What is the Jianghu? It is a curtain of pearls, and women are those pearls, strung together by feuds, love, and hatred, forming the world of martial chivalry.
The woman who boarded the boat, mistaken by Long Yuxuan as a female swordsman, was undoubtedly the most radiant pearl in the entire Jianghu—there was almost no need to add the suffix “among them” or “one of.”
Though her appearance was merely average, she possessed a unique grace and solitude. As a child, she traveled across Beiliang with a master of geomancy, drawing maps of the land. Later, she entered the Shangyin Academy, studying under both Master Wang, the moral philosopher, and a grandmaster of military strategy. She became renowned for her poetry, especially for inventing the 19-line Go board, which gained dominance across the land. Her Go style was calm yet strategic. Strangely, when she played, there were rarely any dazzling, thunderous moves that stunned onlookers. Neither cunning nor fierce, each move was steady and solid, seemingly seeking no great achievements but merely avoiding mistakes. Often, by the middle game, she already exuded an aura of flawless victory.
In terms of appearance, she could not be called a beauty, but when judged by her Go skills, she was unparalleled across the land, unmatched even by the famed Huang Sanjia, who had yet to emerge. On the Go board, she convinced through reason; beyond it, she was also known for many acts of physical dominance. Her sword was no mere ornamental accessory. In the Shangyin Academy, she once beheaded a man—an act even Huang Longshi, the notorious scholar of Xieyi Lake and a ruthless figure of the Spring and Autumn Period, had never dared. Today, the literary and scholarly circles are divided in their opinions of this young woman, but none would dare call her mediocre.
Yet all of this was nothing compared to what truly mattered. For the wastrel prince, even Xu Xiao dared chase him around with a broom, yet he feared her on this journey because he had something to hide. In the past, when he couldn’t best his second sister, Xu Wei Xiong, in argument, he would resort to tantrums and tricks. Even if he angered her, he usually managed to get by. But this time, he was sure to suffer a beating. Xu Wei Xiong was deeply displeased that he ignored the art of commanding ten thousand men in battle and the political strategies of the court, instead choosing to wield a blade like a brute. Worse still, Xu Feng Nian had ventured to the Wudi City, which infuriated her even more. A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall; even those who are not gentlemen should know better. Originally, he had planned to visit his elder sister, Xu Zhi Hu, in Jiangnan or his second sister at the Shangyin Academy, a fifty-fifty decision. According to the itinerary, if he wanted to save time, he should have gone to the Shangyin Academy first, then Longhu Mountain, followed by Wudi City, and finally passing through Huting County on his return. But because of his concern for his second sister’s feelings, he had taken a long detour. As Xu Zhi Hu had said, he had to carefully consider his sister’s petty resentment over visiting Jiangnan first before the Academy. Truly, his fate was bitter.
The boat was not that big. Where could the prince, already a fish on the chopping block, possibly hide?
With no escape, Xu Feng Nian did not wait for Xu Wei Xiong to enter the cabin to search for him. He squeezed out a smile and hurriedly ran out. Without hesitation, he hugged his sister first, preventing her from striking him with her sword scabbard, and flattered, “Sister, how come you’re here in Jianzhou? This is quite far from that dreary Shangyin Academy.”
Murong Xiong Ci looked at each other in astonishment. Even Murong Tong Huang, who usually had deep schemes and was calm in crisis, was stunned by this scene.
Xu Wei Xiong, though hugged, did not struggle. Calmly, she said, “I was afraid that once you entered Wudi City, you might be boiled alive with skin and bones. So I had to wait here for you like a rabbit in ambush. That’s personal. Officially, it’s the Academy’s triennial examination, and one of the subjects this time is geomancy, held in the Difei Mountains north of Jianzhou, testing the ability to observe landscapes and locate auspicious sites. Master Wang was too busy drinking, so I took over as examiner.”
Xu Feng Nian turned his head and looked at the riverbank, where a large group of scholars in Ru robes stood. The younger ones had not yet reached adulthood, while the older ones were already in their sixties or seventies. Most carried bulky bookcases on their backs, and few wore luxurious clothes. Yet they embodied the ancient saying: “A scholar with knowledge radiates grace.” Even Xu Feng Nian, who usually despised scholars for their pretentiousness, could not dislike them. He was not surprised that his sister had taken on the role of a senior scholar at the Academy. His sister’s knowledge was vast and profound, blending various fields with elegant expression. Whether it was orthodox Confucianism or misunderstood heterodox practices and esoteric techniques, she had studied them deeply, especially geomancy. She had authored “Annotations and Supplements to the Dragon-Gazing Classic” and “The Jade Axe Landscape Verses,” both precise and subtle, written without a single obscure or difficult word. Because she loved to travel the mountains with an ancient sword and a green bamboo case, she was revered by admiring geomancers as Xu Qing Nang or Qingwu Master.
Xu Feng Nian released her and took a step back, gazing at his sister, who was covered in dust from her journey. He stood silently for a while, then gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Xu Wei Xiong was elegant and dignified, the most commanding figure among the Xu family’s children. Yet she was also famously stubborn. Once, a renowned literary figure wrote a celebrated essay containing the lines, “A great man does not dwell on minor details; a great ceremony does not concern itself with small courtesies.” This phrase became widely admired across the North and South. But when it reached Xu Wei Xiong at the Shangyin Academy for evaluation, she criticized it, saying, “How can one achieve great feats without attention to detail? How can one uphold great ceremonies without small courtesies?” The northern scholar, a master of poetry and Go, was so offended that he wrote a sharp letter to the Academy. Xu Wei Xiong ignored him. The old man, increasingly angry, wrote eight more letters—more like proclamations than correspondence—and finally traveled south to challenge her to a Go match. Xu Wei Xiong accepted the challenge without hesitation, proposing a wager: if she won ten consecutive games playing black, the old man would retire from writing. Confident in his skill, he readily agreed. The result was predictable—he lost all ten games. The old scholar returned north in disgrace, secretly begging the “Nineteen Master” not to reveal the wager. He continued teaching at the top academy in the North. Xu Wei Xiong, to her credit, did not publicize the matter but replied with three lines: “A man without integrity—why not die? Words and actions at odds—a deceitful old thief! What right has he to teach, when he misleads the young?”
The old man was so enraged he fell ill, and only then did the story of the Academy’s Go match come to light. The literary world criticized her for being unyielding in victory, while the Go community realized that in every game Xu Wei Xiong played, when she held the black stones, she never lost. Though the fixed-stone system already limited the advantage of the white stones, for Xu Wei Xiong to have played over a hundred games against the greatest Go masters of the time and never lose while playing black was nothing short of a miracle.
These were major events, but Xu Feng Nian also knew some minor ones. His sister had obsessive cleanliness, and every object in her room was placed with meticulous precision, almost rigidly. Bottles, brushes, inkstones, chairs, couches, incense burners, books—each remained in its exact position for years. As a child, Xu Feng Nian’s favorite mischief was sneaking into his sister’s room and subtly moving small objects. Without exception, each time, Xu Wei Xiong would find the clues and then hunt him down, mercilessly twisting his ears. Proud of his thick skin and tough flesh, Xu Feng Nian enjoyed this game for many years.
In his memory, Xu Wei Xiong’s clothes were plain but always spotless. Never before had she appeared so dusty, clearly showing how urgent her journey had been.
The warm and tender moment between the siblings was spoiled by a bold little brat who shouted, “Lady, hug me!”
Xu Wei Xiong looked down and saw a bright-eyed child. She had barely glanced at him when the little rascal shrank back, clearly sensing danger from her gaze. He immediately ran and hid behind the fish-sister who held a white cat, peeking out from behind her. Wumei, fond of the child, jumped from between Fish Youwei’s bosoms—the tender grave of heroes—but was slapped to the ground by the unhappy child. Wumei was not angry, instead rubbing her head against the child’s trousers, which made the prince, who had raised her to be fat and healthy yet refused to hold her, furious.
This was the first time Xu Wei Xiong had met the old sword immortal, Li Chungan. The old man in sheepskin was yawning, looking tired and indifferent, not showing any special respect for her status as the Beiliang Princess or Xu Qingnang. Yet Xu Wei Xiong, as a junior, respectfully bowed and said, “Xu Wei Xiong greets Master Li. Your words ‘Sword, come!’ at the Snowy Yard shook the heavens and awakened the deaf.”
After the great Spring and Autumn Period, the words “Master,” “Great One,” and “Prince” had become so common they overflowed like floods. Even a stray cat or dog on the street could boast of being a “Great One” through mutual flattery. But when spoken by Xu Wei Xiong, these words carried immense weight. At the revered Shangyin Academy, where scholars across the land regarded it as sacred ground, even her two teachers and the Grand Chancellor had never been honored with the title “Master” from her. Only a nameless blind lute player had received such respect. Clearly, her reverence for the old sword immortal was genuine, not for his status as a sword immortal, but for his great perseverance in returning to the realm of immortals after falling from it once. If he were merely a sword immortal, to Xu Wei Xiong, he would be nothing more than a brute with a sharper sword and deadlier skills—what benefit would that bring to the world?
The old man looked her over and shook his head, “Your talent doesn’t match that of Jiang Ya.”
Xu Wei Xiong calmly replied, “This junior studies swordplay only to strengthen the body.”
Li Chungan bluntly criticized, “A pity for such a fine sword. In your hands, it cannot sing freely.”
Xu Wei Xiong smiled, “This junior only knows sword techniques, not the sword Dao as you do. If Master Li needs a suitable weapon for the journey to Wudi City, I can offer this sword.”
Xu Feng Nian angrily said, “No!”
Xu Wei Xiong frowned slightly.
Xu Feng Nian quickly smiled and said, “I have plenty of swords.”
Li Chungan did not bother to acknowledge the prince but turned to Xu Wei Xiong, who acted decisively, and said, “Your sword is a good one. I can tell you have deeply cultivated its spirit. But you claim only to know sword techniques—it’s too modest. A gentleman helps others achieve their beauty; a petty person takes what others cherish. I am neither a moral gentleman nor an envious petty person. Whether I have a sword or not, it makes no difference to me now. Xu Wei Xiong, you don’t need to test me. Since I have promised Xu Xiao to ensure this young rascal returns to Beiliang with all limbs intact, whether it’s the East Sea or the capital, wherever he dares to go, I will ensure he leaves alive.”
Xu Wei Xiong, unlike other women who would bow with clasped hands, bowed like a man and softly said, “Thank you, Master Li, for your promise.”
Li Chungan sighed helplessly, “I heard that Jiang Ya was bullied by you, and I wanted to help her regain some dignity when I met you. But after seeing your two bows, I really can’t bring myself to act.”
Xu Wei Xiong smiled calmly, truly a woman whose words could shake the heavens, slowly saying, “To be honest, since ancient times, mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law rarely get along, but that doesn’t mean the elders are always wicked. They just want the new bride to cherish her husband more. I have always regarded Jiang Ni as my younger brother’s wife. But she is lively by nature, and our mother passed away early, so I had to play the villain. However, now that I know Cao Zhangqing has taken Jiang Ni away, I wish I hadn’t been that villain all those years.”
In the calm, thunder rumbled.
Li Chungan was stunned, then raised his thumb, rarely praising, “Xu Xiao gave birth to you, and it’s more fortunate than giving birth to this rascal, Xu Feng Nian.”
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