Peace Order
Chapter 423 - 176: Elder Zu’s Gift_3

Chapter 423: Chapter 176: Elder Zu’s Gift_3

’With this bow, ride through the world.’

Li Guanyi seemed to still hear the old man’s hearty laughter as his palm brushed over it, the bronze tripod sang, and layers upon layers of faint ripples appeared on the Breaking Cloud Sky-shattering Bow before it vanished from Li Guanyi’s hands, returning to the second layer of the bronze tripod’s space, within the light pillar symbolizing the White Tiger.

The Chi Xiao Sword’s small sword hummed.

It seemed to be complaining indignantly about its inability to enter the space within the bronze tripod.

Li Guanyi felt that probably only when the third layer’s Red Dragon Divine Weapon light pillar opened would the Chi Xiao Sword be able to go there.

Li Guanyi casually picked up a bow, not one with the characteristic of a Divine Weapon’s might diffusing and covering like the Fierce Tiger Sky Shouting Halberd, but he could feel that his accuracy with this bow would be extremely high and the Inner Qi of the arrows shot would be even stronger.

He shot an arrow, hitting the bullseye effortlessly.

Moreover, the arrows bore the characteristics very much like the Inner Qi Arrow conjured by the Breaking Cloud Sky-shattering Bow.

Either explosive and direct, or corrosive, or with a burning aura.

Li Guanyi mused thoughtfully,

"It seems that different Divine Weapons, when entering the light pillar, have different effects."

He just didn’t know what effects the Chi Xiao Sword would have when inside the pillar.

Li Guanyi found himself looking forward to the future; he took out the letter that Shaking Light had given him, a mere map, taking a wide diversion from Guan Yi City without heading directly toward the frontier, instead weaving towards another place.

Very alert and astute, like a cunning little white rabbit.

Li Guanyi looked at the end of the letter, where a smiling face was drawn.

Feeling a warmth in his heart, he put away the letter, then went hunting, caught a wild beast that looked like a deer and a cow, used the local planks to build a cart, dismantled the Iron Futu armor and hid it under weeds, covered it with various sundries, placed a tarp over it on the cart, and then drove out.

This wasn’t exactly a foolproof method, but neither could he go out wearing heavy armor.

Chen Country would surely have a warrant out for him.

Li Guanyi thought that his name and portrait might already be posted on the walls at the border, where elite border troops, each of whom had seen blood, and those generals like hungry wolves, were stationed; Li Guanyi did not wish to test how well he could withstand the might of Ying Country’s border troops.

At the moment, he lacked the official document, the Shadow, to pass through the gates and prove his identity.

He probably would only be able to slip out by circling around the outside.

Exiting through the gates would be even more difficult.

A fight might still be inevitable, but for now, the pressing matter was to reach the place six hundred miles away, to find Shaking Light and Aunt.

Li Guanyi thought this when he suddenly heard a shout, "Li Guanyi, layman Li Guanyi!"

The youth sprang up like a carp leaping out of water, rising from the weeds, sharp and alert, and then saw the person calling him—a familiar figure, a Taoist, not Zhui Yue but another oft-seen one.

The Taoist bowed and said, "Elder Zu sent me to wait for you here."

"He said he has a gift for you."

Li Guanyi remembered the last time he saw Elder Zu, who said that his journey would be very auspicious and that he would have a gift for him. The youth held out his hand, but the old man just smiled and said he wouldn’t give it then; he would give it when Li Guanyi needed it.

Li Guanyi came down swiftly, heartily saluted with a punch of his fist, and said, "Thank you."

The Taoist looked at the young man before him, who had taken off the Iron Futu armor but still wore brocaded clothes and hid a jade belt. His body was covered in tattered clothes with some bloodstains, his hair bound up in a topknot and his black locks fanning out, bearing many marks of battle, his spirit as vigorous as a fierce tiger. Such a person, in the eyes of the world, would stick out like a sore thumb and was bound to be discovered.

The Taoist smiled and handed a package to the young man.

Li Guanyi opened it and was momentarily taken aback; while the package looked large, it contained only a few items.

A wooden hairpin.

An official Taoist document for ordination.

An ancient sword with a pine pattern and a deep navy blue Taoist robe, freshly washed to a bright white.

Li Guanyi fell silent as he reached out and picked up the Taoist ordination document.

The name inside was just a blank space.

He lifted his head and looked at the Taoist.

The Taoist spoke softly, "Elder Zu said that you have sought to take him as your master several times. He refused the first two times, but this time, he wishes to take you as his disciple, giving you these things. He wonders if you are willing."

He handed over something, "This is the official document of one of the twenty-four Sacrificial Wine Masters of the Taoist sects."

"If you are willing, Elder Zu said, please take this thing, return to the Academy of Central State, and on his behalf, address those two Innate beings of the Taoist sect."

"He has fulfilled his wish."

"He has seen the gates of the Innate."

"And he feels that’s all there is to it, then he turned back to look at all beings."

"With the official document of a Sacrificial Wine Master, go to all four corners of the world without reservation; you may travel anywhere."

Li Guanyi looked at the Taoist robe and the long sword, then turned to look at his reflection in the river, his black coronet and hair tied neatly, his jade belt stained with blood, the very image of a god or demon from the heavens, a hero from the earth. The young man suddenly lowered his gaze and burst into loud laughter, bending forward and back with his mirth.

He reverently set these items down.

Then he raised his hand, tore off the black coronet, and with a sweep of his arm, he ripped the jade belt apart.

He removed his battle robe and dove into the vast river, a journey that cleansed him of his past illustrious days as a Founding County Knight of Chen Country, cleansed completely, refreshingly so!

Donning the Taoist robe, his hair simply bound with a wooden hairpin.

Two coarse belts hanging around his waist.

An ancient sword carried at his side.

The young man took up a brush, and atop that ordination document, he boldly wrote down his Taoist name.

And so,

The past is as if it were dead yesterday; the present, as if born today!

The County Knight of Qin Wu from Chen Country was dead, what lived on was a young tiger watching over the world.

Just at sunset, the pursuit forces from Chen Country had found their way there. With its vast influence, Chen Country had troops stationed everywhere. When the military order was given, they mobilized quickly and with great ferocity, yet they failed to find any trace of the young man. The leading general was suddenly taken aback.

He heard a low, solemn sword sound.

Then he spurred his horse forward, weapon at the ready, yet he saw neither enemy nor fugitive. The wind brushed across the vast land, clouds drifted, the sunset fell, and the red glow dyed the river. He saw the river rushing towards the horizon, and beside the river, a Frost Battle Halberd planted in the ground.

On the Battle Halberd hung a black coronet, a jade belt, and a brocade robe.

A past life!

Just like that, swaying in the wind, the jade belt clashing against the black coronet, making a crisp sound.

Yet never again was the figure of the young military officer to be seen.