* * *

"Wow," Xing said enthusiastically, raising his head. The capital city looked magnificent from up high but from below, it looked even more majestic and grandiose, with all the brightly colored tiled roofs, colorful stone sidewalks, tall multi-story pagodas, and mighty walls that seemed to reach the heavens.

In order not to disturb the guards, he did not fly up on the Sun Lark and landed directly in the Jade Palace. He landed an hour's walk from the city and walked, as he was supposed to. He looked like a real traveler now, with his leather robes covered in road dust and the open mouth of a hillbilly who was entering the city for the first time.

"What, lad, have you never seen such a thing?" The old guard said good-naturedly, noticing his goofy look.

"Aha! I'm looking at it and thinking. If these houses are so tall, why aren't they falling?"

"That's not for me to ask," the guard laughed. "Ask the various scientists from the Academy. I've been living here as long as I have, and I still can't get used to it."

"I know! I guessed it!" Xing said, causing the guard to give him a surprised look.

"Well?" The man asked.

"By the grace of the Emperor!" Xing replied in a tone as if he was explaining obvious things to a child.

"That's right!" laughed the guard. "Hail to the Emperor!"

"Glory to the Son of Heaven!" Xing immediately replied.

"What's your hurry, lad?" The guard asked.

"To the palace!" Xing didn't deny it.

"And what makes you think they'll let you in?"

"Well, I was invited!" he explained.

The guardsman measured Xing from head to toe, scratched his helmet, and, tapping lightly on the sidewalk with his spear, asked:

"Tell me, lad, what's your name?"

"Xing Duo!" Xing stuck out his chest.

"Duo?" The guard widened his eyes and suddenly laughed. "Well, I could have guessed it! You're as big as a bear! A real Duo!"

Xing was surprised at this but waved his hand. Perhaps the guards had been alerted to his arrival, and Grandpa was just being weird.

After listening to the instructions on how to get to the palace, Xing nodded gratefully, received an approving clap on the shoulder from the guard, and headed away.

Every citizen of the Empire had the right to address the Emperor. Of course, not to him personally. No one could dare to do such sacrilege, but it was easy to come to the palace and make a request to one of the many officials. Few fools would abuse this privilege. Only the most desperate came to the palace because if the request was recognized as petty or insignificant, the petitioner would be punished. So the stone slabs leading to the majestic palace were almost empty. Here and there were lone figures in the robes of officials, and the soldiers of the imperial guards were frozen in immovable statues, ready at any moment to break out of their seats and punish violators.

At the entrance of the palace, in the most honorable and important place, the Emperor's Jade Guards, the elite of the elite, warriors of the master rank, were lined up. The qi of one of them seemed very familiar to Xing.

"Bokin, you old swamp tadpole!" Xing exclaimed. "Is that you? I didn't expect to find you here!"

Bokin remained where he was, not even moving, only the movements of his eyes showed that he could see Xing and was not a sophisticated statue on par with the huge jade tigers near the entrance.

"Who's messing around here?" A deep, booming voice was heard. An elderly guardsman wearing particularly rich armor and a luxurious mustache came out of the palace gate.

"I guess it's me!" Xing waved his hand. "I met an old acquaintance!"

"And what is your name?" The guardsman asked.

"Xing Duo!"

"We weren't expecting you, Mr. Duo, for another month. But I could have guessed that you would arrive sooner. Guardsman Yufeng Duo, at ease! You are forbidden to leave your duty station, but you are allowed to speak. Five dozen breaths, no more, is all I can allow."

"Yufeng?" Xing was surprised. "Ah yes, I left before you got an adult name. Well, that's not bad!"

"Xing, you won't believe it! We all said it was you, but no one believed us! They nodded and agreed, saying, "You're doing the right thing not to reveal the secrets of such a great man!"

"Bokin, I mean Yufeng, what are you talking about?"

"That you're not Feng anymore, you're Xing! And that we used to tease you about being a general because your head wasn't right!"

Xing realized Yufeng was about to waste his precious time on such incoherent nonsense, so he quickly steered the conversation back to normal.

"You'd better tell me how our people are doing, how's Duojia?"

"We all worked hard! Practicing like you told us to! And as you can see, I was accepted into the Jade Guard! Because I've become strong too!"

"Mom and Dad? Brothers? Sisters?"

"Everything's fine! Aimin married Master Yi! When I joined the service, they already had two children! And your mother had another son! And your brothers got married! Who wouldn't want to marry a daughter to a rich man like you? They came from other villages too, willing to tolerate even a bamboo stick, but no way! Oh, wait, you know about it, you haven't left yet! So we got married and had kids! I haven't been home for a long time, maybe their kids have already mastered the chi! When I get permission, I want to go home! Duojia's girls are the prettiest! They're pretty here at the palace too, but ours..."

"Guardsman Yufeng Duo, your time is up, you are back on duty!" The commander said sternly.

Yuifeng stretched out and froze again as a motionless statue. Xing clapped him on the shoulder and followed the commander.

They walked through endless corridors paved with polished stone, went through galleries and gardens with fruit trees and fountains, and then stopped outside a chamber with carved red and gold doors.

"Even though you arrived early, Mr. Xing Duo," said the commander, "we are almost ready. Of course, it will take some time. You can rest for now. I'll have the servants fill the bathtub. I'll come back for you in two or three medium cycles."

Xing walked into the luxurious room, kicked off his shoes, and stretched out on the bed without undressing. He was in no hurry, and whatever the capital had in store for him, he was ready. He had made his own life in Akhribad and Mogao, but only here, in the palace, he suddenly felt as if he had returned to his old life when he was Han Nao and had not yet met the dastardly teacher.

There was a knock and two maids entered the room, after receiving permission, they began to prepare the bath. The palace had an intricate system of hot and cold water pipes, but Xing didn't wait for the bathtub to fill up but created the Water Element by drawing moisture from the air and heating it with the Fire Element. After dispersing the giggling maids, he undressed and climbed into the bathtub. There were a lot of herbal concoctions and bubble bath products on the shelf, but Xing didn't use any of them. He just took out a few of his elixirs from his bracelet and poured them into the hot water. For the rest of the time, he enjoyed quiet cultivation in the hot water letting the water qi and medicinal power of the elixirs flow through him.

When the knock on the door sounded, Xing was already ready. He put on his salamander suit and cleaned the dust with qi, rather than changing into the palace robes. Xing was not being taken away by the commander of the guards but by an unknown official, which Xing found natural and self-evident after some thought. The official led him into one of the courtyards and pointed to a palanquin. Xing didn't like this mode of transportation, but he didn't resist and climbed in. The official sat down opposite. The eight stretcher-bearers, who had a Qi adept, hoisted the palanquin on their shoulders and sprinted forward at a fast, well-coordinated pace, somehow managing to do so without the slightest sway. Xing peered through the carved windows but saw nothing of interest. All around the palanquin were specks of unfamiliar qi, both ordinary people and adepts, and one master; through the gaps in the carvings, he could see the walls of buildings, alleys, and parks. Xing had nothing to talk about with the official, for he would not answer a direct question as to where they were going, but would only say that Xing would see. Xing was tempted to reach behind his back for a chain or leap outside to break a suitable bamboo stick, but it was not a good idea to educate the officials in the Emperor's palace.

Finally, the path ended, and the palanquin stopped at a huge building, Xing could only see a high white wall. Behind the wall, one could feel the qi of many, dozens and dozens of thousands of people with no internal energy, except for a handful of adepts and a couple of masters.

"I wish you good luck!" said the official and pointed to a passage in the wall, a corridor that reminded Xing of the entrances to the mines of Akhribad. He shrugged and headed inside. The passage was long and straight, with no windows or branches, and ended in a heavy iron-clad metal door, unexpectedly reminiscent of the doors in Ahribad's main tower. Xing pulled the ring and stepped inside.

The Qi of a thousand people that he had sensed a moment earlier disappeared as if cut off by an invisible barrier. But Xing's consciousness was flooded by the radiance of three bright spots of energy, the strongest he had ever encountered. He stepped out and looked around. The bright rays of the afternoon sun illuminated a huge arena covered in white sand. Many people were sitting in the stands, separated from the arena by powerful protective talismans, with some sectors dominated by nobles and others by ordinary citizens.

"Xing Duo!" A loud, solemn voice proclaimed. "You will now be measured, weighed, and evaluated for your deeds!"

He was alarmed, to say the least. Xing didn't think he had done anything wrong, but the arena was too much like a trap, and the qi of the three strongest practitioners carried too much bloodlust and desire to kill. Could it be, that he had been mistaken for Sharif's accomplice who had decided to pull off some insidious multi-stage plan? Or maybe they saw he had an army of fishmen at his disposal, which meant he had to fix the problem so the attack on Mogao would not happen again. Or maybe the Empire had gone to war with the Sea King during his absence, or maybe the Hunghuns had rebelled again, and since Xing was their "Khan", i.e. the strongest warrior, he was sent for a show execution?

Xing didn't intend to go against the Emperor, but he also had no desire to submit to various pathetic officials like the scumbag Fu. So he decided to fight, even if it was his last fight.

Xingxing looked at his opponents with an intense gaze. Three men in rich robes, whose long beards, mustaches, and eyebrows looked very strange on smooth, wrinkle-free youthful faces. A bright spot caught his attention, and Xing's eyes nearly popped out on his forehead. Behind the backs of these masters, spreading across the grandstand was a huge scarlet cloth with bright white lettering. And that inscription was very familiar to him. An old saying he had written in a past life:

If you're worthy, you're worthy, and that's enough!

Unsolicited tears came to his eyes. He knew! He knew that someday in the future, people would appreciate his wisdom! It would be several great cycles before someone found the Han scrolls in the ruins of Nao Manor and honored them!

Now Xing realized: that no matter how much these people attacked, he would not kill them! After all, how could he cause death to those who so finely appreciate the meaning of a good saying?

Three masters jumped out of their seats, charging at Xing. One held a long blade, the other a Guan Dao, and the third's fists shone brightly.

They were strong and fast, another time Xing would have enjoyed the fight. But the situation was too serious, so he rushed forward, swung the Guan Dao with his flail, created a stone wall in the Sword master's path, and sent a bolt of lightning at the Fist master. As one would expect, all three of them were too good to be seriously hurt. The sword flashed, cutting the wall into thousands of pieces, translucent tiger faces snapped off the fists and swallowed the lightning, and Guan Dao instantly regained his balance and attacked again.

Xing flew into the air and leaped even higher, stepping on the air platform. Jagged spikes shot out from under the arena, but the masters jumped up and landed lightly on the spikes.

"The Hand of the Angry God!" The Fist Master shouted.

"Thousand Blade Whirlwind!" shouted the Sword Master.

"The Piercing Spear of Justice!" Shouted out the Guan Dao Master.

A huge palm swept towards Xing with lightning speed, and the translucent silhouettes of multiple swords appeared in the air, as well as a huge glowing spike-like point. Xing nearly cried out in despair. Even though they didn't pose the slightest danger to him, but these were techniques! Real techniques with marvelous and majestic names worthy of the finest crystals!

"The Painful Slaps of the Mountain Village!" He shouted and rushed forward, smashing the palm with his flail, fending off blades, and slipping away from spears.

He jumped up to the craftsmen and began beating them uncomplicatedly with a flail:

"Rice Threshing Technique! Technique of Knitting Straw! Technique for Punishing a Disobedient Child!"

Masters shrouded themselves in multicolored halos, using protective techniques and even talismans. But Xing simply added a little more qi to the flail.

It was a bit of a challenge. Each of the masters was much stronger than Sharif, Xing was sure that if they had made it to Mogao, they would have easily handled the invasion. After all, they were not Xing, who only knew the basic cultivation methods from the common imperial library, so he relied more on his fists.

But hard work, as Xing demonstrated to the silently roaring crowd, also mattered. And if you hit hard enough, you could defeat any master.

The first to surrender was the Guan Dao master's defense. The weapon flew out of his hand, flying away and embedded in the sand. Xing slammed the flail into his side, sending him to the ground, and then struck his forearm, breaking his arm. With the second, he beat the Fist master, sending him lying next to his comrade. Finally, the Sword master fell to the sand, covered in splintered spikes.

Xing scratched the back of his head - had he hit too hard, or had he overdone it? But all three of them were still alive, so there was nothing to worry about.

Nine more men jumped into the arena from behind the barrier - and the qi of each of them shone no weaker than his recent opponents.

So Xing decided to take the battle as seriously as possible. He stopped restraining his strength, accelerated his qi circulation to the limit, and moved like lightning between his opponents, striking each one with a carefully measured blow - enough to pierce the defenses, but not so strong as to tear the opponent in half. Not a dozen heartbeats later, it was over. Xing curbed his qi and looked around, preparing for another fight.

But there was no fight. A lone figure of a man dressed in rich blue dragon embroidered robes stepped onto the ornate platform of one of the stands. He had strong qi, even if weaker than any of the other masters in the arena. But that only meant he could conceal Qi even better than Xing! Xing immediately realized who it was, so he immediately knelt.

"What do the honorable masters say?" asked the Emperor.

Xing lightly turned his head, not realizing what was going on.

"Worthy!" The Guan Dao master said with a grunt, rising to his feet and cradling his broken arm.

"Worthy!" confirmed the Fist master, holding his injured side.

"Worthy!" The Sword master joined in, unable to get up from the ground.

One by one, the masters gave their opinions, confirming that Xing was worthy.

"You are worthy, and that is enough!" said the Emperor and, turning around, disappeared into the depths of the platform.

A richly dressed official stepped forward onto the platform and proclaimed in a booming voice:

"The evaluation duel is over, and the Son of Heaven has expressed his will. Xing Duo has been recognized as worthy of being called a Qi Grandmaster. It will be announced throughout the entire Empire! Also, the Great Lord of the Empire, the Impeccable Ruler of the Thousand Lands and Cities, Lord of the Dozen Winds, Son of Heavenly Dragon has weighed Xing Duo's actions and his contribution to the defense of Dulunhai Province and found them commendable. He is therefore granted a private audience before the Emperor, where Xing Duo will receive his due reward. The audience will take place exactly one month from today. Until then, Xing Duo will remain the Emperor's guest and occupy the guest quarters of the Jade Palace. Awe, Xing Duo! This is the first time in the history of the Empire that this honor has been bestowed upon a commoner!"

Xing smiled sincerely. If an honor was given for the first time, even a scumbag master who was also a commoner had never received it. This meant a small but very important victory for Xing! The first of many glorious victories!

After waiting for the official to leave, Xing stood up, turned around, and walked to the masters. They have been injured in the fight. Since they had been injured by his flail, so who but Xing was to treat them?

* * *

Despite the fact Xing had nearly maimed them, he had beaten them with a flail without restraint, the masters did not hold a grudge against him. And even more so when he walked over the wounded and, using the qi of the heart dantian, not only healed their wounds but also repaired a long-standing injury to one of them (a knee that had been hit by an arrow when he was young, according to the master's story), he became almost like his own grandson.

Despite their youthful appearance, the masters appeared to be old men, the youngest of whom (and only recently made Grandmaster) was nine dozen years old, while the oldest could not remember his age.

And then they all headed back, not using any fast movement techniques, but walking at a leisurely pace with their hands behind their backs. Xing, accustomed to not wasting a moment, found it difficult to keep up this pace, and he wanted to break away and run. He decided to let this be another training session, a training session of patience. On the way from the arena to the palace, the masters peppered Xing with questions.

"Master Xing, it was an honor to fight you!" said the Fist master.

"No, Master Zhao," Xing bowed in response. "It was you who honored me with a duel!"

"Your school is very unusual," Zhao said thoughtfully. "Which of the honorable masters did you learn from?"

"Uh," Xing stammered.

"If you don't want to talk, that's your absolute right!"

"No, Master Zhao!" Xing tried to explain. "I don't know his name. He told me to just call him master."

"Of course!" Zhao smiled. "Don't think it's anything unusual. A hidden expert, a hermit who has withdrawn from worldly temptations to meditate away from the mundane world and devote his life to perfecting martial arts and qi techniques!"

Xing frowned as he remembered the 'hermit' who not only groped Mother Lihua all the time but also removed himself from worldly temptations by devouring all the food Mother tried to give Han to save him from starvation.

"Master Zhao is missing a very important and rather obvious point," Master Shijiang, the oldest of the Grandmasters, interjected. "It was Master Xing's full name."

"Isn't it," Zhao said in surprise. He thought for a moment, and then a smile lit up his face. "Duo! Of course! I should have guessed it myself. Then it is no wonder that the disciple of such a great man has become the young growth that has outshone us, old men!"

Xingxing grimaced. He couldn't understand what Duojia had to do with this or how Zhao and S0hiqiang knew he had been taught by a bastard teacher, but the fact the bastard was called 'great' was very annoying. He wasn't angry at the masters, but at himself - being compared to a scoundrel once again showed him how long he still had a long way to go.

* * *

Once Han Nao dreamed of being in the Jade Palace, to be among the aristocracy, to meet the heirs of other houses, to meet the most important officials of the Empire and masters of qi. General Guang Nao, considering his son a disgrace to the family, did not take him to the capital, "so as not to lower the reputation of the Nao family even lower". Han was very angry at his father and believed that one day he would be able to shine among the high society.

And now it was as if some evil demon had granted him his wish but in a completely twisted, perverted way.

Xing really got into the Palace. He talked with the heirs, many older than him, with officials and craftsmen. He savored the dishes of the palace kitchen, finding them very good, but no better than those prepared by his hand or those of Master Bohai. In his Salamander suit, he stood out like a wild wolf from a colorful pack of dogs, but he never bothered to change into silk, despite his servants' urging. It seemed that the Grandmaster of the Qi had been forgiven for more liberties than that, so the others only cast strange glances, but no one said anything.

The only thing that was a pleasure was socializing with masters and grandmasters of qi. Alas, Xing was once again convinced that many things were in decline in the Empire, and even the martial arts were not exempt from this fate. Xing heard several descriptions of the techniques and their results, and it turned out that they wasted an inordinate amount of qi, with only modest results. Xing was upset, but then he perked up - no matter how open-minded the masters were, no one would share a true secret technique with an almost complete stranger! The masters also said that qi could only be awakened after the first dozen years - but that didn't make the slightest bit of sense either, since Xing had awakened his qi at seven. So he just nodded in agreement and stayed out of other people's business.

Xing felt like an alien at these festivities. He remembered his father's stories about the "young prospects of the Empire", compared to whom Han Nao was a complete disgrace to the family and a cause of endless shame. But after talking to many of the heirs, he found their speeches dull and empty, and the cultivation level of many of them barely reaching the level of an adept. The officials, on the other hand, liked to talk about things Xing had no interest in, such as taxation, irrigation, road construction, and litigation - all things he tried to stay away from. So he was looking forward to the end of this endless month before the Emperor's audience so that he could finally leave the palace and either return to Mogao or finish parsing the scrolls in the spatial bracelet, create a puppet helmsman, and fly to Akhribad to visit Shadia. He had tried several times to find traces of Mei, questioning officials and youths, but had gotten nothing, only one of the disheveled heirs had laughed, saying cryptically, "She's not real."

However, one more factor made being among the upper classes almost acceptable. And that factor was women. None of them, of course, could compare to Mei, Shadia, or Almirakh, nor could they compare to Peipei, Xue, or even Xifeng. But there were still some noteworthy beauties, so Xing cast greedy glances at one from time to time. A slim, tight-fitting dress, a high cut to mid-thigh, large breasts, and a beautiful face with graceful features. Xing would love to discuss the contents of some of his favorite treatises with her!

He closed his eyes, pulling himself away from the noise around him, from the uninteresting people scurrying about, discussing their uninteresting gossip. He thought about how much he would have to do and how far he would have to go to find Mei, to find his master, to fight him, and to find out if Xing's last years had been a waterfall, or if he was still just a silly little fish in a warm, cozy pond.

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"Master Xing?" A pleasant female voice sounded nearby. Xing realized who it was, he immediately recognized the qi of the beautiful woman he had seen earlier. He opened his eyes and smiled.

"The whole Court is talking about you," she chirped. "And I can see why. I saw your fight, and it was so... so..."

"The masters honored me by holding back their blows," Xing said. "They were kind enough to let me win!"

"But you were so fierce, so fast! I almost couldn't follow your fight! Master Xing, there are strange rumors about you in the Court. Can you confirm or deny it?"

"What's with the rumors?" Xing was surprised. "Ask, I am ready to answer any questions of such a charming girl. Very thoroughly and in detail."

"Master Xing," the girl whispered languidly, moving toward Xing, showing off the rich contents of the neckline of her silk dress, "everyone says that you are not of the aristocracy, that you grew up like some savage in the countryside!"

"And that is the truth," Xing laughed. "I really grew up in a village. In a corner of the sky at the edge of the ocean, among the mountains and swamps."

"And did you do all sorts of peasant stuff?" The girl asked in a loud, conspiratorial whisper.

"Which ones?"

"You know, like, milking that what's-her-name cow?"

Xing glanced once more at the neckline of her dress and licked his lips.

"I'm perfectly capable of milking a cow!" he smiled at the girl. "And if you are interested in this subject, I am ready not only to tell you how to do it but also to show it. But there is a small problem with the demonstration."

"Which one is it?" The girl asked, almost piling her body on top of his.

"There are four teats in a cow's udder. And I'm afraid the demonstration will be incomplete."

"Oh, on this account, master, do not worry," with a languid sigh stretched out the beauty, whose "udders" were ready to jump out of the dress, "now my friend will come, together will be just four."

* * *

The two beauties were very inquisitive and interested in everything about life in the village. So, in addition to milking the cows, Xing showed them how to clear the creek bed, clean the stable, knead the dough, or eat delicious fruit from the garden. In addition to the cows, there were many furry friends in the village: nice, playful sheep, fast, cheerful goats, and serious hens. Xing showed the girls how to peel a long red carrot before eating it, how to suck the moisture from a cut bamboo when thirsty, and what to do with a hollow bee hollow full of sweet honey. And the girls were happy to indulge in the simple pleasures of the village.

Xing had to try hard to suppress his qi. Otherwise, his body perceived the wines as weak poisons, instantly neutralizing the wine spirit. But in the end, he succeeded and got drunk

With two such diligent students at his side, he was no longer burdened by waiting but spent his time very fruitfully.

The time before the reception flew by in a flash. Before Xing knew it, a knock sounded in his chamber.

He climbed out of the tangle of the two women's bodies and, covered only by the sheet, went to open the doors.

"Master Xing, we've come to help prepare for the reception!" said an elderly servant.

His subordinate maids carried some cut cloths, tassels, brushes, and combs. One of the maids rolled a large, tall mirror on intricate wheels. Xing invited them inside.

With the suppressed qi circulation restarted, Xing felt the hangover go away, the liquor flowing in his blood disintegrating, losing its power. His consciousness cleared, bringing back clarity of thought.

Xing felt as if a piece of his past life had returned, as his loyal servants came to him and washed his body, then dressed him in clothes of luxurious fabrics. When they brushed his hair, powdered his cheeks, and tinted his eyes. But over the years he had become so accustomed to doing everything himself that when he stood with his arms spread in front of the mirror he felt nothing but irritation. He wanted to run away, wash off the powder and mascara, tear off those rags, and put on his trusty leather suit instead, one that would not tear from arrows, sorcerous spells, or qi techniques.

Xing concentrated on his reflection in the mirror to distract himself from the servants doing their work. His mood improved immediately.

His face was covered with a beautiful, even tan, not at all like those pale, powdered faces of the courtiers. Instead of silly, ridiculous hairdos, his head was crowned by a hair, cut just below his shoulders. It made him look stern and unrestrained. Instead of the thin, reed-like arms and legs of the courtiers and the bulging bellies of the excesses, the mirror showed a strong, masculine figure with strong muscles and broad shoulders. But all this splendor paled before his face, with its beautifully defined cheekbones, firm chin, clear forehead, and straight nose. From any angle, Xing's face told everyone that this handsome young man was not some official, courtier, or schoolboy, but a warrior and a true hero! Of course, to complete his heroic appearance, he needed not silk robes, but a trusty leather suit and a chain behind his back, but one does not go to the reception of the Emperor with weapons and battle armor!

Xing remembered his master's appearance and couldn't hold back his laughter. He had already noticed how much he outshone the bastard in appearance, but now the difference was as obvious as possible. And how could he compare that angry face with Xing's clear, serene countenance? How could one compare those vile, filthy hides to the priceless suit of fire salamander skin? How could one put the crooked, knotted stick he used to fight with next to the flail, the masterpiece of Gong Buntao's best disciple, made of Purple Oak wood and Star Steel?

Meanwhile, the servants finished dressing Xing, bowed low, and left. All except the elderly servant.

"Come, Master Xing," said the servant. "I will take you to the audience hall."

* * *

Xing was hard to be surprised by luxury. In his previous life, he was the youngest heir of a great family; in this life, he had not only traveled extensively after leaving his native village but had also robbed countless towers of Akhribad's sorcerers, who were well versed in excess and wealth.

Still, the Emperor's reception hall was impressive.

Many huge windows with carved bindings. Polished floor of semi-precious stones, scarlet lacquered columns of precious wood. Precious vases, engravings, and a sumptuous golden throne in the middle of the hall.

Aside from the Emperor who sat majestically on the throne, there were two dozen Jade Guards, a high-ranking official, and, for some reason, Master Shijiang.

Xing walked forward, closer to the throne, and knelt. The emperor stood up and descended from the high platform. The official and Master Shijiang knelt on one knee, leaving only the guards standing.

"Raise your head, Xing Duo," the Emperor said.

Xing immediately obeyed, greedily gazing at the Son of Heaven's face, trying to memorize every majestic feature.

"We are pleased with you, Xing Duo," said the Emperor. "You and your service to our Empire."

"I serve the Emperor with my mind and heart!" Xing immediately responded.

"We received a report from Fuying Mogao, officials, and qi masters. The traitor Li Wei has been interrogated, so he too has given important details. Your intervention helped avert a major crisis the Empire hadn't faced in over three hundred years. You showed not only courage and determination, the art of qi mastery worthy of a grandmaster, but political foresight in finding a powerful ally. The identity of this ally is still shrouded in mystery. Do you have something to say?"

"Oh great Son of Heaven, her name is Almirakh, she is the daughter of the Sea King, the beloved and future consort of your unworthy servant. And she has the gift of controlling the sea warriors whom the despicable Sharif has subjected to his will by the blackest sorcery!"

Xing couldn't and wouldn't lie a single word, but long explanations were inappropriate, which meant he would have to write a detailed report immediately after the appointment.

"Is that so? Then we were right about the reward. It would be politically incorrect for such an important relationship to be held by a commoner, even from the same village of masters. Get down on one knee, Xing Duo, for from now on, you are granted the fourth-ranked hereditary nobility and the right to establish your own family. Also, in our mercy, we trust and allow you, Xing Duo, to come before us armed. Is there a particular weapon you would like to request permission for?"

"Only a flail, oh great Son of Heaven," Xing bowed his head.

"So be it! As Grandmaster of the Empire, you have the right to request an audience, but due to your merits, an audience will be granted as soon as possible. Does our loyal subject have any special requests? Wealth? A government post? Women? Lands?"

"Oh, great Son of Heaven," Xing said, "even if your unworthy subject didn't have everything he needed, he wouldn't dare to ask."

"This is commendable modesty, we are pleased with you, Xing Duo. Therefore, as an additional favor, you are entitled to one request. As long as it is within our power, we will grant it. But be careful, Xing Duo, fourth-ranked noble, inappropriate requests may incur our wrath."

Xing remained silent, recognizing the fairness of the Emperor's words.

"Well then, Xing Duo, fourth-ranked nobleman and grandmaster qi, extend your hands and accept not a reward, but merely a testament to the recognition of your skills."

He obeyed unquestioningly, and a warm, smooth-to-the-touch jade tablet lay in his hands, within which a spark of the Emperor's own qi glowed softly.

"Be loyal to the Empire, Xing Duo. Do not dishonor the trust placed in you. Serve with honor."

The emperor turned around, and his qi began to move away. When it disappeared into the neighboring chambers, Xing raised his head.

"The audience is over!" proclaimed the official.

Xing didn't listen to him. He stared unbelievingly at the golden inscriptions adorning the columns of the audience hall. Among the wise sayings of warlords of the past and the sayings of previous Emperors, there was another very familiar inscription that belonged to Han Nao:

The weak cherish grudges, and the strong change themselves and the world.

* * *

"Come in, Master Xing," Master Shiqiang greeted him cordially. "Would you like some tea?"

"It's my pleasure," Xing replied, holding out the tray. "I didn't come empty-handed either."

"Fujian buns!" Master Shiqiang exclaimed happily. "It's rare even here at court. Have a seat, Master Xing."

"Master Shijiang, can you address me as you?" Xing asked as he sat down at the elegant tea table. "I'm only two dozen and I wasn't a nobleman or grandmaster, so I'm not used to being addressed this way."

"I still couldn't get used to it," Shijiang smiled. "Becoming a Grandmaster at such a young age is rare, even in our talent-rich Empire."

Xing clenched his teeth. He knew exactly who the master was referring to. If the circumstances had been different, and the sneaky Sharif had organized the attack a little earlier, Xing would have become Grandmaster at twenty-three, a year ahead of the bastard teacher, and better than him in this part!

"Master Shijiang," Xing said as they leisurely drank their tea, nibbled on a crusty bun, and happily exhaled on a long tongue of fire, "forgive my inappropriate intrusiveness and blatant ignorance. I have traveled extensively throughout the Empire and beyond. And now I can't understand why everyone knows about my village."

Shijiang took another bun, crunched it leisurely, let out a tongue of fire from his mouth, and sipped his tea.

"We qi masters always appreciate loyalty to the teacher's requests, but what he didn't teach your villagers is how to lie well."

"Lie?" Xing wondered.

"At first, no one paid much attention to the report of the fourth-ranked tax collector. He reported that the village of Duojia, which could only be found on the most detailed map of the Empire, had begun to cultivate qi. There was nothing unusual about it. Not only was qi cultivation allowed for everyone, including commoners, by the will of our Emperor's venerable ancestor, but manuscripts with cultivation methods could be obtained from any imperial library. Another thing that seemed unusual was that the entire village was cultivating. Of course, no one believed such tall tales. Rightly deeming the report false, the tax collector was punished with three strokes of the stick on his heels. Except..."

"Except what?" Xing fidgeted impatiently in his chair.

"The second alarm was sounded by the Fifth Official over the coin. The taxes coming from one single village began to increase, more and more every year, turning from a meager, almost dry stream into a full-flowing mountain river. It couldn't be written off as a false report, so an inspection was sent to the village. Do you know what they found, Xing?"

"I can guess," Xing grinned.

"Of course you do! Who should know better than you?" Shiqiang laughed. "The tax collector was reinstated and his salary was increased. It turned out he had written the whole truth. The entire village was cultivating! And did it with hitherto unseen sophisticated techniques. As you know, a Qi adept's abilities are far beyond the average person. Imagine what would happen if he used this qi in peasant labor! A blacksmith can heat his furnace without any wood, coal, or firestone, and his products will be much better and of higher quality. A peasant can carry huge weight, not only without getting sick but on the contrary, becoming healthier. A potter can mold from ordinary clay such pots that are not inferior even to the capital porcelain. A skinner can easily make any kind of hide! Yes, cultivation used to be the privilege of the nobility, because only they could afford to devote time to it. But the new method practiced in Duojia allowed them to cultivate not instead of, but during work! Every peasant in Duojia possessed strength and a lot of it! Many boys were looking for adventure, so when they heard they could become the Emperor's warriors. they instantly agreed. I was personally part of that inspection, so don't be surprised by my knowledge. You should have seen this village! Why should I, you've seen it! Stone houses with tiled roofs, large supplies of food to survive any winter, even produce paper!"

"You're right, Master Shijiang, I know all that," Xing tried to bring the conversation back to the topic. "But I still don't understand what's so wonderful about this. And what makes you think the villagers are lying?"

"Of course, you don't understand," Shijiang laughed, "because, to you, it's just an everyday routine. For any official of the Empire, turning a remote, dying village into a prosperous town is like the Twelve Gods coming together. As for the lies... Of course, we asked all the residents about the great personality who brought them all this wealth! And do you know what they said? That it was, ah ha ha, a small child who didn't even get an adult name!"

Xing stared at the grandmaster:

"But it's the truth! I..."

"Leave Xing! There's no point in hiding it anymore. Or do you think that it was the robe-wipers of the capital who went to inspect the place? Of course, we did a soft inquiry. Not interrogation, because interrogating the Emperor's loyal subjects using torture and interrogation talismans is a barbaric and sacrilegious act that displeases the will of the Son of Heaven. We have even tried assuming that your village is telling the truth! In that case, we'd have to narrow it down to one theory. I suppose you can guess which one."

"Reincarnation..." whispered Xing.

"That's right! Reincarnation! General Feng could have been one of the heroes of the past who was reborn in this village and continued his heroic deeds. Before we dismissed that theory, we had a good laugh about it. Xing, don't take offense, your village is very nice, but to be reborn in it, rather than being one of his descendants or, if the family didn't survive, being born into the family of a Scholar, Official, or Warrior, he must have done something terrible that deserved such a severe punishment from the gods or ancestors. But suppose, suppose. Let's say, General Feng decided to atone for his atrocities and did so very successfully. Cultivation techniques and methods don't appear out of nowhere and disappear into thin air. Each method builds on some previous method and leaves circles on the water. And the techniques the peasants practiced were both very innovative and at the same time, they were based on many basic techniques that you can find by visiting any library. And some of those techniques aren't old either! Even so, we can assume that General Feng cultivated in seclusion, received many insights, came up with many magnificent and unprecedented things, and then committed a horrifying atrocity that incurred the wrath of the gods, after which he received punishment and such a miserable rebirth. Let there be too many strains and coincidences, but it is still possible.

Master Shijiang paused to take a sip of tea.

"But another factor comes into play. General Feng's age! Not his real age, of course, but the foolishness the peasants told us about. They said he killed the River Monster when he was seven or eight years old. That means by that time, he should have not only cultivated qi but also reached at least the rank of an adept! Xing, I understand you're very young, preferring action to boring reading dusty scrolls. But you should learn the theory. Qi cannot be awakened before the age of twelve! Do you think it hasn't been tried? Do you think there would be a noble family that wouldn't want their heir to cultivate much earlier than their peers to be the first to gain strength? Do you think any method and elixir was not used for such a thing? There is an invisible barrier no one has been able to overcome yet! If the people of your village had said that the general was, say, fifteen years old, or at least fourteen - then there would indeed be some reason to think about it. Of course, we didn't believe the tales of eight years of qi practice, surveyed the village and discovered the whole truth! Let's go!"

Shijiang stood up and headed away from his chambers with a brisk gait. Xing hurriedly followed him. They crossed several staircases, passed through galleries and corridors, and soon found themselves at a large ornate door guarded by two Jade Guards.

Shijiang swung the doors open and stepped inside. Xing looked around and opened his eyes in surprise. In the hall, brightly lit by many qi lights, there were many mysterious and ancient items. Swords, armor, flags, wrecks of some kind of machines, scrolls and books.

"The palace relic storage!" Master Shijiang explained. "For example, here is the Cloud Sword of the Second Emperor, here is the ceremonial armor of the Jasper General, here is the banner of the Indomitable Dragon...."

Xing was a great admirer of the famous warlord and was about to look at the standard when Master Shinjiang's new words completely captured his attention.

"And here is your esteemed Master's famous manuscript."

The very thought of having the vile writing of a rogue teacher here in the Emperor's palace filled his heart with despair. Xing walked over to Master Shiqiang as if mesmerized and lowered his gaze to the wide pedestal on which the rough book of yellowish scattered pieces of paper lay. Xing's eyes widened and he was at a loss for words.

"Now do you realize how stupid it was to hide the teacher's name?" Shi Yan grinned. "But I understand you and the rest of the people of Duodja. If such a great man were to ask me for something, I would also say that the stones are soft, the water is dry, and the bright flame of the phoenix is as frosty as a winter storm."

Xing didn't answer but read the same inscription over and over again: Simple training for everyone, and for every day. At the top of the cover, a single short name was written in strokes as sharp as a blade: Feng.

"To find such a treasure in a remote village was a true stroke of luck, sent by the Twelve Gods themselves! We don't know in what historical period such a great man was a general, we're not even sure if that's his real name. But such profound knowledge of qi cultivation, such vivid insights, such a smooth syllable, and such profound statements full of wisdom indicate that he had lived in the world for at least a dozen great cycles. Even I, while reading this book, felt like an unintelligent child who had needlessly wasted a hundred years cultivating wrongly. And look at those characters! How great is his art, how full of power and determination are those brush movements! Even the last fool would not believe this is the hand of a child!"

Xing was silent. His world turned upside down, he felt some invisible force bursting from his heart, but he couldn't grasp the feeling.

"The villagers showed us the skeletons of the demonic beasts General Feng had killed. Even the spearhead he forged. And let me tell you, killing a Horned Demonic Steppe Wolf with its weapon and technique-proof hide is an impossible task even for a master. I haven't seen an underwater creature like this in over a hundred years. And a spear! It seemed to be ordinary iron, but it was so skillfully made that it could withstand not just the general's mighty qi, but - see these marks on the metal? - Lightning: a dual element that not all masters can wield, even after dozens and dozens of years of unsuccessful attempts. I also saw the inscription at the entrance to the village, and felt the remnants of qi in the wood! Not even the capital's cabinetmakers are capable of such fine work!"

The feeling of some incomprehensible thought he was about to grasp became unbearable. Xing silently wheezed:

"Inscriptions!"

"Ah yes, the inscriptions! The manuscript is full of profound wisdom. It's not just about cultivation and martial arts. After reading this manuscript, we were able to lift a little bit of the veil on General Feng's mysterious identity. His words are so profound that it took us a long time to recognize their true meaning. After the Son of Heaven read this manuscript, he ordered it to be considered one of the Six Dozen Heavenly Treasures. Now, every major imperial library has a copy of it. The Emperor has ordered many samples of this wisdom to be displayed in the palace. My favorite: Life is an endless battle, and a man must defeat himself every day, it best characterizes the complex and multifaceted character of the general, his desire for self-improvement and overcoming limits."

Xing froze in place. The thoughts swirling in a whirlpool seemed to explode in his head.

"I...I... I must go now!" he wheezed. "I don't know... I don't know why... But I have to....."

"You've had an insight," Shiqiang explained. "You should cherish and nurture this feeling, not try to resist or suppress it. It is one of the most precious events in a Qi Master's life and should not be missed. Go, Xing. You must go where your heart calls you. Don't worry about anything, I'll take care of it all"

Xing only nodded briefly before he was out of his place and running. He didn't remember how he got to his quarters, tore off his palace robes, put on his salamander suit, pulled on his boots, and picked up his flail. He ran out of the palace and raced through the streets of the Capital, occasionally soaring through the air and leaping over buildings.

He actually had an epiphany. He realized one single but very important thing. He had surpassed his master! Perhaps not in strength, but strength did not matter in the slightest. Xing's deeds were legendary, quotes hung in the Jade Palace and were national treasures, the book he had written as a child had a place of honor in every imperial library. The demons that had been gnawing at his heart for nearly a dozen and a half years turned out to be small, harmless specks of dust blown away by a gust of spring wind.

"I don't need to become like you," Xing said loudly to the invisible rascal master, quoting his favorite hero. "I'm already good enough!"

* * *

Xing didn't fly on the flail. He didn't pull out a Lark from his bracelet. He simply ran as he had once run after leaving his home village. He ran along paved central roads, turned down narrow forest paths, and jumped over small mountains and gorges. He felt an unparalleled sense of freedom in his soul. For now, he was not burdened by any obligations or driven by an unattainable goal. For the first time in many years, he did not care whether he was an egg living in a swamp, a bright, skittish fish, or a venerable carp who saw a waterfall crowned by a dragon's gate. Now he could just live, enjoying every day, every ray of sunshine, and every drop of cultivated qi.

He was no longer angry with his parents, teacher, or ancestral spirits. Yes, he still longed for Mei, but the clarity of thought from the insight told him this light longing would remain with him for the rest of his life, without interfering with his love for his other women. He wanted to visit the ruins of Nao's house, visit his parents' graves, and bid farewell to his past by folding up the scroll of his previous life, before going to Shadia's house in Akhribad and then to Mogao to meet Almirakh, to stay with the merry Xue and Peipei for a while, or to visit the suffering widow Xifeng.

Qi was rushing through his body. The vivid state of insight was energizing, and he needed neither rest nor sleep. He was running at a speed unattainable by either beast or man, roads, mountains, towns, and villages flashed around him, but his instincts led him, like the arrow of that obscure "compass", straight to his home

He didn't know how long he had been running like this, but it didn't matter. He didn't need to eat or drink. After all, his strength was maintained by the bright qi bubbling in his body. Any clothes or shoes would have fallen apart long ago, but the salamander's skin was once again at its best.

The scenery changed, and Xing slowed his speed, as he saw the familiar landmarks, and then began to pace. Nothing had changed much over the past long cycles: the roads still winded, the forests and mountains spread out, and the rivers still flowed. Xing walked along, breathing in the familiar air, admiring the nature spirits flickering here and there, and felt his eyes stinging. When he saw a familiar hillside in the distance, beyond which the road should turn to Nao's estate, Xing stopped. He had been preparing for this moment, longing for it during this crazy race, and now he was simply afraid to take the next step.

Even knowing there was no one to greet him, he adjusted his flail and the emperor's granted grandmaster's plaque and brushed the dust off his clothes and body. His heightened senses played wicked tricks on him; it was as if he could feel in the distance the reflections of his father's and mother's qi, warriors, and servants. He wanted to bid farewell to the ghosts of the past, not meet them again, so Xing once again did something he hadn't done in many, many years. He turned off his qi perception, forcing Qilin to extinguish his Gaze.

Feeling strangely timid and unwilling to take the last step, Xing scolded himself, called himself a coward, and resolutely walked forward. He didn't know what he would see. He didn't know whether he would see a cursed, haunted place, an ancient ruin, or the satisfied members of another family that had either taken over the empty manor or built something new in its place.

After crossing the hillside, Xing stopped and froze. It seemed to him that the simple human eyes had played a cruel trick on him.

In the distance, beyond the hillside, the houses and buildings were perfectly intact, just as he remembered them from his past life. The main manor, the servants' quarters, the gardens and ponds, the training ground where the warriors still practiced, the stables and warehouses, and even the ancestral shrine. A lone gate with a bent tile roof warned the casual traveler that he had entered Nao's territory.

On stiff legs, Xing walked to the gate. A white spot glittered, and Xing saw a half-dried tree, on the branch of which hung a scroll of precious Quandong silk, where a calligraphic inscription burned in scarlet ink, handmade from special mussels found only at the bottom of the ocean:

A real man should plant enough trees for a house full of sons and still have some left over.

A new wave of insight flooded his mind. At last another mystery that had plagued him all these years was solved. Now he knew exactly the name of the hated master, the man whose image had tormented him all this time, the man he intended to become and then surpass.

He realized that he would never be able to surpass his master. After all, the master's name was Xing Duo, a simple guy from the remote village of Duojia, which the gods had finally stopped blowing their nose at. But at the same time, a quote from General Feng, the greatest thinker and hero of the Under Moon Empire, said: Life is an endless battle, and man must defeat himself every day.

There was a clatter of hooves and Xing finally stopped suppressing his perception. A cavalcade of riders was rapidly approaching on the road from the manor, the qi of one of them so strong, familiar, and dear. His eyes watered, and Xing wiped away the unsolicited tears. He knew what would happen next, even if he didn't know the details, but it didn't make it any easier.

The riders approached, noticed him, and slowed down, then finally stopped. Xing sensed their attention and at the same time pretended to continue studying the scroll hanging on the tree.

As he looked at the scroll again, another sudden realization hit him. He had succeeded in this life what he had failed in the last. He had planted so many trees in the Hunghun Mountains that he had enough trees not only for a house but for a huge estate! He had sons as well. And even if we take only those born among the Badawis, it is already quite a lot. And if one took into account the stepchildren, whose birth was not the seed, but his qi, then the Jade Palace would not be able to accommodate them all!

The ranks of horsemen dispersed and Xingu's native qi moved forward, but he continued to stare at the scroll, "not noticing" what was happening behind him, just as he had once "not noticed" the gestures and actions of Merchant Jing and his daughter.

His father's qi reflected excitement, amazement, and recognition. Then he dismounted and walked toward Xing. His father, always determined and bold, now seemed to be a little timid inside, but at the same time, his qi reflected a readiness for action. Not too late and not too soon, Xing took his eyes off the scroll and turned toward the one he wanted to hug with all his might and fall to his knees, repent of his foolishness, and ask forgiveness for all the pain he had caused in both of his lives. The pause while Xing hadn't "noticed" the riders had helped his spirits and dried his tears, and now his face was completely calm as if he were just passing by casually.

"Master Xing Duo?" said a tall, broad-shouldered man with a neat beard, wearing expensive armor.

"Yes, that's me. And you are the illustrious General Guang Nao, I presume?" Xing asked in turn. "I'm surprised that you recognized me."

Father was going to war with the Hunghuns, but Xing knew there would be no war. Xing had already defeated those barbarians once, and if necessary, his father would remind them what the Emperor's warriors meant!

"How could I not recognize the youngest Qi Grandmaster?" smiled the general. "I am, after all, a General of the Empire, and we are informed of any changes in the balance of power. I received a scroll with your portrait and a brief biography, I even looked through the crystal with your evaluation battle. I note it far more impressive than all of my son's stupid crystals combined."

Xing smiled. Not just the memories of the crystals, which really ended up being complete nonsense, he was just happy to see his father. In both of his lives, he had only had two real parents, Guang and Lihua Nao, and now he fully realized how much he had missed them. Xing's heart raced with a new insight. If his parents were alive then Mei, whom he had yet to meet, was also alive.

At the words "my son," the father's qi became determined and ready to act.

"Grandmaster Xing Duo!" General Guang said solemnly. "the fact that I have met you is a true sign from the heavens! You are the same age as my son but have achieved so much! Now, please listen to the request of this unworthy parent!"

He knelt in front of Xing and lowered his head, almost touching the ground. The warriors immediately dismounted and followed their leader's example. Xing's heart sank, and he wanted to jump up and lift his father, but he remained standing, trying to fortify himself with the thought that this was just another test of fortitude.

"I have a lazy and negligent son, Han. I love him, I love him more than life, my heart aches when I see what he has become. I don't care about shame or ridicule. I beg you, help me! I know you are from Duojia, which means you have studied under General Feng and are familiar with his methods, which means you can...."

"Stand up, General Guang!" Xing said through his tears, barely restraining himself from kneeling before his father. "It is not right for such a glorious commander to kneel before anyone but the Emperor, hallowed be his name in the ages and moons. No more words! I will help you and make your son a true warrior!"

"I am willing to pay, Master Xing, to pay anything!" said the general, remaining on his knees.

He still raised his head, and there were tears in Guang Nao's eyes as well, mixed with hope.

"I don't need money or favors," Xing said, bending down to help his father up from the ground. "But I would be happy to help the man I respect so much with a problem."

The general stood up and looked at Xing as if he couldn't believe what was happening. Xing grinned wickedly.

"You say your son is lazy and absent-minded? Does he like to watch silly crystals? That's okay, it's just a temporary hardships!"

* * *