In eastern North You Province, where the Great River met the sea, stood a manor nestled against the mountains and overlooking the water.
The manor was called Zeng Family Manor, one of the oldest in North You Province. It had been founded at the dawn of Great Xia, in Di Yichou's time.
Even today, a plaque reading "Opening Mountains, Expanding Seas" hung above its main gate. It was said to be written by Di Yichou himself.
Whether that was true was hard to say, but everyone knew that Zeng Family Manor had a long history.
Long enough to appear in the history books.
In Di Dingmao's time, the powerful families of North You Province had presented the Imperial Court with all manner of local specialties.
The histories recorded: "Early in the second year of Di Dingmao's reign, the He, Fang, Han, and Zeng manors of the northeastern frontier offered maps and rare treasures as tribute. Delighted, the emperor wrote 'Opening Mountains, Expanding Seas' in his own hand to honor them."
The years rolled on. Some of the He, Fang, and Han manors had vanished, while others had grown into towns in the Northeast of the Nine Provinces.
Only Zeng Family Manor remained as it had been, neither declining nor expanding, still standing where mountain met sea.
Yet this modest manor carried enormous weight in You Province, especially in Northern Youzhou.
A renowned house of You Province: the sea-guarding Zeng Family.
Beginning with its second head, Zeng Tianmeng, the Zeng Family had produced a True Person Grandmaster in every generation. The mightiest of them was Zeng Wuji, who had followed Di Yihai into the Battle of the Northern Desert.
Zeng Wuji fought bloody battles for years and narrowly escaped death several times. At last, under the pressure of a life-or-death struggle,