Chapter 22: Heretic
General Fang Jingchuan (方靖川) of Northern Hou rode on horseback down the main road of Iron Stream Town, flanked by a hundred heavily armed cavalrymen clad in armor — the personal guard of House Fang. From each soldier's cuirass rose twin banners, fluttering in the wind like a pair of blue wings. Each flag bore the character Fang.
The townsfolk dared not step outside or even approach a window. The rhythmic clatter of hooves echoed off the stone-paved road. Riding beside the general were Centurion Dong Li and the general's son, Fang Dazhu (大柱), commander of a thousand-strong cavalry wing of House Fang.
Despite his age, General Fang cut an imposing figure — a face carved from stone, a short white beard, and a towering stature that set him apart. Though not as muscular as in his prime, his lamellar armor masked the frailties of age.
His son Dazhu looked even more fearsome. He was shorter but his face was covered in scars — a true war dog who obeyed no one but the Emperor or his father. He had dedicated his life to war and martial arts, and his mere presence in a room could make people break into a nervous sweat.
The cavalry passed through the town and headed toward the mines, but suddenly halted in front of the house of healer Bai Xiao. Bai Xiao had already anticipated their arrival and stood quietly at the gate alongside Auntie Sun.
As the riders stopped, General Fang, Dazhu, and Dong Li dismounted.
Bai Xiao called out loudly:
"Greetings, Father. Greetings, Elder Brother." A faint smile played on his lips.
Auntie Sun bowed deeply.
"Wei (伟)! Ha-ha! Last time I saw you, you looked half a ghost," his brother said, slapping him on the shoulder with a rare smile for the battle-hardened commander.
"Hello, son. Now show me how you've been living," the general said dryly — he hadn't seen his son in ten years.
The soldiers clanked forward in armor to inspect the house for threats.
"So this is the famed garden of the miracle doctor Bai Xiao? The rumors suggested it was much larger," his brother said, eyeing the neat rows of fragrant plants.
"This is the one. I've gathered a fine collection of rare herbs."
"Father and I already tried your new Goldenthread Pill. It's extraordinary. Did it cure your illness?"
"Yes, Brother. With the pill and some medical procedures, I made a full recovery."
"Good," the general interjected. "Let's talk inside."
They headed for Bai Xiao's modest home, which the soldiers had already secured.
"Auntie Sun, please bring us tea," Bai Xiao said politely.
"No need. My attendant will handle it," General Fang replied.
"As you wish, Father," Bai Xiao said calmly, understanding the situation. "Auntie, please rest in Zhen's room."
Auntie Sun bowed and withdrew to the small house by the well, while the general, his sons, and the centurion entered Bai Xiao's home.
Seated cross-legged on cushions around a table, they sipped tea brought from the kitchen by one of the soldiers, noisily slurping.
The general gestured for the guards to leave. Once they were alone, he began to speak.
"Your reports have been invaluable, Wei. You and Dong Li did excellent work. As I promised, Dong Li, I'll speak with the Duke about appointing you as a thousand-man commander. If he has no position, I'll take you into my own army. We need capable saboteurs. As for you, Wei, you will join the army as the head of the medical corps of my Third Eastern Army."
"Thank you, General," Dong Li began to rise to bow, but the general waved him back down.
"And what about my garden and the pills?" Bai Xiao asked.
"Hire workers. The herbs can be delivered to the front. You'll have time to prepare pills."
"Well... I guess there's no other choice..." Bai Xiao took a sip of tea.
"We heard an explosion two days ago. Our scouts report the gods struck a rock. What madness is going on here?" Dazhu asked.
"It's true. Whether they were gods or not, I and my men saw a massive flying disc and three fireballs above a cliff the locals now call Thunder Demon Cliff. The disc fired a beam of flame into the cliff."
"And who was the boy that fled beforehand?" Dazhu asked. Apparently, the town was full of spies — the Northern Hou army didn't even need telepathy.
Bai Xiao tensed. Dong Li remained silent, waiting for Bai Xiao to answer.
"He's my disciple. He has a secret spot in the forest where he practices martial arts. He's overly romantic, dreams of adventure. I assure you, he's not a spy."
"He assures us... ha." The general snorted and slapped his thigh.
Bai Xiao felt a surge of urgency — he had to protect Zhen. If the general suspected him, he might arrest and even torture his parents. And if Zhen truly was a messenger of the gods, as Bai Xiao believed, harming his relatives could have grave consequences.
"Father... the divine palace above the cliff wasn't the only thing that happened. The pill recipe... it was given to me... by the gods themselves. They also instructed me to watch over the boy and take him as my disciple."
The old general eyed his son skeptically.
"This isn't a joke! That boy is truly under divine protection. Not long ago, we had a conflict with the Yuan clan. When Zhen became my disciple, he hadn't even reached the first stage of internal forms. But a year later, during the conflict, he nearly killed a local third-stage master with a single, half-powered palm strike. I assure you, no spies from self-proclaimed Southern Hou — not even their false emperor — could give a child such strength. He's at least at the fifth stage of inner cultivation now."
Silence fell over the table.
"And what news of the boy?" the general asked.
"Nothing. I believe the appearance of the flying disc is related to him. At the very moment of the incident, the gods appeared to me again and said they were taking Zhen with them — and that we should not search for him."
"Hmph... interesting..." Dazhu sipped his tea thoughtfully. Bai Xiao thought his brother had more scars now than he had ten years ago.
"We can use this situation to our advantage. Spread the rumor that the gods are on our side and destroyed the mountain demons supporting Southern Hou."
"Excellent idea, Dazhu!" General Fang said with enthusiasm. "Now we just need to deal with the mines. How much of that new blue steel do you have?"
"We've stockpiled five tons," Dong Li replied, glad the topic had shifted.
"We'll take three tons for military use — the Duke and I already arranged it."
"As you command, General," Dong Li said, not eager to argue, though he remembered the original agreement was for two tons. Still, they didn't take it all, he thought.
"Good. Let's head to the mines and see how things are set up there." The general rose with some effort under his armor — age had taken its toll. Dazhu jumped up quickly and helped his father to his feet.
"I'd like to come too — I need to inspect something for my experiments," said Bai Xiao.
"Since when do herbs grow in mines?" the general joked, chuckling at his own wit.
"I need cinnabar, not herbs," Bai Xiao smiled.
During the Thunder Demon Cliff incident, Bai Xiao had received the long-promised life-extension technique. And not just any technique — a complete method of alchemy. It was called the Jade Dragon Stars Dance (玉龙星舞法). From the text, he learned that the constellation of the Jade Dragon influenced the arcane Dragon Channel, which could be used to regulate medical and miraculous meridians — an indirect way to gradually restore True Jing to the kidneys and form the Spiritual Root.
This was a supplementary method, passed down to the Sect of Refining the Void through a merger with the minor Sect of the Jade Dragon Gate about a thousand years ago. The text also included a recipe for the Spiritual Root Elixir, which aided in the formation process. Brewing the elixir in crude conditions was difficult and even dangerous, as it required cinnabar. However, Bai Xiao had experience separating mercury from sulfur. He also had access to the required herbs.
He now understood why the alchemical methods he knew had failed: the Spiritual Root had to be formed first. Moreover, the medical meridians used by mortal doctors were inaccurately described, and the distinction between Pre-Heaven and Post-Heaven Jing and Qi had been completely ignored by mortal alchemists.
Apparently, he had been extremely fortunate to receive such secret teachings. But... the text contained something else.
The Immortal Island? The gods he worshipped were demons?
It all sounded like... heresy.