Chapter 217: Reasoning with the Martial Arts World

Xu Fengnian picked up the half-opened packet of soft chess-shaped cakes from the table, walked out of the room, and entered the chamber where the captured bandit was being held. Sitting down, he looked at the pitiful wretch who had first been used as a pawn and then discarded. The man must have ingested the “Softening Sinew and Weakening Bone” drug. Despite being a sturdy, strong fellow, his face was flushed and his body weak. Fortunately, no one was likely to come this way now; otherwise, if someone saw the young prince in a room alone with a man who looked so helpless, the resulting rumors would be far from savory—especially since both were men.

Xu Fengnian dragged a chair to the window. The sill was low, and since he was already tall, he only needed to stretch his neck slightly to see the courtyard below. As he nibbled on the soft, tasty cakes, he thought back to how he had just saved Wang Dashi from Zhao Yingchuan. Neither the rescued man nor Liu Nirong could have guessed his motives. Of course, the young prince hadn’t intervened merely for a packet of cakes. People often say that full bellies lead to idle minds and pointless actions, but at that moment, the prince hadn’t even eaten yet. Wang Dashi, however, was the only one among the Yu Long Gang who had shown genuine, unselfish affection for the prince—without ulterior motives. Moreover, Zhao Yingchuan’s actions had been particularly despicable. As for Liu Nirong’s fate, Xu Fengnian had no intention of taking the lead. This was the Yu Long Gang’s destined misfortune, and Liu Nirong’s burden as the future leader of the gang. To put it bluntly, given the prince’s status, if he were to rush to the rescue for someone like Liu Nirong, wouldn’t he have to mobilize tens of thousands of cavalry at the mere batting of an eyelash from Pei Nanwei?

“A favor in a handful of rice can earn a lifetime of gratitude, while a bushel of rice may breed hatred.” These ancient words truly capture the nature of the world and the hearts of men.

Xu Fengnian slowly ate his cake, ignoring the suspicious glances from the bandit, and thought about Wang Dashi, the small pawn who had crossed the river. Now, with nothing left to lose and no attachments, Wang Dashi was ready to die alongside Liu Nirong. But if he survived today and later gained wealth and power, what would he choose when he had the chance to possess Liu Nirong’s body without any cost? If his answer were yes, then looking back, wouldn’t Wang Dashi no longer be considered a good man?

Xu Fengnian watched as several hotheaded members of the Yu Long Gang tried to block the advancing soldiers. One was pierced through the chest by an arrow and died instantly. Another was slashed across the face by a Northern Liang saber from a horseman, writhing and screaming on the ground before being trampled to death by a rider who had skillfully maneuvered his mount. Only then did the Yu Long Gang realize their enemies had no intention of negotiating and resolved to fight to the bitter end. With the archer master Gongsun Yang providing cover from above, Liu Nirong escaped death twice. This was partly due to the ruthless horseman Zhou Ziru not targeting her directly.

Swallowing a piece of cake, Xu Fengnian noticed Wang Dashi was missing and finally turned to ask, his mouth still half-full, “What crime did you commit?”

The man’s thigh was a bloody mess, nearly exposing bone, clearly having suffered greatly at Zhao Yingchuan’s hands. He had already developed a psychological fear of the young man with the blade. At the prince’s question, he hurriedly replied, “I ambushed a caravan of merchants from the Northern Mang who were trading furs in our territory. After that, I was hunted by Northern Liang.”

Xu Fengnian nodded and said, “So it seems that caravan had close ties to the Northern Liang border forces. Were you listed as a wanted criminal under the charge of attacking Northern Liang merchants?”

The man’s face was twisted in pain as he nodded, gritting his teeth through the agony. “Sir, you truly are a man of insight! I heard a new Guoyi Captain has arrived recently. Well, the officers below are all eager to curry favor with the new master, and I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. My martial skills weren’t enough, and I can’t blame the world for being too dangerous.”

Xu Fengnian chuckled lightly. “You actually have some self-awareness.”

The bandit, fearing the young swordsman might suddenly decide to kill him, quickly tried to change the subject to distract himself from the pain. “This damn sedative—why couldn’t it have been stronger so I could just pass out?” His face contorted with pain as he cautiously asked, “Sir, have you heard of this new Guoyi Captain?”

Xu Fengnian glanced at the scene in the courtyard, still not seeing Wang Dashi, and frowned slightly. “Huangfu Ping. He used to be the second master of the Qingshan Manor in the Central Plains. After the manor was razed by Northern Liang cavalry, the remnants of that broken pack spent years plotting revenge against the Xu family. Most of them died off eventually, nearly wiping out the entire lineage. They had to learn to be clever, no longer targeting Xu Shao or other high-ranking officials directly, but instead attacking anyone connected to the Xu family on sight. Three years ago, a servant girl from a poor family was returning home with silver to give to her parents when they kidnapped her. By the time the Xu family’s forces arrived, the poor girl’s lower body was beyond recognition. If I had been there at the time…”

He paused, then gave a self-deprecating smile. “It seems I still wouldn’t have been able to do much. That ruthless Guoyi Captain later betrayed the last remnants of Qingshan Manor, informing the Xu family and leading to the deaths of the old master, his last surviving brother, and about twenty other relatives and allies, all cut down like melons by Northern Liang cavalry. I even heard that this merciless fellow was granted several martial arts manuals from the Tingchao Pavilion and promoted to the rank of Guoyi Captain, fifth grade. His fortunes turned, proving the old saying true: ‘Nothing sells better than betraying your brothers.’”

The bandit grew increasingly uneasy as he listened, finally asking nervously, “Sir, your information is truly sharp. Could it be that you, like that former young officer, are also connected to the authorities?”

Xu Fengnian smiled. “I’ve just been spending more time with the Yu Long Gang recently.”

The man’s leg bled even more heavily as he gripped the armrests tightly, sweat pouring from his brow, yet he forced a painful, almost tearful smile and flattered, “Sir, you carry yourself with such dignity and grace. Clearly, you are a man of great fortune. Surviving this calamity will surely bring you great achievements.”

Finally, Xu Fengnian spotted Wang Dashi in the courtyard below. The Yu Long Gang had already lost six or seven brave men. One of them was the man who had spat at the prince’s feet when he first arrived at the inn at dusk. His was the last body lying on the ground, pierced through the chest by a spear and then decapitated by a skilled rider. If the earlier deaths were due to sheer bravery, this man’s death was senseless. He had charged forward knowing full well it meant certain death, despite the bloody warnings of those who had gone before him. When he was finally struck down by spear and saber, Liu Nirong was the only one left beside him. Meanwhile, Wang Dashi, trembling inside the inn doorway, kept pounding his legs with his fists until, in frustration, he slapped himself twice. Finally, his legs obeyed him, and with a loud shout to bolster his courage, he picked up a fallen sword and charged into the fray, swinging wildly with his eyes shut. The attackers, finding it amusing, did not immediately kill him.

Liu Nirong looked around. No allies remained—only enemies. Her subordinates, meeting her gaze, lowered their heads and retreated.

Gongsun Yang, on the upper floor, had fired thirty-one arrows. The first six killed four men, none of them from Daoma Pass. When he realized there was no turning back, he aimed for the leader. But every subsequent arrow was caught effortlessly by the old man kept by the woman with the sable-trimmed forehead.

Gongsun Yang knew that even if the old man wasn’t a Realm of the Indestructible (Diamond Realm) expert, he was close. He gently stroked his horn bow, then snapped the string and slowly descended the stairs, limping silently to stand behind Liu Nirong.

Zhou Ziru, still mounted, turned his horse leisurely, circling once with an air of arrogant detachment. Looking down at Liu Nirong, covered in blood, a cruel smirk curled his lips, filled with satisfaction and triumph.

Xu Fengnian murmured, “They’re here.”

The man on the chair hadn’t heard clearly and whispered nervously, “Sir, a few years back I stole a yellowed martial arts manual. Since I couldn’t read, I even kept a literate courtesan in a brothel for two months, learning each character one by one. If you wish to learn it, Sir, you could take me away from this inn, and I’ll recite it to you slowly.”

Xu Fengnian, his back to the door, seemed distracted, giving no sign of having heard the man’s tempting offer.

Then, an untimely thunder of hooves approached from afar. To Zhou Ziru’s ears, it was piercing. The confident young master’s expression shifted slightly as he turned his head. In the darkness, a line of torches stretched like a mountain range.

No fewer than a hundred riders were charging in.

At the head rode a middle-aged general in armor—an unfamiliar face, but judging by his armor, he was at least a fifth-grade officer in the Northern Liang army, a position far beyond the reach of the Daoma Pass deputy commander or the Chui Gong officer.

Even more unsettling for Zhou Ziru was the rider beside the general—Han Tao, the Chui Gong officer of Daoma Pass, second only to Zhou Ziru’s father!

Riding straight into the courtyard, Han Tao cast a sidelong glance at Zhou Ziru and sneered, “Well, well, Zhou Ziru, what a bold move! In Daoma Pass, who’s the deputy commander—your father or you?”

The final “ah” was clearly rising in tone.

In officialdom, when rank matters, people often speak like this.

Zhou Ziru lowered his head and bowed, his eyes flashing with a glint of malice. “Reporting to Officer Han, I received intelligence that bandits had colluded with the Yu Long Gang of Lingzhou. With my father’s permission, I led troops here to prevent their escape. If I have acted improperly, I humbly request your guidance, and I will accept any punishment.”

A single rider slowly entered the courtyard, and Han Tao stepped aside to give the general a clear view.

There was nothing he could do—this Guoyi Captain beside him was a mighty figure who had personally met the Northern Liang general and received rewards. Forget about those rumors of the Guoyi Captain’s betrayal—trivial matters that would vanish with a fart! Today, Huangfu Guoyi was the most powerful figure along this border. If not for having connections in the capital, Han Tao wouldn’t even have had the chance to approach him. Today was just bad luck for Zhou Ziru and his father, colliding with the Guoyi Captain’s inspection day. In the past, Han Tao would have turned a blind eye, but not today. If he let this opportunity slip through his fingers, he might as well cut off his own hands and forget about fondling the soft, white chests of his concubines.

All his careful calculations crumbled in the face of rank and power.

Zhou Ziru, bold and unyielding, was also willing to yield when necessary.

The Guoyi Captain glanced at Zhou Ziru, who was still bowing, and smiled warmly. “Zhou Ziru, is it? I’ve only just taken office, but I’ve long heard of your reputation. Seeing you in person, I must say—you live up to your name. Very good, very good indeed.”

Han Tao was momentarily stunned.

Zhou Ziru caught the flicker of confusion in Han Tao’s eyes and felt reassured. He knew his father still had room to maneuver with this powerful Northern Liang border official, and gold, silver, beauties, and antiques could fill those gaps.

This made Zhou Ziru, who had planned to expose the killing of Zhao Yingchuan by someone in the inn, willingly swallow his anger like bitter melon, casting a sidelong glance at Liu Nirong. There would be time later to make her suffer in his bed.

The Guoyi Captain had already gleaned the situation from Han Tao’s subtle hints on the way. With a slight smile, he exchanged a glance with Han Tao and departed first.

Zhou Ziru followed closely.

The woman with the sable-trimmed forehead was clearly displeased, but the old man beside her, his five fingers golden, whispered in her ear, and she reluctantly left.

The martial artists who had come seeking vengeance against Xiao Qiang scattered like birds and beasts.

The thunder was loud, the rain heavy, but at least not everyone was soaked to the skin. Yet this only made the deaths of the Yu Long Gang members in front of Liu Nirong seem even more tragic and pitiful.

Xiao Qiang, likely unable to escape through the back gate, calmly entered the front courtyard, coughed lightly to regain the attention of his men, and began directing the cleanup. Facing Liu Nirong’s cold gaze, the second-in-command remained unflinching.

“What can a young girl who hasn’t even taken full control do? She’s still my apprentice. What can she possibly do to change things?”

Liu Nirong silently returned to the inn. Wang Dashi remained dazed, sitting on the ground, his limbs trembling.

On the second floor, the man who had been Endure the pain (enduring pain) and Gathering Momentum (gathering strength) finally shook off the effects of the drug. Using his left leg as support, he suddenly lunged forward, aiming a powerful punch at the young noble’s back. A normal martial artist would have been left bleeding from seven orifices if struck.

He had no martial arts manual—just a ploy to buy time. Since this naive newcomer had turned his back to him, thinking the world was safe, the old man had no intention of being polite.

Xu Fengnian’s robe barely stirred.

The martial artist, famed for his fierce punches, was horrified to find that his fist stopped three inches from the young man’s back, unable to penetrate further—as if he had struck an invisible wall of copper and iron!

There were certainly experts in the world capable of such feats, but how could he believe he had encountered one in this small inn?

Realizing his danger, the experienced fighter tried to pull back, but a more terrifying sensation overtook him. He found himself unable to move at all, despite exerting every ounce of strength.

He watched helplessly as the young noble, still with his back turned, reached for the hilt of his saber and gently struck the man’s chest with the scabbard.

It was like the morning bell of a mountain temple!

The man’s internal energy exploded.

He died, blood pouring from his seven orifices.

Xu Fengnian showed no emotion after the killing, merely recalling a tale from the martial world.

He remembered a weathered old guardian of the martial library telling him about a swordsman who once met another man on the road. “Hey, you’re called ‘Sword Ghost’? Me too!”

They both laughed. “What a coincidence!”

But what happened next? The swordsman waited for a chance to stab the other in the back, ensuring there would be only one Sword Ghost in the world.

As a boy, the young prince had found it amusing, unable to understand the old man’s self-mockery and hidden sorrow. Only later did he learn that the old man’s true title had been Sword Ghost, and the other man had once been his closest friend. The old man had even rejected a woman who loved him, choosing instead to leave the martial world and travel the land doing good deeds. When they met again, he learned that the woman had died in despair after marrying his friend, and that his friend had nearly torn his chest open with a sword after a night of drinking. Only then did he learn how much suffering she had endured and how much jealousy and hatred his friend had harbored.

Later, a martial artist came to the martial library seeking vengeance for his father’s death. When captured, the old man knelt before the young prince, begging for mercy. The truth finally came to light. Xu Fengnian, ever generous, seeing the old man’s sincerity, not only spared the vengeful youth but also casually tossed him two martial arts manuals from the library. A few years later, the old man went out for a walk and was beheaded by the youth using the sword techniques from the manuals. Perhaps it was an unspoken agreement between them—one seeking death, the other vengeance. But this assassination enraged the prince, who felt mocked. He had nearly executed the assassin but, remembering the old man’s magnanimity, finally let him go.

Such absurdities, when heard as stories over tea, seem only ridiculous. But when they happen to you personally, how would you feel?

Xu Fengnian had seen too much of the martial world—its heroes and villains, its gentlemen and scoundrels. He had seen men who roared with valor outside the Northern Liang Prince’s Mansion (prince’s mansion) only to grovel inside. He had seen men who had never met him yet wanted to tear him apart limb from limb. Many of those who entered the mansion and stood before the Northern Liang prince had wielded their swords without hesitation, only to end up as dog food.

Others may learn the cruelty of the martial world late in life, perhaps only at the moment of death, like Liu Nirong. But Xu Fengnian was grateful to be the son of the “Butcher” Xu Shao, knowing the truth early and living long enough to survive it all, living a life that seemed bright and enviable on the surface.

In the martial world, many honest men try to reason with others using the logic of empathy, only to be met with fists. When you fight back with fists, others lecture you with lofty moralizing.

How can such reasoning be resolved?

Xu Fengnian simply looked down at the Chunlei saber, still sheathed, that had killed without being drawn.