Xu Yuan wasn't a fan of traveling aboard a grade-B military flying demonic beast.
Although the lion-eagle beast had a colossal frame, the pavilion affixed to its back seemed built solely to airlift armaments and troops, lacking any formations meant for comfort.
The sprawling pavilion had only been carved with a single spirit-screening formation to conceal its aura; things like sound-dampening arrays, Spirit-Locking Arrays, or vibration stabilizers were out of the question.
Of course, there was technically another formation inside... if inscription lamps counted as one.
Sitting inside felt like riding a coin-operated kiddie rocker. Every time the lion-eagle beast flapped its wings, the pavilion on its back swayed in turn, and the howling of wind cleaving through the air echoed incessantly within the cabin.
Had the creature not been rigorously trained as a demonic beast, preventing it from performing acrobatic spins and leaps midair on a whim, Xu Yuan might well have slaughtered the foul bird for meat.
Day N of missing the black eagle pavilion.
"Skreeeech—"
With a long, shrill cry,
he was once again jostled awake from his sleep. Swallowing down the impulse to butcher the wretched bird, Xu Yuan climbed out of bed and surveyed his surroundings by the faint glow of the inscription lamp on the wall.
The pavilion on the lion-eagle beast's back was built to transport soldiers and ordnance, three stories high, all crudely open without any partitions.
This layout maximized space efficiency whether moving troops or military supplies.
For troops, tightly packed communal bunks would be laid out; for armaments, everything would be cleared out to serve as a warehouse.
Military equipment prioritized spatial efficiency above all else, not comfort.
If packed tightly, this single grade-B lion-eagle beast could transport nearly two hundred armored soldiers.
However, the lack of partitions also meant the entire space was vast and barren, open to view from end to end.
Neither Xiao Bai nor the chest-bound princess was here. They had probably been dragged outside for drills again.
"Haaah..."
Having been woken up, his drowsiness vanished. Yawning, Xu Yuan rose to his feet and headed toward the open deck outside.
The only redeeming feature of this lion-eagle beast was a fairly spacious open-air terrace outside the pavilion.
Of course, there was naturally no wind-deflecting formation; standing outside meant withering under a biting gale that cut like knives.
Creak—
Amid the churning blizzard, Xu Yuan immediately spotted the two slender figures standing on the platform.
One kneeling, one standing.
Bai Muxi knelt on the floor looking pitiful, her head bowed.
Li Qingyan leaned against the railing, her unbound raven hair fluttering alongside her red robe.
Well now, bullying that honest girl Xiao Bai again?
Wait, the "honest girl" was actually a scheming green tea?
Never mind then.
Glancing at the two women, Xu Yuan was already well accustomed to the sight.
Over the past several days traveling south, this had happened quite often.
Although Xu Yuan had temporarily arranged for Bai Muxi to follow Li Qingyan, Li Qingyan's temperament wasn't one to deliberately pick fights with her.
Tough though it was, she merely treated Xiao Bai like a personal guard-maid undergoing training, without singling her out out of spite.
As long as Bai Muxi completed the tasks assigned, Li Qingyan treated her even better than Xu Yuan did.
Pills and secret arts were provided in abundance.
Unfortunately, Bai Muxi usually couldn't complete them.
Because Li Qingyan held Bai Muxi in very high regard, her expectations were correspondingly demanding.
Whether in cultivation or in etiquette.
And Xiao Bai had quite an amusing personality. Whenever Xu Yuan played the caring good cop, she loved putting on a coy, tea-flavored act after being reprimanded: "Young Master... it is all Muxi's fault. Please do not blame Her Highness; Muxi simply disappointed Her Highness."
The result was getting whipped.
And after being lashed, Bai Muxi would wallow in self-pity and utter more manipulative pleasantries—ostensibly shouldering the blame herself while subtly insinuating that Li Qingyan was violent, all to win Xu Yuan's sympathy.
Could someone of the chest-bound princess's caliber fail to see through it?
Of course she saw through it, but she didn't care in the slightest—though such antics only annoyed her more.
Which led to a continuous vicious cycle.
Every day, Xiao Bai was bullied by the chest-bound princess until she looked thoroughly pitiful.
However, seeing that both women seemed to find amusement in it, Xu Yuan didn't intervene, happily sitting on the sidelines to watch the drama unfold.
Well, occasionally he'd even fan the flames from the side, saying things like, "All right, Qingyan, stop beating her. I'll help Muxi apply the ointment today."
Circulating his cultivation technique to weather the frigid wind, Xu Yuan walked over with a smile:
"Yo, what's the drama this time?"
Li Qingyan glanced back at him.
"This palace is imparting a technique to her, yet she refuses to learn."
"Huh?"
A hint of surprise flashed in Xu Yuan's eyes as he glanced at Xiao Bai kneeling on the floor.
Hearing this, Bai Muxi raised her eyes to look at Xu Yuan, replying in a quiet voice:
"Young Master... Her Highness's technique requires abolishing Muxi's current Dao Charm."
Having said that, she lowered her head again.
The corner of Li Qingyan's lips curled into a teasing smile.
"You want a top-tier cultivation technique, yet you refuse to give up your current Dao Charm. Where in this world could you find such a sweet deal?"
Abolishing a Dao Charm...
Xu Yuan's expression grew slightly solemn.
The gravity of today's matter... seemed on a completely different level from everything else over the past few days.
After a brief silence, Xu Yuan asked softly:
"What exactly is going on?"
Li Qingyan said flatly:
"Chief Arbiter, show your Dao Charm to Changtian."
Bai Muxi remained quiet for a moment, then straightened her fair back and slowly extended a palm.
Opening it, a soft glow appeared in her hand, radiating a mesmerizing, profound mystery.
Seeing this, Xu Yuan hesitated slightly.
Although he had read many ancient texts and possessed a Dao Charm himself, his understanding of the concept was not particularly deep, for he had no memories of his past cultivation insights.
Pondering for a moment, Xu Yuan asked softly:
"Qingyan, can one only possess a single Dao Charm?"
Li Qingyan rolled her eyes and murmured:
"You can have many. If you have sufficient talent, comprehension, and time, you can naturally comprehend more Dao Charms."
"If you have no intention of breaking through to the Origin Realm, mastering ten of them wouldn't be an issue."
Xu Yuan stepped forward and leaned against the railing beside Li Qingyan, glancing sideways at her:
"What do you mean?"
Li Qingyan was patient and explained softly:
"The Second-rank Origin Realm requires fusing the Dao Charm you possess into your very self. Aside from a few exceptional Dao Charms, almost every Dao Charm is unique and mutually repulsive. The consequence of forcibly fusing them..."
At this point,
Li Qingyan stopped talking. Raising her hand, she splayed her slender fingers before Xu Yuan, miming a "boom" explosion.
"..."
Xu Yuan opened his mouth, speechless.
He thought of his Meishen Dao Charm.
His Meishen Dao Charm didn't truly synergize well with his current Blood Yuan Heart Calamity Art.
Originally, he had planned to consult his father, maternal uncle, or eldest brother after breaking through to the third rank to learn a Dao Charm that suited him better.
Combined with the Meishen Dao Charm—two Dao in one body—he would be invincible among his peers, able to fight across realms and firmly establish his marital authority.
Yet Li Qingyan's explanation had essentially snuffed out his little scheme.
What the princess said was almost certainly the accumulated wisdom of countless peerless geniuses throughout history.
By now, Xu Yuan was sufficiently self-aware not to assume he would be an exception.
However, Xu Yuan soon noticed an apparent loophole in Li Qingyan's words and ventured:
"Uh... if someone masters several Dao Charms, fuses only one into their body, and uses the rest for support, that should be fine, right?"
Li Qingyan fell silent, her gaze gradually turning into one looking at a fool.
"Just how did you comprehend a Dao Charm in the first place?"
Xu Yuan cleared his throat lightly.
"A stroke of fortune, but I don't remember it."
Li Qingyan sighed:
"Forget it. Once you reach the Origin Realm, you will naturally..."
"Cut the riddles," Xu Yuan interrupted directly. "I want to know right now."
A trace of helplessness flitted through Li Qingyan's beautiful eyes. Just as she was about to speak, Bai Muxi chimed in:
"Young Master... when breaking through to the Origin Realm, the Dao Charms inside one's body cannot be controlled; they will fuse on their own."
Well, looks like that's a dead end.
Sigh!
Letting out a heavy inward sigh, Xu Yuan looked at Xiao Bai and asked:
"So, why does Qingyan want you to abolish your Dao Charm?"
Bai Muxi was silent for a moment. Glancing at the glow in her palm, she murmured:
"Because this Dao Charm... does not match the Reversed Origin Six Elements Art."
"Her Five Elements Dao Physique needs the five elements, not this kind of halo," Li Qingyan added. "Only that kind of Dao Charm can bring out the full potential of her physique and technique, and this halo repels the five elements."
"Your Highness... if Muxi abolishes her Dao Charm, Muxi's strength will..."
"Abolish it," Xu Yuan interjected suddenly. "My Prime Minister's Manor doesn't need this bit of combat strength from you for now."
"..."
Bai Muxi's face, already as pale as a corpse, grew even paler. She bit her lip in silence, then raised her eyes to Xu Yuan once more:
"Since Young Master has said so... Muxi is willing."
Locking eyes for an instant,
seeing the resolution in those delicate, ink-wash features, ripples stirred in Xu Yuan's heart.
Just because of a single word from him, she was willing to abolish her Dao Charm...
"Enough."
Before his thoughts could finish wandering, Li Qingyan's cool voice cut in:
"Lord Chief Arbiter, now that you've achieved your goal of putting on a show for Changtian, can we continue?"
"..." Bai Muxi fell silent.
"..." Xu Yuan's eyelid twitched.
Damn it. He'd almost fallen carelessly into this scheming Xiao Bai's trap.
Glancing back at the composed chest-bound princess, he thought to himself: this woman's level of play is truly terrifying.
"Ahem."
Clearing his throat, Xu Yuan suggested gently, "Qingyan, there's no rush on this. The lion-eagle beast is bumpy, and we aren't completely safe yet. Matters like abolishing a Dao Charm should wait until we return to the Imperial Capital."
Switching cultivation techniques was dangerous, but it was a gradual process that could be halted at any moment. Abolishing a Dao Charm was different; once disrupted, qi deviation could trigger sudden death at any second.
Li Qingyan gave him a sideways look.
"This palace naturally knows that. I was referring to other matters."
"Young Master..." Xiao Bai whimpered pitifully.
Xu Yuan had no desire to indulge this little scheming tea today, turning to the princess instead:
"How many days have we been traveling south now?"
Li Qingyan chuckled softly.
"Nearly a month. We're about to enter the borders of Great Yan."
"We're almost at Beifeng City?" Xu Yuan asked, slightly surprised.
Li Qingyan raised a slender forefinger, pointing below with a light smile:
"Roughly a thousand li ahead lies Houting County. We should reach Beifeng City before nightfall."
Night fell upon Beifeng City.
The roads once drenched in blood had been swept clean, and where the city walls had collapsed, crude stone parapets had already been erected.
The damaged city walls had yet to undergo reconstruction, and the ruins left behind when the Barbarians breached the city still remained, but signs of life and vibrancy had begun to return.
Stationed in Beifeng City was the Xuanwu Battalion of the Beifeng Army's Fourth Division. With only a single battalion garrisoning such a vast city, it felt rather empty, and the defenses seemed somewhat thin.
However, the decisive battles within the border had already concluded, and the remaining Barbarian army's organizational structure had essentially shattered, leaving them utterly incapable of laying siege.
The Xuanwu Battalion's presence here was less a defensive garrison and more a rotation for rest and recuperation; their daily duties consisted mostly of inspecting various wandering swordsman leagues and merchant caravans.
Indeed, even as fighting lingered within the borders, caravans continued to journey north to Beifeng.
While war was perilous for these merchants, it was also an opportunity.
Exorbitant profits exceeding threefold were enough to make them prize money over their own lives.
Amidst the howling wind and snow, two figures—an old man and a youth, clad in snow-white padded coats—arrived on horseback from outside the city, dusted with the wear of travel.
The elder's face was lined with deep wrinkles, yet his eyes shone with sharp vigor.
The handsome youth was dressed in animal pelts. Gazing at Beifeng's towering walls that reached into the clouds, his eyes filled with wonder and awe:
"Master, is this Beifeng City? It's so tall!"
The old man grinned:
"Don't make such a fuss. In the future, Master will take you to see the Imperial Capital. That is what you call a city of eternity; its splendor is beyond anything you brat could ever imagine."
Filled with anticipation, the clean-featured youth asked in a low voice:
"The Imperial Capital? Master, how long until we can go?"
Smack!
The old man pondered briefly, patting the loose silver in his pocket. "Once your master scrapes together a bit more for you to take a wife. Di'an City has plenty of opportunities; with your talent, you might just be taken in by a respectable household."
"Oh..." The youth nodded, half-understanding. "But I want to follow Master forever."
The elder raised a hand to rub the boy's head, his gaze softening:
"It's enough that you feel that way. These old bones of mine won't amount to anything more in this life, and I can't give you better resources. You'll live a better life if you pledge yourself to one of those great clans."
Saying so, the old man chuckled, dismounted, and led the horse toward the military post:
"All right, wait here. This old man will go exchange these for bounty money. If we kill a few more Barbarians together, we should have enough silver."
The youth nodded, obediently remaining where he stood. His gaze drifted to the horse's flank, where a dozen or so gruesome Barbarian heads hung tightly bound by rope.
The imperial army had crushed the Barbarians' million-strong host at the foot of Mount Guxuan, but that victory had triggered a chain reaction. The scattered Barbarians had dispersed in all directions, turning into roaming scourges that plagued the people across the three northern provinces.
To address this, the reigning Emperor had specifically issued the Barbarian Slaughter Order, not only mobilizing more troops to hunt down and exterminate the Barbarian remnants, but also posting a bounty to all capable men under heaven: each Barbarian head could be exchanged for ten taels of silver, up to a maximum of one hundred taels.
The pelt-clad youth waited earnestly, watching his master negotiate with the soldiers dressed in white armor.
Yet seeing the deferential smile on his master's heavily wrinkled face, he felt an inexplicable ache in his chest. He couldn't understand why his master, who was so powerful, had to humble himself and speak so servilely before those white-armored soldiers.
When at martial gatherings before, his master had commanded so much respect.
As he was lost in thought,
the pelt-clad youth caught a glimpse of a slender pink figure in the corner of his eye. Instinctively glancing back, his pupils dilated instantly.
So... so beautiful.
A young woman clad in a pale-pink palace gown descended silently from the sky, passing right by him as she headed straight for the city gates.
Even if it was merely a fleeting glimpse, the girl's clear golden eyes, radiant as the stars, were impossible to forget.
Staring unblinkingly at her figure for several breaths, the youth suddenly glanced down at the beast-hide boots his master had crafted for him, and a question arose in his heart.
How strange.
In such freezing weather, she's barefoot... isn't she cold?
Chapter 329