"Young master! Young master! You mustn't go up that mountain! It's full of living Buddhas! We can't afford to offend them! Ah, slow down!"
Outside Chang'an City, a fine horse galloped along. The young man held the reins in one hand and raised his whip with the other, his white robes streaming behind him, his face alight with high spirits.
Behind him, two warriors hurried on foot, anxiety written across their faces. They covered a full ten feet with every stride, yet did not fall the slightest bit behind the horse.
The three men and one horse raced down the straight road like wind and lightning. People along the way clicked their tongues in wonder.
A composed middle-aged man leaned out of a large carriage and asked, "Whose son is that? His two guards are no ordinary fighters. He can't come from an ordinary family."
"Lord Sai, he's Chen Yi, the only son of that Academician Chen. His maternal grandfather is also a famed minister of Lingyan Pavilion. The boy is registered in Luoyang. They say he's been clever since childhood and is a celebrated prodigy in Chang'an. By the age of ten, he'd read books of every kind. The Emperor heard of him and praised him three times, saying the Chen Household was hiding a great talent!"
"So he's Academician Chen's son. Academician Chen placed first in both the civil and military examinations. He's a scholar renowned throughout All Under Heaven! No wonder the boy seems so extraordinary, with such enduring fortune." The man drew back and swept his gaze across the surroundings. He saw quite a few monks; wherever they passed, people bowed, prostrated themselves, and saluted without end. He sighed. "Let's hurry on."
As the carriage slowly entered Chang'an City, the horse sped onward. In the blink