In the land of Jianzhou, the Jiangdong Niushou Ridge and the Jiangxi Longhu Demon-Slaying Terrace stand facing each other, their peaks locked in a fierce rivalry. In terms of strategic layout, they are roughly matched. Following the principle that a distant relative is not as good as a nearby neighbor, they generally keep to themselves, like two old women who respect each other but keep their distance. Though the Xuan Yuan Clan’s ancestors were morally questionable and held in disdain by the scholars of Jianzhou, their martial virtue was not lowly. They formed wide alliances with heroes and valiant men across the land. Any man hunted by the authorities, marked for death, could find refuge on Mount Huishan if he managed to reach it. The authorities could only turn a blind eye. The old patriarch of the Xuan Yuan Clan, who had held the family’s reins for half a century, was also willing to nurture young martial aspirants who came to study on the mountain. Many renowned martial experts of today received his guidance in their early days.
After Yuan Tingshan avenged his grievances, he became a wanted fugitive with a bounty on his head from the authorities, even making it onto the Zhao Gou list. If it weren’t for the Xuan Yuan family’s willingness to let him take refuge on the mountain, he would have been captured at the foot of the mountain by Zhao Gou agents and his head paraded across the jianghu.
To Yuan Tingshan, whose nature was cold and indifferent, this life-saving favor aside, if he wished to make progress in his swordsmanship and break through his bottlenecks, he had to willingly perform dark and dirty tasks for the Xuan Yuan family. When a steward from Niushou Ridge found Yuan Tingshan beneath the Sixth Cascade Waterfall, the swordsman was using his bare back to endure the pounding of the water plummeting from a hundred-meter cliff, tempering his bones and sinews. The Sixth Cascade of Huishan Waterfall was known as the most violent, called “Dragon Spitting Water.” In the past thirty years, no young member of the Xuan Yuan Clan had dared to train so extremely.
After hearing the assignment, Yuan Tingshan led twenty light cavalry down the mountain to intercept two young escapees from a minor family. He wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about the mission, but since he had taken shelter under the Xuan Yuan family’s roof and benefited from their support, he had to repay their kindness.
Once Yuan Tingshan agreed to do something, he would do it to the best of his ability. After investigating the route of the escort agency, he first cut off the legs and feet of Qin Yaozi, who was skilled in cannon fists and whip kicks, then gathered a group of insignificant bandits—not because he needed their help, but to create a diversion for the authorities, making it seem as though the escort and the bandits had destroyed each other. He had heard that the two young beauties were renowned in Jianzhou. When they were only twelve or thirteen years old, their beauty had already become famous. The old patriarch of the Xuan Yuan Clan had taken a liking to them, treating them as exclusive playthings for his bedchamber, and had already made it semi-public in Jiangdong, waiting for the right moment to “invite” them up the mountain to enjoy life. He never expected that the two young beauties, hailed as “one who could charm a city, the other who could charm a nation,” would actually escape.
Yuan Tingshan, who often realized things too late, glanced at the two nearly identical faces and pointed his sword at the one standing on the carriage. He laughed and said, “Your skin is even smoother than a woman’s. No wonder the old patriarch of Xuan Yuan favors you more. I wonder how many days you and your sister can endure being played with. Remember, my name is Yuan Tingshan. Until my swordsmanship is fully mastered, don’t die, or else it won’t be fun anymore.”
Yuan Tingshan had already noticed the unexpected visitor with an impressive aura, sitting high on a fine horse, watching from afar. Yuan’s lips curled into a smile, and a murderous intent surged within him. Born in poverty, after learning martial arts, he never concealed his hatred for the sons of noble families. When he first entered Jianzhou, he had slaughtered an entire boat of aristocratic youths like chickens by the river. Yuan made a chopping gesture to the fierce and brave light cavalry trained by the Xuan Yuan family, lightly tapping his shoulder with the flat of his sword as he walked toward the crawling young escort. He couldn’t help but turn back and smile, “Let me give you a friendly reminder. I heard on Mount Huishan that the old patriarch of Xuan Yuan has some strange preferences. When the old man makes you and your sister pleasure him, what will you do?”
The older sister, her neck bruised and purple, collapsed on the ground. Hearing these words, her delicate body trembled, and her face turned pale.
The one standing on the carriage had even more blood at the corner of his mouth.
Yuan Tingshan made a suggestive hip-thrusting motion, laughed loudly, and walked toward the young escort who was barely clinging to life, leaving behind the pair of siblings whose appearances were indistinguishable but whose expressions were vastly different. The older sister, sitting on the ground, looked up in fear at her younger brother, who had always been so headstrong since childhood. The younger brother happened to be looking down at her coldly, and she shivered from the marrow of her bones. Yuan Tingshan didn’t care at all about being hated by the siblings. With their beauty, if they could truly flatter and please the old patriarch of Xuan Yuan, gaining favor at Niushou Ridge for a few years would surely not be difficult. By that time, Xuan Yuan Qingfeng would already be his woman. What kind of storm could these weak pets, who couldn’t even control their own fates, possibly stir up?
Han Xiangma, who had lost both feet, was still crawling painfully in the pool of blood, driven only by a stubborn will to survive.
Yuan Tingshan stood between Han Xiangma and the old escort’s corpse, drove his sword into the ground, bent down, and smiled, saying, “Try a little harder, and you’ll soon see your father’s head.”
When Han Xiangma’s mutilated body crawled forward until his head reached the blade, Yuan Tingshan coldly drew a groove along the road, casually slicing off the head. He picked up the sword, kicked the head with his foot, and it rolled splattering blood near the old escort’s corpse.
“Heroes of the jianghu die in the jianghu. A fitting end.”
Yuan Tingshan murmured, “I’m a good person.”
The sight made the young siblings feel nauseated, especially the older sister, who was so terrified that she fainted on the spot. The one standing stiffly on the carriage called out “Murong Wuzhu” but received no response. He emotionlessly wiped away the blood with his sleeve. The one whose looks and demeanor had been praised in countless poems in Jiangdong’s Jiangzhou was now expressionless. The Murong family was a minor aristocratic clan in Jianzhou, far inferior to the powerful and entrenched noble families. It was said that when the Murong siblings were born, a fortune-teller passed by and left a rhyme: “One female and one male, the female charms the city, the male charms the nation, both flying together into the Wutong Palace.” Everyone knew that the Wutong Palace was the imperial palace in Tai’an City. As the Murong siblings grew up, their beauty and talent were praised by the scholars of Jianzhou. The older sister was already an extraordinary beauty, while the younger brother, Murong Tonghuang, was even more beautiful than a lotus flower. It was said that since his birth, the lotus pond in their family’s courtyard had never bloomed. Every year, the blue lotus buds grew but never opened. Thus, Murong Tonghuang was also known as the Lotus Youth. Combined with the long-circulated rhyme, the Murong family naturally placed great expectations on the siblings. There was once a family member whose lust got the better of him, attempting to molest the ten-year-old siblings. Somehow, he failed and lost an eye, eventually being expelled from the family. Unfortunately, when the siblings were thirteen, they went to Longhu Mountain to burn incense. At the foot of Huishan, the old patriarch of the Xuan Yuan Clan saw them and was stunned by their beauty, immediately designating them as his exclusive playthings. Facing the overwhelming power of the Xuan Yuan family, the Murong clan was utterly powerless. Whether out of desperation or not, when the three-year deadline was nearly up, the siblings fled their home in a scandalous manner. The old patriarch of Xuan Yuan didn’t make things difficult for the Murong family, but the unsuspecting Chang’an Escort Agency suffered the consequences.
At the end of the road, the young prince, who had received news from the white and green cranes in the sky, merely came to see the commotion. He widened his eyes in surprise when he saw twenty riders charging toward him. For a moment, he couldn’t figure out if they were soldiers from Hezhou. But they didn’t look like it. If they really intended to fight, wouldn’t twenty riders be a bit too meager? Didn’t they know that there were a hundred Fengzi Camp riders behind him? Because the white and green cranes had warned him beforehand, this time he rushed ahead without letting the hundred light cavalry spread out. The prince, dressed in luxurious brocade, was already in a bad mood approaching Longhu Mountain. Seeing the swordsman’s cruel act of cutting off a head and kicking it made him even more furious. He raised his hand, and with General Ning Emei leading the way, the hundred light cavalry split into two columns, their iron hooves thundering against the ground.
The twenty riders weren’t stupid. After a moment of shock, they immediately turned and fled! Hell, anyone could see that those sudden cavalry not only carried standard-issue swords but also carried crossbows on their backs. Arrows were fine; the court didn’t prohibit private possession, but crossbows were strictly forbidden outside the military. Possession could lead to exile or even execution for treason. More importantly, in the territories of Hezhou, Jianzhou, and Huzhou, only the Cangying and Youyun units under the command of the Guangling King were authorized to carry military crossbows. The Xuan Yuan family might not fear local authorities, but they dared not provoke the elite forces of a feudal prince.
Even Yuan Tingshan, arrogant and domineering as he was, couldn’t help but instinctively furrow his brows.
Guangling King’s men? Was that annoying young nobleman a general’s son?
If it were still the old days when he was alone, he would have already drawn his sword and charged, fleeing afterward regardless, but at that moment, he had to cut down that brocade-clad young nobleman from his horse.
Yuan Tingshan waved his hand, signaling the twenty riders to go to the siblings’ carriage, while he stood still, staring intently at the young noble flanked by two groups of elite riders.
A confrontation on a narrow road!
The nobleman, with two swords at his waist, pressed the scabbards against his horse and rode forward gracefully. When he was still fifty paces away, he coldly asked, “Are you from Guangling King Zhao Yi’s side?”
Guangling King Zhao Yi was one of the six imperial princes, second only to Prince Yanchi in power. He was a fascinating man—killing as easily as breathing, squandering gold and silver, and especially obsessed with women. After the end of the Spring and Autumn Wars, this prince had the most captured queens, princesses, and concubines among the fallen states, even going so far as to have mothers and daughters, sisters, or even three generations in the same bed, indulging in every imaginable perversion. As the saying goes, “One dragon begets nine sons.” Prince Jing’an Zhao Heng and other royal brothers were considered handsome men of their time, but Zhao Yi was ugly, fat, and dark-skinned, known alongside Chu Lushan of Beiliang as the “Two Fats” of the north and south, both feared as ruthless wolves. However, despite his low moral character, Zhao Yi was highly skilled in leading troops, achieving great success. Compared to the “First Prince” Yanchi Wang, he was only inferior in numbers, but the individual soldiers under his command were no less skilled in combat. He governed the former territory of the once-greatest state of Xichu during the Spring and Autumn period. In twenty years, he suppressed the people of Chu so thoroughly that they couldn’t rise again, killing countless scholars and demonstrating his iron-fisted rule.
This time, it was Yuan Tingshan’s turn to be puzzled, but soon the lawless swordsman began to sneer, his expression becoming sinister.
Xu Fengnian asked, “Are you clearing out bandits?”
Yuan Tingshan laughed and retorted, “Then are you a bandit?”
Xu Fengnian was amused by the swordsman’s brutal demeanor and smiled coldly, saying, “What if I am, and what if I’m not?”
“You’ll know soon enough!”
Ignoring the twenty crossbows aimed at him by the lead riders, Yuan Tingshan’s figure burst forth, dragging his sword as he ran.
Twenty arrows shot out, but Yuan Tingshan twisted and turned like a monkey. In an instant, the fifty paces closed, revealing the arrogant young nobleman’s face clearly. Another clean-shaven pretty boy—cutting off his head would be satisfying! But for the sake of his future, he had to endure for now. Let that head stay a little longer. When Yuan Tingshan’s sword surpassed the old patriarch of Xuan Yuan, Huishan would be his, and Xuan Yuan Qingfeng would be beneath him. But sparing his life temporarily didn’t mean letting him continue sitting high on his horse, ordering people around. No one who dared to act like a big shot in front of Yuan Tingshan’s sword had yet been born from their mother’s womb!
But Yuan Tingshan dodged the first volley of arrows. Just as he leapt into the air, intending to severely wound the young nobleman, a black horse darted out from the side. A general wielded a Divination-character halberd, aiming straight for Yuan Tingshan’s chest. If struck, he would surely be pierced through.
Yuan Tingshan dropped his body weight, landed, and then exploded upward again, his famous sword slashing toward the horse’s head.
The heavy halberd swung down, precisely meeting the sword stroke, sweeping horizontally toward the blade.
Yuan Tingshan narrowed his eyes, his sword no longer retreating. He struck the Divination-character halberd, which swung backward. Yuan Tingshan seemed to be forced to retreat after pouring all his strength into the blow, but his feet scraped backward on the ground. He supported himself with one hand, kicking up a little dust. His figure surged forward again, his speed nearly doubling. He had initially pretended to be weak, but once he tested his opponent’s strength, he suddenly attacked. Ning Emei, clad in heavy armor, roared furiously. In his hands, the sturdy halberd faintly vibrated with layered, subtle arcs, humming ominously. Yuan Tingshan was fast, but Ning Emei’s halberd was no slower. The tip of the halberd hooked toward the young swordsman’s waist. If it connected, the assassin would surely be cut in half! Yuan Tingshan chuckled, “Hmm,” and suddenly pressed his left hand onto the back of his sword, making contact with the halberd again. This time, he didn’t compete in sheer strength. Instead, he used his palm to drive his right hand, spinning his entire body around the halberd like a circle, closing in again on the arrogant young nobleman who remained unmoved on his horse!
Yuan Tingshan was a ruthless brute who had carved his way through the alleys. He was willing to fight to the death but also valued his life. He was skilled in both relentless combat and knowing how to gain the greatest advantage. After roughly gauging the general’s martial prowess, he didn’t immediately strike after bypassing the halberd, as that would expose his entire back to the heavily armored general. His life was more precious than heaven itself. Exchanging his life for another’s was too costly. Instead of attacking immediately, he bent his waist and slipped under the horse’s belly. Then, he raised his sword. Calculating the angle, he aimed to sever the nobleman’s manhood! Surprisingly, the halberd didn’t follow, but a crimson spear came from an unexpected angle, aiming viciously at his temple. If Yuan Tingshan didn’t withdraw his hand, his temple would be pierced. Without regret, he twisted his body. This time, his left hand pressed against the sword’s side, the blade’s edge meeting the spearhead, bending into an arc. Then, using the force of the spear, he suddenly shot backward like an arrow, slipping out from under the nobleman’s white horse’s belly, then sliding beneath Ning Emei’s black horse’s belly. He kicked off the ground, leaping upward and crashing into the side of a rider from one of the light cavalry units on the roadside, knocking him down and successfully disappearing into the dense forest. Yuan Tingshan laughed loudly, “Till we meet again!”
Earlier, under the white horse’s belly, he clearly saw the crimson spear and the pair of blue embroidered shoes.
Could the one who had delivered that powerful spear strike be a woman?
Throughout the entire encounter, Xu Fengnian had not moved at all. Watching Yuan Tingshan escape into the dense forest, he narrowed his eyes and said, “Yang Qingfeng, you and Shu Xiu follow this guy. General Ning, take ten riders and track him on foot. If you don’t catch up before nightfall, give it up.”
The twenty riders at the other end of the road watched in stunned silence. Everyone knew Yuan Tingshan practiced swordsmanship on the mountain, his sword techniques honed in the blood of the dead, brutally fierce. Although it was impressive that he had entered and exited the group of riders, the young nobleman’s ability to emerge unscathed spoke volumes. The one who could so easily neutralize Yuan Tingshan’s killing intent must have deep resources. Moreover, besides the general with the halberd and the woman in green, the others were merely spectators. The attendants who followed into the forest to pursue Yuan Tingshan also seemed no ordinary men. What to do? Naturally, the leader of the riders didn’t care about Yuan Tingshan’s safety or fate, turned his horse around, and immediately retreated. Passing by the carriage, he bent down and picked up the dazed Murong Wuzhu sitting on the ground, placing her on his horse. Another rider followed suit, attempting to abduct Murong Tonghuang standing on the carriage. Unexpectedly, the beautiful “woman,” who outshone even the lotus, struck out with a hidden blade. The rider, unprepared, felt a sharp pain and glared back angrily before continuing forward. Murong Tonghuang, not waiting for the next rider to act, quickly retreated into the carriage, hiding in the corner.
Xu Fengnian turned to Yuan Meng, who was eager to chase, and smiled, “Lieutenant Yuan, take some men and pursue them. Whether to leave any survivors is up to you.”
Two groups of light cavalry chased each other noisily down the narrow path.
Xu Fengnian approached the carriage, lifting the curtain with his sword scabbard. He saw a face that, though still somewhat youthful, was coldly beautiful, with eyes filled with icy hatred.
Xu Fengnian had just opened his mouth with a smile, saying, “Miss…”
The “miss” who had narrowly escaped danger glared at him and, in an ungrateful manner, shouted, “You’re the one who’s a girl!”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage