If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1035 Even Manure Can Raise Dragons
In Xiaoyu's previous life's real history, Han Xin's martial prowess should have been quite high.

If he were not skilled in martial arts and not strong enough in individual combat, he would not have become Xiang Yu's "halberd-bearer"—his personal bodyguard.

As Xiang Yu's personal bodyguard, Han Xin participated in the entire Battle of Breaking the Cauldrons and Sinking the Boats.

Before following Xiang Yu, Han Xin had fought alongside Xiang Liang in numerous battles, suffering devastating defeats that resulted in the annihilation of the entire army.

If he were truly as cowardly and weak as depicted in the story of "the humiliation of crawling between someone's legs," then he would be in a different situation.

He simply couldn't survive the brutal battlefields of any kind.

In this Pangu world, Xiaoyu could tell at a glance that Han Xin had cultivated immortal martial arts, his internal energy was at the True Yuan Realm, and his swordsmanship was extremely advanced, having comprehended several powerful sword intents.

The few times he called "Dad" just now had already triggered the Great Destruction of Dad.

Judging from the reaction in the Purple Mansion, Han Xin has the strength to kill ordinary immortals.

Well, he himself is not a human immortal, and has not formed a human immortal core, but his swordsmanship is too sharp.

She looks a bit like Xiaoyu, Li Qianyue, and Li Xianzhi from Tianmen Town back then.

He was not a human immortal, yet he could slay a human immortal.

In terms of swordsmanship alone, Han Xin surpassed Li Qianyue and Li Xianzhi.

It's not just a slight improvement, it's a crushing defeat.

In the realm of martial arts, Li Xianzhi was merely a hero of Shudong, while Han Xin could be considered a hero of the entire land.

Li San, a gangster, was indeed no match for Han Xin.

Butcher Wang Er is not as strong as Green Skin Li San.

But Han Xin crawled between Wang Er's legs.

"So what if Wang Er isn't afraid of death? He's a fool. What normal person isn't afraid of death?" Li San shouted, his face contorted.

Han Xin remained silent for a while before slowly saying, "According to the laws of Qin, those who commit murder are punished with tattooing and exiled for thousands of miles. This is not what I desire."

Whether it was being branded—having characters tattooed on his face—or being exiled to the frontier, neither was as unacceptable to him as the "humiliation of crawling between someone's legs."

He had lofty ambitions and couldn't let a small-time pig butcher ruin his great future.

“Wang Er is a butcher who has only killed pigs, but I have killed people. Can he be more ruthless than me? He may not be afraid of death, but I can be just as fearless!” Li San shouted.

"You're not good enough," Han Xin said calmly.

"Try it! Cut my neck, stab my heart! Frown, and I'll be your grandson!" Li San glared at him fiercely.

Han Xin finally lost his composure, his face showing surprise and doubt. He tentatively used the blade of his sword to slit Li San's neck.

Despite being covered in blood, Li San gritted his teeth and remained expressionless.

Han Xin squinted and said, "Do you know that times have changed? In the past, the laws of Qin were harsh, and the government enforced them strictly."

Now, large numbers of rebel armies and bandits have emerged in various places, and they have reached their limit of patience.

Even if I kill you, you can leave Huaiyin and join any rebel army.

"Come on, come and kill me!" Li San's eyes were bloodshot, as if he were insane.

Han Xin stared at him for a while, then suddenly his expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed, "No, you're not—"

He stopped abruptly, took two steps back, held his sword in front of him, and a look of struggle flashed in his eyes.

"I crawled between your legs. Is this the end of today's matter? Will you never come looking for me again?" Han Xin asked in a hoarse voice.

Li San asked in surprise, "Are you serious?"

"Clang~~" The sword was sheathed, and Han Xin, with a blank face, knelt on the ground, crawling forward.

Li San stood up, stared at him for a while, then suddenly burst into laughter, "Good, good, good! Han Xin of Huaiyin, your reputation is well-deserved. I have seen countless heroes, but you are number one!"

Han Xin looked closely and saw that the skinny Li San had transformed into an old woman in a coarse robe holding a cane.

He immediately prostrated himself on the ground, bowed three times, and said, "Han Xin has been rude; please forgive me, Mother-in-law!"

The old woman, Xiaoyu, said dismissively, "You think you really bumped into me? It's just an illusion."

Get up. This posture isn't your nature. Forcing it makes me feel awkward just watching it.

Han Xin immediately got up from the ground, stood respectfully to the side with his hands clasped, and asked, "How should I address you, Mother-in-law? What is the purpose of your repeated tests of Han Xin?"

"I am the Old Mother of Qiushan. I was passing through Huaiyin when I sensed a mournful and desolate aura of death, a dragon's aura of death, permeating the earth. So I stopped to investigate."

Han Xin's expression was a mixture of realization, grief, and regret.

"Thank you for your concern, Mother-in-law. It's just that I'm not lucky enough to have you," he sighed.

Xiao Yu looked at him with interest and asked, "My transformation technique is unparalleled in the world; even Golden Immortals cannot see through it. Why are you so confident that 'Li San' is not Li San?"

Han Xin said, "Li San is terrified of death. It's his nature, and it's hard to change it."

Xiaoyu said, "Everyone is afraid of death, but everyone can also be brave and fearless, as long as they grasp what they care about most."

Han Xin nodded in agreement, saying, "What you say is true, Mother-in-law. As long as the method is right, even the weakest and most useless soldier can have his heart of courage activated and become an invincible army."

However, what truly ignites Li San's fearlessness will never be a few humiliating words spoken at the knife's throat.

He was a scoundrel, and what he had no shortage of was verbal humiliation from all sides.

Even ordinary people would curse him behind his back.

If he cared about this, he wouldn't be a scoundrel.

If offered substantial rewards and shown a great deal of hope for success, he might be willing to risk everything and exert his utmost effort.

Xiaoyu looked at him thoughtfully, "A skilled strategist must understand people's hearts. Your reading of military books has not been in vain. What you lack now is just a grand stage built specifically for you."

Han Xin was first surprised, then overjoyed, and bowed deeply to her, saying, "Thank you!"

"What are you thanking me for?" Xiaoyu asked.

"Grandma Xie thinks so highly of this young man," Han Xin said.

Xiao Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Although there are many talented horses, there are few discerning judges of horses. But your talent is not like a pearl buried deep in the sand."

Mediocre people naturally cannot understand you.

There are probably many heroes in the world who can understand you and see through your true nature.

Otherwise, others wouldn't be targeting you, nor would they be going to such lengths to sever your lifeline and nip any threats in the bud.

Han Xin's expression changed drastically. He stepped forward and asked excitedly, "Grandma, what do you mean by this?"

Xiaoyu said, "It means exactly what it says. You went a bit too far. This humiliation of crawling between someone's legs shouldn't have happened."

They should not adopt an arrogant and self-admiring attitude that is unacceptable to the world.

Ordinary people would consider you an ignorant spendthrift, a coward.

There are two ways to become famous: one is to be too successful, and the other is to be too unsuccessful.

People are afraid of famous pigs.

A good reputation will attract the attention of those who are interested.

To the average person, you have a terrible reputation; but to someone with ulterior motives, you might be a major threat!
Moreover, your family's dragon vein is powerful enough, but it's hidden very shallowly.

In Tianmen Town, there is a torture chamber called "Sa Shoujian".

His parents died early, and he had no social standing or background, but he was recommended by the village elders and managed to get a job in the county government.

As a clerk, the position of "Criminal Affairs Office" was not low-ranking.

Han Xin was well-read, knowledgeable, learned, skilled in military strategy, and knew how to read people's hearts. He was also a skilled swordsman. Why didn't the elders of the village recommend him to enter the government and become a clerk in the county?
The system of recommending local worthies in Tianmen Town was entirely learned from the ancient Chinese states.

People like Liu Laosan, Xiao He, and Cao Can all became low-level officials through this method.

But even the "lower class" is only relative to the highest officials and magistrates. In local areas, even someone who only manages to become a "head constable" is considered a superior person.

To say that Han Xin looked down on the status of a "clerk"?

No, this guy was also a "retainer" of the Nanchang Pavilion Chief.

Yes, he's the Nanchang pavilion chief who used to go there every day to freeload, but was disliked by the pavilion chief's wife, and angrily left.

Han Xin wasn't truly shameless and didn't freeload off others.

He regarded the village head as his "lord" and himself as a retainer.

The so-called "nurturing scholars" should at least literally mean "supporting" or "supporting" them.

It's only natural for retainers to eat what their lord provides.

He's willing to serve under the village head, who isn't a clerk? He'd definitely prefer to be a clerk.

Han Xin failed to gain the recommendation of the village elders for one reason only: his reputation was too bad.

He is considered by the public to be unambitious and of poor character.

The problem is that his reputation was ruined, but he failed to truly hide his talent.

His charisma and talent cannot be hidden. He never intended to hide them.

Given Han Xin's situation, his best scenario would have been the complete opposite of his actual situation: to blend in with the crowd, gain a good reputation among the people, and work hard to reap benefits, while being seen by those with ulterior motives as someone who is unworthy of his reputation and seeks fame without being wary of him.

The current situation of Liu Laosan is somewhat in line with this: after the Mangdang Mountain incident, Liu Laosan became the center of attention, but those with discerning eyes could only see his "Tian Kui Fu Xing" destiny and felt that he was not a threat, but rather someone who should be actively courted.

"Mother-in-law, who is trying to harm me?" Han Xin asked, his eyes red.

Xiaoyu said, "You dug the grave, so why did you choose this time to dig it?"
Think about it carefully: who, and what force, made you so determined to dig up the grave?

Han Xin frowned and thought for a moment, then hesitated and said, "The sewage from Changchun Temple keeps flowing into the vegetable garden, defiling the graves of my ancestors. Could it be that they did this on purpose, and the Taoist priests of Changchun Temple want to harm me?"

Xiaoyu shook his head and said, "Do you know why a large blue dragon could grow in your grandfather's grave?"

It's not that your ancestors are protecting you from the afterlife.

It's not that the Han family did good deeds and accumulated merit over generations to receive such blessings.

Dragon energy isn't as mysterious as it seems; it's simply a special kind of vital energy generated by the combination of human energy and earth energy.

The tomb doesn't lack the earth's energy; the key lies in the human energy. Where does this human energy come from?

Han Xin bowed respectfully, looking at her with sincerity and longing, "Please enlighten me, Mother!"

Xiao Yu smiled strangely, "Some people are lucky enough to find a feng shui treasure land, a natural energy point of the earth's veins. They bury their ancestors there, and with a tiny bit of human energy, a dragon vein is born."

Some people are blessed by their ancestors.

Their ancestors included emperors and generals, who were leaders in the human world during their lifetimes. After their deaths, they took a portion of the human world's fortune underground, where it was nourished by the earth's energy and transformed into a dragon vein.

There are also those who, without relying on auspicious feng shui locations or the blessings of their ancestors, cultivate a dragon vein in barren land through their indomitable spirit and actions that align with the natural order, gathering the strength of many into one person.

Your situation falls somewhere between the first and third scenarios.

The hill where Changchun Temple is located is so small that it doesn't even have a name, and it's not a place with good feng shui.

But the incense from Changchun Temple is poured into your family's ancestral graves every year.

Although they smell bad, they nourish the earth and attract some human activity.

Furthermore, you, as a descendant, have lived up to expectations, possessing great ambition and talent, thus giving the vital energy in the ancestral grave an opportunity to transform, allowing it to complete its metamorphosis into a great green dragon.

Han Xin was stunned for a moment, then said, "So, the dragon vein in my family's ancestral graves was actually nurtured by Changchun Temple and me together?"

Xiao Yu sighed, "To accomplish great things, one can never do without the right timing, the right place, and the right people."

Ten years ago, the First Emperor of Qin collapsed, and his dragon aura scattered in all directions.

Even the barbarian tribes from other lands benefited greatly, raising many great dragons.

China will benefit more.

The premise for the division of the land after the death of the First Emperor was the nurturing of numerous unsung heroes.

This is the opportune moment.

The fact that Changchun Temple is nourished by manure is considered an advantage of its location.

Your own ability to prove yourself is the key, and so is the harmony between people.

Under the same conditions, in the same place, and constantly irrigated with excrement, if it were butcher Wang Er or scoundrel Li San, the result would be completely opposite—their ancestral graves would be polluted by foul air, the earth's energy would be turbid, and chaotic evil spirits would accumulate, inevitably harming the fortunes of their descendants.

This is similar to a person who exercises diligently and eats high-calorie, high-energy foods, resulting in a stronger body and rapid growth in internal strength.

A lazy person who doesn't work hard, eats high-energy food every day, and refuses to exercise will only gain weight and develop various diseases.

Not only will it not improve your health and prolong your life, it will also damage your health and lifespan.

Han Xin bowed again and asked, "Thank you for your explanation, Grandma, but I still don't understand."

Changchun Temple unintentionally helped the young man raise a green dragon in his ancestral grave. Why is it that the Taoist priests of Changchun Temple would definitely not harm the young man?

Xiao Yu said, "Theoretically, the Azure Dragon is also connected to them by energy, so they won't harm themselves."

But people can be stupid, and they can do all sorts of stupid things.

Therefore, before I met you, I had already spoken with Headmaster He of Changchun Temple.

He's just ignorant and foolish, but probably doesn't mean any harm. Alas, a foolish friend is more dangerous than a malicious enemy.

When Han Xin had just dug a hole in the grave and colorful spiritual energy was leaking out, forming a misty haze, he should have immediately stopped what he was doing and refilled the hole with soil, without needing to be particularly clever or wise.

He Tangtou, on the other hand, encouraged Han Xin to keep digging deeper.

"You dug a hole fifteen feet deep in the ancestral grave that day, and spiritual energy was emanating from it. Didn't you feel uneasy at all?" Xiaoyu asked curiously.

Han Xin shook his head and said, "No. I asked Head He, and he checked it carefully and said that the mist that was rising did not contain any earth energy at all, but was pure spiritual energy."

There's a high chance that the coffin contained a magical treasure, or that it had sprouted a rare medicinal herb.

He told me to keep digging, so I kept digging, but in the end I didn't find any magical treasures, only a blue dragon.

Xiaoyu sighed and said, "Haven't you heard of the legend of the Qinling Ancestral Dragon?"
The First Dragon was born in the Qinling Mountains. Although it gathered the evil energy of the earth's veins, it also stimulated a massive amount of spiritual energy from heaven and earth.

A large amount of spiritual energy rose into the sky, forming auspicious five-colored clouds that lingered for years.

Countless Qi cultivators yearn to enter the Qinling Mountains for cultivation.

A living dragon vein absorbs and manipulates the power of the earth's veins, and there is an accumulation of malevolent energy.

this is normal.

However, the power of the dragon vein is extremely restrained, which will confine the power of the earth's evil spirits within the earth vein.

The spiritual energy resides on the surface of the earth and does not affect cultivators' Qi cultivation.

The same applies to your Azure Dragon.

However, the vegetable garden has poor soil and is shrouded in celestial obscurity, so its spiritual energy has not yet been unleashed.

The multicolored mist flowing out of the hole is the 'root of the spiritual vein' nurtured by the dragon vein, not some kind of treasure or spiritual light.

The leakage of spiritual energy at that time had already greatly damaged your family's dragon vein.

But if you try your best to repair it, you'll have to wait at least half a month while I take care of it for you.

In the future, even if the mountains cannot be shrouded in auspicious light like the Qinling Mountains, at least one great dragon can be preserved.

What a pity, what a shame. It was only a difference of half a month.

(End of this chapter)