"Chapter 19: Let the World Be Overturned"

Stay far away from the royal family of Chen.

After Murong Qiushui said these six words, she refused to say another word.

These six words carried too much weight. Even while Li Guanyi was lying on that broken stone bed, they still echoed in his ears. The royal family of Chen—this name naturally carried a certain weight. Combined with what Auntie had said—that only after leaving the territory of Chen could she tell him about his past—it made countless guesses surge in Li Guanyi's heart.

Could it be that the one who poisoned me… was the Chen royal family?

Or… were my long-lost parents and uncle killed by them?

Or perhaps…

One speculation after another surfaced in Li Guanyi's mind.

But none of these thoughts were good news.

Staying within Chen's borders was a huge threat to both his and his aunt's safety. This damn place wasn't safe at all. They needed to get out quickly. However, no matter how you looked at it, Chen was a major power in the world, with a well-established system—like a giant beast that an individual could never shake.

Li Guanyi turned over on the bed.

Lying flat, lying sideways—it didn't help. He still couldn't sleep.

All kinds of thoughts rose in his mind like bubbles constantly surfacing in boiling water.

Ten years.

They had been on the run for ten whole years. At that time, Auntie had raised Li Guanyi from a three-year-old toddler to a thirteen-year-old youth. And after these ten years of hardship, they were finally not far from the borders of Chen.

But there were still many things they needed.

A household registry in a major city.

If they wanted to pass through the border, they'd need official travel permits.

In times of war, such high-level travel documents required approval from the Department of Passes, stamped in vermilion, before they could leave. Outside the borders, heavily armed cavalry patrolled the area, and any illegal border-crossers caught without permits could be executed on the spot.

They also needed martial skills and enough gold to survive once they left Chen.

Every single one of these things was a headache.

Li Guanyi tossed and turned, unable to sleep. It was like his body was rebelling against his mind. Finally, he sat up, tracing lines on the thin cloth covering his bed with his fingers. He grabbed some porcelain bottles and other knickknacks and laid them out on the bed. Ordinary people had no concept of the world's situation, but Li Guanyi, after ten years of fleeing and piecing together fragments of information from countless people, had formed a vague understanding of this world.

The Jiangnan region and part of the Central Plains were under the rule of Chen.

Chen held the river routes, had natural defenses, and was culturally prosperous. He placed a silver coin to represent it.

Going straight north was Ying, which occupied the Central Plains and northern territories, and had taken parts of Jiangnan from Chen.

A proper and mighty nation, claiming to rule the Central Plains and coveting the entire land. He placed a large bowl for it.

Further north, across the passes, was the vast grasslands, said to be larger than Chen itself, ruled by the mighty cavalry of the Turkic Khaganate.

To the west of Ying, beyond the passes, were the Tuyuhun of the Western Regions, another major power.

It seemed that between Tuyuhun and the powerful Turkic tribes, there was yet another large region filled with countless smaller peoples and tribes. In the northeast, where Ying and the Turks' territories met, there was another vast area belonging to the Khitan, Rouran, Wuluohou, and other foreign peoples.

Spring nights brought bright starlight.

The young man sat cross-legged on his stone bed, the evening breeze carrying faint insect chirps. Reflected in his dark pupils were the makeshift objects laid out before him. For the first time, he opened his eyes to view the full picture of this world.

Broken bowls, a white jade pill bottle, and a single silver coin.

Fragmented pieces are arranged into a pattern.

Chaotic and disordered.

But looking down on them—it was the world.

All of it, to be taken into his embrace.

Li Guanyi glanced at the scattered bowls and chopsticks on his bed, and the corner of his forehead twitched slightly.

The world had been in chaos for three hundred years.

The so-called Son of Heaven, the nominal ruler of all under heaven, sat idly in the Central Plains, long since reduced to a mascot.

The various foreign tribes constantly fought among themselves. Meanwhile, Ying to the north fought the Turks, Tuyuhun, and Rouran, yet at the same time would suddenly lash out at Chen. Twelve years ago, they seized the eighteenth province of Jiangnan. But Chen, occupying fertile lands to the south, had remained relatively peaceful.

Beyond the major powers, the buffer zones between them were filled with small tribes and minor warlords—not to mention deserters turning bandit, and wandering martial clans. No wonder the era was rife with roving heroes—it was that chaotic.

Li Guanyi sat there, cross-legged, staring at the "map of the world" he'd arranged out of bowls and chopsticks.

His brows twisted into knots. He cursed softly, "What a damn mess of a world."

But thinking of people like Yue Qianfeng—gravely wounded yet still able to smash a mountain with a punch—it was no surprise that the world hadn't unified in three hundred years.

Li Guanyi finalized his plan of action.

In short, first, grow stronger. Then, make money.

Only then could he leave Chen.

He made a goal for himself: after crossing the border, he needed at least a hundred taels of silver—no, three hundred taels!

Only then could he be considered safe.

With this goal in mind, he felt as though he was now facing something vast and grand. His thoughts finally settled, and drowsiness crept over him.

Plop.

The boy lay down flat, limbs spread out, eyes staring at the wild grass poking through the ceiling.

Sleep took him.

His body relaxed.

He stretched lazily.

With fists to crush Chen, and feet to trample the Turks.

Rolling over into slumber—

And just like that, he kicked over the entire "world."

No one was left on the side of the bed.

…

When Li Guanyi woke the next day, despite his wild thoughts last night, his advanced internal arts ensured that his spirit remained vigorous. He bought some cheap pastries, said farewell to his neighbors before moving, and rented an ox cart to haul his belongings to their new home.

The courtyard wasn't large, but it was clean. The well had been neatly built up with green bricks.

Upon entering was the main hall, two bedrooms, a guest room to the left, and a kitchen and storage room to the right. Not far from the well was a small cellar. The tables and chairs were sturdy wooden furniture coated with lacquer to prevent pests. The house faced the street and wasn't far from shops and markets.

In Guanyi City, it was a decent place to live. Not too extravagant, but dignified enough for respectable families. Worth mentioning, that Carter Zhao Dabing specially drove over again—this time in a carriage bearing the distinct decorations of the Xue family.

Li Guanyi noticed that the neighbors, who had previously regarded him and his aunt with suspicion, were now smiling at them with surprising warmth and friendliness.

Li Guanyi and his aunt had their first meal in their new home.

A simple boiled fish, two vegetable dishes, and white rice.

That afternoon, Li Guanyi changed into new clothes—a blue robe with a leather belt and a jade pendant at his waist, his features clear and bright.

He stepped out, heading toward the Xue family estate.

Though Guanyi City covered a large area, two kinds of news spread the fastest. One was news about people connected to oneself; the other was anything related to the Xue family.

Thus, news that Li Guanyi, who had just been dismissed from the Rejuvenation Hall, had found new work at the Xue family, and had even moved into a new home, quickly spread through the Hall. Some of the clerks there were now feeling regret—why hadn't they treated him better before? Some even planned to visit him and build connections.

Only the old shopkeeper continued flipping through medical books, his face weathered like dry wood, unmoving.

Old Doctor Chen swirled goji berries in his teacup, basking in the sun, and chuckled leisurely. "Got an interesting story today."

The shopkeeper said, "Speak."

Old Doctor Chen grinned. "Heard the young master went home yesterday and got strung up by his old man for a beating. Snapped two leather belts, screaming all night long."

"What's so interesting about that?"

Old Doctor Chen burst out laughing. "At the end of it, the young master's mother was sobbing and fussing, brought in a doctor to check."

"Guess what? Just surface injuries."

He slapped his thigh and laughed. "Got whipped all night, hurt like hell, but not a single bone or tendon damaged. That old man's medical skills—still sharp. His way of dealing with people—not bad either."

Old Doctor Chen gave a thumbs-up. "Too bad he raised a worthless son."

The old shopkeeper didn't care for any of this.

Old Doctor Chen said, "Li Guanyi's promising. All the Rejuvenation Hall clerks are thinking of cozying up to him. You helped him before—why not go visit him?"

The old shopkeeper said, "No."

Old Doctor Chen chuckled. "You're a strange one. Always helping the folks others avoid, spending your own money without a care. But now that everyone's trying to curry favor, you suddenly pretend not to see. Explain that to me."

The old shopkeeper's small, dark eyes gleamed faintly beneath his long-worn grey robe, already dust-stained. He said,

"The boy's had a hard life. Helping him was just a rule in my heart; I did it for myself, not to gain favor later. The more others try to cozy up, the more I'll stay away—don't want him thinking he owes me anything."

Old Doctor Chen laughed, scolding, "Stubborn old mule."

The old shopkeeper said nothing. Later that afternoon, after work, he still wandered over to a tavern and ordered a cup of cheap wine for one wen. But this time, the fat tavern keeper brought over a different cup, better wine.

The old shopkeeper frowned. "You got the wrong one."

"Wrong? No mistake, no mistake."

The fat innkeeper grinned. "The kid you brought before left it for you. Oh, and this—look."

He brought over an entire jar of good wine. "The boy was here today, left this for you too."

The old shopkeeper froze. The tavern owner chuckled,

"You two are interesting—you wrote him a recommendation letter, gave him a month's wages, didn't act high and mighty, didn't make him owe you anything. He brings you a jar of good wine, no fancy words, no sappy gratitude or promises, no stinking silver passing between you."

"No drama, no nonsense—clean and straightforward, full of loyalty."

"That's the kind of brotherhood we folk in the alleys call true friendship."

The old shopkeeper listened to the man laugh, lifted that ten-wen cup of wine tipped his head back, and drank it all in one go, the corners of his mouth curling slightly.

Good wine.

With the fierce taste of pride.

Intoxicating.

…

Li Guanyi was walking down the street when he suddenly saw a crowd gathered ahead.

Peeking through, he spotted several richly dressed imperial guards putting up a wanted poster, shouting, "One fugitive, from outside the borders! Anyone who sees him and reports it—silver reward!"

A fugitive?!

Li Guanyi's step halted.

Could it be… Yue Qianfeng is back?

(End of this chapter)