Volume One: The Hidden Dragon Beneath the Abyss Chapter 114: The Story

Wang Chuan and his party traveled south. Passing through Shizhou, they had already heard the news that Zhong Jie had returned home. It was also rumored that the Prime Minister had resigned to return to his hometown, and Yuan Zhan had left the Xia Kingdom; the entire incident was thus treated with cold indifference.

However, none of this mattered to them anymore.

On the day they departed the Xia Kingdom, someone had pursued them, claiming to be an agent of the Lord of Jin. Wang Chuan spoke with him for a while before continuing their journey. Yang Hao and Xu Wei did not know what they had discussed, nor did they ask, acting as if nothing had happened.

"Brother Chuan, are we still going?" Xu Wei asked, approaching him.

"Let’s go. I promised to take you to the Tang Kingdom for some fun. Other matters are not urgent," Wang Chuan replied.

"Will Brother Chuan be unhappy?" Xu Wei asked, sounding a bit strange.

"Why would I be unhappy?" Wang Chuan found this curious. "Just remember, no one in this world can sway my will. Wei'er, you must be the same in the future; just stay true to yourself."

"Is your mood not very good, Brother Chuan?" Xu Wei looked at him cautiously.

"A little, perhaps. It is a pity about Chen Ying; I cannot let him go," Wang Chuan sighed. "A man like him is truly a sharp blade of the nation, a divine sword that can only be wielded by one of virtue! It is a shame the Lord of Xia did not use him. Otherwise, if given the authority, this man could have charged forward, invincible."

"He is a peerless talent of the nation, but aren't you overestimating him, Your Highness?" Yang Hao asked, puzzled. "He had no achievements and was complicit with the Prime Minister's faction; he doesn't deserve such praise. In my opinion, he is not even as good as Lord Zhong Jie."

"Washing one's hat when the river is clear, and washing one's feet when the water is muddy—this is the flexibility of a gentleman! Raging with anger is an instinct, but enduring and concealing is true skill!" Wang Chuan sighed. "He stained his own reputation by mingling with them! Why did the Lord of Xia purge the Prime Minister's faction? It was because, before Chen Ying left, he presented a national strategy. Over these years, he had quietly collected evidence of the Prime Minister's faction's every misdeed. Had he revealed it to the world, it would have rocked the imperial court. He gave one copy to me for safekeeping and took the other into the palace to present to the Lord of Xia..."

"How can such a person exist in this world? Living alongside tigers?" Yang Hao was shocked.

"Let's move on. I hope that after he returns from the Northern Frontier, we can gather again." Wang Chuan did not want to discuss this topic further.

The others tactfully said no more.

They continued their journey south, admiring the scenery of the mountains and rivers. However, Wang Chuan had been lost in thought more often lately. When Xu Wei asked, he claimed he was having some trouble with his cultivation and that it would be resolved soon—it was nothing to worry about. Since she never concerned herself with cultivation matters, she didn't probe further. Moreover, for Wang Chuan, nothing was truly a problem.

During a rest break, spotting a small rabbit passing by, Xu Wei quietly followed it. She found herself at the bank of a small stream, where the rabbit had already been caught by someone.

"Brother Chuan..." Xu Wei blurted out as she looked at the young man in coarse cloth clothes before her, then suddenly felt something was wrong. "Wait? Why do you look so much like..."

"Shh." The other person hurriedly glanced in the direction she had come from. "I have a very important matter to discuss with you, but you must not tell anyone about today! To no one! You cannot let Wang Chuan know!" The young man was incomparably solemn and earnest.

"Why? How can you look so much like Brother Chuan? Who are you?" Xu Wei's eyes widened.

"Do not ask anymore! I beg you, do not tell Wang Chuan. You absolutely cannot let him know of my existence, you must promise! Otherwise, there will be nowhere left for me to hide in heaven or earth," the young man said. "Remember what I tell you: Tian Xingzi is gathering the world's top experts to kill the Demon God. He will surely come to find Wang Chuan. You must keep him here, do not let Wang Chuan go! Absolutely not! Now is not the time!" Fearing she might not take it seriously, he urged her repeatedly.

"Why? And what did you do to Brother Chuan? Does he dislike you that much?" Xu Wei understood nothing and found it very strange.

"Everything else will be explained in time; you will know! The Demon Emperor cannot be defeated. Do not let Wang Chuan go!" The young man grew anxious. "His time has not yet come; the opportunity is not ripe. Do not let him go to destroy the Demon Emperor; he must not break his momentum! What is too rigid is easily broken, and once he breaks this time, he will be severed, with no chance to turn things around..."

"The Divine Dragon swallows heaven and earth, roaming across the realms; Wang Chuan should not end here!"

"How do you know?" Xu Wei asked.

"I just know, and Wang Chuan knows it too. Believe me!" the young man said. "You must not let him try; he shouldn't even have the thought! Only you can change his decision, do you understand?"

"Then I think I know who you are..." Xu Wei said suddenly. Her eyes were clear and bright, as if a spiritual light were flowing within them.

"The Exquisite Heart... Ah, the Exquisite Heart," the young man sighed. "Xu Wei, I will not harm you! Regardless of whether you truly understand, we rise and fall together. You must know that if Wang Chuan is broken, I will also fail and find it difficult to recover! So you must persuade him!"

"You must know that in this world, only you and I truly understand him, and only you and I can truly act in his best interest!"

He handed the rabbit to Xu Wei and vanished without a trace.

Xu Wei stood stunned, looking down at her arms, where the little rabbit’s eyes blinked.

She walked back with complex emotions. After a few steps, Wang Chuan suddenly appeared to find her. "Are you alright? Where did you go to play? Do you need me to accompany you?"

"I'm fine, I didn't encounter anything." Xu Wei held up the little rabbit. "Look, Brother."

"Hmm, very cute." Wang Chuan nodded. "Then keep it; it can keep you company. If you need any help, just ask me, and I will keep an eye on things."

"Okay, thank you, Brother." Xu Wei smiled happily.

"Why did you suddenly run off just now? Yang Hao and the others didn't notice, it could have been frightening." Wang Chuan walked back with her.

"Wait, they don't know?" Xu Wei asked curiously.

"No, your movements have become much more agile and nimble lately, but not because of progress in your cultivation," Wang Chuan noted. "It might have to do with your tail. I touched it yesterday; it has grown longer."

"Really? Can I keep it?" Xu Wei was quite happy and checked her little tail.

"As you please, just keep it hidden," Wang Chuan said.

"Brother Chuan, how is your cultivation lately?" Xu Wei asked, linking her arm with his.

"Still the same. I've hit a bottleneck in my cultivation, so I still want to see the wider world. Don't worry, even if I go, I will return very soon..." Wang Chuan sighed. "But I still want to be with you, Wei'er. For now, everything I've seen before is still in my mind, unable to be manifested."

...

"Brother Xu, where did you run off to?" Yan Mo's attitude toward him had improved much lately; he wasn't as guarded. During these days, he had been diligently learning martial arts from him, and his progress was rapid. Especially since the food at home had improved, he was growing quickly.

"Give me your shoes." Han Keru also came out, seeing Xu Qing, who was drenched in sweat and pale. Without a word, she made him take off his straw sandals, which were already too worn to be worn any longer. She carefully inspected his soles, relieved to find no injuries. With Xu Qing’s cultivation, it was hard for him to be injured anymore.

"I went hunting and had some success," Xu Qing said, panting.

Yan Mo, however, noticed the burrs and cockleburs on his trouser cuffs. These things seemed to only grow in the South.

This person...

"I sewed a new pair of shoes for you; try them." Han Keru brought out a pair of cloth shoes and put them on him naturally, as if she were taking care of her two children, her movements skilled and natural. After putting them on, she smiled with satisfaction, as if a hundred flowers were blooming, filling the room with fragrance.

Xu Qing was instantly bathed in a warm spring breeze, his eyes widening in a daze.

The atmosphere was quiet for a moment until Han Keru realized both children were watching her; her cheeks flushed pink. "I'm going to cook." She walked away, acting shy.

Yan Mo continued his studies, bringing a book to ask for guidance.

"Xu Qing, are you really that powerful?" Yan Mo asked him later.

"I suppose!" Xu Qing stroked his collar proudly. "Don't be too discouraged; work hard, and you might reach half my level in the future."

"You said that if there were five strongest people in the world, you would definitely be among them," Yan Mo said. "Senior Tian Xingzi has already arrived in the Hua Kingdom and is gathering experts from all over the world to assassinate the Demon Emperor. Why don't you go?"

"He came to the Hua Kingdom?" Xu Qing was surprised, then calmed down. "Don't think about it. Heroes aren't so easy to play; the disparity in strength is too great. Whether it's one person or five, it's impossible to contend with him!"

"Is the Demon Emperor very powerful?" Yan Mo understood his words.

"How should I put it? Once this person emerged, he became a figure who could throw the world into chaos and shatter mountains and rivers. It’s no longer something an ordinary person can imagine," Xu Qing said. "If you ask if he is powerful, he is very powerful; the common people are as fragile as ants."

"Then you are stronger than him, why don't you go and destroy him?" Yan Mo asked curiously.

"Don't provoke me!" Xu Qing shook his head; this level of talk didn't stir him at all. "Currently, I truly cannot rival him, but if we were to meet, he wouldn't be able to do anything to me either. Moreover, times change. His fortune is at its peak; why should I seek my own death? It is wiser to avoid his sharpness for now!"

The Demon Emperor was not so easily killed.

"Brother Xu, will it be very dangerous when the barbarian soldiers enter the country?" Yan Mo looked at his mother and sister with reluctance in his large eyes, feeling a bit sad. "But, Brother Xu, you are right. I must learn more skills so I can do great things in the future; I cannot stay in this small mountain village forever."

"That's right, you are not a thing that belongs in a pond!" Xu Qing said earnestly. "After you leave, I will take good care of your mother and sister. I have already accomplished too much; now I just want to settle down. If you get bullied, come back and find me to save you!"

"Brother Xu, can you please not like my mother?" Yan Mo always felt something was wrong, fearing he had ulterior motives toward her. "Brother Xu... please, don't hurt my mother, okay?"

"You little brat, you don't understand half of it." Xu Qing patted the back of his head. "You little one, you're not entirely ignorant. Honestly, you are the only man in the house. I tell you, I truly like your mother, but don't worry, I will absolutely not hurt her, which is why I want your consent."

Yan Mo's face suddenly changed. "Brother Xu, you..."

"Keep your voice down, you're a man now, let's talk properly." Xu Qing pulled him closer and whispered. "Your mother is still young; do you want her to spend her whole life in widowhood? Besides, you are not often by her side, and she will be very lonely. And your sister is still so small."

"Brother Xu, but my mother..." Yan Mo's heart was truly panicked, but he felt what the other said made some sense.

He understood. His mother was indeed lonely at home; sometimes, seeing her silently weaving cloth alone, he felt a sense of desolation. Sadly, his father passed away too early, and now he couldn't even remember his face. It was his mother who raised them and supported his studies. Looking at her fair, delicate hands, now covered in calluses and cracked skin, he sometimes couldn't bear to look, fearing he would burst into tears.

"I understand. I will talk to her properly. If she is unwilling, I cannot force her; I will see what she thinks," Xu Qing said. "This is a promise between men. Don't worry, I will take good care of your mother. And I guarantee you, I will never hurt her. Also, if she doesn't like me, I will never force it."

But how could his mother not be interested?

Yan Mo's heart was in turmoil. He felt it was absurd and carried a trace of anger. From the window, he could see the scene in the kitchen, that figure working hard. His mother was indeed still young; it was only the hardship of life and the frost of time that made her look older. Xu Qing was right; she was in the prime of her youth, and she was willing to endure loneliness only to raise him. Could he bear to see his mother spend her whole life in solitude?

"Are you hungry? It will be ready soon." Han Keru suddenly looked over, met his gaze, and smiled slightly.

Yan Mo felt a pang of sorrow. He would eventually marry and have children of his own; how could he stop his mother from seeking her own happiness?

"Parents are like this, working tirelessly without complaint."

"I recalled two stories; let me tell you," Xu Qing sighed.

"In a place very, very far away, several families lived together. Some were poor, some were wealthier, but they all got by and supported each other. When one family made a delicious dish, they would share it, and that table slowly became rich with a variety of dishes."

"There were two such families, both widowed—one mother and one father—and in their daily lives, affection grew. The hardest part was not the mutual understanding, but the difficulty of opening up to their children. Fortunately, both children were grown."

Xu Qing sighed.

"And how did they say it?" Yan Mo asked curiously, feeling nervous.

"They told the truth, what else?" Xu Qing sighed again. "One child, persuaded by his fiancée, accepted it! But the other child had to bear it himself."

"That day, when the father confessed to the child at the dinner table, he accepted it very sincerely and supported his father! He had been sent to the county school since he was young and was a very talented, hard-working child! His father had worked very hard to support his education. That day, he told his father he remembered the day he suddenly returned home without warning. He came home and saw his father eating cold rice soaked in water, whereas whenever he was home, his father always prepared many dishes. He could never forget the look of panic and confusion on his father's face, like he had been caught red-handed. So he said, if there was someone to accompany and care for his father for the rest of his life, he would be very happy!"

"There is another story," Xu Qing thought for a moment.

"There's more?" Yan Mo was still stuck in the previous train of thought, startled. What was this... was he trying to prove his erudition?

"This is also a true story, something I witnessed with my own eyes, not made up." Xu Qing thought seriously; the memory was a bit old.

"Then tell me!" Yan Mo listened.

"I once died once..." Xu Qing began, his tone somewhat desolate, a fallen leaf landing on him. "I once thought of the story of a high monk. Now, I too just want to settle down, live out my life, and have someone who cares for me."

That day, Xu Qing was watching ants and reached enlightenment; he had found his path.

"It was an era when Buddhism was flourishing. A monk from a small overseas country came to study, and upon returning, he wrote books and spread the Dharma, accumulating immeasurable merit. But on his first crossing of the sea, he encountered a storm. The entire ship rocked like a withered leaf under the waves. In the immense terror between life and death, everyone was in despair, wailing."

"But only a woman beside the monk, holding her baby, was incomparably calm. The monk was shocked and asked her if she wasn't afraid. The woman told him that as long as the baby in her arms didn't cry, she wasn't afraid!"

"This answer moved the monk even more. Facing the raging waves, no one was unafraid, but the waves were not what this mother cared about most; she cared about whether the baby in her arms was sleeping soundly. As long as the baby slept soundly, she wasn't afraid."

"Sometimes I feel that I am like this mother and child; there was another possibility, and I died. One is to let go, the other is to be persistent; both are present—this is the Taoist Taiji."

"The monk later understood the supreme Dharma he was searching for!"

"So Brother Xu is also trying to persuade me to let go and stop being persistent?" Yan Mo asked earnestly. "Just like the mother who only had her children in her eyes, fearing no difficulty or storm?"

Xu Qing looked at him in surprise.

"Then I was right," Yan Mo said happily.

"No, this is a story I told myself," Xu Qing said suddenly.

"Ah?" Yan Mo was speechless.

"Listen carefully," Xu Qing patted him again. "The next one is the one I want to tell you."

"There was also a boy whose father died when he was young..."

"Why are there so many people whose fathers died?" Yan Mo said, startled.

"Let me tell you, I really didn't make this up." Xu Qing patted the back of his head again. "That boy only knew how to bury himself in books, never went out, had no friends, his social skills were poor, he was a clean freak, and a picky eater! In short, very hard to serve."

"Later, his mother was going to remarry. That day, he had a meal with that man and his mother—the three of them."

"He had prepared for a long time and even picked out a gift for the man, even though they had never met. He ate the food the man placed in his bowl, something he would never do. But everything he did was to please that man, hoping he would treat his mother a little better."

"Men understand these things, right?"

Xu Qing finally sighed. The story was finished.

*But wait, am I that person?* Yan Mo grew curious.

*Let him figure these things out himself,* Xu Qing thought, running off to play with the little girl. They were having a great time.

"Xu Qing, that person we met in the mountains that day, he must have a significant background, right?" Yan Mo ran over to ask him.

"You think too much; you're just a brat who doesn't understand anything but pretends to," Xu Qing said with disdain. Yan Shuyi also made a face.

"I know. He is very likely a big shot from the palace; I suspect he is a powerful feudal lord with real authority," Yan Mo said. "You mentioned your name time and again, making him remember you. If there is anything in the future, let him find you! You took the burden for me."

"That day, it was clearly me who almost stabbed him. Actually, with a person like him, he must have realized it later."

Xu Qing looked at him in surprise and then said earnestly, "You really think too much."

"Forget it. Thank you for doing so much; I will keep it in mind," Yan Mo said. "Then I want to ask you, if I go on a study tour, how should I choose? But the world is about to fall into chaos, and I'm afraid there isn't much time."

"You go find one person!" Xu Qing said firmly.

"Who?" Yan Mo asked, startled.

"Wang Chuan," Xu Qing said.

"His Highness Wang Chuan." Yan Mo was stunned.

"It seems you know of him too," Xu Qing smiled.

"His Highness Wang Chuan is famous throughout the Nine Provinces; everyone knows him. You also said that if one were to pick the five strongest people in the world, or even three, His Highness Wang Chuan would definitely be one of them," Yan Mo said. "Since you are also such a powerful person, have you met His Highness Wang Chuan?"

"I have never met him," Xu Qing shook his head.

"That's a shame." Yan Mo sighed, still yearning for him.

"Since you are willing, I will find a way to recommend you to Wang Chuan, so you can appear before him. Once he sees you, he will understand; he really lacks talent like you. And if you follow him, you will learn a lot. I won't even mention his collection of books, which has everything. Plus, with Yang Hao, the walking moneybag, anything you want can be bought. These people all have their strengths," Xu Qing said. "If you go to join him, no matter what, under no circumstances can you mention me! You must not let him know of my existence!"

"Why?" Yan Mo was puzzled.

"This is a matter between adults; you don't need to know." Xu Qing stopped talking.

He made it clear that there was a hidden agenda. Xu Qing was doing his utmost to cultivate him. He knew well that Wang Chuan’s side lacked such a person. If Yang Hao, Duan Changfeng, and Tian Xingzi could help Wang Chuan seize the throne, then the matured Yan Mo could do even more.

In fact, the one who could truly help Wang Chuan contest the Central Plains was this Yan Mo.

The Emperor? What a joke. How could Wang Chuan not understand? However, if he saw a person like Yan Mo, he would understand. Everything could be contested. Xu Qing always understood, and Wang Chuan understood even more. Before Yan Mo appeared, in situations like the present, Wang Chuan's team faced others at a disadvantage, unless Wang Chuan personally stepped in.

Therefore, Wang Chuan had likely been waiting a long time for someone who could help him conquer the world. Compared to Tian Xingzi’s long-standing fame, Yang Hao’s rising profile, and Duan Changfeng’s early success, Yan Mo’s debut in the name of admiring Wang Chuan would be of historical significance!

Moreover, Xu Qing knew the terror of the other side; they could rule a territory elsewhere. When he thought about it, anyone with ambition should avoid Wang Chuan, yet Xu Qing was determined to push him to assist Wang Chuan. A person like this would surely become famous throughout the world in the future, making countless people tremble.

Xu Qing looked at the other's fortune; it seemed to grow even stronger.

"Let's go into town, exchange some money, and buy some things," Xu Qing said, picking up the little girl again. He would prepare everything for Yan Mo!