Chapter 4: The Arrival of the Stranger?

At the gate, the merchants were still quarreling when a refined, middle-aged man appeared.

“Lord Li, stop spouting nonsense here. Your daughter is only six years old. Are you trying to get the chief constable killed?”

“Old Zhou, what do you mean by that?”

The wealthy men argued back and forth. Lu Yuan was long used to such a scene; these merchants had been eyeing his body for more than a day or two.

Old Lu actually found it rather interesting, but when he heard that Lord Li’s daughter was only six, he lost all interest at once.

“Esteemed gentlemen, there is no need for you to trouble yourselves over my brother Yuan’s marriage. Please, come into the residence for the banquet. My father has been waiting for quite some time.”

A voice sounded from behind.

The crowd turned. At some point, a man of scholarly bearing had appeared at the Chen family gate.

He was tall and spare, dressed in a deep blue long robe that gave him an air of quiet cultivation. His features were clean and open, and if not for the fine lines at the corners of his eyes, he would not look a day over forty, though he was already of grandfatherly age.

Chen Nian, the eldest son of County Magistrate Chen, had passed the imperial examinations in the ninth year of the Heavenly Mandate era. He had once served as an imperial censor of the Great Yong Dynasty, but, disgusted by the powerful trampling the common people and by the court’s injustice, he had resigned in bitter indignation.

After returning to his hometown, he opened a academy and devoted himself to teaching and nurturing students.

“Uncle Lu, come quickly.”

After diffusing the tension, Chen Nian stepped forward to support Old Lu. He did not forget to lift his head and study Lu Yuan for a few moments, amusement glinting in the corners of his eyes.

“Brother Yuan, it’s only been a few days, and you seem even sturdier than before.”

When Chen Nian was young, he had traveled far and wide, across the four seas and the vast lands of the realm. He had encountered all manner of extraordinary people.

Yet none had been as outrageous as Lu Yuan.

Nine feet tall, yes, very tall, but not unheard of; ancient histories recorded many famed generals of such stature.

A body like bronze and iron, innate divine strength, also not unheard of; the old books recorded such things as well.

But someone who knew no martial arts, and yet relied solely on his natural strength to tear apart Qingshengzi, a third-rank martial expert of formidable skill, and then defeat a thousand men alone, destroying the inheritance of Qingcheng Mountain and bringing that lineage to ruin—

that, truly, was beyond outrageous.

This was not the work of an ordinary man.

If Chen Nian had not seen Lu Yuan as an infant, he would have suspected that this younger brother of his was some creature in human form.

“I’ve had a bigger appetite lately, so I’ve been eating more.”

“Oh, right, Brother Nian, congratulations on becoming a grandfather.”

“This is a gift for my grandnephew.”

Lu Yuan quickly changed the subject and took something from behind him, handing it to Chen Nian.

“What is this?”

“An eight-hundred-year ginseng. If my grandnephew wants to practice martial arts in the future, he can use it to build his foundation. If he does not wish to train, keep it for emergencies.”

“That’s too precious.”

Chen Nian felt the box in his hand grow heavier and heavier. An eight-hundred-year ginseng was something priceless, impossible to buy even for a fortune.

“If it weren’t precious, why would I give it to you?”

“Keep it without worry. I still have a few of these at home.”

“Where did you get them?”

“I didn’t steal them or rob them. They were a gift from Qingcheng Mountain.”

“You little brat... Forget it. Since it cost me nothing, I’ll thank my little grand-uncle on behalf of Zhu’er.”

The spoils of war from Qingcheng Mountain.

If you have them, you might as well keep them.

“Come, come in quickly.”

“There is an important matter to discuss tonight.”

After greeting the others, Chen Nian helped Old Lu into the house.

Once inside the residence, Lu Yuan’s first glance fell upon his uncle, who sat in the chief seat with a face full of worry.

Chen Ke, originally from Longxi, was a collateral branch of the Chen family in the capital. Thirty years ago, he had led his family south together with his sworn brother Old Lu and settled in Worry-Free County, where, by relying on the strength of the clan, he secured the post of county magistrate.

Chen Ke and Lady Li had three sons: the eldest, Chen Nian; the second, Chen Hai; and the youngest, Chen Fei.

All three sons were married and had children. There were twelve grandchildren in the family, and currently only one great-grandchild.

The Chen family numbered more than thirty people.

By contrast, his sworn brother Old Lu had only two people in the whole household.

A sparse line indeed.

Lu Yuan had once been puzzled by this.

But Old Lu kept silent on the matter and refused to speak of old affairs. Lu Yuan had asked his uncle Chen Ke about it before, but Chen Ke had only shaken his head in silence. Chen Nian, who knew a bit of the truth, had merely told Lu Yuan not to pry further.

“Xiaoyuan has come?”

“Sit, sit.”

Seeing Lu Yuan, Chen Ke’s frown eased, and he showed a smile.

“Hey, hey, hey, Old Chen.”

“You’re all grins now, but don’t ignore me.”

Old Lu tapped the floor in displeasure, making a pounding sound.

“Go on, go on. If there’s meat, eat it; if there’s wine, drink it. Today’s matter has nothing to do with you.”

Chen Ke’s expression toward Old Lu was somewhat displeased.

Only when he looked at Lu Yuan did he show a few more traces of warmth.

“If you’ve got something to say, say it. If you’ve got nonsense, get on with it.”

“Out with it already.”

Old Lu was not polite either. He sat down and started eating at once, while the other merchants attending the banquet were somewhat at a loss.

Chen Ke did not waste words. After inviting everyone to take their seats, his expression turned solemn.

“Gentlemen, this concerns the life and death of our Worry-Free County, so I shall not bother with empty courtesies.”

“Clerk, bring it out.”

Clerk Su appeared, holding a secret dispatch.

Chen Ke took it and passed it to the others to read.

Everyone who saw the secret dispatch wore an expression of shock.

This made Lu Yuan quite curious.

At last, the document completed its circuit and reached Lu Yuan’s hands. He opened it.

His expression changed dramatically at once.

“In the fifteenth year of the Heavenly Mandate era, a star from the heavens fell and smashed the Hall of Divine Valor. The imperial wrath was immense. The Divine Valor Army sent one hundred men, and after a month of excavation, they recovered the heavenly star.”

“Inscribed upon the star were words.”

“When infants cry across the nine provinces, the strange ones shall return; when the Heavenly Way takes form, the Three Teachings shall come back.”

“In the early days of the sixth month of the fifteenth year, the earth dragon turned over and eerie phenomena of ghosts weeping and gods howling appeared. A baby’s cry shook the nine provinces, and the inscription on the heavenly star came true.”

“The emperor was astonished and summoned the Imperial Preceptor.”

“In the middle of the twelfth month of that same year, the Imperial Preceptor received heavenly enlightenment and foretold the day of the strange ones’ descent.”

“The early days of the sixth month in the thirty-fifth year of the Heavenly Mandate era.”

“That will be the time of the strange ones’ arrival.”

“In other words, the beginning of next month.”

“Exactly twenty years.”

“This dispatch is an order issued personally by the Three Departments and Six Ministries, the Imperial Preceptor, and even His Majesty himself.”

“The revelation foretells that the strange ones are beings of heaven and man, immortal and indestructible, and that they grow at astonishing speed, even capable of breaking through the limits of martial cultivation. The authorities above require that all local yamen prepare for their arrival, do their utmost to win them over for the service of the realm, and stabilize the imperial order. Unless absolutely necessary, we are not to make them enemies. If they do become enemies, then we are to win over those of their allies who are inclined toward goodwill and use them against them, or else imprison them permanently.”

“The strange ones concern the survival of the realm.”

“Xiaoyuan, Worry-Free County is in your hands.”

Chen Ke’s expression was grave.

The arrival of the strange ones would inevitably stir the entire world.

Not only Great Yong, but also the nations beyond the passes.

These strange ones were an uncontrollable force.

Handled well, they could secure the empire for all time. Handled poorly, they would surely plunge the world into chaos.

Chen Ke had no grand ambitions. The world was too vast, his abilities too small. He could not bring peace to the empire or steady the state. He was only a minor county magistrate. All he could do was guard this Worry-Free County well and protect its hundred thousand or so people.

“Uncle, rest assured.”

“As long as I am here, nothing will throw Worry-Free County into disorder.”

These strange ones came from beyond the heavens, immortal and indestructible in themselves, growing at great speed, able to break through the limits of martial arts. It sounded a little like the description of players.

Lu Yuan recalled that this world seemed to be a game world.

Once the players logged in, things were going to become interesting.

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