Dragon Seeking

Yongzhou, though distant, has been a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers since ancient times.

According to the History of Tang · Annals of Yongzhou, Yongzhou is described as having "strange mountains and turbulent waters, nurturing many extraordinary people and rare talents."

Unofficial histories, however, claim: "Poor mountains and harsh waters breed unruly folk."

Yongzhou, Fengyuan Commandery, Ye County.

Ye County leans against Min Mountain to its north and faces the Tong River to its south. Steep mountain ranges divide this not-so-large county. Though the mountains are not high, they are exceptionally rugged. Some villages are separated by only a few dozen li, but a mountain range in between means villagers might never meet in their lifetimes.

Two figures appeared on the winding mountain path: one was a young scholar, the other a page, who looked about twelve or thirteen. The scholar's robe, though clean, was faded from washing, and an inconspicuous patch was sewn onto it. Despite his somewhat disheveled appearance, he was refined and fair-skinned, with a straight back, exuding the pride of a scholar.

The master and servant seemed to stroll leisurely, the scholar occasionally stopping to look around as if admiring the scenery. However, their pace, seemingly slow, was actually swift. In no time, they had traveled from mid-mountain to the summit, leaving behind a few li of mountain path that would normally take half an hour to traverse.

Standing at the mountaintop, one could naturally take in the view of the surrounding dozens of li. The scholar surveyed the trend of the rolling mountains and then looked down at the small valley below. He sighed, "If I hadn't come here in person, how would I know that this place is already a gathering of powerful forces? I had prepared ten years for Dragon Seeking, and I didn't expect to have a harvest in the first year."

The page was also observing the surrounding mountains and terrain, asking doubtfully, "This place is a remote backwater, with shallow waters and barren mountains. Even finding a little bit of fortune would be remarkable, let alone a true dragon?"

The scholar pointed to the small mountain valley ahead and said, "That is the Dragon Pool. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would hardly believe it."

"Such a small Dragon Pool, how big could a true dragon be?"

The scholar said calmly, "Others seek dragons primarily to follow them, seeking the merit of assisting a dragon; the truly skilled point the way for the dragon, guiding its transformation. I am different. I just intend to use this dragon, and discard it when I am done. Its size is of no consequence."

The scholar gestured towards the small town in the valley and said, "Now, the forces are just beginning to gather; it is far from the time when heavenly secrets will manifest. Therefore, the dragon's energy must be deeply hidden, and it will take some effort to find it. Let's go to the town first."

With one step, the scholar suddenly moved several zhang away. In a moment, he had descended the mountain and was on the road leading to the small town.

Less than two li from the town, there stood a large mansion, surrounded by bluestone courtyard walls about a zhang high. At the corners, tall corner towers were built, where household guards armed with staffs stood watch. As the scholar and page passed the mansion's main gate, they saw a man in the attire of a steward, leading several household guards, distributing rewards to passersby.

The steward's eyes lit up when he saw the scholar. He bowed and said, "Where do you come from, sir? And what is your name?"

The scholar returned the bow. "I am Zhang Sheng. I am currently traveling the world, seeking knowledge, and I happened to pass by your residence. Is there any joyous occasion at your home?"

The steward replied, "My master's surname is Wei. Who in the entire county doesn't know the name Wei Youcai, Great Benefactor Wei? Today, the Fourth Madam is giving birth, so my master has instructed me to distribute some rewards to passersby to share in the good fortune. You've arrived at a good time, sir! Someone!"

A nearby household guard brought over a plate of copper coins. The steward pushed the guard aside and said, "Can't you see this gentleman is a scholar?"

The steward beckoned another household guard, who brought over a lacquered tray with writing brushes, ink, and a money pouch. The steward picked up the money pouch and offered it. The scholar felt its weight and realized it contained loose silver, a whole liang.

"What is the meaning of this?" Zhang Sheng did not accept the money pouch. He had clearly seen that the rewards the steward was distributing to others were just a few copper coins.

The steward said, "My master respects scholars the most. You, sir, appear to be a man of great talent, so the token of gratitude is naturally different. I also request that you give a name to the child, one for a boy and one for a girl."

The steward was thin and gaunt, with a somewhat shifty, sleazy appearance, yet he spoke in a refined manner, seemingly educated.

Zhang Sheng looked towards the mansion. A clear light flashed deep within his pupils. Then, he took the paper and brush and wrote the character '渊' (Yuan), saying, "This is to signify 'a dragon in the abyss.' The young master has deep blessings and deserves this character."

The steward looked at the flowing 'Abyss' character and felt it was good, though he couldn't quite grasp why. He examined it from all angles but found no particular insight. At this point, Zhang Sheng put down his brush and left with his page.

The steward quickly called out, "Sir, please wait, we still need a girl's name!"

Zhang Sheng did not turn back, merely saying, "Master Wei has accumulated much good karma through his deeds. It is certain to be a son."

The steward wanted to say more, but the surrounding people seeking rewards were already impatient and crowded around. The steward looked at Zhang Sheng's retreating back and inexplicably dared not linger. He then instructed the household guards to deal with the crowd and carefully carried the calligraphy into the mansion himself.

In the rear courtyard of the Wei family mansion, a plump man with long eyebrows and delicate eyes, Master Wei, paced back and forth, fine beads of sweat on his forehead. The sounds of a woman's pained cries continued to come from the inner room; the birth was imminent.

The steward arrived, holding the calligraphy. "Master, a scholar passed by the gate and gave a name for the young master, '渊' (Yuan), saying it signifies 'a dragon in the abyss.' I thought the character was truly excellent, so I brought it here immediately."

"Just one name?"

"He said that you, Master, have accumulated much good karma, so this time it is certainly a son."

Master Wei's face broke into a smile. He repeatedly said, "Truly a scholar, their words are so sweet!"

He took the still-wet calligraphy from the steward and examined it closely, exclaiming, "A good character!"

The steward whispered, "Master, you're holding it upside down."

Master Wei remained silent, turned the paper over, and indeed, it looked much better.

He stared at the character, which seemed to soar into the sky, and murmured to himself, "Yuan, a dragon in the abyss. Wei Yuan... Not bad, let's name him Wei Yuan."

Master Wei suddenly glanced suspiciously at the steward and asked, "You recognize such a complex character?"

The steward chuckled sheepishly. "I saw the gentleman write it, so of course I know how to read it."

Meanwhile, Zhang Sheng and his page walked unhurriedly towards the small town. After walking for a while, the page finally couldn't help but say, "Sir, you gave him one character, which is essentially gifting him some fortune, and they only gave us one liang of ordinary silver. That's far too cheap for them!"

Zhang Sheng weighed the money pouch in his hand and smiled, "Don't underestimate this mere one liang of ordinary silver; it can resolve a thousand worldly sorrows."

The page still sounded indignant. "If you ask me, you could have used a minor Daoist Art to please that master, why expend your own fortune?"

Zhang Sheng replied, "I happened to arrive here, and the child happened to be born. This is fate with me, Zhang Sheng. Besides, ordinary fortune is not of much use; it merely leads to earlier enlightenment and stronger physical health. There's no need to dwell on it. Times have changed, and fortune is no longer valuable."

The page dared not say more, but his small face remained unhappy.

Zhang Sheng suddenly felt something and raised his left hand. His skin was like jade, dazzlingly white. His slender fingers unfolded one by one, like night-blooming cereus, so beautiful that it seemed incongruous with his face. A ball of cloud energy materialized in his palm, swirling and drifting in a certain direction.

Zhang Sheng's brows relaxed. "I've found the water eye of the Dragon Pool!"

The direction indicated by the cloud energy in his palm was not towards the town, but towards the rear of the Wei Residence they had just passed. Looking back from afar, he saw an ancient tree behind the Wei Residence, large enough for several people to embrace. Its shade covered half of the rear courtyard of the Wei family.

Zhang Sheng retracted the cloud energy from his palm and, within a few steps, appeared beneath the ancient tree. He looked up at the tree and nodded, "Water and wood nourish each other. This is the place."

He walked around the ancient tree and then looked at the orientation of the Wei Residence. He frowned slightly. "It's still somewhat connected to this residence. If I extract the dragon's energy, this family will be somewhat affected. How about this: go catch a wild chicken. After I obtain the dragon's energy, I will replenish some fortune for this family and also make that master happy."

The page complied and ran off. In a short while, he returned with a pheasant.

Zhang Sheng had already chosen the array positions. He casually picked up a few stones to build the array platform and stuck branches in specific locations around it. He said, "In the art of formations, if one can grasp the fundamental principles, it can be manipulated at will. This Wushui Heguan Array can gather the heavenly secrets and fortune from the surroundings. Originally, it required many precious materials, but since I'm placing it on a water eye, many array positions only need one item to occupy them. To be honest, this is a way of deceiving heaven and earth."

Zhang Sheng took out a jade disk and placed it on the array platform. The jade disk was of excellent quality, inscribed with countless patterns, with a faint glow circulating within. After placing the jade disk, Zhang Sheng said to the boy, "Now that this matter is settled, our connection is severed. Over the past year, I have taught you the basics. With this foundation, you will be able to find a sect you like and cultivate diligently."

The boy's eyes immediately turned red. He knelt on the ground with a thud and cried, "No, I don't want to go anywhere else! I want to follow you, Master! I only recognize you as my master!"

However, Zhang Sheng remained unmoved and said calmly, "We have no master-disciple connection. Do not call me master. Your opportunities are insufficient, and forcing it will be in vain."

The boy dared not say more, only kneeling and wiping away tears.

Zhang Sheng said, "I am about to activate the array. This is your last lesson, so watch carefully. It will not be easy to see this array again in the future."

The boy wiped away his tears and quickly began to observe closely.

Zhang Sheng placed his index finger against his glabella, his eyes slightly closed. Seven points of light suddenly flew from his body and entered the array disk one by one. All the patterns on the jade disk lit up, converging into a vortex. The center of the vortex was unfathomably deep, leading to an unknown destination.

Zhang Sheng then said, "The formation is complete. Just wait, this array will draw out that little dragon."

Before Zhang Sheng's words had even fallen, a mass of black energy erupted from the center of the vortex and swirled above the formation.

The boy's eyes widened. He hadn't expected that even this small place would have fortune, but it didn't look much like dragon qi. There was something indistinct within the black energy, but his cultivation was too low to see clearly.

But Zhang Sheng saw it clearly: within the black energy, a strange, large bird was slowly circling. It had three long, colorful tail feathers and a human face on its head.

Upon seeing this large bird, Zhang Sheng's expression also changed slightly. He thought to himself, Thankfully, it's just a wisp of energy, not even a partial soul.

He waved his hand, causing the mass of black energy to dissipate, and said, "Let's wait a little longer."

In the blink of an eye, two more masses of shadow were spat out from the center of the vortex, swirling restlessly. Zhang Sheng focused his gaze and saw two colossal beasts. Judging by their ferocious appearance and surging aura, he knew they were not good omens.

"Why is it always a disaster star or a rebel?" Zhang Sheng's expression was odd as he dispersed the two shadows.

After another moment, the formation continued to operate, but the center of the vortex remained still. Zhang Sheng's eyebrows rose, and he said coldly, "A mere little dragon, no matter how deeply you hide, I will dig you out!"

He raised his hand and pointed, and several more points of light entered the formation. The formation's light flared intensely, and the vortex spun!

In an instant, several streams of fortune continuously erupted from the formation, dimming the surroundings.

Zhang Sheng looked at them one by one and saw an endless blood pool, a crumbling mountain peak, a blood-stained royal banner, a broken divine weapon, and a giant cauldron suppressing a mountain of corpses. At this point, he didn't know what to say. However, there was one stream of fortune that was particularly peculiar: a long, slender iron pipe wrapped in wood, with a long, sharp blade attached to the front, inserted diagonally into scorched earth, with ruins stretching into the distance.

Even Zhang Sheng, who was usually calm, had a grim expression. This was no place for the nascent stages of great events; it was clearly a convergence of heaven and earth's killing intent!

Before he could decide whether to continue drawing dragon qi, a cold, vast, and primordial intent emanated from the center of the vortex. A colossal entity appeared on the other side of the vortex, attempting to break through. However, the vortex of the formation was too small, and it could only barely let through a wisp of its aura. As this wisp of aura emerged, the scenery around the formation began to distort!

Zhang Sheng made a decisive move. He waved his hand, draining the formation's Dao Power. With a crack, the jade disk shattered, and the passage for the colossal entity was severed.

That colossal fortune was extremely enraged. It let out a roar, but it had no choice but to disappear along with the formation's vortex.

The array disk shattered, and the gathered fortune dissipated. Everything around returned to normal. Zhang Sheng then realized he was covered in a cold sweat without knowing it. He didn't know what that colossal fortune was, only that it absolutely could not be allowed to come through. If it were to manifest in this world, it would be far more than just mountains collapsing and the earth sinking.

As he prepared to leave, Zhang Sheng looked towards the Wei Residence. In his eyes, the Wei Residence was shrouded in a gray-black aura, which had not been there before. He sighed inwardly. The formation had ultimately affected the feng shui and fortune of this household; he couldn't just leave.

Zhang Sheng pondered for a moment, and a small firebird materialized in his palm. This was a wisp of Phoenix Qi he had obtained elsewhere, quite precious, and more than enough to replenish the Wei Residence's fortune. He then had the boy throw the pheasant towards the Wei Residence and, with a flick of his finger, the small firebird merged into the pheasant's body. This was a common technique of borrowing an object to cast a spell, stealing heavenly secrets, and altering fate and fortune.

With this technique, the pheasant would momentarily transform into a Heavenly Phoenix, replenishing the Wei Residence's damaged fortune, with some left over. Great Benefactor Wei would not only have a prosperous and peaceful end but also some residual blessings for his descendants.

The pheasant, now free, immediately flew high. At that moment, a dark mystical halo erupted from its body, instantly transforming it into a bird with entirely black feathers and three heads!

Zhang Sheng was also stunned. Even he could not discern the origin of this three-headed giant bird, but it was definitely not related to the Heavenly Phoenix in any way.

Just then, a loud baby's cry echoed from the courtyard. The child was born.

At this moment, the three-headed giant bird came alive. Two heads looked downwards, while the other turned towards Zhang Sheng, its three dark golden eyes fixing on him simultaneously!

Instantly, Zhang Sheng felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, stood on the edge of an abyss, and was about to vanish!

The three eyes of the giant bird struck him with three different impacts!

Zhang Sheng's mind went blank. All his Spiritual Powers and Daoist Arts, his profound teachings, seemed to have been wiped away, not a single word remembered.

A part of his face suddenly crumbled, revealing another visage. Although only one eye was visible, its crescent-shaped eyebrow like the tip of the moon or a sword, and its eye, as bright as a star, as deep as ink, and tinged with pain – once seen, it could never be forgotten.

The three-headed giant bird glanced at Zhang Sheng, then looked down again. It circled the courtyard once, then flapped its wings and soared high, disappearing into the clouds in an instant.

Zhang Sheng remained silent for a moment before saying, "There are too many rebels in this place; it's not suitable to stay long."

With that, he left with the boy. Behind them, the ancient tree still stood tall and wide, like a canopy.

In the third year of Longwu of Great Tang, Wei Yuan was born in Ye County, Yongzhou. At the time of his birth, Zhang Sheng performed his ritual, and auspicious signs descended from heaven.