“Clang, clang, clang…”
On the seventh floor of the Sitianjian, in the alchemy chamber, Song Qing, sleeves rolled up, was gripping large purple-gold hammer and tongs, tempering steel on an anvil.
His white robe was covered in black soot, sweat poured down from his brow, and with heavy dark circles under his eyes, he looked as if he might drop dead at any moment.
After refining out the impurities, Song Qing took out a dark golden nail, lined it up with the steel billet, and struck the head of the nail hard with the hammer.
With a harsh sound, the dark golden nail pierced through the steel billet.
“No comparison, there’s just no comparison at all…”
Song Qing shook his head in regret. “What exactly is the demon-sealing nail made of? Is there really such a metal in the world?”
He held the demon-sealing nail that Sun Xuanji had brought back, entrusted by the alchemy prodigy Xu Ningyan, who had asked Song Qing to examine it.
Young Master Xu truly deserved the title of a prodigy willing to devote everything to alchemy. He was Song Qing’s confidant, offering up such an important artefact for the Sitianjian to study.
Xu’s only request for donating the demon-sealing nail was for the alchemists to attempt to replicate it.
The alchemists were deeply moved.
Not only had Young Master Xu offered up the artefact, but he had also entrusted them with this important mission.
At that moment, a white-robed arcanist hurried into the alchemy chamber and called out loudly,
“Senior Brother Song, Teacher Jianzheng asked you to take this box down to the ground floor and give it to Senior Sister Zhong.”
Teacher Jianzheng… Song Qing took the wooden box in slight puzzlement and asked,
“What is it?”
The white-robed arcanist shook his head. “Teacher Jianzheng said only Senior Sister Zhong can open it.”
Song Qing was always a very opinionated (rebellious) disciple. On hearing this, he tried to open the box on the spot, but failed.
“Alright!”
Song Qing nodded, cradled the wooden box half a foot wide and one foot long, left the alchemy chamber, descended the stairs to the main hall on the ground floor, and passed through the iron door at the back to enter the underground corridors.
His footsteps echoed in the quiet depths, and the oil lamps cast everything in a gentle, warm orange glow.
Song Qing sniffed the faint rancid smell in the air. Most of the Sitianjian’s white-robed arcanists were out, some in the army, some wandering and helping others, so they rarely opened the door for Zhong Li to get some fresh air.
Passing through the long, dim corridor, Song Qing stopped before the door of a forbidden chamber and peered inside through the window.
Zhong Li was sitting cross-legged in the corner, quietly meditating.
“Junior Sister Zhong!”
Song Qing pushed open the door, walked to her, and sat cross-legged as well. “Teacher Jianzheng asked me to bring you this.”
Zhong Li opened her eyes and took the wooden box. As soon as it touched her hand, the lock popped open by itself.
Opening the lid, she saw a half-arm-length wooden mallet lying inside, set on yellow silk.
The wooden mallet was pale brown. The handle was polished to a glossy shine, and both the hammerhead and the handle were covered with tiny formation engravings.
Zhong Li paused in surprise and looked up at Song Qing.
Song Qing happened to be looking down; as their eyes met, the senior and junior said in unison,
“Fate-scattering Hammer!”
Song Qing was struck with sudden understanding. “No wonder Teacher Jianzheng said you had to open the box. This blasted thing is useless to anyone but you.”
The Fate-scattering Hammer, according to Teacher Jianzheng, was something he casually made in his youth.
Striking someone on the head with it could alter their fate, but both the holder and the one struck would have their fate changed, and the outcome was completely uncontrollable.
People were ranked into grades; all professions and walks of life had their own destiny.
If fate was forcibly changed, heavenly punishment would follow and your lifespan would be cut in half.
In other words, this blasted hammer not only caused unpredictable changes to someone’s fate, but the basic price was halving their lifespan.
But Zhong Li was an exception. Her fate was “Heavenly Punishment,” so even the Fate-scattering Hammer could not make things any worse and she could avoid the side effects.
“Why did Teacher Jianzheng give this to you?”
Song Qing looked baffled. “Right now you’re a Master of Prophecy, destined for all kinds of tribulations, so even the Fate-scattering Hammer is useless. But if you mess around and alter other people’s fates, wouldn’t it just make your tribulations worse?”
Zhong Li shook her head and quietly put the hammer away.
“Sigh, with Caiwei gone from the Sitianjian, the whole Stargazing tower feels much quieter. Junior Sister Zhong, I have to go back and continue refining. I’ll take my leave now.” Song Qing stood up and left.
…
In distant overseas lands.
Baidi, with a body of white scales like jade, an ox’s nose, crocodile lips, and a lion’s mane, dashed across the sea, its four hooves pounding over the waves.
Vast waves stretched as far as the eye could see. Above was the sky, and besides the sky, there was only endless, boundless ocean.
In the midst of this featureless sea, Baidi was able to find his destination with unerring precision.
Lowering his head, he gazed at the sea beneath his hooves, his azure eyes shining with deep, shadowy light, like a whirlpool.
A whirlpool formed on the surface, expanding rapidly into a vast vortex tens of metres wide, froth churning.
Baidi plunged headlong into the whirlpool, and soon after, burst forth with a long, curving spear in his mouth, bone-like yet stone-like, gold yet jade.
He galloped away like a warhorse, disappearing over the horizon.
The whirlpool slowly faded and the ocean returned to calm.
…
Dongling City.
The gatehouse was built atop the city walls, and Xu Pingfeng stood at its summit, his white robe fluttering, his posture like a banished immortal.
A wine jug dangled from his hand as he gazed northwards.
…
Central camp, Yunzhou army.
Wagons laden with provisions trundled in and out of camp. Rank-and-file soldiers repeated the routines of guard duty and patrols, always ready for war.
Compared to the Yunzhou troops fighting on three fronts, the thirty thousand men of the central camp had sustained their strength best. The elite had been resting, ready for battle at a moment’s notice.
A month had passed without deploying.
Now, as winter drew to a close, the ordinary soldiers did not notice, but the mid- and high-ranking officers grew restless.
They realised that, as spring approached, their advantage over the Great Feng would steadily reverse.
Calls for battle grew more numerous and louder by the day.
Today, over a dozen mid- and high-ranking officers knelt outside the command tent, “coercing” Qi Guangbo to send troops.
Among them was Zhuo Haoran, demoted from Left Army captain to deputy in the vanguard.
“General, we cannot delay any longer. If we don’t take Qingzhou this winter, it will be nearly impossible to reach the capital after the spring sacrifice!”
Zhuo Haoran, blind in his left eye, bellowed,
“All this subordinate asks is to die in battle. Please, General, let me die on the field. Please order us to march out!”
The surrounding officers chimed in, and though they normally looked down on this defeated general, today they all stood together.
After a noisy uproar, just as they thought they would once again leave empty-handed, the command tent’s curtain lifted.
Qi Guangbo, fully armoured, his hand resting on his sabre hilt, swept his gaze calmly over the crowd. Instead of anger, he actually smiled and said,
“You’ve managed to endure this long, you do have some patience.”
One-eyed Zhuo Haoran was startled.
“General?”
Qi Guangbo said gravely,
“Zhuo Haoran, you lost six thousand elite troops at Songshan County, and by rights should have been executed by military law. I am sparing you for your talent. Now I ask you, will you atone for your misdeeds?”
Zhuo Haoran shouted,
“If I can wash away my shame, I shall die without regret!”
Qi Guangbo tossed him a stamped sealed order and said coldly,
“Take eight thousand picked men from the Left Army and go to Songshan County to support the Dragon Elephant, White Rhino, and Formation Breaking armies.”
Zhuo Haoran’s face lit up with wild joy.
“This subordinate accepts the order!”
Qi Guangbo ignored him, turning to another general on his right.
“Wenxuan, lead six hundred artillerymen from the cannon camp and three thousand infantry from the assault camp to reinforce Dongling’s Black Armour and Green Python armies. Take this letter from me to Ji Xuan.”
He likewise tossed over a sealed command.
“Zhao Bing, you are to lead three thousand light cavalry to cut off Songshan County’s supply lines. You must ride day and night.”
”…”
As each order was given, soon half the officers outside the tent had dispersed. Qi Guangbo looked at those remaining and said, unhurriedly,
“Strike camp, and follow us to swallow Wan County whole.”
…
Songshan County.
From the gatehouse at the city ramparts came Miao Youfang’s indignant voice.
“No take backs! Mosang, I taught you the game of ‘Go’ that only Central Plains scholars can master, and this is how you repay me?”
“Hmph, a barbarian will always be a barbarian.”
Then came Mosang’s voice:
“This is that popular Central Plains game? It’s not really hard at all. Could it be I’m a genius scholar in the making?”
Miao Youfang scoffed,
“What do you know? This is the so-called profundity of simplicity. The simpler the game, the deeper the understanding.”
“Look, these five stones, I can place them horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. I can set two at the ends and one in the middle. There are endless ways to play, the moves are unfathomable!”
Mosang, now wearing light armour, scratched his head.
“It does make sense, but I still find it very easy. I must be a real scholar in the making. After the war, maybe I’ll stay here and go for the zhuangyuan rank, my dad would be thrilled!”
“What are you talking about?” Xu Xinnian, munching on a steamed bun, finished inspecting the city’s defences and had just stepped through the gatehouse when he overheard them.
Miao Youfang, wary of Mosang cheating, replied while watching him,
“We’re playing ‘Go’, the way of the gentleman.”
Second Young Master Xu thought, this rough military man can play Go? Looking closely, he saw black and white stones in lines of one, two, or three, the longest being four. No matter how you lined them up, a set of four would always get blocked.
“You call this ‘Go’?”
Xu Xinnian looked at him strangely.
“Isn’t it?” Miao Youfang retorted, and before Xu Xinnian could speak further, he proudly gave a ‘hey’:
“Don’t think Go is a scholar’s privilege. It’s not so hard! With my brilliance, it only took a teacup’s time to work it out.”
“I never learned before, only because you lot bluffed me.”
Mosang chimed in,
“I think it’s easy, too. Sir Xu, do you think I could get the zhuangyuan rank as well? The Southern Marches have never produced a zhuangyuan.”
Your Central Plains accent is getting better… thought Xu Xinnian, chewing his bun.
“Brother Miao, who taught you your chess rules?”
Miao Youfang played his move swiftly, replying,
“Your sister-in-law.”
Xu Xinnian was stunned. “Which one?”
Which one? Miao Youfang paused, thought carefully, and said,
“The ugliest one.”
Xu Xinnian tried to recall, but couldn’t work out which woman he meant.
“Just give me the name.”
“Mu Nanzhi.”
Who’s Mu Nanzhi? Oh well, if I ever meet her, I’ll have to tell her Miao Youfang called her ugly… Xu Xinnian made a mental note, then gave a polite salute to his exceptionally talented companions before heading off to read books on military tactics.
Scholars were always thorough in thought and interaction, elementary stuff.
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