Under One Person: Starting from the Inheritance of Gods

Chapter 426 A Bowl of Water Locks in the Dragon Seed, A Teacup Points to the Seven Stars

The six men intercepted a small boat on the banks of the Yellow River and boarded it to travel upstream to Gulan County.

The scenery on both sides of the river drifted by, and Li Chunfeng even had Hou Qing bring out tea leaves. He sipped the tea on the small ferry, looking completely at ease.

Hu Bayi lay anxiously by the side of the boat, looking out into the river.

"Old Hu, do you really think there's some Iron-Headed Dragon King? Or are you just kidding us?"

Fatty Wang was somewhat skeptical.

Hu Bayi looked solemnly at the murky river water and said absentmindedly, "Didn't I say that we are destined for greatness and will be blessed by Heaven?"

As Hu Bayi was speaking, the clouds in the sky suddenly turned gloomy, followed by a torrential downpour. Before anyone could react, they suddenly felt the boat shake violently, and then the river water churned up as if some enormous creature was stirring up the water.

"not good!"

Hu Bayi shouted and grabbed Wang Pangzi, "Quick, grab the gunwale!"

Before the words were even finished, a huge black shadow emerged from the water, stirring up towering waves. It was a giant fish, its body as large as a small boat, its head covered with hard, iron-blue scales that gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

It opened its gaping maw, revealing rows of sharp, piercing teeth, resembling those of a piranha. The rows of fine teeth were terrifying as it lunged straight at the small boat.

"Iron-Headed Dragon King!"

Big Gold Tooth was so frightened that he slumped onto the boat, his face deathly pale.

Unlike Hu Bayi, Wang Pangzi, and Da Jinya, who were in a panic, Li Chunfeng, Hou Qing, and their sister remained seated on the ferry. Despite the ship's constant rocking, not a drop of tea spilled from their cups.

The torrential rain seemed to be kept out by an invisible shield.

“Master, this Iron-Headed Dragon King seems to have become quite powerful, as it can actually control water vapor, stir up wind and rain, and influence the celestial phenomena,” Hou Qing said calmly.

Li Chunfeng glanced at the dark clouds, his eyes now gleaming like gold, clearly seeing the Iron-Headed Dragon King's true nature beneath the water.

"what!"

Li Chunfeng seemed to suddenly become interested and said, "I didn't expect that this ferocious fish, which had been cultivating in seclusion in the Yellow River, had obtained some of the Qi of the aquatic dragon vein. In that case, it can be considered a dragon seed."

"Could either of you discern what it truly is?"

A flash of blood-red light appeared in Hou Qing's eyes as he carefully examined the Iron-Headed Dragon King and said, "It looks like a catfish!"

"To be precise, it should be *Pseudobularia yelnoides*, belonging to the order Siluriformes!" Li Chunfeng corrected.

"The common Yellow River catfish has a blunt, rounded snout, a slender body, and an overall golden color. It is carnivorous and feeds on benthic animals. It has a high fat content, tender flesh, and a delicious flavor. It is generally used for soups or braising and is considered a top-quality delicacy."

"In modern scientific terms, it has high value for both consumption and research."

Hou Qing's eyes lit up. "Master, if you want to eat it, I'll catch it right away!"

Before Hou Qing could finish speaking, Hu Bayi wiped the rain off his face, clung tightly to the gunwale, and shouted, "Advisor Li, if you don't make a move soon, we'll really become fish food for them!"

Just then, the Iron-Headed Dragon King leaped up and pounced on the ferry.

At this critical moment, Li Chunfeng calmly flipped his hand and gently tossed the bronze hoe in his hand. The seemingly inconspicuous ancient object drew an arc in the air and landed precisely on the head of the giant fish.

"town!"

With a soft shout from Li Chunfeng, the bronze plow swelled in the wind and suddenly burst forth with a dazzling blue light. The giant fish let out a painful roar, and its massive body was forcibly pushed back into the water, stirring up waves several meters high.

The bronze hoe, at this moment, stood like a bronze gate, pressing down on the surface of the Yellow River.

What is a plow?
The Han Feizi (Chapter 5, "Five Vermin") states: "When Yu ruled the world, he personally held the plow and hoe to lead the people."

It was originally used by Yu the Great to open up rivers and lakes and to dig the soil. Later, it was cast in bronze to be used as coins. After being refined with incense and faith, it was believed to have the power to suppress the water veins of the world, hence the name "Water-Suppressing Coin".

At that moment, the weather suddenly cleared up.

The waves on the river surface calmed down, and the bronze hoe was wedged in the middle, trapping the huge head of the Iron-Headed Dragon King. It was like a dragon-slaying platform, holding the Iron-Headed Dragon King up and making him unable to move. No matter how much he shook his head and swung his tail, stirring up the river water, he could not struggle free.

Seeing that the Iron-Headed Dragon King was suppressed by the bronze plow, Li Chunfeng smiled slightly and gently lifted the teacup in his hand.

The celadon teacup looked ordinary, but it shimmered with a faint golden light under his fingertips, and the tea inside swirled in a small vortex without any wind.

"receive."

As soon as he finished speaking, the vortex in the teacup suddenly expanded, and an invisible suction force enveloped the river surface.

The Iron-Headed Dragon King let out a mournful roar, and its enormous body began to twist and shrink, its scales being swept into the whirlpool along with the river water.

In the blink of an eye, the giant fish, comparable in size to a small boat, transformed into a streak of blue light and disappeared into the teacup.

"pat-"

Li Chunfeng closed the teacup lid, and a muffled "thump" came from inside, as if something alive was hitting the side of the cup. He casually swirled the teacup and laughed, "Quite lively."

Hu Bayi and the others stared in disbelief at the scene.

Fatty Wang rubbed his eyes and stammered, "Old...Old Hu, am I seeing things? Such a big fish, just put into a teacup like that?"

Big Gold Tooth slumped onto the deck, his voice trembling, "Mr. Li, this...this fish won't break the cup, will it?"

Hou Qing chuckled and explained, "Master, this teacup was made using the 'Pot Heaven' technique. It can hold not only a small fish, but also several others."

The older sister leaned closer to the teacup and curiously poked it. Immediately, a series of loud thuds came from inside, startling her so much that she quickly withdrew her hand and stuck out her tongue. "This fish has quite a temper," she said, "can I have it?"

Li Chunfeng thought for a moment, then handed the teacup to his elder sister and said, "Since you want it, then I'll let you keep it for now."

The older sister happily accepted the teacup, which swayed continuously. Immediately, a few wisps of bloodthirsty aura flashed in her eyes. She ran her fingertip across the bottom of the cup, and fine blood-red patterns appeared on the surface of the cup, sealing the mouth of the cup like a chain.

"If you keep making trouble, I'll stew you!"

The sounds of impact inside immediately subsided.

"Hmm, that's a good boy/girl. From now on, you'll be called Little Yellow!"

The older sister held the teacup like a precious treasure, never letting go for a moment, as if afraid that Hou Qing would kill her again.

Hu Bayi then came to his senses and said with a wry smile, "Advisor Li, you should have said so earlier if you had this ability. You made us worry for nothing."

Li Chunfeng smiled without saying a word, and raised his hand to gesture.

The bronze gate on the river surface transformed back into a plowshare, flew back into his sleeve, and the ferry gave a slight jolt and continued upstream.

After the rain, the Yellow River shimmered, as if the danger had never happened. Only the occasional trembling of the teacup in the older sister's hand reminded everyone of the Iron-Headed Dragon King's presence. The boatman even revered Li Chunfeng as a deity, exclaiming that he had encountered a god.

Fatty Wang stared at the teacup, then suddenly swallowed hard: "Consultant Li, you just said that this fish has a high fat content and tender flesh?"

Li Chunfeng gave him a meaningful look: "What, want to try some?"

Fatty Wang rubbed his hands together and chuckled. Before he could speak, a loud "thud" suddenly came from the teacup, startling him. He waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "No, no, this fish is too lively. I'm afraid I can't handle it."

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.

------

After arriving in Gulan County.

The group first found a guesthouse to rest.

Hu Bayi and Fatty Wang entered the guesthouse's public bathroom, where warm water washed away the mud and sand from the Yellow River.

While rubbing the grime off his arms, Fatty Wang said in a low voice, "Old Hu, this is really strange. Such a big fish, weighing at least 10,000 jin, and they just took it like that? Is that teacup of Consultant Li some kind of treasure trove?"

Hu Bayi turned off the tap, wiped the water droplets from his face, and said with a serious expression, "Fatty, did you notice? Before the Iron-Headed Dragon King was put into the teacup, Consultant Li's eyes..."

He paused, then mimicked the scene he had witnessed: "It was as if my pupils were flowing with gold; it was dazzling even from a great distance."

"Hey! Now that you mention it, I remember!" Fatty Wang suddenly slapped his thigh, splashing water everywhere.

"Shh-"

Hu Bayi made a shushing gesture, listened to the corridor to make sure no one was around, and continued, "Advisor Li's methods don't seem like ordinary magic at all. The way he used the teacup to catch the fish is more like..."

He hesitated for a moment: "It's like the hidden universe in Zhenyuan Daxian's sleeve in Journey to the West."

Hu Bayi took out a cigarette case from his clothes and shook out a cigarette. He struck the match several times before lighting it. He took a deep drag, his eyes somewhat unfocused in the smoke.

Fatty Wang swallowed hard, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "Goodness, does that mean we've really run into a god? Old Hu, what do you think about this trip..."

Hu Bayi took a few deep drags of his cigarette, then stubbed it out, his expression complicated: "Since we're here, we might as well make the best of it. But Fatty, you'd better watch what you say in front of Advisor Li in the future, don't talk nonsense like you used to."

Fatty Wang nodded repeatedly, then suddenly seemed to remember something: "Hey, what do you think my sister wants that fish for? She's not really going to stew it, is she?"

"I wouldn't know that!"

After the two left, a thin, blind old man suddenly emerged from the bathroom next door. His eyes were ferocious and terrifying, and his brows were tightly furrowed.

After dinner, Big Gold Tooth's voice came from outside Hu Bayi and Fatty Wang's door: "Gentlemen, Brother Hou asked me to come and urge him. He said that Consultant Li is brewing tea in the courtyard and wants us to go and have a taste!"

When they got dressed and came to the courtyard, the moonlight was shining on the small red clay stove on the stone table.

Li Chunfeng poked at the charcoal fire with bamboo tongs. The water in the teapot was just beginning to bubble. His older sister sat beside him, holding the teacup that was shaking from time to time, while Hou Qing leaned against the old locust tree, playing with a few copper coins.

"Just in time."

Without looking up, Li Chunfeng sprinkled a handful of fresh green tea leaves into the teapot. After brewing, he placed seven cups of tea on the table.

Hu Bayi was completely baffled, so he asked, "Advisor Li, there are only six of us. Who is this seventh cup of tea for? It can't be for the fish, can it?"

Li Chunfeng smiled slightly, looked up in a certain direction, and said, "The seventh person has arrived!"

Following Li Chunfeng's gaze, everyone saw a thin, blind old man slowly emerging from the shadows of the eaves where the moonlight couldn't reach.

He held a bamboo cane and tapped the ground, yet his steps were unusually steady. He was wearing sunglasses and was the same person who had been eavesdropping in the bathroom earlier.

"What a fine cup of Seven Stars Gathering Tea!"

The old man stopped in front of the stone table, and suddenly poked his bamboo cane into a crack in the blue bricks. "Sir, you've taken Yellow River water to brew Zhongnan Snow Bud tea. This old blind man shamelessly asks for a cup of tea today. I wonder if I'm worthy?"

Hu Bayi was startled upon hearing this.

This is clearly the slang term for "pan hai mei" in the martial arts world. The so-called "Seven Stars Gathering" refers to the gathering of seven heroes in the Water Margin, which can also be described as organizing others to jointly acquire treasures.

It also alludes to the seven-star arrangement of the teacups, and further implies that the host has a broad vision of the three realms and nine provinces, and is a person of outstanding virtue.

Li Chunfeng tapped his fingertips three times on the stone table: "Since you know the three flavors of tea, why don't you sit down and talk? Chen Yulou, Chief Chen?"

Suddenly, the seven teacups on the tea table shifted on their own. Among the teacups arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper, the one in the Tianquan position silently slid to the opposite side.

Tianquan Star, also known as Wenqu Star, is the dimmest star in the Big Dipper and mainly symbolizes literary talent, intelligence, and the balance of heaven and earth.

Those who can drink this cup of tea are either strategists or people who have information about the cemetery.

"Could it be that this Consultant Li is also in this line of work?" Hu Bayi wondered.

At this moment, Big Gold Tooth was even more incredulous, because his father had been active in the south back then, following a master tomb raider surnamed Cai, and naturally knew the leader of the Unloading Ridge Sect.

He controlled over 100,000 bandits and outlaws across 13 provinces, including seven in the south and six in the north. All those with official titles in the underworld were under the command of Changsheng Mountain, and he also secretly supported several factions in Hunan and Hubei.

It can be said that it is unparalleled!
I never expected to meet him in person today, and he's such a blind old man.

Chen Yulou trembled, suddenly gripping his bamboo cane tightly: "Since you know my humble name, sir..."

He suddenly changed to a long, classical tone: "May I ask, 'Where is my home when the clouds hang low over the Qinling Mountains?'"

"Snow blocks the Blue Pass, and the horse cannot move forward."

Li Chunfeng flicked his sleeve and poured tea: "You lost your fortune at the tomb of the Prince of Xian in Yunnan back then. Because your good friend Jin Suanpan was buried in that tomb, you have been lingering here ever since. I wonder if I am right?"

"With such a master before us, we dare not deceive you; that is indeed the case!" Chen Yulou said, cupping his hands in greeting.

Then, Chen Yulou sighed and said, "I know you came from afar with good intentions, so that you could collect my bones by the pestilential river. It's a pity that I, your friend, am willing but powerless to collect your body!"

Li Chunfeng pushed the teacups towards Chen Yulou and the others: "Please have some tea."

Chen Yulou, however, was in no hurry to drink his tea and continued, "I came today to ask if you gentlemen are going to the Fishbone Temple?"

“So what if it is, so what if it’s not?”

"If this is a conversation, could you please take the remains of my friend Jin Suanpan back with you? I will surely reward you handsomely!"

Fatty Wang suddenly interjected, somewhat disbelievingly saying, "Looking at what you're wearing, you can't squeeze a ounce of oil out of your body, yet you claim a generous reward?"

Hu Bayi quickly pulled Wang Pangzi back, signaling him to shut up. There was nothing he could do; Wang Pangzi just couldn't shake his habit of being a smart aleck.

(End of this chapter)