Chapter 1 The Capital

Fengdu is located in the very center of Zhong Province, and the Royal City is right in the heart of Fengdu, facing south from the north.

Outside the Royal City lies a vast, open plaza.

The plaza is paved with slabs of stone, distinctly striped and as white as jade. These white jade slabs come from the mountains of You Province, and they are not only sturdy but also beautiful. They are laid out seamlessly, so that not a single drop of melted snow can seep into the ground.

Outside the Royal City, elite Shenji Camp soldiers in armor, riding precious steeds, stand guard day and night. In the towering city towers of the Royal City, experts from the East and West Depots take turns guarding, making the surveillance extremely strict.

Even Han Changong's carriage had to undergo rigorous inspection upon arriving here.

"Lord Han, pardon the intrusion."

After lowering the curtain, a young general in black armor bowed and retreated.

Han Changong waved his hand, his gaze fixed on the Royal City.

Fengdu is the heart of Great Feng, and the Royal City is where the fortune of Great Feng converges. In his eyes, it was like a divine dragon, swallowing the sun and the moon, sacred and vast.

He had traveled through many countries, and no other nation's fortune could compare to that of the ascendant Great Feng.

Great Feng's fortune was grand and majestic, and its national destiny was originally like the midday sun, with at least four hundred years of reign remaining.

But...

A trace of gloom flashed in Han Changong's deep eyes.

"What exactly is it that's affecting the national destiny..."

Looking at the majestic Royal City, Han Changong murmured to himself.

Great Feng's fortune was thriving, and even though the battle before Fengdu City had diminished its prestige, it had not harmed the foundation of the nation. However, he could see that this national destiny, like the midday sun, was flowing away, dissipating.

The extent of this was small, and even he had only discovered it after repeatedly deducing the national destiny.

But fortune is inherently mysterious, and national destiny is even harder to fully comprehend. He could deduce the rise and fall of national destiny, but he could not be specific about every aspect.

Nor could he know all the reasons in detail.

Thump, thump...

The carriage drove across the white jade bridge, passed through the main gate, and headed toward the Great Hall.

Inside the empty Great Hall, everything was solemn and dignified.

Han Changong's shadow stretched long.

On the throne, King Feng waved his hand:

"Grant him a seat!"

Two eunuchs immediately brought over chairs.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Han Changong bowed slightly and sat down.

"Lord Han should not have put himself in danger."

King Feng sighed softly, his expression somewhat mournful:

"You and the Grand Tutor were both subjects of mine since my days as a prince. The Grand Tutor has already left me, and if something were to happen to you, I would truly be alone..."

"May Your Majesty find solace."

Han Changong's eyes also dimmed slightly.

He had known Ji Chonghua for many years, and although their political views differed and he looked down on himself somewhat, they still had some friendship.

After he came out of seclusion, he had gone to see Ji Chonghua, but unfortunately, Ji Chonghua did not believe in the theories of feng shui and fortune, so he was helpless.

"Lord Han has met that Daoist. Did you gain anything?"

King Feng's expression was heavy as he spoke softly.

Han Changong did not hide anything and told him everything that had happened after their meeting.

"That Daoist was quite friendly to Lord Han..."

A ripple appeared in King Feng's eyes. Seeing that Han Changong's expression remained unchanged, he then said:

"Lord Han, could you have been mistaken? That Daoist will definitely reach the Divine Meridian, but his lifespan is only sixty years?"

"There may be some discrepancies, but that is roughly the case."

Han Changong nodded slightly and said.

"Sixty years, sixty years..."

King Feng tapped the back of his chair lightly, his expression subtle and thoughtful.

He naturally trusted Han Changong greatly. The reason why he had gone from a dispirited prince with no ambition for the throne to where he was today was largely due to Han Changong's efforts.

But a lifespan of only sixty years.

Could it be that the Daoist did not break through to the Divine Meridian?

"Your Majesty!"

Seeing King Feng lost in thought, Han Changong remained silent for a moment before finally speaking:

"This humble subject has been in seclusion for over a year and has already deduced the earth's fortune of the seventy-three provinces. Apart from Zhong Province, there are seventy-two dragons in the provinces, among which Liang, You, Zhi, Yan, and Qi Provinces have the potential to transform into dragons..."

Since seeing the national fortune waver, he had been in seclusion for over a year, spying on the earth's fortune and searching for potential dragons for King Feng.

Clatter.

The sound of tapping on the chair back stopped, and King Feng's eyes fell, gleaming with a cold light:

"Liang Province's Royal Temple, You Province's Great Dragon Gate, Zhi Province's True Astral Path, Yan Province's Extreme Divine Sect, Qi Province's Myriad Swords Manor... As expected, these are the five most threatening sects..."

The strength of Great Feng's martial world was the greatest of all the nations.

These five major sects all had Divine Meridian masters sitting in charge, and among them, Mu Qingfeng of Myriad Swords Manor was an unparalleled expert ranked only after Pang Wanyang of the Six Prisons Demonic Sect in the weapon's manual.

His reputation was even greater than that of Abbot Yixiu of the Royal Temple.

"Although there are many dragons in various places, the potential dragons in Liang, You, Zhi, Yan, and Qi Provinces have the potential to transform into dragons. However, as long as the national fortune is stable, whether dragons or potential dragons, they will never be able to threaten Great Feng!"

Han Changong's expression was solemn:

"The reason why the provinces can transform into potential dragons is nothing more than the fact that Great Feng's national fortune is turbulent, which in turn replenishes the earth's fortune..."

King Feng raised his eyebrows, and deep ripples appeared in the depths of his eyes:

"According to Lord Han's meaning, what should be done?"

"First, the impending war with the Golden Wolf Kingdom must be stopped. Second, Your Majesty must abandon the idea of collecting all the weapons in the land. Third, lighten the corvée and reduce taxes, and bestow favor upon the people..."

Han Changong stood up abruptly and spoke at length, rattling off ten points.

King Feng readily agreed and had people write them down one by one:

"What Lord Han has said, I quite agree with. However, the specifics will have to be discussed with the ministers in court tomorrow."

"That is natural."

Han Changong bowed slightly: "This humble subject is but a diviner. How to govern specifically is naturally up to Your Majesty and the ministers to decide."

Speaking of this, Han Changong paused.

Then, he looked directly at King Feng and said:

"For twenty years, there has been no war, no great disasters, and the world has been at peace. The reason why the national fortune is wavering is definitely not external, but internal!

Your Majesty, I beg Your Majesty to allow me to deduce the Royal City,

To find the culprit behind the turbulence of the national fortune!"

His sonorous voice landed with force.

Having listened to the ten points before and nodding in agreement, the obliging King Feng suddenly changed his expression at this moment.

Whoosh!

In the empty Great Hall, a violent wind seemed to rise, causing Han Changong's court robes to flutter.

King Feng lowered his eyes, concealing his sharp gaze.

After a moment, he slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, his voice calm and devoid of any emotion:

"Not allowed!"

"Your Majesty!"

Seeing King Feng like this, Han Changong's pupils shrank, and a huge wave rose in his heart.

An extremely incredible thought flashed through his mind: 'Could it be that he knows something?'

"Lord Han, you have traveled far and wide. Go back and rest."

King Feng said faintly, supporting his forehead with his hand.

Han Changong's eyes narrowed, and he suddenly felt a bit cold in the Great Hall. The light shone through the screen and fell on King Feng, making him appear somewhat unpredictable.

For the first time, he felt a bit of unfamiliarity.

"This subject..."

Han Changong cupped his hands and lowered his head:

"Takes his leave!"

Peace returned to the Great Hall, and after a long, long time, a long sigh flashed and disappeared:

"I..."

........

In the dead of winter, Nanliang City was quite lively.

In particular, Yangxiao Hall, which had reopened, was crowded with people. Amidst the noise and clamor, several waiters were so busy that they were kicking the backs of their heads, covered in sweat.

Tie Shan leaned lazily behind the counter, listlessly surveying the guests in the restaurant.

Since separating from An Qisheng last time, he had reopened Yangxiao Hall for more than three months. Apart from bringing back the cooks who had been threatened and intimidated, he hadn't put in much effort.

The dishes at Yangxiao Hall were originally top-notch, and even the Royal City might not be able to compare. In addition, An Qisheng's reputation had soared in recent months, and countless martial artists came to Nanliang County every day.

Naturally, there were even more guests in Yangxiao Hall.

Clap!

In the center of the restaurant, on a simply erected high platform, a storyteller slapped his gavel and shouted:

"That peerless demon Feng Qingxuan came alone with a single saber, and killed so many experts along the way! Even the eminent monks of the Royal Temple were killed by this demon!

Prince Xia was also ambushed and seriously injured, and the situation was critical. The heroes before the Gate of Justice were all in danger!

At this moment, a dragon's roar shattered the sky, and dust billowed on the distant official road! A Daoist, on a red horse, came galloping like lightning!"

Clap!

The gavel hit the table!

The storyteller stroked his beard and cupped his hands with a smile, saying, "Esteemed listeners, if you wish to hear the rest, please come early tomorrow!"

"Boo!"

The restaurant was immediately filled with boos.

One guest slapped his thigh: "Old Qi, you son of a bitch, you're trying to fool me by stopping here. Aren't you afraid I'll tear you apart!"

"That's right, that's right, there are so many of us, I'm afraid we could drown you with just one mouthful of saliva each!"

"Old Qi, if you want a reward, just say so, don't try to fool us!"

"Reward him!"

The other guests also shouted and cursed with smiles, but no one made trouble.

First, listening to stories was just for fun, and second, this storyteller, Old Qi, was not an easy character. How could he travel around telling stories without some skills?

More importantly, this was Yangxiao Hall.

Although the name of the Blood Demon had been cleared by the famous orthodox sects such as the Beggar Clan, the Gate of Justice, and the Royal Temple, no one would forget that the reputation of this lord was built on the lives of thousands of people.

Therefore, after a burst of laughter and curses, some urged him to continue, some shouted, and many others casually threw large handfuls of copper coins up.

"Hey!"

The storyteller flicked his hand, and all the flying coins were caught in his sleeves at once.

"Good, Old Qi's hand is skillful!"

Someone couldn't help but cheer.

More than twenty generous guests had rewarded him earlier, from all directions, scattered coins, and not everyone could catch them all at once.

"Thank you for your rewards, gentlemen!"

The storyteller first cupped his hands to thank them, then grinned and said:

"How can a storyteller fool you?"

Tie Shan also frowned and wanted to urge the storyteller to continue, but suddenly his eyes glanced and he saw a few figures rushing in.

"Eh?"

Tie Shan exclaimed in surprise, and saw two little fellows running in.

Although he hadn't seen them for a long time, he recognized them at a glance. These two little fellows were Jiang Tingting and Zhang Haohao.

"Tie Shan, long time no see."

Just as he was about to get up, a hand landed on his shoulder and patted it lightly.

He looked back.

He saw that a Daoist in a white robe was already standing beside him, looking at him with a smile.