PD -Chapter 9 Descendant of Liu Bowen

“Boss, your eyes must have been playing tricks on you. What white mist? I was so scared at the time I nearly wet myself. I had no idea what to do!”

Liu Xiaopeng hemmed and hawed for a while without giving a direct answer. He pushed open the door, slung his backpack onto his shoulders, said it was getting late, and then headed home.

As I watched the door close behind him, a sense of suspicion arose in my heart.

When he first came to apply for the job, he had boldly told me that he was a descendant of Liu Bowen and possessed the power of the Nine Sons of the Dragon.

Earlier, when the shadow had rushed toward Tang Shanshan and me, I had clearly seen him clench his right fist. A stream of white mist had risen from it…

And yet now he refused to admit it. I really had no idea what medicine he was selling in his gourd.

The ancestral book passed down through my family, The Record of Heaven’s Mysteries, actually had quite a deep connection to Liu Xiaopeng’s ancestor, Liu Bowen.

According to legend, near the end of the Yuan Dynasty, Liu Bowen traveled to Mount Hua and arrived at a secluded valley cave atop Kongfeng Peak. There, he encountered a Daoist known as Xu Lingzi, the Iron-Crowned Daoist Xuanzhen.

This man was skilled in cultivating essence and qi and had profound knowledge of the cycles of the Three Primordial Energies. Not only could he discern the calamities, fortunes, and misfortunes of the heavens, but he was also thoroughly versed in astronomy, geography, yin and yang, and the principles of harmony and reversal.

Liu Bowen respectfully became his disciple. The Daoist led him into the cave and taught him astronomy, geography, Qimen Dunjia, the workings of yin and yang, the divisions of the stars, and all manner of esoteric knowledge. He also calculated every possible fortune and misfortune, along with the cycles of the Three Primordial Calamities spanning fifteen thousand years.

The Record of Heaven’s Mysteries was the complete record of the discussions between the Iron-Crowned Daoist Xu Lingzi and Master Bowen during those twenty-one days, as they explored the secrets of heaven and earth and the mysteries of primordial energies.

Of course, during those twenty-one days, the two masters talked day and night without rest. There was no way they could personally record every detail of their discussions.

Naturally, someone else was responsible for taking notes.

That person was Liu Bowen’s personal attendant—who just so happened to be the ancestor of the Qiu family.

And that was precisely why I now had the opportunity to read The Record of Heaven’s Mysteries and devote myself to understanding the profound truths it contained, truths ranging from the fate of the cosmos and all living beings down to the fortunes of individual households and everyday affairs.

Fate truly was a mysterious thing.

The saying “thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river” really wasn’t without merit.

Many years ago, my ancestor had been Liu Bowen’s servant.

Yet now, a descendant of Liu Bowen had come to work for me.

Half a year ago, not long after graduating with a degree in interior design, Liu Xiaopeng chose not to join one of the major design firms. Instead, he came to interview at my Spirit Design Agency.

At the time, I was trying to improve business performance. Besides ordinary renovation and interior design services, I had listed several additional specialties on the agency flyers:

Qi Vein Investigation. Feng Shui Consultation. Fortune-Altering Home Modifications.

I had even shamelessly boasted that I was a Qi Vein Master who had inherited the teachings of The Record of Heaven’s Mysteries, figuring that nobody had ever heard of the book anyway.

To my surprise, Liu Xiaopeng told me he had seen the advertisement and felt that my approach was not only unique and impressive, but could genuinely help people. That was why he was determined to join the agency.

He also claimed that he had long heard of my family’s Record of Heaven’s Mysteries and that he was none other than a direct descendant of Liu Bowen himself.

That certainly piqued my interest.

So I asked him how much he knew about feng shui and qi veins.

After stammering for quite a while, he glanced around nervously, lowered his voice, and told me that the Liu family had suffered too many disasters over the generations. Their ancestral feng shui arts had long since been lost.

However…

There was another ability, one even more secret than feng shui, that had been passed down through Liu Bowen’s direct bloodline.

My heart skipped a beat.

I had no idea whether the kid was telling the truth, but I couldn’t resist asking what this mysterious ability was.

Lowering his voice even further, he said:

“The power of the Immortal-Slaying Sword.”

The moment I heard the words Immortal-Slaying Sword, I was utterly shocked.

My ancestor had once served as Liu Bowen’s personal attendant, so I had read a great many historical records and legends concerning Liu Bowen. I knew quite a bit about the man.

Stories of his life were countless, ranging from official histories to folk tales.

People said he could “know five hundred years into the past and five hundred years into the future.” His predictions were uncannily accurate, and his foresight was legendary.

Among the common folk, a popular saying circulated:

“Zhuge Liang divided the realm into three; Liu Bowen unified the empire.
Zhuge Liang was the strategist of the former dynasty; Liu Bowen, the strategist of the latter.”

Some legends had even elevated him into a transcendent being beyond the Three Realms and outside the Five Elements.

According to one tale, Liu Bowen had originally been a celestial deity serving before the Jade Emperor.

During the chaotic years at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming, wars raged across the land and famine was everywhere.

The Jade Emperor ordered Liu Bowen to reincarnate and assist a wise ruler in bringing peace to the world and benefiting all living beings.

He was also bestowed with the Immortal-Slaying Sword and given authority over the Four Dragon Kings of the Seas.

However, the Dragon Kings were old and burdened with countless duties, so they dispatched their nine sons instead.

Each of the Nine Dragon Sons possessed boundless magical powers and extraordinary abilities.

They followed Liu Bowen through years of warfare, helping Zhu Yuanzhang establish the Ming Dynasty and later aiding Zhu Di in securing the imperial throne.

When Liu Xiaopeng spoke of the power of the Immortal-Slaying Sword, what he likely meant was the ability to summon these mighty Nine Dragon Sons.

I couldn’t help but look him over several more times.

No matter how I looked at him, I simply couldn’t believe that this young brat possessed such an overwhelming power.

And if he really did have such an ability, why would he lower himself to work at my tiny agency?

I cursed inwardly.

The kid was obviously talking nonsense. At least put some effort into making up your lies.

I believed in feng shui and qi veins, sure.

But commanding the Nine Dragon Sons?

Anyone hearing that would find it impossible to believe.

Perhaps he noticed the disdain on my face. He chuckled awkwardly and said it didn’t matter whether I believed him or not—as long as I let him work there.

Ignoring him, I asked another question.

“According to the legends, Liu Bowen helped Zhu Yuanzhang establish the Ming Dynasty and later assisted Zhu Di in taking the throne. But Zhu Di—the ambitious Emperor Yongle—supposedly learned about the Immortal-Slaying Sword and wanted to possess it forever so he could stabilize the nation and dominate the world.

“So under the pretext of constructing the Forbidden City, he borrowed Liu Bowen’s sword and used it to command the Nine Dragon Sons. If that’s true, then the sword should have long since fallen into the hands of the imperial family. So what makes you think you possess the Immortal-Slaying Sword?”

Seeing how seriously I was taking the matter, Liu Xiaopeng smiled calmly and replied:

“Back then, Zhu Di did indeed obtain Liu Bowen’s Immortal-Slaying Sword.

But what he didn’t know was that the sword itself was merely a symbol. It was never the true artifact used to command the Dragon Sons.

The only person capable of unleashing the sword’s real power was Liu Bowen himself.

And that power has continued through his bloodline.”

The conviction in his voice was unmistakable.

Every now and then, his face even revealed a deep admiration for his ancestor Liu Bowen.

For a moment, I genuinely couldn’t tell whether he was lying or telling the truth.

Nor did I know how to continue questioning him.

After thinking it over, I realized that if business picked up, I wouldn’t be able to handle everything alone. Having someone around to help would always be useful.

So I offered him a salary of fifteen hundred yuan a month plus commissions.

Not only did he not complain about the low pay—he was absolutely thrilled.

As for the Immortal-Slaying Sword business, I questioned him about it again later.

I soon discovered that the kid couldn’t even name all Nine Dragon Sons.

How was someone like that supposed to summon them?

I seized on that flaw and called him a fraud.

But he merely stammered and insisted that his powers hadn’t awakened yet.

I had no idea whether he was telling the truth.

Yet during our battle with the shadow just now, I had undeniably sensed spiritual energy fluctuations within his body.

Could it be…that his power was finally beginning to awaken?