Chapter 57

The first rays of morning sunlight shone on Li Kuan's face. The old man who was supposed to fetch his medicine stopped in his tracks and began to scrutinize his face carefully. Li Kuan felt an urge to curse, thinking, "Is this old man crazy? Even though I am quite handsome, there's no need to look at me like this! Does he have some kind of special fetish?"

As Li Kuan thought this, a chill ran down his spine, and he felt a bit uneasy. Fortunately, the old man soon came to his senses: "A tiger stripe on the forehead, and even the king of tigers, the Metal White Tiger. It seems the world is about to be in chaos again." The old man sighed deeply.

"What's this about a White Tiger stripe? What does it have to do with the world?" Although Li Kuan wanted to curse the old man's female relatives, he had to ask for help, so he continued the conversation.

"Kid, you're quite something, huh, hehe..." The old man didn't answer but instead looked at Li Kuan's waist and said, "Since you are in the royal family, you must be related to that position. It's best for this old Taoist not to meddle in such matters! I'll help you this time, but remember to pay me back in the future!" As he spoke, the old man lightly brushed Li Kuan's chest, and a small porcelain bottle fell into his hand.

He pulled out the stopper and poured out a round pill: "Hmm, Polygonum multiflorum, Angelica sinensis, and... what! This herb is unknown even to this old Taoist! Hehe, it seems you have some capable people behind you. No wonder you could survive that heavenly calamity. It seems the world will not have peace for long! But as an outsider, this old Taoist has nothing to do with it. Whether it's a blessing or a curse, let the world bear it!" He then forced the pill into Li Kuan's mouth and poured out another one, which he pocketed: "Since you have someone backing you, this old Taoist won't ask for repayment. Consider this pill as my fee!"

With that, the old man turned and left.

Li Kuan was even more furious: "This old man is a bandit! That pill costs hundreds of thousands! The system has already taken away my energy points, and now this old Taoist is robbing me. I must have forgotten to check the almanac today; how unlucky!"

Li Kuan was not only angry but also regretful. If he hadn't impulsively tried that extreme training method, he wouldn't have been so weak, and this wouldn't have happened. Who would have thought that such a place would have such a perverted old Taoist? Li Kuan had already guessed the old man's identity when he mentioned his surname Yuan. He didn't reveal it because he didn't know if Yuan was on Li Er's side or Li Jiancheng's side. If he was on Li Jiancheng's side, discovering his secret and knowing his identity could mean he would be at the mercy of others.

"Yuan Shoucheng, don't go! I know it's you, give me back the pill!" Li Kuan shouted, his concerns dispelled. The old Taoist had seen his identity token and still claimed to be an outsider, which meant he wasn't on Li Jiancheng's side or even Li Yuan's side. He was completely independent, a transcendent old Taoist. So Li Kuan dared to call out his name and bring him back because he couldn't bear to lose that pill, which had cost him hundreds of thousands of energy points. Li Kuan had no other source of energy points and had been living off his savings. He had been spending a lot recently: a small toy for Li Lizhi one day, a weight loss pill for Li Tai the next. Apart from the fixed expenses for his treatment, he was almost broke. Moreover, he could feel his body getting stronger, and the hidden injuries that had been causing him pain were almost healed. He was eager to stop the old Taoist because if he couldn't recover due to the lack of one pill, he would be in a dire situation.

It wasn't that Li Kuan had no source of energy points, but he couldn't afford to lose more. After obtaining Blackstone Mountain, Li Kuan hired a few local farmers to dig for coal. Although the surface part was absorbed by the system, there should still be a lot underground. However, the mine collapsed within a month, killing two farmers. Li Kuan had to pay a large sum of money in compensation, and the system, which protected the natives, deducted 200,000 energy points from him, more than the value of the coal. So Li Kuan gave up on mining. The coal he could dig out wouldn't be enough to cover the system's deduction, and he would have to use his savings. At the time, he thought he had enough energy points, so he stopped the project. Now, he was penniless, and the pill was very important.

Yuan Shoucheng had already walked a long distance, but hearing Li Kuan call his name, he couldn't help but laugh bitterly: "I didn't expect this kid to figure it out. Truly, a child born into the most complex family has a sharp mind."

Thinking this, Yuan Shoucheng couldn't take another step. Since he was recognized, his pride wouldn't allow him to run away. So he returned to Li Kuan: "Kid, since you've recognized me, this old Taoist won't take your pill. But you must tell me what herbs were used to make it!" Yuan Shoucheng was still reluctant. Although he didn't know the exact effects of the pill, he was clear about Li Kuan's condition before, so he was sure that the pill could quickly heal hidden injuries or replenish physical weakness. Such a medicine was invaluable for martial artists, so he had shamelessly tried to take one.

"Who would have thought that a great national master like you would rob a child! Truly surprising!" Li Kuan, feeling secure, taunted.

"Medicine can be taken casually, but words cannot be spoken carelessly! Didn't I help you just now? Shouldn't you give this old Taoist some compensation?" Yuan Shoucheng refused to admit he was robbing a child.

"I won't say that if you tell me what you meant by the White Tiger stripe!" Li Kuan, feeling his strength returning, asked as he moved his limbs.

"The so-called tiger stripe is a term in Daoist physiognomy, referring to the pattern on a person's forehead. Those with this pattern are destined to be great generals, and the Metal White Tiger is the king of all tigers." Yuan Shoucheng stroked his beard and shook his head.

"Then what did you mean by the heavenly calamity?" Li Kuan, curious, asked about what he had heard the old man mutter.

"You have a high mentor, so you should know. The White Tiger represents death and destruction. When the White Tiger descends, blood will flow. Therefore, heaven will send a calamity to prevent those with the White Tiger stripe from growing up. In other words, those with this pattern are destined to die young. You have the White Tiger stripe, so you should be weak and sickly, but you are skilled in martial arts and healthy. Someone must have changed your fate against heaven's will!" Yuan Shoucheng's eyes flashed with admiration. He thought of how Zhuge Liang, the great strategist, had tried to extend his life by twelve years with the Seven Star Lamp but failed, showing the difficulty of such a feat. So the person or people behind Li Kuan must be highly skilled.

Li Kuan just wanted to satisfy his curiosity, but he didn't believe in such mystical theories. Even though he was a soul from the future, he didn't believe in gods or Buddhas. If there were gods, he would be the first to capture and interrogate them. He had lived well in the future and never thought he would end up in this era as a sickly child. He wouldn't mind killing gods to see if they were truly invincible.

As for what Yuan Shoucheng said, Li Kuan quickly figured out the key: Yuan Shoucheng had seen his token, which read "Second Son of the Qin King," so he knew Li Kuan's identity. The boxing technique Li Kuan had demonstrated, though unknown to Yuan Shoucheng, was clearly a lethal martial art. National martial arts are essentially combat techniques, so Li Kuan's performance indicated he would be a leader. When the old man gave Li Kuan the pill, he had already felt his pulse and knew he was weak and sickly. So the talk about changing fate and the Metal White Tiger was just to make the story more convincing.

So Li Kuan looked at Yuan Shoucheng with a skeptical eye: "What a pity! At his age, he could do anything but chose to be a charlatan. If he lived in the 21st century, he would be a cult leader."

"What, you don't believe me? This old Taoist only tells you this much because of the person behind you. If it were anyone else, even the highest person, this old Taoist wouldn't say such things! It seems I need to show you some real skills to make you believe. Let me tell you a bit more." Yuan Shoucheng stroked his beard. The morning breeze blew his robes, making him look like a transcendent being.

"Then tell me about the fate of the Tang Dynasty!" Li Kuan didn't believe Yuan Shoucheng's talk. The wind blowing and robes fluttering were clichés from TV dramas. A great hero wouldn't be a hero without such a scene, just an extra.

"The fate of the Tang Dynasty? That's easy! The Tang Dynasty will flourish, with a wise emperor bringing peace and prosperity. Doors will be left unlocked at night, and no one will pick up lost items on the road." The old Taoist began to spin his tale. Since no one knew the future, he made predictions based on the information he had. The world would certainly be unified, and the Tang Dynasty would rule. A wise emperor would certainly emerge, as the first three emperors of a dynasty would not be incompetent. Even the second emperor of the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Yang, was not incompetent; he just tried to achieve in a few years what should have taken decades, leading to chaos.

"Ha ha..." Li Kuan didn't say a word, just smiled and watched the old Taoist, as if watching a monkey show. Who knew the future better than him? This old Taoist was just showing off in front of a master. He found it hard to hold back, but he had to, because he wanted to hear more from the old Taoist.