to hear stories, yet you’re so lazy, not even a kind word? Do I owe you something?”

Liang Gou’er quickly sat up with a grin, massaging Old Man Yao’s legs. “It’s rare to meet someone who’s been to the Martial Temple. Please, tell us about it.”

Old Man Yao slanted a look at him. “It is said that the Changbai Mountain Heavenly Lake, where the Martial Temple is located, is the birthplace of the world’s Lords of War…”

Liang Gou’er widened his eyes. “I heard those kinds of fantastical myths from storytellers when I was a kid. They’re all fake!”

Old Man Yao uncharacteristically didn’t mock Liang Gou’er, only stating calmly, “Perhaps they are true.”

Liang Gou’er looked at Old Man Yao in surprise.

He had seen the old grand physician in action; his cultivation was at least as high as, if not higher than, his own—a Grand Official who had reached at least the Fifth Heaven of the Dao-Seeking Realm.

If he said it was true, then it might indeed be true.

Liang Gou’er was both surprised and uncertain. “Old man, you’re not pulling my leg, are you? Things like Fuxi divining the Eight Trigrams, Nuwa patching the sky—aren’t those all fake?”

Old Man Yao said blandly, “If Nuwa hadn’t patched the sky, where would the Forty-Nine Heavens have come from?”

Liang Gou’er was startled again. “Wait a minute. Are you saying the Forty-Nine Heavens are related to Nuwa patching the sky?”

Old Man Yao didn’t answer the question but continued on his own, “Legend says that when chaos first began, the Lord of War was nurtured by Changbai Mountain. When he was born, volcanoes erupted, accompanied by millions of divine weapons, creating a hellish realm in all directions. Later, that volcanic eruption site accumulated over time and became a lake, which is the Changbai Mountain Heavenly Lake.”

“The Martial Temple was not originally a mysterious place. It was just a martial arts fanatic named Jiang Xianzhong who suffered emotional heartbreak and happened to travel to this place. He obtained a short sword from the Changbai Mountain Heavenly Lake. Afterward, he discovered that cultivating by the Heavenly Lake brought him great insight, making it easier to enter a meditative state than usual. So, he built a hut by the lake and lived there for thirty-seven years, reaching the Divine Dao Realm.”

Liang Gou’er puzzled, “No, no, I’ve heard of Jiang Xianzhong, but I heard he obtained a cultivation technique at the Martial Temple, not a short sword.”

Old Man Yao pondered for two breaths. “Did Jiang Xianzhong write a letter to tell you?”

Liang Gou’er was speechless for a moment. “Would it make sense for him to write me a letter? He lived hundreds of years ago!”

Old Man Yao scoffed, “Then that’s that, isn’t it? My version is correct. After Jiang Xianzhong entered the Divine Dao Realm, many people came to him, built huts by the Heavenly Lake, and that’s how the Martial Temple came to be.”

Liang Gou’er was confused. “But you still haven’t said why the legend of the Lord of War is true? And which era was the Lord of War from? Why is he not mentioned in any mythology?”

Old Man Yao casually said, “Beneath the Heavenly Lake, someone carved large characters with blade intent.”

Liang Gou’er perked up. “Blade intent? What did it say?”

“The world and I are born together; all things and I are one.”

Liang Gou’er pondered these twelve characters, and after a long time, said sourly, “That’s boundless arrogance! It’s just a few characters. If I go and carve some characters, won’t I become a Lord of War too?”

At this moment, Liang Mao’er, looking at the outline appearing on the road ahead, turned back and said, “Master, we’ve reached the foot of Changbai Mountain. That ahead should be Erdaobaihe Town.”

Erdaobaihe Town was the last populated area before entering Changbai Mountain. Countless Jing Dynasty martial artists who couldn’t enter the Martial Temple settled here, building huts.

Some cultivated for a few years and fortunately entered the Martial Temple.

Others wasted their entire lives here, only able to gaze up at the distant majestic snowy mountains from the foot of the mountain.

As the ox cart just entered Erdaobaihe Town, Liang Gou’er was startled to see dozens of black-armored soldiers wearing pheasant tail plumes on their helmets, hiding in the alleys. They were alert and vigilant, their left hands on short crossbows behind their waists, and their right hands on their sabre hilts.

Liang Gou’er parted his messy long hair to create a slit. “Old man, these aren’t here to arrest us, are they? Can you handle so many soldiers? Should we run?”

Old Man Yao sneered, “With you lot as baggage, where can an old man like me run? They’re not here to arrest anyone. Keep going.”

Liang Mao’er steeled himself and drove the ox cart into the town. The closer they got to the armored soldiers, the more nervous he became, his palms sweating on the reins.

However, when they passed the Jing Dynasty soldiers, the soldiers merely watched them, their icy gazes following them into the town, but they did not act.

Erdaobaihe Town was silent.

Passing a blacksmith’s shop, Old Man Yao saw the forge still burning, but the blacksmith was hiding to one side, having stopped his hammering.

Liang Gou’er looked at Old Man Yao and whispered, “Old man, you’re well-traveled. What’s going on?”

Old Man Yao said expressionlessly, “These are the Jing Dynasty Tiger Guards. A very important person has come to Erdaobaihe Town, at least a second-rank official from one of the Jing Dynasty’s three great clans.”

The three great clans of Jing Dynasty were Yuan, Lu, and Jiang.

Liang Gou’er asked, “So, what do we do?”

Old Man Yao whispered, “Don’t cause trouble. Silently pass through the town and go straight up the mountain.”

As they drove through the town, they saw over a hundred armored soldiers guarding a restaurant, their gazes vigilant and intimidating.

Inside the restaurant, a middle-aged man in a grey robe sat alone at an Eight Immortals table. In front of him was only a simple clay bowl with half a bowl of white rice.

There were no dishes.

The grey-robed middle-aged man, surrounded by solemn guards, picked up a mouthful of white rice, then closed his eyes and slowly chewed.

When he opened his eyes again, he smiled at the shopkeeper and said, “Bring a handful of uncooked rice for me to see.”

The shopkeeper quickly agreed and grabbed a handful of white rice from the back kitchen, but a young man intercepted him.

The young man took the white rice from the shopkeeper and turned to show it to the grey-robed middle-aged man. “Sir.”

The middle-aged man looked for a long time. “Tokyo Province rice, every grain plump. I hope this year’s planting will bring good weather and a peaceful year, a good harvest in autumn, so fewer people starve in Xijing Province… Bring me some corn and beans to see.”

The shopkeeper returned to the kitchen again for corn and beans, which the middle-aged man couldn’t put down.

The sound of ox cart wheels rolling came from outside. He turned to look out the door and saw Liang Mao’er driving the cart past.

The middle-aged man initially paid no attention, but the young man beside him saw the people in the cart and immediately leaned over to whisper a few words.

The middle-aged man paused slightly, then smiled and said, “Please invite them in quickly. Tell them I’d like to treat them to a meal.”

The young man quickly left the restaurant and, standing before the ox cart, respectfully cupped his hands and said, “Elder, my master wishes to invite you inside for a short rest. This restaurant’s ginseng chicken stew with hazelnuts is exquisite, and the plaque above the door was personally inscribed by the previous emperor before he entered the mountains. Please enjoy a meal before continuing your journey.”

Liang Gou’er said hoarsely, “No need, we plan to reach before sunset…”

But Old Man Yao smiled and interrupted him, telling the young man, “Meeting by chance is destiny. Since the host is so polite, we’ll have a meal before going into the mountains.”

With that, he calmly hopped off the ox cart and walked directly into the restaurant, sitting opposite the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man waved to the shopkeeper. “Go, prepare a table of your best dishes.”

The shopkeeper hastily retreated.

At this moment, Liang Gou’er and the others did not sit down, but stood behind Old Man Yao. They were impersonating Old Man Yao’s sons and grandsons, so it made no sense for them to sit.

The middle-aged man glanced at them, gesturing to the young man behind him to pour tea.

He looked at Old Man Yao and asked with a smile, “Elder, where are you from?”

Old Man Yao answered casually, “Ning Dynasty.”

Liang Gou’er and Zhu Yunxi’s eyes instantly widened, looking at the old man in disbelief. They thought the old man was a seasoned veteran who would surely fool them, but he revealed their origins with his very first words?

Admitting to being from Ning Dynasty in front of a high-ranking Jing Dynasty official—wasn’t that seeking death?

Liang Gou’er instinctively wanted to grip his sabre, but then remembered he had lost his right arm and his du meridian was severed, rendering him unable to use a sabre.

At this moment, the middle-aged man heard they were from Ning Dynasty, but his smile did not change. “Coming from Ning Dynasty is quite a journey, isn’t it? How did you come?”

Old Man Yao replied, “Boarded a ship from Qidong, floated on the sea for a while, and disembarked at Lushun.”

The middle-aged man praised, “You must have taken the Xu family’s merchant ship. Were there spices on board?”

Old Man Yao said, “Spices and silk.”

The middle-aged man calculated the days and said apologetically, “When you disembarked in Lushun, there must have been military conflict. I hope you weren’t disturbed?”

Old Man Yao pulled out a pair of chopsticks from the chopstick holder and said carelessly, “It’s fine. At my age, I’ve seen my share of big storms. But you, at the cusp of power, why have you come to this remote wilderness?”

The middle-aged man smiled, avoiding the question, and looked up at the three people behind Old Man Yao. “Are these… your disciples?”

Old Man Yao scoffed, “No, my disciple is much stronger than them.”

Liang Gou’er raised his eyebrows, looked at the surrounding armored soldiers, and swallowed his retort.

The middle-aged man sat opposite the Eight Immortals table and slowly asked, “You seem quite fond of your disciple, don’t you?”

Old Man Yao looked directly at the middle-aged man opposite him. “He’s a wild boy, unloved by his mother, uncared for by his uncle. Naturally, I, an old man, must cherish him more.”

The middle-aged man sighed, “Perhaps his mother and uncle had their own difficulties?”

Old Man Yao asked curiously, “What difficulties? Did they die?”

The grey-robed middle-aged man paused, then waved his hand, signaling everyone to withdraw, leaving only four trusted confidants.

Once the restaurant was completely empty, he burst into laughter. “I’ve long heard that you are naturally sharp-tongued, with the ability to anger people to death and save others. Today, I’ve finally witnessed it!”

Liang Gou’er’s expression changed. Although the other party didn’t mention a name, the phrase “naturally sharp-tongued” was as good as being named.

The other party recognized Grand Physician Yao’s identity from the beginning. When did he recognize it, and how?

While he was thinking, the shopkeeper brought out the dishes and arranged them one by one on the table.

Old Man Yao picked up a piece of hazel mushroom and put it in his mouth, saying casually, “Lord Lu Jin has just been reinstated. This should be the time for him to grasp power and enjoy life. Why does he have the leisure to come to Changbai Mountain to admire the snow?”

Lu Jin.

Chen Ji’s uncle.

Just over ten days ago, he had seized power in a military coup, transforming into the new Commissioner of the Jing Dynasty’s Privy Council. From now on, only the Grand Chancellor and the Emperor were above him.

And the young man behind Lu Jin was none other than Wu Hongbiao, whom Chen Ji had once saved and then sent away at great risk.

Old Man Yao pointed at the food on the table with his chopsticks. “Why aren’t you eating? Do important people fear poison?”

Lu Jin looked at the dishes on the table but didn’t pick up his chopsticks, only slowly explaining, “Sixteen days ago, our Dynasty’s Heavenly Strategist Army was defeated at Guyuan, and Commander Yuan Zhen is missing. Xijing Province also suffered a locust plague, with starving people and corpses everywhere. In such difficult times, how can I indulge in pleasure? So recently, I only eat one meal a day, and only wild vegetables, sharing the hardships with the refugees of Xijing Province.”

Old Man Yao praised, “Lord Lu should change into a performer’s costume and go sing in a play.”

Instantly, the three trusted confidants behind Lu Jin, except for Wu Hongbiao, drew their sabres but remained silent.

Old Man Yao smiled, picked up another piece of hazel mushroom and put it in his mouth. “However, if one can perform this play for a lifetime, making people unable to distinguish between the play and reality, that’s not bad either.”

Lu Jin raised a hand to signal the Tiger Guards to sheath their sabres. “No disrespect. The elder is merely venting his frustrations, it’s fine. Once all the anger is expressed, the mind will calm.”

Seeing Old Man Yao’s expression unchanged, he cautiously asked, “Why didn’t you bring your disciple to Jing Dynasty?”

Old Man Yao sneered, “He said his uncle wouldn’t let him come to Jing Dynasty. He also said he’d stay in Ning Dynasty, and perhaps he could help his uncle in the future.”

Lu Jin sighed lightly, “It’s difficult for him.”

One of the confidants glanced at the sky and leaned in to whisper a few words to Lu Jin.

After speaking, Lu Jin stood up and bowed to Old Man Yao. “Thanks to Grand Physician Yao’s care, I, Lu, am grateful. You are his master, and now, implicated by the Prince Jing’s residence affair, you’ve come to Jing Dynasty. How about returning with me to Liaoyang Prefecture tomorrow to avoid the hardship of travel? Once the situation stabilizes in a while, I will send someone to escort him to Liaoyang Prefecture to live with you.”

Old Man Yao said coldly, “No. When you bring him to Jing Dynasty, then send someone to the Martial Temple to find me.”

Lu Jin did not press. “I, Lu, also have to go up the mountain today, so I won’t delay here. Whenever you wish to come to Liaoyang Prefecture, you are always welcome.”

He turned and walked out. The armored soldiers scattered in every corner of Erdaobaihe Town followed, their dense armor rubbing against each other, sounding like a surging dragon.