Volume One, Chapter Six: The Token of Allegiance

Facing this mysterious master, Bai Chou immediately activated the ‘Perception’ skill on the old man, but no matter how hard Bai Chou concentrated, no status bar appeared above the old man’s head.

Only then did Bai Chou realize there were limitations to using the ‘Perception’ skill.

It could be used three times a day;

It was ineffective against those with a power level of 45th Heaven or battle intent of Divine rank and above.

He had already used it on Zhao Yun, Zhou Tong, and Dong Ping today, so naturally, it was useless against the old man now.

After the people of Qingfeng Village had walked away, Zhao Yun knelt on both knees and respectfully said to the old man, “Old Immortal, my surname is Zhao, given name Yun, a native of Changshan. Even before coming down the mountain, I had often heard of your great reputation. In this chaotic era, as warlords rise across the land and the common folk suffer, I have come to learn your martial arts in hopes of assisting a wise and virtuous ruler to unify the realm and restore peace.”

The old man’s face was as serene as an ancient moon, his deep eyes unreadable as if pondering distant thoughts. After a long pause, he finally spoke, “The affairs of the world are naturally cyclical—unions break apart and divisions come together again. Life spans but a few decades; the fate of the world is already set. Why trouble yourselves? If you cannot bear the sight of it, why not retreat into the mountains, live as a wandering crane, and smile it off?”

The game “Legend of Zhao Yun” had detailed the process of Zhao Yun’s apprenticeship, and Bai Chou instantly deduced that this white-haired old man was none other than the legendary spear master Tong Yuan, hailed as the greatest in the Three Kingdoms.

It was said he was frank and upright, having often roamed the borderlands in his youth, once single-handedly repelling an entire Xiongnu army, earning worldwide fame. Yet, for unknown reasons, he never served in government office and retreated to the mountains in middle age, living a carefree life.

Logically, a man of Tong Yuan’s prowess would be concerned with the fate of the people and saving them from misery. Yet, why did his words now convey indifference and a desire for peaceful seclusion?

“A true man should wield a three-foot sword, accomplish unprecedented feats, and save the people from calamity. How can one simply retreat to the mountains and live in leisure alone?” Zhao Yun replied.

“If you hold such ideals, why seek out a humble mountain hermit like me?” the old man stroked his beard and smiled.

Zhao Yun was momentarily at a loss. Seeing this, Bai Chou quickly spoke up, “I have heard that in his youth, Elder Tong Yuan was a man with a heart for the world who roamed and upheld justice. Once, when passing through the lands of Yan and Zhao, he encountered a band of foreign troops marauding and slaughtering the common people. Alone, with just his spear, he wiped them out completely, leaving only two survivors to carry the message back to their leader. Upon hearing the news, the foreign chief led nearly a thousand soldiers to retaliate, yet all were ultimately defeated by him. The man who once stood with a sword in hand, protecting the people like a guardian, became who he is now—living quietly in this chaotic era—because of that one incident.”

Tong Yuan was startled, his eyes suddenly deepening as if recalling a distant memory. Then he looked at Bai Chou, his gaze sharp as twin swords, as if trying to pierce through him.

Bai Chou belonged to the Summer Dragon Special Forces, one of the top elite units globally. They were trained not only in physical and military skills but also in advanced psychological resilience, able to maintain composure under extreme pressure. Still, under Tong Yuan’s intense scrutiny, Bai Chou’s heart rate quickened; an ordinary person would have been paralyzed with fear.

Seeing Bai Chou remain composed, Tong Yuan laughed heartily. “Tong Yuan—it's been a long time since anyone spoke those words. You’re quite intriguing. How did you learn that I am Tong Yuan? And what is this matter you mentioned? Do you understand what it truly means?”

Scholars had long speculated on why Tong Yuan suddenly withdrew from the world. The factors that could change a man were often matters of homeland or love. Bai Chou’s probing words and Tong Yuan’s reaction confirmed it was one of these.

Bai Chou thought to use Tong Yuan’s curiosity to persuade him to accept Zhao Yun as his disciple. After some thought, he said, “Elder Tong, you are curious about my identity and how I know of you. I can satisfy your curiosity, but if I agree outright, you may feel indebted to me. It’s better if I propose a compromise, so it won’t seem that you are taking advantage of us.”

Tong Yuan continued laughing, “You’re truly amusing. Speak—does your plan involve me accepting you two as disciples?”

“You are indeed wise, Elder Tong,” Bai Chou flattered smoothly. “I was just thinking of a way that would neither leave you feeling indebted nor deprive us of some benefit. No wonder you are so thoughtful!”

Only then did Tong Yuan realize he had been outwitted by this young man. Having him propose the apprenticeship himself made it hard to retreat, given his own reputation. He smiled and said, “I am not unwilling to take disciples, but I won’t accept useless ones, lest I tarnish my name. By tradition, you must first present a token of loyalty. Only then will I impart some insights into martial arts.”

Zhao Yun and Bai Chou exchanged glances, their eyes alight with joy. They quickly asked, “Old Immortal, what kind of token do you require of us?”

Tong Yuan waved his hand and said, “Enough with ‘Old Immortal.’ You’re just like this young fellow. Just call me senior.”

After a pause, Tong Yuan continued, “In Qizhou City, there is a gang called the Black Tiger Gang. Its leader, Wei Tianpeng, is cruel and ruthless, involved in extortion and oppressing the people, even trafficking in human lives with the Japanese. He has some skill but probably not as formidable as the double-gun user you met earlier, Dong Ping. However, his godfather is Li Linfu, the current Prime Minister of the Tang Kingdom. Shielded by Li Linfu, Wei Tianpeng rules Qizhou with impunity, and no one dares intervene. Your task is to behead Wei Tianpeng and bring back his head as your token of loyalty.”

“Not to mention Wei Tianpeng’s strength, killing a gang leader in a city and escaping with the head is an extraordinarily difficult task,” Bai Chou murmured.

“Haha,” Tong Yuan stroked his graying beard and said solemnly, “Though my school is small, each disciple is a legend. I see you both have good foundations, but martial arts is not only about talent and roots; it depends on fate and whether you follow the heavenly way. If I had you kill a few bandits, that would be easy, but then my school’s reputation would suffer, and I would be ashamed before my ancestors. Whether you succeed depends on whether heaven favors your skills.”

Bai Chou knew Tong Yuan had taken only three disciples: the Northern Spear King Zhang Xiu, the Western Sichuan Spear King Zhang Ren, and Zhao Yun. There was no doubt that Zhao Yun was legendary.

Tong Yuan then explained how they could find Wei Tianpeng before bidding them farewell.

Tang Kingdom? Li Linfu? Bai Chou thought: That name sounded familiar, but apart from his deep knowledge of the Three Kingdoms era, his grasp of other history was vague. And if this was a chaotic age, how could there be a Tang Empire now?

On the way to Qizhou City, Bai Chou poured out his many doubts. Thanks to Zhao Yun’s explanations, he finally understood the general distribution of power across the nine provinces of China.

The land was in turmoil, with only four structured states left: the Qin Kingdom holding Yongzhou and Liangzhou, ruled by Emperor Ying Zheng; the Han Kingdom holding Yangzhou and Jingzhou, ruled by Emperor Liu Bang; the Tang Kingdom holding Yuzhou, Qingzhou, Yanzhou, and Xuzhou, ruled by Emperor Li Shimin; and the Ming Kingdom holding Jizhou, ruled by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. Beyond Jizhou lay borderlands divided by the Great Xianbei Mountains into the Yuan Kingdom in the west, led by Genghis Khan, and the Qing Kingdom in the east, led by Nurhaci. Due to ongoing conflicts, dozens of rebellions scattered across the border and junction areas.

After hearing Zhao Yun’s account, Bai Chou was shaken. These were the most prosperous and powerful dynasties in Chinese history, each led by its strongest founding emperor, now all converging in a chaotic free-for-all.

He imagined himself aiding Qin’s Ying Zheng to unify the land, competing with Tang’s Li Shimin for Central Plains dominance, or even supporting the overlord Xiang Yu to establish unparalleled feats. Thinking of these historic heroes, he could not help but feel excited.

Yet even he did not know that he was about to embark on an entirely new path.