The shaobing was very fragrant, but also very hard, making it quite taxing to eat. Ethan Brooks had thought he had already left behind all the experiences he’d had in the Divine General’s Manor, successfully dispelling those faintly sour emotions. However, when he thought of the words “phoenix,” he naturally recalled the true phoenix blood he had only heard about today, thought of that Miss Sullivan who possessed the true phoenix blood, and then remembered those little trinkets he had received many years ago...

He stared blankly at the last piece of shaobing between his fingers for a while before finally putting it to his lips, chewing it thirty-two times before swallowing. He took a handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe the crumbs from his hands, stood up, shouldered his luggage, and disappeared into the crowd.

He did not notice that, not far away at the street corner, there was an inconspicuous carriage parked. Somewhere unobtrusive on the carriage shaft, there was a slightly dim blood-phoenix insignia. Of course, even if he saw it, he would not know that this insignia represented the Eastern Divine General’s Manor—after Miss Sullivan was born, Her Holiness the Empress bestowed the blood-phoenix upon the Divine General’s Manor as its new insignia. This was the highest honor, and also a kind of proclamation.

The warhorse in front of the carriage had unicorn blood; its eyes gazed coldly at the water flowing under the bridge. The old woman in the carriage also had a cold look in her eyes, but within them was a hint of surprise and wary unease.

Since Ethan Brooks left the Divine General’s Manor, she had been following him. She had not expected that, upon seeing the capital of the Great Zhou for the first time, the youth could remain so calm, not at all like an inexperienced country boy. That was because she did not know that the youth had read countless books since childhood, had seen countless sights and traveled countless miles within those pages.

……

……

Chris Sullivan sat in the study, his burly figure exuding a faint scent of blood. Through the window, a kingfisher perched on a tree more than ten zhang away hid its head under its wing in terror, not daring to make a sound. That powerful aura tinged with bloodthirst proved the terrifying strength of this Divine General of the Great Zhou, and also showed that he was in a very bad mood.

What made him so irritable was the half jade pendant on the desk.

“Back then, when Father was Grand Minister, he was deeply trusted by Her Holiness, and was ordered to preside over the book-burning ceremony at Mount Tai. The demons, in order to sabotage the event, sent Charles Bennett to secretly assassinate Father, and Father was gravely wounded. Even His Holiness the Pope personally went to Mount Tai but could not heal him. It was not until a wandering Daoist passed through Tai County that Father’s injuries were cured, and thus this marriage agreement was made.”

Mrs. Sullivan said softly, “It seems that Daoist truly had some skill.”

Chris Sullivan looked up at the blue sky outside the window and said, “In this vast world, with tigers among the wind and dragons among the clouds, there are countless strong ones. That Daoist could be called a sage in the art of healing, truly extraordinary. Otherwise, why would Father betroth Yvonne to his descendant?”

Mrs. Sullivan was a bit uneasy and asked, “The most crucial thing now is that marriage contract... If that Daoist had no background, was not an important figure, it wouldn’t be so difficult to handle.”

Chris Sullivan said coldly, “Let that little Daoist wake up.”

Mrs. Sullivan lowered her voice even further, so much so that it was almost inaudible: “That little Daoist doesn’t seem like someone who can be dismissed with a few benefits. What if he keeps pestering? Next year, when the Heavenly Book Mausoleum opens, the southern saints will surely send a delegation. At that time, they’ll probably formally propose marriage to the court. We can’t let anything go wrong.”

Chris Sullivan narrowed his eyes slightly, like a tiger about to sleep, and said, “Then burn him to ashes and throw him into the Luo River.”

In a few days, the rainy season would arrive, and the Luo River would rise. Whether ashes or bones, once they fell into the river, they would disappear in an instant.

Chapter 4: Tiandao Institute

Just as he had every morning for the past fourteen years, Ethan Brooks woke at five, opened his eyes immediately, spent five breaths to calm his mind, turned over and got out of bed, put on his shoes and clothes, made his bed, and began to wash up. In the inn’s front hall, he ate a bowl of duck porridge and four steaming hot meat buns from the first basket. Returning to his room, he rinsed his mouth again with last night’s cold tea, tidied his clothes in front of the bronze mirror, and then walked out to the small courtyard.

—Now that he was no longer in the little temple in Xining Town, there was no need to chop wood or carry water. Facing the newborn morning mist and the distant light of dawn, he closed his eyes and began to meditate, silently reciting Daoist scriptures in his mind until he felt clear-headed and refreshed. Only then was his daily practice complete. He exited through the side door onto the gradually bustling streets of the capital, blending inconspicuously into the crowd to begin his day.

He held a list in his hand, with the names of several academies in the capital. After asking the market steward for the address of the first academy, he quickened his pace. He did not notice the carriage following behind him, nor did he realize that the horse had unicorn blood, much less notice the somewhat hidden blood-phoenix insignia on the carriage shaft.

Countless years ago, when the Heavenly Book descended to the world, enlightening the people, countless disciplines developed. Yet, despite all their changes, they all shared the same origin, all encompassed within the Daoist classics. Agriculture, industry, commerce, and learning were all the same. And the most authoritative standard for judging these, now universally recognized, was the annual Grand Examination of the Great Zhou Dynasty.