Chapter 927: Reunion is Fate

A few days later, Ji Yuan appeared in the Imperial Prefecture of Dazhen, outside the capital city.

It had been almost eight years since he had visited the capital of Dazhen. Now, revisiting the Imperial Prefecture, Ji Yuan could no longer recognize the city's appearance.

After expansion, the city's scale far surpassed its former size. There were now three layers of city walls: the outermost wall was the most imposing, towering nine *zhang* high; the former outer wall had become an inner wall; and the innermost was the Imperial City's wall.

Moreover, outside one side of the city wall, a wide, short-distance canal had been dug, drawing water from the Tongtian River. It also served as a port for the capital, bustling with numerous ships and busy cargo transport.

The outer areas of the capital were the largest in terms of area. Ji Yuan passed through the new outer wall via the city gate. Upon entering the capital's new district, he saw buildings everywhere and wide streets. Most of these buildings had been constructed in recent years, including shops, residences, academies, and government offices.

Some of these areas were settled by local residents from near the capital, but more people had migrated from various parts of Dazhen, and even from all over the world, drawn by its reputation. Merchants bought land and built buildings, renowned scholars moved in, and people transported goods from all corners of the world to do business in Dazhen's capital. Some came simply to admire the scenery of Dazhen's capital, while many eager students came, drawn by the desire to see the Sage of Literature and hoping to gain his recognition.

Of course, while most areas already had buildings, there were still many pavilions and shops under construction. Merchants from all sides had no shortage of business; trade was bustling. Visitors and local residents were dazzled by the variety of goods. Those seeking work found no shortage of jobs; recruitment was constant everywhere. Literacy and numeracy were preferred, and physical strength was also good. Even without these, as long as one was diligent and honest, there was no lack of work and food. Coupled with Dazhen's strict laws, enlightened policies, and orderly planning, the entire capital was a hive of activity.

Walking through such a city, Ji Yuan constantly felt a vibrant force of development. The confidence and vitality of its people were rare in the world.

Ji Yuan walked along the central avenue. On some walls ahead, the three large characters "Yongning Street" were carved, clearly an extension from the old Yongning Street, reaching all the way to the outermost city gate.

As he walked along the street, Ji Yuan had already seen more than once people in scholar's robes walking and looking around with continuous exclamations of awe. Some even spoke with accents that sounded as if they were from other continents.

While Ji Yuan was walking and observing with a smile, not far diagonally across the street, there was a large shop, three times the size of a regular one, selling scholarly supplies (the four treasures of the study) and stationery. The customers inside were not numerous but were all refined individuals. Outside, two shop assistants, occasionally calling out, were also watching the passersby. They saw the visiting students and also spotted Ji Yuan in the crowd.

"Look, that gentleman must be a profoundly learned scholar. His demeanor is completely different from those other students!"

"Where?"

"Hey, over there!"

"Oh, oh, oh, you're right! With such composure, he must be from Dazhen!"

"Needless to say. Last time, a high-ranking official from another prefecture returned to the capital and came here to buy pens in civilian clothes. That lord, who hadn't been back to the capital for a long time but could clearly see such changes, wasn't he much like this gentleman looks now?"

"Come to think of it, you're right!"

"Hehehe, if I wasn't so good at judging people, why would the boss value me so much? You should learn a thing or two!"

"You're just bragging again!"

As the two were talking, an old man with a full head of silver hair and a long white beard slowly emerged from the shop. Although he was quite old and leaned on a cane, he had excellent vigor, a ruddy complexion, and plump skin.

The old man was the father of the shop's owner. In his early years, the family's fortunes began to soar under his guidance. His eldest son took over the scholarly supplies business from various places and became the family's pillar. His youngest son was exceptionally learned and upright, now teaching at the Haoran Academy in the capital and occasionally meeting the Sage of Literature—what an honor that was.

The old man was now completely relaxed, strolling around leisurely and elegantly, also wanting to see the capital's splendor.

"What are you laughing about?"

The old man asked kindly, and the two shop assistants immediately became more serious, bowing to him.

"Old Master, we were watching the passersby, guessing their identities to sharpen our judgment. Just now, we saw a truly learned scholar from Dazhen."

"Oh, which one?"

One assistant pointed into the distance.

"That one, he's already passed, Old Master. I tell you, that gentleman's demeanor was more outstanding than any high-ranking official I've ever seen. If he's not a scholar who has mastered all knowledge and understands past and present, then he must be some high-ranking court official who has retired. He... Old Master?"

"Old Master? What's wrong?"

The two assistants successively noticed the old man's unusual state. They saw his expression was agitated and his breathing rapid, clearly indicating something was wrong. This made the two assistants panic.

"Old Master! Old Master, what's wrong with you?"

"Boss! Boss—something's happened to the Old Master!"

Inside the shop, the owner—a man who was no longer young but had a ruddy complexion and no white hair—was accompanying his father for a stroll and checking on the new shop. He had been attending to a distinguished guest, but upon hearing the assistants' shouts outside, he disregarded everything and rushed out.

"What's wrong? Father! Father, what's wrong with you? Father! Quick, call a doctor! This is the capital; there are countless famous physicians, and our dynasty doesn't lack immortal masters. Go quickly and find someone..."

"Sheng'er!"

The Old Master grabbed the man's hand. Although his arm trembled slightly, it was very strong, which immediately put the man at ease.

"Father?"

With his other hand, the Old Master trembled slightly as he pointed into the distance.

"That—that gentleman! Although I can't recall his face, I will never forget that back! It's him, it's him!"

The Old Master spoke words that made no sense to others, then turned to look at his eldest son and nodded emphatically.

"There's no mistake, it's that gentleman!"

The eldest son didn't react at first. It wasn't until his father emphasized it a second time that he suddenly realized something. His mouth slightly agape, a memory flashed through his mind, finally settling on a calligraphic work hanging in the study of their old family home, which read: "Evil cannot triumph over righteousness."

The eldest son was Yi Sheng, the second son Yi Wuxie, and the third son Yi Zheng. The names of the old man's three sons also came from that calligraphic work.

That calligraphic work was a rare piece in the world. It is often said that calligraphy and painting contain spirit, and this piece clearly did. Its powerful strokes, like iron and silver hooks, seemed to penetrate the paper. The positive and uplifting spirit it conveyed influenced several generations of the Yi family, constantly encouraging all family members. For the Yi family, it was an exceptionally special family heirloom.

Whenever they encountered difficulties, felt disheartened, or faced tough times, merely seeing that calligraphic work always inspired them to persevere and hold onto the right path in their hearts.

Logically, a master of such calligraphy should have been a renowned calligrapher of that era. Yet, there were few similar works in the world, and no record of the artist's name was passed down, making it extremely difficult to find the person.

The third son, Yi Zheng, with his family's consent, once took the calligraphic work to visit Sage Yin, the Sage of Literature. As the most learned scholar in the world, the Sage of Literature indeed seemed to recognize the writing on the work at a glance, but he only gave Yi Zheng a meaningful smile, saying only, "No need to search; if there is fate, you will meet," and then refused to say more. Yi Zheng, of course, dared not press further, but whenever he had a chance to see the Sage, he would always try to probe subtly, yet he never gained any information.

Gradually, this matter became a lingering preoccupation for the Old Master of the Yi family.

After realizing that they had encountered that gentleman, Yi Sheng, the son, also became excited.

"Father, wait here. I will go invite that gentleman immediately! You all take care of the Old Master!"

Yi Sheng didn't wait for the shop assistants' reply. Leaving these words, he hurried away, running. He chased forward, and though he was already a grandfather, he now moved like a young man, practically flying.

"Sir—Sir, please wait—Sir—"

For some reason, even though he was running, he couldn't close the distance to that figure. Yi Sheng had no choice but to run and shout, drawing glances from many people on the street who wondered what was happening.

Ji Yuan, walking ahead, naturally heard the shouts from behind. After a slight frown, he stopped, slowly turned to look at the person catching up. He noticed that amidst his blurred vision, the person's figure was surprisingly clear, indicating that this person was not ordinary.

The moment Yi Sheng approached Ji Yuan and saw him turn around, he was stunned on the spot.

'How can he be so young?'

This thought flashed through his mind, but Yi Sheng didn't have time to dwell on it. He quickly bowed deeply to Ji Yuan.

"I am Yi Sheng, greetings, Sir! If you have no urgent matters, I implore you to come with me to meet my father. My father has been searching for you for a very long time!"

"Your father?"

Ji Yuan's gaze swept past the man and looked into the distance, vaguely seeing an old man standing in front of the shop. A sense of recognition dawned on him, somewhat indistinctly.

'So that's it!'

"Very well, I will go with you."

Ji Yuan smiled and said this, and the man before him also showed surprise and delight.

"Sir, please follow me!"

The man steadied his breathing, extended his hand, and invited him to follow. Ji Yuan followed behind. However, the man had also recovered his senses by now. When his father acquired the calligraphic work, he was in his prime; now he was nearly ninety years old. Even if that gentleman had been a mere child back then, he couldn't possibly look like this now, could he?

'Could it be...?'

Yi Sheng was not foolish; on the contrary, he was very intelligent. While immortals remained mysterious to ordinary folk, his family had some standing. Rumors of immortals were more commonly heard nowadays, so he couldn't help but consider this possibility.

Ji Yuan walked up to the old man. The latter stared blankly at Ji Yuan, his mouth agape, unable to speak for a long time. This gentleman was exactly as he had been back then; he was an immortal—no wonder he was so hard to find in the world...

"Old friend, our reunion is also a matter of fate!"