Chapter 27: The Dragon’s Breath Dissipates

After searching through the ruins for a long time, Liu An and Jian Yi found nothing. The two sat on the ground, covered in dust and grime.

"Senior Brother, do you think our luck is just terrible? Two near-death experiences in a row—the events of these past few days are truly beyond words."

"Junior Brother, have you forgotten something? Don't you feel like something is missing? For instance, my Ink Dragon," Jian Yi asked, looking pointedly at Liu An.

"That's right! My Si Bu Xiang—my treasure is lost!" Liu An’s mood plummeted even further.

Just as the two were preparing to search for the Si Bu Xiang, a golden dragon soared into the sky above Shangjing, the capital of the Wei Kingdom. It let out a dragon’s roar before reluctantly fading into a phantom and dissipating between heaven and earth.

"Your Majesty, it is terrible! The dragon aura of the Wei Kingdom has dispersed!" an official from the Imperial Board of Astronomy reported in a panic.

However, the Emperor of Wei was slumped on his bed, staring in disbelief at the official kneeling before him. "Minister Li, are you saying the destiny of our Great Wei has reached its end? Is it truly to be the downfall of my kingdom? I have yet to achieve immortality, I have not enjoyed enough of the wealth and glory—how could I ever yield this power?"

"Someone come here! Immediately summon the ministers to court. Any official who claims illness and does not attend shall have their entire clan executed without further petition," the Emperor commanded. Outside, a young eunuch hurried away to relay the order to the officials.

At this moment, the common people within the Wei Kingdom were jubilant, sensing the long-awaited opportunity to overthrow the corrupt dynasty. Popular uprisings began to sprout everywhere like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. However, those feeling the most terror were the corrupt officials and the powerful clans who had long oppressed the people.

"What are we to do? The destiny of Wei is exhausted; the dynasty is changing. With no national dragon aura, the Great Han is stirring, and the Great Song is watching like a tiger—war is inevitable. We face internal riots and external enemies." A scholar threw his book to the ground in despair, tied a rope to the rafters, and hanged himself.

"The court is filled with sycophants. Today, I shall purge the evil advisors, remove the traitors, and protect the people and the landscape of our Great Wei." Prince Wei Huai, who had already taken up his fief, issued a manifesto to the people of his domain.

Prince Yan, Ji Huai, was known for selecting the virtuous and capable, implementing benevolent policies, encouraging agriculture and water conservancy, and leading by example, sharing in the joys of his people. Privately, his military commanders were deeply loyal to him. The phrase "in the saddle to kill enemies, off the saddle to govern the state" was perfectly suited for Ji Huai. Unfortunately, he had lacked an opportunity—and now, that opportunity had arrived.

Similarly harboring imperial ambitions was Prince Tang, Ji Heng, who had taken up his own fief. A man of deep thoughts and calculated actions, he watched the shifting tides while quietly recruiting troops and lobbying the people to join the military within his domain, albeit under the guise of an itinerant martial arts organization, far less ostentatiously than Prince Yan.

In the capital, the Crown Prince, Ji Chengqian, was discussing the future with his personal attendants and scholars. It was rumored that the Crown Prince had three thousand such guests, as he was a great lover of talent and would recruit any wise person he encountered.

Inside the great hall of the Wei Kingdom, the Left and Right Prime Ministers stood on either side of the throne, with civil officials to the left and military generals to the right.

The civil and military officials were as noisy as a vegetable market at the city gate, each shouting and blaming the other, shirking their responsibilities.

"His Majesty arrives!" Following the shrill announcement, the officials knelt and kowtowed. Only the two Prime Ministers bowed slightly.

"Your Majesty, why not invite the gods to descend and deliver divine punishment to stabilize the world?" one civil official suggested. The other ministers echoed, "Indeed, indeed."

Emperor Ji Jingshuo did not spare them a second glance, staring coldly at the official who had spoken, a flash of murderous intent in his eyes. "My beloved ministers, I believe you have all seen the golden dragon of our national destiny dissipate today. Who among you can lead an army to quell the rebellions?"

The Emperor threw the question to the generals, but not a single one stepped forward. The Emperor’s expression darkened. "How much money and grain remain in the Ministry of Revenue? How many troops and armaments are left in the Ministry of War?"

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

"Ministers of Revenue and War, have you both gone mute? Report the truth to me at once."

"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue has no funds or grain left to maintain the army."

"Your Majesty, there are three thousand garrison soldiers capable of fighting, but as for the armaments..." The Minister of War could not bring himself to finish the sentence.

Back to Liu An and Jian Yi.

"Junior Brother, you should have a faint connection with the Si Bu Xiang. Like me, try to imagine it in your mind and follow the guidance of your intuition."

"Look, I found it!" Jian Yi picked up an iron sword that had already cracked. Seeing his weapon reduced to a common, mundane blade, Jian Yi cried out, "My little dragon, you died such a miserable death! To be stripped and peeled—I can't believe it."

"Senior Brother... Senior Brother... do you think you made a mistake?" Liu An pointed a finger at a tiny figure.

Jian Yi followed the direction of Liu An’s finger and saw an Ink Dragon the size of a palm, looking foolish and cute, floating before him.

Jian Yi felt incredibly embarrassed, wishing he could crawl into a hole in the ground. He thought to himself, "I have truly embarrassed myself today. I’ll have no face left to show off in front of my Junior Brother."

"Senior Brother, as long as you aren't embarrassed, I won't feel embarrassed for you. Look on the bright side—everyone has a dark history." After Liu An’s attempt at consolation, Jian Yi felt even less able to lift his head.

The Ink Dragon flew around Jian Yi, as if waiting for a command. After some time, Jian Yi composed himself, stood up, and commanded the Ink Dragon to transform back into a sword, which he sheathed.

"Junior Brother, try to sense the approximate location of the Si Bu Xiang now, and we shall be on our way. We are both covered in injuries, and I cannot use spells or fly on my sword. We have no choice but to walk."

Following Jian Yi’s guidance, Liu An soon felt a vague connection to the Si Bu Xiang. Relying on this mysterious sensation, he changed their direction from time to time. After walking for a full day, they finally saw a river, and while resting, they caught some fish to roast.

"Senior Brother, tell me, once we find the Si Bu Xiang, when will we reach the Master? This world is too dangerous. I think it would be better if we kept a low profile."

"What are you saying? What kind of talk is that, Junior Brother? We cultivators go against the heavens to practice—isn't it so that 'my fate is determined by me, not heaven'? You’re already thinking of quitting after such a small setback?" Jian Yi looked at Liu An with disdain.

Liu An was indignant, thinking to himself, "Ah, when things go wrong and you call for the Master, why don't you say that? You call this a small setback? It’s constant city-toppling and slaughtering; my life isn't long enough for this kind of chaos."

In truth, Jian Yi’s past experiences had never been like this, leading him to reflect, "Does my Junior Brother have a disaster-attracting constitution? Everywhere he goes, things get destroyed." But then he thought, "Liu An is just a first-tier cultivator; how could he possibly have the earth-shaking power to affect major trends or decide the fate of other cultivators?"