The scarlet dragon that filled this entire temple coiled its massive tail around the man's knees. The closer the dragon's body was to its tail, the more transparent it became, making the man before Li Guanyi's eyes appear like a god—or a demon.
This scarlet, divine-looking dragon wasn't something that truly existed.
Only Li Guanyi, by relying on the mark of the bronze cauldron, could catch a glimpse of it.
It wasn't until a month ago, upon encountering this man, that the bronze cauldron lying dormant in Li Guanyi's body for ten years finally began to reveal its peculiarities. The recurring bouts of deadly poison in his body were suppressed, and he even gained a special ocular ability that allowed him to see the phantom of this dragon with the naked eye.
On one hand was the looming threat of death from the poison, on the other was the mysterious manifestation of the bronze cauldron suppressing the poison. Naturally, Li Guanyi had to seize this opportunity.
The glimmer in Li Guanyi's eyes slowly dissipated, and the illusionary image of the divine dragon faded from his sight. He pretended to have seen nothing more than an ordinary beggar. Sitting cross-legged on a prayer cushion within the mountain temple, he laid out the roasted chicken, steamed buns, and wine he had brought, one by one, before clasping his hands in prayer toward the mountain god's statue, offering a pious and devoted prayer.
For the past month, he had acted as though he was a devout worshiper of the mountain god. The wine and food he brought were never taken back but were instead consumed entirely by this extraordinary man. He would visit once every two or three days, never staying longer than the time it took for a single stick of incense to burn.
He carefully maintained a balance: allowing the crimson liquid within the bronze cauldron to gradually accumulate while also avoiding arousing too much suspicion from this man.
He portrayed himself as nothing more than a sincere youth from the city, having not even exchanged a single word with the man thus far.
He planned to gradually close the distance between them, to let familiarity grow naturally, and eventually obtain from this robust man the opportunity to awaken the true power of the bronze cauldron.
But now… it seemed he no longer had the luxury of time.
Finishing his customary prayer, Li Guanyi thought of the cloud patterns that had haunted his nightmares time and time again, and of the turning point this past month had brought him. He made up his mind, remaining kneeling on the cushion, and suddenly spoke:
"Today, a cavalry soldier wearing a red beast-patterned uniform came to the pharmacy, following behind a young man whose sleeve bore cloud patterns."
"They said that a fugitive who had broken out of prison stole all the medicinal herbs the prisoner needed."
"They even left a notice: anyone who reports news of the fugitive to the authorities will be rewarded with five hundred taels of silver."
"I hope this matter can pass quickly, so the pharmacy can return to normal."
The burly man finally opened his eyes.
Li Guanyi seemed to hear the deep, solemn roar of a dragon echoing in his ears. He instinctively lifted his head.
Even without infusing the bronze cauldron's energy into his vision, his eyes were already splitting the world into two realms: one of ruined walls and shattered tiles—the dilapidated mountain temple—and one flooded with brilliant scarlet light and swirling clouds. Amidst the churning mist, the massive, ancient dragon's head pressed against the young man's brow, making his black hair sway gently.
Suddenly, the swirling clouds burst apart. The scarlet dragon's eyes ignited with blazing flames, only to be shattered by the collision of a towering, muscular figure.
The beggar stepped out of the mist.
The dragon followed behind him, crowding around him like loyal retainers.
Within Li Guanyi's chest, the crimson liquid within the bronze cauldron began to surge rapidly.
None of these strange visions could be seen by ordinary eyes.
The crimson liquid in the bronze cauldron swiftly rose. The beggar looked at the youth before him.
Over the past few days, he too had been secretly observing Li Guanyi. The first time they met, the boy had seemed frail and mild, bringing him food and drink. That first time could be dismissed as simple kindness, but after that—on one occasion when he casually mentioned how thirsty he was—the next day, the boy brought an extra jug of wine.
From that moment, the beggar knew: if this kid wasn't kind to the point of foolishness, then he was sharp-minded and had probably recognized that he was skilled in martial arts, surely harboring some intention.
But even so, the boy had never once approached to speak with him directly in over a month.
Not until today.
Even now, the boy wasn't speaking to him directly, but merely praying to the mountain god, mentioning this incident in a way that made it seem like he was only concerned about the pharmacy, like an ordinary devout youth caught up in unfortunate events—not someone who had deliberately exposed a fugitive hiding here.
Cautious, deliberate, and meticulous. Neither rushed nor hesitant.
The beggar felt admiration in his heart. Suddenly, he let out a hearty laugh, stood up, and cupped his hands in a deep bow:
"These past few days, thank you, little brother, for bringing me food and drink to satisfy my cravings."
"This time, you've even risked coming here to deliver me a message. But judging from the situation now, I fear I can't stay holed up here any longer."
With a sigh, the beggar sat down again, tore off a chicken leg, and bit into it in large mouthfuls. Then he raised a jug of wine and gulped it down. The entire fat-roasted chicken, along with ten large steamed buns—enough to feed an entire household—was devoured clean in mere moments, like a gust of wind sweeping fallen leaves.
After finishing, he used a chicken bone to pick his teeth and sighed contentedly, "Ah… full at last."
Then, shaking his head with regret, he said, "I am injured. I don't want to fight those bastards head-on. Ideally, no one would ever know I was here… but looks like that won't happen now. You came all this way to warn me—I can't ignore that kindness. Come here, these days you've brought me wine and food, and for that, I owe you."
From his clothes, the beggar took out a luminous pearl the size of a thumb and handed it to Li Guanyi, speaking boldly:
"I didn't bring gold or silver when I fled, but this pearl is worth a good bit. Take it!"
Li Guanyi saw that the round, gleaming pearl was priceless at a glance—but he simply shook his head.
The beggar was momentarily stunned, then suddenly burst into laughter. "That's my mistake. If you were a greedy person, you would've gone to the authorities long ago and turned me in. That five hundred taels of silver would bring more peace of mind than this pearl, and you wouldn't have to worry about anyone investigating where it came from."
Li Guanyi shook his head and said, "That's not it."
"I do want it."
"But I can't protect it."
"Taking it would only bring trouble."
The beggar looked at him with interest. "Can't protect it? Oh? So what you're saying is—you want something else from me?"
"Hahaha, go ahead—what is it that you want?"
Li Guanyi nodded. Many thoughts swirled in his mind. The scarlet dragon was tied to the bronze cauldron—he couldn't mention that. The origin of the poison in his body was connected to the escape and massacre ten years ago—he couldn't reveal that either. Finally, he lifted his head and spoke, leaving only a few concise words:
"I want you to teach me martial arts!"
That scarlet dragon flickered faintly within his eyes, and a thread of yearning rose from the depths of his heart.
That rainy night ten years ago had never truly ended in his heart. The cloud patterns on those cavalry's sleeves haunted him like shadows. He desperately wanted the strength to protect himself and his aunt. But with poison in his veins, his only hope was the bronze cauldron—and this burly man, who seemed to trigger changes in the cauldron.
The beggar stared into Li Guanyi's eyes for a moment and then grinned.
In a blur, he suddenly appeared behind Li Guanyi.
With a hand on Li Guanyi's shoulder, he squeezed his arm and back, raising his eyebrows. "Your natural endowment is unexpectedly pretty good. But—you've been poisoned?"
"The toxin's been corroding your tendons and bones, probably degraded your potential by at least one tier, if not more."
"Hmm… serious injuries on your back. Those dogs working for the cavalry of Chen State, eh?"
"A bunch of arrogant, thuggish fools."
With that, he lightly patted Li Guanyi's back, and a gentle wave of energy surged into Li Guanyi's body. The swelling and bruises on his back quickly subsided. The beggar then sat cross-legged before Li Guanyi, folding his arms, fingers gently stroking his beard. He studied the young man before him, a slight furrow forming in his brow.
Though the boy's physical aptitude was only slightly above average, what was rare was his sharp, meticulous mind and his composed demeanor.
For someone his age, that was impressive.
But taking on a disciple and passing down martial arts was no small matter.
What he had learned over the years was an eclectic mix, but all of it had reached formidable heights. Tossing him a random martial art was one thing, but that wasn't his style. He was straightforward, forthright, and couldn't casually hand off techniques as if they were scraps. Yet teaching genuine martial prowess was by no means a casual affair, either.
Besides… this kid…
He glanced at the marks on Li Guanyi's clothes and immediately understood: the boy hadn't even struggled or resisted earlier. That wasn't the point. The real clue was in the marks on his front—evidence that after being lifted and slammed onto a table by those cavalrymen, Li Guanyi had instinctively turned himself over to hide his face.
Everyone fears death.
It's human nature.
The more clever and cautious a person is, the more they cling to life.
But martial artists are different. To be a true martial man, one needs a certain amount of fierceness—ruthlessness!
A cautious, sharp-minded child like this certainly had talent, but he lacked that crucial edge of aggression and ruthlessness. Not suited for his path. Yet encountering such youth at such a time did stir a bit of pity for wasted talent in his heart. Taking a disciple wasn't something to do lightly, so he decided to test him.
He spoke:
"The cavalry dogs of the Night Riders have already discovered me. I can't stay here much longer."
"Tomorrow, I'll be gone. For now, I'm going to scout the surroundings. If you want to learn martial arts, tonight is the Ghost Festival. At midnight—come here and find me!"
This place was remote. Although Guan Yi City in Chen State didn't enforce a curfew, who would dare, in the dead of night on the Ghost Festival, come along to a dilapidated mountain temple to meet a fugitive? Certainly not a timid child. If the boy could do that, then it meant he had a bit of backbone—and before leaving, why not pass down at least one skill?
The burly man made up his mind:
"I'll teach you a secret technique!"
(End of Chapter)