The hall fell back into a dead silence.
The curling sandalwood incense spiraled like a thin mist, gathering and dispersing between the two of them.
After a long time, Wang Zhidao spoke again:
“Now, do you understand why your father went out of his way to throw you into Changyun County?”
“Xuanyang understands!”
Wang Xuanyang suddenly raised his head, a sharp light flashing in his eyes:
“Father wants me to use my proximity to win the favor of that Child of Destiny. Ideally, I can become a follower, just like how he followed ‘Dou Jiao’ back then... That way, just like my eldest and second brothers, I will also have an incomparably bright future ahead of me!”
At this point, Wang Xuanyang was filled with high spirits, completely devoid of the resentment and dejection he had shown just moments ago.
Looking at him like this, a trace of complexity flickered in the depths of Wang Zhidao's eyes, but it was instantly replaced by fanaticism.
“Exactly! When the time comes, you will represent our Wang family to associate with him. Once you are touched by destiny, you will naturally turn disasters into blessings, encounter fortuitous events one after another, and your martial arts realm will soar to the heavens!”
Wang Zhidao lowered his voice and said:
“Once the Blessed Land opens, perhaps... our Wang family can obtain a second Divine Ability technique through your hands!”
A Divine Ability!
These words hit Wang Xuanyang's heart like a heavy hammer.
His fists clenched so tightly that his fingernails dug deep into his palms, yet he remained entirely oblivious to the pain.
In this world, only by cultivating to the peak of the Gangjin Rank could one touch the grand power of heaven and earth, condensing an elusive and ethereal “Divine Ability.”
A single Divine Ability was enough to sustain a top-tier family, keeping it from falling for a thousand years.
Wang Xuanyang had grown up in the general's mansion since childhood, so he knew his family's rise to power like the back of his hand.
Back then, Zhendong General Wang Zhifan was merely a martial artist from a small, rootless family.
By a stroke of luck, he became acquainted with ‘Dou Jiao.’ When he followed him out of the Nanxiang Blessed Land, he obtained a monumental fortune!
It was a secret scroll for a Divine Ability called the 『Dragon-Elephant Luminous Prison-Suppressing True Body』!
Rumor had it that this technique was created by a supreme, powerful figure known as 『Sufferings and Calamities Deliverance Aspect』 of the former dynasty's Buddhist sect, 『Mercy Dao』.
However, the principle that possessing a treasure brings trouble had been true since ancient times.
A top-tier Buddhist Divine Ability falling into the hands of a low-level martial artist with no background was like a piece of fat meat attracting a pack of wolves.
Those large, prestigious forces might still restrain themselves out of concern for their reputation and refrain from outright robbery.
But how could those small and medium-sized forces, along with rogue martial artists who lived by the blade, care about such things?
Wang Zhifan was pursued and cornered at every turn, hunted so relentlessly that he had nowhere to run, nearly dying several times.
In his desperate situation, the power of destiny manifested.
He crossed paths with the Ninth Prince of the Great Qi Dynasty, who was traveling the world in disguise at the time...
The current Prince Changle!
Without the slightest hesitation, Wang Zhifan decisively pledged his allegiance, kneeling on both knees to present the 『Dragon-Elephant Luminous Prison-Suppressing True Body』 to Prince Changle with both hands.
By virtue of this contribution, he secured an imperial decree to protect himself. Not only did he save his life, but he also enjoyed a meteoric rise thereafter, earning titles of nobility and generalship. Consequently, the Wang family leaped into the ranks of the powerful and influential aristocracy.
But Wang Zhifan had not surrendered this technique willingly.
“Back then...”
Wang Zhidao snorted coldly, a shadow of resentment flashing across his eyes:
“Your father was cornered. Presenting the Divine Ability was a helpless move just to save his life.”
“And now? Now, that 'True Body' technique has long been locked away in the royal family's inner treasury. Those imperial princes and grandsons can flip through and practice it at their leisure whenever they are bored. It has long ceased to belong to our Wang family!”
At this point, Wang Zhidao stood up and stared intently at Wang Xuanyang:
“But this time is different!”
“A Child of Destiny is protected by the heavens and remains untouched by karma. Even the people of the Directorate of Astronomy cannot hope to divine his exact whereabouts or the opportunities he obtains!”
“Furthermore, Daoist Master Yu has now returned to his mountain for secluded cultivation, focusing entirely on comprehending his third Divine Ability. The Nandou Sect will not interfere in the affairs of Cangzhou either.”
“As long as we can win the favor of this Child of Destiny before any of the other forces catch wind of him, we can use his fortune to fish out another Divine Ability from the Blessed Land of Changyun County...”
“That will be an heirloom Divine Ability that belongs solely to our Wang family, one that the imperial court can never take away!”
Wang Zhidao grew more and more excited as he spoke, as if the Divine Ability had already fallen into the Wang family's pocket.
This depiction of grand ambition and dominance made Wang Xuanyang's blood boil. His previous frustration was completely swept away, replaced by extreme excitement.
“The Patriarch is far-sighted indeed. Xuanyang is full of admiration!”
Wang Xuanyang took a large step forward and said eagerly:
“In that case, there is no time to lose. I will immediately mobilize my informants. Even if we have to dig three feet into the earth and turn both Changyun and Changshui counties upside down, we will definitely find him—”
“Foolish!”
Before he could finish pledging his loyalty, Wang Zhidao's face darkened, and he sharply interrupted him.
Wang Xuanyang looked up in bewilderment:
“Patriarch, what is the meaning of this...”
“A Child of Destiny! A Child of Destiny! You listened for so long, yet you still do not understand what a Child of Destiny is!”
Wang Zhidao stared at him with cold, harsh eyes:
“A person favored by the heavens like him is born with the ability to seek fortune and avoid disaster!”
“Do you think he is a dead object that you can track down simply by unleashing a few hounds?”
Wang Zhidao warned in a heavy tone:
“Keep this firmly in mind: not every Child of Destiny is a kind-hearted, soft-tempered person who hands out opportunities left and right like the one Bai Qingcang surrounded and killed back then!”
“The vast majority of Children of Destiny recorded in history books are decisive in slaughter and ruthless in execution! If you search for him with great fanfare, his destiny will immediately trigger a warning.”
“When that happens, even if the people you send act with the utmost caution, they will make countless blunders, and bizarre accidents will happen one after another! Once he notices and bears a grudge against us, our Wang family will face the danger of annihilation in an instant!”
This severe reprimand was like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, causing Wang Xuanyang to instantly calm down.
“Xuanyang was reckless.”
However, he frowned deeply and quickly pressed further:
“But Patriarch, if we cannot send people to search, how are we supposed to pinpoint his identity before the Blessed Land opens? In this vast world, Changyun County is neither too large nor too small.”
Looking at Wang Xuanyang's anxious expression, Wang Zhidao sighed, the last trace of complex emotion in his heart vanishing completely.
He picked up the slightly cooled tea and took a small sip. He no longer looked at Wang Xuanyang, speaking in a flat tone:
“Why must we search for him actively?”
“A Child of Destiny is also human, and humans have weaknesses. Since he can 'seek fortune and avoid disaster,' then I will simply present him with fortunes and wait for him to come find me, won't I?”
...
The silver moon hung high in the sky.
From the distance, the faint sound of watchman's drums drifted over—one slow, two fast—signaling the third watch of the night.
In a dark alley.
Shen Xiuhan was like a stubborn rock crouching in the shadows, silently staring in the direction of the Tongbei Martial Arts Hall.
He waited until Yan Xiao personally drove a carriage out of the city in the dead of night, the horse's hooves shattering the silence of the late hours.
Then, he saw Song Yanrong, clad in red, leap over the courtyard wall and quietly head toward the Bai mansion.
Shen Xiuhan suddenly stood up.
His blood qi surged as he glided silently through the dark corners of the alleys, arriving beneath the blue brick wall of the Tongbei Martial Arts Hall in the blink of an eye.
With a light tap of his toes, his entire body resembled a large bird spreading its wings as he scaled the high wall soundlessly, landing gently in the courtyard.
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