The laughter grew ever more frenzied, echoing throughout the valley and shaking leaves from the branches.
"Good, good, good!"
He said it three times in succession, and his laughter held a hint of appreciation for a kindred spirit. "I have lived in seclusion in the Shu Region for over a thousand years. You are the first person to uncover my identity. Tell me, how did you figure it out?"
Lu Changfeng said calmly, "Since ancient times, Sixth Realm experts have been few enough to count on one hand. Those who died in Bashu are fewer still. You are versed in the School of Names' assassination arts and the Mohist School's defensive swordsmanship. Your spiritual intent is a jumble of different traditions, yet they work together. That is clearly the way of the Eclectic School-embracing every school and drawing on the strengths of all."
"And in the pre-Qin era, Bashu was still a remote wilderness where learning had yet to flourish, and scholars from the Central Plains seldom ventured there. Among the histories and anecdotes, only one Eclectic School master fled into the Shu Region at that time while possessing mastery of the Hundred Schools of Thought. You, Shi Jiao, one of the founding patriarchs of the Eclectic School."
The wind gradually died down.
The silence lasted a long time, as though the entire valley were holding its breath to listen.
At last, the voice sounded again, tinged with emotion and admiration. "In those days, I helped Lord Shang establish his laws, and the people of Qin feared my name. When Lord Shang was executed, I feared being implicated and made my way into Shu. I thought no one would ever remember the name Shi Jiao again. Who would have imagined that, a thousand years later, a young man would expose