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“How is he?” Empress Yang asked anxiously. Both of her sons were her heart's treasure, and now that her eldest son was being treated for a serious illness away from her, she was especially worried about him. She dreaded hearing bad news.
Hanno smiled reassuringly at her. “Mother, don’t worry. Younger Brother is fine; his illness has been treated, and he is in a very safe place where everyone is taking good care of him.”
“That’s good, that’s good!” Empress Yang felt relieved but suddenly sensed something was off. “How did you get on the ship?”
Surrounded by the sea!
Zhao Bing shook Hanno's hand and asked, “Sister, can you fly like those immortals? Teach me how to fly!”
“Sister can’t fly; I can use lightness skills.” Hanno didn’t reveal her identity as a Cultivator since Zhao Bing lacked the aptitude for cultivation. It was better to discourage him from pursuing such thoughts. “These are Martial Arts Manuals and lightness skill techniques. Practice hard, and when you use lightness skills, it will feel just like flying.”
“Really?” The child was easily distracted and happily hugged the few Martial Arts Manuals Hanno had given him as if they were treasures. However, it was not so easy for Empress Yang.
“Did you come with those immortals?”
Hanno nodded. “I asked an immortal to bring me to see you.”
“To see us?” Empress Yang asked. “Aren’t you going overseas with us?”
Hanno replied, “Daughter serves the immortal and cannot fulfill my filial duties in front of you.”
“So it was you who invited the immortal!” Empress Yang’s imagination ran wild, and tears streamed down her face. “Child, you’ve suffered.”
Hanno secretly twitched her lips and smiled. “It’s not a hardship; serving the immortal is my honor.”
Empress Yang wiped her tears and pushed Zhao Bing to bow to Hanno. “Bing’er, bow to your sister. Thanks to your sister’s sacrifice, we have our lives.”
Zhao Bing knelt down and bowed to Hanno as instructed, though he only partially understood.
Hanno did not shy away; although the truth was far from what Empress Yang imagined, it was indeed Hanno who had rallied the Cultivators to save so many lives. This bow was deserved.
Pulling the child up from the ground, Hanno took out a porcelain bottle and placed it in Zhao Bing's hands. “Third Brother, there are three pills inside that can save lives; keep them safe.”
Hanno took out several prescriptions for treating miasma and heat toxins and handed them to Empress Yang, all specifically addressing common ailments caused by the Southeast Asian climate. Empress Yang was a clever woman; holding onto these prescriptions would ensure her and Zhao Bing's status and safety. Although Zhang Shijie and Wen Xiang were loyal individuals, people's hearts could change, and who knew how their descendants would turn out?
As they watched Zhao Bing and Empress Yang's large ship disappear into the sea, Hanno turned to Elder Brother Li with a relaxed smile. "Let's go back to Flowing Spring Villa."
On March 19, in the second year of Xiangxing (179 AD), the Yashan Naval Battle concluded, marking the end of the Song Dynasty.
Hanno and Elder Brother Li returned to Flowing Spring Villa. Old Master and Madam of the Manor listened to the news about the Yashan Naval Battle. They misunderstood the truth, thinking Hanno was deeply saddened, treating her with utmost care, which amused Hanno greatly; however, she appreciated their thoughtfulness. Three years later, Hanno and Elder Brother Li held an ancient wedding ceremony once again. After the ceremony, they secretly revealed their identities as cultivators to Old Master and Madam of the Manor, and with their understanding, they left Flowing Spring Villa.
Time passed, and years changed. The fleeting moments easily cast people aside; cherries turned red while plantains turned green. Over seventy years had gone by, and the Yuan Dynasty's rule was nearing its end. At this time, governance was corrupt, with heavy taxation imposed under various names; national tax revenue had increased twentyfold compared to the beginning of the Yuan era. A large number of Mongolian nobles seized land, while continuous disasters in Central Plains led to widespread bankruptcy and migration among the populace. The Yellow River flooded, bringing immense disaster to the people living along its middle and lower reaches. Among the disaster victims, a popular folk song circulated: "A stone man with one eye stirs up trouble beneath the Yellow River." In response, the Yuan Dynasty conscripted 150,000 people to repair the Yellow River and dispatched 20,000 troops to suppress uprisings along its banks. The officials supervising the river repairs were corrupt and embezzled funds meant for laborers' sustenance, leaving them hungry and cold, which incited public outrage. The northern White Lotus Sect led by Han Shantong and his followers like Liu Futong decided to seize this opportunity to revolt; their army wrapped red cloth around their heads, known as the Red Turban Army. Amidst this turmoil, Nan Fengning, the protagonist of Slay the Dragon Vein, emerged. He disguised himself as Liu Bowen and sought out Zhu Chongba, who was still just a monk at that time. He divined for him: "The hidden dragon is in the abyss; it will ascend with the clouds." This solidified Zhu Chongba's resolve to embark on a path of rebellion. Nan Fengning was drawn by his kingly aura and followed closely behind him.
Hanno and Elder Brother Li continued to follow Nan Fengning from the shadows, observing him assist Zhu Chongba in his struggles while secretly arranging teleportation formations. Occasionally when Nan Fengning set up formations incorrectly, they would discreetly help make adjustments. Over a decade passed before Zhu Chongba finally claimed power for himself and renamed himself Zhu Yuanzhang. Just after becoming emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang felt insecure; he constantly worried that others might conspire against him without realizing he was already caught in someone else's schemes. One day while resting, he dreamt of a True Dragon Son destined to overthrow the Zhu family; he immediately woke up shouting: "Quickly summon Duke Chengyi for an audience!"
Nan Fengning had been waiting for this moment; upon hearing the eunuch's words, he followed him into the palace.
"Your servant Liu Ji pays respects to Your Majesty." Nan Fengning performed an illusionary technique that made it appear as though he bowed before Zhu Yuanzhang while actually standing aside without moving.
"Rise," Zhu Yuanzhang commanded upon seeing Nan Fengning's face that appeared to be in his forties; he couldn't help but feel envious—this person seemed too well-preserved! Little did he know that Nan Fengning's true appearance was even younger; he merely concealed it to avoid arousing suspicion from Zhu Yuanzhang and others.
"Your Majesty, may I ask why you summoned me?" Nan Fengning feigned ignorance.
Upon hearing this question, Zhu Yuanzhang suppressed his jealousy and recounted his dream to Nan Fengning.
Nan Fengning pretended to ponder for a moment before saying: "Your Majesty's dream foretells that a new True Dragon Son will replace the Zhu Ming dynasty."
Zhu Yuanzhang replied: "I understand this; you just need to tell me how to handle it."
Nan Fengning said: "For a True Dragon Son to be born requires at least ten years of preparation. As long as we sever the dragon vein where the true dragon resides, we can cut off its energy supply to prevent the True Dragon Son from forming."
Zhu Yuanzhang hurriedly asked: "Where is this dragon vein located?"
Nan Fengning responded: "I have calculated that it should be in the northwest direction."
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Alright, I will issue a secret decree for you, allowing you to freely mobilize the Northwest Army and local forces. However, you must help me sever the dragon vein to prevent the next True Dragon Son from being born."
"I obey your command!" Nan Fengning bowed, a smile creeping onto his lips. After years of planning, it was finally about to come to fruition.
The "Dragon Manipulation Classic" written by Yang Gong began with: "Xu Mi Mountain is the foundation of the earth, anchoring the land as a giant entity. It resembles a human's spine and neck beam. From it sprout four limbs, representing the four worlds, with south, north, west, and east as the four factions. The Northwest Kongtong stretches for thousands of miles, while the east leads into the three abysses of obscurity. Only the southern dragon enters China, where the ancestors give birth to wonders. The Yellow River's meandering path serves as the large intestine, while the winding Yangtze River represents the bladder. Branches split and veins crisscross, intertwining with qi and blood where water resides. This is a grand city-state for emperors and nobles, while counties are home to lords and dukes. Additionally, there are also prosperous towns in various directions..."
Xu Mi Mountain is Kunlun Mountain, the origin of the dragon vein. The Qinling Mountains stretch from Kunlun in the west, passing through Longnan and Shan'nan, reaching Eyu Wan—Dabie Mountain and Zhangbaling near Bengbu—traversing east to west, revered as the dragon vein of Huaxia civilization, accumulating all the dragon energy of the land. At this moment, deep within the Qinling Mountains, Nan Fengning and a group of highly skilled Cultivators stared solemnly at one particular mountain range. This mountain had a unique aura; its main peak resembled a dragon's head, while below it, the slopes twisted and turned like a dragon's body. Above the summit hung a golden aura that ordinary people could not see but dazzled even the Cultivators.
"This is it," Han Guang Zhen Ren said, squinting against the glare of golden light. He turned to Nan Fengning and said, "Let’s begin."
Nan Fengning nodded and looked at Elder Brother Li and Hanno who had come to witness this significant moment alongside him. Elder Brother Li smiled encouragingly at Nan Fengning and said, "Brother Ning, I have confidence in you!"
Hearing this, Nan Fengning smiled briefly before composing himself again, turning his serious gaze toward the high mountain where the dragon vein lay. Suddenly, he drew his sword and leaped toward the dragon's head. With a thunderous crash, he severed the dragon's head which rolled down from the mountain; without its support, the dragon energy at the summit began to dissipate. Suddenly, thirty-six spots on Huaxia's land lit up and absorbed all of that dragon energy. The earth trembled as thirty-six mountains slowly rose from those illuminated spots before vanishing into thin air at an ever-increasing speed...
Zhu Yuanzhang gazed toward the northwest with a sigh over losing a capable assistant but felt that sacrificing Liu Bowen was worth it to eliminate threats to his Ming Dynasty; he did not feel regret.
From then on, the remaining dragon energy in Huaxia's dragon vein diminished year by year. Six hundred years later, all dragon energy disappeared, and there were no more emperors in Huaxia.
...
Hanno and Elder Brother Li stood still, gazing at their surroundings filled with ancient charm as if they had returned to the Great Zhou Dynasty. However, upon seeing cultivators occasionally flying by on swords above them, they confirmed that this was not Da Zhou but rather Han Guang Zhen Ren's celestial realm. This "celestial realm" was actually divided into five realms: Earth Immortal Realm and its domain, Demon Realm, Underworld, and Devil Realm. The Earth Immortal Realm was where mortals coexisted with Cultivators—similar to where Li Xiaoyao and his companions resided in "The Legend of Sword and Fairy." The lowest layer was the Ghost Realm of Yomi where souls underwent reincarnation; while the domain was truly where immortals resided after Cultivators ascended to become celestial beings. People within this domain could not freely descend into the Earth Immortal Realm.
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