The first round shocks heaven and earth, heroes emerge

  It was during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song that on a certain day, a sudden strong wind swept across Mount Longhu in Xinzhou, with thunderous roars and waves of howling sounds rolling out one after another, like the angry roar of an evil spirit. The entire mountain was shocked, and the giant pythons and poisonous snakes in the mountains were screaming and hissing wildly. Countless wild beasts fled frantically, as if they had been frightened by a monstrous creature. The whole mountain was in disarray.

  As the thunder raged on, the entire Song Dynasty was also hit by strong winds and stormy weather, like the collapse of heaven and earth, or the crumbling of mountains. Then, on the Qiantang River, giant waves surged out of the sea gate; on Mount Taihua, a giant spirit split the mountain peak with one blow. Gonggong angrily struck down the unsteady mountain; Lishi exerted his power and shattered the carriage of the First Emperor. One gust of wind shook and broke thousands of bamboo poles, and in an army of 100,000, half were struck by lightning at midnight...

  As the thunder boomed and the strong winds howled, a secluded temple deep within Dragon Tiger Mountain suddenly shook violently. Then, dozens of golden rays shot out from within the grand hall, piercing directly into the dark clouds in the sky.

  Above the vast sky, dark clouds obscured the sun, and dozens of golden rays burst into the sky, shining brightly like a meteor, illuminating the entire sky. If you look closely, you will find that these dozens of golden rays are actually transformed from 108 golden stars.

  Among the 108 stars, the most dazzling one is the golden star in front. This star shines like the sun, more dazzling than the sun in the sky, and it's hard to open your eyes because of its brightness. Moreover, this star is like a guide, guiding the follow-up of many other golden stars.

  Master Zhang Tian, who had just returned from praying for blessings, was sitting leisurely on his horse, with his eyes slightly closed, letting the white horse walk freely. He looked exceptionally carefree and at ease, exuding an air of a ancient Daoist riding a lean horse. Just then, a strange phenomenon in the sky startled him, and he raised his head to look up. As soon as he saw what was happening, he was shocked into stillness, losing his composure and no longer looking like a wise and enlightened person. He even almost fell off the white horse. In his panic, Master Zhang Tian quickly calmed down and began to calculate with his fingers. After calculating, his face looked even more unsightly, and he was even more shocked, while also showing deep concern.

  Just then, Zhang Tian Shi muttered to himself: "The Demon Temple opens, and all 108 demons have run out. Encountering the flood and opening it is the will of heaven, not something that can be stopped by human power. However, this Great Song will suffer a calamity, chaos among the people, disaster among the people, alas..."

  But just then, another strange phenomenon appeared in the sky!

  Only to see the sky above the 108 golden stars suddenly burst open a crack, and then saw this crack surge out of a purple star. The purple star is exceptionally noble, with a purple halo flashing out of the crack, like a monarch, facing the 108 golden stars in front. The purple star's overbearing manner was extremely tyrannical, directly colliding with the first golden star!

  The purple star tyrant, suddenly and directly shattered the golden star in front of it. Then, like a fierce tiger descending from a mountain, it scared away the other golden stars, making them fly apart like a group of wild rabbits, losing their former power.

  The other 107 stars shot out and escaped, disappearing into the sky in an instant.

  But at this moment, the purple star trembled slightly and directly rippled out layers of purple haze. These hazes spread out, shrouding the entire sky, as if the emperor's majesty was unstoppable. At the same time, those 107 fleeing stars were also pulled back by the purple haze and revolved around the purple star!

  For a moment, Zhang Tian Shi was stunned again!

  "How could this be? A purple star?" Zhang Tian Shi muttered to himself, for a moment he didn't dare believe the scene in front of him.

  Zhang Tian Shi, although very skilled in the Taoist way and considered a terrestrial immortal, was not truly an immortal after all. He could divine fortunes for others, guiding them through calamities, blessings, and marriage, but he couldn't predict heavenly events! Therefore, he couldn't calculate when the Fumo Temple would open, nor could he figure out what this purple star was?

  In the sky, 107 stars were still revolving around the purple star, magnificent. Zhang Tian Shi's eyes flashed and he gritted his teeth: "I have lived for so long, but I have never seen such a strange thing. This time, I will defy heaven's will, even if it means being punished by heaven!"

  After finishing speaking, Zhang Tian Shi suddenly pinched his fingers, and with a loud shout, he immediately saw Zhang Tian Shi's face turn pale, followed by a mouthful of blood spitting out. His ruddy complexion also became sallow, and at the same time, three wrinkles appeared on his forehead!

  However, these changes did not stop Zhang Tian Shi's movements. All that could be heard was Zhang Tian Shi continuously shouting out orders, while the hand holding the seal moved faster and faster, his facial expression changing more and more, becoming increasingly shocked!

  Finally, when Zhang Tian Shi's order ended and the seal was stopped, he actually sat paralyzed on his horse, with a look of astonishment.

  "The Purple Emperor Star has appeared, and the demons of the chaotic world have actually become ministers of governance. The fortune of the Great Song Dynasty has been absorbed by the Purple Emperor Star, taking away a full 40%...". Zhang Tian Shi muttered to himself in disbelief.

  At this moment, the purple emperor star in the sky suddenly fell down, straight to the bottom and fell. The speed was so fast that no trace could be seen. Later, those 107 stars also flew out in all directions, without a trace. As for the largest golden star that had just been shattered by the purple emperor star, it landed down with the remaining fragments...

  The strange phenomenon in the sky disappeared, and Zhang Tian Shi's shocked face also improved a lot.

  Looking at the endless blue sky, Zhang Tian Shi said: "This is the heavenly number, it seems that I, the poor Taoist, cannot transcend the world after all. Since this is the case, then I will go and take a look at you in the future, which can also be considered as fulfilling the Heavenly Way."

  Having said that, he rode his horse and rushed towards his own Dragon Tiger Mountain Taoist temple.

  It's said that spring has gone and autumn has arrived, and before you know it, we've already reached the era of Emperor Dezong.

  In Qinghe County, Dongping Prefecture, Shandong Province, there was a wealthy merchant named Ximen. The Ximen family had been in business for generations and were extremely rich, not only in Qinghe County but also in the entire Dongping Prefecture. However, the Ximen family had shallow roots and were single-mindedly focused on their wealth, with no descendants to speak of. Even now, Ximen Chui Xue was still childless, despite having seven or eight wives and concubines. None of them could bear him a child. Every day, he would sigh in front of his wives' bellies, leaving the old master Ximen on the verge of tears.

  Fortunately, it is not clear what kind of evil karma Ximen Blowing Snow had accumulated, but on his 60th birthday, his wife Zhang, who was already 50 years old, became pregnant with a child. Moreover, according to the diagnosis of more than 20 doctors, it was certain that the baby would be a boy. This made Ximen Blowing Snow extremely happy and he immediately hosted a banquet of over 100 tables, making Qinghe County lively like New Year's Day.

  This ten-month pregnancy suddenly gave birth, it's really urgent for others. At this moment, in the big house of Ximen's family, Ximen Chui Xue, who had already turned gray-haired, was anxiously looking at the boudoir in front of him, with his hands tightly clenched, wanting to know what was happening inside the room.

  Hearing his wife's moans, Ximen Chuixue's heart was tight with anxiety.

  "Heavens! It's not easy for an old man like me to have a son in his later years, please help me out!" Ximen Chuiyun muttered to himself.

  Just then, a young servant came running hastily and cried out loudly: "Master! Master!"

  Ximen Chui Xue glared at the little servant, looking very displeased, and coldly snorted: "Little San, I'm not dead yet, it's not time to mourn!"

  The little servant nodded and said with a bow: "Master, I didn't want to disturb you, but there's an old Taoist outside the door who says he's here for Young Master!"

  "Old Dao? Young Master?" Ximen Chui Xue was startled, and then his eyebrows slightly furrowed, before relaxing again. A look of great joy appeared on his face, and he rushed towards the front yard, exclaiming: "It's truly heaven's blessing, heaven's blessing! The noble guest has arrived!"

  Ximen Chui Xue hastily arrived at the gate of the mansion and looked up to see an old Taoist standing in front of it.

  He was wearing a light gray robe, his hair was white and unkempt, with a few strands of white beard under his chin, which added to his wisdom. At the same time, he held a feather duster in his hand, with his left hand grasping it on top of his right hand, looking like a Taoist.

  "The way is long, I have been polite!" Although he didn't know where this old Taoist came from or what sect he belonged to, Xi Men Xue still saw the uncommonness of this old Taoist and immediately suppressed his impatience, asking.

  The old man sang a vow, performed a poor Taoist ritual, and then smiled and said: "Mr. West has good manners, the old way is somewhat rude to come forward, please forgive me, but your son is about to be born, the poor Taoist cannot miss it, so I have to come disturb you!"

  "Oh? Judging from your tone, can you be certain that my wife will give birth to an heir?" Ximen Chui Xue's heart skipped a beat upon hearing the old Daoist's words, and he hastily asked.

  The old man nodded and said: "Mr. Ximen, the birth of your child is in accordance with the will of heaven, it cannot be stopped by human power!"

  Seeing the old Taoist speak so sincerely, Ximen Chui Xue's heart was naturally filled with joy. He immediately invited the old Taoist into the mansion and asked while walking: "I don't know why you insisted on seeing my unborn child's first face?"

  The old Taoist chuckled and said: "Your son is born to be in harmony with the world, he is a dragon among men, connected to all living things. His birth chart shows that he will be extremely wealthy and noble, if I can see him for the first time, it will greatly benefit my cultivation. Moreover, your son and I have a rare affinity, and we will meet again in the next life!"

  Ximen's footsteps paused, and his eyes narrowed slightly as he hastily said: "The Taoist priest is right. My unborn child can at most be a tiger among men, how dare I call him the dragon among men? Don't say such things!"

  A dragon among men, this is not a title that can be taken lightly. If things were to get out of hand and lead to trouble, it would be too late for regrets. The Ximen family are merchants, although they have some wealth, but their ancestors never got along with officials, so Ximen Chui Xue doesn't want to make the situation irreconcilable because of a few joking words.

  "Haha..." The old Taoist burst out laughing and then said in an unpredictable tone: "Old Master Ximen, your son is the reincarnation of the Purple Emperor Star, a dragon among men. I won't speak nonsense. I know you won't believe me, but this matter will be proven true in twenty to thirty years. Please wait patiently, Old Master Ximen!"

  Looking into the old Taoist's eyes, Ximen Chuixue's tense heart also calmed down, and his eyes sparkled with a strange light. Last night, Ximen Chuixue had dreamed of a purple dragon flying into his home, and when he woke up today, he knew that his wife was going to give birth. Originally, because he was worried about his wife and child, Ximen Chuixue didn't think deeply about the dream, but now, after hearing what the old Taoist said, he began to ponder it.

  After a while, Xi Men Chui Xue said with a smile: "Dao Zhang is serious, I am already sixty years old now, and have entered the year of flower armor, how can I wait for twenty or thirty years?"

  The old Taoist burst out laughing and, supporting himself on his white beard, laughed and said: "Old Master Ximen, I'll tell you the truth. If it were ordinary times, Old Master Ximen would only live to be eighty years old, but now... Ha ha..."

  Having said that, Lao Dao pointed to the backyard and continued: "Mr. Xi Men, your child has been born!"

  I've done some research (Jin Ping Mei, hehe) and it seems that Ximen Qing's father was actually called Ximen Da, but to make it sound more impressive, I changed it to Ximen Chui Xue, don't scold me! By the way, this book borrows characters from Water Margin, but the plot and characters are vastly different, so history buffs might find it frustrating!

  PS2: This book is a genuine fantasy history, so please take care of it! Our Qing brother will be on stage soon! Hehe...